accessing

Accessing our car’s mechanics has become increasingly complicated. BMW has thought of complicating it even more

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Do-it-yourself repairability of a vehicle is something that Over the years it has gotten worse. while the systems have become increasingly complicated. Therefore, it is not surprising that multiple manufacturers have chosen to design specific tools to access sensitive parts of the vehicle. In the case of BMW, a patent recently discovered Meanwhile, CarBuzz could make things even more complicated for those who want to have access to certain parts of your car. And the patent shows some screws with heads designed in the shape of the brand logo that require specific tools for handling. What is this about? The patent from BMW describes four different types of custom screw heads that replicate the brand’s circular emblem, divided into four quadrants. Two of these sections are recessed to accommodate the screwdriver, while the other two remain flat or raised. The design of this type of specific screws means that they cannot be manipulated with conventional tools such as Torx, hexagonal or Phillips, but rather requires parts manufactured specifically for BMW. Why BMW says it does. As the patent itself explains, the objective is “to prevent the screw from being loosened or tightened using common drive structures, for example, by unauthorized persons.” The company proposes its use in structural and semi-structural applications, such as seat anchors or joints between the passenger compartment and the supporting structure of the body. The intention is that these screws can be used in visible areas, since if we judge these screws from an aesthetic point of view, the truth is that molar is cool. The problem for workshops and owners. On the other hand, and addressing the central problem behind this decision, this would turn even the most basic maintenance tasks into mandatory visits to the official dealer or, at best, would force independent workshops to purchase exclusive BMW tools. Something that, on the other hand, is not so strange if we take a look at the history of many of the largest automobile groups. Just like account In the middle, working with a two-point system and the decorative ring taking up much of the surface of the screw would increase the risk of breaking the tools, especially in applications that require very hard fastening. It’s not the first time. German manufacturers have a long tradition of using specialized fasteners. Just like points out In the middle, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and BMW routinely use triple-square, oversized Torx or even E-Torx screws, which force mechanics to have specific tool sets. Against the current. The curious thing about it all is that this patent openly contrasts with the direction that other manufacturers are taking. Mercedes-Benz for example, its main rival, advertisement that would work on redesigning its future vehicles to facilitate repairs. An example of this is their decision to replace the glue with screws in the headlights to simplify their replacement. Just a piece of paper, for now. The patent was filed on June 7, 2024 and was made public on December 11, 2025. However, it is worth remembering that manufacturers register numerous patents that never materialize in series models. There is no confirmation that BMW will actually implement this system in its production vehicles. For now, this is only technical documentation. A general trend. Regardless of whether these specific screws are manufactured or not, the patent is yet another example of the progressive distancing of owners from the mechanics of their vehicles. With electrification and greater technological complexity, drivers they increasingly depend on specialized workshops for any intervention. It should also be noted that very few owners fix or modify their car on their own. Perhaps precisely because the systems have become increasingly more complicated to access. Cover image | Paul Martinez In Xataka | Ferdinand Porsche devised the first car with an electric motor in each wheel. Today a Chinese manufacturer is going to make it possible

In the Canary Islands accessing a home is an impossible mission. So an NGO is buying and renting for 300 euros per month

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In mid -October, just after thousands of people They went out to the street in Madrid to claim more affordable rentals and threatened with a ‘Tenant strike’the Housing Minister recognized that Spain is going through an “emergency situation” in residential matters. It is not easy Buy a house. Neither rent it. Especially where the markets are more tension for demand, case of Barcelona, Madrid or the Canary Islands, where The added pressure of mass tourism already forces some workers to Live in motorhomes. With that backdrop in the Canary Islands an experience has emerged that reveals to what extent the housing has become a first level challenge In Spain: an NGO has decided to provide houses for rent at affordable prices. An NGO that manages houses? Correct. The news He advanced a few days ago to be the palms. In full Rent climbing and with the house turned into one of the problems that most removes the dream of the Spaniards According to CIS pollsin the Canary Islands a non -profit organization (Provivienda) seeks to put it a little easier for families who want to rent a house. As? The SER chain Precise that through the acquisition of houses in the free market that then leases vulnerable tenants in exchange for a price much lower than the market, about 340 euros per month. The agreement has a series of conditions For example, beneficiaries commit themselves to rent seven years and contracts can extend for several decades. Click on the image to go to Tweet. “Pioneer at the state level”. Fernando Rodríguez, manager of Provivienda, He claimed that his initiative is “pioneer” at “state level” and defended his benefits. “Until now the promotion of public housing was in the hands of the administration and secondly of the promoters. Here we have opened a third way, the third sector as a provider of social public housing,” assures. In 2024 se They leased 40 houses Already ends of this year Rodríguez hopes to have a park of almost A hundred of houses to offer them in exchange for social income. This expects to alleviate one of the “structural problems” that, in its opinion, suffers from the Canarian market: the shortage of affordable rentals. Floors for 340 euros. “We have already started with the rent of the first homes and the average income is around 340 euros per month,” assures The head of Provivienda. Leased apartments are reinforced and ended up by people registered in the Registration of plaintiffs of Public Housing of the Canary Islands, which basically pay their rent and invoices. Community expenses, the Real Estate Tax (IBI), the garbage fee or insurance is assumed by the lessor. Regarding income prices and why this average of 340 euros per month has decided, Rodríguez Clarify That the rentals are limited to five euros the m2 and the houses are around 65 and 70 m2. Adding efforts (and investment). The NGO is not the only one that takes chest. In May 2023 the Canary Islands Government announced The investment of 6.2 million euros for the purchase of 76 homes that would be allocated to the “affordable rent for vulnerable families” by the hand of Provivienda. “An agreement has been signed with the Association for the Purchase of Housing in municipalities tension for the price of rents,” explained The office of Sebastián Franquis. The statement issued in 2023 by the Ministry, it helps to better understand the housing program and how the apartments that are then rented to vulnerable persons are acquired with the help of Provivienda. The 10.2 million that cost to get those 76 houses, for example, were paid to 60% with public funds and 40% with resources contributed by the organization itself. Families excluded from the market. The organization also selects the properties following several criteria. In the case of the 76 announced in 2023, for example, the houses They were distributed For Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Telde, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, San Cristóbal de la Laguna, Arona and Los Llanos de Aridane. “Financed homes may only be leased or assigned to persons whose annual income, including those of all people who constitute the coexistence unit, do not exceed three times the IPREM (20,844 euros per year) at the time of subscription of the corresponding contract of lease or assignment “, The island government added. The objective: that can benefit from the “Vulnerable Families who cannot access a free market house” program. What is Provivienda? In 2023 the Canarian Executive I presented it As a non -governmental organization constituted as a non -profit association dedicated to “promote housing and social housing programs”, especially for those who have more problems when accessing a floor. According to regional government calculations, by Enton, more than 25,000 homes for rent only in the Canary Islands. Last year the government He announced again A collaboration agreement with the Association to “consolidate” the ‘Vacía Housing’ program. The entity too Help immigrants to seek residence and has reached agreements with Other public bodies Out of the islands, like the Xunta de Galicia. The backdrop. As a backdrop is the difficult residential panorama that is lived in much of the country, including the archipelago, where already They have registered protests for the effects of Tourist. Idealista data show that the price of M2 for rent in Santa Cruz de Tenerife has been more expensive 13.5% in a year until touching the 14 euros. In Las Palmas that figure is exceeded after A 8.4% rise. Both far exceed € 5/m2 of the social program. This housekeeping housing has made access to the archipelago, a reality already verified by different organisms. He XIV Report The state of povertypresented last autumn in the Canarian Parliament, it reflects for example the percentage decrease in people residing in houses in their property in just a few years or how housing is already in a vulnerability factor. Images | Vidar Nordlii-Mathisen (UNSPLASH) In Xataka | If you have an empty house, pay twice the … Read more

Spirit Airlines will prevent passengers with bare feet, scantily clad clothing or offensive tattoos from accessing their planes

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New York – The American low-cost airline Spirit Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy last Novemberis generating headlines now with his new rules on tattoos and clothing on board that can ground more than one passenger. The new “code” prohibits barefoot passengers from traveling on Spirit Airlines planesthose who wear clothing that reveals too much, exposes private parts or display tattoos that are offensive, lewd or obsceneaccording to the media that have reported the news, such as CNN or the KSAT channel. Those who do not wear shoes or wear “inappropriate clothing” will not be able to set foot on the plane.the media say. These measures are part of the new rules for passengers, which They not only cover how the traveler is dressed but also what they have drunk before boarding. (alcohol or drugs), if he suffers from a contagious disease or if his behavior is violent or disorderly and interferes with the work of the crew. In this regard, it establishes that the passenger must be willing or able to sit in a seat and with the seat belt on during the flight. The media remember that months before the update of these regulations Spirit Airlines had prevented two young passengers from taking a flight who were wearing shirts with their midriffs exposed. and a young man wearing a hoodie with a printed legend containing a curse word. In the middle of this month the company based in Dania Beach (Florida) announced the elimination of about 200 positions working in various departments with the aim of reducing expenses after declaring bankruptcy last November. In an attempt to cut costs, the airline had previously laid off hundreds of pilots and had also offered licenses to stewards and flight attendants, in addition to reducing its network and reaching agreements to sell part of its fleet of Airbus aircraft to raise funds. Spirit Airlines is in financial crisis since Jetblue broke a purchase agreement for $6.6 billion dollars; previously, he US Department of Justice had opposed the purchase agreement for violating antitrust laws. Keep reading: Grandmother of 6-year-old Hispanic boy who Spirit placed on wrong plane says she is disappointed with handling of case Spirit Airlines staff at LAX airport deny flight access to Puerto Rican family because the child did not have a passport

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