Full

An end of February with 20 ºC, haze and full reservoirs is not "good time": it is the sign of a completely misplaced meteorology

by

If we take a brief look at how February 2026 is ending (the sun, the 20 degrees, the haze, the candy-like reservoirs), it is difficult not to say to ourselves: “Finally some good weather!” Above all, if we take into account that after these days of calm, a front will enter from the northwest, inaugurating meteorological spring in style. And yet, it is inevitable to raise an eyebrow. But let’s start at the beginning…. The arrival of a front from the northwest is not only synonymous with rain, but with a progressive drop in temperature and the return of the frosts after disappearing for a few days. Of course, the southern half is not going to notice it too much. Otherwise, the haze has been there for days causing problems (and locust rains in the Canary Islands) and, in the background, a DANA starts to give signs about what will approach Andalusia on Monday or Tuesday. In Xataka After the rains, Spain faces the same problem as a year ago: a devastating fire season Where is spring? If that’s the question, the answer is that it’s already here. Not just because this weekend ‘astronomic spring’ beginsbut because the meteorological dynamics have made everything accelerate in a strange way. Neither the processions deceiveneither allergies disappear. And that means the trap is already here. Because, although the reservoirs are full, they are not filled homogeneously. While Spain is at 83%, there are many basins with many problems (the Segura is at 47.2% and that of Júcar at 63.7%). And, starting in March, both evaporative demandas consumption (agricultural irrigation, urban peaks, tourism) skyrocket. Therefore, with the history of poor management that we have in the country and this feeling of “false security” that is spreading, having the reservoirs full unfortunately means nothing. Absolutely nothing. {“videoId”:”x7zoac4″,”autoplay”:false,”title”:”Climate change and the influence of humans”, “tag”:”Earth”, “duration”:”304″} More problems, many problems. To all this we must add that we do not know what is going to happen from now on. We will never know, it is true: but this precipitation scenario is so new and unusual that all scenarios are open. The only thing that is clear is that, if we do not start managing the forest, forest fires are going to mark the country as soon as the heat arrives. The new normal? That is the second big question because the pan-European studies agree that we are going towards an earlier start of spring compared to previous decades. But no one is very clear if this is an anomaly or a first step. What is clear is that, no matter what happens, this is especially noticeable here in the south. And that is the first big question: Are we prepared? Are we willing to do what we have to do? Image |AEMET In Xataka |In China they are deploying metal firefighters. Maybe they are more useful than robo-waiters (function() { window._JS_MODULES = window._JS_MODULES || {}; var headElement = document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)(0); if (_JS_MODULES.instagram) { var instagramScript = document.createElement(‘script’); instagramScript.src=”https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js”; instagramScript.async = true; instagramScript.defer = true; headElement.appendChild(instagramScript); – The news An end of February with 20 ºC, haze and full reservoirs is not “good weather”: it is the sign of a completely misplaced meteorology was originally published in Xataka by Javier Jimenez .

The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has shown us a wonderful future. One full of screens with privacy technology

by

Many revolutions come without us realizing it and by surprise. As if they were a supporting actor that no one seemed to pay attention to and turns out to be the real star of the movie: This is how the privacy screen arrived of the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: an innovation that no one expected and that made the AI ​​or the cameras of that mobile barely matter. Because although all those things add up, they are an evolution that we were all waiting for. But the privacy screen thing is something else: it is an everyday revolution and so obvious that one can only think how it is possible that we are in 2026 and no one would have invented something like this before. Samsung, as our colleague Ana Boria rightly says – please, don’t miss the Short -, has suddenly destroyed the entire industry of tempered glass that protects privacy. For years we have seen how it was possible to add a “privacy protector” in the form of protective glass to our mobile phone or laptop. With it it was possible to prevent any curious/gossip from taking a look at our device over our shoulder, but Samsung has made these protectors no longer necessary, because it has shown us how this technology can be part of the device’s screen itself. The idea is not entirely new, of course. HP has already applied a similar idea in some of its laptops a whopping 10 years ago. He called it Sure View and developed it in collaboration with 3M. That technology effectively allowed the viewing angles of the EliteBook 1040 and 840 to be critically reduced, but the proposal did not seem to work. Image: Samsung. Samsung, however, has gone a step further because this privacy screen can not only be activated and deactivated whenever we want: it can even be activated or deactivated in a personalized way for each application: if you want the privacy screen mode to be activated every time you look at your bank application, you just have to select this option in the settings. The customization of this feature is also extraordinaryand Samsung allows you to adjust it so that it is activated automatically, for example, when we receive notifications, or that the screen also goes into “anti-gossip” mode just when we are entering a PIN for an application. With the function activated, the screen only looks good to those looking at it from the front. This is one of those ideas that show that not everything is invented in the world of technology and that a real practical and everyday improvement as “silly” as this can be much more important and impactful than some AI options that remain fireworks. In fact, here Samsung has surprised us with an innovation that should make apple blush: the Cupertino company does not stop boasting that They are the champions of privacyand although they have certainly traditionally stood out in this section, here Samsung has left them biting the dust. To them and to everyone. Privacy screens have already become one of the clear technological innovations of 2026. Now We just hope that all manufacturers follow the story and end up implementing similar systems on their mobile phones. That may take some time, of course, but today it seems inevitable to think that what Samsung has done is open the door to a wonderful future in which we will be much safer from gossip. Good for Samsung. In Xataka | Image | Xataka with Freepik

its electrical grid claims to be “full” when in reality it is underutilized

by

Spain is experiencing an obvious and costly energy paradox. While the country breaks renewable generation recordsits electrical system suffers an administrative “thrombosis” that threatens to stop reindustrialization. The problem is that the system works like a broken bridge: clean energy is born in the so-called “emptied Spain”, but there are not enough cables to take it to the cities and factories where consumption is concentrated. The panic in the sector reached its peak when the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) was forced to postpone three months (from February 2 to May 4, 2026) the publication of the access capacity maps after a critical alert from Red Eléctrica: under the new security criteria, approximately 90% of the network nodes would appear in “red”, that is, with zero capacity. However, the network is not physically collapsed, but administratively “full” and underutilized in practice. To solve this funnel, the CNMC has put on the table a master plan that will change the rules of the game: flexible access permissions. The perfect storm. Getting to this point has not been the result of a single mistake, but rather a cocktail of bureaucratic slowness, territorial imbalances and speculation. As we have already advanced in Xataka, There is a huge gap between administrative times and physical execution: building a substation barely requires a year of work, but its prior processing can take between three and six years. Added to this is that we have installed windmills and solar panels where there is land and resources, but demand is growing in metropolitan areas that do not have sufficient infrastructure, leaving 83.4% of distribution nodes saturated currents. The consequences on the street are devastating. Last year only 12% of connection requests for new urban developments were granted, which, according to the Asprima employers’ associationputs the construction of 350,000 homes at risk due to the simple lack of electrical power. And in the midst of the chaos, the bubble: there are access requests for 67,100 MW (half of all the installed power in the country), which makes the regulator suspect the existence of “ghost” projects that hoard nodes only to resell the permits. The end of the binary model. Until now, the electrical system operated under a binary principle: either they gave you firm access, 100% guaranteed, or they denied it. However, as he noted on his social networks the Secretary of State for Energy, Joan Groizard, the current network is underused; In fact, a “smaller” network in the past supported demand peaks much higher than today. This is where the regulatory revolution comes in. The CNMC proposal breaks with the resounding “no” and establishes that, if there is residual capacity at certain times of the day or year, it can be shared. Flexible access capability assumes that supply will not be guaranteed at all hours of the year, maximizing the use of existing infrastructure without immediately resorting to massive investments that citizens would end up paying for. The four ways of flexibility. To articulate this new paradigm, the supporting report and the proposed resolution of the CNMC define four types of permits Flexible access, adapted to different needs: Permission Type 0 (Fixed pattern in Distribution): Applies to installations connected to any voltage level in the distribution network. It allows energy to be consumed following a fixed time pattern (for example, from 00:00 to 07:59 and from 11:00 to 17:59), which represents at least 62.5% of the hours of the year. Outside of these ranges, if the installation consumes power, the network manager (GRD) can disconnect it remotely without prior notice. It is ideal for those who can plan their production. Type 1 Permit (Remote disconnection due to contingency N-1): Designed for distribution installations with voltage greater than 36 kV. The installation meets the requirements under normal conditions (with an expected consumption of 90% of the year), but agrees to be disconnected remotely and without prior notice if any element fails in the substation itself to which it is connected. Type 2 Permit (Dynamic Instructions in Distribution): For voltages greater than 36 kV and powers greater than 1 MW. It is the most technologically advanced, the installation must be able to receive dynamic instructions from the GRD to reduce its load, whether scheduled the day before or in real time. Response times are critical: less than 30 minutes if it is preventive, or less than 3 minutes (immediate) if it is corrective. If you disobey, you will be disconnected. This model will come into force from January 1, 2028. Type 3 Permit (Transmission with automatic reduction): Aimed at demand installations of more than 1 MW connected directly to the transmission network. These facilities are required to participate in the Automatic Power Reduction System (SRAP). In the event of a security alert from the electrical system, the operator (OS) will send a signal and the installation must reduce the power associated with its flexible access to zero effectively and immediately. Winners, exceptions and the bill. This regulatory change has clear winners and some red lines. Storage facilities in demand mode are the perfect candidates, since, by law, they have no guarantee of supply and will have 7 months to request the modification of their permits. At the opposite extreme, the CNMC explicitly prohibits granting these accesses to essential supplies (such as hospitals), to demands that do not support 24 hours without a network, and to collective projects such as urban plans. Modernizing the network to support this “reinforced mode” of digitalized operation will have a direct economic impact. The forecasts for 2026 point to increases in citizen receipts of 4% in tolls and 10.5% in charges to finance system adjustments. For now, the clock is ticking: the public hearing process for agents to send their allegations to the CNMC proposal will end on March 20, 2026. Connect the future. Spain finds itself at an ironic and dangerous crossroads. The country has everything to be the great green battery of Europe, but the lack of cables and excess bureaucracy … Read more

A century ago Denmark built an island to defend its capital. Now it is full of tourists and is sold for ten million

by

The world has started 2026 slope of an island linked to the Kingdom of Denmark, but Greenland is not the only island dependent on Copenhagen that makes headlines. In it Øresund Strait There is a small Danish island that in recent weeks has also sparked interest due to its history, status and (above all) ownership. His name is Flakfortet and in this case, unlike Greenland, there would be no problem with Donald Trump controlling it. Of course, first you would need to go through the cash register and pay 10 million euros. The reason: Flakfortet is actually an old military fortification built on an artificial island and in private hands that has just gone up for sale. What has happened? that the Danish real estate market has incorporated an unconventional piece: a maritime fort built on an artificial island. That’s what they advertise on their page. Lintrup & Norgarta Danish firm specialized in real estate that for a few weeks advertise the sale of the Flakfortet fortress, located in the Øresund Strait. The property is offered for 74.5 million of Danish crowns, equivalent to about 10 million dollars. “The island has modern facilities and historic structures and is visited by thousands of people each year,” highlights the agency. The announcement has attracted the attention of media outlets such as the German newspaper Bildthe specialized medium Yacht or the Danish public broadcaster TV2which specifies that the complex reaches 30,000 square meters (m2) and there are around 10,000 built. Among its facilities, the island includes a large marina and a heliport. But what is Flakfortet? A vestige of the First World War. And a huge and picturesque reminder of the turbulent start of the 20th century. Flakfortet is a maritime fortress built on Saltholmrevan artificial island built from tons and tons of stone, concrete and sand in the Saltholm Strait. In fact, it is located between saltholm island and Copenhagen. Flakfortet was not the result of a whim or megalomania. It was promoted at the beginning of the 20th century, after the Defense Agreement of 1909 with which an attempt was made to improve the fortifications (land and sea) that protect Copenhagen from enemy attacks. To be more exact, his works were developed between 1910 and 1916. And what was it used for? The idea was to shield neighboring Copenhagen by sea. Hence, Flakfortet was projected as a true fort, capable of hosting around half a thousand soldiers and equipped with powerful cannons. Danmarks Nationalleksikon remember which in its day was equipped with howitzers, half a dozen cannons and anti-aircraft artillery. However, its role during the two great conflagrations of the last century was rather modest. In fact, the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, with the project still uncompleted, frustrated the plans to equip it with modern howitzers. In the 40s it was occupied by the Wehrmacht and in the 50s it returned to Danish hands, although without much success. At the end of that same decade it closed as a naval anti-aircraft fort and during part of the 1960s it hosted the HAWK 541 Squadron of the Danish Air Force. Over time it was rented to the Copenhagen Sailing Union and was converted into a marina in the 1970s. And in recent decades? His military past is behind him. After the Danish army decided to abandon the fort the weapons were dismantled and the casemates abandoned. As the 20th century progressed, the soldiers gave way to sailors who arrived aboard sailboats, tourists and history lovers fascinated by the fortification’s past. The next major chapter of his chronicle was written in 2021, when Denmark sold the island to Malmökranen AB, a Swedish company that acquired it for around 400,000 euros. It may not seem like a lot of money, but the company had to invest significantly more to remodel the facilities and modernize its services, which includes a restaurant, a desalination plant that supplies the island with drinking water, and generators. These improvements, added to a ferry service that connected the island with Copenhagen and the interest aroused by the fort’s military past, explain why Flakfortet attracted up to 50,000 visitors in high season. Good business, right? If we ask Malmökranen right now, the business seems to involve more the sale of the island than its direct management. And it’s not something new. In 2015 the complex already looked for a buyer without much success. More than a decade later, its owners have decided to try again, asking for even more money for facilities that have a port and heliport. The agency in charge of the sale wait that the island will attract the interest of specialized investment firms or millionaires looking for a “secluded and quiet” property. Nor do they rule out that the Danish State itself decides to recover Flakfortet because it considers it “a critical infrastructure” and its location. If it is finally an individual who takes over its reins, they should keep in mind that they cannot do whatever they want with the old fort: since 2002 It is considered a historical monument, so any significant work must have the OK of Heritage. The island must also remain open to the public. Images | Wikipedia and Google Earth In Xataka | China has been dumping tons of sand into the ocean for 12 years. And now we are seeing islands emerging in the middle of nowhere

23 years later, Western Europe’s largest swamp is completely full

by

When in the mid-1950s, someone thought about building a dam in one of the driest areas of Portugal, the criticism was very simple: make a reservoir in Alquevassimply absurd: “it will never be filled.” And that prejudice meant that (for more than fifty years) the project was put in a drawer. But, at the end of the century, the Portuguese country decided to take it back and its floodgates closed in 2002. What happened next showed that those critics had no idea. A huge work of engineering. Of course, the skepticism was well founded. ‘Alqueva’ means precisely ‘fallow land’, ‘desert’. But that did not mean that it was meaningless, quite the opposite: that a much greater ambition was needed. And that’s what they did: with a total capacity of 4,150 hm³ and a surface area of ​​250 km², it not only regulates the Guadiana. It provides water to supply the consumption network (200,000 inhabitants), to produce energy (520 MW) and to irrigate hundreds of thousands of hectares (130,000, it seems). It is the largest reservoir in Western Europe. A monster that now has to be unpacked. That is what is striking, that had to unpack. Not because it’s the first time: between 2010 and 2013 he did it on several occasionsbut the deep drought of recent years meant that there was no fear that it would not happen again. Although it is happening: these days, Alquevas has been draining at the rate of an Olympic swimming pool every two seconds. Is there much left to do? Although seeing the monstrous Alquevas reservoir full it is inevitable to think about what more projects are still to be done, the truth is that we do not have much room for maneuver. The majority of “easy” reservoirs are already built and most of those that could be built would have great technical, social and economic problems to carry out. So we will have to go a little further: think about how we approach this possible “new normal” if it ever occurs. Image | Ceinturion In Xataka | Andalusia anticipates the storm and has already canceled in-person classes and activated the UME. The doubt is placed on the workers

Samsung confirms the date of its next Unpacked in a year full of challenges

by

The Samsung Galaxy S26 They are just around the corner. We could intuit that, but now it is official. And Samsung just confirmed the date of your next Galaxy Unpackedan event that will take place at the gates of the Mobile World Congress (although much further away) and in which AI will once again be the main protagonist. when and where. Galaxy Unpacked will take place on February 25 in the city of San Francisco, United States. The conference will be at 7:00 p.m., Spanish peninsular time, and can be followed through the usual channels. Among them, of course, the live one we will do from Xataka. What do we expect? Unless there are surprises, it is most likely that we will know the new Samsung Galaxy S26. If nothing changes, it should be a family of three devices, with the Ultra model being the flagship. Even though AI PCs have not finished taking shapeSamsung has already started talking about “AI Phone” and assures that its new smartphones represent “a new stage in the era of artificial intelligence, where technology becomes truly personal and adaptable.” We’ll see what this means. A year of challenges. Samsung has a tough year ahead. The Galaxy S are no longer the only exponents of the most premium high-end and Chinese firms are pushing hard. There they are OPPO, Xiaomi, Motorola and Honorto give just a few examples. In terms of pure and simple specifications, the entire high-end range plays more or less in the same league, although Samsung starts with a clear advantage: brand positioning and ecosystem. As far as the technical specifications are concerned, last year we missed a more notable leap in photography and battery. Seeing how Chinese brands are spending money on silicon-carbon batteries and the 200 megapixel telephotosthis year these two sections aim to become even more important. Without forgetting the component crisis. Another important aspect that will be interesting to see how Samsung has resolved is that of the components, courtesy of AI. We are immersed in a RAM and storage crisis, to the point that we are seeing mobile phones again with four gigabytes of RAM and not so ambitious configurations. And it is important, because RAM goes far beyond keeping more apps in the background. On the other hand, and everything must be said, there is no evil that does not come with good. Samsung is one of the largest manufacturers of RAM and that branch of the business is scary. The results for the fourth quarter of 2025 speak for themselves: a year-on-year profit increase of 208% and shares completely skyrocketing. Cover image | Xataka In Xataka | With the consumer segment drowning, Samsung is the first to manufacture HBM4 memory. And it will be for NVIDIA, of course

China is telling us what a future full of electric cars looks like. And we already know which are the most reliable brands

by

The conquest of China in the automobile industry global has made us increasingly pay attention to the country’s manufacturers and the models that are coming out every year. China leads in new energy vehiclesalthough the reliability of their cars has always been questioned. The latest report Quality test launched by the analysis firm LandRoads offers us a very interesting perspective, as it studies the models that have initially caused the least problems since their purchase. In this aspect, the ranking places the Xiaomi SU7 as the most reliable large sedan, while the Tesla Model 3 dominates among the midsize models. Below these lines we tell you all the details. What is the ranking about?. LandRoads has published its annual report on quality in electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in the Chinese market, analyzing 6,950 incidents reported by users. According to the report, 3,687 were quality problems and 3,263 were design-related. In the overall ranking by brand, AITO tops the list with a quality risk index of 123 points, followed by Mercedes-Benz (126) and Tesla (146). Image: ChinaEVHome. Source: LandRoads Why does it matter? The Chinese electric vehicle market is immersed in a frenetic race to incorporate more technology and functions. However, the study gives us clues that not all manufacturers are facing this battle completely well. The three main problems reported were noise (24.6% of complaints), exterior components (18%) and failures in intelligent systems (17.3%). Together they represent more than 60% of incidents, pointing out the critical points where the industry needs to improve. Categories. Highlights of the report indicate that: In medium-large sedans and above, the Xiaomi SU7 wins with an index of 108 points, well ahead of the Stelato S9 (218) and the IM L6 (237), according to LandRoads data. In midsize and compact sedans, the Tesla Model 3 leads with 104 points, followed by the Nio Firefly, BMW i3, Geely Galaxy Xingyuan and BYD Seal 06 GT. Among large SUVs, the top three spots go to AITO models: the M9 (88 points), M8 (98) and M7 (135), with the Li Auto L8 and Voyah FREE completing the top five. In medium and compact SUVs, the Avatr 07 stands out (92 points), ahead of the BYD Sealion 05 EV, Yuan UP, Tesla Model Y and Yuan Plus. In MPVs, the Voyah Dreamer records the best result with 192 points. Balance. The report also points out a phenomenon he calls a “high-equipment, high-risk concentration zone.” And according to LandRoads, as some manufacturers rapidly accumulate new features, the maturity and stability of the systems does not advance at the same pace, amplifying the risk of vehicle quality. According to the study, AITO, Xiaomi, NIO, Zeekr, Li Auto and Voyah have managed to maintain low risk rates despite offering high levels of equipment. More mature electronic architectures, better coordination with suppliers and exhaustive validation systems in all types of scenarios come into play here. Looking long term. LandRoads concludes in its study that the electric vehicle industry is moving from simply adding features and functions to the integration capacity and long-term stability of all these novel systems. Furthermore, seeing Aito above manufacturers like Mercedes or Tesla gives us clues about the transition we are experiencing and the ability of Chinese manufacturers to produce a product that lives up to it. Cover image | aboodi vesakaran and Aito In Xataka | Aid for electric cars is complicated: the Auto+ Plan comes with less money, more demands and a key question to resolve

Hyundai imagines factories full of humanoid robots. A Korean union has said ‘not so fast’

by

Hyundai has been building a very specific story for months about the future of its factories, one in which humanoid robots go from being a distant promise to a real industrial tool. The image is powerful and connects with a global race to automate increasingly complex processes, but in South Korea that discourse has already found its first limit. Even before robots enter production lines, the union has come forward to make its position clear and warn that any changes that impact employment will have to be negotiated. A clear warning. Hyundai Motor Union has made it clear that “Without an agreement between the company and workers, not a single robot can enter South Korean plants,” stressing that any decision with an impact on employment must go through the negotiation table. The message connects directly with the current collective agreement, which requires all measures that affect work to be subject to debate and joint approval. With this positioning, the introduction of humanoids is emerging as one of the possible reasons for friction between worker representatives and the Asian corporation. Fear that South Korea will lose prominence. The union links automation to a broader movement of industrial reorganization, marked by the growth of manufacturing in the United States. As they explain, the planned increase in capacity at the US plant could end up subtracting volume from factories in South Korea, and they maintain that two centers would already be suffering from a lack of workload. In this context, humanoids are interpreted not only as a technological tool, but as an element that can accelerate job adjustments if it is not accompanied by clear guarantees regarding the maintenance of employment. The starting point of the discussion. This comes after Hyundai introduced Atlas, the humanoid robot developed by Boston Dynamicsas a key piece of its medium-term industrial strategy. The firm assured that it plans to progressively integrate it into its global network of factories starting in 2028. It also explained that these robots are designed to take on general industrial tasks and work alongside people, with the aim of reducing physical effort and taking on potentially dangerous jobs. Of course, he avoided specifying how many units he will deploy in the first phase or how much the project will cost. First in the United States. The manufacturer has already begun to draw how it wants to industrialize this bet. The group has explained that it will build a specific plant in the United States for the production of robots, a factory dedicated to producing Atlas on a large scale in the coming years. The first operational destination would be at the Georgia plant, known as HMGMAwhere humanoids would initially be used in very specific tasks, such as classifying and sequencing parts for the assembly line. The small labor print. Hyundai’s commitment is part of a much broader race to bring humanoid robots to the industry. Companies such as Tesla, Amazon or the Chinese manufacturer BYD have announced similar plans, although with different degrees of maturity. Some projects have already gone from demonstration to real work, such as the robot Figure 01 in a BMW plantwhere he performs support tasks autonomously. These are still limited and highly supervised experiences, but sufficient to show that the leap from the laboratory to the factory has already begun. Images | hyundai In Xataka | 100% autonomous factories where it is not necessary to turn on the light: China is already considering manufacturing cars only with robots in 2030

The United States knows that Venezuela’s subsoil is full of rare earths. The big problem is that he doesn’t know where

by

The announcement that American companies could access to Venezuela’s vast oil has reignited a much broader ambition of Donald Trump’s administration. Because the Latin American nation has something that Washington desperately seeks, something that China he has plenty. He crux It’s how and how much. Beyond crude oil. Yes, the “b” side of the North American “landing” in Venezuela also seeks to explore the mineral potential of the country as part of “the national security of the United States.” The experts they point out that, in addition to crude oil, there would be unverified reserves of critical minerals and possible large quantities of rare earths, key inputs for defense and technology. However, the lack of reliable data, doubts about economic viability and operational risks in areas with the presence of armed groups and mining illegality turn the objective into an enterprise. much more complex that the oil reopening itself, with significant environmental impacts associates to energy-intensive mining. The supply chain and the bottleneck. Even if the extraction obstacles were overcome, the decisive challenge appears in processing. The refining of rare earths is concentrated in more than 90% in Chinaa domain constructed for decades through subsidies, industrial expansion and lax environmental regulations. This position has made rare earths a sensitive point of trade tensions between Washington and Beijing, with export controls that have highlighted the fragility of American supply chains. The consensus among analysts is that this industrial and geopolitical advantage cannot be reversed quickly, so new deposits without their own refining capacity would contribute little to short-term strategic resilience. Why it is important. It we have counted other times. The classification of “critical minerals” covers a broad set of raw materials essential for the economy and security, from aluminum and copper to a specific group of 17 elements known as rare earths, essential for high-performance magnets, advanced electronics and military systems. Although these elements are not scarce in the Earth’s crust, their extraction and refining are technically demanding and expensive. In the United States there are efforts to develop domestic capabilities, but start-up times are often measured in years or decades, which explains the temptation to look for external solutions that, in practice, rarely offer immediate results. Geological potential and structural limits. It happens that, unlike other countries with confirmed reserves, Venezuela does not appear in international lists as a relevant producer of rare earths, an explained absence for decades of opacity institutional during the governments by Hugo Chavez and Nicolás Maduro. Still, the country is believed to host deposits of coltan and bauxitesources of metals considered critical such as tantalum, niobium, aluminum and gallium. Projects like the Orinoco Mining Arc They sought to capitalize on that potential, but have been marked by illicit mining, lack of investment, a shortage of qualified labor, and a volatile regulatory environment that discourages international operators. A strategic mirage in the medium term. If you like, the final evaluation of the experts is clear: although the Venezuelan subsoil may hide valuable resources, its contribution to the security of supply of the United States it would be marginal on the near horizon. Without solid geological data, without security guarantees and without processing capacity independent of the Chinese circuit, Venezuela’s mineral interest seems more an extension of the geopolitical pulse than a practical solution, at least in the short term. In that context, the American bet faces a paradox: the country offers a lot on paper, but little that can be translated into real advantages over the next decade. Image | Mauricio CampelloRawPixel In Xataka | The US did not need to shoot to enter Caracas. All it took was an invisible weapon and unexpected “help” from Russia In Xataka | While the whole world looks at oil, Venezuela’s true treasure is hidden in the basements of London: its gold

The El Corte Inglés outlet is full of iPads, MacBooks and other Apple devices. All of these are new and brand new.

by

On many occasions, after a great offer campaign, a huge assortment of refurbished devices usually arrive in stores like El Corte Inglés. Many probably come from returns. Now, after Black Friday The El Corte Inglés outlet is loaded with Apple devices with fairly reasonable prices for what they offer. In this article we are going to review some that continue to receive software updates, but there is a huge list with Apple devices that are new and brand new. That is, they have not been used and, according to the store itself, they only have some damage to the box. iPad Pro M2 by 783.20 eurosa fairly powerful tablet that incorporates Apple’s M2 chip. MacBook Air M2 by 903.20 eurosa light computer that in this case incorporates a 15.3-inch screen. MacBook Pro M2 by 935.20 eurosa fairly complete computer in terms of features. iMac M1 by 1,159.20 eurosan ideal computer for those looking for an all-in-one. iPhone 15 Pro Max by 1,167.20 eurosa quite complete mobile in its 512 GB configuration. iPad Pro M2 If we talk about Apple tablets, one of the best prices on the reconditioned ones at El Corte Inglés is the iPad Pro M2. Incorporates a 12.9-inch screen with 120 Hz refresh rateits power is still very good despite not having the latest generation chip and the audio section is spectacular. Its price is 783.20 euros. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links MacBook Air M2 If what we are looking for is a good laptop that has a large screen, the MacBook Air M2 It is located in the El Corte Inglés outlet for a price of 903.20 euros. Assemble a panel 15.3 inches and comes with 256 GB of internal storage. Its chip is the Apple M2, the autonomy reaches up to 18 hours of video playback and it has a good audio section with the compatibility of Dolby Atmos. MacBook Air M2 (15.3-inch, 256GB) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links MacBook Pro M2 On the other hand, if we want a more compact computer, El Corte Inglés has the MacBook Pro M2 for a price of 913.76 euros. In this case, it comes with a 13.3 inch screenalso incorporates the M2 chip, has 256 GB of internal storage and weighs 1.4 kg. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links iMac M1 El Corte Inglés also has an Apple all-in-one computer in its outlet. It is about the iMac M1 that comes with screen, keyboard and mouse. All this for 1,159.20 euros. The Retina 4.5K screen is 24 inches and includes a webcam. Has 512 GB internal storagemounts Apple’s M1 chip and includes integrated speakers. The price could vary. We earn commission from these links iPhone 15 Pro Max Finally, at the El Corte Inglés outlet we can also find the iPhone 15 Pro Max. It will not be that of the current generation, but for 1,167.20 euros we talk about its configuration with 512 GB internal storage to save many photos, videos or files. It has good autonomy and Your software will be updated until 2030. iPhone 15 Pro Max (512GB) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | El Corte Inglés and Compradicción (header), Apple In Xataka | The best mobile phones (2025), we have tested them and here are their analyzes In Xataka | Best wireless headphones. Which one to buy and 21 models from 15 euros to 470 euros

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.