Open

They are open, have a design that looks like a jewel and are discounted

by

Although we have headphones with very good noise cancellation (whether with a headband or not), many open-ear design are also beginning to emerge. These are ideal if you don’t like to isolate yourself from the outside, but also If you are one of those people who wears them for many hours a day. Ones that fit that description are the TCL Crystal Clip, headphones that have been available for a few weeks and are now cheaper: they cost 59.99 euros. TCL Crystal Clip Wireless Headphones | Open Ear OWS | 28h Autonomy | IP54 | Bluetooth 5.4 | Multipoint 2 Devices | ENC Noise Reduction | Without Plugs | Total Comfort The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some headphones so as not to isolate you from the outside (and at a discount) These TCL headphones have a design similar to others that we have seen before, such as Huawei FreeClips 2S. Their original price is 79.99 euros, so right now they are available with a discount of 20 euros. This Amazon offer is a great price, although not its all-time low. As we say, they are lightweight headphones that have an ear clip format. This design makes them very comfortable to wear, since they do not enter the ear canal as other headphones would do with typical silicones. In fact, that same design makes them look more like a jewel than headphones, which also makes them very attractive. Its sound has spatial audio and reinforced bass, so, despite its open nature, we can expect it to perform well in that regard. They have microphones with AI noise cancellation for making calls and an autonomy of approximately 8 hours per charge. This figure rises to 36 hours if we add the battery in the case. and, depending on the brand, we can get up to three hours of playback with a 15-minute charge. ⚡ IN SUMMARY: tcl crystal clip offer ✅ THE BEST Open and very attractive design: This open design helps not isolate us from the outside, also giving a jewel-like appearance that looks great. Comfortable if you want to wear them for hours: By not inserting into the ear canal, they can be worn for long sessions without feeling discomfort. Good autonomy: Its autonomy is not bad at all and with fast charging we can have up to 3 hours of playback in a very short time in case we are in a hurry. ❌ THE WORST No noise cancellation: They are not headphones that I would buy if I were looking to isolate myself from the outside, since they seek exactly the opposite. 💡 BUY IT IF… You are looking for headphones with good sound and autonomy that allow you not to isolate yourself from the outside when using them. ⛔ DON’T BUY IT IF… You prefer an option with active noise cancellation, even if that means they are closed-back headphones. You may also be interested HUAWEI FreeClip 2 Bluetooth Headphones, up to 38h Autonomy, Black The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Soundcore C50i by Anker, Open Headphones, Clip-on Headphones, FlexiClip design, 12 mm drivers with powerful bass, Clear calls with AI, 28 hours of use, Secure Fit, IP55, Bluetooth 6.0 The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | TCL In Xataka | Best truly wireless earbuds (TWS) with noise cancellation. Which one to buy and seven recommended models In Xataka | Best wireless over-ear headphones. Which one to buy and five recommended models

25 technology companies come out in defense of open AI

by

Yesterday, July 24, 25 American technology companies and organizations (the discordant note is given by the French Mistral) as powerful as Nvidia, Microsoft or Meta published an open letter addressed to the White House that they later shared on their networks. Jensen Huang either Satya NadellaCEOs respectively of Nvidia and Microsoft. All of these entities have a common goal: asking the US government not to restrict open-source AI models. The document warns that these restrictions could “slow down competition or take innovation outside the country” What do they ask for?. That the US government encourages and protects the open AI ecosystem instead of hindering it and they do so with clear requests: No prohibitions or premature restrictions on open models. Guarantee access to computing capacity for academic research and startups, not just large companies. Investment in shared training resources such as databases, evaluation and security tools or frameworks. Legislate based on real and proven harms, not hypothetical risks. That the regulations focus on specific misuse, instead of assuming that what is closed is safer by default. Why is it important. Because this debate about open or closed models of artificial intelligence will determine who controls AI in the next decade, that is, whether it will be concentrated in a small oligopoly of large companies or in an ecosystem made up of thousands of organizations. This will directly affect the costs of AI adoption for SMEs, the competitive ability of the United States against China or how the benefits of the pie are shared. Security is mentioned in the letter and is an essential topic: depending exclusively on closed models is not a guarantee of security, since they are subject to failures or attacks that may go unnoticed outside the company. The transparency of open models allows a broader community to identify and fix bugs. Context. The moment chosen to publish this letter comes shortly after the Chinese startup Moonshot AI launched Kimi K3, a true missile to the waterline of the main American models (attending to the evidence) that brings with it a reality: China can win the AI ​​battle and do so with an open model. The United States’ response is to kill flies with cannon fire: it considers restricting access to Chinese AI models for reasons of national security and intellectual property. Furthermore, Kimi K3 arrived with an accusation under his arm: the director of technology policy Michael Kratsios accused Moonshot AI having “distilled” Anthropic’s Fable model to develop Kimi K3. In detail. The 25 signatories are Nvidia, Microsoft, Meta, Palantir, Dell Technologies, IBM, Hugging Face, Mozilla, Mistral, Andreessen Horowitz, Y Combinator, American Innovators Network, Arcee AI, Arena, Black Forest Labs, Box, CrowdStrike, Emergence Capital, The Linux Foundation, Mariana Minerals, Perplexity, Reflection, Replit, ServiceNow and Telnyx. Just as important as who’s on the list is who’s not: OpenAI and Anthropic, both valued at nearly $1 trillion and considering IPOs, don’t appear. There is no Google either. Because this debate is not just about national security, but also about two ways of understanding business and who feels like they are winning. A section worth focusing on is illegal distillation, a technique that allows knowledge to be transferred from a large and complex model to a smaller and lighter one to achieve similar performance with fewer resources. The signatories acknowledge their concerns, but ask politicians not to confuse legitimate techniques with the theft of intellectual property. Yes, but. Undoubtedly, opening the models allows for a better distribution of technological power and democratizes access to AI, but it is worth remembering that this list of signatories is not neutral: there are component manufacturing companies such as Nvidia or capital funds that have direct interests in the open models prospering because their business depends on the infrastructure and tools to deploy them. In Xataka | AI companies are buying tons of old books because they are free of AI Slop. Then they destroy them In Xataka | More and more US companies are using AI models like Kimi K3. The United States is not happy at all Cover | Gemini

Apps that simulate purchases in exchange for dopamine open the door to something worse

by

Who hasn’t finished a stressful day at work and have you decided to order food at home? Without a doubt, it is a good option when we don’t feel like cooking. But it’s not the only reason we tend to have the urge. The order, the same as when We buy clothes or any other product onlinetriggers the release of dopamine in the brain. That is the reason why dopamine apps have become fashionable in South Korea, a series of applications in which you search through a list of products and choose the one you most want, but it never reaches your home. To get the kick of pleasure, it seems to be more than enough. From South Korea, to the world. One of the first dopamine apps to be launched was Food Never Eats. Basically, it delivers what it promises. You can choose food from a wide variety of menus specialized by country. Do you feel like Italian food? Today your body asks for Mexican tacos? Or maybe you prefer a good burger? You have everything. Your brain prepares to savor. It is anticipated. But you never get it. This application is Korean, like most apps of this type. However, there are already some in other countries. This is the case of the American Dopamine Shopwhich presents a very wide range of products. The good thing about not having to spend the money is that even the Moon is on offer, for the modest price of 99 million dollars. These types of applications have recently become fashionable. However, in an article for The ConversationAustralian consumer behavior expert Gary Mortimer predicts that they will likely continue to spread around the world over time. The hooking hormone. dopamine is the central hormone of reward systems. These are brain mechanisms that, broadly speaking, seek to ensure that we repeat certain behaviors that are beneficial to us as a species. For example, sex generates pleasure through the release of dopamine, because it helps us perpetuate the species. The more sex we have, the more likely we are to reproduce. Eating chocolate is also pleasant, because it gives us a lot of energy. The brain does not distinguish between energetic and healthy. All of this is so pleasant that we are left wanting to repeat. Therein lies the evolutionary benefit. Unfortunately, not everything that activates reward systems is positive for us. Drugs, for example, have the same effect. And, in general, everything that engages as well. From gambling to shopping. In both cases, dopamine is released in anticipation of a reward; which, in the case of purchases, is the product that we are going to buy or the dish that we are going to taste. The point is that it has been observed that anticipation occurs even if we never receive the order. That’s why dopamine apps are causing a sensation. In them, almost all the steps of the purchase occur: anticipation, selection and a feeling of confirmation. Nothing ever comes, but we trick our brain anyway. The B side of dopamine apps. In his article, Mortimer warns that anything that generates this release of dopamine can cause the gateway effect. That is, it becomes the gateway to something worse. Much has been studied with games of chance. In 2014a study was published with 409 people playing games of chance without reward. It was seen that, 6 months later, 26% of the participants switched to betting. In 2016 A similar study was carried out with 521 people and the gateway effect was seen in 19%. It is even something that has been seen with electronic cigarettes. They are harmful in themselves, but it has also been observed that they serve as a gateway to conventional tobacco consumption. For all these reasons, we cannot rule out that these types of apps end up giving rise to compulsive purchases in search of a shot of dopamine that makes us feel good. The algorithm hunts you anyway. On the other hand, Mortimer remembers that false elections also feed the algorithm. Even if you don’t buy anything, you are still customizing your preferences through cookies and you will receive the response in the form of personalized advertising. There are people who don’t care about this, but others prefer to avoid it, so it’s good for them to be clear that it is not necessary to buy anything. The search is more than enough. Image | Magnific image, not the app in the article Xataka | When it comes to meat, science knows there’s something better than protein shakes: lean pork

Even Elon Musk surrenders to the open Chinese AI model Kimi K3. It is not for less

by

It’s good, it’s pretty and it’s (quite) cheap. We met him a few days ago, but Kimi K3the new open AI model from the Chinese startup Moonshot AI, is causing a sensation. So much, so much, that they have had to pause new subscriptions because they cannot handle so much demand. Another turning point for Chinese AI. Kimi K3 is the largest open weights AI model ever published, with numbers that probably rival those of the frontier models from Anthropic and OpenAI, which do not provide information on the size of their models. Those 2.8 billion parameters make a difference and are a good part of the reason why this model represents a real leap in quality according to all the benchmarks that are being published. “Awesome”. Elon Musk himself published a single “Impresionante” on his X/Twitter account as answer to the very complete analysis Artificial Analysis performance. Its agentic behavior surpasses that of Opus 4.8 and only Fable 5 surpasses it, but in a specific benchmark it goes even further and is the best of all the models evaluated by this firm, including those from OpenAI and Anthropic. Source: Artificial Analysis. More tests. In programming it is better than Opus 4.8 and GPT-5.5, but inferior to Fable 5 or GPT-5.6, and all the independent tests validate these results: we are facing a model that at least on paper competes directly with the best that both Anthropic and OpenAI had until now. No Chinese model had come so close until now: GLM-5.2, although notable, competed more with GPT-5.5 and Sonnet 5 than with the US frontier models. Source: Artificial Analysis Gigantic… and not so cheap. DeepSeek showed that it was possible to access really capable models at a very affordable price, and recently GLM-5.2 proposed exactly the same: it is possible to achieve 90% capacity of frontier models such as Opus 4.8, but at 20% of the cost. The curious thing is that with Kimi K3 the trend changes: it is a more affordable model than Fable 5 or GPT-5.6, but not as much as one might expect: the cost per million input/output tokens is 3/15 dollars, while in Fable 5 it costs 10/50, Opus 4.8 costs 5/25 and GPT-5.6 Sol costs 5/30. Tokens everywhere. One of the factors that probably influences that quality/price ratio is the large number of tokens that Kimi K3 seems to use when answering. It is a model that “thinks a lot”, and that, although it undoubtedly improves the precision and capacity of the model, also causes it to generate higher bills for the user. Artificial Analysis’ own report goes further: the cost per task in its test battery is $0.95, at the level of GPT-5.6 Sol’s $1.04 and certainly cheaper than Fable 5 ($2.75), but also much more expensive than Grok 4.5 ($0.31) or GLM-5.2 ($0.47). The pelican test. Analyst Simon Willinson was able to test the model to perform a test to evaluate the behavior of all these developments: having the model generate an SVG image of a pelican on a bicycle. In their tests the image was of very good quality, but it generated almost 17,000 tokens for the response with a task cost of 25 cents. It is not that this test is too conclusive, but it does reveal that for a simple task, the result, although outstanding, is not especially efficient in token consumption. Cybersecurity, the unknown. Unlike the latest models from Anthropic or OpenAI, Moonshot AI does not seem interested at the moment in its use in the field of cybersecurity. There is no mention of those potential capabilities in the notes of launch, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t deliver. Vercel’s CTO, Malte Ubl, explained Although it is not the most advanced of AI models in this area, after running several tests it seemed like a model that can be very useful when finding and correcting vulnerabilities. Demand, through the roof. The expectation generated by this model has been such that the company has announced that pause new subscriptions. This will allow them to be able to deal with all requests to use it without harming the experience for both old and new users. A striking decision that seems to make a reality clear: they cannot cope. In Xataka | The gigantic Qwen 3.8 is another worrying sign for the US: its AI advantage is evaporating

Europe forces Google to open Android to ChatGPT and Claude, but the blow is that it will have to give up its search engine data to the competition

by

The European Commission has ordered Google to open two of its greatest competitive advantages– Android’s access to rival AI assistants and the search data that feeds Gemini. They are two binding measures under the Digital Markets Act (DMA)adopted on July 16. Android must be open by July 2027, search data by January 2027, and no resources are stopping those deadlines. In detail. The first measure affects how a rival assistant can live inside Android. Right now, Gemini has privileges that no competitor shares: Keyword activation at the operating system level, not the application level. Access to the home button or navigation gesture as a gateway. Reading content on screen to respond with context. Executing tasks within other applications, such as sending an email or sharing a photo. Priority access to hardware and AI models built into the device. There are 11 points in total. Starting with the next major version of Android, ChatGPT, Claude or any other attendee will be able to claim the same treatment that only they have today Gemini. The second measure is the one that weighs the most for the business: the data of queries, clicks and results with which Google trains a good part of its LLM. From January 2027, rivals such as OpenAI will be able to access an anonymized version, under conditions that Brussels demands are fair and non-discriminatory. Google’s waterline. Between the lines. Google completed a few months ago the transition from Google Assistant to Gemini as Android’s default assistant, just before Brussels opened the file. The order arrived with Gemini already installed as a part of the system and not as just another application. Apple chose the opposite path: it negotiated before launching, proposed a monitored permit system and Brussels rejected it. Siri AI It still hasn’t reached the iPhone in the European Union. Google launched Gemini without asking permission and has discussed the conditions afterwards, with better results. Yes, but. Google, like Apple, alleges security and privacy reasons. Its head of global affairs, Kent Walker, has explained that opening screen reading and the execution of tasks between applications to any external service bypasses the filter that the manufacturers themselves apply today before granting these permissions. And now what. Google will appeal, but the appeal does not give it extra time: from the criteria established in the Apple case, the obligation is fulfilled while it is discussed whether it was legal to impose it. The United Kingdom and Japan, which are preparing their own digital competency frameworks, are presumably taking note of how “fair access” to a mobile is defined here. What Brussels sets about wake words or search data prices will not remain only in Europe. In Xataka | AI has destroyed traditional captchas. Google’s solution requires scanning a QR… and having its services installed Featured image | Xataka

It’s free, open source and Adobe can’t do anything to prevent it

by

There are a thousand and one alternatives to photoshop very interesting that allow you to have a powerful photo editor without entering into large payments or subscriptions of any kind. GIMP has established itself as one of the most prominent open source alternatives, although its interface is not entirely friendly if you come from an Adobe environment. PhotoGIMP was born precisely to resolve that clash. This is a free patch that reorganizes its interface, shortcuts, and various settings to make it much more familiar to anyone coming from Adobe software. What exactly is PhotoGIMP PhotoGIMP is a set of configuration files that replace the default GIMP settings. The project is maintained by Dionatan Simioni, known as Diolinuxspecialized mainly in Linux and free software, and is distributed openly under the GPL-3.0 license through GitHub, which means that it can be used, modified and distributed freely. It should be noted that PhotoGIMP does not add new features to GIMP nor does it turn it into Photoshop. As explained in the project’s official repository, it is a free, community-maintained patch that transforms GIMP into an interface with the idea that easy to use for those coming from Photoshop. So the editor behind it is still GIMP, with its pluses and minuses. What exactly does PhotoGIMP change? PhotoGIMP touches several elements of the user experience, but not the program engine: Tool layout. Icons and panels are rearranged to mimic the position that Photoshop users are accustomed to, so you don’t have to learn from scratch where everything is. Keyboard shortcuts. The keybinds follow Adobe’s official documentation for the Windows version, so much of the muscle memory from years of using Photoshop still applies. Use of the canvas. The default settings are modified to leave the maximum possible work space visible on the screen. Own welcome screen and icon. The patch includes a different start screen than standard GIMP and, on Linux, a launcher with its own name and icon in the system menu. Default language. The configuration applied by the patch leaves the program in English as standard, although it can be changed from the settings at any time. How to install PhotoGIMP The process varies slightly depending on the operating system, but always follows the same logic. And first you must have GIMP installed and have opened it at least once, so that it generates its own configuration folders, and then replaces those files with the ones included in PhotoGIMP. On Linuxthe patch is intended primarily for the version of GIMP installed through Flatpak. The process consists of downloading the compressed file for Linux from the official repository and extracting it directly into the user’s personal folder, so that the files are placed in the hidden folders .config and .local. If you have installed GIMP through another manager, such as apt, dnf either Pacmaninstead of Flatpak, the process also works as long as the configuration folder is in the same location and the installed version is 3.0 or higher. On Windowspress Windows key + R, type %APPDATA%\GIMP and copy the contents of the version of PhotoGIMP for Windows, previously downloaded and unzipped, into that folder. On macOSthe destination is the folder ~/Library/Application Support/GIMPaccessible from the Finder with the shortcut Cmd + Shift + G, where the configuration folder that comes with the patch is also copied. In all three cases It is highly recommended to make a backup before from the original settings folder, in case you want to keep your previous custom settings as PhotoGIMP overwrites files such as shortcuts, panel layout, templates, or visual theme. Uninstalling it is just as simple. And all you have to do is delete that same configuration folder and reopen GIMP, which will run automatically with its factory settings. It should be noted that the current version of the patch only works with GIMP 3.0 or higher. So if you are still using the 2.10 branch you will have to update the program before applying PhotoGIMP. It’s GIMP, both for the good and the not so good As we were saying, PhotoGIMP aims to reduce those small initial frictions for those who are more accustomed to Photoshop. If you have never been convinced by GIMP at first because of its capabilities, PhotoGIMP is not going to change your life. But if you were a little nervous about starting in GIMP because ‘it looks different from Photoshop’, This patch aims to take away your fear. So for the rest, it’s still GIMP, both for the good and the not so good. And you have a powerful free and open source editor at your disposal, but it still does not offer more specific and complex tools for professionals that Photoshop does have, such as its advanced color management with native CMYK, more complex editorial design, automation, integration with AI, etc. For the rest, if you don’t miss this more concrete and professional aspect of Photoshop, you are more than enough with GIMP, especially since since version 3.0 you also have the option of non-destructive adjustment layers. The PhotoGIMP repository has more than 13,000 stars on GitHub, is supported by the community, and has hundreds of forks from other developers, as well as translations and alternative installers. Wow, it is one of the most outstanding options to escape the more than 300 euros per year of Photoshop in case you can manage with everything that GIMP gives you. Besides, no account or login of any kind requiredsaves all the work on the computer itself without depending on cloud services, and the installation and uninstallation of the plugin is resolved by copying or deleting a folder. In Xataka | Your name, written with rivers and craters: NASA’s amazing tool based on thousands of satellite images

A heat wave is about to “scorch” all of Europe. So France has been the first to open a melon: ban alcohol

by

The summer of 2026 has started in a big way, with much of Europe charredthermometers climbing to record values and governments wondering how on earth to tackle the risks that the heatwave has for the health of the population. In France they have been clear: declaring war on alcohol. With dozens of regions On red alert due to extreme heat, the French authorities have decided to put limits on the consumption of beer, wine and cocktails. It may seem shocking in a world that usually goes for beers (or drinks) to cool off, but it makes all the sense in the world. And for several reasons. Europe is burning. It may sound exaggerated, but if at any time it is justified to talk about temperatures scorching in Europe it is now. In Spain the first heat wave of the summer has sent the mercury skyrocketing above 40º in several parts of the country and the situation is not much better in other parts of Europe, such as Germany, Italy, United Kingdom or Belgium, where thermometers have reached (or easily exceeded) 30 degrees. Beyond the weather reports, the heat has already forced sports events to be cancelled, interrupt rail services or launch alerts. The objective: avoid episodes like the one in the summer of 2023, when another extreme heat wave left more than 62,000 dead in Europe. This same Sunday, Madrid decided, for example, to suspend the broadcast of the match with Saudi Arabia on the XXL screen in the Plaza de Colón. The reason: the forecast before 39ºC was reached. Like a ‘frying pan’. Another country that has not been spared from the heatwave is France. Over there 53 million people They were yesterday in areas with first or second level heat alerts. In fact, the country left an unpublished image: 35 of its 96 continental departments were on red alert and another 45 on orange. Faced with such a panorama, the authorities have decided to close at least 845 schools and adapt the schedules of hundreds of other centers to avoid the hottest hours. And that is just one of the measures activated by the Government. In Paris, for example, the Prefecture asked to the organizers of outdoor sporting events to cancel their tests in order to avoid unnecessary risks. An “explosive” mix. In France the Government encountered more than just heat. The dog days coincided there, among other events, with the Fête de la Musiquea festive day during which open-air concerts are organized and thousands of people celebrate in style in the streets, squares and parks. “Heat wave and Music Festival: an explosive combination that worries law enforcement agencies,” titled yesterday one of his chronicles on the BFM channel before remembering that Météo-France has extended the red alert to 49 departments. Stop alcohol. That parks are opened, classes suspended or races postponed to combat the heat wave is hardly surprising. What is most striking is another of the measures adopted in France: restrict the alcohol. As reports the France24 networkthe French authorities decided to ban drinking in public spaces in certain departments of the country, especially affected by the extreme heat wave. The sales restrictions lasted between early Sunday and Mondaywith the sight set especially at the Fête de la Musique and other celebrations planned throughout the country. Closed bars. “The prefects will issue decrees prohibiting the consumption of alcohol in public spaces in the departments on red alert,” the Government warned in a statementin which it also warned that events organized by the State itself and its agencies would close their bars. As if the message were not strong enough, the mayor of Paris warned to his neighbors about the risks of excessive drinking: “The combination of alcohol, heat and proximity of water are three factors that do not mix.” But… Why? The decision may seem shocking, but it makes perfect sense. And for several reasons. To begin with, by restricting alcohol consumption, especially during a day marked by street parties and concerts, the Government has wanted “preserve emergency services and medical care” and that “health personnel focus on caring for the most vulnerable.” In short: fewer drinking-related emergencies (falls, drownings, comas, fights…) so as not to neglect the real priority: the heatwave. In Paris, where the alert was activated, consumption was banned of strong drinks, such as high-proof beers, liqueurs or fortified wines, on the banks of the Seine and the Canal Saint-Martin precisely to avoid ‘scares’. Those who wanted to drink had to go to licensed bars, pubs or cafes. “Without realizing it”. There is another reason why the decision of the French authorities is totally logical. As explained on Saturday in France Info the Minister of Health, Stéphanie Rist, by drinking a beer or a glass of wine we may have the impression that we are cooling off, but we are really boycotting the mechanisms our body uses to self-regulate. “You become dehydrated three to four times faster without even realizing it.” Alcohol has a diuretic effect and blocks vasopressin, remember from RFIwhich means that the ‘normal’ functioning of our body is altered. We go to the bathroom more, we sweat less, our body temperature rises and we become dehydrated, something that is not particularly advisable when we live in a region on alert for high temperatures and the thermometer exceeds 35º. “The body’s internal thermostat stops reacting correctly to overheating signals; our body no longer knows when to sweat and dilate blood vessels,” insist the French Institute of Health (Inserm). Images | DAT VO (Unsplash) and Venus Major (Unsplash) In Xataka | We are at 44 degrees and AEMET says that the worst is yet to come. The good news is that we already know when thermal relief arrives.

They have five days to open themselves to rivals

by

If there is something that the European Commission does not like at all, it is that technology companies use their power to create monopolies. It takes years actively fighting these practices with chases and historical fines. The objective is to promote competition and when Meta introduced your AI chatbot on WhatsApp, came under the scrutiny of the Commission. Now, have taken a historic decision: order Meta to open WhatsApp to any rival chatbot. And that opens the door, for example, for a Mistral or a ChatGPT to sneak into WhatsApp. In short. This Tuesday, June 9, the European Commission ordered the American giant to restore free access to WhatsApp for competing AI assistants. It is about reversing a situation that Meta has been making more and more complicated for the competition since October 2025. Today, we require Meta to restore access to WhatsApp for competing AI assistants while we investigate whether the restrictions may infringe EU competition rules – Teresa Ribera, European Commission Previously, other companies had access to the WhatsApp API, but Meta changed its conditions to block rival AI services on the platform, something that began to be applied on January 15 of this year. Their own AI chatbot had arrived and they didn’t want anyone stepping on their toes. The Commission did not begin to investigate this out of nowhere, but as a result of complaints from several AI assistant companies who reported that Meta was taking advantage of its position of power and dominance of messaging platforms to ‘sneak’ a single chatbot to everyone: its own. Historical. Meta has five business days to restore that access to rivals and, almost as important as the measure for the user (who will be able to choose which AI system they use in WhatsApp), is the way in which it has been taken. Because it represents the first antitrust precautionary measure that the European Union establishes since 2019 because the investigation has not really ended. The competition commissioner of the European Union, Teresa Ribera, pointed out that this precautionary order is necessary so that competition between companies is fair in these rapidly evolving markets. He assures that, if such a measure is not taken, the damage would be “almost impossible to repair” and assures that they continue to review whether the restrictions that Meta applied may violate EU competition laws… or not. That is to say, the European Commission has been investigating this case for six months and they are not finished, but they have already made the decision to order WhatsApp to open its API. Meta’s Response. Not only the European Commission got involved: Meta was already being investigated for the same reason by the Italian competition authority. Since then, the company has taken some actions to prevent an order like this from arriving, offering access to its rivals for a fee and, just a few weeks ago, offering free access to the API up to a certain threshold and, when they exceeded it, starting to charge for its use. Neither the complainants nor the Commission accepted these measures because they considered that, in practice, it was exactly the same as what Meta was already applying: it was not free access, but, in addition, you had to pay to join the platform. “This will allow free access to OpenAI and some of the largest companies in the world. It is a regulatory overreach subsidized by the many European companies that pay” – Meta Spokesperson Obviously, Meta is not amused by this situation one bit, pointing that the EU is using its power to allow some of the world’s largest companies to use its (paid) WhatsApp Business product for free. They claim that Europe is playing along with OpenAI. Whistleblowers, such as The Interaction Company, do seem satisfied. Now…what. Well there are three options. Or Meta relents and opens its API so that anyone can enter WhatsApp as an AI chat (like when Google in its browser It asks us which search engine we want to use by default Instead of assuming we want yours, go) or pay a fine. That fine is not small: up to 10% of your global annual turnover if you do not comply with these provisional measures. The third option is for Meta to appeal the precautionary order before the courts of the European Union. The Apple thing. As we say, the decision of the European Commission is historic because it is a precautionary measure while they ensure that they must continue studying the case. They give Meta only five days to open its tools and let the competition ‘sneak’ into their home and then to wait to see if the decision is ratified or if the Commission backs down. In any case, it is something that comes just when Apple has once again raised its tone against Europe after the presentation of the new Siri AI by announcing that many of its functions will not be available on iPadOS 27 and on iOS 27 due to EU antitrust policies. But, as with Meta, it is not a fight for privacy (as Apple wants to sell), but rather one for control of its platform and its product so that there is no competition and no one else can play. In Xataka | No, WhatsApp Meta AI cannot be deactivated, but this way you can make it bother you as little as possible

open a ghost road that almost no one uses

by

A mousetrap. This is how José Manuel Tofiño, mayor of Illescas, defines the A-42 highway that connects Madrid with Toledo. The road runs collapsed every day but next to it it has the most underused toll road in Spain. The claim is obvious. The answer, so far, too. Maddening. It is one of the terms that best defines the journey that thousands of drivers make every day on the A-42 towards Madrid. And in the direction of Toledo. Because back and forth, morning and afternoon, there is only one reality on the A-42 highway: it is clogged. Although neighborhood and political complaints are once again on the table, congestion on the A-42 has been critical for years. Already in 2020the representatives of the Popular party of the Community of Madrid and the affected municipalities of Toledo demanded measures from the Executive. Now they are the PSOE politicians those who demand solutions. What’s happening? Simply, the A-42 is clogged daily while the A-41, which runs parallel, is empty. According to data collected by The Countrythe A-42 has an average traffic flow of up to 90,000 vehicles per day at some points, while the payment option barely exceeds 2,000 vehicles. The figure has even been growing in recent years given that the neighboring free highway is completely overflowing. And a little over a decade ago the cars that passed through the A-41 was less than a thousand a day. The situation has even been causing for years delays on adjacent roads. National roads that drivers try to use as a means of escape from the highway. Because? Although the A-42 has been living in an extreme situation for years, the problem has become entrenched in recent years. The A-42 is a road that connects Madrid and Toledo passing through La Sagra. It is an area close to Madrid known for cities where a good part of the workers go to Madrid daily, such as Illescas and Yeles (Toledo) or Torrejón de la Calzada and Parla (Madrid). Next to the city, the road runs through Getafe. A good part of those workers left Madrid during the real estate bubble before 2008 looking for larger houses and at more affordable prices. However, the current housing crisis has once again caused Madrid residents look favorably on these towns south of the city. The cranes, for example, have returned to Seseñaclassic bubble burst image. But, in addition, together with Illescas, a logistics center has been promoted that has become one of the great merchandise hubs in the center of the peninsula. This has also triggered the transport of heavy vehicles, which complicates circulation even more. Precisely, The proximity of the A-42 is one of the great attractions to carry the goods there on the way to Madrid. make it free. Therefore, in their latest claims, regional politicians ask that the A-41 be opened to all vehicles to alleviate the situation on the A-42. The measure they propose is very simple: if one road is empty and the other is collapsed, let it be liberalized. The problem is that the concession for the A-41 does not expire until 2040. At the moment, the road is completely free from 0:00 to 6:00, which is an alternative to the first to hit the road. However, local voices They attribute this to the intention of the concessionaire company to save workers’ salaries and emphasize that at that time it is not a problem to travel on the A-42 since it is first thing in the morning when it gets stuck. Or at least public transportation. In his report, in The Countrycollect the testimony of Alberto Blázquez, a 28-year-old computer scientist and resident of Palomeque (near the A-42) who takes his car to Illescas and, from there, takes a train to Fuenlabrada (Madrid) and makes a transfer to get to Atocha and thus ends up arriving at his workplace. This is what some workers have opted for when they see that it takes the same time by public transport as by car. What they propose is that the Cercanías network be expanded to Illescas to facilitate the train connection with the city and that bus connections be improved, which right now, other voices point out in that same report, are also overwhelmed since they left Madrid. These claims, as well as the construction of a third lane from Parla, are the requests that residents and Madrid residents have been demanding for years. So far, the only thing that has changed is that the problem is even more serious. Photo | Miguel Angel Masegosa Martínez and DGT In Xataka | The longest straight road in the world is a mental challenge: 240 km without curves, in the middle of the desert and with truck traffic

Airbus had a single center in the world to convert commercial aircraft into military tankers. Now another one will open in Seville

by

Airbus has chosen Seville to install its second global conversion center for the A330 MRTT, the best-selling tanker and military transport aircraft on the market outside the United States. The San Pablo plant will thus become the twin of the Getafe plant, until now the only one in the world capable of transforming A330 commercial aircraft into its multirole military version. We made the announcement during the opening of the ADM Sevilla 2026 fair and the facilities are expected to be operational at the end of 2027. Why it matters. The A330 MRTT is experiencing a sweet moment, as it accumulates some 91 orders from 19 countries and controls 90% of the world market share, excluding the United States. The war in ukrainethe escalation of military spending in Europe and the growing need for tanker aircraft to extend the air forces’ operating margin have triggered demand for a model that until now was assembled at a rate limited by its single-plant capacity. Add Seville will allow you to go from five to seven annual conversions and thus take some work off the Getafe plant. In detail. The conversion process is usually a rather complex task for European aerospace engineering. Civilian A330s leave the Toulouse chain and they are transferred to the conversion center, where for about nine months military systems, in-flight refueling equipment, specific avionics, communications and interior configurations adapted to each client are integrated, until they are ready for aerial refueling missions, troop transport, strategic cargo or medical evacuations. The plant in Seville will also assume maintenance, repair and modernization (MRO) tasks for aircraft already in service. Airbus will take advantage of the current hangars in San Pablo and optimize them to work with two aircraft at a time, imitating Getafe’s way of workingwhere usually one is converted while the other receives maintenance tasks. Figures. The new line will generate around 200 direct jobswhich will be added to the 2,000 professionals already working in São Paulo, and about 600 additional positions in the auxiliary industry. In Andalusia, Airbus is responsible for around 3,500 people between the San Pablo, Tablada (Seville) and Cádiz plants, and more than 14,000 throughout Spain. Why Seville. The president of Airbus in Spain, Francisco Javier Sánchez Segura, pointed ABC that the reasons were based above all on the technical knowledge accumulated in the A400M and C295 programs, the existing infrastructure (San Pablo is the only Airbus factory with two final assembly lines) and the operational proximity with Getafe, which will act as strategic coordinator of the entire program. A technological leap. Until now, Airbus Defense and Space’s activity in Seville revolved around the assembly and maintenance of the A400M and the C295, both military transport aircraft. Sanchez Segura underlined The Seville center will replicate the cutting-edge technologies developed in Getafe, including the intensive use of augmented reality applied to the assembly and inspection of systems. Andalusia, in the focus of aviation. For the Junta de Andalucía, the announcement fits into its strategy to place the community in one of the three most important European points, along with Toulouse and Hamburg. The acting Minister of Industry, Jorge Paradela, recalled that the region already has several important investments, such as the arrival of the Swiss company Pilatus to manufacture private and military training aircraft, and the Ryanair projectvalued at 500 million euros, to internalize the repair of aeronautical engines in Andalusia, with 600 direct jobs planned. The acting Minister of Economy, Carolina España, rated the Airbus announcement is “magnificent news”, also highlighting that exports from the Andalusian aerospace sector have grown by 86% so far in 2026. The other side. The ADM Seville fair, where the advertisement was presented, also attracted protests. The STOP Arms Fair Platform, which brings together social groups, unions, environmentalists and pacifists, gathered at the gates of FIBES to denounce “the institutional support” for the defense industry and the presence of companies that, according to these organizations, have links to human rights violations in armed conflicts such as the one in Gaza. What’s coming now. Airbus has about two years of works, personnel training and technological adaptation ahead before San Pablo delivers its first converted aircraft. If the planned pace is met, Seville and Getafe will end up operating in a coordinated manner to satisfy a larger customer base in a context that does not seem to be going to let up. According to Sánchez SeguraAerópolis depends on around 70% of Airbus’ workload, and this for the Seville plant means consolidating in a field that until now was foreign to it. Cover image | Air and Space Army In Xataka | The war in Iran is doing something that not even Ryanair imagined: making 20 euro flights a relic of the past

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.