phenomenon

With the “late” eating into the Christmas holidays, a new phenomenon gains weight in Spain: the Australian New Year’s Eve

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The year changes with the twelve bells midnight on December 31st. That has no discussion. What is questionable is that the New Year has to be celebrated at night. If you are more of a daytime person than a night person, if you don’t want to go to bed in the wee hours of the morning, hungover and resigned to spending the first morning of 2026 tossing and turning in bed… Why not bring the party forward a few hours? What if instead of gathering our family and friends for dinner we meet at noon? What if we ring in 2026 (or any other New Year) when they do it in Sydney, where the 12 bells ring when we are having lunch? What has happened? Bells, grapes, firecrackers, the first advertisement of the year, the trappings of the star presenter on duty, whether the layer of Ramonchu either the dress of the Pedroche… In Spain, New Year’s Eve has its traditions (apparently immutable), but that does not mean that more and more people choose to rethink how and especially when they celebrate the change of year. In fact, for a long time there has been a way to celebrate it that has gained followers: “Australian New Year’s Eve”. And what does it mean? It sounds exotic, but it’s actually very simple. The “Australian New Year’s Eve” consists of nothing more nor less than bringing forward the celebration of the New Year by a few hours. There is a 10-hour lag between Madrid and Sydney, which means that while in mainland Spain we sit at the table to eat in the most populated city in Oceania, there are in full transition of year. It is a simple geographical curiosity, but there are those who have seen in it a perfect hook to rethink when we celebrate the New Year in this corner of the planet. Instead of doing it at midnight, after an extensive dinner, they join the “Australian New Year’s Eve” and uncork the cava when the residents of Sydney or other regions of Australia, where they govern, do so. multiple time zones. One celebration does not have to exclude the other (a Spaniard can celebrate the New Year at 2:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m.), but it does help to shift the focus away from the night. It is similar to the “pre-grapes” that have been celebrated for years, but in a somewhat different way: with food, parties and using Australian time as a pretext. But… Is it successful? Yes. At least in certain regions of Spain, where the concept of “Australian New Year’s Eve” seems to have caught on. A quick search shows chronicles about early celebrations in Teruel, Castellon, Valencia, The Palm…but if there is a place where the ‘Australian-style’ party has found fertile ground, it is Alicante. It has been organized there for a long time a few years and has expanded to several municipalities. The celebration has become so profound, in fact, that it moves so many people in restaurants and at night parties. So many people? The newspaper recently Information asked that same question to hoteliers and found a surprising response. According to the president of the Alicante Restaurant Association (ARA) reservations for lunch and dinner on December 31 are already practically equal in number, which shows that more and more people are bringing forward the celebration of the New Year. What’s more, part of the nighttime demand appears to be shifting to midday, when customers find more diversity in exchange for cheaper rates. “In the evening pack, the normal thing is set menus, which are somewhat more expensive,” says the hotelier. Prices are around 100 or 110 euros, practically double that of lunch, which is also usually served without a set menu and includes a drink. At first glance it may seem that restaurants are losing, but the reality is that if the daily clientele and the dinner clientele are added, businesses gain demand. Furthermore, New Year’s Eve menus may be more expensive, but they also entail more expenses for the establishments, which reduces their final profitability. From another association of hoteliers in the province of Alicante, Apeha, confirm There are starting to be more reservations at midday than at night. Is it just business? No. The phenomenon is not only seen in bars and restaurants. Daytime celebrations, including symbolic grapes, music and “chimes” are also celebrated with institutional support of the town councils. In Senija they present them for example as “Bells in the Sun” and in Crevillent the City Council advertises both the “Australian Chimes” as the “New Year’s Eve Party”. They are not unique or isolated cases. In Alicante you can find other towns that have taken their festivals beyond nighttime hours. Why this success? The big question. Costs aside, Apeha provides a key piece of information: the regular customer who books a restaurant on the 31st at noon is usually, clarifypeople of a certain age or with small children. “It’s not so much young people who go to clubs as people who prefer to go out at noon to get home at a productive time.” The truth is that the “Australian New Year’s Eve” is not an isolated phenomenon. It coincides with two others that are going in the same direction. The first is the afternoon boom. As the supply (and demand) of leisure diversifies and is no longer monopolized at night, more and more people choose to visit bars and clubs earlier. Instead of going out at night he does it in the afternoon, which is felt at Christmas itself. “Australian New Year’s Eve” may be expanding, but so is the “Good Afternoon” and “New Year’s Afternoon”advanced versions of Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. More partying, less cooking. The other trend has to do with how we organize our Christmases and our habits in the kitchen. We start enjoying before December 24 or 31 because we are less willing to spend hours in the kitchen to prepare … Read more

stand up to Google’s Nano Banana Pro phenomenon

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You may remember when, a few months ago, half the internet started creating Studio Ghibli-style images with ChatGPT to upload them to social networks. The “magic” behind that fever was OpenAI’s new image generation model. But everything moves so fast that the conversation lasted just long enough. Some time later, our attention was already elsewhere: on how difficult it was to distinguish some images created with Nano Banana Pro. In a very short time, half the world began to talk about the benefits of Google’s new generative model, and there were many who placed it ahead of that of OpenAI. But this is an open race, with technology giants fighting for AI leadership. And, as expected, the company led by Sam Altman has responded. This Tuesday it launched ChatGPT Images, which comes boasting several improvements for users. Editing as a key element. One of the great historical challenges of image generation tools has been the specific editing of specific elements. ChatGPT Images directly aims to solve this limitation, allowing us to modify only what interests us, from a specific object to lighting, composition or even the appearance of people. This opens the door to combining elements or introducing very specific changes without having to remake the entire image, something that until now used to be a weak point in this type of model. See yourself in an ad or “travel” to your favorite place. Another section where ChatGPT Images makes a leap is in creative transformations. Simply upload your own photo and accompany it with a simple prompt to obtain, in a matter of seconds, surprisingly convincing results. It is worth clarifying that this idea is not completely new. In fact, it is one of the most outstanding virtues of Nano Banana Pro, a model that our colleague Javier Lacort was able to test thoroughly and was already pointing in this direction. Let’s look at some examples with ChatGPT Images. Original image: “Create an image of this man, but in Time Square, New York, with clothes, looks, surroundings, etc., that are believable for winter 2025” “It places this person in full body in a Japanese city during a rainy night, with neon, reflections on the ground and cyberpunk aesthetics” Precision as a flag and improvements in the text. OpenAI also places emphasis on improving accuracy. How many of us have had to ask for something specific and receive just the opposite, or find that the model has not understood the instruction correctly? Part of that problem, according to the company, should be left behind. If we provide detailed instructions, the system should be able to honor them more faithfully. In addition, the generation of text within images is reinforced, a key aspect for creating posters, promotional ads and other content where typography and the message are as important as the image itself. Images | OpenAI In Xataka | We believed that Microsoft had already put Copilot everywhere. LG shows us that we were very wrong

Mercadona has grown so much in Spain that for the US it is no longer just a supermarket chain: it is a “cultural phenomenon”

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The US Government has noticed a growing “cultural phenomenon” in Spain, one especially interesting for its exporting companies and which comes accompanied by millionaire turnover figures. What phenomenon is that? Mercadona. Literally. In your report Retail Foods Annualthe US Department of Agriculture dedicates special attention to Juan Roig’s company and slips that its weight in the retail It already transcends the limits of the retail sector. He even theorizes about the formula for his success. Under the spotlight of Donald Trump. It is not strange that Mercadona makes headlines. After all, it has become a crucial piece of the retail Spanish. Your market share in the sector around 30% (in some regions already exceeds that percentage), far above other competitors such as Carrefour, IFA or Lidl, and has been expanding for the country. What is much less common is for the Valencian retail chain to make headlines because it has caught the attention of US officials, which is exactly what has just happened. Table extracted from the report of the US Department of Agriculture. Attention, USA exporters. Mercadona is cited at least seven times in a report 10 pages published a few days ago by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), a document designed primarily for exporters from the country interested in the Spanish market. In it, the Washington technicians review the billing figures of Juan Roig’s firm, highlight its high weight in the sector (well above competitors such as Carrefour, Lidl, DIA or Eroski) and reflect on the keys to its commercial success. To be more precise, USDA recalls that last year Mercadona recorded sales worth an estimated $34.5 billion. The figure does not exactly match the disclosed by the company, but it is more than double that of Grupo Carrefour (12,000) and well above other well-established chains in the country, such as Lidl (7,500), DIA (6,150), Eroski (5,800) or Alcampo (5,500). “Mercadona occupies first place in the food retail sector in Spain, with sales almost three times higher than those of its second closest competitor,” check the reportwhich theorizes about the bet that has given the chain a market share of almost 30%. The formula for success. USDA highlights two features of the Valencian company. First, its Spanish food offering. Second, its strategic commitment to retail brands, especially Hacendado. “Private labels are very popular in Spain, driven by consumer attention to prices and quality. According to a study by the Aldi chain, Spanish households allocate 44% of their purchasing budget to private label products,” collect the reportwhich goes so far as to refer to the company as a “cultural phenomenon.” Is it something new? No. Washington is not the first to focus on the Valencian chain’s commitment to its own brands. A report from Kandar presented in 2024 by Promarca already pointed out the clear increase in distributor brands in Spanish supermarkets, a general trend that was accentuated in the case of Mercadona. Its external brand offering was cut by 45% between 2018 and 2023, while the value share of white label products reached 74.5%. Other sector reports have highlighted the same idea in recent months: Mercadona’s growing commitment to its brands. Added to this strategy are others deployed by the firm, such as the interest for foods already cooked and ready to eat. Roig himself has recognized openly that he is convinced that mid century Kitchens will disappear from Spanish homes, so people will eat prepared dishes. It is so sure of this that Mercadona has been betting on its section for years. “Ready to eat”. X-raying the sector. Beyond Mercadona, the report from USDA reveals some reflections on the food distribution sector in Spain. Its technicians are struck by, for example, the pace of opening of new stores (244 only between January and April of this year), the promotion of self-service stores and regional super chains (key piece of the national sector) or “the growing popularity” of healthy and convenience products. “Consumers are combining physical and online channels, favoring digital platforms for larger purchases and in-person purchases of fresh products. Retail strategies focus on efficiency, AI technologies, personalization and healthy products,” he comments. the USDA studywhich draws attention to the high “fragmentation” of retail trade and the concentration of the food sector, with Mercadona leading the way. Images | Mercadona, Gage Skidmore (Flickr) and USDA In Xataka | The shadow companies that are making gold with Mercadona: the silent success of Familia Martínez or Profand

With half of Europe debating recovering the military, in Spain there is a phenomenon that is gaining strength: military camps for young people

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Moncloa has said it clearly: (at least today) there is no question of following in the footsteps of other neighboring nations, like germanyand recover military service. Not even on a voluntary basis. That does not mean that in Spain there is a type of initiative that is gaining strength: youth camps that emulate (in part) the old ‘military’ and promise a cocktail based on military discipline, sport, nature and survival lessons worthy of the preppers. And that tells us a lot about Spanish society. A percentage: 42% a few months ago a YouGov study generated debate with a percentage: 42%. According to their calculations, that is the proportion of Spaniards who welcome young people having to undergo compulsory military service, the old ‘mili’a benefit that disappeared in our country almost 24 years ago. The percentage is lower that of other neighboring nations, such as France (68%), Germany (58%) or Italy (49%) and also reveals that there are 58% of Spaniards who either oppose the return of the ‘military’ or do not have a firm opinion on the matter; but it yields another reading that is equally unquestionable: there is a considerable number of Spaniards (especially among the conservative party voters and older citizens) who are recognized in favor of compulsory military training. Don’t say military, say camp. Today the Government he doesn’t seem very willing to recover the military (Pedro Sánchez came to admit which for him was “a waste of time”), but that does not mean that there are initiatives and businesses that are prospering in the heat of this renewed military push. I confirmed it a few days ago The Confidential in a report in which he puts the thermometer to the interest that camps with military echoes are awakening in our country. There are two pieces of information that corroborate this. According to the newspaperright now these courses mobilize more than 2,000 young people each summer and account for around 5% of the turnover of the summer camp sector, a wide range that includes urban camps and those oriented to languages ​​and sciences. It may not seem like much, but a decade ago they barely existed. “Detect weak points”. A quick Google search is enough to find military camps in Madrid, Castile-La Mancha wave Valencian Community. Its activities focus on summer, they give a key role to young people and, although there may be differences Among them, they share a series of ingredients: uniforms, nature, sport, a discourse very focused on discipline and training in basic notions aimed at survival, which includes everything from lessons to orient yourself with the help of a compass to how to stop bleeding. In some the equation even adds weapons airsoft. “Our camp is military, not military. We are not the entrance hall to the army nor do we prepare young people to enter any other body such as the National Police or the Civil Guard,” explains José Gómeza 54-year-old former military man who has promoted a summer camp in Sigüenza aimed at young people. “It seeks to detect each person’s weak points and help them improve.” The bet doesn’t go badly at all. It started four years ago with just 14 children and in the last edition it exceeded 200. “In a week the kids leave here hardened.” “15 days do not change life”. The camps stand out for their discipline and “values ​​such as loyalty, sacrifice and teamwork”, such as stands out the person responsible for one of these facilities. Not everyone shares his optimism, however. In 2024 elDiario.es echoed from the opinion of some experts who questioned its effectiveness for parents seeking to instill discipline in their children. “You shouldn’t think that taking (a child) to a camp that works at the drop of a hat is going to give him back changed. 15 days doesn’t change anyone’s life,” reflected Mónica Nadal, from the Bofill Foundation. The Youth Institute (Injuve) also has shown his suspicion before this type of camps. Does it only happen in Spain? No. In fact there are other countries in which military camps for youth have been established for some time, such as USA, Russia either China. Again the details may vary, but there are certain elements in common, such as discipline, paramilitary echoes and patriotic discourse. The phenomenon is not foreign to Europe either and goes beyond young people. In the midst of the debate on the increase of defense spendingwith the war in Ukraine as a backdrop, an emboldened Putin and Trump sowing doubts about the future of the US in NATO, in the EU there are countries that have reopened the debate about the military or they have directly begun to recover it. One of the last has been Germany, which has reinforced its Armed Forces with a voluntary military service. The example of Denmark. Denmark leaves another interesting example. There the National Guard (Hjemmeværnet or HJV) is experiencing a real boom, with recruitment data that has not been seen since the 80s, in the middle of the Cold War. During the first trimester something more than 1,700 Danes They filled out and confirmed the form to register in this body made up of volunteers trained to intervene in an emergency and provide support to the country’s army. As a reference, during the first quarter of 2024, just over 1,000 had registered and in 2023 the figure did not even reach 700. The members of the HJV are volunteers, people who in their daily lives work in offices, stores, factories, schools… but receive training to, for example, collaborate during surveillance work, searches or in weather emergencies. With the focus on Gen Z. The phenomenon does not only coincide with a turbulent geopolitical scenario. As pointed out recently Elisabeth Braw in a column of Financial Timesalso connects with some obsessions of the youngest cohort, precisely the one that is now reaching recruitment age. “An epidemic of loneliness and Generation Z’s obsession with physical exercise could help Western countries strengthen civil defense,” … Read more

The chaos of streaming is causing a phenomenon that we thought was in recession: downloads are increasing

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The market fragmentationhe price increase of subscriptions and a user experience increasingly less friendly are the main factors pointing to an uptick in unauthorized downloads. Since Netflix began raising rates and banning shared accounts, customers have raised the threat of a return to downloading. Now, for the first time in years, the numbers seem to back them up. Temporary drop. The emergence of services streaming like Netflix devoured unauthorized downloads. With the promise of a wide and accessible catalog for a fixed rate, the platforms significantly reduced the consumption of movies and series outside of conventional channels. However, the utopia of that completely legal market subject to companies has faded. Recent reports show an uptick in access to this type of content, reversing the trend of the previous decade. The data. According to the Observatory of Piracy and Consumer Habits of Digital Content of 2024, digital piracy in Spain increased by 9% last year, reaching a record figure of 42,782 million euros in value of content defrauded through 7,330 million illegal accesses. In addition, the study indicates that for the first time access to platforms has been recorded through apps, social networks and decoders, growing the aggregate figure even more (an additional 14% compared to the previous year).​ Because? As we pointed out, this rebound is due to a series of circumstances that have changed the outlook for the streaming: Streaming is no longer convenient. Although perhaps the main reason for the public’s disenchantment with the streaming is that the supply is increasingly dispersed– To access all relevant content, the user must subscribe to multiple services. The exclusivity strategy that studios use to attract and retain subscribers has broken that ideal convenience of accessing content legally thanks to the streaming. To watch a series with multiple seasons, the user may need to subscribe to different platforms or wait months for the service to change. This dynamic clashes head-on with the immediacy that consumers expect from digital content. All of this is made worse by the licensing war: each studio wants its own titles on its platform exclusively, and leads to the need to subscribe to very specific platforms to access such popular franchises as Marvel, Star Wars or Stranger Things, for example. Technically poorer service. In addition to price and fragmentation, the service offered by some platforms has also worsened, further eroding user loyalty. Many services They have reduced the bitrate in their transmissions to save costs, leading to worse image quality. This loss of quality is often a trigger for users to search for an illegal version that offers a better viewing experience, which makes no theoretical sense: an unauthorized copy of a film often looks and sounds much better than the one available online. streaming. lUnauthorized downloads have evolved. But in addition, traditional downloads by torrent consumption on websites is now added streaming built outside of unofficial platforms, unauthorized IPTV services and the distribution of content through social networks like Telegram and WhatsApp. 96% of movie and series consumption in 2023 was done through streaming Unauthorized: you no longer have to download anything, which reduces the risks. It is a very tempting panorama. Gabe already said it. Specifically in 2011, Gabe Newell said that “Piracy is not a price problem, it is a service problem“. Faced with a legal market that is expensive, fragmented and inconvenient, users see unauthorized downloads as a kind of alternative “service” that offers all the content with better quality and for free. It can be said that it is a problem that the industry itself has partly created. In Xataka | Spaniards “torrenteros” around the world: when you go to live in Germany and discover that you can’t download anything

The strangest phenomenon of every summer is also an industry of 500 million euros: the “Mermaiding”

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The fever for ‘La Sernita’ that you lived in your childhood is nothing compared to the movement known as Mermaiding: a swimming style inspired by sirens and tritones and that is already trend, and it could almost be said that Lifestyle. Conventions, courses, exhibitions … There are people who live very happy without the lower extremities to replace them with a fish tail, even temporarily. And they have very convincing reasons. To move the tail. He Mermaiding It consists of swimming using a siren or triton tail, usually manufactured in silicone or synthetic fibers (and that can cost $ 5,000 in the most sophisticated cases), simulating the undulating movements characteristic of these creatures. It can be done in swimming pools or open waters, and its practice combines Swimming, apnea and some synchronized. In the last decade, the Mermaiding It has become In official sports Since 2019 in countries such as China and the United States, but we talk about it every summer for its quirky visual characteristics, which obviously include a fish tail. Mermaiding: A typology. There is Many variants and forms of practicing diminishing. Perhaps the most popular is the one oriented to the entertainment of profane in Sirenism. It provides the possibility of swimming experience with a siren or triton tail, and there are academies that are responsible for organizing Events to learn to do it. On the other side of the spectrum is the Mermaiding Deportivo: To officially practice it, specific courses are required with certifications such as SSI Mermaid either Padi Mermaidin which techniques such as the kick of dolphin, undulation and aquatic coordination are perfected. In a middle ground between them there is a variant of Mermaiding For shows, aquatic and thematic parks, hotels, as well as participations in spots, video clips and varied performances. It’s a use of Mermaiding More artistic and not oriented to competition. Mermaiding No: Sirenism. In Spain, mass conventions of sirens such as the Mermagic with that takes place every year in the United States, but for example, the Sirenas Mediterranean Academy It has been standing since 2014, giving courses and organizing private parties with sirens included. And there are organizations like Sirénida, a Professional Sirens and Triton Catalog Contractable for shows of all kinds. At the moment it is becoming, cursillo and of Cuqui Experiencein a more leisure option. Professional sirens. The Netflix documentary of 2023 ‘Sirena people’ details what the day -to -day life of these Sirenism professionals is. Because yes, it is not a handful of eccentric with silicone tail: in the United States it is a business with abundant ramifications in the entertainment world, with interventions in aquariums, musicals underwater and a long etcetera. The documentary shows parts of the job of mermaid as little glamorous as castings to work as a siren in a show, and you can see that it is completely legalized and normalized. According to the program, the Sireno world already moves 500 million dollars in the United States. Not so secret origins. From professional mermaid associations They certify that they have experienced an explosion of interest and an increase in applications in recent times, which link to the premiere of the Netflix documentary series. In it you can see those who were sirens in the park of Sirens Weeki Wachee, a theme park created by a royal sailor, Newton Perry, in 1947. In it there was a tiny scenario and a spring where the sirens made a show: the venerable precedents of the current sirens in aquariums and thematic shows. Illustrious predecessors for a business that comes out again. Header | Photo of Michael Hystead in Unspash In Xataka | 24 board games and agile and fun hobbies to play in summer anywhere

Surely you don’t know who Sofia Surfers, Fabiana, Álvaro Suárez and Pablo Vera are. But they are the viral summer phenomenon

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The summer of 2025 is marked by a New type of gossip that is born, grows and expands mainly in Tiktok. Unlike traditional gossip in magazines, television or pink press, this time the epicenter is in networks, created, disseminated and amplified by the users who use the social network: generation Z and millennials. Sofía Surfers, Fabiana, Álvaro Suárez and Pablo Vera do not belong to the world of the show or the traditional show, not even to areas where the celebrities normally arise. But there is no talk of other people in Tiktok. The protagonists. The least interesting of this story is possibly the story itself, But summarizing: Sofia Surfers She is the sister of Lola Lolita, one of the most segated Spanish influencers. It did not belong to the world of traditional fame until shortly before the event, but that has changed: its profile is now full of publications loaded with indirects and key messages. Fabiana Sevillano It is an Andalusian influencer with more than one million followers and is part of the social circle of Sofia and Álvaro. He has publicly confirmed to have a casual and recent sentimental relationship with Álvaro, with an open and direct posture before the drama. Álvaro Suárez He is former partner of Sofia Surfers and a new partner, apparently, from Fabiana. He has tried to maintain a clear attitude and put limits to the spread of gossip. Pablo Vera He is a couple of Fabiana, his name has been mentioned frequently in videos and reactions, and has tried to clarify his version of the facts. Sofia stopped following Fabiana on social networks, what many people interpreted as the confirmation of a betrayal, which Fabiana later confirmed. All this framework has since generated thousands of memes, videos, indirect and debates among their followers, amplifying the viral phenomenon. 11 tricks to dominate Tik tok The impact. Thousands of users have generated a high level of interaction with these profiles. The gossip -related videos They accumulate million visualizations and hundreds of thousands of likescomments and shared: there are explanatory and reagent videos, memes, Duos and Reenactments that They comment or amplify the facts and rumors in ironic or dramatic key. Hashtags like #fabianasevillano, #Pablovera and #Sofiastasurfers are among the most used. The never seen. It is a level of engagement Unusual for previously unknown characters, and that is also organic, decentralized and collaborative, which generates a feeling of community and participation that does not occur in other formats of the pink press. This also generates further propagation speed and more viral strength, which has made the phenomenon born in Tiktok, its impact has spread to other social networks. @javihoyosmartinez Fabiana Sevillano confirms that he looked with Álvaro Suárez: “I like it.” Tell how he told Pablo Vera and responds to Sofía Surferss #Fabianasevillano #Pablovera #Alvarosuarez #SOFIASURFERSS #Lolaloliitaaa ♬ Original sound – Javihoyos Beyond the gossip. In this case the narrative about the protagonists It is not controlled by specialized journalistsbut for the uncontrolled sum of thousands of videos, memes, debates and reactions. This democratizes the birth and evolution of these charactersand makes the target audience of this type of narrative develop A feeling of belonging to all this. Of course, now There are rumors that traditional pink media are beginning to be interested in exploiting this story born in networks. The renewal of the Star System. As the already historical one left us well ‘Save me‘, The renewal of the distributions of these dramas is essential when giving them continuity. In this case, the refreshing circumstance that most of these actors were not previously known (even one of them sister of Lola Lolita) gives them a renewed vitality. And so the idea that there are no modern or ancient issues (a story of infidelities, in fact, is one of the oldest in the world), but forms and spaces to tell them. In Xataka | There is a fever to see the weddings of others in social networks. And that is causing them to throw rice shovels to the bride and groom

In León there are small villages that are finding a peculiar phenomenon: thousands of “ghost tourists”

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In the world there is good and bad touristsrespectful tourists and disrespectfulclean and others capable of converting places such as Everest either The Fuji In authentic stercolera, but much less common is what some peoples of the province of León are living. His municipalities are finding a kind of “Ghost Tourism”a drip of thousands and thousands of travelers that nobody has seen or heard or housed, but that in theory they have visited the town. Or at least he assures it A study of the INE. Multiplying the census by 24. Carbajal sources It is a town of León located about 50 minutes by car from the provincial capital and surrounded by hectares and hectares of cultivation. It doesn’t usually sneak into the news, but Monday León News He dedicated him A broad article which explains a peculiarity of the people: in summer there are few municipalities in which the population shoots more for tourism. According to A study INE experimental that measures the flow of tourists from the position of mobile phones, between July and August 2024 the town received 1,826 tourists. Many do not seem like many, but it is that INE himself acknowledges that in the Leonese town there are barely registered 76 people. That is, when the heat arrives, the summers multiply by 24 the municipal census. Next to nothing. “It’s a mockery”. Such data would be compressible if Carbajal sources had a natural park, an old fortress, parties known throughout the community or some other claim that explains that avalanche of visitors, but the City Council itself itself Recognize that this figure of 1,826 tourists (464 in July and 1,180 in August) is difficult to explain … and even more difficult to assume. “It is a burial,” nods The mayor of the town, Carlos de León Saluds, in León News. Similar opinion, Ana María Ortega, former mayor and councilor, Explain That one thing is that the influx of visitors increases in July and August for the people who returns to the village or visit to their relatives and a very different one that the data is triggered in an exorbitant way. “In summer you can triple the population, but multiply by 24 the number of inhabitants with veraners and tourists cannot be.” So … what happens? To understand that mysterious “Ghost Tourism” the first thing is to go to the prine sources. The data of the 1,826 tourists leaves a new “Experimental Statistics” of the INE that resorts to the signals of the mobiles to calculate different metrics related to tourism: the place of origin of foreigners arriving in Spain, the destinations that visit the Spaniards when they leave the country and the movement between communities, provinces and municipalities. The study has been prepared for a few years and always talks about the same: “Tourists.” If we consult the “internal tourism” data and more specifically the flows of “Interprovincial tourists” Residents in Spain, classifying the results by municipalities, the surprise arrives: in July of last year Fuentes de Carbajal received 646 and in August 1,180. In total 1,826. The question is therefore … how are those figures calculated that collide the mayor and the former mayor of the people? Mobile and antennas matter? The response is given by INE in The technical file From the survey: the data is related to the position of mobile phones and are obtained thanks to the collaboration of the country’s large operators. The approach is interesting and promising, but implies certain challenges. “The location of mobile phones is estimated from mobile phone antennas”, collects the institute itself: “This implies that the location of a mobile is not established with total precision, and the error depends on the concentration of antennas.” In summary, the more mobile antennas, the greater precision. Unraveling the mystery. The INE’s ability to analyze the data is also limited. The records on mobile location are anonymous and processed each operator, so the institute receives only aggregate data and in tables, without option to examine loose values. In rural areas it is also found that the low density of the network conditions the type of ‘cells’ with which it operates. By statistical secret, the institute also hides certain data. With that information about the Ortega table Slide that the balance of carbajal sources (which is so adjusted to what is perceived in the people itself) may be due to technical issues, such as coverage or that for some reason the data of other municipalities are added to those of the Leonesa Villa, thus blurring the real photo. Near Fuentes de Carbajal there are other villas with a balance of zero visitors. In Xataka we have already addressed the INE to ask him about that apparent mismatch. Is it the only case? No. León News Informs other equally striking, although none reaches the level of carbajal sources. In San Millán de los Caballeros, for example, the INE registered 1,648 tourists in July and in August 1,602, which adds 3,250. Again they may not seem like many, but it is that the town has 191 inhabitants registered. The same occurs in Izagre, of 137 residents and who according to the statistical institute receives almost 2,000 Veranians. “We don’t have great parties, just four performances during the summer,” remember the mayor of San Millán. “There are two campsites close to the people, but they are in the municipal terms of Valencia de D Juan and Villamañán.” Nor does the Izagre councilor achieve to understand everything that happens: “On central summer days, with the holidays, between 150 and 200 people can be reached in each of the villages, but reaching the 1,987 veraneantes in those two months cannot be.” Images | Zed Mendez (UNSPLASH)Google Maps and Wikipedia Via | León News In Xataka | It is increasingly easy to see from the road a crop that had never been dominant in Spain: the pistachio

It is a common phenomenon and is called GTP

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Do you remember when, years ago, stories circulated that used to consider urban legends – until it experienced them – about dreams in which we played tetris or doom, and that were so real that, sometimes, they got to be confused with the periods of vigil? A name came to be given, The tetris effectand the new generations of games and apps, more and more sophisticated and realistic, have taken that phenomenon one step further: after the Tetris effect, the GTP arrives. What is the GTP. Are the acronym for Game Transfer Phenomenathat is, phenomenon of game transfer, and consists of a series of involuntary experiences that players have after intense game sessions, where elements of video games (from images and specific sounds to such concrete aspects as object inventories) are overlap with our real life perceptions. Its characteristics were described for the first time about a decade ago by Angelica Ortiz de Gortari In a doctoral thesis. His inspiration was his own experience: visualize products in a supermarket as if he were using a video game telescopic sight Some of his symptoms. They are very varied: visual perceptions (see life bars or the game of the game) and auditory (soundtrack, special effects), automatic impulses (executing conditioned movements, such as pressing buttons), recurring thoughts and behaviors inspired by video games (speaking involuntarily with concrete games), tactile or kinesthetic sensations (perceive the control in the hands when there is not there) … player can see health bars on people’s heads, or feel the need to grab everyday objects as if they were Power-ups. A frequent experience. It is not about An isolated or unusual phenomenon. Studies in which More than 6,000 players have participated They indicate that most have experienced GTP at least once. And in Another analysis that was carried out in Chinabetween 82 % and 96 % of participants in a survey reported that they had experienced some form of GTP. This BBC article Check the phenomenon and mention Ortiz de Gortari, which describes that, for those who experience it, the GTP can be “disconcerting and potentially dangerous”, although, being relatively natural and simple to explain, most of the time it is passenger and has no greater significance. But why does it happen? On the one hand, video games demand automatic and conditioned responses, which can then be repeated in real life. And of course, the very high immersive capacity of modern games multiplies this possibility of transfer. It is a phenomenon comparable to catchy songsthat we repeat in our head without being able to forget them, but the GTP has a plus of intensity because the brain areas that manage it are linked to action and impulses, not to passive attitudes. It will go to more. Experts such as Ortiz de Gortari affirm that with devices such as virtual reality helmets, phenomena such as GTP could increase exponentially in the future. Without a doubt, it is an area that Science considers that it should be examined thoroughly: Not only because video games are the main form of entertainment globally, but because it delegates, to a large extent, to what extent our minds are vulnerable to increasingly aggressive technological advances. Header | Photo of T in Unspash / Xataka In Xataka | I have tried a virtual reality escape: this is to solve mysteries with your own hands in a very immersive experience

In South Korea there is a curious phenomenon that keeps economists and fans of the K-Pop in suspense: the return of BTS

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For a time BTS’s careerone of the most popular K-Pop bands on the planet (if not the most popular), seemed unstoppable. Their sales added millionslike his Fans legions Inside and outside South Korea or its fame in the music industry, which soon extended to the Anglopartla market. The Septeto broke barriers, crowned in the Billboard 200 And even posed with Joe Biden In the White House. In 2022 however things changed. At its peak, the Boy Band advertisement A temporary pause forced by something that had little to do with music: the mili. Now its seven members have fulfilled the obligations with Seoul and You talk already next resentment With a background question: what will you mean for the K-Pop, a cultural industry Milmillonaria In full transformation? When BTS hung the rifle. In South Korea the law is relentless: all men between 18 and 28 must Comply with mandatory military service (or social volunteering) for a period ranging between 18 and 21 months. The rule provides some exemptions for athletes, dancers or young people who have achieved large awards in their disciplines and suppose a pride for the country. The same does not happen with K-pop singers. At most they can, thanks to a reform approved in 2020, delay recruitment up to 30 years. Hence In 2022 BTS members did something strange in a formation uploaded to the crest of the wave and with a growing fame both inside and outside Korea: they announced a break to do the mili. Its seven components do not have the same age or enlisted at the same time, hence the band’s reunion It was announced already by then by 2025. And the date came. The oldest component, Jin, was enlisted in December 2022 and ended his service in June 2024which has allowed him to return to the stage and resume his solo career. In recent weeks, RM, V, Jimin and Jung Kook have also graduated. The last to fulfill its obligations with the South Korean state, Suga, did it Just a few days ago. In practice, Remember Nikkeithat means that (if there are no surprises) in July all members of the Boy Band They will be able to resume their joint career. And, as expected, that has unleashed the expectation of the international press and its fans. The agency that represents the band has confirmed to The New York Times That he still cannot relieve any return plan, but that has not prevented BTS fans from being celebrated and some leaks jump. A few days ago Variety It echoed of an exclusive of The Korea Herald That states that the group will return to the stage in more or less nine months, towards March next year. Nikkei does not specify so much, but reveals That the band’s environment rules out that a stage is once again on the stage. Much more than pop music. That BTS’s return plans (despite being diffuse still) have monopolized holders in the means of reach of The BBC, CNN either Tnytreveals that Boy Band South Korean is much more than a popular group. BTS is relevant for several reasons. And not all strictly musical. Beyond its success in the West or to break molds by crowning the Billboard 200, BTS is a key exponent of Hallyu, The “Korean wave” that has expanded the culture, music and cinema of the country far beyond its borders. In 2024 Asia Fund Managers assuredciting a survey of the South Korean government itself, which the Hallyu wave added around 225 million fans throughout the world, far from the 9.26 million that its first survey had shown, made in 2012. According to its calculations, in 2023 there were more than 1,700 Hallyu fans clubs in 119 countries and much of them (68%) focused on the K-Pop. It’s culture … and it’s money. Asia Fund Managers remember Also that the influence of the K-Pop is not limited to the music industry or the concert circuit. That there are more pending people of South Korean groups translates into greater interest in the country’s culture, their language, kitchen, tourism or fashion, which has a measurable impact on Wones. Wion ensures that the global value of exports of products and services related to the K-POP exceeded 5,000 million dollars in 2018, a stratospheric figure compared to 40 million only two decades ago. The figures should be handled cautiously, but give an idea of ​​the mayor of the K-Pop as a cultural industry. There is Who esteem which in 2018 contributed 1.7% of South Korea’s GDP. “K-pop has become an important cultural force, influencing fashion, beauty and language trends,” Reflect ROMADHONI FAILUATE IN MEDUM. “This has contributed to promoting South Korean culture and tourism, generating an increase in income in these sectors.” And what does BTS suppose? In 2022 Korea Science published A report which reflects that in full international expansion the “BTS effect” came to boost exports of consumer goods of South Korea worth $ 1.1 billion. In 2021, during An interview In the NPR, Vanek Smith went even further and estimated that the Boy Band It contributes hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars every year to the South Korean economy. Its effect reminds in a way that of Taylor Swift, whose activity reverses in thousands of millions of dollars for the United States, according to the Federal Reserve. The K-Pop in crisis? Yeah Filtration of The Korea Herald It is correct and BTS returns to the stage in March 2026, the big question is … will it meet the same K-Pop in 2022, when the group announced its temporal break? During this time already measured, some members have continued with solo careers and during these last years their agency has strategically launching issues and videos to keep interest in the Boy Band. The K-POP scene also has other outstanding representatives, such as Blackpink, Seventeen either Newjaans. However, during the last years There has been multiple voices that have identified symptoms of Crisis in the K-Pop. … Read more

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