future

Anthropic has become the darling of AI and has sought a partner to guarantee its future. It’s not the one we thought

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When we think about the big players in artificial intelligence, we tend to draw pretty clear lines between competitors and allies. Anthropic and Google They usually appear on the same board, yes, but as direct rivals that develop their own models and compete for the same ground. Therefore, the fact that they now appear linked in the same agreement draws attention from the first moment. The firm led by Dario Amodei has closed an alliance with Google and Broadcom to ensure next-generation computing capacity, and that movement, beyond the technical, leaves a message that does not go unnoticed. If we go to the details of the announcement, what is relevant is not only who participates, but the scale of what has been signed. Anthropic speaks of multiple gigawatts of next-generation TPU capacity that it expects to come online from 2027, an infrastructure designed to support its famous Claude models. In its statement it insists that demand from its clients has accelerated this year, and presents this movement as a direct response to that pressure. In fact, it describes it as its biggest bet in computing so far, although Amazon remains its main cloud provider. The unexpected partner in the battle for computing The agreement makes a lot of sense if we look at the figures that the company has shared. In 2024, it registered annualized revenues above $30 billion and more than 1,000 business clients exceeding one million annual spending, when in February there were more than 500. So this undoubtedly translates into a greater load on your infrastructure. And that’s where this movement fits in, not so much as an isolated strategic coup, but as a response to that growth. And, as we can see, this agreement has two different pieces. On the one hand there is Broadcom, a semiconductor company that has benefited greatly from the rise of AI. On the other hand, the Mountain View giant appears, which in addition to providing infrastructure, driven by its focus on TPUalso competes directly in model development. And that is where the agreement gains interest, because it mixes technical collaboration with a competitive relationship that already existed. It is also worth stopping at where Anthropic is, because it helps to understand why it can close such a deal. The company has been building its position by moving away from the race for the flashiest features and focusing on business environmentwhere security, control and reliability outweigh the initial impact. This approach has allowed him to excel in tasks such as programming, with Claude Code, and security with the new Mythos. And, little by little, it has been gaining something that is not achieved overnight: the trust of large companies. But there is more. Anthropic makes it clear that Claude works on AWS TrainiumGoogle TPU and NVIDIA GPU, and adds that this variety allows it to improve performance and resilience. That gives us a pretty clear clue about what he’s doing now. Rather than betting everything on a single supplier or a single family of chips, it is consolidating a more flexible base to sustain its growth. And in an industry so stressed by hardware demand, that decision makes a lot of sense. Images | Anthropic In Xataka | The “token economy” is broken: flat AI programming fees are mathematically unsustainable

the future is vibe editing

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CapCut is the video editor most downloaded in the worldand has just anticipated where the creation of content on social networks is heading: a future in which it will not even be necessary to go through the classic timeline and in which models like Seedance 2.0 take center stage. CapCut Video Studio. CapCut has announced video studioits new web tool (and it is expected that it will soon arrive in the app) to create videos using “vibe editing”. Unlike any video creation and editing program, there is not even a timeline here: just Prompts. CapCut is a Bytedance company, the Chinese giant, so they are among the first to implement the best text-to-video models, such as Seedance 2.0. By regulatory issuesthis model is not yet available in Europe, but it is expected that it will end up arriving in our region. How it works. This tool will allow you to generate video at the level of what we have already seen with Seedance 2.0, by introducing prompts to generate scenes. Just as we can achieve in Google AI Studio and other tools that generate video and images from text, these prompts are iterative: the tool learns about the elements that have already been created in order to make more granular modifications. In addition, an AI agent is incorporated capable of analyzing the video to create creation suggestions based on it, giving us a choice between several possibilities. Why is it important. Video creation has been linked to the timeline for years: record, cut and add. That the most used editor in the world launches a tool without timelineand promising cinematic results through vibe coding, is a huge clue as to where the video industry is headed. Winning through AI. Davinci Resolve and Adobe Premiere have been the go-to options for video editors working on ambitious projects for years. CapCut has gone in another direction: it has fully committed to AI, and it is stealing users like no one else. They were the first to implement background segmentation using AI. They added AI element replacement before Premiere (which already had that technology in Photoshop). It has one of the best engines for AI audio enhancement. It has a specific section to create videos with AI that we can later add to the timeline. It allows you to improve the appearance of faces in real time using AI. What once seemed like a “toy” editor has become one of the most solid suites for creating video. The B side? The future of the internet is to be flooded with content generated with AI. In Xataka | The best alternatives to Sora to create videos with artificial intelligence

Saudi Arabia had billions to build the future in the desert. He has decided to sacrifice them to destroy Iran

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The cranes have stopped roaring in the Tabuk desert. There where it should rise a colossal artificial lake at 2,600 meters high and a science fiction metropolis valued in billionsToday the priority is to look at the sky looking for the trail of ballistic missiles and kamikaze drones. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) had promised the world a glass and petrodollar utopia called NEOM, a monument to his own ego designed to whitewash the regime’s image. However, the harsh reality of the Middle East has ended up imposing itself on the renders in 3D. A crossroads in the gulf. We are looking at what is now, for all intents and purposes, a Third Gulf War, and Saudi Arabia has reached a historic crossroads. Caught in the war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran, the Saudi monarchy faces an existential dilemma: save its economy and its megalomaniac pharaonic project, or take advantage of the chaos to dismantle, once and for all, the regime in Tehran. And judging by the shadow movements of its leaders, Riyadh seems willing to let its economic utopia bleed if it means it can win this war. Facing the gallery. Behind closed doors, Saudi Arabia’s message is one of absolute containment. In recent communicationsthe Saudi government has insisted that it has “always supported a peaceful resolution” and that its only priority is defending its population and infrastructure from daily attacks. This is what an analysis by Dr. Turki Faisal Al-Rasheed has defined as “strategic patience”: a tactic in which Riyadh avoids direct confrontation to protect its investments, while subtly encouraging the weakening of its regional rival. The reality is more complex. However, the leaks tell a very different story. As revealed The New York TimesBased on sources informed by US officials, MBS has been privately pressuring US President Donald Trump not to stop the war. The crown prince sees the current US-Israeli military campaign as a “historic opportunity” to destroy Iran’s hardline government. The talks have reached the point where MBS would have advocated for ground operations and even the military takeover of Kharg Island, the Iranian oil heart. The diplomatic board is abuzz. Mohamed bin Salmán’s phone does not stop ringing, as he urgently needs to shield his vital infrastructure from attacks and, to do so, he relies on the Western umbrella. As detailed ReutersBritish Prime Minister Keir Starmer personally telephoned MBS to condemn the Iranian offensive and confirm the deployment of more British defensive military equipment. London’s goal is to protect the kingdom and try to ensure that the sea trade route does not completely collapse. But while MBS is piling up shields and secretly pressuring Trump not to relax the blow against Iran, other regional allies are desperately trying to put out the fire before it devastates the entire Gulf. As revealed by the agency AnadoluPakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif contacted the crown prince to underline the “urgent need” for a de-escalation. Islamabad’s move is not a toast to the sun: Pakistan has emerged as the great shadow mediator, to the point of offering to host direct talks between the United States and Iran based on a 15-point American peace plan. The sacrifice of Vision 2030. “It’s the last thing he wanted. He wants stability and order, he doesn’t want missiles or drones flying.” This is how forceful an expert seemed consulted by him Financial Times. The diplomatic “detente” that Saudi Arabia had signed with Iran in 2023 has been shattered. Iranian retaliatory attacks have hit the giant Ras Tanura refinery, the Shaybah field and the Prince Sultan air base. The cost of this war for MBS’s dreams is already incalculable. Formula 1 had to cancel its April races. In the entertainment sector, the CEO of Savvy Games Group recognized that the war escalation It will “cool the perception” of Saudi Arabia as a safe destination for investment of 38 billion in eSports. The biggest collateral victim: NEOM. The artificial lake project Trojenaawarded for $4.7 billion to an Italian construction company, is already facing leaks about delays of between three and four years. The 2029 Winter Games have been postponed indefinitely and the extra costs suffocate an already deficient budget. The war and instability in the Red Sea discourage foreign investment, vital for these science fiction cities to go from render to reality. The reality of the Saudi coffers is critical. As revealed The New York TimesEven before the conflict broke out, the crown prince was already facing serious financial challenges. The 2030 deadline is approaching and the government assumes budget deficit forecasts for the coming years, suffocated by excessive spending on megaprojects and vast investments in artificial intelligence that are straining the country’s resources to the limit. And a prolonged war threatens to blow everything up, since MBS’s success depends on a single factor that is currently non-existent: a safe environment for investors and tourists. Holding the pulse. To withstand the challenge, Saudi Arabia has had to resort to an engineering work born of fear in the 80s. With the Strait of Hormuz strangled by the Iranian threat, Riyadh has activated its logistical “antidote.” State oil company Aramco is pumping against the clock through the East-West Pipeline, a 1,200 kilometer pipeline that crosses the desert to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. The objective is to move up to 7 million barrels a day by land, avoiding Tehran’s missiles. The landscape in Yanbu is like something out of a movie: an “army” of at least 25 supertankers (VLCC) crowds on the coast to evacuate some 50 million barrels. However, there are no magic solutions. The port has a physical funnel (it can only load between 4 and 4.5 million barrels per day) and, in addition, ships must cross the Bab al-Mandab Strait, exposing themselves to the Houthi rebels. Added to this is that the pipeline only moves crude oil, leaving markets such as Europe without their vital supplies of refined products such as diesel, exacerbating the global energy … Read more

NASA has put a Spaniard in charge of the project for its future lunar base: Carlos García-Galán from Malaga

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Dressed in a jacket, light blue shirt and gold tie, Carlos García-Galán He did not occupy another chair at the NASA conference held in Washington. Escorted by the administrator Jared Isaacman and other top-level officials, the engineer from Malaga spoke before the press in the middle of the presentation of the agency’s new lunar turn. His presence at that time placed him at the forefront of a roadmap that redefines NASA’s priorities on the Moon. The context of that scene helps understand its relevance. Hours before,Isaacman had presented a roadmap that changes the focus of the agency. It is no longer just about returning to the Moon, but about establishing a sustained presence on its surface. The proposal involves deploying in three phases the initial elements of a permanent lunar base, with stable infrastructure and a logic that is more industrial than experimental. The man from Malaga who now pilots the Moon Base program This change of course also redefines the role of those who must execute it. In this context appears García-Galán, whose official position within NASA is “executive program” at the lunar base. This is a high-level management position, responsible for coordinate and guide program development, not an operational role on the ground. His role will be to lead the project from the agency structure, not to direct a facility on the lunar surface. García-Galán, remember, is not a newcomer, but an engineer who has developed his career within NASA and has been assuming responsibilities for years to get to this point. His presence in the announcement is linked to that trajectory, which now places him in one of the great bets of the US space agency at this stage. His career within NASA helps to understand why he has come this far. Before this appointment, García-Galán, according to LinkedInheld the position of “deputy manager” of the Gateway program, until now a relevant piece in the agency’s lunar architecture. With more than 27 years of experience In manned space flights, he has worked on the design, integration and operation of complex systems, participating in programs such as the International Space Station and the Orion spacecraft. His experience at Gateway also helps explain this appointment. In that program, García-Galán was involved in integration and management tasks within an environment with multiple partners and components. The new approach towards a lunar base requires precisely this ability to order diverse pieces, from missions to infrastructure, something that fits with the profile that has been developed within the agency in recent years. The program that he will now supervise is divided into several phases with a common objective: establishing a sustained presence on the lunar surface. NASA proposes a sequence of missions that will go deploying infrastructurefrom mobility and energy systems to communications networks and habitats. The idea is to advance progressively towards a base capable of sustaining longer-term human stays. Images | NASA (1, 2, 3) In Xataka | Elon Musk knows that TSMC is overwhelmed: Terafab is his idea to completely change the global chip industry

AI is the future

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“We all sighed when we heard the news, but there were no great emotions.” Sixth Tone picks up the reaction of a photography student from the Communication University of China upon hearing the news. The higher education center, one of the country’s leaders in performing arts and communication, stopped offering five degrees in the branch: photography, comics, visual communication design, new media art and fashion design. Dazhong Wang meets in a table the before and after of your offer. Liao Xiangzhong, Party Secretary of China Communication University declared that the form and content had changed and that now the way of thinking had to change as well. And he pointed to a future where humans and machines distribute tasks: “We need to find solutions and let AI take care of the rest so that students learn.” The small print. In reality, the majors and postgraduate degrees suppressed from the CUC study offer there were 16 in totalwhich include the aforementioned arts, three humanities, six economics and business administration and two sciences and engineering. And more than a cancellation, it is a restructuring seeking to optimize existing programs. So, now photograph is framed within photography and production for film and television. At the same time, in this restructuring, new programs such as intelligent cinema and television and intelligent media have also been launched, laying the foundations to address the arrival and consolidation of artificial intelligence in these areas. Best nearby example: what it does Seedance 2.0. It is not an exception. It is not a decision of a specific rectorate, but a trend that affects several institutions at the same time. By the end of 2025, several Chinese universities had stopped admitting students in arts-related careers, such as echoes China News Service. The CUC thing is not an isolated case: Nanchang University he said goodbye of four artistic careers (of eight in total). Jilin University has been withdrawing arts courses both in 2024 (six) like in 2025 (four). East China Normal University in Shanghai advertisement in the fall that suspended three arts programs. Tongji University communicated last September that would eliminate three arts programs. The China University of Petroleum was more drastic: in his statement announces that all admissions to art studios are suspended. There is a state plan behind. Liao already hinted that this decision is due to an imminent reality for which the Chinese government is already preparing. He Action Plan for the Adjustment and Optimization of Disciplines and Programs in Higher Education It has a triannual nature. This plan works as a kind of legal mechanism that allows universities to cancel degrees with low labor demand while expanding others considered strategic, aligned with national development objectives, such as artificial intelligence, science and data. According to Wu YanDeputy Minister of Education, in 2024 alone, 1,600 new programs were created and almost the same number were eliminated following that strategy. AI is the argument, not the cause. Liao Xiangzhong explains that the great threat of AI is not to replace a specific skill, but to deprive people of their interest and ability to think. And that it should not be considered simply a tool, but rather an assistant, a partner, a competitor and even a completely new collaborative entity. That division of labor between man and machine. This paradigm shift is what China is preparing for with practicality as its flag: in full battle for AI hegemonya drop in birth rate and his huge youth unemployment problem (especially in some races) the Asian giant needs to prioritize its best resource (human resources) where strategically it needs it most. In Xataka | China looks at VET: why more and more generation Z students prefer trades over university degrees In Xataka | China has a huge youth unemployment problem. So much so that some people pay to pretend to work Cover | Yue Wu and Đào Việt Hoàng

China is giving apartments to its entrepreneurs because it is clear that the future is the Yo SL companies

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Ma Ruipeng is 41 years old and has been working as a programmer for 20 years. Three months ago he left his job to start his own company. From his apartment in Beijing he works with three computers, AI tools like Claude Code, design platforms like Figma and, of course, his own installation of OpenClaw which he has called “Big House”. That’s what he hopes from his solo adventure: that his house becomes really big. He hasn’t made money yet, but he clearly prefers working with AI before AI works in place. The era of the Yo SL in China they start to push There are increasingly so-called “one-person companies” (OPC), one-person companies that act like startups founded and operated by a single person. These types of entrepreneurs make the most of AI tools—scheduling agents, video and image generators, task automation systems—to do the work that previously required having a team of employees. The falling cost of developing digital products, combined with the arrival of AI agents really functional like OpenClaw has made this type of business figures viable for the first time on a massive scale. The government is betting on entrepreneurs in the AI ​​era. In November the city of Suzhou advertisement that would build “30 OPC communities” with the goal that by 2028 the city would have at least 1,000 one-person AI companies. Other Chinese cities quickly followed. The Pudong district of Shanghai covers up to 300,000 yuan (37,500 euros) in computing costs, and Wuhan offers special loans for AI solopreneurs and even promises to absorb some of the losses if they go bankrupt. It is a well-known strategy: there is a central guideline that drives core competence to take advantage of this new industry that promises to revolutionize the market. Free floors and empty data centers. Chinese government incentives they don’t just translate into money. Several local governments are converting office buildings and underutilized data centers in a kind of incubators for this new SME format, for these “Yo SL”. The context is revealing, because with the AI ​​fever many municipalities built data centers without calculating real demand and had them half empty. Filling them with subsidized startups solves two problems at once. Silicon Valley is something else. On the other side of the Pacific, it is venture capital funds that finance Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, and there We bet on startups with the most return potential. In China, it is the State that is fully involved in this effort: it offers subsidies for infrastructure, it is a priority customer of these products —what’s happening with robotics— and promotes competition between municipalities to attract talent. “It’s like a giant Silicon Valley,” explained Lin Zhang, a researcher at the University of New Hampshire: “when a new technology emerges, the entire bureaucratic system is mobilized to develop it.” There will be many who fail. The uncertainty, however, is notable. Venture capitalists say that most OPCs will not end up becoming viable businesses, although they admit that government subsidies are encouraging more and more people to start pitching ideas for their startups. Taking into account that frequent layoffs are beginning to occur in the market, this is an alternative for many former employees of technology companies, who can thus seek their own opportunity with the help of the Chinese government. It is a commitment to volume as an innovation strategy: many will fail, but the more they try, the more options for success there will be. Fear of unemployment is a powerful ally. Behind many of these stories there is a common motivation: the fear of being left out of the labor market. The prospect of being replaced by AI both in China and the rest of the world is starting to get really disturbing for a whole generation of skilled workers. These OPCs are for many of them a response to that threat: if you can’t beat the AI, use it. Before, those who ended up laid off looked, for example, at franchised businesses and they set up a bar or a photoepilation business. The future indicates that many will now set up their “Yo SL”, their startup from home in which there will be no need for an office or employees. AI will take care of (almost) everything. Image | Blackcreek Corporate In Xataka | To dominate chips, China must first obtain hyper-specialized technology in the hands of its historical rival: Japan.

Carrefour is selling off OLED, QLED and QNED TVs with good discounts and gift coupons for future purchases

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If you are thinking of renewing the old TV in your home for the next World Cup or because you want a newer model with better technologies, Carrefour It makes it easy for you with this promotion that it has on its website. Now, you can get discounted TVs from the companies Samsung, LG, Hisense and TCL with which he also gives you a coupon up to 20% for future purchases. This promotion will be valid until next March 23. LG OLED55B56LA by 799 euros: 55-inch OLED and with a gift coupon of 159.80 euros. TCL 55P71K by 379 euros: 55-inch QLED and with a gift coupon for 56.85 euros. Samsung TQ65Q7F5AU by 579 euros: 65-inch QLED with a gift coupon of 86.85 euros. Hisense 65E7Q PRO by 499 euros: 65-inch QLED with 74.85 euros as a gift. LG 86QNED80A6A by 1,199 euros: 86-inch QNED with a gift coupon for 179.85 euros. LG OLED55B56LA – TV 55″, OLED 4K The price could vary. We earn commission from these links LG OLED55B56LA Is it possible to buy an OLED TV for less than 800 euros? Now yes in this Carrefour campaign. Specifically, this LG OLED55B56LA is available with a discount of 500 euros, remaining available for 799 euros. Plus, you get a 20% coupon (159.80 euros) for future purchases. This TV from LG has a 55 inch OLED panel with a refresh rate of 120 Hz, which makes it a good option for gaming. It is compatible with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos and comes with several gaming technologies such as AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync. LG OLED55B56LA – TV 55″, OLED 4K The price could vary. We earn commission from these links TCL 55P71K If you are looking for a cheaper option, this TCL TV is a good option now at Carrefour. Its previous price was 499 euros, although it is now reduced to 379 euros. Plus you get a 56.85 euro coupon (15%) for future purchases. This television mounts a panel QLED 55 inches with 4K UHD resolution. It supports Dolby Vision & Atmos and supports VESA mount mounting. Works under the operating system Google TV and has multiple connectivity options. TCL 55P71K 55″ (139.7 cm), QLED, 4K UHD TV The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Samsung TQ65Q7F5AU Do you want a slightly larger TV so you can set up your own home theater? This one from Samsung is a good option now at Carrefour. It is reduced to 579 euros and, furthermore, you get a gift coupon of 86.85 euros to spend at the hypermarket. Belonging to the Q7F family from the Korean firm, this TV has a panel 65 inch QLED with 4K Ultra HD resolution. It is compatible with HDR10+ and includes Filmmaker Mode. The operating system under which it works is Tizen and, in addition, it is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant. Smart QLED TV 65″ (165.1 cm) Samsung TQ65Q7F5AU with AI, 4K UHD The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Hisense 65E7Q PRO Another smart TV that you can get at a very good price now at Carrefour, with a 350 euro discount, is this one from the Hisense firm. Its current price is 499 euros and, furthermore, you get a gift coupon of 74.85 euros. This television from the Hisense firm mounts a 65 inch QLED panel with 4K resolution. It has 144 Hz refresh rate and incorporates gaming technologies and Game Mode. It is compatible with Dolby Vision IQ & Atmos and works under the VIDAA operating system. Hisense 65E7Q Pro – QLED Smart TV The price could vary. We earn commission from these links The last of the television models that we have found on sale at Carrefour is suitable for large living rooms, since it is a 86 inch pants. Its price has gone from 1,499 euros to 1,199 euros now. In addition, you get a coupon for 179.85 euros as a gift for future purchases. This TV from LG mounts a QNED panel and works with webOS operating system. It offers 4K UHD resolution and is compatible with Google Assistant, Alexa and Apple AirPlay. It offers multi-screen mode and also comes with multiple connectivity options. LG 86QNED80A6A – TV 86″, 4K QNED EVO, Smart TV 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 | Webedia, Samsung, TCL, Hisense and LG In Xataka | Best home theater projectors. Which one to buy and five recommended models from 299 to 18,000 euros In Xataka | Mega-guide to set up a home theater: projector, screen, sound system and more

Mercadona’s future looks less like that of a supermarket and more like that of a takeaway restaurant

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Juan Roig, founder of Mercadona, is clear that in 2050 there will be no kitchens. Is an affirmation who, in addition to being daring, is, of course, interested. Especially taking into account that the Valencian company has managed to dominate the niche of distribution of prepared dishes with an iron fist, where its market share is 51.2%. The path is clear for Mercadona’s future: betting on saying goodbye to cooking at home. Store 9. Mercadona has launched its new logistics project with the name “Tienda 9”, which is the successor to the previous “Tienda 8”. Like Roig himself claimed“We have not been very original (with the name).” With an investment of 3.7 billion euros, the chain will transform its 1,600 centers in Spain and Portugal and will do so with a new criterion. After optimizing space and energy efficiency with the previous modelthe goal now is to completely redesign the user experience and internal workflow. Sort by temperature. The great revolution is not aesthetic, but structural. Mercadona abandons the “business” organization (greengrocer, butcher, etc.) to move to process management. In practice, this means that the supermarket will be sorted according to the storage temperature of the products. Thus, frozen vegetables will no longer be next to fresh fruits, but with the rest of the sub-zero products to optimize the cold chain and the speed of purchase. Goodbye, Mr. fruit seller. “Store 9” also marks the end of traditional counters. Here Mercadona is committed to total self-service: meats and fish They will be presented exclusively on trays. Handling, cutting and packaging are moved to central or internal workshopswhich will free up the space facing the public to convert it into more agile linear free-service areas. If you want to talk to the fruit seller or the butcher, forget it. Here everything is designed for minimal human interaction and of course, to optimize (further) margins. More efficient, no doubt, but also dangerously lonely. Six strategic areas. In this new design of each store there will be six different areas. The core will be refrigerated, frozen and trays, which will be next to each other to facilitate logistics. To this will be added areas of products at room temperature, a fruit and vegetable section that will gain square meters and of course, the big star: the prepared food area, which will no longer look like that, but something else. dark kitchenbut in pretty. The success of prepared dishes is so overwhelming at Mercadona that strengthening this section is a key component of this new “Store 9” logistics project. The supermarket looks less and less like a supermarket and more and more like a restaurant in which there are no tables, only take-out food. He controversial concept of ghost kitchens (dark kitchen) that experienced overwhelming success and an equally devastating fall is now recovering but in an “official” way and with the support of the chain that is converting it into an everyday occurrence. It is already known: Now we buy time, not food. Ready to eat. This strategy responds to a clear trend: people are excited about ready-to-eat meals. This section already has a turnover of more than 1,000 million euros and is growing at a rate of 20% annually. Mercadona wants to promote this section, so not only will expand the product rangebut will install more tables and chairs in the establishments. The “super” will come dangerously close to the traditional restaurant, thus competing with a sector that was already competitive. The revolution made a supermarket. The evolution of prepared meals at Mercadona is worthy of studying in MBAs. The chain conceived its table and chair areas as a service aimed at passing customers or workers from nearby offices. However, the aggressive pricing policy—bars and restaurants cannot compete—has transformed these corners into improvised soup kitchens and neighborhood meeting points. Depending on the location, there is a certain friction: what for some is a vital savings solution, for the customer looking for quick and aseptic purchases acts as a deterrent: the supermarket is no longer as efficient for them. More efficiency than ever. This transformation will also bring improvements in energy efficiency. According to Mercadona’s estimates, this strategy will allow an additional saving of 10% in energy and 40% in water compared to the previous model, which in fact It was already an example of efficiency. Each store will have a technical update of its machine room, although at the moment it does not seem that they are going to offer self-checkouts: Roig’s model continues to prioritize the passage through an attended checkout, maintaining – there – the human factor at the last point of contact of an increasingly automated store. Image | Flikr (Informative Board), Wikimedia Commons (Carlos) In Xataka | Mercadona and the rest of the supermarkets have realized something worrying: they spend a million dollars on printing paper

the future anticipates a two-faced company

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Fight over the price in Europe. Premium cars out of it. Renault has presented futuREAdy its roadmap for the next four years. Nearby goals for a market that lives upside down, fighting for a reconversion that the public does not end up embracing, in which regulators lead the way and where solutions are sought beyond Europe. futuReady. It is the name of the plan presented by Renault this morning. The company, led by François Provost as CEO of the Renault Group, presented this morning a roadmap that takes over from Renaulutionthe project presented by Luca de Meo in which a separation of powers within the company was devised, which promoted the offensive in the AB segment of electric cars but also opened the door to the combustion engine in an alliance with Geely. Now, the company has set a new milestone: 2030. It is the date that Renault marks as the red line to launch 36 new models on the market distributed between Renault, Alpine and Dacia. Of them, 26 cars will use the Renault diamond, with 12 launches for Europe and 14 launches outside our continent. The project talks about maintaining jobs, incorporating artificial intelligence into processes, new electric platforms… but it also makes clear a clearly differentiated Renault: those inside and outside the EU. Inside. For Europe, Renault is clear that the future is electric… or almost. These are its guidelines: New electric platform to cover the B+ to D segment. That is, cars above the Renault 5, which complement the current Renault Megane and Scenic and options one step above. Your strong point will be your 800 volt platform with very powerful recharges (they promise 10 minutes of stopping, although no powers or recharge percentages are detailed) and ranges of 750 km according to the WLTP cycle. 400 volt architecture for the most affordable versions so we can expect longer charging times (in this case they mention 20 minute recharges) Extended range options. That is, electric with small combustion engines to increase autonomy to more than 1,400 kilometers. It is a solution that promises very low emissions (less than 25 gr/km of CO2 Renault promises) and that It is increasingly common in China. Out. On the contrary, the line that Renault will follow outside of Europe is very clear: take advantage of its collaboration with Geely. That is, leave electricity aside and prioritize the combustion engine. The French have, together with the Chinese company, a company called Horse Project to develop and produce combustion engines. Spain is also key in these developments. Renault’s accounts involve 50% of sales outside Europe being electrified (in Europe it will be 100%) to sell a total of two million cars a year, of which half should come from beyond the European Union. That is to say, Renault needs to expand its presence outside Europe, broaden its horizons and its strategy is to go up a notch and aim towards the premium segment. In that position between the generalist and the premiumthe company Filante has already been presented. It is an SUV that will be available first in South Korea and will then jump to Mexico and the Gulf countries. And his credentials are clear: Segment E (4.92 meters long, very far from what it sells in Europe) Hybrid technology with 250 HP 12.3-inch triple screen Windshield data projector with augmented reality A very different approach. The Renault Filante has a clear aspiration to reposition the French company’s position in the current automobile market. The investment for these new models will be 3 billion euros and will take advantage of the synergies with Geely to launch these cars with a higher price and positioning on the market. The chosen countries are not a coincidence either, South America, South Korea and the Gulf countries are markets where D and E segment cars (from 4.70 meters upwards) have a great weight in the market. It is not enough for Renault to position its cars there, it needs to increase its perception of quality and its brand image if it wants to gain ground. In addition, higher priced cars are also those that can generate a higher profit margin. First, because generating high profit margins with small electric cars (such as Twingo or the Renault 5) is more complicated. Second, because the association with Geely and the use of combustion engines makes it easier to reduce the structural costs of the launch. Saving. What is proposed for Europe is: savings. And the company has indicated that it will launch more electric options within our continent to accompany the current ones. Renault Megane and Scenic. But the fight for this market is expected to be very tough and the price will be key. Therefore, in a clear message aimed at strengthening the economic viability of the project, the brand wanted to make clear how it hopes to save money with its new products: On average, your cars will use 30% fewer parts. A trend in the industry that has Tesla and the Chinese market as main supporters. Use of 350 humanoid robots in the short term Creation of a digital twin of all your plants and control of the supply chain by AI They aim to reduce energy costs by 25% They aim to reduce production costs by 20% They aim to reduce logistics costs by 30% Reduction of variable costs per car by 400 euros on average Two paths. What Renault makes clear to us is that we will have a company with two clearly differentiated paths. Pushed by restrictions promoted by European regulators (although the rules have been relaxed, the electric car remains the main winner in the future), Renault is aware that it needs more competitive cars in the most competitive markets in Europe: the BB-SUV and C and C-SUV segments. This competitiveness can only be achieved versus Chinese manufacturers with attractive products but, above all, they can play on price since it will be key in cars designed for the city … Read more

Spain is betting its future in the semiconductor industry on a single card: gallium chips

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SPARC Foundry is one of the best assets that Spain can cling to to get on a train, that of semiconductors, currently guided with a firm hand by USA, South Korea, Taiwan, China and Japan. This Galician company, however, does not pursue producing silicon chips. In this area, competing with the five powers I just mentioned is essentially impossible. SPARC’s plan involves building a manufacturing factory in the Valadares Technology Park, in Vigo. next generation photonic semiconductors. The interesting thing is that these chips will not be silicon; They will be manufactured using gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium phosphide (InP) or gallium nitride (GaN), and will most likely have a leading role in the telecommunications, defense, automotive, consumer electronics, quantum computing or the aerospace industry. Be that as it may, SPARC will not tackle the GIGaNTE project alone. Indra leads it with a 37% stake in SPARC Foundrywhich places the latter group as the majority partner of the company specialized in the production of chips. According to SPARC and Indra, the Vigo semiconductor plant will be operational during the first half of 2027 and will have the capacity to manufacture up to 20,000 wafers per year when it is able to work at full capacity. An interesting note: GIGaNTE, the name of this project, has been designed around the chemical formula of gallium nitride (GaN). Gallium aspires to be the protagonist of the next generation of chips Photonic integrated circuits use photons to process and transmit information. Photons are the elementary particles responsible for forms of electromagnetic radiation, including the manifestation of visible light. They have no mass and are capable of traveling in a vacuum at a constant speed: the speed of light. However, something worth not overlooking is that although we are referring to them as particles, they also manifest as waves, hence the existence of the quantum phenomenon known as ‘wave-particle duality’ to identify the wave nature of light. Although, as we have seen, SPARC will produce photonic chips, the core of its business will revolve around gallium arsenide and gallium nitride. Unlike silicon, They are not elementary semiconductors. And they are not because the latter are characterized by being made up of a single chemical element, while gallium arsenide (GaAs) is composed of gallium (Ga) and arsenic (As), and gallium nitride (GaN) is composed of gallium (Ga) and nitrogen (N). SPARC is going to produce photonic chips and the core of its business will revolve around gallium arsenide and gallium nitride The term semiconductor is appearing many times in this article, so it is a good idea that we review what it is about before moving forward. A semiconductor is an element or compound that, under certain conditions of pressure, temperature, or when exposed to radiation or an electromagnetic field, behaves like a conductor, and, therefore, offers little resistance to the movement of electrical charges. And when it is found in other different conditions it behaves like an insulator. In this last state it offers great resistance to the displacement of electrical charges. In elements with electrical conduction capacity, some of the electrons in their atoms, known as free electrons, can pass from one atom to another when we apply a potential difference at the ends of the conductor. Precisely, this electron displacement capacity is what we know as electric currentand we all know intuitively that metals are good conductors of electricity. Curiously, they are because they have many free electrons that can move from one atom to another and, thus, they manage to transport the electrical charge. Gallium nitride and gallium arsenide are semiconductors, and this implies that under certain circumstances they are capable of transporting electrical charge. When the appropriate conditions exist, the mobility of its electrons is much greater than in semiconductors such as silicon or germanium. And this means that its capacity to transport electrical charge is also superior. Another very interesting property of these compounds is their high saturation rate. It is not necessary for us to delve into this parameter to the point of excessively complicating the article, but it is interesting that we know that it reflects the maximum speed at which electrons can move. through the crystal structure of these compounds. This maximum speed is limited by the dispersion suffered by the electrons during their movement. Gallium arsenide transistors can work at frequencies above 250 GHz This property has very important repercussions. One of them is that gallium arsenide transistors can work at frequencies above 250 GHz, which is a quite impressive figure. In addition, they are relatively immune to overheating and produce less noise in electronic circuits than silicon devices, especially when it is necessary to work at high frequencies. On the other hand, gallium nitride can work at very high voltages and reach extreme temperatures without its performance or stability being compromised. Besides, allows manufacturing compact and efficient transformers Because it dissipates little energy in the form of heat, it will most likely play a fundamental role in the charging infrastructure of electric cars and base stations for 5G communications. Image | Generated by Xataka with Gemini More information | SPARC Foundry In Xataka | Spain steps on the accelerator in its particular chip race. And it does so with a total commitment to integrated photonics

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