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How Amazon Has Been Filled With Supplements That Sell Imitation Science

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Just over 20 years ago, the stem cell research promised a revolution against disease and aging. These master cells, with the potential to become any tissue in the body, seemed the key to true regenerative medicine, something that It moved away from the complex reality that we have inside our body. Although there are different merchants who try to sell us stem cells as a true wonder. Distorted. Something we are accustomed to (unfortunately) is that where science hits the brakes, the market hits the accelerator. In the infinite Amazon showcase, next to the vitamins and the collagen supplementsa new family of miracle products has emerged: stem cell supplements. Of course, they cannot contain cells in a capsule or in a cream, but that does not promise them to stimulate or regenerate them. Something that for many is the most ideal. This is something that a group from the Health Law Institute of the University of Alberta (Canada) has decided to investigate. has put the magnifying glass on this emerging market. To do this, it analyzed 184 of these products from 133 different companies associated with Amazon.com and has been able to conclude that behind an apparent scientific rhetoric hides a deliberate strategy to avoid regulation and deceive the consumer. The trick. The study published in the journal Stem Cell Reports shows how the sellers of these supplements exploit a legal loophole that allows them to launch ambiguous health messages without the need to demonstrate their effectiveness. The labels carefully avoid terms such as ‘cure’ or ‘prevent’ diseases, something that legislation prohibits. Instead, they use harmless verbs like “support,” “promote,” or “maintain” brain health, energy, or healthy aging. This ambiguity is its main weapon. In the United States and Canada, regulations allow calls structure/function claimswhich are vague claims that link a product to overall well-being without requiring rigorous clinical testing. That loophole is where most of these supplements slip through. The data. They can be summarized in several points: More than 40% of products explicitly mentioned “science” or “scientific evidence” to support the features they promised. 35% included references to health professionals or scientists to reinforce legitimacy. 94% of the supplements made promises related to specific ailments by pointing out that they were anti-aging, strengthened immunity or increased the consumer’s energy. This type of marketing, which the authors call scienceploitation (exploitation of science), “gives the consumer the impression that there is broad scientific support, which contrasts with the current state of stem cell therapies,” the study warns. Regulation. The strategy works because regulation in North America barely requires testing for safety or efficiency before a supplement hits the market. In theory, public bodies can sanction misleading advertising, but their oversight capacity is minimal. In the United States alone, it is estimated that there are more than 100,000 supplements in circulation. In practice, you only have to add a phrase that is “this statement has not been evaluated by the FDA” for pseudoscience to become legal. In Canada, although a license from Health Canada is required, a 2021 audit found that the agency did “little” to prevent poor consumer information from being provided. The case in Spain. Although the study in question focuses on the United States and Canada, its conclusions can be extrapolated. In Spain, any statement about health must be authorized by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) or the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS). However, law enforcement on the internet is often very lax, and on Amazon.es you can find products with language very similar to that reported by researchers. Products on Amazon.es that promise anti-aging effects thanks to the stem cells they contain. The authors of the work, led by Alessandro R. Marcon and Timothy Caulfield, warn that this situation not only harms consumers’ pockets, but also erodes trust in science and real research on stem cells. Selling products without a scientific basis under the umbrella of biotechnology is, they conclude, a form of marketing that exploits the prestige gained by science to sell smoke. Images | Doodlart mmmCCC In Xataka | Amazon lost 25 billion with Echo because no one bought with it: now it punishes you with constant advertising for having bought it

We have filled Europe with traps to combat the terrible Asian wasp. It was a bad idea

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That non-endemic species reach new territories It’s a colossal problem. It is estimated that more than half of contemporary extinctions They are the fault of invaders and there are examples of kicks (reaching the Arctic due to climate change). He coypu or the blue crab They are two of those invasive animals, but if we share something in Europe it is the “fear” of Asian wasps: a ‘bug’ that we have been fighting for 20 years and against which we are losing miserably. And the big problem is that we are killing flies with cannon shots. vespa velutina. About three centimeters long, this wasp came to Europe at the beginning of the century. Supposedly, he did so aboard a cargo ship from China, landing on the French coast and, since then, colonizing other territories. In 2010 the species spread to Spain, entering from the Basque Country, colonizing the Cantabrian coast and arriving in Galiciabut it has also expanded to Portugal, Germany and even the United Kingdom. It is already well established and, although it is true that it is not more aggressive than “our” wasp, when it gets angry and stings it can cause serious allergic reactions, causing occasional deaths. The worst thing is that it continues to expand at a rate of about 80 kilometers of territory gained each year. Invaders. It’s no longer that they can bother us, but rather that, as an invasive species, they do what they do best: destroy the native ones. And not with other wasps, but with bees. The Asian wasp is a predator of other insects, but has a predilection for honey bees. It attacks their hives indiscriminately, causing enormous damage to beekeeping. At a time when awareness about importance of bees in naturebeyond for him human consumption of honeythere are those who take matters into their own hands and have started setting traps. It moves fast Flies with cannon shots. There are several types. On the one hand, the most homemade: the typical upside-down bottle that we fill with mixtures attractive to wasps (juices, wines, fruits and sugar), creating a sticky paste in which the wasp becomes trapped. There are others that are more sophisticated and selective, with large holes for wasps to enter, but with release mechanisms for smaller animals and pheromones that attract insects. The problem is that they are remedies that can do more harm than anything else because, although commercial traps have release mechanisms for accidentally captured insects, you have to be careful and, basically, it is killing flies with cannon fire. Those who do not have to fall fall. And the main criticism is precisely that: the traps do not discriminate and damage is created to biodiversity because many insects that are not the Asian wasp are killed. Among them are moths, beetles, flies, bees and an ally that fights against the Asian invader: the European hornet. In a recent investigation published Pest Management Science has analyzed how in Galician vineyards, traps against Vespa velutina have turned out to be ineffective in controlling the damage that the insect does to grapes, but although Asian wasps are trapped, other species that have an important role in pollination are also captured. Solutions? The request of the researchers is that the Galician administration, promoter of this massive trapping, takes a step back because what is produced is a false idea of ​​effectiveness due to general captures, but without implying that the objective, which is to stop the Asian wasp, is met. What do they propose? That this elimination technique be reconsidered and look at the scientific evidence, since “environmental problems are complex and can rarely be solved with quick and easy solutions.” It is not a solution as such to the damage that these invasive wasps can cause, but it is to put an end to the indiscriminate killing of other insects that do a job in our ecosystem. What is evident is that, as we mentioned a few paragraphs ago, for a kind of outsider to arrive and establish itself so quickly in a territory is something devastating. And the Asian wasp is a perfect example. Images | Clame Reporter, Didier Descouens In Xataka | After centuries of disappearance, there are people releasing beavers into the Tagus and other rivers in Spain. The problem is that we don’t know who

In a town of 2,000 inhabitants on the edge of Ourense something strange happens every summer: it is filled with millionaires

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Neither Puerto Banusnor the resorts Caribbean, nor the coast of Malta, nor the exclusive Palm Islands from Dubai. When the Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helú It’s your turn to plan your summer vacation, one of the destinations that is always on your calendar is Planea hidden town in rural Ourense. And he’s not the only one. In the summer, magnates such as Amancio Ortega or Olegario Vázquez Grañasenior managers of El Corte Inglés and Abanca or even the cardinal of Mexico City, Norberto Riverawho came to considered papal. On its streets it is also not unusual to find a Rolls-Royce or Bentley. And all in a municipality that does not reach 2,000 neighbors. Welcome to Avion Seen on the map, Avión does not attract particular attention. The town is located in the Ribeiro regionbetween the Faro and Suído mountains, in the province of Ourense. In summer it is common for maximum temperatures go over 35º and to enjoy the beaches of the Rías Baixas you need to get in the car, take the highway and travel a good handful of kilometers. Its statistical data does not stand out on the Galician map either. The demographic winter has not passed Avión by, which over the years has seen how his census was deflating until you stay in less than 1,800 inhabitants. The percentage of population under 20 years of age in the municipality is only 5.66% and its aging rate far exceeds that of the rest of the region. As far as economy is concerned, Macro data recorded In 2021, an average gross income of 16,410 euros, below the capital of the province, which was close to 26,800. And yet, for years it has not been strange to find great magnates spending the summer in Avión. And no, the term “great magnates” is not a figure of speech nor is it an exaggeration. newspapers like Vigo Lighthouse either The Voice of Galicia They usually cover in detail how the Augusts go by in the town of Ourense, so we manage a fairly long and detailed list of businessmen, senior managers and authorities who have been seen in its streets and bars. Of all, perhaps the most striking is Carlos Slima Mexican billionaire with Lebanese roots who sneaks in often in the TOP 10 of the wealthiest people in the world. Forbes estimates that together with his family he has a fortune of about 85.7 billion of dollars. He is not the only fan of Avión, a regular destination for Vazquez Grañaone of the richest men in Mexico. Through its streets has also been seen to the founder of Inditex, Amancio Ortegaclosely linked to Galicia and which also stands out as one of the fortunes more overwhelming of the planet. Are they the only ones? No. The Galician press leaves a good list of personalities who at some point have paraded through the streets of the town of Ourense. The list is long. And curious. Vigo Lighthouse explains how in August 2014, coinciding with the celebration of the local festival (San Roque) and the anniversary of Olegario Graña’s wife, one could see in Avión a Miguel Rinconknown as “the king of paper” in Mexico by the Bio Pappel firm; the captain Alberto Abedfrom FlyMex; Isidoro Alvarezformer president of El Corte Inglés; or the cardinal Norberto Riveraa powerful prelate who entered the pools to Pope in 2005. Carlos Slim, orange tie, in the center. (Commons) The most curious thing about Slim or Vázquez Graña’s summer vacations in Avión is that the tycoons do not seclude themselves in mansions to enjoy the isolation and move discreetly from their heliports. Not at all. They use their Rolls-Royce and BentleyTrue, but they are also seen in the town’s bars to sit at the table to eat seafood or play a game of dominoes. And no, again that’s not a figure of speech. In August 2013 could be seen Carlos Slim, Vázquez Raña, Rincón and the notary Daniel Goñi playing with the black and white chips on the rubber of the Moncho bar. The print was repeated a year later and in 2017 The Country I recaptured a similar quote at the O Luar bar. Of course, there is no lack either food and music. The town even celebrates a mexican partywith mariachis included. But… Why Plane? That’s the big question. Slim lands with his private jet at the Peinador airport, in Vigo, and travels to the small town of Ourense. Why there and not to some paradisiacal destination or some secluded beach in his native Mexico or Lebanon, from where were originally your parents? The key is in the history of Avión, to be more precise in its very strong ties with emigration: during the 20th century, not a few of its neighbors were forced to pack their bags, get on a transatlantic liner and cross the ocean to find a life in Latin America. Some did well, quite well. And they or now their descendants they keep the link with the town. The case more paradigmatic and that largely explains Carlos Slim’s time at Avión is that of Vázquez Raña. “Our parents left here when I was little. As in many towns in Galicia, there was no future. The mosquitoes ate us. And on the unpaved roads our feet sank in animal excrement,” relates to Vigo Lighthouse Ricardo Hermida, a hotelier who emigrated to Mexico. In Avión they not only reconnect with their roots. There, despite the increasingly frequent coming and going of television cameras, reporters and photographers in search of the best snapshot, they enjoy a tranquility and naturalness that is difficult to achieve in other destinations. “In Mexico I move around in an armored car with six bodyguards; in Avión I am free, otherwise I wouldn’t come here,” admits Vázquez Graña. The expression “the Airplane method” is not ours, but Alberto Dacasaa Mexican businessman with Galician roots and a regular summer resident in the town of Ourense. Last year he released a … Read more

Europe has filled with Stellantis cars that are not sold. And Madrid and Zaragoza will pay the consequences

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Zaragoza and Madrid will suffer a temporary stop in vehicle production. This has been confirmed to us from Stellantis, who we have asked about the rumored machine stop in six European floors. With a stock that is not giving out, the company does not want to return to past times. Temporary. That is the makeup: a temporary stop. Although we have asked in Stellantis about stops distributed throughout Europethe company has only confirmed in our case those related to Madrid and Zaragoza. Nor have we been offered data on when and how long these stops will take place. If it is confirmed that the company for the Poissy factory, which produces the DS 3 and Opel Mokka, from October 13 to 31, 2025, according to the French media Echos. In Bloomberg They expand the stop to the Italian Pomigliano factory where the Alpha Romeo Tonale and the Fiat Panda are manufactured. There are already four confirmed plants but in the French media it was ensured that the strikes could affect up to six European factories. Spain. What is manufactured in our country? In Madrid, Stellantis produces the Citroën C4y C4 X, as well as its completely electric variants. For its part, in Zaragoza produces the small electric electric. That is, Los Lancia Ypsilon, Opel Corsa Ey Peugeot E-208. In addition, it had recently confirmed that the B10 Leapmotor would arrive in Spain and, everything indicates, should land in Zaragoza. The one that will not stop is the Vigo plant. There Stellantis produces the commercial vehicles of Peugeot and Citroën, as well as the 2008 Peugeot and its completely electric version that takes advantage of the lines of the electric vans. The stock. Stellantis’s intention is to reduce the stock of his stores. The company has long dealt with its stores at a healthy level. In fact, during The last call with shareholders Following the middle of the year results, the message was sent that the company had maintained a “strong discipline in inventories after the corrective actions of 2024” and that it is “maintaining that discipline throughout 2025”. These messages are not causal. The company has been dealing with an enormous overstock, especially in the United States. So much so that in that market some of their concessionaires came to accumulate so many fiat 500 electric that ended give them away to take them off. The company does not want to be in a similar situation but some of its products are becoming outdated and are increasingly complicated to sell. That is why the production of cars such as the Alfa Romeo Tonale or the DS3, which do not reap good results. A serious problem. In your latest results reportStellantis confirmed that the network has more than 1.2 million cars without selling. Of these, 300,000 are possession of the group but there are more than 900,000 cars distributed by independent dealers to those who have not given exit. In Europe, in addition, this inventory has grown by 7% compared to 2024 because products to the available cars portfolio have been added. Among the data maremagnum, he emphasizes that Stellantis has produced fewer cars but his margin has also collapsed. If we talk about Europe, the company had already reduced its production in about 100,000 units but its benefit for the sale of these cars has collapsed at 2,000 million euros, because of discounts to sell vehicles in stock, low sales and the obligation to repurry units set on the market. Sales. In that last fact, sales were made. At the end of August, According to AceaStellantis has reduced its sales by 8.9%. And what is worse, the rivals eat ground because their market share has gone from 17,%to 15.9%. The reorganization in the portfolio of its range leaves us dramatic falls in what we have been. For example, Opel, its third best selling brand, falls 11.8%. Fiat, its fourth best brand, falls 19%. Lancia, which only has the electric ypsilon, falls by 72.8%. And the electric? When it was confirmed that Zaragoza was going to continue receiving electric cars, Like the Leapmotorwe already explain that the news can be seen from two perspectives that seem contradictory. The optimistic is that Zaragoza will manufacture the electric cars of Stellantis, which should guarantee the future of the long -term factory, especially if we take into account that, together with CATL, the company will raise a battery production plant To nurture your lines. This should be the confirmation that the bet is very serious. The pessimistic is that although the small electric car Sales should increase (especially if manufacturers want to meet the maximum limits set and flee) They will have to put these cars on the market. But, for now, they continue to demand certain complications from their owners and, therefore, they are being more complicated to sell even if they lower their prices. And a financial situation … difficult. To all of the above we must add what we have already counted a few weeks ago. Stellantis is going through a complicated moment in some decisions made by Carlos Tavares in the past. His commitment to the multienergy platform has forced the company to make great efforts to develop the Stla Medium and Small. Those economic results are still green. But, in addition, they have gotten into investments such as hydrogen and two electricity cars that They have been canceled. In total, 3.3 billion euros in the trash. Photo | Stellantis In Xataka | Before developing a pile of hydrogen or competing with Chinese electric, Stellantis has chosen a third way: surrender

Mercedes has filled its screens cars. Now your software boss says that the lifelong buttons are better

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Automobiles are immersed in two revolutions. One seems to have a clear destination: the adoption of batteries for support decarbonization. The other is that of the buttons, and it is somewhat more diffuse. If a few years ago the main companies They launched into the arms of the screens Already the condemnation of the physical buttons, now there is a shy back. And, precisely, one of the cars that is returning to the buttons is the New Mercedes GLC. Yes, the one with a 39.1 -inch side screen. Mbux Hyperscreen. Presented during the Munich Auto Hall a few weeks ago, the new Mercedes GLC is a most curious electric. On the outside, it reminds us of more classic cars of the brand, but inside it is an absolute fantasy. It does not reach the end of Intel prototypes with screens everywherean idea that became ‘obscene’, but in the dashboard we have a huge screen of almost 40 inches from side to side. It’s about your Hyperscreena subway and a half screen that simulates three screens and that has the controls of the entire infotainment system, car information and, after the steering wheel, the digital velocimeter area and important details for driving. Reverse. When Mercedes designed it, he relegated absolutely all car controls to digital buttons on that touch screen. However, the industry is in a moment of change and there are brands that are rethinking those movements. Although shy, Mercedes has joined this with the aforementioned GLC, but also with the Cla Shooting Brake (Another electric). The German brand has redesigned the steering wheel to include elements that should not have disappeared from it as knobs, rollers and buttons to control important sections of the car and do not have to divert the view of the road to look at a screen. The British environment Coach He has been able to talk to Magnus Östberg, head of software in Mercedes (so he must be one of the most interested in integrating everything into the user interface of the screens), who has recognized that, perhaps, they went from futurists. The new steering wheel with buttons The buttons are better. In the interview, Östberg pointed out that wearing the buttons back to the wheel is “the easiest and most profitable way to add physical controls to cars” while maintaining cabins in which there is great importance to digital. To the surprise of few drivers, “having that balance between physical and tactile buttons is extremely important for us. We rely on the data and what is most used, and the data show us that the physical buttons are better. That is why we have put them again,” he says in a forceful way. The software chief commented that this will mark the Mercedes roadmap from now on and that, probably include more buttons. Now, it will not be in all models. Östberg points out that, while the flyers with buttons will mark the new path of the brand, those cars that will include more additional buttons, surely will be the SUV. “In the largest cars we have more freedom of space and, in addition, the buyers of these ranges care more about the buttons,” he says. This may depend on the market, since the manager suggested that there could be different flyers depending on the region. He pointed out that while Europeans want buttons, Asians prefer screens and voice controls. Climatizer controls will continue on screen Also in the industry. The truth is that Östberg’s statements do not catch us by surprise if we take into account what other companies are doing. One of those who made a big difference between the classic and new ‘cabins’ with screens everywhere is Volkswagen and, precisely, in the Munich Automobile Hall presented Your new design language for interiors of their cars: more buttons and, in addition, real buttons (Nothing of its controversial capacitive buttons). But it is not just that companies are realizing that the buttons are useful for security reasons: Euro NCAP announced a few months ago that cars will only get five stars (a very important marketing point for the user) If the basic functions continue to control with physical controls. Mazda and his “Submit me the cup”. But, while some of the companies that most bet on the buttons are collecting cable, even timidly, there are others that move in an opposite direction. I mean Mazda, the Japanese company that became resistance When betting on small screens and many buttons and that, with its last models, has given the flying to embrace the touch screens. He Mazda 6e It was a warning, but consolidation came with the Mazda CX-5 2025a car that relegated important controls to the large central touch screen. And, like Östberg, from Mazda United States, they said that drivers want … screens. But well, despite the words of the Mercedes manager, the screens will not disappear. In fact, in Autocar, the design chief of the German firm, Gordon Wagener, said that the interior of the GLC is a luxury and that they look at Apple so that the software is the differentiating point With competition. The point now is to find that average term in which the buttons and the screens of a meter and a half manage to live together. Images | Mercedes-Benz In Xataka | Volkswagen adds to an increasingly common trend: to pay a subscription so that your car runs more

Emptied Spain has been filled with solar mills and panels, but waste energy for a simple reason: there are no cables

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At noon, the sun and the wind are left over in the emptied regions. At dusk, the cities turn on the gas. Spain has run more than anyone raising renewables in the unpopulated territory, but the cables that take them to the demand are not tended at the same speed. The result is a broken bridge: clean energy is born in emptied Spain and does not arrive, when it is necessary, urban Spain. Today, for the first time, the distributors have published the “Map of Plug” for new demand: the photo is stark. The expected map. By mandate of the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC), the great distributors —I-de (Iberdrola), e-Distribution (Endesa), UFD (Naturgy), E-Redes (EDP) and Repsol Distribution— They have published the capacity maps To connect new firm demand to the distribution network. It is an radiography where they show, knot to knot, where there is a hole, what is busy and what is in process. According to the employer Aelēcthe first results confirm that 83.4% of knots are already saturated, which prevents connecting new consumptions such as industries, data centers, storage or electric vehicle recharge. The association itself defines it as “transparency milestone”, but warns that, under these conditions, without investment, the transition is raised. The great territorial neck. Here is the core of the problem. Spain has installed renewables where there is resource and soil: rural regions with low density and little network. However, demand grows in cities: metropolitan areas, logistics corridors, data clusters. In the middle there is an electrical system that does not endure that mismatch, since transport corridors are missing to evacuate surpluses and, above all, distribution capacity to connect the new demand where it is requested. The result is that at noon there are many cheap MWh that are cut or sold at zero price; When the sun falls, the network needs support and the gas enters, Based on pool. The double face of emptied Spain. If the anticipatory network is not remunerated and planned, there will be no industries, CPDs, or recharge of electric vehicles, or hydrogen or storage projects that create employment and set population. But if investigated without criteria, the cost will fall on rates without effective use. The key is agile planning, clear priorities and mechanisms that accelerate reinforcements where demand is plausible: poles such as Aragon, but also Extremadura, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha or inner Andalusia, where hot knots and curtailment-up to 30% renewable wasted by saturation– They are already common. The demand boom. There is a very illustrative fact: The increase in data centers. Applications to get an access point have multiplied by 80 compared to previous years, According to the Spanish. Among them are technological, great consumers and promoters of hybrids that seek to consume in situ. Aragon has become an epicenter. Only the projected data centers would add more than 2 GW of requested power, with Amazon Web Services, Microsoft or QTS/Blackstone at the head. In this new scenario, the race for a “plug” is no longer limited to first: weigh guarantees, guarantees and project criteria. “Historic traffic jam.” The “complete maps” – without significant hollows – stress even more the pulse with the CNMC. The fear of the sector is double: losing industrial and digital projects (including CPDs) for not being able to connect them and see investment relocation if the jam persists. The electricity story connects that urgency with the regulated remuneration: they argue that with a rate of 6.46% the volume of reinforcements required by the demand wave required, and remember that in other countries (Italy, United Kingdom, Sweden) the reference rates are higher; In Spain, they ask around 7.5%. For its part, the CNMC two proposals presented in July: a financial compensation rate of 6.46% by 2026-2031 (from current 5.58%) and a new distribution methodology that turns towards the Totex model (CAPEX + OPEX). This system includes incentives for efficiency and quality, and league part of the remuneration to the contracted power, to avoid overrredes that end up paying consumers. The regulator insists that the framework must encourage investment without compromising the affordability of the invoice. The forecasts. Access to the distribution network no longer depends only on the order of arrival. The processing requires guarantees, technical draft and guarantees, and a period of one month to present the documentation after reserving a point. The resolutions should be issued in less than six months, with technical support for Red Electric. In addition, scores that value CO₂, investment volume and speed at the beginning of consumption are applied. In parallel, solutions such as battery PPAS arise, which allow to finance storage and take advantage of the cheap electricity at noon at the afternoon, avoiding the resource to gas. But without broader investment limits, as Aelēc claimsthe bridge between rural Spain and urban Spain will remain broken. The PNIEC foresees more than 53,000 million in networks until 2030, although the CNMC defends to maintain the rate at 6.46% for efficiency and affordability, while the sector asks for greater certainty and return. The political context adds pressure: after the rejection of the “Decree antiaps” In July, the dilemma is sharpened. The end point. Spain does not have a sun or wind problem; It has a bridge problem between where it occurs and where it is consumed. Capacity maps have made what the industry had been suffering: the distribution network is at the limit. Without a jump in investment and planning, the transition will be stuck where there are less labor and more territory. If the network does not reach empty Spain, clean energy will not reach rich Spain. The choice is not whether to invest or not, but how, where and with what rules so that the cost does not pay it neither the countryside nor the city, but the economic future of both. Image | Freepik Xataka | The renewable boom clashes with the invisible wall: Spain has more green energy than ever but the system does not endure … Read more

The future is filled with AI work stations so you can have your chatgpt at home

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Acer He has just presented Its Veriton GN100, a small workstation with a single purpose: allow you to train and run local models and without depending on the cloud. The proposal is not entirely new, but points to a future in which the PC mutates to give us that promising ability to have a kind of chatgpt in local. A hardware that sounds like. This team has a GB10 Nvidia chip with Grace Blackwell architecture, and is accompanied by 128 GB of GDDR5 memory and 4 TB of storage. It is practically the same configuration of the workstation NVIDIA DGX Sparkwhich was announced in March but still without being on sale. In that case, the storage was 1 TB, which makes we can have less downloaded models. An upward trend. The new Acer Veriton GN100 is a small step that can confirm an interesting trend: that of being able to enjoy small work stations that are specifically designed so that we can install and even train AI models locally. Flag privacy. That is important above all in privacy: our conversations and use of these models will remain totally private, and there are no data that can end up staying on OpenAi, Google or Anthropic servers, for example. Thus, we can use financial, medical or confidential data without fear to consult with the AI ​​models, because that information does not come out of our team. And potential savings. Not only that: to be able to execute a local AI model allows you to avoid expenses in the use of cloud models, whether we subscribe to plans such as those proposed for example Chatgpt plus As if we use the API and pay for use. With the local model the consultations come out “free” or almost: all we pay is the equipment and its energy consumption. But. The models that we can run at home are open models as call, Deepseek R1, Qwen or The new OpenAi GPT-Oss. With them it is possible to have notable benefits, but it is very difficult to match the quality of the models as GPT-5Gemini or Claude 4 Opus Because these are gigantic models that are executed in data centers with thousands of GPUS. Competing in that sense is practically impossible, but for certain scenarios we simply do not need it, and these Open Source models can be a fantastic alternative. Acer Veriton GN100 Graphic memory to power. The larger the models of the best usually behave, but there is a problem: to be able to use them we need a lot of graphic memory and the current PCs do not stand out in that section. The most powerful graphics for consumers, The GeForce RTX 5090It has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory, which is fantastic in bandwidth but limits the size of the models to be executed. Apple has a winning hand. Fortunately we have alternatives and especially the future points to relevant changes in this area. On the one hand we have the Mac Studio with up to 512 GB of unified memory – and also, with an excellent bandwidth – in which it is possible to execute large models Open Source without problems. System Memory bandwidth (GB/s) NVIDIA GEFORCE RTX 5090 (GDDR7) 1,792 Mac Studio M3 Ultra (Unified Memory) 819 NVIDIA DGX SPARK (Unified LPDDR5X) 273 Framework Desktop (LPDDR5X memory) 256 But the PCs also begin to aim high. On the other, Teams such as Framework Desktop that have a similar memory system and that include 128 GB of GDDR5 memory also enable that possibility. Nvidia and Acer’s work stations use a very similar scheme and also integrate 128 GB of GDDR5 memory with a decent bandwidth – but not spectacular – for AI applications This promises. We are thus given the potential takeoff of a trend in the PCS market. Until now the manufacturers had specialized in gaming equipment, but the rise of artificial intelligence allows to glimpse a future in which we have “PCs for AI” that have huge amounts of graphic memory and that are perfect for this area. In Xataka | The B300 GPU is the new Nvidia beast for Ia. And we already know what prepares for 2026 and 2027

Eclipse fever has filled Soria and Teruel one year after producing

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It is Wednesday, August 12, 2026. Shortly after half past eight in the afternoon, the sunset light becomes strange, as a metal, the air suddenly cools and the birds are silent. From a hill of Burgos or a rock of Soria, thousands of people observe how the moon has completely covered the sun. Exactly one year is left to total solar eclipse that will obscure Spain for the first time in more than a century. World capital of astronomical tourism. The Eclipse of 2026 will mark the opening act of an unrepeatable cosmic carambola in several generations: the “Iberian trio”, a sequence of three solar eclipses (two totals and one annular) that They will cross the country in 2026, 2027 and 2028turning Spain, for three consecutive years, in the world capital of astronomy. The countdown for the first eclipse, which will bless the north of the country, has begun, and what is at stake goes beyond two minutes of shade. Emptied Spain, where hotels and light pollution is scarce equallyprepares to fill itself as never before. In Airbnb alone, searches have increased by 830%. “Especially in rural destinations such as Teruel and Ariza (in Aragon), Guadalajara (in Castilla-La Mancha), Reus (in Catalonia), sample of Los Olmos (in the Valencian Community) or Valldessa (in the Balearic Islands),” an Airbnb spokeswoman told Xataka. Eclipses hunters have already reserved. In Calatañazor, a small medieval Soriana villa that looks from the heights La Vega del Río Milanos, are “up to the eclipse”. The Casa del Cura told Xataka that the entire inn has been reserved for months by American and French clients. “They get to everything first.” Similar responses are repeated in much of the province, where the phase of the entire eclipse will last 1 minute and 42 seconds. “The first reservations are received last summer, two years in advance,” the Rural Hotel Pinares de Soria, in Molinos de Duero, told Xataka. Eclipses hunters choose Spain because alternatives are not so encouraging in clouds (Siberia, Greenland and Iceland). And the most early stay with the peoples of the Iberian for their low light pollution. Few rooms, triggered prices. With much less beds than coastal municipalities, the occupation in the villages of emptied Spain has shot, but also prices. Although it does not allow to reserve so in advance, the Castilla thermal Hotel in the Burgo de Osma has already been able to estimate its rates: the night in a double room for eclipse day will be around 500 euros, twice its current price. “The Solar Eclipse of 2026 is a unique opportunity that places the Spanish rural communities in the center of the world map,” summarizes Jaime Rodríguez de Santiago, director of Airbnb in Spain. Meanwhile, in hotel Spain. While Airbnb has enormous penetration in the rental of rural houses and apartments in small villages, Booking.com still has its main strength in the hotel offer, concentrated mostly in cities. Unlike Airbnb, Booking has seen more growth in provincial capitals than in rural areas. Especially in Santiago de Compostela (+85%), A Coruña (+67%), Bilbao (+45%) and Zaragoza (+39%), according to the statements sent to Xataka by the platform. Luxury eclipse. The entire eclipse band will enter the Peninsula along the Asturian coast and will leave by Castellón, passing, minutes before sunset, on the island of Mallorca. These coastal areas have emerged as “Premium” options to enjoy the astronomical phenomenon. Despite the Counterreloj career with sunsetMallorca has become the luxury option with 6,000 -euro tourist packages of 6,000 euros per person and suites at 1,700 euros the night that are already reserved. Hotels on the coast of La Tramuntana, such as the Port de Sóller, They have already sold 65% of the accommodation For those dates. Everyone wants their piece of cake. And public machinery is already underway. Asturias will enjoy the maximum duration of the eclipse in national territory (1 minute and 48 seconds in Oviedo). The Principality has announced the elaboration of a map of insurance points to avoid agglomerations, ocular health campaigns and an international conference with NASA experts to position the region as a reference in the space industry. Under the motto “Burgos Te Eclipsa”, the Diputación de Burgos has also presented today A 12 -month program of activities and a website. The web recommends six strategic observation zones in different regions (Merindades, Bureba, Demand, Arlanza and Ribera del Duero), remembering that King Alfonso XIII has already chosen the province to see the total eclipse of 1905. A stress test. Despite the good economic prospects, the eclipse of August 12, 2026 will not be a stress test for the country, especially in areas that are not prepared for the influx of so many tourists. The Government has created an interministerial commission To face possible challenges, such as road traffic and infrastructure overload such as water, light or mobile connection in rural areas. Not only the Sorian hoteliers of villages of 40 inhabitants are overwhelmed with so much called by the eclipse. The countdown for a historical eclipse has begun in much of the country. Image | Henar boats (Unspash) In Xataka | A third of Spain will be completely dark for one or two minutes. The astronomical event of the century is approaching

Mercadona has been filled with gels and shampoos that mimic luxury products: the silent revolution of supermarkets

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A light texture cream and minimalist container that could go through a Sephora launch, a Bombonera type bag that Remember Loewe or Jacquemusand a colony whose aroma evokes Carolina Herrera or Issey Miyake perfumes. All this coexists, at reduced prices, in the same place where fried and softening potatoes are sold: the supermarket. Between clonations or inspirations – not to open the legal melon – you can find global cosmetics and perfumery trends, including Korean skincareas well as viral accessories in a daily and massive context. A phenomenon that arouses passions on social networks and that, in Spain, has Mercadona as one of its main protagonists. Imitation as a strategy. According to Business InsiderMercadona, through its own Deliplus brand, accurately mimics makeup products and personal care of firms such as Mac, Benefit, L’Oréal or Urban Decay, with containers and textures that remind the original but at prices that rarely exceed six euros. Among the best known examples are the Maxi Volume mask (inspired by L’Oréal), the silicone base similar to Benefit or Illuminator and Coloretes that refer directly to The Balm and Nars. The formula works thanks to the massive distribution and indirect marketing that generate users and influencers by viralizing findings such as bath gel with amber and vetiver for 1.50 euros, described by the confidential as “a gel that smells of gods” and compared to high -end perfumes. In Xataka A feeling is growing in Europe and Canada: Boicote "National" The hole that leaves inaccessible luxury. This “corridor luxury” blooms at a time when traditional luxury has become more expensive until its clientele concentrated in the richest 1%. According to the avant -gardethe average price of luxury products has risen 25% since 2019, displacing the aspirational consumer that previously saved to buy a perfume or accessory. Today, more than 40% of the sales of many brands come from that 1% of greater purchasing power. The consequence of all this is a market hole that fill legal imitations, inspired products and, in the illegal field, falsifications. According to the countrydigital copies trade has exploded with apps and channels in Telegram, where young people buy and exhibit replicas without complexes. 54% of the B buyers see with good eyes that others carry falsifications, and 37% admit that it carries or carry them. In this panorama, legal clones such as those of Mercadona are positioned as an “safe” alternative, although they are part of the same conversation about value, authenticity and saturation. The origin of luxury by hand. The mixture of luxury references and daily consumption is not new, but in the last decade it has been normalized and even turned into a statement of style. The figure of the “luxury choni” – who combines gold logos with basic garments and low cost makeup – has permeated in artists such as Bad Gyal, capable of dressing in Versace and Use Mercadona Profiler. Also Rosalia, in its beginnings, sang in Aute Cuture: “In the Palace and in the Chinese”, encapsulating the coexistence of two consumption universes in the same aesthetic identity. This symbolic cross has found fertile ground in cosmetics, where the price does not always determine social recognition. An effective clone can grant the same symbolic capital as a luxury product, especially when social networks amplify the finding. The era of “dupe”. In networks like Tiktok, the term Dupe It has become a generational flag. Vogue Business has documented How gene generation has stopped hiding that uses imitations: finding and showing them is a source of pride. Brands such as Mcobeauty in Australia have grown thanks to this movement, while firms like Charlotte Tilbury have launched campaigns to claim their “original formula” and differentiate themselves from copies. In other markets, the line between inspiration and copy has been tested in court. According to Vogue BusinessBenefit’s demand against Elf Cosmetics for a mask similar to his Roller Lash failed: justice considered that packaging and components differ enough not to confuse the consumer. On the other hand, Mercadona does not fight on that forehead: its strategy is to identify and produce quickly, benefiting that in Spain, as in many markets, copying formulas or aesthetics without violating patents is perfectly legal. Beyond beauty: edible luxury. This phenomenon is not limited to cosmetics. According to Delishgeneration Z is moving aspirational consumption to food. In the United States, chains like Erewhon sell $ 20 with superfood and collaborations of Celebritieswhich are both a well -being product and a content for social networks. Logic is similar: to make daily consumption (makeup, breakfast, hydrate) into an act of visible and replicable status. Luxury is no longer alone in marble boutiques: it is in the glass Take Awayin the design bottle of design and, in Spain, in the supermarket perfume line. The debate: democratize or dilute. He Dupe It can be understood as democratization: put aesthetic and sensory codes available to a few people. But it can also dilute the value of the original and its promise of exclusivity. Marc Chaya, CEO of Maison Francis Kurkdjian, warned in Vogue Business: “Duping is a serious matter … some serve to remind brands that cannot abuse the price, but others flood the market without providing utility or purpose.” For the consumer, the dilemma is different: pay for history and prestige or for the effect and similarity. For brands, the question is how to maintain relevance when desire is satisfied with cheaper alternatives. {“videoid”: “x85k87i”, “autoplay”: fals, “title”: “Black Friday: how to know if an online store is reliable ️ Buy with internet security”, “Tag”: “”, “Duration”: “562”} Cart as a global showcase. It is not about replacing the traditional luxury experience, but about appropriating its symbols in times of inflation, precariousness and digitalized consumption. The “hall luxury” is a symptom of an era where the barriers between high range and mass consumption are increasingly diffuse. And there, in that hall where glamor coexists with the softener, a new chapter is being written in the history of consumption: one where a … Read more

Today’s cars are more expensive because they have filled with technology. And that has another added cost: go to the workshop

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Too much electronics. It was one of the usual criticism when electronics began to take the controls of cars mechanics and it became difficult to know what was failing without a diagnostic machine. Since then, the weight of electronics has not stopped growing but in the last five years its weight is so great that facing a breakdown compromises any pocket. And there is data. 60%. That is what has grown up for repairing a vehicle in the last five years, according to A study by Valuepenguin.comspecialized in personal finance, collected by Automotive News. The data is problematic because this is united an extra cost in the price of insurance and, therefore, a general increase in the maintenance of the vehicle. The data refers to the US market where they indicate that the average cost of having a new vehicle was $ 12,297 per year in 2024, experiencing a increase in $ 115 compared to 2023. Here you take into account the price of paid monthly payment, insurance, fuel … Less accidents but more expensive. The study ensures that the evolution of the systems have helped to report 25% less notices to insurance but, also, an increase in them because repairing the technology of a new car is extremely expensive and complex. Thus, the average cost of insurance in the United States is $ 2.101 a year. In Motorpasion They collect that these repairs are extremely expensive when we go to the most advanced security and driving help systems. Repair or replace the digital mirrors of a Audi e-tron It costs between 800 and 1,500 euros. Parking sensors (exposed if you park on the street) may have a cost of between 275 and 900 euros if they have to replace them, according to 20 minutes. And the prices of the rear view camera are around and exceed 1,000 euros. Too complex systems. The biggest problem facing who has had an accident with a new car is that the number of establishments where you can repair your car are scarce. They point out in Automotive News that manufacturers force the workshops to start an extremely exhaustive protocol to calibrate the systems. And it has logic because “a misaligned sensor in a single grade can divert its operation between 1.68 and 91 meters,” according to Hami Ebrahimi, commercial headquarters commercial for Calliber Collisionspecialists in the repair of safety systems for the vehicle. They ensure in the middle that adapting the facilities to be able to carry out these repairs can have a cost of between 600,000 and 1 million dollars per workshop. That are also not used. The paradox is that it is not entirely clear to what extent these systems are being used. According to JD Powerthe reports of unhappy customers because they do not fully understand how to activate driving aid functions or have problems with them have shot themselves in recent years. This leads customers to omit their use. Cars have been filled with a very expensive technology, Little used And that, in addition, it is extremely expensive to repair. And it is important to do these repairs because, as they point out in Automotive Newsthe interconnection of systems means that if, for example, we do not repair the sensors of a bumper we will be disabled by emergency braking functions, an aid that is only visible when you need it most. And that are mandatory. At least in Europe, where institutions force our New cars arrive as standard With the following security assistants: Reverse camera with cross traffic alert Emergency braking Lane output alert Smart Speed ​​Assistant Fatigue and drowsiness detector Black box Belt alert in the rear seats Systems to install an breathalyzer Increasingly complicated. All this results in maintaining a car is increasingly complicated. First because these systems have helped a Increase the vehicle of departure but also to a rise in insurance that In Spain they are marking records In 2025. To this we must add the fuel price increase. Issues that especially affect the low range and the prices of second -hand cars. The first because the floor of the price of the car has risen with systems that, According to brands like Daciathe client turns off just get on them. The second because the increase in the new car Raise the used price And, in addition, it makes it difficult to The client passes through any workshop to solve the possible problems that arise over the years. Photo | Maxim Hopman In Xataka | The purchase of a new car is now very expensive. And the industry knows that it can’t hold it

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