months

8 GB of RAM has gone from $40 to $130 in five months. It is explained in four words: “It is what it is”

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At this point in the film, it no longer escapes us that we are in the midst of a new component crisis. What started with RAM crisis ended up mutating into SSD crisis and any device that has memory or a memory controller. We are in an “unprecedented” situation, said by the companies themselves that manufacture that memory, and although it all started with SSDs and more expensive RAM ‘chips’, now things have escalated. How much? Let’s go with some examples. a rocket. Maybe in Europe they are not the best known, but Framework It is a company that is doing things well. It has a desktop PC, but also something much more interesting: modular laptops. It is not so common to be able to choose all the components of a laptop, and the Framework components do give us that opportunity. The fact is that they are the perfect example to see how the market is. In September they stopped selling standalone RAM modules. They were not the only ones who began to sell computers without memory or with less physical SSD than advertised, but now the next ‘stick’ has arrived: if before 8 GB of RAM cost 40 dollars, now it is 130 dollars. And if you wanted 96 GB of RAM, before it “only” cost you $480… and now you have to shell out $1,340. It’s the market, friend. It is estimated that prices are increasing between 6% and 16% on the company’s equipment. The Framework Desktop 32GB LPDDR5X memory is up $110 since it launched. And the 128 GB one has increased by about $600. The equipment that was already built in the warehouse has not been affected by this, but as the stock runs out, they will inevitably follow the same path. “The price is what it is, unfortunately,” says the CEO of Framework In ArsTechnica we can read that Nirav Patel, CEO of the company, points out that they are trying to solve the problems, but in the end… he is not on his own and the best thing he can do is be transparent. In an interview with BIpoints out that they are looking under the rocks and that if an intermediary tells them “we have found 5,000 RAM modules in a warehouse”, they would buy them without thinking. The problem is accessing new RAM modules… because there aren’t any. Increases. As we say, it is no longer just the RAM that we can see in stores like Amazon, but the components of a computer, a cell phone, a television, a cara modem or… one Raspberry Pi. Since this crisis began, we have talked a lot about how manufacturers were saying that things were tough and it was going to take a while for the market to recover. But the case of Framework helps ground things, and so does Raspberry. Because if Framework uses DDR5 memory, which is the most advanced, Raspberry’s is not the latest generation. However, the company has also had to raise prices. Yes three months ago increased a little, now they have skyrocketed. Its memories are LPDDR4 and the company has published a table that point Because the more RAM your board has, the more the price goes up. Raspberry PI 4 and Raspberry Pi 5 Price increase 1 GB Nothing 2GB 10 dollars 4GB 15 dollars 8GB 30 dollars 16 GB 30 dollars Out of the race. In the end, it all depends on the price of the device. In a 4,000 euro computer that you need for professional work, you have no choice but to pay about 600 more to expand the RAM. But on cheaper equipment, the feeling is that it has a much greater impact. This is the case of the Raspberry. In a 120 euro device like the Raspberry Pi 5 of 16 GB, an increase of 60 euros is stupid. And as the situation lasts a long time, that will be the big problem for many software manufacturers. Apple just present new laptops and the iPhone 17e and, in Spain at least, the price has remained the same. This has not happened in other countries such as the United States, seeing strong increases in some models. Apple, Lenovo, Dell… are companies that have already said that things are bad and the users will have to bear the cost. But there are also voices that point out that not all companies can allow their users to be the ones who ‘swallow’ with the situation. From SMICChina’s large foundry, has already pointed out that there will be hardware companies that will be left out of the game. We are already seeing it: the cheap mobile is suffering the consequences and the Chinese Meizu, which wanted to eagerly return to the Western market, is already backing down. 2027 2028. Valve and its Steam Machine is another example: the console should come out this spring, but not only is there no price, but it is not known when it will arrive. And when will the end of this catastrophic situation be? It’s the million dollar question. Patel comments that the relief will begin in early 2028, a date similar to what other parts of the industry are managing. However, Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, has already warned that the AI ​​race He has seven or eight years leftand just now they have begun to commission TSMC to begin mass manufacturing of Vera Rubin, their next-generation acceleration platform. It is something that needs memory and only Samsung and SK Hynix (two of the big three RAM companies) are able to supply it right now. In the end, it is about going day by day in this new crisis, but everything indicates that if we need something, it is better to buy it as soon as possible because ifamsung, Micron and SK Hynix they are not doing consumption memoryprices will rise more and more over the next few months. Images | Raspberry, Framework In Xataka | SK is one … Read more

Get four months free of one of the best VPNs on the market just for being part of Xataka Xtra

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At Xataka we are not only passionate about technology: we are obsessed with understanding how it impacts us on a daily basis. That is why we have launched Xataka Xtraour community for readers who want to go one step further. And since we want to make being part of this worthwhile from minute one, we will tell you one of the advantages you get with Xtra: four free months of NordVPN for all subscribers on one- or two-year plans. We don’t want this to be a discount code and that’s it. We want to take the opportunity to explain to you why in 2026 a VPN is no longer a mere addition for people jealous of their privacy, but rather a basic tool for anyone who uses the internet. It’s not just hiding your IP (that’s the least of it) You probably associate using VPN to bypass geoblocks for certain services and applications. NordVPN has more than 9,000 servers in 111 countriesso this does it very well, but it does much more: Malware Protection: NordVPN is not just a VPN. Its function Threat Protection Pro It analyzes the files you download and the websites you visit in real time. Not only does it protect you from viruses, it blocks intrusive trackers and ads before they load. Post-quantum security: We already know that quantum computers will have the ability to break any encryption that exists to date, present and past. NordVPN already implements post-quantum encryption for when that time comes. This is important because it provides protection so that your current data cannot be decrypted even with the technologies that are to come. Extra layer against phishing: Many security breaches occur due to theft of credentials or phishingso having extra protection against these types of attacks comes in handy. Compatible with 10 devices: With a single account you can protect your mobile phone, your laptop, your partner’s and even your Smart TV, as it allows up to 10 devices to be connected simultaneously. NordVPN 76% discount on NordVPN (this offer does not include the 4 months of Xataka Xtra) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Why we choose NordVPN At Xataka we try to avoid marketing promises and always look for support in data. And in that NordVPN gives us a lot of confidence: they have just overcome your sixth independent “zero records” audit (no-logs) conducted by Deloitte. This implies that one of the world’s largest auditing firms has gone into the kitchen of its systems—interviewing employees and analyzing each server—to confirm that NordVPN does not track, collect or store anything you do online. Whether you choose NordVPN or any other VPN service, we highly recommend making this one of the basic requirements you ask for. It is important because in this sector there are many companies that claim to protect your privacy but then end up selling your data. With this independent audit, NordVPN opens its doors to demonstrate that they deliver what they promise. It is a transparency that gives us a lot of peace of mind. We are waiting for you at Xataka Xtra In Xataka Xtra We want to build something different: more closeness, exclusive content and advantages that really add to your digital life. This collaboration with NordVPN is just the beginning. Yeah You join today with an annual or two-year planyou take those four extra months as a gift to start browsing as you should: quickly, safely and without anyone tracking your steps. In Xataka | What is a VPN connection, what is it for and what advantages does it have?

He has been vetoing the shipment of weapons to Israel for months

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The bases of Rota and Morón have been two pieces discreet but essential of the United States military machinery in the Mediterranean. From them operations have started in the Middle East, strategic bombers, anti-missile shield destroyers and even part of the naval device that watches over the Strait of Hormuz. Spain shares them with Washington since bilateral agreements signed in the middle of the Cold War, and since then they had hardly generated relevant diplomatic friction. Until now. The threat that opened an unprecedented crisis. Tension broke out yesterday when Donald Trump threatened with cutting off trade with Spain after the Government refused to allow the use of bases of Rota and Morón for the bombings against Iran. The warning represented an unprecedented escalation between two NATO allies, because the US president did not speak of simple trade retaliation but of the possibility of a total economic embargo. Pedro Sanchez just responded with an institutional declaration in which he summarized the Spanish position in a phrase that evoked the popular rejection of the 2003 invasion of Iraq: “No to war.” The president defended that Spain rejects both the Iranian regime and the current military escalation and demanded the cessation of hostilities before the conflict causes a spiral of violence with global consequences. Tariffs and embargoes: two very different weapons. Trump’s threat drew attention because he did not resort to his favorite tool for years, the tariffsbut to something much more extreme: a trade embargo. Tariffs make specific products more expensive and are used to pressure or protect industries, while an embargo involves blocking practically all economic relations with a country. The difference is enormous: an embargo can prevent exports, investments, financial operations or even access to the dollar system. Furthermore, Trump began talking about this option after the US Supreme Court declare illegal the use of an economic emergency law to impose global tariffs, although that same legislation does allow blocking trade with countries considered a threat to national security. A tool reserved for “enemies”. They remembered in The World Which is precisely why the threat has generated so much surprise in Europe. Economic sanctions based on that law have traditionally been applied against governments considered hostile or authoritariancountries such as Iran, North Korea or Venezuela, or even against specific companies and leaders accused of human rights violations, corruption or illicit activities. Hence, using this mechanism against an allied country, a member of the European Union and NATO, would be something practically unpublished and legally very controversial and complex. Furthermore, it would have enormous economic consequences. for both sides Atlantic: The United States sells more than double what it buys to Spain and numerous American multinationals operate in the country, so an embargo would cause an unprecedented financial and commercial clash between strategic partners. The fine print that explains the climb. And while the controversy grew, the newspaper The country has released details that shed light on Washington’s virulent reaction. According to the official statistics documents sent to Congress, in reality Spain had been discreetly blocking the transit and export of weapons for months. bound for Israel. How much? In 2024 they were denied seven ship calls with weapons (including the prohibition of the cargo ships Maersk Denver, Maersk Seletar and Marianne Danica from calling in Algeciras and Cartagena) and They vetoed 57 operations export of military or dual-use material to that country. Some of these decisions had already caused tensions with the United States and even a file of the US Federal Maritime Commission. Although after the Hamas attack on October 2023 Sales were progressively restricted until they were prohibited by law. In 2024, military material worth 1.45 million euros was still exported from previous licenses, mainly sensors, electrical systems or returns of defective equipment, in addition to some components destined for third countries or the A400M aircraft. The total veto. Already in 2025 no sale was authorized of defense or dual use to Israel, only licenses with no economic value for repairs of equipment of the Spanish Armed Forces. At the same time, the report has also revealed that Spain has sold military material to Ukraine for 110.3 million between January 2024 and June 2025 (mainly artillery ammunition) in addition to donations of military equipment valued at 384 million. For their part, global exports of Spanish weapons reached 3,491 million in 2024 and rebounded strongly in the first half of 2025, with record new licenses and controversial clients such as Equatorial Guinea or Eritrea, which has generated criticism from organizations such as Amnesty International. A long conflict. In short, this context helps to understand why the American reaction it’s been so hard. He veto to the use of the bases to bomb Iran was the visible trigger of the crisis, but not the only reason for friction. The traffic restrictions of arms towards Israel, added to the refusal to participate in the military operation, outline a Spanish policy that tries to set limits in the Middle East and prioritize diplomacy over armed intervention. For the White House, however, this shift means a direct challenge to its strategy in the region, whatever it may be. The result is a dispute that has for the first time placed a European ally under the threat of an economic tool that the United States had until now reserved. for his adversaries. Image | Phan J. Alan Elliott, US Army In Xataka | In 1988 Spain and the US signed an agreement. Thanks to him, today Spain can refuse to use its bases to attack Iran In Xataka | The great paradox of Spain is 7,000 million euros: nobody wants to take up weapons, but they are making money by selling them

It took eight months for the French Academy to bring Jim Carrey to Paris. It took the Internet eight hours to decide that it wasn’t him

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On February 26, Jim Carrey received a prestigious Honorary César for his entire career in Paris, after years of semi-retirement. But what was born as a touching emotional tribute at the center of a conspiracy theory: was it really him who took the stage, or an impersonator with prosthetics? The story of how an Instagram post unleashed chaos (and how it ended up being denied). A tribute. Jim Carrey has received this year’s Honorary César: the French Oscars rewarded his “exceptional versatility” with an award that Julia Roberts, Christopher Nolan and David Fincher had already received. It also arrived at a time when Carrey’s career was at a peculiar point: in 2022, at the press conference for ‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’ he announced that he retired. But he came back three years later. with brutal honesty: “I have bought many things and I need the money“Frankly.” Therefore, Carrey arrived in Paris after a false retirement that had made him partially disappear, yes, from the red carpets and premieres. And now he was on the most elegant stage in European cinema. He had not disappeared from the public light, however: in November, had been seen at Soundgarden’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Los Angeles. But his appearances have always been, in recent years, spaced out in time and without warning. The delivery. The first unexpected moment of the night came when Carrey, after being introduced by Michel Gondry, and with an aesthetic that left behind the lush beard of recent years, gave the acceptance speech completely in French. The accent was unmistakably American, but it was very worked. As Gregory Caulier, general delegate of the Caesars, would later reveal, I had prepared it for months. In it revealed a connection with France that no one knew: his ancestor Marc-François Carré (the family’s original surname before Anglicization) was born in Saint-Malo and, from there, emigrated to Canada The change. In fact, already at the aforementioned Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony its appearance It had aroused some surprise: it already had the aesthetic that it repeated at the Césars, with shoulder-length hair and slightly different facial features than usual. The first speculations pointed to the cosmetic surgery as a possible reason and some experts on the subject speculated about what those interventions could have been. Dr. Millicent Rovelo speak of an upper blepharoplasty (to remove excess skin from the upper eyelids) and a significant volume of Botox on the forehead. Another surgeon, Dr. John Diaz pointed out to a possible cervical tightening procedure. The very media Dr. Tony Youn pointed out signs of an endoscopic brow lift that would explain the slight displacement of the hairline. and joined the hypothesis of blepharoplasty and Botox. Finally, Dr. Raffi Hovsepian, dissented: The changes in the forehead and eye area seemed compatible with natural male aging, without surgical evidence. Let’s not forget that in 2003, Carrey appeared at the Teen Choice Awards completely blindfolded, wearing sunglasses, pretending to come out of surgery. By then rumors arose about the tweaks to his physique. The mask artist. Four days after the ceremony, Alexis Stone posted a carousel of three images on Instagram. The first two featured Jim Carrey. The third was a latex mask, false teeth, a dark wig, and various makeup materials arranged on a table with the Eiffel Tower out of focus in the background. The caption was simply “Alexis Stone as Jim Carrey in Paris.” Stone is a self-taught effects designer who has built a career on hyperrealistic transformations that have allowed her to pass herself off as Madonna, Jack NicholsonLana Del Rey, Robin Williams’ Ms. Doubtfire or Glenn Close’s Cruella de Vil. Stone usually documents his process in detail, but this was not the case: we only saw a mask that even had details that some users saw themselves as belonging to an AI generationwith excessively perfect contours and a blurry background typical of synthetic images. but when famous like Megan Fox or Katy Perry spread Stone’s posts, the rumor germinated all over the internet: the Césars were not Jim Carrey, but an imposter. Because. The arguments that the conspiracy theorists maintained They appeared almost at the same time as the gala. For example, the color of the eyes, usually dark brown, here a more greenish tone. More: Carrey is left-handed, and several short videos showed him in Paris using his right hand to sign autographs. The third argument was the speech itself: that someone who was theoretically retired and had no active ties to France spoke for ten minutes in French with very elaborate pronunciation, it was, for a part of the public, tremendously suspicious. The interviews that prove it. Of course, this is the moment that conspiracy theorists have been waiting for to bring up interviews from Carrey’s past with ambiguous, philosophical or downright incomprehensible answers. In 2017 declared that he did not believe in personalities, that the fashion party he had gone to and at which he was being interviewed seemed to him “absolutely meaningless” (from a metaphysical point of view) and that “there is no self, there are only things happening” (later the actor himself I would rate the interview “existential experiment”). In a previous interview, he calmly said “I’m dead“, but it was in the context of a conversation about spirituality and ego. We recommend fans of the most disconcerting Carrey to check out the incredible documentary ‘Jim and Andy’, which documents his literal transformation into Andy Kaufman for the filming of ‘Man on the Moon’. Official confirmation. The first official statements came from Marleah Leslie, Jim Carrey’s publicist for decades, with a brief message and that left no room for doubt: “Jim Carrey attended the César Awards, where he accepted his Honorary César Award.” That same day, the aforementioned Gregory Caulier told Variety what the eight months of preparatory conversations had been like and the months that the actor dedicated to working on his French. Carrey went to Paris accompanied by … Read more

If China invades Taiwan, Taiwan will not notice because a drone has been disguised as an optical illusion for months

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In modern aviation, each aircraft carries a unique “digital license plate” that identifies it to the world in real time. It makes perfect sense. It is a system designed to provide transparency and security, but it also demonstrates a most disturbing paradox: what appears on a screen is not always what is really flying. China has just put it into practice. A bird, a fighter or a drone. A Reuters investigation has revealed that, since last August, at least 23 flights over the South China Sea have been registered under the callsign YILO4200, associated with a long-range Chinese military drone, although the signals it emitted told a different story. It happens that on civil radars it appeared as a sanctioned Belarusian freighter, also as a British Typhoon fighterlike a North Korean plane or even like a Western executive jet. These were not specific errors or programming errors. Was a deliberate impersonation of air identities by manipulating 24-bit transponder codes that identify position, course and speed. “We have never seen anything like this.” The middle counted that open intelligence analysts and those responsible for aerial tracking platforms agreed on something unusual: this pattern was unprecedented. It was not the classic drone flying “in the dark” without emitting a signal. It was just the opposite. He flew showing a false identity, changing it even in the middle of the journey, testing in real time to what extent he could “dirty” the aerial chart. “We had never seen anything like this,” summarized one of the experts who analyzed the data. It didn’t seem like an accident or a technical anomaly. It seemed like a conscious attempt at operational deception. The ultimate optical illusion. The drone, identified as a Wing Loong 2 With a 20-meter wingspan, it took off from Hainan and traced star- or hourglass-shaped patterns for hours over sensitive areas, including naval routes and areas frequented by submarines. In one of the missions the identity of a Typhoon of the RAF with that of three other aircraft in just twenty minutes before virtually “landing” like the Belarusian plane. On another occasion he posed as that same freighter while the real aircraft was simultaneously taking off in Europe. It was a full-fledged aerial optical illusion sustained for months. Taiwan as a backdrop. Not only that. Apparently, the trajectories were not random. Many were projected towards the Bashi channelcritical point between Taiwan and the Philippinesand when superimposed on a map of the island they crossed areas of military interest around Taipei and its southern coast. In fact, they also brushed against American and Japanese bases in Okinawa and the Ryukyu. It wasn’t just about surveillance. The pattern therefore suggests a digital rehearsal to a bigger stagea test of how to generate confusion in the early stages of a crisis in the Strait. Confusion in decisive milliseconds. They remembered in research that, in highly automated conflicts, milliseconds can separate detection from firing. Introducing noise, false identities and contradictory echoes can delay critical decisions and overwhelm chains of command. Although masking would hardly completely fool advanced military radars, it can sow doubts, hide intelligence missions, or fuel disinformation operations. The key is not so much to disappear. Is seem like something else. If China invades, the warning could be a fiction. Ultimately, the most disturbing idea is not only that a drone has been eight months in disguise in front of Taiwan’s radars. It is rather that that capacity has been tested with patience, repetition and apparent impunity. If you will, if China finally decides to go beyond in Taiwannot even the island itself is going to realize at the first moment what it is seeing on its screens. Because from now on, what appears might not be what actually flies. And that is the true revolution of the movement: a possible invasion that begins, not with missiles, but with a false identity flashing on the radar. An “ally” that comes close and that in reality is not so much. Image | 中文（臺灣）：​中華民國總統府, Mztourist – In Xataka | Satellite images leave no doubt: China has concentrated thousands of fishing boats off Japan, and its idea is not to fish In Xataka | China has just mounted the largest cannon in its history on the bow of a ship. And that can only point in one direction

Months ago, Mallorca began fining drivers in its ZBE. Now he has a problem with German tourists

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Joachin Fischer is one of the many (many) German tourists who like to enjoy the landscapes, weather and coves of Mallorca. For decades he has been visiting the island at least twice a year. If his name has stood out among the thousands of compatriots who spend their summers in the Balearic Islands, it is because a few months ago posed in front of the cameras of the press showing a fine, a sanction of 200 euros sent by the Palma City Council for (and this is the key) having accessed the Low Emissions Zone (ZBE) from the city with your car. fischer claims who drives a Tesla suitable for driving on the BZE, but that is not the only feature of his vehicle. Another (crucial) is that it has a foreign registration, which partly explains the fine. Your case is important because is not the only one German tourist who claims to have suffered a similar sanction in Palma. What has happened? That the activation of the low emissions zone (ZBE) in Palma is having unexpected protagonists: German tourists. The Balearic capital launched zoning a little over a year ago and months later, in julybegan to apply sanctions to drivers who do not respect it. Until then, nothing out of this world. At the end of the day, Palma City Council has only adjusted to what the Climate Change Law for cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants. The surprise came after time, in Novemberwhen it was found that the measure was causing friction with tourists who arrive in Palma with their foreign-registered cars, even the zero-emission ones. Why’s that? The news gave it Mallorca Diary last fall: tourists who arrive in the city with their own vehicles risk fines if they enter the streets delimited in the ZBE. And this is basically because they do not have the option of registering their license plates to process the permit. Even in those cases where they drive models that meet the technical requirements. “They are not authorized to enter the ZBE, since the DGT system is not universalized throughout the EU and each country has its own classification method, so the level of emissions of cars with foreign registration cannot be automatically verified,” They explained in November from the municipal Mobility area of ​​Palma. “They may be exempt only if they register in the system and justify their residence, meeting the established requirements.” And what is the problem? That last nuance. In the website that Palma City Council dedicates to the ZBE includes a specific section on “vehicles with foreign registration plates” in which two points are especially highlighted. The first is that “vehicles registered outside of Spain are not classified according to the criteria of the environmental label of the General Directorate of Traffic.” The second, that drivers of vehicles with foreign registration interested in accessing the ZBE must process a “authorization”a permit designed primarily for residents and owners of properties, businesses or parking spaces. The question is… And the tourists? Many of the thousands of Germans who spend their summers in the Balearic Islands rent cars with Spanish license plates with a badge that allows them to circulate without problem through the Palma ZBE, but there are also cases like Fischer’swho prefers to disembark with his own vehicle. What’s wrong with them? In November Fischer counted to the Balearic press that he had received a fine of 200 euros from the City Council for driving his electric Tesla where he shouldn’t have been. “I only entered Jaume III for a moment to pick up my 14-year-old daughter after shopping in El Born,” he lamented the man, who assures that he prefers to use his private car and not a rental one because it “amuses him” and gives “greater flexibility” when planning his trips. “Not being able to register my car, I thought that my green ecological device and the electric car license plate would be enough to avoid the fine, as is the case in low-emission zones in German cities. But that was not the case.” Is he the only one affected? It doesn’t seem like it. On those same dates the newspaper Mallorca Zeitung assured that he was receiving “more and more messages” from readers with fines. The Mallorcan press has also echoed complaints from those affected who speak of “discrimination” against Europeans with foreign cars or point out how complicated it is to register a vehicle on the list of authorized license plates, especially for those who do not speak Mallorcan or Spanish. One of the arguments put forward by critics is a note posted on the DGT page which explains that, although Spain does not issue badges for foreign vehicles, that does not have to be a problem. “If your car has an environmental label in its country of origin (Germany, Austria, Denmark, France) it is considered to have the Spanish equivalent,” he clarifies. There is who also remembers that Palma is not the only city council (neither in Spain nor in Europe) that applies mobility restrictions in the center, and insists: the rules are the same for everyone and “ignorance does not exempt from guilt.” Images | Sergiy Galyonkin (Flickr) and Đorđe Pandurević (Unsplash) In Xataka | Houses are so expensive in the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands that they are expelling even Germans and British people from the market.

Microsoft has finally realized what the community has been shouting at it for months: we don’t want so much AI

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The people are fed up with the avalanche of AI that has flooded Windows and Microsoft turned a deaf ear to the numerous community complaints. They have put AI even in Notepadwhich is saying something. Microsoft’s obsession has caused the Windows image to sufferbut finally it seems that they are listening to the users. We are still passing. One of the things Microsoft has been doing in its pro-AI crusade is add Copilot buttons everywhere. It’s in Paint, in Notepad and even they want to put it in file explorer. Although Microsoft has not commented, according to Windows Central fontsthe company is rethinking its AI strategy and one of the things that is under review are these buttons that they have been adding almost indiscriminately. Maybe they end up eliminating some or just being more selective from now on. Windows Recall. “It’s like having a photographic memory.” This is how Microsoft sold what aimed to be the PC+Copilot star feature. What followed were many doubts about your safety and so many criticisms that Microsoft had to delay the project for more than a year. Recall is already implemented, but according to Windows Central the company is not satisfied with how it is working and wants to correct course. How they will do it at the moment is unknown. There will still be AI. Microsoft still has a lot of AI features in the works and nothing indicates that they will stop, so if you were rubbing your hands at the idea of ​​a Windows 11 without AI, that is not the case. Some of the initiatives they have underway are: agentic functions which they announced in November of last year (to which The community flatly refused.by the way) and developer features like Windows ML or semantic search. The complaints have been heard. There will probably still be more AI features than the community would like, but it seems that Microsoft has heard the feedback and they are going to take their foot off the accelerator. The obsession with AI has not been the only reason for discontent, there have also been highly criticized decisions such as force to use an online account to upgrade to Windows 11 or the stability problems after updating. Despite everything, Windows 11 is advancing unstoppably and It is already on more than 1 billion devices. Image | Microsoft, edited In Xataka | I have decided to become independent from all US technology and embrace European technology. This is how I’m getting it

They already add 30,000 in just three months and at a time of record profits

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Amazon has confirmed the layoff of 16,000 workers worldwide, just three months after announcing the elimination of 14,000 positions. The company communicate the cuts as part of a plan to “eliminate bureaucracy” and streamline its organizational structure. The interesting thing is that the announcement comes at a time of record profits. Why it is important. This is the second large wave of layoffs at Amazon in just one quarter, bringing the positions eliminated to around 30,000. The figure becomes more relevant if we consider that next week Amazon will present its financial report, where Wall Street analysts expect revenues of more than $211 billion and profits of more than $21 billion, according to inform The New York Times. Cuts especially in the United States. The layoffs primarily affect Amazon corporate employees, who make up about 350,000 of the company’s 1.5 million total global workers. According to account BBC, most of the cuts will be concentrated in the United States, although some positions in the United Kingdom could also be affected. In the October wave, more than 1,500 positions were eliminated in California alone, most of them software engineers. How to the workers have found out. He official announcement It has arrived after an error. According to explains BBC, On Tuesday night, Amazon Web Services (AWS) workers received a calendar invite to a meeting the next day. A draft message signed by Colleen Aubrey, senior vice president of applied AI solutions at AWS, mistakenly appeared in that invitation, detailing the layoffs under the codename “Project Dawn” (Dawn is the name Amazon uses internally to refer to the layoffs). The message was quickly deleted, but the media had already covered it. It was hours later when Amazon published the official statement. Restructuring. Beth Galetti, senior vice president of people experience and technology at Amazon, wrote in the official post that the changes seek to “strengthen the organization by reducing layers, increasing ownership and eliminating bureaucracy.” He added that they do not plan to establish “a new pace” of reductions every few months, although he left the door open, adding that each team will continue to evaluate its structure “as appropriate,” especially “in a world that changes faster than ever.” Where the money goes. As Amazon cuts tens of thousands of corporate jobs, it is investing massive amounts in another direction: artificial intelligence. According to the NYTthe company spent $125 billion on new data centers and other capital investments last year, primarily to compete in the AI ​​race. Amazon CEO Andy Jassy already warned last summer to corporate employees that artificial intelligence would mean that, over time, the company would operate with fewer such workers. Contradictions. In autumn, Jassy told investors that the layoffs had less to do with AI or finance and more to do with reducing bureaucratic layers. However, according to point NYT, reductions in several divisions were based on specific goals to cut operating costs. All this while in the quarter from July to September, sales reached 180,000 million dollars and profits exceeded 21,000 million. Yocollateral impact. On the other hand, just before Amazon’s announcement, UPS also has communicated which plans to eliminate up to 30,000 jobs this year. Guardian share that UPS has been working to reduce the millions of low-value deliveries it makes for Amazon, since although it is its main customer, this large volume of shipments provides “little benefit”, referring to the fact that they are cheap packages that represent a high operating cost for the company. What happens to those affected? Just like share company, laid-off employees in the United States will have 90 days to look for an internal position at Amazon before permanently leaving the company, although the period varies by country. Those who do not find or seek a new position will receive compensation, outplacement services, and health insurance benefits. Cover image | Israel Andrade In Xataka | Something has broken between Europe and the US: France leaving Zoom behind and Teams in its administration points to something bigger

A remote town in Soria attracted neighbors by offering them a house and bar. Two months later they left due to the cold

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Beratón is a small municipality in Moncayo, province of Soria, which stands out for its high altitude (the largest in the province) and reduced census (38 inhabitants, according to the INE). However, in recent weeks it has left one of the clearest examples of how difficult it is to keep pace with the depopulation of the ’emptied Spain’. A few months ago, its City Council tried to attract residents by offering a “business + housing” combo that managed to awaken the interest of a young couple from Cuenca. They didn’t even last three months. The cold and the drop in activity have led them to pack their bags again. It could be just an anecdote, but it illustrates how complicated it is to reactivate rural Spain. Even when there is good disposition and ideas. What has happened? That Beratón (Soria) has left one of those stories that, although a priori may seem simple and anecdotal, reflect much more complex trends. In May, the municipality made the news because its City Council launched an unusual announcement: whoever agreed to manage the town’s tavern would have at their disposal a newly renovated house. Business and housing guaranteed. “All kinds of facilities will be provided,” the mayor insistedCarmen Lapeña, on the SER Soria network, who also recalled that Beratón was a popular point for hikers and groups who came to Moncayo to spend the day. And it worked? Yes. The offer attracted a familya young couple from Cuenca. His arrival was doubly good news: not only did he swell Beratón’s meager census, but in theory it would serve to reactivate the town’s main point of socialization. The joy, however, was short-lived. A few days ago our colleagues from Straight to the Palate revealedciting SER, that the new residents have not lasted even two months there. They packed their bags at the end of December, which does not prevent the mayor from continuing to think about attracting new blood for the town. Of course, starting in March, when temperatures begin to rise and the town regains activity little by little. Why are they gone? The couple’s decision is actually little surprising. To start Beratón it becomes a cold place in winter, with temperatures that often fall below zero. “The winter months are very hard,” acknowledges the councilor, who for that reason rules out trying to bring in new families during January and February, “bad times.” However, the weather is only part of the problem. After all, there are other icy locations (even more than Berathon) who have no difficulties in attracting hoteliers. Its other big problem is depopulation and especially the ups and downs of the census. Although the INE has registered there 38 inhabitantsactually that’s just a reference. Although during the summer months the town welcomes more than 300 residentsin the harshest months of winter it is left with a handful of inhabitants stable, just half a dozen. The figure is so low that it is difficult to maintain the profitability of a business, even if it is a bar. “The days are very short, very cold… sad. People come, but punctually.” Is it a unique case? The story of Beratón includes some of its own ingredients, but its underlying problem is not very different from that faced by other parts of ’emptied Spain’ that find it difficult to stop the population drain. If at the beginning of this century there were in Spain 934 municipalities With less than 100 inhabitants, in 2021 that figure had risen to 1,379. Of the slow emptying of ’emptied Spain’ echoed before the pandemic the Spanish Rural Development Network (REDR) and the problem does not seem to be subsiding. The latest data from the INE show that the club of localities with less than a hundred registered residents has added thirty municipalities in the last five years, remaining at over 1,400 as of 2025. Is it that complicated? It seems so. In Galicia we found other cases which, although again they may seem anecdotal, help to better understand the general trend. There are rural town councils there that are taking over businesses such as gas stations and stores to prevent them from closing, which would be equivalent to running out of services and further accelerating their decline. It may seem excessive, but a recent report from the Consello de Contas warns that in Galicia there are almost a hundred of towns in ‘danger of extinction’, many of them located in A Coruña and Lugo. In Spain, in fact, there are already ‘ghost towns’ for sale. Why’s that? Due to a combination of factors: rural exodus, poor communications, difficulties in finding employment or establishing a long-term life project… For a time the pandemic, reconnection with nature and teleworking seemed to clear the future of some towns, but that ‘renaissance’ it didn’t always stick. In the background there is another problem, much more complex: housing. It is one thing that when we visit rural areas of Spain we see empty houses and quite another that those same properties are available for people interested in taking advantage of them or are habitable. How to solve it? The big question. In rural areas there are also second residencetourism-oriented housing, constructions whose ownership has become blurred over the decades and others that do not directly meet the necessary conditions to welcome new tenants. “The legislation gives city councils weapons to act in case of ruin, but we are so small and with so few resources that we cannot execute the laws,” he lamented in 2024 Enrique Collada, mayor of Alcarria, a town of 71 inhabitants in Guadalajara. Similar message launches the Tierras Sorianas del Cid Association: “There is a lot of empty housing or housing with residual use that we should try to put on the market.” The objective: escape the effects of demographic winter. Another thing (as has happened in Beratón) is the rigors of the climatic winter. Images | Beratón Town Hall and Miguel Á. Garcia (Flickr) In Xataka … Read more

Movistar customers will have it free for six months

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Telefónica has closed an agreement with OpenAI to offer ChatGPT Plus free for half a year to all its Movistar customers in Spain. Activation is digital, without permanence and without apparent trap. Why is it important. This movement consolidates the trend of operators as mass distributors of premium AI, Telefónica itself did something similar in 2025 with Perplexity Pro. It is a paradigm shift in a sector that had been looking for years to differentiate itself beyond price and fiber speed. And it goes beyond the OTT aggregation function that we have been seeing for almost ten years. In detail. The promotion covers almost the entire customer base: contracts MyMovistarMovistar Fusion, mobile-only and fiber-only rates. The process is simple: unique code from the client area, registration in OpenAI and immediate access. After six months, automatic renewal at 23 euros per month if the user does not cancel. The agreement is limited exclusively to Movistar, it does not include O2 customers. The enigma. Will existing ChatGPT users be able to use this promotion without having to register a new account? The official press release It doesn’t clarify it. From Xataka We have made this query to Telefónica and we will update this section as soon as we have a response. Between the lines. Telefónica has not chosen OpenAI by chance. It is the brand with the greatest recognition in generative AI. The operator already signed with Perplexity a year ago. Now add ChatGPT. The pattern is evident: Telefónica aspires to become an aggregator of AI services, exactly as today packs Netflix, Disney+ or Prime Video. Main winner? OpenAI gains distribution in Spain without having to make a commercial effort. Telefónica gains differentiation and data on AI usage patterns. Users gain temporary access to tools that without this promotion would be off their radar or budget. Yes, but. The promotion ends and then comes the friction. How many users will have integrated ChatGPT Plus enough into their routine to justify 23 euros per month? How many will simply try out of curiosity and cancel before payment? The success of this bet is not measured in the headlines that Telefónica is getting today, it is measured in conversion rates six months later. Featured image | Telefónica, OpenAI In Xataka | Telefónica has been trying to leave Mexico for six years and has discovered a problem: no one wants to buy what is left of it

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