plan

The relays are turning the plan into an open war

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Installing a relay seems easy. Until it is. In this new installment of ‘Domotize or die in the attempt‘, Ana Boria faces one of the key steps of the connected home: Convert traditional switches into manageable devices from the mobile. It seems a simple technical step, but it is enough to see the video to understand that things are not so simple. “New relay, allegedly well installed,” Ana starts. What follows are tests, errors, stairs and an application that keeps the settings … if you insist enough. Because sometimes it is not enough to do well: you have to keep “five times” and go through several menus so that the changes are applied. Lost hours for a design failure that would end up despairing anyone. While Ana Lidia with the installation, the opinions of her co -workers are divided. Mario has it very clear: “Ana Boria, You are looking at the RAE Success and your name comes out“But Ana’s boss is not so convinced:” Too head and persistent has been. “ And, in between, Alex, his partner, who enters the scene when things are complicated at all. There is a scene that summarizes everything: “If there are flames, you let me know,” he says just after making changes in the electrical panel. There are no surreal moments. Relays that do not fit on the switches. “Cosos Naranjitas” that seemed good idea, But they can no longer be returned (Spoiler: They bought them solely). Attempts to put everything as it is. Tests that lengthen more than the account and end phrases like “I have gone to goat.” Self -imposed zancadillas and an installation that, at this rhythm, goes for many more days than expected. Are there relars to install? Yes. How long does it take in each? It depends on the day, humor and whether the application wants to collaborate. ¿And the smart lock? ‘Domotize or die in the attempt’ is a reflection of what many of us could live if we aspire to achieve the same results as Ana. How is this story moving forward? Find out in our video. Images | Xataka In Xataka | There is a new fever among ultra -ups: fed up with technology, they want houses as “dumb” as possible

Orange has a silent plan to reign in Spanish telecos: get with all Masorange

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Orange has begun to contact international investment banks, according to Expansionto prepare an offer for 50% of Masorange that does not control. It has reserved 4,400 million euros – processes of the megadividndo generated during the merger – specifically for that operation. The main vendors would be the providence funds (14.8%), KKR (13.4%) and Cinven (12.1%), together with Spanish minority shareholders. Why is it important. This movement can mark a turning point in the Spanish telecommunications market, where Orange wants to go from being one more competitor – the third operator, in fact – becoming a dominant giant. Give continuity to the process initiated with the fusion of MasMóvil and Orange Spain that culminated with Masorange. If materialized, this operation could influence competition, prices and services offered to millions of users Between the lines. He Timing The operation speaks for itself. Although the shareholders pact establishes that until September 2025 the works for a possible OPV cannot be formally initiated, Orange is already moving file. This anticipation shows the strategic importance that the French gives to the Spanish market … … but also its determination to avoid any possible complication or competitor interested in this participation. Orange CEO, Christel Heydemann, already dropped clues during the last presentation of results When mentioning that “the OPV was not the only option” and remember that they kept the 4.4 billion intact to “maintain all open options.” A clear sign of your will to explore other ways beyond the OPV. In perspective. This operation marks the final episode of European consolidation, where three large groups – Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica and Orange – are gradually creating an increasingly structured continental oligopoly. Spain, considered so far one of the most competitive markets in Europe and with relatively low prices, can begin to raise prices in the face of lower competition. Movistar, meanwhile, Has Vodafone Spain in the Diana and Digi. For Orange, converting Spain into its second most important market after France has enormous strategic value: It allows you to diversify risks to the regulatory pressure of your domestic market. And makes him gain financial muscle on the European stage. And now what. Although the formal operation cannot be closed until March 2026 (when the two -year period expires during which the sale of shares according to the fusion pact) is prohibited, everything indicates that Orange and the funds will prefer a direct sale instead of an OPV. An IPO to brush would complicate both parties: Orange would have a subsidiary quoted with greater obligations of rePorting And the funds would be forced to sell packages progressively. The greatest question is not whether Orange will complete the absorption, but how the Spanish market will be once you have total Masorange control. And, incidentally, if regulators will have something to say about this concentration of power in a sector as special as that of telecos. Chair change in Brussels, from Vestager to Riberayou can remove obstacles with European consolidation on the horizon. The key is no longer so much in itself, Orange will complete the operation, but how it could impact the Spanish market if consummated. And, incidentally, if regulators will have something to say about this concentration of power in a sector as special as that of telecos. In Xataka | The service that nobody wants to give but we all pay: this is how the universal internet works in Spain Outstanding image | Orange

Reducing weight loss carbohydrates seemed a perfect plan. We have just discovered that it comes with unforeseen risks

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Carbohydrates or carbohydrates are a fundamental macronutrient in our diet. They represent, together with the fats, the main energy contribution to our body. Carbohydrates are also protagonists in some diets destined for weight loss, diets based on the fact that, in the absence of these nutrients, our body will resort to the energy stored in their fatty tissue. A plan that is not infallible. DNA damage. A new study has found a mechanism that could link low carbohydrate diets with a Risk increase of suffering from colorectal cancer. The union link would be in the microorganisms that reside in our digestive system, our intestinal microbiome. In a study conducted with mice, the team responsible for the analysis observed that these types of diets could worsen the deterioration of DNA caused by some of the microbes that usually inhabit our digestive tract. This facilitates the appearance of polyps that in turn increase the risk of appearance of this type of tumors. “Colorectal cancer has always been seen as the consequence of a number of diverse factors, including diet, intestinal microbioma, environment and genetic,” explained in a press release Alberto Martin, co -author of the study. “Our question was, does the diet affect the ability of specific bacteria to cause cancer?” Three diets under study. In his study, the team tested three types of diet: a “normal”, a carbohydrates, and a “western” rich in fat and sugar. He did it by combining these diets with different types of usual bacteria between our intestinal microbiota and suspects of keeping some kind of relationship with the risk of colorectal cancer. They found a combination of diet and microorganism with potential to trigger adverse relationships, that of the low carbohydrate diet and a variety of bacteria of the species Escherichia coli (E. coli). They observed that this diet encouraged production by the bacterium of the colibactin, a compound with the ability to damage the DNA and with it of producing cancer. The key I could be in the fiberthe team points out. This type of diets facilitates inflammation, altering the microbial community of its interior, which in turn creates an ideal environment for the propagation of the E. coli. A fallen barrier. The team also observed that the mucous barrier that separates epithelia cells (the outermost cells of the intestine) of bacteria was reduced, which could also facilitate that colibactin reaches intestine cells. This would increase the harmful potential of the compound. The details of the study have been published In an article In the magazine Nature Microbiology. And what about humans? Studies with mice have an obvious limitation, and it is that extrapolating what is observed in these rodents to our own species is not always possible. The team He stood out for it The need to confirm their findings in people, although they were also optimistic about the possibility that their study could be applied in cancer prevention. The microbioma in the spotlight. This is not the only recent study that has put in the spotlight to the bacteria of the species E. coli already the colibactin in regards to colorectal cancer. A few days ago We had the news of A study Made with patients from 11 countries who found exposure tests at an early age to this toxin could be linked to an increased risk of these types of tumors. In Xataka | During millennia, humanity has eaten what it played. Now he has started eating what he wants and that has consequences Image | Pixabay

Venice is an inverted forest that is sinking. There is a radical plan to save it: raise it 30 centimeters

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Venice is, in essence, a prodigy of Inverted engineering: It stands on millions of stuck piles On the contrary in the Lagunar mud, creating what has been described as a submerged forest down. These trunks, made with trees, have supported for centuries the burden of stone palaces and imposing bells without resorting to steel or concrete. The physical principle that supports this system is not based on the brute force of the materials, but on the friction of compressed humid soil that, together with wood and water, constitutes a resistant tripartite structure. However, that skeleton It has a serious problem. The abyss. The mythical city lives a cruel paradox: it is not only a city that floats, but one that It sinks. In the last century, the Venetian floor has descended about 25 centimeterswhile the sea level has risen about 30. In other words: it is a lethal combination that has triggered increasingly frequent and severe floods. While its decay adds some tourist magnetism (visiting it before it disappears), for Venetians it is a persistent threat that compromises your future. The city sinks two millimeters a year due to natural subsidence, while the waters increase some Five millimeters annually due to climate change. An unpublished plan. Before this existential threat, the engineer Pietro TeatiniAssociate Professor of Hydrology and Hydraulic Engineering at the University of Padua, proposes a solution as bold as controversial: physically raise the city Injecting water into aquifers deep between 600 and 1,000 meters under the lagoon. The idea is born from the observation of gas reservoirs in the Valle del Powhere when filling during the summer, the terrain rises, and goes down when they are emptied in winter. According to Teatini, through this technique, Venice It could rise 30 centimeters In a stable and homogeneous way, enough to grant a break of about five decades, in which the authorities could plan a definitive solution. Drill and drill. The project would consist of pour a dozen wells Distributed in a circle of 10 kilometers around the city, all located inside the lagoon. Water to be injected would be saline, taking advantage of the abundant local resource and without risk of contaminating fresh water aquifers. To ensure stability, it would be injected at low pressure and slowlyavoiding fractures in the underground rock. The choice of a wide circumference guarantees a uniform elevation that would not damage historical structures. Chioggiaat the southern end of the lagoon, it would be outside the radius of action. The system that was not enough. The search for solutions also exposes a failure. Currently, Venice’s main defense against high tides is The Mose system (Sperimentale Electromeccanico Module), a series of mobile gates that rise from the seabed to isolate the Adriatic Sea lagoon. Although it began to plan in the 80s and was tested for the first time in 2020, its cost has exceeded seven billion of euros and is not yet officially operational. Originally conceived to activate five times a year, since 2020 it has already been used about 100 timesreflex of the problem. Every time it is activated, interrupts maritime traffiche harms the port (the second most active in Italy) and alters the ecological balance of the lagoon by preventing the natural flow of water. Mosetherefore, it does not solve the problem, and Teatini proposes its project as a temporary complement by extending the combined functionality of both systems during those 50 yearsmargin that could be used to develop a definitive structural solution. Venice towards the end of the seventeenth century Underground technology Theatini’s plan It is not frackingnor is it based on extreme pressures. It is rather a controlled process that has been used in oil engineering to stabilize platforms. The idea is that water gradually penetrates the deep sandy substrate, expanding and pushing the ground up without causing fissures. A maximum elevation of 30 centimeters is the technical limit that can be achieved without compromise stability. The pumping rhythm would gradually reduce to avoid overloading aquifers, and the incorporation of additives that maintain the expansion achieved even if the pumping is interrupted is studied. To prove the viability, a pilot project is proposed in another part of the lagoon, less critical, with an estimated cost of Between 30 and 40 million euros. The complete implementation would be three times cheaper than the Mose. Plus: The approach is more realistic than other ideas raised in the past, such as shallow cement injections that were used limited to islands such as Poveglia in the 70s. Race against time. No doubt, some experts are skeptical. David Dobson, professor of materials at University College London, acknowledges that the idea generates “skeptical optimism”. It warns that the aquifers already collapsed (as happened in Marghera when water was extracted in the 60s) may not recover its original volume. In addition, injecting water is more difficult than gas, as it flows more slowly and requires greater pressure. However, he argues that, if a successful essay is carried out and the process control is demonstrated, the proposal It could be truthful. In any case, he points out that the root of the problem remains Global warmingand as long as it is not addressed, any solution will necessarily be temporary. Symbol and priority. Teatini has been studying the phenomenon of the Subsidy in Venice. His Thesis with doctorate He already addressed this problem, and was his former professor, Giuseppe Gambolati, who first proposed those deep injections as a solution. Today, in the face of institutional inertia, he insists that his proposal is the only technically developed that can begin to be tested immediately. In addition, with the creation in March 2025 of the New authority per the lagoona state entity that will be in charge of evaluating interventions in the lagoon and planning the future, a window of opportunity opens. Although every plan will have high costs, Teatini argues that it is a Reasonable investment and even possible with citizen financing. The big doubt. In addition, there is the … Read more

Altman’s plan to attract private investment to OpenAI has stayed halfway. It’s a victory for Elon Musk

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Openai has conquered a place at the forefront of artificial intelligence (AI) with products such as Chatgpt and GPT-4O. But there is a detail that escapes in many conversations: It is still a startup. It is several times smaller than Microsoft or Google and faces an existential challenge that does not have so much to do with its products, but with money. That challenge has its own name: its peculiar organizational structure. The openai part that generates income, directed by Sam Altmanis controlled by a non -profit organization. This unconventional model has aroused doubts among investors. Altman proposed to restructure the company to attract more private capital and accelerate the path to a General Artificial Intelligence (AGI). The problem is that this plan has just received a blow. A difficult governance to sell. The Board of Directors has decided to maintain control from the non -profit entity, after opening conversations with the general prosecutors of California and Delaware. These authorities monitor the legal status of organizations of this type and could have blocked change. The announcement has made it public Bret Taylor, president of the Board, In an official statement from OpenAI. A victory for Musk. Elon Musk had sued Openai for that attempt at reorganization. He assured that the company had diverted from its initial purpose of developing a safe and oriented the good of humanity. The decision to preserve the original supervision partially reinforces its argument: the structure remains, at least for the moment. New model, but with the same control. Despite the other way around, Openai maintains another important change. It is expected that its commercial organization will operate as a public benefit corporation (PBC). The difference is that, instead of separating itself from the non -profit organization, it will continue to have the last word. Now they are negotiating how that supervision will be articulated, but everything indicates that it will be the non -profit organization that designates the members of the Board of the New PBC. This could hinder future financing rounds. Because in this OpenAi, which has not managed to transform completely, interest is not measured only into dividends, as investors would like. Outstanding image | Sam Altman (X) + Photoshop | Ted Conference In Xataka | Silicon Valley has an obsession with “Todismo”: they begin by dominating a sector and then wanting to dominate them all

It has a plan to escape once again the US sanctions

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China is very important for Nvidia. Since he arrived at this market in mid -2024 his chip for artificial intelligence (AI) H20 Their sales have grown no less than 50% quarter to quarter. For the company led by Jensen Huang This reception is a real successespecially if we keep in mind that this GPU is a trimmed review of its most powerful chips that seeks to satisfy the limitations imposed by the US Department of Commerce. Whatever the time of Nvidia bonanza in China seems to have concluded. As we explained in the middle of last April, this last American agency It has imposed restrictions To the export to China of the H20 GPU, and this in practice means that this chip presumably will not reach Chinese clients in Nvidia. This company soon react announcing that this prohibition will cause a hole in its accounts of 5.5 billion dollars due to the commitments linked to the H20 GPU that the reserves of this chip had already acquired that it will finally not be satisfied. Nvidia prepares new AI chips for China, according to The Information As expected, Nvidia will not easily lose the Chinese market. And it is that two media usually well informed as they are The Information and Reuters They have collected that their engineers are working on new GPUs for expressly adapted to the country’s market led by Xi Jinping. Nvidia has not officially confirmed it, but presumably these chips will be trimmed reviews of their most advanced solutions. This is the same strategy that Nvidia turned to when the GPU was ready H800, A800 Or H20, and although it worked, it didn’t do it for a long time. The US government seems to be determined to prevent research institutions and Chinese companies They access hardware for American originso the Department of Commerce Restrictions do not stop hardening that the GPUs must meet that US companies can sell in China. The US government seems to be determined to prevent research institutions and Chinese companies from accessing hardware for American origin At this juncture it is reasonable that we ask ourselves if Chinese clients in Nvidia, among which are Alibaba, Bytedance or Tencent, among others, they are interested in continuing to buy chips for less and less capable. In addition, Huawei is strengthening its position in China to take advantage of the hole that Nvidia is leaving in the market because of US sanctions. And is that just a few hours after the entry into force of the new regulation of the Department of Commerce He presented his chip for the ascend 920a solution that is clearly destined to occupy in the Chinese market The gaps that the H20 GPU is going to leave of Nvidia. This proposal will enter large -scale production during the second half of 2025 using 6 NM integration technology that have presumably developed elbow with Huawei elbow and SMIC. However, this is not the only asset that Huawei has to increase its market share both in China and beyond its country of origin. And this company is preparing to start the testing and validation phase of a new GPU for AI: the Ascend 910D chip. Unlike the GPU Ascend 920 that, as we have seen, presumably aspires to compete with the NVIDIA H20 chip, the GPU Ascend 910D seeks to overcome the performance of the chip NVIDIA H100. If this movement is confirmed, already priori this information is reliable, it will be evident that Huawei will have chosen to fight in all hardware market segments for AI In which Nvidia is present. Until now this Chinese company wanted to get its hardware dominate the inference processes in AIand not the training of the models, but this strategy in which moderation prevails seems to have come to an end. Image | Nvidia More information | The Information | Reuters In Xataka | The US gives Huawei a great opportunity: to get its new chip for AI with the Nvidia market in China

Desperate for competing with Chatgpt, Google has a plan for Gemini to be everywhere: pulling wallet

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We already know how many monthly users GEMINI has: the same as chatgpt in a single week. 350 million people using Google AI compared to the almost one and a half of OpenAi. And if we know something about Google, it has never liked to have competitors. He Progressive replacement of the Google Assistant By Gemini it was a statement of intentions: Google wanted Gemini to be in absolutely all phones. And no, the pulse has not shaken to get the wallet and force the pre -installation of this app. Google, Gemini and Samsung. A profitable exchange. Samsung is, by far, the manufacturer who More is betting on artificial intelligence in mobile territory. And the vast majority of these functions are behind Google, responsible for the Gemini Nano model of which it uses One UI 7. The a priori agreement could seem the classic Google-Manfabricaro android relationship, but Monopoly trial who is facing Google has made it clear that there is something else in between. Google paid Samsung to pre -install Gemini. Peter Fitzgerald, vice president of platforms and associations of Google devices, testified in the Federal Court of Washington as part of the antimonopoly case of the Department of Justice, According to Bloomberg. In his statements, he acknowledges that Alphabet Inc. paid Samsung Electronics Co. to preinstall Gemini on the company’s phones and devices. This contract, with a minimum duration of two years, establishes fixed monthly payments for each device with pre -installed Gemini, and a percentage of the income obtained by Google with the subscription to Gemini’s payment modalities. Paying to install is not legal. One of the keys to this case is in the precedents. In the past Google paid its partners so that its search engine was predetermined, something that was declared illegal. Since 2020, Neither Google Chrome nor the search for Google are the default options on Android. Google also paid Samsung 8 billion dollars for Google Search, Play Store and Google Assistant to be predetermined in Galaxy mobiles. The federal jury analyzed the case ruled that Google I was abusing his power with these policies. The judge will now have to determine whether Gemini’s pre -installation in exchange for money was legal or not. Gemini, Gemini, Gemini. Gemini is not just Google’s artificial intelligence, it is one of the largest doors at the income level that has been opened to the company in recent years. Although Sissie Hsiao herself is still a service without advertising, charge on Google at the head of Gemini, she has acknowledged that Google is the company to “monetize Gemini with ads as soon as possible. “Motorola cannot get rid of its obligations with Google and that is why they cannot change the predetermined assistant on the device.” Similar practices with other brands are reflected in the framework of the same antitrust judgment. Google’s contract with Motorola (Lenovo Group Ltd.) prevented perplexity AI as predetermined assistant on its devices. “A gun in the temple” according to Dmitry Shevelenko, business director in Perplexity. A trial that can change everything. The American justice, together with the constant persecution of Europe to Google for monopoly practices, have managed to make Android a somewhat more open system to third -party developers. If it ends up declaring illegal that Google Preinstal Gemini as an assistant, Google’s plan to compete from you to you with a GPT that quadruples its active users will be difficult to execute. Image | Xataka In Xataka | Google Lanza Gemini 2.0 with a gift for users: free access to its reasoning model

European banks have already defined their plan to depend less on Visa and Mastercard

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Bizum It is a sensational tool for online payments in Spain, but it has a problem: it is not international. Or at least not much. International online payments in the European Union depend largely on two big names: Visa and Mastercard. There is no European system Made in Europe that allows the rapid shipping of money, but it is something that the European payments initiative (EPI) wants to solve. His proposal already has a name, Wero, and his plan is as follows. Context. The European Payment Initiative It was founded in 2020 by 16 banking entities such as BBVA, Santander, Deustche Bank, Grupo ING, Unicredit and BNP Paribas. Its objective is to create a payment system and a European interbank network or what is the same, a platform capable of competing against Visa, Mastercard or PayPal. These are of American origin, so the idea of ​​EPI is to promote the independence and sovereignty of payments. For members “it is no longer a future project, but a need facing all European countries,” as they have exposed in a letter. The problem. That there are many local solutions, but none at European level made in Europe. For example, if we think of payments and money shipments between individuals in Spain and Andorra we have Bizum, but in Italy they have Bancomat, in Portugal they use MB Way, in Sweden it has Swish, in Switzerland they use twint and in other places, such as Germany and Austria, the use of PayPal It is widespread. The proposal of EPI with Wero is “to respond to this challenge through a unique payment solution, all in one, instantaneous and paneuropea, capable of covering over time all cases of payment use that consumers and professionals require.” A second, Wero? That is the name that this “European bizum” received in September 2023. It makes a certain sense: the word consists of “We” (us) and has similar pronunciation to “euro.” In addition, he approaches the word “Vero”, which is “truth” in Latin. He threw himself First in Germany Back in July last year, in France in September and in Belgium in November. Wero is integrated into the banks of the banks, so the experience is, for all purposes, nailed to Bizum’s. Image | Wero And what does it propose? According to exposes the EPI“A unique, safe and avant -garde paneurpea payment platform, with multipurparacities, which can work in all European markets for local and cross -border transactions.” That is, a kind of visa and bizum of Europe for Europe. Although it is not well known yet, Wero has the endorsement of the European Commission and 40 million registered users. In addition, it is already fully functional in both P2P and P2Pro transactions (individuals to companies). However, the reality is that the deployment is being slow. It is normal to be a project of these characteristics, however. For summer of 2025, the EPI plans to launch the payments in electronic commerce in Germany and Belgium to later do so in France and the Netherlands “laying the bases and test points for a viable European solution.” At the end of 2026, EPI intends to add the omnicanal payments, payments at the point of sale or in stores and invoices payments. The idea is to use QR codes and NFC technology. Bizum is international. The efforts are there and Wero is promising. However, and as far as Spain is concerned, it should be noted that Bizum has been international for just a few weeks. At the beginning of the month, Bizum confirmed that it was going to be integrated with Bancomat and MB Way, the payment solutions of Italy and Portugal, respectively. Banco Santander, Abanca and OpenBank already support international shipments. Caixabank, BBVA and Banco Sabadell will do it soon. Cover image | Wero

The house is getting so expensive that in the United Kingdom there are already people opting for a plan B: living in ships

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In the United Kingdom there are hundreds of people who do not live in houses, buildings or urbanizations. Nor do they have neighbors. Not at least in the conventional sense. In a country that has seen how housing It was more expensive until it turns Privatethere are those who choose to reside in river channels and rivers. They do it aboard barges of several meters that, although they are not cheap and carry their own costs, remain much more affordable than The apartments Of the big cities. And there are reasons to think that over the years your number It has been increasing. Living between ducks and fish. Sounds romantic, but that is the lifestyle for which thousands of British who reside aboard barges have opted. And there are some data that suggest that their number has increased over the last years. A few months ago The Economist public An article in which he remembers that the last census of Canals and Rivers Trust (CRT) shows that at least 2022 there were 35,000 vessels With a license to operate in 3,200 km of river routes distributed by England and Wales, a third more than in the last two decades. The case of London. Moreover, in London, where the “navigators” stand out between 25 and 34 years, their number has almost doubled in a matter of a decade. In Your report The Economist It does not specify how many of these barges are used as the main residence, but slides that it is probably a good part. In 2021 The Guardian I was A little further And he pointed out that Canals and Rivers Trust surveys show that, at least at that time, the proportion of people who lived aboard their vessels was 25% at the national level (in 2011 they were somewhat less, 15%), although the percentage would be higher in London. Is there more data? Yes. And although the figures vary depending on the source that is always consulting in the same direction. Although the British who have decided to change conventional apartments and houses for barges continue to represent a minority, in February Sky News placed their number in about 15,000. And growing. According to Boats.com the number would be even superior. Your data They estimate the census of permanent residents in barges docked in the rivers, channels and coasts of the United Kingdom in around 30,000 people. Price issue. The big question is … why? Why change the comforts of an apartment in the center of Bristol, Manchester or London for a boat moored to a channel? Analysts answer those questions with Several keysbut there is one that is usually repeated: the price. A narrow barcaza and in good condition with which to move along the country’s river paths can cost near 50,000 pounds. It is a considerable figure (of course there are much cheaper), but that is far from what an apartment costs on the United Kingdom metropolis. Reviewing figures. According to official data, in January the average price of a home in the country was 268,500 pounds. If we talk about London, that reference is triggered until the 600,000 tires are touched through a house in a room, which makes the British capital one of the most expensive cities on the planet to become a owner, based on The data of Global Property Guide. In 2023 the London mayor spoke directly about “housing crisis” and crossed out “scandal” that there were dozens of houses and unused floors. Is it cheap to live on a ship? Depends. Yes, if you compare the cost of buying a barge with that of acquiring an apartment in London. But that does not mean that changing the streets, urbanizations and blocks through the channels is available to all pockets. First because their owners pay navigation licenses. Second, because a boat has certain expenses rigged. Recently the tenant of a United Kingdom barge confessed To the Sky News chain that spends around 4,500 pounds annually in invoices, including insurance, hubs, coal, fuel and navigation permits. If you want to keep your home in good condition every three or four years you must also get it out of the water and paint the helmet, which costs you approximately 1,200 pounds. Money … And something else. Although money is a key factor, it is not the only one that explains that in the United Kingdom there are thousands of people passing (at least) most of the year aboard boats. At stake they enter otherssuch as the influence of pandemic, the rise of teleworking, the interest in traveling along the British coasts or a simple issue of taste, either as a permanent or temporal vital option. After all, in life aboard a barge, not all are idyllic moments. “I wanted so much a ship that I didn’t care to live without shower, wearing a cube as toilet the first months or running cold,” Elizabeth Earle recallsfreelance writer and illustrator who chose to leave the comforts of an apartment to live in a barge. Now reside in a centenary floating house of about 20 meters. “I have no one to bother me and if I want to leave this place I can do it tomorrow. You are always covered with bruises and soot, and there is a lot of mud, but you also think ‘go, I can make fire’ and load 25 kg of coal.” An option with challenges. Navigation, maintenance or supply are not the only challenges facing the tenants of the barges. Elizabeth does not pay mooring as such, but that has its ‘face B’: when opting for the “Continuous Cruiser” Your floating house must change location from time to time. In a similar situation you can see the rest of British navigators who have no right (or paid) permanent moorings and are forced to move between squares along the same river, or beyond, every 14 days. “We pay a license that does not equals a rent, but rather to the municipal … Read more

The US tariffs threaten the massive arrival of ridiculously cheap Chinese products. Europe has a plan

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First was the United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Stamer, which made clear The posture of the nation in front of the tariff war. China was more ally than enemy against the turbulence of the global market. Then It was Pedro SánchezPresident of Spain, the one that manifested in the same line. Somehow, both leaders showed that, in the commercial war, there are different interpretations In Europe, and that happens while a word next to China, which will test the regulations of the old continent: dumping. The challenge after tariffs. For years, Europe has seen in China a formidable economic competitor, but many media such as The New York Times They have begun to slide a fear of the escalation of commercial tensions between Beijing and Washington, and how it can transform that challenge into A threat potentially destabilizing for the continent. As? The imposition of Extraordinary tariffs On the part of Trump has raised a commercial wall that prevents Chinese exports from addressing its traditional market, which has lit alarms in Brussels due to the possibility that an avalanche of subsidized products, from electric vehicles to industrial steel, be redir massively to Europe. With key industries such as those of France, Germany or Italy already in a vulnerable situation, the fear is that the so -called dumping (the practice of selling below the cost to eliminate local competition) intensifies until eroding the foundations of European production. Of course, it does not have to be so, and Europe has “weapons” to avoid it. Diplomatic balancing. One thing does seem true. The European bloc is caught between two fires: on the one hand, the pressures of American protectionism and, on the other, the need to contain the Chinese overproduction without triggering an open conflict. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has tried articulate an answer that combines firmness with pragmatism: he has promised to “closely monitor” the Chinese merchandise flowhas created a working group to detect dumping practices and has warned that Europe “cannot absorb excess global capacity.” Her messidated position was applauded by analysts, who consider her the best way to avoid an economic disaster. However, The Times explained that the unit of the continent can begin to show cracks in the face of the magnitude of the problem. Here are the words we commented at the beginning of leaders like Sánchez or Starmer betting on a greater approach to China as a shield in the face of the turbulence of the global market, while other EU members cry out for a more energetic defense of the European industrial fabric. Europe has a plan. The truth is that, in the face of the catastrophic image that has been warned in many media, for years the European Union has adopted a rigorous regulatory approach to contain the massive entry of Chinese products in your market. As? Through A combination of tariff measures, technical controls and non -tariff barriers that act as effective filters against dumping and unfair competition. Among the most outstanding tools are Antidumping research carried out by the European Commission, which have resulted in more than 100 current measures against Chinese products, covering from stainless steel to electric bicycles. In addition, the Rasff system (Fast food and feed alert network) constantly monitor the entry of non -compliant products with European quality and safety standards, blocking dozens of shipments every year. And the reach. To this is added the strict compliance with the regulation called Like Reachwhich requires any well imported good to register and evaluate its chemical substances, a firewall that prevents numerous Chinese industrial products from freely accessing the community market. Thanks to this normative network and its ability to activate ex officio investigations, the EU not only responds to concrete threats, but can also proactively dissuade the entry of goods that They do not meet the standards Europeans, configuring a legal wall that, until now, has effectively mitigated the wave of Asian overproduction. An asymmetric relationship. That said, and beyond the immediate context, the bottom of the problem may lies in an unbalanced commercial relationship. The Times told that Europe has accumulated a record deficit with China, one that in 2023 reached the 332,000 million dollarsfed by state subsidies that distort the market and by regulatory barriers that hinder the access of European companies to the Chinese market. Plus: the European Commission already has classified China as a “systemic rival” And bilateral relations have cooled in recent years, especially after Beijing support to Moscow during the invasion of Ukraine. European commissioners have expressed directly Your concern During recent diplomatic visits to China, demanding more equitable conditions and voluntary restrictions on exports of subsidized goods. Opportunistic messages and alliances. Despite these disagreements, China has intensified its Diplomatic offensive and media to present themselves as a strategic partner of Europe against chaos generated by Washington. From sponsored articles In influential media of Brussels until Official Communities That omit real tensions, Beijing tries to cultivate an image of stability and collaboration. In parallel, he has accepted Resume negotiations With the EU around European tariffs to Chinese electric vehicles, while minimizing disagreements. Meanwhile, European spokesmen respond cautiousspeaking of “reviews” or “continuation of conversations”, without offering clear adhesion or a firm rejection. An ambiguity that reflects not only the complexity of the situation, but also, perhaps, the fragility of a common strategy within the block. A crucial summer. So things, and with a photo that only points to A fear If we rely on European events and norms, the immediate future of European commercial policy could play a key game in the coming months. One is scheduled UE-China Summit For the second half of July, a meeting in which both blocks will try to soften friction before the impact of US tariffs is translated into an overestrial crisis in the European market. At the moment, the EU seems to have adopted a containment strategy: to endure the pull, maintain the balance between firmness and flexibility, and prevent the … Read more

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