The only advantage Apple could have in AI was its private cloud. It has been copied by the person we least expected

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Google has presented Private AI Compute, its cloud infrastructure specially designed so that our conversations remain totally private and cannot be accessed by anyone else. Not even Google. Why is it important. The deployment that Google has announced will allow users of models like Gemini to use them without fear that their sensitive data – finances, health, private conversations – could end up being rescued and accessed by third parties. Idea copied from Apple. This type of infrastructure is an adaptation of the platform that Apple presented more than a year agoPrivate Cloud Compute, and that precisely focused on protecting those conversations by using the company’s future AI models. There are some differences, and for example Apple makes use of a concept of “verifiable transparency” that allows external researchers to audit security and privacy at any time cryptographically. At Google they use third-party verification, which is somewhat more limited as it is not open to the public to verify the running software. Tranquility as a sales argument. AI models are becoming more useful and also more personal and proactive, and that means that we also end up using them with data that may be more personal and sensitive to help us with a very specific question. Beyond ZDR. The problem is that when using the models everything we ask and they answer you can see —and even deduce—. There are ZDR (Zero Data Retention) modes in enterprise accounts from some AI providers, but having a cloud that “privatizes” those conversations is especially promising when it comes to being able to talk about everything with AI without restrictions. no fear of that data coming out of there. How this “privatization cloud” works. Those responsible for Google they explain that Private AI Compute is a “secure, fortified space for processing your data that keeps your data isolated and private to you.” The system uses several layers involving its TPUs and its Titanium Intelligence Enclaves (TIE) security chips. Our devices connect to that secure cloud environment through encryption and a cryptographic security mechanism called “remote attestation” that verifies the identity and integrity of that hardware environment to which we connect. Google also offers a detailed technical report on the operation of this infrastructure. Similar to running local models. The result is theoretically that for the user everything runs “locally” in terms of privacy. Features such as translation or audio summaries that Google offers in its services run directly on our devices: there is no data that travels to the cloud. The best of both worlds. The problem is that local AI models have limited performance, and Private AI Compute will allow you to have the best of both worlds: the power of the best AI models—which run in gigantic data centers—and the privacy guarantee of Google’s Private AI Compute. A surprising twist. This type of infrastructure means that these conversations are completely protected and that not even Google can access them. It’s a surprising turn of events, especially since for the last 25 years Google has made a living by collecting our data to apply it to its advertising model. This type of option goes in just the opposite direction, and it only remains to be seen how it will market such capability. Strategic approach. Curiously, this announcement comes days after we learned that the new version of Siri with AI It will be powered—at least, initially—by Gemini, Google’s AI model. Both companies have had a multimillion-dollar agreement for years to make Google the default search engine in Safari on iPhones and Macs, and now that alliance is apparently reinforced with the use of Google’s AI model to power the future version of Siri. In Xataka | The key to making the iPhone competitive in AI was right next door: imitating what Android had already done

How to create a character in ChatGPT and Gemini to use it in all the images you make with artificial intelligence

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Let’s explain to you how to create a character in ChatGPT and Gemini., and tell the AI ​​to remember it so you can then use it in all the images you generate in that conversation. Thus, if you want there to be cohesion between all the images, and for them to be starring the same digital person, you have a way to do it. We are going to briefly explain three different ways in which you can do it, telling you step by step the process you must follow. Remember that it is best to do everything in the same chat to maintain context. Create a character from a description The first method is to tell it that you want to create a character and add a skin description that you want to use. Start the prompt by telling them that you want to create a character called “name”, and then tell them in detail about their physical appearance and clothing. This method usually works best in ChatGPT. The AI ​​may then ask you questions to clarify, such as the style to use, and you must answer as you prefer. In my case, I have asked him to make me a comic-style one. An image will then appear, and you can ask it to make changes if you want to the design. Now, you can add a prompt with which set the character’s appearance. For that, you can use a prompt like “I want you to set this appearance to the “name” character, so that if I ask you for more drawings of him, you will always use the same design. Okay?”. With this, ChatGPT or Gemini should save this aspect. Now you can start ask you to draw this character in different ways. To do this, literally ask them to draw (name of character) and describe the scene and what they are doing. You should make the image keeping the same style of the drawing and exactly the same appearance. Create the character from a photo You can do exactly the same, but creating your character from a photo rather than from a description. Simply ask them to reimagine the photo and add a description if you want to change something or add more things, such as the outfit. Then ask him again to make it a character to use from now on. And then, just ask him to create the same character in different scenes. This method does not always work well in ChatGPT, and it usually works worse in Gemini, but it is something worth exploring. Use an already created image And the third option is use a character that you have created on another website or AIor in short any external design. To do this, upload the drawing of this character and add a prompt like “I want all the images I ask you for in this specific chat from now on to use this character as the protagonist”. This alone will be enough. And from now on, simply go asking me to create an image with a person doing what you want in the environment you describe. The image will be generated, but using the character you created before as a reference. Here, this usually works best with Gemini. In Xataka Basics | The best prompts to save hours of work and do your tasks with ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot or other artificial intelligence

There are people cheating on an AI. Oh really

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Infidelities are the order of the day, and if not, let them know to that CEO who was caught at the ColdPlay concert. We even have television shows who make horns their main entertainment. What is not so common, or so we believed, is that infidelities are not with another person, but with an AI. what’s happening. AI is breaking up marriages. A few months ago we talked about a growing trend: There are people in relationships with AI chatbots, in love to the hilt. If humans are connecting emotionally with AIs, the next step was logical: that infidelities also occur. A lawyer specialized in divorces account in this Wired report that there are more and more cases in which AI is the reason for the breakup, especially in marriages that were already going through difficulties. The results of the survey conducted by Divorce-online in the United Kingdom agree: the number of divorce petitions that mentioned the use of chatbots is increasing. TOl same level. Is it just as serious to be unfaithful with an AI as with a person? The debate is open, but the majority thinks yes. According to this survey, 64% consider that it is a form of infidelity and 22% describe it as “emotional betrayal.” In this other survey60% responded that it was an infidelity just as serious, not just a little. The truth is that, even if there is no physical contact, often the emotional connection that develops can be as intense as in a real relationship. Infidelities. On Reddit we found quite a few cases, such as this woman who broke up her 14 year marriage after discovering the “sexy Latina baby girl” her husband was chatting with. It was an AI, one that he had spent thousands of dollars on by the way. Or this user who He confessed to feeling bad for cheating on his girlfriend with an AI chatbot. and there are many more examples. Legal framework. In Spain, The reason for the divorce does not matter at a legal level, Therefore, infidelity should not affect the result in aspects such as child custody. However, as reported in the Wired report, in the US there are 16 states in which infidelity is considered a minor crime. Of course, for that to happen, AI would have to be considered a person and there is no clear legal framework; the first laws related to relations with AI They classify her as a “third party”, not a person. What can work against the unfaithful person is if, as in the case we mentioned above, there is a common expense of money associated with that infidelity with the AI. In love with AI. We humans are using AI as if he were our psychologistwe talk to him as if she were our friend and we are also developing romantic bonds. There are many ‘AI companion’ apps that enhance that emotional connection such as Replika either Character.AIbut there are also cases of people connecting with “normal” chatbots like ChatGPT. In fact, we saw it when they launched GPT-5, Many users were angry because they wanted to continue chatting with GPT-40. The reason is that the model was warmer and more playful; many users had developed emotional attachments and missed it Image | Vitaly Gariev in Unsplash In Xataka | “I can’t stop”: the addiction to talking to AI is already here and there are even support groups to quit it

A study analyzed the power of LED car headlights. The conclusion is what all drivers already know

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I hate traveling at night, almost as much as drive in rain. It had been a while since I went to a national one, but a few days ago I had to do it and what had to happen happened: I was dazzled on more than one occasion. Car headlights have evolved tremendously in a short time and LEDs have prevailed in new vehicles. The problem is that every time there are more signs that we have gone too far with its evolution. And a new report puts a percentage on how dangerous they can be if they are not properly calibrated… or if the car that uses them is an SUV. In short. Whether because you have a new car or because you update the headlights of a car with a few years behind it, they are one of the elements that are most appreciated on the journeys. They see you better, you see better and it is one of the most important points in terms of safety behind the wheel. If the height is correct and they are well calibrated, they are a pleasure, but it can also happen that this is not the case and they dazzle or dazzle you. There, security goes to hell for a few seconds. The British Department for Transport has published the results of a study about glare caused by LED lights. Your conclusion? They represent a road safety problem, altering the habits of drivers in the United Kingdom. We could extrapolate it perfectly. Basically, between October 2024 and early 2025, they combined objective measurements in real conditions with surveys of 1,850 drivers. The results They are devastating: 97% of them affirm that they are frequently distracted, and 96% that glare from headlights is a road safety problem. Analysis. On the one hand, we have those statements from drivers, who were asked about the frequency with which they felt distracted due to glare from the headlights of vehicles traveling in the opposite direction. On the other hand, the objective analysis. To do this, the DfT used luminance cameras and mixed the data using a machine learning algorithm to identify the variables that come into play at high glare levels. They discovered that there was a strong correlation between higher luminance levels and reports of glare in some test vehicles (logical, on the other hand). Also that road factors influence, such as circular upwards or curves to the righttimes when drivers’ eyes are most exposed to the beam of light from the headlights. In the end, these are things that a study does not have to confirm if you have ever driven at night, but what is interesting about the study is the consequences and the “culprits.” Impact. For example, more than half of the respondents have affirmed that this discomfort due to glare has generated anxiety when driving at certain hours, which is why they have reduced night driving or have abandoned it altogether. And more than 20% point out that they would like to take the car less at night because of this, but they have no other option. According to statistics and beyond the indirect impact, they estimate that glare has bound about 290 accidents annually. and the effects They depend on age: a 50-year-old person takes nine seconds to recover from glare, while a 16-year-old takes just one second, which applies another risk factor on the road to older drivers. SUV. Beyond this, they have also found that larger vehicles, such as SUVs, are the most associated with glare in surveys. This is logical: they are taller, their headlights are more aligned with the eyes of drivers traveling in the opposite direction (especially in lower cars) and it seems that all new cars are SUVsso they are the ones with the most up-to-date lights. The problem of retrofit. This term in English refers to the modification of an existing component. In short: updating with new parts and superior technologies, such as changing the brakes for better ones, installing a new infotainment system or change the original halogen headlights for LED ones. You can buy new ‘bulbs’ even on Amazon and many are approved, but there are two problems: those that are not well regulated and those that are installed illegally. The British Administration has identified that illegal conversion is a problem, since changing halogen bulbs for LED means that those housings designed for halogen do not work the same with the new LED headlights, causing dangerous glare. British ITV has intensified its analysis of the sale of these kits, with heavy fines for violators. Not simple solutions. They estimate that around 800,000 vehicles fail their annual inspection due to headlight alignment problems, but although these are UK numbers, this is a global problem (in Spain22% of serious failures have to do with the lights) which implies that, perhaps, we have gone too far with the power of our cars’ headlights. The solution is not clear. The report recommends periodic glare checks and rethinking luminance measurements in modern headlights, but this will have to be studied. In the end, it is something that we all suffer at one time or another although, as they point Our colleagues at MotorPasión, for motorcyclists there is another added problem: reflections on the visor itself. Image | Alexander Jawfox In Xataka | The “made in China” business of the DGT’s V-16 beacons: homologating the same product 24 times and selling it under different brands

Historians have been trying to understand Hitler for decades. DNA just gave us a clue about your sex life

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“We didn’t know what we were going to find. It could have been the most boring genome on the planet, but it turned out amazing.” As if the promise of new (and morbid) revelations about Hitler weren’t enough to grab the world’s attention, that phrase of Turi Emma Kinga famous geneticist, has helped the documentary ‘Hitler’s DNA’ generated a huge stir even before its premiere. Logical. After all, the work is based on scientific research that reveals that the Nazi leader suffered from a genetic disorder that affected his sexuality. And that is just one of his many conclusions. Yes, Hitler again. The 20th century was prolific in wars, milestones and historical figures, but probably few arouse the fascination of Adolf Hitler. For his disastrous role as fuhrer but also because of the enormous amount of conspiracy theories and hoaxes that surround his figure. About his death, your habits and tasteshis supposed Jewish ancestry and his equal alleged offspring So many pages have been written that they would cover (several times) the bunker in which he committed suicide on April 30, 1945 with a sip of cyanide and/or a bullet. So it’s no surprise that any new revelation about him generates considerable excitement. Especially if it is one like the one that promises ‘Hitler’s DNA’a documentary produced by Channel 4 and which boasts of having thoroughly studied the DNA of the Nazi dictator. The piece premiered yesterday, Saturday, but its authors have taken it upon themselves to air their main conclusions in advance to warm things up. And although there are those who question their rhetoric or the solidity of some of their statements, one thing is clear: they have not done badly in their endeavor. Adolf Hitler’s DNA? Exact. To understand how the producers obtained a genetic sample from Hitler, we must go back to May 1945, shortly after the Nazi leader’s suicide. Among the allied soldiers who were able to access the Führerbunker There was one especially clever one, Roswell P. Rosengren, who came up with an idea: Why not take proof of the very couch on which the dictator had taken his life? No sooner said than done. The American officer cut off a blood-stained scrap and took it home. The piece was guarded by his family until 2014, when it passed to the Gettysburg History Museum. There the producers of Channel 4 found him, who had to face the following challenge: Was that really Hitler’s blood? Was there some way to establish the link, beyond Rosengren’s story? The answer was yes, although it forced them to take a new time jump (this much shorter one) to 2008, when the journalist Jean-Paul Mulders obtained a DNA sample from a relative of Hitler, a person with whom he shared paternal ancestors. Mulders’ purpose was to investigate the rumor of an alleged illegitimate son of Hitler, but in the end it served the creators of the documentary to compare the sample with the blood on the couch. The result: a perfect match. Double check which reinforced the conviction that the cloth contained Hitler’s DNA. “I thought about it a lot”. The next mission was to sequence that DNA to find out everything it hid about its owner, another far from easy task. Not so much because of the technical complexity itself but because of the enormous controversy that accompanies Hitler. In fact The Times assures that there were several laboratories that refused to collaborate in the documentary. Professor Turi Emma King, the lead geneticist on the research, also had her reservations when it was proposed. “I thought about it a lot,” recognize to the British newspaper the scientist, known for identifying years ago the remains of King Richard III. If he decided to embark on the project it was for two reasons: first, why not do it when the DNA is already being used for historical research it would mean giving a prominent role to Hitler; second, by the conviction that sooner or later someone would do it. “We wanted to make sure it was done methodically and rigorously.” So King decided to join the other main expert in the investigation, Dr. Alex Kayexpert on Nazi Germany and professor at the University of Potsdam. Clearing up unknowns. The experiment did not disappoint. As King acknowledges, the team risked not getting convincing results or anything substantial to justify the effort. Quite the opposite happened: the DNA analysis yielded some surprising conclusions that help debunk myths and expand the keys to understanding the Nazi leader. “We didn’t know what we were going to find. It could have been the most boring genome on the planet, but it turned out incredible,” relates. One of their most interesting findings is that the rumors about Hitler’s Hebrew ancestry appear to be basically that: rumors. At the time, there was speculation that the dictator’s paternal grandfather could have been Jewish (Hitler’s father, Alois, was an illegitimate son), a theory so deep-rooted that in 2022 it came to light. share it publicly Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. He was wrong. Channel 4 analysis reveals that Hitler was of Austro-German descent and supports the family tree drawn up by the Nazis. “Confirms that the story of Jewish ancestry through his parents is false,” concludes King on CNN. Kallman syndrome. If there is a revelation that has generated interest and grabbed headlines, however, it is the one that tells us about a much more personal aspect of Hitler: his physiology. Scientists claim to have found solid evidence that Hitler suffered from some form of Kallman syndromea genetic disorder that affects the development during puberty and of sexual organs. The most common thing is that the syndrome causes hypogonadism (insufficient production of testosterone during adolescence), but as the British press has been responsible for reminding these days, it has another peculiarity: up to 10% of those who have the disorder have micropenis. Beyond the obvious morbidity of this revelation, the data is interesting because of the stories that … Read more

If the question is why are non-alcoholic drinks so expensive if they are not taxed, the answer is simple

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Taking a look at the drinks menu of any establishment is a contradiction: non-alcoholic beer It is worth the same as one with alcohol. The same thing happens as with the decaffeinated coffee and the easiest thing is to think that it doesn’t make sense. If you don’t have alcohol, the rules don’t apply. specific taxes on alcohol. The problem is that there are a lot of factors that come into play. The contradiction. Than the price of non-alcoholic beer equal The counterpart with alcohol is something that is not reserved for locals: it is also seen on supermarket shelves. The price of these versions not only equals that of alcoholic beverages, but can exceed it in some cases, and is not limited to beer: also non-alcoholic wine or to refined alcohol products. It’s… strange, especially considering that there are a series of taxes levied on alcoholic products. Guardian echoed this situation, pointing out that the prices of a liter of non-alcoholic beer It is 5% higher than the alcoholic counterpart in supermarkets, 25% higher in pubs. Cider without is 10% more expensive than with and with wine and liquors Something curious was happening: the same price or cheaper in the supermarket, more expensive in the bars. Taxes. In the United Kingdom, about 10% of the price of beer are taxes, but it is not something exclusive to the islands. In Spain, Italy or France there is also the tax to beer and it depends on whether they have more or less alcohol, also if it is artisanal or not. Wine has VAT in Italy, Germany and Spain, but in France it has a tax between 4 and 10 euros per hectoliter and the highest taxes are observed for distillates. That is to say, it is evident that part of what is paid for a non-alcoholic drink is taxes and logic tells us that, if a drink does not have alcohol, it should be between a little cheaper -beer- and much cheaper -0% spirits-. The reason why this is not the case is quite simple. R&D. There are three elements that come into play to prevent it from happening. The first is that, in many cases, production is more complex and expensive than that of alcoholic beverages. In the case of non-alcoholic beer and wine, production starts exactly the same as with alcoholic versions. This implies that the drink is made with fermentationwhich is what raises the graduation. However, then you have to take that extra step that costs money: dealcoholization. It is something that involves specific technology to remove alcoholic content preserving both flavor and texture. In the elimination process, part of the liquid is lost, so producers must use more raw materials to “fill” and, in addition, the alcohol works as a flavor enhancer and, when eliminating it, it is necessary to incorporate additional ingredients such as extracts, aromas or whatever each brand has in its formula. In short: it is not so much the ingredients as the times and processes, which are not eliminated with alcohol, but rather increased. “The industry has made the decision that non-alcoholic drinks are versions of premium products, seeking to ensure that ‘non-alcoholic beer’ is not associated with something cheap and of lower quality” Economy of scale. More or less. That is one of the factors. The second is that yes, it seems that we have embarked on the fashion to stop consuming so many alcoholic beverages. It is something that the industry, especially the beer and wine industry, has observed in recent years, when there has been a significant increase in consumers of non-alcoholic products. If we look back, the non-alcoholic beer market has explodedbut if we look at the total, non-alcoholic beverages only represent a small percentage of volume sales in the alcoholic beverage market. Since there is less demand than the counterpart with alcohol, they do not benefit from economies of scale. That is: the factories that produce bottles, cans, labels, advertising and the alcohol products themselves produce such a high quantity that the cost per unit is low. When non-alcoholic drinks are produced, different labels are made, but as the quantity produced is smaller, the cost per unit is higher. As for the big brands: the independent ones that only produce non-alcoholic drinks have invested a lot of money in research and machinery and cannot afford aggressive margins because they want to recover that investment. and psychology. And the third factor is something that seems silly, but also plays an important role in all of this. The Guardian article alluded to the fact that wine or non-alcoholic spirits were priced the same or lower than alcoholic versions in the supermarket, but in bars, things were different. And it is something that has to do with the positioning of the brands and the perception of the user themselves. Mixing the psychology and marketingif the price of one of the products were significantly lower, it could be perceived as inferior quality. Therefore, in the case of beer, for 0.0 to be seen as a legitimate substitute, the price must be comparable to the alcoholic equivalent. If we see a price equal to or slightly lower than the alcoholic equivalent, the reason may be that it is a version made by an already established brand, with a massive infrastructure that allows them to play with margins and their own brand image. And it also comes into play that non-alcoholic beers from not so long ago were pretty bad. They have improved a lot in recent years, but John Holmes, director of Sheffield Addictions Research Group (a public health think tank based at the University of Sheffield), point that, to improve the image, “the industry has made the decision that non-alcoholic drinks are versions of premium products, seeking to ensure that ‘non-alcoholic beer’ is not associated with something cheap and of lower quality.” He assures that “if you want to reform the reputation of a product, you launch a premium version.” … Read more

There has been a “flattening of the Earth” due to radars and missiles. And that makes fighters an easy target

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The technological transformation in aerial combat has reached a point where legacy tactics of the 20th century have ceased to offer minimum guarantees of survival. For decades, pilots could rely on low-flying flight to penetrate hostile defenses: the curvature of the planet, terrain shadows, and background noise hid planes speeding below the radar horizon. That world has disappeared. The end of the old certainties. They remembered in a wide report in Insider that the modernization of sensors and missiles, the proliferation of electronic scanning radars advanced technology, the expansion of beyond-line-of-sight systems and permanent aerial surveillance have created an environment where safe altitudes no longer exist. The idea that terrain protects is, for contemporary air forces, a relic. Detection distances have gone from being a tactical inconvenience to becoming a a strategic condition that can span entire regions, redefining the way a country plans its defense and offense. The British example. counted Air Vice Marshal James Beck, RAF Director of Capabilities and Programmes, who when flying the fighter jet Tornado multipurpose In the early 2000s, it was still assumed that flying at very low altitude would allow a formation to penetrate enemy territory without being detected by their integrated missile defense systems. The military delved into the same theory, that new radar and missile technologies have caused a kind of “flattening of the earth” that puts even aircraft that fly at much greater risk. very low height. The Eurofighter Typhoon with the nose fairing removed, revealing its AESA Euroradar CAPTOR radar antenna The growth of prohibited areas. At this point, the strategies of anti-access and area denialpreviously limited to defensive belts around critical points, have expanded to configure operational spaces covering entire countries and that, in a few years, could extend over entire continents. For example, the rise of OTH radars capable of “seeing” behind the Earth’s curvature, the increase in the range of surface-to-air missiles or the multiplication of air platforms that continuously patrol have created defensive bubbles which entering becomes a high risk exercise even for advanced fleets. The aerial danger. This phenomenon not only changes the way deep strikes are planned, but also the priority structure in which air powers operate. Controlling the air stops being another objective and becomes the indispensable condition so that any other operation (hitting command nodes, degrading enemy logistics or destroying missile silos) is even conceivable. In recent conflicts, especially in the ukrainian warthe inability of either side to dominate the air It has generated a battlefield frozen by dense defenses, where planes fly low to the ground only to deliver ranged weaponry, and where deep penetration has disappeared from the equation. A Tornado of German forces Sensors and vulnerability. The evolution of AESA radarscapable of detecting multiple targets at high speed and adjusting their beam with electronic precision, combined with sensor expansion land, naval, air and space, has created a network that reduces the margin of error practically to zero. Surveillance systems no longer depend on a single layer or a single type of platform: they function as an eoverlapping weavereplicates and expands, maintaining continuous surveillance with immediate response capacity. In this context, even missiles have expanded its radius of action with a speed which exceeds the modernization capacity of many air forces. The consequence is an environment in which aircraft without reduced signature, expanded connectivity, and platform-level sensor fusion simply will not survive crossing the enemy threshold. New air capabilities. In it Insider report The British military delved into an idea: the acceleration of innovation forces to reconfigure both existing systems and the future architecture of the air forces. Modernizing command and control, integrating distributed sensors across multiple domains, and expanding the reach of active and passive defenses becomes as crucial as developing new generations of aircraft. The current fifth generation platforms, like the F-35represent the minimum necessary to operate in a saturated airspace, although they are no longer sufficient on their own to guarantee that depth penetration. The fighters sixth generation should incorporate comprehensive invisibilityintelligent signal management, accompanying drone swarms (already is being tested) and autonomous capabilities selection and attack of targets located behind increasingly complex defensive networks. That is, where a pilot of the past relied on his expertise and the terrain, the pilot of the future will depend of complete ecosystems of manned and unmanned platforms, permanent connectivity and tactical analysis in real time. A basic truth. The recent experience It shows that modern war punishes those who renounce air dominance. Without going too far, in Ukraineboth sides have lost the ability to operate freely over enemy territory due to dense, mobile and highly sophisticated defenses. This aerial stalemate has prolonged the conflict, increased reliance on drones and missiles, and reduced operational mobility on the ground. The warnings from Western commanders underscore the urgency of learn from this scenariobecause the speed of change only increases. The next decade points to challenges driven by both states and non-state actors, with advanced systems becoming cheaper, more accessible and more difficult to neutralize. Image | Ministry of Defense/CPL Mike Jones, naraILA_Berlin In Xataka | The 10 Most Powerful Air Forces in the World, Compared in One Enlightening Chart In Xataka | A loaf of bread costs one euro in the supermarket. For the same price Europe just bought 18 fighter jets

In 2018 Russia presented its new and revolutionary humanoid robot. The only problem is that it wasn’t a robot.

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Yeah “AI” is a trendy technological concept, the other is robotics. humanoid robotsspecifically. The United States and China have embarked on a race to see who creates humanoid consumer robotsbut when in 2018 it was only Atlas jumpingRussia already had a humanoid robot dancing and putting on a show. His name was Boris, but there was one problem: he wasn’t a robot. robotic cold war. Until the recent generation of robots, which have left laboratories and workshops to become compete even in sports eventsthe great reference in robotics was Boston Dynamics. On the one hand, with Spot, the robot dog. On the other hand, with an Atlas that did parkour and executed very fluid and calculated movements. Although owned by Hyundai, those advances came from the United States, and Russia wanted to get into the conversation. Thus, in December of 2018, something occurred on the state channel Russia-24: a robot that looked like an astronaut and named Boris came on stage. He did so in the city of Yaroslavl, where the Proyektoria Annual Science and Technology Forum had just been inaugurated, aimed at promoting robotics and technology among young people. It was an important event, since it had the support of the Ministry of Education itself and Putin had attended previous versions. The Russian prodigy. Boris was a machine, in the figurative sense. He danced, talked, had dreams and illusions, stating that he wanted to learn musical composition and draw, and it was treaty like a celebrity on the television channel. It was the most advanced example of Russian robotics and seemed finished. Atlas had cables hangingBoris a helmet, little lights and he was a movie robot. There were those who began to wonder things. Appears at the 32nd hour of this video. Suspicions. TJournal is a Russian technology website and was one of the first to question the authenticity of the robot. How to collect BBCthe questions were quite accurate: Why aren’t there any sensors? How has it appeared out of nowhere without prior leaks? Why is no one on the Internet talking about something so advanced? Why were some movements so fluid during the dance? Why was the voice so robotic? And most importantly: why was it so unnecessarily large? But the most important thing is that, beyond the official images of Russia-24, which seemed to be very concerned that the country gave the impression of having this very advanced device, there were other images. Taken by the assistants, in some of those photos from behind a human neck was perfectly visible protruding from the back of Boris’s head. Caught. Very expensive costume. There was no need to investigate much: Boris was nothing more than a suit that a worker had put on. The suit could be bought. If you had 3,600 euros, you could buy the Alyosha model from the Show Robots company, which also came with Iron Man or Robocop suits. In fact, it was a media agency founded by a rival of Putin that public some photos with the actor putting on the suit. Deception? Naaah, a joke. Imagine the embarrassment after pulling on the blanket. The video went viral and was mocked, so much so that, a few days after its publication, Russia-24 removed it from its YouTube channel. However, two days after the original broadcast, they re-uploaded it and published an interview with the journalist who had done the piece. The excuse? He was sure no one would believe it, since he was like Santa Claus: a project for children. The problem is that the journalist narrated the original report as if it were Russia’s latest technological marvel. Those responsible for Proyektoria threw up their hands and said that they had never claimed that it was a robot, that it was not their business and that those at Russia-24 did not find out about the film. The problem is that there were those who pulled the blanket and discovered that Russia-24 had already shown a fake military robot. In fact, in 2019 the play was repeated with another robot taking the kickoff in a match between FC Orenburg and CSK Moscow. It was another man in disguise and the video is brutal. The state of Russian robotics… In the international media there were those who laughed it off, like CBS affirming that “regardless of the intention, Boris will not go down in history as the most embarrassing example of Russian fake news.” And we remember this episode because, recently, Russia has presented AIdol, its first humanoid robot. Already gone… wrong. With the soundtrack of ‘Rocky’ in the background and with a face of “please, what am I doing here”, the first thing the new Russian robot did was take a couple of steps to fall on its face. The scene is high-level unintentional comedy, with the robot kicking on the floor and the employees taking it away and covering the stage with a large black cloth. At least AIdol is real. Images | ПроеКТОриЯ In Xataka | In China they are not satisfied with creating advanced robots: a company has developed a head that gestures like a human

They are not influencers but they act as if they were.

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I recently ran the Valencia Half Marathon. Normal brand with no aspirations for anything. From the exit I found dozens or maybe hundreds of runners with their arms extended filming themselves. During the race it was a constant. From time to time I would find someone with their arm raised looking at the camera. Compromising posture and performance, and making it difficult for those of us who came from behind to overtake. But without putting down the phone. The arrival at the finish line was already an explosion. Many, as soon as they crossed it, took out their cell phones again and danced the same choreography as if they had agreed: exhausted look at the ground, triumphant look at the sky, smiling snort, bite of the lower lip during a long blink and a face of transcendence. A few days later, discussing the moviola with friends, they showed me the rest of the iceberg: tiktoks with music by Hans Zimmer, monologues about personal improvement. Everything packaged, everything monetized. Even if it is in likes. None of the ones they showed me and I guess almost none of the ones I saw at the race were professional influencers. They don’t have sponsors waiting for their content, but They have voluntarily assumed the burden of documenting and performing their own lives. They are unpaid workers of their own digital narrativescompulsive editors of experiences that no longer know how to live without mediating. The race is just the decoration. What they record is not the half marathon: they record themselves. His sensations, his overcomings, his protagonism. He running is interchangeable: could be crossfitit could be a trip, it could be motherhood. What is important is the self as content, the self as an audiovisual product. Perhaps they are not even dedicated to documenting their own life, but rather something that sounds similar but is very different: they are dedicated to living a pre-documented, pre-edited life, designed to be told. They have so deeply internalized the grammar of digital content that they can no longer experience anything without simultaneously thinking about how it will look on screen. They don’t think “how hard this is” but rather “how epic it’s going to be when I play the music.” We have created a generation that works for free as a documentarian of its own existence. Without a contract and without salary, sometimes not even with the aspiration of seeing that effort turned into pasta one day, but with the discipline of a professional. The arm extended for half a race was the perfect image of this new voluntary servitude: we sacrificed the immediate experience to produce its distributable version. We no longer live and tell it later. We produce content about ourselves while pretending to live. The algorithm has achieved its definitive victory: it does not need to pay us to work for it. We have forgotten that there is a difference between running and producing content about running. Or put more generally: between living and performing life. In Xataka | I increasingly like technology that doesn’t want anything from me: the one that has a purpose and leaves you alone Featured image | Xataka

When is Black Friday 2025 and which stores have already started their discounts

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November is the month in which the Black Fridayone of the biggest sales campaigns of the year, so sometimes it is very good to wait for this important date to buy that product that we have been waiting for so long for the price to drop. But… when will it be celebrated this year? Key dates for Black Friday 2025 The date of Black Friday usually varies each year because it depends on Thanksgiving Day in the United States, which is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. That is why the 2025 campaign will be held next November 28although as we mentioned before it is expected that throughout the week we will see many offers until the arrival of Cyber ​​Monday. Stores that advance their offers Some stores did not want to wait to next November 28 to launch some pre-Black Friday offers. At the moment, not many stores have gone ahead, but if we are looking for something specific and it is on sale, it is interesting to mention that both The English Court as PcComponents, fnac, Powerplanet either Dyson They are already offering previous discounts. MediaMarkt is celebrating his campaign Black Weeksand will end next Thursday, so we still have a few days to take advantage of the numerous discounts the store offers. amazon will kick off a few days before, and we finally know when: next November 20th it will begin launching pre-Black Friday deals. Tips to take advantage of it During Black Friday, and throughout the week including the weekend, we can find numerous offers on all types of products. Of course, discounts on devices cannot be missed; such as mobiles, gaming laptops or Amazon devices like Kindle either fire tv. As advice, From Xataka we will once again be covering the entire week of Black Friday offerslooking for the best deals on all types of devices. We will not only focus on mobile phones, but on any other technological and entertainment product that is interesting for what it is and its price. Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Image | BiZkettE1 in freepik In Xataka | Best handheld vacuum cleaners: which one to buy and 6 + 1 recommended models from just over 30 euros In Xataka | The best mobile phones for less than 300 euros (2025). The opinion of Xataka experts

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