Mobile Tech & Gadgets

Climate change has a lethal side effect that we are only just discovering: it locks us in the house and prevents us from moving

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The increasingly frequent heat waves are not harmless for the population as they cause thousands of deaths each year, with vulnerable people being the most affected by this unwanted effect. But beyond this, which is what impacts anyone the most, we are also seeing how the increase in temperature is causing let’s reduce our physical activitysince when the street becomes an oven, sedentary lifestyle skyrockets. It is studied. The first major published work In this regard, he appeared on the scene in March of this same year and analyzed data from 156 countries collected between 2000 and 2022 to identify the “thermal frontier” in which our behavior changes radically from having good physical activity to moving to a sedentary lifestyle. With all this data, the limit was placed at 27.8ºC average temperature, since, according to the study, for each additional month in which a country exceeds this average temperature, global physical inactivity increases 1.5 percentage points. And it is not a simple summer anecdote, but stopping walking, running, cycling to work or playing in the park has direct physiological consequences. In Xataka The El Niño numbers are so strong that they are beginning to make half the world nervous. We have to be able to differentiate risk from hysteria Looking to the future, The figures are chilling, since if we continue with the current trend in an inactive manner, physical inactivity caused exclusively by excess heat will cause between 470,000 and 700,000 premature deaths additional each year around the world. Added to this is the economic impact, since lower productivity and increased medical spending will mean annual losses of between 2,400 and 3,680 million dollars. Spain, Due to its geographical location and its tendency towards desertification, it has been identified as one of the European countries most affected by this phenomenon, along with critical regions such as Central America, the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. Because? To understand the reasons that reach these extremes, we have to look at another study that analyzed 74 years of hourly data, combining temperature and humidity to coin the concept ‘limiting heat’. With this term we talk about those environmental conditions in which the human body cannot carry out physical activity outdoors without its core temperature reaching dangerous levels. The most alarming thing about the study is the speed at which we are losing “working” hours per year. The annual time we spend in conditions of “severe livability limitation” has doubled since the 1950s, and it is not something that affects only the elderly. It affects us all. In young adults, historically there were about 25 hours a year of heat so extreme that it prevented them from moving safely. But today that figure has shot up to 50 hours annually and continues to increase. In the case of those over 65 years of age, their tolerance threshold is lower and they have gone from suffering 600 hours of climate confinement per year to more than 900 hours per year. This means that they spend more than 10% of the year in restrictive environmental conditions. In Xataka The map that splits Europe into two when the heat arrives: where there is air conditioning and where there isn’t He pushes us to the couch. The WHO itself has been warning that climate change acts as a “threat multiplier.” Here we have the perfect example, since heat not only makes us directly sick, but also enhances other modern pandemics such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes by promoting a sedentary lifestyle. The solution is not just to tell people “go out and do sports earlier” or “join a gym with air conditioning.” Pass byrethink citiessince if the streets do not have shade, if the parks are cement slabs without climatic shelters, and if urban planning does not adapt to the new temperatures, going for a walk will cease to be a medical recommendation and will become a risky sport for four months a year. In Xataka | The networks are filling up with maps that promise the end of the heat. One thing is what we would like and another, very different, is what we know (function() { window._JS_MODULES = window._JS_MODULES || {}; var headElement = document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)(0); if (_JS_MODULES.instagram) { var instagramScript = document.createElement(‘script’); instagramScript.src=”https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js”; instagramScript.async = true; instagramScript.defer = true; headElement.appendChild(instagramScript); – The news Climate change has a lethal side effect that we are only just discovering: it locks us in the house and prevents us from moving was originally published in Xataka by José A. Lizana .

Tom Hanks assures that “this is the best movie ever made”, even above “Casablanca or Citizen Kane”

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Tom Hanks claims that the best film ever made is not ‘Casablanca’ or ‘Citizen Kane’, nor is it in the canon of absolute Hollywood classics. Nor is it any of his filmography. It is a 1963 title that failed at the box office and was officially vindicated by the actor when at the 1992 Oscars (although it was not on Oscar night itself) an honorary award was given to the person truly responsible for the magic of the film. 1992: the Harryhausen moment. That night, Hanks did not go on stage to compete for anything of his own, but rather to present the Gordon E. Sawyer Award, a technical recognition that the Academy grants outside of the main gala. The recipient was Ray Harryhausen, honored with this lifetime achievement award at a special ceremony held three weeks before the 1992 Oscars. There he uttered the famous phrase: “Some say Casablanca or Citizen Kane.” He prefers ‘Jason and the Argonauts’ Jason is going crazy. It is the best-known film that Ray Harryhausen made. Directed by Don Chaffey, it freely adapts the 3rd century BC Greek poem The Argonauticas, by Apollonius of Rhodes. The film was a box office failure at the time, but time has turned it into a fantasy classic thanks to the magnificent animations in stop motion from Harryhausen and a specific scene, the sword fight against an army of skeletons, which took the technician three months to animate. It is not the only amazing creature in the film: the bronze colossus Talos, the seven-headed hydra and the two Harpies are other mythological monsters in this adventure. It’s the monkey’s fault. Harryhausen knew that he wanted to dedicate himself to the world of effects because stop motion when he saw ‘King Kong’ as a child, and it was in fact the creator of the gigantic gorilla, Willis O’Brien, who advised him to take his first steps, advising him to study anatomy and art. Harryhausen ended up helping him as an apprentice on films like ‘The Big Gorilla’. Starting in the 1950s, he teamed up with producer Charles Schneer and there his key works would begin, which would ensure him a place in the pantheon of classics. With him, Harryhaysen began in science fiction films such as ‘The Beast from Ancient Times’, ‘Humanity in Danger’ or ‘Earth vs. the Flying Saucers’. Then came the fantasy adventures, often with mythological elements, that made him famous: ‘Sinbad and the Princess’, ‘Gulliver’s Travels’, ‘The Mysterious Island’, ‘A Million Years Ago’ and, closing his career in the eighties, ‘Clash of the Titans’, with Medusa as one of his most remembered creatures. Harryhausen was not just an animator: he designed the creatures, sculpted them, built the models with articulated metal skeletons and then animated them himself, almost always alone. Stop motion FTW. Some of the genius’s teachings are relevant today. In a 2006 interview he argued that visual effects with excessive realism They were reduced to something mundane, compared to the almost dreamlike quality that, in their opinion, the stop motion. And it is easy to understand why: any film animated with this artisanal technique, like, without going any further, the very recent ‘I’m Frankelda’ It has a texture of pure wonder that CGI simply cannot remotely aspire to. In Xataka | Warner wanted to change the ending of one of Clint Eastwood’s most acclaimed films. Luckily, he stood his ground.

$30 billion worth of Broadcom chips

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Apple has announced an extension of your agreement with Broadcom which, according to the company itself, will exceed $30 billion. For the company, it is the largest single commitment within its American Manufacturing Program (AMP), but it is also another handful of bills that once again demonstrates how the semiconductor industry is being the central axis of the strategy of big technology. The context. Apple has been trying to demonstrate to Donald Trump’s government for more than a year that is moving part of its production chain to American soil. And it has no other choice, since this commitment is framed within of the 600 billion dollar investment plan in four years that the company announced in 2025, after Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs on iPhones if Apple did not manufacture more components in the country. According to collect According to the Financial Times, that promise is similar to another similar one that Apple already made during Trump’s first term, when it committed to investing $350 billion in the United States. In detail. The new agreement with Broadcom provides for the production of more than 15 billion chips manufactured in the United States and will create hundreds of jobs, according to Apple. its official statement. Broadcom, which was already working with Apple to supply connectivity components, will expand and modernize its plant in Fort Collins, Colorado, with an additional investment of $1.5 billion. That plant will manufacture advanced radio frequency components, including FBAR filters, which allow Apple devices to connect to mobile, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth networks. Neither Apple nor Broadcom have yet confirmed when they will have everything ready to work with this new capacity. Between the lines. The announcement comes two days after Broadcom will inform to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it had signed new long-term agreements with Apple to develop custom ASIC-type chips (application-specific integrated circuits, increasingly used in artificial intelligence workloads) that will extend until 2031, according to collects Reuters. So the $30 billion figure now confirmed by Apple puts concrete numbers on those long-term deals. In the last year, Apple has been replacing some of the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity chips that it previously bought from Broadcom with its own designs. This had raised doubts among investors about whether Broadcom would lose weight as a supplier, something similar to what happened with Qualcommwhose 5G modems Apple has been phasing out in favor of its own C-series chips. However, it appears that Broadcom will continue to supply other RF components and, according to Bloombergis also working on technology that will support the first artificial intelligence server that Apple plans to deploy next year. The voices. Apple CEO Tim Cook has qualified the components that will be manufactured in Fort Collins as “essential to deliver the performance and connectivity our customers expect,” and thanked President Trump and his Administration for “supporting important projects like this.” For his part, Broadcom’s CEO, Hock Tan, said he was “proud to continue working with Apple after decades of joint success” and highlighted that the agreement will allow it to expand its manufacturing footprint in Colorado. Why it is important. Apple is not massively restructuring its global supply chain, which remains highly concentrated in Asia. Your strategy, as explains the Financial Times, has been to focus on chips, which are the highest-value components in its devices, and announce purchase commitments with manufacturers that already operate in the United States, such as TSMC in Arizona, Texas Instruments in Texas or GlobalFoundries in New York. The Broadcom deal is, so far, the biggest piece of that puzzle. And now what. The announcement comes at a time of transition for Apple. Tim Cook will step down as director of the company on September 1, position that John Ternus will assumecurrent hardware manager. Cook will remain with the company as CEO and, according to Bloombergis expected to maintain his role as the main interlocutor with the White House, a role that has been key to sustaining Apple’s relationship with the Trump Administration in recent months. In Xataka | The US taught that access to advanced AI can be cut off. China is studying the same thing, according to Reuters, and Europe is watching from the outside

We have just discovered that the lethal weapon to hunt mammoths was not what we thought

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More than a century ago, archaeologists were convinced that the so-called Piltdown Man It was the “missing link” in human evolution. It took more than 40 years to prove that it was a fraud built with a human skull and the jaw of an orangutan. Since then, archeology has learned an uncomfortable lesson: even theories that seem indisputable can crumble when new evidence appears. The great certainty that falters. For decades, archeology books have presented the Clovis culture like the great mammoth hunters of North America. The image was simple: groups of hunters armed with spear propellers, known as atlatlcapable of taking down huge animals from a relatively safe distance. However, two studies published recently They question this reconstruction and force us to reconsider one of the most iconic scenes in American prehistory. The weapon that never appeared. He first study puts the focus on the atlatl, that kind of extension of the arm that multiplies the speed and range of a spear. For years it was assumed that the Clovis used it to hunt mammoths, although there was a surprising detail: A single atlatl has never been found at a Clovis site. Using statistical models, researchers they conclude now that this technology probably did not appear in America until about 4,000 years later before this culture disappeared, a gap too great to continue supporting the traditional theory. Without direction. The consequence of this archaeological gap is so striking that the author of the study, the archaeologist Metin Eren, summarizes it with a sincerity unusual in a scientific article: “We have no idea what the hell they used.” Because if the Clovis did not use atlatls, only hypotheses remain. Perhaps they hunted with javelins or thrust spears, which would have forced them to get much closer to animals weighing several tons and take an enormous risk. Paradoxically, the more research is done on one of the best-known cultures in America, there are fewer certainties about the weapon with which he survived. Or they were not so “hunters”. He ssecond study takes that review even further. After analyzing the fifteen sites where Clovis points have appeared along with remains of mammoths, mastodons or gomphotheres, the researchers they conclude that none demonstrates unequivocally that these animals were killed by human beings. The same marks on the bones and the same broken tips can occur both after a hunt and when using the carcass of an animal that had already died, a problem known in archeology as equifinality. Hunters… or scavengers. Of course, the authors do not maintain that the Clovis never hunted mammoths. What they affirm is that current evidence does not allow us to rule out that, on many occasions, they acted rather as opportunistic scavengers. In fact, remember that a Clovis point has never been found embedded in a mammoth bone, evidence that does exist in much older Eurasian sites. They even reinterpret a famous isotopic study on a Clovis child, proposing that the elevated nitrogen levels could be explained due to the consumption of larvae coming from corpses and not necessarily from a diet based almost exclusively on mammoth meat. Archeology exchanges certainties for questions. Both jobs They reflect a change of trend in research on prehistory. For decades, it was enough for an explanation to be reasonable to become the dominant narrative. Today researchers demand much stronger evidence and are revising some of the ideas that seemed best established, from the weapons used by the first Americans to the role they played in the disappearance of the megafauna of the end of the Ice Age. Sometimes the greatest scientific advance is not in finding a new answer, but in recognizing that the old one was never there. really proven. Image | BioS. In Xataka | The company that is resurrecting the mammoth is creating the Noah’s Ark of the 21st century. And he is doing it in Dubai, of course In Xataka | The crater known as “the door to hell” hid a surprise: a 50,000-year-old mammoth calf

Xbox wants to have 1 billion players a day. It’s what 25 Steam would do on their best day

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Another day in the video game industry, this Monday Microsoft announced layoffs at Xbox. 1,600 at once, five studios to make a living and another 1,600 layoffs over the next few months. To carry out the restructuring, what is known as “Xbox reset”Microsoft put Asha Sharma at the head of the company who came from one of the company’s AI divisions and who arrived with a clear mission: to break with the past. After weeks of good words, drastic decisions began and, in a release gigantic, justified the decisions of layoffs and restructuring (the consequences of which we still do not fully know, since we have been learning about layoffs in different Xbox studios for two days). There are interesting data, such as extreme bureaucracy within Xbox that had complicated things in recent years, the enormous investment in Game Pass and the fact that caught my attention the most: the number of daily players that Xbox wants. Because Sharma talks about wanting a billion people to be “entertained” with Xbox every day. And, after wondering what it means to have a billion people every day on your platform, I have only been able to come to one conclusion: I would like to see how they do it. The Xbox of a billion players and the old woman’s account I don’t say this in a defiant sense, but out of genuine curiosity. I would like to see how Xbox, or any company, for that matter, is able to bring together a billion people a day on its platform. Sharma comments that they see themselves capable of achieving that goalbut the point is that there are many more stimuli than ever and, furthermore, setting these goals only has one consequence: when they are not met, there will be more ‘resets’. Let’s go in parts. The changes they are making seek to ensure that “Xbox has a bigger future, not a smaller one.” Furthermore, he notes that “the next decade of games will be bigger, more global and more creative than anything we’ve seen before.” Said like this, you may think that they are going to invest a lot (they themselves say that they are going to invest a lot, but with a better focus and discipline), but there is a problem: are there really that many players willing to be on your platform? What is an Xbox? Answering the first question, players… there are. We are more than 8,000 million people throughout the world and esteem what’s there around 3 billion people who play video games. This in total, not on a daily basis and, furthermore, you must keep in mind that everything is mixed here: the accounts include everything from the most ‘Eat’ of ‘Call of Duty’ to your grandfather who plays ‘Candy Crush’ or a Facebook game. Responding to the second, Sharma says they want a billion people entertained with Xbox. And not only those who have a console count (whose sales are quite poor), but also those who play from PC and Xbox games on Steam and platforms like PS5. That is, everything that has the Xbox seal. That said, let’s tell why one billion people seem to get it “easy” Yes, you have so many franchises and you are present everywhere, but things get complicated if we put the magnifying glass on the few games that can really help the company achieve those figures. They are all estimates, but we would talk about 110 million monthly players in ‘Minecraft’, between 70 and 90 million (counting mobile phones) monthly in ‘Call of Duty’ and between 200 and 300 million players diaries in ‘Candy Crush’. There we see the dimension of mobile games, really, and how they crush those on more traditional platforms. ‘World of Warcraft’ too would enter there, with about 9 million monthly players. These are figures that many companies would like, but they are far from those 1,000 million a day that Sharma points to. To further contextualize, Steam, which is another of the huge video game platforms, had its historical peak of players a few months ago, reaching more than 42 million. In the last 24 hours, almost 39 million people connected and, as we see in graphs like Steamdb, they are very stable… and in growth. Well, Sharma wants the same as they would get 25 Steams every day. As a player, I would love to have so many people because it would allow, perhaps, the industry to be somewhat more sustainable because there would be many more players among which smaller studios could find their place to grow, but the problem I see with these accounts is that, publishing that you want there to be 1,000 million people on your platform, the only result (the most likely, at least) is failure. And when you fail in such a large company when you have set this as an objective, the manager is not the one who pays the bill: it is the employees. It’s something we see constantly and We come from three years of constant layoffs in the industry to be optimistic about the issue. What we have seen these days is that they are changing the strategy in that sense. They are releasing the smaller studios that do not sell to bet on what makes money. An example is King (‘Candy Crush’) and Mojang (‘Minecraft’), which They will report directly to herwith Sharma being the one who will make the decisions to achieve the objective. Another thing is whether people who watch the ‘Fallout’ series, a game series whose license belongs to Xbox, count as “people entertained by Xbox.” We just have to wait and see what happens, but it is evident that Xbox’s turnaround is there, releasing studios that were developing games with soul to bet on what makes money. After all, it is the objective of every company. In Xataka | The best time to buy an electronic device was yesterday. The second best time is today

review with features, price and specifications

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Vivo started an adventure a few weeks ago: that of launching its first global wearable. He Vivo Watch GT 2 It is the first smart watch that the firm, which has experience in this field, launches in our borders. Your proposal? A relatively low price, fair and necessary functions for everyday life, a huge screen and an absurd battery. After two weeks wearing it on my wrist, this has been my experience. ✅ Buy it if… You don’t want to have to worry about charging the watch. You want a screen that looks exceptionally good. You are looking for a watch that offers the basics: health, notifications, calls, etc. ❌ Don’t buy it if… You absolutely need to pay with your mobile. You want to access third-party applications. You want the watch to be part of a larger connected ecosystem. The essentials in 30 seconds The Vivo Watch GT 2 is an affordable smartwatch, well built and with just what is necessary to satisfy the user looking for just that: a simple clock. It works well, the screen is huge, the battery is amazing and, although it is not a watch loaded with functions and options, it does its job. It is the living definition of a 100-something euro watch. In this price range there are many proposals, but few offer a screen this large and of this quality with an autonomy that safely exceeds two weeks. And it has a simple paddle mode that, without being a panacea, is more useful than 99% of the smart watches I have tried in my life. Now, the reality is that it is: it does not offer anywhere near the versatility of a watch with Wear OS or watchOS. It does not have an eSIM, it does not have a voice assistant, it is not integrated into a home automation ecosystem, it does not have mobile payments, it does not have third-party apps or maps… It is, as I said, a watch for the basics. 8.4 Design 8.0 Screen 9.5 Software 7.0 Battery 9.7 Interface 8.0 in favor Despite being large, it is quite comfortable. The screen looks outrageous. It has one of the best batteries I’ve ever tested in a smartwatch. against It lacks a catalog of third-party applications that allows expanding functions. It does not have mobile payments. It does not have a virtual assistant nor is it integrated with an ecosystem of products beyond mobile. Vivo Watch GT2 Smart Watch with 25-day battery, Bluetooth Calls, Paddle and Tennis Pro Modes, NFC Access Cards, more than 100 Sports Modes, 2.07″ Screen, GPS The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Our experience with the Vivo Watch GT 2 Vivo Watch GT 2 | Image: Xataka It’s huge. And to your question, yes, it is identical to the Apple Watch. It is not a small watch and it is certainly not designed for small wrists. It is well finished, it is very comfortable and very light. The screen, at more than two inches, looks great in broad daylight and responds well to gestures. Zero complaints here, it is one of the best screens I have tried on a watch. The strap is proprietary, so it can only be exchanged for other straps that use the same coupling. In other words, you can’t use just any 20 or 22 millimeter strap. The operating system. It’s called Blue OS, but it’s really a custom RTOS. That is, there is no store with which to access third-party apps. Luckily, the system comes armed with everything you need to use it, a good assortment of covers and, something I’ve never seen before, pre-installed games. Bloatware, wow. Luckily, they can be uninstalled. In any case, I haven’t missed any more apps for everyday life except, perhaps, a map app. One thing I can’t help but mention is that the “Do Not Disturb” mode does not stop the screen from turning on when you make the gesture of looking at the time, something that I think is very important when wearing it at night. What is fair and necessary. Everything works well and the expected options are there: you can make and answer calls via Bluetooth (it does not have eSIM), read notifications (and respond to them with default responses), and record heart rate, stress, sleep, SpO2, and cycle. The measurements are correct, but they are sometimes overly optimistic. It is noticeable, for example, in the step log. In terms of compatibility, the watch can be used with iOS and Android, so it’s hardware agnostic in that sense. Vivo Watch GT 2 | Image: Xataka The miracle was almost done. There must be someone in Vivo who has read Xataka’s analysis, because the watch has a paddle mode. And not a padel mode that measures pulses and that’s it, but rather it measures whether the blow is forehand or backhand, quantity and speed throughout the match. It is not as complete as that of Mibro GS 2 Probut it is more useful than the average report of most watches. The downside would have been to have more real-time information on the shots and to better detect volleys, lobs, shots and layups, but hey, it’s a step. It also works for tennis and more than 100 sports. The accuracy of the metrics is acceptable, although there is a certain upward trend in heart rate and calories burned. GPS also records the routes followed with relative precision. And this battery? I’ve been wearing the watch all day for two weeks and it still has 10% left. I think that pretty well defines one of the benefits of this watch. The battery is not a problem nor is charging, which is completed in just over two hours. Vivo Watch GT 2 technical sheet vivo watch gt 2 dimensions and weight 47.54 x 40.19 x 13.38mm 34.9 grams without strap screen 2.07 inch 2.5D color AMOLED 60Hz Maximum brightness: 2,500 nits Panda Glass 1681 Resolution: 432 x 514 … Read more

the unstoppable (and silent) growth of plant-based drinks

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10% of all the “milk” in the country is no longer of animal origin. At least, of all the milk that passes through the supermarket shelves. To the report that has just been published GFI Europe Many buts can be said about Circana’s retail data (among them that GFI is a think tank that promotes alternative proteins), but there is something that no one disputes anymore: things have changed. Today, Spain has the consumption quota for vegetable drinks highest in Europe. What is happening with the milk? In aggregate terms, the change doesn’t seem too big. According to the report data, vegetable drinks were 10.4% of the volume of milk sold in Spanish supermarkets in 2025; Compared to this, in 2023 it was 9.2%. In euros, we talk about 354.9 million. In liters, 288.5 million. The most curious thing, however, is that half of that 10% is oatmeal drink. And why is it curious? Because according to various analyzes it seems that this boom in vegetable drinks is due to price. And they are partly right, of course, today (at a pure price) there are private label soy drinks cheaper than a liter of normal milk. However, what we see within the category is that cheap soybeans are sinking and more expensive varieties (and in barista format) are rising. That is to say, it seems that price parity has put drinks in shopping baskets. But, once inside, follow other rules. In a context in which the liquid cow’s milk loses volume Year after year in Spain, vegetable drinks gain percentage. A change of trend… A decade ago, investments in ‘fake meat’ were the order of the day. The arrival of high-tech food products that emulated meat was received as a trailer for the future. The problem is that the engine of that trend seized and stagnated. Experts talk about ‘artificiality’, ‘price’ and ‘political polarization’. But the example of vegetable drinks is the best to understand that this war of positions is not over. While the meats They have been withdrawing their ‘veggie’ proposals and ‘plant-based’ consumption has been falling, the country’s large dairy plants do they continue to bet on their own drinks oats or soy. It’s a great reminder of how we make trends ourselves. Spain, food laboratory. We recently talked about how Spain has become the great laboratory of non-alcoholic beers and now we discover that it also happens with vegetable drinks. It is not clear what it is about this country, but it seems clear that its food market is one of the most proactive on the continent. And that, as we well know, is an opportunity and a punishment at the same time. Image | Peyman Shojaei In Xataka | It looks, tastes and smells like a hamburger, but you have to call it a “vegetable disc”: the European Parliament decides the (terminological) future of fake meat

anyone can follow their superyachts

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When Elon Musk decided to act against the accounts that tracked the movements of your private jetopened a debate that is still ongoing: to what extent is it reasonable for anyone to follow the movements of a person using public data. While all the millionaires were looking into the air, a similar movement was brewing at sea: thousands of fans follow the routes of the most exclusive superyachts on the planet thanks to the technology that guarantees maritime safety. What was born to avoid collisions and facilitate rescues has also become a tool capable of showing the (supposed) whereabouts of some of the greater fortunes of the world. Locate a superyacht from your mobile. The technology behind this phenomenon is called AIS (for the acronym of Automatic Identification System or Automatic Identification System). According to the IMO (International Maritime Organization), all ships of a certain size must be equipped with this system that constantly transmits data such as the identity of the ship, its position, speed, course and its navigation status. This transponder was conceived to improve maritime traffic safety and facilitate search and rescue operations. However, the expansion of the Internet and terrestrial and satellite reception networks completely changed the scope of that technology. Platforms like MarineTraffic It collects these AIS signals and shows the position of the vessels in almost real time. In a matter of seconds it is possible to know where a certain yacht is, what route it follows or what its recent movement history has been. Of the planespotting to the yachtspotting. As happens with fans of photograph airplanes In the vicinity of airports, the hobby of photographing ships has existed for decades. The so-called ship spotters They usually go to ports, straits or maritime traffic areas to photograph especially striking boats. However, the Internet has transformed that activity. It is no longer necessary to wait for a ship appears on the horizon, just consult an application to know where it is moored or anchored. One of the best examples is SuperYachtFana platform that has evolved into a database specialized in superyacht owners, corporate structures and vessel locations. According to the platform itself, it currently gathers information on more than 1,600 yacht owners. That is to say, in practice, the interest no longer lies solely in the boat, but part of its attractiveness also falls on its occupants. A privacy problem. As some suggested with the real-time monitoring of the private jets of millionairesthe exposure of this positioning data could lead to a problem for the privacy and security of the millionaire owners of these superyachts. In fact, in December 2004, the IMO addressed the issue by stating that “the publication on the global web or elsewhere of AIS data transmitted by ships could be detrimental to the safety and security of ships.” Two decades later, AIS data remains accessible from numerous tracking platforms and allow you to locate private vessels practically anywhere on the planet. The same technology that makes it possible to avoid collisions between ships also makes it easier to know where the owner of a superyacht worth hundreds of millions of dollars spends his vacations. Some millionaires disappear from the map. The logical consequence of this public exposure is that some owners try to reduce their visibility. The easiest way: turn off the transponder. The case of launchpad Mark Zuckerberg generated controversy precisely for this reason: he turned off his beacon to try to hide his true whereabouts. However, international regulations are quite clear in this regard and establish that ships equipped with AIS must keep the system activated at all times, except in exceptional situations contemplated by international agreements or standards related to the protection of navigation information. This does not mean that there is an automatic international sanction for failing to comply with this recommendation, but the application of the regulations depends on the national maritime authorities and the corresponding flag State. According to the history of sanctions, the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda already has imposed sanctions For this reason, for amounts greater than 20,000 euros. In Xataka | If the question is why only the rich can afford to buy a yacht, the answer is more than obvious: the 10% rule Image | Unsplash (Rockwell branding agency)

the Hisense Series 5i smart washer-dryer arrives in Spain with heat pump and AI technology

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Renewing the main appliances in the house always involves a significant outlay, so hunting for a launch accompanied by cutting-edge technology is the perfect long-term move. Hisense has just made official the arrival in Spain of its new Series 5i free-standing washer-dryer (model WD511245BBRH). This model stands out for introducing efficient heat pump technology in an all-in-one format. Hisense 12 kg/1400 rpm Kitchen Fit washer dryer – WD5I1245BBRH Black The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Maximum energy efficiency combined with Artificial Intelligence The great revolution of this Hisense Series 5i lies in its heat pump drying system. Unlike conventional washer-dryers, this model uses a closed circuit that reuses the heat generated. This allows clothes to be dried at much milder temperatures, protecting the most delicate fabrics and achieving impeccable efficiency: it has a Class A label, which allows it to be more efficient than required in washing or in a combined washing and drying cycle. It is designed for demanding homes or large families, as it offers a generous capacity of 12 kg for washing and 8 kg for drying. All this under a design called iFitdesigned to be perfectly integrated flush with the kitchen or laundry room furniture. Furthermore, it comes equipped with AI Super Wash & Dryan ecosystem of 13 smart sensors that automatically measure the weight of the laundry or the dirt in the water to adjust the exact energy and time consumption without you having to configure anything. For everyday use, it has life-saving functions such as Washing and Drying program 49′capable of leaving a kilo of clothing ready in less than an hour, or the ECO Refresh technology, ideal for removing odors and wrinkles from barely worn garments using a minimum amount of water. Additionally, to celebrate its arrival in the Spanish market, Hisense is launching a refund campaign valid from July 1 to November 30, 2026. By purchasing its new flagship (this new washer-dryer) you can get a refund of 150 euros. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: new Hisense Series 5i washer dryer ✅ THE BEST Heat pump technology: a highly sought after feature in all-in-one washer dryers that drastically reduces electrical consumption and wear and tear on clothing. Massive capacity (12kg/8kg): More than enough space for duvets, full family laundry, and a design that doesn’t protrude from the countertop. ❌ THE WORST High-end starting price… As it is a recently launched model and with cutting-edge technology (heat pump and AI sensors), its initial retail cost is higher than that of traditional condensation models. Drying times with heat pump… Although it consumes much less light and is more efficient, heat pump drying processes tend to be slightly longer than traditional systems based on high-temperature resistance. 💡 BUY IT IF… You are looking for maximum savings on your electricity bill in the long term, you tend to use very large washing machines and you value the convenience of having a smart appliance decide the optimal parameters for you. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… You have a very tight budget to start with and prefer a basic washing machine without smart drying functions or AI automation. Other Hisense appliances that may interest you Hisense RF632N4WIE – No Frost Stainless Steel French Door Combi Refrigerator The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Hisense WF1I7022BWJ – 7Kg Washing Machine, Class A The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Hisense In Xataka | Connected dishwasher buying guide: what to expect from its intelligent functions, best recommendations and models from 300 euros In Xataka | Is a heat pump or condensing dryer better? Differences and keys to choose

These are all the confirmed guests for the San Diego Comic-Con Málaga 2026

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The countdown to This year’s Comic-Conwhich will be held between October 1 and 4, 2026 in Malaga, has begun. Although there is not yet a complete program, we do have an overwhelming list of fifty confirmed guests, which will grow in the coming months. For now we can open our mouths to a good number of performers and creators who you can see live in Malaga. Here is the complete list of guests so far, which we will expand with successive announcements: Cinema and television Karl Urban Protagonist of ‘The Boys’ and ‘Dredd’, with roles also in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Star Trek’. October 1 and 2. Michael Rooker Actor in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’, ‘The Walking Dead’, and legendary Henry Lee Lucas in ‘Henry, Portrait of a Murderer’. October 1 and 2. Sean Gunn Part of the cast of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’. October 1 and 2. Jason Lee— Actor of ‘My Name is Earl’, voice of Syndrome in ‘The Incredibles’ and regular with Kevin Smith. October 1 and 2. Kevin Smith— Director and screenwriter of ‘Clerks’, ‘Dogma’ and ‘Tusk’. October 1 and 2. Mira Sorvino Oscar-winning actress for ‘Mighty Aphrodite’. October 1 and 2. John DiMaggio Voice actor for Bender in ‘Futurama’ and Jake in ‘Adventure Time’. October 2 and 3. Emily Rudd Protagonist of the adaptation of ‘One Piece’. October 2. Iñaki Godoy — Co-star of the adaptation of ‘One Piece’. October 2. Lukas Robert Ettlin Director and producer of the series ‘One Piece’. October 2. Richard Dean Anderson Protagonist of ‘MacGyver’ and ‘Stargate SG-1’. October 3 and 4. Kristian Nairn ‘Game of Thrones’ actor. October 3 and 4. Sean Astin Interpreter of Sam Gamyi in ‘The Lord of the Rings’. October 3 and 4. Elijah Wood— Interpreter of Frodo Baggins in ‘The Lord of the Rings’. October 3 and 4. Deborah Ann Woll ‘Daredevil’ actress and role-player. Date not specified. Casper Van Dien Actor from the ‘Starship Troopers’ saga. Date not specified. Denise Richards Actress from the ‘Starship Troopers’ saga. Date not specified. Dina Meyer Actress from the ‘Starship Troopers’ saga. Date not specified. Michael Ironside Actor from the ‘Starship Troopers’ saga. Date not specified. Jake Busey Actor from the ‘Starship Troopers’ saga. Date not specified. Natasha Liu Bordizzo ‘Ahsoka’ actress. Date not specified. Dan Fogler Actor of ‘The Walking Dead’ and ‘Fantastic Beasts’. Date not specified. Denise Gough ‘Andor’ actress. Date not specified. Christopher Lambert Actor of ‘Los Inmortales’ and ‘Mortal Kombat’. Date not specified. Kevin Sussman ‘Big Bang Theory’ actor. Date not specified. Ali Plumb Journalist and film critic for BBC Radio 1. Date not specified. Video games, role-playing and board games David Jones Designer of ‘Lemmings’ and producer of ‘Grand Theft Auto’. The four days. Jeremy Crawford— Designer of editions 4 and 5 of ‘Dungeons and Dragons’. October 1 to 4. Reiner Knizia Designer of more than 700 board games. Every day except Sunday. Sleeve Yoichi Takahashi— Mangaka creator of ‘Captain Tsubasa’. The four days. Shin’ichirō Watanabe— Creator of ‘Cowboy Bebop’ and ‘Samurai Champloo’. October 3 and 4. Yoshihiro Ueda— Animation director of ‘Dragon Ball’. October 1 and 2. Akira Yamaoka — Musical composer of ‘Silent Hill’. October 1 and 2. Comic John Romita Jr.— Artist of ‘Spider-Man’ and ‘Kick-Ass’. He will sign the second official poster, not yet revealed. The four days. Dan Mora Artist of ‘Batgirl or Doctor Strange’. Date not specified. Michael Golden Artist of ‘Micronauts’ and ‘Nam’. The four days. Stefano Caselli Artist of ‘Avengers’ and ‘Spider-Man’. Date not specified. Rick Leonardi Artist of ‘X-Men’ and ‘Spider-Man 2099’. Date not specified. Juanjo Guarnido Artist of ‘Blacksad’. Date not specified. Pat Mills— Founder of ‘2000 AD’, creator of ‘Nemesis the Warlock’ or ‘Marshall Law’. Date not specified. Laia Lopez Illustrator of ‘Royalty Witches’ and ‘Mystical’. Date not specified. Philip Kennedy Johnson Screenwriter of ‘The Fellspyre Chronicles’ or ‘The Last God’. Date not specified. Carmen Carnero Artist of ‘Captain America’ and ‘Miles Morales: Spider-Man’. From Friday to Sunday. Chris Condon Artist of ‘Ultimate Wolverine’ and ‘The Last Stand’. The four days. Pepe Larraz Cartoonist for ‘The Dynasty of X’. From Friday to Sunday. Álvaro Martínez Bueno — Artist of ‘Justice League Dark’ and ‘Batman’. The four days. Michael Walsh Artist of ‘Comeback’ and ‘The Silver Coin’. The four days. David Messina ‘Catwoman’ artist. Date not specified. Jorge Jimenez Artist of ‘Supersons’ and ‘Superman Rebirth’, author of the gift poster for attendees and a special print commissioned by SDCC Málaga, revealed at Panel Zero. The four days. Others Helen Chen— Art director and production designer on ‘The K-Pop Warriors’ and ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’; author of the first official poster. The four days. Gutting History (Pascu and Rodri) — Live concert and special panel on the closing day. October 4th. In Xataka | The new director of Comic-Con Málaga does not come from fandom, but he has something better: the key to solve their problems

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