delivery

First it was a suspicious cake. Now China has discovered that thousands of restaurants on its delivery apps… do not exist

by

One of the most famous stories of the internet era it happened in 2013when American journalists discovered that a supposed restaurant called “The Shed at Dulwich” became one of the best rated of London despite the fact that, for much of its existence, it did not even serve real food. The case demonstrated how a compelling digital presence can be more powerful than an authentic physical business. The cake that uncovered the cake. It all started with something seemingly trivial. A customer from Beijing ordered a birthday cake through a delivery application and received a decorated product with inedible flowers. The claim seemed like just another incident among millions of daily orders, but the subsequent investigation ended up uncovering one of the largest food fraud schemes in Chinese digital commerce. The business he had purchased from claimed to have nearly 380 stores spread across the country. Actually, I didn’t have not a single physical store. The licenses were fake and the company existed only within the applications. What started as an isolated complaint ended up opening the door to a national review that revealed a much deeper problem: “ghost kitchens,” thousands of restaurants that seemed real to consumers. They just didn’t exist.. Food delivery drivers start their workday for Kangaroo delivery service in Beijing The operation. Apparently, the BBC told this week that the so-called “ghost kitchens” were operating by taking advantage of the control gaps of the delivery platforms. These businesses advertised themselves as conventional restaurants, often using rented licenses, falsified documentation, or non-existent addresses. When a customer placed an order, the supposed restaurant I didn’t cook anything. In many cases the order was automatically transferred to intermediary platforms that organized auctions between different suppliers. The order ended up in the hands of whoever agreed to prepare it. for the lowest price possible. The consumer believed they were buying from a specific brand when, in reality, the food could come from any unknown kitchen, without knowing who made it or under what sanitary conditions. The figures of a monster. The national investigation carried out by the Chinese authorities revealed the magnitude of the phenomenon. Inspectors identified more of 67,000 ghost restaurants distributed among the main delivery applications in the country. In addition, they discovered a chain of illegal orders that only in the cake sector had been managed around of 3.6 million orders. The authorities they concluded that delivery platforms, middlemen and numerous sellers had built a parallel supply chain based on opacity and in mass subcontracting. What seemed like a set of isolated frauds turned out to be an industrialized system that operated on a large scale and moved millions of transactions. The price war behind the fraud. They remembered in Nikkei that the origin of the problem lies in the fierce competition in the home delivery sector in China. With almost 630 million users Using these services, platforms compete to attract customers through constant discounts, aggressive promotions and an ever-increasing range of establishments. In that context, the pressure to reduce costs It ended up generating a race to the bottom. An example cited by the investigations showed how a cake sold to the customer for $35 ended up being awarded to a supplier willing to manufacture it. for just 11 dollars. Between intermediaries, commissions and platforms, much of the money disappeared before reaching the chef who actually prepared the product. The consequence was a model that rewarded volume and price above quality, traceability and food safety. The platforms, in the garlic. The investigation was not limited to the sellers. The authorities they concluded that many platforms had deliberately relaxed their controls to accelerate their growth. According to regulators, companies they did not properly verify the licenses of the establishments and allowed the presence of unauthorized sellers because a broader offer helped to attract more users. Some employees they came to recognize that applying strict controls could cause merchants to migrate to rival applications. The result was a situation in which commercial incentives ended up trumping legal and health obligations. Historical fines. Beijing’s response has been one of the most forceful seen in years within the Chinese digital economy. The authorities imposed sanctions worth 3.6 billion yuanabout 500 million dollars, to large companies such as Taobao, JD.com, Meituan, Pinduoduo, Douyin and other platforms involved. Some businesses were temporarily suspended from recruiting new vendors and forced to eliminate detected ghost restaurants. Sector analysts have described the operation as one of the tougher regulatory sanctions imposed on internet companies since the entry into force of the current food legislation. The new digital surveillance. From now on, platforms must verify periodically that the licenses are valid, that the physical addresses exist and that the businesses actually correspond to the advertised establishments. Restaurants without in-person service will have to state it clearly to users. At the same time, some cities have begun to implement transparent kitchens equipped with cameras that allow you to follow the preparation of food live. They are also being deployed artificial intelligence systems capable of detecting fake photographs, supervising kitchens and analyzing possible irregularities. Even delivery drivers have been incorporated into the surveillance system through reward programs for those who report suspicious establishments. The end of uncontrolled expansion. Beyond food safety, the campaign reflects a broader shift in Chinese regulatory strategy. For years, platforms grew by prioritizing the number of users, sellers and orders. Now Beijing wants to replace this accelerated expansion with a model more controlled and predictable. The appearance of tens of thousands of non-existent restaurants showed the extent to which competition had distorted the market. What began with a simple cake purchased online ended up revealing an ecosystem where millions of consumers believed they were choosing between thousands of different restaurants when, in many cases, behind the screen there was no establishment, no dining room and, sometimes, not even a real company. Image | TurnOnTheNight, Tracy Hunter, SKWTAM8 In Xataka | Just Eat knows that we Spaniards are hooked on Delivery. This is how … Read more

Just Eat knows that we Spaniards are hooked on Delivery. This is how they have closed an agreement so that you can order on WhatsApp

by

Spain it is delivery countryand Just Eat knows it. We are one of the European markets where food delivery has grown the most in the last decade. So much so, Just Eat has decided to make Spain one of the only two countries—along with the Netherlands—where it will debut in Europe something that no delivery platform had done before: allowing you to order food directly from WhatsApp. The alliance. Just Eat has become the first platform in Europe to enable an integrated ordering experience through WhatsApp in which the entire search and selection process occurs within the chat itself. The Just Eat app only comes into play for the last step: secure payment. WhatsApp is not going to replace the service app, but rather it is going to become one of the main entry channels. “With the launch of the first ordering system via WhatsApp in Europe, at Just Eat we are not just including a new channel: we are redefining the concept of convenience. This innovation is a key element in our evolution, going from being a menu-based transactional application to becoming a true intelligent assistant powered by AI, capable of understanding user intent in real time.” Mert Öztekin, CTO of Just Eat How it will work. Using a QR code or link, we will enter WhatsApp, we will start a conversation with the AI agent from Just Eat, and we can complete practically the entire experience from the messaging app. Unlike the existing WhatsApp chat options, aimed at customer assistance channels, the company ensures that its AI will be able to understand natural language, to talk with us about what we want to eat, what restaurants there are, what they have on the menu and their prices. The promise is clear: this is not a support chatbot or anything similar to what we have used so far. The buts. The proposal is striking, but it is inevitable to ask some questions. The first is a simple “why”. Explaining to an AI agent what you want for dinner when Just Eat has a highly optimized app in which you can order food in five or six touches of the screen, a priori, does not seem more comfortable. The second is that Goal is Goaland every WhatsApp conversation goes through its servers. That Just Eat has the necessary data for our order is logical, but all this information Now passing through Meta may not be so attractive. When. Just Eat has not given a final date for this service, although it assures that it will begin its trial in 2026. They will start in Spain and the Netherlands and, if it is a success, expand to more countries in the European Union. In Xataka | The delivery war is no longer about bringing pizzas home, it is about delivering in 10 minutes: ‘Q-commerce’

has just opened its warehouse and delivery network to any company in the world

by

For decades, Amazon has built its business one of the most powerful distribution infrastructures on the planet, one that allows its workers to ship products anywhere in the world extremely efficiently. Now he is going to make it available to any business that wants to use it. global network. amazon has announced the launch of Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS), a service with which any company, not just its marketplace sellers, will be able to access its global logistics network. Transport by sea, air, road and rail; warehouses; distribution centers; and last mile delivery: all under one umbrella and available for companies in all types of sectors, whether healthcare, automotive, manufacturing or retail, among others. Why does it matter? Amazon has a fleet of more than one hundred cargo planes, only behind FedEx and UPS, thousands of warehouses and sorting centers around the world, and its own last-mile delivery service. In fact, according to data from ShipMatrix, this parcel service is already the largest in the United States by volume, ahead of UPS, FedEx and the US Postal Service. What changes now is that all that capacity, previously reserved for its own sellers and internal operations, is formally opened to the market. Likewise, the movement turns Amazon into a gigantic logistics operator, what is known in the sector as 3PL (third-party logistics provider) and places it in direct competition with giants such as DHL, Kuehne + Nagel or DSV. According to data From the consulting firm Armstrong & Associates, it is estimated that this global market moves more than 1.3 trillion dollars. The parallelism with AWS. In 2006, the company took the technological infrastructure it had built to run its own business and began selling it to third parties. This is how Amazon Web Services was borntoday the largest cloud service provider in the world. Now try to replicate that model with logistics. “Amazon brings the infrastructure, intelligence and scale of its decades-proven supply chain services to businesses around the world, just as Amazon Web Services did with cloud computing,” counted Peter Larsen, vice president of Amazon Supply Chain Services, in the company’s official statement. Variety of services. According to the company, ASCS offers services divided into four large blocks: Transportation of goods (sea, air, land and rail freight). Distribution and storage with automated inventory forecasting. Preparation and shipping of orders through any sales channel, including rival platforms such as Walmart, Shopify, Shein or TikTok. Parcel delivery with deadlines of between two and five days, seven days a week. A blow to the sector. Following the news, FedEx and UPS shares fell more than 9% each after the announcement, while GXO Logistics plummeted around 13% and DHL lost 7.3%. For these companies it is a direct competitive blow, and according to analysts from the Baird firm, the impact could also extend to air and maritime cargo transport operators. With this blow on the table, another of the threatened segments is business-to-business (B2B) logistics, a niche with a high profit margin where UPS and FedEx have been focusing all these years. Between the lines. Beyond the competitive threat, Amazon seeks to monetize an infrastructure that already exists and in which it has been investing for almost thirty years. The company was already according to Armstrong & Associatesthe world’s largest logistics operator by gross revenue in 2025, although its services were sold in a fragmented manner and without a unified proposition for external clients. “They have warehousing operations, transportation management, and international air and sea freight, but they did not have a coordinated sale like 3PL, although together they are already the largest,” counted Evan Armstrong, CEO of Armstrong & Associates, told the Wall Street Journal. Customer data. Opening the network to external companies raises a question: what does Amazon do with the information of its logistics clients? The company has already been accused in the past of using data from sellers in its marketplace to compete against them, something it has always denied. Larsen assures told the WSJ that Amazon explicitly prohibits using ASCS customer data to make decisions in its own marketplace, citing the fact that hundreds of thousands of sellers already use its logistics services for channels outside of Amazon. Cover image | Garakhan Safarli and Claudio Schwarz In Xataka | What is the cheapest Amazon device you can use Alexa+ on?

just completed a critical test before delivery

by

Spain is in a moment of weapons renewal. A few days ago we said that the country has been selling his old submarines for scrapa movement conditioned by something very specific: the new generation of S-80 submarines is beginning to gain traction. Or impulse, rather. And the ignition of engines S-82 Narciso Monturiol It is one more step towards delivery to the Navy. And it has cost… Milestone. It was last February 28 when S-82, the second submarine of the S-80 Plus series, started its diesel engines for the first time. The Ministry of Defense has become again echo of the achievement achieved a few weeks ago, and it is no wonder. The ignition is one more step in the commissioning of the submarine after the electrical ignition, the boarding of the batteries and the launching. Overcoming these phases brings the ship closer to its delivery. The S-82. The Narciso Monturiol measures about 80 meters in length, has about seven meters in diameter and is capable of moving about 3,000 tons while submerged. It has capacity for more than 30 crew members and can last submerged for three weeks. Regarding weapons, account with a system developed by Navantia and Lockheed Martin that allows launching ground attack missilesbeing the only of the European Union’s conventional submarines that have that capability. It can also arm DM2A4 heavy torpedoes with a range of up to 50 kilometers. Issues. And if the ignition of the engines is announced as a milestone, it is because the S-80 program has not had it easy. These are the first submarines of Spanish design, and since 2004 they have been suffering delays. The first in the class, the S-81 Isaac Peralshould have been delivered in the early 2010s, but design errors and a budget that went from 1.8 billion euros to 3,900, ended up being delivered in 2023. The biggest problem was weight, something crucial in a submarine. It had between 70 and 100 tons of overweightsomething that was discovered just when it was due to be delivered and that compromised the entire project because it is something that would cause buoyancy problems. There were also other problems in the propulsion system and disputes between the Spanish Navantia and the French Naval Group. Next steps. And, again, completing these tests is the step prior to delivery at some point this year. It also shows that there is someone doing the calculations somewhat regularly because the S-82 was scheduled to be delivered at the end of 2024, generating a delay in the plans. This delay is what caused the very veteran S-71 to have to be revised so that Spain could keep two submarines operational at the same time, giving itself the situation of having a new generation one alongside the aforementioned S-71. The next steps for the S-82 are to continue testing systems before delivery, and then the S-83 and S-84 will arrive, which were dated for 2026 and 2028 respectively and will arrive with a novelty: the BEST AIP system to improve immersion capability and long duration missions. Both the S-81 and S-82 will also be upgraded with the BEST AIP at some technical stop between 2029 and 3031, respectively. After that ignition of the S-82 engines, they start the most critical tests, such as those of acoustic signature and immersion, key steps before it can be launched into the sea to definitively retire the S-71. Photos | Ministry of Defense In Xataka | In the 19th century, Spain designed the first “torpedo launcher” to defend itself against the United States: the Sanjurjo Badía submarine

The ERE of 750 workers confirms the profitability crisis of delivery in Spain

by

Glovo has opened the consultation period for an Employment Regulation File that will affect a maximum of 750 delivery workers in more than 60 locations throughout Spain: The official reason is that the distribution model with employees is not profitable in a large part of the territory. However, unions like CCOO had months denouncing that the company was already carrying out a “covert ERE” through a continuous trickle of disciplinary dismissals under questionable justifications. Why is it important. This decision comes just eight months after Glovo will complete its adaptation to the Rider Lawregularizing the delivery drivers who until then worked as self-employed. This adjustment shows the platform’s difficulties in sustaining a profitable logistics model once forced to abandon the self-employed scheme and assume the labor costs of the Workers’ Statute. The background. Glovo was the last major platform to comply with the Rider Law, which was approved in 2021, but its effective application was in fits and starts, between fines and institutional pressure. In July 2025, The company regularized its delivery drivers (more than 13,000 throughout Spain) in the face of the imminent threat of criminal proceedings, which opened the door to prison sentences for its leadership for widespread fraud. What Glovo had to give up then is cutting now. Between the lines. The company does not directly blame the Rider Law. It points out that its direct logistics management model, the so-called Gen2, “has proven to be inefficient” in small and medium-sized municipalities, and that it is necessary to move to the Gen1 model, in which Glovo does not assume the delivery operation. Translated: where the volume of orders is not sufficient to cover the costs of having permanent employees, the platform transitions to a model of marketplace (Gen1). That is, Glovo continues to operate the application and collect commissions, but the logistics of delivery are now assumed by the restaurants themselves or subcontracted companies. In figures: 750 delivery workers affected by the ERE. More than 60 locations where service will be reduced or eliminated. And more than 800 cities where Glovo operations continue normally. The big question. Now the underlying debate is not whether Glovo complies with the law or not (now, without a doubt, it complies with it), but whether the delivery whose model he proposes can be sustainable with a workforce of employees in markets where orders do not have the volume that exists in large cities. In addition, COVID triggered home delivery consumption to levels that have since normalized, and platforms have been searching for years for the balance point that allows them to make money without resorting to questionable working conditions. In many corners of Spain, that point has not yet appeared. Yes, but. Yolanda Díaz has responded to the announcement by rejecting any “blackmail” and promising that the Labor Inspection will ensure compliance with the law. You are right that the law must be followed. But the ERE that Glovo has announced does not breach it: reducing activity where there is no business is a legitimate decision. The underlying problem lies in the structural change of the sector: the delivery was born and based its profitability on a model of self-employed workers, a formula that Glovo defended to the end, arguing for the flexibility of the service. Now, the real challenge is to demonstrate whether the business remains economically viable when platforms must assume the structural costs of a salaried workforce, as required by current legislation. Featured image | Nursultan Abakirov In Xataka | The death of cooking at home: inviting to “dinner” is increasingly becoming inviting to order by Glovo

The robotaxis did not need a driver, but Waymo has ended up paying delivery drivers to close ajar doors

by

What until not long ago seemed the exclusive province of science fiction is beginning to become visible on the streets: cars capable of moving from one point to another without a driver. And you don’t need to buy one to live the experience. In some cities around the world, it is enough to order a robotaxi from an application and see how the vehicle arrives to pick you up, identifying you in certain models with your initials on an LED screen located on the roof, as our colleague Javier Lacort confirmed in San Francisco almost two years ago. Futuristic scene, present problems. In the midst of this transformation of transportation, which aims to offer more safety and comfort, its weak points are also beginning to emerge. We don’t talk about the jams caused by connectivity failures nor of those cars that, for some reason, They start honking their horn at four in the morning. The issue is even more basic: if a user closes the door incorrectly, the vehicle cannot continue operating. The problem is not driving, it is being able to leave. In the case described by CNBC and TechCrunchare blocked if, at the end of the trip, a passenger leaves a door ajar. Waymo confirmed to both media that this detail prevents the car from resuming travel and completing new routes until someone closes it correctly. This is a basic, almost domestic friction that turns a simple oversight into an operational problem and explains why the company has to resort to human support to return its vehicles to service as soon as possible. Pay delivery people. The company is testing a system in Atlanta that alerts nearby delivery drivers of applications such as DoorDash when one of their vehicles is left with the door open. The proposal is simple: approach, close it and allow the robotaxi to operate again. The media even cites the case of a driver who was offered $11.25 for that specific task. They also detail a similar order divided between $6.25 for travel and another $5 after verifying the closure. It is not an isolated case. The Atlanta pilot is not the only example of this specific dependence on human help. Waymo has also turned to users of honka roadside assistance platform, to resolve similar situations in other American cities. In this case, some collaborators received offers of up to $24 to close the door of a stopped robotaxi. More than a local anecdote, these examples draw a clear operational pattern: when the vehicle is immobilized due to a minor detail, the quickest solution is still to send a person. Automatic doors, on the way. Today Waymo operates with a fleet made up entirely of electric vehicles Jaguar I-PACE adapted for autonomous driving, which still depend on human intervention in situations like this. But the company owned by Google assures that this gap has an expiration date, although without specifying it: it announced that its future robotaxis will have automatic closing. Meanwhile, the present of the autonomous car continues to show that double face: sophistication in driving and human dependence on the simplest details. Images | Xataka In Xataka | When San Francisco suffered a blackout, its streets were plunged into chaos for a reason: dumped self-driving cars

discounts of up to 50% on technology and delivery before Christmas

by

Like every Monday, we return one more day to bring you the best deals we have found today on Amazon. This is a special day for two things: it is the last Monday of 2025 and, furthermore, we are very close to the Three Wise Men. Therefore, in addition to looking for discounted devices and tech products, we have also chosen those that have guaranteed delivery on time. Philips Series 5000 Shaver by 49.99 eurossuitable for the whole body and for use under water. Xiaomi Scooter 5 Max by 419.99 eurosan excellent mobility option with good power and autonomy. V16 help flash IoT+ beacon by 38.05 eurosone of the most popular that will arrive to you in time before it is mandatory to carry it in the car. Philips Ambilight ‘The One’ by 699 eurosa 65-inch Smart TV with very good features. Borderlands 4 by 39.90 eurosavailable at this price for both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Philips Series 5000 Shaver As the first interesting offer from Amazon we have this Philips shaver, model BG5485/30. It is a machine designed to be used on the entire body, which is always very practical. In addition, since it is waterproof, we also have the option of using it in the shower. It includes a travel case, which is very practical to take it everywhere with us. It is reduced to 49.99 euros. Philips Body Shaver Series 5000 – Trimmer for Men with Triple Protect System, Shaves and Trims the Intimate Area, Suitable for the Shower, 100 min. of autonomy. BG5485/30 The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Xiaomi Scooter 5 Max If we look for a electric scooter and we want a top option, we have this available Xiaomi Scooter 5 Max at a very good price: 419.99 euros. This model has double front and rear suspension so that we can drive more smoothly. In addition, it has a motor with a peak output of 1,000 W and a range of up to 60 km. And if we are worried about the battery charge, this Scooter 5 Max is fully charged in just 3 hours. Xiaomi Electric Scooter 5 MAX ES+Speaker – Maximum power of 1000 W – 400 W, Autonomy of 60 km, Bluetooth 4.1 BLE or Higher, Full charge in Just 3 Hours (ES Version) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links V16 help flash IoT+ beacon Starting next January 1, carrying a V16 beacon in the car is mandatory. If you are one of those who have left it until the last day (or are looking to give a gift to such a person), this one from Amazon is one of the most popular options and will arrive at your home before this obligation that we mention is applied. It has more than 290 candles, is compatible with the myIncidence app and comes out 38.05 euros. help flash IoT+, V16 Emergency Light with Geolocation and more than 290 candela power, Required from 2026, Connected with DGT 3.0, V-16 Signal for Cars, data plan included The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Philips Ambilight ‘The One’ If you are looking for a Smart TV to renew your old television, this ‘The One’ from Philips could fit you very well. It is a 65-inch model with QLED technology and 4K resolution, all without forgetting that it has one of the most popular technologies of this brand, such as Ambilight. It is compatible with Dolby Atmos and, in addition, its refresh rate reaches up to 144 Hz, which makes it ideal for gaming. Includes 6 free months of Movistar Plus+ and goes out 699 euros Philips Ambilight ‘The One’ 65PUS9010 4K Smart TV – 65-Inch Screen with P5 Picture Engine Ultra HD, Titan OS, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos Sound The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Borderlands 4 Finally, we have available Borderlands 4 at a great price: 39.90 euros for PS5 (also for Xbox Series). It is one of the best installments that this very fun saga has left us in recent years, so we can expect frenetic shootouts and one of those stories that, although it does not invent the wheel, captures you from beginning to end. It’s great alone, but much better if we can play it cooperatively. Borderlands 4 PS5, Standard 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 | Amazon, Philips, Xiaomi, help flash, 2K In Xataka | The best mobile phones, we have tested them and here are their analyzes In Xataka | Best televisions in quality price. Which one to buy and seven recommended 4K smart TVs

Last minute gifts for Santa Claus with good discounts and fast delivery

by

Every year you promise yourself that you will never be caught out again when it comes to buying Christmas gifts. But, here you are, another year, looking for what to give. If you want to avoid the stress in stores that exist these days leading up to Christmas Day, you are in luck, because there are websites (like Amazon) where you can enjoy fast delivery on a multitude of products. We show you a selection with some gift ideas They arrive in time for Christmas Day. Shaver Philips OneBlade 360 by 34.98 euros: with 360 blade and autonomy of 45 minutes. Virtual reality glasses Meta Quest 3 by 499 euros– Compatible with Xbox Cloud Gaming. amazon Echo Show 8 by 179 euros: 8 inches and with spatial audio. smart ring OURA Ring 4 by 279 euros: waterproof and one week of autonomy. portable projector XGIMI MoGo 2 Pro by 339 euros: with Google TV and 8W speakers. Philips OneBlade 360 ​​Shaver We start our selection of gift ideas that arrive on time with one of the personal care devices best sellers among the male audience. This is this Philips OneBlade 360 ​​shaver, ideal for keeping your beard in perfect condition. Its usual price is 59.99 euros, but now it is available for 34.98 euros. It is used for the beard and body and stands out for being efficient even with the longest hair. Allows for an easy and comfortable shave and comes with a innovative 360 ​​bladewhich can be tilted in all directions. Its battery offers up to 45 minutes of autonomy and comes with three 360° blades, three beard combs, a body clicker and a protective cap. Philips OneBlade 360 ​​Authentic Barber, facial and body electric shaver and trimmer The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Meta Quest 3 virtual reality glasses If you want to give an innovative technological device, these virtual reality glasses Meta Quest 3 are a good option. Now, you can buy them on Amazon for 499 euros and you can have them at home tomorrow. The Meta Quest 3 They come with an Infinita Display 4K+ screen, with a 120 Hz refresh rate. They are compatible with spatial audio and include a dual RGB camera. They are also compatible with Xbox Cloud Gaming and its battery offers a range of up to 2.2 hours. Meta Quest 3 512 GB — The most powerful Quest The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Amazon Echo Show 8 Amazon has a good number of devices with Alexa that make good gifts for Christmas. One of his latest releases is he Next-generation Echo Show 8a smart screen ideal for a connected home. Now, you can take it for 179 euros. This Echo Show 8 has a eight inch touch screen with HD resolution. Comes with Alexa integrated as standard and stands out for its sound, since it comes with spatial audio. It allows you to play series and/or movies through streaming apps and, in addition, it allows you to play audiobooks through Kindle. Amazon Echo Show 8 (latest generation) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links OURA Ring 4 Smart Ring Although smart watches are the best-selling type of wearables, now you can surprise at Christmas by giving a smart ring. On Amazon, you can buy the OURA Ring 4 with a 30% discount. It has gone from costing 399 euros to 279 euros. This smart ring OURA Ring 4 It has a battery that offers up to a week of autonomy and is very comfortable to wear. Is waterproof and is made entirely of titanium. Plus, it comes with your first free subscription to Oura. OURA Ring 4 Smart Ring The price could vary. We earn commission from these links XGIMI MoGo 2 Pro Portable Projector If you want to surprise a movie buff, a portable projector is one of those essential gifts. Now, on Amazon, they have this one on sale XGIMI MoGo 2 Pro. It has a 24% discount and you can get it for 339 euros. This portable projector comes with operating system Google TV integrated. It has 430 ISO lumens and its configuration is very simple. It also integrates two 8 W speakers with Dolby Audio. Finally, its compact size will allow you to take it anywhere comfortably. XGIMI MoGo 2 Pro (New) 1080P Mini Portable Projector 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 | Freepik, OURA, XGIMI, Philips, Meta Quest and Amazon In Xataka | Best “smart” Amazon Echo speakers. Which one to buy and recommendations based on use In Xataka | Which Kindle to buy: buying guide with recommendations to get it right with Amazon e-book readers

Delivery companies in China deliver 5,400 packages per second. Your solution to master this logistics: the ‘robofurgos’

by

Shenzhen’s train stations are bustling with passengers coming and going during the day, but when night falls they fill up with another type of traffic: robovans. They are small autonomous vehicles that are dedicated to delivering packages and are increasingly common in China. Robovans. If we call autonomous taxis robotaxis, it is fair to call ‘robovans’ that way. They count in Nikkei Asia These small vans have a capacity of 3 cubic meters and their maximum load is 500kg. They move slowly and emit an audible signal to avoid colliding with pedestrians. If they detect anyone closer than two meters, they stop. Its objective is to transport packages to the platforms, where operators load them onto trains and then deliver them to a logistics center. Neolix. It is the company that has deployed the most robovans to date. It is headquartered in Beijing and on your website They boast that they have already deployed 10,000 units in 300 cities, across fifteen countries. According to its president, Will Zhao, they expect the number to increase to 10 million robovans in the next ten years. Challenges. Despite Neolix’s enthusiasm, the reality is that autonomous delivery has quite a few limitations. The most notable is that the robovans are much slower than human delivery drivers. Furthermore, at the moment they are quite limited to closed spaces such as stations or airports and involve quite a high expense. According to Zhao, they hope to increase the speed as they become safer, until they reach the point where they are more effective than traditional delivery. Leaders. It makes sense that China is leading autonomous delivery because it is also a leader in online shopping. According to data from the China State Post Office, In 2024, 5,400 packages were distributed per second and the average was 100 packages per person per year. To put it in context, in 2024 in the United States the average was 66 packages per year per person. Price war. Competing in the largest online commerce market in the world causes price wars between different companies to be fierce. The market continues to grow and the volume of packages is enormous, but profit margins are very small. Some of these companies are JD Logistics, ZTO Express, SF Holding, ZTO Express and Meituan. Immediate delivery. Overnight shipping may seem fast to us, but in China it is unacceptable for most consumers. Companies are investing a lot of resources in same day deliveriessome even in just half an hour. This pressure especially affects food delivery, where there is a price war that is causing losses for companies like Meituan or JD.com and also for the restaurants themselves, who are forced to carry out very aggressive online promotions with ridiculous margins. They count on Bloombergthat there are cafes that need to send eight orders to equal the profit they would obtain from a single in-person sale. Image | Neolix In Xataka | Amazon has been stuck for years in a project that promised to revolutionize deliveries: the use of drones

The “Rider Law” aspired to improve the delivery of Spain. In the sector there are those who believe it has served the opposite

by

Bit (Or very little) today has to do with today’s delivery sector, before the government approved the Legislative change that forced that Thousands of dealers stop being autonomous to swell the template of the platforms with which they operate. The known as ‘Rider Law’ He has marked the last years of the sector and has left a deep mark on both the service and in the hospitality. So deep, in fact, that in the middle of 2025 there are still voices that They question their effectiveness And they warn that it is harming Riders, websites, restaurants and customers. A “lose-lose ‘by quadruple”, They regret. What happened? That despite the over four years that have elapsed since its approval in Spain, The impact that he has had the measure at the community level and that his guidelines have been pending little by little Among companies, the ‘Rider Law’ still does not get rid of the controversy. A quick search arrives on Google to find news more or less recent than They question their effectsbut perhaps who has summarized its impact on the sector is Alejandro Hermo, CEO of the Hamburgueserías chain Goiko. Recently the manager, a voice with A certain weight In the guild, He exhibited on LinkedIn The blow that (in his opinion) is advising him the legislative change: “Delivery has been very complicated for a few months, impacting customers and restaurants.” What exactly has he said? More or less, that any past time was better. “We have gone from having a delivery system that worked as a clock, giving good service to customers and restaurants, to have a rigid, expensive and inefficient system that makes it almost impossible to cover with enough riders the peak hours, causing the restaurants to appear without service available or/and that the orders are late (if they arrive),” he laments in Your post The Goiko CEO. Is there more? Yes. Hermo assume that adapting to “such a drastic model” will require a certain “time”, but is also convinced that the service will never recover its “previous level.” “What is happening after the forced change of a model of autonomous Riders to 100% hired Riders is a ‘Lose-Lose’ by quadruple,” insists the manager before exposing why, in his opinion, the law harms both the distributors and the platforms, the restaurants and the clients themselves. Hermo warns that, when reconverting in wage earners, the first (the Riders) have seen how they diminished their income and the freedom to self -manage. Moreover, the manager is convinced that the change has “hindered” that they can access the most occasional the most occasional riders, those who only accepted orders to complete their economy, such as students. As for platforms such as Glovo or Justeat, Hermo warns that the increase in operational costs has subtracted flexibility to cover the ‘peak hours’. How does restaurants affect? In 2023, during An interview With the EFE agency, the businessman already warned that although the ‘Rider Law’ focuses mainly on platforms and hoteliers are only “a secondary actor”, in the long run they would end up being affected. Now confirm it. “Restaurants lose business and profitability,” summarizes its publication of LinkedIn, in which it slides that the legislative change has resulted for them in a less flexible and more expensive delivery service. “Thinking about our sector, we cannot afford at this time another torpedo in the flotation line of the restoration,” he remarks. The consequences for customers are from their obvious point of view: a less efficient delivery. “The service worsens because there are fewer restaurants available, it takes longer and reaches a worse condition. And it will eventually be more expensive per order to pay the model change party.” What does it propose? That platforms, distributors and administration “feel and be heard” to find a consensual exit. “The solution is not white or black, there must be intermediate points that approach the demands of both parties and serve as inspiration for other countries.” For Hermo the Delivery is only One more example of the new business model that do not have to be guided by the inherited guidelines of the twentieth century. “With their pros and cons, but they are less flexible than today is demanded.” Is it the only one to complain? No. And that’s why his reflection is even more interesting. Beyond the debate that accompanied the approval and entry into force of the ‘Rider Law’, in 2021, the discussion around the pros and cons of the measure have been maintained over the last four years. In August The newspaper asked To the spokeswoman for the RidersxDerechos Trade Union Platform, Núria Soto, if the collective is better today at work level than a five years. His answer was clear: “Yes, although it depends on who you ask.” “Riders have more rights, but also less income. And those without work permission who distributed renting accounts have been excluded from regularizations and have lost their source of income,” Soto warned. There are deeders that are even more blunt And they regret that the ‘Rider Law’ has sunk them even more in the “precariousness” that promised to free them. They have even been published academic studies that confirm how legislative change has had some unwanted effects, such as worsening of salaries or destruction of employment. Why that complaint now? The law is 2021, but it makes sense that the sector continues to pronounce today. After all, a good part of the Riders They were still not hired until not so long. This year however Glovo gave A key step by deciding that all their distributors become salaried. The decision was made after a few complex years, marked by large fines and The scrutiny of the authorities, and not without suspicion. “We will hire 20,000 workers, but they will gain less than as self -employed,” He warned in February Your CEO. According to The newspaperin August almost 70% of the packages that were distributed in Spain they did it through a delivery man with … Read more

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

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

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

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