Mobile Tech & Gadgets

a new Indian ship every 40 days

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India has undertaken a naval transformation which can no longer be understood as a simple modernization, but as the deliberate construction of a maritime power capable of influencing the balance of everything the Indo-Pacific. The rhythm (we are talking about a new ship or submarine every forty days) reveals a country that has decided to break its historical dependence on foreign suppliers, create its own industrial base and provide itself with a projection capacity that until a few years ago was out of reach. Indian naval acceleration. They remembered in Forbes that the current push does not respond only to geographical pressure from China and Pakistan, but to the conviction that the country’s prosperity depends on controlling vital sea routes, protecting trade and showing presence in an environment where naval powers exert political, economic and military influence. The initiatives Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat have woven an industrial ecosystem that produces steel, sensors, combat systems, missile platforms and software within the country, making Indian shipyards the center of a strategy that aims for a fleet of more than two hundred units before 2035. This ambition not only upsets the regional balance, but redefines the way India views its security and its place in the world. End to a coastal logic. The magnitude of the Indian naval plan implies a doctrinal leap: move from a mentality focused on the defense of the coast to operate as a force capable of maintaining a constant presence from the Persian Gulf to the Strait of Malacca. The new stealth destroyers, equipped with BrahMos missiles locally manufactured, the projects for a nuclear aircraft carrier that complements to Vikrant and the simultaneous expansion of the submarine fleet (including future SSNs and the recently incorporated SSBN) allow India to project power, secure maritime lines of communication and respond quickly in a theater characterized because of the competition between great powers. This transition makes the Indian navy a relevant actor not only for the defense of the country, but for the stability of a space where energy from the Middle East, goods from East Asia and a good part of global trade transit. INS Ranjit, INS Jyoti and INS Mysore Geopolitical pressure. Plus: the growing Chinese naval presence in the Indian Ocean (supported by ports and logistics platforms in Pakistan and East Africa) has changed India’s strategic environment. Added to this is the expansion of the Pakistani Navy, which incorporates advanced frigates and submarines financed and designed with Chinese assistance. This double pressure vector turns the ocean into a space of direct competition, where the ability to monitor, deter and respond is critical. In this context, depending on external suppliers becomes a risk, both due to the vulnerability of logistics chains in times of crisis and due to the possibility of political restrictions imposed from outside. From that perspective, India’s commitment to an industrial base self defense It not only guarantees operational continuity, but also allows technologies, construction rates and capacities to be adapted to national needs without external mediation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspects the guard of honor at the naval dockyard this 2025 National shipyards as an engine. The transition towards naval self-sufficiency has resulted in 52 ships under construction simultaneously, from next-generation destroyers to corvettes, stealth frigates and conventional and nuclear submarines. This volume turns the Indian shipyards into one of the naval facilities most active in the world and at the core of an industrial policy that seeks to dominate the production of naval steel, engines, sensors, radars, electronic systems and weapons platforms. The objective is not only to produce hulls, but to generate a complete design, integration and maintenance cycle that ensures that the fleet can be sustained in the long term without external bottlenecks. Plus: this approach creates skilled employment, encourages local innovation and allows technological advances to be transferred to other branches of defense and civil industry. New regional balance. He construction pacejoined to the technological diversificationprojects a scenario where India aspires to position itself as a structural counterweight against China in the Indo-Pacific. Its ability to operate aircraft carrier groups, escorted by stealth destroyers and attack submarines, will provide the country with tools to influence regional crises, participate in multilateral operations and guarantee the security of essential supply routes. The expansion of the Indian presence not only seeks to counteract its immediate rivals, but also to consolidate an image of power responsible capable of providing stability in a marked region due to increasing tensionsfrom the Arabian Sea to the Strait of Malacca. Long-term ambitions. The process of indian naval modernization It synthesizes several simultaneous aspirations: strategic autonomy, the reduction of external dependencies, industrial consolidation and the ability to act as a pillar of the regional order. It is not just about launching more ships, but about building a force capable of operate with continuitymaintain a deterrent presence and evolve in accordance with constantly changing technological threats. To the current paceIndia is approaching a fleet capable of shaping the Indo-Pacific according to its own interests, with tools to guarantee its security and project influence in an environment where maritime competition will be one of the defining axes of the coming decades. Image | Ministry of DefenseIndian Navy, Government of India In Xataka | China’s dominance is extending far beyond rare earths. Even where the US had no rival: the sea In Xataka | Satellite images leave no doubt: the US has restored the Pacific base that launched the atomic bombing of Japan

Microsoft had the deal of the century on its hands. A break of a year and a half was given to one of his rivals on a platter

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With its early deal with OpenAI, Microsoft was leading the AI ​​race in 2023. A year later it froze its expansion. Now Oracle serves OpenAI models and competitors share what Nadella’s company rejected. Why is it important. This isn’t just about lost data centers. Microsoft has assigned contracts with OpenAI valued at $420 billion to Oracle, equivalent to $150 billion in gross profit over five years. That would have increased its annual profitability by 18%. This means that in addition to losing growth, Microsoft also financed the entry of a rival into the most profitable business of the decade, according to analysis by Semianalysis. The facts. In 2023, Microsoft multiplied its investment in OpenAI tenfold to $10 billion and broke ground on the largest data centers ever built. Represented more than 60% of all infrastructure leases cloud among the greats. In 2024 it stopped everything in its tracks. It canceled 3.5 gigawatts of planned capacity — enough to power 2.5 million homes — and projects in a dozen countries. Its share of contracts fell below 25%. Between the lines. The company has used the argument of financial prudence: it did not want OpenAI to represent 50% of Azure’s revenue with lower margins than the traditional business. But the reality is simpler: he couldn’t keep up: OpenAI demanded a speed that Microsoft couldn’t match. Yes, but. The company has returned to the market with some urgency. The problem is that the options have been running out. Now rents capacity to neoclouds —specialized companies that build infrastructure—to resell it to third parties. It is a business with worse margins. The company that refused to build now pays commissions for having miscalculated. The money trail. Oracle is not the only winner. CoreWeave, Google, Amazon, Nscale and SB Energy have signed large contracts with OpenAI. In 2025, the story of OpenAI has been the story of its diversification away from Microsoft, although it is true that What seemed like a bad divorce ended in a separation of assets with forced smiles. The world’s most valuable AI lab had to fragment its infrastructure across multiple vendors because its original partner couldn’t—or wouldn’t—scale. In applications, Microsoft’s historical dominance with GitHub Copilot is also eroding. There are startups that have built more integrated code editors and scaled beyond Copilot. Microsoft has been forced to add the models of its rival Anthropic on GitHub Copilotwith a brutal cost for their margins. The company that had exclusive access to OpenAI now depends on its competitor to keep its code editor relevant. And now what. Microsoft has until 2032 before its agreement with OpenAI expires. It has Copilot with 100 million users. You have Office 365, Azure, and a business ecosystem that no one else can match. But the “great pause” of 2024 will take years to heal. The company has bet that the future of AI will be enterprise – with security and localization requirements – and not centralized in remote megacenters. You may be right. But 18 months of technology advantage is worth billions. And Microsoft just gave them away to its rivals. In Xataka | OpenAI has to pay debts of $400 billion in 2026. Nobody has the slightest idea how it is going to pay them Featured image | Simon Ray in Unsplash

Disney+ wants viewers to create AI content of its characters. The precedents are not very encouraging.

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The company that literally changed copyright laws To prevent Mickey Mouse from falling into the public domain, it wants its subscribers to create content with its ultra-protected characters. The company’s CEO announced that Disney+ will integrate generative AI tools so that viewers can produce short videos with characters from the house. Contradiction or strategy? Perhaps it is the first diffuse step towards something more radical: a future where studios tolerate spin-offs created by fans. The advertisement. In its last communication of results to shareholdersCEO Bob Iger announced that platform users will be able to create and consume self-generated content, primarily short videos. He has called these changes the most significant since 2019, and Iger confirmed that in addition to its already known alliances with companies with Epic Games, Disney has conversations with AI companies that have not been revealed. His priority, as he has commented, is to protect the properties of the house, which undoubtedly contrasts with the idea of ​​letting viewers generate content to their liking. Where are the shots going? The model Disney is likely exploring already exists. Showrunner, from Amazon-backed Fable Studio, calls itself the “Netflix of AI”. The platform allows you to generate complete animated episodes using simple 10-15 word descriptions. Its SHOW-2 technology automatically manages aspects such as script, animation, voices and editing. Last year they created nine unauthorized episodes of ‘South Park’ that racked up 80 million views. Edward Saatchi, CEO of Fable Studio, has confirmed that he has had conversations with Disney about licensing intellectual property. Saatchi’s vision: specific models where fans pay subscriptions to create stories within official universes. Users could even insert themselves into episodes by supplying photos or videos. Of course, the limitations are abundant: we are talking more about a gimmick with episodic content than about a real possibility of extensive narrative arcs. Showrunner also currently only produces animation. But it represents exactly what Disney seems to be trying: turning its passive audiences into co-creators, all under strict controls. Why now. According to the Deloitte Digital Media Trends 2025 study56% of Generation Z affirm that content on social networks is more relevant to them than traditional series and movies. They don’t just want to passively watch: they also want to participate. On the other hand, Disney+ added 3.8 million subscribers in the last quarter, but needs to differentiate itself in the saturated streaming market. And AI, in which Platforms like Netflix are also enteringgives that opportunity that will reward the fastest, which also has clear precedents in the publishing world: the fanfic phenomenon. Where are we going? We can guess. In the short term, we could see basic tools that allow creating short clips with limited characters and strict moderation. The content probably cannot be exported or taken to social networks. In the medium term, things get interesting. If the model workswe could see more complex narratives and a change that would be truly revolutionary: the entry into the canon of fan content that is especially popular. In an ideal world, compensation models would arrive for featured creators, in a similar way to partner programs that we already see on YouTube or TikTok. New rates could be proposed for platforms that allow creation, compared to cheaper ones that only allow content to be consumed. Again, we have very clear precedents: the communities of modding of the video games that have turned games like ‘Minecraft’ into fully participatory experiences. And before that, games like ‘DOOM’ they grew to infinity thanks to the contribution of the fans. The risks. For the brand, they are very clear: the loss of control of what can and cannot be shown. Disney would have to implement very strict and possibly costly moderation strategies to avoid situations like the memorable chaos generated by ‘Fortnite’ players when they started interacting with Darth Vader’s voice. Then there’s the legal maze: who actually owns the authorship of fan-generated content? Is it a derivative work, a collaboration, or a complete property of Disney or whoever it may be? Not to mention sexual or violent content that breaks laws: who is responsible for that? Beyond the legal implications are the concerns of artists: as Kotaku statedthis may be a way for large corporations to bridge the agreements reached after the 2023 strikes. If it is the viewers who work for free… why pay professional story creators? In Xataka | The chaos of streaming is causing a phenomenon that we thought was in recession: downloads are increasing

Faced with impossible housing prices, an alternative is gaining weight: living in a motorhome

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If you consult the online dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy you will see that, at least for academics, a mobile home It is a “vehicle with its own engine conditioned to make life in it.” In the Spain of 2025, that of the housing crisishe floor deficit and the price escalationcaravans increasingly have more of the latter and less of the former. They are still vehicles, but above all they are spaces in which their tenants live: they sleep, have breakfast, cook, wash, study or spend time reading or watching movies. They do not do it out of vocation (at least not in all cases), but out of necessity. Although they work, have a stable job and a salary, the money is not enough to access an increasingly tight real estate market, so they choose to do their daily lives in the few square meters of a motorhome. Housing, impossible. that the housing is getting more expensive (a lot) is nothing new. In fact, its price is one of the issues that most take away sleep to the Spaniards and has already motivated massive protests, some with a hint of tenant strike included. However, it is good to review a few data to understand the scope of the housing crisis that the country is experiencing. According to Idealista, rents have skyrocketed 96% in just a decade, a percentage that falls short if markets such as that of Palm, Tenerife either Malaga. The situation in the purchase and sale market is not much more buoyant. The increase in the price of the square meter, which fool around now with the values ​​prior to the brick bubble, have complicated access to the market, forcing families to dedicate years of salary to pay for housing. Result: homes that exceed the “effort rate” recommended economic and young people who only have one option left if they want to become owners: inheritances or donations. What if I move to a caravan? In view of all of the above, more and more people are asking themselves the question: if the market has become so draconian, if it prevents any ability to save and requires assuming exorbitant prices, why not change apartments for caravans? There is no data to help follow the trend, but a search on Google or diving on YouTube to check that abound the news of people who moves into mobile homes. It occurs in Balearics and Canary Islandsvery places touristifiedbut also in cities like Madrid. By necessity, by strategy. Although the price of housing is (almost) always the backdrop, not everyone who moves into a caravan does so for the same reason. There are those who take the step pure necessitybecause their salary does not allow them to rent a regular home, and those who decide to spend a stage of their life living in a caravan in order to gain savings capacity and make the jump at some point (without pressure or rush) into the buying and selling market. That is the case of Antonio, a 37-year-old civil servant who I counted these days to The Country What is it like to live in a caravan in Madrid. Although he has a stable job with a salary of about 1,900 euros per month, Antonio, a native of Alcoy, has lived in a motorhome since 2020. The formula gives him flexibility when he has to travel for work, allows him to have more private space than he enjoyed when he shared a flat and, above all, it seems like the smartest option today. “I live in a motorhome right now because I want to, not out of necessity. Although obviously if housing prices were different I would move to a house, my future project. What happens is that after this satisfactory experience I have become more demanding and I am not willing to be drowned like I did for 10 years,” relates. His mobile home, a second-hand 2003 Fiat Ducato Carioca, cost him 22,000 euros and by living in it, utility costs have been significantly reduced. Right now they don’t reach 100 euros a month. Are there more cases? Of course. The profiles vary greatly from one case to another. Also from one region to another. There are those who live in motorhomes because it is “the only solution” that finds itself in a market of skyrocketing prices, who are forced to opt for that exit while they work temporarily in tourist destinations and those who prefer to enjoy “their” handful of square meters before sharing a conventional and larger apartment with other colleagues. “I have everything in four meters, but it is mine and I don’t have to share a flat,” confessed in April to The Vanguard Begoña, a 61-year-old woman who lives in a motorhome in the Balearic Islands. “Here I have my kitchen, next to it I have the oven and the refrigerator and the field. I pay for parking, but it is infinitely cheaper than renting,” agreed in 2023 during a talk with La Sexta Carlos, a 23-year-old engineer from Murcia who had a job opportunity in Madrid. When he started looking at apartments he decided that the best thing was a caravan. Is there data? One of the big problems in tracking the trend is that it lacks official data as such. The INE census shows that in Spain there are 7,200 people registered in shacks and caravans, but that category does not have to fit exactly with that of people who choose to live in motorhomes and the statistical institute itself recognizes that when preparing the census it encountered “a certain limitation”, so the overall figure is probably higher. As a reference, in 2024 the local press pointed out that in Ibiza alone there were almost about thirty of caravan settlements. Even was spoken of locals with houses who chose to move into caravans in the high season to rent their houses to tourists. The goal: get some extra income in the summer. More registrations. … Read more

If anyone believed that AMD was going to put sanity in the financial binge of AI, AMD brings you bad news

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AMD has presented some growth forecasts that have surprised the market: 35% on average annually over the next three to five years, with the AI ​​chip business in data centers growing at an average of 80% in the same period. The company estimates that the total AI chip market will reach $1 trillion by 2030. While AMD has lagged the competition in terms of AI so far, its historic agreement with OpenAIthe specific hardware that is in development and the recent statements by Lisa Suseem to be turning their strategy around. In Xataka Spain wants its own public Hugging Face. The problem is that he is late to a battle that already has winners. An unusual message. AMD has historically been a conservative company in its financial projections. Its CEO, Lisa Su, has been characterized during the years she has been at the helm by a generally prudent and realistic discourse. that now embrace these figures Such optimism represents a notable shift in their communication strategy and signals the extent to which the technology industry is assuming that demand for AI infrastructure will continue to skyrocket. The context of the promises. amd affirms that the largest data center operators are accelerating their investment plans, when just a year ago they predicted a slowdown. According to Su, cited per Bloomberg, these companies see “real value in their businesses” with AI and the pace of infrastructure construction “is not going to stabilize.” The company also claims that its agreements with OpenAI and Oracle could generate tens of billions of dollars in annual sales by 2027. {“videoId”:”x8jpy2b”,”autoplay”:true,”title”:”What’s BEHIND AIs like CHATGPT, DALL-E or MIDJOURNEY? | ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE”, “tag”:”Webedia-prod”, “duration”:”1173″} Why it can be dangerous. AMD is buying into the same hyper-optimistic narrative that have sold NVIDIA and OpenAI about the future of AI. The problem is that the entire technology chain is simultaneously betting on a scenario where the demand for AI chips grows exponentially without brakes. If expectations are not met, because AI models do not generate the expected returns or because OpenAI and other startups do not obtain sufficient funding, the correction could be brutal. Bubble symptoms. Investors like Michael Burry They have already started betting against companies in the sector, even accusing the technology giants of inflating their figures by artificially extending the useful life of their chips to reduce depreciation. Softbank, for its part, sold a few days ago a $6 billion stake in NVIDIA, although assures which was not due to concerns about valuation. The indications that the market may be overheated they multiply. In Xataka OpenAI has released GPT-5.1 with two personalities because 800 million users do not want the same AI Between the lines. AMD needed this coup. Although it has doubled its price this year, it is still second to NVIDIA in the AI ​​accelerator market, the most lucrative segment of the sector. Intel, its traditional rival, doesn’t even have a viable product in this market. To achieve its objectives, AMD is committed to its MI400 chips and the Helios systemwhich will arrive in 2026. Several analysts consider these goals “somewhat aggressive” and “aspirational,” according to collects Reuters. What’s coming now. The company promise reach a double-digit share in the data center AI chips market in the coming years. It remains to be seen if her ability to execute, proven during the Lisa Su era, is enough to transform these projections into reality or if, on the contrary, we are facing another symptom of an industry that has lost touch with caution. Cover image | AMD and İsmail Enes Ayhan In Xataka |Companies are turning their workers who know how to use AI into “stars”: the new labor gap (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 If anyone believed that AMD was going to put sanity in the financial binge of AI, AMD brings you bad news was originally published in Xataka by Antonio Vallejo .

The problem is not that there is a risk of eating chicken in Spain: it is that it is going to get very expensive

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In November 2023, Luciana Gallo and her team toured Punta León, a protected natural area on the southern coast of Patagonia. “It was like walking on a battlefield,” explained in SINC. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It was truly shocking: mountains of dead birds on the beach, thousands of elephants and sea lions dying.” The bird flu had reached that remote place in Argentina. A few weeks ago we confirmed that had arrived at the antarctic island from South Georgia killing 50,000 females elephant seal These days, however, the news caught us closer: it had also arrived in Spain. And the truth is that while the headlines are filled with bird flu, mass confinements and health alerts, chicken continues to be a central food in our diet. So it is logical that panic has spread. And, of course, that is a problem: a huge problem. In Xataka They are touching our balls (specifically, their price) Although not the one we tend to think. Although we are witnessing live and direct the largest epizootic of which we have records, the WHO continues to consider that the general risk to public health posed by A(H5N1) is low. Because, as Sergio Ferrer points out a few months ago, the most surprising thing about what we are seeing these years is that, “despite being immersed in a massive and historic wildlife mortality event, very few cases have been detected in humans.” And of course, there is no risk of contagion from consuming chicken or eggs from the supermarket. “No one has caught the bird flu virus from eating properly cooked animals or animal products,” said Jatin M. Vyasfrom Columbia University and he was right. Today, eating well-cooked poultry products is safe. That’s not the problem. And what is the problem? That the last thing a sector subjected to increasing costs, mandatory investments and minimum margins needed is a “global pandemic“. The consequences are clear in chicken meat. According to the Ministry of Agriculturethe price at origin of chicken meat in Spain was around €2.37/kg in week 38 of 2025. That is, an increase of 4% compared to the same moment in 2024. A moment in which, thanks to inflation, the price was already high. In Europe, the situation is worse: the price of broiler chicken has exceeded €3/kg for the first time and that represents an increase of 11.2% year-on-year. Something similar happens with eggs.. {“videoId”:”x7zvhsf”,”autoplay”:false,”title”:”REAL VS. FAKE BURGERS Could you tell them apart?”, “tag”:”food”, “duration”:”221″} And we’re talking about chicken, mind you. Chicken is not just another product: for years it has been the cheapest meat per kilo of protein. That is to say, It is the cheap protein par excellence. If the price breaks, the balance of the entire country’s shopping basket is broken. We have a serious problem around the corner. We better not miss the shot. Image | In Xataka |The United States has been immersed in extreme egg prices for months. Spain now faces the same problem (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 The problem is not that there is a risk of eating chicken in Spain: it is that it is going to get very expensive was originally published in Xataka by Javier Jimenez .

self-employed workers with simple invoices are spared

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As of January 1, 2026, Spanish companies will be required to implement Verifactu, the billing system of the Tax Agency to put an end to fraud. The self-employed have a little more time, until July 1, the problem is that communications are being very confusing and many still do not know if they should comply with the new regulations or how to do so. Now the Treasury has clarified something important: those who use simple invoices made by hand or with programs such as Word or Excel are exempt. Alarm and confusion. This is what reigns among the group of self-employed professionals. They count in Europa Press that at the end of October, the Treasury sent a notice to all companies reminding them of the new regulations and the fines that failure to implement them would entail (up to 50,000 euros), creating an “unnecessary alarm.” We are used to Communications from the Tax Agency are quite confusingbut with Verifactu it is being a real chaos. In statements to The Vanguardthe president of the self-employed employers’ association has criticized that “things are not done that way, they are done with a communication campaign” and admits that not even the agencies are clarified with the new system. He has requested an extension so that the self-employed are not obligated until 2027, although for now the dates remain the same. A key clarification. The Ministry of Finance, through the General Directorate of Taxes, recently resolved a query and clarified something very important: all those companies and professionals who create their invoices manually or using simple programs such as Word or Excel are not obliged to use Verifactu, as long as they limit themselves to generating and printing invoices without any additional functions. What is Verifactu?. Verifactu is a system to ensure the traceability and transparency of billing. It is not a billing program as such, but a technological system that is integrated into the SIF (computer billing systems) and guarantees that invoices are unalterable, secure and traceable. The key, therefore, is what is considered a SIF and what is not. SIF. What exactly is a computer billing system? According to the regulationsis a “set of hardware and software used to issue invoices by performing the following actions”: Generate invoices: Billing information can arrive from any method, whether entering it manually or automatically from another program. Save invoice information: well stored in the program itself, extract it in some physical format (such as paper, USB, etc.), or send it telematically (over the Internet) to another computer or system, even if that other system is not a billing system. Process invoice information: use invoice information to generate other results derived from it, such as making reports, analyzes or statistics. The nuance. The third point that defines a SIF is where the most important nuance is. In the response to the query, the General Directorate of Taxes makes it clear that the fact of creating an invoice with Excel is not synonymous with being exempt from applying Verifactu. The text says that “such spreadsheets may have data processing and conservation utilities that may imply their consideration as Computer Billing Systems.” Therefore, if you use a program like Excel or Word solely to make the invoice and store the data (digital or printed), it is not considered a SIF. If, on the other hand, you reuse the data by applying calculation or programming functions or export it to other computer systems, it would be considered SIF and you would have to use Verifactu. Image | Pexelsedited In Xataka | If you were a mutual member in the 70s, the Treasury may have to return up to 4,000 euros to you now by order of the Supreme Court

This is how the heat that comes from inside the Earth works

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Under the earth we walk on beats an energy that is born from internal heat, silent, so constant that neither the night nor the clouds can interrupt it. We don’t see it, we don’t hear it, but it is there: an engine running since the planet was formed. In recent decades, as we looked to the sun and wind to fuel our modern lives, that subterranean heat remained almost forgotten. It is an energy that has always been there, waiting to be understood. Here we are going to tell what it is about. What is geothermal energy? The geothermal energy It is basically take advantage of the heat that the Earth keeps inside or underground. This renewable energy is used to produce electricity or to heat and air condition buildings. That heat is trapped in rocks, soils and groundwater at different depths and temperatures. The Energy Information Agency mention a fact that is striking: the core of the Earth is at 5,982 ºCalmost the same as the surface of the sun. However, that heat does not stay down there, but rises slowly and warms the mantle and crust. As it rises, it becomes accessible, and with today’s technologies, we can capture it and transform it into useful energy. How is geothermal energy generated? The process itself is no mystery: the heat coming from the Earth’s interior heats the water under the ground. Sometimes that water is so hot that it exceeds the 150ºC and, in those cases, it can be used to produce electricity, as explained by the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE). When the temperature is lower—between 30 ºC and 100 ºC— that heat is used for district heating or for certain industrial processes. When the subsoil heat is not so high, what is known as surface geothermal. The idea it’s simple: the terrain maintains a fairly stable temperature, between 10 and 15 ºCand geothermal heat pumps take advantage of that stability. In winter they extract heat from the ground and in summer they do just the opposite, sending it downwards. This natural balance allows these systems consume much less energyin some cases between a 70 and 80% less than traditional solutions. In recent years, a technology that can revolutionize the sector has also begun to expand: Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), that artificially create permeability into deep hot rocks to generate resources where none existed before. How does a geothermal power plant work? A geothermal power plant works in a similar way to a thermal power plant: a turbine that moves thanks to steam that drives a generator. The difference is in the origin of the steam, in the case of geothermal energy the heat comes from the subsoil. There are three main technologies: dry steam: uses steam directly from the reservoir. Flash: evaporates very hot water by decreasing its pressure. Binary cycle: transfers heat to a secondary fluid that vaporizes at a low temperature. After moving the turbine, the fluid is reinjected into the subsoil to maintain the reservoir and close the cycle. The advantage of these plants is decisive, since they generate electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) emphasizes that its ability firm helps stabilize electrical grids and mitigate the variability of other renewables. What is geothermal energy used for? To begin with, it is used to generate electricity. In countries like Iceland, it is an important piece of your electrical system. In Europe the use is less, but even so the European Commission estimates that it is already there is about 1 gigawatt installed. The greatest growth does not come from electricity, but from something much more domestic: heating. In several European cities, the heat that comes from kilometers underground travels through pipes to the radiators of thousands of homes. In the EU they already have with almost 400 of these networks functioning totally or partially with energy from the subsoil. In addition, geothermal energy has a lot of direct uses in very different sectors. It is used to heat greenhouses, feed spas, dry industrial products, maintain stable temperatures in fish farms or air-condition large buildings, like university campuses. Pros and cons of geothermal energy We start with the advantages: Constant and manageable energy: It does not depend on the weather. Low emissions and minimal visual impact: It does not need towers, panels or large surfaces. Extreme efficiency in homes: Consumption can be reduced by up to 80%. Very long useful life: Between 25 and 50 years, with little maintenance. Possible extraction of lithium as a by-product: The European Commission highlights it as a key benefit for the continental industry. Now comes the not-so-good part: High initial investment: Drilling is expensive and risky. Need for complex geological studies: the systems may require complex technical interventions, especially in wells and underground circuits. Not all places have suitable deposits: either due to heat, permeability or access. Lack of specialized labor: A detected problem through Brussels. Insufficient regulatory framework: compared to other types of renewables. Are there geothermal power plants in Spain? Spain does not yet have any geothermal power plants, as detailed by the IDAE. However, there is clear growth in surface geothermal energy, which is used for heating and cooling. Thousands of homes, hospitals, universities and public buildings already operate with geothermal heat pumps. Although the big leap can arrive from the Canary Islands. Due to their volcanic origin, the islands concentrate the most promising medium and high temperature resources in the country. Added to all this is that the State is beginning to invest decisively. The program Deep Geothermalfinanced with NextGenerationEU funds, covers up to 50% of the cost of the surveys, which can reach 3,000 meters. It is an unprecedented bet in Spain In summary, Spanish geothermal energy is taking off, but it is doing so from an initial phase of deep exploration. The difference is that, for the first time in decades, there is funding, political interest and real projects underway. The … Read more

It is the most important change to the app and it is already underway

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WhatsApp has begun to implement in Europe a function that marks a before and after in the use of its application: the possibility of other third-party messaging apps integrate with the platform. Users will be able to receive and send messages from WhatsApp to people who use other messaging apps, maintaining the end to end encryption. It is the first step towards something unthinkable until now: using WhatsApp without actually being inside WhatsApp. Regulation. This change is not really an altruistic decision that came from Meta, but rather an obligation imposed by the Digital Markets Law (DMA) of the European Union. According to explains WhatsApp on its official blog, “in light of changing laws in Europe, Meta now offers the option to chat with other people using third-party messaging applications.” The deployment is progressive and will arrive “over the next few months.” For now, the function will only land for users with phone numbers registered in the Member States of the European Union. How to activate and configure the function. Users who meet the requirements will soon receive a notification in WhatsApp settings inviting them to enable the function. The process is simple: you have to go to Settings > Account > Third Party Chats and activate the option. From there, you can select which external applications you want to enable and choose between two display modes: a combined inbox, where third-party messages are mixed with those from WhatsApp, or a separate inbox that keeps these chats isolated. WhatsApp assures that “you can update this setting at any time.” What is shared and what is not. When chats with third-party apps are activated and a conversation is started, the user’s phone number is shared with the person they choose to chat with. However, according to clarify WhatsApp, “your name and profile photo are not shared.” This means that to start a chat with someone using an external app, you need to know their user ID on that platform, which can be an email, phone number, or username, depending on the app. The first compatible apps and current limitations. BirdyChat vs Haiket They are the first two applications messaging services that have implemented this interoperability. WhatsApp promise that users will be able to “send messages, photos, videos, voice messages and documents to end users of supported third-party messaging services.” For now, the feature only allows one-on-one conversations; Future updates will include cross-platform group chats. In addition, certain native WhatsApp features such as stickers, statuses or disappearing messages will not be available in conversations with third parties. The encryption is maintained, but with nuances. WhatsApp assures that “messages or other content you send from WhatsApp to third-party users are encrypted during transit, and WhatsApp cannot see them.” The company also specifies that third-party messaging apps must use the same level of end-to-end encryption. However, Meta warns that “third-party apps have their own policies and may handle your data differently than WhatsApp.” The platform recommends reviewing the privacy policies of each external application before using it. Locks. There is one aspect that may be uncomfortable for some users. And people blocked on WhatsApp could continue to contact you through these third-party apps. According to explains WhatsApp in its FAQ, “anyone who has your phone number will be able to send you messages from third-party apps, including people you’ve blocked on WhatsApp.” If you receive an unwanted message in a third-party chat, you can block the sender specifically from that app, but WhatsApp blocking is not automatically extended. Limited availability and technical requirements. The function is limited at the moment in WhatsApp for iPhone and Android, so not yet WhatsApp Web, nor desktop, nor tablets. Furthermore, the company also remember that if a user changes their phone number to another registered in a region that is not covered by the DMA, they will lose access to third-party chats. In this sense, previous messages will remain in the chat list, but in read-only mode. Because it’s so important. It’s a big shift precisely because it has operated as a closed ecosystem for years. The possibility of interacting with users of other platforms without leaving WhatsApp, and vice versa, breaks a series of barriers which can end up being very attractive to many users. It is, in essence, the first step towards a scenario where the app you use to send messages could no longer be as relevant. Now all that remains is for Telegram to also implement this function. Cover image | Dimitri Karastelev In Xataka | It’s a matter of time before WhatsApp ends up filling your phone’s memory, unless you do these three things

The offer on this V16 beacon arrives at El Corte Inglés that will help you comply with the DGT regulations from January 1

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From January 1 it will be mandatory to carry a V16 beacon to comply with the DGT regulations. These beacons are not particularly cheap, so some stores have gotten to work to launch the occasional offer. And if you have not yet purchased a V16 beacon, El Corte Inglés has the Onexus-Geo by 39.99 euros instead of 49.99 euros. Onexus-Geo (V16 approved beacon) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A V16 beacon that lights up when the base rotates The Onexus-Geo is a V16 beacon that meets the DGT requirements, which are not few. This type of beacon replaces the triangles and this particular model, in accordance with the law, incorporates a GPS module at its top, offering prepaid connectivity until January 1, 2039, so it has a duration of 12 years. Includes a battery charge level indicator and To turn it on, just rotate its basean interesting point, and one that differs from the typical power button, to prevent us from accidentally activating it. It is capable of emitting a powerful light and connects directly to the DGT. It works with a battery that is included and has a magnetic fixation so that it can be easily placed on the top of the car. Furthermore, depending on the brand, it offers up to 2 hours of autonomyit is resistant to rain, snow and dust, it is visible from 1 kilometer and the battery can be changed without tools. You may also be interested in these other V16 beacons El Corte Inglés also has other V16 beacons at the same price, as is the case with the Help Flash IoT by 39.99 euroswhich is also a model manufactured in Spain by Netun Solutions. Amazon also has many V16 beacons, such as the Help Flash IoT+ by 34.95 euros wave Isse Safety by 34.54 euros. Even PcComponentes, which now has the Nk DP-EL2024-C1 on offer for 29.99 euros. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links help flash IoT+, V16 Emergency Light with Geolocation and more than 250 candela power, Required from 2026, Connected with DGT 3.0, V-16 Signal for Cars, data plan included The price could vary. We earn commission from these links ISSE SAFETY Beacon v16 Approved DGT SIM and Data Included until 2038 – Car Emergency Light Approved DGT 3.0 – v16 ​​With Mandatory Geolocation January 2026 v16 Approved DGT 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. Image | El Corte Inglés and Compradicción (header), Onexus In Xataka | V-16 emergency light for the car. Purchasing guide, regulations and when they come into force, characteristics and approvals In Xataka | Clarifying all the mess that the DGT has on its hands: the V-16 light, the V-27 signal and the emergency triangles

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