huge

The landing of the first OPPO Ultra in Spain begins with a huge camera

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Sometimes it is enough to look at a device for a few seconds to understand where a brand is going, and that is exactly what happened to me with the OPPO Find X9 Ultra. On paper, its size and the volume of the photographic module could make you think of a cumbersome mobile phone, and it is, but in the hand it also feels light, comfortable and clearly premium. Furthermore, it is a device that does not try to hide its photographic ambition, but rather makes it a central part of its identity. OPPO summoned us to a meeting to calmly explain a product to which it gives special weight within its catalogue, and it is not difficult to understand why. This is the first Ultra that the brand officially puts on the table in Spain and Europe, a move with which it wants to reinforce its position in the highest range. In fact, we will go into more depth about this topic in an interview we had with Kevin Cho, CEO of OPPO in Spain. Oppo Find X9 Ultra technical sheet oppo find x9 ULTRA Dimensions and weight Tundra Umber: 163.16 × 76.97 × 9.10 mm 236g Canyon Orange: 163.16 × 76.97 × 8.65mm 235g screen 6.82 inch AMOLED QHD+ 2K resolution Screen-to-body ratio: 94.60% Refresh Rate: Maximum 144 Hz Brightness: HBM 1800 nits processor Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 memory 12GB storage 512GB battery 7,500 mAh (silicon-carbon) 100W SUPERVOOC 50W AIRVOOC rear cameras 200 MP f/1.5 main, OIS 50 MP f/2.0 Ultra Wide Angle 200 MP f/3.5 3x telephoto, OIS 50 MP f/2.2 10x telephoto, OIS front camera 50MP f/2.0 connectivity 5G Dual SIM NFC Wi-Fi 7 Bluetooth 6.0 GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, BDS operating system ColorOS 16 others IP69 certification Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor price 1,699 euros The camera is not an addition, it is the starting point Where this intention is most noticeable is in the design language itself. OPPO explained to us that it has been inspired by the Hasselblad X2Dand that reference is not just an aesthetic wink, but in a very specific way of building the terminal. The camera module, with that Master Lens design on a hexagonal piece, dominates the rear and does not try to go unnoticed. On the contrary, what we see here is a deliberate decision: to take that protuberance as part of the product’s character and turn it into a way of telling us that the camera is not an add-on, but the center of everything. That idea is also transferred to the materials and the way the phone seeks to fit in the hand. We have seen two very different finishes. Tundra Umber is committed to ecological vegan leather, with dark tones and brown nuances, and it is the one that best expresses that search for a firmer grip and a feeling closer to that of a camera. Canyon Orange, on the other hand, offers a more striking proposal, with a matte finish and the use of aeronautical fiber to reinforce resistance. If we go down from the brand narrative to the terrain of the technical sheet, the Find X9 Ultra also wants to make it clear where it is placed. OPPO equips it with a 6.8-inch 144 Hz screen, a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 accompanied by a steam chamber to improve cooling and a 7,050 mAh carbon silicon battery. The company also ups the ante on charging, with 100 W wired SuperVOOC and 50 W wireless AirVOOC, and tops off the set with IP69 certification. It is a very serious technical basis for a phone that aspires to compete without complexes at the top. As we have been seeing from the beginning, the discourse of the Find X9 Ultra revolves again and again around photography. At this point, it is reasonable to look at the whole before going down to detail. And what the brand proposes is a rear system made up of four main cameras and a new True Color Camera, with which it aspires to cover everything from ultra-wide angle to long-distance optical zoom without giving up a clearly ambitious proposal. In this section there is one fact that immediately stands out: here we do not have a single 200 MP sensor, but two. The first occupies the 200 MP main camera, with 23 mm equivalent; The second appears in the 3x telephoto lens, also 200 MP and designed for portrait and distance. Added to this is a 50 MP ultra wide angle that reinforces the base of the set. And then there is the piece with which OPPO finishes stretching its proposal into unusual territory for a mobile phone. The Find X9 Ultra adds a 50 MP 10x optical telephoto lens, with a 230 mm equivalent focal length, and the brand also talks about optical quality up to 20xa figure that helps to understand how far he wants to push the scope of the set. Added to this block is a 300 mm teleconverter that reminds us of the strategy of Live with your X300 Ultra. Here’s an interesting fact: both Vivo and OPPO are part of the Chinese conglomerate BBK Electronics. The partnership with Hasselblad enters its fifth year and continues to take center stage in the product narrative, especially around Master Mode. There, one of the most striking messages they gave us was that there is no generative AI, “zero AI in Master Mode”, an idea designed for those looking for a more faithful image of what is in front of them. Added to this are options such as JPG Max and 16-bit RAW Max, clearly aimed at users who want more margin for work. The alliance with Hasselblad enters its fifth year and continues to occupy a central place in the product discourse. Although photography monopolizes almost all the focus, OPPO also wanted to extend this proposal in video and in the general user experience. The Find X9 Ultra promises 4K recording at 60 fps with Dolby Vision in all … Read more

This huge TCL TV is at an outlet price at Carrefour

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If you would like to set up a home theater and have plenty of space in the dining room, Carrefour now has this huge TV on sale TCL 98P8KX7 98 inches. It has gone from costing 1,899 to 1,399 euros. Furthermore, if you want to pay it little by little (and you have the Carrefour Pass card), you can do so in 10 easy installments of 139.90 euros each. It is only sold online and shipping is free. TCL 98P8KX7 98″ (248.92 cm), QLED, 4K UHD TV The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A gigantic TV to set up your own home theater Until recently, to exceed 85 inches at home, the only thing you had to do was buy a projector. Although, today, there are already gigantic TVs that show that size does matter. A good example is this TCL 98P8, whose affordable price allows set up your own cinema at home without your pocket being ruined. Although the size of his QLED panel It is the most striking thing about this television, all the technology it incorporates deserves mention. Its refresh rate is 144 Hz, so it can be considered a giant monitor, as it allows you to make the most of your console. PS5 either Xbox Series X or even a high-end PC. Your brain is AiPQ Pro processorwhich analyzes each scene in real time to upscale non-4K content and improve contrast. This means that, for example, DTT looks quite decent on this screen size. When watching movies, it can be noted that it is compatible with all standards: Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos. This will allow you to enjoy a totally immersive experience when watching movies. Comes with Google TVone of the most complete ecosystems that integrates Chromecast and Google Assistanttwo very useful functions both for sending content from your mobile phone directly or for searching with your voice, respectively. The audio section is also another of the highlights of this TV and its speakers are signed by Onkyo. It includes a small subwoofer on the back, which makes the TV not sound tinny like most flat screens on the market. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: offer for the TCL 98P8KX7 smart TV today ✅ THE BEST The scale: There is nothing that compares to it. Watching a movie or a football match at this size will completely change your perception of watching TV. It is literally having a cinema in your living room. 144 Hz: For such a large panel, the response is surprisingly fast, making it a very good option for gaming. ❌ THE WORST The dimensions are also its con… You will need to measure very well not only the living room but also the hallway and the elevator, since it is a 2.48 meter diagonal TV that is quite heavy. The sound… Despite having Onkyo speakers and supporting Dolby Atmos, a screen this size cries out for a high-end sound bar to match the image. 💡 BUY IT IF… You want to enjoy an immersive movie experience without the maintenance and dullness of a projector. Also, if you have a huge wall and you want it to be the star of the room, it is a good way to do it. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… Your apartment is small and you are going to sit less than three meters away, eye fatigue can be a big problem since you will start to notice the pixels if the content is not native 4K. Some sound bars that may interest you for this TV LG DS60TR – Sound Bar, Bluetooth, 440W, 5.1 Channels The price could vary. We earn commission from these links TCL Q85H Pro Sound Bar 7.1.4 Channels for TV, 860 Watts 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 and TCL In Xataka | Best televisions in quality price. Which one to buy and seven recommended 4K smart TVs In Xataka | Best sound bars in quality price. Which one to buy and seven recommended models from 140 euros

It’s a huge problem for AI.

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The United States (like Europe, China and the giants of the Middle East) are in the midst of a real estate race: that of data centers. Nobody wants to be left behind AI race and, for that, they need gigantic enclosures in which to train it. The big problem is that these facilities They consume a lot of energyand there China seems to have the upper hand facing a United States that does not have the best face. In fact, it is estimated that half of its data centers scheduled for 2026 will be delayed not canceled. And it is something they cannot allow. It’s not a money problem. Meta, Amazon, Microsoft and Google are going to pool more than $650 billion this year to build artificial intelligence infrastructure. To put it in context, It’s more than the Apollo program cost. that took us to the Moon for the first time or to the great railway expansion of the 19th century. It is private capital that is doing the trick, but although the State does not pay the main bill, it facilitates operations and influences the pace and deployment of massive data centers through regulatory decisions, permitting and energy planning. And the latter is vital. The tyranny of 24/7. My partner Alba coined that term a few days ago to describe the current situation in which companies focused on AI find themselves. AI is intended to help us optimize our electricity consumption by the 2030s, but right now it is only achieving one thing: collapsing the traditional grid. This technology needs a lot of energy and, furthermore, constant, which is causing collapses in the network. The estimate is that the energy consumption of these data centers will increase by 175% between now and 2030. And not only consumption: Google’s emissions have increased by 48% in the last five years and Microsoft’s by another 31%. They were two of the most committed companies with ‘net zero’ by 2050. The other bottleneck. With this in mind, and knowing that the industry is devouring resources such as NAND memories To feed the AMD and NVIDIA platforms used by hyperscalers, we must talk about the other bottleneck in the sector: the energy. On the one hand, there are the plants themselves and we already know that companies have plans for private nuclear plants, gas is booming and coal is used in peaks of demand. On the other hand, there is the equipment that is installed in the data centers themselves. We are talking about transformers, switches, dissipation equipment and batteries. Panasonic is one of the largest manufacturers of batteries for racks of data centers. They are “packages” of batteries that are inserted between the equipment so that, in the event of a blackout or maximum demand, they provide specific energy support. A few days ago they commented that its annual production had already been soldbut the problem is that orders keep coming. Bad forecasts. And there is that bottleneck that we mentioned. As they point out in Bloombergthere are analyzes that already suggest that half of the data centers planned for the United States throughout 2026 will be delayed or canceled. It will be a blow to an industry that cannot stop because there is a lot of money at stake (and even more so the year Anthropic and OpenAI want to become public companies) and where they compete against a China that does not seem to take its foot off the accelerator. The solution is to electrify the grid using renewables, but the problem is that these solutions can provide constant energy, but they are not the best to provide a lot of energy during peak periods. workouts. Large batteries would be needed and, with the parallel rise of electric cars, there are none. The Wood Mackenzie analyst group points out that the United States “does not have enough capacity to stand on its own, so its companies are forced to go to the export market.” Geopolitical paradox. And therein lies the problem. The United States and China are immersed in a technological war, but also a commercial one. This makes it difficult for American companies to buy what they need from the Chinese industry, which is what leads the way in batteries and solar panels. Jensen Huang -CEO of NVIDIA- already commented a few months ago that the international conflict was fine, but that there was no need to be short-sighted and they had to take advantage of what China has to offer. The reality is that data centers are estimated to consume up to 12 GW of energy in 2026 in the United States alone, more than ten million American homes need. And, although the electrical infrastructure represents less 10% of the total cost of a data center, it is impossible for the facility to start operating without it. Now, The US has room for maneuveranother thing is that they activate the levers. Images | campact, Florian Hirzinger (edited) In Xataka | A user has been powering his house with 1,000 laptop batteries and solar panels for ten years. Others are already trying to copy the idea

China has closed a huge chunk of sky for 40 days. And all we know is that space is bigger than Taiwan

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In aviation, advisories restricting the use of airspace usually last just a few days and are linked to very specific operations, while areas without altitude limits are reserved on rare occasions due to its impact on air traffic. In strategic regions of the planet, any prolonged alteration in these patterns is often interpreted as more than a simple technical measure. It just happened in China. An unprecedented air closure. China has closed for 40 days (from March 27 to May 6) a huge maritime airspace without offering any clear explanation, delimiting areas through aeronautical warnings which are normally used for short exercises but in this case they are unusually prolonged. To give us an idea, the extension of that space exceeds the size of Taiwan, which makes the measure difficult to fit within operational normality. The official silence and the scale of the movement suggest a deliberate decision that goes beyond simple air traffic management. What these notices really mean. The NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) are designed to warn of risks or temporary restrictions, but their usual use is far from the current scenario, since they usually last a few days and are linked to specific, clearly identified maneuvers. Therefore, the combination of an extraordinary duration and the absence of explanations points more to a position of sustained activity more than a specific exercise. A priori, this implies that airspace control is being used as an active tool within a broader strategy. A key space on the regional board. counted the wall street journal A few hours ago, the affected areas extended from the Yellow Sea to the East China Sea, covering areas in front of South Korea and Japan and being located in strategic corridors for any military operation in the region. Although they are far from Taiwan (several hundred km), their location does not seem coincidental and fits with scenarios where the air route control would be decisive. The scale of the reserved area reinforces the idea that this is not a limited trial, but something with deeper operational implications. Signs in the midst of a tense context. The closure also coincides with a moment of high tension in the Indo-Pacific, with military movements in Japan, pressure about Taiwan and diplomatic activity relevant in parallel. Not only that. It also occurs after a striking pause on Chinese military flights near Taiwan, followed of its resumptionsuggesting a recalibration of activity. In this context, the measure can be interpreted as a way to send strategic messages without the need for explicit statements. Ambiguity as a strategy. In short, and although there are precedents for similar airspace reservations, they had never been so long nor so widewhich marks a clear difference compared to previous practices. If you like, this ambiguity also allows China to maintain operational flexibility, test scenarios and, ultimately, generate uncertainty among its rivals without publicly committing. The result is a signal that is difficult to interpret, one that, possibly or precisely because of this, multiply your impact strategic. Image | LG Images In Xataka | In silence, China is making giant strides in a race that until now it was not leading: space. In Xataka | The US opted for the quality of the F-35 rather than quantity. China opted for the opposite and it is already a problem

The chemical composition of galaxies has always been full of unknowns. James Webb has taken a huge step to solve it

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The James Webb Space Telescope sees where others can’t: its infrared vision pierces clouds of cosmic dust and reaches galaxies so far away that it took billions of years for its light to reach us. Looking far into space is, in that sense, looking back in time. However, what James Webb has seen in these galaxies differs from what was expected: these early galaxies seem to have too much nitrogen, much more than expected. Among the exotic possible explanations of science, hypotheses such as gigantic stars never seen before, black holes functioning as catalysts for galactic chemistry or large quantities of stars have passed. In fact, that was the topic of conversation in the middle of a phone call while Mexican astrophysicist José Eduardo Méndez-Delgado waited in line for the doctor. On the other end of the line, his colleague Karla Arellano-Córdova, who was in Edinburgh. In that informal talk they decided to change the prism: perhaps the problem was not the galaxies, but how we measure them. The discovery. The proposal from this international team is to analyze three light signals from the same oxygen ion to calculate temperature and density at the same time, without starting from one to calculate the other (the original source of error). The result: the gas was a hundred or a thousand times denser than was assumed in those galaxies. With that correction, the galaxies turned out to be richer in metals than they appeared and the excess nitrogen was drastically reduced. Why it is important. First, because the metallicity of a galaxy is directly related to its history: the more metals there are in its composition, the more stars have been born and died within it. Until now we were underestimating this figure, which made those early galaxies appear very different from our own and suggested a sharp and discontinuous evolution. Now they look more like what we know. But the elements essential for life, such as carbon, oxygen or nitrogen, did not exist when the universe was born: they were manufactured by the stars inside and expanded when they died. Hence the interest in knowing the chemistry of galaxies: it helps to understand when the universe had the necessary ingredients for life. With the wrong measurements, we don’t know if those ingredients were there earlier and in more places than we thought. Context. The standard method to know the composition of a distant galaxy is to analyze the spectral lines of its light based on the density of the gas and its temperature. The problem is that in these primitive galaxies the gas is much denser than expected, so its application as a thermometer works poorly. And from here on, everything failed. The nitrogen anomalies appeared in the first scientific data from the James Webb Space Telescope, as this either this. Since the results did not fit the models, the scientific community threw itself into trying to find explanations. This paper proposes to take a step back: before interpreting stellar physics, check that the measurements are correct. Besides, the Webb now allows it: simultaneously detects oxygen lines in the ultraviolet and in the optical in such distant galaxies. How they do it. In essence, the trick is choosing the right signals. One of the oxygen light lines, visible in ultraviolet, has a special property: it does not distort even if the gas is very dense, something that happened with the lines they were using previously. By combining it with two other signals from the same atom, the research team can calculate temperature and density at the same time, as if they were solving two simultaneous and independent equations. Using statistical simulations, the team found that the results were consistent with other independent measurements of the same galaxies. Yes, but. As the team explains in the work, their method corrects the density error, but not other possible errors that are equally important: the gas of these galaxies also has internal temperature variations, and that can bias the results in ways that this study does not resolve. Furthermore, the method only works well when all three light signals from oxygen are clearly detected. In three of the six galaxies analyzed this was not possible, and the results are less precise. Nitrogen remains a problem. The overabundances come almost entirely from a particular ion whose emission is extraordinarily sensitive to temperature: a variation of just ten percent in that parameter would reduce the calculated nitrogen by half. No one has yet measured that temperature directly. However, it points out a path to follow before looking for “exotic” explanations: verify that the measurement tools are up to par. In Xataka | For a time it was one of the asteroids most watched by astronomers: the Webb has just resolved a key doubt In Xataka | James Webb has been detecting red dots in the universe for years: the only problem is that we don’t know what they are Cover | Oleg Moroz

wants to build a huge lake 2.8 kilometers long

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If you go to Google Maps and search for ‘Saudi Arabia’, you will find a large piece of land within the Arabian Peninsula. The word “earth” is not just a saying: the sand color predominates throughout its geography. Because Saudi Arabia is sand. Beneath that surface there are important and invaluable deposits of oil, natural gas and minerals that make any construction, even if it defies the rules of logic, profitability or common sense, possible. As a mega ski resort in the middle of the desert. EITHER water parks throughout the dry land. EITHER a Caribbean style resort. Have we already mentioned that there is no water in Saudi Arabia? That is not an obstacle to mounting an artificial lake high mountain with three dams. The most dystopian future is in NEOM and we already know that it’s very expensive. The project. It is called Trojena Lake and it will be a freshwater lake in the middle of the desert, at an altitude of 2,600 meters in the mountains of Tabuk, as a bucolic backdrop for its ski resort. According to the construction company, the reservoir will be the largest artificial body of water in the entire country, 2.8 kilometers long and 1.5 square kilometers in surface. To contain the water between the mountains, it will use a system with three dams and inside there will be an artificial island for recreational use. As if the above were not enough, the lake will not have a normal shape: on one side will be The Bow, a cantilever that will extend the surface of the lake beyond the front of the main dam, as if it were a kind of balcony overlooking the mountain. It will be shaped like the bow of a suspended ship and will house a luxury hotel, residential and entertainment areas. It is not a ship stranded in the middle of the mountain: it is an artificial lake with a view of the valley. WeBuild Why it is important. To begin with, because as we have already been able to glimpse in the main details of its construction, we are facing a challenging project from an engineering point of view: due to its size, the construction challenge of constructing the dams or excavating the rock and even the way of obtaining water. Or simply because it is in a hostile environment where it should not even exist (naturally). On the other hand, because it is a thermometer of the real state of NEOM, a project whose future seems increasingly uncertain after cuts and delays. Trojena Lake one of its most advanced and tangible projects: there is a contract of 4.7 billion dollars signed with a renowned Italian construction company, machinery in the mountains and real progress. And although its completion was scheduled for the end of 2026, there are already leaks from Saudi officials pointing to delays of three to four years. Render of the lake. NEOM Context. The economic engine of Saudi Arabia has been, for decades, oil. But black gold has an expiration date, so it takes time for the Middle Eastern country to diversify its economy. As? with his Vision 2030 plan to promote tourism, infrastructure and, ultimately, other ways to monetize. NEOM is their urban development megaproject, but it is not just any one: it is exuberant and ostentatious, an instrument of international reputation that seeks to attract investment, talent and tourism through a modern and futuristic image. In a nutshell: another Dubai (pre-conflict Dubai between the US, Israel and Iran). For now, influencers have already attracted. In figures. Here are some of the astronomical numerical data from Trojana Lake: An initial $4.7 billion contract signed with We Build in January 2024. A lake 2.8 kilometers long and 1.5 square kilometers in area. An excavation of 90,000 cubic meters of rock per week. Manpower: 10,000 people. Technical challenges. Many and large. To build the lake they will use three dams: the main one will be 145 meters high and 475 meters long and will be made of RCC concrete, like the second dam. The third, however, will be made of rock and will have a volume of 4.3 million cubic meters. The logistics are extreme as they are in the desert, with no pre-existing infrastructure, so everything is moved to that remote location. On the other hand, The Bow is a long-span cantilever suspended over an active reservoir, which combines complex structural engineering with continuous and permanent exposure to water loading. The icing on the cake is the water: WeBuild’s press release does not specify its origin and there are no rivers around it, which implies pumping, desalination or collection of aquifers. According to Arabian Gulf Business Insightthe water will come from an area near the Gulf of Aqaba, more than 200 kilometers away. But there are many more. Trojena Lake cannot be understood without the framework that surrounds it and here the list of problems that threaten NEOM and Saudi Arabia’s desire to diversify its economy by offering a futuristic image is revealed. The 2029 Winter Olympics were postponed indefinitelythe costs of the futuristic city have been shotthe delay of the specific project is an open secret within a general delay. Not only that, even there is talk of a rescaling of its size. And we have barely mentioned the elephant in the room: the war adds a new layer of difficulty, both directly (drone attacks have already reached Riyadh) and indirectly, with the blockage of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, the uncertainty of energy trade and, in general, the disincentive for foreign capital investment in the face of instability. In Xataka | The Line and Trojena were the jewels of the new Saudi Arabia. They will also be the first to face reality: they are very expensive In Xataka | Saudi Arabia’s impossible bridge to join Africa and Asia: a 32-kilometer megastructure over the Red Sea Cover | NEOM

Four days (or more) of unlimited data is a huge price

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Nobody likes to be left without Internet, but much less when we are traveling. If you don’t want to use roaming or public WiFi, you can always buy a SIM card at the destination, although this can be a hassle and not cheap. The solution? A eSIM installed on your mobile and you forget about problems. You have a very good option with eSimFLAG: if we use the code ‘XATAKA’ we will get three days free contracting at least four days of unlimited data. eSimFLAG – 4 days of unlimited data The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Unlimited data in more than 170 different destinations This promo is quite interesting if we plan to travel soon, such as next Easter. The code that we indicated above is already active and will be until next April 17so we have plenty of time to use it. For example, if right now we contract seven days of unlimited data in Japan and use the code ‘XATAKA’, it will only cost us 15.60 euros (outside of the promo, 27.30 euros). So with all destinations. Why choose an eSIM instead of a conventional SIM? In line with what we told you above, the key is in comfort. It installs in just a few minutes on your mobile, without having to use the typical spike that comes in the boxes. In addition, you install it once and forget it, so if you travel again in the future and use eSimFLAG you will not have to install it again. Another important point is the peace of mind that an eSIM provides in this type of case. Since you are paying for unlimited data, You will not have any scare in the form of a kilometer bill as could happen if you use your company’s roaming. And, if you set it up at home before leaving, you’ll already have Internet once you get off the plane. eSimFLAG offers its service in more than 170 countries, so it is very useful. Having unlimited data, We can continue using WhatsApp or Google Maps at our destinationmaking the trip a much more comfortable and simple experience. And if you do it at a reduced price with this promo, all the better. 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 | eSimFLAG In Xataka | eSIM in Spain: all operators, compatible devices, prices and conditions (2026) In Xataka | eSIM or virtual SIM: what it is, what advantages it has and what is its compatibility in Spain

Beyond prices and vacation rentals, housing in Madrid faces a huge problem: irregular houses

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Beyond price escalation, the pressure of the vacation rental or the decoupling Between the speed at which homes are created and new buildings built, in Madrid the real estate market faces a tricky challenge: irregular developments. The latest data of the Community of Madrid reveal that in the region there are dozens of settlements of illegal origin that bring together thousands of homes that start from an irregular situation. all one hot potato for administration. What has happened? The data has revealed it The Newspaper. The Community of Madrid has registered almost 200 developments built without the necessary permits, settlements of illegal origin that add up to thousands of homes. The calculation is based on an update of the inventory from the 1980s, when 136 irregular settlements were identified. The figure has changed since then for two reasons. The first, because there were nuclei that have managed to regularize themselves. The second, because the technicians have added to the list others that (for one reason or another) did not appear in the catalog that accompanied the 1985 regulations. What do the figures say? If you walk around Madrid you can find dozens of housing units built without respecting the regulations. Some very populous. Specifically, The Newspaper talks about 184 urbanizations or settlements of illegal origin and some 10,500 homes. The figure is partly explained because the 1980s census incorporated almost a hundred new consolidated residential areas. The Ministry of the Environment clarifies that in most cases they are the result of “urbanization processes outside the law” and “lacking planning”, which explains why they often do not offer “minimum conditions for urbanization.” Are all cases the same? Not at all. Not all urbanizations identified by the Community of Madrid are the same nor do they have the same dimensions. Particularly noteworthy is the settlement of La Vega del Tajuñawhich brings together a large part of the residences in an irregular situation detected by regional technicians. Specifically, there are 5,513 distributed over more than 2,700 hectares. With those dimensions it would be the largest settlement of its kind in the community, although not the only one where hundreds of people live. In Camino Viejo de Madrid and Vega Baja del Guadarrama there are also more than 1,400 buildings and there are others, such as El Rondelo, Pico Valsarón or Dehesa Nueva, with hundreds of homes. The Community has also noted constructions located in locations very close to the capital, such as Improved Field. How is that possible? The circumstances and context are not always the same, but a few days ago EPE visited a nucleus of Mejorada del Campo that helps to understand how settlements like this can be formed in the heart of Madrid. Specifically, the newspaper visited a nucleus that began to form in the 1980s, driven by developers who parceled out rural land and sold the land at affordable prices, offering it as an ideal space for “urban gardens” with access to water. Time, use and the increasing pressure that affect housing prices in Madrid did the rest. What were initially huts designed for tools gave way to more ambitious installations. Is it something new? Not at all. And not only because the history of these settlements can go back a long time. At the end of 2025, the Community of Madrid has already issued a statement in which he recalled that in just four years he had inspected 1,906 “irregular constructions” on protected land. To be precise, the regional government spoke of 5,334.3 hectares “affected by this type of settlements”, also identified in 56 municipalities. “Of them, about 80% are concentrated in the plains of the main Madrid rivers, the majority in the areas of the Tajuña River (2,712.5 hectares), followed by the Jarama (1,019.5), Guadarrama (363.2) and Tajo (150.2)”, explains the Madrid Executive, which warns of the “risk” it represents “both for people and the environment.” Hence, this type of construction appears among the objectives of the Urban Inspection and Discipline Plan. Does it only happen in Madrid? No. Settlements of this type are also common in other parts of Spain, such as Catalonia. “There are many urbanizations that were built in the 60s, 70s and early 80s of the 20th century, which were marketed without the necessary planning, urban management or basic public services,” recognize from the Catalan Generalitat. “Of the 1,433 identified in the 2015 catalogue, there are 730 with urban deficits. Many are concentrated in small municipalities and the tendency to convert housing estates into primary residences aggravates their situation,” acknowledges the regional government. The topic is complex because, as remember EPE When talking about the Madrid case, the legal framework varies over time: if a home built on non-developable land remains long enough outside the ‘radar’ of the authorities, the crime expires and can no longer be demolished. Images | Community of Madrid Via | The Newspaper In Xataka | Madrid believed itself immune to the TukTuk plague in the most tourist cities in the world. Now someone wants to ban them

Carrefour sells off this huge 65-inch Neo QLED Samsung TV, with MiniLED and 120 Hz

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Although it is clear that the OLED TVs They are the highest in image quality, it is true that they are expensive. This has made QLED TVs become one of the most popular options currently, due to their excellent quality-price ratio. If you are looking for a large one, now at Carrefour you can get this Samsung TQ65QN1EFAU with 200 euros discount, for 649 euros. Furthermore, if you have the Carrefour Pass card you can pay it in 10 easy installments of 64.90 euros. Smart TV Samsung TQ65QN1EFAU The price could vary. We earn commission from these links A large screen TV at an unbeatable price As we have already said before, this TV has a 65-inch Neo QLED panel and has technology MiniLED. These LEDs are much smaller than those of a conventional TV, so the zone lighting control is very good, offering very deep blacks, almost at the levels of OLED screens. For gaming it is also a good option, since it has 120Hz refresh ratefour ports HDMI 2.1 and support for FreeSync Premium Pro. In addition, its latency is very low, so it will allow you to make the most of your PS5 either Xbox Series X at 120 fps. This is a 2025 model, so today it is still a very good purchasing option. The operating system under which it works is tizen and is compatible with Apple AirPlay. As for sound, its speakers offer an RMS power of 20 W, although it is something you can improve with a sound bar. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: offer for the Samsung TQ65QN1EFAU smart TV today ✅ THE BEST Its processor is powerful: The NQ4 AI Gen2 is a processor with one of the best image scaling functions. It is capable of taking low-resolution content and cleaning it of “noise” through Artificial Intelligence. Impact shine: Being NEO QLED, the peak brightness offered by this TV is very high. This makes it an ideal TV for living rooms with lots of natural light or windows, where an OLED would suffer from reflections. ❌ THE WORST Without Dolby Vision… It is one of the big “buts” of Samsung. Of course, it supports HDR10+, but you miss out on the most used standard on platforms like Disney+ or Netflix. Intrusion in Tizen… Although Tizen is a very complete operating system, the interface is filled with recommendations and advertising from Samsung’s own channels. This can be somewhat annoying and slow down your browsing. 💡 BUY IT IF… You are going to use the console a lot in a bright room and if you are going to have the TV on for a long time with cartoon channels or DTT, since there is no risk of screen burn-in. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… You are a purist Dolby Vision movie buff, since the absence of this is a handicap for them. Some accessories that may interest you for this TV Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Samsung Sound Bar HW-B46CF/ZF 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 and Samsung In Xataka | The nine best sound bars and bases for less than 400 euros In Xataka | Mega-guide to set up a home theater: projector, screen, sound system and more

The US has been looking from space for years at a huge brown ribbon in the Atlantic that goes from Mexico to Africa that should not be there

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The blue planet looks very different from space. We have internalized things like that the Chinese Wall is seen and it is not true: what is appreciated They are the greenhouses of Almería. Or a great old man desknown as the Great Dam of Zimbabwe. And for a few years now, NASA satellites they have been registering the presence of a brown stripe that extends across the Atlantic Ocean. It’s not a big brown island or a continent, but it looks like it. What is that “brown continent”. It is a mass of brown algae that, according to research from the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and Florida Atlantic University in whose last record It weighed 37.5 million tons and surpasses the 8,000 kilometers in length, more than from New York to Madrid. And it has a name: the Great Sargassum Belt. Context. He pelagic sargassum It is a seaweed that historically has always lived confined to the Sargasso Sea. However, since 2011 NASA has been documenting its expansion into the open sea until what it is now: a brown strip that by the end of 2024 left the Gulf of Mexico and spread until it reached the coasts of West Africa. This phenomenon is actually a huge accumulation of algae that reappears almost every year with one exception: 2013. The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt is bigger than ever: evolution documented by NASA Why is it important. Because this stratospheric mass of algae is not only spectacular from a visual point of view: it has repercussions on the marine ecosystem, destroys beaches and even contributes to accelerating climate change. It is also an ecological alarm signal for the Atlantic. According to Dr. Brian Lapointelead author of the review of changes in pelagic sargassum and professor at FAU Harbor Branch, explains that it even caused the emergency shutdown of a Florida nuclear power plant in 1991. Why are they growing like foam?. Lapointe and his team have been investigating the evolution since the 1980s and have found that the nitrogen content in brown algae has increased by 55% between 1980 and 2020; the nitrogen/phosphorus ratio also increased by 50%. This change has occurred because brown algae no longer only feed on natural nutrients from the ocean, but also receive nitrogen and phosphorus from land thanks to human activity, such as agricultural runoff or wastewater discharge. The result is uncontrolled growth. Sargassum is transported by ocean currents, especially in floods from the Amazon, towards the Atlantic. There it thrives thanks to that extra supply of nutrients. An unaesthetic and harmful stain. Brown algae per se are not harmful and in fact, they serve as habitat for different species. However, its enormous presence has altered the ecosystem. Upon reaching the coasts, they begin to decompose, thus releasing hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas that damages coral reefs, reduces the oxygen present and emits greenhouse gases. What can we do. In short: stop feeding them. After this exhaustive monitoring, the research team warns that humans should reduce nutrient runoff from the coast since, if this continues, more Great Sargassum Belts could appear throughout the ocean. In Xataka | The brutal floods facing Portugal and western Spain, seen from space In Xataka | A 2.5 billion-year-old geological wonder: Zimbabwe’s Great Dam seen by NASA from space Cover | POT

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