optimistic

There are people making all kinds of theories to know the price of the Steam Machine. And no one is very optimistic

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The Valve’s Steam Machine has been received as a manna for the somewhat disastrous hardware landscape of the industry, with Switch 2 turned into a completely isolated system and aimed at its circle of consumers and Sony and Microsoft giving the impression of being somewhat lost in a scenario that is little or nothing exciting. In these comes Valve, which has already turned the concept of the portable PC upside down with its Steam Deckand now proposes a consolidated PC, completely oriented to work with Steam and ready to steal space from traditional consoles. Of course, there is a question that no one dares to answer completely: and the price? There are more and more theories. Not at losses. Valve has discarded compete in price with traditional consoles. The company confirmed that its new Steam Machine, scheduled for early 2026, will not follow the subsidized pricing model that characterizes PlayStation and Xbox. This means, as explained by one of the engineers responsible for the design of the machine, Pierre-Loup Griffais, that the device will align with “what would be expected from the current PC market”, explicitly rejecting the idea of ​​selling at a loss to expand market share and be more attractive to the general public. Frustrated expectations. The gaming community did its calculations: one of the most widespread bets said that Valve would take advantage of its 30% commission for each game sold on Steam to offer affordable hardware. These illusions have had to be qualified: youtuber Linus Sebastian revealed on his WAN Show that when he was in a meeting with Valve itself and suggested a price of $500, “no one confirmed anything, but the energy in the room completely changed.” That is, the youtuber thinks that Valve’s intentions point to a higher price. The current projections They place the Steam Machine between $750 and $900, very far from the $549 for the standard PlayStation 5 or the $599 for the Xbox Series X. Even the base model, cheaper and with 512GB, could exceed $600. Disappointing precedents. The original Steam Machines, launched in November 2015 after two years of delay, They barely reached 400,000 units sold throughout its commercial existence. The concept shipwrecked for multiple reasons: SteamOS ran on Linux, drastically limiting the catalog of compatible games; the product lacked a defined identity (it was, at the same time, too rigid for PC users and excessively complex for console consumers); and the proliferation of manufacturers led to a chaotic range of prices, from $499 to $1,500. In 2018, Valve quietly deleted any mention of the product from its store. How the subsidized price works… Yes, Valve has already said that it will not apply. But an approach is useful to understand what options Valve has on the table. The console industry traditionally operates through a model of hardware sold at a loss, which is recovered through the console business ecosystem. For exampleMicrosoft sold the Xbox 360 with a deficit of $125 per unit, while Sony absorbed losses of $240 to $300 with each PlayStation 3. The economic recovery It is obtained later, from commissions usually of 30% on each game sold, from subscription services and from official accessories. Microsoft publicly acknowledged in 2021 that each Xbox was still trading at a loss. The component crisis. But there is another reason to expect a high price for the Steam Machine, and that is that the rise of artificial intelligence has unleashed an unprecedented crisis in the memory market. There is data which speak of year-on-year increases of 171.8% in DRAM prices. Samsung and SK Hynix satisfy only 70% of orders, prioritizing HBM memories for AI data centers. AND are predicted serious shortfalls in DRAM, NAND Flash and hard drives during 2026, in a crisis which can last until 2029. The conspiracy of prices. The combination of unsubsidized hardware and expensive components puts the Steam Machine in an ambiguous position. Valve now has unthinkable advantages in 2015yes: in-house manufacturing, SteamOS refined thanks to the commercial success of Steam Deck, and a much broader compatible library. However, some analysts They warn that success will depend largely on the final price. Without the possibility of competing economically with traditional consoles, the device could remain half-hearted in commercial terms.

‘The fantastic 4 is the most disappointing superheroes saga in the history of cinema. And the first criticisms are not optimistic

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‘The fantastic four: first steps’ is more than An essential film for Marvel: After some box office failures and a doubtful future, the company is at a point where the success or failure of this new installment of its superhero adventures can mark many future decisions. The previous trajectory of Marvel’s first family in cinemas does not give much hope, so this summer will be for Disney as essential as It is being for Warner. A delicate moment. Why do we say that Marvel is at a key point? They have had a 2024 of Impasse: They just released a movie, ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’that although it was a Great box office successdoes not easily fit into the continuity of the house, that is, it does not “guarantee” future successes, as the “you will continue” of the first phases did. In 2025, Marvel has stumbled upon two films that have worked halfway at the box office, ‘Captain America: Brave New World‘ and ‘Thunderbolts‘And, in part, they frustrate the future of the house (its most emblematic hero, new avengers …) At this point, the success of’ The Fantastic 4 is vital for the company. What comes next. The fantastic four supposes many things, and we do not speak only of a welcome and healthy turn in the aesthetics and the tone that the MCUy asked from the moment it premiered ‘Endey me‘. It also opens doors to the future, to the next Avengers and, of course, to the hopeful ‘Doomsday‘with which The Russo return to Disney. It has already been leaked that ‘the fantastic 4’ includes direct references to that future in which Marvel is putting all his wait, so he will also serve to test the real interest of the public, beyond Soponcios in the Comic-Con. What came before. The fact is that the previous history of the fantastic 4 in cinema feeds, in part, the expectation. As much as they are the groups of key heroes of the House of Ideas (well above the Avengers), they have not had luck in the past, for both reasons. Roger Corman produced An absolutely disastrous version that it was not released in cinemas and whose intrahistory is much more interesting than the film itself. At the beginning of the century two films arrived (one of them also adapting the arrival of Galactus to Earth) that were not bad but were something generic and forgettable, and whose only legacy seems to have been the chance of Qiue Chris Evans, future captain America, gave life to human torch. Finally, in 2015 we had another version, also with very interesting details, also with fateful results and that has again A more stimulating intrahistory than the film itself. And what is looking like. The film reaches the screens today, but we can access the first impressions of the press: it has a very positive 89% in Rotten Tomatoes and a somewhat more discreet 65 in Metacritic. They are, to begin with, scores much higher than those of the previous films of the characters, which suspended in all cases on both platforms (some of them as abysmal as the 2015 version, which has 9% in Rotten Tomatoes, being the Marvel film with the lowest score in history). Thus, In Variety They say that the film says it is “just what is needed to recover the public that suffers superhero exhaustion.” In Screen Rant They claim that Marvel Vuyelve “to the basics: a solid superhero film, with a lot of heart, but with little spectacular.” And Empirethat “with an exemplary cast and a brilliant new alternative universe to enjoy, this is the best movie of the fantastic four so far. And if that standard seems too low, then it is also the best Marvel movie in years.” With nuances. There are, however, some clouds on the horizon. ‘Thunderbolts’, despite its disappointing box office, has a comparable score in Rotten Tomatoes (89%), and surpasses it in Metacritic with a 68. In fact, ‘the fantastic 4’ does not even enter into The best valued Marvel Top 10 In Rotten Tomatoes, which only includes films above 90%. Data that, without a doubt, have nothing to do with their performance at the box office, but they give away what can be the Marvel Achilles heel: we may not be facing an infallible film. For example, Our Espinof companions They claimed that “throughout the second act the film becomes a Space Opera Moral that slows down the thrilling rhythm of the beginning “and put the character of Estela Silver, which” has a tiny character arc and a sudden evolution that cuts the film dry. “Despite everything, the general impression on the film was positive and” reminds us why we fell in love with Marvel. “The only way to dissipate these doubts will be attending the rooms. Header | Disney In Xataka | Marvel chronological order. The definitive guide to see all the UCM films and series

Some scientists have reviewed 99 studies on intermittent fasting. Its results are not very optimistic

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The popularity of intermittent fasting has grown over the last years, partly by a series of scientific studies that endorsed their potential when helping us lose weight. However, sometimes the results of individual studies do not agree with the global image of the matter. Not so effective. A new study has in doubt The ability of intermittent fasting as a superior way of losing weight. The analysis concluded that, although some forms of intermittent fasting could offer a slight advantage, the results obtained with these were not significantly better than those obtained with the simple caloric restriction. The intermittent fasting. The concept intermittent fasting It refers to a series of diets based on a temporary caloric restriction. We cannot speak of a single flash form since this temporary restriction can occur in several ways. Conventional forms of intermittent fasting imply not consuming any food during a specific time window, more or less broad, in certain days, which can be alternate or successive and in different proportions. It can also refer to drastically restricting the calories we consume in certain days of the week. Sometimes a non -intermittent hourly restriction is also included in these diets, that is, a more conventional fast. Review and meta -analysis. Evaluating the effect of these diets is not easy, but over the last decades, various teams of researchers have launched to it, obtaining very diverse results and sometimes even contradictory. Solving this type of discrepancies is what is sought with the tool we call meta -analysis. Metaanalysis start from a systematic review of literature in which the team compiles all studies in the field in a specific time interval. Metaanalysis consists in the statistical evaluation of the results obtained in compiled quantitative studies to obtain an average effect through a broader sample which allows strength to the conclusions. In other words, solve discrepancies. 6,582 participants. In this case the meta -analysis included 99 studies individuals that added in total 6,582 participants. As explained by the team responsible for the new study, among these participants, the average body mass index was 31 and about 90% had some health disease or condition. The results showed that fasting on alternate days (restricting our food consumption to alternate days) was the only option that showed an observable benefit in weight reduction. However, this reduction (1.29 kg on average) did not exceed the 2 kg threshold defined by the study responsible for the study. The details of the study were published In an article In the magazine BMJ. 99 studies, and we still need more. Metaanalysis usually serve to settle scientific knowledge in one subject, but at least in this case it is still more to investigate, admits the responsible team. The heterogeneity of dietary strategies, the small size of the samples and the limited evidence are limiting factors indicated by the team. “The evidence today provides some indication that diets based on intermittent fasting have continuous energy restriction benefits for weight loss and cardiomethabolic factors. Explain the team. In Xataka | What if we are doing the bad intermittent fasting? Some experts propose to focus only on carbohydrates Image | Xataka with Gemini / I Yunmai

If the question is “how tariffs are going to affect the price of mobiles”, none of the answers is optimistic

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If you are wondering if the phones are going to rise in price in this scenario of Tariff warthe most honest answer in a “we don’t know.” But the most predictable “is practically impossible not to do so.” Apple and Samsung, two of the main names in the middle of this storm, They can completely move the current price photography as we know it. Although the phones from China can better alleviate the storm, the tariff war will also have an inevitable impact on its strategy. So if you were doubting to renew or non -device waiting for this conflict to be resolved, doing so is no longer a bad idea. The Apple case. Apple is, by far, The most affected manufacturer of this commercial war. Trump is convinced that it is possible to achieve 100% national manufacturing, but this is nothing more than a utopia. Apple has been with a strong agency for China for years to manufacture its devices, although trying to Diversify production chain betting on countries like India or Vietnam. Despite this, 80% of the iPhone continue to manufacture in China, a figure that will simply inevitable that Apple does not raise prices if you want to remain profitable. In a 54% tariff scenario, it was already raised as unassumable to absorb part of them to minimize the rise. With a 104% Apple tariff you need to move a file in another direction: get the manufacture of China. The Samsung case. Samsung is the most affected Asian firm by the commercial war, although the having moved the production chain mainly to Vietnam It will help you partially alleviate the situation. But there is no miracle: Samsung no longer manufactures in China, but Vietnam is also in the sight of Tru The company has been betting on this territory for almost 20 years, having minimized its dependence with China. However, the Vietnam tariff is 46%, the third highest after China and Cambodia. The US case. In the United States the photo is complicated for every national manufacturer that manufactures outside the country, such as Qualcomm. This semiconductor giant delegates to TSMC (Taiwan) the manufacture of its chips. Inevitable increases. These two cases are the most extreme, drawing a more than possible scenario of global ups. Except Milagro, it seems impossible to assume a 104 and 46% tariff in imported products from China and Vietnam to the United States, a situation that can only be solved by rethinking the product strategy in the rest of the markets. Moving production chain outside these countries is not profitable either. If Apple, Samsung and the rest of the manufacturers have been focusing on Vietnam or India for years, it is due to the cost of their qualified workforce. Produce outside and keep prices is pure science fiction. Chinese mobiles. Chinese manufacturers have been with a very clear strategy in the United States for years: not selling mobiles in the United States. Only some names such as OnePlus, TCL or Motorola sound with some force in the country, especially in the case of Motorola (property of the China Lenovo), third manufacturer there. Saving the Motorola case, with mainly China manufacturing and a little flattering scenario if you want to continue importing products from there, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo or Huawei do not impact this measure so directly. They are manufacturers that have been focused on both their local market and markets outside the United States. With overwhelming success, by the way. What will the climbs will be. The question we would all want to answer, and the one that will mark a new photograph in the global smartphones market. For years, the price of the iPhone has depended on the strategy in the United States plus the corresponding taxes and fees to be paid by bringing it to other countries. Apple will have more than complicated to maintain its historical rate of $ 999 for the pro model, a strategy that It would affect the global price. The rise in the United States, however, does not have to move exactly to other markets. The price of the iPhone will have to adapt to the new Apple calculations. Some in which you will need to juggle your margins so as not to cool the demand. An inevitable situation. The problem, despite the slightest tariff, is identical for Samsung. It faces a global readjustment scenario to alleviate the situation in the United States, where It is currently the second manufacturer. The situation of the rest of the manufacturers does not seem much better. Although Chinese manufacturers do not sell their mobiles in the United States, there is the presence of televisions, monitors, home products and more technologies. The doubt is whether they will absorb this impact by increasing the price in products of these categories, or if they will bet on a generalized increase, included smartphones (something very sweet, by sales volume of this segment), to square their accounts. Demand as a key. A basic law of the free market is that there is no price increase without demand. Manufacturers face a more than complex scenario: they need to raise prices to remain profitable, but consumers may not be willing to accept them. The smartphones market has been facing constant uploadsboth in devices prices and in The components and logistics costs. However, the Consumer tolerance margin It seems to be reaching its limit. We still do not know what the roof through which buyers are willing. Tariffs aim to bring us the answer. Image | Xataka In Xataka | China is doing business with tariffs in the most unexpected way: Reversing American gas to Europe

We have studied the bones of some mice that passed 37 days in space. The results are not optimistic

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In November of this year, if there are no unforeseen events, in November of this year humanity will celebrate an anniversary. They will be fulfilled 25 years of human presence continued in space. The exploration of the last border has advanced significantly and humans spend more time in space and aspire to get further. But that has a price. The cost of microgravity. A team of researchers has analyzed The effects of a spatial mission on mice and the results do not invite optimism. They observed that the stay severely affected the bones of these rodents, who lost bone density in parts of their body. The femur, great victim. This loss of bone mass was not given in all areas equally. The team observed, for example, that the femur was one of the bones where the most extended bone cavities. In contrast, the lumbar zone of mammalian spine were the least affected. This makes the study responsible for the study suspect that the main trigger for this loss of bone density is in the microgravity. For example, the team indicates an alternative hypothesis, radiation. As they explain, the mice in the ISS were not exposed to large doses of radiation from space, but if this had been the loss of bone mass would have occurred from outside, that is, that the bones closest to the surface would have been more damaged, while the most surrounded by muscle bones would have been more protected. 37 days in orbit. The experiment used mice to explore how long rooms in space affect. They were used Two groups of micesome that were sent to the space station for a mission of 37 days and others that remained on Earth as a control group. The team responsible for the study simulated flight conditions in the control group to be able to make the conditions similar in everything except in the space stay. Similar, not identical. Those responsible for the study explain in a video how mice and humans keep important biological similarities that imply the changes we see in some are probably also giving in others. There are also differences to consider. For example, the fact that humans are bipeds implies that the bones of our lumbar zone have a more important role in supporting the weight of the upper part of our body. This implies that these bones are probably more affected in humans than in mice. The details of the study were published In an article In the magazine Plos One. If you don’t use it, you lose it. The body often tries to optimize resources. That is why a possible explanation to this phenomenon is there, in the idea that, since the bones in microgravity do not need to endure the weight of our body, they lose mass and density. Other risks. The study points to microgravity as the main suspect of the loss of bone density but this is not the only risk to take into account when we devise long -term space trips. Radiation is perhaps the most important in this sense, to the point that it was considered as a candidate to cause bone mass loss in mice. Radiation implies an additional problem and that, although in places like the moon and Mars the seriousness of the bodies could reduce the deterioration of the bones associated with the microgravity conditions, the same cannot be said of radiation. Moreover, the radiation in these environments is greater since the International Space Station even protected by the Earth’s magnetic shield. In Xataka | The 24 most spectacular videos and photos from the International Space Station Image | POT / Rukmani Cahill, et al. (2025)

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