modernize

Your race to modernize is breaking what has always worked

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The promise of Windows 11 was to deliver a modern operating system, but four years later, that modernization feels like a permanent work in progress. While adoption of the system remains slow—although reached Windows 10— some users face an experience weighed down by patches that often turn into bugs. An invisible change that breaks things. From 2023Microsoft accelerated an under-the-hood migration: abandoning the classic and efficient technology that drew windows, to embrace WinUI and the XAML-based Windows App SDK. The goal is to unify the design, but the execution is taking its toll. WinUI introduces changes which, if not optimized perfectly, make the system suffer: it chokes waiting for data in the same thread that draws the interface. This explains why the browser feels heavy or why the start menu and taskbar they disappear after security updates. In fact, in a community meeting which you can see on YouTube, confirm their mission to migrate legacy surfaces to WinUI 3 to modernize the OS, admitting the difficulties that have arisen. It’s not just design. Beyond the UI layer, the latest version of the OS has been a minefield where Microsoft has had to constantly rectify. The result is components that have been failing, both due to WinUI and for reasons unrelated to it: The interface: contextual menus were born slow and cluttered, forcing Redmond’s redesign them now to fix the usability problem they created. Even their own managers have admitted publicly that the Start Menu “is very annoying” and needs corrections. Stability: we have suffered since updates that caused blue screens for processor incompatibilities to specific performance issues on AMD chipspassing through surreal glitches where the file explorer overlapped to other windows. Security: the renewal of the OS has reached disrupt vital functions such as “Local Authority Protection” (LSA), unintentionally disabling it with a patch. The community acts as a patch and resistance. Given the slowness to fix latest visual bugusers have taken control. The discovery is revealing: disabling the modern command bar (based on WinUI) using tools not only eliminates white flashes, but speeds up program loading and reduces RAM consumption. But this community has also been reluctant to Windows 11: they use tools like Rufus to bypass the TPM requirement (controversial at launch) or modified versions like Tiny11 to clean bloatware. It seems that the advanced and enthusiastic user prefers to modify the system rather than accept Redmond’s official vision. The nostalgia cycle. All this fuels the eternal debate about the “good” and “bad” versions of Windows. Today many idealize Windows 10 for its stability, forgetting that in its first years it suffered fierce criticism for forced updates and privacy. Windows 11 seems to be stuck in that difficult phase of the cycle, aggravated by requirements that left out many functional PCs. Open Source to the rescue? As Microsoft pours resources into the ARM revolution and Copilot+ PCsthe desktop does not finish fine-tuning. The company seems aware and recently announced plans to make WinUI open sourcein order to accelerate the improvement of the base technology that currently hinders the system. Perhaps involving more developers will help make this interface development framework cleaner and more stable, although it does not imply that the bugs in Windows 11 (proprietary code) will be fixed because of this. However, the developer community is skeptical, pointing in specialized forums that WinUI has performance issues. Until Microsoft manages to make this new element as solid as the classic, and satisfy the enormous hardware park that installs it, Windows 11 will continue to pay the toll of modernity with some occasional instability. Cover image | Composition with images by Pepu Ricca and Javier Penalva for Xataka In Xataka | The ghost of IBM: Satya Nadella’s great challenge is to prevent Microsoft from becoming a technological fossil

Spain needs to modernize its electrical grid, so the remuneration rate has increased. The effect will be noticeable in the next five years

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Until now we have observed the electricity bill as has increased after the April blackout. But this time the focus is not on the receipt, but on a silent decision that the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) has just made and that will determine how much it will cost to keep the light on in the next five years. Piecemeal. The CNMC has sent to the Council of State the circulars that establish how the transport and distribution of electricity is remunerated between 2026 and 2031, the so-called “network business”: the towers, cables and transformation centers that make it possible for energy to reach homes, factories and hospitals. The technical detail is a figure: 6.58%. This new percentage – up from 5.58% – is, according to the regulator, an update that better reflects current financial conditions, after a period of rising interest rates. However, the measure is far from the 7% or 7.5% requested by the large electricity companies grouped in Aelec (Iberdrola, Endesa, EDP and Naturgy) and that the small distributors represented by CIDE also claimed. And in the pocket? Good question. These circulars, which will come into force on January 1, 2026 if the Council of State does not introduce changes, define the remuneration criteria for the entire period 2026–2031. In the short term, the increase will not be directly noticeable on the bill, but it will influence the regulated costs that support the electrical system and that we all pay. According to CNMC calculationsthe impact of the change will be between 0.9% and 1.1% of the total annual costs of the system, depending on the level of investment. The purpose of this rate is to guarantee that companies that maintain and expand the electrical network receive a reasonable return on their invested capital. If the percentage is too low, investment is discouraged; If it is too high, the costs of the system and, in the long run, the consumer’s bill increase. The regulator look for a balance point: enough attractiveness for lines to continue being built and reinforced, but without transferring an extra cost to homes. A change in calculation. For the first time, historical data and future forecasts will be combined to estimate the cost of companies’ debt, rather than relying solely on past interest rates. New components are also incorporated: transaction costs (such as commissions for issuing debt), the so-called cost-of-carry (cost of maintaining financial positions) and a correction due to the European Central Bank’s bond purchase programs, which had artificially reduced the profitability of public debt and, therefore, the risk-free rate. According to the organizationthis is a “more realistic” methodology that incorporates recent market volatility. The change will be applied in a phased manner during the six years of the new regulatory period and expands the margin of recognized investment, including not only new infrastructure but also improvements and optimization of existing ones. The goal: keep bills contained while the network is modernized. The “K parameter”. Beyond the technicalities, what is at stake is Spain’s ability to electrify its economy without skyrocketing the bill. The CNMC has set it at 257 euros per connected kilowatt, compared to 232 euros in the previous draft. The companies maintain that the real cost is around 375 euros/kW, so the improvement falls far short. This parameter determines how many industrial projects, data centers or new homes can be connected to the network without the connection being economically unfeasible. According to the employerlimiting remuneration to that level “prevents connecting part of the new consumers” and can put the competitiveness of entire sectors at risk. This has been the response. Aelec expressed its “deep concern” and warned that the new circulars “compromise the electrification and industrial development of the country.” The employers insist that the rate is still below European levels – between 6.8% and 7.5% – and warns that “it discourages investment just when the country needs to deploy more electrical infrastructure.” More than 67 business and social associations have joined his call. In a manifesto cited by Aelec itselfwarn that, if conditions are not reviewed, “the Spanish electricity networks could collapse.” The employers’ association also criticizes that the CNMC has reduced the recognized maintenance costs by 37%, which, in its opinion, may deteriorate the quality of the service and stop the connection of new clients. For its part, the CNMC maintains that its obligation is to protect the consumer and guarantee the sustainability of the system. The organization seeks to “limit the impact of investments on customer bills” and remembers that everything that electricity companies invest in these networks is paid as fixed charges on the electricity bill. The balance, the regulator insistsconsists of remunerating the necessary investments without overloading the end user. A decision with long-term effects. Behind this technical dispute lies a fundamental question: can Spain electrify its economy at the necessary pace without increasing the remuneration of the networks? The Government has launched a plan to increase investment in networks by 62% until 2030, with around 13.6 billion euros to reinforce the national network, as El Economista recalled. However, Five Days points out that the new limitations of the CNMC could stop part of these projects and leave out consumers with higher connection costs. The electricity companies are now preparing allegations before the Council of State, while the regulator defends that its proposal offers stability and predictability for six years, a rarity in a context of financial and energy volatility. An invisible, but transcendental decision. The figure of 6.58% will not say much to the average consumer, but a good part of Spain’s electrical future depends on it. It defines whether there will be enough investment to connect the new factories, electric vehicle chargers or data centers that support digitalization, and also how much each family will pay to keep that network operational. You won’t notice anything on your next bill, but this decision determines how much you’ll pay—and how reliable your grid will be—over the next five years. Between containing prices and … Read more

create 3,000 jobs to modernize the army

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International pressure for Spain invest more in defense had never been so remarkable. NATO has made it clear that member countries must achieve spending goals much more ambitious, and the Spanish Government has responded with concrete measures and heavy investments. Just as the war in Ukraine and other tensions have led Europe to beef up its security, key opportunities are emerging for domestic industry, and a wave of hiring is coming. Rain of millions for Indra. The latest agreement between the allies sets as a goal dedicate 5% of GDP to defense in 2035, although Spain already meets the previous minimum objective of 2% in 2025. Compared to 2024, the country has increased military spending by 43.11%, raising the budget from 22,693 million to 33,123 million euros, according to official data from the Atlantic Alliance published by The World. In a new step towards this investment objective, the Government announced this week the granting of 6,890 million euros in credits for companies involved in the development of new technologies and equipment for Defense. Among all these companies there is a great beneficiary: Indrawhich will attract 6,582 million euros in investment. Investing does not mean buying. The Government has insisted on its approach of using this increase in defense spending not simply to modernize the Armed Forces with better equipment, but its commitment is to turn Spain into a producer of new technology. that can be sold to other countries. In this context of investments in Defense, Indra just announced through a statement that will generate 3,000 direct jobs related to the development of technologies and tools for military modernization. This represents a relevant opportunity for young people who are thinking about directing their training towards technology or engineering in areas of application in military defense and cybersecurity. A commitment to technological employment. Indra, one of the defense contractors most benefited for rearmament in Spain and Europe. Ángel Escribano, executive president of Indra Group, has confirmed that “we will generate wealth throughout the national territory through high added value jobs, an industry that is as self-sufficient as possible and completely national advanced technology”, making clear its commitment to young technological talent in Spain. According to sources of Indra, currently its supplier network is already made up of an ecosystem of companies in which more than 65% of its national supply network is made up of SMEs, startups and technological or research centers based in Spain. Around 77% of Indra’s subcontracting already benefits the national industry, and the company estimates that the current value chain, made up of approximately 1,000 employees, will add another 200 partners and suppliers in the coming years. There are already 2,400 open vacancies. Indra’s intention to expand its workforce with new additions of engineers and technical personnel was seen even before the Government made official the granting of the credits approved by the Council of Ministers, and already before the summer opened the vacancies to attract 2,400 new qualified professionals. With an eye on FP. To make talent attraction more efficient, Indra has signed agreements with 346 vocational training centers and plans to incorporate 75% of the interns into its workforce this year in 2025. A third of Indra’s staff in Spain are graduates in some vocational training branch. Escribano has pointed out that “we are convinced that Vocational Training not only trains thousands of young people each year, but is a lever of transformation for our society. A country that wants to develop a solid industrial capacity and real technological autonomy must decisively bet on vocational training, as Spain does.” In Xataka | Italy has activated “rearmament” in Europe: the longest suspension bridge in the world will connect Sicily for the passage of tanks Image | Indra, Unsplash (ThisisEngineering)

The US Navy wants to modernize its F/A-18 with sensors that cost 16 million each. They do not resist 40 hours without failing

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There are more modern, more expensive, newer fighters. He F-35for example, with his futuristic cabin and his advanced stealth. Or the F-22 Raptorless young, but so well known that you barely need a presentation. Even the future F-47. But while that happens, a good part of the United States aerial muscle continues to rest on the shoulders of a veteran: the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. A plane that began to fly in 1995 and that, with constant updates, it is still the versatile hunting par excellence of the Navy. The challenge is to keep it up. And for that, added added. One of them is the IrST Block IIan infrared search and monitoring system designed by Lockheed Martin. It is integrated into a modified central deposit and Cuesta, According to the latest GAO report16.6 million dollars per unit. Its function is to detect threats from long distances without the need to turn on the radar, which allows the pilot to “see without being seen.” A key tool against poachers, long -range drones and environments with intense electronic warfare. In theory, a tactical jump. In practice, for the moment, a problem While IrST Block II has already been tested in real operations, and its capabilities are well documented, it has a serious obstacle: reliability. According to the same GAO report, the system fails, on average, Every 14 hours of flight. The minimum required by the Navy is 40. That is, the sensor does not endure even half of the time that should suffer a critical failure. And this is making its large -scale deployment difficult. During the operational tests carried out between April and September 2024, the IRST Block II showed unstable behavior. According to a Dot & e reportthe system suffered unexpected flights in full flight, software blockages and hardware failures that, in many cases, required direct assistance of engineers from Lockheed Martin. The marine maintenance crew could not solve them alone. The failures are not limited to software. In 2023, a previous GAO report warned that between 20 % and 30 % of the manufactured components did not comply with the technical specifications. They identified themselves Microelectronics problemsthe cooling system and the general assembly of the Pod. Although some of these deficiencies have been corrected, but many others persist, as we have just seen above. The schedule of the program has been deteriorating year after year. The decision to go to production in full cadence was scheduled for early 2025, but was postponed. And that has consequences. The Irst Block II is not just a punctual improvement: it is an essential piece within the effort to keep the Super Hornet competitive against more modern rivals such as China and Russia. The ironic thing is that while the navy still hopes to trust its star sensor, the American Air Force has already integrated similar systems in its F-15 and F-16. In Western Europe, Eurofight Typhoon also incorporates a similar solution. Apparently, operating from an aircraft carrier implies other conditions, and that is complicating things for the US Navy. United States | DOWRY | Lockheed Martin In Xataka | We prepare to say goodbye to Windows 10, but part of the US Air Control still works with disks and Windows 95

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