Extreme

There are eight million Airbnbs, but only one where the disconnection is so extreme that there is fine print: risk of death

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At the beginning of the year, the figure by Bryant Gingerich began to circulate in many media. In a secluded corner of the Ohio wilderness, Gingerich, a 34-year-old engineer, seemed to have found an opportunity to transform his professional life by converting a simple cave in a successful vacation rental business. However, if we talk about places far away from the world, none like the one in this story. Stay at the extreme. I told the story a few days ago BBC. In the Kulusuk Fjords of eastern Greenland, the Floating Glacier Hut It has established itself as one of the most remote accommodations, if not the most, in the world. The cabin, installed on a floating hexagonal platform and anchored to the surrounding rocks, it is located in an area where the distances between settlements are enormous and the human presence is minimal. Access is made only by boat and the infrastructure responds to the idea of ​​offering a space completely removed from any urban dynamics, in a territory dominated by glaciers, icebergs and an unpredictable climate. This approach fits with the rise of the so-called as “quietcations” and hyper-remote destinations, which seek to satisfy the growing need for total disconnection that many travelers express in the face of the accelerated pace of daily life. Disconnect without technology. The cabin dispenses with the internet and reduces outside communication to a satellite phone, which forces us to live real isolation throughout the stay. The Finnish-made module is thermally insulated and has a glass roof that allows you to observe the polar sky and phenomena such as the northern lights without leaving the interior. The equipment it’s basic: a small stove, a toilet, a minimal kitchen area and a double bed. The lack of a shower is part of the design, and some visitors resort to quick dips in the frozen sea to clean themselves. This austerity is proposed as a central feature of the experience, focused on the observation of the environment and sensory immersion without digital interference. Views from the accommodation Caution and logistics. Extreme isolation coexists with reasonable vigilance against the risks inherent to the Arctic. According to the local guide Nicco Segretoresponsible for the project, the cabin acts as an effective refuge from potentially deadly fauna like polar bears (there is a sign that warns you before entering), as long as you stay inside. However, the operator warns that weather conditions may prevent the arrival of the boat in charge of transporting guests, an element that is part of the operational reality in the region. The landscape offers opportunities for activities such as glacier hiking, exploring ice caves formed by subglacial rivers, and ice fishing through a small hole prepared in the structure. These excursions show the dynamics of ice and the visible effects of melting, reinforcing the educational value of the trip. A tourist project. Secret discovered a decade ago a glacial cave that today is part of the activity offerand that discovery was the origin of his initiative to develop low-footprint tourism in the area. In addition to generating employment in the Tasiilaq community, the project aims to attract travelers interested in geology, the behavior of ice and the magnitude of the polar landscape. The Floating Glacier Hut It is the initial phase of a broader plan that includes a future retirement of greater capacity, Vision Lodgeaimed at structured stays of several days. The accelerated retreat of the glaciers, visible even year after year, becomes a central component of the experience, which allows us to observe climate changes on a human scale. An exclusive model. The stay, designed for two people, has an approximate cost from 1,000 to 1,200 dollars per night and includes private boat transfers, dinner prepared by the guide himself, and breakfast. Despite the price, remembered the BBC that the accommodation It has received very positive reviews for the combination of isolation, landscape and silence, elements that guests point out as difficult to find in other destinations. Thus, the general perception is that it is an experience designed for those who seek to completely disconnect (from humanity and devices), observe the environment without filters and face a slower pace, where nature is the central axis of the room and the passage of time seems to acquire another scale. Image | Vision Lodge In Xataka | An engineer left his job to transform a cave into a vacation rental. He’s making a fortune a year without Airbnb In Xataka | Italy vetoes one of the great symbols of mass tourism: the use of key boxes for self-check-in is prohibited

Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Extreme, Characteristics and Technical Card

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For a long time, choosing a Windows laptop meant moving inside the world X86with Intel and AMD as absolute protagonists. But the photo is changing while the ARCHITURE ARMdifferent at its base and that until now we associated mainly to mobiles and tablets. In computers, the proper name is Qualcomm, which with its Snapdragon seeks to offer a real alternative. The difference is not alone in whom it manufactures, but how the instructions are executed, which implies another way of understanding power, autonomy and compatibility. The arrival of ARM to the laptops is not explained without a change of priorities in the market. It is increasingly real autonomy and the possibility of executing artificial intelligence at a local without depending on the cloud. There, the NPU enter, who enable experiences of the co -senses focused on creativity and productivity. Qualcomm was among the first to align with Microsoft in this field, and Since May 2024 its Snapdragon They appear among those who can fully take advantage of these functions. Technical sheet of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite and Elite Extreme Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme Manufacturing process 3 nanometers 3 nanometers CPU ARCHITURE ARM ARCHITURE ARM Up to 18 nuclei 5.0 GHz GPU Adreno Adreno artificial intelligence NPU Hexagon 80 tops NPU Hexagon 80 tops modem Snapdragon X75 5g Snapdragon X75 5g connectivity and location Qualcomm Fastconnect 7800 Mobile Wi -Fi 7 compatible Bluetooth 5.4 le Qualcomm Fastconnect 7800 Mobile Wi -Fi 7 compatible Bluetooth 5.4 le ARM as a way to rethink the Windows laptop The change of approach is perceived in the way of talking about performance. It is no longer so much to boast maximum or nuclei frequency, but about the ability to maintain fluidity throughout the work session. Qualcomm processors point there: that opening several applications, editing a video or continuing with the laptop Without a plug, do not suppose a speed downturn. This stability is combined with autonomies of several days, a land in which ARM wants to mark distance in front of X86. In Copilot+ laptops, artificial intelligence becomes another component of experience, not an isolated addition. The NPU It allows to execute models locally and support functions such as summarizing texts, separating voices in a recording or improving the sharpness of the live camera. The key is in the possibilities of computation at home and in the lower dependence of the cloud, all without the energy consumption shooting. Beyond performance and battery, the choice of a laptop with Snapdragon is to review what programs are used daily. In ARM not the entire Windows catalog works natively: much yes, but there are still exceptions that force emulation. This means that for the common user the difference is minimal, but for whom It depends on specialized software or concrete drivers it is convenient to verify compatibility. Qualcomm places the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme in the range of range with 3rd generation CPU Oryon, of up to 18 nuclei, and with the first CPU compatible with ARM in reaching 5.0 GHz, in addition to an NPU of 80 tops. The company speaks of “up to 75% more CPU yield that the competition at the same power ”and of an adreno GPU with improvement of“ 2.3x ”in performance per watt against the previous generation. It is oriented to professional loads and experiences of the concurrent in co -pilot+ in fine and light laptops. They are official promises pending independent verification. The Snapdragon X2 Elite maintains the NPU of 80 tops and the 3rd generation CPU Oryon, manufactured in 3 Nm, with figures that Qualcomm defines as “up to 31% more performance at the same power” and “up to 43% less consumption” against the previous generation. Add the connectivity ecosystem (5g x75 option, Wifi 7) and an ISP Spectra for higher quality cameras on PC, in addition to Snapdragon Guardian for remote management. On paper, it is designed for demanding multitasking and thin designs that are used away from the charger. Qualcomm describes these chips as a basis for “Ultra-Premium Windows PCS” and advances that the first teams would arrive in the First half of 2026. There is no public confirmation of brands, chassis or prices, so any list would be speculative. What is clear in the note is the type of product: fine and light portables that are committed to sustained yield, the local and long -term batteries. The rest of the variables, from materials to ports, will depend on each launch when the OEM make their configurations officers. Images | Qualcomm | Xataka In Xataka | HP omnibook X Flip 14, Analysis: the versatility and power of a convertible greatly designed with Core Ultra 2

Goal has found in extreme sport a new market niche for its glasses

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Goal has just presented a new model of its new smart glasses and does so by repeating experience with Oakley. However, instead of betting on a mounting -oriented assembly, it is committed to a niche of Very concrete user For their Oakley Meta Vanguard: the High intensity athletes who want to share their training and experiences. Although my incipient belly and the increase in my pulsations when climbing stairs betrayed That was not the user profile Objective to which these connected glasses were directed, the goal engineers let me try them equally. Although when I took them, I still did not feel like putting on Run a marathon Or pedal for 200 km, I must recognize that it is a product very well focused on its audience. Real sports design The first view makes it clear that we are not talking about glasses that fit the outfit that anyone would choose to go out with the friends of the afternoon or on vacation, as would probably do with the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer or with them Oakley Meta HSTN. They are not casual glasses, but their enveloping design already points to sports use. The first thing that surprised me when they took them was their weight. Despite being glasses with considerable glass coverage and thick sideburns that end up integrating with the frontal glass, only They weigh 66 gramswhich are 13 grams more than the Meta HSTN. While it is true that they are not as light as the “analog” sports glasses (which are around 35-45 grams) The Vanguard targets use some tricks that Oakley has applied in their design to look lighter. Instead of dropping the weight on the ears and the bridge of the nose, they distribute it along the surface of the pin that remains in contact with the head. In addition, the bridge is rubber and removable, which allows the glasses to settle correctly on the nose and prevent it from sliding with the movement or sweat. This accessory would be the equivalent of the headphones pads, but to adapt the goggles bridge to your nose. Even at the risk of being shot, I could not resist jumping and moving my head as if he were the guitarist of a rock group of the 80s. Not a millimeter moved of your position. That led me to remember the experience of my partner Javier Lacort With the Oakley Meta HSTNthey did move when it ran. The most prominent element are polarized and interchangeable prizm lenses that protect from the sun even on the sides. They are more heavy than conventional sports glasses, but the three -point adjustment system (bridge and after the ears) distributes the weight of the glasses so that it is barely noticeable. How could it be otherwise, glasses They have IP67 protection And they resist sweat, rain, splashes, dust, snow and even mud. In addition, the lenses have anti -ñazos resistance in their four glass finishes: 24k (golden), black, road (violet) and saphire (blue). If the crystal will be damaged (for a fall, for example) or want to change style, it can be replaced by another replacement that is sold separately by 85 dollars. Audio, Chamber and … Action !! So far, the Oakley Meta Vanguard could be any of the sports glasses to the use of the Oakley catalog, but it is now when it is time to discover the goal hand. Something that I realize is that, beyond the obvious design change, in reality (and with some nuances that I will designate below) the avant -garde technology does not contribute (almost) nothing new with respect to the HSTN goal, with which Share 90% of its equipment of sound, camera functions or functions of artificial goal intelligence. That makes the “wow” effect be diluted to be before a new product. Like the rest of the goal smart glasses, it has a system of five proximity microphones. That makes, although whoever is by your side also has finish glasses, when running voice commands for the goal assistant AI, only the glasses you wear are activated. Although I could not check it for myself, the goal engineers assured me that these microphones had optimized to filter external noise and wind, more than reasonable in a device with which it is possible to respond to a call while descending skiing the slope of a snowy mountain or traveling the paths of a forest at full speed. What I could try is the sound. Second surprise: They sound really good. As they told me in the finish line, the speakers are 60% more powerful than in previous models. As in the previous models of finish glasses, the speakers are located at the bottom of the pin and oriented towards the auditory pavilion, which makes the sound arrive naturally. Against all prognosis, the bass had enough presence and gave the feeling of canned sound. Again, I could not try them in a noisy or wind environment, but in a room with several people around me talking animatedly and with an average volume, the audio remained well defined. One of the details that I could see is that up to 60 or 70% nobody by your side listen to what you are listening, from that level a murmur is heard (as in normal headphones) but it is not possible to clearly identify what it sounds like. The main difference of the Vanguard target with respect to the other two models of target glasses, is that the camera is not on one side, but is located just above the nose. When working, an LED light turns on the upper edge. This location and its 122º field of vision It makes the feeling of being recording exactly what you see, since the perspective of the glasses coincides with that of your eyes. As in the Oakley Meta HSTN, this 12 megapixel camera records with a 3K resolution at 30 fps. In addition to being able to take photos, there are three … Read more

The last extreme idea in beer fermentation has nothing to do with alcohol. It has to do with murderous bees

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The human being has been fermenting beer since time. In spite of this there is always a place for innovation and, probably the “recipe” created by microbiologists from the University of Cardiff, in Wales, is not precedent in the history of mankind. Bee-r. A team of researchers He has created beer using a type of yeast found in the so -called “Killer Bees of Namibia.” The yeast in question (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) It was extracted from specimens of this bee that had died due to natural causes, and then used for the fermentation process from which beer is created. The origin of the idea was on the visit of the British team to the University of Namibia. During the trip, they explain from the Unviersidad de Cardiff, the team was interested in these bees. “When we arrive back to Cardiff, we use the isolated yeast from the murderous bees, next to yeast extracted from Welsh bees, to create several beer remittances,” Les Baillie points outProfessor of Microbiology at the Welsh Center. The “murderous bees”. The so -called “murderous bees” are also known by the least threatening name of Africanized holiferous bees. It is a hybrid subspecies of the common bee (Apis Mellifera), which results from the hybridization of other subspecies of this common insect. The Denomination of Killer is due to aggressiveness Of these bees with whom they consider a threat: these bees attack in large numbers which increases the risk of encounters that are fatal. What do you know? The yeast S. Cerevisiae is (as its name suggests) a yeast commonly used In the manufacture of beer so, regardless of the singular of its origin, beer would not be special. However, we will not have to contrast that fact by our own means. This beer, They explain its creatorsseeks to combine the knowledge of the equipment in microbiology to bring it to products related to bees “to produce something unique.” Now, it’s time to climb the process, looking for some winery willing to take this “recipe” to the market. This could also serve to economically promote this type of research. “Our killer beer is a complementary project for our Pharmabees study. Our study is showing how honey, wax and other bees products can play a role in solving some of the greatest world challenges, including resistance to antibiotics and superbacteria” Baillie added. Pharmabees. Within the Pharmabees project, various actions focused on exploring, for example, how the pollination of certain plants can help us in the fight against superbacteria are registered. To do this, the team installed various hives in the university environment, accompanied by specific plants that, in principle, could lead to bees to create new types of honey and other products. The idea highlights the importance of these insects, not only because of their role in ecosystems but also because of their potential capacity to help synthesize certain compounds. Compounds that, who knows, could one day use for the most surprising purposes. In Xataka | The countries that drink beer around the world, exposed in this happy graphic Image | Scott Bauer, Usda Agricultural Research Service / Bncee Boros

After the hair industry, Türkiye is becoming a power of something much more extreme: paying to grow

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In a hotel on the outskirts of Istanbul, a man listens to the alarm of his phone and smiles. It is time to turn the key that separates the metal rods embedded in their femards. The procedure seems taken from a medieval dungeon, but for Frank – 38 -year -old patient – it means approaching, millimeter to millimeter, to his dream: stop feeling low. According to The Guardianeach turn causes intense pain and, nevertheless, insists on doing it more times than recommended to win a few extra centimeters. Türkiye, the new Mecca of the centimeters. The country was already famous for Medical tourism of capillary grafts. Now adds something much more extreme: leg elongation surgery for aesthetic purposes. What was born as a technique to correct bone deformities today attracts patients from Saudi Arabia, Japan, Australia and all of Europe. According to the Wanna Be workshop clinicThey come willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars for the promise of growing. In an extensive report for The Guardian They quoted an Indian consultant who projects that the global market will reach 8,600 million dollars within five years. Türkiye’s appeal lies in its price, since with $ 32,000, it includes hospitalization and months of physiotherapy, compared to $ 50,000 to $ 150,000 that can cost in the United Kingdom or the United States. Dr. Kevin Debiparshad, founder of the Limbplastx Clinic in Las Vegas, I told GQ that the business has shot from the pandemic, with up to 50 new patients a month. Its customers include Google, Amazon and Microsoft engineers, in addition to executives, doctors and even celebrities. The last acceptable prejudice: be low. Why risk everything for a few centimeters? The testimonies collected by different media always point to the same direction: height remains a social stigma. In an article for vice, A 17 -year -old summed up without surroundings: “The only reason why someone would lengthen their legs is for women.” Another patient assured in The Guardian that “being low is the last acceptable prejudice in modern society.” Evidence supports these sensations. An Australian study of 2009 collected by GQ He showed that low men earn less than their high classmates and have less job promotion options. In the Netherlands, another investigation revealed that only 7.5% of couples the woman exceeds the man. Even Tinder came to try filters of height, According to The Guardian. And it is that obsession can become pathology. Elaine Foo, Interviewed by the BBChe confessed that since adolescence he suffered a fixation: “Being higher means more beautiful, more opportunities.” Psychiatrists call it body dysmorphia: a fixation with defects imagined in appearance. A brutal procedure itself. Although today it is sold as an aesthetic procedure, the technique originated in the 50s in the Soviet Union. The surgeon Gavriil Ilizarov devised a method to repair fractures and correct deformities. The beginning, As Mayic explainsis the osteogenesis by distraction: cut a bone and gradually separate it so that the organism generates new tissue that fills the void. The process begins with an osteotomy, the surgical cut of the bone, generally femur or warm. Then, the surgeon places an elongation device: an external fixative (a visible frame subject with bone nails) or an internal magnetic nail (inserted into the bone and controlled by a control). From there, the daily routine is to extend the device around one millimeter per day. The body responds by filling that space with new bone. The hard lengthening phase of two to three months. Then comes the consolidation phase, when the bone hardens, which can take another three. In total, complete recovery easily exceeds a year. During all that time, patients should use crutches or wheelchairs, undergo intensive physiotherapy and support constant pain. When growing almost costs life. Not everyone achieves their goal. How do you collect in The GuardianFrank’s case that traveled in the hope of moving from 1.70 to 1.75 meters. In the process he suffered a pulmonary embolism caused by a blood clot and was about to die. In the end he had to stop the elongation in 7.3 centimeters, without reaching his goal. The same medium reported the death of a Saudi patient at 16 days of the operation, also for a clot. However, Elaine Foo’s story is even more extreme. According to BBC, After paying 50,000 pounds to a private clinic in London, he suffered successive complications: a metallic nail crossed his femur, the bones did not consolidate and ended up undergoing eight surgeries in different countries. Eight years later, drag mobility problems, permanent scars and a post -traumatic stress disorder. Complications are not rare. Risks include infections in nails or incisions, nerve injuries, joint stiffness, chronic pain and insufficient bone consolidation, According to Cleveland Clinic. Self -esteem, the most fragile bone. Beyond the operating rooms, the question is what pushes so many men – and some women – to undergo such brutal surgery. Dr. Dorr Paley, pioneer in this field, He summarized it for vice: “It took us a long time to discover what plastic surgeons always knew: they were dealing with body image problems.” The background is really a crisis of self -esteem. The Guardian He recounts How Frank felt “almost damn” for his low stature, convinced that society favors the highs. In GQ, John Lovedale explains that he did it because “the highest people seem to have the world at their feet.” Most patients are men, crossed by an idea of masculinity associated with size. However, As the British media remembersthere are also women who resort to the procedure: some to lengthen and others, in very rare cases, to shorten their legs. Between secret and status. Interestingly, despite sacrifice and spending, many patients prefer to hide it. According to GQ90% does not reveal anyone who operated. Invent stories: a ski accident, a fall in the bathtub, a hip fracture. But others begin to exhibit it as a sign of status: an Asian youtuber paid for the operation with Bitcoins and documented the process … Read more

It is so hot in Granada that there has been one of the most extreme phenomena of the weather: thermal burst

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This Sunday on the Tropical Costa de Granada An unusual phenomenon has been recordedbut it has caused great ravages. While people were trying to pass in the water the heat wave in which we are now, in a few minutes everything changed to have a hurricane and scorching wind on top. It reached such a speed that made the umbrellas and chairs shot as projectiles. And it was not a simple summer storm, but a phenomenon known as thermal burst. What happened on the Granada coast. The sequence of the facts was dizzying. Shortly before 19:45, 112 emergency services The first calls began to receive Notice. The alerters, from different points of the Tropical Costa, talked about hurricane winds that even threw palm trees of the promenade. The climax of the phenomenon, According to the Aemet, It was recorded at 19:50 with a temperature that shot sharply until 40.1 ° C. Jointly, wind gusts reached a speed of 86.8 km/h officially, although in different social networks users suggest that these speeds They reached 100 km/h. A phenomenon that concentrated in different municipalities such as Motril, Salobreña, Torrenueva, Carchuna and Almuñécar. Click on the image to access the publication. Chaos on the beach and bailouts in the sea. Shared testimonies on social networks paint a collective horror picture. A citizen He reported: “I was there on the beach and the situation has been horrible, I have not had worse in my life.” The disseminated images In social networks they showed people running to their cars, which caused traffic jams on the exit roads of the coast. Although the greatest danger materialized in the water. The rapid evolution of this meteorological phenomenon caused people to practice aquatic sports, and the wind caught several people who saw how they crawled inside and preventing returning to the shore by their own means. This triggered an operation where Seven people had to be rescued in front of the beaches of Torrenueva Costa and Carchuna. A rescue that was carried out by maritime rescue, but also by private vessels that prevented this situation from becoming a great tragedy. A rapid official response. Given the violence of such an unpredictable phenomenon, the beaches of the affected municipalities They had to be evacuated. At 20:20, the mayor of Motril, Luisa García Chamorro, launched an urgent notice Through its social networks which reflected the seriousness of the situation, asking not to go outside and have a lot of caution. A term comfort does not arise from nothing. They require an atmospheric configuration Very specifica “recipe” that this Sunday was perfect in Granada. The main ingredient was The extreme heat accumulated during the prolonged heat wave. This heat not only affected the surface, but created a deep layer of very hot air, and crucially very dry at the average levels of the atmosphere, several kilometers high from where the burst was given. Meanwhile, on the sea, the air in contact with the water was comparatively cooler and more humble. This stratification with a very hot and dry air in height on a cooler and more wet layer near the surface is the ideal culture broth. The scenario was completed with the formation of convective storms on the mountains of the interior of Granada, which acted as the trigger for the process. Of the rain that never falls to the scorching wind. The process of formation of a thermal burst is a fascinating paradox of thermodynamics, where a process that begins with an external cooling culminates in a burst of scorching heat. It can be broken down into four key steps According to the Aemet technical guides: The descendant current: everything begins within a storm cloud where a powerful current of descending air is generated that drags rainfall. Sudden evaporation: As this column of air and rain plummets, it meets the extremely dry and hot air layer that had been formed before. The dry air ‘absorbs’ voraciously all precipitation, causing it to evaporate completely before reaching the ground, something that is known as ‘virga’. Evaporation is a process that consumes energy, abruptly cooling the air of the descending column. This air, now much colder and dense than the one that surrounds it, collapses towards the ground at a dizzying speed. Compression warming: Once all the water has evaporated, the cooling process ceases. The air column, and if “refrigerant”, continues its free fall. When descending, atmospheric pressure quickly increases by compressing the mass of air. This compression is client at an extraordinary pace, known as dry adiabatic gradient. The impact or burst. Finally, this extremely hot, dense and dry air bubble violates the ground, like an invisible hammer. Unable to continue descending, it expands horizontally in all directions at high speed, generating destructive and sudden wind gusts and intense temperature rise that characterizes the phenomenon. It is not the same as a tornado. Sometimes this phenomenon can be confused with a tornado, but There are differences. While in the tornado the wind revolves around a vertical axis, in the bursting the winds are descending and linear. Climate change will make them more frequent. Thermal bursts are a natural phenomenon, but climate change is causing them to be more frequent. The report of the IPCC scientific experts It is unequivocal: heat waves are now more frequent, more durable and more intense due to global warming. The Granada event was no exception. It was the culmination of a historical heat wave in Andalusia. As explained before, the temperature is the fundamental ingredient that creates and dry the necessary atmospheric layer for the thermal burst to activate. An ordinary storm, in a less extreme environment, could have generated a cold front that refreshes the environment. However, when interacting with an “prepared” atmosphere by anomalous heat, the result was the violent explosion of scorching air. More energy and more extreme. The connection goes beyond heat waves. One of the most direct consequences of the increase in global temperatures is that the atmosphere can retain more … Read more

One of the greatest consultants has brought the war against teleworking to the extreme: a “traffic light” to control

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PricewaterhouseCoopers multinational consultant (PWC) decided A little less than a year ago than The 100% Teleworking Era had ended. He joined the decisions that had adopted competitive companies such as EY. The striking of the movement were its conditions: it would geolocate their teleworkors to control that they were going to the office 60% of the day, the minimum amount that it now demanded (after having requested 40% until that moment). Now, thanks to Financial Times We know how they are carrying out control in their offices in the United Kingdom. Traffic lights. PWC measures have not only fallen into broken bag, but have intensified. Since April, the company is registering in a control panel the assistance and if the three days they demand at the week are passed in the office. To control compliance more visually, the company has established an indicator based on traffic light colors. Those employees who meet have a “green” in their state. The profile of those that drops from 60% has an amber, and those that fall from 40% have a red. In addition to the workers themselves, supervisors, heads of business units and directors have access to this traffic light. Thorough control. To verify that the employees go to the offices (OA meetings with customers, outside them), the company is carrying out a monitoring of the location of the wifi connections of the laptops. The data that is collected following this control is intended with the assistance or absence indicated in Workday, the software used for human resources issues, and in the personnel control sheets. In addition to the WiFi, PWC also has control of when employees pass their cards as an signing to enter and leave the offices. Policies against the old trick. The verification of assistance based on the entry and exit signings is something that many companies have carried out. Those employees who wanted to try to skip that control did something simple, according to a study: 58% of the workers employed under a hybrid work system went to the office, signed and then they left. Amazon already ended this picaresque establishing a minimum time to go to the office. Hey also reinforced Its access policies with lathes Checking that 50% of some teams breached the demands for assistance to their facilities. The control based on Wi -Fi connections is the brooch to these policies. Consequences. The question is what happens to employees who have a red or amber in their traffic light. And the internal guide for employees to which the Financial Times has accessed is clear: they face formal sanctions and a reduction of their performance in evaluations, where extra bonuses are played to their base salary. That same guide includes special exceptions or permits for family or disease reasons. Employee reactions. PWC workers are complaining so much about this scrutiny that a high -rank worker has told the Financial Times that he has lost his account of how many complaints he received. Employees are restless about tracking methods, and seek more transparency since the pressure to be fulfilled rose. It goes in the line of the best qualified employees in companies of the S&P 500: Rotation triggered by imposing face -to -face. According to a study by McKinsey, return to the office It is not enough to improve productivity. A company spokesman said that the control panel “guarantees that our people have easy access to their assistance data, so that they can manage and plan their time in a way that works for them, our equipment and our clients.” The paradox. The ‘Big Four’ have been serious with the return to the office, but they have always been in the spotlight of the management of extra hours, and Work fined them in Spain for having lacked time registration (mandatory by law since 2019) and for excess of day. The macro -inspection ended, at least 1.4 million euros that had to pay for different circumstances for social security fees. Image | Flickr (Raul Muñoz) and Carlos Alberto Gómez Iñiguez in Unspash In Xataka | The companies bet on the return to the office. Public administration keeps an ace in the sleeve: Teleworking

a cheese so extreme in its preparation that the European Union had to put limits

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Few more fascinating things for the human being than that indicated as “forbidden” and “dangerous.” If we also talk about a gastronomic product that comes with the Italian seal and that after it there are hundreds of myths and legends, we have the breeding ground to raise the product to the object of worship for the most exquisite and adventurous palates. There are many good cheese storiesbut none like that of most dangerous cheese in the world and its maturation process. Casu Marzu. The truth is that cheese is, in essence, fermented and aging milk. It happens that the process goes through controls to achieve adequate balance between bacterial activity and the quality and taste of cheese. The variety in this process and the different traditional approaches to elaborate it is what makes us have so many types. Yet, None approaches the Casu Marzu processwhose translation already gives us a track, “rotten cheese.” This Italian cheese from Sardinia has a peculiarity. It is created with the help of very special worms or larvae, creatures that remain alive during the maturation and fermentation process and, most importantly, when we open it to taste it. So, it is time to close your eyes and expect the portion not to reach the mouth with a living larva. The fly and cheese. It We count a long time ago And it serves to give context to the story of Casu Marzu. Humans have been eating dairy products like cheese almost 6,000 years and, in essence, we owe everything to a fly. And it is that the fermentation process, key in the delicacy, occurred first thanks to the role played by the fruit fly. Apparently, the casual encounter between the insect and a cube of fresh milk flowed into a new type of yeast thanks to which raw milk became a different organic compound. The mixture of two different substances and yeasts worked the miracle. However, already a difference from most fermentation processes of cheeses, Casu Marzu has a more “narrow” relationship with the fruit fly. Very active larvae. The larvae come from the Piophila Casei cheese fly. Always in motion, they are able to jump up to 15 centimeters in the air. In fact, it is considered harmful in food industries. The contradiction is given because as an detritivorous, it can be very useful in forensic investigations and, for cheese addicts, they are fundamental for the creation of Casu Marzu. Fermentation process. The cheesers begin the process of the famous delicacy by cutting a small hole in a sheep milk cheese wheel and leaving it outside, maturing. Flies (the Piophila Casei) make their appearance and enter the opening to put their eggs. Once the larvae hatch inside, their excretions decompose the fats and proteins of the cheese, creating a gentle and creamy texture. At this point, when a sticky liquid known as tears is filtered through the peel, the cheese is “at its point” ready to eat. The resulting delicacy is spicy and penetrating flavorsimilar to maturo gorgonzola, with an acid touch that leaves the trail of the larvae. Finally and not least, to know if we are facing the true Casu Marzu we must make a clean cut, if we find a mass of worms that twist, everything is going well. Cream of Casu Marzu Danger: myiasis. If we ignore the larvae, the creamy piece of cheese may seem tempting. In fact, it is for many adventurers. However, we must, approach the piece with some caution. As The Science of Cheese points out“The worms that jump cheese are able to do it a few centimeters, so consumers are recommended to protect the eyes” when the wheel opens. More risks. If by chance we end up engulfing any of these living larvae, there is another danger. According to the University of FloridaThey are often cited as one of the most likely causes of intestinal myiasis. This condition, certainly disgusting, occurs basically when the worms are installed in our digestive system. There, in our intestine, they make “mischief.” “Intestinal myiasis occurs when eggs or fly larvae previously deposited in food are ingested and survived in the gastrointestinal tract,” They explain the centers for disease control and prevention. “Some infested patients have been asymptomatic; others have had abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea.” The most dangerous. For all this, the appellation is not trivial. The marzu casu that contains larva It is enjoyed for thousands of years in Sardinia. Cheese, prohibited in many parts of Europe, can reach really high prices. In Sardinia the kilo can be found for more than 50 euros. The trick to ingest it. By the way, there is a formula in the event that you want to taste a piece of cheese with the greatest assurances. Yes, many people take risks and eat live worms, but alternately, They can be crushed to kill them and then spread the cheese About bread. We can also seal a piece in a plastic bag with closure. When the sound of worms stops, it is time for tasting. And if it doesn’t even convince you, you can always go to the super or to the market and ask for the cheese that you like so much and that does not bring surprises. Image | Sarah Gregg, Shardan In Xataka | France has made its cheeses Brie and Camembert two national symbols. Now face your disappearance In Xataka | The origin of Manchego cheese is partly a mystery. An XI sheep will help us clear unknowns *An earlier version of this article was published in July 2024

ESA prepares for a hypersonic leap. Invictus is his letter to compete with China and the USA on extreme flights

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Just a couple of decades ago, take off from a conventional track and fly five times faster than sound seemed reserved for science fiction. Today, the European Space Agency (ESA) He wants to pave that path with Invictusa Experimental hypersonic platform that could transform the way the old continent accesses space. Invictus is not a missile neither a military plane nor a vertical pitcher. It is an aircraft concept conceived to fly to Mach 5, take off horizontally and return intact to be reused. Its modular structure – you must exchange materials, motors and software – will allow to test very different configurations throughout several campaigns. We are talking about a program funded through instruments such as General support technology program (GSTP) and the Element of Technological Development (Tde) of ESA. The key is to provide Europe with its own technological base on a land dominated by the United States and China. The great enemy is not speed: it is the scoring temperature Reaching Mach 5 does not depend only on engine power. The great obstacle is thermal: friction on the fuselage raises the external temperature to Extreme levels and converts incoming oxygen into a gas that cannot be compressed or used directly. In this sense, Invictus will integrate an engine Early Hydrogen fed, whose thermal exchanger will be able to cool air at more than 1,000 ° C in dozens of milliseconds. “It will provide an invaluable opportunity to test the entire motor flow route, from air intake to the postquemor, at a real scale in an integrated aircraft,” David Perigo, chief engineer of ESA said. Technology does not start from zero. Reaction Engines developed KNOWan atmospheric-aorbital hybrid engine supported in its day by ESA. After the entry in company administration in 2024, part of its team and intellectual property went to Frazer-NASH, which now moves that know-how To Invictus. What were previously laboratory tests will be integrated for the first time into a complete and reusable aircraft, a key step towards European space aircraft. The strategic background is clear: if Invictus demonstrates its viability, Europe could move towards orbital planes capable of carrying out civil and military missions with a difficult rapid and flexibility to match conventional vertical rockets. The Consortium —frazer-NASH in front, together with Spirit Aerosystems and Cranfield University-has 12 months and 7 million euros of initial financing to deliver the complete preliminary design of the vehicle, indispensable step before programming the testing campaigns in flight. The internal calendar points to a first demonstration flight around 2031. While the United States and China compete to dominate hypersonic flight, Europe does not want to stay in the barrier. With Invictus, that spears a clear message: the continent intends to design the future access to space in its own terms. Images | THAT | Frazer-Nash In Xataka | Jeff Bezos’s space company has advanced Spacex in a key milestone to go to the moon and Mars: zero evaporation

An unpleasant fault in the ISS bath forces astronauts to extreme precautions

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Living in space is full of challenges. One of the most earthly is the frequency with which the toilets of the International Space Station are spoiled. A ghost threat. Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi told on social networks that his weekend had been crowded by “a strange damage in the bathroom just before Saturday lunch.” In a somewhat cryptic way, Onishi reported That, after the incident, he had been “living with fear of the ghost threat, an invisible threat” that his followers soon interpreted as an unpleasant olfactory experience. Extreme precautions. Finally, Saturday’s breakdown in one of the toilets of the International Space Station has persisted this week, forcing astronauts to take drastic measures, such as giving up coffee. “The bathroom worked badly before yesterday,” explains Onishi in his X profile. “I had to spend yesterday without even taking a cup of coffee,” he laments. For a “coffee lover”, like He describes himselfthe measure reflects the seriousness with which the crew of expedition 73 are living the breakdown. The nth fault of the WC. On Wednesday, NASA astronaut Nicole Aunapu Mann “did an emergency maintenance in the afternoon, so I could enjoy a quiet morning again,” Onishi account. But the ghost threat persists. The bathrooms of the American segment of the Space Station have been for weeks, if not months, giving war. Without going any further, on July 15, Onishi himself He spent two hours replacing the “toilet pump separator”, a key piece that centrifuges urine and air. A Russian eschatological roulette. In May, the problems were even more evident. After change a defective pump Together with his NASA partner Jonny Kim, Takuya Onishi compared the use of the bathroom with “playing Russian roulette.” On another occasion, the breakdowns light was turned on at dawn. “Not to wake up others, I secretly contacted Houston and took care of the situation,” The Japanese astronaut commented. With humor, he added that the six times that the fault light had lit, he had been present in five. From the mission control they replied: “You are the chosen one.” A complicated engineering. The International Space Station has four toilets: two in the Russian segment (in the Zvezdá and Nauka modules) and two in the US segment (the WHC and The modern UWMSboth in the Tranquility module). These systems are engineering wonders that use air suction instead of water. While Urine is recycled through a processor complex To turn it into drinking water, solid waste is collected in bags inside hermetic containers. The containers are stored and, finally, are discarded in load ships designed to burn in the atmospheresuch as American Cygnus or Russian progress. Why do they fail so much. He New UWMS toilet He has given many problems since his installation, but he is not the only one who fails. In recent years there has been From water leaks In the urine pretreatment system until Simultaneous breakdowns in all toilets. Each failure requires that astronauts, who are also the plumbers of the station, dedicate time and effort to complex repairs in small spaces. Onishi’s story, a veteran astronaut in his second long -term stay, is a reminder that life in orbit mixes scientific experiments in microgravity with much more mundane challenges. For now, thanks to an emergency repair, normality and coffee have returned to the International Space Station. Images | NASA, JAXA In Xataka | In the 90s they experienced with living outside the earth and, indeed, we would all be dead except cockroaches

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