expensive

when you need to buy the most expensive cable and when the 5 euro one is worth it

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You go to a store like Amazon and type ‘HDMI cable’ in the search engine. The results show a lot of options and all, at a glance, they are almost identicalyes. Yes, there are braided cables, cables of different lengths, or you can even find cables of other colors, but there doesn’t seem to be much difference between them all. Despite this, there are very cheap cables and others that cost more than 20 euros. Your first impulse may be to go for the cheapest one that has the meters you need. Ideally, you should spend a moment on the details, since the cheapest ones are usually HDMI 2.0, while the most expensive ones are HDMI 2.1. What does that mean for you? Let’s take a look at it so you know if it’s worth investing a little more or if one of these cheap cables works for you. Choosing an HDMI 2.1 cable In short, HDMI 2.1 cable is better. The main difference between this and HDMI 2.0 is that it has greater bandwidth (more than double, in fact). In practice, this means that the cable can handle and transport more information per second. Since we are talking about an HDMI cable, we are referring to image and sound. Precisely because it has more bandwidth, this cable can move higher resolution at higher hertz. It is the right one if you plan to see 8K resolution content (although for commercial 8K content there is still) or if you are looking to play something at 4K at 120 Hz. The latter is what leads many people to go for one of these cables because it is the way to get the most out of a PlayStation 5 or one Xbox Series X. To the greater bandwidth of this cable, we must add some technologies such as dynamic HDR or others that are also great for video games and that are not present in HDMI 2.0. The most important one is called VRR (either Variable Refresh Rate), which basically makes the console or PC and the TV “agree” so that the image does not jerk. We have two examples of VRR with two technologies that are usually present in many monitors, such as NVIDIA G-Sync or AMD FreeSync. There is also ALLM, which makes the TV’s Game Mode activate automatically when you connect the console. This is very convenient because it will save you from doing it manually every time, but it is great when playing because reduce latency. That is, it minimizes the time that passes between you pressing a button and the action being displayed on the screen. For competitive games it is key. If you have a good sound bar for TV at home and you want to connect it via HDMI, then choosing an HDMI 2.1 cable may be a good idea. Here comes into play what is called eARCwhich allows you to command uncompressed audio in the highest quality from the TV. Where is the “but”? So that all these things that we tell you are worth something, It is necessary that both the TV and the console or PC are compatible. You can use the cable if they are not, but you will have spent more money and you will not be taking advantage of it. The good thing is that check if your TV or monitor has HDMI 2.1 It’s not difficult. Choose an HDMI 2.0 cable The best cable doesn’t have to be what you need. The HDMI 2.0 cable has less bandwidth, as we said above, but it is still more than enough for 4K and 60 Hz content. This combination, today, is the most common when playing with all consoles. Plus, it still supports HDR. For this reason, it can be great for consoles from previous generations (PlayStation 4 or Nintendo Switch, for example) or for a TV Box. Another asset that this HDMI 2.0 cable has: the price. Generally, this type of cable It is significantly cheaper than HDMI 2.1. That, which is great for our pocket, also allows us to buy one of better quality without having to spend a good pinch. Because yes, the quality of the cable or connector matters (a lot). And the distance, because the longer the cable is, the more likely it is to suffer losses or interference. What is the main drawback of this cable? May it become obsolete soon. If you don’t plan to change your TV or console right now, HDMI 2.0 is perfect. Now, when you switch to a newer device that supports HDMI 2.1, you will have to buy a new cable if you want higher resolution and more fps. In other words: if renewing consoles or TVs in the short or medium term is on your mind, buy an HDMI 2.1 directly. The good and the bad of both options, face to face HDMI 2.1 HDMI 2.0 THE GOOD 🟢 It reaches up to 8K and 60 Hz (or 4K and 120 Hz) and has exclusive technologies It’s cheaper and still capable with 4K and 60 Hz THE BAD 🔴 It is more expensive and you will not get the most out of it if your TV is not compatible It will soon become obsolete if you plan to renew your TV or console. Ideal for: Play at higher fps and higher resolution with a PS5 or Xbox Series X and to play audio in the best quality Consoles from past generations or watch movies, series and football if you don’t have an 8K TV We do the math to see which one can compensate you more. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages, so now let’s see which one may interest you more depending on which cases. Here it will depend a little on what you are looking for, but especially on What TV or monitor are you going to use the cable for?. The advantages in resolution, Hz and technologies of HDMI 2.1 are obvious, … Read more

The Line and Trojana were the jewels of the new Saudi Arabia. They will also be the first to face reality: they are very expensive

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Saudi Arabia imagined an almost dystopian future based on futuristic ski resorts, 170 km linear skyscrapers and paradise islands for millionaires. Reality has forced the Saudi authorities to wake up from their reverie and face serious cost overruns in the construction of their pharaonic projects and lack of budget to cover them. He Financial Times uncover in an article that an internal report in which auditors propose cutting the NEOM project in half, reusing what has already been built, but reorienting its objectives and, above all, its budgets. However, this cut is conditioned by the commitments that Riyadh has already adopted, organizing the 2030 World Expo and the 2034 World Cup. Oil gives no respite: we must cut back. According to Financial Times sources, the audit of the project that is about to conclude leaves no room for maneuver and forces Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to rethink the NEOM project. applying new cuts and changes in construction plans to a “much smaller” project. The reason for the cut is found in oil priceswho have not recovered from their downward trendseriously damaging the solvency of the nearly $1 trillion Saudi Public Investment Fund that finances NEOM. With a fund that does not grow at the rate it used to and huge investmentsPrince Mohammed has been forced to lower expectations and achieve short-term profitability from what has already been built. Put your feet on the ground. The NEOM project was born in 2017 as the flagship to transform the Saudi economy, moving from a model focused on the exploitation of natural gas and oil resources to one based on attracting investments, tourism and renewable energy. NEOM consisted of different big-budget projects to build infrastructure in a territory the size of Belgium on the Red Sea coast. The Line, the crown jewelpromised a linear city 170 kilometers long flanked by two 500-meter-high buildings, without cars or streets, and powered 100% by renewable energy. It was estimated that by 2030 this project would house 1.5 million people, at an approximate cost of 500 billion dollars. In 2024, the first phase of The Line has already suffered an important snip reducing its length 2.4 kilometers away. The Line was going to be a city, now your data will live. FT sources point out that Riyadh finally admits the initial design flaws, prioritizing what has already been built. Thus, The Line would go from being a futuristic megalopolis to reusing its foundations to become a data center hub to put Saudi Arabia in the AI ​​race. This shift reflects a change in strategy aimed at achieving more specific goals that provide a short-term return on invested capital, leaving behind the vision of infinite skyscrapers in the desert. Other cuts already announced include $8 billion less from the Public Investment Fund for the five main megaprojects, representing 12.4% of their total valuation. A ski resort in the desert. The cuts also seriously affect the construction of Trojena, the ski resort futuristic project that was to serve as the venue for the 2029 Asian Winter Games. However, the Asian Olympic Council that organizes this sporting event has announced in a statement “confirming the postponement of the 2029 edition to a later date that will be announced in due course”, and that experts link directly to cuts in its budget. According to published Bloombergthe project was initially budgeted at around 19 billion dollars and was going to offer 30 km of ski slopes that ran on the roof of the resort itself and different luxury hotels, in a desert area with little snowfall during the year, which added an added challenge to keep the artificial snow necessary for the operation of the station in good condition. This first postponement sows uncertainty about the future of other competitions to which it has already committed, such as the football stadium that was going to be built. on the roof of The Line. In Xataka | Siranna: the new luxury destination for the super-rich is a spa that looks like Minas Tirith and only ships arrive Image | NEOM

Almost everything is more expensive than ever, but televisions are at rock bottom. It is the result of a “suicide pact”

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Technology is in an economic shaker. If we consumers have become accustomed to something, it is that, as the years go by, a product drops in price, even if it is updated with better features. It is clear in the console segment: as each generation progressed, the hardware improved and the price fell. That’s over. Buy a PS5 or an Xbox Series in 2026 It is more expensive than when they came out in 2020. But the consoles They are not the only thing that rises: There is more competition than ever in streaming services and they have all agreed to raise prices from time to time. It’s not just technology: dwellingmedical expenses, cars, meal… However, There is something that has collapsed: televisions. Because although there are very expensive models, the price of televisions has fallen more than almost any other consumer product in the last quarter of a century. And we owe it all to something that one of the industry’s leading glass manufacturers named in a curious way. A 25-year suicide pact. Although there is something else in the equation, something much more important. The “suicide pact” and the mother glass You can say in the comments if you have been walking around a large area this Christmas and have been tempted to buy a new 65-inch TV. Not because you need it, but because you saw it at a ridiculous price. For 400 eurosyou can buy one right now. Inch/price, they are much more attractive than the 24 inches that you can put in the kitchen. These prices on huge televisions do not seem to have been affected by the multiple crises we have experienced in recent years. What if that of the chips, then transportation, that of the Ukrainian warthe current RAM… The price of televisions has followed suit and, although the most cutting-edge OLEDs or risky technologies They have very high pricesan LCD TV is very affordable. In Construction Physics They mention a very interesting fact. In a advertisement On Black Friday 2003, a barely 20-inch LCD television in 4:3 format with a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels (laughing) cost $800. In the same ad, 32-inch CRT TVs for $380 or 27-inch TVs for $150. Today, those TVs are gold for playing retro games, by the way. In Xataka already we started having to talk about different technologies of liquid crystal panels. 21 years ago we were already talking about OLEDs when I was content with a small 15-inch TFT screen to play ‘Age of Empires 2’ and ‘Half Life 2’. In the end. But well, I’m going around the bush. In 2022, Mark J. Perry published in AEI the following graph: He shows us in a crude way what he was saying: the price of LCD technology had been plummeting rapidly while other goods and services increased dramatically. It’s funny to me that I don’t see the computer hardware on the list, we’ll see when I update the graph in a few years… He estimated that, since 2000, the price of televisions had fallen 97%. There are others informationbut the conclusion is the same: prices through the floor in a short time. That crash occurred a decade earlier. In a document of Corningone of the largest glass manufacturing companies, noted the following: “LCD technology continues to grow and there are abundant opportunities to expand both the functionality and performance of displays. So the expansion of LCD technology must be a great success story, right?” “FAKE” In the document, it is clarified that for consumers it is great news because they can access better and bigger televisions at a fraction of the price. Even other technologies such as plasma had to be adapted. In the same Black Friday ad from 2003 we see a Daewoo of 42 inches with 480p resolution for $2,300. I remember that a 50-inch Samsung 1,080p arrived at my house for 700 euros in 2007. However, for the manufacturers, it was not as happy a story as it was for the consumer. “The LCD platform looks like a 25-year suicide pact for display manufacturers,” Corning noted in its report. It is a segment “characterized by hypercompetition, excess investment and periodic lack of profitability, but which at the same time requires sustained investment to differentiate a product that has a low return.” They pointed out that, within that chain, glass manufacturers were still able to make considerable profits, although there was increasing pressure. But that price drop is not limited to extreme competition between a few companies. There is something else behind it, and that “something” is the “mother glass.”. Known as “mother glass” in English, it is a main element in the manufacture of LCD panels. It’s a process which is made up of several stages. On the one hand, there is that mother glass, which is a sheet of glass substrate on which other layers are deposited. Broadly speaking: We have the glass plate on which layers of semiconductors are deposited. Using a photolithography process, TFT transistors and pixel electrodes are marked across the entire sheet. It is something that is repeated several times until the active matrix on the mother glass is completed. The next step is to use another mother glass to which RGB color filters and electrodes are applied. Both glasses are well cleaned, aligned and sealed with perimeter glue. It’s like a sandwich. There we would have a mother glass with many screens, and the next step is to cut them to obtain individual modules. The fourth step is to combine those modules or cells with backlight units, the control PCB and the metal casing to have the complete LCD module. It is tested and, when it is ready, it is delivered to the assemblers, who are the ones who already create monitors, televisions, mobile phones or anything with a screen. Here you can see the process: What is the key? That those large sheets of glass have been increasing in size little by … Read more

Motorola has perfectly understood what it needs to continue growing: expensive mobile phones

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If there is a manufacturer putting all its efforts to achieve a premium product that is far from its competition (for better or worse), it is Motorola. The smartphone market has taken giant steps in the last five years with the arrival of AIthe folding mobiles and recently high density batteries. A tug of war between Asian manufacturers and the rest of the world, with two clearly marked identities: China betting everything on the latest technology and the rest being more conservative. Along the way, we have a Motorola (now owned by the Chinese Lenovo, but maintaining its identity as an American company), striving to achieve a premium identity, trying along the way not be a clone of the rest of your rivals. And, at this CES 2026, we have two good proofs of this. The missing fold. It started RoyoleSamsung consolidated it, and manufacturers such as OPPO and Xiaomi refined the concept. The Fold-type folding devices are still alive as an alternative for users who want a pocket tablet, and Motorola has wanted to fully enter this field. A new Razr. Motorola Razr Fold is the name that the company has given to its first book-type folding, after years of betting on the clamshell type. The bet is clear: 8.09-inch AMOLED external screen, with 2K resolution and LTPO type technology. 6.56-inch AMOLED external screen. Triple camera system: 50 megapixel Lytia main sensor, 50 megapixel ultra wide angle and three optical magnification telephoto lens and also 50 megapixels. 32-megapixel external and 20-megapixel internal selfie camera. Bet on Pantone colors: Blackened Blue and Lily White. Optimized software with adaptive interface. Support for the Moto Pen Ultra pen. Little secrets to discover. Motorola has not revealed the rest of the specifications, but we can sense one of the best Qualcomm processors inside (Snapdragon 8 Gen 5), as this chip manufacturer is one of Motorola’s main partners. It will not be able to come short on memory configurations if it wants to be competitive, and the big unknown is reserved for the battery, one of the critical points in clamshell-type folding devices, with panels larger than 8 inches. The premiumization of Motorola. Xiaomi was clear that to make money it had to put cheap mobile phones in the background and bet on premium terminals. Something that Motorola also knows very well. For some time now, Motorola’s main bet is on your Edge familyolder brothers of the Moto G classics. Mid-premium range and high range with the software as the main star feature and an alliance with Pantone so that the design is a key point and differential compared to its competition. Edge, Edge Fusion, Edge Pro… And, to go one step further, The Signature family arrives now. Motorola Signature. Motorola’s new high-end is not an Edge Pro, it is a Signature. The design tells us that this model inherits quite a bit of essence from the Edge (it is practically identical to the brand’s latest models), but betting on even more ambitious specs. The latest Qualcomm chip. Memories up to 1 TB. Zoom up to 100x. 5,200mAh silicon-carbon battery. 6.8-inch screen with peak brightness of up to 6,200 nits. A key year. 2026 will be a very important year for Motorola. Its year-on-year growth in shipments was 24% in 2024. Still far from the global podium, but managing to gain a foothold little by little. Image | Motorola In Xataka | Motorola Edge 60 Fusion, analysis: I had been waiting for years for a worthy heir to the legendary Moto G. I just found it

If it seems expensive to change the battery in an electric car, wait until you see what it costs in a Ferrari LaFerrari: more than 200,000 euros

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For the majority of mortals, considering costs such as consumption or maintenance are a must when purchasing a car. And if we talk about buy an electric carAlthough the maintenance is less, there is one operation that makes the difference: changing the battery. Depending on the brand and model, prices vary. between 4,000 and more than 30,000 euros. That’s for EV cars, but those of hybrids They are not exactly cheap either. But there are cars and cars and obviously, The Ferrari LaFerrari plays in another league. The firm’s first hybrid hypercar offers performance typical of its range: it is capable of going from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds and exceeds 350 km/h thanks to its 963 HP. But no matter how Ferrari it is, it does not escape suffering from the weak point common to hybrid technologies: the battery. If we take into account that there are only 499 examples of the Ferrari LaFerrari and that each one was launched with a base RRP of 1.3 million euros (over time, it has gotten worse: it is around four million on the second hand market), the price of its battery is not far behind: exceeds 200,000 euros. Ferrari’s lucrative solution: replace the entire battery With just 1,440 kilometers traveled, one of the few and exclusive owners of a 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari in Croatia discovered how his precious car ran out of traction battery. The first diagnosis indicated that the hybrid battery was out of service. The solution proposed by Ferrari was to replace the entire battery pack at a reasonable price: from 213,000 euroswithout counting on labor. So the owner decided to explore other more economical options, arriving until EV Clinica Croatian workshop specializing in electric and hybrid vehicle batteries. After an exhaustive analysis of the state of that group of batteries, with 120 cells and weighing about 60 kilos, they identified two failures: defective cells and a defect in the manufacturing assembly. Good news. The battery was not a brick, but had a localized fault that could be fixed without having to perform a complete replacement. Although the price of this meticulous and precision work has not been released, the owner had his LaFerrari back saving the price of the entire package. What of ask for quotes from other workshops It is always a good idea, whether you have a Dacia Sandero or a Ferrari. And if they don’t tell the owner of this Bugatti Veyronfrom whom the company asked him for 11,000 euros to change the button for the electric adjustment of the rearview mirror when the workshop in his town did it for less than two euros. Fortunately for those who own a hybrid Ferrari, last year the Italian firm launched an additional guarantee extension, so it will replace the traction batteries of the cars covered in this service in years 8 and 16 of their life. In Xataka | China has discovered another front to elevate its electric car: competing face to face against Ferrari and Lamborghini In Xataka | They are founders and ultra-rich, but they have not always driven luxury supercars: a review of the cars of tech millionaires Cover | Ferrari, EV Clinic

installing a socket is now twice as expensive as before

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For years, adding a plug to your home was one of those small jobs that were barely thought twice about: a call to the electrician, a morning of work, and an affordable cost. However, that perception has changed. A video by the electrician and popularizer Ricardo Abellán —known as @dombydomotica— has focused on a reality that many homeowners are beginning to notice in their budgets: installing a plug has gone from around 30 euros to around 50. On the rise. The increase in the cost of new plug points has become widespread in recent years, driven by structural changes in the electricity sector. To understand what is behind this increase, we must look beyond the final budget and pay attention to what is happening within the sector itself. This is how he explains it to Xataka Luis Catalan, business development director Home & Distribution Schneider Electric Iberiawho points to a combination of economic, technical and regulatory factors that have completely transformed this type of facilities. A rise that is not coincidental. The increase in the price of installing a plug is not the result of an improvised rate increase. Behind it there is a sum of factors that have been putting pressure on the sector for years. As Luis Catalán explains, the increase in the cost of raw materials has had a direct impact on electrical materials, to which is added the higher cost of energy and an increasingly specialized workforce. Added to all this are less visible expenses, such as transportation, insurance or the tax burden, which have been growing steadily. The result is a context in which even the smallest interventions are affected by a much more demanding cost structure than a decade ago. More regulations, more technical complexity. However, the economic context does not explain everything. The most relevant change is in the evolution of the regulations and in the level of technical demand applied to any electrical installation. Both the Electrotechnical Regulation for Low Voltage (REBT) like him Technical Building Code (CTE) They have tightened the requirements, forcing the use of certified materials and a more complex execution of the facilities. A transformation aimed at improving security and energy efficiency in the home. What once seemed like a quick job now requires much more attention. Placing a plug involves checking that the ground connection is in good condition, checking the differentials and ensuring that the installation supports the expected consumption. Furthermore, materials are no longer interchangeable: they must be certified and comply with regulations. As Catalán points out, ignoring these controls can translate into greater electricity consumption and, in the worst case, security problems inside the home. Safety, at the center of the installation. This regulatory change has also raised the level of responsibility of the professional. At each new connection point, the electrician must guarantee that the entire installation is safe and complies with current regulations. An approach that matches what Ricardo Abellán explained in his informative videos: Before it was enough for the plug to work; Now it is essential to check that there is no risk of overload and that the electrical system responds correctly. If something fails, the responsibility falls directly on the installer, which adds an additional layer of demand, time and checks to each intervention. The risk of doing it on your own. Given the increase in prices, some users choose to install plugs without professional help or permanently resort to power strips. The sector warns that these decisions may entail significant risks. According to Catalán, an installation carried out without a certified professional can lead to electrical failures, accidents or fires caused by electrical arcs, loose connections or overloads. Furthermore, not complying with current regulations can generate legal problems and security for the owner. In this sense, the power strips are only recommended for occasional use. When consumption is continuous or of greater power, the safest option is still to install a specific plug point. More devices, more plugs. The reality within homes has also changed evidently. Today we live with many more electronic devices than a few years ago, which has multiplied the need for connection points and has forced us to rethink how electrical installations are designed. From home automation systems until electric vehicle chargerspassing through smart air conditioning either small connected deviceseach element requires specific planning. At the same time, the plug itself is no longer a basic element. There are models that incorporate USB ports or that allow control and monitor electrical consumptionan evolution that improves energy efficiency, but also adds complexity to the installation. A future with more demand and fewer professionals. Added to this is a structural problem in the sector: the shortage of qualified electricians. According to Catalán, there is not only a lack of professionals, but also profiles with digital skills and the ability to adapt to technological change, a lack that influences both the prices and the execution times of the work. The plug as a reflection of the change in the home. What was once an almost invisible work has become an indicator of how our homes have changed. The plug, a symbol of something basic, today reflects the rising cost of materials, the evolution of regulations, the professionalization of the sector and a different way of consuming energy. In this new scenario, installing a plug implies safety, regulations, technology and responsibility. And that explains why what was once barely thought twice about has today become a small, but significant, household expense. Image | freepik Xataka | The big problem with putting solar panels on crops is shade. The University of Jaén has found a solution

Renfe is obliged to return money after 15 minutes of delay. Its president warns that this “would make tickets more expensive”

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The president of Renfe, Álvaro Fernández Heredia, assures that the company will not apply from January 1 the new compensation approved by Congress. He argues that the measure is “unconstitutional and generates inequality against Iryo and Ouigo.” Conflict. In November, Congress approved a PP amendment to the Sustainable Mobility Law that forces Renfe to recover its old compensation for delays. These are 50% refund of the ticket from 15 minutes of delay and 100% from 30 minutes. Currently, after the change which the operator made in July 2024, only returns money after 60 minutes (50% of the amount) and 90 minutes (100%). The amendment, which had the support of Vox, Junts, ERC, PNV, Podemos and BNG, sets January 1, 2026 as the date of entry into force. Renfe’s position. Fernández Heredia, has declared in RNE that “in principle, no” there will be changes next Thursday in the travel conditions. According to the president of the operator, the State Attorney’s Office is studying legal formulas to avoid applying the provision. “We have a legal opinion that clearly says that it is unconstitutional,” he said. explained in El País, arguing that it violates principles such as equal treatment, freedom of enterprise and two European regulations on rail transport services. The economic cost according to the operator. The president of the institution estimates the impact of the measure at more than 125 million euros annually, well above the 43 million that Renfe paid in compensation during 2023. As Fernández Heredia clarifies, the increase is not only due to more incidents, but also because the amendment extends compensation to all long-distance commercial services, including Avlo, Alvia and Intercity, not just the AVE. “Whoever wrote this didn’t know what he was doing,” pointed out to the middle. The consequences for the traveler. The president of Renfe warns that applying the new compensation would cause a 10% increase in fares and would displace up to 5% of passengers towards the competition. In addition, it warns that “deficient services that Renfe maintains in areas where Iryo and Ouigo do not operate would be put at serious risk.” “If we want it to be cheaper, provide deficient services and stop where no one stops, what we don’t want is liberalization,” declared in RNE. Inequality. The core of Renfe’s argument is regulatory asymmetry. And while this operator would have to return part of the money from 15 minutes late, Ouigo begins to compensate from 30 minutes (with purchase vouchers) and Iryo from 30 minutes as well. Both competitors only refund 100% of the amount after 90 minutes of delay, just like Renfe does now. “I don’t think this is being done because we want to improve the conditions of travelers, but rather because of an attack on Renfe,” he said. affirmed Fernández Heredia in El País. Legal battle underway. Sources from the Ministry of Transport they qualified the amendment to the media 20 Minutes as “demagogic and populist.” Minister Óscar Puente announced after the approval of the law that they would look for formulas to prevent its application, something that Fernández Heredia has confirmed is being studied. The president of Renfe regrets that the company “is not entitled to appeal to the Constitutional Court, which creates insecurity when it comes to defending ourselves.” He inherits the mark of ppolitical opulism. The president of Renfe was very critical of the parliamentary groups that supported the measure. “It was a slap in the face of Renfe to the Government,” as collected The Country. “It is a populist measure because they do not say that this measure implies ‘raising prices’ and that it will benefit the ‘other two companies,’” added in the interview on ‘Las Mañanas de RNE’. The president of the operator has asked the PP, Podemos and BNG for explanations about why the obligation only affects Renfe. “If we want to provide a guarantee policy and better compensation, the logical thing is that it should be for all travelers.” In Xataka | Public transport faces 2026 with extended aid and the approved Single Pass: there is still one step ahead

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

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