future

They have published the plans for the future Russian nuclear bomber. And the worst thing for Moscow is that the West now knows how to deactivate it

by

The last time Russia’s bombers made the news was to verify a unprecedented assault in the Ukrainian war. It happened with the Spiderweb operation that kyiv carried out in the heart of the Moscow air bases, when a swarm of more than 100 drones hidden in trucks managed to destroy an important part of the Russian fleet of strategic bombers. The truth is that Russia was developing an unprecedented bomber to renew its fleet, although there are now doubts that it could materialize. The fragility of an industry. The international intelligence network InformNapalmin cooperation with the Fenix ​​cyber center, has revealed one of the largest information blows against the Russian military-industrial complex since the start of the war in Ukraine. The data, obtained after infiltrating the internal systems of the Russian company OKBM (key supplier of components for strategic aviation and the space sector), show Russia’s deep dependence on foreign machinery and reveal classified technical information of two programs considered pillars of its new generation aviation: the stealth bomber PAK DA “Poslannik” and the Su-57 fifth-generation fighter. And more. According to InformNapalmthe stolen files were used for months for the benefit of the Ukrainian Defense Forces and allied countries, which amplifies the impact of the leak both at the operational and political levels. Between ambition and sanctions. The PAK DA, designed by Tupolev to replace veterans Tu-95 and Tu-160represents the Russian attempt to create a subsound strategic bomber flying wing with stealth capability, intercontinental autonomy and dual nuclear and conventional capability. Conceived since the early 2000s, the project has suffered chronic delaysbudget problems and a persistent inability to consolidate a national production chain. The leaked documents include coded hydraulic system specifications like 80RSh115responsible for opening the bomb bay hatches of Poslannik-1, and confirm the existence of a classified contract between Tupolev and OKBM which requires absolute confidentiality and allows it to be terminated if state secrecy is violated. Technical documentation with engineering drawings and specifications for the RSh type box used in the PAK DA bomb bay system Extra page. Not only that. Apparently, a additional annex (called Supplementary Agreement No. 7) details the scheduling of the production phases between 2024 and 2027, a calendar that is now more than compromised by the scandal and the deterrent effect of European sanctions. Technological dependence. The filtrationFurthermore, it reveals a structural contradiction: the Kremlin’s discourse on industrial sovereignty contrasts with the reality of a system that cannot sustain its own projects. no western technology. OKBM, an essential part of the gear that produces actuators and transmission systems for the Su-57 and the PAK DA, depends on CNC machinery imported from Taiwan (Hartford HCMC-1100AG and Johnford SL-50 models) and Serbia (Grindex BSD-700U grinding machine). The equipment was purchased through subsidies from the Ministry Russian Ministry of Industry and Commerce, which shows that the State itself finances the evasion of international sanctions. This framework (a mix of obsolete engineering, technological dependence and state bureaucracy) has become a strategic vulnerability that compromises Russia’s ability to sustain complex long-term programs. Supplementary agreement confirming the continuation of the contract of the PAK DA component under the revised technical code 80RSh A failed industrial pattern. The leaked internal emails They also include documentation on RSh-65 systems of hinge and transmission used in the weapons compartments of the Su-57, the fifth generation fighter that Moscow presents as a symbol of its technological autonomy. However, the materials confirm that production remains subject to the same bottlenecks than the PAK DA: lack of critical parts, dependence on foreign suppliers and delays caused by a shortage of precision tools. Despite public investment and the expansion of plants in Kazaninternal audits attribute the delays to the departure of international manufacturers from the Russian market after the invasion of Ukraine. The political coup. After the analysis of the documentsthe European Union officially included OKBM in its 19th sanctions package on October 23, 2025, recognizing its central role in Russian strategic weapons production and restriction evasion operations. This decision, directly motivated by the findings, confirms how cyber intelligence has become a battlefield expanse: a space where the exposure of industrial vulnerability can be as decisive as a physical attack. The operation, named OKBMLeaksis announced as the first chapter in a series of publications aimed at documenting the structural dependence of the Russian military sector on foreign technology and showing the erosion of its productive capacity. The Russian mirage. He OKBM case illustrates the distance between the Kremlin’s rhetoric about self-sufficiency and the material reality of an industrial complex sustained by imported parts, inherited engineering, and a network of opaque middlemen. If the PAK DA was to symbolize Russia’s entry into a new era of strategic aviation, the leak shows that the project is today a promise threatened by sanctionsproduction necks and lack of technological substitution. The vulnerability revealed transcends the technical: it reflects the accumulated cost of two decades industry dependency global and exposes the difficulty of sustaining a prolonged war without the support of a fully autonomous industrial base. In short, the scandal not only reveals aeronautical secretsbut rather it exposes the structural fragility of contemporary military Russia, whose defense apparatus seems increasingly sophisticated in its designs, but more than precarious in its actual capacity to manufacture them. Image | Russian Defense Minister, InformNapalm In Xataka | A 20-year-old technology led Ukraine to Russian bombers. Moscow’s answer comes from China: a laser cannon In Xataka | In 2024, Ukrainian trucks disguised as “home” entered Russia. Now they have dynamited their main air bases

If you really want to understand China (and how it sees the future), it’s easy: read its five-year plans

by

Today’s China bears little resemblance to that of the mid-20th century, when in the time of Mao Zedong the People’s Republic decided to promote its first five year plan. ran the year 1953 and the country was preparing for the Great Leap Forwardan attempt at industrial modernization that ended with a famine with tragic consequences. Since then China has chained almost uninterrupted five-year plans, documents that help understand its evolution. Its reading is interesting now that the Central Committee of the Communist Party has launched the machinery to provide a plan for 2026-2030. Playing short or long term? On Monday Isaac Stone Fish, founder of Strategy Risk, opened a debate interesting in X: What horizon does China use when drawing up strategies? Do you focus on the long term or do you think only a few years ahead? It is not a minor issue. Stone himself brought up the subject a video released by the White House, the fragment of an interview granted by Trump to CBS in which it was pointed out that the Chinese “are playing the long game.” Click on the image to go to the tweet. “A recommended read”. “Let’s stop saying that the Chinese are playing the long game. This is orientalist nonsense that we must eradicate from our discourse with China. Read the Five Year Plan from five years ago and you will see how different China has become from what its leaders predicted. The Chinese think, like the rest of the people, mainly about the challenges they will face today and in the years to come,” claims the analyst, who assures that long-term speeches have other purposes, such as the party’s self-reaffirmation. He is not the only one who believes it. “If you are interested in reality, read the Chinese five-year plans. They are instructive,” slid another user in X. “Read a plan from five years ago. It is recommended.” But what are five-year plans? Economic and social guides, five-year guidelines that the Chinese authorities set for themselves and that basically set objectives in terms of development, industry, innovation or well-being. Also the paths to reach them. The first dates back to 1953 and since then they have been happening (with almost no pauses) with greater or lesser success, but exerting a key influence on the national evolution of the last 70 years. In fact it is not strange to hear that the turning point in China’s modern development came in 1978, with the economic reform promoted by Deng Xiaoping, which was followed shortly after by a five-year plan for the period 1981-1985. “A macro guideline”. “The five-year plan serves as a way for leaders to take stock, examine challenges and tasks, set directions and move forward. It must be followed closely, as strategic thinking and planning have become a rarity among governments,” They explain to EFE Nomura analysts. “It is a macro-level instruction or guideline for the market to know, including investors, state-owned enterprises and the public, to have the correct expectation of what government policy will be in the future,” comment in AP Li Lun, professor at Peking University. Its role is important because, as remember Neil Thomasresearcher at the Asia Society Policy Institute, marks a key difference with Europe or the US “Western politics operates through electoral cycles, but Chinese policymaking operates through planning cycles.” In the focus. That the Chinese five-year plans are being talked about right now is no coincidence. The country is immersed in the preparation of the new roadmap that will mark its steps until 2030, a complex scenario marked by the real estate crisishe weakening of domestic consumptionthe trade tensionshe youth unemployment or the aging of the population, among other challenges. A few days ago the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party met behind closed doors to talk about the new five-year plan, a document that will not be approved until March 2026but the one that Beijing wanted advance some keys. Among other goals, the technological self-sufficiencymaintain at a level “reasonable” of manufacturing and raise life expectancy up to the 80 years. Why is it important? Because although there is still a long way to go for the approval of the new five-year plan, in the past this roadmap has been key to understanding the priorities of the Chinese Government. Also in its development. At the end of October Nick Mash published an analysis on the BBC in which he details three occasions in which the plans have influenced the world economy: the reformist and opening trend of 1981-1984, the commitment to “strategic emerging industries” during 2011-2015 and “high-quality development” (2021-2025). Images | Dominic Kurniawan Suryaputra (Unsplash) and Chinese Communist Party In Xataka | Xi Jinping wants two things: first, to create a global center that regulates AI. The second, that it is in Shanghai

Wearing glasses against “blue light” is a thing of the past. The future is anti-recognition glasses

by

Facial recognition has been on our phones for years and is increasingly being implemented in more places. Airports, police investigations and even apps that want to implement it to prove that we are human. More and more systems they want to see our faces and concerns about privacy are increasing. The first invention to protect us from mass surveillance is here and comes in the form of glasses. ID Guard. It is the name that Zennia company that sells glasses online, has put its new lenses. They have a pink coating that reflects the infrared light used by many facial recognition systems like Apple’s FaceID. When we try to unlock the iPhone with them on, the eyes darken and that means the system is not able to verify the user. The problem. They count in 404media The problem with this technology is that it only works with systems that use infrared light. That is, we can still be identified through a normal photo. Most facial recognition systems that we can find on the street, for example those at airports or those used by the police, use normal cameras. New concern. We have been using biometric data to access mobile phones for years. However, unlike the fingerprint, our face is much more accessible and with the emergence of AI, Recognizing each other is easier than ever. There are services like PimEyes or Lenso.ai that recognize faces in just seconds simply from an image. Zenni’s glasses are a response to this new concern, although perhaps they arrive too soon, and they still have to solve the problem of recognition with normal cameras. Doxing. It is a type of attack in which a person’s private information is revealed. When we talk about mass surveillance we think of systems run by governments and authorities, but it goes beyond that. A “doxing“It is when, for example, someone records you, uploads the video to the networks and identifies you only from your image. We have recent cases such as the infidelity that was revealed by the kiss-cam at a Coldplay concert or that of that man who stole a child’s cap during the US Open. Video surveillance. There are many countries that have implemented massive video surveillance systems. The country that comes to mind before this mass surveillance thing is Chinabut there are many more places in the world full of cameras. In Europe we have the case of London, which has almost a million cameras installed in its streets. In United States, police are using facial recognition to arrest suspects (and making mistakes) and in The European Union approved the use of facial recognition in 2024 by the authorities. Image | Karola G, Pexels In Xataka | To what extent is it legal to use smart glasses like Facebook’s and record everything and everyone on the street?

The future of artificial intelligence is not in the cloud, it is in the nucleus of the atom

by

On the outskirts of Palo, a farming town in eastern Iowa, you can still see the gray towers of Duane Arnold Nuclear Power Plant. They have been silent for years, but those who live nearby remember the constant hum that accompanied their childhood. For nearly half a century, that boiling water reactor was part of the landscape and power supply of the Midwest. Everything changed in August 2020, when a right —a wall of storms with hurricane-force winds—ravaged corn crops and damaged cooling towers. Duane Arnold went out and no one thought it would come back on. The plant, already aging and with a license about to expire, was permanently shut down. It seemed like the end. Five years later, that atomic silence will be broken again, driven not by the State or the traditional nuclear industry, but by a technology company: Google. “It’s alive, it’s alive.” Victor Frankenstein shouted in the 1931 film. Nine decades later, that cry echoes symbolically in Iowa: the Duane Arnold nuclear power plant will come back to life. The resurrection will come from Google and NextEra Energywhich will invest more than 1.6 billion dollars to return the pulse to the plant in 2029. According to ReutersGoogle will buy most of the energy generated for 25 years to power its artificial intelligence data centers, while NextEra will assume 100% control of the plant after acquiring the shares of its local partners. A restructuring never seen before. Reactivating a nuclear plant is not as simple as pressing a button again. In the case of Duane Arnold, Google and NextEra Energy plan to redo all critical infrastructure, modernize security systems and pass inspection by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) before receiving a new license. The project is unprecedented: to demonstrate that a closed plant can be revived under current safety standards. “Reopening an existing plant is faster and cheaper than building a new one from scratch,” explain analysts cited by the Financial Times. If all goes well, Duane Arnold will be producing energy again in 2029, along with Palisades and Three Mile Islandthe other two pieces of the American atomic renaissance. It is not the first, nor will it be the last. Big technology companies are betting on reopening nuclear plants. On the one hand, Microsoft signed a similar agreement with Constellation Energy to reopen the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania, which is expected to resume operations in 2028. On the other hand, Amazon is working with Dominion Energy to develop SMR reactors (Small Modular Reactors) in Virginia. Google itself I had already taken steps in that direction: Last year it announced a partnership with Kairos Power to build seven SMR reactors by 2030, with a total capacity of 500 megawatts. These modular reactors are smaller, more efficient and safer, and are presented as the future of civil nuclear energy. Additionally, SMRs can be installed near data centers, reducing electrical transportation losses and costs. The AI ​​energy fever. The trend is unmistakable: Big Tech they are betting on the atom to fuel the era of artificial intelligence. Each new generation of models—from ChatGPT to Gemini to Claude—demands thousands of megawatts of additional power. And the growth is just beginning. In this context, OpenAI – the creator of ChatGPT – has asked the US government for a national plan to drastically expand the country’s electrical capacity. As CNBC reportedthe company asked the White House to commit to building 100 gigawatts of new energy capacity each year, warning that China added 429 gigawatts in 2024 alonecompared to 51 in the United States. In its statement it concludes with a phrase that will become an energy motto of the sector: “Electrons are the new oil.” Risks and doubts. Despite the enthusiasm, the Google project is not without controversy. Physicist Edwin Lyman of the Union of Concerned Scientists warned in the Financial Times that Duane Arnold has “the same design as the reactors that melted down at Fukushima in 2011” and that it suffered “significant damage, including its cooling towers, during the right “Until a realistic estimate of the cost of reconstruction and safety guarantees is known, we will not know if it can generate affordable electricity,” Lyman said. Likewise, Wall Street Journal collect the criticism from environmental groups such as the Sierra Club, which question the age of the reactor, the degradation of its components after years of inactivity and the management of radioactive waste. However, even among skeptics there is consensus on one point: AI’s energy appetite leaves no alternative to exploring all possible options. lhe electrons of the future. What is happening in Iowa is not a simple industrial reopening: it is a declaration of intent of the new technological capitalism. Google, symbol of the cloud and virtuality, turns to the most tangible and ancient atom to sustain its digital future. The paradox sums up the moment: artificial intelligence needs real matter, megawatts and electrons. The Duane Arnold plant, which once marked the rise and fall of the American nuclear dream, could be reborn as the energy heart of AI. And if OpenAI’s predictions come true, it won’t be the last. In the new global economy, electricity will be the oil of the 21st century. And in Iowa, Google just lit the spark again. Image | Unsplash Xataka | The amount of nuclear energy generated by each country, detailed in this interactive map

Aerothermal energy is the heating of the future, but the electrical installation is stuck in the past

by

“Winter is coming”, read the iconic phrase of the Stark family in Game of Thrones. There are less than two months until the official arrival of winter and, with it, the time to see how our energy bill trembles as much as we do. Search formulas to heat the house becomes prevalent in this final stretch of the year, especially when heating continues to be one of the main reasons why electricity consumption skyrockets. Every season new technological promises appear to maintain comfort without emptying your pocket, and aerothermal energy has become one of the most popular.But the key question arises: can all homes really benefit from it? The rise of aerothermal energy. This technology It works in a very simple way: Harnesses the energy already in the outside air to heat or cool the house and produce hot water. Instead of generating heat by burning gas or consuming large amounts of electricity, this system “extracts” it from the environment and multiplies it. In practice, this means that for every kilowatt of electricity it needs to operate, aerothermal energy can produce up to five of useful heat or cold. While a radiator or boiler converts energy into heat directly, aerothermal energy does something more intelligent: it extracts heat from the air and multiplies it. According to the architects consulted by Arquitectura y Diseño They calculate that, in a medium-sized home, this difference can translate into savings of up to 35% annually, as long as the house is well insulated and the climate is favorable. For the pocket, it translates into about 100 to 130 euros less on the annual bill. So aren’t all houses ready? Although it sounds like a perfect technology, architects warn that not all homes can take advantage of aerothermal energy on equal terms. In fact, there are multiple factors that reduce its effectiveness: the type of home, its insulation, the location and the specific energy needs. In Mediterranean climates, for example, where passive design allows thermal comfort to be achieved without active systems, “it does not make sense to use aerothermal energy as the main heating or cooling system.” In other words, installing aerothermal heating without previously evaluating the home can be like buying an electric car without having a plug at home. Experts in sustainable architecture insist that energy demand must first be reduced and housing optimized before betting on advanced technologies. The state of the electrical installations is another of the great brakes on the electrification of the residential park. The Observatory of Electrical Rehabilitation of Housing warns that 80% of the houses have technical deficiencies, and that only 22.4% were built after the 2002 Technical Regulation. This makes it clear that the majority of homes continue to depend on old networks, poorly prepared to assume new energy demands such as those required by aerothermal energy or solar self-consumption. The signs to know if your home is suitable. Before considering installing aerothermal, technicians recommend doing a prior evaluation. OK with the expertsthese are the main technical requirements: Have a ventilated outdoor space, free of obstacles, to place the outdoor unit. Have a modern electrical installation and sufficient contracted power. Check the thermal insulation and carpentry: without a good envelope, the efficiency of the system drops. Adapt the existing heating system (for example, replacing conventional radiators with underfloor heating). Carry out a climate feasibility study: in very cold or hot areas, you may need support from another system. In short, aerothermal energy is not installed, it is prepared. A well-insulated house with modern electrical installation can convert air into free energy; An old home, on the other hand, can make it an expense that is difficult to amortize. Furthermore, if it is found that the initial investment It can exceed 8,000 euros for an 80 m² apartment. What if it is combined with solar energy? Where aerothermal energy deploys its full potential it is when combined with photovoltaic solar energy. This synergy multiplies performance and reduces dependence on the electrical grid. The energy generated by the plates can power the heat pump, achieving an almost self-sufficient system with an emissions balance close to zero. Furthermore, it has already been applied in real projects such as Casa Gualba, designed by Slow Studiothis formula allows the production of up to 17 MWh per year thanks to the integration of tiles and photovoltaic panels on the roof. In short, aerothermal energy and solar energy form an efficient tandem, as long as the home is prepared for it. Efficiency, yes, but with preparation. Aerothermal energy is here to stay. It is a key piece on the path to decarbonized homes, especially now that the European Union banned at the beginning of the year subsidize gas boilers. But, like all technology, it only works well when the environment supports it. Investing in aerothermal energy without first checking the electrical installation, insulation or orientation of the home can translate into frustration rather than savings. For this reason, it is advisable to do a good check and thus the air can become our best ally against the cold. Image | FreePik and FreePik Xataka | Resolving one of the great debates in all kitchens: whether it consumes more to turn on the oven or the air fryer

Calls and SMS pretending to be our bank are the past, scams with AI cloned voices are the future: Crossover 1×26

by

Scams are a lifeless thing. They surround us and they flood us because we have never been more connected and more distracted. And scammers and hackers know this and try to get more out of it. And that’s how it goes for us. We talk precisely about that reality in this episode in which Jaume Lahoz has as a special guest Maria Aperadoran expert in cybersecurity and criminology, and who makes an exhaustive review of the techniques that are most used to scam us. The ones before, and the ones now. Thus, it tells us about banking scams and identity theft, but also about the danger that the user faces when they install fake applications or when they resort to pirated software and broadcasts: in many cases, saving some money to watch a match or be able to play a video game can make let’s install some malware without realizing it and, of course, ending up being very expensive. But all these methods are now added the danger posed by artificial intelligencewhich allows cybercriminals to attack more and better than ever. especially with deepfakes and cloned voices that can end up convincing us… and ruining us. There are, of course, ways to protect yourself and to avoid possible scares. María Aperador tells us about all of them and opens a door to hope. As that one said, be careful out there. On YouTube | Crossover

The Casio watch from ‘Back to the Future’ has returned with a retro design and eighties spirit

by

There are products that not only stand the test of time, but also make them your best ally. In a market saturated with new developments, retro has found its own space: it sells emotions, memories and authenticity. Casio knows this well. In recent years he has rescued icons such as DW-5000the first G-Shock in history, and has experimented with ideas as curious as the CRW-001a ring watch that reinterprets the concept of the original Casiotron. This 2025 has decided to look even further back, to 1985, the year in which MArty McFly wore a calculator watch on his wrist. The result is the Casio CA-500WEBF-1Aan official reissue of their classic Vintage watch celebrating the 40th anniversary of Back to the Future. More than an accessory, it is a capsule of that decade in which digital still had a tangible charm. Design, nostalgia and business: Casio’s time travel Built on the basis of the original calculator watches, this proposal adopts an aesthetic that directly reminiscent of the DeLorean. The silver case, with a polished finish, evokes the stainless steel of Doc Brown’s car. On the buttons, Casio introduces small touches of color that simulate the light indicators of the temporal control panel, while the back is engraved with the flux capacitor, the fictional component that made time travel possible. The official Back to the Future logo appears on the metal buckle, and the set maintains the proportions of the original 1980s model. The elements have been adapted to preserve the recognizable appearance of the watch without altering its functional character. The result is a product that translates the film’s imagery into measured and coherent visual details. In addition, it maintains the functional base of Casio’s calculator watches, with an eight-digit calculator, 1/100th of a second stopwatch with 23:59’59.99 capacity, daily alarm, time signal and automatic calendar programmed until 2099. Allows you to switch between 12 and 24 hour format. It does not incorporate light, a decision consistent with fidelity to the original design. The case is made of resin with a silver finish, while the stainless steel strap uses a link bracelet with an adjustable clasp. The watch weighs around 53 grams and is water resistant, as stated in the official sheet. It works with a CR2016 battery, whose estimated life is five years. Altogether, it offers current basic functions with the classic format that made it recognizable. The presentation of the CA-500WEBF-1A reinforces the idea that this watch does not only seek to sell, but to be evoked. Casio delivers it in a case designed like a VHS video tapewith an outer sleeve illustrated with the logo and aesthetics of the original film. The nod is not accidental: Back to the Future was one of the great hits of the domestic format in the eighties, and that choice connects the product with its time of origin in an immediate way. The CA-500WEBF-1A is designed for an audience looking for more than just functionality. It does not compete with smart watches or high-end sports models, but with memory. Beyond the visual effect, the packaging fulfills a clear function within the Vintage line’s strategy: turning each launch into a collector’s item. Price and availability of the Casio CA-500WEBF-1A The CA-500WEBF-1A already appears in the official Casio Spain online store, within the Vintage series. The website indicates that it will be “available soon”, with an official price of 119 euros. Nevertheless, the company’s press release for the European market indicates that the launch is scheduled for next October 22. Images | Casio In Xataka | Casio knows that its calculators have lost the battle in the West. So you have designed a plan B: Africa In Xataka | One of the most legendary cars in the history of cinema can be “copied” by anyone. And that has consequences for the industry

Big tech companies are fleeing China like the plague. Their future depends on it

by

The growing tension between China and the United States is causing a stampede among big technology companies. Apple already made a move at the beginning of the year and now Microsoft and Amazon follow. They are not the first companies that They move from China to manufacture in other Asian countriesbut this migration is different as they are trying to eliminate China from the entire supply chain down to the smallest component level. What is happening. They count in Nikkei Asia that Microsoft wants to manufacture most of its products outside of China and has set a limit of 2026. This movement would affect the production of Microsoft Surfaces and especially data centers, since it is a much more sensitive product. In fact, they have already managed to move a large part of the production of server components because it is a more sensitive product, but their goal is for at least 80% of the components to come from outside China. They also want to move some Xbox production out of China, although in this case they are not being as strict. Why is it important. This move by Microsoft consolidates the trend of big technology companies moving towards independent supply chains from China. It is not a question of patriotism, it is an attempt to ensure their survival and minimize risks derived from the increasingly tense trade warsuch as interruptions in supply and price increases. Besides, in the middle of the AI ​​raceindependence becomes even more necessary. Something has changed. As we said, this is not the first time that technology companies have tried to become independent from China. The improvement in working conditions has made it not so cheap to produce there (although have found ways to retain manufacturing), so its status as the “factory of the world” has been lost in favor of other Southeast Asian countries. However, this time it is a broad movement that covers everything from assembly to materials and components such as PCBs, connectors, cables and fibers. The challenge. Moving the assembly is the easy part, but moving the entire production to the last component is a huge challenge. The date that Microsoft has set does not seem very realistic, especially considering that we are talking about a large production volume. According to Omdiadistribute about 4 million Surfaces per year. amazon. AWS is also moving towards ‘non-Chinese’ production for its AI data centers. They were considering reducing the presence of SYE, their printed circuit board supplier, but realized that it was not so easy to replace them. They are companies with which they have a relationship for decades and offer good prices, as well as quality and great production capacity. Google. Those in Mountain View are also embarking on a similar path. According to Nikkei, they are asking their suppliers to expand server production in Thailand. At the end of 2024 we learned that They planned to invest 1 billion dollars and it seems to have paid off because they have managed to double their production capacity with four new facilities. Image | Flickredited In Xataka | The problem is not that Europe has “expropriated” Nexperia from a Chinese company: it is that it approved its sale just a year ago

Europe looks to Spain to understand the agriculture of the future

by

In just a decade, has grown by 3,000% and has generated more than 200,000 direct and indirect jobs throughout Spain. We are talking about pistachio: the ‘green gold’ that, despite initial skepticism, has radically changed hectares and hectares of the heart of the country. But we have known all this for years. What we did not know is that this agricultural boom was going to lead to an entire agrotechnological revolution. The epicenter of “pistachotech”. With 80% of the Spanish pistachio, Castilla-La Mancha has taken a step further to become the European epicenter of this “pistachio technological wave”: from “laboratory” rootstocks and new less common varieties to drones, precision irrigation and sterile insect programs. However, that is not the most interesting thing. As the Nobel Prize winners recently reminded us, what is interesting about this technological boom is the cultural change towards an innovative agricultural environment. But let’s go in parts. What is really happening in Castilla La Mancha? As explained in Enclave ODSAccording to Ángel Minaya (director of Agróptimum), the ultimate idea is to “control the entire process from the origin: the seed, the tree, the management and, subsequently, the industry.” This has led a group of researchers, businessmen and producers to start – often separately – an authentic revolution that goes from genetics to industrial organization. Let’s talk about the seed… This has been one of the first battles, for years California has led the creation of varieties with vigor and high tolerance to pests, salinities and low temperatures. And places like Cuenca have been key in its widespread adoption. They are true all-rounders that also reduce harvesting (alternation of crops) and improve harvesting performance than traditional varieties. They produce more, in a more stable way and are collected with fewer resources. …but it’s not just a seed thing. The truth is that, even having the best seed in the world, the genetic approach is not enough. And it is even less so in areas like Spain where water tensions and the pressure of desertification processes are the order of the day. Therefore, beyond grafts and varieties, precision irrigation and nutrition, computerized phenology, drones and their new remote sensing systems and the mechanization of harvesting have a central role in pushing the countryside towards a techno-digital era that has not quite come to fruition. Until now. And the best example of this is the speed with which the Spanish countryside is considering putting into practice sterile insect techniques that, although they are not yet fully necessary due to the youth of the plantations, are the gold standard of pest management. Good news. After all, the pistachio depends to open and close the harvest window properly and, above all, to process the harvest quickly. Without an extensive technical and industrial infrastructure, it is an almost impossible mission. An ecosystem in full growth. In a context in which agriculture needs massive amounts of genetic engineering, automation and data in real time, the configuration of a high-tech hub in the heart of Castilla La Mancha is excellent news. It not only seems an excellent tool to establish population and develop Empty Spain, but it is beginning to be configured as the great opportunity for the Spanish agricultural industry to reinvent yourself. Image | Christopher Burns | Christopher Balz In Xataka | The best pistachio, the one from Madrid: this is how the capital of Spain wants to become the capital of nuts

Europe needs tungsten for its electrical future. A Swedish mining company knows where to find it: Ourense

by

In the parish of Pentes, in the Ourense municipality of A Gudiña, the excavators have already begun to remove earth. There, on a slope where until recently only the mountain wind could be heard, the Swedish mining company Eurobattery Minerals AB has launched the work to extract tungsten – also known as tungsten –, a strategic metal for the European energy and technological transition. Galicia thus joins the small group of regions on the continent with active exploitation of this critical mineral. A strategic mine for Europe. The company, through its Galician subsidiary Tungsten San Juan, has launched its San Juan project while preparing its application for the second call for Strategic Projects under the European Regulation of Critical Raw Materials (CRMA), to open in January 2026. The first earthworks and the construction of a service warehouse are already visible in the area, as confirmed by the Vigo Lighthouse. When it is at full capacity, this will be the second active exploitation of tungsten in Spain, along with that of Barruecopardoin Salamanca. More in depth. The San Juan project will be an open pit mine with a goal that goes beyond local production: to provide European tungsten to the continent’s new industrial ecosystem. The company has begun improving infrastructure and constructing a pilot plant with gravimetric technology, while estimating reserves of 60,000 tons of ore with a grade of 1.3% WO₃. These are modest figures on a global scale, but significant for a Europe that seeks to reduce its dependence on Chinese imports of this critical metal. It has not been a short road. The procedures began in 2016 with geological studies, surveys and the construction of accesses, all under the supervision of the Xunta de Galicia. “Our goal is to produce tungsten responsibly and efficiently within Europe,” explains Agne Ahleniusgeneral director of Tungsten San Juan and former head of the Barruecopardo mine. “With this project, Galicia and Spain reinforce their role in the European supply chain of critical raw materials.” The metal that supports the energy transition. Few materials concentrate as much strategic value as tungsten. Its density, its resistance and its very high melting point make it a key resource for modern industry: from wind turbines to defense, including semiconductors and electric cars. But behind its technical brilliance there is a global conflict. China controls more than 80% of production and, in recent months, it has further limited its exports. The result: skyrocketing prices, uncertainty in the markets and a new reminder of how dependent Europe continues to be. To break this cycle, Brussels has launched the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), a plan to guarantee access to critical minerals within European territory. According to the European Commissionthese initiatives not only seek economic stability: they also aim to reinforce the industrial autonomy of the continent and reduce its vulnerability to geopolitical tensions. Spain, a mining window. The start of the San Juan project is not an isolated event. It is part of a larger movement: the rediscovery of Spain’s mining potential. The country has projects of copper, tungsten, vanadium, graphite and cobalt, in addition to new deposits of rare earths in Estremadura and Gran Canaria. The European Union has set clear goals. It wants to stop depending on third countries for its supply of raw materials, and the new Critical Raw Materials Regulation (CRMA) mark the way: By 2030, at least 10% of critical minerals must be extracted within Europe, 40% processed on EU soil and 15% from recycling. Furthermore, no external country may concentrate more than 65% of the supply. On this map, Spain appears as a key piece: with Galicia, Castilla y León, Andalusia and Extremadura at the forefront, the country could become one of the gateways to the new European green reindustrialization. European autonomy is in Galicia. The roar of the excavators in A Gudiña not only marks the beginning of a new mine, but also the symbol of a change of era. Europe wants to leave decades of dependence behind and build a more sovereign and sustainable industry. From a Galician hillside, a small tungsten mine has become part of that strategy. What begins in Pentes may be, deep down, one more piece of the new energy and technological map of Europe. Image | Unsplash Xataka | The price of silver is exploding to levels not seen since 1980. The reason: we need too much

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.