Volkswagen believes that car screens are getting too far

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For some car manufacturers, Only the screens matter. After the extreme minimalism of Tesla Model 3 2017 That eliminated buttons to relegate the control of the car to the huge central screen, there were manufacturers that got into the car. Filling the screw dashboard seemed like luxury at the wheel, but it is an idea that has not set Among users, critics and even the most relevant body in Europe to evaluate the safety of vehicles: EURO NCAP. Now, the brands are realized that they cannotPost everything to the screens And there are such strong statements as that of the Volkswagen design chief, who has recognized that “it is not a phone: it is a car.” Trend. Tesla is the perfect example when talking about cars screens. It is not the one that has the most, but that, in its last models, has relegated virtually all the functions of the car to that central console. Other brands like Mercedes soon got into the car with splashes in which the screens were protagonists and there are those who have taken this to the extreme, especially when we talk about electric car. Mazda 6e, the Electric Berlina And Mazda 3 It seems that talking about 100% implies putting aside the buttons. Even brands such as Mazda who have opted for small and touch screens only with the stopped vehicle have given a flying when they have presented the electric model. But perhaps one of the most exaggerated cases is Volkswagen. “Buttons”. In quotes. In the main image we have the dashboard of the Volkswagen ID. Every1the new 100% electric utility that wants to place itself as the electric car par excellence. The interior is futuristic, science fiction and yes, it has buttons. Real buttons, not like those of the Atlas, the new golf or the ID.4. THE FLYING OF ID.4 In these three models, The buttons are haptic, A kind of digital button that does not offer that pulsation feedback such as when we put pressure on a real button, but a vibration. How to type on a mobile phone, go. On the way, it may not be enough to give information to the driver when there are elements such as the vibration of the vehicle itself when rolling through a land that is not completely smooth. “It’s not a mobile”. This model has not yet went on sale, but the criticisms and the latest decisions of Euro Ncap seem that they have made the German firm rethink things. And he has done it. As we read in CoachAndreas Mindt, the brand design chief, has been the one who has taken the initiative by commenting that, from ID.2 that will arrive next year, all cars will have “physical buttons for the five most important functions.” These functions are volume, heating, fans control and emergency light. “They will be in every car that we do from now on, we have understood.” This reverse is curious, but well received because it is evident that they recognize that there is a real problem with this type of tactile interfaces and that do not use everything. “Never, we’ll never make this mistake again. In the steering wheel, we will have physical buttons. We will not have to guess more and have real feedback. People love that and, honestly, it is a car. Not a phone: it’s a car. ” Not a luxury. VW has not been the only one that, recently, has realized that touch screens as the only method of control of the car are a engoring for certain things and a potential risk for safety. The German Mercedes has also considered the screens a luxury symbol in its recent vehicles. The more, and bigger, the better. However, although the ‘Hyperscreen’ will not go anywhere, the design chief of the three -pointed brand admitted in a recent interview that they must devise another way to transfer that luxury to their vehicles, such as better finishes or more handmade pieces … instead of so much screen. With head. The truth is that, since the fever began by the car “Every screen”, each brand has made the war on its own. Lincoln, for example, It offers huge screensbut not tactile and only serve as a information viewer. Mazda (except in the 6e) continues to bet on buttons next to a screen of food dimensions; Peugeot, Renault or Toyota, among others, also incorporate large screens, but there are elements such as physical buttons in the steering wheel and to control the air conditioning that are maintained. Mindt rounded his comment on the future of the interfaces in Volkswagen stating that they will continue to offer touch screens “partly due to the new legal requirements that, as in the US, impose that all cars have a backward chamber. There are a lot of other functions that we can offer in certain areas and the screens will be large, but the five main things will always be in the form of physical button. That is very important. ” Therefore, whether by Euro NCAP warning or because they have realized that delegating all vehicle actions to haptic screens or buttons is not the most sensible, welcome that VW philosophy. Images | Mazda, Volkswagen In Xataka | Is the electric car worth it? Here you have a savings calculator to check it out

While OpenAi insists on being the new Google, Deepseek says they have higher goals: AGI

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Sam Altman has been very clear about his way of seeing things in Openai from the beginning. He has always been in a hurry to launch the ED models his company, market them and be looking for investment rounds to be able to sustain that frantic expense rhythm. The funny thing is that one of his greatest rivals, Deepseekyou are looking for a totally opposite strategy. Income grows. As they point out In Financial Timesthe company led by Liang Wenfeng has become one of the favorites of the Chinese technological panorama. Its payment services, consisting of the API for the use of Deepseek V3 and R1, have worked very well and have allowed income to cover operating expenses for the first time last month. But Deepseek doesn’t look for money. However, industry experts point out in FT that Liang has no intention of trying to take advantage of the time to maximize financial income marketing more and more their (efficient) products. No investment. Nor seek investors who support their goalsand in fact there is talk of how difficult it is to talk to the founder of the company. An investor of a multi -million dollar fund in China indicated how “we took advantage of high -level government connections and we only managed to sit with someone from their financial department who told us that they regretted it but did not look for investment rounds.” A for the AGI. Instead the company is focused on developing its current models and also in seeking the development of general artificial intelligence (AGI). It is the same challenge that other rivals pursue, but it is not clear what path each one is following to reach those with superior abilities even to those of human intelligence in all areas. Totally different from OpenAI. Deepseek’s approach is totally opposite to Openai, which from the first moment took advantage of Chatgpt to create a commercial business around that chatbot. Then the successive (and colossal) rounds of investment would arrive. The rumored SoftBank’s round, which It is estimated at 40,000 million dollarswould make its value amount to 260,000 million dollars. A small draft startup. In Financial Times they also point out that Depseek has 160 employees, something that contrasts with the more than 2,000 that OpenAi has. That has made others like Alibaba or Tencent convince business clients such as Apple, who will use QWen (from Alibaba) as an option for iPhone users in China. And with a “small” infrastructure. According to sources close to the company, Liang bought 10,000 GPUS NVIDIA H800 and 10,000 A100 in recent years. He did it before access to them was vetoed. It is not an too high amount if we compare it for example with which Elon Musk acquired In XAI, and also both are somewhat less powerful models than H100 and of course than modern B200. Deepseek R2 and V4 are on their way. The new versions of their AI models are in full development. They were expected to be launched in May, but the company may decide to accelerate that launch and make them available to the general public even before to take advantage of the good time of the company. Outstanding image | Solen Feyissa In Xataka | Deepseek, in the spotlight of European regulators: Italy and Ireland act against privacy concerns

The US strategy before China’s unstoppable naval growth has an unexpected protagonist: Japan

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The United States has been lagging behind in a field that previously dominated with iron fist. Its Marina fleet (sub) has been reduced to the same time as its budget. While China, Russia or even North Korea have been developing A new type of “war” Under the sea giving special importance to the “nuclear” theme in the UUV, Washington was still paralyzed. He Arctic case It is another perfect example. Perhaps for this reason, the approach has turned radically: Japan. Japan as an example. Before the growing Maritime Power of China And the difficulties facing the naval industry of the United States, Congress is evaluating the possibility of Adopt the Japanese model of constant production of submarines. Unlike the American system, where the amount of built vessels varies annually according to the budget, Japan (next to South Korea) has maintained for decades a production rate of A submarine per yearan approach that has provided stability to its naval industry and cost efficiency. The Naval Congress Specialist, Ronald O’Rourke, presented this model at a hearing of the Subcommittee for the Projection of Forces and Maritime Power of the House of Representatives, arguing that the Japanese strategy allows to maintain an constant acquisition rate Without affecting the total size of the fleet. Instead of increasing production, Japan manages the number of submarines in service through the extension of its useful life. The success of the Japanese model. To understand the formula we must go back in time. For decades, Japan has followed this strategy for protect your maritime interestsespecially in the soybeans, Tsugu and Tsushima, key routes where Russian and Chinese ships travel. Initially, its fleet consisted of 16 operational submarines and two training, but in 2010 it extended its objective to 22 submarines without increasing productionsimply prolonging your service time from 16 to 22 years. There is another key: the Japanese system allows Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries alternate the manufacture of submarineswhich avoids fluctuations in the workload of the shipyards and guarantees the maintenance of a highly specialized workforce. This strategy has caused the Japanese naval industry to be efficient, competitive and adaptable to changes in defense needs without generating extra costs or logistic problems. In front of the US decline. On the other sidewalk we have Washington. While Japan maintains its stability in naval production, the United States Navy faces A worrying scenario. The construction of your ships has become increasingly expensive and slowand the data corroborates it, since the total cost of the 46 ships currently under construction was tripled in a single year, from 3.4 billion to 10.4 billion dollars. But there is more. The aircraft carriers, which used to take 8 years to build, now They require 11 years. Here, China is advancing on the right too, As we explain. The attack submarines, whose construction took six years in the 2000s, now take nine. Even the Navy faces the shortage of personnel, both in the shipyards and in the crews, which further aggravates delays. All challenges that make the option of adopting the Japanese approach or that of South Korea, two of the world’s largest naval builders, win traction in Washington, especially when the number of US attack submarines is on the way to decrease in the coming yearswhich could affect the balance of power in the Pacific. Japan as a strategic complement. All this leads us to the proposal of Congress. In addition, the strengthening of the Japanese underwater fleet not only reinforces Tokyo’s defense, but also benefits the United States By having a better prepared ally in the region. O’Rourke pointed out that if Japan decided to expand its fleet to 30 submarines, it could do it maintaining its current production rate and extending the useful life of their vessels at 30 years. The recent delivery of RAIGEI Submarineof the Taigei class, by Kawasaki Heavy Industries to the Japan Ministry of Defense, it is a sample of the efficiency of the system we are talking about. Mitsubishi did the same with him Jingei submarinereflecting a constant production scheme that contrasts with the problems of the American naval industry. The challenge in an uncertain political context. While the Japanese model offers clear solutions, its implementation in the United States is not so simple. The main reason? The American system depends on annual budget negotiationswhat generates fluctuations in naval production and hinders long -term planning. In addition, political and economic uncertainty, including possible commercial restrictions and Threat of new tariffs On the part of the Trump administration, they could further complicate any attempt to stabilize the industry. Thus, the things already measure that competition with China in the maritime field intensifies, the US Congress is forced to reconsider its naval construction strategy. Adopting the Japanese model could represent a viable solution to improve efficiency, reduce costs and ensure that the Navy keeps its position on the global stage. A complicated equation that would require deep structural changes In the way in which the country finances and manages its industry, a challenge that is yet to be resolved. Image | Tom Dennison In Xataka | The US Navy faces an unprecedented threat: China, Russia and North Korea are developing a new type of underwater war In Xataka | Eight Rompehielos have turned Russia into the power of the Arctic. Your secret: Nuclear force to operate all year

His king was useless sexual

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In the France of the eighteenth century, the prerrevolutionarythat of Versailles and the social boiler, there was a very urgent state issue that worried diplomats, filled hours of debate in the European courts, desperate the powerful Habsburg-Lorena house and inspired jocular songs on Paris streets: the penis of Louis XVI. Or rather: what did he do with him. Or rather yet: what he did not do with him. Despite his youth and being married to one of the ladies who greater fascination He has aroused in the history of Europe, María Antonieta, Louis XVI It didn’t seem too interested In sex. Himself summed up clearly in his diary how was his wedding night with the young Austrian May 16, 1770: “Rien” (Nothing) Nothing happened that first night of Esponsal among the young French Dolphin, who was now 16 years old, and his even younger wife, who did not even arrive at 15. And “Rien” (Nothing) The next night happened again, neither the other, nor to the fourth … and thus throughout 2,500 eveningsseven long years during which, marriage between Luis and María Antonieta was not consumed as such. The French towards night visits to his wife. And with greater or lesser effort, I tried. We know among other things thanks to the correspondence of José II of Austria, brother of María Antonieta, who after visiting her brother -in -law wrote a desperate letter (and with a comic point) in which she spoke of the poor performance of Louis XVI in the things of love and flesh. “It has very conditioned erections, introduces the member, it stays there for two minutes without moving, withdraws without ejaculating and still erect gives good night,” confessed José II To another of his brothers, the future emperor Leopold II. “And he is happy, saying that he has only done it … and that he doesn’t like it!” The Austrian aristocrat is not the only one who left in writing His impressions or what he knew about the sexual life of Louis XVI and María Antonieta. The contemporary historian spoke on the subject Jacob-Nicolas Moreau and influential aristocrats such as the Count of Fuentes, who served as Ambassador of Spain, the Count of Aranda and before or after his own protagonists, the French Dolphin and María Antonieta. Of course there was also talk of the apparent awkwardness (or lack of interest) of Luis in the streets of the prerevolutionary Paris, which did not miss the opportunity to compose jocular satires and increases of all about the matter. “Everyone wonders under: Can the king or cannot? The sad queen loses hope. One says that he cannot spliced. The other that cannot enter it “, Ironiza A theme dedicated to the virile member of Luis. That the sexual life of Versailles awaken so much interest, in Paris, France and much further, among the foreign aristocracy, is more than understandable. That Louis XVI and María Antonieta consumed and had a good sexual life (or at least joint sexual life, without more) was somewhat a priority state issue. It depended on neither more nor less than the real succession. Proof of what extent worried the matter is that, in addition to José II, the María Teresa I of AustriaMother of María Antonieta, and Luis’s grandfather, Louis XV (The ‘well loved’), who ironies of history was known by On the contrary: his intense and controversial Sexual appetite It is counted That in October 1772 the old French monarch came to summon the two young people in a private meeting during which he wanted to check in person, without mediators, if the genitals of his grandson had some failure. It is not surprising. There are no indications that Luis was interested in men. And beyond the jokes and murmuring, the precarious sexual life of Luis and María Antonieta let a question: if the problem was him (about it Rumors ran On the contrary, they talked about sexual scandals), what happened to Luis? There were theories A few. Many. Of all fur. There were those who believed it was of a matter of magic and that the dolphin was under the influence of a spell. Other versions blamed the poor sexual life of French to their shyness, youth, a Puberty delayglandular problems, diabetes, the endocrine system or that was a being “indolent” Towards sex. The most widespread theory and on which it seems that the most was spoken at the time, within the circles closest to Versailles, it is very different: phimosis. Having sex (or trying) the young man would feel pain, which led him to give up and frustrated his desire. The Count of Aranda echoed that version detailed In a letter collection a few years ago by ABC: “They say that the frenulum compresses in such a way the foreskin that is loosen at the time of penetration and causes pain that forces its majesty to moderate the impulse.” “Others presume that said foreskin is so adherent that you cannot loosen enough to allow the exit of the penian limb, which prevents a complete erection from occurring,” He pointed out The Spanish aristocrat, who is allowed to even leave his own impressions. If the problem is the frenulum, he writes, it would not be something so exceptional and the real problem would be Luis’s character. “It is something that happens to many people in their first attempts, but since these people have a better carnal appetite than their majesty, because of their temperament or their inexperience, with the heat of passion, a groan and good will, the frenulum is broken in its entirety, or enough to continue,” He reported. A similar version must have handled José II, who It is counted that he convinced his brother -in -law to operate. If the problem was or not the frenulum is more complicated. María Teresa He received a report that he advised surgery, but after examining his grandson Louis XV, he concluded that It was not necessary. It was about waiting. And … Read more

The book that reveals the secrets of the most powerful European company in the chips industry

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The portrait of ASML proposed by Dutch journalist Marc Hijink in the book ‘Focus: The Asml Way’ It is extremely thorough. This Company of the Netherlands leads the manufacturing industry of photolithography teams that are necessary to produce integrated avant -garde circuits. In addition, in the short term it is very unlikely that another company will be able to compete with it from you to you. At least if we stick to extreme ultraviolet machines (UVE) that are used to make the most advanced chips. ASML was founded in 1984 by Philips and also the Dutch International (Advanced material semiconductor). The purpose of this alliance was to take advantage of the long experience of Philips in the tuning of optical equipment and lithography machines, and the knowledge of ASM in the field of integrated circuit manufacturing processes, to design and manufacture avant -garde photolithographic equipment. Today ASML holds an “invisible monopoly”as Hijink holds in his essay. The road to the UVE photolithography team has been long and tortuous This book seems to me a highly recommended work for any reader interested in technology in general. And essential for those who want to know better the semiconductor industry and scrutinize it through the eyes of the European company linked to this most relevant market. The chapters that Marc Hijink dedicates to the prolegomena that gave rise to THE CONSTITUTION OF ASML They are very interesting, but my favorites are all those in which the enormous complexity of avant -garde photolithography machines explores. Intel invested in 2012 no less than 4,000 million dollars to help Asml to finance the development of its UVE lithography team This company is where it is thanks to its UVE lithography machines. And the path that has taken him to them has not been at all a path of roses. In fact, Canon and Nikon, their natural competitors, they also tried to develop these chips production equipment, but They failed in the attempt due to the enormous technical and economic resources that implied its tuning. ASML It took more than two decades to have a fully functional UVE lithography machine ready, and had the economic and technological support of its best customers. Intel invested in 2012 no less than 4,000 million dollars To help you finance the development of this chips manufacturing machine. TSMC and Samsung also economically supported this company of the Netherlands during this project. And the play did well. In fact, these are the three companies that currently have ASML UVE lithography teams. The tuning of this lithographic team has given this Dutch Company the mastery of the manufacture of high integration semiconductors. In some moments the text of Hijink adopts a tone more similar to that of a black novel than that of an essay dedicated to technology. And it is reasonable for a reason: A ASML is currently subject to a lot of pressure by US governments and the Netherlands. The sanctions that have deployed both in recent years prevent this company sell your most advanced equipment to your Chinese customersand Marc Hijink explores the geopolitical plot in which ASML has been involved with the rigor that deserves a situation whose end is not yet evident. For now ‘Focus: The Asml Way’ It is only available in English, but you read effortlessly if you are minimally familiar with this language. Highly recommended. * Some price may have changed from the last review BIBLIOGRAPHY | ‘Focus: The Asml Way’by Marc Hijink In Xataka | 2024 has been a year full of uncertainty for chip designers. So much that the market has changed leader

The most “walkable” cities in the world, gathered on a map with an overwhelming winner: Europe

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Little by little, Europe has been expelling the car. It’s something that goes beyond low emissions areas: It’s almost cultural. The cities of the continent were designed tailored to the pedestrians in which the cobbled streets and the squares were usual and, although they have given way to the roads, that pedestrianization is coming back. And show that pedestrian power is this map elaborated by Visual Capitalist in which we see the 20 most passable cities in the world on foot. Spoiler: The 20 are European. The map. The data to prepare the map have been extracted from the study ‘A universal frame for inclusive cities of 15 minutes‘and the graph of The Economist And it allows us to visualize the average time that someone living in a city of 500,000 inhabitants or more has to walk to reach some basic service. These services or comforts include places such as schools, restaurants, stores or hospitals and, although cities must be scored to choose an order, the truth is that the average time is very, very similar among them. Average time. Thus, of the 20 most pedestrian or more passable cities on foot in the world, the first would be Milan (with an ideal center to walk, everything is said) and the last one would be Oslo. Of course, as we can see in the table that we leave below, the difference between them is not a nonsense: Milan 6 minutes and 24 seconds Copenhagen 6 minutes and 36 seconds Turin 7 minutes and 6 seconds Dublin 7 minutes and 24 seconds Lyon 7 minutes and 24 seconds Munich 7 minutes and 30 seconds Paris 8 minutes Marseilles 8 minutes and 6 seconds Genoa 8 minutes and 6 seconds Edinburgh 8 minutes and 12 seconds Berlin 8 minutes and 12 seconds Vienna 8 minutes and 18 seconds St. Petersburg 8 minutes and 18 seconds Bilbao 8 minutes and 24 seconds Bordeaux 8 minutes and 30 seconds MINSK 8 minutes and 36 seconds Stuttgart 9 minutes and 6 seconds Lille 9 minutes and 6 seconds Barcelona 9 minutes and 12 seconds Oslo 9 minutes and 30 seconds Characteristics. The European advantage over other countries and the characteristics that make cities more friendly to pedestrians are diverse. On the one hand, these big cities usually have historical centers that have been pedestrianizing or that were already. There are many examples, but cities like Amsterdam or Paris, among many others, They have gained ground to the car In recent years with more pedestrian areas of both the center and the school streets. Another important factor is that many of them were founded before the arrival of the car, so they were designed to reach everywhere. That is why there is a greater proximity to essential services and there is a green infrastructure such as squares, gardens and parks that are also inciting, in addition, to walk. On the other hand, public transport is also very developed, reducing the dependence of the private car. Advantages. There are many, but we can encompass them in one: health. Walking more and taking less the car implies that air quality improves because there is less pollution. Noise is also reduced, although these two factors are something that the electric car has potential to change. Having a more active lifestyle, it has positive consequences on health and the cardiovascular system and is something that promotes community life. Projects. All this has led to the fact that, as we say, Europe is friendly with the pedestrian, there are cities that are rethinking their urban model. In Spain, there are cities like Logroño that They have gained space to the car. Pontevedra is Another curious casewith 80,000 vehicles in the center in the late 90s only 7,000 in 2018. The idea is to have “15 minutes cities”And, although in Spain we already live in them, there are projects for large cities to be even more friendly. An example is the Supermanzanas of Barcelonahe XPANDE project of Burgos to convert 23,000 square meters into pedestrian areas, the regeneration of Bilbao, Valencia either Sevilleamong other large and small throughout the territory. Out of Europe? And, in fact, it is something that has been encouraged at European level. He WALKING PANEUROPE PLANor European Walking Plan, was an initiative to promote that pedestrian mobility throughout Europe, driven by common policies and focused on improving health. Outside Europe, then … there is everything. To find the first most passable city on the list, you would have to go down to 28th place, where Kyoto is. And, within the top 50, there are other cities that are not European such as Taipei, Katmandú, Taichung or Tokyo, all in the lowest part of the list. USA, Cochista region. On the other side of the end is North America. The United States and Canada are countries that have developed cities in a completely opposite way to European: prioritizing the use of the private car. The first on the list is Vancouver in 53 position and it is something that will be difficult to change despite the projects individuals of each city. The reason is that it is something cultural due to the urban design of its large cities, where suburban areas are They expanded big before and after Second World War and where the highways They won the ground to the neighborhoods very quickly, destroying communities and that model of “cities of 15 minutes”. Cities like Houston or Los Angeles They could not sustain themselves without the car, in fact. In the end, it is curious as, at least in Europe, the cities of the future seem to look at the past to recover a healthier and closest urban model. In Xataka | High speed lanes for pedestrians, the solution for all those who hate the slow sidewalks

Musk’s political ambition has turned Tesla into an ideological lightning rod. And the whole company is paying

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Tesla’s action touched its historical maximum at the end of 2024, just in time for Christmas. Since then You just made receiving coala paradox for the leader of the electric transition. From $ 480 to 240. Half. 50% fall (and 15% in a single session last Monday) is no longer a market correction or temporary fluctuation. Is the materialization of the political risk that Musk has accumulated deliberately during the last two years. Musk, with its lights and their shadows, It is an atypical phenomenon and a case study like or not. But he has also starred in his own even more atypical phenomenon in recent business history: the transmutation of an aspirational brand in the object of cultural repulsion for a part of its original client base, as stated The Verge. Tesla built an empire on very specific pillars: Technological innovation Environmental sustainability. A vision of the future techno -optimist. It was a perfect car – figured and literally – for progressive consumers with purchasing power that wanted to signal not only financial power, but avant -garde values. Musk’s political turn has caused a cognitive dissonance too heavy For a good part of this segment. This ideological fracture can be put figures. In California, one of the great progressive bastions and originally the most important market for Tesla, Model 3 sales They collapsed in 2024. In Europe, collapse has been even greateralthough it would be unfair to signal only to Musk’s personal future, since here a perfect storm has come together. They are more typical figures of A brand exodus – Here we can point to Chinese cars, but in the United States not – than a simple sector recession. Especially because even in Europe we have seen A growth of 34% in electric car sales at this time. The most visible demonstration of this brand crisis is the spontaneous emergence of an ecosystem of embarrassed owners. From apology stickers (“I bought it before Elon went crazy”) to the replacement of the Tesla logo with other generic badges. They are drivers who seek to dissociate their creator’s car. The protests have climbed to pure and hard vandalism, with concessionaires Tiring in Oregon, Molotov cocktails in Colorado and some Cybertruck on fire in Seattle. Tesla has become An ideological lightning rod. Meanwhile, competition has taken advantage of that vulnerability. Hyundai, Kia, GM U Honda (let’s mention Chinese brands on this side of the Atlantic) have been launching electrical alternatives perhaps not as painting as a tesla, but already attractive and more or less reasonable prices. In this equation There is a blind spot: Musk itself. His political ambitions and his parallel agenda with Trump have eclipsed their business vision. Tesla needs more than ever its affordable model – about $ 25,000, The repeated and deformed promise since 2018– To compete against byd, omoda, Jaecoo and company. But Musk is aspiring to something much older, maybe even too conceptual, such as Humanoid robots. Or with the promises of robotaxis that do not finish arriving … while Waymo already operates real fleets of autonomous taxis. Tesla’s technical credibility has also worsened. The promise that all cars manufactured after 2016 contained the necessary hardware for totally autonomous driving turned out to be true. Musk He admitted that they will have to replace on board computersa process that he confessed “painful”, and now faces collective demands for deceptive advertising. Tesla was, is and will surely be the king of the electric car in many ways, but something has changed lately. Trump can convert the White House into a Tesla dealership and proclaim in your social network Your absolute support to Muskbut You cannot reverse financial physics. The destruction of value has been monumental: 800,000 million dollars of stock market capitalization and 100,000 million of Musk’s personal heritage have evaporated in less than one semester. Even some historical shareholders, loyal to Musk, They have sold mass actionssuch as Robyn Denholm (the president of the Council) or James Murdoch (son of Rupert). There is a fire in Tesla, but that is not too worrying, every company happens at some time. The problem is that it is self -induced. Tesla will survive, surely, it has a solid cash position and hard -working economies. We are no longer in 2019. The real question is whether you can recover your old statusthat of Visionaria company, while its founder is still determined to sacrifice it on the altar of its political aspirations. The divorce between Tesla and a part of its original customer base seems difficult to reverse in the short term. The maximum irony of this story may be that the greatest enemy of the original mission of Tesla – to school the world transition towards sustainable energy – turns out to be Musk itself. Outstanding image | Tesla In Xataka | Tesla’s most buoyant business is also the most unknown: energy generation and storage

The US has decided that the Gulf of Mexico is called the “Gulf of America.” Canada has avenged the “Canadian coffee”

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In a stage of tensions between countries, everything is political. To coffee. The Donald Trump’s arrival at the White House To fulfill his second term he is being a tsunami. He has put The chips industry abovehas arrived with Tariffs under your arm For Mexico and Canada, it has the Celectric eight at the point of sightas well as renewable energiesand plan to be harder with China. These actions, among others, have aroused a feeling of Boicot to American productsand it is so deep that neither coffee is fought. But not a brand or something, but an elaboration: Canada wants to steal American coffee. And Mexico also points. The American is not American. The history of American coffee is most curious. We have seen this preparation dozens of times in cinema and television. Also in coffee shops in half the world to discover that it is a cuffed coffee (in broad strokes, it has its “art” to know the proportions) and we might think that it is an American ‘invention’. But no: it turns out that it is European. Italian, to be more exact. In the United States they have the habit of filling the cup to the top with coffee alone. Filter coffee is very rooted in the country, but in the Europe of the Second World Warcoffee drank differently. It seems that, during the campaign in Italy, Americans who wanted coffee to enjoy the drink or Stay alert They couldn’t stand the espresso Italian (the roasted grains of more do not help) and the baristas prepared A combination of your palate taste: a espresso to which they added hot water to reduce it. Coffee voltage. That combination was baptized as ‘American’ and, in the end, the participation of Americans in their creation was simply that the most intense coffee was not for their taste. But well, it is still a preparation that is really settled, but as we say, to a scrambled river, everything is political and, in Canada, the ‘American’ is no longer so well seen. Recently, and due to political tensions between both countriessome coffee shops have made the decision to change the name ‘American’ for ‘Canadiano’. The elaboration is the same and, in summary accounts, among the American soldiers who fought in Italy there were also Canadians, so they will estimate that they have the same right to keep coffee. Marketing or rebellion? But it is not so much for ‘cultural’ appropriation, for defining it in some way, as to use it. Against what? Because against those tariffs driven by Trump (which are running with a Canadian response, on the other hand). It was the Kicking Horse Coffee cafeteria the first that started this movement that has penetrated between the press specialized in coffee and that has reached media such as CBC News. But, at the same time that there are those who see in this a way to reaffirm the Canadian identity, there are also critics that estimate that it is an orchestrated marketing strategy to sell more coffee among those who have that patriotic fire. And yes, Kicking Horse Coffee has been calling ‘Canadian’ for 16 years to elaboration, but as they explain In their networksnow they make it official and seek that the rest of Canadian coffee shops do the same. Some He has already taken the witness. “For 16 years, Kicking Horse Coffee has been called Canadiano to the Americans. Now, we make this official and ask the coffee shops throughout the country to join. Call it ‘Canadiano’” Mexico wonders things. In whatever, the idea has reached a Mexico that will be used to the change of name of the Gulf of Mexico for that of Gulf of America (America not for the continent, but for that American idea that they are America). In the Latin American country there are already those who are exploring The idea of ​​renowing American coffee as ‘Mexican coffee’ or ‘coffee of pot’. Now, Mexico already has a ‘pot of pot’. It is a typical way of preparing coffee in the country that consists of preparing it in a clay pot as if it were an infusion. It is more typical in rural areas than in large cities, but the issue is not so much the name and … politics. Boycott. We will see if it covers that campaign to replace the American with the Canadian (who, to propose, each country could now put the name he wants), but what is evident is that Trump’s arrival is causing movements worldwide. We have already commented that in Europe and Canada there are movements that ask for the boycott To American products, in networks there are lists European software and hardware to stop depending on the American and have even seen Virulent reactions to products like Tesla cars. Next to cars burning, the Canadian looks like a joke. In Xataka | The intricate technology behind a coffee capsule: how Nespresso has tried to create an “ecosystem” to Apple

In the US they have realized that Covid has had an unexpected effect on its restaurants: it has triggered its production

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The Covid has not sat badly at the US bars. At least if we talk about productivity levels. Even though pandemic He hit with viciousness to the hospitality of half the world (including the Spanish), He sank the billing From the sector and condemned not a few businesses at the close, American premises reached during the health crisis a level of labor productivity by 15% greater than they had before COVID, a notable increase that has not been diluted. The explanation is very simple: express visits. The Covid heritage. That the pandemic was devastating for the hospitality and forced to close Many businesses It is clear. However, however, a group of researchers from Chicago and New York universities asked a question that goes a little further: Did Covid-19 influence the productivity of the premises? And if so, in what sense? Is that effect still maintained? Their conclusions were reflected in A study that has just published the National Bureau of Economic Resarch (NBER) with a quite eloquent title and that gives a clue to which direction its findings point to: ‘The curious increase in productivity in US restaurants’. A percentage: 15%. The team of economists has not only found that effectively the performance of restaurants seemed to increase during the years of the health crisis. Has even encrypted that increase, as they need in The conclusions Of its report: “We verify that, after being practically constant for almost 30 years, real work productivity in restaurants increased more than 15% during the Covid-19 Pandemia.” The data is interesting because it does not only reflect a specific and past reality, related to the worst years of the Coronavirus. After sliding that percentage (15%) the researchers clarify that this turn has not yet diluted its effect. “This increase has been maintained even when many conditions have returned to prepondondemic levels.” And what was the reason? Clarified and calculated the increase in productivity, the following doubt was obvious: what was the reason? What did he answer? To answer all these issues, experts examined about 100,000 restaurants distributed by the US, focusing on aspects such as sales or the number of consumers attended by each employee. They also had access to information about visits thanks to mobile phones. The sample is wide, but presents certain characteristics that should be taken into account. To start the experts set in a very specific business profile, the Limited service hospitality (LSR), the one in which the interaction between the staff and the client is minimized, as in many premises of Fast food. The study in fact that focused on three subcategories: restaurants in the style of Taco Bell or McDonald´s, buffets and coffee shops such as Starbucks. For the sample to be wide, they covered more than 600 brands. Why this choice? The study It clarifies that the LSRs represent about 45% of the employment and sales of the sector in the US already throughout the last decades its productivity has evolved in a “very similar” way to the whole of the restoration sector. In addition, limited services offered an extra advantage: economists have complete information on their visits. Combing (thousands of) data. With all that information about the table, economists began drawing conclusions. And the first were striking. “Microdatos reveal significant growth in productivity, already measured in sales per employee or even in a more basic/physical average of the total number of customers per employee,” he says The study Published by Nber, which also rules out that this rebound can be explained by economies of scale, a greater weight of the sector or changes in demand. The experts also found that if the employees sold more it was not because they spent more time in their positions. When they were proven that the average weekly hours worked between July 2022 and June 2024 was 25.1 hours, “the same”, they clarify, that from 2006 to 2008. “In fact the current hours per worker are actually a bit below the pre-covid average from 2018 to 2019”. What is the cause? The rhythm. Or rather, the duration of visits. The researchers appreciated “significant descents in the amount of time” that customers spent in restaurants, with an increase especially pronounced in the group of consumers that remained in the premises 10 or even less minutes. That phenomenon was found during the pandemic years and did not seem to dissipate once the health crisis has been overcome. “The average permanence time of customers decreased and most of the reduction was due to the increase in the percentage of visits that lasted less than 10 minutes,” says the study. Your reading It is therefore clear: the increase in the performance of the restaurants “is strongly correlated” with the reduction of the time that customers pass in business, especially with express visits, which do not reach the quarter of an hour. Beyond the minutes. The data of the minutes clarified part of the mystery about the increase in performance (shorter visits translate into the possibility of attending a greater number of customers without increasing the templates), but letting another equally important question be bumping: why? Why was that increase in fleeting visits, 10 or even less minutes? Researchers are clear: leading food. “The frequency of these carrying food clients increased during the COVID-19, even in restaurants in Fast foodand it has not decreased “, They conclude Economists. The key would therefore be Deliverythe increase in orders made by telephone or customer apps that then collect their orders to eat them at home, office or any other place. “If businesses can satisfy these fast customers, in addition to the usual ones, with the same labor, the data will reflect a clear and legitimate increase in productivity,” economists add in their article. An advance with nuances. The 15% yield increase is positive for business, but there are experts who already invite you to value it with perspective. Douglas Hoktz-Eakin, president of the US Forum of Action, I pointed After examining the study that there is … Read more

Mexico’s plan to stop being a second player in the semiconductor industry

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Become Mexico into a scientific and technological power. That is the plan of President Claudia Sheinbaum who, since she held the position at the end of last year, has not stopped presenting proposals to achieve that goal. Fruit of this is the call ‘Mexico Plan‘, the intention of create your own cheap electric car. Now, Mexico wants to depend on others to obtain chips, becoming a technological power along the way. The key name of the project is ‘Kutsari’ and, although ambitious, it must face important challenges. KUTSARI. In a press conference, Sheinbaum advertisement The creation of the National Semiconductor Design Center “Kutsari”. He explained that “it is the union of many scientists, technological developers and public institutions of higher education that will put all their intelligence, design and creativity to generate new semiconductor designs.” The idea is ambitious and encompassed in the proposals of the Mexico Plan to revitalize the country and stop depending on both imports. In this case, imports of all types of chips for the devices that Mexico already produces and, thus, strengthen local manufacturing. Stop being a country that assembles chips to become one that designs and manufactures them, ultimately. Goals. Sheinbaum’s vision is clear: Creation of the National Semiconductor Design Center. Later, establish a semiconductor manufacturing center. Finally, create a chain that allows you to try, encapsulate and assemble those chips in equipment. In the statement, the president speaks of three venues located in Puebla, Jalisco and Sonora that, in addition, will be coordinated and supported by institutions such as the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics, the Advanced Studies Research Center of the National Polytechnic Institute, the National Autonomous University of Mexico and the National Polytechnic Institute. Kutsari means “sand” in Purépecha, the key material from which silicon is extracted to create semiconductors Roadmap. After the implementation of the first headquarters in which the semiconductors will be designed, a consolidation of them is expected for 2027. At some point next year, the idea is to start looking for how a private, public or mixed company could establish a factory that produces these chips in the face of consolidation in 2029 and 2030. The objective of these first Mexican semicondators is the automotive industry, the automotive industry is the automotive industry and medical equipment. They also mention “other strategic devices for the country”, without specifying what they would be. However, in the design of semiconductors the patents and that commitment of the country will be reflected in a modification of the Federal Law on Intellectual Property Protection with the objective of accelerating the patent process. Thus, this record of technological innovations will be expedited to expedite the production and sale process after the initial design phase. And it is also something that will allow protecting designs to possible plagiarism. Investments. We enter the critical part of the plan. As we mentioned, Kutsari is part of the Mexico Plan, but producing semiconductors is not only easy: it is not cheap either. Thus, the idea is to attract national private initiative and foreign investments that intend to seduce with the creation of a more powerful business technological mesh. Several companies are already betting on Mexico and, without leaving the chips segment, we have an almighty like Foxconn who is building in Mexico the Greater factory on the planet For Nvidia chips. Challenges. But, beyond the difficulty when establishing that new industry, Kutsari will encounter other challenges along the way. One is the very high competition with countries such as Vietnam either India that have been offering aggressive incentives for years for companies They move from China to their territoryeven seducing giants like Apple and Samsung. To that wild competition we must add that silicon is needed or germaniumtwo critical materials for semiconductors that are strategic in countries such as the United States and China. And, obviously, national and international talent is needed, as well as a stable political and economic environment, since chips do not develop overnight. On this, Sheinbaum has commented that “there is a lot of research in Mexico and now what we are doing is putting all these minds together”, a good touchstone that only needs to consolidate with good development policies that allow the country to enter to play in the complicated and competitive world of semiconductors. Image | ASML In Xataka | If the question is how to answer the US trade war, Europe believes to have the answer: smart tariffs

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