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Peru has a lot at stake in protecting a key bee for the Amazon. So you have begun to recognize legal rights

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In Peru the judicial chronicles of 2026 start with an unexpected protagonist, one that usually has little to do with courts and lawsuits: bees. To be more precise, insects gender Meliponafamous above all for lacking a stinger and their important pollinating function. Precisely because of this relevance and to protect them from possible threats, the authorities of Satipo, in Junín (Peru), have recognized to the bees legal rights, which among other issues will allow them to be represented before the law. The decision is more important than it seems. Of laws and bees. that the bees play a key role in environmental balance is nothing new. For years (decades) researchers have been analyzing their role as pollinatorsits usefulness as pollution indicators and his slow decline. However, studies on the species tend to remain in the papers scientists and only occasionally sneak into the political debate. Hence decisions like the one adopted by the Provincial Municipality of Satipo, in Peru, are so relevant. There the authorities have decided neither more nor less than to publish an official ordinance which recognizes the legal rights of stingless bees that inhabit the biosphere reserve Avirei-Vraem. More than words. The decision is important for several reasons. The first, for the clear and resounding message it sends to society. The second transcends the symbolic sphere and part of the content of the ordinance itself. In it, the Provincial Municipality of Satipo not only recognizes stingless bees and their habitat as legal subjects. The text goes further and details the regulatory shield that protects insects, emphasizing their right to live in “healthy, balanced and adequate” habitats. The ordinance even grants them the “right to representation” in case their interests are harmed. Does it say anything else? Yes. The document, signed on October 27 and which can be consulted On the Peruvian Government website, it highlights “the fundamental role” that bees have at an environmental level and the importance of recognizing their “intrinsic rights”, which affects, for example, the use of pesticides. Hence, the Peruvian authorities also want to “promote awareness” about the species. “Nature is a whole (…). The rights recognized in this declaration are not only intended to guarantee the health of stingless bees, but also of the Amazon as a whole,” ditch. Beyond Satipo. There is who considers that, with its decision, Satipo has turned stingless bees into the first insects in the world with explicitly recognized rights. Whether or not this is the case, the undeniable thing is that its October ordinance seems to have paved the way for other similar ones. The diary The Spectator relieved Recently, the provincial municipality of Loreto-Nauta has taken a similar step and has become the second region to opt for the judicial protection of Amazonian bees. Beyond the measure itself, both localities have managed to put the focus on the risks that faces a species on which not only the environmental balance depends, but also the future of crops with a considerable impact economical, like cocoa or coffee. Is the situation so serious? In September the Peruvian Amazon Research Institute (IIAP) echoed from a study that warns that more than 50% of bee habitats Melipona eburnea and Tetragonisca angustula They are located in “high risk of deforestation areas” in the Amazon. Among the causes of this vulnerability, he cited the felling of trees in which the species nests, the illegal extraction of wood and the expansion of agriculture. It is not a minor issue if we take into account that, as remembers the Municipal Council of Satipo90% of the region’s wild plant and flower species depend directly on pollination driven by bees. Images | IIAP, Elena Mozvhilo (Unsplash) and Wikipedia In Xataka | The scientific reason why it is not a good idea to jump into the water to escape from bees (and other tips to avoid getting stung)

The price of olive oil has begun to skyrocket at Christmas

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The price of olive oil sang “the wolf is coming” a few months ago. At the end of August, and after a few months of free fallwith prices very far of the peaks from a couple of years agothe “liquid gold” seemed to was picking up again. This has been the case, and a worse than expected harvest has negative consequences on the price of extra virgin oil. The good news is that it is not as alarming as it was a few years ago. In short. 2024 and 2025 have not been years of good harvests for some products. In South America it has spent with coffee (and we carry the consequences throughout the year). It has happened with the grapes (and we will notice it in the wine), and it seems that it has not been favorable for the olive either. As they point out from The Confidentialthe latest data from Department of agriculture (some great graphs for database lovers) indicate an average price at origin of 4.56 euros per liter of extra virgin. The data offered in Oleista (which shows both extra virgin and virgin through various market sources) are in the same line: 4.11 euros, which translates into 53% more in the last 10 days compared to the previous period. And you may think “it’s not that much”, but the problem is that a white label bottle (final product, not origin) is around 4.65 euros per liter. Margins. Those nine cents difference are few, but it means that the chains have fewer margins, which is why they raise the price of that final product. Some chains are already doing it. There are several ways to see the price history of some supermarkets to follow its evolution. An example is SuperSupersbut FACUA also offers a somewhat clearer service: less historical, but more short-term information that can help us see recent evolution. According to their information, a liter of Hacendado extra virgin olive oil cost 4.65 euros 30 days ago. Today it is for 4.95 euros after an increase of 6.45%. But you don’t have to go back a month: according to the ‘snitch’, a week ago the price was 6.45% lower. When will we notice it?. The answer is obvious: now. And, of course, the question that arises is why a few months ago it took us a while to see that oil prices in the supermarket were still high when originally they had fallen sharply… and now that the situation is the other way around, they are readjusting so quickly. Times depend on several factors, but above all on stock and supply contracts. In general, adjustment is usually seen after a few monthsbut when that applies to increases, the change is much more immediate. In the end, it is a tremendously volatile market and, although In March the rains invited optimism in the price of olive oil, if these last years have taught us anything it is that two weeks of heat are enough above normal so that an entire olive campaign goes to waste. Far from the peak. It is similar to egg pricewhich has had a negative streak, but when the stabilization was there, the outbreak of avian flu appeared, which has skyrocketed the price of eggs and has had other disastrous consequences: touch the price of nougat. It’s like a pyramid of cards. However, and despite those close to five euros per liter of white label extra virgin oil, the way to console ourselves is that we are far – very far – from what we experienced just two years agowhen going to the ‘supermarket’ was a pain because you knew you were going to pay about 10 euros per liter of oil. Preumification. But in the background there is another important issue – that house of cards that I was commenting on. A few prices is a sum and continues in a supermarket basket that is increasingly more expensive when salaries do not rise at the same rate. It is one more element that supports household income, especially in countries like Spain where olive oil is a basic product. And, although this is a much more personal note, it will be a sad day when olive oil in Spain is a premium product like in other countriesand we have to use other vegetable oils or even butter to cook. A cultural and even identity loss. Images | David Clode, Antonio Molin In Xataka | Mercadona has bought the company that has been supplying pallets and boxes for decades. And there is a very simple reason

There are more than 900 retailers trying to sell you home electricity. And now Spain has begun the great purge

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Spain has a world record that is difficult to justify; it is the country with the most registered electricity suppliers. For years, the official list exceeded 900 companiesalthough more than half never had real activity. A “ghost market” that generated confusion, operational risks and an opacity inappropriate for a strategic sector. Now, for the first time, the Government has decided to put things in order. In the last twelve months, the first disqualifications have begun to cascade and everything indicates that the registry will undergo a massive purge. A total screening. The latest report from the CNMC confirmed what the sector intuited for a long time. Of a census of more than 900 marketers, only 416 companies had clients and purchased energy effectively. The rest—hundreds of societies—remained in a kind of permanent pause, registered but without activity. And the law is clear about this. Both the Royal Decree 1955/2000 as Law 24/2013 They allow the Ministry to withdraw the authorization of any marketing company that spends a year without operating or that fails to comply with its economic and technical obligations. According to information that El Periódico has had access tothe Ministry for the Ecological Transition has disabled some 40 marketing companies in the last year, the majority without clients or without energy purchases for more than twelve months. Cleaning is based on systematic application of article 74a legal mechanism that had been underused for years. A process that has come into action. The process is already observed in the Official State Gazette itself, where It was published in October the disqualification of Virtual Power Plant & Smart Energy SL for not presenting the required guarantees to the market operator. The resolution also ordered the automatic transfer of its clients to a Reference Marketer, in accordance with Law 24/2013. Similar cases also appear in CNMC files, as INF/DE/368/23where it was documented that a marketing company accumulated non-payments, insufficient guarantees and zero energy acquired to supply its clients. It worked only on paper. What does this mean for the market and the consumer? Although it may seem like a technical matter, the purge directly affects citizens. According to Rate and Electricitythe elimination of ghost marketers implies: less risk of a company going bankrupt overnight, more control over small operators without real solvency, more security and continuity of supply, since the regulations require customers to be automatically transferred to a Reference Marketer if their supplier fails. And, finally, a less opaque market with a lower risk of fraud. This is a systemic problem: some of these small firms accumulated non-payments to Red Eléctrica (REE) and the Iberian Market Operator (OMIE), generating costs that ended up absorbing the entire electrical system. Others promised unviable prices and, unable to buy energy on the daily market, simply disappeared. But, is it so easy to open a marketing company? Spain is the only European country where a prior administrative license is not required to operate as an electricity marketer. Opening a company of this type is relatively simple: it is enough to present to MITECO a communication of start of activity accompanied by a responsible declaration of compliance with the requirements, according to the official file of the Ministry itself. Before, yes, the interested party must accredit before REE and OMIE its technical and economic capacity: present financial guarantees, demonstrate that you will be able to buy energy on the market and have computer systems to communicate daily with the system operator. According to the consulting firm Audynforsystemthis accreditation is the true operational filter, but it has not prevented the proliferation of small local or merely registered marketers. How does debugging continue? The objective is not to reduce the number of marketing companies per se, but to eliminate: those that have never operated, those that do not meet guarantees, those that default on payments or generate risks to the system. According to Expansion416 marketing companies are still active, 335 have already been deregistered in recent years and 137 are under investigation for inactivity. The CNMC and MITECO will continue to apply article 74 of RD 1955/2000 to automatically disqualify those who have not been active for a year. Furthermore, recent resolutions show that who breaches guarantees or non-payments will be disqualified, with mandatory transfer of clients. THE message is unequivocal, there will be fewer marketers, but more reliable ones. It starts to get organized. For years, no one hit the brakes. Now, with defaults, regulatory tensions and an electrical system hit by unprecedented volatilities, the Government has decided to put things in order. The paradox is evident, while Europe tries to attract more competition, Spain has had to do just the opposite: reduce a hypertrophied market that never reflected real activity. Ongoing purging is not just administrative cleanup. It is an attempt to rebuild trust in a sector that needs stability to face the country’s great energy challenges: electrification, storage, digital networks and renewable transition. Image | freepik Xataka | 2026 has not yet started but it has already managed to produce the first bad news: the light goes up

The meteorological winter has already begun for the AEMET. And now we have another problem with the DGT beacons

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The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has not waited for the solstice to start winter. A season that, meteorologically speaking, extends from December 1 to February 28. Three months of cold await us (although less and less)rain, snow and various inclemencies. This year, it is inevitable to ask ourselves if the cold may affect the V16 beacons of the DGT. The answer is a resounding yes. Resistance up to -10ºC. All approved V16 beacons must have with a series of requirements. And one of them talks precisely about resistance. There are two things to keep in mind here: the IP rating and what temperature range they can operate in. New connected beacons must have at least IP54 certification. That is, resistance to dust and splashes of water. But they must also offer adequate operation within a wide range of temperatures. Specifically, between -10ºC and 50ºC. It is enough even If we leave the car in full sun in summerbut in winter it gets a little more complicated. BUT. Theoretically, Spain is not a very cold country. But although it is not at the level of the Nordic countries, in certain places or times the thermometer can fall below -10ºC. If we are going skiing, if we are driving on a mountain road on a particularly cold day or if we are considering a getaway to one of the “refrigerators from Spain”things get complicated. For example, Molina de Aragón (Guadalajara) is considered the coldest town in Spain and has the milestone of having reached -28.2 degrees. In these types of places and situations, the resistance to -10ºC of the beacons is insufficient, so their connectivity may stop working, thus losing virtual visibility, or even fail to turn on. Another problem: snow. Beyond the problems caused by extreme temperatures, there is another phenomenon that in the winter season can interfere with the beacons. Much has been said about the visibility problems of these devices in broad daylight, in fog or on very tight curves, but snow can also become another obstacle. Beacons should be placed on the highest part of the vehicle where possible, usually the roof. If the snow settles, it can cover it and thus kill the physical visibility it provides us. The alternative. The V16 beacons aim to improve safety on the roads, warning other drivers of the obstacle posed by a car stopped on them. In the event that the beacon does not work due to problems with temperatures or snow, the option left is to contact the emergency services via mobile phone. The V16 beacons, which will be mandatory from January 1, 2026, are not without controversy. From the scams around them until accusations from groups of the Civil Guardthe DGT He had to admit his mistakes and has already explained that will be flexible with fines. Cover image | Generated with Gemini In Xataka | FACUA believes that a lot of V16 beacons “approved by the DGT” are not legal. And there’s a way to sum it up: fraud. In Xataka | Living 1,300 kilometers from the North Pole: a Catalan tells of his experience in the northernmost city in the world

China has unveiled its most mysterious vessel to date. And then the theories have begun, some very crazy

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Just two weeks ago China completed that plan for world domination that had staged at the end of summer through a military parade unparalleled. And he did it showing the Type 076 In its first tests, an unprecedented technological leap in the Chinese naval industry as it is an amphibious assault ship with electric propulsion and electromagnetic catapults. It turns out that there was a “one more thing”. Challenging the known. Yes, the appearance of a mysterious black trimaran in what appears to be the Huangpu shipyard has revealed for the first time the complete silhouette of a ship that China had been hiding for months under tarps and that until now was only known by satellite analysis. Its lines combine features typical of a surface ship with unmistakably underwater elements, giving shape to a hybrid design about 64 meters in length, designed to operate both in exposed navigation and in submersible mode, an architecture that radically expands the possibilities of stealth, range and survival against adversary sensors. Theories. They counted the TWZ analysts that the presence of a type propellant pump-jetvisible in the new imagereinforces the impression that acoustic discretion and efficiency have been prioritized during long journeys, while its sail with depth markings, snorkel or mast points to long immersion cycles and a behavior closer to that of a light submarine than to that of a simple unmanned surface vehicle. With or without humans. That has been the big question since the image was made public: the question of whether the ship operates with a crew or if it belongs to the new generation hybrid USV/UUV that China has begun to deploy in recent years. Its design, without a classic superstructure and with a minimal sail, supports the possibility of a vehicle capable of ssubmerge almost completelywhich would place it in an intermediate category between a semi-submersible drone and a small displacement submarine. The presence of draft marks on the sail and other areas of the hull suggests that total immersion is contemplated, and that the ship is somewhat more sophisticated than the semi-submersibles used in surveillance or infiltration operations. If it is confirmed that it is an unmanned system (or with a minimum crew) we would be faced with a notable jump in Chinese naval doctrine, which has been experimenting for years with distributed fleets of autonomous platforms capable of operating far from bases and with less political risk. Render seen in nets of the boat More hypotheses. One of the stronger theories maintains that this trimaran represents the Chinese evolution of the naval arsenal concept: a stealthy, difficult-to-detect, unmanned or reduced-crew vessel loaded with land-attack or anti-ship missiles that could surface, launch its salvo, and disappear again beneath the waves. In times of sensor proliferation, anti-satellite warfare and constant surveillance, such a platform would expand the Chinese navy’s depth of fire without exposing more valuable frigates or destroyers. Although the available image does not show a VLS system that confirms this function, the internal volume of the ship and its profile fit with the unofficial renders that have been circulating for years on a possible semi-submersible prototype capable of hiding its thermal and radar signal. If China were testing this concept, it would try to replicate the logic the United States explored decades ago: a “floating arsenal” that provides fire mass without compromising manned vessels. Unofficial render appeared on networks before the leaked image The drone mothership option. Another interpretation with increasing weight is that of a drone mothershipboth air and sea, an idea that would fit with the tactical revolution seen in the Black Sea, where Ukraine has shown the devastating potential of swarms launched from small platforms. In this case, the interior of the trimaran could house VTOL drones or ramp launchers for long-range loitering munitions similar to the Shahed, expanding China’s ability to saturate defenses or conduct remote attacks without compromising manned aircraft. The absence of a flight deck Conventional does not rule out this function: an internal catapult system or inclined launchers could be adapted without the need for an open hangar. This approach would make the ship a force multiplier within a distributed combat architecture that the PLAN has been cultivating for yearsdrawing inspiration from both the American model and recent lessons from the war in Ukraine. Secret missions. A third possibility is that it is a platform designed for special operationscapable of infiltrating equipment into archipelagos, reefs or highly monitored coastal areas without the acoustic and thermal signal of a conventional submarine. The ability to surface surf long distances and then submerge to conceal aligns with special forces doctrines that privilege silent penetration and discreet exfiltration. Similar vessels have been developed by the United States (like the Sealion) and for other navies operating in densely monitored environments. China, with its growing interest for projecting power in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Straitwould have a clear incentive to test vehicles capable of moving between islets and shallow waters where a standard submarine would be impractical. A test bench. It cannot be ruled out, however, that this trimaran is above all a prototype intended to experiment with technologies that will end up being integrated into other platforms. The recent history of the PLAN is full of test ships and experimental structures used to validate sensors, thrusters, stealth helmets or autonomous systems before scaling up production. Ambiguity is part of the message: by showing a ship of indeterminate purpose, China introduces uncertainty in adversary planning, forcing the United States, Japan and Australia to contemplate a whole collection of potential threats without being able to rule out any. In that sense, the opacity, reinforced by its black paint and the absence of official details, is part of the strategic game. A symptom. Be that as it may, for now there is only one certainty: the discovery of the image It does not dispel the mystery, but rather expands it. The ship represents a deliberate experiment with concepts that are redefining 21st … Read more

China aims to break records with the largest ice park in the world. And he has already begun to lift it block by block

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At the end of November, in Harbin, the image is repeated every winter, with a scale that has not stopped growing in recent editions: cranes, machinery and workers begin to raise structures on a surface that weeks later will become walls, towers and slides made of ice. According to official dataconstruction is advanced this year thanks to the ice stored during the previous season and preserved for more than ten months. This material allows work to begin even before the river freezes completely again, with the aim of preparing an area that this winter will have 1.2 million square meters. Harbin Ice-Snow World It has grown from a local celebration to a seasonal theme park that rises again each winter. It functions as an enclosure with defined entrances, circulation areas, walkable structures and spaces to stay for hours, especially when it gets dark and the lighting changes the perception of the place. It is not just a setting for photographs, but a park designed to be walked, used and visited for a few weeks, while weather conditions allow it. When ice stops being landscape and becomes infrastructure Upon entering the venue, the experience is more similar to that of a theme park than a temporary exhibition. You can walk between buildings, climb platforms, slide down ramps or access areas prepared for snow activities. The architectural elements are not presented as immobile pieces, but as part of the route. For this edition, those responsible have announced spaces intended for ice fishing, cross-country skiing and collective snow gamesas well as an additional stage that will complement the cultural activities of the already usual Dream Stage. The proposal does not focus solely on showing structures, but on facilitating their use within a planned and temporary environment. Before erecting ice structures, Harbin already celebrated winter through local practices. Hand-carved ice lanterns began to be used in the city in the middle of the last century and gave rise to the first Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, held on January 5, 1985. indicate official pages. The jump to the current format came in 1999, when Harbin Ice-Snow World was created as an independent venue, with specific access and design. Since then, the evolution has been constant: more surface area, greater volume of materials, presence of machinery and planned construction processes. The park, under construction in November 2025 Harbin has turned winter into a source of economic activity. According to data released by Xinhuathe city received 90.36 million visitors during the last season, with estimated income of 137.22 billion yuan (almost 17 million euros), an increase of 16.6% compared to the previous year. Ice-Snow World does not explain these figures on its own, but it acts as one of the main focuses of attraction and as an element that concentrates tourist services, accommodation, restaurants and transportation during the weeks in which it remains open. The construction mobilizes technical profiles, operators and specialists in structure and lighting, while the opening requires personnel for visitor service, security, maintenance and tourist support. Many of these roles are temporary, but require prior coordination and planning. When comparing Harbin to other major winter events, such as the Sapporo Snow Festival in Japan or Quebec Winter Carnival in Canadathe difference is not only in size, but in structure. Sapporo distributes its sculptures in various urban spaces and Quebec combines culture, parades and outdoor activities, but neither of them functions as a theme park concentrated in a single venue, as occurs in Harbin. Harbin uses hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of ice and snow, according to official data, and builds walkable structures that are part of the route and not just the landscape. It is not so much a festival as a temporary recreational facility. Harbin Ice-Snow World has been integrated into the city’s tourism calendar as a seasonal facility. It is built every year, it opens for a few weeks and It is dismantled when temperatures no longer guarantee stability. This temporary nature does not prevent its planning: the prior storage of ice, the mobilization of workers and the associated services indicate that it is an organized activity and not simply a one-off event. The park functions as a generator of temporary employment, concentrates the winter tourism offer and channels activities that are subsequently complemented by the interior ice and snow enclosure, designed to operate all year round as an extension of the exterior park. There is no pretension of permanence, but of repetition adjusted to the climatic conditions. This repetition has allowed the consolidation of technical, logistical and tourist processes linked to winter as a seasonal economic resource. Images | The Harbin International Ice and Snow festival | Harbin Government In Xataka | Someone wants to build a 144 meter high skyscraper in the middle of the port of Malaga. The reason: luxury tourism

China has a plan to repeat with cars what it already did with cell phones. And that plan has already begun

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It is more than likely that, wherever you look, see chinese technology. Maybe it’s your cell phone, your tablet or your television. You may be surprised that your microwave with a Japanese or American name is actually made by a chinese company. Or your refrigerator, air conditioning, whatever. China has conquered the world of technology and that, at this point, does not surprise anyone. Nor will it be surprising that the Asian giant wants to get involved to the kitchen (literally) and, in the case at hand, even our garage. Because yes, China has been promoting a plan since 2015 to lead several key technological industries (which is what it means to be the largest producer of batteries in the world) and one of those industries is the car. And we are already starting to see it. From the mobile phone to the washing machine and the car China understood very quickly that the future of cars was not in combustion, a market largely led by a well-established European industry. but in electricity. China took a shortcut. The state subsidized every stage of the chain, from mines and loading docks to battery factories and start-ups. We have the clearest example in BYD, which went from manufacturing mobile batteries to being the spearhead of the Chinese electric car. The Chinese market, however, is very saturated. Despite its huge population, there are 150 car brands in the country, so competition is fierce. Thus, China began to look outwards. And it went very well. In 2023, China surpassed Japan as the world’s leading car exporter and the next logical stop was Europe. The Chinese proposal was simple: offer technology, design and autonomy at a much lower price than local and Western proposals. Spain was the gateway with companies such as BYD, OMODA, JAECOO, XPENG and MG filling dealerships, something that translates into a considerable drop in average prices of 12%. In just a few years, the market share of these brands has skyrocketed from 2% to 7%, a figure that rises to 14% if we take plug-in hybrids into account. You still have time to get your tickets for the gala Xataka NordVPN Awards 2025 on November 20 in Madrid! Join us and discover the best technological products of the year in a free event full of gadgets, humor and surprises. Advice offered by the brand And how is that possible? Because China has something that Europe does not have: total control of the production chain. They extract, produce, manufacture and assemble. They can also access affordable financing, free land and subsidiary energy. Companies compete under exceptional conditions with each other, encouraging price cutting and innovation. Not even tariffs can stop China’s advance. China, in fact, has not trembled when it comes to open factories on our continent to manufacture from within and, in the process, sow the seed of a more or less silent conquest. This is just a preview of a much longer report that you can see at the video on these lines. In Xataka | I have ridden a 100% autonomous XPeng Mona in a Chinese city. Tesla and Europe have a problem

The patch to avoid another massive blackout is going to cost us 731 million euros. Iberdrola has already begun to collect it

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The blackout on April 28 did not come free, and we consumers are going to pay for it. Iberdrola has confirmed that the extra cost caused by the “reinforced mode” that was activated after the massive blackout. And everything indicates that the rest of the electric companies will follow in their footsteps. what has happened. They tell it in The World. Until now, the impact of the blackout on the bill had been limited because the CNMC intervened so that the electricity companies could not modify the price for customers who have contracted fixed rates. FACUA also issued a statement warning that rates could not be raised if it did not appear in the contract. The blackout was more than six months ago, more than enough time for many free market contracts to have been renewed. This has given Iberdrola the opportunity to introduce clauses that allow them to pass the cost on to customers. Reinforced mode After the blackout, the so-called “reinforced mode” was activated. This adjustment involves intervening in the market to incorporate more conventional energy (gas, hydroelectric and nuclear) and limiting the entry of renewables with the aim of avoiding voltage failures. And of course, these energies are more expensive, in addition to requiring more auxiliary services to stabilize the network. The problem is that this It started as a patch after the blackout, but it has become the new normal which remains half a year later. The cost. It covers from the blackout until September and amounts to 210 million euros distributed between Spain and Portugal. Of this sum, Spain assumes the majority, with 180 million euros. Iberdrola regrets that the change in the system by Red Eléctrica is entailing an extra cost that “affects our results” and they hope to transfer 70% of this amount to their clients before the end of the year. Not just Iberdrola. Nothing prevents the rest of the electricity marketers from following in Iberdrola’s footsteps. According to El Mundo, the total cost of the reinforced mode in these six months amounts to 731 million euros and it looks like it will remain active for longer, so this amount will increase. The CNMC warns that any change in contract prices must be communicated transparently. From one pocket to another. In the Iberian Peninsula there are five nuclear power plants, 1,300 hydroelectric plants and some 200 gas plants. These conventional (non-renewable) energy plants are providing more energy as long as the boosted mode remains active and they are receiving more income for it. What is striking is that they mostly belong to private companies such as Iberdrola, Naturgy either Endesawho are the ones who will end up increasing the price of the invoice. Images | Wikipedia In Xataka | Five months later we continue to discover things about the blackout in Spain. And the news is getting worse for Europe

Let’s say goodbye to Google Assistant a decade later. Google has begun to delete its code to leave only one option: Gemini

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It’s not official but as if it were: the end of Google Assistant or the classic Google Assistant, is scheduled. An analysis of the latest version of the Google app for Android carried out by Android Authority has revealed his almost definitive goodbye. The Mountain View company is eliminating the code that, for the moment, allows us to choose between Gemini and the old assistant. It is the chronicle of a death foretold that ends an era within the company. Where before we saw the Assistant icon and dialog window, we now have the Gemini one. Image by Iván Linares for Xataka Android failed promise. Launched in May 2016, the Google Assistant was going to be a revolution. On paper, it promised full voice control of your cell phone, car and home. In practice, like many users have experiencedits use ended up being “despairing” although the “Okay, Google” It became popular in smartphones and speakers. Your inability to understand the context or natural language and the rise of AI models, has finished burying it. The future belongs to Gemini. With the rise of generative AI, Google has bet everything on Gemini, but it has had a rather confusing rollout. For months, the American company maintained a curious mess with several duplicate names, apps and services… Bard, Assistant with Bard, Project Astra… In practice, two assistants live on the same mobile phone. In February 2024, its “transmutation” began: that was when Google launched the dedicated Gemini app (Bard was left behind) on Android, which when installed was offered as a replacement for Assistant. As we tested in its day, the new AI took over of the invocation with the famous “Hey Google” command. A more mature replacement. The problem with the Gemini assistant is that, at first, it was quite green. It was a powerful chatbot, but a not so useful assistant: it could not execute the basic tasks that the previous one could do, such as routines or orders for home automation. However, Google has spent the last year making Gemini absorb the features of its predecessor. The turning point came at the end of last year, when Gemini Live – the conversational voice mode – finally landed in Spain and in Spanish. Already approaching 2025, Gemini learned a basic function that it was missing: making calls and sending messages without having to unlock the mobile. The last big feature inherited from Assistant, the «Scheduled actions»arrived in June of this year. Google’s plan. At the same time that Gemini was learning the old Assistant tricks, Google has been dismantling the latter, removing useful functions. The objective is more than clear: Gemini is the future and will be everywhere. Now you can act like the “all-seeing” assistant thanks to Project Astra (integrated in Live mode), it is coming to Google Home speakers and its landing on Android Auto is imminent. The last step remains. And that is eliminating the escape route: Google has already consolidated the transition. Gemini is the default assistant on new mobile phones and can be installed on old ones without major impediments. The analysis of the APK of the specialized Android media only confirms that the last step is very simple: eliminate the option to go back. The king is dead, long live the king. Cover image | Composition with Google images and generated with Nano Banana by Pepu Ricca In Xataka | How to create Gemini Gems to have your personalized version of artificial intelligence

The race to put a humanoid robot in our house has begun. It’s an absurd race

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A robot that walks around the house picking up what we have left lying around, loads the dishwasher and even starts the washing machine. It is not a science fiction movie, it is the advertisement of the Figure 03 and it is not the only company interested in sell us the idea that soon we will all have a home robot. Detective Spooner doesn’t like this. Robots for everyone There are people convinced that in a few years Humanoid robots will be as common in homes as robot vacuum cleaners are now. One of those people is Elon Musk, who assured that In five or six years we will all be able to afford a personal robot. Peter Diamandis, well-known writer and “futurologist” predicts that the first humanoid robots will reach homes as early as 2026. It is not an obsession of the West, In China they are also obsessed with robotics, although from a different approach. The government wants robots to have transformed the industry by 2035, but it also contemplates creation of robots as accompaniment within the home. We do not know if this future will materialize or if humanoid robots will end up being an eccentricity for a few. Regardless of whether they succeed, These are the companies that want to make it possible. Figure AI Figure 03 Based in California, it is the company that has shown the most progress in creating a humanoid robot for the home. Its latest model, the Figure 03, is presented to us as a kind of robotic butler that does all the housework. Until now the previous models did not go much beyond the “wow” effect of the video, but this time it is different because Figure has a plan to mass produce them. The first year They hope to produce 12,000 robots a yearalmost nothing. Figure is the spearhead of robotics in the United States. Its valuation is 39,000 million dollars and among its investors are NVIDIA, Salesforce, Qualcomm, Intel, Microsoft and Jeff Bezos himself. At the moment it is not for sale nor do we know the price it will have. tesla Tesla Optimus Gen 2 No introduction needed. The first time we learned that Tesla wanted to make a humanoid robot it was in 2021. In 2022 they had a functional prototype and in 2023 they presented the Optimus Gen 2. Although we have not seen him doing household chores, they did show how he was capable of handling fragile objects like an egg. According to Musk, the Optimus will be cheaper than a car (between 20 and 30,000 dollars), but the reality is that we are in 2025 and The promise has not yet come true. Musk continues determined to build “an army of robots” and just showed your worry about who will control him. In Tesla’s latest earnings call, he stated that he wants to maintain strong influence over this hypothetical army. 1X Technologies Neo Gamma It is based in California, but it is a Norwegian company. 1x’s goal has been the home from the beginning and its goal is a robot that does cleaning, organizing and even running errands. A year ago they presented the Neo Beta robot and in February of this year they presented the Neo Gammaits most advanced model. It is capable of interacting with humans, can manipulate all types of objects, and is covered in soft materials. 1X’s plan is to start deploying its robots in homes this year, but in a pilot project. The company has been set as a goal manufacture 100,000 units in 2027 and “millions more in 2028”. We don’t know anything about how much it will cost, although 1X says it is “expected to be priced competitively within the home robotics market,” whatever that means. The company is valued at 10 billion dollars and between your most powerful investors There are OpenAI and EQT. Unitree Robotics Unitree H2 Based in Hangzhou, it is one of the companies that form the ‘Six Little Dragons’ and leader in robotics in China. We knew her for her quadruped robotsbut recently they have moved on to humanoid robots. Its most advanced model, the Unitree H2was announced just a few days ago and is capable of dancing and even doing kung-fu, but it is not as focused on the home as other proposals. In China, spectacular demonstrations of robots that dance or box have become very fashionable, but for the moment They are not showing practical applications for these humanoid robots. Of course, it is the only one that already has humanoid robots for sale and at very competitive prices. The Unitree G1 costs $16,000, but the Unitree H1 costs 131,000 euros. Deep Robotics DR02 It is also a Chinese company and part of the ‘Six Little Dragons’, which are the six most cutting-edge companies in the country in AI and robotics. Like Unitree, they also launched quadruped robots and recently switched to humanoids. Its focus is the creation of resilient models so that they can work in sectors such as industry, logistics or public services. Their latest model is the DR02, a robot resistant to water and dust and is designed to work outdoors. In the future the company also wants to expand to other areas such as the home. What is the point of a humanoid robot? There are other voices at the opposite end of these visionaries, such as that of Rodney Brooks, the co-founder of iRobot. Brooks believes that humanoid robots are a fantasy and they are a format that is anything but practical. Keeping such a robot standing requires a lot of energy and can be a huge risk if it falls. Furthermore, he states that Imitating the dexterity of a human hand is practically impossible. For Ehsan Saffari, robotics engineer, There is no point in making human-shaped robots. At least not if we want them to be efficient. To illustrate this, he gives a very good example: “Imagine that instead of building a … Read more

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