complex

Microsoft wants Copilot to do more complex tasks. To achieve this, it has turned to Anthropic AI

by

For a long time, when we talked about artificial intelligence at Microsoft, there was one name that came up again and again: OpenAI. The relationship between both companies was decisive for the takeoff of ChatGPT and also for the launch of Copilot. But the AI ​​board is moving quickly. New models, new players and increasingly intense competition are pushing large technology companies to diversify their bets. In that context, Microsoft’s latest move is understood. The advertisement. Microsoft has decided to integrate Anthropic technology within Copilot, the assistant that is already part of tools such as Outlook, Teams or Excel within Microsoft 365. Among the new features is coworka tool based on Anthropic technology aimed at facilitating tasks within the work environment. But that’s not all: Claude’s models will also be available within the Copilot chatbot alongside the more advanced OpenAI models, thus expanding the capabilities of the assistant without depending on a single artificial intelligence provider. From asking for something to delegating work. Microsoft explains that Cowork is designed to go a step beyond the classic model of an assistant who answers questions or writes texts. The idea is that Copilot can take care of entire tasks within Microsoft 365. When the user makes a request, the system converts it into a work plan that runs in the background. To do this, it uses data from Outlook, Teams or Excel. From there, in theory, you propose actions, ask for clarification if needed, and allow the user to review or approve each step before the changes are applied. Some examples. Let’s imagine, for example, that we ask Copilot to review our agenda in Outlook. The system could analyze the calendar, detect conflicts between meetings and identify lower priority meetings. From there I would propose different adjustments, such as rescheduling some appointments or reserving blocks of time to focus on more important tasks. Once those suggestions are reviewed and approved, the system itself could apply the changes automatically, accepting, rejecting or rescheduling meetings and reserving blocks of time to focus on other tasks. The strategy. As we noted above, the move also reflects how Microsoft’s AI strategy is changing. The company has maintained a very close relationship with OpenAI for years and continues to be one of its largest shareholders, with a stake close to 27% after investments of around $13 billion since 2019. However, the rise of new models and the rapid evolution of the sector are pushing large technology companies to not depend on a single technology. Incorporating Anthropic tools within Copilot points precisely in that direction: building an ecosystem capable of relying on different models depending on the task. Platforms before models. What we are seeing with decisions like this is that the race for AI is not limited to developing increasingly advanced models. It’s also about deciding where those capabilities are going to live. In the case of Microsoft, the answer seems quite broad: The company has been integrating Copilot into more and more products and services in its ecosystem (and also external ones). For some users, this constant presence can be very useful; For others it can be somewhat invasive. But beyond these perceptions, the movement clearly shows Microsoft’s strategy. On the whole. So this is not just about adding another technology within Copilot, but rather reinforcing the idea that Microsoft wants to turn this assistant into a meeting point for different AI capabilities within its software. Incorporating Anthropic models alongside those of OpenAI points precisely to that scenario. Rather than relying on a single technology, the company appears to be laying the groundwork for a Copilot capable of combining different solutions as the AI ​​market continues to evolve. Images | Microsoft In Xataka | The best and worst of the Internet we know has been built on anonymity. AI brings bad news

We have been talking about “day 996” in Chinese companies for years. The reality is more complex: “day 323”

by

In China there are more than 1.4 billion people and nearly a quarter of its active population works in the public sector, a work universe so enormous that any generalization usually falls short. Thus, between global topics and everyday realities, the distance may be greater than it seems. The myth exported from 996. It we have counted on more than one occasion, but just because something is repeated many times does not mean that it is the norm. We have been hearing for so long that China applies infamous day 996 (working from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, six days a week), that the concept itself has ended up becoming a symbol of a supposed superhuman work ethic, although in its origin it was a criticism to an abusive model within the technology sector and never a general rule. On paper, Chinese law sets weeks five days and 40 hoursalthough its application is irregular and the official unions lack real power, and although there are sectors such as migrant work or the platform economy where the hours are hard and the scarce rights. In any case, they said in a Foreign Policy report that 996 has prospered in the West because fits the fear It calls for China to “work harder” and surpass its rivals, but that narrative simplifies to the point of dehumanizing those 1.4 billion people. Furthermore, it hides a much more diverse reality. The inheritance of work as ideology. The truth is that Chinese work culture was not born with the technologies of Shenzhen, but with a tradition marked by Maoism and heritage. of Soviet Stakhanovismone where productive sacrifice was glorified and consolidated the social weight of the danwei or work unit. In that sense, he remembered the analyst James Palmer that was not until 1995 when the two-day weekend was formalized, and for decades employment was not only a source of income, but also the core of identity, housing and social network. that past explains the coexistence of intense practices with other deeply bureaucratic ones, where political obedience and compliance with quotas weigh as much as real efficiency. The silent reality of 323. As we said at the beginning, beyond from the myth of 996a significant part of Chinese employment (around 23% of the active population) is concentrated in the public sector, where an informal pattern predominates summarize as 323: three hours of work in the morning, a break of two or even three hours to eat and napand another three hours in the afternoon. That long interruption is, in fact, almost sacred and has withstood reform attemptswith offices that dim lights or enable spaces to rest, in a routine that surprises those who expect constant hyperproductivity. The pace can be lax in quiet times and frenetic at the end of the year to meet administrative objectives, often accompanied by creative accounting adjustments. Bureaucracy, patronage and ghost jobs. They recalled in FP that 323 coexists with less visible practices such as fictitious jobs granted by patronage, from positions where hardly any work is done to positions “without presence” that serve to reward loyalty or avoid formal requirements. In that environment, flexibility and frustration coexist: an office may close during a long break, but also show leniency in the face of formal delays. And when the political leadership hardens the toneas happened with the anti-corruption campaign started in 2013 or with extraordinary demands such as imposed on teachers to register vaccinations in 2022, the intensity increases and many of the amenities temporarily disappear. Mandatory socialization and discipline. Furthermore, it must be taken into account that official work life includes banquets, toast and collective meetings that reinforce hierarchies and informal networks, rituals that can become a burden rather than a privilege and that were briefly contents by disciplinary campaigns before eventually returning. That sway between everyday laxity and political pressure explains why 323 makes sense within the system: it does not respond to an ethic of leisure, but to an administration that alternates phases of low demand with bursts of mobilization. Put clearly: in front of the story simplistic 996reality is more contradictory and less hyperbolic, a fragmented work culture where the working day depends as much on the sector and the political climate as on individual will. Image | International Labor Organization ILO In Xataka | China promised them very happy with day 996. Until they realized that it was a shot in the foot In Xataka | China became famous for its eternal work hours. The solution has been to throw the employees out on time.

Mobile software has become so complex that Samsung has had to add an AI to explain it to you

by

There’s a feature in One UI 8.5 that says more than it seems. It’s called, in Samsung’s internal nomenclature, ‘voice settings assistant’: you ask the phone why the screen doesn’t turn off, and it explains which setting is causing it. You ask it why the volume goes down on its own, and it tells you where the setting is that controls it. In it briefing of the Galaxy S26 They mentioned it almost in passing, as a nice detail among bigger and more important news such as the 3 AIs in 1, or the spectacular screen and its privacy mode. But this also deserves some attention. For years, learning to use a cell phone was part of the deal. You scanned the menus, memorized where things were, got used to their quirks, and cursed when you changed brands and couldn’t find anything. The instruction manual disappeared many years ago because it was assumed that phones were already intuitive enough not to need it. And for a while, they have been. The problem is that phones have not stopped growing. Every generation, and I’m looking at both iOS and Android, adds settings, modes, features, and layers of customization. One UI 8.5 brings, in the AI ​​section alone, more than a dozen new functions. The Christmas tree effect: We accumulate things without getting rid of the previous ones and we end up with an unruly mammoth. The operating system of a modern mobile phone has thousands of options spread out in menus that are sometimes where you would expect and sometimes not. And when something behaves unexpectedly, finding the reason can take several minutes of searching or a simple query to Google. Or ChatGPT. Samsung has decided that the solution to this complexity is not to simplify, but add a layer to help you navigate it. The mobile phone no longer expects you to understand it: it explains how it works if you ask it. It is a pragmatic move. Manufacturers have been in a race for years to add functions that justify the annual update, and retracing that path would mean cutting features that some users do use. So the solution is not to remove, but to translate. An AI that acts as a guide within the device itself. Google already has similar functions in pure Android and the Siri that the prophets promised maybe one day it will come. What Samsung does with One UI 8.5 is go a step further: it not only takes you to the setting, but explains why that setting is affecting the behavior that misses you. It’s the difference between giving you directions and explaining the map to you. The question that remains is how far this goes. If the phone needs an AI to explain itself, The next logical step is for that AI to start making decisions for you.: not only explain why the screen does not turn off, but also turn it off when it detects that you are not using it. Some of the agentic upgrades that Samsung has presented in the S26 are already going in that direction. The cell phone that asks you what you want to do and the cell phone that deduces what you want to do are closer than they seem. In Xataka | Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, S26+ and S26, first impressions: a broken heart in an unprecedented commitment to AI Featured image | Xataka

An alliance between Ford and Geely sounds like melodic music for Almussafes. The reality is much more complex

by

Ford is looking for a Chinese car. Reason: here. This is the sign that could hang on the door of the Ford factory in Almussafes (Valencia). The American company is looking for partners in China to produce electric cars and Geely seems to be one of the best positioned brands. Nor is it the first that has raised rumors about possible collaborations with the American brand, which, in addition, is already linked to Volkswagen or Renault. But what does Almussafes have to do with all this? Ford and Geely. The last brand with which Ford has been related in recent days has been with Geely. According to Reuters, Ford and Geely, Chinese group that owns Volvo, Polestar or Smart, among othersare holding talks to produce cars in Europe in one of the spaces that the company has on our continent. In addition, collaboration is being studied for the development of shared technologies such as autonomous driving. In Reuters They point to two sources who were aware of this information and the company has not denied that this is happening. “We have conversations with many companies about many things. Some are fruitful and others are not,” the Americans assure the news agency. For its part, Geely has not commented. Ford moves. It is not the first time that the company has been related to a Chinese company. On this occasion, it is said that negotiations have been underway for months and that Ford would have sent workers to the Asian country to advance a hypothetical agreement. Coincidence or not, Jim Farley has been traveling in China recently and He has been complimenting Chinese manufacturers for a long time. One of those companies that he has complimented and with which it has also been related It’s Xiaomi. Farley himself took a Xiaomi SU7 to the United States and has not failed to point out all the good things this product does. The collaboration agreement, it seems evident, would be for Europe since Chinese cars have an almost impossible future in the United States as a consequence of the Government’s own veto. Why Geely? The conversations with Geely seem to have much more substance than the possible collaborations with Xiaomi. The automobile conglomerate has brands that are not unknown to the European public (Volvo, Lotus, Smart…) whose electric cars do not have to break that barrier of entry into the European collective imagination as a “Chinese car.” However, Geely has a problem: they pay a lot of tariffs. As many as 37.6% after The European Union will withdraw in 2024 to try to protect an industry that was threatened by cheaper electric cars. Since then, the impact of the Chinese car has been limited to the lowest priced units. And it doesn’t seem like it’s going to change whether the negotiations between the European Union and China They still don’t get ahead. Collaborating with Ford and using the company’s facilities would allow Geely to produce electric cars without going through the checkout. And although labor costs are higher than the Chinese, they would not have to build new facilities because they would take advantage of those that the company has already built. Almussafes? In the information of Reuters It is assured that “Ford’s plant in Valencia would probably be the factory involved in these talks, said a person familiar with the matter.” However, some details must be taken into account. The factory is running right now at half throttlewith a Ford Kuga that is facing its last days on the market and that is not going to be renewed. The promise is to produce a multi-energy vehicle small size until 2028 when an electric car should arrive. To do this, the plant would need a deep reconversion that Ford is reluctant to carry out because North Americans are obtaining very low sales with their electric cars. A solution, therefore, would be to reach an agreement with Geely so that the Chinese company would take advantage of these facilities by making the appropriate conversions. The only doubt is that, right now, the plan is to produce a small model with a combustion engine. Electrifying space can put in check this multi-energy car that Ford should start producing soon. For now, the newspaper Levant reports that the brand will send a Ford delegation in the coming days to speak with those responsible for the factory. Ford’s mess with the electric car. Little by little, Ford has been falling into a small hole with the electric car which has a complicated solution. The brand has decided that its future lies in two clearly differentiated family lines: one made by themselveswith the Ford seal as quality and names clearly differentiated from the rest of the range (Mustang or Bronco) and lower cost cars manufactured by third parties. Europe is heading towards a future where the electric car seems the only solution. Until now, Ford’s investments have fallen on deaf ears and that is why it has reached a agreement with Volkswagen which has borne fruit electric Ford Explorer and the Ford Capri. And it has also signed an agreement with Renault so that the French can produce them in France. a sort of Renault 5 and Renault 4 with the blue oval. Ford promises that the cars will have their own American essence. At the same time, Ford focuses its own models on high-priced combustion or electric vehicles, such as the Mustang Mach-E. This allows them to achieve higher profit margins and bring combustion models to Europe in dribs and drabs whose high price justifies the increase in the final volume of emissions to be presented to regulators. What are the exits? At the moment, the first information points to different exits in the event that the negotiations between Ford and Geely come to fruition. First, it must be taken into account that what Geely may be most interested in is a car factory capable of producing electric vehicles as quickly as possible. Ford has a … Read more

The complex science behind nose-to-nose contact in the animal kingdom

by

The kiss for humans is undoubtedly a summit of human romanticism or the closeness between two people, and when we focus on the animal world and see them doing our ‘Eskimo kiss’ by bringing their noses together, we believe that they also they are romanizing. But the reality is that touching noses mutually is not just a sign of affection, but a high-speed data transfer. What has been seen. A new scientific review published in 2026 in Evolution and Human Behavior has brought order to decades of scattered observations of this type of communication. Their conclusion is quite clear: from bats to pigs and rats, nose-to-nose contact is one of nature’s most sophisticated communication tools. And yes, our human kiss could simply be a version 2.0 of this ancient biological mechanism. The second olfactory system. To understand why animals rub their noses, you first have to understand that most mammals smell the world in stereo, but with two different systems. The first of these is the main olfactory system that detects volatile odors such as the smell of rain. But the second goes much further, since is centered on the vomeronasal system (VMO)which is a structure specialized in detect pheromones and non-volatile substances. Its importance. This second olfactory system is the one that interests us in this case, since the signals captured by this organ do not pass through the usual filters of rational thought; They rapidly project to the amygdala and hypothalamus, the command centers for emotion, aggression, and sexual behavior. This way, when two beavers they bump their noses, they are not “greeting” each other politely; you are injecting pure chemical information about your hormonal status and health directly into your limbic system. The language of noses. The touch of two noses has many more functions than a simple sign of affection, and depending on the species, a touch of the nose can be a sentence of submission or a medical check-up. In the case of rats, nose-to-nose contact is a political tool. The queen uses intense nudging and nose contact not to demonstrate love, but to exert dominance and reproductive suppression. It’s their way of chemically reminding subordinates who’s boss and inhibiting their ability to reproduce. The success of the pigs. In livestock farming and applied ethology, nasal contact between piglets is a performance metric. The studies cited by Rasmussen show a direct correlation: a greater frequency of nasal contacts is associated with greater weight gain and survival. This makes contact function as a social cohesion mechanism that reduces stress and improves the well-being of the group. The hedgehog accident. Although we may think that all contacts are social, in solitary animals such as the European hedgehog it has been documented that many of these encounters are accidental collisions. Basically, since they have very poor vision, they approach each other olfactorily until they collide. What is interesting is what happens next in cats and other small mammals: sudden immobility. The animal “hangs” momentarily processing the chemical sensory overload it has just received. The modern kiss. Although we do something similar with kisses, even with Eskimo kisses, the truth is that we have lost a large part of the functionality of the vomeronasal organ. But it is true that we maintain the behavior. A study carried out in 2023 published in Science dismantled the myth that the kiss is a recent invention, since it was already seen in Mesopotamia and Egypt that The lip-to-lip kiss existed 4,500 years ago. Its meaning. Anthropologists suggest that behaviors such as hongi Maori, the honi Hawaiian or the misnamed “Eskimo kiss” (kunik) of the Inuit are the missing links. In these practices, the goal is not the touch of lips, but rather the sharing of breath and smell in intimate proximity. The human kiss, with all its cultural load, could be an evolutionary remnant of that biological need to get close enough so that our brains could chemically “read” each other. What for a bat is an identity recognition, For us it has become a sign of intimacy, but the underlying hardware has a common origin: the need to communicate what cannot be said with words (or with grunts). Images | Simon Hurry In Xataka | It seemed like a hidden risk for celiac sufferers, but post-pizza kisses do not worry science

No, China has not turned off the tap on batteries for electric cars. The reality is much more complex

by

China is, to the electric car, the child who arrives with the ball after having a snack. He is, in fact, the boy who has the ball, a regulation soccer field at home and lets in whoever he wants when he wants the most. Or that’s what we might think if we take into account its leadership in the supply chain, access to rare earths and battery production. The last step is to maintain greater control over lithium and, in the future, solid-state batteries. But to what extent is it true? The latest. A few days ago, China announced important changes when it comes to its exports. Among them, he confirmed that he was going to monitor the licenses that allow the export of vehicleswhich was understood as a way to prevent manufacturers without experience or infrastructure in the destinations from selling cars that they later cannot service. In the same way, has announced restrictions to the export of rare earths. My colleague Javi Márquez explained that “the country will be able to decide what is exported, to whom and for what purposes, under national security criteria. Applications for military purposes will bein principle, denied, while those related to semiconductors or artificial intelligence will be examined on a case-by-case basis. The last movement is related to the exports of batteries for electric cars and the music points to a similar melody. Starting November 8, licenses will be issued to export lithium batteries and graphite anode material compounds. Once again, it points to issues of national security and response to protectionist policies in USA and Europe. No batteries or equipment. With these new licenses, China will control both the finished product that is intended to be exported abroad and the equipment necessary to produce these compounds outside its borders. In summary, the following is controlled: Lithium batteries, cells and battery packs with a density greater than 300 Wh/kg. The equipment and technology to produce the above items. Iron phosphate and lithium needed to produce cathode materials. Also nickel-cobalt-manganese hydroxide and nickel-cobalt-aluminum hydroxide and lithium-rich manganese-based cathode materials. The equipment to produce all these compounds. Graphite anode materials The equipment necessary to produce them. The reaction? Numerous experts They have emphasized that these new licenses have the true objective of reducing and limiting exports to stop the advance of Chinese competitors in the electric car industry. Investors have understood the same and in Reuters They reflected the consequent fall in the stock market of giant battery producers such as CATL but also of vehicle manufacturers such as BYD. In South China Morning Post They also mentioned China’s intention to maintain its leadership in the electric car market. Putting the magnifying glass. But is it true that China is doing everything it can to torpedo its rivals? According to the International Energy AgencyChina manufactures three out of every four batteries for electric cars. However, the limitation of a density greater than 300 Wh/kg is not coincidental. Walter Zhang, senior analyst at Fastmarkets, points out that batteries for electric cars are really not in danger. “The policy ensures that the export and sales of NCM (230-280 Wh per kg) and LFP (160-210 Wh per kg) batteries for electric car application are not affected,” explains in this article. And he points to another point of view: “the measures may be more aimed at restricting smaller companies from entering into technology exchange agreements with Western partners.” Module and pack production equipment is not under this new regulation either, so It won’t impact that much either. in production abroad. So? If the majority of electric car batteries are not affected, what is the point of these restrictions? Everything indicates that there are two ultimate intentions when it comes to lifting this tighter control over the batteries. The first is to increase control over the export of batteries that can be used in military vehicles. In an increasingly tense international context, the State is guaranteed to have greater knowledge of who wants and can export but also in what quantities and for whom. The second thing is that as investments in research bear fruit, the next step should be the production of denser batteries. Batteries that would store more energy in less space. And there, the solid state batteries they are projecting themselves as the great leap in quality in the electric car market. Solid State Batteries. Solid-state batteries promise to be the definitive big leap for the electric car. With them, the manufacturers claim, an electric car will be able to travel more than 1,000 kilometers between recharges. They are also more powerful, safer and will suffer less degradation caused by charging cycles. Nothing sounds bad except that producing them is, at the moment, extremely expensive. Both companies and Toyota has already been lowering its expectations pointing out that it will be a type of compound that can only be included in vehicles with a very high price range. Again, ahead. And although Toyota says it has made progress in these compounds, Nissan has been researching them for years and Mercedes says it already has one (which obviously cannot scale) it seems that Chinese manufacturers once again have the lead. MG assures be very close to mass producing them. BYD too ensures that it can put them on the market in the short term. And beyond the promises, NIO has demonstrated that its semi-solid state battery (a previous step before reaching these energy accumulators) can travel a thousand kilometers without stopping to recharge. China controls the supply chain of the materials to produce these batteries but also the equipment that can produce these compounds. It seems that the measure is aimed at putting obstacles in the way of mass production of an innovation that can change the automobile market. free way. As we have seen, control over exports opens the door to selling current batteries for electric cars outside the country. It makes sense, now that Chinese companies like CATL have reached agreements with giants like … Read more

The “best mechanic in Spain” says that Low Cost gasoline is of worse quality than the premium. Reality is much more complex

by

In the long term, fuel Low Cost “It can cause breakdowns.” We do not say it, says Carlos Pérez, recognized as “best mechanic in Spain” in an interview with Canal Moveo de The avant -garde. And we don’t give it because, simply, there is no reasons to say it. In fact, Carlos Pérez himself emphasizes that “all gasoline ultimately come from the same wholesale suppliers.” So what happens? Who. As we say, one of the spaces that The avant -garde He dedicates to the mobility sector has interviewed Carlos Pérez, known on the Internet as “the best mechanic in Spain.” The title is no invention, among the different awards he has obtained we find the one delivered by The workshop community who are focused on communication within the post -sales market. Since then, Pérez has granted various interviews to different media in which he has been explained about What are the most reliable brandswhat are they the car models that recommend Or, simply, which is the best gasoline to use. Yes, but. And here comes the controversy. In his statements about gasoline to use, Carlos Pérez assured the following to The avant -garde: “Although all gasoline ultimately come from the same wholesale suppliers, the differences are in the additives that each company incorporates. These additives are those that help to keep the feeding system clean and prevent the accumulation of waste in the engine, which can affect the performance and durability of the vehicle. The price can be tempting, but in the long term, the use of fuel That supposes in repairs “ That is, a Yes, but in full rule. According to Pérez, there should be no reason to distrust the cheapest fuels but in the long run “it can cause breakdowns and greater engine wear.” Obviously, the price would not compensate for the expense and headaches of the breakdowns. Same origin. The truth is that in Spain there should be no differences between refuel Low Cost or supposed fuel Premium. Because deep down, the fuel is exactly the same. And this is not much less. In Xataka We already played this topic in 2015. Then we explained that the origin of both fuels is the same: CLH or hydrocarbon logistics company that In 2021 he changed his name to exolum. This receives the fuel from the refineries that are distributed by Spain in the hands of BP, Cepsa Moeve or repsol. This fuel already arrives with quality standards that guarantee a good product. This fuel is maintained in the exolum facilities until it is distributed by the service stations. It is here where the difference between products occurs: additives yes or additives no. The additives. To begin with, the exolum itself already has His own additives (HQ300) For part of the fuel it stores. It is the responsibility of the Marketing in charge of fuel with additives or without them. Obviously, this second is cheaper. What is an additive thinking? In theoryto improve long -term engine and vehicle care. Companies Premium Do you sell that their formulas manage to leave less remains in the engines or allow more kilometers with the same amount of fuel. And is there scientific evidence? Really, none. At least that is what Carles Fité, Professor of Chemical Engineering, and Rodrigo Soto, chemical engineering reader, who asked about this same matter, pointed out that “all are equal. I see no difference at this level of analysis.” According to their samples, “they basically contain the same compounds and in the same proportions. Everything comes out very very the same”, in words collected by The confidential. Nor have they found substantial differences in the OCU. In fact, they point out that we are talking more about blind confidence in the effects of additives than on realistic checks: “The effects of additives on engines and gasoline consumption do not seem very verifiable. (…) Prove that an additive lengthens engine life is very difficult, because there is no way to determine how much that same engine would have lasted if that gasoline had not used.” And the secret? The secret is called the economy of scale. Simply, there are two types of business when we talk about service stations. The gas stations Low Cost They can save the customer money because they themselves They already save money on operational costs Of their businesses: they do not usually have employees, they do not invest in R&D to improve those fuels and do not invest in advertising, trusting in the mouth-oreja. On the contrary, gasoline stations Premium They base their business on those additives that generate confidence in the client. But also In formulas to catch you in the following purchase such as loyalty cards or stores that orbit around the suppliers. Also in their Agreements with other companies as insurance companies or large supermarkets. Scams and maintenance. In summary, the quality of the repossed product has much more to do with the maintenance of the service station (which is renewed regularly and does not spend too much time in deposits, for example) and, above all, with complying with the minimum quality standards. The latter should be an endorsement when we repost in Spanish gas stations, however, in recent months the SERVICE STATION SHOWS They have used worse quality fuel and took advantage of great sales at very low prices to subsequently scam the State in the presentation of the VAT tax. This has generated a worse image to the product Low Cost. Photo | BALLENOIL AND BP In Xataka | Diesel or gasoline: what are the differences and which one is better to buy according to your use

Madrid had one of the underground labyrinths without more complex GPS. Google and Waze have tamed it with 1,600 Bluetooth beacons

by

We are so accustomed to GPS that, when suddenly disappears, a simple journey can become a headache. It is not that we have lost the ability to interpret the signs of a lifetime, but that the way of moving through the big cities has changed so much that this technology has become indispensable. The M-30 is a good example. Their tunnels form one of the most complex systems in Europe and, for many drivers, entering them is a risk of disorientation. Taking a wrong way and ending kilometers from fate is not a rarity, but an experience shared by both Madrid and visitors. The reason was clear: The GPS signal was easily lost underground and sometimes returned absurd data. Aware of this, the Madrid City Council presented in September 2024 a plan to display electronic beacons with Bluetooth technology. Installation works began in April 2025 And, five months later, The system is already underway. The idea is to continue adding new beacons over time, but the current network already allows assisted navigation to work in the M-30 tunnels. For a road that acts as a real ring ring of the capital, the difference is not less: moving through it should no longer be an act of faith. An aid that comes at the right time Moving through the M-30 not only requires dealing with its tunnel framework: works at critical points such as A-5 or the sales zone, together with the usual congestion, make any waste of time weigh more than ever. Being sure that we are not going to mislead in the middle of the curve or to take the wrong exit is not a whim, it is a way to win minutes and avoid dislikes on a day -to -day basis. ⠀ 1,600 devices have been installed along 48 kilometers of tunnels, with an investment of 141,000 euros. The objective is to reach 2,700 beacons at the end of the year, once the installation is completed in the rest of the underground network. They are low consumption devices that work with batteries, with an autonomy between four and six years, and issue a unidirectional signal without collecting user information. When detecting that signal, the smartphone calculates the position of the driver in real time and keeps navigation activates, even without GPS coverage. The impact on the mobile battery is minimal thanks to the use of Bluetooth Low Energy. A huge impact on daily mobility The M-30 supports the passage of More than half a million vehicles. Solving a problem such as low -ground loss means improving the experience of hundreds of thousands of drivers That depend on this route to get to work time, home or any point in the city. Another key aspect is that beacons do not require additional mobile data or complicated configuration: it is enough to have activated bluetooth and grant permission to the application. The project makes Madrid the European city with the largest network of active beacons and in the second in the world after Sydney. It has been possible thanks to the collaboration between the City Council of Madrid, Madrid Calle 30, Waze, Google and Imalesapi, the company in charge of the installation. The challenge was not minor: The M-30 has a large number of tickets and exitsin addition to especially complex sections, such as the one from the Prague bridge to the Toledo bridge, with two parallel but overlapping tunnels. The Paris Network, with the Tunnels of the Défense and La Péripherique, is also equipped with beacons of this type. And outside Europe we find even better examples: the Lincoln tunnel under the Hudson River in New York, Queens-Midtown under the East River or Hugh L. Carey, which connects Brooklyn with Manhattan. Madrid thus adds to a very small list of cities that have decided to bet on this technology, and does so in one of the most demanding scenarios on the continent. How is it activated on Google Maps and Waze The system already works in the two most used navigation applications, although with nuances. Google Maps: In Android, you have to go to Navigation settings and activate the option Bluetooth tunnel beacons. In iOS, for now, it is not available. Waze: Simply have the bluetooth on and the permits granted. If the user has it deactivated, the app itself will show a notification when approaching a tunnel with beacons so that it can activate it at the time. Images | Google | Madrid City Council In Xataka | Spain fined Ryanair to stop collecting hand luggage. I did not count on Ryanair had a more powerful ally

The most complex nuclear reactor in the world is underway in the United Kingdom. His critics directly call him “a monster”

by

Two figures are enough to understand the scope of the British challenge: 38,000 million investment pounds and six million homes fed with nuclear electricity for sixty years. This presents Sizewell C, the center that Downing Street describes as a clean energy and employment engine. His detractors, on the other hand, see it as a financial well and the last attempt to give life to a nuclear design so complex that in France it already call it “the monster.” The crown jewel. The objective of the British government is to double the nuclear capacity of the country by 2050 and guarantee a stable supply of low carbon energy. Sizewell C, With two EPR type reactors (European pressurized reactor), is the key piece of that strategy. According to the BBCthe project is the successor of Hinkley Point C, in Somerset, which accumulates a decade of delays and a runaway cost: more than 18,000 million pounds planned in 2010 to about 46,000 million today. Minister Rachel Reeves declared The Guardian that investment is “a powerful support to the United Kingdom as the best place to do business and as a global center of nuclear energy.” Instead, Henri Proglio, former director of the French electric EDF – developmentator of the project -, assured the Financial Times that the reactor design is “scary” and “almost impossible to build.” Faced opinions. The detractors have it clear. Proglio describes it as “a machine with more reinforcement rods than concrete.” Another engineer, Also cited in the FThe spoke of a “colossal error.” And Greenpeace warned the BBC That this time will be taxpayers, not EDF, who pay the inevitable cost overruns. But there are also moderate voices. Tony Roulstone, Professor of Cambridge and exejecutive of Rolls-Royce, declared to FT That Sizewell could be ready “one or two years before Hinkley” and cost 20 % less. Thanks to the fact that much of the design is already tested since the supply chain was consolidated in Somerset. There are already works in Suffolk. The project is not just paper. In Suffolk, 1,700 operators are already working in preliminary works, According to the Financial Times. The first one: a perimeter wall 55 meters deep and 3 kilometers long to drain the marsh before placing the foundations. In addition, Hinkley errors will be avoided. This time the concrete structures will be pregnant in workshops and not in the work, which should accelerate the deadlines. Even so, the official calendar – entered into operation in the middle or end of the 2030s – raises doubts. Flamanville, in France, and Hinkley have shown that deadlines in projects of this type are usually wet paper, As Critica Nils Pratley in his column for The Guardian. It is very complex. It is more complex than it seems to the naked eye. EPR are nuclear reactors of generation III+, the result of Franco-German collaboration between EDF and Siemens. According to World Nuclear Associationare designed to offer a net electrical power of between 1,600 and 1,650 MW, although they can reach 1,770 MW. In addition, they incorporate advanced security measures: double containment, four independent cooling systems, a Core Catcher to catch the nucleus in case of merger, and structural capacity to resist impacts and earthquakes, in addition to diesel generators and backup batteries that guarantee operability to multiple failures. They also stand out for greater energy efficiencyconsuming up to 17% less fuel than old reactors and producing up to 14% more energy. All this with a projected life of 60 years. This technical complexity is, at the same time, a strength in terms of safety and efficiency, and a challenge for the delays and costs that it has shown in its construction. The invoice reaches the British pocket. The cost of the central already exceeds twice the first estimates, According to BBC. The majority (36.6 billion) will be covered with public debt through the National Fund of Wealth. While the financing is distributed among the State (the largest shareholder with 44.9%), followed by the Canadian Caisse (20%), Centrica (15%), EDF (12.5%) and Amber Infrastructure (7.6%). The great novelty is the “Regulated Assets Base” model (Rab) in which households will begin to pay £ 1 per month in their electrical invoices for at least a decade, Julia Pyke explained to the BBC. This scheme mainly protects investors, As Nils Pratley recalled in The GuardianCentrica ensures returns of more than 10% even if the costs reach 47.7 billion pounds; Any excess will be assumed by taxpayers. France already tried. Although with problems. The first French EPR reactor, Flamanville 3, in Normandy, connected to the network In December 2024 after 12 years of delays and with a final cost of € 13.2 billion, four times budgeted. As explained in Financial Timesthe French experience forced to redesign the concept, so EDF no longer prioritizes the EPR, but the EPR2, a simplified and cheaper version that hopes to build in six units here to 2038. Meanwhile, in China they have shown that its Taishan center that has operated for years with an EPR of 1.75 GW, is one of the most powerful reactors in the world. A continent that turns nuclear. The British bet arrives in a contradictory European context. Germany He closed his last central in 2023 and Spain plans to close them in 2027. France, on the contrary, Maintain nuclear as a pillar (70 % of its electricity) and accelerates new EPR2 projects. The board moves: under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Germany has stopped blocking France and accepts that the nuclear receives the same treatment as renewables in EU legislation. The agreement includes giving “green” status to pink hydrogen and opens the door to European financing, although Austria continues against and countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands reevaluate their policies. In the midst of this continental debate, the United Kingdom, outside the EU, advances alone with Sizewell C: an EPR that even EDF has relegated in favor of the EPR2, while in Europe the SMR and nuclear fusion gain space. … Read more

You thought they interrupted just by annoying. Psychology has discovered that it is more complex than that

by

We all know someone at work or in the social sphere that, while Another person is talkingkeep interrupting or trying to monopolize the conversation. If you don’t know anyone like that, it is the same that this person is you. Although these interruptions are annoying for both those who are talking and for those who listen to it, they are not always the product of a lack of respect or bad education. Numerous psychological studies have studied this phenomenon and discovered that these interruptions may be influenced by psychological, social and even cultural factors. Conversation shifts and interruptions Conversation shifts are essential for verbal communication flows in an orderly and respectful way. When someone interrupts, there is a break in that flow that can negatively affect the group dynamics. According to a study published in the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior By researchers From the University of Rochester (New York), the people who interrupted conversations were considered as less sociable and more assertive than those who did not interrupt. They were also perceived as more dominant, which did not always win the sympathies of the rest of the group. The rupture of the shift system during conversation can generate frustration or feeling of injustice, since an imbalance is perceived in the exposure of ideas. According to collected The New York Times“For many of us, it can be perceived as a degrading and condescending attitude,” said Maria Venetis, associate professor of communication at Rutgers University According to an investigation From the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland), not all interruptions respond to an act of bad education but are the result of a narcissistic personality or a demonstration of power and, as noted scientific evidencewomen tend to be interrupted more frequently. A study from George Washington University he put a figure: he discovered that the men interrupt 33% more women than other men. In the workplace, for example, interruptions are usually related to Hierarchies and power relations. Thus, the interruption can be a control or Authority statementmore than a simple lack of courtesy. On the other hand, the group’s cultural factors also influence the frequency and meaning of interruptions. An investigation of the Pablo de Olavide University of Seville reveals that, in some cultures, the superposition of shifts and the interruptions signs of enthusiasm and participation are considered In communication, such and as he points out The psychologist Barbara Fredrickson, while in others they are interpreted as disrespect that dilutes the rhythm of communication. What was I going to tell you …? Not all interruptions have to do with power or culture. According to a Published article by the American Psychology Association Some interruptions originate from difficulties in attention, neurodivergencia or due to Anxiety features of who interrupts. According to The essay Of the psychologists and humanists Carl Rogers and Richard Farson, “active listening requires that we understand, from the point of view of the speaker, exactly what is communicating to us.” This form of listening does not focus on responding or judging immediately, but on precisely understanding both the content as the feelings of the interlocutorand show him that he has been understood. People with paintings Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD or ADHD) or with anxiety, they may have difficulty Keep this active listening And they go to the preparation phase of their speech. That is to say, answer before your interlocutor ends Your exhibition. According to research of psychologist Russell Barkley, an expert on ADHD and ADHD, people with this disorder usually have control of the weakest verbal impulses and problems with working memory and metacognition. “They can interrupt and not remember to wait for their turn because they do not trust themselves to remember what they want to say later,” for that reason, they tend to interrupt during the conversations. Taking into account that, according to Facilitated data By Francisco Montañés, head of psychiatry at the Alcorcón Foundation Hospital and coordinator of the Group of Special Interest in Attention/Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder (GEITDAH), “97% of adults with ADHD are not diagnosed.” Which means that, in all likelihood, those partners or friends who interrupt so much can be among that percentage of non -diagnosed population. Or that or that really They are not interested in what you tell them. In Xataka | Some neuroscientists believe they have found the trick to solve the most complicated problems: take a nap Image | Unspash (Yura Timoshenko), Pexels (Fauxels)

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.