Mobile Tech & Gadgets

Google launches its AI mode in Spain and with it, a new way of searching on the web: this is how you can activate it

by

Google has begun to roll out its AI Mode in Spain, an update that transforms the traditional way of searching for information on the Internet. Once we have access to this mode, we can make all types of queries through natural language and the search engine will offer us complex and elaborate answers on any topic through its AI. The operation is similar to the summaries that Google already offers when we make a query, only this mode transfers that entire experience to your search engine. We tell you all the details. What exactly is AI Mode. This is the most advanced search experience Google has launched to date, powered by its Gemini models. Just like explains the company in its press release, appears as a new button on the results page and in the apps for Android and iOS. Unlike traditional search that displays a list of links, AI Mode generates direct and detailed answers to queries, although for now it remains optional, as the user must press the button to activate it. To test it, you can use this linkalthough you may not have it enabled yet and may have to wait a while. Why the way you search changes. According to Google, this tool is designed for exploratory questions without a single, direct answer. In the United States, where it was launched in March (and by then we were able to try it), Google claims that users ask questions two or three times longer than in conventional searches. The company gives the example of doing the following search: “I want to understand the different methods of brewing coffee. Make a table comparing the differences in flavor, ease of use, and equipment needed.” Once the answer is obtained, we can continue the conversation, such as: “What is the ideal grain thickness for each method?” In this way, the system maintains the context of the conversation and allows you to delve deeper as you go. The operation is very similar to what many AI models already offer, such as ChatGPT internet search or dedicated AI search engines like Perplexity. This is the answer to all those tools of a Google that refuses to lose the leadership of what it was known for. How it works inside. As the company claims, AI Mode uses a query decomposition technique: it divides the question into several subtopics and launches multiple simultaneous searches on the web. This, according to Google, allows you to access more specialized and relevant content than with a traditional search. The results are presented with small buttons at the end of each paragraph that link to the web pages used to generate the answer. In our tests a few months ago we were already able explore in detail the operation of this system, a search mode that was inevitable to see given the proliferation of more and more tools with generative AI technology. The results were quite promising and the system offered a great level of richness in its responses. AI Mode is an instant way to get complex answers while the system crawls the entire web to deliver them to you. Multimodality as an advantage. One of the notable features is that it supports different input formats: text, voice and images. Users can, for example, take a photo of a menu with their mobile phone and ask about anything, or use the microphone for voice queries. This versatility is typical of models such as Geminisince from its dedicated app we can also opt for this type of responses through all types of inputs. The real novelty here is that the experience that Gemini gives us is transferred to Google’s main website, something that represents how committed the company is to offering AI experiences to its users. The global deployment. The launch includes 36 new languages, including Spanish, and nearly 50 new countries and territories, reaching more than 200 in total. Its arrival in Europe is especially significant, since Regulation around AI is much stricter than in the United States. The good news is that the service is free and will be progressively activated for all Spanish users in the coming days. An inevitable debate. This launch is not without controversy. Some media outlets in countries where it is already available have reported traffic drops of between 20% and 60%. The falls too have been important even with the arrival of Google’s AI summaries. And if the AI ​​directly answers the user’s question, why visit the original website? Obviously, from Xataka we will tell you that nothing has more value than what is processed, thought and written by a human. However, Google argues that clicks from AI Mode are of higher quality because “users then spend more time on the pages they visit”, although the truth is that it is not a very hopeful answer for media that depend on a certain volume of visits to generate income. The company has also not yet proposed financial compensation for the pages it uses as a source of its responses. What’s coming now? Google assures that it will continue improving the system, recognizing that “we will not always get it right” as it is an AI product in its initial phase. Now we just need to know the reaction of the global public and know if this really is the definitive way to search on the web. We will also be aware of the impact this has on traffic, which has already left its mark since its initial test in March. In Xataka | OpenAI is the King Midas of the stock market: everything it touches skyrockets

Social networks began to die in 2022 and nobody realized. The new nightmare is that they resurge

by

Social networks were wonderful until they stopped being. Very soon they became not only a problem almost addictionbut also of health. Anxiety levels shot And they were made frequent the Sexting cases either Bullying Through these platforms. The funny thing is that while all that happened and we thought that its use was increasingly worrying, something happened. People began to stop using them (both). Social networks had their peak in 2022. An ambitious study conducted By Financial Times He recently revealed the current state of social networks. More than 250,000 adults in more than 50 countries talked about their online habits, and in that data it is clear that the apogee of social networks occurred in 2022. Since then there has been a turning point. Especially for a specific sector of the population. Young people get tired of Facebook. Among the different demographic sectors, there is an especially striking one: young people between 16 and 24 are the ones who are most clearly reducing the time they spend on these platforms. At the end of 2024 they passed average two hours and 20 minutes a day in them, 10% less than what happened in 2022. It is the population segment that is more quickly falling, although the change is clear in the rest of the ages. Other parallel studies, such as Made in Sweden Between 2022 and 2024, he pointed to Clear falls too especially among the youngest. The time we spent on social networks did not stop increasing until 2022. Then the trend changed. Source: Financial Times. The era “zero posts” arrives. Social networks were a day to tell our lives, but From a while to this part the trend is another: “zero posts”. Users publish much less than before, instead of that user community that shared their reflections, the normal thing is now to find an endless commercial showcase. According to recent studies, a third of Spanish Internet users have abandoned some social network in the last year. Robotic consumption. The study data published in FT confirms that phenomenon. According to their conclusions, less and fewer people use social networks to maintain contact with their friends, and that kind of use experience has been decreasing since 2014. instead of what has been seen is that the users of these platforms go to them with the explicit intention of filling holes of time that are empty. Or what is the same: when they get bored consume content, but they don’t share it. Use ceases to be reflective and interactive to be passive, more “robotic”, ironically. The shitting of social networks. The writer Cory Doctorow The term coined long ago “Enshittification“ (“shit”) to talk about how platforms become worse for users. At present, social networks have little social and are dedicated to trying to maximize the time that users are trapped in them. Algorithms have taken control And they immerse us in an echo chamber from which it is difficult to leave. The “Ai Slop” arrives. Before the decline – at least, in time of use – of social networks, the option seems clear: take advantage of the content generated by AI. All to a greater or lesser extent have begun to integrate it progressively, but two new wedges are now added to traditional social networks: Meta Vibes y Openai Sora They are absolutely focused on content generated by AI. It is another era in which interaction and social participation fade and Doomscrolling He seizes more than ever from the user experience. The “AI Slop”the “junk content” generated by AI, begins to flood that experience. And it seems that tactic works. The study, however, gives a worrying fact: the time that Americans spend social networks are growing. It is the only region where it does, because in Europe and Asia-Pacific that consumption is falling slightly from the 2022 peaks. It remains to be seen if those new social networks They end up compensating that fall of the time that users spend on “traditional” social networks. Image | Pexels In Xataka | The exhausted society: how “existential tiredness” has become the great industry of the West

La 1 only had to win the morning battle. It has achieved it as with everything else: by politicizing its content

by

Follow the rising rhythm of RTVE. The only part of the day that remained to be conquered, with two giants of morning news at the helm such as Ana Rosa Quintana on Telecinco and Susanna Griso on Antena 3, it was in the mornings. And after a series of changes in search of an identity, finally ‘Mañaneros 360’ has found success, with a share which doubles what it had a few months ago. And along the way, he has angered the government’s political rivals. The figures. The historical audience record was achieved by ‘Mañaneros’ on Monday October 6 with a 16.9% share (also preceded by another success on the network’s mornings, Silvia Intxaurrondo and the debate on ‘La Hora de la 1’, which this season is exceeding 20% ​​on several days). Both programs are experiencing the best moment of their respective histories (‘La Hora’… is five years old, and ‘Mañaneros’ is two years old), but it is not an isolated phenomenon on public television. In general, the mornings increase in audience: ‘The Ana Rosa Program’, for example, also the season is starting very well with figures that are helping to boost Telecinco’s totals. Hesitant starts. Until reaching this point, ‘Mañaneros 360’ has undergone some changes. It started in September 2023 simply called ‘Mañaneros’ (another one was previously proposed, ‘Bienvenidos’), and with Jaime Cantizano at the helm, after more veteran options such as Jordi González, Isabel Gemio and Gemma Nierga were discarded. Cantizano accepted an assignment very inspired by the morning magazines on North American television, which sought to distance himself from the competition of Quintana and Nierga. The result was a hodgepodge of sections that mixed health, events and heart, without a fixed order to surprise the viewer every day. The casual tone was cultivated, significantly, with a heart section that already mattered to collaborators of ‘Sálvame’ such as Terelu Campos, Lydia Lozano, Chelo García Cortés and Alba Carrillo. The result was discreet, with an average of 8.2%, but improving, as reported by ‘El País’ in a chronicle of the history of the programthe figures of its predecessor, ‘Speaking clearly’, which had been closer to 7%. New changes. Cantizano ended up quitting his job because he couldn’t stand the stress: Monday to Friday on television, and Saturdays and Sundays on Onda Cero. He was replaced by Adela González, who had experience in live programs like ‘Sálvame’, and with her came an even more relaxed tone thanks to the experience of the presenter, and which increased the audience. The following change did not come from within, but from outside the program: Sergio Calderonwhich would take to port very notable changes in the RTVE grideliminated the social chronicle part (which led to a series of not very well received dismissals, as the aforementioned article comments) and introduced a political chronicle part, commanded by Javier Ruiz. Enter Javier Ruiz. Ruiz, who in addition to presenting and directs the program, has given the program a definitive boost in audiences, focusing almost its entire duration on current politics and turning it to the left. Whether the openly progressive positioning of the program is debatable or not (the eternal discussion of the politicization of public television), it is clear that this is what is providing audiences. And many of the most apolitical sections ended up migrating towards the evening ‘Sálvame’ project, ‘The TV family‘, which ended up shipwrecked. Chainsaw or flamethrower. This is how VOX said that it would enter RTVE when it had the support of the voters, in the mouth of his deputy Manuel Mariscal. He made reference to the leftist speech of Marc Giró, Jesús Cintora, and also Javier Ruiz. Without a doubt, (literally) incendiary words for a change in programming that is bothering conservative sectors (there was also the root of the Mariló Montero’s loud anger on David Broncano’s program). But, somehow, it is getting more audiences than ever. In Xataka | Thirty years later, there is still an unbeatable television format in Spain: desktop soap operas

Behind this year’s Nobel Prize in Medicine there is a whole lesson in scientific policy for Spain and it does not seem that we are going to learn it

by

The Nobel Prizes arrive and, like every year, the media they are filled with reports on why Spain resists the great scientific awards of the contemporary world. And it is not a lie: the last Spaniard to win one in science, Severo Ochoa, did so 66 years ago. Being a relatively important country internationally, it is a real problem. What we did not suspect is that the Karolisnka Institute was going to make it so clear how ‘real’ this problem is. A little highlighted detail. At this point in the week, the history of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine It has been counted as active and passive; But there is a detail that is worth dwelling on. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Shimon Sakaguchi discovered a subset of T lymphocytes that did not attack anyone or anything. They were a kind of “riot police” of the immune system: they suppressed the activity of other T lymphocytes. The discovery was momentous, but what came next was an enormous silence. Silence? But they just gave him the Nobel Prize! They just gave it to him now, but it was not a bed of roses. Sakaguchi’s idea made sense, but no one was quite clear why that was happening. And, in fact, many people were vehemently against his theses. It took almost a decade for two different teams to reach the same conclusion: the Japanese researcher was right and the key to everything. the problem was in the FOXP3 gene. It seems like a minor issue, but “this double discovery, the cellular discovery of Sakaguchi and the genetic discovery of Brunkow and Ramsdell, has completely changed the paradigm of immunology and has opened two great therapeutic avenues with immense potential.” The relevant question in Spain. This is all very well, but the really relevant question for our country is why in 2020, when the Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded CRISPR, it did not follow the same logic. Because yes, there are big differences between one discovery and the other: while the former rewarded the technological tool, this one has rewarded the discovery of the fundamental scientific bases. But it is not lost on anyone that the narrative of the award is not just an explanation: it is a framework that justifies inclusions and exclusions. The “forgetfulness” of the 2020 Nobel Prize. Francis Mojica himself he explained to us that “when we discovered CRISPR, I said to myself: “this is going to be crazy in biology” and then absolutely nothing happened.” In fact, that “nothing” lasted for many years. Years in which CRISPR seemed like a scientific curiosity without much importance and working on the subject, as Mojica did, was seen as an eccentricity. And finally, when the award came, it focused on “the development of a gene editing method (CRISPR-Cas9)” and was awarded to the two researchers who discovered that we could use the mechanism to our advantage; but no one remembered the person who discovered this mechanism. And it would be naive not to ask ourselves why. Even if we cannot know what really happened (the prize selection process has been hidden for 50 years), it is a good time to compare the abysmal differences between the research policy of Spain and that of Japan. While in the country of the rising sun, it has been investing in “scientific diplomacy” since the 90s; while Spain has made some isolated effort, yes; but insufficient. This is not about creating intricate conspiracy theories. It is clear that we will not be able to say what would have happened if Francis Mojica were Japanese, but we can ask ourselves what extra-scientific factors intervene in this type of awards and what Spain is doing to value its contribution to current contemporary science. That is, not only what resources are dedicated to research; but what is Spain’s ‘soft-power’, what resources does it put to make our researchers visible, to spread favorable stories or to amplify the work of our teams. The answer to all this, I’m afraid, is “too little.” Image | Ryan Faulkner | Daniel Prado In Xataka | A Nobel with 30 years of history: the discovery of the “peacekeeping gene” that controls our defenses is the 2025 Nobel Prize in Medicine

The BOE confirms that in 2026 workers’ payrolls will be cut by up to 95 euros for a good reason: pensions

by

As of January 1, 2026, millions of workers in Spain you will see how your payroll It drops a little compared to December 2025. The reason, an increase in one of the withholdings that are applied to the payrolls of all workers aimed at guaranteeing the viability of the benefits of future pensioners. This adjustment, provided for in the Royal Decree-Law 2/2023 It can reach up to 95 euros per year for those with high salaries, although for the majority of workers it will barely exceed 43 euros per year. What is the MEI? Just like explain from BBVA, the MEI, or Intergenerational Equity Mechanism, is a withholding that is applied to working people on their payrolls and that serves to reinforce the Social Security Reserve Fund (popularly known as the “pension piggy bank”). As with other withholdings and contributions, part of the MEI falls on the company and another part on the worker. The objective of this retention is to compensate for the effects of demographic aging of the workforce and ensure that today’s younger generations, with a smaller population than Baby Boomers and Generation the full weight of pensions of the next 25 years. How is it calculated? This withholding is calculated as a percentage of the total salary base for which each person contributes and it is expected that this percentage will increase annually until 2029 and then stabilize. In 2026, this percentage will go from 0.80% of the salary base to 0.9%. Of this amount, the worker will assume 0.15% in 2026, and the company will pay 0.75% (to complete the total 0.90% planned for this year). Year Company Worker Total 2023 0.50% 0.10% 0.60% 2024 0.58% 0.12% 0.70% 2025 0.67% 0.13% 0.80% 2026 0.75% 0.15% 0.90% 2027 0.83% 0.17% 1.00% 2028 0.92% 0.18% 1.10% 2029 to 2050 1.00% 0.20% 1.20% And how much money does that mean? As the final amount depends on the contribution base of each worker, the MEI does not retain a fixed amount for everyone. By 2026, the maximum contribution base will be 63,180 euros per year. Therefore, for those who have a gross salary of 5,265 euros per month (in 12 payments), about 94.77 euros per year will be deducted from that maximum base. That is, about 7.89 euros per month. According to consolidated data from the ‘Salary Structure Survey’ of 2023, the most common gross salary in Spain is around 15,574 euros per year. This means that for workers with a gross monthly salary of 1,297 euros (in 12 payments), the 0.15% that is withheld from each employee as MEI would mean 1.94 euros on each payroll, adding up to a total of 23.34 euros per year. How much will it increase each year? The change in the MEI withholding will be applied automatically and has been increasing since its implementation in 2023, the year in which a withholding of 0.10% for workers and 0.50% for companies began to be applied, with a total of 0.60% on the contribution base. The objective is to reach 1.20% in 2029, divided into 1% retention for the company and 0.20% for workers. Once this objective is reached, withholdings will be frozen at that percentage until 2050. Pay more without receiving more. Unlike other withholdings that are applied to payrolls, the MEI percentage does not generate additional rights on the amount of the retirement pension, as would happen if the contribution base is increasedFor example. That is to say, this withholding does not have a direct effect on the pension, but rather is intended to make the pension system more solvent and viable for a longer time even if there is more retirees than active contributors. According to data of the Ministry of Inclusion and Social Security, in 2023 the Intergenerational Equity Mechanism contributed 3,437 million euros to the Social Security Reserve Fund, while in 2024 it was 3,799 million. The record increase in the number of Social Security contributors registered in 2025 means that the forecasts for contributions to the pension fund for this concept will increase to 4,623 million euros, leaving a total balance in this fund close to 14,000 million euros. In Xataka | Working beyond 67 years: Germany has broken its pension system and it is an advance for Europe Image | Unsplash (wjpzlvr), Pexels (Dany Kurniawan)

Four acronym explain why Tesla has not launched its electric car of 25,000 euros: NSLC

by

“If they throw a 25,000 euros electric car They would be lined. ” It is usual to read this phrase when talking about the Tesla range. But there is a very simple reason that prevents Tesla from making this movement so obvious: they can’t. They can’t because accounts don’t come out. Because he is the victim of his own production process that, until now, had been so successful. And it can’t because you reduce the electric car forces you to jump into batteries … or worsen the user experience. In summary: NSLC. (N)either. That is the answer that those who expected a cheap Tesla electric car have expected. The launch of the versions Standard It is the confirmation that the company needs to reduce its product to give a boost to sales. Until now, they have based their growth in a very simple formula for the client: nobody gives more autonomy for less money. Simple, simple and Very effective if we take into account your recharge network. However, little by little the rivals begin to eat ground. Europeans and South Koreans (hello, KIA EV3) They have begun to offer cars of a very similar price. Yes, smaller, but that is not so much problem in Europe where the client does not appreciate (sometimes he does not want) so much cars 4.70 meters onwards. Rivals that, in addition, are taking very interesting cars at a similar price, compliant on a day -to -day basis Although your buyer assumes certain shortcomings if you have to go on a trip (Hello, Renault 5). (S)Alen. Yes, many Tesla Model and Tesla factories come out, also the Model 3. And, at some point, they will hit an impulse with these versions Standard cheaper (a perfect car for fleets or taxi drivers, for example). But, for now, what does not come out is the TAn expected (and promised) car of 25,000 euros. Tesla has made design its own success formula but He has also built his own jail. The automobile industry lives with cars with life cycles between six and eight years old. To four or five years, an aesthetic renewal is usually the commercial impulse necessary to sell the car. Elon Musk raised to make his car The Campbell can of cars. Simple and stylized designs that do not tire too much over the years and that allow a Gigapress that generates an innumerable amount of copies At a frantic pace. The system is the cost economy taken to the extreme. The initial investment is very high but its speed allows you to generate income to A very low unit cost pressing to amortize investment in the shortest possible time. The problem is that each change triggers the cost of the car. Any small variation in the huge piece is a headache. That prevents changes in the hard points of the car. The chassis must remain almost intact and launch a new product to the market forces huge investments in new machines. When the system is engaged it is perfect but greased is a task that requires a lot of money. (L)ace. Batteries The batteries remain the main cost of the electric car car. Although the raw material has been cheaper, Toyota and his 1: 6: 9: 90 rule Explain well why they trust hybrids more than electric. With the same economic effort for an electric battery, they get 90 electric hybrids and 6 plug -in hybrids. Tesla has been working for a long time to reduce batteries, He trusted a lot in the new 4680 batteries of cylindrical cells. But the results make it clear that You can’t get enough to reduce them enough As to sell it in a small car. Or do not get sufficient energy density To, in the same size, offer a satisfactory user experience. Right now, who buys an electric car of 25,000 euros knows that he cannot aspire to a battery greater than 50 kWh. That implies that he will not be able to travel 300 kilometers with a single load and that attempts against that intrinsic value that Tesla has to give more kilometers for less money. (C)Evenas. The results. The company is seeing how the rivals eat land. In China they are happening to them above with most ambitious proposals in software. And in Europe, the other major electric car market, Europeans (With Volkswagen at the head) They are planted by Battle in Sales. Elon Musk’s explicit support to the extreme right In Germany it has not been seen with the best eyes in the local market and/or Franceanother of the company’s great shores in our continent. It is very easy to say that Tesla could launch a cheaper electric car and sweep in the market. Yes, it is evident. But it is also evident that this statement ignores that the company has been looking for a way to simplify the car with even bigger parts of its gigapress (And he has not succeeded). It also overlooks that it has not been able to reduce the car batteries that take a huge pinch of the final cost of the car. And it ignores that Tesla would need larger or completely new facilities to assemble these vehicles. To feed these potential purchases you have to have the necessary infrastructure to be able to build those cars. And although now it looks like a giant, Tesla is still a young company that has four models in the wallet and delivered 1.81 million cars in 2023its best year. That Until 2021 did not give a positive result without adding the aid of emission loans. Because Raise a car brand from scratch It is very complicated. As it is to grow with new products. NSLC. All these data only exemplify the biggest stumbling block with which Tesla is to launch a new car. That long -awaited car of 25,000 euros: No. They leave. The. Accounts Photo | Tesla In Xataka | Tesla said he could manufacture 20 million cars … Read more

The one with autonomous cars

by

While in some cities in the United States and China it is no longer so weird to meet Robotaxis without driverin Europe we remain stuck in a tangle of regulations that slow the development of autonomous driving. However, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has already given the alarmadmitting that “autonomous cars are already a reality in the United States and China. The same should be true here in Europe.” And the strategy in the EU seems to be very in the line that with AI: “Safety First” (first security). The background problem. Europe maintains technological capacity and large manufacturers, but its regulatory fragmentation is leaving it out of play. Each country has its own rules to test and homologate autonomous vehicles, which complicates large -scale deployment. Meanwhile, states such as Arizona or California in the US, and cities like Beijing or Shenzhen in China, They have been testing robotaxis for years in its streets without bureaucratic obstacles. China and the US have the front. In China, more than 60% of cars sold this year include level 2 autonomous driving technology, often standard even in basic models. Companies like Weride, Pony AI or Apollo Go have the support of the Chinese State and They are expanding aggressively. In the United States, Waymo, owned by Alphabet, already has License to test in New Yorkwhile Tesla He already did evidence Also in Austin last June when transporting passengers in their cars. In fact, Musk’s company would give the tycoon A bonus of one billion dollars If, among other objectives, it manages to put a million robotaxis in circulation. Europe tries to react. Volkswagen He has presented his id. Buzz Ad through Moia, its mobility subsidiary, with plans to display autonomous vehicles in Europe and the USA From 2026. Von der Leyen has proposed Create a network of European cities to pilot cars without a driver, with 60 Italian mayors already interested. However, analysts warn that mass adoption will not arrive before 2030-2040. The road is long and the delay, evident. China accelerates. Blocked in the US market for national security reasons, Chinese autonomous driving companies are accelerating their arrival in Europe. Qcraft has announced a headquarters in GermanyMomenta is associated with Uber to test in Munich, and Deeproute.AI negotiates with European and Chinese manufacturers to install a data center on the continent. “Europe is the only market to which they can come,” assures You, founder of the consultant but Auto Insights. This generates alarm among some European competitors, which demands subsidies and greater regulation to level competition. Delay in Europe. The EU has established strict barriers in data protection and artificial intelligencewhich forces other foreign companies to adapt their systems, but does not prevent their entry. Some European executives, such as Alex Kendall from Wayve, They advocate for an open market that accelerates development. Others, such as Jim Hutchinson from Fusion Processing, They ask greater regulatory intervention. There is a substantive issue, and it is the control of the data that are processed in vehicles, very valuable sensitive information for companies that seek to capitalize on it. What is coming. The European Commission works to harmonize regulations to facilitate the evidence and deployment of advanced systems, but for now only countries such as Germany and the United Kingdom They allow tests beyond level 2 basic. Autonomous driving is one of the segments in which a large investment is expected by specialized companies, and everything indicates that Europe will continue to opt for strict regulation. Cover image | Baidu In Xataka | The European Union will impose a new CO2 tax in 2027. And that means one thing: more expensive gasoline

laser drones patrol

by

For years, Japanese poultry farms have trusted networks, periodic cleanings and access controls to keep the Aviar flu. But in the Japanese Prefecture of Chiba, national leader in egg production, authorities and NTT group They are about to add a different ally: drones equipped with beams. From mid -October, these devices will be used to scare away wild birds that could carry the virus, in an initial deployment that seeks to add a technological layer to traditional prevention measures. The new deployment comes after one of the toughest seasons remembered the sector. Between January and February 2025, Chiba’s Prefecture He had to sacrifice more than 3.3 million birds Because of the aviar flu, in a year in which 51 outbreaks were recorded in 14 prefectures throughout the country. Networks, disinfection and access controls had contained the infections for years, but it has been shown that the virus can be leaked by multiple routes, from migratory birds to small animals or even staff clothes. A novel system. The project is promoted by NTTthe Japanese telecommunications and technology giant, through its NTT E-Drone Technology subsidiary. This company, dedicated to aerial robotics and automation, collaborates with the Government of the Prefecture of Chiba and with NTT EAST in a joint plan to reinforce biosafety in the poultry sector. The initiative combines the experience of the group in connectivity and remote control with the needs of the Japanese field, especially beaten by the last avian flu sprouts. The chosen drone, called BB102it has incorporated the Kuruna Move device, developed by the Chiiki Soken Japanese association, a unit that emits red and green beams to keep wild birds away. Its effectiveness is based on an instinctive reaction: birds interpret those lights in motion as a threat. In addition, the system generates a random light pattern with flickering effect (Speckle) to prevent animals from getting used. How it unfolds. In the deployment planned in Chiba, BB102 drones will be used to patrol the critical areas of the farmssuch as roofs, patios or tanks of feed. The operator defines the flight perimeter on the transmitter screen and the drone executes the route autonomously, maintaining the necessary altitude to cover the entire enclosure. Its autonomy of about 25 minutes per flight allows periodic missions to be programmed, adapting to the schedules with the greatest presence of wild birds. Air use provides a clear advantage over fixed systems: drone can reach high points or recesses where traditional barriers are not effective. In addition, being a mobile and programmable device, you can modify your route as the bird’s flight patterns or the ground configuration change. The whole process is controlled from land, without direct intervention on animals and without generating noise or using chemicals. What do we know that works. The use of lasers as a deterrent element does not start from zero. Before the deployment in Chiba, the Kuruna Move device was tested in the Kanagawa prefecture, where it managed to keep the crows away from several farms. The technicians verified that the birds immediately reacted to the red and green flashes and that the effect was maintained over the days thanks to the random movement of the light. Technology proved to be effective without generating noise or using chemicals. The system seeks to reduce the risk, not eliminate it. The field evaluation in Chiba will allow measuring its performance in real production environments, with different species and climatic conditions. If the results are confirmed, the combination of drones and lasers could be integrated as another layer within the usual biosafety strategies, together with the networks, disinfection and access control. Costs and aid. Implementing this technology requires significant investment in equipment, maintenance and training. To facilitate its adoption, the Chiba government activated in July a specific subsidies program with a endowment of 20 million yen, about 125,000 euros, destined to cover up to 33% of the system’s introduction cost. Aids are designed for groups of producers or cooperatives, which can share the equipment and reduce operating expenses. The economic approach starts from a preventive logic: invest before to avoid major damage later. Each episode of avian flu is very high economic losses and the destruction of hundreds of thousands of birds, so that investment in drones and lasers is interpreted as a long -term savings measure. In addition, automation reduces the need for personnel for deterrence and improves the efficiency of daily surveillance. Model for other regions. Those responsible for the project have indicated that they will study their adaptation to different environments. Among the possible applications are other agricultural areas and, where appropriate, sensitive spaces where the presence of birds represents a risk. Images | Xataka with Gemini 2.5 | NTT Group In Xataka | The Vatican drone show was an commission to an unsuspected businessman: Elon Musk’s brother

They arrive in the middle of the offensive of the Chinese electric companies

by

Tesla has presented in the United States the new “Standard” versions of its two most popular models: the Model 3 and the Model Y. They are the most affordable versions of the range and arrive at a time when the brand seeks to strengthen its position in the face of pressure from competitors. Although the new models already have prices and delivery windows in the US market, in Europe – including Spain – there is still no confirmation about their availability or how much they will cost if they finally reach the old continent. In the United States, the configurator shows the Model 3 Standard RWD at $36,990 and the Model Y Standard RWD at $39,990, base amounts before taxes and handling fees. CNN places the first deliveries between December and January for the Model 3 and between November and December for the Model Y. Compared to the Premium versions, the discount is around $5,000. With this move, Tesla seeks to reinforce the entry-level attractiveness of the range in a more competitive environment, without yet announcing changes for Europe. Europe looks at Tesla, but new versions have not yet arrived For now, Tesla’s movement is not reflected in the European configurator. In Spain, the screenshots that we have reviewed show the rear-wheel drive Model 3 at 39,990 euros in cash and the rear-wheel drive Model Y at 44,990 euros, without the “Standard” name or visible equipment adjustments. The card information preserves known autonomy and performance. As of today, Europe continues with the previous offer and without announcing prices or availability for these new variants. Tesla has not redesigned the vehicles from scratch: both ‘Standards’ adopt a metal roof instead of tinted glass. In the Model Y, in addition, the headlights are divided into two independent lenses instead of the continuous light bar. The structure and bodywork remain identical to those of the current Model 3 and Model Y, so the cost adjustment comes through changes in finish and small aesthetic details. Beyond the price adjustment, Tesla insists that the Standard versions offer the same digital ecosystem as the more expensive models. They incorporate a 15.4-inch screen with access to Tesla Theater and Tesla Arcade, comfort modes such as Sentry, Dog and Camp, route planning and vehicle control from the app. The front seats are heated and combine textile and vegan leather, with a heated steering wheel. Tesla has also highlighted the presence of ‘Grok AI’. According to data published by Tesla, the declared range for the Model 3 and Model Y Standard reaches 321 miles, equivalent to about 517 kilometers. The batteries used and the exact motors are not detailed, but the company describes both models as “extremely efficient.” Tesla has not yet offered figures adapted to the European WLTP cycle. The launch of the new Model 3 and Model Y “Standard” comes in an increasingly competitive US market, where electric vehicles are no longer an exclusive territory for Tesla. Brands such as BYD, Hyundai, Nissan or General Motors have expanded their catalog with more affordable models and comparable ranges. In Europe, the pressure is also noticeable: Chinese manufacturers are gaining presence and traditional groups are adjusting prices and strategies to avoid losing ground. As we say, in Europe there is still no confirmation about the arrival of the Model 3 and Model Y “Standard”. Tesla has not communicated dates, prices or details about whether these vehicles will maintain the same name as in the United States or if they will replace the current rear-wheel drive versions. The company usually introduces changes in a phased manner, and the European configurator continues without showing any changes. Until news is announced, the catalog available in Spain and the rest of the continent remains the same as before the launch. Images | tesla In Xataka | Xiaomi has taken the first step to bring its SU7 to Europe: inaugurating an R&D center in the city that makes the most sense

Aemet already has the list of names for the danas that should really worry us

by

You have to prepare to keep track of ‘Marta’, ‘Samuel’ or ‘Claudia’. And they are not the protagonists of a new series, but the names that we could hear in the news throughout this fall and winter. All because the aemet has announced That from now on, great impact are going to be their own name, as with the storms. And it has more marketing than we believe behind. The announcement. Done Through its official channels and accompanied by a complete list of names that will be used from now on in collaboration with the meteorological services of Portugal (IPMA), France (Météo-France), Belgium (IRM) and Luxembourg (meteolux). The first Dana to be baptized will be ‘Alice’. But this movement, beyond the anecdote, raises a background question. Did we really need this system to understand that a dangerous storm is coming? Didn’t we have a perfectly settled term and feared by all? Yes, we are thinking about the “Cold drop“ List of names that will receive the DANAS of great impact in Spain. The differences. For years, Aemet meteorologists have fought a pedagogical battle for society to distinguish between Dana and Cold drop. They insisted that ‘Dana’ is the technical term that describes an isolated cold air bag in the high layers of the atmosphere. A relatively common phenomenon that does not always trigger torrential rains and catastrophes on the surface. However, for the general public, the concept remained diffuse. The word “Dana” did not have the evocative power or the warning load that the “cold drop” did have. The cold drop, although meteorologically inaccurate, it was a concept that everyone understood perfectly: It meant apocalyptic skies, torrential rains and floodsespecially in the Mediterranean arch. The problem. The Aemet has seen that using the term Dana for everything created a lot of confusion. On their own website, it points to “the appointment of the DANAS with great impact will help prevent them from being associated univocally with serious or catastrophic impacts.” That is, they seek to create a new category: the “Dana with name”, which would be the equivalent of the old and dreaded cold drop, leaving the term “Dana” (dry) for the general atmospheric phenomenon without serious consequences. Marketing strategy. Baptizing the Dana with names is a brilliant communication strategy without a doubt. Giving a first name to a meteorological phenomenon humanizes it, makes it a concrete and easy to continue in social networks and media. Without a doubt, it is much more effective to capture attention to say “the Dana ‘Benjamin’ is close to the coast” that “a system of low pressures associated with a Dana will cause instability.” And it is something that has already been shown. With the big storms that have received names such as ‘Filomena’ the reality is that they have been recorded in the collective memory and was associated with the impact it would have. Now this same effect wants to move to a phenomenon that aims to be quite common In our day to day. What we lose. The question is if, in the process, we are not losing a part of our popular meteorological culture. The “cold drop” was a term of ours, loaded with history and experience. It was the definitive notice that passed from grandparents to grandchildren. Now, it is replaced by an international and standardized name system, more precise and effective for alerts, yes, but also more aseptic than does not transfer that tradition so entrenched in many. We already have the first. A few hours of announcing these new names, the Aemet He has released it before the arrival of a heavy and persistent rainy days in the Eastern Peninsular and Balearic Islands. That is why it will now be known as ‘Dana Alice’ and already warns the risk of flooding from Wednesday to Sunday. In Xataka | The city of Valencia was saved from the Dana for Turia. Now his periphery wants to build his own barrier

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.