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The iPhone 16e reaches a new minimum price, offers on computers, portable air conditioners and more. Hunting Bargains

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We return with a new Bargain Hunting in a week in which we have found many offers on all types of devices ranging from mobile phones to televisions and even portable air conditioners. If you are looking for a good deal to take advantage of during the weekend, in this article we are going to review the best offers we have found in recent days. HP OmniBook 3 by 349 eurosa laptop with a 16-inch 2K display. iPhone 16e by 619 eurosits minimum price in the 256 GB configuration. OK OAC 9026 ES by 219 eurosa portable air conditioner to cope with the summer heat. LG OLED C5 by 899 eurosthe television that we recommend for its quality-price ratio. Xiaomi Smart Double Stack Air Fryer by 145 eurosan air fryer with a double vertical basket. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links HP OmniBook 3 The HP OmniBook 3 is a quite attractive laptop for its screen, since it incorporates a 16-inch diagonal panel that offers a 2K resolution. It comes with 8 GB of RAM (DDR5) and 512 GB of internal storage and has an integrated AMD Radeon 610M graphics card. It can be found in two configurations: HP OmniBook 3 by 349 euros with AMD Ryzen 3 7320U. HP OmniBook 3 by 579 euros with Intel Core 7 150U and 16 GB of RAM. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links iPhone 16e Although there is a generation ahead, the iPhone 16e has not stopped receiving offers in recent months. Right now at PcComponente we find the best one we have seen so far, since for 619 euros we talk about historical minimum price. It is a compact mobile (6.1 inches) that is ideal for making the leap into the Apple ecosystem. And be careful because it is the configuration of 256 GB of internal storage, which is not the most basic. In addition, it comes with a powerful processor (A18), the same one that the iPhone 16. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links OK OAC 9026 ES We are in a season where it is very hot, and it will continue to do so for the next few weeks. For this reason, it is advisable to have devices such as OK OAC 9026 ESa portable air conditioner found at MediaMarkt for 219 euros. It includes wheels so you are not limited to using it in a single room of the house, it offers 2,236 refrigerators and has a dehumidifier function. In addition, it has a timer and includes a window kit. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links LG OLED C5 If we talk about televisions, the LG OLED C5 It is the one we recommend the most for its value for moneyand it is a very good OLED TV that we usually find on sale quite frequently. In Carrefour, and in other stores, it is now 899 euros. It incorporates a good panel with OLED technology and a 55-inch diagonal, its refresh rate is up to 144Hz via VRR and is compatible with both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Xiaomi Smart Double Stack Air Fryer Lastly, if you don’t have much time to cook at home or just want an air fryer to try different recipes, Powerplanet has the Xiaomi Smart Double Stack Air Fryer by 145 euros. The most notable thing is that it includes a double basket placed vertically, preventing the air fryer from taking up too much space in the kitchen. It has a total capacity of 12 liters and comes with 14 preset modes for preparing dishes. Xiaomi Smart Double Stack Air Fryer The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | HP, Apple, OK, LG, Xiaomi In Xataka | Best laptops in quality price. Which one to buy based on use and eight recommended models In Xataka | Best portable air conditioners 2026. Which one to buy and six recommended penguins

The private jet of the emir of Qatar is so large that it altered air traffic in Palma to check the runway after landing

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Palma de Mallorca lives the same routine every summer. Millions of touristsqueues at check-in and a heat that hits from the first hour. But last summer there was one flight that was more talked about than any other. Just like counted the Persian Gulf press, the event did not occur due to a breakdown or an emergency landing, but rather due to the simple fact of landing at Palma airport with a plane of enormous size. A plane that, despite the fact that its owner considers it “his private jet”, is so large that it forced almost all air traffic in Palma to be delayed just to verify that it had not left marks on the asphalt of the landing strip. A landing that stopped the airport. The private jet of the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thanileaves its mark on all the airports where it lands. No wonder, its size and weight tests the operational capacity of the infrastructure, to the point of elevating its category from a regional airport to one with international capacity. as it already happened with the small airfield of Sardinia. On this occasion, the gigantic private jet took land at the Son Sant Joan airport, near Palma de Mallorca, at the beginning of last summer. The Spanish controllers association told it in its count in X. After landing, they said, “a runway check is carried out in case any type of dirt had been introduced.” In reality, what is inspected is that the runway asphalt has not been damaged during the landing after the impact of the 400 tons it weighs. This review is part of the mandatory protocol for aircraft of this size and leaves the runway that has been used closed for several minutes. During that time, controllers can only use one of the airport’s two runways, and nearby taxiways are left clear as this behemoth of the air moves toward its assigned parking lot. A “private jet” that needs half an airport to itself. We are talking about a Boeing 747-8, the largest version of the historic jumbo jet ever manufactured. According to the Boeing dataits wingspan reaches 68.4 meters and its length exceeds 76 meters. These are figures for a large commercial aircraft with capacity for up to 531 passengers, but in this case, its use is exclusive as a private jet for the Emir of Qatar and his large entourage. This makes it, de facto, a kind of flying presidential palace. Its imposing size means that very few airports in the world are prepared to receive such aircraft normally. Palma, despite being one of the busiest airports in the country During the summer, due to its influx of international flights, it achieves this, but with special maneuvers every time one of these giants lands. A single plane turns the airport upside down. The 747-8 falls into the “Heavy” category, according to the company itself. AENA document. That classification is for airplanes over 136 tons. This forces us to extend the operating distance with the plane behind, to avoid the turbulence generated by its wings. The result of this delay with the next landing generates a domino effect on the rest of the flights, slowing down the normal operations of the airport, already in itself. stressed by the increase in tourists in summer. Other flights wait on the ground or in the air while the private giant settles into the indicated location. Added to this is the logistical difficulty caused by the arrival of these giants of the air and platforms capable of accommodating an aircraft of this weight are limited. Luxury goes inside. Inside, the plane is another story. It is estimated that it is around 360 million euros. It hides lounges, offices and rest areas with fine woods and gold finishes, far from what we would find in the cabin of a commercial flight. The family usually completes the summer on board the Al Lusailhe imposing superyacht of 123 meters in length valued at 500 million dollars that each year awaits its owner, whose annual expenditure on vacations is equivalent to that of 10,000 tourists. Just give him a hand painting this superyacht It has cost 13 million euros. As I collected he Diary of Tarragonaat this moment the Al Lusail It is moored in the Tarragona marina, very close to the Reus airport. Given the dates, Tarragona, heats that this summer is your turn. In Xataka | The Boeing 747 that the Emir of Dubai uses as a private plane is so luxurious that even the pilot’s controls are made of gold Image | Image | Wikimedia Commons (Khamenei.ir, John Murphy)

Carrefour has this portable air conditioner without works so you can better cope with the heat waves this summer

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The summer heat waves They don’t let up and spending sleepless nights or working at home in the high temperatures can be very annoying and frustrating. For those who live in rent or simply do not want to get involved in renovations and wall installations, portable equipment or penguins continue to be the fastest and most effective way to keep the room cool. If you are looking for an immediate solution without making a large outlay, Carrefour has this portable air conditioner in its catalog. Carrefour Home HMAC9JT-25a model designed to cool medium-sized rooms without complications and that you can buy for 249 euros. Carrefour Home HMAC9JT-25 Portable Air Conditioner The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A good, pretty and cheap portable air conditioner The great balance of this portable air conditioner Carrefour Home lies in its balance between cooling capacity and ease of use. It has a cooling capacity of 2,250 frigories (about 9,000 BTU), more than enough power to air condition rooms between 15 and 20 square meterssuch as bedrooms, small living rooms or teleworking areas. Being a team of type penguinits implementation no professional installation required. Simply place it near a window, place the hot air evacuation tube using its basic kit and plug it into the mains. It incorporates multi-directional wheels and a carrying handle so you can comfortably move it between the living room during the day and the bedroom before going to sleep. Additionally, it includes a remote control to regulate the temperature and fan speed without leaving the sofa, as well as a programmable timer function so that the equipment turns off automatically during the night. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: Carrefour Home HMAC9JT-25 portable air conditioner ✅ THE BEST Without works or installations: does not require permits or modifications to the home; It is unpacked, the tube is placed towards the window and it begins to cool in minutes. Easy to move: Thanks to its multidirectional wheels and integrated handles, it allows you to air condition the living room during the day and move it to the bedroom at night. ❌ THE WORST Sound level… As with all monobloc portable air conditioners (with the compressor inside the device), the noise can be uncomfortable if you are a very light sleeper. Window efficiency… By requiring a tube to be taken outside, if you do not use an adequate sealing kit on the window, some of the heat from the street can sneak in. 💡 BUY IT IF… You live for rent is the perfect solution to get through the summer without having to drill a hole in the wall or invest in a fixed installation that you won’t be able to take with you. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… If you intend to air condition a living room of more than 20 square meters or a room with very high ceilings, this model will fall short. You may also be interested EVVO Clima Silent – Portable Air Conditioner up to 14000 BTU with Heat Pump The price could vary. We earn commission from these links DREO 10000 BTU Portable Air Conditioner The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Webedia and Carrefour In Xataka | Silent ceiling fan: which one to buy? Tips and recommendations In Xataka | Best portable air conditioners 2026. Which one to buy and six recommended penguins

There are already airlines planning flights to see the solar eclipse from the air: is it worth it?

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The solar eclipse on August 12, 2026 will not be seen in Belgium in full totalitybut they are going to express the bias in a very curious way: planning a flight to see it from the air. It will be carried out by the Brussels Airlines companyin collaboration with the Urania Public Observatory, the University of Antwerp and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). In Spain, at the moment, there are companies using the solar eclipse only as a teaser. This is the case of Lufthansa, which is sending emails to its customers encouraging them to fly with them during the eclipse. However, for now they have not planned any specific flights, as the Belgian company has done. Better without clouds. The advantage of viewing a solar eclipse from the air is that commercial flights usually travel above the clouds, usually at altitudes between 9,000 and 13,000 meters. This allows you to see the solar eclipse without the obstruction of clouds, but also without other atmospheric distortions. In the case of the eclipse that will be seen in Spain this August 12, 2026, totality will take place around sunset. With the Sun so low on the horizon, it will be very important that the skies are sufficiently clear and clean to enjoy it in all its splendor. In Belgium the Moon will cover, in the best of cases, 91% of the Sun. It will also happen around sunset, so for Brussels Airlines, its proposal may be a good way to see it in this very particular situation. The details. The flight will leave Brussels for France at 7:20 p.m. and will arrive back in Belgian territory at 9:20 p.m. The maximum occultation of the Sun will take place at 8:21 p.m., in the middle of the trip. The 100 people who have purchased the flights will have plenty of space to observe the solar eclipse, since aisle seats will not be sold, in order to have greater visibility. The experience will be accompanied at all times by the comments of an expert from the Urania observatory and, of course, with protection, since the company will distribute approved glasses to all passengers. All for the modest? price of 299 euros. There are already testimonies. In reality, this will not be a pioneering trip. During the solar eclipse of 2024, for example, many American airlines planned flights specifically for observation. Furthermore, there are eclipse chasers who, after seeing many of these phenomena from the ground, wanted to try the experience in small planes. This is, for example, the case of Glenn Schneider, who in 2017 told in statements to Space that the image is very different from what is seen from the ground. With the air cleaner and the eclipse below, rather than above, it is easier to see the solar corona and specific details such as Baily’s pearls. In Spain what? Spain has already organized a multitude of parties and activities around the solar eclipse on August 12. At the moment, it does not seem that it has organized any flights, like the one that will be organized in Belgium. In this country they have wanted to hurry up, ensuring that there will not be another similar opportunity until September 2090. In Spain, luckily, there will be another solar eclipse within a single year. Perhaps this is the time for companies to get on the organized travel bandwagon. Image | Magnific/Wikimedia Commons In Xataka | Puertomingalvo, the Teruel town of 130 inhabitants that has been without free beds for the eclipse for more than a year

Leroy Merlin reduces this portable air without works with which to alleviate the heat waves this summer (and also the cold of winter)

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If you are looking for a quick way to air-condition your home without getting into construction trouble or having to call installers, Leroy Merlin has just reduced one of those air conditioning devices that not only saves you the summer, but also the winter. It is about the Equation Cool&Heat 9K portable air conditionerwhich you can buy today for 259 euros. EQUATION Cool&Heat 9k 2236 fg/2150 kcal heat pump portable air conditioner The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A 4-in-1 penguin ideal for any time of the year The great advantage of this portable air conditioner It is its enormous versatility. We are not looking at the typical noisy device (it is not silent, mind you) that ends up collecting dust in the storage room as soon as September ends. By integrating a heat pump systemthis device is capable of becoming an efficient heating system for the winter months. To this, we must add its functions of fan (ideal for sweltering but not extreme days) and dehumidifierwhich makes it a key ally to combat environmental humidity that makes the thermal sensation at home much heavier and more annoying. with his refrigeration capacity of 2,236 frigoriesit is perfect for medium-sized rooms and another of its great assets is its philosophy Plug & Play. Forget about having to call an installer or drill holes in the wall; You just have to place the device near a window, place the hose with the sealing kit included and connect it to the power to start cooling any room in your home. Furthermore, having a compact design, multidirectional wheels and integrated handles, you can easily move it around the house according to your needs, keeping the living room cool during the day and moving it comfortably to the bedroom at night. This portable air conditioner comes equipped with a very intuitive LED display and a remote control so you don’t have to get up from the sofa or bed when changing the mode or speed of the air flow. It also incorporates a Night Mode and a 24-hour programmable timer. ⚡ IN BRIEF: offer for Equation Cool&Heat 9K portable air conditioner today ✅ THE BEST Zero installation complications: You save community licenses, technicians at home, drilling walls and hundreds of euros in labor. It’s just arrive, unfold the window kit and plug it in. Use 365 days a year: The inclusion of a heat pump prevents the device from being a useless “junk” during the winter, guaranteeing the return on investment throughout the year. ❌ THE WORST Sound level… As in all portable air conditioners, the compressor is inside the device itself and not on the façade, which generates a continuous noise level (between 50 and 65 dB) that can bother light sleepers. Efficiency compared to a fixed split… Although it cools quickly and directly, it consumes a little more energy than a fixed inverter system to maintain the same temperature in the long term. 💡 BUY IT IF… You live for rent. It is the definitive solution if your landlord does not allow work to be done or if you do not want to invest money in a property that is not yours. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… You need absolute silence in the room to fall asleep, the constant hum of the compressor can be uncomfortable at night. You may also be interested EVVO Clima Silent – Portable Air Conditioner up to 14000 BTU with Heat Pump The price could vary. We earn commission from these links INFINITON | Portable Air Conditioner | PAC-S10 | 3000 Frigorias The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Webedia and Leroy Merlin In Xataka | Silent ceiling fan: which one to buy? Tips and recommendations In Xataka | Best portable air conditioners 2026. Which one to buy and six recommended penguins

turning Chinese air conditioners into a mass phenomenon in Europe

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Brussels has been trying for months to stop the avalanche of Chinese products entering the continent. A few weeks ago we wrote about excise tax on small value items in stores like AliExpress, Temu or Shein. The EU blames China for a trade deficit that continues to grow and has threatened new restrictions. What is impossible to stop is the heat. And this summer is being especially deadly for millions of Europeans. Some have even stood in lines, visited several cities and spent the day updating websites. in order to get an air conditioning unit. Most, by the way, made in China. European trade policy has failed to curb dependence on China. The thermometer, on the other hand, has achieved it in a matter of weeks. What has happened? A historic heat wave has hit numerous countries in Europe, including France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Poland and the Czech Republic, countries where air conditioning has never been a real need. With temperatures soaring and a notable increase in heat deaths, the demand for air conditioners has been shot suddenly. The problem is that the supply has not been able to keep up, as many stores have run out of stock. How we got here. Although here in Spain we are more than used to having houses with air conditioning (at least in the farthest part of the north), In the rest of Europe it is not so common. In fact, according to dataAccording to the International Energy Agency, only about 20% of European homes have air conditioning, compared to about 90% in the United States. For decades, the continent has considered these devices noisy, unsightly for historic facades and, above all, unnecessary, because extreme summers were a one-off occurrence. This same logic has led to buildings designed to retain heat in winter. When heat waves are no longer an exception, Europe has found itself without infrastructure, without a culture of installation and without its own industry capable of covering that demand. And none of the five best-selling brands on the continent are European, according to data from Euromonitor International collected by CNBC. In detail. According to customs figures Chinese companies cited by The Wall Street Journal, exports of air conditioning units from China to France grew by 57% in May compared to the previous year, while to Spain they grew by 41%, and that before the worst days of June. The South China Morning Post, citing May estimatesplaced the year-on-year increase at 186% in France, 69.6% in Germany and 139.1% in the Netherlands. The Telegraph collected In addition, Chinese exports of air conditioners to the European Union have grown by 43% in the first half of the year, up to 3.8 billion dollars, with increases of between 20% and 97% in fan sales depending on the market. Midea, one of the largest manufacturers, assured to the Chinese state agency Xinhua that would send 100 containers of your PortaSplit model to Europe in just one month, and that its orders had already exceeded 200,000 units this year, double that of 2025, according to collected CNBC. Between the lines. All of this is happening at the worst possible time for the European trade narrative. Brussels and Beijing are holding talks to try to reduce a trade deficit that reached 360,000 million euros last year and that in the first quarter of this year it already amounted to 98,000 million, the highest level since 2022, according to Eurostat data. The European Trade Commissioner himself, Maros Sefcovic, recognized that the trend “is not sustainable.” Analysts such as Ding Chun, from the Center for European Studies at Fudan University, they counted to the SCMP that there is a growing disconnection between the political discourse of Brussels, focused on industrial protection, and the real needs of citizens, who are simply “seeking to survive the heat at the best possible price.” And now what. The European Union has set October as the deadline to achieve “tangible” progress in the trade relationship with China. But the problem of air conditioning is not going to disappear with the summer, because the European Commission itself calculated in 2024 that by 2030 up to 70 million new devices could be installed on the continent, which would cover around 35% of homes. This implies that, in addition to Chinese manufacturers, Europe will need a network of installers and regulation adapted to a reality that until recently was not contemplated. Cover image | TCL In Xataka | We have been cooling homes for decades with increasingly expensive machines. The Persian method has not consumed a single watt for 2,500 years

“There are legal grounds that justify Renfe returning the money if you travel without air conditioning”

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Madrid-Extremadura without air conditioning. Not, at least, working at full capacity. That is what is being experienced on some Renfe trains. As confirmed by Renfe itself, the heat is being so intense these days that, in some cases and to protect the train itself, the air conditioning is turned off. And for this you can ask for your money back. Yes, grab a chair. an oven. This is what some of the train cars are becoming. Renfe Madrid-Extremadura trains that these days travel through the plains of Toledo and Extremadura before reaching Badajoz. And just as CCOO unions have denouncedin some of these trains the air conditioning is being turned off. According to Renfe, this is because the trains are being exposed to such high temperatures that the train itself has to protect itself because the cooling system is not enough to keep it running. Saving resources, trains turn off the air conditioning in some cars and continue to their destination. Controlled? At Renfe they assure that yes. The company accepts the union’s criticism but assures that the train crew is ordered to move passengers from cars without air conditioning and relocate them to where it does. In addition, they assure that when these extreme weather conditions occur, they stop selling tickets to ensure that there are enough free seats to relocate passengers. And your rights? Your right as a consumer allows you to file a complaint and even request a refund of the ticket money. This is what they point out from the OCU, an organization from which they tell us the following: “The relationship between the traveler and the railway company is articulated by a transport contract whose content is not exhausted by the obligation to transfer, but rather includes the conditions under which this must be provided. And although there is no legal rule that recognizes an express right to a full refund of the ticket for traveling on a train without air conditioning, there are legal bases that can justify said refund when the breakdown constitutes a serious breach of the transport contract” And it is also confirmed by Renfe itself who confirms that the traveler has the opportunity to file a claim if they consider that the conditions of the service do not meet expectations. And the European Union defends that if the consumer does not receive a service of a quality as expected, he will have the right to request a refund of the ticket when the company does not ensure the “cleanliness of the rolling stock and the station facilities (control of air quality and temperature in the carriages, hygiene of the sanitary facilities, etc.)”, as reflected in the Regulation on the rights and obligations of railway passengers. Some minimums. As stated in this document, all companies that offer public transport services must adhere to minimum quality standards to offer their journeys. The company states in the general contracting conditions that the client has the right “to receive the contracted service in adequate conditions of quality and safety.” If these minimums are not met, customers have the right to claim the money for the ticket and the company will be obliged to provide a response in less than three months. “The fundamental question of whether or not to obtain a refund will depend on whether the absence of this service is considered an essential breach of the contract or not, depending on the specific conditions of the case,” they specify in the OCU. And they emphasize: “It must be sufficiently argued, not in general, but in this case, that the lack of air conditioning cannot be equated to a simple annoyance or a minor incident on a high-speed train during the summer, but rather a direct breach of the essential conditions of the service. For example, if the train runs for several hours with very high temperatures and without cooling, it can be argued that there is defective performance of the contract, it is not an accessory service (like the Wi-Fi connection for example)” The cases already known. As Renfe and the Facua experts recognize, complaints about not offering air conditioning on the train are not entirely unrelated to the company. In 2018a user claimed from Renfe (and won) the return of his ticket because the air conditioning had broken down. But the most striking case is the one that Facua itself reported a few weeks ago. The consumer defense organization pointed out that one of its members had gotten the money back for a Zaragoza-Barcelona match for this same reason… but The claims spanned three years. in which they had to communicate with Renfe on various occasions. Is it a precedent? The most important thing here is that the facts known and defended by Facua do not generate any type of legal precedent because there is no judicial ruling involved. It is “a solution reached extrajudicially between a consumer and Renfe, with the collaboration of a consumer association (Facua), and therefore does not consolidate any rights. Traveling by train without air conditioning does not automatically generate the right to a full refund of the ticket,” they explain from the OCU. They emphasize, on the contrary, that “the relevance of the case lies in the fact that the railway company itself recognizes that a breakdown of this nature can justify, in itself, the full refund of the amount paid” and that if we find ourselves in this situation “it is advisable to complain to the company. If no response is obtained or it is not favorable, legal advice can be sought, such as that provided by consumer associations, as well as appeal to the Transport Arbitration Boards or the Courts.” Photo | Pablo Nieto Abad In Xataka | If the question is who is going to pay your compensation for taking five hours to Madrid-Barcelona, ​​the answer is clear: nobody

Lidl sells out its 45 euro evaporative air conditioner. We have found a very similar and cheaper alternative

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Lidl has many products in its bazaar, and some of them are hard to believe are sold in the online store or in physical stores (I still remember seeing an electric guitar many years ago). Now that we are going through a very hot time, it is logical that we find devices aimed at combating it, as is the case of the Tronic air conditioner which has a price of 44.99 euros. The price is so attractive that right now it is out of stock in the online store and the supermarket does not mention whether it will replace new units. However, on Amazon there is a very similar air conditioner that is even cheaper: it is the Cecotec EnergySilence 3500 Cool Compact what does it cost 39.90 euros. Cecotec EnergySilence 3500 Cool Compact The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Two air conditioners with an excellent quality-price ratio Tronic air conditioning (left) and Cecotec air conditioning (right). We are talking about two air conditioners that are quite similar, even in design. The one from Cecotec, which is the one that is available in stores, offers the same 65W powera low figure but enough to relieve us from the summer heat, especially when using water or the two coolers that are included (like the one from Lidl). The most important difference is in the tank: the Lidl one has four liters, while the Cecotec one has a 3.5 liter tank. As you can see, the difference is not too big and, in practice, we are going to have a very similar experience. The Cecotec air conditioner incorporates a button panel at the top that is quite intuitive. It includes three speeds to regulate the intensity of the air flow and offers an automatic 70º oscillation. Furthermore, the good thing is that incorporates wheelsso it can be moved from one room to another comfortably and quickly. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: Cecotec EnergySilence 3500 Cool Compact offer today ✅ THE BEST Its price: This is an air conditioner that stands out above all for how cheap it is. Your button boxwhich is very intuitive to select the different speed modes. The wheelswhich allow the air conditioner to be moved from one room to another. ❌ THE WORST The water tankwhich with 3.5 liters will not be enough to use it for many hours in a row. 💡 BUY IT IF… You are looking for a very economical air conditioner to use in the office or bedroom for a while. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… You want to use the air conditioner for many hours (such as sleeping), since for this it is recommended that the tank have a capacity of between five and eight liters. You may also be interested Orbegozo AIR 45 – 3-in-1 evaporative air conditioner, 3 speeds, directional fins, 4 l tank, removable filter, 60 W The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Orbegozo AIR 55, Evaporative air conditioning, 3 ventilation speeds, 150 W, maximum timer 12 hours, oscillating interior slats, pivoting wheels, 35 L tank, black and white color The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Lidl and Compradicción (header), Cecotec In Xataka | Best portable air conditioner. Which one to buy and seven recommended penguins In Xataka | Best evaporative air conditioners. Buying guide, opinions and best models from 50 euros

Europe has an expiration date for traditional air conditioners and is already considering alternatives: air without refrigerants

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While half of Europe fights the heat with a fan and air conditioning, in France, some businesses They have experienced real avalanches of buyers desperate to get their hands on a device before it runs out, according to they collect in Wired. Turning on these devices in half of Europe is precisely the type of situation that the European Union prefers to avoid for reasons of security. energy efficiency and consumption. However, a group of scientists and companies were already working on air conditioners that completely dispense with refrigerant gases. The first prototypes are already leaving the laboratory to be tested in real buildings. Air conditioners without refrigerants. Several research teams, most based in Europe, have developed cooling systems based on materials that change temperature by subjecting them to an external force (whether pressure, electric current or magnetic fields), instead of resorting to the traditional cycle of compression and expansion of gases. This technology is known as solid-state cooling and, according to the researchers themselves, it could completely change the way we cool our homes. Why does it matter? Conventional air conditioning works basically the same as it did a century ago, that is, a refrigerant gas circulates between a liquid and gaseous state to extract heat from a room and expel it outside. The problem is that many of these gases are extremely polluting. Fluorinated gases, the most common, can have a warming potential thousands of times greater than CO2 if they escape into the atmosphere, which is why the European Union approved in 2024 a regulation to progressively eliminate them. “In the next few years, air conditioners and heat pumps that use these gases will not even be able to be sold here,” explained to Wired Fabian Voswinkel, energy efficiency analyst at the International Energy Agency (IEA). The alternatives are not perfect either, as propane is highly flammable and ammonia is toxic. In detail. One of the most advanced projects is led by Paul Motzki, a professor at Saarland University in Germany, at the head of an EU-funded consortium working with a nickel-titanium alloy. According to they collect In the middle, by stretching and releasing this metal, it recovers its original shape by absorbing heat from the environment, a phenomenon known as the elastocaloric effect. Just like account Motzki told Wired, the system could cool rooms by between 5 and 10 degrees and do so more efficiently than current equipment. The team, which collaborates with the Irish company Exergyn, is already testing a prototype in the laboratory and hopes to install it in new buildings in the coming years. If confirmed, Motzki himself describes it as a technology that “could represent a disruption, even a paradigm shift,” due to how different it is from current systems. It is not the only path that is being explored. And just as stand out In the middle, the New York company Mimic Systems tests a heat pump based on semiconductors that moves heat using electric current, with a prototype installed in a Vancouver apartment. The German firm Magnotherm, a startup that was born from the Technical University of Darmstadt, uses magnetic fields and will test its system this year in a German supermarket chain before making the leap to domestic air conditioning. And in the United Kingdom, Barocal, born from the University of Cambridge itself, is experimenting with flexible plastic crystals that release heat when compressed and decompressed. In this case, the startup has recently raised $10 million in an initial round of financing, as highlighted in TechCrunch. Between the lines. None of this is yet ready for the mass market. Lindsay Rasmussen, who works with startups like Mimic Systems and Magnotherm at climate accelerator Third Derivative, recognize that these technologies are “promising, but unproven on a large scale.” Its takeoff, he adds, will depend on whether large air conditioning manufacturers (giants like Daikin or Samsung, which already closely monitor this type of advance) decide to adopt them and produce them in volume. unbearable heat. All this happens because Europe it’s warming up faster than any other continent, and countries with traditionally mild summers are beginning to suffer increasingly intense heat waves. A study by Nicole Miranda, a researcher at the University of Oxford, point because countries such as the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway or Finland could soon experience much more demand for cooling than in any other country if global warming reaches 2 degrees compared to the pre-industrial era. Still, just about 20% of European households has air conditioning (4% in the case of the United Kingdom), very far from 90% in the United States, according to IEA data. Miranda herself warns that the solution is not to buy inefficient portable devices en masse, but to offer “efficient, equitable and intelligent” refrigeration. And now what. Both Miranda and Voswinkel defend what they call a “hierarchy of cooling”, that is, first preventing buildings from overheating through trees, shade, reflective materials or natural ventilation, and only then resorting to active air conditioning, prioritizing spaces such as schools, hospitals or residences. As an example of this planning, Voswinkel cites the case of pariswhich expanded its district heating network to also distribute cold water from the Seine River through underground pipes and thus cool public buildings, ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games. Cover image | Dmitrii E. and Antonio Vallejo In Xataka | Carlos Llull, air conditioning technician: “Leaving the air conditioning on all night can cost around one euro in electricity”

“Is buying an M5 MacBook Air with more RAM worth the effort?”

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When buying a new computer, RAM is one of the most important features you should look at. But of course, buying a computer model with more RAM also means spending a little more, and we don’t always know if it is worth it for the use we want to give it. One of our readers asked us about this brand, taking advantage of The Officeone of the advantages of Xataka Xtraour subscription to access exclusive newsletters, raffles, promotions and other exclusive advantages. In this case, what we offer is a direct line with us to resolve questions like this. The xatakero asked If it is worth the effort to buy a MaxBook Air M5 with more RAM. He explains to us that he is studying a master’s degree in AI, and would like to be able to make the most of this technology, although always at the user level. And that’s why he’s worried about RAM, not because it’s going wrong with the 16GB base model, but because he wants to have a future-proof Air. The question “I would like some advice. I’m going to buy the new MacBook Air M5 and I’m wondering if 24 GB of RAM is worth the effort. I’m currently pursuing a master’s degree in AI and I would like to get into this, but always at the user level. I also have a 16 GB MacMini M4 and it runs smoothly. But I think about how it can get old with this AI thing, and 24GB sounds pretty good.” The answer Unlike Windows, which is an operating system that must work on all types of computers from all types of manufacturers, macOS is designed only for those manufactured by Apple. This makes it more optimized, and the RAM and hardware needs in general are different. Pedro Aznar, director of Applesfera and Apple specialist, responded to this question. The answer was the following: “Hello! I would recommend you go up to that 24 GB of RAM. The reason is that, although you mention that you will only use it at the user level, the AI ​​is going to advance a lot at the local level, and it is almost certain that you will need that extra memory to load LLMs on your Mac. Therefore, it is a good idea to anticipate that future and buy the MacBook Air M5 with that amount now. By the way, the MacBook Air M5 is a great choice for AI, as the per-core AI accelerators are much better than the previous generation for those tasks. Enjoy it!” Do you have more questions like this? The subscribers of Xataka Xtra You can send us your questions and our team will respond personally. And if you are already a subscriber, remember this advantage and that you can ask us whenever you want.

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