arrive

the cities of “the blinds down” arrive

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In Damgana small coastal town in Brittany, France, some time ago they began to paint their shutters red, blue or green, more colorful options than the white that has traditionally been used for facades. “We had them painted,” the mayor recognizesJean Marie-Labesse. That chromatic change may seem like a minor detail, but it says a lot about the challenges that the town faces. If you have decided to give the blinds a cheerful tone it is because Damgan It is a holiday town and many of its windows are closed almost all year round. By giving a touch of color to the blinds, the City Council intends (at least aesthetically) that Damgan does not look like what it is: a town plunged into a comatose state almost all year round due to the weight of second homes. A percentage: 74%. Damgan case made headlines in France just a year ago and, beyond the changes it may have experienced in recent months, it is interesting because it tells us about a phenomenon that affects many other tourist cities, both within France and in the rest of the world: the “boom” of the second residence at the expense of the habitual residence. In the French town, yes, the trend is pronounced. Le Parisian assures that in 2025, 74% of homes were second homes, a percentage that reached almost 80% before the City Council took action on the matter. From 1,900 to 30,000 inhabitants. In practice, this percentage translates into houses and more houses closed tight for most of the year, thousands of blinds drawn in a fade to white which the City Council has wanted to avoid. The data is eloquent. It is estimated that of the 4,000 homes of the town, 3,000 are second homes. Translated into inhabitants, this means that the town goes from just 1,900 residents in winter to 30,000 during July and August. Why is it important? Because Damgan leaves a barbaric example of something else: how the imbalance between seasonal and stable housing ends up taking its toll on the city, even threatening some of its basic services, such as schools. Labesse remember For example, the year he became mayor (2014) only one baby was born in Damgan and one of the school classes that the town enjoys ended up hanging in the balance. “It’s something crucial for the people.” Another front in which the overwhelming weight of vacation housing is felt is the real estate market. Le Parisian relates the case of a 50-year-old carpenter from the area who, after separating, was unable to find an apartment to move into. He has a good income, but that does not help him much. “The workers can’t live here, they have to go 20 kilometers away. We are becoming a town for seniors,” regrets Hervé du Souichfrom ‘Les Volets Ouverts’, an initiative that allows locals to stay in empty houses without having to move outside of Damgan. Beyond Damgan. The town in French Brittany is interesting for what it represents, but it is by no means a unique case. According to French Propertyin continental France there were 3.2 million second homes in 2021, almost 10% of the real estate stock. The vast majority are French citizens, especially on the coast, although there are also between 80,000 and 90,000 who belong to Britons. In certain regions of the Mediterranean, such as Languedoc-Roussillon or Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, holiday homes account for 14% of the stock. Not far from Damgan are Carnac and La Trinité, where the percentage of second homes is around 72%. And a good part of that home, the Parisian newspaper states, is only used a few weeks a year. In Villard-de-Lansin Isère, two thirds of the homes function as second homes and the percentage is even higher in some towns in the region. These data leave those seeking stable accommodation in a delicate situation, recognizes Labesse: “The problem is not so much the price as the lack of supply.” Beyond France. France is not a unique case either. In London, second homes and empty houses are such a serious problem that the authorities are already they try to stop it using tax pressure. According to the data managed in 2023 by the mayor’s office, in the British capital there had been some “30,000 empty homes” for a long time, with a high concentration in certain points, such as Kensington or Chelsea. Madison Trust Co. shows that there are areas of the US, such as Marinette-Iron Mountainin which more than 25% of residences are used seasonally or recreationally. Well known in Spain. The phenomenon is well known in Spain. A sensitive part of the residential stock of Ibiza and Formentera, for example, are second homes. In 2023 Ibiza Diary needed that of the almost 86,000 properties in the Pitiusas, around 6,200 were inhabited sporadically and 18,300 were empty. In some cases the photo is more complex, such as in the town of Sant Joan, where 44% of the homes were considered non-main. They are the cities with the blinds drawn. A previous version of this article was published in July 2025. Image | Mairie de Damgan In Xataka | In Madrid there were no longer any cheap hotels, but there was a “virgin” space for tourists: the industrial estates.

The new Razer headphones dedicated to PlayStation and Xbox arrive that promise ultra-low latency and surround sound

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What headphones do you use to play the console? If until now you were not using any model or if you have simply been wanting to renew the ones you already have for a while, pay attention because Razer has launched its Razer Hammerhead V3X HyperSpeed in PlayStation and Xbox edition. Of course, be careful not to get confused because they have arrived in two different versions: Razer Hammerhead V3X HyperSpeed ​​(PlayStation) by 109.99 euros. Razer Hammerhead V3X HyperSpeed ​​(Xbox) by 109.99 euros. Razer Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed ​​(PlayStation) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Razer Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed ​​(Xbox) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links New Razer headsets for PlayStation and Xbox The Razer Hammerhead V3 TWS Bluetooth headphones that stand out mainly because the brand promises a ultra low latencysomething important to have a good experience and that the audio does not have delay when listening to the sound through the headphones. The funny thing is that these headphones can be used through your Bluetooth connectivity or via the 2.4 GHz network. For the latter, the charging case works as a receiver so that the connection is stable and with lower latency. Obviously, the case also serves to recharge the headphones’ battery, offering, according to the brand, an autonomy of up to 35 hours. The headphones work with Bluetooth 5.3 to ensure better connection stability and greater range. They also have IPX4 certification with water resistance (specifically water jets) and come with touch controls on the headphones themselves. On the other hand, the Razer Hammerhead V3 immersive experience being compatible with Windows Sonic on Xbox, 3D audio on PlayStation and THX Spatial Audio on PC. The Razer Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed ​​are now available in two versions for PlayStation and Xbox. They can even be purchased from supplier stores such as Amazon. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: Razer Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed ✅ THE BEST Your connectivity– Can be used via Bluetooth 5.3 or 2.4 GHz connection. Its theoretical autonomy: Up to 10 hours with the earbuds and up to 35 with the charging case. ❌ THE WORST They do not have multipoint connection (Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz). 💡 BUY IT IF… You are looking for Bluetooth headphones to play the console that are comfortable, offer immersive sound and ultra-low latency. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… You want the immersive experience that over-ear headphones offer, especially because of the passive noise isolation. You may also be interested Sony INZONE Buds, True Wireless Gaming Headphones, Low Latency Transceiver, Compatible with PC and PS5, 360 Spatial Sound, Light and Comfortable, Noise Cancelling, AI Microphone, 24 Hour Battery The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Xbox Wireless Headset Forza Horizon 6 Limited Edition Series X|S, One, PC and Cloud-Enabled Devices 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 | Razer In Xataka | Best Bluetooth speakers in quality price. Which one to buy based on use and seven recommended models In Xataka | Best sound bars in quality price (2026). Which one to buy and seven recommended models from 99 euros

this is what agricultural engineers ask for before you arrive

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The General Council of Official Colleges of Agricultural Technical Engineers of Spain (CGCOITAE) has called on all people who have chosen to see the solar eclipse on August 12 in rural enclaves. They remember that many of the most privileged places for observation are also spaces for work, food production and biodiversity conservation. For this reason, they insist on the importance of following a series of rules so that neither the crops, nor the ecosystems nor the work of those who carry out their work there are endangered. No sparks or trash. To begin with, the CGCOITAE remember the importance of avoiding any activity that could cause sparks. summer It is a time when the risk of forest fires greatly increasesboth due to the high temperatures and the dry state of the vegetation. Added to this is that these accidents are more likely when there are large gatherings of people. That is why extreme precautions must be taken. In fact, if not done, the consequences can be tragic on many levels. Forestry experts warn that, if there were a fire, many tourists would not know the best escape routes, which could congest rural roads and make evacuation maneuvers difficult. On the other hand, remember that the places where the observations are made must be left the same as they were before we arrived, not full of garbage. Respect private property. Experts warn that you should not enter farms or other private properties, even if they seem like ideal places to see the solar eclipse. In addition, you are urged to follow the access or use restrictions established by the competent administrations. They are workplaces. Since many of these enclaves are workplaces, it is important not to access crops and avoid parking vehicles that could hinder the passage of agricultural machinery. In reality, it is a unique occasion. Far from turning their report into a string of warnings and scoldings, the CGCOITAE points out that this solar eclipse will be a unique opportunity to enjoy the natural environment. many people have chosen vacation destinations that they would never have had among their options just to be able to enjoy this astronomical phenomenon. Therefore, it is a great opportunity for them to see how communities work in these places and, by the way, enjoy nature, both under normal conditions and in a situation as unique as the eclipse. It is likely that, during the maximum two minutes that totality will last, there will be flowers that close, birds that hoot at odd hours or livestock that try to collect themselves ahead of time. All of this cannot be enjoyed in the same way in cities, but it can be enjoyed in nature. The minimum, if we are going to enjoy all of this, is to do it with respect. Image | Magnificent In Xataka | A third of Spain will be completely dark for a minute or two. The astronomical event of the century is approaching

Xiaomi SkyNomad is Xiaomi’s new car brand and will arrive with a gigantic SUV where driving will be secondary

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Today we announce the second product from Xiaomi electrics: Xiaomi SkyNomad. The Xiaomi SU7 and XiaomiYU7 are positioned as “drivers’ cars.” Xiaomi SkyNomad is positioned as a “smart, configurable and spacious SUV.” Different product lines, two responses to two different use needs that we deliver after more than five years developing cars (in relation to the time that the car project has been underway) with this tweetLei Jun, CEO of Xiaomi, has given the first details of SkyNomad, Xiaomi’s second brand of electric vehicles of which there are not many confirmed details but of which the horizon is clearing a little. This post is followed by a whole thread of explanations in which Lei Jun gives some keys to what we can expect with this new sub-brand of the company that “will be launched soon in China”. Let’s break down everything we know. SkyNomad, everything we know about the new Xiaomi brand To get an idea of ​​what Xiaomi has on its hands, the first thing we are going to do is review the Twitter thread in which Lei Jun has given the first glimpses of what we can find in these new cars from the Chinese company. And we will cross this information with the rumors that are on the table. In his publications, Lei Jun explains that the car market in China has changed rapidly and that they are now very common “feature-packed six- and seven-seater interiors”. This, added to the concept of “spacious SUV” that the company’s CEO mentions at the beginning of the thread, already gives a clear idea of ​​what we will find. In recent years we have seen how the big Chinese brands have launched their own gigantic six or seven-seater SUVs with abilities as crazy as turning on itself or floating. But these vehicles are designed, above all, to be enjoyed from inside and from the rear seats. BYD with its subbrands Denza and Yangwang They have theirs either in SUV format or in minivan format with huge seats. He Zeekr 9Xhe Aito M9 (which partly copies the image of a Mercedes Maybach) or GWM’s Tank line are good examples. These SUVs, as we say, are focused on and for the rear seat passenger. They are generally cars with huge seats that have their own remote control to control some functions of the car and some of them come equipped with screens and a multimedia environment to work, make a video call or enjoy the trip watching television. “On the road, transport your family, friends, luggage, even pets, with generous space for everyone. Parked, it becomes a workspace, a living room or a family activity area,” says Lei Jun in this tweet which perfectly sums up what these cars have become. They are not cars that are enjoyed driving, they are multipurpose spaces with wheels. And confirm your positioning a little further down: Who is it intended for? For people who need a single car to cover the daily commute, family trips and the ability to occasionally work from the vehicle. It does not define a lifestyle, it is a flexible tool built to adapt to what the day requires. Professionals and parents, not two separate categories. The same person, at different times of the day. Taking all this into account, it is obvious that what Xiaomi wants with SkyNomad is to enter the game of China’s huge electric SUVs. That leaves us with some doubts that have yet to be resolved. In CarNewsChina and other chinese media They assure that these cars will be extended range electric. That is, they will be cars that have a combustion engine (according to rumors, a 1.5 turbocharged as is usually common in this type of Chinese car) to function as an electric generator. It is a type of car that can operate in completely electric mode or as series hybrid. That is, the combustion engine works like an electric generator that burns fuel to fill the battery, but the car is moved by electric motors that are fed by the energy stored there. These cars have the advantage that the combustion engine operates at the optimal rpm to consume the least possible amount of fuel and they maintain an electric touch. Furthermore, in both China and Europe they are classified as electric cars. although deep down they are not. The other big question is where Xiaomi will position itself. Although the concept of a six or seven-seater car designed by and to be enjoyed in the rear seats is only understood in Europe from a luxury point of view, in China this is not entirely the case. And a Yangwang U8 or Hongqui’s proposals are much more expensive than a Li Auto, for comparison. Until now, Xiaomi has been very clear about its positioning: offering more features than anyone else for the least money possible. This is the only way to explainunlike the price of the Porsche Taycan or the Tesla Model S Plaidwhom it leaves behind mechanically. With the Xiaomi YU7, a slightly more luxurious proposal has been sought than with the SU7, but it does not fight in the luxury segment. truly luxury cars. Lei Jun has made it clear that this car arrives with a new platform called Xiaomi Kunlun that will be nourished by other intelligent products of the company and that will become a full part of the company’s ecosystem. It is something that we could already expect seeing the integration that the brand has done with its mobile phones and all types of home devices. through the HyperOS that it has in the two cars that it has already launched on the market. Given the type of positioning that is sought with the car and the emphasis that the brand has been placing on itit is expected that the car, which according to the first test mules is estimated to be 5.3 meters long, will have extensive driving assistance functions to automate much of the trip. Photo | … Read more

Waymo has not confirmed that it will arrive in Spain. But your documentation says things

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Waymo has registered three legal entities in Europe in fifteen days: Paris, Madrid and Amsterdam. They add to the I had already been in Munich since June. However, no release announcement accompanies the records. what has happened. The French company has an explicit corporate purpose: passenger transportation with autonomous vehicles. That is, the activity for which we know Waymo. Waymo Iberia was established in Madrid at the beginning of June. And the Dutch company points to something else, computing infrastructure, not transportation as such. The four share a shareholder and management team. What it doesn’t mean. A commercial registration like this is not equivalent to a launch date or an assured landing. Uber promised robotaxis in Madrid this year and, when asked for details, there was no response. In fact, the DGT was not aware of any request from him at that time. What does it say?. The name chosen for Spain is not coincidental. Waymo Iberia, and not Waymo Spain, suggests that the target includes Portugal, which A few weeks ago it opened a convenient legal framework for testing autonomous vehicles. Three of the four subsidiaries are in countries with advanced level 4 regulation. Only Holland breaks the pattern, and its subsidiary looks at data, not transportation. So it seems clear that Waymo is registering subsidiaries where the regulatory framework is in its favor. The precedent. Waymo just broke its alliance with Uber in Phoenixhis first city, and has recovered the cars for his own app. The number is small (a little more than a dozen vehicles), but the signal is not: as soon as a fleet gains its own brand and demand, as Waymo has presumably done after years of service, it has an obvious incentive to stop sharing between 20% and 30% of each run with an intermediary. In this case, Uber. The contrast with France. France allows commercial driverless operations from 2021 in specific areas, and An autonomous WeRide van is already circulating in Valence under that framework. The pending question It’s not if Waymo lands this year. It is whether Spain will have a completely ready legal framework, also in terms of insurance companies and municipal regulations, before the question becomes urgent. Waymo has purchased the option of being ready to disembark in Spain whenever it wants, but it remains to be seen if the country will also be ready by then. In Xataka | What happens if you are in a self-driving taxi and someone wants to get into the car and attack you? Waymo’s response is not encouraging Featured image | Xataka

Nintendo confirms when the new Switch 2 revision will arrive in Europe. And also that it will have less battery and more weight

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nintendo has confirmed that, starting this fall, a new revision of the Switch 2 will arrive in Europe. The idea is that, to comply with European regulations, the user can more easily replace the console’s battery. Although this change We already knew him for a few monthsNintendo has now offered more details about the release window of this new revision and how it affects the rest of the devices. Why is this happening now? The European Union approved in 2023 battery legislation that requires consumer products with integrated batteries to allow them to be easily removed and changed starting in February 2027. Nintendo, like any manufacturer selling hardware in the region, has to adapt before that date, and that is why it has already begun to make moves. In detail. According to has explained Nintendo itself through its official technical support, starting this summer several of its products in Europe will begin to be replaced “in a phased manner” by versions with replaceable batteries. The company assures that there will be “no difference in operation” between the current and revised models, although we will surely have to wait for this new revision to end up reaching stores to confirm that statement. The calendar you have shared is the following: Joy-Con controllers (some colors): since this summer, without changes in weight or battery capacity. Nintendo Switch 2 console: since autumn, weighing about 411 grams (10 grams more than the current model) and up to 548 grams with the Joy-Con 2 attached (14 grams more). Its battery goes from 5,220 mAh to 5,172 mAh, around 1% less capacity. Joy-Con 2 (separately): since this winter, with 2 grams more weight for each controller, without changes to the battery. Switch 2 Pro Controller: from this winter, with a 16% smaller battery (897 mAh compared to the current 1,070 mAh), although the controller will weigh 7 grams less. N64 and GameCube controllers for Switch 2: in early 2027, with slight changes in weight and, in the case of the GameCube controller, a slightly larger battery. Between the lines. Not all Nintendo products will go through this process. As they collect from VGC, the original Switch, the Switch Litethe OLED switchthe classic Switch Pro controller and other retro accessories such as NES, SNES or Mega Drive controllers. In addition, the user will not be able to choose which version they buy, so when the stock of the current model runs out, stores will begin to offer the revision with a replaceable battery. On the other hand, Nintendo has also announced that it will put battery replacement kits on sale for each product, although it has not yet given a date or price. Goodbye to the original Switch in Europe. As the company tells us, Nintendo has decided not to launch a new version of the original Switch in Europe. And instead of adapting it to the regulations, it will directly remove this console from sale in the region when appropriate. That doesn’t mean it’s now, but maybe in Europe we can already prepare for the end of Nintendo’s transition to Switch 2. And now what. Availability will not be the same in all European countries at the same time, according to recognize Nintendo. Furthermore, as could not be expected otherwise, Spain is among the markets where these reviews will arrive, as confirmed by the company. From here, what remains to be seen is whether these slight changes in weight and autonomy generate any real difference in the daily use of the console. In Xataka | In 1993, no one could find the supposed red ninja from ‘Mortal Kombat’. There was a reason: it didn’t exist yet

‘GTA VI’ will arrive in several editions and we already know their prices

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How much will it cost ‘Grand Theft Auto VI‘? This is the question that those of us who are waiting for the launch of Rockstar have asked ourselves most in recent months, one that will be the most important in recent years. We already know that the reservation period it opens just tomorrowJune 25, although the question of the price remained to be resolved. And we already know: will start at $79.99. Prices and different versions of ‘GTA VI’ We are going to summarize the most important things you need to know before pre-ordering the game, which will arrive, at launch, only on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. The first thing is that, as Rockstar itself has announced, the reservation will start at 00:00 local time tomorrow, June 25. Right at that moment we will have the opportunity to reserve one of the two editions in which the game will arrive: a standard edition (which is the one that will cost $79.99) and a special one called ‘Ultimate Edition’, which will cost $99.99, as our colleagues from 3DJuegos explain. And what differences are there between both versions? The ‘Ultimate Edition’ includes several incentives that are exclusive to this edition. There is a little bit of everything: from vehicles, weapons and a collection of clothing to certain places that we can only visit if we buy said edition. These locations include a tattoo parlor or a selection of classic cars that we can personalize. Does not include early access to the game. Both editions will arrive on November 19, although we will be able to pre-download and install the game starting November 12. This way, when it’s 00:00 on launch day, we can start playing without having to wait for the download (which, presumably, will be very large). Keep in mind that the physical version of the game will come without a disc, but will only come with a download code. 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 | Rockstar In Xataka | The best TVs to play and get the most out of your PS5 or Xbox Series In Xataka | Five very useful accessories to accompany a PlayStation 5: from batteries and supports to SSD drives

This week the bootidae arrive, the slowest and most unpredictable meteor shower that exists

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If we think about meteor showers and the summer of the northern hemisphere, possibly the only one that comes to mind is the perseids. Without a doubt, it is the most famous of all, that is indisputable. But it’s not the only one. Right at the beginning of the summer period we can also enjoy the bootidas, a very special meteor shower for being, possibly, the most unpredictable of all. Don’t stop looking at the sky this week. The Booties can be seen crossing the sky between June 22 and July 2, although its peak takes place between June 22 and 30, normally the 27th. That is why it is recommended that this week we look at the sky, especially during Saturday night, when the peak is most likely to occur. And hopefully also an explosion. A variable number of meteors. We usually know how many meteors per hour we will see with a meteor shower. For example, the Perseids usually leave between 50 and 100 meteors per hour. It is quite a spectacle, which still pales in comparison to the December Geminidswhich can reach 120-150 meteors per hour. The bootidae, on the other hand, only give us 1 or 2 meteors every hour. We should be very focused on the sky to be able to see them. However, from time to time they experience outbursts in which a number of meteors comparable to those of the Perseids can be reached. The last of these outbreaks took place in 2004 and it is not known when the next one will be. That’s why it’s such a special occasion. The explanation. When comets and asteroids pass near the Sun, they often leave behind a cloud of debris caused by various reasons, but especially by the sublimation of the ice that they usually have on their surface or their core (in the case of comets). That cloud floats in space, usually in a defined place. Therefore, when the Earth revolves around the Sun, it always encounters these clouds at the same time of year. As it crosses our atmosphere, debris burns, giving rise to small fireballs streaking through the sky. Those are meteors or, as we know them colloquially, shooting stars. If there is a planet near the orbit of a comet or asteroid, can exert a gravitational effect on its debris, preventing it from being distributed homogeneously. That’s what happens with booties. They come from the debris of comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke, strongly influenced by Jupiter. In their case, instead of leaving a homogeneous cloud of debris, these are formed into dense threads, so that the Earth each year encounters a point of different density. Some of those threads are well studied. For example, it is known that the thread that led to outbursts in 1916, 1998 and 2004 could leave another outburst in 2037. However, there may be other unidentified threads that leave outbursts in other years. Maybe this 2026? Other information that makes it special. Another reason why bootida rain is so special is the meteor speed. While the Perseids fly across the sky at 59 km/s and the Geminids do the same at 35 km/s, the Bootids They move at 18 km/s. They are much slower, so if we manage to see them, we will enjoy them much better. We’ll have more time to make a wish! Yes, scientifically it is useless, but we have all caught ourselves trying to do it at some point. How to see them. To see the meteor showers, you basically have to follow the same steps as to see any meteor shower. It is best not to use telescopes or binoculars, since we will not know where to point. The ideal option is Find a place well away from light pollution and fix our eyes on a point in the sky until our eyes get used to the darkness. The radiant of the Bootes is, as its name indicates, the constellation of Bootes. That means that this is the place in the sky where shooting stars seem to be born. However, they can come from any point. The important thing is that: fix your eyes and get your eyes used to it. As for the time, the ideal is to start searching after midnight, at least in latitudes close to the Spanish one, since that will be when they will be seen high enough in the sky. If there is no explosion, there won’t be much to see, but what if there is one and we don’t try to go out and look? Better to be bored than to regret not having tried. Image | Michal Mancewicz (Unsplash) In Xataka | Meteor showers, planetary alignments and lunar phases: all the astronomical events that we have in view

If you thought that Renfe was taking… Germany is spending 100,000 million euros so that its trains arrive on time

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We complain a lot about Renfe (and a good part of those complaints, with reason). But although it may seem otherwise, Germany has been neglecting its railway network for decades at decadent levels. And just as they count According to the Financial Times, only six in ten long-distance trains arrive on time. However, the country already has a plan in mind, a plan that involves investing some 100,000 million euros in solving its punctuality problem. The problem. In 2000, 84% of German long-distance trains arrived on time. Today that figure has fallen to 60%. Already last year, an analysis The Financial Times placed Deutsche Bahn, the German public operator, below even the most late railway operators in the United Kingdom. Just like account The German Transport Minister, Patrick Schnieder, even warned in March that the situation threatened to erode public confidence in the institutions. In his own words, he assured that if the State is not capable of guaranteeing basic services, “democracy is harmed.” How we got here. According to the media, this deterioration has been the result of a series of poorly made decisions over two decades. In the early 2000s, the German government considered taking Deutsche Bahn public. The plan never materialized, but to improve the balance sheet for that hypothetical exit, network maintenance was cut. To this was added that between 2005 and 2010 the budget for railway infrastructure was, adjusted for inflation, 20% lower than in the mid-nineties, according to calculations from the FT itself. The icing on the cake came in 2009, when Germany constitutionalized the so-called “debt brake“, which forced the State to balance the accounts every year. This caused investment spending to systematically lose the battle against social spending. The current state of the network. Just like account According to the FT, 16% of the assets of the German railway network are classified as deficient or directly inadequate. There are bridges dating back to the time of Kaiser Wilhelm II and signal boxes installed in the 1960s that are still in service. In fact, according to DB InfraGo, the Deutsche Bahn division in charge of maintaining the network, 80% of all delays are directly caused by deterioration of the infrastructure. You have to open the tap. In 2025, Chancellor Friedrich Merz took advantage of a constitutional loophole to create a fund of 500 billion euros to renew the country’s infrastructure over the next twelve years. The railway is one of its top priorities since, of that total, Deutsche Bahn has committed 107 billion euros until 2029. However, Philipp Nagl, CEO of DB InfraGo, recognize to the FT that needs at least 130,000 million to cover the accumulated delay. And as he comments, every year, more assets reach the end of their useful life. How it is being executed. The strategy is being extremely drastic, closing entire sections of the network for months to rebuild them from scratch, instead of patching section by section. Furthermore, it is an atypical way of doing things at Deutsche Bahn, which historically had a tradition of keeping lines open while carrying out construction work. “With that method it would take forever,” explains Nagl to the FT. The number of active works on the network has grown by a third since 2024, to exceed 28,000 in 2026. The immediate consequence is more chaos in the short term. And the punctuality goal has been lowered to 70% and postponed until 2029. A real example. In one of the busiest corridors in the country, the one that connects Cologne with the Ruhr Valley, along which up to 280 trains circulate daily, the line has been closed since February. According to account In the middle, the 55,000 regular travelers must resort to more than 200 replacement buses, many of them stuck in traffic jams. In return, 81 kilometers of track, 50 detours and 12 stations are being renewed in five months. The person in charge of the project, Arno Jaeger, defined the medium as “a monumental task” with a budget of 800 million euros. To speed up the work, specialized heavy machinery is used. In fact, one of the machines, colloquially nicknamed Mamut, renews two kilometers of track per shift, four times faster than if they did it through the conventional method. It’s about operators. Beyond Deutsche Bahn, there are private competitors waiting for their chance. And just as account FT, FlixTrain, the railway arm of the Flix group, has reserved 2.4 billion euros to buy up to 65 high-speed trains that it wants to deploy from 2028. The Italian high-speed operator Italo has also announced its intention to enter Germany with an investment of up to 3.6 billion if it gains access to the network for several years. Both point to 2028 as a key year. Cover image | Deutsche Bahn In Xataka | The Spanish west has a forgotten train that it wants to recover. The problem: neither Madrid nor Europe are interested

Wi-Fi 8 will arrive in 2028

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TP-Link needs few presentations to sell its routers: it is one of the largest manufacturers in the world and also one of the best known. Well, the Chinese brand has just announce that its new Archer 8 router will be launched in October this year with the next generation of Wi-Fi, the Wi-Fi 8 (802.11bn). That it arrives with the latest technology is very good, the point is that Wi-Fi as an official standard does not yet exist: at the very least will be ready at the beginning of 2028. TP-Link seems to be clear that whoever hits first, hits twice, but getting so far ahead has fine print. TP-Link lives in the future. In reality, the TP-Link Archer 8 will be the first of a batch of routers with Wi-Fi 8 that the company plans to deploy in the coming months: mesh systems, travel routers and adapters, all of them with this future connectivity standard and all scheduled throughout 2027, that is, before the official deployment of Wi-Fi 8. Bottom line: The Archer 8 will hit the market about a year and a half before a complete, certified standard exists. The explanation that gives its president is that “innovation in Wi-Fi has been measured by maximum theoretical speeds (…). But what really matters to users is consistency. Archer 8 is designed to offer precisely that: lower latency, better performance against interference and more stable connectivity in real environments” and well, yes but no. Why is it important. As usual as we see new standards, Wi-Fi 8 will offer more speed. However, its great novelty is that the nodes of a network can coordinate with each other to better manage the signal, the multi-AP. In practice, it makes the nodes of a mesh network cooperate to reduce interference in the network so that there are fewer outages when you have many devices connected (or your neighbor does). Internal company tests show improvements of up to 33% in performance and better sensitivity in the 5 and 6 GHz bands. Of course, these are data from the manufacturer itself in the laboratory, that is, from the interested party. The problem is that buying hardware based on an unfinished standard usually ends badly, you just have to look back. With 802.11g, the IEEE’s own files documented incompatibilities between pre-standard routers from different manufacturers because each one implemented a different draft. With Wi-Fi 6E, several models presented at CES 2022 They arrived on the market without Wi-Fi Alliance certification and without having passed interoperability tests. With Wi-Fi 8 there is even more room for disaster: if the draft changes before 2028, flagship features such as multi-AP may not be compatible with devices from other manufacturers. Context. We are talking about Wi-Fi 8 when Wi-Fi 7 is not even close to being universal and for example, a button: although it is true that the MacBook Pro M5 Pro They are compatible with Wi-Fi 7, the popular MacBook Neo presented by Apple just a couple of months ago, it arrived with Wi-Fi 6. The same with the advanced Apple Vision Pro with M5. The reality of wireless standards adoption is that it is painfully slow. Furthermore, although the claim of offering Wi-Fi 8 is attractive, if you have a mobile phone or tablet with Wi-Fi 5 and you connect them to a router with Wi-Fi 8 it will not work a miracle: they will connect using only the older protocol. Your joy in a well. Yes, but. Since the Wi-Fi 8 standard won’t be ready until 2028, it’s almost certain that the Archer 8 won’t have all the features of the final standard implemented when it’s available in stores. What does this mean? That whoever buys it in October 2026 will pay for an incomplete product that could be improved by software in the future… or not. And even if it arrived with the complete standard (this is not the case), it will take years for there to be devices with which to take advantage of it. But there is another serious problem for TP-Link: The United States banned the import of routers from outside its borders facing potential use for espionage. If the FCC does not approve the product, the Archer 8 will not be sold in the US. In Europe there is no veto, but with Wi-Fi 7 it’s already blocked half of the 6 GHz band by regulation and with Wi-Fi 8 the same is likely to happen. In Xataka | Best gaming router, streaming and teleworking from home. Which one to buy and recommendations from 60 euros In Xataka | Wi-Fi 8 is already in development. The surprise is that it will not be faster: the advantage will come from another side Cover | TP-Link and Gemini

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