night

Barcelona believes it has a night security problem. So you’re going to leave the Christmas lights on all year long

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Vigo risks losing his position as “city of lights” (from Spain). Although the Galician City Council usually displays its Christmas decorations already in July and boasts every year of the millions and millions of LEDs that adorn its streets for almost two months, from November to January, there is another city that is about to raise the stakes: Barcelona. There the Consistory has decided maintain part of the lighting for the festivities Old City during the remainder of winter. Their reasons actually have little to do with Christmas. Lights, lights and more lights. Christmas may be over, but in Spain it is becoming common for us to talk about its lights for months and months. In Vigo they do it because the City Council begins to hang them in the middle of Julywith the thermometer flirting with 30º and the city full of tourists in shorts and flip-flops. Now they will do it too in Barcelonaalthough for other reasons. What do they want to do there? The news I advanced it on Monday The Vanguard: Barcelona is finalizing a plan to improve the lighting of some of the narrowest (and darkest) streets of Ciutat Vella, taking advantage of part of the decoration that was installed there this Christmas. That is to say, in the absence of traditional streetlights, garlands strung between facades are good. Although Jaume Collboni’s team has not yet revealed the details of the initiative, the idea does seem clear: it is not so much about neighbors, merchants and tourists continuing to walk for months under decorations of Santa Clauses, Three Wise Men and Christmas trees, but rather about maintaining the most ‘timeless’ designs. Walking under light bulbs. The key is therefore to take advantage of decoration that does not clash with the rest of the winter. To reinforce it, the municipal government also proposes maintaining the garlands that the merchants themselves have placed. In the Gòtic there are businesses that have been hanging decorative lights on their own, although as these were private initiatives they encountered challenges such as the passage of garbage trucks or some parades. Where, when and how. While waiting for the City Council to provide more details about where, when and how the initiative will be deployed, The Vanguard has advanced some keys: the measure will focus on points in Ciutat Vella, Gótic and Sant Pere streets, Santa Caterina and Ribera that aspire to improve their lighting. Regarding the calendar, councilor Albert Batlle explains that the Consistory proposes keeping the lights for several months: “The will is that the measure be implemented, now and in the future, during the winter time period, approximately between the last weekend of October and the last weekend of March.” Two keys: trade and security. Batlle too confirm that the measure pursues two objectives: to favor the businesses and residents of the area and to put an end to alleys in which pickpockets find refuge. “We want to improve the lighting of some small streets in Gòtic and Sant Pere, Santa Caterina and la Ribera to promote commercial, cultural and social revitalization, and also to improve the feeling of security, especially on days with fewer hours of daylight,” he adds. “We are working on the formula to enhance this network.” “They give them more qualms”. The measure appears to have had good reception among the businesses in the area, which even proposed expanding the list of roads that were initially going to benefit from the lights. “If the streets are more illuminated, walking becomes safer and commerce will benefit,” recognize to The Newspaper David González, from the Via Laietana Merchants Association. Proof of how convincing the measure is is that at the time some businessmen from Born they already started to hang garlands at your own risk. “People go along Paseo del Born very happy because the promenade and the streets are usually well lit. But the dark alleys make them hesitant.” The idea has also been found with detractors who consider it a patch. But… Does it work? Although he has achieved reduce your crimeBarcelona usually appears in the area highest of the rankings about the cities insecure from Spain. The key is whether more public lighting will translate into greater real safety, a question that has generated debate in recent years. What they do seem to confirm cases like that of Vigo is that a good commitment to street lighting (even if it is seasonal) serves to attract thousands of visitors. Images | Barcelona City Council (X) and Núria (Flickr) In Xataka | The upper area of ​​Barcelona no longer interests the rich: the Eixample has become fashionable and its neighbors tremble because of the prices

Someone bet $30,000 that Maduro would fall the night before he fell. He has won $400,000

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Early on Saturday, January 3, a raid by the United States Delta Force broke into the Fuerte Tiuna military complex, located in the south of Caracas, to arrest Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, the president of Venezuela and his wife. Shortly after, someone was looking at his account. Polymarket and he rubbed his hands: that same Friday he had invested $30,000 betting on Maduro’s departure. With his arrest on Saturday, he had obtained a profit of $436,759.61. How lucky. A new account and a lucrative “hunch”. Polymarket’s Burdensome-Mix account barely I was a week old on the PolyMarket platform, but in record time it became one of the most fervent and active in “predict”“ Maduro’s departure during the hours before the operation. In a few hours he had gone from injecting money when the bet investment was at bargain prices to skyrocket: his participation had obtained a total return of more than 1,333.33% and a profit of at least 1,233.33% more than what he bet in less than 24 hours. PolyMarket. Tyson Brody Many people may have been caught off guard by Maduro’s arrest, but it certainly wasn’t for everyone: there are people who anticipated events and earned thousands of dollars as a result. Whether for him pizzometer or looking at Polymarket and company, something was brewing. In fact, there are already those has developed a tool to track suspicious activity on Polymarket because yes, there are those who decide to invest in what Elon Musk will become president of the United States and throw away his money like that (spoiler: he is South African and the US Constitution vetoes the presidency to foreigners), but he has long since emerged as one of the best seers of immediate events. As explained one of the creatorsPolymarket API keys are available to everyone and from here, it’s a matter of analyzing new wallets, unusual sizes and repeat entries into certain market niches. Suspicious behavior like the one that took place on Friday, when his tracker flagged five different alerts hours before Operation Absolute Resolve happened. The market that was betting on Maduro’s departure rose strongly before 10 p.m. on Friday after being at very low figures during the previous weeks, as picks up The Wall Street Journal. Polymarket What has happened in Venezuela. Nicolás Maduro was captured by US special forces following Operation Absolute Resolve in an intervention that threatens international lawalthough the United States relies on its domestic jurisdiction. Yesterday he was transferred to Stewart Air National Guard Base, a military airport in New York, and later landed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he will face trial for drug trafficking and weapons possession. Donald Trump gave the details of the operation at the relevant press conference ensuring that “We are going to govern Venezuela until there is a safe transition” and that after the operation, American energy companies will take care of Venezuela’s oil industry. The official White House rapid response support account published a video where Nicolás Maduro was seen detained, being escorted through a hallway while he congratulated the new year to the people who were in his path. Tap to go to the post The insider trading of the prediction market. The Polymarket user’s operation draws so much attention that it seems evident that he knew what was going to happen in some way, which closes the circle to spheres very close to the president insofar as neither Congress nor his Defense Committee knew about this operation (much less had they authorized it, as he complained the governor of New York State on Twitter). Needless to say, what is known in financial markets as insider trading (trafficking of privileged information) It also happens in prediction markets like Polymarket, Kalshi either PredictIt and it is not only that it is allowed, but it is an ecosystem that favors it: Polymarket accounts are anonymous, global and transparent using technology from the blockchainso from there it is not possible to pull the thread of that lucrative operation. Furthermore, they are decentralized systems and operations are in USDCa stablecoin linked to the US dollar to avoid volatility and with very low commissions. The Polymarket phenomenon returns to its old ways. This is not the first time we have talked about Polymarket in terms of striking movements linked to politics, so Maduro’s thing is not something that is new. Without going any further, these markets came to the fore when they were revealed announcing a clear discrepancy in the 2024 United States Presidency elections compared to traditional analyzes and in turn, most accurate with respect to reality. With that move, French investor Freddi9999 struck gold: betting Due to Trump’s victory, his profits amounted to 85 million dollars, according to Bloomberg. Polymarket and company are not a mere betting platform like those for sporting events, but they have changed the discourse from betting to investmentwhich affects both linguistics and regulation. Thus, they are defined as “event contracts”, which allows them to sneak into the traditional financial system with the approval of leading players in the sector. like the owners of the New York Stock Exchange. The idea on paper is simple: as a user, you can express your opinion by buying or selling shares in eventual outcomes of events in operations executed between peers using smart contracts. Markets grow as they have more participants and prices mirror the perceived probability of an event occurring. It is clear that a lot of money can be made by predicting major news events, although we will have to see how long. In Xataka | Five years ago he worked from his bathroom on the brink of ruin. Today he runs a company valued at 8 billion In Xataka | I don’t bet, I invest: Polymarket and company have sophisticated gambling addiction to the point of making it indistinguishable from “investing” Cover | Chancellery of Ecuador from Ecuador, CC BY-SA 2.0 and Hanna Pad

a storm that aims to leave Twelfth Night under snow

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The weather models are slowly beginning to give us a vision of what is going to happen in these first days of January, and the reality is that we are already looking forward to a Three Kings’ night. with really low temperatures and even snow cover. Something that responds to the arrival of the storm Francisan anticyclonic block at high latitudes and an outbreak of continental polar air. The clash of masses. For a heavy snowfall to occur on the Iberian Peninsula, it is not enough for it to be cold, but humidity is also needed. That is why the scenario they propose GFS models and ECMWF for this January 2026 it is, technically, textbook. All this because an anticyclone has been installed in northern Europe and arctic areas, which forces very cold air to move south, directly towards Spain. While this cold settles on the peninsula, we must not forget about the storm Francis that enters from the southwest loaded with humidity. And when Francis’ humidity collides with the “wall” of frigid air already over the peninsula, a so-called “mass clash” occurs. This is where it turns into snow generally at very low levels. The AEMET. In his special prediction For these important dates, the meteorology agency indicates that this Friday the 2nd the rains will reach the Canary Islands and to the west of the peninsula. But it will be on January 3 when rainfall will be very abundant in western Andalusia, with snowfall at low levels in the north. But the truly interesting thing is between Sunday, January 4 and Tuesday, January 6, Three Kings’ Day, where heavy and persistent rains are expected in the south and east of the Peninsula. The highlight may be the snowfall in the eastern and central part of the peninsula, which the AEMET points out that can be important with a large drop in temperatures. Arrival of unusual snowfall. The “postcard” of Three Kings with snow is plausible in a good part of the country, although highly conditioned by the orography and some details of Francis’ career. In the south, for example, AEMET and local media report a drop in the snow level of up to 400 m in provinces like Granada either Malagawith minimums below 5 °C in capitals and negative values ​​in the interior, which opens the door to snowfall in areas where they are uncommon. In the center and east of the peninsula, the coldest scenarios place the level around 400–500 meters during January 4 and 5 and snow at medium or low levels in the southeastern quadrant, eastern Iberia, the east of the southern plateau or the Baetics; In the north and northwest, the posterior maritime polar mass keeps the snow in the mountains and could leave significant accumulations in systems such as the Montes de León. The American GFS model has come to propose for the Three Kings Day environment snow accumulations of more than 30 cm in the province of Toledo and greater than 40 cm in areas of Teruel, in a scenario of very extensive snowfall that inevitably reminds us of Filomena. A new Philomena? It’s an almost obligatory question. with the arrival of this storm, and although there are voices that affirm that we are going to face that, experts ask for caution to see how the predictions develop as the days go by. And the difference between a historic snowfall and an episode of cold rain depends on just a few kilometers in Francis’ trajectory. In this way, if the storm drops in latitude, cold air will dominate and snow could cover Madrid, the center of the peninsula or Granada. But if the storm moves north, the warm mass would win the battles and the snow would be restricted to mountain areas and medium elevations. Everything will depend on how the prediction develops in the coming days. The danger for horseback riding. With this forecast that we have on the table right now, the truth is that the cavalcades may have problems making their usual routes. Although it must be taken into account that these forecasts may change, not being truly 100% reliable until a few days before these dates arrive. After Three Kings Day. Once these dates pass, temperatures will begin to increase substantially. This way, starting January 6th Precipitation is expected to begin to lose intensity and extent in the southern areas, although it could still be locally strong in the Strait, while snowfall remains in the more mountainous areas. Images | AEMET In Xataka | La Niña is going to be meteorologically “less intense” than we expected. And that actually hides a problem.

The clash between a polar front and the Atlantic threatens Twelfth Night

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Just a few hours away from closing 2025, all eyes are already on the weather at the beginning of January and especially on Three Kings Day. after seeing that New Year’s Eve will be quiet. And although there is still room for change, current models already suggest a drastic change in weather with a general drop in temperatures and a large amount of snow spread across the peninsula. The model. The last installment that we have the European model of the ECMWF proposes a scenario of great instability for January 4 and 5, 2026, with snowfall that could reach unusual levels and affect a large part of the center and northeast of the peninsula. Something that is already being shared on social networks by accounts specialized in meteorology. A situation of great instability that would respond to the entry of a cold front of polar origin and the arrival of Atlantic storms loaded with humidity. Two factors that when they collide are the perfect ingredient for widespread snowfall. Although there is still room for this to change, since reliability is low for periods longer than five days. The position of the AEMET. The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) maintains a much more conservative position. In its special prediction for this Christmas, the agency confirms that the beginning of 2026 will be colder than normal, especially due to the arrival of the storm Francis. This will leave rain starting on January 1 in the Canary Islands and starting on Friday the 2nd it will affect the west of the peninsula. From here, what is expected is that on January 4 there will be strong northerly winds and a generalized thermal drop. But from day 5 there is a “high uncertainty.” Although the models indicate persistent low temperatures, the agency does not currently confirm snowfall at low levels that could turn Three Kings Night white. Fifth anniversary. It is impossible to ignore the psychological component of this forecast, since this coming January marks five years of Filomena. That is why at this time it is easy to look at the maps with a little more disbelief in case there are signs of something similar, although at the moment nothing similar is confirmed. For now wait. With all this, the most prudent thing is to wait until this Twelfth Night approaches to have clear conclusions, especially in view of the different parades that leave in different parts of Spain that can be threatened by adverse weather, but that can always change up to at least 48-72 hours before. Images | TheWeather In Xataka | La Niña is going to be meteorologically “less intense” than we expected. And that actually hides a problem.

Baba Yaga was an old woman who devoured skulls at night. So Ukraine just turned Russia’s worst nightmare into a drone

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In Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga She is an ancient figure associated with nocturnal fear, a witch who devours skulls and flies in the dark, punishing the reckless and inhabiting a territory where normal rules no longer apply. It is not a spectacular monster or the usual one, but a persistent presencedisturbing, impossible to ignore. Ukraine remembered it… and transformed it into a drone. The nightmare in war. This symbolic load explains why the name was not born in Ukrainian propaganda, but in the Russian channels themselves: when the soldiers began to describe night attacks that fell almost silently from the sky, the collective imagination did the rest. Today, “Baba Yaga” does not designate a fairy tale creature, but a family heavy bomber drones Ukrainians who have transformed the night of the front into a permanent hostile space for Russian forces. What really is a Baba Yaga. Under that name is grouped an entire class of heavy multicopters, many of them derived of agricultural platforms and others already designed for military purposes, capable of transporting from 15 kilos in their most common versions to several dozen in larger configurations. Unlike the kamikaze FPVs, the Baba Yaga They are reusable systemsconceived as aerial bombers themselves. They can launch mortar mines, fragmentation charges, adapted munitions or even converted anti-tank mines with remarkable accuracy from several hundreds of meters high. Its distinctive feature is not only the load, but the combination of thermal and optical sensors which allows them to operate at night, in fog, rain or wind, and remain effective where light drones begin to fail. This capacity has made them go from being a tactical complement to becoming a structural piece of the Ukrainian device. A Baba Yaga captured by Russian forces The night stops being a refuge. For months, trenches, concrete shelters or fortified buildings offered Russian infantry a relative sense of security from artillery and light drones. The Baba Yaga break that logic. If a point appears marked on a thermal image or reconnaissance map, no cover guarantees survival. A single drone can perform cascade attacksreleasing ammunition successively and dismantling a position section by section. The effect is cumulative: it not only destroys material, but forces units to disperseto rotate more frequently, to invest time and resources in camouflage and fortification, and to avoid concentrations of troops or vehicles. In a war of attrition, that behavioral change is as important as direct destruction. From tactical weapon to major system. Although they were born as a short-range solution, the Baba Yaga have been integrated into operations increasingly complex. They do not act in isolation, but as part of a drone ecosystem that includes FPV, long-range UAVs and, in some cases, naval platforms unmanned. In Crimea, for example, we have seen how maritime drones are used as advanced shuttles to allow heavy multicopters to reach radars and air defense systems like the Nebo-Mattacking antennas, technical installations and command posts. This logic is revealing: first the target is blinded or disorganized by other means, and then the Baba Yaga finish the job where it was previously considered too risky or inaccessible. Thus, these drones have ceased to be “flying artillery” and have become tools that connect the immediate front with the operational rear. Technical evolution. The development of these drones has not stopped. Ukrainian volunteer engineers and teams they have been improving engines, propellers, structures and suspension systems for ammunition of different calibers, while communications are reinforced with redundant channels, separate antennas and, in some cases, satellite links that expand the radius of action at the expense of payload. Russian electronic warfare has forced experimentation with system duplication control and backup plans to prevent the loss of a link from dragging down the entire set. This adaptation race explains why, even when Russia manages to shoot down some of these drones, the problem does not disappear: The threat materializes again the following night. Psychological impact. Beyond the technique, the Baba Yaga hits morale. Its low, recognizable hum does not announce an immediate explosion, but rather a tense wait– Someone, somewhere, is peering through a thermal scope and choosing the next target. Unlike artillery, there is no clearly safe haven or predictable pattern. Combined with FPV attacks and indirect fire, these drones create a sensation continuous pressure from above, from the front and from the rear. Military analysts match in which this constant stress accelerates organizational wear and tear, makes coordination difficult and forces commanders to focus on maintaining basic cohesion instead of planning offensive maneuvers. Lessons for the future of war. For Western observers and for NATO itself, the Baba Yaga are a practical demonstration of how future conflicts will be fought with swarms of relatively cheap, reusable and rapidly adapted platforms. It is not a miracle weapon, but a component within a system that combines intelligence, communications, flexible production and accelerated training. Ukraine has managed to assemble that system under extreme conditions, relying on industry, the State and voluntary networks. For Russia, the result is clear: the “witch” of folklore has returnednot as a myth, but as a technological presence that redefines the battlefield and makes it impossible to return to a war according to the standards of the 20th century. Image | Telegram, ArmіяІнформ In Xataka | Ukraine has asked Russia if they stop for Christmas like in the First World War. The answer could not have been more Russian In Xataka | Europe wanted to expropriate Russian funds on the continent to finance Ukraine. Until Belgium took the lead

One night in 2000, Jennifer Lopez debuted a historic dress. And then Google changed the internet forever

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If you have a moment, go to Google and type something like “Jennifer Lopez 2000 Grammy dress.” Leave that new AI Mode section aside and tap on the ‘Images’ tab to find a green Versace dress with a jungle print that caused a real sensation in both the fashion media and the world of technology. In fact, that dress marked a before and after on the internet. Because before February 23, 2000, when we wanted to see what clothes the current star had worn to an event (to give an example), we had to wait for the news to appear on TV, browse through magazines or go to the Internet to Google it. And there you didn’t find the photo, but instead you had to wade through a sea of ​​blue text links to search through. There was no Google Images. We’re not even talking about videos. Before JLo’s Grammys dress, this was all field text Why it is important. Google’s decision to organize information based on images and not only on text not only changed the world of fashion as the work of a European brand went from being seen on the catwalks and little else, to reaching the entire world. It also modified our way of accessing information, laying the foundations for an Internet (and later, social networks) focused more on audiovisuals than on pure and simple text. These were the dawn of the internet of content. What started in July 2021 with an index of 250 million images, went to one billion images in 2005 and by 2010, exceeded 10 billion. Later, Google stopped offering that figure to focus on quality over quality. Paradoxically, in 2025 it is following the opposite path, massively deindexing images by considering them low quality or generated by AI. The context. In the year 2000, the Google search engine was not what it is now: the undisputed leader with almost 90% share. And the “almost” thing is something about the post-internet – ChatGPT had been overcoming that barrier for more than a decade. In fact, with just a couple of years of life, he was beginning his rise at a time when there was no hegemony as he managed to impose later, with others like Yahoo! and Altavista with greater weight. And then she arrived on the red carpet at the 42nd Grammy Awards, nominated that year for Best Dance Recording for “Waiting for Tonight.” Jennifer Lopez wore a semi-transparent green dress with a dizzying V-neckline that fell to her navel. If you already existed at that time and were old enough to watch TV, you surely saw it because because her dress was viraleven before that concept was used for matters other than biology. Seeing it once wasn’t enough, so people went online to look for it en masse. “People wanted more than text (…). At the time, it was the most popular search we had ever seen” counted Eric Schmidt for Project Syndicate. The former Google CEO explained that at the time “we didn’t have a sure way to get users exactly what they wanted: J.Lo wearing that dress.” Between the lines. That’s when started to cook Google Search Image. According to Cathy Edwards, director of engineering and product at Google Images, it wasn’t something that happened overnight, but JLo lit the fuse. There were few employees, but like Edwards explained In 2020, it was clear to everyone that they needed to build a photocentric search engine. The question was knowing what priority to give it. That same summer, Google hired a newly graduated engineer, Huican Zhu, and put him to work with Huican Zhu, who was the executive director of YouTube and who at that time was responsible for product. The two stood hand in hand and, According to Edwardsthey practically developed it alone to launch Google Search Images in July 2021. In Xataka | People are so fed up with the current Internet that they are returning to MySpace. Not out of nostalgia, but out of rebellion In Xataka | All the times that throughout the 20th century we imagined ourselves on the Internet

turn off cell phones when night comes

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On the Ukrainian front, the battle for the networks It has been escalating in importance over the months. Ukraine has been clear about this since a date to remember its troops took place. It happened with Operation Spiderwebwhen the Ukrainian Security Service smuggled small FPVs near five Russian air bases in trucks. The drones were launched and controlled via the Russian telephone system. The result: the destruction of at least ten strategic bombers. That was recorded in Moscow, and now they are using it. The transformation of the telephone. The war in Ukraine has turned something as everyday as mobile phones into a decisive system combat, revealing a profound change in the nature of modern conflict: civilian networks have become de facto military infrastructures, and every signal, every SIM, every tower and every data packet can be an offensive tool or a weak point. Tension has escalated to such a point that Russia, unable to fully control how Ukraine exploits its cellular network to direct precision drones over long distances, has begun to cut off mobile service at night in entire regions. The situation illustrates a disturbing paradox: without mobile phones the aerial threat is limited, but with them civil life, emergencies, commerce and governance itself are kept functioning. For the first time, a great power is openly assuming a social and economic cost in exchange for stopping the advance of the connected war. The tactical revolution. The ability of Ukrainian drones to use Russian infrastructure as if it were their own has been one of the most striking developments in the conflict. Cheap devices, such as DJI cellular donglesturn an FPV drone into a platform capable of operating hundreds or even thousands of kilometers from the pilot, as long as there is 4G coverage. As we said, that same technology allowed the famous Operation Spiderweb. The pattern now repeats itself: Iranian Shahed modified with 4G modems that transmit video in real time, Ukrainian FP-1/2 drones that avoid defenses thanks to cellular links, or Russian Molniya that act as aerial nurses to transport FPV above electronic interference waists. The drone no longer depends on the range of its antenna: it depends on the telephone infrastructure, turning each tower into an involuntary military node. The Russian response. Faced with this new front, Russia has tried close the gaps without disrupting the entire digital ecosystem… but intermediate solutions are failing. His first step was block for 24 hours any SIM that had been roaming, a measure designed to detect Russian cards clandestinely sent to Ukraine. Then it expanded the blocking to inactive cards for 72 hoursa sign of growing fear that thousands of Russian SIMs are involved in attacks without their users even knowing. Finally, in several border regions the most extreme measure– Cut off mobile data at night, when attacks typically occur. This dynamic not only harms to the civilian populationbut also illustrates the loss of control of a State that sees its commercial infrastructure turn against it with disconcerting ease. The historical precedent. The West already knew about the problem of telephony as a weapon, although never on this scale. In Iraq, a simple Nokia 105 could detonate explosive devices improvised with a reliability and range that would have seemed like science fiction in the nineties. To counteract this, jamming systems were deployed. as Warlockcapable of blocking signals in the surroundings of military convoys and columns. Today, that same logic reappears with more complexity: any drone that uses a cellular network can be neutralized by blocking the signal, but doing so involves simultaneously blinding ambulances, firefighters, security forces and millions of users. What was once a tactical dilemma has become a strategic one: what can be blocked without leaving an entire country in operational silence? An even more difficult future. The next technological leap makes this equation even more fragile. Both Russia and Ukraine already operate drones equipped with Starlink receivers or other direct satellite connectivity services. This marks the end of the absolute dominance of the electromagnetic territory: a drone that receives orders from orbit is immune to cell towers and to classical terrestrial interference patterns. As direct-to-satellite terminals for civilian use proliferate, it will be nearly impossible to distinguish between benign communications and command signals for hostile drones. In that scenario, an operator located on another continent could direct an attack with surgical precision without depending on any network national security or expose oneself to foreseeable countermeasures. The battlefield ceases to be geographical and becomes a global digital space, where physical borders matter less than the availability of orbital constellations. Control the spectrum. If you also want, the case of mobile phone in Ukraine illustrates how modern warfare has infiltrated all layers of civilian life, blurring the lines between public infrastructure and military capability. The Russian decision to turn off the network at night is not only a symptom of technological vulnerability, but also a advance of the type of conflicts that are coming: wars where each smart device is an antenna, each user a possible vector and each network a battlefield. In this new paradigm, the question no longer points to how to defend a country, but rather to how to defend an infrastructure designed to connect millions of people without turn it into a weapon involuntary. Image | Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Ministry of Defense of Ukraine In Xataka | Hybrid warfare in Europe has crossed a red line: drones have reached France’s nuclear submarines In Xataka | 40 nations built a fortress to contain a deadly threat. Until a drone projectile set off the alarms

This has free facial recognition, night vision and two-way audio

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have a surveillance camera At home it can give us a very important extra security. Not only to monitor the home if we are not at home, but also to be able to take a quick look and see what our children and pets are doing. Although there are many options, Going for one with 4K resolution can give us extra detail that really matters. If we look for one of these, one that stands out the most is undoubtedly the Tapo C260: camera that we have available from 69.99 euros. Tapo C260 – Indoor WiFi Surveillance Camera, Home Security, 4K 8MP 360°, AI Detection, Local/Cloud Recording, Physical Privacy, 18x Zoom, Tracking, Two-Way Audio, microSD The price could vary. We earn commission from these links 4K resolution, night vision and even facial recognition As we say, we have many options on the market if we are looking for a new surveillance camera. Most usually offer 1080p or 2K resolution, which may be enough for tighter budgets. Now, the ideal is to bet on one that reaches up to 4K, since thanks to this we will have a series of advantages that, in practice, are noticeable. The first and most obvious is that, by having more resolution, they will offer us a greater detail when recording image. This will allow us to identify faces or small objects more easily. In addition, a higher resolution also allows us to zoom without the sharpness of the image disappearing. In that sense, the Tapo C260 is ideal if we are looking for a new indoor surveillance camera. In addition to this resolution, it is capable of reaching up to 18x digital zoom and has 360 degree panoramic viewso we will not have blind spots with it. Even at night and in very low light, since it has color night vision. It also has facial recognition and artificial intelligencetwo free functions that will allow the camera to automatically detect people, pets or even baby cries. It also has intelligent automatic tracking, ideal for the camera to follow the movements of our pet, for example. To all of the above, we must add that the camera also has flexible storage, since it supports microSD up to 512 GB or we can use the cloud to store your data. All without forgetting that it also uses two-way audioideal for real-time communication. As we said above, this Tapo C620 is designed for interiors. But, What if we look for an option for outdoors? So maybe it suits us more the Tapo C660 Kitan alternative that also has 4K resolution, 360-degree panoramic vision, smart functions, night vision and in this case has IP65 protection against dust and rain. Not only that, but it also has a solar panel and battery, so it has autonomous operation that does not require a plug. It is available for 159.99 euros. Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | TP-Link In Xataka | Best surveillance cameras: which one to buy and 11 recommended models for indoors, outdoors, babies and pets In Xataka | Best tablets. Which one to buy and 8 recommended models for all pockets and needs

Ultra-rich tourism has found an oasis in Kenya. A Safari at $3,500 a night that blocks animal migration

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For some time now, conflicts between large tourism projects and fragile ecosystems have multiplied: from the megaresorts built next to mangroves in the Caribbean that destroy natural barriers, even the hotels built in areas turtle nesting or unregulated cabins that have degraded reserves in Nepal and Sri Lanka. Each case shows the same pattern: the promise of immediate economic development versus the risk of damaging landscapes that cannot be recovered. The last one: a safari that short the wings of many animals. A camp in the worst place. The story was told these days the new york times. The opening of Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara Safari Campwith its $3,500-a-night suites, private plunge pool and privileged views of the Sand River, has ignited a controversy that goes far beyond elite tourism: for Maasai leaders, local guides and ecologists, the resort has been built on one of the last areas free of construction and in the middle of the corridor through which millions of wildebeest, zebras and gazelles move every year between the Serengeti and the Mara. What Marriott presented as a “historic” raid in the high-end safari, many perceive it as the most serious threat to a natural corridor that supports one of the most important ecological spectacles on the planet. The complaint filed by the Maasai scholar Meitamei Olol Dapash It maintains precisely that: that it has been built in a critical space where decades of monitoring data confirm a continuous and irreplaceable migratory flow. Overwhelmed tourism. The Ritz-Carlton is not an isolated casebut the most recent symbol of a growth that has become explosive: from 95 camps in 2012 to 175 in 2024an increase that experts consider incompatible with the ecological capacity of the Mara. The rise of tourism has multiplied the number of vehicles that chase animals off-road, deteriorate vegetation and corner predators, as in the viral video of 2023 in which dozens of cars closed a circle around two cheetahs while they hunted. Added to this are the discharged wastewater to the rivers, the light pollution of the camps and the noise that alters the nocturnal routes of the fauna. Various species have already disappeared from the Mara (such as the african wild dog or the oryx) in a process that researchers describe as an inversely proportional relationship: when the tourism industry grows exponentially, fauna decreases in the same way. Ritz-Carlton An exceptional permit. Outrage grew when it was learned that the construction of the Ritz-Carlton was authorized despite the moratorium of 2023 that prohibited building new lodges within the reserve. The approval was based on a “one-time exemption” signed by President William Ruto’s leadership, a gesture that activists they interpret as the porch for an avalanche of uncontrolled luxury projects. Even more disconcerting, according to the Timesis the controversy over the supposed community consultation: signatures of Maasai who claim not to have participated in any meeting, questioned documents and a climate of vulnerability that makes many think that the most powerful took it for granted that no one would protest. For the inhabitants of the Mara, the feeling is that the process is deliberately jumped essential steps of environmental assessment and local participation. Ritz-Carlton A wall to block animals. The camp, it seems, is surrounded by an improvised wall of earth and grass that prevents seeing the interior and that, according to local guidesalready shows marks of animals trying to cross or climb it. It is, if you still stand still, an uncomfortable symbol: a luxurious refuge shielded from the rest of the environment and the communities that live a few meters away. For many Maasai guides, the barrier embodies a dangerous idea: that visitors can enjoy the ecosystem without having to face its real problems, isolated from the pressure that the camps exert on the territory. African conservationists have been calling for years for accommodation models with a minimal footprint (fewer rooms, removable structures, reversible impact) and a transition towards smaller, more sustainable conservancies, but the presence of large chains threatens to reverse that trend. The line that should not be crossed. The paradox is profound: the Maasai communities know that tourism is their main source of income and they don’t want to stop it. Hospitals, schools and scholarships exist thanks to visitors. What they demand is a model that does not destroy that which gives them life. For many, the problem is not Marriott itself, but its exact location: placing a permanent complex in a migration corridor sets a dangerous precedent that could open the door to future construction in equally sensitive areas. Young activists like Emmanuel Sananka they insist in which the fight is not against tourism, but against a model that ignores the local voice and prioritizes profitability over conservation. Faced with this, Marriott He defends that his camp generates employment (90% of the staff is Kenyan, and 40% local) and that it complies with environmental regulations, but mistrust persists. Ecosystem to the limit. In short, the conflict reveals a clash between two visions of the Mara: that of global luxury that sees it as an exclusive setting and that of the communities and scientists who consider it a living and fragile system where every square meter matters. The Ritz-Carlton embodies that stress point: a project that is too big, too fixed and located in the worst possible place. The court decision What is done will not only determine whether the camp remains or is removed, but also the direction of the entire Masai Mara tourism model in the next decade. It depends on what is decided the Great Migration It continues to flow as it has for millions of years… or it begins to fragment due to the same human pressure that claims to come to admire it. Image | Vencha, Ritzcarlton In Xataka | Someone wants to build a 144 meter high skyscraper in the middle of the port of Malaga. The reason: luxury tourism In Xataka | A robot called “Sardinator” circulated through the streets of Malaga promoting a … Read more

The lack of additives at low-cost gas stations does not keep drivers up at night. That’s why Moeve wants to be more Ballenoil

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Moeve has changed its strategy and has done so in a big way. In just 12 months, the company has converted 50 of its service stations traditional to Ballenoil, its low-cost brand. And since this type of gas stations began to become popular, the ‘lack’ of additives It has not been a concern for consumers who, above all, prioritize their pockets. The transformation has been especially intense since this summer, when the oil company decided to accelerate the process of further prioritizing its low-cost brand in strategic points throughout the Peninsula. Transformation. The old one Cepsa bought Ballenoil in November 2023 with a clear objective: to challenge Repsol for the crown, which maintains the largest share of the Spanish market. But it is not only about growing the number of gas stations. And it seems that Moeve has understood that the future involves being present in two worlds: the premium, where it maintains its traditional brand, and the low cost, where the customer seeks to fill the tank at a lower cost. From Moeve confirm to the Vozpópuli medium that “both premium and low cost are important to respond to the expectations of our customers.” The perfect timing. Although fuel prices have fallen since all-time highs which they reached after the Russian invasion of Ukraine (when they exceeded two euros per liter), continue to remain at high levels. The liter of 95 octane gasoline exceeds 1.45 euros on average and diesel is close to 1.40 euros, according to data from CincoDías. Logically, given the rise in fuel prices, many drivers are looking for specifically economical gas stations, and that is where the low-cost ones come in. All in a context in which traditional oil companies focus on attracting customers through their promises of premium fuel and additives. Figures. The integration of Ballenoil has made Moeve exceed 2,000 service stations in the Iberian Peninsula for the first time, reaching 2,040 gas stations, according to 2024 financial data. The figure is expected to increase before the end of the year. The pace of transformation accelerated in June, when 16 stations changed their image in a single month. Just like affirms In the middle, during September and October the conversions continued, prioritizing territories where the company already has a greater presence. Madrid leads this transformation with nine gas stations that become Ballenoil, followed by Barcelona, ​​Navarra, Albacete, Ciudad Real, Granada, Seville and Badajoz. The Ballenoil network has also allowed Moeve to penetrate areas where it did not previously have a presence, especially in Catalonia, the Valencian Community, Andalusia and several regions of Castile. The rise of low cost. Low cost gas stations already represent 20% of all stations in Spain, according to inform the EconomíaDigital medium, with more than 2,400 installations spread throughout the country. As the media explains, the savings for the driver can exceed 0.18 euros per liter compared to traditional brands, a difference that ends up being noticed with each refueling. And the forecasts point high, which could mean a major structural change in the national oil panorama. Ballenoil, Plenergy and Petroprix are leading this transformation, betting on automated systems and simplified infrastructure that allow them to reduce costs. Manuel Sáez, CEO of Ballenoil, declared to CincoDías that the objective is to “exceed 380 operational service stations” in the second half of the year and “reach 500 throughout 2027.” Competence. Ballenoil has reached 350 service stations in Spain, becoming the leader in number of points of sale within the low cost segment. Plenergy follows closely, with 340 gas stations (331 in Spain and 9 in Portugal) and plans to reach 370 this year. However, Plenergy leads in business volume: closed 2024 with 1,385 million liters sold, a growth of 43% compared to the previous year. For its part, Petroprix, with 165 stations in Spain, has opted for a different strategy, prioritizing international expansion in markets such as Portugal, Chile, Panama and Poland. Cover image | engin akyurt In Xataka | Catalonia wants to make variable speed limits a reality. And he is already experimenting to improve the sleep of his neighbors

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