place

Europe is looking for a place to light its “artificial sun” and Spain only has to defeat Italy and Germany to achieve it

by

For decades, nuclear fusion has been the distant horizon of energy: an almost mythical promise, always thirty years ahead. A future without a map. In full electrification of the economy and with demand pushed by the digital industry and data centers, Europe has begun to set coordinates for that promise: where to build the first commercial centers. For the first time, the “artificial sun” is no longer just a scientific experiment and it becomes a problem of territory, infrastructure and industrial planning. And in this new European energy map, Spain appears among the best positioned countries. A new path. Gauss Fusion, the European company created to power the first generation of commercial fusion plants on the continent, has completed the first comprehensive European study of potential sites for this technology, in collaboration with the Technical University of Munich (TUM). The study culminates in a map that did not exist until now. A map that indicates 150 industrial clusters and up to 900 potential sites spread across nine European countries. Behind each point there is an analysis of geology, seismicity, meteorology, refrigeration, access to the electrical grid and existing infrastructure, aligned with standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Spain on the horizon. It appears as the third country with the most identified clusters: 17, only behind Germany (53) and Italy (22), and ahead of France, Austria, the Netherlands or Switzerland. This is not a political decision or a formal candidacy, but rather a strictly technical diagnosis: where it would be possible to build a first-generation fusion power plant if it had to be done tomorrow. “That Spain appears as the third country with the most potential clusters is due solely to technical criteria,” emphasizes Milena Roveda, CEO of Gauss Fusion, in an interview with Xataka. “The study follows an objective methodology consistent with international standards. There are no strategic weightings or quotas per country,” he emphasizes. And that nuance is key. The map does not look for winners or distribute investments: it identifies where the minimum physical and industrial conditions already exist to host a fusion power plant. But why Spain? On the one hand, its fusion ecosystem. Spain is one of the European countries with greater historical involvement in ITERhouses the headquarters of Fusion for Energy in Barcelona and has achieved key industrial contracts for national companies. Added to this is the role of CIEMATuniversities with leading groups in plasma physics and materials, and the beginning of the construction of IFMIF-DONES in Granadaa critical infrastructure to validate materials for future reactors. On the other hand, their regulatory experience. “Spain has a nuclear regulatory body with extensive prestige and experience,” highlights Roveda. From an industrial point of view, Roveda insists that Spain should not limit itself to being a host: “It has the potential to be a key piece in the merger value chain. Companies like IDOM already have demonstrated that can design and deliver extremely complex systems. Where could these clusters be? The map does not draw isolated points, but rather broad areas. The study identifies regional clusters capable of containing multiple viable locations. In Spain, they appear spread over a good part of the territory – from Andalusia and Extremadura to Castilla y León, Aragon, Catalonia, Galicia, the Basque Country and the Valencian Community – and are concentrated in industrial areas with high electrical demandgood network connectivity and, in some cases, close to old energy enclaves that could reuse part of their infrastructure. Frédérick Bordry, CTO of Gauss Fusion, explains to Xataka that the objective of the map is not to select a specific place, but “to have a broad database that allows collaboration with authorities, companies and other interested parties.” The final decision, remember, will not come until the end of 2027. What would a commercial fusion center be like? Talking about commercial fusion is no longer talking about experiments like ITER. Gauss Fusion works with the concept of a GIGA plantcapable of producing 1 gigawatt of electricity. This implies very specific industrial requirements. “Assuming an efficiency of 30%, a plant of this type must safely evacuate about 2 GW of heat,” explains Bordry. In practice, this requires access to rivers, reservoirs or the sea, as well as robust electrical infrastructure. Unlike fission, fusion does not produce chain reactions, is self-limiting, does not emit CO₂ and does not generate long-lived radioactive waste. “Due to its safety features, it could and should be integrated near urban and industrial centers,” says Bordry, even supplying waste heat for industrial uses or district heating. This aspect connects with a trend that is already seen in Europe: heat recovery in district heating networks, as happens in Finland with data centerseither the use of large industrial heat pumps. The process now enters a delicate phase. According to Gauss Fusion, the goal is to reduce the European map to between two and five final locations by the end of 2026, and make the final decision in 2027. But the technical criteria will not be the only ones. “Political will, the regulatory framework and social acceptance will be essential,” emphasizes Roveda. In his opinion, Europe needs policies that promote fusion as a new industrial engine, and regulations “adapted to the real risk of these facilities.” Social acceptance will also be key. “Transparency and citizen participation are essential,” he says. “We have to explain well what fusion is and what it is not.” A project that covers a lot. For Bordry, no European country can tackle a project of this magnitude alone. The merger will require a continental industrial alliance, something that Roveda defines as a “fusion Eurofighter”, in which Spain should play a central role, not only as a location, but as a technological and industrial supplier. In a context in which European electricity demand could grow up to 75% by 2050fusion is beginning to be seen not as a distant promise, but as one more piece of the energy puzzle, complementary to renewables, storage and electrification. An open closure, but with a … Read more

The microprocessor that advanced the Intel 4004 was not in a computer, but in a secret place: an F-14

by

We are used to thinking that the history of microprocessors begins with the Intel 4004. Even those who are not experts have it associated with it as the first big chip that inaugurated the era of personal computing. But that is not the only possible story. There was another design, less known and outside the commercial circuits, that began operating before the 4004 reached the market. It did not appear on a computer or calculatorbut in a F-14 Tomcatand for almost thirty years it was invisible to the public. What that plane had inside was a processor designed to do something that no commercial chip did at that time: automatically calculate speed, altitude or wing position while the pilot maneuvered. That system, known as MP944, had been in service since 1970, when the 4004 had not yet been introduced. Its context was completely different from that of Intel, because it was not designed for the market or to be licensed, but rather to fulfill a requirement of the military program marked by the tensions of the Cold War. A secret microprocessor in the bowels of an F-14 The novelty was not only that it made calculations, but that it did so automatically and digitally, something unusual in on-board systems from the late sixties. The MP944 processed sensor readingsapplied aerodynamic equations and provided data that influenced the behavior of the plane, reducing the pilot’s workload. It was not a passive assistant, but a module capable of interpreting those readings and providing results fast enough to be integrated into actual flight control. That is why it was considered a technology ahead of its time. The declassified documents in the nineties show that the MP944 combined advanced MOS technology with a 20-bit parallel architecture capable of executing pipeline calculations, something unusual for its time. Its frequency was 375 kHz and it could process specific mathematical operations efficiently enough to be integrated into real flight systems. According to the figures collected in Holt’s work and in the subsequent review by Tom’s Hardware, this performance placed the MP944 clearly ahead of the 4004 in number of instructions executed, although it was never intended as a general-purpose commercial chip. They were two different approaches: one for a military aircraft, the other for a commercial device. When Holt’s work came to light decades later, He argued that the MP944 should be considered the first microprocessoreven though it was not on a single chip nor had it been marketed. Intel engineers, such as Ted Hoff and Federico Faggin, disagreed and argued that 4004 was the first in integrating all the essential functions of a CPU in a single piece of silicon and with general use. Russell Fish, a former Motorola engineer, reviewed the MP944 documentation and described it as an advanced microprocessor for its time, while Richard Belgard saw it as an overly specific system, designed only to keep an airplane in flight. Holt maintained that the reason no one knew about MP944 for years was because his work had been classified and subject to military restrictions. He said he spent decades requesting the release of the documents and was only able to do so when, in 1997, he won the support of Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren for the Navy to authorize their publication. With the documentation now available, the Navy qualified that version and maintained that Holt’s work had not actually been classified, but that what was missing was the company’s authorization to release the records. Garrett AiResearch admitted that they were no longer clear about what had happened, because the people who managed the case had left the company. When the information became available, Russell Fish claimed that MP944 was so advanced for its time that, had it been known, could have accelerated the development of the sector by up to five years. The creators of the 4004, such as Federico Faggin and Stan Mazor, openly disagreed and pointed out that the merit of the commercial microprocessor was to integrate all the essential elements on a single chip and make it viable for multiple applications. Richard Belgard qualified this position: he recognized the technical value of the MP944, but saw it as a system designed for a single purpose, without the capacity to open its own market. The debate about which was the first microprocessor is not resolved with a date, but with a definition. The 4004 was the first to hit the market as a commercial, integrated and programmable chip, and that merit explains its place in manuals. The MP944, on the other hand, previously demonstrated that it was possible to process data digitally and feed control systems in real time, even if it was done while locked in an airplane and outside of public space. One opened an industry; the other anticipated capabilities. Both represented different ways of understanding what a microprocessor could be. Images | DVIDS (1, 2, 3) | Thomas Nguyen In Xataka | The United States wants to be sovereign in AI. AMD’s new supercomputers will be part of the plan

This woman has been accused for years of committing the only crime that has taken place in space. It was all a lie

by

Six years ago, his face went around the world. Astronaut Anne McClain appeared in all the media as the alleged perpetrator of the first crime committed outside of Earth. Now we know it never happened. A little context. In August 2019, NASA opened a file to investigate what It seemed like the first crime committed in space.. Astronaut Anne McClain had been accused of identity theft and irregular access to her ex-wife’s financial records while she was on the International Space Station. Specifically, her ex-partner had accused her of “guessing” his credentials to spy on his bank account from space. He had made it up. Six years later, Summer Worden, McClain’s ex-wife and former US Air Force intelligence officer, has pleaded guilty to lying to federal authorities in a twist that definitively closes this unfortunate chapter for the astronaut. According to the official statement From the prosecution, an investigation revealed that Worden had voluntarily shared his credentials with McClain since 2015. The bank account in question had been open since 2018. Worden allowed McClain access until January 2019, at which time he changed the passwords, something he hid to incriminate his ex-partner. Custody of a child as a motive. The accusation came amid a messy divorce and a dispute over custody of a common child. McClain always maintained his innocence, arguing that he had simply reviewed the family finances to ensure there were sufficient funds for the child’s care, something he routinely did with Worden’s consent. The damage to his reputation was immediate and had ramifications and rumors beyond the legal. It coincided with NASA postponing the first all-female spacewalk in its history, starring McClain and Christina Koch. The reason was the lack of suitable suits, but the shadow of the accusation and public scrutiny always loomed over that decision. Redeemed. The resolution of the case comes at a sweet time for Anne McClain. The astronaut has continued working for NASA and, last March, she had the opportunity to return to the ISS as commander of the SpaceX Crew-10 mission. The sentence against his ex-wife will be handed down in February 2026. The maximum penalty is five years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Image | POT In Xataka | How many times have we gone to the Moon and why have only 11 military aviators and one geologist set foot on it in all of history?

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard removed all their songs from Spotify. Immediately afterwards some mysterious versions took their place

by

You can leave Spotify, but you don’t leave it completely until Spotify allows you to. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard just found out the hard way: They left the platform in protest of the CEO’s investmentsbut there are still his songs inside. The terrifying thing about it: they are not the ones who composed or recorded them. We go, or not. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard left Spotify in July 2025: it was a protest against Daniel Ek’s investments in military technology. Weeks later, however, they discovered that several of the group’s songs were still available on the platform. But they were not the originals, but rather instrumental versions that imitated the original songs, with the same artist name, identical titles and official covers. According to Platformer accountthese songs managed to accumulate more than 10 million views before being detected. The trick. Spotify presented these tracks as authentic. As a fan of the band tells Platformer, when playing ‘Deadstick’ from the album ‘Phantom Island’, what sounded was a simplified version, almost a cell phone ringtone, a kind of low-quality version. But without knowing the original song (and especially taking into account how fond of jokes and experimentation this unclassifiable and prolific band is) any listener could have confused it with the real song. The same thing happened with other songs on the album such as ‘Aerodynamic’ and ‘Grow Wings and Fly’. The article sparked a wave of protests that led Spotify to remove the content, confirming that it violated its anti-phishing policy. There are currently no songs from the group on the platform. It is not an isolated case. According to data from the company itself published in September 2025Spotify has removed 75 million tracks classified as spam over the last year. The consulting firm Luminate estimates that about 99,000 songs are uploaded daily to streaming services, often through distributors that do not verify the identity of the artist. The situation is accentuated on other platforms, in what seems to be a widespread problem with a clear trigger: the ease with which songs can be generated using AI. Deezer, for example, counted this same month which receives more than 50,000 tracks completely generated by artificial intelligence every day, 34% of all the content that reaches its servers. 70% of AI-generated music plays, he says, are unauthorized songs or songs that replace real artists. The Ghost of The Velvet Sundown. In June 2025, a band called The Velvet Sundown reached more than one million monthly listeners on Spotify. Its promotional photos had that artificial appearance characteristic of images generated by AI, and its members did not exist on any social network, but the group started with 550,000 monthly listeners after being recommended by the platform’s algorithm. After weeks of denying the accusations, those responsible admitted it was an “artistic provocation” created with artificial intelligence. His songs are still available on Spotify. The dead artists. However, in terms of impersonated artists, the case of deceased artists is more disturbing: numerous songs generated by AI began to appear in official profiles of deceased musicians. The page of Blaze Foley, country singer-songwriter murdered in 1989, received new songs. It also happened with Guy Clark, a Grammy winner who died in 2016, Sophie, an electronic artist who died in 2021, and Uncle Tupelo, Jeff Tweedy’s former band from Wilco. All of these tracks were uploaded by distributors without any verification and remained active for weeks before being detected. A systemic problem. Although Spotify is the visible head of this chaos, there is a real mess at many points on the diffusion scale. For example, distributors like DistroKid allow massive topic uploads without verifying the real identity of the artist. In the aforementioned September communication, Spotify announced new anti-spoofing policies and an anti-spam filter, but at the moment its effectiveness has not been proven. For now, the King Gizzard case raises a devastating question: after abandoning a platform, you do not abandon it completely. Maybe you’ll never do it. Header | Paul Hudson

The NFL was going to place the Bernabéu in the center of the United States. Americans have not been impressed

by

The Santiago Bernabéu hosted its first NFL game this weekend, with more than 78,000 fans ready to watch the confrontation between the Miami Dolphins and the Washington Commanders. But beyond the sporting spectacle, the event was also a stage in which a quite prominent cultural clash could be seen, especially if we look at some of the reactions of American users who attended the game. And European and American stadiums respond to completely different philosophies about what the experience of the fan who goes to the games should be, and this event has demonstrated it. What has happened. The meeting left comments and opinions of all kinds about how the NFL experience has been translated in Spain, more specifically at the Santiago Bernabéu. In this sense, thousands of American fans who traveled to Madrid found a reality very different from that of their stadiums. The words by Jack Settleman, founder of Snapback Sports, went quite viral this weekend on X. “International stadiums never seem prepared for the amount that Americans consume,” he noted. According to affirmsthe drink taps were quickly sold out, as was the food, and he believes that the infrastructure was not designed for easy access to food stalls or for fluid mobility between the stands. Contrast between experiences. Of course there are differences. American stadiums are designed as comprehensive entertainment centers where fans can spend more than three and a half hours enjoying not only the game, but everything around it. In Europe, stadiums are usually conceived as spaces to watch whatever sport is playing for the duration of the match, without much more frills. “The European sports experience is very different from the American one,” commented Settleman. Even seemingly insignificant details like the lack of cupholders in the seats surprised some fans, including Settleman himself. Numbers. Despite the logistical differences, the impact of the event was notable. More than 40,000 people They went to a Dolphins fan zone between Thursday and Saturday, while the NFL temporary store at the Bernabéu received between 5,000 and 10,000 visitors in the days before the game. Initial ticket sales registered 700,000 different devices trying to buy tickets for a capacity of just over 78,000 spectators. According to the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, the party has generated more than 70 million euros in economic income for the Spanish capital, including ticket sales, tourism and other economic aspects of the event. The food. If something generated real controversy, it was the gastronomic offer. In X there was a publication which attracted a lot of attention, and in which an Iberian ham sandwich with little chicha was seen and, according to the user, sold for 10 euros. The comments from several Spanish users were immediate, calling the management “shameful.” For many American fans, accustomed to a wide variety of options and fast service during matches, they encountered an uncomfortable reality at the Bernabéu. However, not everything was bad. And other visitors very positive aspects highlighted of Madrid, such as the gastronomy outside the stadium, the hospitality of its inhabitants or the attractiveness of the city as a tourist destination. What’s behind. The Bernabéu match is part of the strategy of international expansion of the NFLwhich has already held meetings in London, Mexico, Munich, Frankfurt, São Paulo, Berlin and Dublin. For the American league, these events represent generational work. NFL executive Jon Barker declared to the Washington Post that the organization has no idea what American soccer will look like on a global scale in 100 years, but that every international match is a step in that direction. The NFL invested 2.32 million dollars in temporarily adapting the Bernabéu: they expanded changing rooms, removed rows of seats to extend the field from 105 to 109 meters, created new entrances and eliminated all visual presence of Real Madrid during the event. Two models, two audiences. A day after the game, Settleman qualified his initial words in a long message: “I was making a lot of observations, I understand that the internet can confuse it with opinions. The European experience of not focusing on concessions seems good to me, it is simply different from the US.” He acknowledged that the Bernabéu is among the five best stadiums he has visited, although without anything extraordinary in terms of experience during the game. He also admitted that the energy around international NFL games is “a must-do experience,” with a fresh and positive vibe. If we stick to the numbers, the league generates about 23,000 million dollars annually compared to the 45,100 million that our football moves in Europe alone, according to Deloitte. Both sports are now exploring other regions, with European soccer heavily investing in the United States, while the NFL is also exploring other horizons. It remains to be seen how this North American sport faces cultural differences in other corners and whether or not its international expansion will encounter many bumps. Cover image | Jack Settleman In Xataka | The World Stone Throwing Championship seemed like the purest and most honest competition in the world. Until the fake stones appeared

The most expensive coffee in the world is Panamanian, it costs 850 euros and is served in the only place in the world where it makes sense

by

James Hoffman is one of the top authorities in the coffee world. Best barista in the world in 2007 and coffee popularizerwas surprised to try the exclusive Japanese coffee for 315 euros per cup. let it be expensive or cheap It depends on each one, but It’s like roasted coffee next to the new most expensive coffee in the world: 850 euros per cup. And it is served in Dubai, of course. Julith’s coffee. The Al Quoz neighborhood of the Emirati city has a new pilgrimage point for specialty coffee lovers…as long as they have 3,600 dirhams from those of the United Arab Emirates, not those of Morocco. In exchange, about 850 euros for a cup served at Julith Cafe. Serkan Sagsoz He is one of the founders of this cafeteria that consider that the price is more than justified. It is a coffee with notes of “white flowers such as jasmine, also with citrus flavors such as orange and tangerine and a touch of fruits such as apricot and peach”, comment. The barista got 20 kilos of very specific beans named ‘Nest 7‘. It is a Geisha coffee (now we’ll get into that) and the bidding must have been truly crazy: it lasted 12 hours, registered 549 bids and the final price was exorbitant. 604,080 dollars which translates into 30,204 dollars per kilo. Geisha with note. The price of coffee is something that depends on a huge variety of factors: the economy of a city, the coffee shop, the origins of the coffee and the roasting process. It is not the same robusta coffee with uneven roasting than a specialty arabica. Neither does the coffee excreted by a civet. Whether it is justified is another story, but what is clear is that Geisha is one of the kings when it comes to expensive coffees. It is a Panamanian coffee that comes from Hacienda La Esmeralda. We have already talked about this specific coffeewhich has been establishing some of the records in the sector, and the reason why it is so expensive is summarized in that its cultivation is very complicated and production is low. These are the two factors that, added to the fact that the property is located in a enviable location for coffee cultivationthey make the price break ground every auction. Elitism also enters, since the variety has become one of the favorites in barista competitions. It is not unusual for it to win the “Best of Panama” award, but if in other years the kilo was around 10,000, the more than 30,000 that Julith Cafe has paid mark a new record. To contextualize, a “commercial” price that same day reached six euros per kilo. NASA production. El Geisha de La Esmeralda is not a specialty coffee, it is THE specialty coffee right now. This Nido 7, specifically, was harvested in April 2025 and immediately underwent a cold fermentation process for 48 hours. Subsequently, it was dried in a controlled environment to preserve its flavors and roasted, carefully controlling the process so that it was as homogeneous as possible. Limited. As we say, Judith got 20 kilos and they calculate that it is enough for 400 cups. It is not as quick as arriving with the money and drinking the coffee: you have to be prepared for an experience that they have designed and that includes a guided tasting through the entire production process of this coffee. Once the 20 kilos are gone, it’s over, but there are those who won’t have to worry about this: they have reserved some grains for the wealthiest palates. Sagsoz has commented that it would be “an honor to one day prepare a cup for the sheikh mohammed“With whatever you have loose in your pocket that day, you have something to invite. And…Dubai. Beyond the exclusivity of coffee due to everything that surrounds its production, it is evident that the Dubai factor comes into play. Sagsoz himself, whose cafe did not exist until he bought the Nido 7 cargo a few weeks ago, comments that “it was the perfect place for investment” because the Emirates is known for extravagance. They have some of the most ostentatious buildings in the worldhe Burj Khalifathe island for super millionaires, pharaonic works on the drawing tableand all kinds of extremely exclusive experiences. In fact, in September of this year, another coffee shop in the city had set the record for the most expensive coffee in the world by serving a cup of 2,500 dirhams, about 600 euros. With Julith’s 850, that record has disappeared and the reactions have been diverse: from the “It’s Dubai, what are you waiting for?” until opinions which allude to the fact that it is simply another experience for the richest to boast about. What is evident is that, although coffee is gaining a lot of ground in places where it did not have much prominence before –China, for example-, is also consolidating places like Dubai as part of the luxury coffee scene. And it is something that contrasts greatly with the so unfavorable situation of some farmers and the ambition that is leading to expand Geisha farms through illegal deforestation of protected areas. Images | Julia Coffee, Coffee with Joshua In Xataka | Coffee, tea or Coca-Cola: what is the most popular caffeine consumption in the main countries of the world

If with the Fujian it sat at the US table, the images of the next aircraft carrier place China in another dimension: the nuclear one

by

Last week China announced its first 100% national aircraft carrier hitting the table and making it very clear what its naval aspirations are. Now the appearance of new images from the Dalian shipyard has revived one of the most significant naval movements of the 21st century: China’s advance towards an aircraft carrier that places it at an unknown level. The strategic leap. We are referring to what aims to be the first nuclear-powered one, provisionally known as Type 004. He visible discovery of a structure reminiscent of a reactor compartment (similar to those found on US supercarriers) suggests that Beijing is taking the definitive step towards a capability that until now only the United States and France have. The transition is not symbolic, but structural: A nuclear aircraft carrier offers virtually unlimited autonomy, massive electrical power for advanced sensors, and sustained ability to operate further from shore, an essential element for a China that aims to project power beyond its immediate periphery. The Fujian catapult. The recent entry into service from Fujianits first aircraft carrier with electromagnetic catapults had already marked a break with the It was STOBAR.but Type 004 represents a technological leap even greater by integrating nuclear propulsion with the most advanced launch ecosystem that the Chinese navy has. Even so, Chinese naval planning appears to bifurcate: as it builds this ambitious vessel, reports indicate who also works in another conventional aircraft carrier improved, a sign that Beijing wants a combination of mass and elite to accelerate its naval transformation. On new aircraft carrier under construction Comparative architecture. The reason why Type 004 arouses so much attention is that, in its designconcentrates the synthesis of global trends: a helmet inspired by the lines of the American Ford, EMALS catapults similar to the North American and French ones, and a deck capable of operating from J-35 stealth fighters even naval drones GJ-11 or airplanes AEW&C KJ-600. The satellite images reveal a deck under construction that will include two catapults in the port area (in addition to two in the bow), matching the layout of American ships and surpassing the capacity of Fujian itselfwhich only has a catapult in the oblique section. Extra ball. The vision of the program is clear: provide the Type 004 with a heaviest air wingvaried and technologically complex, optimized for sustained operations and for air and maritime space control roles beyond the Chinese coastline. The parallel development of a possible “Type 003A” conventional (cheaper, faster to produce and based on an already dominated architecture) demonstrates how China combines disruptive innovation with industrial iterationensuring sufficient volume to saturate any attempt at regional containment. If nuclearization provides range and resilience, the simultaneous construction of conventional ships ensures pace and fleet density. Unlimited energy. Plus: its function is not only to move aircraft further, but to serve as an energy platform for a set of emerging weapons that would transform naval warfare. Official voices, such as Professor Liang Fang of the National Defense University, they claim that the future Chinese nuclear class could carry directed energy weapons (including high-power laser weapons and the long-awaited electromagnetic cannon or rail gun). These weapons are not mere futuristic add-ons: they require colossal amounts of energy and an electrical stability that only a naval nuclear reactor can offer. He rail gunbased on the acceleration of metal projectiles to hypersonic speeds using electromagnetic fields, is a system that the United States abandoned due to costs and technological maturity, but that China continues to develop as part of its strategic disruption. And more. Its appeal lies in exit speedthe lack of explosive and the possibility of devastating kinetic impact at low cost per shot, although its electrical consumption is gigantic. The convergence between nuclear aircraft carriers and electromagnetic weapons aligns with the plans already outlined by figures such as Admiral Ma Weimingresponsible for the PLA’s electromagnetic program, and represents a clear attempt to turn a flagship into a technological node capable of challenging US naval dominance in emerging domains. The operational dimension. TWZ analysts recalled that the future Type 004 air wing combines aviation advanced manned and drones large in size, creating a hybrid system Designed for offensive projection and situational awareness over an extended range. The integration of stealth drones like the GJ-11, heavy AEW&C aircraft like the KJ-600, and fifth-generation J-35 fighters would allow China to adopt an operating model closer to the American one: extended air-to-air combat, persistent surveillance, distributed electronic warfare, and deep strike capability. Added to this are the new amphibious ships Type 076 (also equipped with electromagnetic catapults to launch drones) that would complement the aircraft carriers with saturation functions, regional air control and operations support directed towards Taiwan or the South China Sea. The result is, a priori, a navy that, although still inferior in number to the eleven American supercarriers, closes the gap with a unprecedented speed. China and the new balance. In summary, Type 004 symbolizes a decisive strategic shift: China is no longer just modernizing its fleet, but aspires to equal the autonomy, technological capability and global reach of US aircraft carriers by combining nuclear poweredelectromagnetic weapons, high energy lasers and a new generation embarked aviation. The visible integration of the reactor module in Dalian confirm that Beijing seeks to operate a type of super aircraft carrier capable of sustaining prolonged ocean missions and powering futuristic systems that could redefine naval warfare. At the same time, the parallel development of another conventional model demonstrates a dual strategy that seeks volume and sophistication at the same time, quickly reducing the gap with the US Navy. In other words, China is moving towards a maritime architecture based on abundant energy and dominion of the electromagnetic spectrum, a change that forces us to completely rethink the global competition for control of the seas. Image | x, x In Xataka | The Fujian is officially China’s largest power catapult: Beijing already has a button to challenge the US Navy In Xataka | China has just tested the … Read more

The Internet has become such a hostile place that there are people making drastic decisions: go back to MySpace

by

In a thread on Reddit’s r/Millenials subreddit, a user named Blue_Bi0hazard counted that had signed up for SpaceHeya curious MySpace clone, and I was happy about two things. The first, due to the personalization that this new social network offered. “I can’t stand today’s social media,” he explained. “There is hardly any personalization, everything is gray and simplified. Remember how MySpace or Tumblr was: there you really felt that your profile represented you.” Second, because of how the algorithm has taken over everything: at SpaceHey, he explains, “your feed is chronological, rather than what Facebook or Twitter think you should see, plus the damn ads.” These criticisms are not new, and for some time they have caused a unique Internet revolution. Small communities are returning to using clones of myspace as SpaceHeyor of GeoCitiesas NeoCitiesand although their scope is limited, they are the symptom of something very worrying. Beyond nostalgia Behind these seemingly nostalgic gestures, something deeper is drawn. Not only the desire to return to a retro design, but to raise a kind of digital demand. A “I want to have my corner again” in a sea of ​​feeds that no longer belong to us and over which we have no control. The return to MySpace, or rather, to something that evokes it—like SpaceHey—is actually a critical and rebellious act. It is a gesture that says “I am tired of the current Internet turning me into a consumer rather than a user, that everything I do is subject to the algorithm, the subscription and the ads.” And that’s when that return to those rehashes of the past takes on that other meaning. That of a more or less silent protest. Twenty-five years ago, opening the browser was like doing digital zapping and extremely garish. Amateur blogs were interspersed with local forums, profiles with flashing GIFs, view counters (view counters!), and pages that didn’t open on their own, but also had music on autoplay. It was the internet of the 2000s. GeoCities, LiveJournal, ICQ, Friendster, Blogger and MySpace conquered users and they did so with hardly any algorithms. Was a more hippie internetmessy and unpredictable but full of personality. The profiles were their own spaces, not showcases optimized for clicking. Now we remember that time fondly and smile when we realize that the Internet was full of defects. Loading times were much longer, handling HTML was almost a craft, and mixtures of fonts and designs often resulted in strident and garish web pages. However, they also had virtues. They let you make mistakes without charging you for it. They let you be weird without having to ask permission. Nobody (or almost nobody) had to sell anything, and nobody yet knew that they would end up selling you (or your data). It was the internet as a workshop, not as a gallery or showcase. but then standardization arrived. With Facebook, YouTube, Google or later Instagram and TikTok, we were promised order, efficiency and global connection. The Internet went from being its own territory to a service platform in which profiles became uniform, timelines identical, and rules impersonal. The “enshittification” of the internet This is how we have reached the digital fatigue that many experience today. 20 tabs are opened and the same ads, the same formats and the same giants appear. The Internet is no longer so much a “site” as a “medium” in which we only consume, and what we do more than explore and navigate is end up being victims of doomscrolling. This is where the concept comes into play. “enshittification” (“shitification”, in a loose translation) coined by writer Cory Doctorow. This neologism, as recently explained in an interview with Voxdescribes the drift of many online platforms, although it is applicable to all types of companies: “At first they are great for the end users. Then they find ways to retain those users (switching costs, network effects, contracts, DRM) and once the users are trapped, the company makes the product worse to get more value. They then use that surplus to attract business customers (advertisers, sellers, creators), they trap them and start making the product worse for the business side as well. In the end, everyone gets trapped and the platform becomes a pile of garbage. You can see this in places so like Google, Facebook, Uber and Amazon. In other words: what started out promising becomes mediocre, predictable and profit-oriented, not user-oriented. Shitification clearly manifests itself on today’s internet in various ways. It does this with mandatory subscriptions, with algorithms that decide what you see, with constant advertisements and with data that no longer seems to be yours, but rather turns you into simple merchandise. Before, you opened a blog to publish what you wanted. Now the objective seems to be to gain clicks or provoke engagement. All of this has caused users to become target audiences, consumers and even simple data. It seems that there is no more time to browseand we only have it to consume what the algorithms offer us. On Reddit someone asked if others were nostalgic for the internet of the 2000s and the comments were conclusive. The first of them, in fact, made it clear: “nothing seems genuine anymore.” Reviving MySpace That’s where platforms like SpaceHey, which appeared in 2020 and it is totally inspired by MySpace. Its creator, a young German named Anton Röhm and nicknamed “An” on the platform, is in fact the contact that by default is added to your “friends” on the platform, as on MySpace you added that of its creator, Tom Anderson. Long live the wild and original internet. Like a good clone, the similarities between SpaceHey and MySpace go much further. In SpaceHey, personalization shines, and that aesthetic of early 2000 It is evident in strident and shocking designs. The social network — which has around two million users — does not intend to compete with Facebook or Instagram, but it allows its users to recover part of that feeling of freedom and control … Read more

There are 10,000 soldiers and unusual artillery pointing at the same place in the Caribbean

by

It all started under the pretext of “drug trafficking”but the amount of accumulated signals, troops and artillery that the United States has been adding around the southern Caribbean, indicate that the operation has slipped towards a coercion mechanism strategic to force accelerated eviction without a formal invasion. A combination of visible deterrence, explicit threats and preparation of windows of surgical action. In the background: Venezuela. Evolution of the objective. It we count last week. The US deployment began wrapped in the classic language of the fight against drug trafficking, attacking boats fast and reactivating bases with a technical pretext. It happens that the accumulation of gestures (B-52 with transponders assets bordering on the Venezuelan FIR, “ghost ships”, SOF helicopters training off the coast, and the trump admission that “he doesn’t want to play”) seem to have another purpose: the message It no longer seems to deny drug routes, but rather something more akin to overthrowing the Venezuelan regime. The public articulation (“Maduro is a fugitive”, “he must go”) and privately aligns military deployment with a logic of collapse rather than containment. Artillery as pressure. The volume of resources and troops from Washington that CNN reported in the last few hours and the New York Times through satellite data (thousands of soldiers next to the ARG Iwo Jimathree destroyers DDG guided missilesa cruisea SSN submarineairplanes AC-130J armed with hellfire, F-35 in Puerto Ricoairplanes P-8, MQ-9, ISR flights massive and reactivation of the Roosevelt Roads base) is disproportionate to simply hunt down drug boats, although insufficient to occupy Caracas. Is, according to analystsexactly the size that allows hitting nodes (command, radars, escorts, inner rings) without “going fully into” a war, and maintaining a credible “low-profile” escalation vector. American voices match in the Financial Times: “it is too much for drug trafficking, but not enough for an invasion”, and what is left in the middle is a luck calibrated pressure. One of the satellite images captured on October 17 showing F-35 fighter jets at the José Aponte de la Torre Airport in Puerto Rico The mystery of Venezuela. For its part, the Venezuelan Armed Force is eroded by maintenance and spare parts, but much less naked: there is S-300anti-aircraft artillery, MANPADS, F-16 and a million militiamen that cast serious doubt on the reputational costs if Washington crosses the kinetic threshold. At the same time, the national commanders they suspect leaks and purge loyalties, the Times said that they sleep rotating locations and change escorts. A pattern that reveals internal vulnerability and expectation of a selective coup, in any case, there does not seem to be confidence in defeating the United States. Colombia and something more. The dialectical escalation with Colombia (Trump has called Petro a “drug leader,” threats of cut funds and tariffsand rhetorical retaliation after a naval attack that killed a fisherman) reconfigures an alliance that until now was key for Washington: the same one that provided the 80% of intelligence in the area. In other words, the clash erodes the regional pillar precisely when the United States approaches the use of force threshold in Venezuela, expanding the diplomatic front and reducing its margins for sustained maneuver. The political window. While, Donald Trump’s administration acts against the clock: this posture sustained under a climate of war does not seem to be able to be maintained indefinitely and any accident can precipitate an unplanned escalation. Plus: Trump does not seem to focus the operation on normative criteria (elections or institutional guarantees) but rather to a result that he can declare as “victory,” which makes the margins of American rhetoric more flexible, but hardens the incentive for a spectacular blow. Military analysts warn that “over braking” could behead without transition and opening a vacuum, while the opposition replies that Venezuelan social cohesion reduces that risk. Thus, the gap between both hypotheses is precisely where the greatest American pressure operates today. Strategic test. In summary, the combination of visible military troopscredible threat of precision hits and a diplomacy that does not stop tightening the rope, define that kind of ultimatum phase but without a formal ultimatum. From that perspective, the outcome aims to depend less on the balance of fire than on the breaking point within the Chavista leadership and whether Washington decides to stop after a possible departure of Maduro, or explicitly pursues the “end of” as a regime. And while that ambiguity persists, the pressure aims to continue… while the Caribbean wonders for how long. Image | USN/MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 3RD CLASS THEOPLIS STEWART II, ​​Planet Labs PBC In Xataka | A disturbing idea is gaining strength: that what the US wants is not drugs, and that is why it is targeting Venezuela In Xataka | That the US Air Force flies its three B-52 bombers is normal. That he does it against Venezuela not so much

The place where Maradona is a deity

by

Naples, the city that for decades was Synonym of Maradonaoverflowing passion and persistent shadow of the camorralive an unexpected transformation today: hordes of tourists invade her by changing her identity at a dizzying pace. What was previously a landscape of football, mafia and popular life has become a decoration for selfies, endless queues and tourist floors that expel the neighbors. A mirage. Yes, Naples, vibrant and chaotic city, has become In symbol of how mass tourism transforms to the most recent traditions into prefabricated products for visitors. The Pulcinella statueignored for years by Neapolitanos themselves, was high to folk rite Thanks to the invention of influencers and today It concentrates endless tails of tourists looking to rub their nose in search of good luck. For the premises, the paradox It is evident: It is a tradition without roots, consumed as an empty show. Thus, the Historic Center of the City, once a community life fabric, It is described now by activists such as an outdoor theme park, where stores, bars and souvenirs They have replaced To everyday life. The silent eviction. The most palpable impact is observed In the house. The proliferation of tourist rentals has transformed entire neighborhoods into A B&B MOSAICexpelling families with decades of roots. In some popular districts there is already a tourist accommodation for every three homes. The evictions multiply and many inhabitants are replaced by passage or students. The History of Giuseppe Gigliowho lost his home when his landlord decided to convert the building in tourist apartments, reflects a systematic process: homes cease to be homes to become speculative assets. The phenomenon is not limited to small owners: much of the market is in the hands of companies or large lessorsand the profits rarely remain in Naples, flowing to richer cities in the north or even abroad. Showcase. The transformation does not only affect housing, but also Urban identity. Streets that were cultural axes, such as Via Toledohave been filled with identical restaurants and tourist businesses, replacing historical bookstores with taverns or thematic bars. The multiplication of fast food stores has exacerbated Waste problems and has reduced community life to constant consumption, while homeless or the most vulnerable neighbors are pushed outside the center. Even churches, in the past centers of community life, have been relegated to mere Visitors attractionslosing its function of place of worship. The result is a less habitable city for those who support it and flatter for those who visit it. A political problem. Local authorities They recognize The magnitude of the challenge, but denounces that they lack tools to act without a national legal framework. The attempts of some regions of limiting the number of tourist floors have been blocked by the government Central of Giorgia Meloni, who defends the “market freedom.” Even new laws, such as The urban reform Promoted by Matteo Salvini, they have facilitated the conversion of housing in tourist accommodations. Thus, the regulatory vacuum converts the center of Naples into paid terrain For speculationwhile traveling to its neighbors towards the periphery. A paradox. Tourism defenders argue that they create opportunities and jobs, and in some cases it has allowed families to escape poverty by turning floors into B&BS or opening bars. But the problem arises when the entire economy of a neighborhood It depends on a tourist flow that can fade, as demonstrated by the Recent descents In arrivals. The lack of a “plan B” leaves small entrepreneurs at the mercy of a volatile market, which can evaporate as fast as it arose. Ironically, some tourists already They start complaining that the city feels too homogeneous, saturated with repetitive food stores and experiences designed only for them. Identity erosion. If you want also, which attracts visitors (authenticity, street life, cultural mixture) is precisely what is most threatened. The risk is that, instead of a living city, Naples becomes An empty decorationa showcase that is consumed and abandoned. Without policies that balance the protection of residents with tourism management, the city is in danger of losing what makes it unique. As They warn Activists and academics, what is eroding is not only urban space, but the right of Neapolitans to remain protagonists of their own city. Image | Doubt, Picryl In Xataka | In his fight against mass tourism, Italy has entered an unexplored land: a tax on tourist dogs In Xataka | Italy had a problem with its beaches called “tourism”: now it has an even bigger solution and problem

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.