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In 1997 a construction company had the delirious idea of ​​building the house of the Simpsons and getting it for sale. It ended up regular

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Building a house identical to that of the protagonist family of ‘The Simpsons’ looked like a teacher promotional play. And give it to a fan to live in it, the cherry icing. However, neither Fox nor the unsuspecting spectators of the series who went through this house seemed to be clear a patent obviousness: The Simpsons are cartoon charactersand do not work in the real world. Firefighter ideas. The initial idea was from the Kaufman & Broad Construction Company, from the 3D designs that were being created for the 1997 video game ‘Virtual Springfield‘. The intention was to create a house identical to the originalfor which they were analyzed A hundred episodes of the series. The problems started from the first moment: the house of the series lacks something as essential as load walls. However, the builders ended up giving a safe design and fitting with what was seen on television. Mutant house Leaving aside the fact that the house has changed multiple times with the passage of time in the series (for example, the shape, size and distance from each other of the windows), the designers focused on two well -known rooms: that of television and Bart’s room. And they left from there, in a kind of version Cartoon of “Build the house from the roof.” The result: four bedrooms, two floors and, outside, a house in the tree and a backyard. Total: 200 square meters painted of squeaky yellow and with orange rooms, phosphorescent green and pink. The idea of ​​designers It was that the house was 90% normal, 10% cartoon. The devil, in the details. The final touches were given by Rick Floyd, Hollywood production designer who included thousands of details for the most terminal fans. Higher doors than normal to pass Marge’s hair, identical dresses and costumes in the closets of each character, holes near the ground for mice, dozens of Duff beer cans in the fridge, a saxo in Lisse’s room and a painted of the barto that Matt Groening himself did. And also an absolutely useless chimney in Henderson’s desert, Nevada, where the house is located. Pepsi gives it to you. The home found owner through a Pepsi and Fox contest that was launched in 1997: 15 million people sent tests for the purchase of brand products to participate, and the winner would take the house or $ 75,000 in cash (although the value of the house was estimated at double). The winner also promised to paint the facade in accordance with the rules imposed by the neighborhood. The winner was a 63 -year -old Kentucky retiree who decided to accept the money because she had no intention of moving from her home. The house became Attraction for curious. Pillage. An attraction that, by the way, had to be monitored 24 hours a day, by the looting of the unique objects inside. However, over time, surveillance relaxed and the house ended up becoming a curiosity without interest. In 2001, already converted into a reasonably normal housewas sold to another particular, a neighbor who had been secretary of the construction company. He had to make reforms, because the interior was uninhabitable with all the bright colors of the cartoons. Today, its facade remains A magnet for traveler fans And the project, one more sample that we cannot have beautiful things. All promo. The authentic business of the Simpsons is in merchandising: during its first year it generated 2,000 million dollarsand to date, it has 4.7 billion dollars. It is a phenomenon to which we add licenses and collaborations amounts to a value of 13,000 million. But no merchandising artifact is as special as Simpson objects in the real world: Lard Lady Donuts donuts, Duff Beer cans, Apu stores and Krusty Burger restaurants. None, however, as delusional and special as the family home. Header | Fox In Xataka | The Simpsons is a black family: the last theory that gives a radical turn to what we thought about knowing about the series

There is only one correct way to place the toilet paper. A patent ended the debate in 1891

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We have been freeing all kinds of battles, and in some cases the response passed between disputes of each other. Among those debates there is one that never seems to disappear because both sides have it as clear. We refer to toilet paper and correct way to hang it. If we take decades to achieve a significant advance of the roll, it makes sense that the controversy has endured. The funny thing is that the answer was from the beginning. A “war” of the century and a half. Eternal dispute over How to hang up The toilet paper (with the “above” or “below” sheet) has generated opinions found, family debates and even discussions lit. Those who prefer the “OVER” method (above) Feel practical and hygienic reasons: it is easier to locate the end of the paper, reduce the risk of wall contact (and therefore with germs) and is visually more orderly. However, on the other sidewalk, the supporters of the “under” (below) appeal to a more discreet appearance and the fact that, for example, it makes it difficult for pets or children at home unwind the whole paper. An enlightened invention. However, all this controversy seems to have found an official response in an unexpected place: a document more than 130 years ago. In 2015, writer Owen Williams He rescued an image historical of Google Patents Archives which showed the patent recorded in 1891 by Seth Wheeler, nothing more and nothing less than the inventor of the perforated toilet paper. In it, it is clearly enlightened how the paper should be hung: above the roll (image below). The patent, registered by Albany Perforated Wraping Paper Company, includes unequivocal diagrams in which the paper unwinds from the front. The Wheeler patent Wheeler’s reasons. The inventor not only patented the concept of perforated paper in 1871, but, two decades later, perfected the roll design, with the intention of minimizing waste and facilitating its use without the need for complicated portarrolls. Your goal It was efficiencydo not feed endless debates: “My improved roll can be used in simpler supports,” wrote in the text of the patent. In its original conception, the paper had to fall forward to facilitate the individual tear of the perforated leaves, thus avoiding accidental unwinders or an unnecessary waste. Yes, Nokia played toilet paper before mobile Rescue science. There are more data that corroborate that the “pro-insane” are right. Science also supports this orientation for purely health reasons. According to Dr. Christian Moro explainedProfessor of Health Sciences at the Bond University, hanging the paper with the blade above reduces the risk that users touch the rear wall of the support when looking for the end of the roll, which can minimize that propagation of bacteria. Moro remembered that among the potential infection agents which can be found in the bathrooms are streptococcus, staphylococcus, E. coli and common cold viruses, all capable of transmitting through contact with contaminated surfaces. Preventing the hands from entering unnecessary contact with the wall or roll support is, therefore, a simple but effective measure to reduce the risk of infection in shared spaces. An invention … to review? Beyond the debate on how it should be placed, in recent years others have appeared around the invention. Explained the New York Times In a column that although its invention represented at the time a technical improvement with respect to previous methods (which included, attention, leaves, marine shells, sticks with sponges or even reusable ceramics), the persistence of its use reveals less a functional efficacy than a cultural resistance to abandoning the family. Here appears the Covid-19 Pandemia, at which time the toilet paper acquired An unusual prominence: Not because of its medical utility, but as a symbol of control against chaos. The Collective hysteria He led to empty shelves, ignoring that neither the supply was threatened nor the role was the most hygienic solution. And despite this, experts agree that it is far from being the cleanest or healthier option. The evidence. The Times explained That researchers in infectious diseases and colorectal health agree that the exclusive use of paper does not guarantee adequate cleaning and can, in fact, cause irritations and favor disease transmission. Among the pathogenic agents that can survive in poorly eliminated fecal remains are those germs and bacteria that we comment before and that are the cause of urinary infections. Even traces of the same were detected Coronavirus at the time in human feces. According to Dr. H. Randolph Bailey, colorectal surgeon in Houston, many anal ailments that he observes in consultation come from Excessive cleaning or with inappropriate products, such as wet wipes with irritating perfumes and chemicals. Water as a solution. Here a parallel debate opens, surely more bitter. The reason? The most hygienic method, according to many specialists, is the rinse with water, either by drums or similar. In Japan, for example, smart toilets with jets of warm water They are the normwhile in the West adoption remains marginal. The reasons are not technical or economic (today there are compact and accessible solutions), but rather cultural. Bidé rejection has been historically associated with prejudices of modest During World War IIwhen American soldiers met the bida in French brotheses, which made them “suspect” objects. The anecdote of an American tourist who confused it with a bathtub For babies illustrates to what extent the discomfort in the face of the unknown has stopped its adoption, even in France, where it was originally common. O Tallitas. In recent times a “plan C” has emerged in front of the fundamentalists of roll or water: wet wipes. The problem is that it has been accompanied by Environmental consequences. Its accumulation in sewerage networks, combined with fat and waste, has given rise to huge obstructions (known in the world Anglo as “Fatbergs“) capable of collapsing urban sanitation systems. Under that prism, instead of improving the panorama, the wipes have added a new problem to another already existing one, fed by an industry that promotes … Read more

Temu has been an advertising reef for years for the US Big Tech. That ended

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In February 2024, the 58th edition of the Super Bowl was held, and during the break a very special announcement was issued. It was titled ‘Shop Like A Billionaire‘(‘ Buy as if you were a billionaire ‘) and published it Temuthe Chinese e -commerce giant. That turned out to be a swan song more than anything else, because this Chinese company (along with others like Shein) now has a very complicated future in the United States. Temu’s advertising expenditure on Big Tech collapses. As revealed In The New York Timesin the two -week period that began on March 31, Temu spent 31% less on Facebook advertising on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Snap, X and YouTube of what did it on average on those platforms in the previous 30 days. The data are from the Consultant Sensor Tower, who also stressed that Shein also lowered her advertising investment: 19% those two weeks compared to the average in recent periods. Temu and Shein spent barbarity. Both companies were two of the large sources of advertising of the US Big Tech. According to The Wall Street JournalTemu invested 2,000 million dollars in advertising in goal in 2023, and was also one of the great advertisers in Google. In The New York Times they cited an equally striking estimate: according to Bernstein Research data, Temu spent 3,000 million dollars in marketing in 2023. Picture drop. But the panorama has changed radically. On April 5 Temu represented 19% of all ads published in Google Shopping in the US, but that figure fell to 0% a week later. Shein went from 20% to early 0% on April 16, according to data from the Tinuiti consultant. Apps fall into rankings. So far the mobile apps of Temu and Shein used to be among the 10 most downloaded in the United States. Now his popularity is falling, and they have left that top 10. Target warns. Susan Li, CFO of Meta, said in a recent conference with investors that some Chinese electronic commerce companies – without specifying – had reduced their advertising expenditure. Last year Chinese advertisers generated 18.4 billion dollars of target revenues. That represented 11% of the total and twice what was achieved in 2022. Pessimism is spread. Snap indicated after presenting financial results that “a subset of advertisers” had cut the advertising expenditure due to changes in shipments to the US. They did not want to provide estimates for the current quarter indicating that tariffs generated uncertainty. Google also showed its concern: its business director, Philipp Schindler, explained that changes with “obviously causing a slight setback to our advertising business in 2025”. The end of “of minimis“. Donald Trump, president of the United States, He signed in April an executive order for which the rule is put in the end of minimis. This exception has allowed for years that packages with value below $ 800 can enter the United States without paying taxes. It is a mechanism that platforms such as Shein or Temu have used to offer really competitive prices in their merchandise, but others such as Amazon, Etsy or Ebay have also benefited. Trump already warned. In February, the US government began its particular tariff war against China, imposing 10% tariffs on all types of Chinese merchandise. The end of the exception of minimis -carrying almost a century Activa – was actually an announced death, and its impact is huge, both in China and in the US. Trump momentarily suspended the exception then, but it is now when it is disabled indefinitely. Temu stop sending to the US. The Executive Order has caused Temu stop all shipments from China to US buyers. As they point out In CNBCa CNBC spokesman has indicated that all sales in that country are now managed by local sellers and are completed from the country itself, precisely to prevent tariffs from affecting those sales. Before the change, buyers tried to buy Temu products sent from China They faced each other At “import rates” between 130 and 150%, which caused many of those products to fold their price. Image | Goal | Freerlaw In Xataka | Chinese companies have found a “shortcut” to dodge US tariffs: re -estate in South Korea

Barcelona began to excavate to build a parking. Ended up discovering a medieval ship of 10 my and uncertain origin

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His intention was to build a new parking, but the team in charge of the works of the Ciutadella del Coneixementin Barcelona, ​​has ended up doing something very different: finding an archaeological finding that has already captured the interest of the historians of the Catalan capital. And it’s normal. What technicians have located under the ground of the city, to five meters Under the sea level, it is neither more nor less than a medieval long -won over 10 meters long and three wide. The first studies estimate that the boat dates from the fifteenth or sixteenth centuries, but questions are left to answer. What happened? That the Barcelona subsoil has just given a surprise (and a joy) to historians. Another one. A few weeks ago, during the construction works of the future Parking of the BSM in the Ciutadella del Coneixement, archaeologists located the remains of a ship that, according to the first estimates, would date from the fifteenth or sixteenth centuries. It is not the first once the work on the site of the old Mercat del Peix brought to light remains of historical interest, but as Recognize The Archeology Service of the Barcelona City Council is “exceptional”. Good proof is that the town hall has launched A statement (and a wide image gallery) to value the wreck and team of archaeologists in charge of documenting the remains has spoken with the means to clear some doubts. What have you discovered? The “partial remains Of a sunk ship “, a boat that ended up wafraling or abandoned and priori (already waiting for her to advance her study), experts have dated between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. To be more precise, during their investigation, archaeologists have found a structure formed by thirty notebooks and part of the wooden pieces that covered the exterior of the fuselage. In total the pec ten meters long for just over three wide. “The tables are nailed in the notebooks with circular section timber, a kind of wooden nails that served to join the parts. Two longitudinal pieces set with iron nails are also preserved,” details The City Council Archeology Service. In the world’s surroundings, very fertile sand and alms have also been located that include “organic remains” of interest, such as hazelnut seeds or even pineapple remains. Do we know anything else? In addition to date it around the fifteenth and sixteenth, experts They point that the construction style of the ship was common in the Mediterranean medieval and extended throughout Europe from the mid -XV. They are however Some questions for responding, as its exact origin or what function I played. To clear some of those unknowns archaeologists are also investigating the remains of seeds and alms that surround the wreck. What will happen to him? The City Council He has stressed The importance of the finding because it is “a unique source of knowledge” on navigation and naval construction techniques that were used in the Barcelona of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. However, not everything is in his favor. The remains are found in a “very fragile state of conservation”, which forces experts to be cautious. To prevent the soaked from drying and degraded by being exposed to the weather, the technicians have partially kept it with the sand that has been used for centuries. The objective of the Archeology Service of Barcelona and the Archaeological Museum of Catalonia is now to document the remains and “guarantee the conservation” of the wreck, which has already been baptized as ‘Citadel I’. “The first actions have included three -dimensional documentation works, the marking of the pieces, the sampling and the preparation of the transfer in containers full of water that ensure the temporary conservation of the remains,” The Consistory requires. The materials will be transferred to “specialized facilities” so that they can treat them with water and hydrosoluble wax, a substance with which the structure is to be reinforced. What tells us about Barcelona? The wreck is not interesting only for the boat itself and what can be told about medieval navigation or naval. Another key is what can tell us about the development of Barcelona. After all, the remains appeared in the old Mercat del Peix, at a depth of more than five meters under sea level. Archaeologists have already They slid that its location can be related to the transformation of the maritime front. “The finding, which from a technical point of view is known as melter, is part of a historical context of transformation of the maritime front. From 1439, with the construction of the first artificial tenazes, the dynamics of the coastline was altered and the sand bar known as the task, which had protected the city for centuries” Clarify The City Council. In 2008 it was already located A similar ship near the station of France. Images | Barcelona’s Decrease In Xataka | We finally know what sailors ate at the high seas in the 16th century. Thanks to the CSIC and a sunk galeon

He ended up seeing how they touched him

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There are stories that begin with a stroke of luck and end with a lump in the throat. Chris Willson’s started In California in 2008When, sailing through Lacraigslist, he found an unusual advertisement: a German cruise in the 50s, abandoned in a port of the Delta del Río Sacramento, was for sale. Willson, an American entrepreneur dedicated to technology, came there simply out of curiosity. He met a deteriorated ship, but with a lot of charm. Without giving him many laps, he decided to buy it. A historical transatlantic renamed at dawn But that was not just any ship. It had been built in 1955 in Hamburg by the Blohm & Voss shipyard and originally baptized as Wappen von Hamburg, becoming the first great German transatlantic after World War II. With about 89 meters of length And 85 cabins, in his best times he crossed the Atlantic several times. In addition, it appeared as the headquarters of ‘Specter in from Russia with love’, one of James Bond’s films, and served as inspiration for a series called ‘Vacation in the sea’. The first night Willsson was on board was surrounded by garbage and chaos. But in his first dawn on the ship he decided to baptize him as Aurora. From that moment he began to give his life to the project. He moved to live on the ship, brought together a group of volunteers and began an artisanal restoration that would last more than fifteen years. The objective was clear: turn it into a floating museum. Financed the project with own resources, sporadic works as a consultant and, later, thanks to donations and a community that grew around Your YouTube channel. But not everything was so good. The Aurora changed several times of location and ended up in an area known as Herman & Helen’s Marina. There the local authorities began to perceive it as an environmental riskespecially after the nearby sinking of another military ship. The eviction notifications followed, and the last one was the definitive one: to avoid collapse, Willson had to face works whose cost amounted to a millionaire figure. Surpassed by institutional pressure and without sufficient funds, Willson decided to sell the ship in October 2023. The buyer, whose identity did not transcend, promised to continue the project. But that would be the beginning of the end. The sinking of the project of your life Only seven months after the sale, the Aurora began to sink. San Joaquin County authorities discovered a waterway in the helmet and a diesel leak that forced them to intervene urgently. Although the ship was refloated, it no longer sailed again. In December 2024, after an operational complex that involved several agencies and specialists, it was towed without navigation to Mare Island, north of California. There began its destruction. The cranes torn the steel structure piece by pieceuntil making it disappear. In April 2025, there was nothing left. From a distance, Willsson contemplated the entire process. “It is probably one of the saddest things that I have had to witness in this life,” declared in an interview with CNN Travel. “It’s hard to see how fifteen years of work are completely lost.” Although he no longer had legal link with the ship, the outcome affected him deeply. The entrepreneur says he kept the ship safe for fifteen years, he managed to show his history to the world, but he could never enjoy sailing as he had once dreamed. During all that time, Willson estimates that he invested “more than one million dollars” in his pocket. The city of Stockton assumed part of the control of operations, although it has not yet revealed the final cost of the scrapping. Everything indicates that the invoice will be millionaire. According to Naval Historian Peter Knego, who documented the process, the costs could be between the 10 and 20 million dollars. The authorities have already announced investigations to determine who allowed the ship to reach that State, and do not rule out undertake legal actions to recover expenses. Meanwhile, the emotional part of the project is still alive. On the official website of Aurora Restorration Projectfollowers and volunteers share memories of their visits to the ship. Images | Peter Knego/Midshipcinema | Chris Willsson/Aurora Restorration Project In Xataka | 40 million dollars, a superyate and four gift passports: the happy outcome of the Alpha Nero that almost ruins an island

Bob called it and ended up being a loud failure

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Microsoft turns half a century. The Redmond company has exceeded crisis, reinventions and complicated moments, but has managed to stay in the race. It could have been as a distant memory of its golden years, something similar to what comes to mind when we think of brands like Kodak either Blackberry. But it was not so. Microsoft has not only survivedbut is in one of his best moments. It is not just one of the most valuable companies on the planet (At the time of writing these lines, he occupies second place in stock capitalization), but also leads such strategic areas as cloud computing, artificial intelligence or the world of video games. We already commented a few days ago: One of the keys to its success has been its ability to adapt. The previous list has a remarkable absence: Windows. And it is not an oversight. Although it is still an important piece within the Microsoft ecosystem, He had long stopped occupying the leading role in the business. Today it is installed in more than 70 % of the world’s computers And it is difficult to find someone who does not know what it is. But a few decades ago, personal computer science was a thing of a few. The solution to humanize Windows In the mid -nineties, the presence of computers in homes remained limited. Many users signed up for courses to learn to handle an operating system, and sit for the first time in front of a PC could be a disconcerting experience. Microsoft understood that, if I wanted to expand its user base, Windows should do more accessible. And his way of trying was a curious software called “Microsoft Bob”. The program, which internally It was developed under the name “Utopia”He arrived at the stores on March 31, 1995, a few months before the launch of Windows 95. He was compatible with Windows 3.1 and later versions, and his approach was clear: converting the PC interface into a kind of virtual house, with rooms, furniture and animated characters that served as guides. When starting the program, the user was with a door. After touching and introducing the credentials, he accessed a domestic environment where he could choose between different rooms, such as a study, a living room or an office. Each room offered accesses to system tools: a calendar, a address book, a clock or educational applications. Everything was presented with a cartoon aesthetics That, although it was looking to be nice, it was perceived as excessively childish. Each space also had a digital character that guided the user. The most remembered was Rover, an animated dog who worked as an assistant, although a turtle, an elephant and other characters also appeared. Microsoft’s goal was that the experience was more enjoyable than with traditional Windows. But Bob did not finish curdling. Not only for its design, which aroused all kinds of criticism, but also for its technical demands: required a computer with at least 8 MB of RAMa considerable figure for many homes in 1995. The result was the foreseeable: few adopted it and the program was withdrawn from the market less than a year after its launch. By then, Windows 95 was now available and offered a much more intuitive experience, without decorating it with digital pets. When Bob returned without warning But its story has an unexpected turn. When Microsoft prepared the Windows XP installation CD, the team realized that there were about 30 MB of free space. What to do with them? In order not to miss them and, incidentally, hinder illegal discharges a bit, they decided to fill them with fictional data. Instead of generating random files, a developer search in the company’s historical archives, recovered the images of the original Bob disks, combined them, I encrypted them with a random written key … and used them as digital filling. The result was as ironic as unexpected: Microsoft Bob ended up hidden within millions of legal copies of Windows XP, without anyone knowing. Even so, Microsoft Bob left a certain legacy. Rover returned years later as a search assistant at Windows XP. And although Clippythe famous Office clip, was not born within this program, the idea of ​​accompanying the user with animated characters who offered on the screen was already there. For many it was a disaster. For a few, a discovery. Microsoft Bob did not succeed, but for some it was his first contact with computer science lived as a game. Some remember hours designing rooms. Others, parts of his virtual house with a view to the city. Not all Microsoft attempts have gone well. And Bob is part of that list of experiments that did not work, along with products such as ZuneWindows Vista or Windows Phone. But it also demonstrates the company’s ability to prove, make mistakes and move on. Images | Microsoft | Wikimedia Commons | Sweetcoffemug (Reddit) In Xataka | “In a year or two code editors will not exist”: four programmers explain the Vibe Coding revolution

Thus an engineer ended up turning a plane into his own home

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Can you imagine spending the rest of your life on a plane? Not flying, not going from one destination to another, but living inside it. Day after day. Like a real home, with all that implies. As CNBC points outthis was Bruce Campbell’s dream, a retired electrical engineer who currently lives in a Boeing 727 In the middle of a forest on the outskirts of Portland, in Oregon, United States. When a commercial plane reaches the end of its useful life, It is likely to end up dismantled. The most valuable components – like engines, airplane systems or landing gear – usually recover, but fuselage can be abandoned for years in one of the great world aircraft cemeteriesalthough there are recycling initiatives for aluminum and titanium parts. Bruce Campbell was not convinced by the idea that structures as complex and sophisticated as commercial aircraft ended up unscathed and forgotten in a desert corner. He thought that if they could no longer fly, at least they could remain useful in another way: as habitable spaces. With that idea in mind, in 1999 he bought the fuselage of a retired passenger plane, along with several of its internal components. According to USA Todaypaid for everything $ 100,000 (about 190,000 to the current change). A BOEING 757 converted at home But buying the plane was just the beginning. The next challenge was to move it to its new destination. To do so, the aircraft had to be partially disassembled and transported in truck to its farm on the outskirts of Portland. Once there, between trees and vegetation, piece by piece was assembled again. Today it rests on a support structure that connects with the landing train and wings. Bruce has maintained much of the original plane design, including some higher seats and compartments. Visitors access one of the emergency doors and, when touring the central hall, they find an inhabited space, full of everyday objects: a microwave, a table, a refrigerator and several computers. One of them especially attracts attention: a Apple Macintosh Se From the end of the 80s, where visitors can leave a message. One of the spaces that most attract attention is the command cabin, where several of the original controls used by pilots to keep the plane in the air are still preserved. The thrust levers, the controls and much of the instrument panel remain in place, almost as if the plane were ready to take off. In the rest of the interior, wiring and electrical systems are completely in sight, a detail that fits with the mentality of Bruce Campbell, an electrical engineer of training. Far from reserving its unique housing as a personal refuge, Campbell has more than two decades receiving visitors. To those who approach with curiosity, it offers a small tour inside the plane turned into the house, where he shares his vision and his way of life. It should be remembered that we talk about a Boeing 727a narrow fuselage aircraft whose production was extended between 1962 and 1984. It was widely used in medium -range domestic and international routes – with an autonomy of up to 4,720 km in its most advanced versions – and became one of the most popular models of its time. More than 1,800 units were manufactured, although many were removed in the 90s, when airlines began to replace them with more efficient models. Images | Airplanehome/Bruce Campbell In Xataka | Faced with the fear of losing a fortune, the US denies a button off its F-35. It has something worse: the control of the “blue line”

The first European attempt to launch a commercial rocket at orbit has ended up explosion to northern Norway

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First attempt. The inaugural launch of the Spectrum rocket, a test mission without payload called “Going Full Spectrum”took off at 12:30 CET on March 30 from the Andøya Space Puerto, in Norway. Originally scheduled for March 24, the flight was delayed several times due to bad weather conditions. After lighting their nine engines, the Spectrum He cleared the launch platform and rose without problems for 18 seconds. Then he began to lose control or overwhelming his orientation to the point of turning. In the second 30, all the engines went out and the rocket began to fall. The realization changed camera, but an explosion was heard shortly after. “A success!” The impact of the rocket near the platform and the fireball of the explosion They were captured by the Norwegian press. Despite the ruling, Isar Aerospace declared the launch A success. The CEO of the company, Daniel MetzlerHe added that the flight “has fulfilled all our expectations” with “an impeccable takeoff, 30 seconds of flight and we could even validate our flight termination system.” Although the rocket did not define, he turned off his engines not to deviate before falling. The launch platform is apparently intact. Flight launchers 2 and 3 are already in production. ISAR has compiled numerous data in this first test. Spectrum. What Isar Aerospace’s rocket has not been able to validate is the first orbital launching title of a European private company, since it has not reached orbit. Now the achievement is still open to other rockets such as RFA One of the German Rocket Factory Augsburg or Miura 5 of the Spanish Pld Space. Spectrum is a two -stage rocket and 28 meters high designed to transport up to 1000 kg to the low terrestrial orbit. The first stage has nine Aquila engines and the second one has one, optimized for space vacuum. All of their own design, with carbon fiber tanks without coating and 3D printed engines, fed with oxygen and liquid propane. Isar Aerospace. It was founded in 2018 in Germany with a Spacex -inspired approach: integrated production vertically and very automated, with the idea of ​​producing many prototypes, testing them and improving their design through multiple iterations. It is very well financed with a total investment of 400 million euros, which has taken the opportunity to build a new headquarters 40,000 square meters near Munich. According to Isar, it will have the capacity to produce 40 Spectrum rockets per year. Norway. Isar Aerospace has an exclusive platform in the Andøya Space Puerto in Norway, chosen for its ideal location to reach polar orbits and heliosíncronas and because the rocket takes off on the open ocean. It also has the meteorological problem that has been seen the days before the launch. Images | Isar Aerospace In Xataka | Europe’s access depends on the United States. ESA has presented a strategic plan to become independent

Congress was regulated by food waste in Spain. And it has ended up approving wolves hunting

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The Wolf It sneaks In Congress. Again. And this time with such resounding consequences and after such an unexpected turn that has even called attention of the foreign press. Yesterday the lower house He endorsed That the wolf loses the armor he had achieved in 2021 and can be funded again north of the Duero, something that the PP had tried In 2024. Moreover, Congress has also opened the door that if the community legal framework changes (and in Brussels They already work so that it is) the protection of the wolf is reduced to the south of the river. The curious thing is the shortcut that has been used to retouch the wolf’s legal framework: The law on food waste. What happened? That the wolf has begun to lose its legal armor in Spain. Or what is the same, it will fallen again. At the moment north of the Duero, although once changed The community regulatory framework (Something what He already works the European Commission) its protection could also be reduced to the south. The key step for this regulatory modification was given yesterday in Congress thanks to the votes of the PP, Vox, Junts and PNV. What exactly has changed? The legal framework. Yesterday, during the processing of the food waste law, the lower house gave green light to several amendments centered on the wolf and basically return the species to the situation in which it was before 2021when It was added to the list of wild species in special protection regime (Lespres), What in practice vetoed his hunt north of the Duero, something that already happened to the south of the river. To be precise, yesterday the Congress voted Several thingsnot always with the same distribution of support (Junts abstained in an amendment and backed others, for example). The most important points are basically two. The first is A change In the Royal Decree developed by Lespres to eliminate the protection of the populations of wolf north of the Duero, allowing autonomies to decide on their hunt. And the other modification? The second change looks beyond, both in the calendar and territorial level. During the vote of yesterday the Congress He opened the door that the protection of the wolf can also be reduced to the south of the Duero if the legal armor of the wolf is modified at the community level. Maybe it sounds like something distant or abstract, but it is not. The EU has already activated its Administrative machinery To reduce the status of the species now and go from “strictly protected” to “protected.” In December the CE itself He informed that his proposal had brought the support of the Permanent Committee of the Bern Convention. And once that initial obstacle has not surpassed, it has not taken long in get to work To retouch the habitat directive. How have they achieved it? In Spain the wolf has been starring in political chronicles for some time. That is not new. In April 2024 the Congress already gave A first step In the same direction so that the species cease to be untouchable. The really curious thing about yesterday’s movement, beyond the bottom, is the form. How it has been done. The PP took advantage of the new Loss prevention law and food waste to incorporate its amendment on wolf hunting during the previous process in the Senate. The turn is so curious that it has even caught the attention of The international pressalthough the popular amendment has managed to connect both issues: the food waste and the legal status of the wolf. Its main argument is that with their attacks on sheep and cows directly affect the sector, generating tons of waste. “They suppose an impact on the generation of livestock foods of four million kilos of meat, since there were more than 14,000 dead cattle between calves, cows, foals and sheep,” collect the amendment. Before even the vote in Congress, the Association for the Defense and Study of the Iberian Wolf (ASCEL) already labeled “offensive” and “abuse of power” that the legal status of the wolf is addressed in a law dedicated to waste. Have there been reactions? Yes. In every way. For the PP the objective is “End the nightmare” that thousands of farmers live. The minister for ecological transition, Sara Aagesen, sees it differently and He warned Wednesday that lowering the protection of the wolf in Spain would be a “precipitated, reckless” movement and “contrary to science.” Outside the political arc, the measure has generated different reactions. Yesterday the Royal Spanish Hunting Federation (RFEC) celebrated A decision that, in his opinion, will help “the conservation” of the species and its “coexistence” with livestock. In another release Much harder environmentalist in action spoke of “hate” and “killing”, and warned: the amendment “turns its back on science.” What do the figures say? Recently Juan Carlos Blanco, an expert in the species, explained to The country that right now in Spain there are between 330 and 340 herds of wolves, which would result in some 2,300 animals. The vast majority (95%) are distributed in areas affected by the normative change endorsed by Congress, in Castilla y León, Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria. The Ministry for Ecological Transition warned These days that you are collecting data precisely to advance in its “responsible management.” If the wolf has sneaked into the political debate, both Spanish and European, it is for another aspect: its impact on rural and livestock. Just a year ago The PP warned that communities such as Cantabria or Galicia are giving “subsidies for the protection of their livestock” because “there are 35 attacks on average.” Moreover, he estimated that since the wolf had legally armored the number of lost animals exceeded the million. Now, once the new modification was published in the BOE, it will be the autonomies that will determine how many wolves may be hunt. Images | AR Higher School of Environment (Flickr) and Rjime31 (Flickr) In Xataka | You … Read more

We thought the megapixel war had ended. Has only started

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The megapixel war seemed extinct, but we couldn’t be more wrong. Although manufacturers have demonstrated one and a thousand times that more sensor resolution does not translate into better results, 2025 is the year of betting on a specific number: the 200 megapixels. It is not something new. On 200 megapixel sensors we have been listening for four years. Zte opened a path That, years later, they are beginning to travel the rest of the manufacturers. Interestingly, it is a characteristic that does not play only at the high range: there are mid -range mobiles betting on this type of resolution. In some cases, with good results. In others, without any impact. I still remember My comparison between the Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ and the Ultra Galaxy S23. An article that I recommend reading to better understand what these sensors are for. They are back. This 2025 has started with a lot of presence of this type of sensor. He Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra It continues to maintain the 200 MP of its main camera, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra He has released it in his new teleobjective, the I live x200 pro more of the same, What are they for. First, so that the brand can say that its mobile has more megapixels than that of competition. Yes, camera marketing is important, and this is something recognized by the companies themselves. Beyond this, there are certain real advantages when using such sensors. First, they allow shooting in high resolution modes (200 MP real, no 12 MP with Pixel Binning). This will give us bigger photographs ideal for printing. Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 200 MP VS Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 12 MP. Does any difference? Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 200 MP vs Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 12 MP. Very notable differences. Secondly, if we have some lucky, the manufacturer will not apply the same processing algorithms when it triggers 200 megapixels, since processing an image to this resolution is more complex than doing so at 12. But this is not always the case. There are occasions when the defendant is equally mediocre, and there is absolutely nothing to have more resolution. Be that as it may, the 200 megapixels are again fashionable, and it seems that they have arrived to stay in the short term. Image | Xataka In Xataka | Megapixels: What are they, what are the use of and to what extent they are important on your mobile

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