points

Cloudflare is planted in Italy due to blockades. In Spain, the conflict with LaLiga points to the same underlying problem

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We are witnessing firsthand how what began as an offensive against unauthorized party broadcasts has transformed into something much broader, a dispute over who can decide which parts of the internet are turned off and how. In Italy and Spain, judicial and administrative resolutions that apply current legislation are endorsing or ordering measures that operate at the network level, measures that, as they are now being applied, may not distinguish between an infringing service and legitimate services that share infrastructure. This scenario has brought to the fore cloudflarea company whose name has been sneaking into the technology conversation for some time. Here we must be clear. What unites the cases of Italy and Spain is not the type of content, but the logic that supports them: to stop the unauthorized dissemination of matches, it has been decided to act where the network becomes vulnerable, in the intermediaries that connect the public with the servers. It is not a button in the hands of a government, but rather a fit between laws, judges or regulators, rights holders and different actors who execute the measure. That strategy allows you to block quickly and with massive range, but it also has collateral damage. Behind every block there is a clear sequence. In Spain, LaLiga takes its requests before a judge and it is the courts that authorize the operators to execute the cuts. In Italy, rights holders enter domains and IPs into Piracy Shield and it is AGCOMthe Italian telecommunications and media regulator, who reviews these signs and converts them into administrative orders that providers must apply. When an authority orders a block, it is not simply saying “close this page”, it is choosing at what point in the journey the connection between the user and the server is interrupted, according to the limits established by current legislation. This can be done by preventing the website name from being translated into a technical address, directly blocking that address, or asking an intermediary to stop serving the data. In this invisible journey there is a particularly sensitive piece, the system that translates website names into technical addresses that computers can understand. Every time we type a URL or tap a link, a DNS resolver responds with the correct IP so the connection can be established. If this translation is interrupted, the page is no longer accessible even if the server continues to function. That is why DNS has become a very attractive lever for blocking, because it allows access to be cut off quickly and without directly touching the content. What is 1.1.1.1 and why is it in the center. Among the many DNS services that exist, there are some open to the public that do not belong to any national operator, and the best known is 1.1.1.1, managed by Cloudflare. It serves as a widely used public DNS resolver that users and applications use to translate domain names into IP addresses. That scale is what makes it especially sensitive in this debate, because any intervention on it is not limited to a country or a specific network, but can have much broader effects. A modem with network cables The company explains For years it has been able to comply with court orders that force it to act on specific clients or on its distribution network, because there it is controlling its own service within a jurisdiction. What it rejects is modifying open tools such as its public DNS by administrative decisions of a single country. In his approach, that would mean that a national authority could change how a basic piece of the internet works for users around the world. Italy, the Piracy Shield system and controversies. The Italian model does not just cut individual pages, but entire pieces of the route along which traffic circulates. Through Piracy Shield domains and IPs are ordered to be blocked and, according to the regulator itselfthe framework also expressly includes public DNS services and VPN providers as obligated parties when they are involved in the accessibility of that content. Cloudflare Global Network Map The problem is not only that the system blocks a lot, but how it does it and with what margin for rectification. Its quick reaction logic prioritizes cutting access while the event is happening, and that increases the risk of affecting third parties when acting on shared parts of the network. AGCOM quotes as balance that since February 2024, more than 65,000 FQDNs, that is, fully qualified domain names and about 14,000 IPs, have been disabled. That clash took concrete form at the end of 2025. In a decision taken on December 29 and recently notifiedAGCOM imposed a penalty of more than 14 million euros on Cloudflare for failing to comply with a previous order issued on February 18, 2025. According to the regulator, the company had to deactivate the DNS resolution of certain domains and the routing of traffic to IP addresses indicated through Piracy Shield, or apply equivalent measures to prevent users from accessing that content. Spain, the judicial path. As we mentioned above, in Spain the system is not based on an administrative regulator, but on a resolution from a commercial court obtained by LaLiga. On December 18, 2024, the Commercial Court No. 6 of Barcelona authorized blocking measures against addresses used to broadcast matches without rights. On March 26, 2025, that same court rejected the challenges and left the order in force. That is what allows access operators to execute these blocks during matches under the direct legal coverage of a judge. The way that order is executed in practice explains many of the complaints that have arisen in Spain. Access providers block entire IP addresses, not just specific domains. This mechanism explains why so many legitimate services end up dragged down by these blocks. Instead of deactivating a specific domain, operators sever an entire IP address, which is often shared by hundreds or thousands of websites. It’s a bit like boarding up the entrance to a building … Read more

science points to other ways to help

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When a couple is expecting a child, before the birth a complex decision is made and one that is increasingly publicized: what to do with umbilical cord blood. And there is a fairly deep debate here: clinics sell it as “biological insurance” for the future, while the scientific community prefers talk about altruism and collective utility. Its biological importance. To understand this debate, you first have to know why The blood in an umbilical cord is so coveted. And it is actually very valuable, since it has blood cells that are essential for treat serious diseases such as leukemia or lymphoma. Situations in which a donor as similar as possible to the donor is required to renew their blood cells, and what better than one’s own blood to do so. The cells in the cord can regenerate blood cells, including those of the immune system itself, giving a patient who does not have a donor a great chance of survival. Although sometimes a cord is not enough to renew the entire reserve of blood cells. The reality of probabilities. As we say, the main argument of private banks is the immediate availability of stem cells for the child himself with an autotransplant. But the different European guides provide figures that invite reflection, such as that the possibility of using this blood for an autologous transplant is estimated. between 0.0005 and 0.000004%. In this way, it is calculated that there is a probability of using this blood less than 0.04% over a 20-year horizon. And there are even situations in which when a child presents leukemia, the clinic advises against the use of the child’s own blood in his cord because you could have some genetic alteration that has led to leukemia at a young age. Public banks. In the current paradigm, there are different banks where blood can be stored. On the one hand, we have the public option where any family can donate cord blood so that it is stored, but The use will be intended for anyone in the world that needs it and is compatible. That is, it will not be exclusive to the family that donated it, having to wait for a donation from this bank if they need it. But this means that this blood has many possibilities of being used in someone around the planet to resolve a serious illness such as leukemia. This is something possible in Spain be integrated into the REDMO network which is used to register bone marrow donors. What is clear is that Spain is an international benchmark in this field. With tens of thousands of units stored on its public network, there have already been nearly 2,000 successful transplantsdemonstrating that the true utility today lies in the altruistic model. The private bank. If you want exclusivity on umbilical cord blood, this is logically the most recommended option. But it must also be taken into account that the price that must be paid is quite high, since the maintenance of blood storage is not free, and requires periodic payments. Even science suggests that it is not the most advisable, except in very specific situations. The drawback here is that you may never have to use this blood because you do not contract a disease that is not common, and also because there are situations where it is not possible to do so. Regenerative medicine. Looking to the future It is not well known what can be done with these umbilical cord cells. Science is now exploring the possibility of treating type 1 diabetes with these cells by regenerating the function of the pancreas, or there are even studies focused on cerebral palsy. But nothing advanced. And while there is potential on paper, medical societies like the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)Warn to store cord blood for uncertain future use In regenerative medicine it is, today, a practice without consolidated scientific justification. What should be done. The majority recommendation from health authorities is clear: public donation is the most solid option. By donating to the public bank, the unit enters an international registry where it can save the life of a child or adult anywhere in the world. Although logically the decision always lies with the parents who have the freedom to take the path they want. However, even if you choose a private bank, you must keep in mind that it must have the necessary certifications so that when the blood is needed it is in optimal conditions to be processed. Images | Eduardo Barrios In Xataka | They have created an artificial blood factory that “breathes”: it is essential to give us the key to leukemia

Many video AIs are learning to imitate the world. And everything points to an unprecedented “looting” of YouTube

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A square, tourists, a waiter moving between tables, a bike passing by in the background or a journalist on a set. Video AIs can now generate scenes in a flash. The result is surprising, but it also opens up a question that until recently was barely posed: where did all those images that have come from come from? allowed to learn to imitate the world? According to The Atlanticpart of the answer points to millions of videos pulled from platforms like YouTube without clear consent. The euphoria over generative AI has moved so quickly that many questions have been left behind. In just two years we have gone from curious little experiments to models that produce videos almost indistinguishable from the real thing. And while the focus was on the demonstrations, another issue was gaining weight: transparency. OpenAI, for example, has explained that Sora is trained with “publicly available” data, but has not detailed which one. A massive workout that points to YouTube The Atlantic piece gives a clear clue as to what was happening behind the scenes. We are talking about more than 15 million videos collected to train AI models, with a huge amount coming from YouTube without formal authorization. Among the initiatives cited are data sets associated with several companies, designed to improve the performance of video generators. According to the media, this process was carried out without notifying the creators who originally published that content. One of the most striking aspects of the discovery is the profile of the affected material. These were not just anonymous videos or home recordings, but informative content and professional productions. The media found that thousands of pieces came from channels belonging to publications such as The New York Times, BBC, The Guardian, The Washington Post or Al Jazeera. Taken together, we are talking about a huge volume of journalism that would have ended up feeding AI systems without prior agreement with their owners. runwayone of the companies that has given the most impetus to generative video, is highlighted in the reviewed data sets. According to the documents cited, their models would have learned with clips organized by type of scene and context: interviews, explanatory, pieces with graphics, kitchen plans, resource plans. The idea is clear: if AI must reproduce human situations and audiovisual narratives, it needs real references that cover everything from gestures to editing rhythms. Fragments of a video generated with the Runway tool In addition to Runway, the research mentions data sets used in laboratories of large technology platforms such as Meta or ByteDance in research and development of their models. The dynamic was similar: huge volumes of videos collected on the Internet and shared between research teams to improve audiovisual capabilities. YouTube’s official stance doesn’t leave much room for interpretation. Its regulations prohibit downloading videos to train modelsand its CEO, Neal Mohan, has reiterated it in public. The expectations of the creators, he stressed, involve their content being used within the rules of the service. The appearance of millions of videos in AI databases has brought that legal framework to the fore and has intensified pressure on platforms involved in the development of generative models. The reaction of the media sector has followed two paths. On the one hand, companies like Vox Media o Prisa have closed agreements to license their content to artificial intelligence platforms, looking for a clear framework and economic compensation. On the other hand, some media outlets have chosen to stand up: The New York Times has taken OpenAI and Microsoft to court for the unauthorized use of their materials, stressing that it will also protect the video content it distributes. The legal terrain remains unclear. Current legislation was not intended for models that process millions of videos in parallel, and courts are still beginning to draw the lines. For some experts, publishing openly is not equivalent to transferring training rightswhile AI companies defend that indexing and the use of public material are part of technological advancement. This tension, still unresolved, keeps media and developers in a constant game of balance. What we have before us is the start of a conversation that goes far beyond technology. Training AI models with material available on the internet has been a widespread practice for years, and now comes the time to decide where the limits are. Companies promise agreements and transparency, the media ask for guarantees and creators demand control. The next stage will be as technological as it is political: how artificial intelligence is fed will define who benefits from it. Images | Xataka with Gemini 2.5 In Xataka | All the big AIs have ignored copyright laws. The amazing thing is that there are still no consequences

How to use Ruta-E, the government app to find cheap gas stations and charging points in your city or your route

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We are going to tell you how to use Route-Ethe new application of the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Service, creators of My Citizen Folder among many other apps. It is an application that seeks to help you find the cheapest gas stations and electric charging points. It is a simple but versatile application. You can choose between gasoline or electric chargers, and then you have the options of exploring on the map or trace a route and see all the gas stations or charging points along with the price of fuel, so you know which one allows you to save a little money on your trips. Look at the price of gasoline with Ruta-E The first thing you have to do is download the Ruta-E application, available on Google Play for Android and in the App Store of iPhones. Once inside you will have a map, and at the top right you will have a filter in which you can choose fuel type for which you want to find a gas station or charging station. When you choose the type of fuel, you will see information about all the pumps in your city. But you can navigate the map to explore the entire country in case you want to look at those of some place you are going to visit. In the gasoline pump preview you will see the price of the fuel you have chosen. The app also has an option to trace the route of a trip what you want to do, with origin and destination point. When you do, you will see all the gas stations you have along the route along with the prices of the type of fuel you have chosen, and also the charging points. When you press at a gas stationyou will be able to see their hours and prices, and thus compare the cheapest ones or those that are open. And if you click on a charging point you will not see the price, but you will see the types of plugs available. In Xataka Basics | Gasoline price on Google Maps: how to see nearby gas stations and their prices on Android or iOS

Big Tech are already dedicating up to 70% of their ebitda to AI. The same figures prior to the outbreak of the points

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The most powerful technology companies are immersed in A frantic career for mastering artificial intelligence. Therefore, the investment in infrastructure and technology that allows them to advance in that race is crucial. From its operational benefits a very high percentage is destined in the construction of data centers, buy chips, expand your computational capacity and the like. For some experts and analysts in the sector, this expense level is already reaching Typical levels of past bubbles. Echoes of the Puntocom. Big Tech are already allocating between 50% and 70% of their EBITDA (Operating Benefit before Tax) to fixed asset investments, mostly from AI and cloud infrastructure, according to the GQG Partners analysis. This resembles AT&T behavior in the Puntocom bubble (a company that before the debacle allocated 72% of its benefits) or Exxon in the energy bubble 2014 (allocating 65%). Percentage of operational benefit that Big Tech are spending against the level of AT&T and Exxon before bubbles. Image: GQG Partners Issues. For GQG Partners and as Share Also Tobias Carlisle, founder of Acquirer’s Funds, this high proportion is usually a sign of structural risk, with many expensive investments, assets that can be obsolete, and delay in seeing real returns. In the image we can see the percentage of total operational benefit that Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta and Oracle invest in fixed assets (CAPEX) In detail. There is a huge investor appetite, and the figures reflect it. Alphabet has raised its forecasts and Plan to spend more than 85,000 million dollars This year, almost everything destined to reinforce your cloud and your services. Goal, meanwhile, provides A range of between 66,000 and 72,000 million In 2025, promising to invest a total of 600,000 million dollars By 2028. On the other hand, Microsoft has also announced tens of billions in new facilities to accelerate the training of AI models. Together, Financial Times esteem That the annual capex added of the large technological will exceed 300,000 million dollars, an unpublished figure in the sector. That level of investment worries analysts. Goldman Sachs He pointed out Recently, Hyperscalers (AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud) have already committed hundreds of thousands of millions in Capex and R&D, which implies that, to justify it, they must generate much higher income in the coming years. On the other hand, Bank of America warns That the costs of depreciation and amortization of these infrastructure can grow even faster than the income that companies manage to extract from them, which could put their operational margins at risk. Morningstar, meanwhile, remember That the semiconductor industry, a centerpiece of this race, remains prone to boom and fall cycles, at risk that the current euphoria due to AI derive in a cooling in 2025-2026. Even Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAi, He has admitted That there is a “bubble” around AI, although it clarifies that technology itself will have an immense long -term value. Between the lines. Investing a lot in infrastructure does not guarantee on its own that future income will compensate for such high expense. If the euphoria between investors is maintained, perhaps yes, but if subsequently penetrates doubt and uncertainty, things can change. He GQG Partners analysis It also talks about “hidden” costs, accelerated depreciation, technological obsolescence, Huge maintenance of data centersenergy, and other factors that could erode much faster than real benefits are believed. Cover image | Generated by AI with Freepik In Xataka | “Psychosis by AI” does not exist, it is only another invented diagnostic label: one that has come to stay

The first flight will be in 2026 and points to its next great plane

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A wing that changes in full flight and a manufacturer who wants to reimagine the aviation of short and medium radio. Airbus prepares to test in real conditions a concept that has been maturing time in its research programs. It is not a laboratory exercise: the company has marked 2026 As a date for the first take -off of its demonstrator, an aircraft that will serve to explore if this technology can be transferred to the single corridor aircraft. The challenge is ambitious: lay the foundations of what will be the great heir of the A320. For the manufacturer, the X-Wing is a piece within a much larger technological puzzle. The company works In disruptive engines, recyclable materials and smart platforms, and needs to decide which combinations offer more advantages. The wing capable of modifying its form is emerging as the ideal candidate to demonstrate savings in consumption and improvements in flight behavior. More than an isolated prototype, it is a test bank conceived to contrast theoretical models with data obtained in real operations. A flying laboratory to test the wing that is transformed into the air The aeronautical builder decided to transform a citation VII into a flying laboratory. The aircraft, usually used in executive aviation, received a large -scale compound that mimics, on a reduced scale, that of a future commercial plane. To join both elements, specific transition boxes were designed, which in addition to guaranteeing structural resistance provides space for fuel and the landing system. This solution allowed to overcome the limitations of a fuselage not manufactured by Airbus and let off The demonstrator. The demonstrator’s key is how the wing adapts to flight conditions. To prevent greater size from implying more weight, engineers incorporated a semi -eelastic hinge in the tips, capable of freeing themselves in situations of intense turbulence and thus reduce structural loads. At the same time, the back of the wing includes three flaps with small tabulators that can move independently and quickly. With this combination, the profile of the wing changes, optimizing support and reducing drag in each flight phase. The European company wanted the demonstrator to reflect the philosophy of its line aircraft and replaced the conventional system of controls for a Fly-By-Wire complete. All surfaces, from ailerons to rear stabilizers, are governed by electric actuators linked to control computers. The device will be handled remotely from land, without the need for crew on board, which opens margin for more demanding tests. Before flying, the X-Wing must overcome a battery of tests on land. The European manufacturer plans structural vibration tests and alar load during this year, steps necessary to validate the design. Airbus has asked the French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) for the flight permit, which will allow to operate from Cazauxf, south of Bordeaux. The calendar provides shooting on the second quarter of 2026 and a first takeoff in the middle of the year, with expected flights over the Vizcaya Gulf. Prototype in a Cessna Citation VII Beyond the Ala, the Airbus roadmap includes New Generation Energy Systems and Energy Systems. Among them stands out the Open Fan, developed with CFM, which seeks an efficiency improvement of two digits and will be validated in flight with an A380 before the end of the decade. The aeronautical builder also bets on expanding the use of fuels sustainable up to 100% and for introducing hybrid architectures. The latter will use electricity in on -board tasks and further reduce the emissions of each journey. Innovation is not limited to the wing or engine: It also reaches materials. Airbus is testing advanced thermoplastic compounds that promise to lighten the structure and, at the same time, make it more sustainable. In the face of current compounds, these can be recycled more easily and allow more agile manufacturing cycles. The MFFD project has served as a test bank, showing that it is possible to reduce weight without increasing costs. The Filton plant, in the United Kingdom, has become one of the nerve centers of this transformation. The future plane will not be built only with more efficient wings or different motors, it will also depend on a common digital system that provides new capacities. The European company works on connected platforms capable DE Update in real timeintegrate applications and anticipate faults with predictive maintenance. Automation also will have a growing role in assistance to the pilot and in land operations. The X-Wing is, in this sense, an initial piece of a greater puzzle: demonstrate which technologies are mature and which ones should wait before making the commercial leap. Images | Airbus In Xataka | Airlines have invested millions in entertainment. Passengers use it to see an plane icon slowly moving

Brussels fine to Google with 2,950 million. The worst thing is that the EU points to a sale from its advertising business

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Brussels has launched a resounding notice to the technology industry: 2,950 million euros of fine to Google for abusing its position in the digital advertising market, As announced today the European Commission. The investigation points to self -preference practices that reinforced their domain in the Adtech chain and harmed competitors, advertisers and editors. The Community Executive suggests that the solution could go uninverting part of their advertising business. It is a movement that raises pressure on large technological ones and reinforces the regulatory role of the European Union. The case has a long journey in Brussels. The European Commission started in 2021 A file on Google’s power in the digital advertising sector, after detecting indications of dominant position abuse. In 2023 a specifications were issued that the company answered at the end of that year. The research analyzed Google activity in strategic markets such as the DFP advertisements and Google Ads and DV360 programmatic purchase tools, both with presence throughout the European economic space. What Brussels has ordered and what Google is played The core of the decision is in self -preference. The commission argues that, at least since 2014, Google took advantage of its domain on the DFP advertisements and in the Google Ads and DV360 tools for Grant advantages to your own platformA ADX. DFP warned ADX on the value of rival offers, and purchase tools prioritized participating in that same platform. This dynamic would have reduced competition and consolidated Google’s power in the advertising chain. For Brussels, it is a behavior designed to reinforce its position and its ability to collect high rates. Brussels set the sanction of 2,950 million euros based on its 2006 standards for anti -political fines. The calculation took into account “various elements, such as the duration and severity of the infraction, as well as ADX’s business volume in the EEE.” The commission defends that the amount is proportionate to the infraction and necessary to avoid new self -preference practices. The figure makes this file one of the most significant in the field of digital competence in Europe, reinforcing the role of the body as a regulator. The commission has given Google 60 days to present a plan that ends the conflicts of interest detected in the advertising chain. Once received, Brussels will evaluate whether the proposed measures really eliminate these practices. In its decision, the agency has already advanced its preliminary position: Only a partial disinvestment of advertising services I would solve the root problem. If Google’s proposal does not meet the criteria, the European regulator may impose structural remedies. Brussels hardens their pulse with technological while in Washington political discourse intensifies. Donald Trump published last month A message in Truth social criticizing laws and digital regulations that, according to him, “are designed to harm or discriminate against US technology companies.” He warned that it will impose tariffs and restrictions on countries that maintain these policies. Although he did not explicitly mention the European Union, its administration has repeatedly shown its discomfort with the measures against companies such as Google, Meta or X. The scope of this sanction goes beyond Google. Brussels seeks to reduce the dependency of editors and advertisers of a single intermediary, which could promote the Competition in digital advertising services. A mandatory divestment would open space for rivals in key segments such as advertisements and programmatic purchase platforms. The sector, accustomed to operating under the control of a few technological giants, could see changes in prices, access to commercial data and conditions. The EU thus reinforces its role as a referee in strategic digital markets. “Today’s decision shows that Google abused its dominant position in advertising technology, harming editors, advertisers and consumers. This behavior is illegal according to the EU antimonopoopoolio standards. Google must now present a serious solution to address their conflicts of interest and, if it does not, we will not hesitate to impose forceful measures,” said the Spanish commissioner Teresa Teresa Ribera, responsible for the competence of the community. Beyond the economic sanction, the decision of Brussels gives legal basis to those affected to claim. European regulations establish that commission resolutions are conclusive evidence that the infraction occurred. The Antitrust Damage Directive, together with a practical guide on the calculation of damages, facilitates that companies and individuals Get compensation. Thus, this case not only seeks to correct the market, but also repair those who suffered the consequences of the practices that reinforced Google’s domain in digital advertising. Just days ago, Google dodged in the United States the scene of selling Chrome. However, Europe has opened a new front: the possibility of forcing him to separate part of his advertising business. The plan that the company present in Brussels will be key to defining the outcome. If it does not convince, the European case could exceed the American process in impact, sitting a precedent that would affect the entire technological sector. Images | Alex doubt In Xataka | Apple’s most lucrative agreement has just improved: Google will pay without being able to prevent Microsoft from doing the same

Now everything points to a megaconstellation with a different ambition

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When we think on the Internet by satellite, the first name that usually comes to mind is Starlink. And it’s no accident: The network promoted by Elon Musk He has achieved something that, until a few years ago, seemed unattainable for most. Take broadband connectivity to rural areas, remote or directly forgotten by traditional infrastructure, With reasonable latency and prices that millions of users can assume. Starlink did not invent the satellite Internet, but he did bring him the general public as never before. In that process, it also activated a second less visible layer. Because Starlink is not just a civil service: It is also a strategic piece that the United States has already begun to integrate into its military architecture. What was born as a commercial service has become a tactical advantage that other countries are not willing to ignore. One of them is China. In recent years, the country has accelerated the development of a satellite constellation in low orbit. Some present it as “the Chinese Starlink”a label that sounds good but simplifies in excess. Do we talk about a commercial alternative aimed at offering the Internet in rural areas? Or are we facing something more ambitious, more oriented to strategic capacities? That network is called Guowang (国网), and this is what we know so far. Guowang, more than a satellite network Guowang is the name with which the satellite constellation is known that China is deploying in low terrestrial orbit. Its formal name is 中国星网, which could be translated as “China Satellite Network”, and its most common abbreviation is 国网, or Guowang. Although the reference has become common in international media, behind the project there is no private company or an open ecosystem, but a state company: China Satellite Network Groupknown as China Satnet. The headquarters were established in the new Xiong’an area, a city planned from zero by the central government to become New innovation poleand the presence of China Satnet there is not less. In 2024, The company completed its transfermarking a symbolic milestone as the first large state -owned company fully operational in that area. For Beijing, this project is as technological as political. As we said, since it began to talk about Guowang, many have labeled it as “the Chinese Starlink.” And although it is easy to understand why the comparison arises, the reality is more complex. In basic terms, both constellations seek the same: a network of thousands of satellites in low orbit to offer global connectivity services. But everything that surrounds the Chinese project points in another direction. While Starlink is consumer oriented, Guowang does not present, at least for now, hiring channels, or commercial catalog. China Satnet in Xiong’an Today, it is not clear if Guowang intends to offer direct connectivity to users, as Starlink does, or if your vocation is more structural: provide data coverage to critical infrastructures, government networks or defense systems. This ambiguity contrasts with the parallel development of Qianfan (千帆)a second constellation that does seem designed to offer commercial services, with flat satellites and international approach. The coexistence of both projects suggests that China has opted for a double track: a visible and open constellation for the civil world, and another more discreet, with a potentially strategic role. Today, it is not clear if Guowang intends to offer direct connectivity to users, as Starlink does. The documentation presented by China before the International Telecommunications Union contemplates a megaconstellation of 12,992 satellitesdivided into two layers: one between 500 and 600 kilometers of altitude and another around 1,145 kilometers. It is precisely this second layer that has starred all the releases made so far. Since December 2024, the activity rate has been constant, but has gained speed in the second semester of 2025. Only between July and August at least four satellite releases have been madea cadence that begins to remember Starlink’s first steps. Even so, The total orbit number remains modest. The most recent estimates speak of about 70 operational satellitesa minimum fraction if compared to the declared objectives. But this first deployment does not seem improvised. One of the great unknowns that surround Guowang has to do with what their satellites can do. Unlike Starlink, the Chinese project has barely given technical details. However, Guawang satellites could be equipped with technologies that go beyond traditional connectivity. One of Guowang’s many releases Among the capacities that are considered are laser communications terminals, optical sensors, synthetic opening radars (SAR) and high capacity data broadcasting systems. This type of instruments would allow the network to perform monitoring, monitoring or logistical support functions in complex operation environments, whether civil or military. The way in which constellation is built reinforces this idea: satellites are not manufactured in a single center, nor are they thrown with a single type of rocket, but involve several different contractors and platforms. That Modular architecture It gives rise to a network designed to integrate multiple functions, and not exclusively to offer the Internet. Satellites are not manufactured in a single center, nor are they launched with a single type of rocket, but involve several different contractors and platforms In the military field, American analysts have already begun to draw parallels between Guowang and Starshieldthe satellite system that Spacex is developing for the United States Department of Defense. Although there is no official confirmation, the comparison reinforces the hypothesis that Guowang is not simply a commercial project, but a network with much broader functions than has been communicated so far. It may seem like a remote project, but Guowang has a lot to do with European interests. At a time when the European Union promotes initiatives such as Iris2 stalleffort your connectivity autonomythe advance of a constellation such as Guawang, completely controlled by the Chinese state, introduces a relevant variable in the global technological map. The political component is also important. Unlike Starlink, which operates under a private company with commercial interests, Guowang, as we say, is designed, financed and operated by the state apparatus. … Read more

Someone cut five submarine cables in the Baltic. Finland already points as responsible for a ship of the “shade fleet”

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In the middle of Christmas, five submarine cables that connect Finland and Estonia were damaged. According to the Finnish Prosecutor’s Officeit was a deliberate act: an oil tanker dragged its anchor for about 90 kilometers and cut the electric interconnection Estlink 2 and four telecommunications cables. More than seven months later, on August 11, 2025, The Prosecutor’s Office presented positions For aggravated damage and aggravated interference in communications against the captain and two officers of the Eagle S ship, a ship linked to the call “shadow”That the European authorities associate with the elusion of restrictions on Russian crude. On the night of December 25, 2024, the Estlink 2 link stopped operating suddenly and, shortly after, failures were detected in four data cables that cross the same section of the Gulf of Finland. The service did not collapse thanks to alternative routes, but the technical impact was immediate and the authorities opened an investigation focused on the trajectory of a ship that sailed near the affected area. 90 kilometers groove at the bottom of the Baltic. The damage pattern was unequivocal: a prolonged groove in the seabed that coincided with the passage of the Eagle S. The researchers point out that The trajectory of the ship registered in the navigation data flashes with the damaged areas. Police recovered an anchor whose location coincided with the Eagle S route and with the detected groove, information between the evidence that motivated the accusation against the three officers. A cable that transports 650 megawatts under the sea. Estlink 2 is a high voltage electrical interconnection in direct current that joins Finland and Estonia for the seabed. He entered into market operation in December 2013 and was inaugurated in 2014; Its capacity reaches 650 megawatts and its function is to balance the electrical demand between the two countries. After the cut, Fingrid and Elering activated contingencies to maintain stability, and the link returned to the market at 01:00 of June 20, 2025 after repairs. In addition to the power grid, Four telecommunications cables were damagedaffecting part of data traffic between Finland and Estonia. Among the impacted operators are Elisa, Cinia – of public majority ownership – and a cable managed by CITIC. The repair work began days later and extended several weeks; According to the Prosecutor’s Office, the owners have assumed at least 60 million euros in direct repair costs, without relevant impacts on end users thanks to the alternative routed. An old acquaintance under magnifying glass. He Eagle s It is an oil company registered in the Cook Islands that sailed from the Russian port of UST-Luga with oil products and was detected in the vicinity of the affected area. Several media place their property in Caravella Llc Fzbased in United Arab Emirates. The ship appears in the so -called “Shadow Flot”, formed by boats with opaque structures that have continued to operate despite the restrictions. The European Union included Eagle S on its list of ships sanctioned on May 20, 2025. Can Finland judge it? The debate on jurisdiction. The defense claims that the cuts occurred outside the Finnish territorial waters. Because of this, Reuters pointsthe country would not have competence to prosecute the crew. The Prosecutor’s Office appeals to the territorial effect: the consequences occurred in Finland, in the electricity and communications, and that would justify the criminal action. Helsinki’s court now has the task to decide on competition and, where appropriate, set procedural deadlines. The result of the judicial decision will mark the next chapter of the case. If the Court accepts Finnish competition, the process against Eagle S officers will be a milestone in the European response to attacks against critical infrastructure. Images | HTM (Wikimedia Commons) In Xataka | The USA opened the way and China took note: it is updating its fleet with ships that have electromagnetic catapults

The J -15dt appears armed with electronic pods and points directly to the Fujian

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Nails recently published photographs offer A good look of the J-15DT, the electronic war version of the Chinese hunting J-15. It shows at least three external pods, in addition to low visibility badges and a code associated with operational devices. It is an indication that we are not talking about a simple prototype and that this variant aims to operate from attancies with catapult like Fujian. It is convenient to keep the caution before the images, but everything fits with the program address. What do we know of the J-15DT. The J-15D was already shown as a Chinese electronic war platform (EW) with specialized pods and support/sead approach, According to Jane’s in its Zhuhai 2024 coverage. The DT version would go one step further to optimize to Catobar, with visible external changes and structural modifications associated with catapult operations. The most recent images hold that reading. The J-15 did not start from scratch: Beijing acquired in 2001 in Ukraine an unfinished prototype of SU-33 (T-10K-3) And he used it as a reverse engineering that later integrated plane and national systems (derived from the J-11B program). The model flew for the first time in 2009 and began operating from the Liaoning aircraft carrier from 2012, approximately. Since then, variants such as J-15T and DT for catapult environments have emerged. Electronic War in the air: the other battlefield. The J-15DT mission fits that of a “Chinese Growler”: disturb radars and communications, escort other devices and provide EW coverage to the shipped air wing. Army Collection also indicates The possible integration of YJ-91 Anti-Radiation missiles for Misiones SE (suppression of enemy air defenses), although there is no official confirmation. Will it operate from Fujian? Everything points to yes. The Fujian (Type 003)first Chinese aircraft carrier with electromagnetic catapults (EMALS), has shown in official material at the end of July 2025 indications of catapult launches with J-15T devices, and media as naval news they take for granted that the J-15DT is aligned with that platform. The entry into the Fujian service is handled by the end of 2025, a forecast subject to changes. One more piece in China’s military puzzle. The J-15DT is a gear of the modernization of the popular liberation army: “Modern” in 2035 and “world class” in 2049. In Naval, 2025 saw the commissioning of the first Type 054B frigate, while the family of Type 075 carrier has been incorporated since 2021; On the horizon, the future type 004 appears. All this reinforces the ambition of having a more capable embarked aviation. Images | Faysue6 In Xataka | The Achilles heel of the F-35: without Chinese rare earth, the US military supply chain staggers

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