The MacBook Air M4 had a good price on Black Friday, but now it’s cheaper: so you can get it on sale

During Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday we could see very good offers on some Apple devices, but in the Cyber ​​Week At PcComponentes we have found an even better deal: the MacBook Air M4 go down to the 849 euros when adding it to cart. The price difference is not very high, but if we were planning to buy this computer we can get an additional discount of 10 euros compared to the price it had in recent weeks. A powerful and light laptop He MacBook Air M4 It is one of the devices with the best quality-price ratio within the Apple brand, especially with this offer. It is a good laptop—one of the best options, even—if what we are looking for is a computer solvent both to work and to study at home or away. {“videoId”:”x9fnll2″,”autoplay”:true,”title”:”macbook-air-m4″, “tag”:””, “duration”:”55″} And in addition to being powerful, it is a very light computer, since weighs only 1.24 kg. In relation to the latter, we are talking about the model that incorporates a 13.6-inch screen along with 16 GB of unified memory and 256 GB of internal storage. On the other hand, one of the key points is that this laptop comes with the M4 chipwhich offers good performance at practically all times. It is also worth noting that the computer comes with a battery that offers a theoretical autonomy of up to 18 hours video playback. In Xataka Consum sells a V16 beacon with which you can comply with the new DGT regulations starting January 1 You may also be interested Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images |Javier PenalvaApple In Xataka |MacBook Air M4 vs MackBook Air M3: these are the main differences between the two models In Xataka |MacBook Air Vs MacBook Pro: we explain which one to choose (function() { window._JS_MODULES = window._JS_MODULES || {}; var headElement = document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)(0); if (_JS_MODULES.instagram) { var instagramScript = document.createElement(‘script’); instagramScript.src=”https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js”; instagramScript.async = true; instagramScript.defer = true; headElement.appendChild(instagramScript); – The news The MacBook Air M4 had a good price on Black Friday, but now it’s cheaper: so you can get it on sale was originally published in Xataka by Alberto Garcia .

the price difference with gasoline is now almost zero

Bad news for drivers of diesel vehicles, who continue to be the majority in our country although they sell less and less. This fuel, which has traditionally been cheaper than gasoline, now faces a worrying future, and in fact the savings it previously offered are fading. It doesn’t stop going up. In the last five months the price of diesel has not stopped rising and in total its cost for the user has increased by 7% in this period. This upward trend is a setback for millions of users who see how the traditional economic advantage of their vehicles fades away little by little compared to gasoline options. Price gap closes. The most recent data from the EU Oil Bulletin, for the last week of November, indicate that the average price of diesel has stood at 1,456 euros per liter. That of 95 octane gasoline has not changed that much, and its appreciation in that time has been 2.1%, standing at 1,489 euros. The price difference between both fuels has been reducing in this second half of the year, and is now only 0.033 euros per liter, the narrowest margin since December 2023. Nuances. In reality, Spain’s situation is not exceptional, and in the EU there are already 11 countries – such as Austria, Belgium or Sweden – in which diesel is more expensive than gasoline. However, Spain remains one of the regions with the most affordable diesel, and is the fourth “cheapest” country in the EU, only behind Malta, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. Russia and winter. Inés Cardenal, Director of Legal Affairs of the Fuel Industry of Spain (AICE), explained in El País the possible causes. According to her, Russia “is a large producer of refined diesel, the fuel most consumed in winter in Europe, and that has continued to put pressure on the market for three years due to the mismatch between supply and demand.” The US sanctions on large Russian crude oil producers They don’t help, of course. Diesel had an advantage. The truth is that diesel plays with a fundamental advantage in Spain: It has a tax burden that is 10 cents per liter less than that affecting gasoline, something that has led to its lower price. However Spain promised Europe a tax reform in exchange for continuing to receive European funds, and the idea is precisely increase the tax burden on diesel to equate it to that of gasoline. The surprise has already happened. In the last 20 years there have only been two times when the price of diesel exceeded that of gasoline. The first in 2008 due to the massive “dieselization” of vehicles in Spain. The second, due to the war in Ukraine, which caused diesel to be slightly above gasoline in March 2022 (€1.83/l vs €1.81/l) and remained above half a year. Uncertainty. Although the price of crude oil has remained relatively stable in the last year, European fiscal policies and the geopolitical situation point to a potential paradigm shift. It may not be a bad idea to prepare for a scenario in which fill the tank in a diesel vehicle no longer represents the savings of yesteryear. Image | Ali Mkumbwa In Xataka | Given the slow progress of the electric car, Spain has a forgotten alternative: 100% renewable fuel

Europe has been closing refineries for 10 years. Now even a fire in Nigeria raises the price of diesel

Diesel prices in Europe have once again set off alarm bells. In a matter of days, the market has experienced a sharp rebound that cannot be interpreted as a one-off shock, but rather as the symptom of a fragile energy system that, in the face of a global chain of incidents, has left the continent without defenses. A chain of critical interruptions. The immediate origin is in a succession of stoppages in refineries and international tensions. According to the Financial TimesEuropean operators reacted with concern after several facilities in Kuwait, the United States and Nigeria were forced to stop or reduce production due to fires or technical problems. These interruptions coincided with already very low inventories and with demand that remains stronger than expected. Adding to this instability was the announcement that United States sanctions against the two largest Russian producers, Lukoil and Rosneft, will come into effect immediately. As the British media explains, these measures will block any operation related to the international assets of both companies, including refineries that still indirectly supply the European market. Only the Bulgarian Lukoil refinery has received a temporary exemption until 2026. The scenario is even more complicated with the fall of Russian crude oil. According to Bloombergits price has fallen to the lowest level in more than two years, just when large Asian buyers have paused purchases due to the entry into force of sanctions. In addition, the EU has also sanctioned Russian refined products that arrive re-exported from India or Türkiye, a flow that had served as an indirect way to compensate for the lack of European diesel. An extremely vulnerable market. Europe has lost refining capacity over the last decade. According to data cited by the Financial Timesthe continent has closed about 400,000 barrels per day since 2024. This reduction means that it is increasingly dependent on imported fuels and a global market that has become more volatile and unpredictable. The European industrial crisis amplifies this problem. Based on data from the petrochemical industry, high energy costs and Asian competition have caused massive closures of plants in the Netherlands, Germany and the United Kingdom. This industrial deterioration also affects the infrastructure linked to fuel processing. For analyst Benedict Georgethe result is clear: “European prices are much more sensitive to any disruption because Europe has closed many refineries in recent years.” A tense world. Although the price of diesel has skyrocketed, the global crude oil market presents a paradox. The International Energy Agency foresees a record surplus in 2026powered by the increase in OPEC+ production and for the rebirth of the American offshore. However, this future abundance is not alleviating current tension. As Bloomberg points outthe market remains trapped between sanctions, fears of specific shortages and sudden changes in global flows. Added to this is a particularly delicate geopolitical context for Europe. The peace plan proposed by the United States for Ukraine has generated a “diplomatic storm” in Brussels and kyiv for their apparent alignment with pro-Moscow positions. This diplomatic uncertainty – which affects sanctions, energy and continental security – adds pressure to an EU that already depends on abroad to guarantee its diesel supply after two years of war. A direct hit. Europe faces a structural problem: it has little of its own refining capacity, low inventories and a growing dependence on imports. Every global incident reaches the European consumer almost unmuffled. And this directly affects Spain for three reasons: Spanish transport depends mainly on diesel. Trucks, logistics vans, buses and much of rural transport continue to use diesel. The escalation is transferred to the prices of goods. Food, imported products, construction materials… Everything that moves by road becomes more expensive when diesel does. Price spikes are amplified. Being a net importer, Spain especially suffers from international volatility. The rapidity with which diesel has risen shows that Europe “has no margin”: each shock becomes a direct blow for consumers and companies. For a standard 55 liter tank, filling a diesel car is already around 79 euros, while with 95 gasoline the cost is close to 82 euros, according to current average prices. Is there relief in sight? In the short term, analysts cited by Financial Times They believe the rebound could moderate during the winter months, when refineries avoid scheduled shutdowns to maximize production. But they warn that the market will remain “vulnerable to any disruption.” In the medium term, the perspective is contradictory. On the one hand, the International Energy Agency anticipates a global surplus in 2026 and an increase in production in both the United States and OPEC+. On the other hand, Chinawhich has purchased more than 150 million barrels for reserves— could stop its acquisitions at any time, releasing an excess capable of sinking global prices or further tightening the chains if it decides to continue accumulating. The warning of a weak system. Europe faces uncomfortable evidence: it has built a fragile energy system at a time of maximum global tension. The combination of refinery shutdowns, sanctions on Russia, diplomatic tensions and loss of industrial capacity has left the continent exposed. As the London media summarizes, “inventories are extremely low and demand is better than expected.” An explosive mixture. While the world navigates between a future surplus and constant geopolitical crises, the present shows that any spark – a fire, a sanction or a diplomatic disagreement – ​​can reignite the European diesel market. And Europe, for now, appears to have few tools to prevent the next shock from hitting even harder. Image | FreePik Xataka | The world is heading towards an oil surplus: the US responds by filling the Gulf of Mexico with platforms again

features, price and technical sheet

POCO is back. The Xiaomi sub-brand returns to update its high-end, which this year features the flagship, the POCO F8 Ultra and the POCO F8 Pro, which is the terminal that concerns us in this article. It is not the most cutting-edge of the brand’s new line, but it is still a very complete mobile phone and a very interesting option for those looking for power at a good price. Let’s see what it offers us. POCO F8 Pro technical sheet LITTLE F8 PRO DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 157.49 x 75.25 x 8mm 199g SCREEN LITTLE HyperRGB AMOLED 6.59 inches, 2,510 x 1,156 px 120Hz Brightness up to 2,000 nits PROCESSOR Snapdragon 8 Elite RAM MEMORY 12GB LPDDR5X STORAGE 256/512GB UFS 4.1 REAR CAMERAS Main: 50MP, Light Fusion 800 1/1.55-inch sensor, f/1.88 aperture, OIS Telephoto: 50MP, f/2.2 aperture, 60mm equivalent Ultra wide: 8MP, f/2.2 FRONT CAMERA 20MP battery 6,210 mAh 100W fast charge Reverse charging up to 22.5W operating system HyperOS 3.0, based on Android 16 connectivity Dual SIM, 5G SA, Bluetooth 5.4, WiFi 7, NFC others Corning Gorilla Glass 7i IP68 water and dust resistance Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor Dual speakers with Hi-Res audio, Dolby Atmos, Sound by Bose price From 419.99 euros with offer Sober design and a huge module We start with appearance. POCO has opted for a design that is in line with what we are seeing lately: a flat design, with a metal frame with straight edges and a camera module that occupies the entire width of the mobile (although the cameras only occupy more or less half of the module). The back is covered in glass with a matte finish and comes in three colors: black, blue and titanium silver. POCO tells us that the F8 Pro is its first milled glass mobile and that the back has been sculpted from a 2mm thick block of glass, allowing the transition between the module and the camera to be smoother. And speaking of cameras, the POCO F8 Pro has a triple camera system, with a main sensor of 50 megapixels and 1/1.55 ​​inch diagonal. It is followed by a 50-megapixel telephoto and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle. The front camera is 20 megapixels. We go to the front, where we find a panel 6.59 inch AMOLED and brightness up to 2,000 nits. Of course, the 120Hz refresh rate and the protective glass, signed by Gorilla Glass, could not be missing. An ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is also mounted on the panel. Power and battery in abundance The POCO F8 Ultra has the most powerful Qualcomm chip, the Gen 5, but in this case POCO goes down a step and mounts the Snapdragon 8 Elite Simply put, presented last year. It is still a very high-level chip, with two Prime cores at 4.32Ghz and six performance cores up to 3.53Ghz. Regarding memory, it comes in two storage versions with 256 or 512GB, both with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM. Furthermore, it has the LiquidCool cooling system and WildBoost optimization, focused on offering stable performance by avoiding frame drops in gaming sessions. It has a 6,210mAh battery that, according to POCO, offers up to 16 hours of continuous use. It supports fast charging of up to 100W and reaches 100% charge in just 37 minutes. Versions and prices of the POCO F8 Pro As we said, the POCO F8 Pro comes in a version with 256GB and another with 512GB of storage. At launch it arrives with a promotional discount and can be purchased from 419.99 euros. In Xataka | HyperOS 3 on Xiaomi phones: these are the 13 models that are already updated, and the other nine from Redmi and POCO that will update later

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

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

The clothes you no longer wear have a price. For Vinted that price is 8,000 million euros

At the beginning of the year We marveled at Vinted’s trajectory. They closed 2024 with more than 800 million euros in revenue and a valuation of 5,000 million euros. 2025 looks even better and they are also planning a share sale that will skyrocket its valuation even more. What is happening. They tell it in Financial Times. The Lithuanian second-hand sales company is exploring a share sale that will increase its valuation up to 8,000 million euros. It is a ‘cash out’ operation, very common in cases like Vinted in which a company has grown a lot in a short time. The objective is for investors to sell their part and recover their initial investment. At the moment the operation is not closed, although there is talk that it could be completed at the beginning of 2026. Why it is important. The second-hand items market has been transformed with the appearance of platforms such as Wallapop, Milanuncios or Percentil. However, none can boast Vinted’s figures. The company has managed to stand out with a clear strategy focused on clothing and the promotion of its own payment system, Vinted Pay. Benefits. Vinted reached 813 million euros of revenue in 2024. According to Thomas Plantega, CEO of the company, they expect to close 2025 with record revenues that will exceed 1,000 million. The gross sales value of items on the platform could exceed 10 billion euros. As for net profits, they have not given forecasts, but in 2024 they have already tripled compared to the previous year, reaching almost 77 million euros. Diversification. Vinted was born with a clear focus on the buying and selling of second-hand clothing, that is where it made a name for itself and managed to differentiate itself from other more general second-hand platforms such as Wallapop. Recently the company has begun to open its categories and today we can now find electronic devices, video games and home furnishings, among others. The plan is to continue expanding. Target: USA. Vinted already operates in a total of fifteen countries, although not all of them are connected. Specifically, the United Kingdom is not connected to the rest of Europe, so they can only buy and sell within their borders. The next step will be to jump into the US market and the idea is to connect it precisely with the United Kingdom. Speaking to Bloomberg TVthe company’s CEO assured that the second-hand market is very underdeveloped in the United States, which represents a great opportunity for Vinted. Image | Vinted In Xataka | The second-hand luxury watch market was in crisis. US tariffs are reviving it

characteristics, price, engine, charge, autonomy and technical sheet.

“The Cayenne Electric marks the beginning of a new era for Porsche.” This is how it starts release that the German company has shared to detail the characteristics of its new SUV. And although it is a speech that sounds familiar to us from any presentation of any type of product, in this case it could not make more sense. On Halloween, Porsche presented its resultsand the figures were not good: losses of 967 million euros when, in 2024, they had had profits of 4,000 million. What has happened in these twelve months is that China has revolutionized the car scene with their electric. The Taycan has not been enoughwe had to react, and the answer is this Porsche Cayenne Electric. Why does an electric car have less autonomy than advertised? And it combines three elements that work: it is an SUV, it is electric and it is Porsche’s best-selling model. The new 100% electric Cayenne It has rained a lot since Porsche will launch the Cayenne in September 2002. It became the dream of many as it was one of the cars that James Bond could drive in the video game ‘all or nothing‘, and also the one preferred by the masses. The SUV has maintained its visual identity throughout the generations, and the electric one does not change too much a formula that has been proven to work. It is a little bigger: 55 millimetersto be exact. It measures 4,985 mm long, 1,980 mm wide and 1,674 mm high. The difference between the previous model and the electric one is greatest in the wheelbase, which is now 3,023 mm (13 millimeters longer than the previous one). And the trunk has a capacity of 90 liters for the front and between 781 and 1,588 liters in the main one, depending on how we configure the seats. If some sensations of the brand’s sportiness were already transmitted in the fuel models, in the new Cayenne Electric Porsche points directly to the Formula E. Before we get into that, it will arrive in two versions. On the one hand, the Cayenne Electric as access to the range: All-wheel drive. 408 HP (300 MW) in normal mode. 442 HP (325 MW) in Launch Control mode. Acceleration 0-100 in 4.8 seconds and maximum of 230 km/h. On the other hand, the Cayenne Electric Turbo: All-wheel drive. Up to 1,156 HP (850 MW) with Launch Control and 1,500 Nm of torque. In normal mode, 857 HP (630 MW) with ‘Push-to-Pass’ function that activates another 176 HP for 10 seconds. Acceleration from 0-100 in 2.5 seconds, from 0-200 in 7.4 seconds and maximum of 260 km/h. In addition to the power that each one delivers, there are important differences in both cooling and regeneration. The Turbo model, to withstand that power, has a direct oil cooling system for the rear axle motor. The goal is to ensure continuous high power. The ‘normal’ Electric model wants to be more efficient, and for that it has an energy regeneration system that returns charge to the battery with a power of up to 600 MW during braking. They claim that, in daily driving, around 97% of braking operations can be managed solely by electric motors. To get that one-pedal drive, wow. Both have adaptive air suspension as standard, but then there is the universe of extras. Both can be equipped with rear axle steering, something that turns the rear wheels 5º. Screens to power Inside, as it could not be otherwise, LEDs and screens reign. Even Mazda has given up on this and Porsche has ambient LEDs, a panoramic roof with variable light control and the aforementioned screens. On the front we have what they called Flow Display: a curved OLED panel integrated into the center console. It is complemented by a 14.25-inch fully digital instrument panel and a larger 14.9-inch instrument panel for the passenger. On the moon we have a head-up display that projects an effective 87-inch screen, showing information about what we have up to ten meters in front of the vehicle. Now, they have made an effort to comment that the most used controls, such as the climate control and the sound system volume controls, are physical. These screens are customizable using widgets, and we can also control some options using voice commands. They ensure that the software has a system of AI that “understands complex and interrelated queries, recognizes context and responds like a real interlocutor.” Arrives with ‘MagSafe’ Let’s go with the battery. This is a newly developed 113 kWh battery that allows a combined WLTP range of up to 642 km for the Cayenne Electric and up to 623 km for the Turbo model. For charging, it incorporates 800 volt technology with direct current charging capacity of up to 400 kW. According to the company, in these ideal conditions, it allows you to go from 10% to 80% in 16 minutes. In 10 minutes, you should have a range of 325 kilometers in the Cayenne and 315 km in the Cayenne Turbo. Now, the most peculiar thing is its inductive charge. It’s another extra, and one they focused on during the presentation at the IAA in Munich in early September. It is a platform on which we align the car so that it begins to charge with a power of up to 11 kW. You simply have to attach the plate to the ground and, when we park on it, the process begins. Price and launch of the Porsche Cayenne Electric Once the presentations are made, it’s time to look at the portfolio. The company has commented that orders are now accepted for the new model, which will arrive in the two aforementioned versions at the following price: Cayenne Electric: 108,296 euros. Cayenne Turbo Electric: 169,124 euros. And if you don’t want an electric one, Pôrsche assures that they will continue developing the Cayenne with hybrid and combustion propulsion systems “well into the next decade.” Of course, without additional details. … Read more

It is the new battlefield in the price war against Ouigo and Iryo

Just a few days ago, Trainline confirmed what we began to suspect for a long time: trains are rising in price. According to their data, Renfe, Ouigo and Iryo have increased their rates up to 40% in some cases and are forgetting their price war. Or they seemed to be forgetting. Because Renfe has pressed the accelerator in Andalusia. The offer. From Madrid to Seville or Malaga for seven euros. It is Renfe’s temporary offer which will be active between November 14 and 18. Every day a limited number of places will leave with ridiculous prices to move through the Andalusian corridor, with stops available in Ciudad Real, Puertollano, Villanueva de Córdoba, Córdoba, Puente Genil or Antequera, in addition to the cities already mentioned. The trains, of course, are part of the AVLO offer, the service low cost of Renfe that fights with Ouigo and Iryo to attract passengers at lower prices. The difference with the AVE lies, above all, in a greater number of stops and therefore a travel time that is usually longer. Price war? In recent months we have seen how high speed prices have risen. And they have risen a lot, in some cases. The most recent data is brought and collected by Trainline, the train ticket price comparator Expansion. Trains have become more expensive by up to 40% in one year on the Madrid-Barcelona corridor. The data reflect something that Álvaro Fernández Heredia, president of Renfe, already warned. “If they raise the price, we will follow them”announced a few weeks ago in an interview with Chain Being in which he also attacked his rivals, warning that they would have to explain why they come to Spain to lose money. The data of the CNMCwhich always arrive with some delay (the latest refer to the first half of the year) also point to an increase in the price of tickets but it is Madrid-Barcelona that has concentrated this growth. In the Andalusian and Valencian corridor, prices have fallen year-on-year. The Andalusian runner. The departure of the AVLO on the Madrid-Barcelona route, which does not have a confirmed return date, confirms that this route is the most expensive in Spain because its travelers are less susceptible to price variations. In fact, it is the corridor with the highest average price for all operators and in their sum, with a cost of 63.14 euros on average for the traveler and an increase of more than 15% compared to the first half of last year. In Andalusia, however, things are very different. Madrid-Málaga has maintained its year-on-year prices despite the fact that high speed has increased in general terms (-1.2% compared to the first half of 2024). And Madrid-Sevilla has dropped by more than 8%. In the absence of new data from the CNMC, we do know that Renfe increased the prices of its AVLO compared to the previous year by 3.4% but reduced those of the AVE by 3.8%. Taking into account that the average ticket price of the latter is 55.92 euros compared to 42.44 euros for the AVLO, the reduction is more noticeable than the increase in its range low cost. Ouigo in Andalusia. It must be taken into account that Ouigo arrived in Andalusia at the beginning of 2025, which is why last year two companies (Renfe and Iryo) were competing. The French company saw clearly that it had a gap to gain in the Andalusian corridor and that it was more sensitive to price variations than Madrid-Barcelona, ​​which is why It partially removed its trains from the latter and focused them on the southern corridor. Consequently, prices fell and in the absence of the CNMC making public the report that includes the data for July, August and September, already in June we saw a substantial reduction in the price of tickets compared to 2024, with falls of more than 28% in Iryo, greater than 22% in the AVE and 26% in AVLO. On average, prices that month fell 25.4%. In recent months, the battle in the southern corridor has continued. To the Renfe offer we must add the one that promoted Ouigo just a few weeks agoconnecting Barcelona with Seville for just over 20 euros. A way to continue competing in Madrid-Barcelona while maximizing resources. direct marking. The launch of new offers shows how Ouigo and Renfe mark each other closely. The Andalusian corridor in the first half of the year has been the place where Ouigo has put the most effort and where it has differentiated its prices the most from its competitors. In Madrid-Barcelona, ​​the difference in the average price between Ouigo and Renfe remained below two euros. In Madrid-Valencia and Madrid-Alicante it was even less, just a few cents. In the Andalusian corridor, however, Ouigo tickets were sold almost five euros cheaper than AVLO tickets in Madrid-Seville and the same situation was repeated in Madrid-Málaga. Photo | Smiley.toerist on Wikimedia In Xataka | If the summer has taught us anything, it is that Spain does not need more trains. You just need them to work.

The Steam Machine’s key to eating the market will be the price. And there Valve has an ace up its sleeve

The video game world is revolutionized. It’s not every day that a new “PC-console” is announced, but even rarer is that the device comes from Valve. They have just presented the Steam Machinea console-shaped PC that has been posed as a direct threat to Xbox and PS5but also for the Windows PC itself. Much has changed since Steam Machines from a decade ago and, with the new model, Valve will not take timid steps. Steam Deck has shown them that they have a lot to say in the field of hardware, but as always, success will depend on the price of the Steam Machine. It has to be attractive to gain a foothold. And Valve has a wild card called 30%. The price of the Steam Machine and the 30% wildcard A decade ago, Valve already took a hit with the first Steam Machines. He said that they were a timid bet because Valve developed the system, but between the fact that there were not so many games available for it (based on Linux) and that the machines were not designed by Valve, but rather delegated to companies like Asus and AlienWare (which set prices that were not competitive), well the thing ended… badly. The situation has changed a lot by three factors: In the shadows they continued to develop the Steam OS systemmaking it compatible with both Linux and Windows games. They launched a Steam Deck with which they have shown that they know how to make competitive hardware. Although threats such as Amazon and Epic Games have appeared, their platform remains the undisputed queen when we talk about PC gaming. The Steam Machine will arrive (accompanied by a new controller and a virtual reality viewer named Steam Frame) at the beginning of 2026. We do not know the specific date, nor the price. And, of course, once the initial excitement of the announcement had passed, the conversation turned to theorizing about the price of the Steam Machine. Here I want to be cautious because whenever hypotheses are launched about the price of hardware there are a lot of factors that come into play. We can take the components as a reference and say “To build a PC like this is about 700 euros”but then there are the design costs (it is very small and that increases the price), development, logistics… The last time the price of a console was theorized was with nintendo switch 2and their 470 euros They ended up surprising (although the 90 of some of their games were more surprising). Therefore, I don’t want to venture to say whether the Steam Machine will cost more or less. There are some clues. The Verge is one of the media outlets that has had the machine nearby and claims that Valve plans a price “similar to a PC with similar features.” From the middle they point about $800, but that’s only in components (without the system and other costs, for example), but the components are customized and look like versions of laptop CPUs and GPUs, not the ones we can buy for a desktop. From the technical media Digital Foundry take for granted that the range will be between 500 and 600 euros, but again: it is difficult to estimate because there is not much to scratch. Now, my reflection is that, if the objective of Steam is to punch the table and wants to take part of the pie from both the consoles Like the PC itself, the Steam Machine will be sold at a loss. Because? Because if there is a company that can afford it, it is Valve. For starters, it’s a private company. Gabe Newel, Valve’s boss, owns 51% of the shares. This implies that they do not have to give explanations to shareholders. This is why we do not have public figures for Steam profits or Steam Deck sales (although it is esteem which dominates the -small- consolidated PC market). But the reason why Valve can sell a console at a loss, or not care so much about not making money per machine sold, is because all the ones they sell have Steam as launcher and store, and the company keeps a significant percentage per game sold on the platform. That percentage is around 30%which implies that if a million copies of a game are sold, Valve’s share of the pie is considerable. And, although not all games sell millions, thousands of video games are released every month. that “solely” for setting up the servers and hosting the games developed by other companies. Besides, there is the matter of the stickersa market in which Steam also keeps a good percentage of each transaction. AND It is something that moves dizzying figures. On the Steam Machine, as on the Steam Deck, you can run games from platforms such as GOG, Epic or Rockstar, but in the end The PC marketplace par excellence is Steam. It is the mainstream platform and each of those Steam Machines will be a window to a store that has offers every now and then and that is very well positioned at a time when console games are more and more expensive. The consoles themselves are much more expensive than when they were launched five years ago. Therefore, although it is impossible to guess a price for the Steam Machine, as I said, If there is someone who can sell their machine at a loss because it will recover the difference with the software, that is Valve. And if they launch an affordable machine, with the market as it is, they can deal a tremendous blow to their direct competitors: consoles. But also to the PC itself. In Xataka | There are more and more physical video games that are paperweights. It is a tremendous problem for video games as art.

New Steam Machine, features, price and technical sheet

If you were thinking about buying a home console and were hesitating between PlayStation 5 or one Xbox Series X|Sa new player has just entered the game. Valve has presented the Steam Machinea proposal that aims high and comes with enough arguments to shake up the market. The company led by Gabe Newell has also announced a new virtual reality headset, the Steam Frameand an updated version of the Steam Controller. All of this reinforces the feeling that Valve wants to once again bet heavily on hardware and regain the prominence it had with the Steam Deck. Stam Machine technical sheet Stam Machine CPU AMD Zen 4 6 cores 12 threads Up to 4.8 GHz TDP: 30W GPU AMD RDNA3, 28 graphics cores Up to 2.45 GHz sustained TDP: 110W Support for 4K, 60 FPS gaming with FSR Ray tracing RAM memory 16GB DDR5 VRAM memory 8GB GDDR6 Storage 512GB (SSD) 2TB (SSD) Expandable via microSD Connectivity Ethernet 1Gbps WiFi 6E (2×2) USB-C 10Gbps (3.2 Gen 2) 4× USB-A ports (2× USB 3 front, 2× USB 2 rear) Operating system Steam OS Others Compatibility with third-party controllers Decorative LED light Price Unannounced Steam Machine: Valve’s great re-entry into the field of consoles Although Valve has not yet revealed the price and has only announced that its launch will take place “early 2026”, yes he has shared a good part of the specifications. The Steam Machine will come in two versions: one with 512 GB of storage and another with 2 TB, both expandable using cards microSD. It can be purchased separately or in a package with the new Steam Controller. This controller has a curious design, with the joysticks in an unusual position that invites you to try it to check its ergonomics. In any case, compatibility with other controllers – such as those for Xbox or PlayStation – is guaranteed. Inside, the console mounts a AMD Zen 4 processor with six cores and twelve threads, capable of reaching 4.8 GHz and with a TDP of 30 W. The graphics part is provided by an AMD RDNA3 GPU with 28 computing units, maximum sustained frequency of 2.45 GHz and a TDP of 110 W. On paper, the promise is clear: games in 4K and 60 FPS with FSR technology. Valve claims that the Steam Machine is “six times more powerful than the Steam Deck.” An ambitious statement, but one that makes sense if we think about the limits that the portable console already shows in some recent titles. This new machine seeks to offer a more fluid, more stable gaming experience and, above all, closer to that of a traditional desktop console. If we talk about memory, it will have 16 GB of DDR5 RAM and 8 GB of GDDR6 VRAM. For now there is no data on bandwidth, but there is data on connectivity: one port HDMI 2.0one USB-C and four USB-A (two front and two rear). The operating system chosen is SteamOS, as expected. Valve has maintained its active development since the times of the first Steam Machines, that project that didn’t take offbut which served as the basis for the subsequent success of the Steam Deck. Users will be able to access thousands of games from the SteamOS catalog (a new compatibility badge will be enabled) and even to cloud gaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming. However, some titles will remain absent, such as ‘GTA 6’, which will not be available at launch and whose future arrival is still uncertain. In any case, the Steam Machine is, in essence, a PC. So we can, for example, install another operating system like Windows to expand its possibilities. For now, there is only wait for Valve to confirm prices and specific dates launch to see if the Steam Machine manages to make its way among giants like Sony and Microsoft. Images | Valve In Xataka | ‘GTA 6’ seems invincible, but perhaps so much delay will end up taking its toll

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