forced

Intel has gone from mastering the world to being a forced partner of the United States. They are bad news for Europe

by

Intel has just sold 10% of your company to the United States government for 8,900 million dollars. The operation confirms what many suspected: the most iconic chips manufacturer in the world can no longer survive without state help. The panoramic. For three decades, the ‘Intel Inside’ stickers glued to millions of computers symbolized US domain in semiconductors. Intel and Microsoft created The era “wintel” that defined personal computing. In 2009, the Obama administration even presented antitrust charges against Intel for its dominant position. Today, the company is worth 108,000 million dollars while Nvidia, its former subordinated, reaches 4.3 billion. What has happened. Last Friday, Donald Trump announced that the United States acquired 10% Intel in exchange for promised funds under the CHIPS ACT They never arrived. It is not technically a rescue, but it looks a lot. Trump sold it as a big business: “I paid zero for Intel, it is worth approximately 11,000 million dollars” (capital letters are yours). The reality is more complex: Intel had been waiting for those 8.9 billion already committed by the previous administration for months. The company desperately needed money: Its foundry division lost $ 13.4 billion last year. He has fired between 8,000 and 10,900 workers. And the most worrying: not even Intel’s own product teams want to use their factories, preferring that TSMC manufactures their chips. Why is it important. This operation marks a turning point on three critical fronts: For Intel, It means losing business autonomy. 76% of their income comes from abroad, with China representing 29%. Now each decision will be under the political scrutiny of his government. As the company itself warns in regulatory documentsthis could “cause adverse reactions of investors, employees, clients, suppliers, foreign or competitors.” For the United Statesrepresents the return of state capitalism in technology. It is the first direct government intervention in a company from the rescue of the 2008 automobile industry. Trump has already suggested that there will be more: “I will make agreements like this for our country constantly.” For Europethis is especially worrying. The European Union partially depends on Intel for its ambitions of technological sovereignty in semiconductors. If the largest Western chips becomes an instrument of American industrial policy, Europe is in an even more vulnerable position against Asia. The Trump government has already asked TSMC to help rescue Intel factories. Also He took a “golden action” in Nippon Steel and Plan to stay with part of the sales that Nvidia and AMD make to China. The message is clear: the semiconductor industry is now a national security issue. Between the lines. Intel’s fundamental problem is not solved with public money: Intel failed in smartphones when he rejected to make chips for the first iPhone. He was late to AI while Nvidia was ahead. And he lost his leadership in manufacturing against TSMC, which not only has better technology but A superior business model As a pure foundry. As pointed out Intel’s CEO himself, Lip-bu Tan, “twenty or thirty years ago we were leaders. Now the world has changed. We are not among the ten main semiconductor companies.” Its survival depends on the success of the 18A manufacturing nodehis latest technological commitment. And now what. Intel is now a company supported by the State, something that its own managers warned could scare customers. Meanwhile, Trump promises more similar agreementseven suggesting the creation of an American sovereign fund with participations in technology companies. For competitors, this creates a scenario of unfair competition: AMD, Qualcomm and other companies now compete against a rival that has the US government as the main shareholder, with all that that implies in terms of government contracts and political decisions. Senator Rand Paul He summarized it With irony: “If socialism is the Government possessing the means of production, wouldn’t the government be having part of Intel a step towards socialism?” Paradoxically, Bernie Sanders, a declared socialist, applauded the measure. Intel went from being the symbol of American technological capitalism to become his first large semi-nationalized company of the 21st century. For Europe, which struggles not to be behind the technological career, it is an alarm signal: the era of the free market in semiconductors is over. In Xataka | Intel’s fall symbolizes the end of an era: the model that dominated technology for 50 years has died Outstanding image | Xataka

The US tariffs have forced Asus to flee from China. The question is how users will affect us

by

The US tariffs are ravage. At the beginning of last April Donald Trump announced that His administration was going to impose tariffs to the importation of products from Most countries with those that the US holds a commercial relationship. China was one of the nations They left worse stops, as expected, which caused governments led by Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to engage in an unprecedented climb of tariffs. In a few days the US administration approved China tariffs of 145%and this last country responded with 125% taxes About US assets. This scenario was unsustainable, so after negotiating both governments they agreed to moderate their tariffs temporarily at 30% and 10% respectively. This is how the panorama is currently, but these two countries will renegotiate these conditions as very late in November. Anyway, 30% tariffs are subject to the products that arrive in the US from China are damaging many companies. Asus is one of them. Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam are the big beneficiaries, for the moment Asus is a Taiwanese company, but until just a few weeks most of its production came from continental China. This company is one of the largest manufacturers of motherboard and other components for PC of the planet, and the US is one of its main markets. It is very difficult to specify what weight sales in the country led by Donald Trump in the face of their total sales, but we know that in 2023 the American continent represented 23% of the total income of ASUS. And with all probability USA exercised a very important contribution to this figure. “At this time more than 90% of our production has already been distributed to these new regions” Losing its position in the US market is not an option for this Taiwanese company. Their products manufactured in China receive a surcharge when they arrive in the US of 30%, as we have seen, so Asus has made a decision: It is moving 90% of its production outside of China. It is the only effective strategy when avoiding US tariffs. “We are expanding our production bases in Southeast Asia beyond China for both the mother -and -fashioned PCs. We are installing in Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam (…) at this time more than 90% of our production has already been distributed to these new regions,” has declared A spokesman for Asus. The choice of Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam is not accidental. Production costs in these three countries are moderate, presumably as much as in China, so Asus’s competitiveness is not going to resent. It is great news for us, users. If this reorganization of its production chain had an upward impact on the cost of their products, consumers would pay it. All consumers, not just those of the US. But a priori this will not happen because manufacturing in Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam It is no more expensive than doing it in China when the combination of lower wages and the ability to avoid high tariffs in key markets are considered. Image | Andrey Matveev More information | Tom’s hardware In Xataka | The authentic responsible for China can make avant -garde chips is an almost unknown company: Sicarrier

In 2007 Spain forced men to take longer casualties to take care of their children. Act then fertility fell

by

Throughout the last two decades Spain has taken several steps to extend the casualties by paternity among men. Gave one key in 2007another followed that extended its reach In 2017 and Four years ago He advanced again in that same direction to match the permits enjoyed by the women and men who have just had a baby. But … how do these casualties influence birth? Are they harmless? Do they accelerate it? Do they slow down? And if so, what is the reason? Now we have Some keys. Question of Paternity and Birth Low. A few years ago the researchers Farré Lídia and Libertad González They asked themselves an interesting question, especially for governments (more and more) that they are fighting against birth crises and seek greater equality in homes: how do the casualties affect paternity to fertility? Do they influence the probability that a couple has more children in the short term? And if so, in what sense? To respond to these issues, they analyzed the birth data published by the INE between 2005 and 2013 and were set at a specific date: March 2007, which was when it was approved The legislative change which allowed men to take paternity permits of 13 days, expandable to 15 in cases of multiple births. Until then only parents were allowed to absent A couple of days. Since then the regulatory framework It has varied quite considerably, first with a change that expanded the casualties In 2017 And then, four years ago, with another for match the permits of mothers and fathers. Even so, what happened 2007 continues to offer a valuable opportunity to assess the impact of the casualties. And what did they discover? Farré and González captured their conclusions in An academic article Posted in 2019 in Journal of Public Economicsa piece that suggests that the two -week paternity decline released in 2007 had several effects on the Spanish society of the following years. Some expected. Others, not so much. Among the latter the most curious is that these permits delayed the subsequent fertility of couples. That is, the parents who took the decline took longer to have other offspring than those who had no permits. A key horizon: six years. “We show that the introduction of two weeks of paid permission paid in Spain in 2007 led to an increase in the spacing of births, which may have led to a lower number of subsequent births between older couples”, summary Farré and González in Your article. “We discovered that the parents who were entitled to the new paternity permission when they had a child in 2007 took longer to have another compared to those who did not have that right. We also show that the couples with permission were less likely to have another child the six years of age following the application of the reform.” And what are the causes? The million dollar question. In Your articlethe researchers slide some keys. One is the effect that the new paternity casualties have in the distribution of domestic tasks (including parenting) and how that is reflected at work level. As Farré and González explain, despite the fact that women’s opportunities have been improving in recent decades, they “continue to spend more time to unpaid and care work than men.” When that cast is balanced thanks to permits, women can devote more time to paid jobs and boost their careers. And how does that influence fertility? For women it is a greater resignation to have more children. “The greatest participation of parents in children’s care could have improved the labor insertion of mothers, as reflected in their highest employment rates after childbirth, which could have increased the opportunity cost of having an additional child,” Clarifies the study. To this is added that the more parents are involved in lower upbringing are the differences between men and women in the eyes of an entrepreneur. THE OTHER GREAT KEY: PATERNITY. During their study the researchers appreciated another factor: after the 2007 reform the men simply seemed less interested in expanding the family with more children, at least in the short term. “The men reported a lower fertility after the reform, which could be due to the fact that the period of decline aware of the total cost of having children,” collect the study. “Spending more time with your children could have modified their preferences in favor of quality (instead of quantity).” Does it affect insertion? “The men who have benefited from the new paternity decline are less will summarize The UB, to which Farré is linked. The report leaves another interesting idea: although the rate of use of paternity decline was high, it does not seem to have affected men at work level. In what the casualties have influenced is in the involvement of men in child care, increasing the time they dedicate to parenting, and the labor perspectives of women. “Mothers presented higher employment rates six months after childbirth and were prone to request a family leave.” Does inequality influence? Although it is based on data several years ago and focuses on the specific case of Spain, the study is interesting because, their authors remember, the effects they observe on fertility could “generalize” other countries in the south and east of Europe in which women carry much of the responsibilities of the home. In the case of Spain, The report recalls that until 2007 men barely resorted to parental permission and imbalance in the distribution of domestic tasks and the raising of children was very accentuated: at least between 2002 and 2003, they dedicated 4.2 hours a day to home work and child care, more than triple than they, who barely invested 1.3 h. “These characteristics could have contributed to the introduction of the paternity license to be more effective, increasing the child care time of the parents and the linking of women to the workforce, perhaps with the side effect of reducing the desired fertility of men in relation to … Read more

Europe wants solar panels without forced labor. The only problem is that almost everyone comes from China

by

In the early 2000s, Europe was consecrated as The largest solar energy manufacturer worldwide. After more than two decades, that dominant position is a memory against the unstoppable advance of China, which has achieved that more than 80% of global production leaves its factories. A paradigm shift. China has a very particular look of seeing the world in the long term, thanks to that philosophy he has managed to position himself as a leader in solar energy. His method has managed to manufacture cheapest solar panels thanks to a subsidy strategy, vertical integration and almost absolute control of supply chains, such as has detailed Bloombergnef. Meanwhile, European manufacturers have had to compete with those priceswhich has triggered a wave of factor closures, bankruptcies and personnel reductions. Europe’s response. The old continent wants to make its own solar panels again, but motivated by an ethical and geopolitical pressure in the sector. According to Financial TimesThe scrutiny over the Xinjiang region, in China, has grown, which concentrates about 20 % of the world production of polysilicio and where various Western governments have denounced violations of human rights and forced labor against the Uigur population. Faced with this, countries like the United Kingdom have taken a firm position. In April, the British Government declared that your state energy company may not use solar panels linked to forced labor. This ethical trend could force European solar developers to rethink their supply chain and prioritize more transparent suppliers, even if they are less competitive in price. There are already measures underway. On the one hand, in a more ambitious attempt to recover part of its energy autonomy, the EU approved last year The Net Zero Industry Law. This regulation forces to consider not only the price, but also criteria such as the resilience of the supply chain, the environmental impact and the local origin by making public purchases of clean technologies. On the other hand, European products will be prioritized in tenders to equip hospitals, public buildings and other state infrastructure with solar energy. According to Solar Power Europe for Financial Timesthis regulation could create a market of up to 9 gigawatts of solar capacity for “resilient” products already in 2026. But the numbers do not lie. The distance with China is abysmal. Today, Chinese solar panels are sold at about $ 0.09 per watt, a radical decrease from the dollar per watt in 2012, According to Bloombergnef. European companies simply cannot compete in costs compared to the scale and efficiency of the Chinese model. There is something more background. Not only is it a matter of assembly, but strategic minerals. In a broader context, starting a mine can take up to 17 years since it is activated all protocols. Instead, China has been assuring its sources of lithium, rare earths, copper and silicon for 20 years. In this way, even with the new EU regulations working perfectly, the so -called “resilience market” would cover less than 14 % of the solar capacity added in Europe, According to Financial Times. And there would be no guarantees that these panels be produced by European manufacturers: they could come from India, South Korea or other countries that do not use materials of Chinese origin. Will it go through the hoop? Here the main question that arises is: Is Europe ready to assume the political economic cost of reindustrializing its solar sector? Or will it accept the dependence of a cheap but geopolitically complex supplier? For now, the measures seem insufficient to significantly alter the structure of the market. The European energy transition progresses, but does it mounted on Chinese panelseven when their governments promote technological and ethical sovereignty speeches in commerce. Europe has aroused a race that she helped to start. Recovering the lost terrain will be difficult. The sun does not expect, and China already closed the umbrella. Image | Climate Group Xataka | Filling mirrors space is a booming business. THE OBJECTIVE: DO NOT MAKE NIGHT ON SOLAR PANELS

Ghibli’s fever has forced Openai to adopt an unprecedented measure: add water mark

by

He Viral phenomenon of the images generated by chatgpt that I mimic those of Studio Ghibli It has apparently caused an interesting reaction from OpenAI. One with which to avoid major evils. Water marks. The company is preparing the inclusion of water brands in the images it generates Your new AI modelImagegen. As indicated in Bleeping Computer, a researcher named Tibor Blaho He has found References to these water marks in the Android application of Chatgpt. They already did it with texts generated by AI. OpenAi has already raised long ago Your own system to integrate water marks into the texts generated by AI. Now it seems to be preparing something similar for its deployment in an image generator that is precisely becoming a successful tool for Capture a lot of new users. An idea with a lot of future. We have been talking about the efforts from various companies to create some type of standardized water brand. He C2PA standardthat among other things has been supported by OpenAIit is the one that is gradually gaining ground. This discovery in the Android of Chatgpt reveals that intention to implement it natively by generating any image from the OpenAi chatbot. Pay to avoid water brand? In Bleeping Computer they indicate how sources close to OpenAi talk about two types of images of AI: Water marks will be in the images generated with grauite accounts, but chatgpt plus subscribers can save them without water mark. It is something similar to what happens with image banks that have free images without water marks and others that do and that force to pay to remove them. A measure to avoid demands. The ability to create images that imitate those of Studio Chibli has unleashed a viral fever for this Openai tool, but that also raises potential judicial actions. Copyright is still a controversial element of everything that surrounds AI models, and water brands would at least serve to it conform their origin and avoid legal demands. The debate on fair use and copyright. In Your appendix On risks of use of GPT-4O and its image of the images, OpenAi mentions that the tool can be used to create images “that look like the aesthetics of some artists.” She and others They grab the concept of “fair use” of those tools when training them and generating images. However, the thin line that separates that fair use from a Copyright violation It is increasingly tense, and the risk is clear. Image | Xataka with chatgpt In Xataka | The price to be paid for having ia is the looting of all the internet content. And perplexity is just the last example

Steam does not want to become another ads apps store, and eliminates games that include “forced advertising”

by

Valve is starting a series of measures to prevent his store from Steamthe most important in the world of the PC, is left behind compared to others such as GOG or even stores from other platforms, such as the PlayStation Store or Google and Apple apps stores. A few weeks ago they began to give more information about Unreliable anticipated access games and Now is the turn of the games that include “forced advertising.” These are titles that force players to see ads to play, and that from now on are rigorously prohibited. It is a change in advertising policies that are established In the store documentationand that veto access to games that, to advance, force the player to see advertising. It is a not so common measure in PC or consoles, but in apps and mobile games, where to get certain game opportunities an advertisement must be reproduced, often without the possibility of jumping it. Nor will Valve be acceptable for a game to clean the version for Steam, but have them on other platforms. The store itself suggests alternatives to ads: change the model to a single purchase, or also resort to traditional methods of progressive monetizationsuch as microtransactions or DLC. What will see Valve are the games that include Product Placementthat is, advertising In-game That, however shameless, it does not interrupt the normal passing of the game. The examples are innumerable, especially in high -budget titles: Verizon and Energizer’s agreement to appear in ‘Alan Wake’ or the fun monster cans sightings in ‘Death Stranding’ that do not affect the player, are some of them. Header | Valve In Xataka | It has taken, but Steam finally has a game recorder. The best: not just record

Starliner astronauts will return home 287 days later. Another ship change has forced to modify the plans

by

NASA has decided to advance the return of the CREW-9 mission and, with it, that of the Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams astronauts, who left for the International Space Station on June 5, 2024 in the Boeing Starliner ship. Despite Elon Musk and Donald Trump messagesreason is not political, but operational. A few days of advance. If new delays on their trip, Butch and Suni will not return will return home on March 19. Taking into account that they were launched to space for a week, it is nine months after planned. But if we stick to The last date that NASA managedastronauts will return with a few days of advance. Context. In June 2024, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams left towards the ISS aboard the Starliner space capsule, Boeing’s alternative to the Crew Dragon ship of Spacex. It was the first manned trip of the Boeing spacecraft, and it was assumed that the last certification test before starting to transport astronauts regularly to the International Space Station. However, shortly after its launch, The Starliner experienced serious problems in its propulsion systemwhich forced to suspend his return. The situation lasted several months until NASA decided that the ship returned empty. This accident left astronauts at the space station and forced NASA to find a different solution for its return. What they are waiting for. Once the destiny of the Starliner, Wilmore and Williams decided, they became part of the permanent crew of the ISS. They work in the experiments in orbit and the maintenance of the station. They have even made space walks: Wilmore has two on this mission, and has become The woman with more hours of extravehicular activity. So that they could return, NASA He booked two empty seats on the Crew-9 mission of Spacex. The Crew Dragon ship in which they will return to Earth has been coupled to the ISS since September Station maintenance. And the CREW-10 mission is not yet ready. Another change of ship. The CREW-10 mission was supposed to take off in a new Crew Dragon ship, called C213, which has not yet flown to space. However, a technical incidence, apparently related to the ship’s batteries, forced to delay its first flight at least until the end of April. Instead of continuing to delay the calendar (and with it, the return of Wilmore and Williams), NASA has opted for a logistics maneuver: Reassign to the CREW-10 mission an already tested shipthe C210 ‘Endurance’, which was preparing to fly with the private axiom-4 mission in spring. Thanks to this ship change, Crew-9’s return not only is not delayed, but is ahead of a few days. New dates. NASA plans to launch the CREW-10 mission on March 12, 2025, which would allow the CREW-9 to return on March 19 with Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on board, along with their companions Nick Hague (NASA) and Aleksandr Gorbunov (from the Russian agency Roscosmos). This change of dates responds, as we have seen, to a technical and operational issue, but explains why Elon Musk and Donald Trump published on social networks that Spacex would rescue the two astronauts “abandoned in the ISS” as soon as possible. A propaganda narrative of what was really happening after the curtain. Image | Suni Williams during a space walk (NASA) In Xataka | It is not that Elon Musk has managed to introduce its influence on NASA. Is that he has entered sweeping

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.