clear

what should be clear between controversies and doubts about the norm

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A breakdown on a secondary road, a car stopped on the shoulder and the doubt that arrives before help: what do I do now to signal it correctly. For years, the response was almost automatic and involved looking for the triangles in the trunk. That gesture is no longer the obligatory reference. Starting today, January 1, the regulations change and force us to rethink how we warn other drivers when something goes wrong. The change is no longer a future promise and is now in effect. The General Directorate of Traffic establishes that the V-16 beacon connected It is the only legal danger pre-signaling device in the country. This is not just a symbolic replacement for the triangles, but a clear redefinition of what is considered valid to comply with the obligation to signal an immobilized vehicle. It’s not just a light. The key to the connected V-16 beacon is not only that it emits a light signal visible from afar, but also in what happens at the same time and without driver intervention. When activated, the device automatically communicates the vehicle’s location to the platform DGT 3.0which integrates this information into traffic management systems. This “virtual visibility”, as defined by the DGT itself, allows other road users to be notified through variable message panels and browsers, before the incident becomes evident to those approaching. Who takes her and where she goes. The regulations establish that the connected V-16 beacon must be part of the equipment of passenger cars, buses, adaptive mixed vehicles, vehicles intended for the transport of goods and sets of non-special vehicles. Regarding its placement, the recommendation is clear: place it at the highest possible point of the vehicle, preferably on the roof, to maximize visibility. When this is not feasible, it can be placed in the highest area of ​​the driver’s side, taking advantage of the built-in magnet to fix it to metal surfaces. Fines for using the triangle, yes or no? Part of the noise around the V-16 stems from a misunderstanding about the concept of substitution. The fact that the connected beacon becomes the mandatory device does not imply that the triangle has become a sanctionable element in itself. DGT Instruction 2025/20 clarifies that a triangle placed specifically is not considered an obstacle on the road and, therefore, will not be the subject of a complaint. From here it is advisable to separate the scenarios well, because not all of them lead to the same result. Using only the triangle no longer serves to comply with the legal pre-signaling obligation, because the required device is the connected V-16 beacon. The case is different for those who correctly activate the beacon and, in addition, decide to place a triangle in a complementary manner, something that the aforementioned instruction frames as an element that, if placed punctually, will not be the subject of a complaint for being considered an obstacle. The problem appears when a beacon that is not approved or that does not meet the required connectivity requirements is used, since in that case the driver would not be using a legally valid device. Without vocation to fine. In this context, the DGT itself has tried to reduce the feeling of immediate threat. In an interview on Hora 14 on Cadena SERthe deputy director of the DGT, Ana Blanco, assured that “there is no vocation to fine,” when asked about the sanctions from day one, although she insisted that the important thing is that drivers get the mandatory device. The message does not eliminate the sanctioning framework, but does point to an approach focused on adaptation and the connected V-16 beacon being available and used correctly when necessary. Be careful with the ‘connected’ label. One of the main sources of confusion is in the market. Just because a beacon is announced as connected does not guarantee that it meets the requirements demanded by the DGT. The organization maintains an official and updated list of certified brands and models.and only the devices that appear in it have legal validity. Checking this list is key, because from today it is not enough for the beacon to emit light or have a connection, but it must have the current approval and the corresponding technical certificate. Four models that were left out at the last minute. In December 2025, The DGT updated its list of certified devices and marked four specific models as “not valid.” This qualification does not imply that they stop working or that their use is automatically punishable, but rather that they have lost the administrative validity of their original technical certificates. For this reason, these products can no longer be marketed, although, according to the criteria that accompanies this update, those who purchased them before the withdrawal can continue using them. Its validity is linked to the useful life of the device, in particular to the operating period of the associated data plan. Quick checklist. After so much explanation, it’s time to go ashore. Today is not a different day from the rest when you get into the car, except for that small change that should be well secured to avoid doubts and waste of time if a breakdown occurs. This is the minimum checklist to know that you are wearing the right thing and know how to use it. Check that the beacon is included in the official catalog of models approved by the DGT. Make sure the battery or batteries are in good condition. Keep the beacon in an accessible place inside the vehicle. Verify that the magnet allows a firm fixation in a metal area. Always place it at the highest possible point in the car when it is activated. Images | Netun Solutions | DGT (1, 2) In Xataka | What to look for in a V16 beacon: requirements and how to check if the one you have or want to buy works for you In Xataka | The DGT’s great plan does not end with the V16 beacons: it … Read more

A Singapore company has purchased 136,000 AI GPUs from NVIDIA. What is not clear is what he has done with them.

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In the last three years, an unknown Singapore company has become the largest buyer of NVIDIA chips in Southeast Asia. This singular activity has caused alarms to go off, especially now that the trade war between the US and China means that the “illegal trafficking” of these components is extremely monitored. The suspicion. The company, called Megaspeed, is being investigated by the US government. The objective is to find out exactly if there are ties that unite this company with the Chinese government and if the NVIDIA chips that the company has purchased have ended up in China despite the veto and prohibition that said cards can end up there. The Singapore government is also checking whether Megaspeed has violated local laws, they say. on Bloomberg. Megaspeed denies the major. In a statement sent by mail to that newspaper, those responsible for Megaspeed declare that the company “is based in Singapore and operates fully in accordance with applicable laws, including United States export control regulations.” At the moment there is no evidence. An NVIDIA spokesperson indicates that its request for information from Megaspeed shows no evidence that there was a violation of the terms of those transactions. In their visits to Megaspeed’s data centers they confirmed that “the GPUs are where they are supposed to be.” Furthermore, according to its data, Megaspeed has owners and operates entirely outside of China, and there is no Chinese shareholder. But it does serve Chinese tech giants. Megaspeed has a “neocloud”, cloud infrastructure dedicated to offering computing capacity for AI projects. It has several data centers in Southeast Asia, and the company rents NVIDIA chips to Alibaba. This is an option that the US government does continue to allow: no buying chips, but access to those from suppliers from “non-vetoed” countries. Delicate situation. The question is whether Megaspeed has really done things right or whether it has ended up serving as an intermediary for NVIDIA chips to end up in Chinese technology companies. It would also be disturbing if in the end Megaspeed did have ties to companies or the Chinese government. This discovery comes just as President Donald Trump has stated that he would approve the sale of certain NVIDIA chips to China, something that until now was prohibited. Confusing data. Although Bloomberg admits that they have found no evidence that Megaspeed’s NVIDIA chips have ended up being sent to China, doubts remain. They have analyzed documents with records of commercial transactions, appointments and job offers from both Megaspeed and some of its collaborating companies, and have detected “inconsistencies” between the inventory of chips and those that should really be installed in their data centers. Megaspeed has thousands of NVIDIA GPUs. And the problem is that this company has a huge number of company chips. Since it was founded in 2023 and until November 2025, Megaspeed has imported at least 136,000 NVIDIA GPUs according to Malaysian and Indonesian customs records. More than half are Blackwell chips, which Trump said I would not approve of them being exported to China. Most of those newer GPUs were purchased six months ago, but NVIDIA employees who visited the data centers did not definitively clarify that those that were exported actually ended up where they were supposed to be. The suspicion: a mysterious data center in China. On the Megaspeed website it says that they have three data centers in Malaysia and Indonesia. There is also mention of a room under construction in an unspecified “specific area.” The problem is that Megaspeed showed an image of a render with a data center in Shanghai financed in part by Megaspeed’s original parent company, a Chinese company. Not only that: Megaspeed has a kind of corporate twin in China with an identical website that shows that in reality the employees of the Singapore company are its employees. All of this raises clear questions that remain unresolved and that raise even more suspicions. In Xataka | The US believed it had dealt a mortal blow to China when it deprived it of NVIDIA. He only accelerated one plan: ‘Delete America’

It is not clear how to make money when AI answers everything

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These days there is a gesture that is repeated over and over again: open a chatbot or a generative search mode, write a question and wait for a direct, orderly and apparently definitive answer. There is no list of links and no need to compare ten pages to decide which one to trust. The promise of comfort is evident, but behind that everyday gesture a much deeper crack is opening up. For years, internet search has been one of the tech industry’s big money-making machines. If AI begins to answer everything for us, the question is no longer technical, but economic: who pays for that answer and who is left out. The first clear sign that something is moving came at a very specific time in the trading calendar. During the last Black Friday, the big language models started sending real traffic to top-tier online stores. According to Semrush data cited by The Wall Street Journaltwenty large retailers received an average of 183,000 daily visits from AI tools, a figure still small compared to Google, but almost eight times higher than the previous year. The volume is still marginal, but the trend no longer goes unnoticed by those who make a living by attracting and converting users. When the response replaces the click. Traditional search worked as a referral system: the better positioned a page was, the more traffic it received. The emergence of AI alters this scheme by offering closed answers that, in many cases, reduce or eliminate the intermediate step. This change does not guarantee greater quality or reliability; the models can make errors, mix sources or generate incorrect information. But it does transform the distribution of attention. If the user stops visiting thousands of sites and the interaction, in many cases, is concentrated on the platform that responds, the economic model that has sustained the web for years comes into tension. This shift in attention has triggered an immediate reaction on the business side. As AI-generated responses begin to influence which brands appear and which disappear from the user’s radar, a new concern arises: how to “be” within those responses. Hence the idea of ​​optimizing for search with AI, a still diffuse field in which traditional agencies, newly created startups coexist, such as Evertune either Profoundand platforms that attempt to offer metrics, tools, and promises of visibility into systems that, by definition, They work like black boxes. The emergence of AI search has not generated consensus, but rather a clash of interpretations. ORPart of the sector believes that the change is incremental and that good practices as always continue to be relevant, even if they are now expressed in another way. In front of them are those they openly talk about a change of era and they defend that visibility in generated responses requires a new discipline. Companies, brands and investors move between both extremes, with millions of dollars at stake. The signs that resist change. In a field that is not very standardized, many of the tactics that best fit generative search are not radically new. Authority, context and editorial clarity remain relevant factors, as does offering useful and verifiable information. Some companies, Semrush explainsthey are fine-tuning formats, summaries or structures to facilitate reading by models, but without breaking with their previous practices. When social context enters the equation. Compared to classic SEO, AI seems to rely more on signals external to the website. According to data analyzed by Profound, recency weighs especially heavily in this type of response. And, according to Semrush, user-generated content is also gaining relevance, from forums to comments on social platforms, which models use as raw material to understand products and brands. That introduces a variable that is difficult for brands to control: the real conversation. It is no longer just about optimizing pages, but about understanding that the collective story also influences what the AI ​​returns. For years an entire industry has been built around a very specific premise: appearing on Google to influence a purchasing decision. SEO specialists, digital marketing agencies, advertising tools and platforms have made a living by optimizing visibility, information and messages that took the user to a store. This system worked because the search acted as an intermediary and referred the potential buyer. If the AI ​​starts responding, recommending and prioritizing or suggesting which link to show to buy, the entire gear is reconfigured. The question is no longer just how to attract visitors, but how to make money when the intermediation changes hands. Images | Google | Austin Distel | 1981 Digital In Xataka | The risk that OpenAI goes bankrupt goes far beyond its future as a company: the entire sector depends on it

Madrid wants to convert its least used Metro line into the “Gran Diagonal”. A 1,000 million project without a clear end

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A line that connects the southwest of Madrid with the northeast of the city. A project to quadruple the extension of Madrid’s least used line with the aim of turning it into one of the city’s great arteries. We are talking about the expansion of line 11 of the Madrid Metro. In 1998, Madrid inaugurated a new Metro line. It had been 20 years since new lines had been launched in the capital and the project ended up being the first of the last major investment in the Madrid Metro that the Autonomous Community has made. until the reforms we are experiencing today. The work attracted attention due to its short length (only three stops at the beginning). Then Metrosur (Line 12) and the Light Metro lines (LM1, LM2 and LM3) would arrive. Except for LM1, all the aforementioned lines were longer than the new Line 11 whose 8.5 kilometers and seven stations were dwarfed by Line 12, with its 28 stations and more than 40 kilometers long. Now, Madrid wants to transform that line and make it one of the main axes of the Madrid underground. The numbers point high. From a “forgotten” line to the Great Diagonal Currently, line 11 of the Madrid Metro is, by far, the least used in the city. According to the company’s own report, there are only three lines that are below it but two of them are branches of main lines that far exceed the flow of line 11. Beyond the numbers on lines 7B and 9B, line 11 and its 10.8 million passengers per year they are located just above the Ópera-Príncipe Pío Branch, which moves 10 million passengers despite only having one stop at origin and another at destination, with a train that is round trip. However, Madrid wants the seven stations that currently make up line 11 to be the embryo of a gigantic line that is beginning to be known as the “Gran Diagonal.” The project, of course, has several phases but some of them are still up in the air and others do not have an execution date, although they do have a budget. Map of the expansion of line 11 At the moment, what is underway is the connection of the Plaza Elíptica station in Carabanchel with the Conde de Casal interchange. This link involves excavating more than six and a half kilometers and the creation of two stations: Comillas and Madrid Río. These will join the Plaza Elíptica station to the south and continue north with stops at the already existing Palos de la Frontera and Atocha, before reaching Conde de Casal. 514 million euros will be allocated for this section and although it was expected to be ready in 2026, everything indicates that the works will not finish until a year later and that It won’t be until 2028 when finally the new link will be available. In order to speed up the works, Madrid already has Mayrit readya tunnel boring machine from Germany that can drill 15 meters a day, compared to the two meters that are excavated a day if working only with a pick and shovel. In Xataka we have already talked of this tunnel boring machine that measures 98 meters long and weighs 1,500 tons. After arriving piece by piece, it has taken almost a whole month to be able to operate with it, since assembling it was quite a puzzle. complete at 27 meters depth. This will be the first section that aims to almost double the extension of line 11 and increase the number of people who pass through its trains by up to 75,000 daily passengers. This first section should become the heart of a line that is clear your future in the south. The expansion at this end plans to link the La Fortuna station with Cuatro Vientos, with just over two kilometers of track and an awarded budget of more than 75 million euros. But, at the moment, there are no execution dates for it. Where more doubts are being generated is in the north of the capital. From Conde de Casal to Mar de Cristal, the city will add its main stops to already built stations, specifically in Vinateros, La Elipa, Pueblo Nuevo and Arturo Soria. But it is from Mar de Cristal where the project, for which 600 million euros will be invested, has been changing. As can be seen in the map above, the project contemplated taking the line to the airport and later to a final stop called Valdebebas Norte. In elDiario.es They assure that Metro de Madrid retains the possibility of building a second station to double the latter. The opening, according 20Minutes It would therefore be staggered, coinciding with the three sections already mentioned. Once completed, Madrid line 11 will become one of the main routes to transport passengers. An approximate extension of 33.5 kilometers is expected (from just over eight kilometers currently) and 20 stations from the mere seven it currently has. All this with an expense of more than 1,100 million euros. Photo | Madrid Metro and Community of Madrid In Xataka | Faced with daily collapses, the Madrid Metro could increase frequencies or put in “pushers.” He has chosen the second

BYD CEO is clear about why the company is losing steam in China

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Wang Chuanfu, president and CEO of BYD, has publicly acknowledged for the first time the reason behind the company’s sales decline in the Chinese market. During an extraordinary shareholders meeting held on December 5 in Shenzhen, the CEO bluntly admitted that the manufacturer has lost the technological advantage that differentiated it from the competition. According to local media, Wang said that they had lost that ‘wow factor’ in the domestic market, in reference to the impact that their innovations previously generated. The underlying problem. The local media China Securities Journal collected the statements of the head of BYD, who stated that the drop responds to two main factors. On the one hand, he admits that BYD’s technological advantage is no longer as pronounced as in previous years, which has reduced the surprise effect of its products in the market. On the other hand, the CEO acknowledged that unresolved practical problems persist, such as the slow charging speed of its vehicles in low temperature environments, a critical aspect for users in certain regions of China. The numbers confirm the trend. In November 2025, BYD sold 480,186 new energy vehiclesthe highest monthly figure of the year, but which represented a decrease of 5.25% compared to the same month in 2024. It is the third consecutive month of year-on-year decline. Domestic sales were particularly weak, at 348,300 units, a drop of 26.81% year-on-year. In contrast, exports exceeded 100,000 units per month for the first time, reaching 131,700an increase of 297% that has become the company’s main growth engine. We have already seen how they have broken into Europe. For BYD and the rest of the Chinese manufacturers, it is important to continue consolidating their foreign business for two main reasons: to continue feeding their factories and to increase their profit margins in the face of a China that seems to live in a constant price war. The competition tightens. Chinese manufacturers such as Geely, Changan and Chery They have intensified their offensive with efficient hybrid and more affordable electric models, eroding their market share. Furthermore, the homogenization of products in the industry has made it difficult for BYD to stand out like before. In September 2025, SAIC Motor even temporarily surpassed BYD in monthly sales, according to they counted from CarNewsChina. BYD’s response. Wang Chuanfu hinted that the company is preparing “heavy technologies” that will be announced soon, although it did not offer details. The CEO stressed that BYD’s strength lies in its team of approximately 120,000 engineers, who will be key to regaining technological leadership. The company plans to intensify its investment in electrification and smart technologies over the next two to three years. Self-criticism included. Wang also made an exercise in self-criticism by admitting that favorable market conditions in previous years generated a certain complacency in the areas of marketing and merchandising, as they point out from CnEVPost. And now what. BYD revised its global sales target for 2025 downward, from 5.5 million vehicles to approximately 4.6 million. Between January and November, the company accumulated 4,182 million units soldwhich represents 90.9% of the adjusted objective and a growth of 11.3% year-on-year. Figures that contrast with the spectacular expansion rates of previous years: 218% in 2021, 209% in 2022, 62% in 2023 and 41% in 2024. Stella Li, its vice president, already warned us during the Xataka Awards gala We will soon have very interesting news from the manufacturer. So we can only wait to see what the firm’s strategy will be to alleviate the effect of competition. In Xataka | The world’s rare earth reserves, laid out in this graph showing the brutal dominance of a single country

direct aid for the purchase of electric cars with doubts to clear up

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New year, new help. That is what the Government has presented with the Auto Plus Plana project that replaces the MOVES III Plan and the discomfort with which the consumer has encountered until now if he wanted to receive aid to buy an electric or plug-in hybrid car. The aid plan is part of the Spain Auto 2030 Plana broader and more ambitious project in which 300 million euros in aid are also contemplated to promote the installation of charging points and the confirmation that another 580 million euros will be available to launch industrial activities with the PERTE VEC designed to promote the production of vehicles and automotive-related components in our country. Regarding aid, the Government will make up to 400 million euros available to buyers starting next January 1, 2026. It will do so with direct intervention in them, so this time the budget will not go through the Autonomous Communities, one of the main criticisms that consumers and manufacturers have been making for some time. What can we expect from the new Auto Plus Plan With almost two years of delay, it seems that we finally have a date for the electric car buyer in Spain to receive a discount just at the time of formalizing the purchase of the vehicle. And it is that in February 2024the Government committed to having this new deal available in the next aid package to be approved. In December of that year, without reaching an agreement, the Executive confirmed that MOVES III Plan funds were expanded with the same conditions as until now. In January 2025 the scare came: the omnibus decree that contemplated aid fell and the funds with him. days later would be reactivated with a new vote in the Congress of Deputies. Now, the Government assures that from January 1, 2026buyers of an electric car will have the funds available at the time of purchase. That is, at the promotional price they can discount the help they should receive for buying an electric or plug-in hybrid car. The presentation has not mentioned what the discounts will be, which, until now, are the following: Electric cars and plug-in hybrids with 90 or more kilometers of autonomy: 4,500 euros guaranteed discount and an additional 2,500 euros if a car that is more than seven years old is scrapped. Plug-in hybrid cars with more than 30 and less than 90 kilometers of autonomy: 2,500 euros guaranteed discount and an additional 2,500 euros if a car that is more than seven years old is scrapped. It has also not been confirmed if these aids will be available for kilometer 0 and pre-owned cars, a modification that applies from 2023. Or the price ceiling to which these aids are applied, which, until now, has been 45,000 euros before the application of VAT. What is certain is that the funds will not be transferred to the Autonomous Communities, such as It had been happening with the successive MOVES Plan. In that case, each region received some funds, which caused a buyer to find that their Autonomous Community lacked them and in other cases there was availability. But, also, bureaucratic obstacles are eliminated that required documentation to be presented in each region in a different way (in some areas it was mandatory for the beneficiary to present it and in others it was allowed for the concessionaire to manage it). Likewise, waiting times to receive aid should be completely eliminated, in some cases reaching 18 months and which have taken manufacturers to advance aid to the buyer with credits of up to 7,000 euros at 0% that had to be returned as part of a last installment or an intermediate installment after 18 months. Photo | European Union on Wikimedia In Xataka | An electric car is 54% cheaper to maintain than a combustion car. And it may not compensate because the data has a trick

Porsche is approaching a turning point in its history with the electric 718. And they are very clear on who to look at: Hyundai

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In September 2019, Porsche finally presented the Taycanits first fully electric car. Well, we should better say something like “the first electric car of the modern era of Porsche“Be that as it may, the truth is that the car was a meteorite in the sports car industry. With the Porsche Taycan, the Germans had a statement of intent on their hands. With him they showed that their pulse was not going to tremble with that launch an electric car on the market no matter how much tradition and history it had behind it. Furthermore, they showed that they were one step ahead of the competition. With that electric car they could achieve scandalous figures… and dizzying sensations. Although we could expect modest sales, the truth is that the car achieved the embrace of the public and a very high volume of purchases. The cruising pace encouraged the company to think that yes, they had a market to exploit. Together with the strategy of a business group that is governed by European emissions regulations, it seemed clear that the majority of Porsche cars They would end up being electric sooner or later. The question is whether the Porsche Taycan distorted the strategy to be followed. The great success of a flagship model, exotic and far ahead of the rest of the market, did not have to anticipate a generalized embrace of this technology in all the company’s cars. The electric Porsche Macan, that once offered a V6 in one of the brand’s entry cars, it seems a good example of how not all Porsche customers are the same. Because a good part of the customers who opted for the Macan wanted to get closer to the sensations typical of Porsche at the price their pocketbook allows. These sensations have to do, in part, with that V6 heart that we mentioned before. And it is even more pronounced among those looking for a Porsche 718. While the Porsche Macan can be understood as a gateway to the brand, the Porsche 718 is understood as a gateway to “the Porsche experience”. Their customers don’t just want a Porsche, they want to enjoy the sensations that a central engine provides and the sound of a boxer engine. The latter is something that cannot be matched with an electric car, but the brand is convinced that it can simulate or equal the rest of the incentives that the Porsche 718 currently offers. And to achieve this they have looked to Hyundai. Hyundai as a reference Unlike most brands, which have limited themselves to jumping into electric cars by offering more and more powerful versions, Hyundai has done in-depth work with its cars to offer a truly passionate electric car. Or, at least, they have made an attempt to achieve it, which is much more than most brands. This strategy is part of the Hyundai Ioniq 5N. The first “electric N” was already born with a clear sporting vocation. Not only because of the jet of its 650 HP of poweralso for the sound of its soundtrack and a careful simulation of gear changes. The result has been so good that Porsche itself recognizes that the sports car has inspired them in the development of its next electric Porsche 718. a car that should simulate the sensations of a central engine placing the batteries behind the driver and thus shift the weight balance of the car to resemble what it now feels like with a mid-engine combustion engine. But the German company needs to put other incentives on the table. To questions from the Australian media DriveFrank Moser, responsible for the 718 and 911 ranges, has made clear the influence of the South Korean model. “We have learned a lot (talking about the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N). I have driven it several times. They have done it very, very well.” In his statements, Moser assures that the car was “developer”. He says that in one of these tests he notified Andreas Preuninger, responsible for the most radical area of ​​his sports cars, that he would come to pick him up at the controls of the South Korean car. Preuninger’s response was not encouraging, “leave me alone, I don’t want to see any of that.” However, he says that when he pressed the button that unleashes all the power and sportiness of the Ioniq 5 N, his partner was clearly surprised. One of the aspects that most surprised the Germans was the simulation of the sound and the gear change. Hyundai has done a great campaign highlighting the latter since it incorporates a mode that turns the vehicle into a sequential shift car. The idea is that despite being electric, the car does not always have the same thrust, taking away part of the torque that is available in the rev range in which it would supposedly be working. Toyota seems to be working on something similar and Honda incorporates the same mode into the new Prelude. In the absence of testing these innovations, what is certain is that Hyundai’s simulated gear change has received good reviews. In Top Gear They defined it as “quite funny.” “My more cynical disposition wanted to laugh at the Ioniq 5 N and its disguised gearbox. I wanted to say it was stupid and sad, and a waste of time. But in all honesty, I enjoyed it. Me impressed. It’s there if you want it. If you don’t, choose one of the quiet driving modes,” Ollie Kew noted in his article. Photo | Hyundai and Porsche In Xataka | China has turned the electric car market into a crazy race. And Porsche pays for it with billion-dollar losses

Matt Kiatipis is the viral street basketball sensation. What no one is clear about is if it is really basketball

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If you are interested in sports content on social networks, it is very possible that your algorithmic paths have crossed at some point with Matt Kiatipisbetter known as MK, a street basketball player who is injecting an aggressiveness into his videos that many see it as the antithesis of the sporting spirit. We delve into the phenomenon and what it contributes to the abundant content of this type on social networks. Who is MK? Matt Kiatipis accumulates 3 million followers on TikTokwhere matches are recorded basketballusually one on one (although not exclusively) where extreme physical contact is the norm. This content creator, calling himself “1V1 KING”, has turned street confrontations into a viral spectacle that divide opinions: while some defend the authenticity of the streetball more aggressive, others claim that their videos they glorify conflict and they betray the fundamentals of basketball. How it works. Kiatipis follows a formula: one-on-one confrontations on street courts around the world, from Toronto to Greece, passing through Brazil, Italy or Spain, where it has been recently. In them, intense physical contact is combined with aggressive verbal disrespect towards opponents. His videos, which have amassed 120 million likes, show pushing, elbowing and body defenses that would rarely be allowed in regulated basketball games. The moneys. The Canadian has converted this format in a complete business: training program, merchandising themed by country, sponsorships from brands like YoungLA and AirVert… And the project ISOa match league with global franchise aspirations. And all embedded in an amazingly familiar business model (brother records, father edits, sister manages networks) that allows him to maintain total control over his image. Is this basketball? The division is sharp. Critics point out that Kiatipis’ videos normalize unsportsmanlike behavior: constant pushing, defensive grabbing, elbowing without penalty, and use of the body that in the NBA would constitute an immediate personal foul. According to the Spanish Basketball Federation, physical contact that disadvantages the player with the ball is punishable, but in streetball The rules vary from court to court. Street basketball has historically operated under unwritten codes where each player calls his own fouls. MK’s defenders argue precisely that: that it respects the tradition of streetball more physical, where spectacle and authenticity matter more than the regulations. The debate transcends sports and asks what “real basketball” means in the era of immediate content, where attention needs to be continually drawn. The streetball phenomenon. MK’s appeal has deep roots in American urban basketball culture. Mythical fields like Rucker Park in Harlem (where stars such as Julius Erving or Kevin Durant once played) or Venice Beach in Los Angeles established in the seventies the cult of individual spectacle, one-on-one duels and the absence of referees. But it was the phenomenon of the sports footwear and equipment brand AND1 (1998-2008) who turned violent streetball into a television business: as a sponsorship, street players like “Hot Sauce” and “The Professor” toured the United States challenging local players in matches that were broadcast on ESPN. The mixtapes with the meetings sold more than 200,000 copies in three weeks. But even then detractors emerged. Critics at the time already warned that AND1 “polluted the purity of the game.” The difference with Kiatipis lies in the platform: where AND1 needed ESPN to reach its audience, MK only requires TikTok. Now aggressiveness and testosterone are not only on the surface, but also within the reach of millions of followers. In Xataka | Michael Jordan’s mansion was so luxurious that no one could buy it. After 12 years it has found a mysterious buyer

If the question is how to keep an empire together, the ancient Wari were clear: with psychedelic beer

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Archaeologists have found a key to better understand the Waria pre-Inca civilization that flourished among the 6th and 11th centuries AD and expanded throughout much of what is now Peru and areas of Argentina and Chile. The most curious thing is that the findings do not tell us about its architecture, military practices, social structure or economy, but about something apparently much simpler but crucial for the prosperity of the empire: the love of its bosses for psychedelic beer. Psychedelic beer? Exact. The concept is not new. We know that thousands of years ago The Egyptians already made cocktails with wine and hallucinogens (among other ingredients) and the hobby of the cultures pre-Inca cultures by psychoactive plants or the use of psychotropic substances in pre-Columbian Mesoamerican societies. The curious thing about the Wari is not so much what drugs they used but who did it and (above all) why. Its use would not be limited to priests in rituals, but would be used for political purposes. “We see this type of hallucinogen use as a different context than previous civilizations, which seem to have jealously reserved the use of hallucinogens for a select few, or the late Inca Empire that emphasized mass consumption of beer but did not use psychotropic substances such as vilca,” explains Professor Matthew Biwerwho in 2022 already published with other colleagues a study on the subject based on excavations in Quilcapampa (Peru). What did they consume? A mixture of chicha and vilca. To be more precise, an alcoholic drink made from the berries of the plant. Schinus molle and a psychedelic called Anadenanthera colubrina. Archaeologists are aware for a long time that the consumption of this last substance (vilca) dates back to at least 4,000 years ago, especially through pipes or inhaled such as monkfish. This is suggested by remains located in the Inca Cave, an Argentine site. In the Wari site of Quilcapampa, however, archaeologists have found vilca seeds near remains of chicha made with Schinus mollewhich leads them to think that the Wari not only consumed it with the help of pipes, but that they mixed it with chicha to drink it in psychedelic cocktails. Why is it important? Among other things, these concoctions served Wari leaders to show their power. By offering the mixture to their guests they were not only showing off their hospitality, they were also offering a luxury that was not available to everyone. Archaeologists located remains of vilca in Quilcampampa, but in reality the plant grows at hundreds of kilometers from there, in Ayacucho and Cusco. “The Wari added vilca to chicha to impress guests at their feasts, who could not repeat the experience. This created a relationship of debt between the Wari and their guests, probably from the surrounding region,” pointed out Professor Matthew Biwer years ago, when he published his first research. Was it useful for something else? Yes. And that’s what’s really interesting about a new study Posted by Jacob Keer and Justin Jennings in Magazine of American Archeologywhere they focus on another function of the psychedelic concoction based on chicha and vilca. According to their analysis, the cocktail helped the Wari leaders to consolidate their power. As? Organizing communal celebrations in which drinks were offered, fraternization feasts that were held in almost closed patios. “Except for a small patch of sky, they were isolated from the rest of the world in a high-walled interior space,” they relate researchers in your article. “This was the place where they spent hours together, drinking, eating, talking and praying. The hours that the participants spent together must have represented an unforgettable collective experience that forged strong bonds between those who attended.” What was it for? To strengthen ties. These feasts served Wari leaders to force alliances and consolidate their power. And not only because of the staging. Researchers have studied the effects that the psychedelic concoction may have had on attendees, increasing their empathy, facilitating the creation of long-term bonds and smoothing out rough edges in an expanding empire. “Although archaeologists are paying increasing attention to the role of psychedelics in past societies, they devote little time to their long-term psychological effects. One of these effects is neuroplasticity, which can lead to long-lasting prosocial feelings,” the study points outwhich highlights that the “glow” after consuming vilca (an effect that lasted for days) could help unify communities, “playing a fundamental role in the Wari government.” The combination of vilca and beer would in fact help to partially reduce the psychedelic effects, but prolong them over time. Do you all agree? The researchers suggest that people who consumed the psychedelic cocktail showed “greater openness and empathy”, an advantageous attitude in an empire in which “people who had been strangers or even enemies” coexisted. However, not everyone sees it equally clearly. Live Science recently interviewed to several experts, outside the study, who do not hide their skepticism. Among other reasons because they do not see enough evidence that the Wari mixed vilca and beer. It is true that remains were found nearby and there was no trace of pipes or any other indication that the vilca was consumed in the traditional way, but they are missing overwhelming evidence, such as ceramic fragments that preserve both compounds. Images | Wikipedia In Xataka | The Incas did not need writing to forge an empire. And we are closer to solving the key object in your organization

The DGT is clear that the future is the V-16 beacon… or the V-16 beacon

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On January 1, 2026 comes one of the most profound changes that Traffic regulations have experienced in our country in recent years. In just over a month, the way of signaling a breakdown or accident will completely change on our roads with the V-16 beacons connected. A system that has raised controversy but about which Traffic already warns: there is no turning back. “It is clear”. Nor will there be any extension. This is what Pere Navarro, director of the DGT, has warned about in the presentation of the Dekra 2025 Road Safety Report at the Mapfre Foundation headquarters, as stated Hybrids and Electrics. Regarding the possibility of not taking them, Navarro has assured that “there are no excuses or extensions. It is clear to everyone, right?” At that same event, the director of the DGT also recalled that the decision has been approved since 2021 and that this change should not catch anyone by surprise. 2021… The truth is that Navarro is not telling the whole truth when he assures that the exclusive use of the V-16 beacon was approved in 2021. In practice, this is the case and, in fact, it is already This possibility was discussed in 2020 when it was rumored that it would be mandatory a little earlier, in 2024. But Navarro’s statement is a half-truth. Because at the time we did not know that, in the end, the only approved lights would be those that can be connected with DGT 3.0. That regulatory change came in 2023. Now everyone who bought a beacon at that time has to spend the money again because your device is not valid. The reasons. For this change, the DGT has been arguing for years that putting triangles on the road is too dangerous. On the contrary, they have defended the use of the beacon by emphasizing the possibility of installing it on the roof of the car without having to leave the vehicle, just by sticking your arm out the window. To reaffirm this, Tráfico defends that on average Around 20 people were dying a year “after getting out of the vehicle” on the road. However, their data does not specify whether this refers to opening the door and getting out of the car, for example, or if the accident occurred when installing the triangles. It must be remembered that installing the beacon does not exempt passengers from standing outside the car. From 2023this operation must be carried out if there is a place away from traffic where you can wait for the emergency services. If it does not exist, that is when the passenger has to wait inside the car with the seat belt fastened. They do not convince. At least to some associations and road safety experts. To questions from Xatakathe Unified Association of Civil Guards (AUGC) assured that dangerous situations had already occurred with the use of the V-16 beacon as the only warning element on the road. José Lagunar, road safety expert at Auto FM shared concerns, pointing out similar reasons in both cases. The main fears of critics with the measure are related to the low visibility of the device in daytime conditions but also to the duration of 30 minutes (minimum required by the DGT) that the device must be in operation, pointing out that if the arrival of emergencies or a tow truck takes longer than expected we will be sold out on the road, without the possibility of using any other device. And they can fine you. Both for ignoring the beacon and for not carrying it in the glove compartment of the car or, directly, putting in the emergency triangles. In any of these cases, an agent could fine us at least 80 euros (it is considered a minor infraction) for not wearing the appropriate equipment to mark an obstacle on the road or not marking it correctly. Despite everything, the AUGC recommended continue carrying the triangles in the car (something that is not a reason for a fine). The experts consulted by Xataka They remind us of the importance of being able to warn of a breakdown where the connected V-16 beacon is not effective, such as on a secondary road where changes in grade or sharp curves are more common. Photo | DGT In Xataka | The “made in China” business of the DGT’s V-16 beacons: homologating the same product 24 times and selling it under different brands

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