anticipates

Xbox anticipates changes beyond Project Helix

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Yesterday Nintendo closed non-E3. The video game fair as we knew it died a few years agobut its spirit lives on in the form of conferences that take place in the first half of June and in which companies show the news that will arrive on their platforms over the coming months. PlayStation, the aforementioned Nintendo, the Summer Game Fest or the PC Game Show have been some of them, but If there is one that is attracting attention, it is Xbox. And it turns out that he is not talking about his games (many old acquaintances that are now simply dated), but rather because of the change in strategy after the arrival of Asha Sharma as new CEO from Microsoft’s video game division. Because where before there were own games that would even come out for PlayStation, now there are a return to console exclusives. And within those consoles is a Project Helix which, supposedly, will be the new Microsoft machine and that it will not be easy. To the point that they are rethinking what Project Helix should be, how much it should cost or if we are prepared for such expensive consoles. And Asha Sharma adds one more question: a business model we would never have expected and that could start this year. We are going little by little because there is a lot to unpack. From the “can Xbox be fixed?” to a Project Helix that arrives at the worst possible time After a conference like the one we saw on Sunday, it is logical that questions will arise. The entire conversation is revolving around the issue of the return to exclusives, implying that a Microsoft that finds it difficult to maintain stock of its own consoles is abandoning a fleet of Sony consoles that exceeds, by several tens of millions of units, the installed Xbox. Microsoft games on PS5 They operate on a commercial levelwith notable examples such as ‘Forza Horizon 5‘and, above all, ‘Sea of ​​Thieves‘. But Sharma wants Xbox to become number one in gaming and believes that that path passes through the return of the exclusives. It is a somewhat strange maneuver because those first chosen will be ‘Gears of War E-Day‘ (which we later learned was planned for PS5 until a few days ago) and ‘Clockwork Revolution‘. Others like ‘Halo: Campaign Evolved‘for this July 28 or future ones’State of Decay 3‘, ‘Fables‘ and ‘Senua‘yes they will see the light on the Sony console. If nothing changes again, of course. Matt Booty, head of the Xbox games division, warned at the conference that each case will be reviewed individually, implying that they are also not very clear about which games will reach other consoles and which will not. “Do you think Xbox can be fixed?” – Asha Sharma asked Matthew Ball But, in any case and beyond the video games themselves, there is something else floating in the air. We know that Xbox is working on its new console, the aforementioned Helix. It will be a kind of hybrid between console and PC, something that makes a lot of sense if we take into account Microsoft’s business and, above all, that Steam is preparing exactly the same thing with its Steam Machine. A few weeks ago, Asha Sharma commented that the hardware existed and they are closing the details to be able to send the development kits (necessary to start developing the games) to the video game studios at the beginning of next year. He also ‘threatened’ the price, pointing out that Project Helix will not be a cheap machine because the situation with the components is what it is. Hardware that will have a good amount of memory and storage will be very, very expensive. We are seeing it on mobilesrouters and even on the Raspberry Pibut what has scared many of us is the relaunch of a Steam Machine with a premium of almost 300 euros. After being out of stock for months due to out-of-stock due to the supply of components, the machine returned with several hundred euros extra price. This situation did not bode well either for a Steam Machine that, supposedly, will arrive this summer… or for a PS6 and Project Helix that we should see sometime in 2027. Given all the necessary context, let’s go with Matthew Ball. Ball is Xbox’s new head of strategy. He responds to a Sharma who asked him one thing before signing him: Can Xbox be fixed? Ball believes so, rewarding players who have stayed on Xbox with this return of exclusives as a way to “validate the historical investment” of those players. It must be remembered that someone who buys a ‘Forza Horizon 6‘on PS5 he is also an Xbox player, for example, but oh well. About Helix, Ball points out in a interview that it would not make sense for the company to get out of the hardware business and that they are making this return to exclusives, precisely, to strengthen their platform. Now, it also supports what Sharma already said: the next Xbox will arrive in a context in which the AI ​​boom has skyrocketed the cost of components. “I think we will start to see radically different business models that we would never have expected to come into being later this year” – Asha Sharma In addition to pointing out that they cannot produce consoles at the same rate as they are demanded (hence the stock outage in many markets, with Xbox Series X showing a premium because they are not units that Xbox sells directly), points out something interesting: They are fighting to make the console design not be compromised by the situation, but at the same time trying to make it affordable in a context of high costs that are expected to continue for at least the next two and a half years. That is to say: they need to launch a new machine, but one that is not as expensive as the original … Read more

the future anticipates a two-faced company

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Fight over the price in Europe. Premium cars out of it. Renault has presented futuREAdy its roadmap for the next four years. Nearby goals for a market that lives upside down, fighting for a reconversion that the public does not end up embracing, in which regulators lead the way and where solutions are sought beyond Europe. futuReady. It is the name of the plan presented by Renault this morning. The company, led by François Provost as CEO of the Renault Group, presented this morning a roadmap that takes over from Renaulutionthe project presented by Luca de Meo in which a separation of powers within the company was devised, which promoted the offensive in the AB segment of electric cars but also opened the door to the combustion engine in an alliance with Geely. Now, the company has set a new milestone: 2030. It is the date that Renault marks as the red line to launch 36 new models on the market distributed between Renault, Alpine and Dacia. Of them, 26 cars will use the Renault diamond, with 12 launches for Europe and 14 launches outside our continent. The project talks about maintaining jobs, incorporating artificial intelligence into processes, new electric platforms… but it also makes clear a clearly differentiated Renault: those inside and outside the EU. Inside. For Europe, Renault is clear that the future is electric… or almost. These are its guidelines: New electric platform to cover the B+ to D segment. That is, cars above the Renault 5, which complement the current Renault Megane and Scenic and options one step above. Your strong point will be your 800 volt platform with very powerful recharges (they promise 10 minutes of stopping, although no powers or recharge percentages are detailed) and ranges of 750 km according to the WLTP cycle. 400 volt architecture for the most affordable versions so we can expect longer charging times (in this case they mention 20 minute recharges) Extended range options. That is, electric with small combustion engines to increase autonomy to more than 1,400 kilometers. It is a solution that promises very low emissions (less than 25 gr/km of CO2 Renault promises) and that It is increasingly common in China. Out. On the contrary, the line that Renault will follow outside of Europe is very clear: take advantage of its collaboration with Geely. That is, leave electricity aside and prioritize the combustion engine. The French have, together with the Chinese company, a company called Horse Project to develop and produce combustion engines. Spain is also key in these developments. Renault’s accounts involve 50% of sales outside Europe being electrified (in Europe it will be 100%) to sell a total of two million cars a year, of which half should come from beyond the European Union. That is to say, Renault needs to expand its presence outside Europe, broaden its horizons and its strategy is to go up a notch and aim towards the premium segment. In that position between the generalist and the premiumthe company Filante has already been presented. It is an SUV that will be available first in South Korea and will then jump to Mexico and the Gulf countries. And his credentials are clear: Segment E (4.92 meters long, very far from what it sells in Europe) Hybrid technology with 250 HP 12.3-inch triple screen Windshield data projector with augmented reality A very different approach. The Renault Filante has a clear aspiration to reposition the French company’s position in the current automobile market. The investment for these new models will be 3 billion euros and will take advantage of the synergies with Geely to launch these cars with a higher price and positioning on the market. The chosen countries are not a coincidence either, South America, South Korea and the Gulf countries are markets where D and E segment cars (from 4.70 meters upwards) have a great weight in the market. It is not enough for Renault to position its cars there, it needs to increase its perception of quality and its brand image if it wants to gain ground. In addition, higher priced cars are also those that can generate a higher profit margin. First, because generating high profit margins with small electric cars (such as Twingo or the Renault 5) is more complicated. Second, because the association with Geely and the use of combustion engines makes it easier to reduce the structural costs of the launch. Saving. What is proposed for Europe is: savings. And the company has indicated that it will launch more electric options within our continent to accompany the current ones. Renault Megane and Scenic. But the fight for this market is expected to be very tough and the price will be key. Therefore, in a clear message aimed at strengthening the economic viability of the project, the brand wanted to make clear how it hopes to save money with its new products: On average, your cars will use 30% fewer parts. A trend in the industry that has Tesla and the Chinese market as main supporters. Use of 350 humanoid robots in the short term Creation of a digital twin of all your plants and control of the supply chain by AI They aim to reduce energy costs by 25% They aim to reduce production costs by 20% They aim to reduce logistics costs by 30% Reduction of variable costs per car by 400 euros on average Two paths. What Renault makes clear to us is that we will have a company with two clearly differentiated paths. Pushed by restrictions promoted by European regulators (although the rules have been relaxed, the electric car remains the main winner in the future), Renault is aware that it needs more competitive cars in the most competitive markets in Europe: the BB-SUV and C and C-SUV segments. This competitiveness can only be achieved versus Chinese manufacturers with attractive products but, above all, they can play on price since it will be key in cars designed for the city … Read more

a revealing map that anticipates several demographic challenges

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The old continent is older than ever, literally. Because Their average age is already around 50 years old. and the birth rate shows that except in Monaco, our sons and daughters they are not enough replacement (the “magic” number is 2.1). So much so that it can be said that Europe is shrinking, something that It hasn’t happened since the black plague. Old Europe vs young Nigeria. The latest Eurostat update gives an average birth rate of 1.38 babies per woman in the EU and 3.6 million births in 2023 for a population that around 450 million. If we set a “Eurovision” and expand the borders, including states like the United Kingdom or Russia, the figure rises to 6.3 million. It is still little, especially if we take into account that only in Nigeria 7.5 million were born in that same year, has a birth rate of 4.5 babies per woman and that the middle ages around 18 years old. A huge lake is in the making. Note: in Nigeria there are 222 million inhabitants. A picture is worth a thousand words. In Brilliant Maps have synthesized this data into a very simple map with this devastating fact that shows the rapid population growth of Sub-Saharan Africa, specifically Nigeria, which has one of the youngest populations in the world. A single country, with a much smaller area, surpasses an entire continent in births. Brilliant Maps map with data from Our World in Data In perspective. Taking United Nations data for Europe and Nigeria from 1900 to 2100 (until 2023 the data is accurate, from then on the UN predictions are used) the evolution and trend leaves no room for doubt about the change produced in the last century in figures: In 1950, 12 million people were born in Europe and 1.7 million in Nigeria, which had a population of 548 and 37 million people respectively. In 2000, 7.3 and 5.5 million were born in Europe and Nigeria, which had a population of 728 and 126 million people. By 2100, less than 5 million births in Europe compared to 6.6 million in Nigeria and 592 million inhabitants for the old continent compared to 476 million in the African country. The turnaround is such that on reddit there is a graph which, although more qualitative than quantitative, sums it up well: The population difference between Europe and Africa. reddit Why is it important. Beyond statistical curiosity, we are facing a paradigm shift that will define the 21st century. If “demography is destiny”, how they attribute to Auguste Comte, Europe aims for change (renew or die, never better said). Of course, Nigeria’s population explosion is not la vie en rose either. In Europe. Europe’s demographic winter is raising alarm bells for its welfare state simply because the population pyramid is inverting, thus threatening its intergenerational social model: first, delaying the retirement age. On the horizon, the cut of benefits even though there are many people who “the cannon life” is not sticking. On the other hand, the market has found a vein in the “silver” economy in the form of care for the elderly: without going any further, those related professions are already applying for rise like foam in the coming years. In Nigeria. Having 7.5 million new people in a territory is quite a challenge. On paper, it is a fantastic opportunity to train and employ a mass population that can drive massive economic growth (as has China in recent decades). The problem is not doing it and finding yourself with unemployed and frustrated youth. On the other hand and regardless of this difficulty, such a high population increase translates into high pressure on its current infrastructure, for example there will be an urgent need to build schools or hospitals. The communicating vessels. Given the previous perspective, the migratory flow is as inevitable as it is necessary. From old Europe, in search of labor to fill vacancies and thus manage its decline without losing its standard of living. From young Nigeria, to alleviate internal population and infrastructure pressure. A symbiosis not exempt from cultural frictions, culminating identity tensions in the rise of the extreme right and the flight of talents in the African country. In Xataka | If you were born today you would be born at 17.5% in India: the map that shows the distribution of world birth rates In Xataka | Where the world’s next 1,000 babies will be born, in a surprising map Cover | Brilliant Maps

The DGT ends the extension and anticipates mandatory insurance for 4 million vehicles

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They wanted to launch it on January 2, 2026 but at the end of December last year They confirmed that it would not be possible. Now, the DGT returns to the fray to try to organize everything related to light personal vehicles. That is, the scooters and derivatives that circulate on our streets. This time yes, this time there will be registration. Start-up. The DGT has confirmed that users of personal mobility vehicles (VMP) will have to register in the electronic traffic headquarters their electric scooters if they want to circulate in accordance with the law. Traffic wanted to have this measure ready with the start of the new year but it was today that the Council of Ministers gave the green light to the measure. In its last meeting, the Government approved the royal decree that regulates the operation of the Registry of Light Personal Vehicles to “comply with the first additional provision of Law 5/2025 of July 24, which modified the law on civil liability and insurance in the circulation of motor vehicles to introduce the obligation to insure all personal mobility vehicles, which came into force on January 2 pending the launch of the registry.” What does this mean? In short, if you have an electric scooter you will have to register it with Traffic. The measure is taken to have control of, according to the DGT, the four million personal mobility vehicles that circulate on our streets. The procedure is slightly different, as we will see later, depending on the age of the electric scooter but it is key because it is the first step to force the user to have insurance for your vehicle. The DGT already warns that not having it will be grounds for a fine “According to the provisions of the law on civil liability and insurance, lacking it will be penalized with between 202 and 610 euros and driving with a VMP without insurance with between 250 and 800 euros depending on whether it is considered a light personal vehicle or motor vehicle (more than 25 kilograms in weight and more than 14 kilometers/hour) by the aforementioned Insurance Law. They already have a certificate. In addition to registration and insurance, electric scooters must have a certificate in which all the technical characteristics of the electric scooter are collected. This allows an agent check if a scooter is complying with regulations or, on the contrary, it has been tricked to circulate above the maximum authorized speed of 25 km/h. This certification is collected with a plate on the chassis of the vehicle and is present on all electric scooters sold in Spain since January 22, 2024. The DGT itself, as happens with the V-16 beaconshas on its website a list with all approved scooters to be sold in our country. In this case, if the electric scooter already has this certificate, in the electronic office it will be enough to fill in the certificate number and the serial number. Then a digital registration certificate is issued so that our vehicle is registered as registered. Does not have certificate. In this case, you have a problem. First because the DGT requires that these scooters also be registered although at the time of purchase it was not mandatory to have the certificate. To do this, it is mandatory to have an invoice or technical sheet from the VMP and a photograph. If you do not have an invoice, the only possible procedure is to homologate the vehicle by going through a laboratory certified by the DGT to obtain the technical sheet. Once the certificate is obtained, the DGT issues an identification sticker that must be affixed in a visible place, as is the case with environmental badges on cars. And keep in mind that if you want to keep your scooter it is worth it. Without a certificate registration is not possible and without registration it is not possible to insure the electric scooter. The DGT opens an extension to certify all these scooters until January 22, 2027. From then on it will not be possible to circulate with a VMP without a certificate. How do I do it? As we said, the DGT will enable a space in its electronic headquarters where the entire process can be carried out. At the moment, this space is not open but Traffic assures us that it will be available “in the coming days.” In addition, the DGT assures that they will enable a channel to register the electric scooter when contracting the insurance and that they are working to be able to register it at the time the scooter is purchased at the establishment. Will they fine me? According to the press release, yes. As we said above, with fines of between 200 and 800 euros. However, Traffic does not specify in its press release from what date it will be mandatory to have a registered vehicle and insurance to avoid receiving the fine. Right now, we only know that scooters without a certificate have until January 22, 2027 to obtain it. When asked about this, the DGT has not given us exact dates or deadlines either. Traffic limits itself to stating that it will be informed about this and that the platform will be available “in the coming days” but there is no date indicated on the calendar. Photo | Marek Rucinski In Xataka | $25,000 fine for driving a souped-up electric scooter: Toronto has decided to apply a heavy hand to them

The AVE to Andalusia once again suffers a cable robbery and anticipates another day of chaos and delays. It’s just the tip of the iceberg

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Entering the page where Adif collects information from high speed arrivals and outings serves to immerse yourself in the Infinite yellow of incidents. At the time of writing these lines, almost 11:00 am on Tuesday, September 16, each and every one of the trains with arrival in Madrid today have a possible delay warning. Someone has stolen a cable in the ADIF facilities near Córdoba. It is only the tip of the iceberg of an infrastructure that is suffering numerous delays in recent months. 40 minutes. They are not such, as we have learned in Xataka From the hand of one of its journalists who traveled in one of the birds that Córdoba connected with Madrid. Despite Adif’s notices that were discussed of an expected delay of between 10 and 40 minutes in the Andalusian line to Córdoba, the truth is that in this case it has lasted more than an hour. The reason has been a Cable theft between Córdoba and Guadajoz. The incidence was confirmed at the edge of 8:00 am and three hours later It was supposed to be. The problem is evidently the trains that has caused this breakdown that forces us to delay the usual paths for several hours. The last case. Today, Tuesday, September 16, it is just another case of cable robberies that Adif is suffering in recent months, with special incidence in the Andalusian corridor. Last May More than 16,000 passengers were thrown away for the theft of cable at various points of the line. This time, the bulk of the subtractions took place in the passage of the line through Toledo. Just a few days later, also the same month of Maythe section that connects Palencia with Catabria was also affected by a robbery of cables. Last June, Another robbery also caused delays in Catalonia. On that occasion, as in Madrid last Julythose affected were nearby users. A problem. Already in May, the president of Renfe, Álvaro Fernández de Heredia, left a phrase nothing optimistic in a Interview with Antena 3: “They cannot be monitored 24 hours 15,000 kilometers of network, but more means will have to be put.” Then, in Xataka We already wondered if it was so easy to steal in the train network. In 2015cable theft provided a group of thieves a booty that was valued at more than 800.00 euros. In 2022, another robbery also left some 135,000 euros in the pockets of another group of thieves. But in the case of the theft of Andalusian cable last May, the action was distributed by up to five points. And, despite this, According to the Government Delegationcopper had barely won worth 300 euros. So? Óscar Puente, Minister of Transport, said that robbery as “A serious sabotage act”. A few months later, the idea of ​​sabotage slipped again from the government. This time was the Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, to which An open microphone “caught” saying that the delays in the bird could be due to these supposed sabotages. On that occasion it coincided with Another of the chaotic days That Renfe and the rest of the operators have lived in the Spanish high -speed lines and, specifically, in La Andaluza. That time, a breakdown on an Ouigo train caused the chain stop of the rest of the trains. One of them, from Renfe, overheated and burned his electrical systems. As a result, More than 200 passengers spent the night Within one of those trains. In the same sense, those who pointed out that they pointed out that The real culprit of his fault was of Adifwhose facilities caused the problem. On the other hand, from the Popular Party they already pointed out months before (coinciding with the theft of May) that the maintenance of the network was inefficient or insufficient, ensuring that they would ask “An audit of the entire network”. The tip of the iceberg. Worst of all, Spain has entered a maelstrom of delays and cancellations in Spanish high speed trains as not remembered. This morning’s cable theft is only the last case of a summer that already closes with other cancellations due to infrastructure problems, trains that crack and Fire affectations that, according to Minister Óscar Puente, could have been avoided. What the summer is demonstrating is that, for some reasons or for others, the ADIF infrastructure needs more investments or is being oversized. The bridge itself indicated a few weeks ago that the volume of trains in recent years He has shot but in ELECONOMIST They also pointed out that the investment has not gone hand in hand with such growth. Photo | Dariusz Sieczkowski and Xataka In Xataka | This megameter that joins Europe with a high -speed train sounds good. The problem is too good to be real

Apple anticipates 900 million dollars of tariff impact. It is equivalent to the cost of producing almost two million iPhone

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Apple has released the financial bomb that Wall Street was waiting for: 900 million dollars in extra costs For Trump’s tariffs. The figure, although considerable, is less devastating than feared by analysts, a possible sign of the stealthy preparation that Apple had been executing for months. The backdrop. Apple has exceeded expectations with 95.4 billion dollars in income, but The commercial war Draw a complicated horizon. Actions, in fact, fell 4% after closing. Not because of the present, above the expected, but for what will arrive after June. The market was waiting for clear answers about the future from Apple, but instead received well -calculated evasive. The money trail. Apple has also reduced its sharing repurchase program by 10,000 million compared to the previous year. It is the typical financial movement that goes unnoticed between tariff holders, but betrays a defensive position: Apple is accumulating effective before the commercial storm that is coming. The company that presumed from its treasury now protects it more than ever. Between the lines. “I don’t want to predict the future because I’m not sure what will happen to tariffs,” Cook said in The subsequent call with investors. It is not very common for a CEO to expose its uncertainty, and even less if we talk about Cook, known for its meticulous planning. Perhaps it is a symptom of the real problem: neither an all Apple can foresee the turns of Trump’s tariff policy. Emergency logistics reorganization, diverting iPhone manufacture towards India And from the rest of the products to Vietnam, it is impressive, but improvised: a plan B for which the deadlines have had to be accelerated. At stake. The battle goes beyond 900 million in a quarter: it is for the future of Apple’s business model. It is the sale of premium products with margins far superior to the average of its sector manufactured in Asia. If India is 5% or 8% more expensive than China, as analysts anticipate, it could lead to a blow to profitability. And would go far beyond a quarter. It is the first act of the threat of change for the technological value chain. In Xataka | Apple loses the war against Epic. Fortnite returns triumphant and Spotify already prepares its rematch Outstanding image | Rashed Paykary in Unspash

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