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The only thing that Europe’s AI Law has achieved is to leave us lame. The question is whether turning back will do any good.

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December 8 was a fateful day for the European Union, but not many realized it. And it was because that day the AI ​​Act was passedthe European regulation on artificial intelligence. Thierry Breton, European commissioner, he was pleased with a tweet that automatically became a meme. I was bragging about how Europe had tripped itself up. The responses to that tweet They made it clear that the reception of the regulations was very different from what the EU would have expected. The criticism was forceful and very clear: with these regulations the only thing the EU was achieving was to slow down innovation and make it even more difficult to compete in a segment that was defining the world. While the US and China joined the party without asking permission and without asking for forgiveness, Europe stayed at home happily crocheting. That regulation, which came into force in August 2024instantly caused the AI ​​segment out at two speeds: that of Europe, almost at a standstill, and that of the rest of the world, which stepped on the accelerator (without looking too closely at the consequences). We have seen the consequences of that in the last two years. Europe has been relegated to the second (or third) plane, and with honorable exceptions like the Spanish Freepik or the French Mistral, we have very little to talk about in this area. Meanwhile, the US dominates the commercial plane and China is a steamroller both at a training level as in your open model development. Europe wants to turn back: the question is whether it is too late Yesterday the European Commission presented a project for simplify various digital regulationsand the most important modifications actually affect the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPRor GRPD for its acronym in English). The changes proposed by the Commission will make it easier for companies to share sets of anonymised and pseudo-anonymised personal data. That will have a direct impact on the capacity of AI companies, which They will be able to legally use personal data to train their data models as long as that process meets the rest of the GDPR requirements. The proposal also softens one of the key elements of the AI ​​Act, which, as we say, came into force in August 2024 but included several elements that would come into force some time later. Thus, now the “grace period” for the regulations that regulate the high risk AI systems —those that pose a “serious risk” to health, safety or fundamental rights—is widespread. It was supposed to be activated in summer 2016, but now that regulation will only apply when it is confirmed that “the necessary standards and supporting tools are available” for AI companies… whatever those standards and tools are, yet to be defined. Other amendments in that new Digital Omnibus include simplified requirements for the documentation required of SMEsin addition to a unified interface so that companies can report cybersecurity incidents. Henna Virkkunen, vice president of technological sovereignty at the European Commission, explained that: “In the EU we have all the ingredients to be successful. However, our businesses, especially startups and small businesses, are often held back by a set of rigid rules. By reducing bureaucracy, simplifying EU legislation, opening access to data and introducing a common European business portfolio, we are creating space for innovation to be produced and commercialized in Europe. This is being done the European way: by ensuring that users’ fundamental rights remain fully protected.” These amendments to current digital regulations will now have to be approved by the European Parliament and the 27 member states of the European Union — which will need a qualified majority— to approve it. That process could last months, and during it the proposals themselves could see notable changes before being applied. As indicated in The Guardianthis “massive setback” of this regulation has caused concern among groups fighting to continue protecting privacy of European citizens. The European Digital Rights (EDRi), a pan-European network of NGOs, Indian that if the changes to the regulation are accepted, it will become easier for technology companies to collect and use personal data to train AI models without asking for consent. The European agenda seemed to change when former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi warned last fall of how Europe had fallen worryingly behind in the technology race. That speech was a breath of fresh air for Europeand European business groups have welcomed the proposal with optimism, but believe that they still fall short. A representative of the Computer and Communications Industry Association of which Amazon, Apple, Google and Meta are members indicated that “efforts to simplify digital and technology regulations should not stop there.” One click for cookies This simplification of regulation that affects all types of digital scenarios can have a positive effect. Accepting or rejecting cookies has become a daily torture for millions of Europeansbut the user experience may improve significantly in the coming months. And it may get better because the EU has proposed a modernization of policies related to cookies. To try to improve the browsing experience, it will limit the number of times cookie warning banners appear, but also will make it possible for us to accept or reject cookies with a single click. In fact, the future may be even more promising, because what is intended is that said consent (or denial) of cookies is integrated into our browser so that once we configure it, the websites are not constantly asking us if we accept cookies or not: the browser will know what we want and will answer for us at all times. In that “digital package” it is specified that once we accept or reject cookies with that “single-click“, websites must respect that choice of citizens for six months. Image | Christian Lue In Xataka | For the EU, our privacy has always been more important than AI. Until he understood that he was left behind

charge triple to leave the country

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Japan faces a dilemma, one that is not unknown in Spain: the country is enjoying a real tourist boom that is allowing you spray their own records of foreign visitors and irrigates its economy with billions of yen, but that popularity comes with a much less positive “B side.” Japan has long shown signs of a clear saturation that affects its inhabitants and increases pressure on its public services and infrastructure. Faced with such a scenario, there is an idea that is beginning to take shape: triple one of the taxes paid by all tourists in the country, the ‘exit rate’. Triple the tax? That’s how it is. At the moment it is just an idea on the table, but one that is solid enough that it has already crept into the political debate and grabbed headlines in media such as Nikkei, Kyodo either Asashi Shimbun. The Japanese Government and the ruling coalition parties are considering increasing the “exit tax”a rate applied since 2019 and that must be paid by all tourists who leave the country, whether foreigners or locals, traveling for leisure or work reasons. The idea has also been discussed in a commission on tourism of the Liberal Democratic Partytraining in power. What do they propose to do? Triple the rate. In practice, this is equivalent to a tax that now costs 1,000 yen (5.5 euros) per person becoming 3,000 (16.7 euros), or even more. The proposal of the Liberal Democratic Party is that the increase takes place during fiscal year 2026 and that the increase is felt especially in the pockets of business class visitors or those who travel in business. For them the international rate would rise to 5,000 yen (€27.8). The Sanae Takaichi Executive might not take long to make a decision. Nikkei keep it up that the Government wants to have a clear position before the end of the year, once it has heard from the tax commission, among other organizations. If it goes ahead, tourists will notice it in their wallets but a priori not in extra administrative procedures: the tax is usually added to the plane or boat ticket. What is the objective? Inject more funds into public coffers to compensate for the expenses generated by the flood of tourists. In practice, clarify Nikkeithat means investing in the construction of parking, improving the waste collection system or reservation systems and decongesting public transport. The ‘exit tax’ was already generated last fiscal year 52.4 billion yenabout 291 million euros. If the rate finally triples and taking into account that Japan keep breaking month after month its visitor records, that number could skyrocket. This week the National Tourism Organization has revealed that in October the flow of foreign tourists skyrocketed 17.6% reaching almost 3.9 million foreign visitors. So far this year it totals 35.5 million. Perfect, right? More or less. In Japan there are destinations that have been giving saturation samples (including Mount Fuji) and some administrations have already opted for tax increasebut tripling the ‘departure rate’ could have another, less desired consequence: discouraging trips by Japanese tourists abroad, which still remain at levels very inferior to those before Covid-19. To avoid this, the Government is considering combining the increase in the tax with the reduction of another tax that its own citizens pay: the fees for issuing passports. Right now the online procedures to request a title valid for 10 years cost around 15,900 yenaround 88.3 euros. Does context matter? Yes. The debate over the ‘departure tax’ comes at a delicate time for Japanese tourism. The influx of foreign visitors may be increasing, but the increased tension between Tokyo and Beijing threatens one of the markets most important for Japanese tourism: China. Xi Jinping’s government already has asked its citizens to avoid traveling to Japan, which has resulted in the cancellation of tens and tens of thousands of trips. Now the Takaichi Government must decide whether to raise rates against this backdrop. Images | Tiplada M (Unsplash) and Matt Cramblett (Unsplash) In Xataka | Japan has realized that to welcome 60 million tourists it lacks something: hotel workers

Although they work, they leave a disturbing doubt

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They are the medications of the moment and without a doubt the golden goose of the pharmaceutical industry. Drugs like Ozempicthe Wegovy or the Mounjaro have proven to be a very effective weapon to achieve significant weight losses in patients, which undoubtedly makes them very attractive for those people who suffer from obesity. The problem is that since they are so recent, we do not know exactly their long-term adverse effects. And this is a serious problem. Although these drugs are currently available on the market, science has the obligation to continue investigating their effectiveness and also the long-term side effects. Therefore, three new and exhaustive Cocharne scientific reviewsrequested by the WHO itself, confirm it: they work and they achieve significant weight loss, although there is then a rebound effect. But beyond this there are several problems that surely are not discussed as much. The same reviews as praise its effectiveness They issue a strong warning: strong involvement of pharmaceutical companies in practically all of the studies analyzed raises serious concerns. The evidence on long-term safety, side effects and how financial ties might be influencing outcomes remains, according to the researchers, “limited or uncertain.” Side A. The analysis done by Cochrane evaluated three of the main agonists of the GLP-1 receptor. These drugs, which were originally intended for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, mimic a natural hormone that our body secretes, GLP-1. By increasing their concentration, what is achieved is that the patient you feel full for much longerand therefore do not eat as much food. The results of these drugs are really positive. The undisputed star is Mounjaro, which managed to reduce on average 16% of body weight after taking it after 12 to 18 months. But Ozempic, which is undoubtedly the most famous, is not far behind, since it reduces weight by around 11% in a period of 24 to 68 weeks, and the most important thing is that the effect persists for two years. Side B. Throughout the research, several blind spots emerge that are sometimes not counted, as patients are left with almost miraculous weight loss. And taking it is not a bed of roses, as it has side effects such as nausea or digestive discomfort which are very frequent. But also, and this is key, the studies found practically no difference between the drugs and the placebo in terms of major cardiovascular events, mortality or quality of life. That is, with current evidence, they make you lose weight, but there is no evidence that they make you live longer or be happier. Conflicts of interest. This is the central point of the warning issued by the scientific review, since they have seen that most of the studies in the reviews were financed by the companies that manufacture the drugs themselves, so there may be a significant bias in the results. It cannot be logically compared to the results offered by completely independent results, which is what this review demands. Great unknowns. As we say, these drugs are known to have a short-term effect, which is significant weight reduction. But the question it raises is… What will happen in the future among patients who take it regularly? This is where a lot of data is still missing. These are the effects we know as ‘Type C Adverse Drug Reactions’. Precisely because they are chronic. There are very clear examples, such as that benzodiazepines produce long-term tolerance or dependence. Additionally, most trials were conducted in middle- and high-income countries, with little or no representation from regions such as Africa, Central America, or Southeast Asia. Because body composition and diet vary globally, the authors caution that it is not known how these drugs will work in more diverse populations. A bittersweet taste. GLP-1 drugs are promising, but the scientific basis on which clinical and policy decisions are based is largely built by their own manufacturers. This is also added to the need to wait for possible long-term complications to arise that determine the non-recommendation of using this treatment. But this is not something that stops countries from betting on this treatment as is the case in the United States where Donald Trump reached an agreement with different pharmaceutical companies to reduce the price of these medications by a good percentage with the aim of making them more accessible. Images | David Trinks In Xataka | Someone gave Gemini 1.5 a video of him exercising. He is capable of becoming a personal trainer

Meta’s star AI scientist plans to leave the company, according to the FT. The new goal is eating the old goal.

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The head of artificial intelligence at Meta, Yann LeCun, would be preparing to leave the company to found his own startup, according to inform Financial Times. The departure of the prestigious researcher, winner of the Turing Award and considered one of the fathers of modern AI, symbolizes the radical change that Mark Zuckerberg is giving to Meta’s strategy around AI. The changing of the guard. LeCun, who led the Fundamental AI Research Laboratory (FAIR) since 2013, is now in an uncomfortable position within Meta. This summer, Zuckerberg hired Alexander Wang28, to lead a new “superintelligence” team, paying $14.3 billion to take 49% of Scale AI, the data labeling startup Wang had founded. As a result of this restructuring, LeCun went from reporting to chief product officer Chris Cox to reporting to Wang, according to account Financial Times. A philosophical divorce. The tension is not only organizational, but conceptual. LeCun has long publicly defended that the language models on which Zuckerberg has focused his strategy are “useful” but will never be able to reason or plan like humans. His bet from FAIR has been different: the so-called “world models”AI systems that learn from the physical environment through videos and spatial data, not just language. A path that, according to LeCun himself, could take a decade to bear fruit. Meta’s problems with AI. Zuckerberg’s reorganization comes after several setbacks. The launch of Call 4 It has not gone as the company would have liked, falling below the most advanced proposals from OpenAI, Google and Anthropic. Additionally, Meta AI, the company’s chatbot, has also not gained traction among users. Meanwhile, Zuckerberg has hired dozens of engineers and competing researchers with pay packages of up to $100 million, creating a dedicated team called TBD Lab to accelerate the development of new versions of its language models. The cost of pivoting. The shift toward practical AI appears to have generated internal chaos. Sources cited by TechCrunch In August they revealed the frustration of new hires when facing the bureaucracy of a large company, while the previous generative AI team saw its scope reduced. In October, Meta laid off 600 people of its AI research unit to cut costs and accelerate product launches. Also in May Joelle Pineau left the companyvice president of AI research, who joined Canadian startup Cohere. What’s coming now. According to two sources Cited by the Financial Times, LeCun’s new project will focus on continuing his work on world models, and he has already started talks to raise funding. His departure, scheduled for the coming months, represents more than the departure of a brilliant scientist: it is confirmation that Meta’s old long-term focus has been relegated by the urgency of competing in the short term with more practical solutions. As Wall Street pressures Zuckerberg to justify an investment in AI that could exceed $100 billion In 2025, the company would be losing one of its most recognized brains along the way. Cover image | Goal and AFP In Xataka | AI was supposed to reduce costs and reduce staff. The Coca-Cola ad illustrates how much we were wrong

Let’s say goodbye to Google Assistant a decade later. Google has begun to delete its code to leave only one option: Gemini

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It’s not official but as if it were: the end of Google Assistant or the classic Google Assistant, is scheduled. An analysis of the latest version of the Google app for Android carried out by Android Authority has revealed his almost definitive goodbye. The Mountain View company is eliminating the code that, for the moment, allows us to choose between Gemini and the old assistant. It is the chronicle of a death foretold that ends an era within the company. Where before we saw the Assistant icon and dialog window, we now have the Gemini one. Image by Iván Linares for Xataka Android failed promise. Launched in May 2016, the Google Assistant was going to be a revolution. On paper, it promised full voice control of your cell phone, car and home. In practice, like many users have experiencedits use ended up being “despairing” although the “Okay, Google” It became popular in smartphones and speakers. Your inability to understand the context or natural language and the rise of AI models, has finished burying it. The future belongs to Gemini. With the rise of generative AI, Google has bet everything on Gemini, but it has had a rather confusing rollout. For months, the American company maintained a curious mess with several duplicate names, apps and services… Bard, Assistant with Bard, Project Astra… In practice, two assistants live on the same mobile phone. In February 2024, its “transmutation” began: that was when Google launched the dedicated Gemini app (Bard was left behind) on Android, which when installed was offered as a replacement for Assistant. As we tested in its day, the new AI took over of the invocation with the famous “Hey Google” command. A more mature replacement. The problem with the Gemini assistant is that, at first, it was quite green. It was a powerful chatbot, but a not so useful assistant: it could not execute the basic tasks that the previous one could do, such as routines or orders for home automation. However, Google has spent the last year making Gemini absorb the features of its predecessor. The turning point came at the end of last year, when Gemini Live – the conversational voice mode – finally landed in Spain and in Spanish. Already approaching 2025, Gemini learned a basic function that it was missing: making calls and sending messages without having to unlock the mobile. The last big feature inherited from Assistant, the «Scheduled actions»arrived in June of this year. Google’s plan. At the same time that Gemini was learning the old Assistant tricks, Google has been dismantling the latter, removing useful functions. The objective is more than clear: Gemini is the future and will be everywhere. Now you can act like the “all-seeing” assistant thanks to Project Astra (integrated in Live mode), it is coming to Google Home speakers and its landing on Android Auto is imminent. The last step remains. And that is eliminating the escape route: Google has already consolidated the transition. Gemini is the default assistant on new mobile phones and can be installed on old ones without major impediments. The analysis of the APK of the specialized Android media only confirms that the last step is very simple: eliminate the option to go back. The king is dead, long live the king. Cover image | Composition with Google images and generated with Nano Banana by Pepu Ricca In Xataka | How to create Gemini Gems to have your personalized version of artificial intelligence

if you can leave your bike parked on the landing

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If you live in a building and share a landing or doorway, you have probably come across the scene. When you get home you find that the tenant across the street has left his bike parked in the hallway, right next to his door. Maybe it’s not a bicycle, but an electric scooter, a baby stroller, a shopping cart or any other armatroste useful that (for whatever reason) the person you share the landing with decides not to store inside their own home. And then the question arises: Can he do it? Nothing new under the sun. Since the existence of neighborhood communities, there has been friction over the use of common areas. It is nothing new, although it is true that in recent years, as extended The use of bicycles in cities, the doubt about whether or not they can be parked in doorways (hallways, corridors, halls and other shared spaces) seems to arouse special interest. If you live in a building you may have seen it in person. If not, just Google to find a good number of guides, articles and even some other news on the subject, such as the scuffle that aired For this same reason, a few months ago the ‘Neighbor Troubles’ account was published in Click on the image to go to the tweet. LPH Word. When the spark flies, as in that case, the usual thing is to ask what the law says. And in terms of neighborhood coexistence and buildings, the reference standard is Horizontal Property Law (LPH), designed precisely to facilitate coexistence in the blocks. Specifically, throughout its vast articles there is a particularly interesting section for cases such as the one disclosed in X. Which? He article 9.1which indicates the obligations of the owners. The first, “respect the general facilities of the community and other common elements, whether for general use or for the exclusive use of any of the owners (…), making appropriate use of them and avoiding at all times causing damage or damage.” And in case there were any doubts about what exactly the “common elements of the building” are, the Civil code makes it clear that the facades, portal, patios, goals… and (exactly) stairs and corridors can be understood as such. “Proper use”. The LPH is important because it conveys a fundamental message: neighbors must not damage the facilities they share with the rest of the owners and are also obliged to make “appropriate use” of them, which leaves doubt as to whether or not it is appropriate to park a bicycle in a space that (in the case of a landing, corridor or stairs) is designed for the passage of people and that must remain clear both for comfort and for emergencies. It is not the only reflection that arises Horizontal Property Law. Another is whether occupying a hallway with particular goods (a cart, a bicycle, a scooter) implies ‘appropriating’ of him, even if only temporarily. The rule also states that common spaces cannot be “altered” without permission. Click on the image to go to the tweet. That’s all? No. Leaving things on landings (especially bikes) is so common that on the Internet you can find property management that they explain how should you respond the community. Not all guides are the same, but they do tend to agree on one key aspect: what the statutes of each block say is essential. After all, there may be communities that expressly prohibit it in their regulations while others accept it or even assign special areas. “In many cases the community bylaws may establish specific rules on the use of common spaces, including the possibility of temporarily leaving objects in certain areas, as long as they do not hinder passage or pose a risk,” explains Group 91, which insists on the importance of knowing the regulations of each block. Similar message Atico07 transfers by pointing out that they must establish rules for coexistence and the use of shared areas. Better to get healthy. This last administrator points out another fundamental idea: to avoid misunderstandings, headaches or arguments that can end in the courts or with sanctionsit is best to play it safe. “If the statutes do not explicitly prohibit leaving bikes in common areas, the next step would be to request permission from the community of owners. This is generally done in a meeting where a proposal can be presented,” points out the signature before advising that the permission be recorded in the minutes. Is it that common? A quick Google search reveals that the topic generates interest, something that coincides with the increase in urban bicycle use, especially during the pandemic and his hangover. Although its boom seems to be losing steamhe Bicycle Barometer 2024 shows that almost 23% of the population uses the bike weekly. Of course, not everyone takes it home (Madrid either Barcelona They have shared services) and not everyone parks it in the hallways. Nor is it something that only Spain deals with. In other countriessuch as the Netherlands, Denmark, Berlin or Germany, where urban bicycle use is widespread. Mietrecht remember For example, in the latter country (Germany) it is not unusual for people to park in stairwells to avoid theft or protect them from the elements, although the rest of the owners are not always obliged to accept it and they can capture it in the internal regulations or rental contract. Images | Ayman Bondoki (Unsplash) and Katerina Plakhova (Unsplash) In Xataka | “Garage squatters”: there are people parking their cars every day in parking spaces that are not theirs

More and more people leave their partners by ghosting

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When Laura met Alberto after months of talking on Instagram, sparks flew. They spent the weekend together and he, who lived in another city, promised her he would return in a couple of weeks. The next thing she knew, he had blocked her. It is just an example of ghostingthat is to say, break up a relationship unilaterally and without giving any type of explanation to the other person. It is an increasingly common practice, partly encouraged by new models of quick relationships from dating apps Tinder or Bumble type. They are not isolated cases. It has not been difficult for me to find stories of ghosting In my close circle and in networks we can find countless cases of all kinds. We have spoken with some victims and a psychologist to better understand the mechanisms behind this widespread phenomenon. All names have been changed to preserve the anonymity of the participants. I make ‘chas’ and disappear from your side Knowing the true magnitude of the problem is complex since there are no clear measurement tools, although there are some studies that have tried to shed some light on the matter. In this study Conducted in the United States, 554 participants with an average age of 32 years were interviewed, of which 25% admitted to having been ghosted for a romantic partner, while about 20% have done it to someone else. In this other study A sample of 328 people was taken who were using dating apps then. The number of people who had suffered this practice rose to 85%. The percentage of perpetrators also rose to 63%. This same year it was published a review that analyzed more than a dozen studies about the ghosting. Although it does not mention figures, among its conclusions it states that it is a behavior associated with avoidant attachment styles, poor communication and conflict avoidance. He ghosting It is quite common in short relationships that arise on dating apps. Ana Martí-Beldaa psychologist specialized in brief strategic therapy, has encountered many cases in consultation and the majority coincide with this pattern. “It is a behavior that is spreading and happens a lot with one-night stands on Tinder, but sometimes it also happens with friendships and long-term relationships,” he says. “A boyfriend with whom I had been in a relationship for nine months did it to me. He lived in another city so imagine the scenario of not understanding anything, thinking that something had happened to him…” Daniela tells us. This is what happened to Daniela. “It was done to me by a boyfriend with whom I had been in a relationship for nine months. He lived in another city so imagine the scenario of not understanding anything, thinking that something had happened to him… After a month I managed to get him to answer me but because I kept insisting like crazy. Now it makes me laugh but it was horrible,” she remembers with a laugh. Something similar also happened to Marta with a four-month-old couple. “The confinement began and he told me that he would come for me to confine us together but he never showed up. I don’t know if it counts as ghosting because a week later he wrote to me to explain that he was still seeing his ex,” she admits. And she is not the only one, there are quite a few cases in which this behavior hide another relationship pre-existing that of course the other person does not know. Sergio went through something similar: “We met a few times, at her house, we went out to party… about a month after we met, she suddenly disappeared. Some time later I found out that she had a boyfriend for years.” He ghosting It is more common in short relationships and, although less serious, it can also be very painful. There are cases in which the sudden disappearance is preceded by a period of love bombing that leaves the victim completely distraught. “The second day he told me that he had told his mother about me,” Elisa recalls. He confesses to us that he has had several experiences of hookups that suddenly disappear, but this was the one that hurt him the most because, although it was only a short time, he was beginning to fall in love. “It was very intense, one of those who want to squeeze in the hours and take you to see the sunrise on the beach in a romantic way.” Everything was going well until the boy started to behave differently; He didn’t respond so quickly anymore and it was strange; He told him that he had family problems and they were going to kick him out of the house where he was living. “I tried to help him in rescue mode, one day I even made him a tupperware with 1kg of macaroni,” she says, laughing. They hadn’t known each other for even a month when her lover disappeared without a trace: “It happened from a love bombing very beast to disappear in less than a month and I was left immersed in a bubble of love that I had not asked for and without understanding anything.” Unsolved questions For those who disappear it is the easy way, but for those who suffer it it can be a very traumatic experience because prevents emotional closure and has a great impact on your mental health. Rumination about what happened, feelings of guilt and anxiety often occur. “The grief that the victim goes through is worse because they have to close something that was left unfinished. You have many questions left to answer and you are not going to get answers. It is very painful, especially when they are in longer relationships,” Ana tells us. “The grief that the victim goes through is worse because they have to close something that was left unfinished,” says Ana, a psychologist. Additionally, you must keep in mind that it is a long process. When someone disappears we … Read more

The aging of its population is about to leave Japan without a key element for the nation: pants

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Japan has entered a unprecedented demographic phase for an advanced economy: retirement mass of the generation that supported its industry coincides with a young one that is too small (and unwilling) to occupy the jobs that this economy requires to continue functioning. On paper, global demand for certain domestically manufactured goods has never been higher, but in the engine room, those who know how to produce them are aging without substitutes. Fabric turned into luxury. He japanese denimslowly woven, dense and dyed with natural indigo in repeated cycles, enjoys a moment of consecration worldwide: Dior, Balenciaga and other luxury houses incorporate it, celebrities exhibit it, the market projects grow more than 85% until 2035 and tourism (supported by a weak yen) triple sales in Kojima’s “Jeans Street.” For an industry that had been hollowed out by decades of cheap imports, the return of demand is not marginal but cultural: the value resides in the texturethe way indigo ages and in that kind of aura of exclusivity that results from real and not cosmetic scarcity. In fact, brands with Japanese only website and without direct export they increase that breath of rarity and price. Without a job when it is most demanded. The apogee has arrived when the productive base collapses: There are barely fifty artisans left in the founding heart of the japanese selvedgethe average age is close to seventy, and apprentices last months before giving up due to noise, heat, grease, discipline and slowness. Bloomberg counted that the skill curve is not linear: it takes six months to five years to operate the loom and up to a decade to maintain and repair it. With the master generation entering retirement and entrepreneurs without time to transmit the trade, continuity is broken by calendar, not by market. Ancient technology. The shuttle looms of the early 20th century (now relics) allow continuous edging what gives the “selvedge” and the density of the weave that produces an unmistakable drape, feel and aging in the fabric. Japan came to have 300,000 machines of this type. The problem? Today there are less than 400 operationsa lower third a single signature. To maintain them you have to remove pieces of other machines already stopped and work at a pace that doesn’t fit with today’s industry. They cannot be replaced by automation without losing exactly what the customer pays for: a finish that only time gives on a slow-made fabric. What is authentic is paid for. Plus: the one who pays For this denim you are not looking just for the feel, but for a product that takes time to make, that ages well and does not depend on the rapid rotation of fashion. In other words, this preference fits with the rejection of fast-fashion and a turn towards objects designed to last. The signs are many and clear: Levi’s sells “Blue Tab” lines for twice the price of a normal 501, Capital places jeans worth several hundred or thousands of dollars, and funds linked to the almighty LVMH they invest in Kojima brands. The problem of aging. Japan is getting older faster than there is time to teach the trade. The factories have plenty of orders, but they cannot get hire or train substitutes. The owners travel and manage, but they do not have hours to teach, and the machines will be lost due to lack of parts and hands that know how to maintain them. If the drift continues like this, the problem will not be a lack of demand but capacity: in about ten years (according to own manufacturers) this type of product will no longer be able to be made because neither the technicians nor the machines will be able to work. There are no shortcuts. The final paradox is that the boom of the sector It doesn’t seem like it’s going to save the job, rather it accelerate towards the limit: The more demand grows, the more it squeezes the few remaining hands and the less time there is to teach others. Thus, the world Japanese denim is faced with a disturbing choice: slow down the pace to transmit the trade (even if that means losing sales in the short term) or exploit the latest generation until it is exhausted, knowing that this would leave a product that will possibly disappear, not due to lack of market, but because no one will be able to do it anymore. Image | PxHere, Liface In Xataka | That Japan has 100,000 people over 100 years old explains a problem: they are literally running out of drivers. In Xataka | Japan’s aging has hit rock bottom with a devastating fact: more and more elderly people want to live in prison

setting a time in Spain will always leave losers

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The week started with Pedro Sánchez announcing that “the Government of Spain will propose to the EU to end the seasonal time change”. Immediately afterwards, the marmorena got involved. And not because the idea does not have popular support: when in 2018 the European Commission held his famous public consultation On the subject, 8 out of 10 people were in favor of ending it. The problem is another and much more thorny: what schedule do we stick with? The experts are clear about it. In fact, the consensus between specialists from the SES (Spanish Sleep Society) and many other international companies It’s surprising: science is with winter time. It is the time that (on paper) ensures better alignment with natural light, limits “social jet lag” and appears to consistently yield better health and safety results. “Winter time makes it easier to have more hours of sleep and a more natural awakening that coincides with dawn. If there were a permanent summer time, in the winter months there would be a lack of light in the morning and in the summer months an excess of light at night, a situation that imbalances the internal clock and can cause poor performance and vulnerability to certain diseases,” explained the SES in its public positioning. Martín Olalla, the great Spanish expert on these topics and a historical opponent of the elimination of change of seasonal time, often insists that the evidence makes it clear that the benefit is very limited. However, when choosing one of them, the winter one wins. And then everything becomes strange. Because, although no one says it explicitly, in the popular imagination “permanent schedule” is associated with an “eternal pseudo-summer” full of long afternoons to comfortably enjoy the little leisure that day-to-day life leaves us. But let’s face it, that’s not going to happen. Daylight saving time has problems. The main one is that enjoying “long afternoons” throughout the year condemns the west of the peninsula to sunrises around ten in the morning. For landing it in a specific way. In A Coruña, in the middle of the winter solstice, dawn at 10:03 in the morning and it would get dark at 17:01. Something that is, clearly, unfeasible. A zero sum game. In the end, the seasonal time change is a compromise solution that tries to adjust the civil time to the variability of the days. It is probably a bad solution, but it helps mitigate the problems that would arise when opting for either of the other two schedules in a stable manner. After all, with winter time Galicia, Asturias, Extremadura and western Andalusia would win; while they would lose the Mediterranean and the Balearic Islands. We would avoid very late sunrises in winter and we would improve sleep, health and the morning security. The problem is that you kill the afternoons, which is the only socially attractive thing about making a permanent schedule. And that “game” is not only regional. It is also economical. There are economic sectors such as tourism or hospitality, that prefer bright afternoons; but there are many others, such as school or industry, that prefer earlier sunrises. Sometimes, phrases like “the time zone or time that corresponds to us” give the impression that the schedule is something ‘natural’: that the clock is neutral and all we have to do is adapt to it. But not. Nothing is neutral: opting for daylight saving time, winter time or daylight saving time is deeply political. Something that, whether we like it or not, prioritizes some over others. It’s not a problem, what we have now does too. The problem is another. It is walking towards the abolition of the time change without being aware of it and, above all, without being prepared for it: thinking that abolishing the time change will end all our chronoproblems is ‘magical thinking’. It will create others and, for the first time in more than a hundred years, we will not be able to blame it on the seasonal time change. Image | Moncloa | Jon Tyson In Xataka | The war that ended at two different times: the time change has been giving Spaniards headaches for almost a century

It will open its first store in France and leave unknowns about its landing in Spain

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We have always seen Shein as an online giant, a brand that seemed not to need shop windows to reach millions of people. However, it has just taken a step that changes its history: it will open its first permanent physical store in Europe, and not anywhere, but in Paris, the city that marks the pulse of fashion, luxury and big brands. According to Le Mondewill do it in the BHV Marais next month and then in other locations. What has been announced. The company has confirmed that the opening in BHV Marais will not be an isolated case. The plan contemplates extending the physical model to other French cities with the concession formula in department stores. It is a movement that changes scale: it goes from temporary experiences to stable retail contracts, with permanent inventory and continuous presence. In the words of the company, it is an essay in France that probably sets the course of its strategy in Europe. From the ephemeral to the permanent. Until now, the usual formula of Shein had been the pop-up stores, premises that only work for a few days or weeks and that serve to generate expectation, try markets or reinforce the presence of brand without major fixed costs. These experiences have appeared in several large cities, always temporarily. What is announced in France is different: it implies stable contracts, permanent inventory and a long -term commitment to physical retail. In Spain we have already seen how this strategy works. In June 2022, Shein opened a temporary store in Sandoval Street in Madrid that barely lasted a few days, and In April 2024 he repeated with a space of 900 square meters In the mall ABC Serranoturned into its largest pop-up in the country. He has also done similar evidence in Paris, London, Lisbon or New York. All these openings generated queues and headlines, but none remained in time: they were ephemeral showcase experiences, not permanent stores. Criticism in Paris. The announcement did not take time to turn on the reaction of the French sector. YANN RIVOALLAN, President of the French Federation of Prêt-à-Porter Feminin, He expressed it in France Inter with forcefulness: “They are seizing everything.” He recalled that the BHV Marais is in front of the Paris City Council and added: “They are occupying all the space, both in the media and on the Internet, and now they also want to occupy physical space in the most emblematic places.” For him, Shein’s landing symbolizes the pressure suffered by local trade. SGM defense. Not everyone sees movement as a threat. Frédéric Merlin, at the head of Société des Grands Magasins, assured in Le Parisien that the challenge is to take advantage of Shein’s digital force to give oxygen to shopping centers. “Shein has 25 million French clients,” he recalled, adding: “We are not going to stop the Fast Fashion. The challenge is that it also serves traditional retailers. With physical stores they will have the same weapons as their detractors. ” Société des Grands Magasins enthusiasm is not shared throughout the group. The Lafayette galleries matrix, which no longer controls BHV but does manage its emblematic Paris warehouse, expressed its disagreement with the treatment achieved with Shein. The company made clear in an official statement that will block any attempt to implement in the centers that are still under their direct management. The fracture reflects that Shein’s entrance not only faces the sector, but also the commercial partners themselves. Regulation and sanctions. Shein’s landing coincides with a particularly tense political climate. In France, a law that would apply a “bonus-malus” system to penalize disposable fashion and reward sustainable production is discussed. In July, A French court already imposed on the company a fine of 40 million euros for deceptive practices on discounts. The pressure also comes from Brussels: in May, The European Commission notified Shein practices contrary to consumption regulations. Shein’s vision. The company wanted to give its own version of the movement. Donald Tang, Shein’s executive president, assured in Le Figaro That the election of France seeks to “pay tribute to the country and Paris, the world capital of fashion and cradle of the great modern warehouse.” He denied that Shein is the cause of traditional trade setback: “If sales stores have dropped, it is not for Shein. Difficulties began long before our arrival.” In addition, he promised the creation of 200 new jobs associated with the project. Spain: the official and the unofficial. The contrast with France is evident. In Valencia, the reopening of the mn4 shopping center included A store called Uniqs that the Shein brand was visibly used in signs and posters. The company’s reaction was blunt. To EL ESPAÑOL declared: “We have been informed about unauthorized stores in Spain and other places that claim to be stores, outlets or sellers of Shein. The brand does not operate any permanent physical store in Spain or anywhere in Europe.” A warning to distinguish the official one from what it is not. What we still don’t know. Shein’s plan in France opens many questions for the rest of Europe. For now, the company insists that it does not have permanent stores in Spain or in any other European country, but if the French essay thrives, the unknown is whether it will choose to expand the model to our market. In that scenario, the impact could be noted in stores that today use their name without authorization. At the moment, there is no confirmation and the only sure thing is that everything is still in the test phase. With the decision to open in Paris, Shein breaks the border that for years had separated his online business from physical trade. The movement has generated enthusiasm, rejection and doubts in equal parts, and opens a debate about the future of retail in Europe. In the absence of confirmations about other countries, the French pilot will be the reference to measure how far this change in strategy can go. What is … Read more

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