days

We thought that AI was going to collapse the electrical grid. The solution is to “unplug” it 18 days a year

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Daily headlines bombard us with the insatiable hunger for Artificial Intelligence, painting a future where data centers will devour our infrastructure. However, reality hides a fascinating irony: the same technology that clutters cables today could be our greatest ally. According to estimates of DeloitteAI will optimize global systems saving more than 3,700 TWh by 2030, almost four times the energy consumed by all data centers on the planet combined. But to get to that stage, you first have to turn on the machines today. And the solution is surprisingly analog. Paweł Czyżak, from the Ember analysis center and one of the most authoritative voices in the European energy transition, sums it up with a simple idea: A data center does not need to operate at full power every hour of the year. In the face of system collapse, the industry’s new survival dogma is clear: “Connect now and operate flexibly.” The heart attack of the network. We have been victims of what we once defined as “tyranny of 24/7”. Algorithms do not sleep and demand uninterrupted supply. This voracity has caused a heart attack in the traditional data epicenters in Europe (the “FLAP-D” markets: Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin), almost completely paralyzing new deployments. The bottleneck is no longer the latest generation microchips; transformers and free electrons are missing. Added to this physical collapse is the bureaucratic one. The European University Institute (EUI) warns that connection queues are a critical funnel: in countries such as the United Kingdom or Italy, the requested capacity exceeds the peak of national maximum demand by more than 10 times. All of this is aggravated by speculative “zombie” projects that block entry to legitimate developers. The obstacles are, as detailed in the recent study by Camus, encoord and Princeton ZERO Laba double wall: there is a lack of cables for day-to-day operations and a lack of clean capacity built to provide backup. Flexibility as a lifesaver. Is it possible to “turn off” part of the AI ​​brain without the system crashing? Yes. A recent trial led by Nebius, Emerald AI and National Grid showed that an AI cluster was able to cut its consumption by 30% in just 40 seconds to relieve the network, keeping critical tasks intact. Even Google already boasts of having reached 1 GW of “demand response” by combining batteries and the ability to move loads between regions. As Czyżak explainsmoving just 5% of the load (the equivalent of a few critical hours per year) unblocks the grid massively. In fact, this strategy would save more natural gas than a country like Denmark consumes in electricity generation, by preventing electricity companies from having to turn on expensive and polluting combined cycle plants to cover demand peaks. For its part, the Camus and Princeton report proposes to scale this with two mechanisms: Flexible connections: The center operates normally 99% of the time, but in the scarce 40 or 70 hours a year of extreme network saturation, it reduces its computing or draws on its own batteries. BYOC agreements (Bring Your Own Capacity): Big tech finances its own clean energy capacity instead of waiting for the state to modernize infrastructure. The combination is magical: it reduces the wait to connect to the network from 7 to just 2 years. For a technology company, this means starting to bill three years earlier, generating net returns of between 1,000 and 4,000 million dollars per site. The citizen will not pay the bill. On a social level, the transition towards this flexible model brings excellent news for the average citizen. The detailed modeling of Princeton’s ZERO Lab confirms that a flexible data center (under BYOC schemes) assumes practically all of the incremental costs it generates to the electrical system. In other words, the billions needed to host the cloud will not be transferred to household electricity bills. On the contrary, by making the most of the existing network instead of building massive new lines, the fixed costs are distributed among more actors. In Spain, organizations such as the CNMC are already applying “flexible access permissions”forcing by law to accept controlled cuts in emergencies to protect the stability of the country. The plug that will rule the world. In the frenetic geopolitical and business race to dominate the future of Artificial Intelligence, the narrative has changed. It is no longer enough to design the fastest microchip or have the most brilliant engineers. Today absolute victory belongs to whoever has a free plug. But rather than desperately burning gas or waiting a decade for governments to bury thousands of kilometers of copper, the industry has found a pragmatic way out. Demand flexibility from Big Tech Not only does it allow them to turn on their servers years earlier; It protects citizens’ bills, squeezes the infrastructure of the 20th century and banishes the dangerous ghost of a Europe forced to relapse into its old addiction to fossil fuels. Image | Photo by Scott Rodgerson on Unsplash Xataka | There is no energy for so many data centers and the consequence is clear: half of those planned for 2026 in the US are in danger

MrBeast challenged people to live several days in a supermarket: they did not expect to run into ‘Juan the Mexican’

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MrBeast bought an entire supermarket in North Carolina, put dozens of random people inside, and told them that the last one out would get $250,000. What he did not calculate is that among the participants was a 56-year-old father from Hidalgo, Mexico. That is destroying all the success projections of its rivals. The supermarket as a coliseum. Last April 18 MrBeast posted a 42-minute video on his channel, ‘The last one to leave the store wins $250,000‘. The mechanics of this new test by the YouTuber was as simple as it was extreme: he had bought a supermarket in Greenville, North Carolina, filled it with products and invited real customers to participate in an endurance contest. With only one rule: the last one to leave wins the prize. Those who did not want to compete could take their already full cart for free. It’s not the first time that does something like this: MrBeast has been perfecting the “last to leave” scheme for years in different scenarios (circles painted on the floor, islands, closed rooms…) Strategies. Inside the establishment, participants began to build sleeping structures with empty shelves, improvised showers with hoses from the fruit section and organized themselves into factions with their own names (the Dream Team, the Innovators, Fort Freezy near the frozen ones). The rules allowed sabotage and alliances, which turned the competition into something that was very close to psychological warfare. In Xataka MrBeast turned YouTube into a franchise: now all content creators make the same video over and over again Juan García, hero of the people. Among all the contestants, one was gaining ground among MrBeast fans. Juan García, 56 years old, originally from the state of Hidalgo, who had entered the supermarket accompanied by his son Ángel. After 15 days, the young man had to retire to return to school and work. When MrBeast asked Juan if he also had pending obligations, the response was: “I’m going to ask for a vacation and stay a little longer.” From that moment on, Juan advanced practically alone: ​​he was excluded from the initial alliances after his son left, which left him without a support network in the always wild environment of reality competitions. However, he withstood the isolation, the constant noise, the cold at night and the confrontations. The moment that ended up making it go viral was one of the simplest: when another contestant threw his pots and pans outside the establishment, Juan simply told him “Don’t do that, friend.” The other’s response was “I don’t respect you at all.” Five days later, that participant dropped out. Day 67. At the end of the video, we see how four contestants remain inside and refuse to come out. They have made alliances, they get along well, and they can hold out indefinitely. MrBeast decided to offer the four a new mission: become a team and consume the entire supermarket inventory to win a million dollars, with the store refurbished with beds, showers, a gym and a nutritionist. The group accepted. The volume of product available suggests that the confinement could be extended for several additional months, and in fact, MrBeast says goodbye for another year. Vote for Juan. When the video was released, messages of support began to multiply on social networks: “Juan already won”, “All of Latin America with Juan”, “I am not Mexican but I support Juan.” Danay Escanaverino, digital monetization specialist, explained that Hispanic audiences respond with special intensity when they find someone on screen with whom they emotionally identify. The figure of Juan (father, older, calm, without allies) connected with an audience unprepared for his frankness. In Xataka MrBeast has been giving money to his followers in his videos for years: now he wants them to be the ones to give it to him Up Mexico. A comment that is repeated among many Mexicans is, precisely, that Juan may have unknowingly blown up the MrBeast concept: locked up for a year with expenses paid and all you have to do is eat and relax? A vacation and a million in perspective? Is a humble Mexican, finally, the perfect fit for MrBeast? In Xataka | MrBeast has discovered a much more lucrative business than making videos on YouTube: selling chocolate (function() { window._JS_MODULES = window._JS_MODULES || {}; var headElement = document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)(0); if (_JS_MODULES.instagram) { var instagramScript = document.createElement(‘script’); instagramScript.src=”https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js”; instagramScript.async = true; instagramScript.defer = true; headElement.appendChild(instagramScript); – The news MrBeast challenged people to live several days in a supermarket: they did not expect to run into ‘Juan the Mexican’ was originally published in Xataka by John Tones .

Sterilize your cell phone in the dishwasher and eat steaks that last 10 days in the refrigerator: Haier redefines household appliances

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It would never have occurred to me to put a cell phone in a dishwasher, but that is just one of the things he proposed to us. Haier at a press event yesterday in Madrid. It sounds crazy, but it is not, and it joins other surprising and above all very practical ideas with which this manufacturer surprised us. Be careful, household appliances can also be eye-catching technological products. The dishwasher that looks like an operating room. One of the stars of the Haier catalog is the I-Pro Shine Series 7 dishwasher, a dishwasher equipped with technology Biovitae. This system uses visible light of multiple frequencies to sterilize without the need for water or extreme temperatures. dry sterilization. The “dry” program is designed specifically for those objects that we constantly touch such as cell phones, keys or the TV remote, eliminating bacteria and viruses in a cycle that before it was unthinkable and that it was more typical of operating rooms or dental clinics. For these segments, so-called autoclaves based on high-pressure water and high temperatures are used to achieve this sterilization, but the Haier dishwasher takes advantage of this unique technology. Three drums, one wash. While the dishwasher takes care of our devices, the Candy Multiwash solves the traditional logistical puzzle that many have with the washing machine and clothes. Integra three independent drums on a single chassis and allows the 10kg cycle to be used on the main drum for daily laundry while, simultaneously, two small onekg drums handle silk or baby clothes by UV sterilizing them. This appliance is capable of managing water, energy and detergent in the three drums independently and you can activate one, two or all three at the same time. This washing machine is now somewhat larger than the conventional standard of 60 cm, but they are already working on a model of this size to launch at the end of the year. Three better than one. Haier vacuum cleaners arrive. The firm enters the hyper-competitive vacuum cleaner segment for the first time and does so by attacking the floor cleaning market, until now dominated by robotics specialists. Its ace in the hole is Double Roller, a technology that replaces the traditional roller with two synchronized cylinders that rotate in opposite directions. The Z5 model is a wet&dry system that reaches 25,000 pascals of suction and is capable of cleaning and drying its own roller with water at 74º to prevent the proliferation of mold. There are also new robot vacuum cleaners like the v3, which is a wireless model for cleaning and disinfecting mattresses. My refrigerator is bigger than yours. The Cube 90 Water Tank Auto Ice refrigerator solves one of the big problems when installing American models in Spain: plumbing installation. It has a capacity of 706 liters, and incorporates an internal tank for the water dispenser and automatic ice production, eliminating the need to connect tubes to the general network of our house. This makes it possible to place the multi-door refrigerator in any corner of the kitchen. This model maintains the ABT Pro technology to eliminate 99.9% of bacteria, but the efficiency also rises to category C, something that represents notable energy savings. Or what is the same: a more affordable electricity bill. Magnetic fields for steaks. Every year on average a European citizen wastes 130 kg of food, but Haier has proposed a really striking solution to mitigate the problem. It is about NutriBanka technology with Haier’s own patent that, through the application of a harmless electromagnetic field, is capable of preserving the texture and nutrients of meat and fish at zero degrees without freezing them. According to the company, this system keeps 95% of the nutrients intact after ten days, so one can buy these products and keep them much longer without freezing before consuming them. This is not just about preserving, but about taking advantage of a financial tool to protect that part of the purchase that we usually spend on meat and fish. Dry pants, wet pockets? Anymore. The new Horizon range washer and dryer tower reduces the height to 160 cm so that the screen is much more accessible, but the real innovation is inside. Unlike the conventional dryers that use contact sensors, this model employs a “3D humidity scanner.” It is able to detect if the pocket of thick pants is still wet even if the surface appears dry, adjusting the drying cycle in real time. In addition, the dryer intelligently preheats 15 minutes before the end of the wash to save time and energy. I’ll tend when I can. The dryer also has symmetrical rotation, which allows drying to be active in both directions, and has another striking practical improvement: when one finishes doing the washing machine, one usually has to hang it up immediately to avoid or minimize wrinkles, but this washing machine has a system that keeps the clothes spinning and that “ventilates” them for up to 12 hours after finishing the washing cycle so that we can take them out at any time as if that cycle had just ended. Ovens that puncture food. in the ovens Series 4 Flesh Flavor Steam Air tanks of up to one liter are used to inject steam precisely depending on the type of food. Some models have the Preci Probe thermal probe that can accurately monitor the internal temperature of the dish and adjust the heat applied to ensure that the exterior is crispy and the interior is hydrated. The hON application, which already connects millions of Haier devices, is capable of notifying when the food reaches the exact point. In Xataka | The Dishwasher Door Problem: What Manufacturers Recommend to Do When the Wash Cycle Ends

In two days the animated spin-off of the platform’s only powerful franchise premieres on Netflix: ‘Stranger Things’

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On December 31, 2025, Netflix aired the final episode of ‘Stranger Things‘. With it, the platform recorded its most viewed New Year’s broadcast in history and put the finishing touch to the platform’s most viewed series, exceeding 1.2 billion accumulated views. And four months later Eleven, Mike, Dustin and the rest of the Hawkins gang are back, but this time in animated format With new voices and a new showrunnerthis ‘Stranger Things: Stories from 85′ this one arrives April 23 to Netflix. And how is it presented when the main story has already closed? Well, going back to when it wasn’t yet: the series takes place in the winter of 1985, between the second and third original seasons. That interval existed in the canon, although it did not come without a technical problem: at the end of T2, Eleven closes the door to the Other Side. T3 starts in July of that same year. How do you fit interdimensional monsters into a story that takes place during the months when the door is sealed? Easy: Particles from the Other Side that escaped before the door closed have begun to mutate into different plant species in Hawkins, generating hybrid creatures like a “snow shark.” All of this comes from the original visual style of the illustrator Meybis Ruiz Cruz and which, through animation, Netflix has wanted to bring closer to series from the eighties such as ‘He-Man’ or ‘The Real Ghostbusters’, but without losing sight of more recent proposals such as the animated films of the Spider-verse or ‘Arcane’. ‘Stories of 85’ obeys the tactic of keeping a franchise alive once it is impossible to do so with the original actors, through formats that alleviate technical and distribution demands. If this experiment works, we will undoubtedly see similar attempts with series like ‘Wednesday’ or ‘The Bridgertons’, and that without leaving Netflix. And, of course, if it works it will also continue on this side: according to the new showrunnerEric Robles, there are ideas to cover many other intervals in the official series. You have to milk it from somewhere. In Xataka | 16 premieres on Netflix: this week, the new ‘Stranger Things’, a rare British series and the return of Charlize Theron

Unless you are 170,000 years old, in the next few days you will be able to see a comet that you have never seen before

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In April, astronomy lovers have an annual meeting with the lyrid star shower. However, this year the observation of C/2025 R3 is also added, a comet that last visited the inner solar system 170,000 years ago. Prepare to observe. Although the comet has been visible in our skies for several days, it can currently only be seen with binoculars or small telescopes. However, it is expected that after its perihelion (closest point to the Sun), which will take place on April 19, it can be seen with the naked eye. Between April 20 and 24, if all goes well, could reach magnitude 3. This is a measurement that indicates greater brightness as it descends. That is, a comet of magnitude 3 will be brighter than one of magnitude 5. Better in the morning (in the northern hemisphere). If you are in the northern hemisphere, the best time to see this comet will be very late at night. Or early in the morning, depending on how you look at it. Your best visibility will be achieved around 2 hours before the sun rises. In fact, the sun is the main problem, since its best observation time could be April 25, but the Sun will already be too close to allow its visibility properly. in the southern hemisphere. In the other half of the planet, the comet will be seen in the evening, in the late afternoon. While in the north optimal visibility ends on April 25, in the south it is just when it will start to look better. It will continue like this until almost the entire month of May. Of course, it doesn’t matter which hemisphere you are in. It is essential to stay away from light pollution and look for the darkest skies possible. Where to look. The point in the sky on which to rest your eyes (or binoculars) It depends on the day you choose to try to see the comet. For example, on April 19 it will cross from the constellation of Pegasus to that of Pisces. Later, on April 24, it will walk alongside Aries, and then move on to Cetus on April 25. From here, there will no longer be visibility in the northern hemisphere, but in the south you will be able to see the comet on April 29 leaving Cetus towards Taurus, on May 1 through Eridanus, from May 7 to 8 through the Witch’s Head Nebula and on May 8 through the constellation of Orion. The Orion Nebula will also meet it, between May 10 and 12. The comet will then pass between the border of Orion and the Unicorn on May 16. Finally, between May 23 and 25 it will be in the Red Rectangle Nebula, but already with a magnitude of 9, which indicates an extremely weak brightness. A special shine. In reality, the brightness of a comet cannot be predicted exactly. In fact, depending on which source we turn to, we may read different magnitude values ​​for the one we will see these days. When we talk about magnitude 3, we are referring to the calculation in the best scenario. It could be somewhat weaker, although the truth is that C/2025 R3 has a peculiarity that makes it very special: forward dispersion. This is a phenomenon where sunlight passes through the comet’s dust at the perfect angle so that most of that light is directed towards Earth. Therefore, it is a fairly bright comet, although that desired 3 may not be reached. Red-handed for Pan-STARRS. This comet was discovered on September 8, 2025 through observations with the Pan-STARRS telescope, located in Haleakala, Hawaii. At that moment he was passing Andromeda. Its status as a comet was confirmed with another observation on September 17. Since then, it has attracted the attention of many astronomers, both professional and amateur. Without a doubt, it is worth going out and looking for it. We cannot wait 170,000 more years. Images | Dimitrios Katevainis (Wikimedia Commons) In Xataka | China has created the largest kite in the world with a very clear objective: to make its energy extremely cheaper.

They no longer have helium and they have liquefied natural gas left for 11 days

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Taiwan has run out of helium. And has a reserve of liquefied natural gas for 11 days at best. It is a very serious problem that is of great concern to Taiwanese semiconductor manufacturers. In fact, the Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Association (TSIA) has asked the Government of the island that set up a strategic reserve of these two resources capable of guaranteeing their availability for a long period of time. The origin of this problem is the war between the US, Israel and Iran. These countries have agreed to a two-week ceasefire agreement, but Taiwan remains on the ropes. The blocking of Strait of Hormuz has disrupted the supply of helium and liquefied natural gas on which many Asian countries depend, and the Taiwanese integrated circuit industry is deeply dependent on these two resources. Taiwan cannot afford to have such a fragile supply chain More than 40% of Taiwanese power plants use liquefied natural gas. And chip factories need a stable supply of electricity to sustain their activity. Additionally, these facilities require the use of helium in several critical stages of the IC production process, and Taiwan currently does not have a helium reserve. The US and Japan have already created a strategic inventory of liquefied natural gas and helium, and TSIA has requested the Taiwanese government to do the same. There is a lot at stake. The production of cutting-edge chips gives Taiwan enormous relevance from a geostrategic point of view And the semiconductor industry is strategic for Taiwan for three fundamental reasons: it represents among 13% and 15% of the gross domestic product of the country; is the engine of its exports with a value close to 40% of the total; and finally, the production of cutting-edge chips gives the country enormous relevance from a geostrategic point of view. For this reason, it is crucial for this Asian country that TSMC, UMC and its other companies involved in the integrated circuit industry have the resources they need. TSIA has noted that Taiwan must diversify its energy sources: “We propose to the Government the need to continue diversifying our energy sources and the supply of critical materials to prepare for the uncertainty of the current situation (…) Our Association also supports the Government’s decision to reopen nuclear power plants to have a more stable energy supply as long as the processes meet legal requirements and safety is guaranteed.” Be that as it may, the underlying problem that Taiwan faces is that its economy, as we have seen, is deeply dependent on the semiconductor industry. And their supply chain is fragile. Very fragile. The Administration closed the last nuclear power plant in May 2025, and since then more than 95% of the island’s electricity depends on imported resources. The temporary ceasefire agreement reached by the US, Israel and Iran is likely to alleviate some of the pressure on Taiwan, but its integrated circuit industry is too important to allow it to be so sensitive to the international situation. Image | Generated by Xataka with Gemini More information | Nikkei Asia In Xataka | We already know what the chips that will arrive until 2039 will be like. The machine that will allow them to be manufactured is close

Our brain is “rotting” based on infinite scrolling. Someone has left their cell phone for 14 days to see if there is a way back

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Today it is a reality that most of us live glued to a screen, and this is something that is documented in studies that point out, for example, that on average we review an average of 200 times the phone throughout the day, which is equivalent to looking at it approximately every five minutes. In fact, 46% of users consider themselves “dependent” on the device and 53% say they have never spent more than 24 hours without it. But what really happens in our heads if we decide to cut corners and return to the analog era? A test. To answer this question, CNN journalist Bill Weir decided to test this premise to commemorate Apple’s 50th anniversary. In this way, for 14 days Weir kept his iPhone in a box and replaced it with a basic phone like the ones we had 15 years ago, with which we could only send SMS with a non-touch keyboard and a low-resolution camera. From here the sensations he had were observed, but a group of scientists behind him were also monitoring his brain through brain scans. The results. After two weeks of disconnection, the journalist’s reaction times improved by 23%, and his brain activity also increased significantly, causing his brain connectivity to become more coordinated and organized. Subjectively, Weir experienced a much better recovery in his ability to concentrate and also noted a sharp decrease in the need to consume social media after the first week. The changes. It is no coincidence that the term “brain rot”, translated as brain rot, was crowned the neologism of the year in 2024 for the Oxford dictionary, since it is a concept closely linked to be swiping all the time with your mobile. And clearly the excessive use of smartphones and all the applications they contain is leaving a physical mark on our brain anatomy. It’s proven. MRI-based research, including a National Library of Medicine publication in 2023, they point out that problematic smartphone use is associated with a reduction in gray matter in the brain. And if we go into something more specific, it was seen that there was a smaller volume in the anterior cingulate cortex, the orbitofrontal cortex, the fusiform gyrus and the striatum. These areas are fundamental for emotional regulation, decision making and impulse control, making these alterations similar to those observed in addictions to harmful substances such as drugs. And supported. A study published in 2025 analyzed individuals for 72 hours without a mobile phone using functional magnetic resonance imaging, and the results indicated that withdrawal triggered brain activations identical to those of addictive withdrawal syndromes, followed by notable cognitive improvements. Digital amnesia. Beyond anatomy, our daily cognitive abilities are in free fall, and science suggests that the average attention time before an interruption has gone from about 2.5 minutes to about 47 seconds, blaming the accelerated digital pace here. And the culprit again is the smartphone, since a study published in 2017 analyzed to 520 participants and demonstrated that the simple presence of the smartphone on the table, even face down, consumes and exhausts our cognitive attention resources. This is why we should opt for better control of the time we dedicate to social networks or the smartphone in general, since the benefits of quitting are many. Images | freepik In Xataka | Smartphones are destroying our memories. The big question is whether we should care

China has closed a huge chunk of sky for 40 days. And all we know is that space is bigger than Taiwan

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In aviation, advisories restricting the use of airspace usually last just a few days and are linked to very specific operations, while areas without altitude limits are reserved on rare occasions due to its impact on air traffic. In strategic regions of the planet, any prolonged alteration in these patterns is often interpreted as more than a simple technical measure. It just happened in China. An unprecedented air closure. China has closed for 40 days (from March 27 to May 6) a huge maritime airspace without offering any clear explanation, delimiting areas through aeronautical warnings which are normally used for short exercises but in this case they are unusually prolonged. To give us an idea, the extension of that space exceeds the size of Taiwan, which makes the measure difficult to fit within operational normality. The official silence and the scale of the movement suggest a deliberate decision that goes beyond simple air traffic management. What these notices really mean. The NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) are designed to warn of risks or temporary restrictions, but their usual use is far from the current scenario, since they usually last a few days and are linked to specific, clearly identified maneuvers. Therefore, the combination of an extraordinary duration and the absence of explanations points more to a position of sustained activity more than a specific exercise. A priori, this implies that airspace control is being used as an active tool within a broader strategy. A key space on the regional board. counted the wall street journal A few hours ago, the affected areas extended from the Yellow Sea to the East China Sea, covering areas in front of South Korea and Japan and being located in strategic corridors for any military operation in the region. Although they are far from Taiwan (several hundred km), their location does not seem coincidental and fits with scenarios where the air route control would be decisive. The scale of the reserved area reinforces the idea that this is not a limited trial, but something with deeper operational implications. Signs in the midst of a tense context. The closure also coincides with a moment of high tension in the Indo-Pacific, with military movements in Japan, pressure about Taiwan and diplomatic activity relevant in parallel. Not only that. It also occurs after a striking pause on Chinese military flights near Taiwan, followed of its resumptionsuggesting a recalibration of activity. In this context, the measure can be interpreted as a way to send strategic messages without the need for explicit statements. Ambiguity as a strategy. In short, and although there are precedents for similar airspace reservations, they had never been so long nor so widewhich marks a clear difference compared to previous practices. If you like, this ambiguity also allows China to maintain operational flexibility, test scenarios and, ultimately, generate uncertainty among its rivals without publicly committing. The result is a signal that is difficult to interpret, one that, possibly or precisely because of this, multiply your impact strategic. Image | LG Images In Xataka | In silence, China is making giant strides in a race that until now it was not leading: space. In Xataka | The US opted for the quality of the F-35 rather than quantity. China opted for the opposite and it is already a problem

Taiwan produces 90% of the world’s advanced chips. Its natural gas reserves last exactly 12 days

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In global energy markets, alarm bells do not always ring loudly; Sometimes all you have to do is watch where the boats are sailing. While the West observes the already known Third Gulf War With a mixture of horror and remoteness, Asia is suffering the direct impact. The colossal Ras Laffan facility in Qatar—which processes about a fifth of global liquefied natural gas (LNG)— has suffered damage by 17% of its infrastructure after the Iranian attacks. 12 days. At the exact center of the geopolitical target is Taiwan. The island has a practical monopoly on the world’s most advanced chips, but its “silicon shield” hangs by an extremely fragile logistical thread: an energy supply chain whose legal security threshold requires a minimum of just 11 to 12 days of natural gas reserves. The fatal panorama in Asia. Asia is on the front line of this fuel crisis as it buys more than 80% of the crude oil that transits through the blocked Strait of Hormuz. The nations of the region have had to quickly dust off the survival manuals of the COVID-19 era. Philippines has become the first country in declaring a state of “national energy emergency”, warning of an imminent danger and turning to coal to reduce costs. In South Korea, the government has asked its citizens Take shorter showers, use public transportation, and avoid charging your phones at night. Sri Lanka declared on Wednesdays as a holiday to save fuel, and in Thailand, officials have received the order to take off their suits, use the stairs and telework. china from chill. However, the contrast with China it’s abysmal. While its neighbors panic, the Asian giant observes the chaos coldly. Five years ago, Xi Jinping ordered to secure the country’s “energy rice bowl.” Today, thanks to a massive accumulation of sanctioned crude oil (bought cheaply from Russia or Iran), the shielding of renewables and a vehicle park where electric cars are the majority, China has built an invisible Great Wall that isolates it from fossil volatility. A trade war against the clock. This hydrocarbon drought not only turns off the lights, but paralyzes the industry. According to Commonwealth Magazinethe petrochemical and plastics sector has been the first major victim. The giant Formosa Petrochemical has had to issue force majeure notices after running out of raw materials, and prices of key materials such as ABS (used in car parts) have soared by up to 50%. At a logistical level, a trade war has broken out ruthless battle between Europe and Asia to seize the few available LNG shipments. Spot prices in Asia have doubled, and ships originally sailing to Spain or France are diverting their course to the Pacific in the face of more lucrative offers. In this Darwinian scenario, South Asia is acting as the global “shock absorber”: price-sensitive countries, such as Pakistan or Bangladesh, cannot compete and are forced to destroy demand or paralyze industries, leaving gas available for the giants that can afford it. To mitigate the blow on their own streets, governments like Japan They plan to inject billions in subsidies, while Taiwan has committed to absorb 60% of the increase in crude oil prices. Taiwan’s “Achilles heel” and the check on chips. If there is a critical point in this crisis, It is the island of Taiwan. In 2025, Taiwan relied on imports to meet 95% of its energy needs, including more than 99% of its oil and natural gas demand. Before the war, it received more than 38% of its annual natural gas supply and approximately 70% of its crude oil from the Middle East. The structural problem is time. While nations like South Korea have the capacity to store gas for 52 days and Japan for three weeks, Taiwan is walking on the wire. As pointed out Bloombergis an almost non-existent room for maneuver for an island where electricity generation based on natural gas has expanded to almost 48%. An immediate buffer. To avoid collapse in the short term, the Taiwanese Ministry of Economy has acted quickly with a checkbook. Minister Kung Ming-hsin has confirmed that supply planning is already covered for March, April and May, and they have even secured half of their replacement agreements for the month of June. Away from the imminent blackout, the island’s reserves have managed to remain above the safety threshold of 12 days since the fighting broke out. However, this short-term patch does not turn off the alarms. The real danger lurks in the summer, when high temperatures historically trigger electricity demand. A prolonged blackout: global chaos. The semiconductor sector contributes around 20% of Taiwan’s GDP. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which produces about 90% of the chips most advanced in the world (vital for AI and military technology), alone consumes approximately 9% of all electricity on the island. But gas is not the only missing input; Added to this is the disruption in the supply of secretive but vital raw materials such as bromine and helium (a third of which is processed in Qatar). The experts They warn that if the interruption of helium exceeds 14 days, the chip production lines will go into technical stoppage. With summer just around the corner and electricity demand about to skyrocket, the island operates at its limit. The pressure is so immense that the historically reluctant Taiwanese government is already openly debating the reactivation of nuclear energy, recognizing that the explosive growth in electricity demand linked to the development of Artificial Intelligence is changing all the rules of the energy game. The geopolitical board: opportunism and contradictions. Beijing has not been slow to intervene. Taking advantage of the panic, the Chinese government has thrown a poisoned lifeline. According to Chen Binhua, spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, collected in South China Morning Postthe Asian giant offered the island a stable, abundant and cheap energy supply in exchange for accepting “peaceful reunification.” Taipei’s response was blunt: Vice Minister of Economy, Ho Chin-tsang, rejected the offer, calling it “cognitive … Read more

Four days (or more) of unlimited data is a huge price

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Nobody likes to be left without Internet, but much less when we are traveling. If you don’t want to use roaming or public WiFi, you can always buy a SIM card at the destination, although this can be a hassle and not cheap. The solution? A eSIM installed on your mobile and you forget about problems. You have a very good option with eSimFLAG: if we use the code ‘XATAKA’ we will get three days free contracting at least four days of unlimited data. eSimFLAG – 4 days of unlimited data The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Unlimited data in more than 170 different destinations This promo is quite interesting if we plan to travel soon, such as next Easter. The code that we indicated above is already active and will be until next April 17so we have plenty of time to use it. For example, if right now we contract seven days of unlimited data in Japan and use the code ‘XATAKA’, it will only cost us 15.60 euros (outside of the promo, 27.30 euros). So with all destinations. Why choose an eSIM instead of a conventional SIM? In line with what we told you above, the key is in comfort. It installs in just a few minutes on your mobile, without having to use the typical spike that comes in the boxes. In addition, you install it once and forget it, so if you travel again in the future and use eSimFLAG you will not have to install it again. Another important point is the peace of mind that an eSIM provides in this type of case. Since you are paying for unlimited data, You will not have any scare in the form of a kilometer bill as could happen if you use your company’s roaming. And, if you set it up at home before leaving, you’ll already have Internet once you get off the plane. eSimFLAG offers its service in more than 170 countries, so it is very useful. Having unlimited data, We can continue using WhatsApp or Google Maps at our destinationmaking the trip a much more comfortable and simple experience. And if you do it at a reduced price with this promo, all the better. Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | eSimFLAG In Xataka | eSIM in Spain: all operators, compatible devices, prices and conditions (2026) In Xataka | eSIM or virtual SIM: what it is, what advantages it has and what is its compatibility in Spain

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