expensive

In 2010, the owner of a Ferrari missed a radar in Switzerland at 137 km/h. He took home the most expensive fine in history

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The fine for speeding highest ever recorded did not come from a German road or a French motorway. It arose in Switzerland, and they gave it to the driver of a Ferrari Testarossa. The most curious thing is that they did not put it in for pushing the power of this 90’s classic to the limit since it was traveling at 137 km/h. The result was a fine of more than 247,000 euros, an amount that officially appears in the Guinness World Records as the biggest fine for speeding. A record fine. The highest speeding fine officially recorded was imposed in Switzerland in January 2010. A court in the canton of St. Gallen sentenced the driver of a Ferrari Testarossa to pay about $290,000 (more than 247,000 euros at the exchange rate) after being detected by radar traveling at 137 km/h in a section limited to 80 km/h. The amount of the fine was not arbitrary. In Switzerland, judges do not set fines based on rigid tables according to the infraction, but rather based on the real impact they must have on each driver’s pocket. A system designed so that everyone hurts equally. Swiss legislation contemplates a model of fines proportional to the driver’s income, instead of establishing a table of fixed amounts as happens in Spain. This applies an equivalence factor with respect to economic capacity, making the sanctions truly have a deterrent nature. A fine of 200 euros for a person who charges a salary of 16,000 euros It can be a compelling reason for you to take your foot off the accelerator when you don’t play. But that same figure is insignificant for someone with a net worth of several million euros. Sanctions in Switzerland are at another level. In the case of the driver of the Testarossa, the sanction was triggered because the driver declared assets that exceeded 22 million dollars and accumulated a record for similar violations. For the Swiss authorities, the fine should reflect not only the risk committed, but also the economic impact it should generate. The 2010 record is not an isolated case. According to collects the local newspaper 24hourslast August a billionaire resident in Lausanne was fined 90,000 Swiss francs (about 96,500 euros) after exceeding the 50 km/h limit on the road while traveling at 77 km/h. Although the violation was not extreme, the final calculation was, and was justified by evaluating income, assets, and family circumstances. 96,000 euros for exceeding the speed limit by 27 km/h. Switzerland is not the only country that applies it. Finland shares a sanctioning philosophy similar to that applied in Switzerland. There are also fines calculated according to income, with precedents that have exceeded 120,000 euros. One of the best known cases It is that of a businessman who was traveling at 82 km/h in an area limited to 50 km/h and ended up facing a fine of 120,000 euros due to his level of income. In Austria, for example, a millionaire They took away his driving license and the Bugatti Veyron was immediately seized for traveling at 123 km/h in an area limited to 60 km/h. Spain will never come close to these figures. The Spanish traffic legislation is located at the opposite extreme. The fines depend exclusively on the margin exceeded over the speed limit, not on the financial capacity of the offender. Thus, the case of the Finnish driver fined 120,000 euros, in Spain would be resolved with a fine of 400 euros and four points less on the driving license. In fact, you would even have a 50% discount on the fine if you pay it in the first few days. In Spain, the most serious sanctions are penalized with a maximum of 600 euros and the withdrawal of six points on the license, without there being a link between the sanctions and the level of income. This implies that someone with high purchasing powermay consider the cost of the infringement to be minimal, thus losing its deterrent nature. In Xataka | The DGT allows legal circulation at 150 km/h without being an emergency vehicle. The secret: a sign Image | Unsplash (Noah Boyer)

RAM has become so expensive that it already distorts the market. “Pre-assembled” computers have just appeared on the scene

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There are times when a seemingly secondary component reveals that the market no longer works as it used to. RAM is starting to fill that role. Its price and availability his no longer an assumed detail to become a factor that alters basic business decisions, from how the final price of a PC is set to what is included, or not, in a standard configuration. When that happens, we are not just talking about rising prices, but about a silent change in the rules of the game. The clearest sign of this shift has come from Paradox Customs, an integrator founded in 2019 in Deer Park (New York) that has opted for something unusual: allowing the customer to configure a computer without RAM memory. The company explains it in its account in Xdue to continued shortages and escalating prices, offers the option to select “no RAM” in the purchasing process. It also presents it, for those who already have modules or can obtain them on their own, a direct way to overcome a market that no longer guarantees stable supply at predictable prices. Click to see the original message in X When RAM rules. The increased cost of memory not only adds to the budget, it also decompensates the internal logic of a configuration. A PC that was previously adjusted by changing the CPU or graphics card may now be out of range solely because of the RAM, forcing you to cut back on other components or rethink the whole thing. In this scenario, memory stops being a silent accompaniment and begins to dictate decisions that affect the overall performance, the usage profile and the perception of value of the final equipment. Strategies to survive. Faced with the same problem, the market is reacting in very different ways. CyberPowerPC, for example, notified of price changes as of December 7, 2025, attributing them to “market conditions.” Framework, however, He assured that the price of his memory has not changedbut it withdrew the sale of stand-alone modules from its store to stop resellers and reserve inventory for those who buy the memory along with their laptops. There is no single solution, only adjustments to buy time in an unstable scenario. The pressure of AI. Behind this tension there is not a single factor, but a profound change in demand. Data centers dedicated to artificial intelligence require large volumes of memory, and that is reordering priorities in the industry. Another pressure is being reported in the sector, part of the production capacity of manufacturers such as Samsung or SK Hynix would be directed towards HBM, a higher margin memory designed for accelerators and servers, which reduces the margin for conventional consumer RAM. The effect is not immediate, but it is cumulative, and ends up being noticeable in the domestic market. This context does not affect all actors equally. Specialized integrators, like Paradox, buy components on the open market, so any swings in pricing or availability are often quickly translated into their offering. Large manufacturers, such as Dell or HP, operate with scale, much higher volumes and supply chains designed to operate at a global level, which tends to better cushion these types of fluctuations. This difference helps to understand why some react with visible changes in the configurator and others do so in a more gradual and less explicit way. Visible changes. The scene left by this change is clear, the pre-assembled computer seems to be entering a different stage, except in these months. Memory has gone from being an invisible component to a factor that rewrites catalogs and business decisions. For now, the public signals that some manufacturers are leaving point to an unstable scenario, with defensive measures and warnings of price changes. Images | Paradox Customs In Xataka |The RAM memory crisis seemed to have its months numbered. Micron has a completely different perspective

The runaway price of RAM threatens more expensive phones than ever. And that’s not even the biggest problem

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Neither the car nor the house, the new indicator that someone is good pasta is the RAM memory that you have available. The RAM crisis is extremea price increase planned for 2026 that will hit the entire industry. Such is the seriousness of the matterthere are already those who predict that the manufacturers of telephones are considering returning to figures of the past: the 4 GB of unified RAM for smartphones of the next year. Samsung has doubled the price of DDR5 RAM after running out of stock, a movement that completely threatens the entire smartphone industry. And no, RAM is not just an element to ensure the fluidity of the mobile phone and efficient multitasking: RAM is a pillar on which the advancement of technology itself depends. How to know the components of your PC (RAM, Graphics, CPU…) and the state they are in The rise in prices. In just six months, RAM prices have skyrocketed between 100% and 400%. Giants like Samsung and SK Hynix are allocating around 40% of its resources to supply RAM to Stargatethe OpenAI infrastructure. Consequence: the RAM market has entered a valley of scarcity. The 4 GB of RAM. There are clear pillars for not recommending a phone even to my worst enemy: That it does not have good update support. That has a processor that can’t handle basic apps. That has less than 6 GB of RAM There are already those who predict that 4 GB of RAM will return in 2026a significant leap back even for entry-level devices, where 6GB of RAM was starting to become the standard. What they didn’t tell you about RAM. Advances in RAM go far beyond basic performance in multitasking and everyday apps. RAM memory is one of the vital organs of any smartphone, and the advances in it are what have allowed us, today, to have smartphones that are much more capable than those of years ago. Local AI processing– Without sufficient RAM, it is not possible to run local AI models. He iPhone 15 is the best example. Photographic quality: functions such as processing HDRcomputational zoom, and even the processing of the photograph itself (subsequently processed RAW data) depend largely on the mobile phone’s ability to move all that data in RAM. Exactly the same applies to video recording. Multi-window and multitasking: Multitasking is not just about not having a heavy game crash while you browse in Chrome. It’s that Google Maps can run in the background without slowing down your phone, that YouTube can run in mode PiP (window), that your keyboard is capable of managing translations and corrections in real time in any heavy app, etc. Gaming experience: We usually focus on CPU and GPU when thinking about a mobile phone capable of running a heavy game, but RAM is essential to avoid microcuts, speed up loading times despite having open apps, and ensure that the game will not close in the middle of a game. The consequences. We have been complaining for the last few years that there is hardly any real progress in smartphones and that, perhaps, we are close to their peak. But there are nuances in this interpretation. We have never had humble mobile phones with AI implementation, the ability to move triple A games on budget devicesand such a positive experience in practically any product range. The RAM crisis is a major brake on the advancement of upcoming proposals, and may make it more than likely that some 2026 phones will end up performing worse than their predecessors. There is no solution in sight. DDR5 RAM, although it has been on the market since SK Hynix released it in 2020is not common in entry-level proposals. DDR4 RAM is still the standard here and, unfortunately, so is its price. has been increasing by close to 200% in recent months. More expensive RAM, more expensive mobile phones or mobile phones with less RAM. Image | Xataka In Xataka | How to know how much RAM you have and what type it is, in Windows, macOS and GNU/Linux

While cars are becoming more expensive in Europe, they are only going down in China. The Government has had to take measures

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Despite how they are sweeping brands outside of Chinain its domestic market there is voracious competition among all car manufacturers, which has led to an uncontrolled discount trend. For this reason, China’s market regulator has published a draft of guidelines to regulate prices in the automobile industry, seeking to stop the destructive price war that has shaken the sector in recent years. The country’s major manufacturers, including BYD, Xpeng, Great Wall Motors, Chery and BAIC, have publicly expressed their support for these new rules. The origin of the problem. According to data Cited by Wang Xia, chairman of the Automobile Committee of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, more than 200 vehicle models recorded price reductions in the domestic market during 2024. In May, the situation worsened even more when leading manufacturers applied massive discounts that exceeded 50,000 yuan (about 6,300 euros), while some vehicles were sold for as little as 30,000 yuan. This spiral of cuts has forced some small manufacturers to leave the market and has deteriorated the profitability of the sector. What the guidelines propose. The document from the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR), published on December 12 and open to public consultation until the 22nd of this month, establish clear requirements for both manufacturers and dealers. Manufacturers must set prices based on production costs and market conditions, respecting the price autonomy of distributors. On the other hand, according to the document, selling below the production cost with the aim of eliminating competitors or achieving a monopoly position is prohibited, as well as price-fixing agreements between manufacturers. Dealers, for their part, must show complete and transparent prices, without false price references or misleading discounts. The reaction of the industry. BYD, the world’s largest manufacturer of electric vehicles, issued an official statement committing to follow the guidelines and optimize their internal price management systems. Xpeng, Nio and other manufacturers released similar statements supporting both the pricing guidelines and other complementary regulations on financing that facilitates the change of vehicle by reducing penalties for early loan repayment. Between the lines. The word “involution” has appeared more than once and twice in China’s hectic domestic vehicle market. Therefore, the Government wants to confront this idea with this new series of price regulations. The authorities They had already tried to stop the price war in June, when they summoned the CEOs of the major electric vehicle manufacturers to warn them about the abusive cuts. However, prices continued to fall: according to account Bloomberg with data collected by China Auto Market, BYD’s average transaction price fell from 116,200 yuan in June to 108,100 yuan in October. The transition aims to be complicated, since according to Bloomberg, there is a persistent weakness in demand, especially in luxury combustion vehicles. The middle account In addition, there are already manufacturers adapting these measures, offering more equipment for the same price or selling large SUVs at the price of smaller models. And now what. Following the public consultation period, which ends on December 22, the guidelines are expected to be formalized and play a key role. November already showed signs of stabilization, with 19 models with price cuts compared to 26 the previous year, according to ChinaEVHome. It remains to be seen if these regulations end up alleviating two of the most serious problems of this industry in China: excess productive capacity and weak demand. Cover image | BYD In Xataka | When the United States handed over its entire electrical grid to Chinese devices it seemed like a good idea. Now you have a problem

the historic king of the mid-range returns with more battery (and more expensive) than ever

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Xiaomi has just renewed its most legendary mid-range and, as usual, it is a range with quite a few models and a bit chaotic, but we are going to focus on just one model, the most advanced. His name is Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro+ 5G. Technical data sheet of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro+ 5G XIAOMI REDMI NOTE 15 PRO+ 5G DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT Brown: 163.34 x 78.31 x 8.47mm and 208g Blue and black: 163.34 x 78.31 x 8.19 mm and 207.1g SCREEN 6.83 inch AMOLED 2772 x 1280 resolution Refresh up to 120 Hz 3,200 nits peak brightness HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 MEMORY 8GB/12GB LPDDR4X STORAGE 256GB / 512GB UFS 2.2 BATTERY 6,500 mAh HyperCharge 100W fast charging Reverse charging 22.5W REAR CAMERAS Major: 200 MP f/1.7 with OIS Wide angle: 8MP, f/2.2 FRONT CAMERA 32MP, f/2.2 Operating system Xiaomi HyperOS, Android 15 SOUND Dual stereo speakers Volume boost 400% CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi 6E 5G Bluetooth 5.4 Dual SIM NFC USB-C OTHERS IP68 certification On-screen fingerprint reader Xiaomi HyperAI PRICE 8/256GB: 499 euros 12/512GB: 529 euros This is how Xiaomi makes money – they attract you and trap you Long live continuity The new Redmi Note 5 Pro+ (we’ll skip the 5G, so as not to mess it up so much) shares quite a few features with his predecessorstarting with the design. It still has that characteristic square camera module with rounded edges and comes in new colors: black, blue and brown with vegan leather finish. One detail to keep in mind is that the dimensions and weight vary slightly between the brown version and the other two, but there is barely a gram difference. Speaking of cameras, we have a 200-megapixel main sensor and an 8-megapixel wide-angle sensor. Xiaomi has removed the macro lens which did come in the previous model, leaving only a dual camera system. The macro is a sensor for a very specific use and does not usually give very good results, so it is not a loss to regret. For the front camera we have a 32 megapixel sensor. Regarding the screen, it is a 6.83-inch AMOLED with FullHD+ resolution. It reaches peaks of 3,200 nits, supports HDR10+, Dolby Vision and offers a 120Hz refresh rate. Battery for a while One thing that changes for the better is the battery. The previous model had 5,110 mAh and the new one has risen to no less than 6,500 mAh, a huge increase especially considering that the size and weight have barely changed. Very good there Xiaomi. Supports fast charging up to 100W. The processor is a Snapdragon 7s Gen 4, Qualcomm’s mid-range chip for this generation, and is accompanied by 8 or 12 GB of LPDDRX4 RAM depending on the version. Regarding storage, you can choose between 256 or 512GB. Other features of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro+ include a double stereo speaker with a volume boost mode, fingerprint reader under the screen, IP68 resistance and Gorilla Glass Victus 2. Of course it comes with HyperOS, Xiaomi’s layer, well watered with AI features like Ai Writing, Ai Search, interpreter and more. Versions and prices of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro+ 5G The Redmi Note 15 range is now official, but you will not be able to get one of them until January 5, the date on which pre-purchase begins on the official website. As we said, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 15 Pro+ 5G comes in brown, blue or black and several memory versions. Regarding the price, the model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB capacity will cost 499 euros and the 12GB with 512GB goes up to 529 eurosbecoming the most expensive Redmi Note to date. In Xataka | Ford CEO considers Xiaomi “the Apple of China.” The key is not just the Xiaomi SU7: it is the ecosystem

‘Avatar 3’ is going to be a movie so disproportionately expensive that it runs the risk of destroying and losing money

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‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ is already, as has happened with all previous installments of the franchise, one of the most anticipated films of the year. Each new installment breaks box office records, and yet James Cameron’s statements are more pessimistic each year about the continuity of the series. Are you sure that ‘Avatar’ is as good a deal as it seems? We snooped into his finances. The paradox. ‘Avatar: Fire and Ashes’ arrives wrapped in an economic paradox: its production budget exceeds 400 million dollarsa figure that places it among the most expensive films ever filmed. And yet, its own director is not clear if the business is worth it. Cameron has been unusually frank about his franchise’s finances and he put the question bluntly: “Will we make money on Avatar 3? Surely some. But the real question is what kind of profit margin there will be, if any, and whether that will be enough of an incentive to continue in this universe.” The wild mathematics of break-even. The arithmetic of ‘Fire and Ashes’ defies standard Hollywood logic. With 400 million in production expenses and a marketing budget that analysts place between 100 and 175 million, it would need to exceed $1 billion at the box office simply to break even or break evenaccording to the more or less assumed industry rule that a film must gross 2.5 times its production budget to be profitable. The case of ‘The sense of water’. The previous installment of ‘Avatar’ gives us some previous lessons on the subject. The sequel cost more than $1 billion in total costs: $400 million in production, another $400 in global marketing, $300 million in shares for Cameron and producer Jon Landau, plus cast salaries, residuals and general expenses. Cameron was not exaggerating when declared that ‘Avatar 2’ was “the worst business case in the history of cinema” and that it needed to become “the third or fourth highest-grossing film of all time” simply to not lose money. The film fulfilled that apocalyptic objective: raised 2,320 million and finally generated 531.7 million net profit. But that deceptively solid figure hides a crucial detail: The studios do not receive all the money from the box office. Movie theaters take approximately 50% of US domestic revenue, 40% from international markets, and up to 75% in China. That is, of those 2.32 billion, Disney actually received just over 1 billion. The rest stayed at the box office. The crisis of inflated budgets. ‘Avatar’ is one of the most visible symptoms of a disease that affects all of Hollywood. The industry has a systemic problem of out-of-control budgets, which affects such well-known films as ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker‘ ($490 million), ‘Jurassic World: Dominion’ (584 million) or ‘Mission: Impossible – Deadly Sentence: Part One’ (400 million). A analysis of the causes It leads us to multiple factors that explain this phenomenon: inflation has increased the value of the dollar by 15% since 2020, making all aspects of production more expensive. But in addition, streaming platforms altered the economy of stars, accustoming them to higher initial charges, demands that they later transfer to traditional productions. And there is also a visual effects arms race: franchises like superheroes try to surpass each other in spectacularity, and infect the rest of the blockbusters. For this reason they are films that “might not make money even with objectively decent box offices.” The unique case of ‘Avatar’. James Cameron invests in developing pioneering technology that then benefits the entire industry: the underwater motion capture that Cameron and Weta FX took a year and a half to perfect for ‘The Sense of Water’, now reduce costs for the sequels being already invented. But the budget escalation is relentless: ‘Avatar’ cost between 237-280 million, ‘Avatar 2’ between 350-460 million and ‘Avatar 3’ exceeds 400 million. The franchise is a guarantee of box office success, but the profit margins are worryingly narrow. In Xataka | Cameron’s ‘Titanic’ was going to be a flop. Until a trailer that broke several Hollywood rules changed the narrative

Silver is right now the most sought after and most expensive metal on the planet. And the problem is that there is not enough

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Silver just surpassed $60 per ounce for the first time, and the impact is especially noticeable in the technology sector. The metal is essential for solar panels, electric cars, electronics and AI data centers, and demand has skyrocketed much faster than the mining industry can respond. In a matter of months, what seemed like a one-time rally has revealed a deeper problem: the world is entering a phase of real silver shortage. A record that marks a turning point. The escalation became historic this week. While this report is being written, silver is around $62.67 per ouncedoubling its value since January after five consecutive years of supply deficit. Although the rise is not surprising who follows this marketwhat impacts is its speed: according to Bloombergsilver is the best performing metal of the year, doubling its price and even surpassing gold in what is already its biggest increase in decades. But beyond the price, what is relevant is not how much silver has become more expensive, but why. The market structure has changed. Money doesn’t stop going up. For analysts and companies, this new peak has profound implications. Silver no longer behaves as a simple safe haven asset, it is a critical industrial input whose shortage can slow down entire sectors of the global economy. Unlike goldwhose function is mainly financial—, the silver it is a metal that supports electrification and the energy transition. However, the problem is amplified by the nature of the market which is narrow, volatile and without global strategic reserves. As Bloomberg recallsthere is no equivalent to gold central banks that act as a stabilizer of last resort. When physical money is lacking, there is simply no safety net. Source: TradingView A perfect storm. The rise of silver is not understood by a single factor, but by the convergence of industrial, monetary and geopolitical forces. First of all, according to Financial Timesthe silver market has been in deficit for five years, with inventories at minimum levels and production unable to respond. Silver is mostly obtained as a byproduct of zinc, copper or lead mining, making it difficult to increase supply quickly. Furthermore, the three largest producers—Mexico, Peru and China— face environmental and regulatory restrictions which further reduce production capacity. The Silver Institute foresees industrial demand increasing at least until 2030, driven by solar expansion, transportation electrification and the growth of digital infrastructure. Additionally, the global data center boom also adds to this pressure, because some of them operate with solar energy. Added to all this is a worrying dynamic: the United States has accumulated large reserves of silver due to the risk of new tariffs under Section 232. This diversion of metal to American deposits has drained inventories in London and Asia, generating a silver squeeze which skyrocketed metal borrowing costs. As pointed out in FTthe North American retail investor—for whom silver is “the poor man’s gold”—is also entering aggressively, fueling the bullish momentum. China enters the scene. The decisive factor comes from Beijing. The Ministry of Commerce of China announced in an official statement new strict conditions for exports of silver, tungsten and antimony during 2026–2027, including strengthened requirements, documentary controls and more rigorous supervision for state-owned companies that want to export metal. Likewise, the official text confirms China’s intention to protect its strategic resources for internal use, especially in sectors considered critical for its future competitiveness: renewable energy and artificial intelligence. The reason it’s clear: China wants to guarantee enough physical silver to power its own AI data centers, the expansion of which requires huge volumes of solar panels. With global mining production limited to 813 million ounces annually and new projects that take years to come online, Chinese controls could exacerbate an already structural shortage. China, the largest global refiner of silver and a central player in the solar chain, has real capacity to alter the global balance of the market. India and Russia complete the geopolitical map. On the one hand, India has become one of the great drivers of the physical silver market, with about 80% of global demand for bars and coins. According to ReutersIndian demand for jewelry and bullion has been so strong in 2025 that it has caused physical shortages and premiums on international prices during holidays such as Diwali. Added to this pressure is a new regulatory framework: India’s silver imports soared to $2.72 billion in October, partly due to measures that facilitate the monetization of physical silver, allowing consumers to convert their holdings into financial instruments. On the other hand, Russia decided at the end of 2024 start buying silver for its State Reserve Fund, a move that has contributed to skyrocketing prices against gold even further. It’s not just silver: a global reconfiguration of metals. The rise in silver coincides with a historic movement in gold. The golden metal exceeded $4,200 due to pressure from central banks, which already have more value in gold than in US Treasury bonds. A structural turn in the international monetary system. For their part, platinum and palladium have also become more expensive. This phenomenon indicates that strategic and safe haven metals are regaining a central role in the global economy. What to expect from now on. The forecasts for the coming months coincide in a common diagnosis: structural tension will not disappear, even if phases of technical correction appear. On a technical level, several analysts see room for further increases. According to FXStreetconsiders an advance towards 63.8–65 dollars plausible, supported by a weak dollar and the continuity of the buying impulse. However, since the TradersUnion portal introduce caution, the market is clearly overbought, and losing the $61.5 support could trigger short-term profit taking. Added to all this are two new forces compared to past cycles: the rise of AI, which multiplies solar demand, and China’s industrial policy, which can further restrict global supply. In this context, as analyst David Morgan warnsprecious metals are entering “a monetary inflection point,” driven by both the energy transition and loss of confidence in … Read more

While everything is getting more expensive than ever, a plague has given us something: cheaper pork

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A ghost haunts the markets throughout Spain and no, it is not a metaphor: MercoLleida, the main European pork market, is already registering drops of between 7 and 17% in the price of pork. It is the biggest disaster in 30 years. And the bad thing for the industry is that this is just the beginning. What is happening? We could say that the most obvious thing is that there are at least 50 wild boars killed in the Collserola mountain range. That is, without a doubt, an indicator of the intensity of the problem. African swine fever, despite not affecting humans, has mortality and morbidity levels close to 100%: “can kill all the pigs on a farm after a few days of fever, coughing and bleeding.” But, in reality, that does not explain the price drop. And then? The price of pork in Spain (and, by extension, in Europe) has collapsed due to something else: fear. Swine fever is a disease so terrible, so resistant and so difficult to eradicate that “the appearance of a single case of plague causes preventive blocking of pork exports”. There are more than 20 countries that, to begin with, they do not accept regionalization and, therefore, the veto of Spanish pork exports is en bloc and immediate. Among them are Japan or Mexico. And the truth is that the situation could be much worse if Spain and China they would not have signed the regionalization agreement just a few weeks ago. That’s the reason for the price drop: suddenly, there’s a lot of leftover pork. Europe’s farm. After all, even with ‘regionalization’ underway (the international blockade of Catalan pork, but not the rest) the tons of meat that have to find a buyer are enormous. With more than 8 million animals and nearly 3.2 billion euros in annual meat exports, Catalan farms They represent 52% of Spanish international sales. How is the price not going to collapse? And the worst, as I say, begins now. Not only because no one knows if the efforts to contain the epidemic they will be successfulbut because the impact on the industry can be devastating. It is enough to remember that Germany was the European country that produced the most pork until in 2020 an infected wild boar crossed the border with Poland and unleashed a huge national crisis that dismantled the sector. That is to say, the Spanish pig is in a critical situation; but at the consumption level it has no problem. First, because the plague does not affect humans; and second (and more important) because no Spanish farm has been affected because of the virus. And they are being reviewed one by one. A trompe l’oeil In the short term this effectively means lower prices than usual. And, in a context of general rise (with chicken in full escalation), it is good news for consumers. What we don’t know is what impact it will have in the medium and long term: if it is a temporary blip, the industry will have some margin. If not, we cannot rule out that prices will skyrocket in the future. The problem is that, as the days go by, the situation looks worse and worse. Image | Kwon Junho | Mossos In Xataka | In a country with almost as many pigs as people, the worst that can happen is that investment funds take over

If the question is why are non-alcoholic drinks so expensive if they are not taxed, the answer is simple

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Taking a look at the drinks menu of any establishment is a contradiction: non-alcoholic beer It is worth the same as one with alcohol. The same thing happens as with the decaffeinated coffee and the easiest thing is to think that it doesn’t make sense. If you don’t have alcohol, the rules don’t apply. specific taxes on alcohol. The problem is that there are a lot of factors that come into play. The contradiction. Than the price of non-alcoholic beer equal The counterpart with alcohol is something that is not reserved for locals: it is also seen on supermarket shelves. The price of these versions not only equals that of alcoholic beverages, but can exceed it in some cases, and is not limited to beer: also non-alcoholic wine or to refined alcohol products. It’s… strange, especially considering that there are a series of taxes levied on alcoholic products. Guardian echoed this situation, pointing out that the prices of a liter of non-alcoholic beer It is 5% higher than the alcoholic counterpart in supermarkets, 25% higher in pubs. Cider without is 10% more expensive than with and with wine and liquors Something curious was happening: the same price or cheaper in the supermarket, more expensive in the bars. Taxes. In the United Kingdom, about 10% of the price of beer are taxes, but it is not something exclusive to the islands. In Spain, Italy or France there is also the tax to beer and it depends on whether they have more or less alcohol, also if it is artisanal or not. Wine has VAT in Italy, Germany and Spain, but in France it has a tax between 4 and 10 euros per hectoliter and the highest taxes are observed for distillates. That is to say, it is evident that part of what is paid for a non-alcoholic drink is taxes and logic tells us that, if a drink does not have alcohol, it should be between a little cheaper -beer- and much cheaper -0% spirits-. The reason why this is not the case is quite simple. R&D. There are three elements that come into play to prevent it from happening. The first is that, in many cases, production is more complex and expensive than that of alcoholic beverages. In the case of non-alcoholic beer and wine, production starts exactly the same as with alcoholic versions. This implies that the drink is made with fermentationwhich is what raises the graduation. However, then you have to take that extra step that costs money: dealcoholization. It is something that involves specific technology to remove alcoholic content preserving both flavor and texture. In the elimination process, part of the liquid is lost, so producers must use more raw materials to “fill” and, in addition, the alcohol works as a flavor enhancer and, when eliminating it, it is necessary to incorporate additional ingredients such as extracts, aromas or whatever each brand has in its formula. In short: it is not so much the ingredients as the times and processes, which are not eliminated with alcohol, but rather increased. “The industry has made the decision that non-alcoholic drinks are versions of premium products, seeking to ensure that ‘non-alcoholic beer’ is not associated with something cheap and of lower quality” Economy of scale. More or less. That is one of the factors. The second is that yes, it seems that we have embarked on the fashion to stop consuming so many alcoholic beverages. It is something that the industry, especially the beer and wine industry, has observed in recent years, when there has been a significant increase in consumers of non-alcoholic products. If we look back, the non-alcoholic beer market has explodedbut if we look at the total, non-alcoholic beverages only represent a small percentage of volume sales in the alcoholic beverage market. Since there is less demand than the counterpart with alcohol, they do not benefit from economies of scale. That is: the factories that produce bottles, cans, labels, advertising and the alcohol products themselves produce such a high quantity that the cost per unit is low. When non-alcoholic drinks are produced, different labels are made, but as the quantity produced is smaller, the cost per unit is higher. As for the big brands: the independent ones that only produce non-alcoholic drinks have invested a lot of money in research and machinery and cannot afford aggressive margins because they want to recover that investment. and psychology. And the third factor is something that seems silly, but also plays an important role in all of this. The Guardian article alluded to the fact that wine or non-alcoholic spirits were priced the same or lower than alcoholic versions in the supermarket, but in bars, things were different. And it is something that has to do with the positioning of the brands and the perception of the user themselves. Mixing the psychology and marketingif the price of one of the products were significantly lower, it could be perceived as inferior quality. Therefore, in the case of beer, for 0.0 to be seen as a legitimate substitute, the price must be comparable to the alcoholic equivalent. If we see a price equal to or slightly lower than the alcoholic equivalent, the reason may be that it is a version made by an already established brand, with a massive infrastructure that allows them to play with margins and their own brand image. And it also comes into play that non-alcoholic beers from not so long ago were pretty bad. They have improved a lot in recent years, but John Holmes, director of Sheffield Addictions Research Group (a public health think tank based at the University of Sheffield), point that, to improve the image, “the industry has made the decision that non-alcoholic drinks are versions of premium products, seeking to ensure that ‘non-alcoholic beer’ is not associated with something cheap and of lower quality.” He assures that “if you want to reform the reputation of a product, you launch a premium version.” … Read more

The most expensive coffee in the world is Panamanian, it costs 850 euros and is served in the only place in the world where it makes sense

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James Hoffman is one of the top authorities in the coffee world. Best barista in the world in 2007 and coffee popularizerwas surprised to try the exclusive Japanese coffee for 315 euros per cup. let it be expensive or cheap It depends on each one, but It’s like roasted coffee next to the new most expensive coffee in the world: 850 euros per cup. And it is served in Dubai, of course. Julith’s coffee. The Al Quoz neighborhood of the Emirati city has a new pilgrimage point for specialty coffee lovers…as long as they have 3,600 dirhams from those of the United Arab Emirates, not those of Morocco. In exchange, about 850 euros for a cup served at Julith Cafe. Serkan Sagsoz He is one of the founders of this cafeteria that consider that the price is more than justified. It is a coffee with notes of “white flowers such as jasmine, also with citrus flavors such as orange and tangerine and a touch of fruits such as apricot and peach”, comment. The barista got 20 kilos of very specific beans named ‘Nest 7‘. It is a Geisha coffee (now we’ll get into that) and the bidding must have been truly crazy: it lasted 12 hours, registered 549 bids and the final price was exorbitant. 604,080 dollars which translates into 30,204 dollars per kilo. Geisha with note. The price of coffee is something that depends on a huge variety of factors: the economy of a city, the coffee shop, the origins of the coffee and the roasting process. It is not the same robusta coffee with uneven roasting than a specialty arabica. Neither does the coffee excreted by a civet. Whether it is justified is another story, but what is clear is that Geisha is one of the kings when it comes to expensive coffees. It is a Panamanian coffee that comes from Hacienda La Esmeralda. We have already talked about this specific coffeewhich has been establishing some of the records in the sector, and the reason why it is so expensive is summarized in that its cultivation is very complicated and production is low. These are the two factors that, added to the fact that the property is located in a enviable location for coffee cultivationthey make the price break ground every auction. Elitism also enters, since the variety has become one of the favorites in barista competitions. It is not unusual for it to win the “Best of Panama” award, but if in other years the kilo was around 10,000, the more than 30,000 that Julith Cafe has paid mark a new record. To contextualize, a “commercial” price that same day reached six euros per kilo. NASA production. El Geisha de La Esmeralda is not a specialty coffee, it is THE specialty coffee right now. This Nido 7, specifically, was harvested in April 2025 and immediately underwent a cold fermentation process for 48 hours. Subsequently, it was dried in a controlled environment to preserve its flavors and roasted, carefully controlling the process so that it was as homogeneous as possible. Limited. As we say, Judith got 20 kilos and they calculate that it is enough for 400 cups. It is not as quick as arriving with the money and drinking the coffee: you have to be prepared for an experience that they have designed and that includes a guided tasting through the entire production process of this coffee. Once the 20 kilos are gone, it’s over, but there are those who won’t have to worry about this: they have reserved some grains for the wealthiest palates. Sagsoz has commented that it would be “an honor to one day prepare a cup for the sheikh mohammed“With whatever you have loose in your pocket that day, you have something to invite. And…Dubai. Beyond the exclusivity of coffee due to everything that surrounds its production, it is evident that the Dubai factor comes into play. Sagsoz himself, whose cafe did not exist until he bought the Nido 7 cargo a few weeks ago, comments that “it was the perfect place for investment” because the Emirates is known for extravagance. They have some of the most ostentatious buildings in the worldhe Burj Khalifathe island for super millionaires, pharaonic works on the drawing tableand all kinds of extremely exclusive experiences. In fact, in September of this year, another coffee shop in the city had set the record for the most expensive coffee in the world by serving a cup of 2,500 dirhams, about 600 euros. With Julith’s 850, that record has disappeared and the reactions have been diverse: from the “It’s Dubai, what are you waiting for?” until opinions which allude to the fact that it is simply another experience for the richest to boast about. What is evident is that, although coffee is gaining a lot of ground in places where it did not have much prominence before –China, for example-, is also consolidating places like Dubai as part of the luxury coffee scene. And it is something that contrasts greatly with the so unfavorable situation of some farmers and the ambition that is leading to expand Geisha farms through illegal deforestation of protected areas. Images | Julia Coffee, Coffee with Joshua In Xataka | Coffee, tea or Coca-Cola: what is the most popular caffeine consumption in the main countries of the world

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