dedicated

While Mercadona was dedicated to conquering all of Spain, a supermarket has taken over its territory at home: Consum

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For years now, talking about supermarkets in Spain means talking about Mercadona. And it is logical. The Valencian chain has been gradually expanding its share until it has monopolized almost 30% of the sector at the end of 2025 and its commitment to service ‘Ready to eat’ is giving wings to a new business concept in Spain: the merchants. However, despite that resounding dominion of the retailJuan Roig’s company has found a surprise in the Valencian Community, the region where it was born. late 70’s: Consum has just advanced it in a key business parameter. The question is… What does that mean? What has happened? Basically, that the specialized portal infoRETAIL has published a report on the food distribution sector that, for the first time in a long time, relegates Mercadona to second place. The study, based on Retail Data, concludes that the Juan Roig chain has lost its dominant role in the Valencian Community in one of the key business parameters: square meters of sales area. If we look at that aspect, at the end of the first quarter Consum was better positioned. What does the data say? They show that right now Consum dominates the Valencian sales areas with 25.9% of the space. Translated into meters, that is equivalent to 436,835 m2 in the region which are spread across 533 locations. The firm directed by Antonio Rodríguez Lázaro also stands out in this aspect: there is no other chain in the region with more stores. Mercadona occupies second place with 431,688 m2 and 262 stores, which gives it a share of 25.6%. Is it an important indicator? Yes, because it shows us how extended the chain’s sales network is, a key asset when competing with its rivals. However, a crucial detail must be taken into account: the surface area quota is not the same as the value quota. The first is basically measured in square meters with merchandise displayed. The second in invoiced euros. infoRETAIL does not provide updated data on the latest indicator (value quota), but in spring Expansion echoed from a study by Worlpanel by Numerator that reflects that Roig’s chain clearly dominates on that front. Your share of business in the Levant was 33.6%above that reached in other regions of Spain and that registered by Consum, which held 16.8%. Has it grown that much? If we talk about surface, the answer is ‘yes’. In 2025 Consum premiered 18 new supermarketsof which seven were distributed throughout the Valencian Community, and by 2026 it has been marked a similar goal: open 18 new establishments, a good part of which will be distributed throughout towns in the region (Orihuela, Cox, Sagunto, Ontinyent, Torrevieja and València). This explains why Consum’s share of sales area in the Valencian Community has increased by close to 0.2% in a matter of one year. During the same period, Mercadona’s share decreased by 0.1%. In general, Mercadona said goodbye to 2025 with fewer stores in its sales network than in 2024. This drop did not affect its turnover, which grew 8%up to 41.8 billion. And the rest of the chains? The exchange of positions between Mercadona and Consum is not the only change that the sector has experienced in the Valencian Community. The results of Retail Data show that Lidl has managed to establish itself in the Valencian “TOP 5” with 101,777 m2 spread across 83 establishments. The German firm thus surpasses Masymas, which has 100,519 m2 in 180 stores. The photo is completed with Aldi, which totals 89,154 m2 in 78 stores. The Valencian market is not only important for its economic potential, it is also important on a symbolic level. After all, it is the cradle of three large chains in competition: Mercadona, Masymas and Consum, which started in 1975 in Alaquàs and closed 2025 with a turnover of 5,163 million euros, 9.7% more than the previous year. In its annual balance there was already an increase in surface area of ​​5.6%. Images | Wikipedia 1, 2 and 3 In Xataka | Bernardo Rodilla, retail expert: “The ‘Ready to eat’ is gaining weight, in the end we want to spend as little time as possible cooking”

The new Razer headphones dedicated to PlayStation and Xbox arrive that promise ultra-low latency and surround sound

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What headphones do you use to play the console? If until now you were not using any model or if you have simply been wanting to renew the ones you already have for a while, pay attention because Razer has launched its Razer Hammerhead V3X HyperSpeed in PlayStation and Xbox edition. Of course, be careful not to get confused because they have arrived in two different versions: Razer Hammerhead V3X HyperSpeed ​​(PlayStation) by 109.99 euros. Razer Hammerhead V3X HyperSpeed ​​(Xbox) by 109.99 euros. Razer Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed ​​(PlayStation) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Razer Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed ​​(Xbox) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links New Razer headsets for PlayStation and Xbox The Razer Hammerhead V3 TWS Bluetooth headphones that stand out mainly because the brand promises a ultra low latencysomething important to have a good experience and that the audio does not have delay when listening to the sound through the headphones. The funny thing is that these headphones can be used through your Bluetooth connectivity or via the 2.4 GHz network. For the latter, the charging case works as a receiver so that the connection is stable and with lower latency. Obviously, the case also serves to recharge the headphones’ battery, offering, according to the brand, an autonomy of up to 35 hours. The headphones work with Bluetooth 5.3 to ensure better connection stability and greater range. They also have IPX4 certification with water resistance (specifically water jets) and come with touch controls on the headphones themselves. On the other hand, the Razer Hammerhead V3 immersive experience being compatible with Windows Sonic on Xbox, 3D audio on PlayStation and THX Spatial Audio on PC. The Razer Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed ​​are now available in two versions for PlayStation and Xbox. They can even be purchased from supplier stores such as Amazon. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: Razer Hammerhead V3 X HyperSpeed ✅ THE BEST Your connectivity– Can be used via Bluetooth 5.3 or 2.4 GHz connection. Its theoretical autonomy: Up to 10 hours with the earbuds and up to 35 with the charging case. ❌ THE WORST They do not have multipoint connection (Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz). 💡 BUY IT IF… You are looking for Bluetooth headphones to play the console that are comfortable, offer immersive sound and ultra-low latency. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… You want the immersive experience that over-ear headphones offer, especially because of the passive noise isolation. You may also be interested Sony INZONE Buds, True Wireless Gaming Headphones, Low Latency Transceiver, Compatible with PC and PS5, 360 Spatial Sound, Light and Comfortable, Noise Cancelling, AI Microphone, 24 Hour Battery The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Xbox Wireless Headset Forza Horizon 6 Limited Edition Series X|S, One, PC and Cloud-Enabled Devices The price could vary. We earn commission from these links 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 | Razer In Xataka | Best Bluetooth speakers in quality price. Which one to buy based on use and seven recommended models In Xataka | Best sound bars in quality price (2026). Which one to buy and seven recommended models from 99 euros

In 2016 Colombia signed a historic peace agreement. Then the area dedicated to cocaine cultivation skyrocketed

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In Colombia the 11-24-2016 It is one of those dates that sneak into history books and that schoolchildren study for generations. Or at least that’s what was expected a decade agowhen (after years of negotiations and a complicated procedure with steps forward and back) the Government and the FARC signed a Peace Agreement which was intended to mark a turning point in the country’s history of drug trafficking and violence. The reality today is that the Colombian coca map may be different from that of 2016, but it has not retreated. Quite the opposite. Taking stock. The second round of the Colombian teams will coincide almost with the tenth anniversary of the agreement signed in 2016 by the FARC-EP and the Government, then headed by Juan Manuel Santos. With that backdrop, this week the British newspaper Financial Times public an extensive analysis in which he examines how the cocaine business, drug trafficking and violence in the country have changed over the last decade. And the result is not exactly good. If it had to be summarized, it could be done like this: more hectares of cultivation, greater yield, more business and less ideology. Change of actors. One of the key ideas that leave bouncing FT is that, far from ending drug trafficking and coca cultivation, the 2016 agreement has only served to change its protagonists. The place that the far-left insurgent organization once occupied FARC It is now distributed to armed groups more motivated by the search for profit. From discourse based on politics we move on to business. Not only that. The logistics chain has become fragmented and specialized, although in the new map they would stand out above all three great actors. One is the National Liberation Army (ELN), left-wing guerrilla organization that expands its influence to Venezuela. Another group is made up of former members of the FARC who are dissatisfied with the 2016 pact and who now act as dissidents. The third protagonist is Gaitanista Armyalso known by its acronym (EGC) or as Clan del Golfo, formed by right-wing paramilitaries. For the director of the Ideas for Peace Foundation (FIP), María Victoria Llorente, the latter is “the largest criminal organization in Colombia.” What exactly happened? That the State has not achieved occupy the place left by the FARC, which has translated into a huge opportunity for other organizations interested in drug trafficking. Toby Muse, reporter and author of ‘Kilo’, summed it up not long ago in an interview with ABC: “The FARC had control of many of the places where coca was planted. When they lowered their weapons they clearly told the Government: ‘Now this territory is yours. A minimum of law must be introduced and the peasants must be protected. That is the peace process. This territory is now yours’. The Government was unable to take control. Other groups did so and it generated a new cycle of violence.” Click on the image to go to the tweet. The figure: 253,000 hectares. Geoff Dyer and Joe Daniels, the reporters who sign the report of FT, have not limited themselves to collecting testimonies from experts and locals. In their chronicle they also slip some figures that help understand how the coca map in Colombia has changed since 2016. Of all, perhaps the most resounding are the UN estimates on the cultivated area: between 2018 and 2023 there would be increased by around 50% until reaching 253,000 hectares. This growth has also been accompanied by another just as solid in the production of pure cocaine hydrochloride. A questionable balance. Just a few days ago, President Gustavo Petro assured that the Executive expects that the area with coca crops this year will be around 253,358 hectares, which, he insisted, represents a reduction compared to 2025. In any case, it is still higher than what was expected. the UN calculated in 2022 and questions the success of the policies promoted a decade ago by the Executive to encourage farmers to abandon coca plantations. In 2017, for example, the Transnational Institute (TNI) informed of how a “crop substitution plan” to, through economic incentives, eliminate 50,000 hectares of coca in just one year. Only part of the ‘photo’. It is not just that the cultivated area has increased. In its 2024 report, the UN also points out a noticeable increase in the yield of cultivated hectares, a phenomenon that coincides with the decision of the Government of dispense with of aerial fumigation with glyphosate as a tool to eradicate coca plantations. The decision was made a decade ago due to its impact on the environment and the health of the population, but the Petro Government has had no choice but to reverse and recover fumigations with the help of drones. More sophisticated. In general the analysis of Financial Times points out that new generations have ‘professionalized’ coca production in Colombia, betting on new varieties of crops, more efficient agricultural practices and more sophisticated processing. Even the laboratories have been improved. The British media reports that, taking advantage of their control of the territory, some groups have even gotten into other businesses, such as illegal gold mining. Beyond Colombia. That coca production increases by Colombian forests It has effects beyond the country or even South America. In your ‘World Drug Report 2025’the United Nations recalled that in 2023 the production, seizures and consumption of white powder had reached “new highs”, confirming itself as “the fastest growing illicit drug.” According to their calculations, production shot up almost 34% between 2022 and 2023 and consumption went from 17 million users in 2013 to nearly 25 million in 2023. hunted caches before reaching its destination, but so does production, something that has even been felt in the quote of the bales. The reflection in Europe. In the global chain they are on one side the big producers (Colombia, Peru and Bolivia) and on the other the main consumer markets. In the latter, important changes can also be seen, something that it is clear in … Read more

university courses dedicated to rare earths

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The West is clear about breaking China’s dominance over the rare earth. But the challenge is not only that, but that Beijing has been cultivating a pool of specialists for decades trained since university. And according to a Reuters investigationthe country has built an entire educational ecosystem dedicated to these critical minerals. What is happening. Every year, several hundred young Chinese study university degrees focused specifically on rare earths, the 17 elements that power many of the advanced devices and technology of our time, from jet engines to electric cars to wind turbines and much more. Reuters identified at least 11 universities and technical centers that offer these degrees, with more than 500 students enrolled per year, in addition to more than 40 specialized laboratories spread throughout the country. Outside of China, according to the same media, there is no center that offers a specific university degree in rare earths. Why it is important. China processes more than 90% of rare earths refined and of the magnets of the world. And apart from mines and factories, people are also needed who know how to extract and separate elements of almost identical chemistry, a technically complex and expensive process. And the advantage of Beijing, in addition to geological and industrial, is that it also has the talent. In detail. Just like details In the middle, a good part of these schools and laboratories are concentrated near the large mines. An example is Baotou, in Inner Mongolia, about 150 kilometers from the largest rare earth deposit in the world. There, the Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology trains students who receive more than 100 hours of classes in subjects such as rare earth chemistry and materials science, some taught directly in the facilities of companies in the sector. The industry is so tied to these schools that it is normal for students to start working immediately. “In China, I hired kids straight out of college and they were instantly productive; anywhere else I needed to train them for three years,” explained to Reuters Constantine Karayannopoulos, former CEO of the companies Neo Performance Materials and Molycorp. Between the lines. Some universities openly acknowledge that they are forming geopolitical assets. Li Chaozhong, dean of the rare earth program at Jiangxi University of Science and Technology (JXUST), counted told state television CCTV that these minerals are “essential bargaining chips” in global politics, and that his university’s new program also seeks to ensure that China maintains its global leadership in the sector. JXUST students learn the entire supply chain, from processing and metallurgy to magnets, and work on research projects with companies before graduating. ccontrast with the West. Although the refining of rare earths It was Western dominion. Until the end of the 20th century, the industry practically disappeared from Europe and the United States, and with it specialized training. As the media highlights, mining has never attracted much attention to American students, who often see it as a dirty and old-fashioned sector. In 2023, US institutions They awarded just over 200 titles mining engineering and metallurgy generalists. There are specific exceptions, such as the Colorado School of Mines, which is preparing new research centers with the Department of Energy, but little else. Why is it so difficult to close the gap? China has tightened in recent years export restrictions of technology and equipment for rare earths, and according to sources cited by Reuterswould have limited contact between its technicians and foreigners, going so far as to withdraw passports from some of them. Control was intensified following the “Liberation Day” tariffs announced by Donald Trump in April 2025. And now what. The United States has begun to move, with billions of dollars allocated from 2024 to rebuild their experience in mining and legislative proposals to cooperate with allies in formation. The complicated thing is to build a pool of specialists like the one in China. That is something that is not achieved overnight. Cover image | Dominic Vanyi and Arthur Wang In Xataka | The treasure that Europe was looking for in China is in Jaén: rare earth concentrates of 19.4%

In 1982, Spain was so drunk on Naranjito that it dedicated an anime to him. And now it’s going to be re-released

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The linear channel of nostalgic series and movies VinTV has announced the re-release of ‘Football in Action’ on June 11, 2026. It is the day that the USA Soccer World Cup., and the recovery has something of an event: it is the first time that the series returns to a Spanish screen since TVE concluded its original broadcast on June 12, 1982, one day before the opening of the World Cup, without there having been reruns or a DVD edition. This curious darkness that surrounds one of our undisputed national icons is what has meant that few know that whoever directed the series would launch ‘Dragon Ball’ five years later. Spain did not encourage. In 1981, when production of the series began to commemorate the World Cup that would be played the following year, Spain did not have an animation series industry capable of undertaking such a project. The first serious attempts to build an industry They begin precisely in those years: There was, of course, Cruz Delgado’s ‘Don Quixote de la Mancha’, and also the studios that worked as subcontractors of Hanna-Barbera. The role of BRB International. It appears in the credits of ‘Football in Action’ as a co-producer, but it was not an animation studio. Founded in 1972 by Claudio Biern Boyd, the company was born as an agency merchandising. His leap into co-production was articulated by associating with studios that provided the technical means. BRB provided the concept, the relationship with TVE and the characters, and the animation was done by others. For ‘Football in Action’, those “others” were Nippon Animation. The Japanese studio, founded in June 1975had already done series like ‘Heidi’, ‘Marco’ and ‘The Dog of Flanders’. BRB and Nippon had already collaborated on ‘Ruy, little Cid’, and the same plan was followed with the Naranjito series. Spanish anime. It cannot be said that it is not noticeable that Soccer in Action is, essentially, an anime. At least aesthetically: hyper-expressive eyes, limited animation, slapstick and physical comedy. Its plots mixed documentary sports history, adventures against the villain Zruspa and visits to the World Cup host cities. Alfredo Di Stéfano participated as a sports advisor and Matías Prats provided the voice of the series commentator. And there was international projection: France 3 broadcast it with the title ‘Onze Une pour Coupe’, Canale 5 in Italy as ‘Naranjito’, and it also reached Portugal and Latin America. Only France published a DVD edition, in 2013, including four episodes in Spanish to replace chapters of the French version that had been lost. The responsible one. The director of ‘Football in Action’ was Minoru Okazaki. He debuted as an anime director in 1964, in the ‘Astro Boy’ series for Mushi Production, the studio that Osamu Tezuka had founded. That is to say, we are facing one of the builders of modern anime, since ‘Astro Boy’ would establish the visual and narrative language of the genre. When Okazaki came to ‘Football in Action’ he had already been in the industry for seventeen years. That same year he also worked on ‘Dr. Slump’ and five years later, in 1986, Okazaki was one of the original directors of ‘Dragon Ball’, produced by Toei Animation. Throughout his career he continued to be linked to other installments of the franchise. The prophecy. One last curiosity: at the end of the series, one of Zruspa’s henchmen warns that they will return “when Spain organizes another World Cup.” Finally, almost five decades later, it will happen (even if only in part: Spain will hold the organization along with Portugal and Morocco) in 2030. What is not so clear is that our future mascot will have a letter of introduction designed by an anime legend. In Xataka | When football wants to be American football: FIFA invents a halftime show with Madonna in imitation of the Super Bowl

Between June 9 and 11 we are waiting for you in Malaga at the largest B2B event dedicated to AI and technology

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There are three weeks left until the tenth edition of the Digital Enterprise Show (DES) (June 9-11), one of the most important events in Europe dedicated to digital transformation, AI and exponential technologies. For the fifth year, Málaga hosts this enormous knowledge and technology fair of which Xataka is Media Partner. Like every year, the DES has a B2B profile, aimed at the business, institutional and executive sector. Thousands of managers, workers and experts from all business fields will meet for three days at the Malaga Trade Fair and Congress Center (FYCMA), transforming the city into the epicenter of European technology throughout the week. Thousands of attendees and two large spotlights With an expected attendance of more than 15,000 people, the organization includes the exhibition of 400 firms and the presentation of more than 700 innovations, many of them tied to artificial intelligence. The 2026 edition is special because it marks the first decade of DES’ existence. As a tribute and rupture, the organization has broken with its previous structures and has completely redesigned itself under a new hyper-specialized format called ‘DES Universe’. The idea is simple: transform the fair into an “event of events” divided into seven thematic ecosystems that will address from the Cloud until the Digital Marketing Planet. However, and as could not be otherwise given the current times, DES 2026 will pay special attention to two large thematic areas: the rise of agentic AI and cyber defense, issues that we have discussed at Xataka on a daily basis. The conferences will focus on the integration of AI into everyday life, quantum computingthe work automationthe news in civil and military security and even the rise of drones. Among the speakers are Randi Zuckerberg (creator of Facebook Live and CEO of Zuckerberg Media), Yongdong Wang (Corporate Vice President of Microsoft), Beatriz Navarro (CMO of Renault) and experts such as Carme Artigas (co-president of the UN AI Consultative Body) and Javier Porras Castaño (Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer of Unicaja), among many others. Xataka will also participate at a round table on June 9 at 5:20 p.m. by yours truly. The complete listas well as the agendacan be consulted on the web. How to participate General access and to the exhibition area of ​​the large technology firms is managed through the event’s official website. Tickets vary depending on the professional profile and the content you wish to attend on June 9, 10 and 11. They are the following: Business Pass. The general access entrance. It allows you to visit the DES Universe exhibition area and some of the most important events, such as The Alnomics, Spain Digital Company either CyberXponential World. Its price is 90 euros during the three days. Premium VIP Pass. Ideal if your profile is executive and you pursue business opportunities and meetings with investors. In addition to the general access included in the previous pass, it allows you to unlock the 1 to 1 meeting platform, the VIP Lounge and The Scale Up! World Summit. Its price is 400 euros (one day) or 675 euros (three days). Honor Pass. The honorary pass includes all of the above and also a lunch at the Leadership Summit or in the CIO’s Summit and an invitation to the welcome party. Its price is 1,500 euros for three days. Thanks to our collaboration as Media Partner, all our readers can access a 35% discount in all DES 2026 entries. You just have to click this linkchoose your pass, enter the code that we show you in the following image and complete the registration. We are waiting for you in Malaga between June 9 and 11! Image | DES

There are people who are dedicated to moderating porn in places like chaturbate. And some are demanding for psychological trauma

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If we talk about adult content sites, Chaturbate not only has one of the most names, it is also one of the most popular free webcams platforms around the world. Today It is news Because one of its moderators has sued the company. The reason: suffers post -traumatic stress. The case. Neal Barber was hired by Bayside Support Services and Multi Media LLC, the company that owns Chaturbate, in 2020 as a “customer service risk supervisor” (moderator). His work is to review the content that is published and make sure that he meets legality. On July 22, Barber filed a lawsuit where he assures that he suffers psychological trauma for being exposed to “extreme, violent, graphic and sexually explicit content” daily. Although for now only Barber appears in the complaint, the case opens the door for other moderators hired in the last four years to join. Unprotected. Moderators are the first line of defense to stop the illegal content, which according to demand, in chaturbate often includes “child exploitation, non -consensual, violent, obscene or self -harm content.” Barber claims that chaturbate does not protect the mental health of its employees, something that is sector standard. In statements a 404 averagea chaturbate representative ensures that the company “deeply values the work of its moderators and is committed to supporting the team responsible for this fundamental work,” but does not say how they plan to do it. Consequences. Without any protection, the plaintiff developed posttraumatic stress syndrome and is currently under treatment. Being exposed daily to this content “designed to cause trauma” has resulted in, according to your lawyer, “vivid nightmares, emotional distancing, panic attacks and other symptoms compatible with post -traumatic stress disorder.” And it is not the only one. Years fighting. Content moderators have been complaining about working conditionsespecially of the impact that causes them at the psychological level, and we are not talking about adult content platforms, it occurs in soft content apps that we see every day. One of the first cases It happened in 2017when two employees of the Microsoft online security team reached the limit after watching a video of a rape and subsequent murder. In 2020 A moderator denounced YouTube And in 2021 too It happened in Tiktok. The reasons are repeated: the platforms failed to protect the mental health of their employees. At the moment, Goal faces demands in Kenya And also In Barcelona for the psychological consequences and bad working conditions. Solutions. There are already protections for moderators, but not all companies apply them. In the demand, chaturbate is accused of not including some standard practices such as “content filters, breaks for well -being, specialized advice or support systems among colleagues”. Nor do they comply with other usual practices such as putting videos on grays or silence the videos that are reproduced automatically. According to Checkstepa company dedicated to moderation, AI can also be an effective solution to reduce exposure. In addition to accelerating work, integrating advanced recognition systems, moderators can “focus on more complex cases and minimize exposure to potentially harmful material.” In Xataka | Meta follows the steps of X: we not only work writing for her, now we will also work moderating her

There is a whole literary genre dedicated to perverse crimes in the most cuquis and friendly spaces in the world. And he is breaking it

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We identify the black novel, invariably, with what is known as HARD BOILED: hard detectives, bloody crimes, sordid environments. But … what if there was another way to raise gender? Settling in certain classics of the genre, the novels Cozy Mystery (“Cozy mystery”) They are more than a niche: they are a very profitable way to continue taking advantage of a historical style of making crime literature and suspense. But … what are exactly? They are police novels that present the crime and its resolution in “clean” environments: small peoples, picturesque communities or scenarios of everyday life (bookstores, coffees, gardening clubs). Explicit violence and sex are deliberately excluded from the scene, and the narrative focuses on the interaction between unique characters (often an amateur detective, almost always a woman, with a great sense of humor and daily skills) and the logic of the research. But this sounds to me … Of course it sounds to you: the eccentric detective, which takes advantage of its harmless appearance to gain the confidence of the suspects has as famous historical precedents as the Miss Marple Miss Agatha Christie And her most distinguished heiress: the Jessica Fletcher de ‘A crime has been written‘. Its roots can be traced even further: the British mystery novels of the nineteenth century and, in general the peaceful style of the “golden age” of the mystery (whose most popular representative is Christie) and where in addition to amateur detectives such as Miss Marple, we saw rural environments or closed communities, crimes executed “out of the scene” and ingenious resolution. In the 1980s, several writers began to claim and modernize that friendlier and more casual approach to the international boom of the darkest police novel. Since then, the Cozy Mystery He has experienced several popular cycles: the last one we are living now, supported by compartmentalization in increasingly detailed and specific subgenres that the editorial industry lives (of the Romantasy to the stories of Love with skaters). An editorial boom. Not only throughout the world authors such as Richard Osman, Joanne Flike or Kate Carlisle have become stars: also in Spain the subgenre has become a boom. Editorial Alma, for example, has found a real reef, and is exploiting fever by the Cozy With a collection that it already has almost forty titles to which are added, of course, its corresponding Children and Youth Variants. In the collection, titles such as ‘A lovely old woman … and lethal’, ‘Pride, prejudice and poison’ or ‘The last cupcake’ make clear the constants of the genre: kind satire, cuquis crimes and peaceful environments. And together with all these are, of course, the classics: ‘The Thursday Crime Club’, by the aforementioned Richard Osman, was one of the first supervantas of this last success of the genre. What’s behind: feminism … There is an inspiration for the genre that does not go unnoticed: its feminist inspiration. Women are present in Cozy Mystery as authors and also starring the books themselves. Gender can be understood as a reaction to the traditional black novel, historically monopolized by male voices and marked by the representation of women as a victim, secondary or femme fatale. The protagonists of these books are usually common women but extraordinary acuity, carriers of a logical, observer and empathic look. Following Miss Marple’s wake, many of them are mature, widowed characters, retired or housewives, whose age and experience confers authority and charisma. A true disarticulation of gender stereotypes, claiming values such as intuition, daily wisdom and practical sense, with women deeply integrated into their community, which gives a collective dimension to the narrative. A quiet and silent challenge of crime and punishment codes, eminently male law and order of the traditional genre. … and well -being. The warm and comforting style of these books (and their editions, with covers of soft tones and domestic scenarios) point to addresses that have nothing to do with the usual policeman: pleasant routines, the beauty of the everyday. And there is an echo in the prose of these books: light but not banal, ironic without cruelty … that is, a kind of comfortable reading, a very appropriate emotional refuge in these times of crisis, uncertainty and stress. We have spoken on other occasions about entertainments that disconnect us And peace provide us, and without a doubt the Cozy Mystery It has a lot to do with this trend: in a hyperconnected society, we crave return to small, intimate and without shocks. Except for small crime than another, but that is resolved easy. In Xataka | If you join the lifelong hobbies you have the editorial phenomenon that is sweeping in bookstores

Very few countries in the world are dedicated to the industrial production of avocados. Now an unexpected one has joined: Japan

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Tsutomu Uchida is 64 years old, is a retired entrepreneur and for a while now He spends hours working on a plot located in the Shizuoka districtwhere different cultivation techniques prove. So far unusual. The funny thing is that Uchida is not dedicated to Plant riceneither soy nor Mikana very popular citrus in the region. No. His interest has little to do with traditional vegetables. What is trying to grow since 2020 are avocados, a plant that wakes up more interest in Japanese agriculture. The reason: the market … and climate change. What happened? That in Japan, Rice landcherries and citrus, there are farmers who begin to Look with interest A new variety of crop, a very popular in other latitudes but that has so far had an almost testimonial weight in the country of the rising sun: avocado. And the most curious thing is what that curiosity is awakening. Beyond the growing Internal demand or the Production increase Worldwide, the factor that has led Japanese farmers to plant avocados is climate change. Shizuoka avocado. The news I advanced it A few days ago The Japan Times: More and more farmers in Shizuoka Prefecture show interest in avocados. The phenomenon is curious for several reasons. First, because the traditional cultivation of that region is another good, the Mikana citrus similar to mandarin. The second reason is that this interest It is promoted by local authorities. Shizuoka Prefecture has just activated a triennial plan that aspires, among other goals, to develop cultivation techniques and sales channels focused on avocado. With that purpose the institution plans to invest over the coming months 18 million yen (about 100,000 euros) in investigations to improve local production. Putting his head. If everything goes as planned, in three years you will publish a manual for farmers. It may seem like a modest initiative, but it is quite significant: Shizuoka is one of the main producing regions of Mikan From Japan and right now the avocado cultivation in the country is very small. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, in 2022 there were hardly any 34 tons who came out above all from Saga, Ehime and Wakayama, territories that (exact!) have always stood out for their citrus. TEMPERATURES QUESTION. The most curious thing is that this growing interest in avocado is not explained only for its internal demand or market prospects. At stake there is another equal or even more relevant factor for Japanese farmers: climate change. Their effects already They let themselves feel in the Rice crops and They threaten to punish to much of the plantations of Mikan of the country while They favor to those of avocado, a tree originally from Mesoamerica. “We cannot simply advance complaining about the negative impact of change on the agricultural environment. We are trying to convert this adversity into an opportunity and make the most of it,” Recognize to The Japan Times Yuji Hirano, responsible for agricultural strategies in the government of Shizuoka. With that clear idea, the prefecture probes the pros and cons of betting on a dozen subtropical crops in the region. Among them there was one that stood out for their “pull” in the market and that could also be favored by the weather: the avocado. But … what are they based on? In forecasts that draw such a promising scenario for avocado as a funeral for the Mikan. In March the National Organization for Agricultural and Food Research (Naro) public A report in which he warns that the future of citrus in Japan “will depend largely” on greenhouse gas emissions while avocado suitable areas could expand its current size more than 2.5 times by the middle of the century. An uncertain horizon. Nikkei It goes further And he warns that climate change can make that at the end of the Japanese century find that 80% of the areas that are right now for the cultivation of tangerines cease to be. With the land suitable for avocado plantations, a subtropical fruit, the opposite would happen: they would multiply by 7.7. “Maybe you think that a temperature difference of 1ºC does not mean much,” Clarify Toshihiko Sugiura, from Naro. “But for him Mikan It makes the difference. “ Hence the scenario can vary greatly depending on what happens in the coming years. If for 2100 the temperature rise does not exceed 1.4ºC the country may keep 80% of the current surface destined for Mikan. If the increase is 4.3ºC as soon as any. However, and although the increase in temperatures may make it easier, the avocado is not guaranteed in Japan either: the winter cold waves would mean a serious threat. The other key: the market. The other factor that explains Shizuoka’s interest in avocado should be sought in the market. The Japan Times remember that today the fruit is much more popular in the Japanese fruit shops than a few decades ago. And the data show it. In 1988, only 3,400 tons were imported. In 2020 there were already 80,000. That boom coincided with an increasing exposure of the fruit in the country’s media, which began to highlight its nutritional value as “superfiment” rich in vitamins and fiber. Today the avocado is already integrated from the diet of many Japanese and it is easy to find in supermarkets, although the nation basically depends on imports. The vast majority (at least in 2020) comes from Mexico, where they start around 85% of importsand Peru, which brings together about 11%. National production is scarce and is sold at prices greater than foreign fruit. Images | Eddie Pipocas (UNSPLASH), 光曦 刘 (UNSPLASH) and Rui Hao Lim (UNSPLASH) In Xataka | Japan is suffering a bankruptcy record from Ramen. And in part it is the result of the “1,000 yen barrier”

A programmer did not like how his coffee maker extracted coffee. So he dedicated 100 hours to hack her

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Few things give more anger than to play with an extremely simple device that does not respond exactly as you want. An example is the appliances that should be at our service, but sometimes they go from us, they are unnecessarily complex Or they have many functions, but not as simple as “don’t automatically turn off.” That is what a software developer was found to Buy a coffee makerand made the most logical decision. Return it? No: Hold it. And be careful, because that of ‘hacking’ the coffee makers is not so weird. Functions vs User. Gabriel Ciubotaru He is a software developer, but also an expert in cybersecurity and reverse engineering, among other skills. In a recent conference at the Defcamp 2024 (a relevant cybersecurity and hacking conference at European level), Gabriel told how he had acquired a coffee maker that he liked a lot, but that had a very annoying function: at 30 minutes of being on, he automatically went out. It is a function to save energy, and that is fine, but the problem is the enormous contradiction that arises when, every time it turns on, it performs a refined cycle that expels a moderate amount of water. In addition to water, it was a loss of time and Gabriel search between the options until finding a higher time limit: three hours. As he made a coffee every four hours, it was not adequate for his rhythm of life and decided to open the machine. Hold the coffee maker. The task seemed simple: extract the motherboard, locate the microcontroller and identify the system programmed to automatically turn off the machine and perform that refined process, change the firmware with the desired time value and reassemble the machine. The reality is that it found that component relatively easy, but the complicated thing was to find, throughout the code tangle, the lines that it should modify so that the coffee maker went out when he wanted. He did it, looking at a code that controls the warning icons that shows the coffee maker screen so that the user identifies his status following the instructions of the manual, so he modified those values, the modified code rose to the microcontroller and … ready, the coffee maker now works as he wants. I have explained it in a very simple way, but in Gabriel he gives all the details in his conference. He also comments that he has saved 30 seconds a day by investing 100 hours of work to hack the coffee maker, but that it is something that has been totally worth it because now it is the device that works as the user wants. More homemade projects. It is clear that not everyone has the resources, desire, time or interest in getting what Gabriel has achieved. Those 30 seconds, to many, would not be bother us, but what is also true is that there is an interest on the part of some users to hack their coffee makers in one way or another. One of the most popular coffee makers is Delonghi dedicates. It is what I have and has a series of default values ​​that respond to the amount of coffee extraction time. For a pressurized portfilters like the one that carries the machine, they are adequate, but when you buy a portfiltros in the air, these values ​​fall short and we have a way of programming a slower extraction based on combining its three buttons. It is something indicated in the manual, but what is not indicated is how to achieve a better milk foam. The sparkler included is functional, but not perfect. A trick to have more control over the process is to remove the metal part of the sparkler and keep the rubber, with a much thinner nozzle. Thus we can better control the process, but there is a problem: due to the pressure, the nozzle jumps. The solution? Set that mouthpiece to the coffee maker through a flangeand problem solved. Removing functions to the machine. That is a very simple modification, but there is another that is perhaps more interesting because it directly affects how coffee knows. In filter coffee makers, the most common is that the base has a resistance that keeps hot coffee for a longer time. This implies that coffee ‘cooks’ by extraction, but then continues to warm up with a high temperature base that modifies its flavor. It is not ideal, but even expensive machines (and that, supposedly, its manufacturers should know that it affects the flavor) implements it. Therefore, a common modification in this type of coffee makers is to open them and remove the cables that give energy to that resistance. It does not affect anything to the operation of the coffee maker when preparing coffee, but you eliminate that base that continues to cook the coffee once extracted. It is a modification that gives more “fear” than placing a flange, but it is worth it because, as I say, it has a direct influence on coffee. And as that modification there are many others, such as placing a more quality milk foamer in the aforementioned dedicate or changing the water pump pressure, Change the diffuser of water in a moccamaster … More serious implications. Ok, these cases are curious and allow to improve the functioning of the coffee maker, but really hacking a coffee maker is a serious thing. It is something that Martin Hron, Avast Security Researcher, demonstrated to the HAHKE AN INTELLIGENT COFFEE. Focusing on the first generation smartger, Hron got access to the system and realized that it worked as a unprotected Wi-Fi access point, with unbalanced connections and that allowed firmware updates without authentication. What did you demonstrate? Two things. On the one hand, which could rotate the mill without control, waste boiling water or emit beeps. He could also show a rescue message with a URL in which to make the payment so that the coffee maker ceases to behave … Read more

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