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Europe wants to pay without depending on Visa or Mastercard, and Lidl has just taken a key step to achieve this: with Wero

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Lidl has started to accept werothe payment system promoted by banking in Europe, in its German online store. Even at first it may not tell us much, but a supermarket of the stature of Lidl that adds one more payment method is part of a much broader movement: an attempt by Europe to stop depending on Visa and Mastercard for something as everyday as online payments. We tell you all the details. Wero, “the European bizum”. According to the chain itself has confirmedLidl is the first large supermarket in Germany to integrate Wero into its online payments. Lidl.de customers who have an account in one of the 18 banks that already support the system will be able to pay directly from their current account, in real time, and without the card or any US payment network intervening in the operation. How it works in practice. The process is simple, since it is enough to activate the Wero function once in the bank’s app, similar to the way Bizum works in Spain. From there, when completing the purchase on Lidl.de, the customer can confirm the payment from their own bank (the website automatically redirects them to the app) or scan a QR code with their mobile phone. The money comes directly from the bank account, and in case of return, it returns the same way. There are no card intermediaries involved. Why Lidl and why now. According to collect According to The Paypers, the deployment begins in Germany, but Lidl and the European Payments Initiative (EPI), the entity that manages Wero, already plan to extend its adoption to online stores in Belgium and France throughout 2026, and also incorporate payment in physical stores before the end of the year. Nicola Bracht, head of Schwarz Payment Solutions (the payments division of the Schwarz group, parent of Lidl), explained to the media that the decision responds “to the search for a fluid customer experience” and “data protection and security criteria aligned with European standards”, and has announced that the group expects Wero to continue growing as a transversal payment method across different channels. A European alternative to Visa and Mastercard. wero born in 2023 as a trademark of the EPI, an initiative founded in 2020 by fifteen European banks (including BBVA, Santander, Deutsche Bank and BNP Paribas) with the aim of building their own payment alternative that reduces dependence on Visa, Mastercard and PayPal, all of them of American origin. Its name plays on the words “we” (us) and “euro.” The system was first launched for transfers between individuals in Germany, France and Belgium, and has since expanded its scope, first to payments between individuals and companies, and now to electronic commerce. Between the lines. What makes Lidl’s incorporation relevant is not so much the gesture itself as what it represents, since Wero’s arrival in high-volume e-commerce is, precisely, the land where Visa and Mastercard get a good part of their business most profitable in Europe. Until now, Wero moved mainly in the field of transfers between individuals, something similar to what Bizum offers in Spain. That a chain with the scale of Lidl begins to accept it in its online store is a step towards that other field, that of commercial payments, where the dispute with the card networks is really played out. Lidl has not been the only one to announce a similar move. And Decathlon will also accept payments through Wero in Germany on its website, as has confirmed the chain. Economic sovereignty. This advance by Wero also comes at a time when the European payments ecosystem itself is reorganizing to another level. Bizum, together with the Italian Bancomat Pay, the Portuguese SIBS, the Polish Blik and the Nordic Vipps MobilePay, has promoted the creation of a joint company based in Madrid that seeks to make all these national systems interoperable under a common infrastructure with Wero. The president of the Spanish Banking Association, Alejandra Kindelán, counted A few months ago “when we talk about payments, we talk about economic sovereignty, competitiveness and Europe’s ability to decide its future”, and payments have gone from being a simple infrastructure to becoming a question of sovereignty. And now what. The calendar managed by EPI points to Wero reaching more online stores in France and Belgium throughout 2026, and payments in physical stores (via QR and NFC) before the end of the year. We will have to wait to know if with so much alliance and momentum from the banking sector, Wero can end up becoming a real alternative to Visa and Mastercard in Europe. Cover image | Jonas Leupe and VLADISLAV BOGUTSKI In Xataka | Mistral is very far in the AI ​​race. Samsung doesn’t care about that and plans to invest a fortune in it

up to 3,000 euros fine depending on noise and installation

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When I bought my apartment a few months ago, one of the first ideas that came to mind was to move the washing machine to the patio to save space, concentrate the washing and hanging of clothes in a single point outside the house and while we’re at it, avoid the noise. Having to pull the water intake there and ask the community for permission was enough to dissuade me. However, it is still an idea that is on my mind in the medium term because of the advantages it brings if you do it well. If not, you can finish paying up to 3,000 euros in violations and other associated costs. The risk of having a washing machine on the balcony. Let’s get one thing straight: putting a washing machine on the balcony, terrace or patio is not a risk nor does it have to be a problem. But there are two potentially dangerous factors: the noise or vibration of the appliance and how it is installed. Because connecting a washing machine on a private balcony that has an existing outlet is not the same as occupying a common patio, modifying a downspout or fixing the pipes to the façade. And as an example, a button: when some owners They turned a community patio into their personal laundry room and justice forced them to remove the elements they had left there and return the patio to its initial state. Why you can be fined. The legal basis for noise is twofold: state and municipal. The Law 37/2003 Noise defines noise pollution including noise and vibrations and the Royal Decree 1367/2007 The developer also applies the acoustic quality objectives of the homes to vibrations as well. From here on, each town council sets its own limits and schedules. An example: the Ordinance for Protection against Acoustic and Thermal Pollution of Madrid of 2011 provides for fines of up to 3,000 euros for very serious violations if you exceed the nighttime limits by more than 7 dBA or the daytime or evening limits by more than 10 dBA. Regarding the installation, article 7.1 of Horizontal Property Law establishes that the “The owner of each apartment or premises may modify the architectural elements, facilities or services of the former when it does not undermine or alter the security of the building, its general structure, its external configuration or state, or harm the rights of another owner, and must previously report such works to whoever represents the community.“ Who can act against you. The community and the city council, two different and non-exclusive paths. He article 7.2 of the Horizontal Property Law stipulates that the presidency of the community, on its own initiative or that of any of the owners or occupants, will require anyone who carries out the activities prohibited by this section to immediately cease them, under warning of initiating appropriate legal actions. In that case, the judge can force you to dismantle the installation, pay the repair and the court costs. And it reserves one of the most severe mechanisms: depriving the use of the home for up to three years, depending on the severity of the infraction and the damage caused to the community. The city council, for its part, acts through administrative means with a regulated procedure: Law 39/2015 requires that all sanctioning procedures be initiated ex officio and that the initiation agreement be notified to the affected person, identifying the facts, their possible classification, the sanction that could correspond and the right to formulate allegations, with a hearing process of between ten and fifteen days to allege and present documents (article 82). Just because a neighbor reports you does not automatically make you fined: a noise measurement, opening of a file are necessary first and you have the opportunity to defend yourself before the sanction is final. How to do things right. Before installing anything, review the community bylaws and check if there is already a water intake and drainage. If there is, it is enough to communicate it to the presidency or the administrator. If there is not one, you will have to request express authorization from the board to connect to the community downspout. It is a permission, not a notice. To avoid disappointment, leave the installation in the hands of a qualified professional, minimizing the risk of leaks. Next, control the noise: check your town council’s ordinance (limits and hours vary greatly between municipalities) and install the washing machine on an anti-vibration base to reduce transmitted noise. Keep evidence of all the steps you follow, from communication to the community to the installer’s invoice, because in case of problems or complaints this documentation protects you from an inspection. What to do if it’s your turn. If you receive a warning, the first thing is to identify the origin: is it a noise problem with the city council or an installation conflict with the community? Prepare the evidence that you can provide and be careful because the technical sheet of the washing machine is not very useful: that a washing machine emits 70 dB when spinning is not a relevant fact in itself, it depends on the time and the municipality. If the problem is noise, the city council will carry out an inspection; If a notification of a sanctioning file arrives, stick to the indicated deadline and provide documentation and allegations within that process. In Xataka | Fed up with the lack of maintenance, a resident of Mataró started planting trees on his own. Result: more than 1,700 euros fine In Xataka | In Murcia they have decided that there is something that no one should ever do on their balcony under penalty of a €1,500 fine: hang clothes Cover | Alpha Perspective and Magnificent

How to change your doctor to choose another depending on your autonomous community

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Let’s explain to you how to change your GP through the Internet, and without having to do any in-person procedures. This way, if you are not satisfied with the attention that the professional assigned to you is giving you, you can make a change. The process depends on each autonomous community. Some will allow you to do everything online, and in others you will simply have a page explaining the necessary documentation and how to make an appointment to make the request in person. This procedure is called Right to free choiceand all autonomous communities allow it to be done. Of course, in almost all of them it is a purely in-person procedure, although some already allow it to be done online. Change doctors in each autonomous community Let’s tell you the links for the doctor change process that each autonomous community has available. Thus, depending on where you live, you will know the page where you have to make the change. On the pages where you can complete the procedure online, the first thing will be to identify yourself using a digital certificatelike the FNMT certificateor alternatively be registered in the Cl@ve system. Then, each page will guide you through the steps you need to take. And on the pages where there is no online procedure, what you have is information about everything you need to be able to do it in person. You will be told the requirements, where to go and the papers you must provide. In Xataka Basics | News about My Citizen Folder: everything new you can do after its March 2026 update

The world was tired of depending on TSMC to manufacture all its chips. This is what is causing Intel’s great resurrection

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Who has seen you and who sees you, Intel. The legendary semiconductor firm seems to be leaving behind its painful journey through the desert, and the latest news points to a true resurrection. The signature has achieved a spectacular contract to manufacture three million Google TPUs, and Nvidia is also studying the possibility of use Intel 18A node for future multi-die GPU designs. This is spectacular news for the company. Promising future, at last. The agreement with Google’s cloud division is a huge boost for the chip manufacturing business (foundry) from Intel. This deal will see Intel produce millions of AI chips at its advanced 3-nanometer node. With it, the firm achieves a decisive step to compete with TSMC, which until now was the absolute reference for those who wanted to access advanced semiconductor manufacturing processes. There is another crucial geopolitical factor here: part of these chips will be produced in the US, which helps in the objective of not depending so much on Asian countries for this process. Flirting with Nvidia. But Nvidia also seems to be interested in Intel’s 18A photolithographic process. The company led by Jensen Huang is considering the use of this node for its future multi-die architectures for its GPUs. Nvidia has managed to become TSMC’s main customer, but this manufacturer cannot satisfy Nvidia’s demand, so this company is looking for plans B, and Intel is serving it one on a plate. The signature by the way, already bought 4% of Intel in September 2025, so it is the first interested in Intel doing well. The PowerVia revolution. There are two big technical arguments that are apparently convincing Google and Nvidia. The first, the transistors RibbonFET. The second, even more important, PowerVia technology. This system is a qualitative leap because it physically separates the power and signal lines from the transistors, which avoids bottlenecks and improves both performance and efficiency of the CPUs that use this technology. Chip sovereignty. This decision by Google and Nvidia’s plan respond in part to the pressures that the US government is doing—and boosting with its CHIPS Act— to recover technological sovereignty and avoid dependence on foreign countries. Both companies know that 90% of the planet’s advanced chips depend on that island called Taiwan, and taking advantage of Intel’s renewed capacity is a great opportunity for kill two birds with one stone. They reduce their dependence on TSMC, and comply with the demands of the US government. War makes strange allies. The current situation is unique, because it is causing companies that competed fiercely in the field of hardware (Intel and Nvidia) to now be forced to collaborate out of pure necessity. Intel needs clients of this type to demonstrate to investors that its division foundry can operate independently of its consumer processor or server division. And Google and Nvidia in turn need Intel to break manufacturing monopoly of semiconductors that TSMC had. Intel finally resurrects. The big winner of these agreements is Intel, which has gone through a really compromising stage but has for a year has not stopped growing. We can see it in its valuation on the stock market. A year ago its shares were trading at $20.68, and now they are trading at $107.04 and with these agreements that value may continue to improve. Good for Intel. Image | Intel In Xataka | Bill Gates has X-rayed Intel. And his diagnosis is overwhelmingly accurate.

Where you can watch the 2026 World Cup depending on the operator you have

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Let’s tell you with which operators you can watch the 2026 World Cup soccer. The 2026 FIFA World Cup starts on June 11 according to the calendarand if you want to watch the games, you may still not be clear about the network of channels and platforms that offer it. We are going to start the article by telling you What games will you be able to watch for free? on Spanish Television. And then, we will tell you which operators you will have the option to watch the World Cup matches with and what the characteristics of these offers are. What matches can be seen for free RTVE It has the rights to broadcast the World Cup openly. With them, you will be able watch all the matches of the Spanish National Team for freethe opening match on June 11 that pits Mexico against South Africa, the two semifinals, the match for third and fourth place, and the final that will be held on July 19. In total, Spanish Television will broadcast 33 matches through La1 on DTT, and you can also watch them streaming with the RTVE Play application. Being public television, all operators that include DTT in their television packages will allow you to watch the games. The operators that include DTT are Movistar, Orange, Vodafone, DIGI, Jazztel, Yoigo, MásMóvil or Pepephone among others. You can also see them on the OTTs of Movistar Plus and Orange TV Libre. Where can you watch paid matches In addition to the free matches, the rights to the exclusive paid matches belong to DAZN. In total, DAZN has another 71 exclusive matchesand operators such as Movistar or Orange have reached agreements with them to be able to offer the 104 world cup matches to its users. Therefore, the football offer of each operator it remains as follows: Movistar: Users who have contracted the LaLiga package with its additional 36 euros will be able to watch the matches on Movistar Plus. Also those who have contracted the Total Football package of 50 euros per month. If you don’t have one of those packages, your only option will be to contract them for two months and then cancel. We already warned you that either you take advantage of a promotion, or it will be more expensive than hiring DAZN on your own. Orange: Users who have Orange TV and have subscribed to football in their convergent rate will have DAZN Mundial available on Orange TV. The rest will have to buy a package with football to be able to watch the World Cup in its entirety and cancel it later. Of course, if you are going to do it, be careful with the permanence. Vodafone, Yoigo, MásMóvil and regional operators of the former Euskaltel Group (Telecable, R and Euskaltel): Your users will be able to add the Premium package (old Pro plan) of DAZN with DAZN World to their convergent rates, manage the subscription and pay them on the same invoice. Some may have a bit of a discount compared to the official DAZN price if you buy it on your own. If you do not have it contracted, keep in mind that you must maintain the subscription for a minimum of two months and you will have to use the DAZN app to watch the games. Digi, O2, Lowi, Pepephone and Finetwork: Users of these and other operators that do not offer an option to contract DAZN internally will have to subscribe on their own outside the operator. If this is your case, you will have to do it from the DAZN Spain website. In Xataka Basics | Apps for football results: the best 14 applications to receive notifications and see match statistics

Europe has been depending on Amazon, Google and Microsoft for its most critical data for years. You are about to cut off their access

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The European Commission is taking action. This organization is expected to present its “Technological Sovereignty Package” on May 27. This directive will include a series of measures aimed at boosting the EU’s strategic autonomy in sensitive areas, and that means something unique: stopping depending as much as possible on US hyperscalers to store critical data. The fear of the off button. The measures are being applied due to growing political instability and some recent cases that have demonstrated the power that the US has over the European technological infrastructure. In May Microsoft “cancelled” the email of Karim Khan, a prosecutor who had been directly cited in an executive order from Donald Trump. Microsoft he denied itbut the damage had already been done, and these problems have raised fears that Trump could use a kind of “off button” against European institutions that depend on the hardware and software infrastructure provided by companies like Microsoft, Google or Amazon. Legal espionage. The CLOUD Act (Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data Act) is a 2018 US law that allows law enforcement to force US-based technology companies (such as Google, Microsoft or Amazon) to provide data, regardless of where it is stored, whether inside or outside the United States. This law updates the Stored Communications Act to prioritize data control over its location. Or what is the same: if you use the services of US hyperscalers, the US may end up accessing your data. And since you’ve accepted their terms of use, you agree to let them legally spy on you if they “need to.” If you want my critical data, you’ll have to protect it. The new regulations require service providers who want to work with critical European data to demonstrate that they are not subject to requests from non-EU governments. This automatically excludes Microsoft, Google or Amazon, because all three are subject to the CLOUD Act. Europe is thus looking for providers that guarantee that critical data will not be in the possession of companies that then have to transfer it to foreign powers. Europe depends on the American cloud. The reality is that today Amazon (AWS), Microsoft (Azure) and Google (Google Cloud) currently control more than 70% of the Cloud Computing market in the old continent. Losing these institutional contracts would mean a significant financial blow, but it also sends a powerful signal to European private companies: if Brussels does not trust the US with its secrets, why should European corporations? The domino effect could be huge. Europe has its own clouds. This directive would give an important opportunity to initiatives that seemed stalled like GAIA-Xbut there are also companies with their own infrastructure such as OVH (France) or T-Systems (Germany). There are significant technical challenges in that area, because US hyperscalers have been refining their offering over the past two decades. However, Brussels seems willing to accept a somewhat less efficient or complete service in exchange for greater autonomy. The options existno doubt, but the challenge is enormous. Migrating is going to be expensive. It is one thing to make the decision and quite another to complete that migration that will require moving decades of data and systems to a different infrastructure. Current data centers would have to be expanded to meet demand, they say some analysisand that would mean a cost of between 14,000 and 24,000 million euros. Consulting companies like Forrester they don’t see anything clear that the EU can achieve cloud sovereignty, and other experts also make it clear that Europe will not abandon the hyperscalers. Traceability. In addition to changing suppliers, the board also wants to impose strict requirements regarding transparency. AI systems that have access to that data must be auditable by the newly created EU AI Office. The Commission wants to know who has access to the code, who maintains the servers and who has the technical capacity to manage and even intercept such data transfers. Data too sensitive. In comments to CNBCEU officials explained that there are active debates demanding that financial, judicial or health data used at the government level and in the public sector have a sovereign cloud infrastructure. That’s also true for military data, of course, and There are already movements in that direction. Fragmented Internet. The move confirms that the world appears to be heading toward a future with a fragmented internet and one that will have important geopolitical boundaries. While the US tries to defend its technology against China, Europe and the entire world are trying to avoid or at least mitigate their excessive dependence on American technological solutions. Image | İsmail Enes Ayhan and François Genon In Xataka | Europe no longer trusts Google. That is why several start-ups are designing an independent payment system on Android

science explains what happens to your body (and your brain) depending on the time you choose

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In social circles, the truth is that there are sometimes very interesting debates about common customs, such as whether it is better to shower first thing in the morning or just before getting into bed. Here, while there is a group of people who defend tooth and nail the revitalizing power of water in the morning to “start” the day, others say that there is nothing like hot water at night to conclude sleep. And here science has something to say. It makes us sleep better. If you have trouble falling asleep, the science here suggests that a nighttime shower may be a good idea, and explained in a meta-analysis published in 2019 in the magazine Sleep Medicine which analyzed 17 different studies. Here it was concluded that bathing or showering with hot water between one and two hours before going to bed reduces the time to fall asleep by approximately 36%. Because? Here hot water is our main ally, since it warms the skin and, therefore, increases blood flow to the extremities such as the hands and feet. From here, when you get out of the shower, that heat dissipates quickly, causing a drop in the body’s core temperature. And this is the key, because this thermal drop mimics the natural cooling that our body experiences before sleeping, which sends an unequivocal signal to the brain to release melatonin, which is the sleep hormone, and reduce levels of cortisol, which is related to stress. It depends on the time. From a psychological point of view, morning and night showers fulfill completely opposite functions and it depends precisely on the time at which we take them. In the case of the morning showerthe goal is increase performance with the activation of the sympathetic system by stimulating muscle tone and, above all, preparing us for the stress of the day. In the case of the night shower, as we have said before, an attempt is made to activate the parasympathetic system with a longer and more leisurely duration of the shower with the aim of reducing the accumulated physical and mental tension, fulfilling the function of an authentic ritual of transition and disconnection. According to psychology. Here we enter territory that is not so clear, but which indicates, for example, that people who prefer a shower at night do so because they have a lower tolerance for dirt, which is why they prefer to remove all the sweat of the day before going to bed. But it is also noted that people who prefer solitude tend to prefer nighttime showers, precisely because, after a day full of stimuli, the bathroom becomes a capsule of sensory disconnection. In the end, it is a way to relax from everything that has happened throughout the day. Images | freepik In Xataka | Cooling down is the forgotten step in our exercise routines. And that affects how we shower

The five best Christmas offers on Kindle depending on the price and use we are going to give it to read

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Amazon has launched many Christmas offers and, of course, the Kindles have fully entered them. But… which one to buy? In this article we are going to discuss which is the most interesting depending on what we want to spend and the use we are going to give it. Kindle by 107.99 eurosa basic model that stands out above all for its price. Kindle Colorsoft by 194.99 eurosAmazon’s eReader with a color screen. Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition by 224.99 eurosa model similar to the previous one with added functions and better features. Kindle Scribe (2022) by 264.99 eurosa slightly older eReader but just as interesting as the rest of this list. Kindle Scribe (2024) by 349.99 eurosthe latest generation of its range. Other Kindles that are not on sale. Kindle If you want a Kindle to read occasionally and are only looking for a basic experience at a not very high price, the best purchase option is the same Kindle. It incorporates a six-inch glare-free screen and its size is small to take on a trip. Its theoretical autonomy is up to six weeks and it comes with 16 GB of storage. Bad is that with this model we lose the adjustable warm light, the automatic front light adjustment (it can be done manually) and the water resistance. The good is that it costs 107.99 euros. Kindle (latest generation) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Kindle Colorsoft Maybe the Kindle Colorsoft It is not the most suitable eReader for reading comics given its seven-inch size, but it is interesting to take advantage of the color screen to underline text in various colors and differentiate dialogues between various characters. Or to see the covers and color illustrations. With all this, it is focused on those people who prefer to add a touch of color in these situations and who can spend a little more money on a reader. Bad: It does not have wireless charging or automatic front light adjustment. The good: its price 194.99 euros It is quite tight, it is waterproof, its theoretical autonomy reaches 12 weeks of use and the frames are tighter than on the basic Kindle. In this sense, it is smaller in height, but wider and a little thinner. Kindle Colorsoft (latest generation) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition On the other hand, Amazon has a more complete model of its eReader with a color screen called Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition. It has exactly the same dimensions and the same specifications, with a couple of additions: it incorporates automatic front light adjustment and comes with wireless charging. Bad: its price 224.99 euros is higher than that of the basic model. If we are not going to use its two additions, it is advisable to opt for the other eReader. The good: It is a more complete eReader and the price difference right now is not excessively large. Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition (latest generation) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Kindle Scribe (2022) He Kindle Scribe Launched in 2022, it will not be the most recent eReader in its range, but Amazon continues to sell it at a fairly competitive price. The most notable thing is the format, since we are talking about a reader with 10.2 inch screen. It is aimed at readers of digital books, but also for those people who like to take notes of certain dialogues or just to take notes. It includes a pencil and its theoretical autonomy is up to 12 weeks of use. Its price is 264.99 euros. Bad: It weighs quite a bit (433 grams), so it is not the most suitable for traveling. Furthermore, it is not waterproof either. The good: It is quite practical if what we are looking for is a screen that covers more text with a larger size. It is also if we want to take notes. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Kindle Scribe (2024) He Kindle Scribe Launched in 2024, it does have some interesting additions, but as we will mention later, it does without others. It maintains the same format as its previous generation by having a 10.2-inch screen and also includes a stylus. As in the previous model, it is oriented for use at home and for taking notes. Its price on Amazon is 349.99 euros and in MediaMarkt of 329.99 euros. Bad: Its weight is 433 grams and it is not waterproof nor does it come with wireless charging. The good: It is available in various storage configurations, its theoretical autonomy is up to 12 weeks of use and incorporates artificial intelligence functions to summarize text or notes. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Other Kindles The Kindle Paperwhite is one of the most popular eReaders in each generation due to its quality-price ratio, but neither of them are on sale. Its use is aimed at people looking for a better reading experience and that they tend to read quite frequently. It is also ideal to take on a trip even if its size is larger than that of the Kindle. He Kindle Paperwhite costs 169 euros and it has a seven-inch screen. In addition, it incorporates adjustable warm light, water resistance, incorporates 16 GB of internal storage and its autonomy is up to 12 weeks of use. He Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition costs 199 euros and, in addition to what its basic model already includes, it comes with automatic front light adjustment, wireless charging and 32 GB of internal storage. Kindle Paperwhite (latest generation) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (latest generation) 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 In Xataka | Which Kindle to … Read more

Samsung has found the formula for Apple depending on them: Texas

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Samsung has just won a very important battle against Sony for the control of the image sensors of the iPhone. And the key has not been technology, but geography. Why is it important. Apple has announced An extra investment of 100,000 million dollars In the United States (regarding Middle Billón Original) and has chosen Samsung as a partner to make three -layer image sensors for the iPhone 18. Sony, its exclusive provider for years, produces only in Japan. With the 100% tariffs that Trump plans to impose on foreign chips, Apple urgently needed a national alternative. The context. Samsung will operate a production line of 10,000 monthly wafers in its Austin factory since March. It is the first time that he will manufacture image sensors in the United States. The three -layer stacked sensors What will they use are so advanced that There are only two companies that can dominate them on a commercial level. One is Samsung. The other is Sony. Between the lines. This agreement marks the definitive reconciliation between Apple and Samsung after years of wars for patents that led the first to abandon the second as the main chips manufacturer. Sony’s supply problems in 2023 and 2024 reopened the door, but it has been Trump’s tariffs who have closed the deal. The threat to Sony. The Japanese manufacturer has reduced its estimate of the impact of tariffs on their accounts. From 100,000 to 70,000 million yen – 581 to 406 million – in this fiscal year. But the reality is harder: without facilities in the United States, it will progressively lose market share in the most profitable business of mobile sensors. Deepen. Samsung not only wins this contract. The strategy of expanding your capacity in the United States has also given you The 16,500 million agreement with Tesla for AI chips. Samsung is making very intelligent maneuvers: it is turning Trump’s protectionist policies, originally harmful to its business, an advantage against Asian rivals without a American presence. In Xataka | Tim Cook has admitted that Apple is “very open” to acquisitions in AI. These are our candidates Outstanding image | Samsung

Airplanes have been depending on GPS for decades. Some engineers have another idea to replace it: quantum technology

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Airbus and the company derived from Google focused on quantum technology and IA, Sandboxaq, have completed more than 150 flight hours Testing Magnava revolutionary system that uses Quantum sensors to detect the unique magnetic “fingerprints” of each point on the earth. The initial results have been promising, and are a sign that technology could rival the Traditional GPS and even overcome it in precision. Why is it relevant. The GPS has become the Achilles heel of modern aviation. Interference attacks and Spoofing They are dramatically increasing in conflicting areas such as the Middle East, Ukraine and Russia, and this It also affects civil flights. The military use these techniques to confuse missiles and drones, but the consequences extend dangerously to commercial aviation. Hence the importance of looking for a viable alternative to GPS. Magnav. Image: Sandboxaq The secret of its operation. Magnav has more or less the size of a toaster, and has a laser that shoots photons against electrons. When the laser goes out, these electrons release the absorbed photons with a unique energy firm that reflects the intensity of the earth’s magnetic field in that exact location. An artificial intelligence algorithm processes this information and compares it with detailed magnetic maps to determine the position of the plane. Each square meter of the planet has an unrepeatable magnetic firm, created by the iron particles of the earth’s core that magnetize the minerals of the cortex. More precision and more difficult to supplant. Unlike GPS, which depends on vulnerable digital signals from satellites, quantum sensors are completely analog and process data generated entirely on board. Jack Hidary, CEO of Sandboxaq, Explain that this makes them “essentially impossible to interfere or supplant.” During the evidence, Magnav managed to meet the standards of the Federal American Aviation Administration 100% of the time, maintaining precision within 2 nautical miles. Even more impressive, it reached a 550 -meter accuracy in 64% of the occasions. Beyond aircraft. The experts They predict A quantum sensor market valued between 1,000 and 6,000 million dollars by 2040. This technology promises to detect submarines and hidden tunnels in defensive applications, and weak magnetic signs of the heart and brain in medicine, allowing non -invasive diagnoses. Joe Depa, Global Innovation Director of EY, Underline That “we are not talking about something within 20 years, but about something that is here and now.” The next step. Sandboxaq plans to go first to the defense sector before expanding to commercial flights. Although more evidence and certifications are required, Hidary stands out that have overcome “the difficult part: demonstrate that technology works.” According to him, it is the “first novel absolute navigation system that we know in the last 50 years.” Cover image | Ross Parmly In Xataka | The 777x is Boeing’s great bet to return to the top: folding wings, redesign cabin and the largest engine in the world

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