Mobile Tech & Gadgets

With half of Europe debating recovering the military, in Spain there is a phenomenon that is gaining strength: military camps for young people

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Moncloa has said it clearly: (at least today) there is no question of following in the footsteps of other neighboring nations, like germanyand recover military service. Not even on a voluntary basis. That does not mean that in Spain there is a type of initiative that is gaining strength: youth camps that emulate (in part) the old ‘military’ and promise a cocktail based on military discipline, sport, nature and survival lessons worthy of the preppers. And that tells us a lot about Spanish society. A percentage: 42% a few months ago a YouGov study generated debate with a percentage: 42%. According to their calculations, that is the proportion of Spaniards who welcome young people having to undergo compulsory military service, the old ‘mili’a benefit that disappeared in our country almost 24 years ago. The percentage is lower that of other neighboring nations, such as France (68%), Germany (58%) or Italy (49%) and also reveals that there are 58% of Spaniards who either oppose the return of the ‘military’ or do not have a firm opinion on the matter; but it yields another reading that is equally unquestionable: there is a considerable number of Spaniards (especially among the conservative party voters and older citizens) who are recognized in favor of compulsory military training. Don’t say military, say camp. Today the Government he doesn’t seem very willing to recover the military (Pedro Sánchez came to admit which for him was “a waste of time”), but that does not mean that there are initiatives and businesses that are prospering in the heat of this renewed military push. I confirmed it a few days ago The Confidential in a report in which he puts the thermometer to the interest that camps with military echoes are awakening in our country. There are two pieces of information that corroborate this. According to the newspaperright now these courses mobilize more than 2,000 young people each summer and account for around 5% of the turnover of the summer camp sector, a wide range that includes urban camps and those oriented to languages ​​and sciences. It may not seem like much, but a decade ago they barely existed. “Detect weak points”. A quick Google search is enough to find military camps in Madrid, Castile-La Mancha wave Valencian Community. Its activities focus on summer, they give a key role to young people and, although there may be differences Among them, they share a series of ingredients: uniforms, nature, sport, a discourse very focused on discipline and training in basic notions aimed at survival, which includes everything from lessons to orient yourself with the help of a compass to how to stop bleeding. In some the equation even adds weapons airsoft. “Our camp is military, not military. We are not the entrance hall to the army nor do we prepare young people to enter any other body such as the National Police or the Civil Guard,” explains José Gómeza 54-year-old former military man who has promoted a summer camp in Sigüenza aimed at young people. “It seeks to detect each person’s weak points and help them improve.” The bet doesn’t go badly at all. It started four years ago with just 14 children and in the last edition it exceeded 200. “In a week the kids leave here hardened.” “15 days do not change life”. The camps stand out for their discipline and “values ​​such as loyalty, sacrifice and teamwork”, such as stands out the person responsible for one of these facilities. Not everyone shares his optimism, however. In 2024 elDiario.es echoed from the opinion of some experts who questioned its effectiveness for parents seeking to instill discipline in their children. “You shouldn’t think that taking (a child) to a camp that works at the drop of a hat is going to give him back changed. 15 days doesn’t change anyone’s life,” reflected Mónica Nadal, from the Bofill Foundation. The Youth Institute (Injuve) also has shown his suspicion before this type of camps. Does it only happen in Spain? No. In fact there are other countries in which military camps for youth have been established for some time, such as USA, Russia either China. Again the details may vary, but there are certain elements in common, such as discipline, paramilitary echoes and patriotic discourse. The phenomenon is not foreign to Europe either and goes beyond young people. In the midst of the debate on the increase of defense spendingwith the war in Ukraine as a backdrop, an emboldened Putin and Trump sowing doubts about the future of the US in NATO, in the EU there are countries that have reopened the debate about the military or they have directly begun to recover it. One of the last has been Germany, which has reinforced its Armed Forces with a voluntary military service. The example of Denmark. Denmark leaves another interesting example. There the National Guard (Hjemmeværnet or HJV) is experiencing a real boom, with recruitment data that has not been seen since the 80s, in the middle of the Cold War. During the first trimester something more than 1,700 Danes They filled out and confirmed the form to register in this body made up of volunteers trained to intervene in an emergency and provide support to the country’s army. As a reference, during the first quarter of 2024, just over 1,000 had registered and in 2023 the figure did not even reach 700. The members of the HJV are volunteers, people who in their daily lives work in offices, stores, factories, schools… but receive training to, for example, collaborate during surveillance work, searches or in weather emergencies. With the focus on Gen Z. The phenomenon does not only coincide with a turbulent geopolitical scenario. As pointed out recently Elisabeth Braw in a column of Financial Timesalso connects with some obsessions of the youngest cohort, precisely the one that is now reaching recruitment age. “An epidemic of loneliness and Generation Z’s obsession with physical exercise could help Western countries strengthen civil defense,” … Read more

171 million euros later, Metro de Madrid wants to reopen line 7B. The big question is whether the tenth time will be the charm.

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Line 7B of the Madrid Metro will fully reopen this same month of November after more than three years closed. It is the tenth attempt to normalize a service that was inaugurated in 2007 and that has accumulated more than 800 days without functioning since then. The total cost of repairs reaches 171 million eurosnot counting compensation to neighbors, which already exceeds 23 million and continues to increase. A disaster that began in 2007. When Esperanza Aguirre promoted this expansion to have it ready before the regional elections of 2007, no one could imagine the consequences. The construction of the tunnel seriously altered the subsoil by bringing salt and water into contact, which caused the progressive dissolution of the soil. The result: collapse of the tunnels, massive water leaks and structural damage to hundreds of homes in San Fernando de Henares and Coslada. According to internal documents obtained by El Paísalready in 2008 the technicians warned of the “risk of collapses in the metro tunnel and the surrounding buildings”, and in 2009 they warned that action was “extremely urgent.” The figures of the disaster. The repair bill includes 117 million invested by the Ministry of Transport in works and compensation, 49.7 million from the Canal de Isabel II in hydraulic infrastructure, 2.4 million from the Metro itself and 1.7 million from the Ministry of Education to demolish the El Pilar educational complex. In total, more than 171 million euros. But the number will continue to grow: Property compensation, which in 2022 was estimated at 12 million, has already reached 23.3 million and there are nearly 300 open files. Additionally, 73 homes had to be completely demolished, leaving families paying mortgages on homes that no longer existed. The technical solution. To stabilize the ground, the Community has injected more than 11,000 tons of mortar of concrete in the subsoil through 26,000 drillings that reach up to 45 meters deep. It has also deployed 179 mini topographic prisms inside the metro and laser sensors that send daily data on ground movements. The Polytechnic University of Madrid analyzes also satellite images to detect any anomaly. According to the Minister of Housing, Transport and Infrastructure, Jorge Rodrigo, 511 surveillance elements and five robotic stations have been installed that will constantly monitor the road, the land and nearby buildings. The neighbors don’t forget. Although the Community assures that the infrastructure now presents “stability” and meets “the necessary security conditions”, those affected they maintain their mobilizations and demand greater compensation in court. Furthermore, a study by the Polytechnic University detected “considerable movements” in distant areas “without stabilizing”, although without specifying more details. For the 120,000 inhabitants of San Fernando de Henares and Coslada, the November reopening is just the first step to move forward in almost two decades of nightmare. And now what. The Community will allocate an additional 8.2 million to surveillance and maintenance contracts to act immediately in the event of any incident without the need for emergency contracts. Line 7B will be the most monitored infrastructure of the Madrid Metro, precisely because it is the one that has caused the most problems. It remains to be seen if this time the line is truly stable or if it will close again, as has happened on nine previous occasions. Cover image | Zarateman (Wikipedia) In Xataka | Madrid and Lisbon will be linked by the AVE. It will only arrive (if it arrives) 24 years late

why more and more couples schedule sex

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Wake up at seven, work eight hours, answer thirty emails, do the shopping, take the dog out, have dinner… And at 8:30 p.m., sex. On the calendar, with alert included. It seems like a joke, but it’s not. More and more couples do it: they schedule their sexual encounters as if they were a work meeting or a yoga class. In times of stress, screens and endless days, intimacy seems to have become another pending item on the agenda. What once came from a spark now requires planning. The sexual recession. Desire, experts say, has less and less space to appear. The sexologist and couples therapist Nayara Malnero He details it for eldiario.es with a phrase that condenses the feelings of many: “We have lives in which there is no time for intimacy, for ourselves or for our partner.” Working too much, sleeping too little, taking care of children or caring for the elderly, checking social networks before going to sleep… All of this leaves little room for contact. The consequence, according to various studies cited by Atlantic and British Medical Journalis part of a global trend: the so-called “sexual recession”, a sustained decrease in the frequency of intimate relationships in both young people and adults. And given this lack of space, many couples opt for what was unthinkable a few years ago: scheduling sex. According to The Knot’s Relationship & Intimacy 2024 study14% of married couples admit to doing it, and they report a much higher level of sexual satisfaction than those who do not do it. In another more recent survey, quoted by Dazed41% of those surveyed say they schedule their meetings several times a week, especially the youngest ones. And why do they do it? For some couples, scheduling sex is not an imposition, but a way to reserve space that would otherwise disappear. A 28 year old woman he told Dazed magazine who and her husband began writing their “intimacy schedule” on a white board. Not as an obligation, but as a way to reserve real time for each other: “It wasn’t ‘it’s Tuesday, it’s time to do it,’ but to make sure that that week we had a screen-free moment, just for us.” another couple reported something similar in Glamor: After months of routine, they decided to schedule intimate dates. “Desire begins in the morning: we send provocative messages, we flirt at dinner… And anticipation does the rest,” both pointed out that planning does not kill passion; wakes her up. Therapist Heather McPherson details it in a simple way: “Scheduling sex is adding intention and emotion to the relationship. It’s making sure you prioritize the bond with your partner.” For her part, Dr. Kelly Casperon compares it to something as everyday as sport: “It’s like exercising. We could do it at any time, but if you don’t schedule it, it doesn’t happen.” However, not all experiences are positive. Some people, interviewed by eldiario.esconfessed that trying to fit intimacy into the agenda became another source of pressure: “It became an obligation. Desire cannot arise where there is control or anxiety,” said one of them. Between therapy and cheating. Most specialists agree: planning can be useful, but only if it does not become a requirement. “It’s one thing to plan a date with enthusiasm—a dinner, a getaway—and another very different thing is ‘we have to do it because we have to’. Desire doesn’t work with pressure,” warns Malnero. Along the same lines, sexologist María Victoria Ramírez points towards this vision: scheduling “purely genital” encounters can be counterproductive, but scheduling intimacy without expectations can strengthen the bond. “You can schedule time free of obligations to chat, enjoy together and give space to physical contact,” he suggests. At Laurel Therapycouples therapists put it this way: “The key is to understand that intimacy is not always sex. It can be a deep conversation, a massage, or just laughing together. It’s not an obligation, it’s a protected space to connect.” And science supports this view. A study from York University in Canada has shown that planned sex is no less satisfying than spontaneous sex. In fact, for those who understand planning as a show of care and not as a task, sexual satisfaction even increases. Are we fading? Perhaps the problem is not a lack of desire, but a lack of time. We live in a culture that idealizes spontaneity: movie sex, passionate and improvised. However, reality, with its schedules and responsibilities, leaves little room for instant magic. The therapist Inma Ríos explains it like this: “Pretending that everything will arrive by magic is a way of condemning sexual life. The anticipation of the moment is already pleasurable: it activates our fantasies and feeds the libido.” For the sexologist Núria Canodesire does not disappear: it transforms. “When the infatuation wears off, desire works in a different way. Waiting for it to arise can be the real problem,” he points out. And he adds: “Thinking about the encounter in advance can fuel fantasy, even creativity. If we organize parties, why not plan sex?” The frenetic pace of modern society—work, screens, multitasking—seems to push couples toward organization. In that context, scheduling sex would not be so much an anomaly as a cultural adaptation. How to maintain balance? Therapists agree on one key point: the success or failure of planning depends on the approach. If done with pressure, it becomes a burden. But if done with humor, play and consensus, it can rekindle the relationship. From specialized portals They recommend taking care of the details: planning romantic dates, creating atmosphere, using anticipation as part of the pleasure or changes of scenery to maintain excitement even within a planned schedule. A British couple who have been together for 40 years tells The Guardian who has sex “every three days, always to the rhythm of Madonna.” And they assure that this routine, far from extinguishing desire, has kept them connected for decades. “Counting the days until the next meeting is exciting to me,” he confesses. … Read more

13 premiere movies and series to watch in November 2025 on Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and streaming

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The passing of Halloween has left us with a few interesting horror films in the catalogs of all platforms, but the next thing is coming, which is inevitably Christmas. Many of you will already be noticing how the romances of divorced women in sweaters are flooding streaming, but let’s try to abstract ourselves from that tempting little candy with a brief review of other attractive news for the month of November. That there is everything. Frankenstein Guillermo del Toro he has finally made his dream come true to adapt Mary Shelley’s canonical science fiction novel, while being both very faithful and very personal and in line with her usual obsessions. A monster different from the one we are used to in cinema, a mad scientist more deranged than usual and sumptuous settings and special effects that are the best of the show. That and the extraordinary incarnations of Jacob Elordi, Oscar Isaac and Mia Goth, of course. On Netflix November 7 Stranger Things S5 The final season of ‘Stranger Things’, which will premiere divided into three parts between November 2025 and January 2026, promises to bring an epic closure to the saga. Set in the fall of 1987, the city is scarred by the rifts open to the Upside Down, and the group is tasked with finding and eliminating Vecna, who is still alive. The government has placed the town under military quarantine, making the task difficult. The season will have 8 full length episodesalmost like feature films, and will bring the entire group together for one last decisive battle. We return to Hawkins for the last time! On Netflix on November 26 Vallecas File A documentary series in three episodes that reviews the most famous and high-profile poltergeist case in Spain, which occurred after a mysterious death in the Madrid neighborhood 35 years ago. The production explores unpublished archives, to which key testimonies are added to show the human drama behind the myth. The series delves into the limits between parapsychology, the poltergeist phenomenon and the power of suggestion, in a series that attempts to delve into the real case that inspired Paco Plaza’s film ‘Veronica‘. On HBO Max on November 7 ozzy: No Escape From Now A documentary that offers an intimate and unvarnished portrait of the last years of Ozzy Osbournelegendary leader of Black Sabbath, in which he had to face the physical deterioration caused by Parkinson’s and other ailments, cope with the awareness of his own mortality and the desire to return to the stage for the last time. Avoiding easy tears by showing Ozzy’s fragility and humor in the face of adversity, it gives a unique testimony of the last bars of the life of one of the last rock stars we had left. His influence is also reviewed with the appearance of figures such as Slash, James Hetfield, Billy Idol and Tom Morello. On Skyshowtime on November 2 The Paper When we first heard about the idea, we raised an eyebrow: was there really a need to invoke the spirit of ‘The Office’ in an entirely new series? But when the first reviews arrived, apparently everything was going well: without being ‘The Office’ (remember that in its first seasons ‘The Office’ was not ‘The Office’ either), Greg Daniels, creator of the original series, seems to have correctly invoked the spirit of the classic: the team that made the mockumentary of that series focuses this time on a historic paper newspaper and its editor, who tries to keep it afloat. On Skyshowtime on November 14 Bat-Fam Did you like the Christmas special movie?Merry Mini Bat Christmas‘? Average: the best thing to come out of DC in years, if you ask us. Now, their characters return with a look at the intimacy of the Wayne family, especially the heir to the Mantle, young Damian Wayne, but with a lot of new characters and old acquaintances, all passed through a delicious visual filter. Our favorite is clearly Man-Bat, so you’ll have to choose another one. On Prime Video on November 10 All of the law None other than Sarah Paulson, Naomi Watts and Glenn Close share the cast with… Kim Kardashian. Only the prolific Ryan Murphy could give rise to such a concoction, with a series of legal intrigue that distances itself (partially, because its usual casting returns, Kardasian included) from the grotesque horrors of ‘American Horror Story’ and company. A kind of ‘Suits’ in a feminine key where a group of lawyers specialized in divorces leave a firm dominated by men to open their own office. ANDn Disney+ on November 4 The Fantastic Four: Firsts Steps Although it was not the revolution that many expected (and that Marvel needs), the new Fantastic Four movie has reinitiated the presence of these iconic heroes on screen with a fresher approach and more faithful to the essence of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s comic. Adventure, science fiction and light family drama combine in a film that benefits from dispensing with close ties to the rest of the world. MCUalthough it cannot escape the style, tone, humor and, above all, the closed structure without much oxygen of the rest of the house’s films. Still, great finds like the new introduction of Galactus and his herald Silver Surfer, as well as a very appropriate leading quartet. ANDn Disney+ on November 5 Jakarta Two proper names usually linked to comedy, Diego San José (‘Come Juan’, ‘Eight Basque surnames’, ‘Vaya semanita’) and Javier Cámaraenter this time into dramatic territory with a series about disenchantment and second chances: a former Olympic badminton player finds himself becoming a physical education teacher, and finds in a problematic but talented girl the possibility of achieving a lost dream. It is about competing in Jakarta, where this sport has prestige and can rediscover some of the glory of the past, in a sporting drama without an epic of winners. ANDn Movistar Plus+ on November 6 Anatomy of a moment Directed by Alberto Rodríguez and based on the … Read more

Synthetic influencers are already selling in the thousands. A startup offers them as a service to manipulate networks

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Influencer accounts created by AI are already a reality, some even have hundreds of thousands of followers. There is a startup that has taken this idea to the next level: they create and manage synthetic influencers to orchestrate massive actions on different platforms, all using AI. Their website reads “Never pay a human again”, a true declaration of intent. Doublespeed. It is the name of the startup that offers the service. Using AI, they create the accounts of these fake influencers and also the content, all with minimal human intervention, just a few finishing touches. Its goal is to “orchestrate actions on thousands of social accounts through the creation and massive deployment of content.” They count in 404media that the startup is financed by the Andreessen Horowitzone of the most important venture capital funds in Silicon Valley. Make it look human. The platforms have systems to detect bots, but at Doublespeed they have the solution to make their AI influencers appear human to the algorithms. In addition, the accounts they offer have been used, since newly created accounts with hardly any interactions are easier to detect as bots. The company’s co-founder, Zuhair Lakhani, said in a podcast that use a “mobile farm” (like the click farms) to manage all their accounts and boasted that one client got almost 5 million views in less than a month with 15 of these AI influencers. Raising the level. He astroturfing It is a tactic through which artificial opinions are generated that seek to appear real and spontaneous, all in order to give an impression of support (or rejection) of a topic or product. What Doublespeed does is next level, creating not only the message, but the “persona” who spreads it. Doublespeed sells “packs” between $1,500 and $7,500, depending on the number of posts they want to generate. Cons the rules. The point is that this practice goes against the rules of the main platforms, such as Meta, which they expressly say that accounts that “make a misleading representation of identity to deceive or confuse people” will not be allowed. It is not the first company to offer services of this type, What is striking is that it has one of the largest funds in the world behind it. dead internet. Is a conspiracy theory which says that the internet is full of bots and humans have been replaced by algorithms. There is some truth in it. According to the cybersecurity company Imperva, in 2024 more than half of internet traffic was non-human. With the emergence of AI, networks were flooded with AI Slop and now it also comes in the form of fake influencers. Image | Reshma Mallecha, Pexels In Xataka | The more we know about the evolution of the internet, the closer we come to a conclusion: bots can kill it

discounts of more than 50% today, November 3

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We start the first week of November and, like every Monday, it is time to make a compilation of the best offers available amazon. We offer you a selection with the best deals in technology that we have found in the e-commerce giant. Xiaomi 15T by 479 euros: with 6.83-inch screen and HyperOS. Cecotec Robot Vacuum Cleaner Conga M50 by 99 euros: with 5,000 Pa and multifunction brush. Tablet Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ by 189 euros: 11 inches and with Android. Smart TV Haier H65K85FUX by 479 euros: 65 inches and with Google TV. smart watch Ticwatch Pro 5 by 70.33 euros: with 1.43-inch AMOLED screen and WearOS. Xiaomi 15T He Xiaomi 15T It has become one of the Chinese manufacturer’s best-selling terminals lately. Its recommended price is about 650 euros, although now, on Amazon, you can get it with almost 200 euros discountor, for 479 euros. This Xiaomi smartphone has a large screen, 6.83 inches cat 1.5K resolution and compatible with HDr10+ and Dolby Vision. Its brain is the MediaTek Dimensity 8400 Ultra processor, accompanied by 12 GB RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. Works under the operating system HyperOS and its photographic system is signed by Leica and is made up of a triple rear camera of 50+50+12 MP. Xiaomi 15T – 12+256GB Smartphone The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Cecotec Conga M50 Robot Vacuum Cleaner If you are tired of having to use the upright vacuum cleaner or the broom every day at home, a robot vacuum cleaner is one of those perfect cleaning devices for your home. Now, on Amazon, you have this one on sale Ceco M50 Congatec, which you can buy for only 99 euros. This robot vacuum cleaner It is now more than half of what it usually costs. Offers a suction power of 5,000 Pamaking it ideal for homes with pets. It has a multifunction brush for all types of surfaces and mops. Integrating intelligent and subaltern navigation allows you to clean up to 160 square meters without interruptions. Cecotec Robot Vacuum Cleaner and Floor Mop Conga M50 The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ Tablet If you are looking for a tablet that meets the three “B”s (good, pretty and cheap) this one Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ It is a real bestseller and, now, it is on sale. On Amazon, it has a discount of 100 euros and you can buy it for 189 euros. This tablet from Samsung has an 11-inch TFT LCD screen with WQXGA resolution. It is powered by a processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 and works under Android operating system. It has an internal storage of 128 GB and supports microSD cards. As far as connectivity is concerned, it integrates Bluetooth 5.1 and WiFi 5. Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ Android Tablet, 128 GB Storage The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Smart TV Haier H65K85FUX Another of the bargains that we have discovered today on Amazon is perfect for those who enjoy the “movie, sofa and blanket” plan in winter. This is this Haier H65K85FUX TV, which has a discount of more than 300 euros. It has gone from costing 799 euros to 479 euros in these moments. This television mounts a 65 inch Direct LED panel with 4K UHD resolution. It runs on the Google TV operating system and is compatible with HDR10 and Dolby Audio. In the connectivity section, it has HDMI 2.1 and Bluetooth 5.1. Haier Direct LED 4K UHD H65K85FUX – 65″ The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Ticwatch Pro 5 Smartwatch If you are looking for an all-terrain smartwatch, this is the latest of the deals we have found on Amazon today. It’s about this smartwatch Ticwatch Pro 5 which, at this time, you can get on Amazon for 70.33 euros. This Ticwatch Pro 5 It is a watch with a 1.43-inch AMOLED screen and a resolution of 466 x 466 pixels. It has double screentosince it incorporates a low-consumption secondary panel. Viee with WearOS 3 operating system and 32 GB of storage. It also stands out for incorporating NFC, Bluetooth 5.2 and 2.4 GHz WiFi. Ticwatch Pro 5 Sandstone Android Smartwatch 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 | Webedia, Ticwatch, Cecotec, Xiaomi, Haier and Samsung In Xataka | Best smartwatch in quality price: which one to buy and 14 recommended smart watches In Xataka | Best power banks to charge your mobile phone: which one to buy and recommended external batteries

There is a new chapter in the Nexperia soap opera, one in which China wins the game

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There are new developments in the chip war between the Netherlands and China, which has the company Nexperia at the center. After a tense escalation and the blockade that threatened to paralyze factoriesthe situation has improved after the meeting between Trump and Xi Jinpingbut there is something else. Almost at the same time, Nexperia China made a decision that changes everything: they will take care of the manufacturing of all the chips without depending on Holland, which would mean the definitive divorce from what was their headquarters. A divided company. Since last October 13 The Dutch government decided to take control of the companyNexperia split in two and was caught between two pieces of legislation. On the one hand, the headquarters in Holland controlled by the Dutch government and on the other its subsidiary in China, which The Chinese government banned the export of components. What followed was an increasingly tense exchange: the Chinese subsidiary broke ranks with the parent company and began to act independently and then from Holland They stopped supplying wafers for their chips as “a direct consequence of the recent failure by local management to comply with contractually agreed payment terms.” The automobile sector was shaking in the face of supply cuts and warned that factories could be paralyzed. Nexperia China. In a statement published by Beijing Dailydescribe the accusation as completely false and affirm that, not only have they not breached the contract, but that the Dutch parent company owes them 1,000 million yuan (about 122 million euros). They continue: “The unilateral suspension of supply by Nexperia completely ignores the interests of customers, seriously violates contractual agreements and the principles of business cooperation, seriously damages customer trust and constitutes an extremely irresponsible act.” Full China. Nexperia China will continue to operate independently and they assure that they have enough stock to supply their international customers “until the end of the year and beyond.” Furthermore, before the controversy Nexperia was already responsible for 70% of production; What Europe supplied them was mainly the wafers or wafers. Nexperia China says in its statement that they are “accelerating verification of new wafer capacity,” the key component to its full independence. The meeting. In it statement issued by the White House Following the meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping, it is said that “China will take appropriate measures to ensure the resumption of trade from Nexperia’s facilities in China, allowing production of critical legacy chips to reach the rest of the world.” That is to say, the blockade is coming to an end, the curious thing is that at no time does it mention anything about Holland or Europe. Nexperia Netherlands. The Dutch headquarters welcomed the agreement between the presidents of both nations, but did not comment on the Chinese subsidiary’s intention to accelerate its industrial independence. If Nexperia China finally completes its total spin-off, the European subsidiary could end up being a kind of ghost company empty. Images | Nexperia In Xataka | In its race to make advanced chips, China has tried to copy ASML. It’s going wrong

Germany wants to end the plug-in hybrid scam. Your industry is at stake

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We do not know how much plug-in hybrids consume and it is not very clear what they pollute. We do not know because it is very difficult to understand how the driver of a vehicle of this type behaves and, intrinsically, it is just as difficult to replicate these conditions in a laboratory test. That is why plug-in hybrids consumed just one liter of fuel according to official approvals. That’s why they now consume much more. And that is why for entities like Transport&Environment, they are cars that They consume seven times more than they say. All of this has put in the spotlight a technology that looks like the perfect bridge to jump from combustion car to electric. With plug-in hybrids that travel more than 100 kilometers in purely electric mode, the solution seems perfect for those clients who they do not dare to take the step to a pure electric car. With Europe determined to make the jump to the electric car and some clients who do not fully embrace this new paradigm, Germany has chosen to position them as the logical evolution. To convince the rest of Europe, he wants to put a stop to those who use the plug-in hybrid as a pure combustion vehicle. And why do you take this step? Because your industry is at stake. More combustion please Just a few days ago, Germany and Italy presented themselves to Europe as the guarantors of the combustion engines from 2035. In front they have Spain and France who have teamed up so that we forget about this type of mechanics from 2035 if they are not neutral in carbon emissions. This would leave out plug-in hybrids. The plan goes through a review of objectivesan analysis of how the European Union is adapting to the new regulations. A process that Germans and Italians want to take advantage of to modify the regulations already approved. Germany’s latest proposal has been launched from the VDA association (Verband der Automobilindustrie), which encompasses German industry manufacturers. These manufacturers, including those who said they would make the leap to electric cars even before 2035 (such as mercedes either Audi) are now committed to maintaining combustion engines. They assure that there is not enough demand of electric cars to guarantee production and anticipate massive layoffs if the jump to “neutral in carbon emissions” is made. What is now proposed is to keep plug-in hybrids alive in exchange for the driver being obliged to recharge the car in a specific kilometer cycle. Although it has not been specified how long that number of cycles would be, the punishment has been proposed: limiting the power of the car. Technically, the car would have a software that counts the number of kilometers that the vehicle has not been used in purely electric mode. At a certain point, if the car is not recharged, the vehicle’s power is limited as a clear reminder that the time has come to plug in the car. The obvious intention is to prevent someone from buying this type of car and never using the car in electric mode. Although from a purely economic point of view it doesn’t make much senseright now in Spain if you buy a plug-in hybrid you can receive a minimum of 2,500 euros discount with the MOVES III Plan (if the car does not exceed 45,000 euros before VAT is applied) but counts as an electric car if the range is greater than 90 kilometers, increasing the aid to 4,500 euros discount and 7,000 euros if a vehicle is scrapped. In addition, many cities have advantages such as free parking in zones with limited hours, entering the interior of the ZBE or using the lane Bus-HOV despite only having one passenger inside. In return for maintaining combustion engines, Germany wants to put a stop to traps that operate in a similar way to AdBlue, for example, which prevents starting a diesel car whose tank is completely empty. It is not the first proposal to arrive for plug-in hybrids either. On other occasions the possibility of fence cities using GPS so that this type of automobile can only operate in completely electric mode within the city or very specific places in it (schools, hospitals…). This is something that can already be done and German manufacturers such as BMW has been mounting it for years with options in the browser that allow you to move only in electric mode within the municipalities and they save battery (or even produce it by converting the car into an electric generator) if passing through a city is contemplated on the route. Photo | bmw In Xataka | That people don’t charge their plug-in hybrid cars is not good for Toyota: so they have decided to change our habits with an app

We have returned to an era that we thought forgotten. That of the nuclear threat of the US and Russia launching their reply: Poseidon

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In recent days all roads trace a common landscape: from Moscow exhibit and test “superweapons” that defy traditional categories (autonomous nuclear torpedoes, nuclear cruise engines, and indefinite-range missiles) while in Washington the political and media reaction accentuates a dynamic action-reaction that could return the world to an (il)logic of open competition between nuclear powers. Someone should stop it. Poseidon. He Russian Poseidon has returned to the forefront as the epitome of the hybrid between a fantasy factory and a real military program: an unmanned, reactor-powered underwater vehicle, conceived to transport a nuclear warhead to coastal targets or naval groupings, operate at great depth and high speed and (according to the official Russian narrative) bypass conventional defenses. The impact figures published in Moscow (speeds between 60–100 knots, operational depth ~1,000 m, “megaton” capacity that some sources stretch up to 100 Mt) feed the symbolic dread. However, analysts remember physical limits and Soviet precedents that qualify both the real effectiveness and the plausibility of “tsunami” type effects capable of sweeping away cities. In practice. Thus, the majority agrees that Poseidon It is best described as a capability designed for political and strategic cost: suitable to reinforce a “second strike” or to be used as a system of intimidation, not necessarily as an everyday weapon in an escalated conflict. Burevestnik and a persistence. We told it last week. Along with the torpedo, Russia has shown the Burevestnik (a nuclear-powered cruise missile that promises essentially unlimited range) and other platforms that the Kremlin lumps together under the label of “invincible weapons.” These initiatives obey a logic of modernization that combines technological ambition, industrial vulnerabilities (sanctions, reliability problems) and media staging: the public demonstration of tests does not detonate charges, but announces theoretical capabilities and forces adversaries to regroup resources and doctrine. Continuity with the Soviet tradition of studying large-scale underwater effects and the historical experience with essays they show that ideas can persist even when physics and engineering limit their real usefulness. Washington’s response. The political reaction in the United States, personified by presidential statements about “restarting testing” and public instruction to military departments, has been immediate (and disorderly). The announcements arrive in a critical moment (with the New START treaty close to expiration and with China throwing uncertainties about its own nuclear growth) and can be read as strategic messages, instruments of pressure and, sometimes, as gestures directed at the internal public. One thing remains clear: Trump’s formulation was more than ambiguous and it is not clear whether it refers to nuclear detonations (critical/non-critical), increased testing of delivery systems, or increased sub-critical experiments and simulations. There is no doubt, this ambiguity is dangerous because conditions perceptions and responses international without the technical and legal scaffolding that a decision of shock would demand. Burevestnik How “nuclear” is prescribed. On TWZ Several experts consulted describe the practical path to resume nuclear detonations: The president can order actions, but execution requires the involvement of specific agencies (Department of Energy, NNSA and national laboratories), budget authorization from Congress and logistics focused on the Nevada National Security Site as the only realistic site for contained underground testing. In any case, the deadlines they are long: A “simple burst” could be organized in months, a useful instrumented test would require 18–36 months, and a new design development program would take years. Furthermore, the cost would be high and would most likely provoke retorts from Russia, China and others, reigniting a cycle of arms races that post-Cold War agreements had managed to tacitly contain. Technical dimension. The technical usefulness of returning to explosive tests to maintain the national arsenal is, obviously, discussed: US laboratories maintain that, thanks to advanced simulations, subcritical experimentation and vast historical data, the reliability of nuclear warheads can sustain without detonations. The tests would serve, in theory, to validate new designs and increase confidence in specific features. In practice, they would reopen the door to developments that amplify offensive capabilities and complicate the balance of terror, in addition to generating environmental and proliferation risks. The media theater. Plus: not everything is technology. There is a strong performative component. Putin and the Russian media apparatus have known convert essaysimages and statements in one power narrative which includes synchronies with popular culture (television series) to magnify its psychological impact. In Washington, the improvised communication from social networks it has a similar but less institutionalized effect: statements without clarifying technique or procedure can be interpreted as a political will to rupture and push allies and adversaries to take asymmetric measures. Geopolitical consequences. The costs of a back to testing are not limited to budgets: there is talk of reactivation of the nuclear race, of degradation of international trustor the erosion of regulatory regimes (the CTBT and the verification architecture), in addition to a probable expansion of arsenals by China and other actors who do not participate in treaties today. Added to this is the risk that the US internal debate (political polarization, legislative pressures and the dynamic of “showing” without a technical roadmap) will generate hasty decisions. Worse still, the media normalization of “anti-coastal weapons” or “Frankenstein” torpedoes may facilitate usage doctrines that lower the threshold for tactical uses of nuclear weapons, an especially dangerous prospect. Uncertainty. In summary, the news of the last days They are, more than anything else, a warning: we are witnessing the sum of three processes (modernization and Russian technological experimentationpoliticization and theatrics of deterrenceand American answers marked by tactical uncertainty and political haste) that, together, fuel a dangerous inertia. The question is no longer just whether Poseidon either Burevestnik are fully operational, it is whether the international community, and especially the capitals with decision-making power, will recover the technical prudence and diplomatic rigor necessary to contain the escalation. Image | US Space Force, Russian Defense Ministry, Los Alamos National Laboratory In Xataka | Last week, Russia launched its fearsome Satan II nuclear missile, Putin’s “invincible weapon.” It came out regular In Xataka | There is something more disturbing than “a Chernobyl”: it … Read more

there is no power for so many chips

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Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently participated in an interview and in it Nadella explained that the real problem that the AI ​​segment has is not that there is excessive production of chips, but that we do not have enough energy to power all of them. It is confirmation of something that we have been seeing coming for a long time. Too many chips for so little power. Both Nadella and Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, participated in the interview. During it, the Microsoft CEO explained that “the biggest problem we have now is not excess computing capacity, but energy. It’s something like the ability to build (data centers) close enough to energy sources.” Chips in the drawer. Nadella went on to highlight that “if you can’t do something like that (supply enough power), you’re going to have a bunch of chips sitting around in inventory that you can’t plug in. In fact, that’s my problem right now: It’s not that I don’t have a sufficient supply of chips: it’s actually the fact that I don’t have places to plug them in.” A problem that was seen coming. Microsoft, like other companies that have opted for this segment, have been trying to prepare for this energy demand for some time. Two years ago, in autumn 2023, they were already looking for experts to lead its nuclear program. The objective: bet on the new SMR reactors which could be a good solution to power future data centers. Google was clear about exactly the same thing a year later, and reached an agreement with Kairos Power to build seven of those reactors from now to 2030. I stew it, I eat it. Large technology companies that are dedicating billions of dollars to creating new data centers in the US have discovered that the current electrical grid may be insufficient for their needs. Their solution is to build their own plantssomething they hope can balance the demand and consumption imposed by these gigantic computing factories in which tens of thousands of AI accelerator GPUs work to serve current (and future) users of AI functions. Growing needs. A report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated that in 2022 between 240 and 340 TWh of energy will be used for data centers (excluding cryptocurrencies). This represents an increase of between 20 and 70% compared to 2015 consumption. Already in April 2024, that same organization warned that several countries will multiply this consumption significantly. Triple energy? ARM CEO Rene Haas then pointed out that energy needs would triplebut he probably couldn’t know how events would develop. Since then, AI companies have announced mammoth projects —with Stargate at the helm—and they will dedicate huge amounts of money in an uncertain bet: that AI will be the great revolution that will drive our daily lives. In Xataka | NVIDIA and OpenAI have just made a masterstroke. One that strengthens them and weakens everyone else

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