convert Archives - Page 3 of 3

Convert an abandoned island into a world weapons shipping base

March 5, 2025 by usatoday24

At the end of February, satellite images revealed something that had not been made public. Washington was Restoring the Base of the Pacific that launched atomic bombing over Japan, an action nothing trivial with which the United States prepared a “possible” scenario. Now, new images at another Pacific point reinforce the theory of American “rearmament.” An atoll turned into a kind of “Amazon” for the sending of artillery throughout the planet. Rocket position. The United States Space Force has given green light To the plans to reactivate Johnston Atolla remote island in the Pacific with a dark history of nuclear tests and storage of chemical weapons. The idea? Convert it instead of cargo transport tests by rocket under the program Rocket Cargo Vaguard. The project seeks to develop the ability to transport military supplies to any point on the planet in a matter of hours, using large -capacity rockets. In fact, the notification of intention (NOI) Published by the Department of the Air Force A few hours ago confirming the construction of two landing platforms on the island and planning up to 10 landing tests per year for four years. The tests are expected to begin as soon as this year, depending on the results of the ongoing environmental evaluation. Why this island. The analysis of the Air Force Department identified Johnston Atoll as The only adequate location For this type of tests. Other sites evaluatedlike Kwajalein Atoll, Midway Island and Wake Island, were discarded for various operational reasons. Johnston Atoll, on the other hand, was chosen by be a remote territoryunder the control of the United States government with maritime and aerial access, and for its ability to receive and store equipment transported by rocket. Plus: The island’s location makes it less vulnerable to extreme climatic events, a key concern after Kwajalein It would suffer severe damage Due to storms last year. The island from the image of NASA A dark past. We said it at the beginning. Johnston Atoll has a highly controversial military history. The enclave was used as Naval Reporting Baselanding floor and center of Nuclear, biological and chemical tests. Among the most notorious events are nuclear tests in the atmosphere between 1958 and 1975, including The Starfish Prime test In 1962, the largest nuclear explosion made in space. Also for the use of the island as Chemical and Biological Weapons Warehouseand as the center of its destruction until 2003, when it was finally abandoned by the United States Army after completing pollutant cleaning. Despite its current status as a National Wildlife Refuge and part of the National Marine Monument of the Pacific Islands, the satellite image reveals that the island continues to host abandoned military infrastructuresuch as a 2.7 km landing floor and other facilities that will be reused. A revolution for military logistics. It is the great proposal. The Rocket Cargo Vaguard program, led by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFR), seeks to prove the viability of using commercial rockets for Global military supplies transport. From at least 2020the Pentagon has explored this technology with the idea of reducing the delivery times of days or weeks just a few hours. The concept implies the use of reusable rockets to transport up to 100 tons of load Or even personnel to strategic locations in the world, using orbital or suborbital trajectories. Spacex and the potential use of Starship. And here a code name arises. One of the main candidates for the program is the Spacex starship, the rocket bigger and powerful ever built. In 2022, Spacex received A 102 million contract of dollars to provide flight data and technologies tests for the transport of load and humanitarian aid. However, to date, Starship tests They have been mixedwith multiple explosions during launch attempts. Despite this, the Pentagon has shown great interest in acquiring Spacex launching systems for sensitive and high -risk missions. General Philip Garrant, commander of the Space Systems Command, declared in November that the use of Starship for the Rocket Cargo program is One of the most logical optionsmainly due to its large load capacity and reusable design. Future perspectives and expansion. The approval of the environmental assessment next month could open the door in par, not only to evidence of Rocket Cargo Vaguardbut also to the total reactivation of Johnston Atoll as an landing center for other reusable space vehicles. In fact, we would say that it is almost insured if we take into account that there are practically no locations in the United States that can house rocket landing operations of this scale. No doubt, if the island ends up being approved, it could become A key strategic asset for the United States space force in the development of reusable spatial infrastructure. One, in addition, nothing trivial: a worldwide logistics and ultra -grape center to replenish artillery in records in the appearance of any modern conflict. Image | POT In Xataka | Satellite images leave no doubt: the US has restored the base of the Pacific that launched atomic bombardment over Japan In Xataka | The United States fears that China’s long -range missiles will reach Guam. So he just launched one himself

Telefónica’s plan to convert their networks into platforms against large technology

March 3, 2025 by usatoday24

In a huge stand of the MWC 2025 Get chaired by the slogan ‘Leading Change, Inspiral Progress’, Telefónica has deployed its arsenal of corporate alliances around Open Gateway. Chema Alonso, visible face of the digital transformation of the Teleco, has presented a series of agreements that allow to glimpse the real strategy of the operator: convert their networks, so far mere highways, on platforms that generate income. An old yearning. He has not done it alone: the presentation has been a parade of managers of several companies and institutions supporting the projected. Open Gatewayin fact, it is not new. The GSMA initiative has been promising to transform telecommunications networks into open platforms through standardized APIs. And according to GSMA data, it is present in 28 markets. What is most striking is the accelerated rhythm with which Telefónica is closing agreements: more than 50 large companies and 20 commercial partners, according to the numbers that Alonso has shared. Chema Alonso during the presentation of Open Gateway at the MWC 2025. Image: Xataka. Among the most important ads is The expansion of your collaboration with Tiktok for Europe. The Chinese platform will use the numbers verification API to simplify the user registration, eliminating the SMS passage. But the really interesting thing is the joint creation of a new API called “AGE VERIFICATION“, which will arrive first to Brazil and then expand to other markets. Reading between the lines is clear: Telefónica has found a way to monetize its privileged position as identity validityan increasingly valuable asset in the digital ecosystem. The agreement with Cabify follows the same logic: provide identity verification to expedite records. In the demo there has been a saving of ten seconds: a message no longer comes, everything happens “inside”, automatically and invisible to the user. What was previously a simple SMS is now reconvigned in a premium service that companies will be willing to pay. Cabify is an example. Carlos Herrera, Cto de Cabify, along with Chema Alonso in the demo of the API. Image: Xataka. Telefónica is transforming what was previously an operational cost into a source of income. A good play … in the absence of seeing the real business volume it generates. Then there is the protocol with the Community of Madrid. What the administration wants with Open Gateway is to “optimize internal processes.” In Health, Transportation, Justice and Tourism. Movistar is positioned as well as Technological intermediary between citizens and public services. This is a space traditionally played by great technological ones, so Telefónica has found here a space to achieve one of its great desires: to be seen as another technological and not only as a telecommunications provider. The agreements with two heavyweights, AWS and Google Cloud close the circle: With Amazon, Telefónica will create an innovation center to develop SAAS products aimed at operators. With Google you will integrate Open Gateway in Firebase to offer authentication to more than 3 million developers. Christiaan Brand, from Firebase, along with Chema Alonso during the presentation. Image: Xataka. It is striking that other operators such as AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile and Telenor are also adding to this last initiative, indicating a coordinated effort of the sector to recover relevance against technological platforms. They have good reasons to form a common front. The question that floats in the Barcelona air is If these APIs will be enough to rebalance the balance of power. For years, telecos have seen how technology built multimillionaire empires on their networks while they were relegated to connectivity suppliers Comoditized. Open Gateway is its commitment to capture part of the value that passes through its networks. The challenge is to execute this vision in a usually slow sector when innovating. And above all, when displaying. APIS standardization through Camara Project (developed by GSMA and Linux Foundation) is a step in the right direction, but operators will have to demonstrate that they can move at the speed required by the industry. No one knows if this strategy will translate into the long -awaited year for relevance in the digital ecosystem, but we do know that Telefónica is clearer than ever its position: It does not want to be the highway, but also who controls a part of the traffic. Outstanding image | Xataka In Xataka | Consolidation or irrelevance: Marc Murtra launches an ultimatum to the EU in his debut as president of Telefónica

convert the escape of Helio de la Starliner into a great military advance

February 25, 2025 by usatoday24

A few weeks ago, the two “stranded” astronauts in space after leaving for the International Space Station on June 5 aboard the Starliner ship, received good news: He had decided to advance his return. For Boeing, however, the mission fiasco is far from finishing. In fact, the company is Trying to sell your bleeding space division by piecesl. The latest: it seems that China has taken “oil” from the main problem of the Starliner. Boeing’s problem as inspiration. In a surprising return of technological nut, Chinese scientists seem to have transformed the serious crisis that affects NASA (and especially Boeing) in A revolution in aerospace propulsion. The Boeing Starliner capsule suffered multiple helium leaks that incapacitated their propulsion systems, leaving the two astronauts trapped at the International Space Station. That incident turned the heliuman ultralight gas traditionally used to pressurize liquid fuels, in A symbol of technical vulnerability. Now, Chinese researchers have seen in that same weakness a unique opportunity to develop a disruptive technology, a Able to revolutionize both the military and spatial field. Solid propulsion driven by Helio. The team of scientists, led by Yang Zenan of the Harbin University of Engineering, has revealed in a recent study Published in the Magazine Aeronautica et Astronautics Sinica How helium controlled injection can considerably multiply the performance of solid fuel rocket. Specifically, they discovered that by introducing helium through microscopic pores (about 2 mm) in the combustion chamber, It is possible to increase the specific engine efficiency by 5.77%. In addition, by precisely adjusting the proportion between helium and combustion gases (a part of helium for every four parts of fuel gas), scientists They managed to instantly triple the engine thrustcarrying it from 100% to 313% according to operational needs. Advantage: Thermal camouflage and invisibility. The use of helium is not limited to potential improvements or thrust. One of its most strategic advantages lies in the drastic reduction in the temperature of the exhaust gases. The helium, Being extremely light (With a molar mass of only 4 g/mol in front of the 29 g/mol of the typical combustion gases), expand and cool the escape flow, lowering its temperature by up to 1,327 degrees Celsius. This thermal reduction implies a radical decrease in the infrared signal of the missiles propelled by this technology, making them almost impossible to detect through infrared sensors modern military satellite employees such as Spacex Starshield and interceptor systems such as The SM-3 Block IIA. Also improved stability and safety. Another relevant feature of helium, highlighted by researchers, is Its chemically inert naturewhich avoids common problems associated with unstable combustion caused by other light gases, especially hydrogen. This ensures, they explain, that The flight is soft and predictableeliminating many operational risks that traditionally hinder the practical application of more volatile alternative technologies. In addition, by absorbing excess heat generated by combustion, helium not only reduces the exhaust temperature, but also Protects internal engine materials, extending its useful life and decreasing operational risks. Military and strategic applications. They count on work that from a strategic and military perspective, technology has deep implications. The Ability to quickly modulate the thrust of a missile in flight allows Unpredictable attack trajectoriessignificantly improving your maneuverability. This aspect is especially relevant to advanced defensive systems, since the combination of lower infrared detectability and variable acceleration capacity makes interception greatly difficult, especially in the context of defense against hypersonic missiles. According to Chinese researchers, this innovation could directly solve the current challenges facing their weapons systems in terms of speed, scope and thermal stealth, presenting a real challenge to antimile defenses developed by the United States. Civil and spatial potential applications. However, the benefits of this technological innovation transcend the military. According to the research team, this technique could also revolutionize the civil and commercial field, especially in The rapid and economical launch of satellites by solid fuel rockets. As? The capacity would be particularly valuable for urgent deployments in commercial, scientific or humanitarian contexts, providing an agile, profitable and adaptable solution against the expensive current launch systems. Current context and relevance. Meanwhile, in the United States the initial crisis continues. As we explained at the beginning, NASA recently announced that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, affected by the Starliner’s breakdown, Finally they will return to Earth in mid -March using a Spacex ship. In the words of the NASA Traffic Program manager, Steve Stich, the incident has demonstrated once again that “the human space flight is full of unexpected challenges.” Paradoxically, that same challenge that affected NASA and Boeing has served for Chinese scientists to achieve, on paper, a disruptive innovation that could deeply redefine the rules of technological and strategic game in the near future. Image | POT, Gaystock In Xataka | After the fiasco of the Starliner ship, Boeing is trying to sell its bleeding spatial division by pieces In Xataka | The two “stranded” astronauts in space have received their first good news in months: their return will be advanced

convert commercial premises of the center into payment bathrooms

February 12, 2025 by usatoday24

The Tourist Mold the cities. That is not new. Nor anything they have not experienced in their meats streets the residents of the cities with the highest flow of visitors, such as Barcelona, Madrid either Palmto name just a handful of examples. Vacation rent increases, which pull up From housing prices, it contributes to the gentrification of The most central neighborhoods and redraws trade and hospitality, as already He has recognized Malaga. In Madrid that process threatens, however, with something else: to make the city look like a music festival. For now you already have a few Settings for travelers and commercial premises converted into toilets. A private bath … and something else. Trends (and Tourist of a city is) cook to ‘slow fire’, with the passage of time and by accumulation. But that does not mean that from time to time we find specific cases that stand out for their symbolic value. Represent. Personalize. Madrid has just left A clear example. There, in one of their most central and tourist areas, they just reconvert an old bank branch in some toilets. The case I commented Recently in X Antonio GiraldoUrbanist and Socialist Edil in Madrid, and has not taken to attract the attention of the networks and means. Near the Plaza Mayor, one of the most tourist points in the capital, has just opened a peculiar business: private bathrooms at street levels that can be accessed prior to payment of a euro. The business occupies a bass in the Plaza de San Miguel. Click on the image to go to Tweet. Why is it important? For what it is. And also for what it represents. In Street view It can be seen that a few years ago that same bass was occupied by the offices of a bank. Today is a private toilet at street level, with a huge ‘WC’ poster in La Gensrera, an access lathe, a reader for card payment, a poster with the price and everything else that would be expected in a toilet : cubicles, toilets, bins, toilet paper dispensers, sink … eldiario.es precise That the place has 273 m2, although in reality there are two stores and one is still closed. The business does not make distinctions and toilets can pass both neighbors and tourists prior payment of a euro, but in this case where it matters almost as much as what. The business has opened at a very tourist point, at the exit of the San Miguel market, near the Plaza Mayor. In fact, just a few minutes from there there are Several public toiletspart of The 129 network Bathrooms Free access whose maintenance –The City Council clarifies– It is paid thanks to advertising. Two approaches, two audiences. So much before, when it was a BBVA office, as now, converted into a WC that can be accessed by paying, the place was basically the same: offer services. Very different, true; But services after all. The big question is … Who uses a bank branch and who a private bathroom? That key is what Leave driving Giraldo himself in X. “Yes, a bank office serves the residents, especially the older people. I do not critic … “, The councilor warns. Talk about Madrid, but it is not something exceptional. Neither Madrid is the only city that experiences that phenomenon. “Quality decreases”. In An official document in which he acknowledges that the city is reaching “unprecedented saturation levels”, the Malaga City Council speaks of that same reality. And in a very critical tone. “Mass tourism can lead to the proliferation of low quality gastronomic establishments, deteriorating the experience for both tourists and local,” he says The report Before warning of the risk of “the expulsion of native business and added value, replaced by souvenir stores and other tourist -oriented shops.” It is nothing that they have lived great destinations Like Amsterdam. Private toilets and something else. The case of the toilets has also raised interest in part also for Who has driven The business, but is not the only example of spaces that tourism has been making its own in the streets of Madrid. In the center of the city you can find a good number of Souvenir stores and slogan businesses Clearly focused on travelers. In fact there are already chains focused on that service that expand through the most visited capitals in the country, such as Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Malaga. Also shops that facilitate the Check-in In Airbnb flats. An unequal impact. The hospitality is not alien to that trend either. In 2024 Fedea published A report that analyzes the impact that the conversion of historical buildings in hotels has in its surroundings. And your reading is bittersweet. The study found that the new accommodations have “a positive effect” on the trade and employment of the neighborhood and even speaks of a “significant economic revitalization.” Of course, not all business profiles are favored. “The positive impact is not homogeneous. Activities related to tourism and the services sector, such as restaurants, fashion stores and souvenirs, are benefited, while traditional industries have been displaced from the center of cities,” summarize. The study also confirms that the opening of hotels in the cities favored mainly business with societies behind the freelancers. In fact, he talks about a “displacement of local bars and restaurants” in favor of chains, businesses with a “greater size”. Housing, great protagonist. If there is a front in which the Tourist He feels especially clear is that of housing. At the end of 2024 the INE counted in Madrid almost 17,300 tourist homes, of which around 7,300They brought together in the central almond, the ‘District 1’. And in 2013 Fravm provided data Airbnb that suggested that at least on that platform the local offer could be quite larger. Whether or not, the truth is that the City Council He has taken measures To control the offer. It is not the only one. Similar measures, in one sense or another, more or … Read more

Log In

Sign In

Forgot password?

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections