puts

The measles outbreak is close to 8,500 cases and puts the health status of the country in check

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Measles has ceased to be a latent threat and has become a worrying statistical reality in Mexicoas the latest consolidated data from February 2026 have pointed out. These leave no doubt that the country is going through its most complex outbreak in decades, accumulating 8,459 confirmed cases since the start of the crisis in 2025. It’s already worrying. The situation has escalated to such a point that the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has issued a clear warning: If the chain of transmission is not cut in the coming weeks, Mexico could lose its status as a measles-free country. X-ray of the outbreak. The figures are compelling and draw a map of active transmission in the 32 states of the republic. Although the problem is national, the intensity is not homogeneous, since there are points where positive cases are much more evident. This is something that can be seen in the reports of the Ministry of Health (SSA) of Mexico, which indicates that so far in 2026, 2,143 cases have been reported. But the current epicenter is in Jaliscowhich is where 1,245 cases have been concentrated, representing almost 60% of the reports this entire year. Historical accumulated. Since February 2025, the state of Chihuahua leads the accumulated total with more than 4,400 cases, now followed by the rebound in the west of the country. But the most tragic thing is undoubtedly the human losses, since they have already been confirmed 27 deaths since the beginning of the outbreak in February 2025, with two recent deaths recorded in Tlaxcala and Michoacán This is in addition to the fact that the most vulnerable population is the youngest children, who are between one and four years old. Something that also makes it act as the perfect vector to infect the older population and those at greater risk of suffering from a more serious disease. The root of the problem. Experts point out that it is necessary to have a herd immunity to be able to apply containment to this serious health problem. And for such a contagious virus, at least 95% of the population is required to be vaccinated, something very similar to what was noted in the Covid pandemic in our environment. And the problem is precisely in low vaccination coverage that exists in these regions, causing many to not reach this percentage. And, despite the fact that the SSA reports the application of more than 11.8 million vaccinesthe spread of the virus suggests that there are still susceptible population groups, especially those where there are a greater number of cases right now. Use of face masks. As already happened in the COVID pandemic, there are some states such as Jalisco or Nuevo León that are evaluating the use of masks or face coveringsespecially in closed spaces and with a large influx of people. This is a simple containment barrier to prevent spread while the population finishes its vaccination schedule. The ultimatum. On the technical side, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has launched an extension until April to evaluate whether Mexico has achieved endemic transmission of this virus. This is something that is achieved when there is no continuous circulation of the virus in a territory for 12 months. Mexico has been fighting this outbreak since February 2025, and if transmission continues uninterrupted beyond the calendar year, measles will once again be considered endemic (typical of the region) and not an imported case. In addition to this, PAHO has confirmed that Mexico currently accounts for 71% of the cases on the entire American continent, a figure that forces health authorities to rethink the containment strategy to prevent its spread to the rest of the neighboring countries. What’s coming The next PAHO meeting in April will be critical in this regard. The decision that Mexico lose “measles-free” status It is not just a diplomatic label, but it implies greater costs in epidemiological surveillance, potential barriers in tourism and the confirmation of a major setback in the country’s public health status. Intensive campaigns are underway, but with the virus present in all states and active community transmission, the Mexican health system faces its most important test of the post-COVID era. A global problem. Although the news focuses on the many cases in Mexico in this case, the reality is that In other parts of the planet cases have also increased. One of the clearest examples is in the United States, where the CDC has raised alarm bells after observing how cases are multiplying in a matter of months. In Spain Official data also indicate that, while in 2023 only 14 cases were recorded, in 2024 they increased to 229 cases and in 2025 the forecast points to almost 400. Images | NIH Ed Us In Xataka | The myth of 37º: it is increasingly clear to us that there is no “normal” body temperature

who puts the most data centers into orbit

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He map of world data centers It shows that there is no decentralized internet and that they are proliferating like mushrooms. In fact, planet Earth has fallen short and big tech companies already have their eyes set on the sky to plant a data center in space due to issues such as energy demand, environmental impact and, why not say it, to avoid regulation. The “panacea” of space. Faced with the threat of energy consumption similar to that of Japan in 2030according to data from the International Energy Agency or the brutal density of Data center Alley in Loudonin northern Virginia, with nearly 250 operational facilities, space envisions the possibilities of having satellites equipped with solar panels that capture energy directly from the sun, thermal dissipation in space and the absence of terrain limitations. There’s less left. For it to be viable, it takes at least a decade, as esteem University of Central Florida research professor and former NASA member Phil Metzger. However, it is one thing for the bills to work out economically and another for technologically having to wait so long. According to Josep Jornetprofessor of computer and electrical engineering at Northeastern University and satellite researcher, in just a couple of years we will begin to see evidence. And he is clear: space is the next frontier to conquer: “There was a gold rush in the West. Now there is a space race and everyone wants to place their technology in space.” Money galore. The Catalan scientist is clear that companies have incentives to move quickly and invest to get ahead to dominate the AI ​​race in general and space in particular: “Everyone wants to say they have the first platform to reach this milestone (…)So companies are spending money like there is no tomorrow.” However, Google, SpaceX and Blue Origin they are already working in developing technologies for this purpose and they are not the only ones: SpaceX. At the end of the year the Wall Street Journal uncovered Elon Musk’s company’s plan to realize data centers in space. Its CEO explained in a tweet how he would do it: “It will be enough to scale the Starlink V3 satellites, which have high-speed laser links.” More specifically, they are working on modifying and improving their rockets to make them capable of hosting computing loads for AI. Blue Origin. The American media also put on the table Jeff Bezos’ project, which at the time revealed at the Italian Tech Week that it’s a matter of time before we see “giant training clusters” of AI in orbit in the next 10 to 20 years. The company has a team dedicated to developing the technology required for centers in space. Google. Last November the Mountain View company speak of their experimental project Project Suncatcher: in 2027 and with the collaboration of Planet Labs they will launch two test satellites with their own AI processing chips. Others. There are other smaller corporations working in this area. The most notable is StarCloud, a startup backed by NVIDIA that a few weeks ago launched a satellite with an NVDIA H100. This GPU is used to run a version GemmaGoogle’s open language model. You need energy (and knowing how to use it). Although the foundations have already been laid, the road is not exactly downhill. Jornet details that one of the big obstacles will be having enough energy for these orbital data centers to function: “The Sun can be a great source of energy, but to properly harness it, orbiting data centers would need huge solar panels kilometers long or a constellation of smaller panels that could number in the tens of thousands.” Life in space is hard. There are more melons to open, such as how AI chips will withstand harmful space radiation, as well as heat dissipation and cooling. On Earth thousands of liters of water are used. In space there is no such option and although temperatures are low, there is no air to cool the chips naturally. The bill to the Earth. Even ignoring the environmental impact in space, it also leaves its mark on Earth. At least, in the short term: rocket launches not only consume fossil fuels, but also damage ecosystems and animals in the environment, as happens at Cape Canaveralwhich now hosts about 80 launches a year. In Xataka | The real reason why Musk, Bezos and Pichai want to build data centers in space: bypass regulation In Xataka | The problem with data centers is not that they are running out of water or energy: it is that they are running out of copper Cover | Pixabay

AI steps on the accelerator while everyone else puts on the brakes

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AI is not only turning the economy upside down, politics and, in general to society. But it is also generating a salary gap between those technological profiles oriented to their development and implementation of AI and those who simply contribute to maintaining current technologies. At least that is one of the clearest conclusions drawn from the Salary Guide 2026which produces the technological employment portal every year Manfred, prepared with data from more than 120,000 profiles in its database, which, this year, has also been reinforced with data from the salary platform prosfy. Manfred’s guide shows that there are positions that have appreciated strongly, while others have lost traction and some have stagnated. Profiles on the rise: AI drives the market The big winners, without a doubt, are those roles linked to data, infrastructure and deployment of AI models, as well as their integration into the operations of companies. He AI engineer already starting from a median salary of 52,250 euros per year for a profile with between five and ten years of experience, with the 75th percentile close to 68,500 euros. This is a key hybrid profile in the deployment of AI as it navigates between the backend, MLOps and artificial intelligence, being very scarce and demanded by companies. For seniors with more than ten years of experience, the salary range is between 71,000 and 90,000 euros. He Data Scientist It has been the profile that has been most revalued since the popularization of AI. Their median salary reaches 55,400 euros, and the most experienced professionals easily exceed 70,000 euros. The shortage of specialists in AI models and architectures explains this jump towards 2026. Even higher up appears the MLOps Engineer (Machine Learning Operations), a key figure in bringing AI models to production. Their median salary is 60,125 euros and the 75th percentile is 80,000 euros. It is one of the most coveted profiles in large companies that seek to take the models they have been training in laboratories to production. In parallel to these profiles elevated by AIthe salary grows in profiles related to the structure for AI. For example, the profile of data engineer has increased its median salary by nearly 10,000 euros in recent years, already marking a median salary of 52,720 euros, with seniors above 65,500. Likewise, the roles of Data architect They already move at a median of 67,455 euros, exceeding 85,000 euros in the highest percentiles and with more than 10 years of experience. Advanced infrastructure profiles are also revalued, with the role of SRE/DevOps (Site Reliability Engineering and Development Operations) marking a median salary of 58,500 euros. As highlighted by Manfred, this profile is one of the most demanded by companies, but only a small number of senior professionals meet the requirements, which explains why their salary almost triples between those who have less than two years of experience and those who accumulate more than 10. Profiles that lose weight: less demand, less salary On the opposite side are the roles that companies are stopping hiring or, directly, doing without. One of the most punished is that of Mobile Engineeras a reflection of the stagnation of companies in the development of new projects based on this segment. The median of their salaries falls to 40,500 euros, with a clear contraction in the high percentiles limited to 50,500 euros. Only the more specialized professionals In very specific frameworks, such as React Native or Flutter, they remain in the highest percentiles with salaries that are around 65,000 or 70,000 euros for the most senior. More pronounced is the decline in the role of Product Designerwith a median salary of just 35,575 euros for professionals with more than five years of experience. Its cut has occurred due to a combination between the equipment cutting and excess supply, which has pushed the market downward. Something similar happens with the profiles of QA&Testinga role that is being assumed by the development teams that are directly automating with AI agents. The case of Tech Lead lives a somewhat ambiguous situation. On the one hand, his status as an intermediate position has placed him as a target in the structural flattening strategies that technology companies have implemented to cut costs. On the other hand, the senior development employees They have been acquiring the functions of this role “unofficially” so their demand has reduced in recent months. In any case, their median salary is 58,755 euros, but with fewer positions to fill. The stagnant: necessary roles, but not decisive Among the profiles that do not fall, but also do not grow, are those related to classical development functions. That is to say: the Front-End and Back-End, the largest group, on the other hand. The salary of a Back-End Engineer It is around 45,654 euros and the sections below the 50th percentile and with less experience even regress. This behavior highlights that new hires or those with less experienced staff have lower salaries than those who have been working for years. Something similar happens with the Front-End Engineerswhose median salary drops in all percentiles, standing at 42,570 euros, weighed down by the abundance of junior profiles and a lower volume of hiring. The underlying message that emerges from the salary study prepared by Manfred reflects that the Spanish tech sector is no longer increasing uniformly, but that AI has created a salary economy at two speedsdifferentiated by the segment in which value is added. Those who are focused on the development and implementation of AI are experiencing a meteoric rise, while the rest, who keep the current technological structure in operation, do so at a much slower pace. In Xataka | A study has compared the gap in public salaries vs. private companies in Europe and has found a problem: Spain Image | Unsplash (Hack Capital)

South Korea just turned on AX K1. “An AI for everyone” that puts the country in the race between China and the US

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The race for artificial intelligence It is the new diamond of the economy of many countries. one to whom they are throwing money as if the world were going to end and that it is having serious implications on issues that affect citizens such as energyhe employment and with one last controversy: the exorbitant price of RAM. The great powers they want to be sovereign in this field, and South Korea has just light his first hyperscale artificial intelligence model. His name could be some son of Elon Musk: AX K1. In short. Developed by the giant SK Telecom, AX K1 is a model that has 519 billion total parameters, although during inference, which is the practical use case, it “only” activates about 33 billion. It’s still accurate (as accurate as an AI can be) but consumes far fewer resources. That 519B – A33B mode is based on the ‘architecture’mixture of experts‘ that selects in real time and dynamically the optimal parameter subsets for each task. These parameters are like the neural connections that allow the model to “learn” during training, and the fact that South Korea already has a hyperscale model is a huge leap in the country’s position within the global picture of AI. Master Model. The design of this model allows stable performance in tasks such as advanced reasoning, mathematics and multilingual comprehension, but there is also an interesting concept: it works as a “Master Model”. These models are the ones that transfer knowledge to smaller models. While the master knows everything, the lighter model is specialized in a specific task. And, although the large model consumes an enormous amount of resources, the “student” that inherits complex capabilities without having to manage so many parameters can run on devices and environments with more limited resources. For example, the AX K1 with those 512B can “transfer its knowledge” to those below the 70B scale, much more specialized and cheaper. “As Korea’s leading AI company, we will continue to push forward our efforts to deliver AI for everyone” – Tae Yoon Kim “AI for everyone”. In less words: the master model allows the expansion of AI to be accelerated because the hyperscale is used for research, but the lower scale is used for more everyday products. And, precisely, that is what SK Telecom seeks: for its IOA to be the basis on which the country operates. In collaboration with different universities, associations and thanks to the memory manufacturer SK Hynix –one of the giants of the sector and part of SK Telecom-, the company hopes it will be the foundation of an “AI for all.” This implies that they will deploy it in their services and, as it is open source, its API can be the basis of other models in university, business and even national ecosystems. In fact, there is already talk of very specific solutions, such as access to AI through text messages and even phone calls, but also multilingual search services and even a boost for AI in video games. And, of course, for humanoid robotics either for education. The great advantage that the consortium that owns AX K1 has is that it is one of the largest groups in the world, with a presence in the semiconductor, telephone, transportation, construction, energy and video game industries. Therefore, you can easily scale this technology. Third in contention. SK Telecom has confirmed that it plans to continue expanding its model with agent-based execution and those 519Bs allow Korea to become “one of the top three artificial intelligence nations in the world,” in the words of Tae Yoon Kimone of those responsible for the model. The group’s intention is to help “consolidate South Korea as one of the world’s top three artificial intelligence nations,” a race that is taking place resources difficult to contextualize in both the United States and China and which is crushing markets like RAM for consumers. Image | SK Telecom In Xataka | The exorbitant deployment of data centers for AI has a new problem: salt caverns

Science puts the beta blockers in certain cases

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In the late 50s, Sir James Black Cardiovascular therapy revolutionized With your new treatment: beta blockers. A medication that has been the immovable pillar in current medicine for patients with an acute myocardial infarction in their history. But now, A series of studies They have arrived to change the idea we had about the administration of this treatment. A group of patients more affection. Studies published in the most prestigious medical magazines, such as The New EnglandThey arrive to draw a much more complex and personalized panorama of treatment administration. And he has reached such an extent that he suggests that for some people with a very specific clinical profile, and especially in women, their administration may not be necessary. Why are the beta blockers. To understand the magnitude of this change, you have to travel in time. The studies that cemented the use of beta blockers were carried out in the 80s, a very different era for cardiology. At that time, a heart attack was much less aggressive. There were no urgent angioplasties with stents to open obstructed arteries, nor the general use of High power statins either antiplatelet therapies dual In that context, the beta blockers demonstrated reduce mortality by an impressive 23%. A question in the air. Today, the standard treatment of a heart attack is radically different and much more effective. The question that floated in the air for years was: in this new era, are they still the universally necessary beta blockers, especially for those patients whose heart has not been seriously damaged? A concept that is key. To understand the great advance that has been made, you have to know what the left ventricular ejection fraction (FEVI). You can think like the “power percentage” that the heart has to expel the blood from the left ventricle to the aorta and by entity towards the coronary vessels of the heart. In this way, there are two scenarios right now on the table: Patient with a reduced fevi (≤40%): the heart has been weakened. In this group, no one doubts the benefit of the beta blockers since the evidence is solid. Patient with a non -reduced FEVI (> 40%): The heart maintains a good pumping force after infarction. It is here that the great debate has emerged around whether it is necessary to apply or not beta blockers so that they have a beneficial effect. THE REBOOT TEST. The first great protagonist of this new story is the reboot essaya massive study conducted in Spain and Italy with more than 8,500 patients. All participants had suffered an acute myocardial infarction, but had a FEVI greater than 40%. Half of these received beta blockers and the other half not. After a follow -up of 3.7 years, the results were overwhelming: there was no statistically significant difference between the two study groups. The Beta blocker group had an event rate of 22.5 per 1000 patients-year, compared to 21.7 in the group without them. Statistically, a technical draw. Beta blocker effect on women. Reboot analysis by sexwhich included 1,627 women, revealed a significant interaction. In men, the beta blockers showed neither benefit or harm. The event rate was practically identical, with or without treatment. In women, the result was radically different. Those who took beta blockers had a relative risk of 45% greater to suffer the main combined event with which they did not take them. Concentrated in two groups. This excess risk in women was mainly driven by an increase in mortality due to any cause. The study also discovered that this potential damage was concentrated in two subgroups: women with FIVI preserved (≥50%) and women who received higher doses of beta blockers. The researchers suggest that there could be pharmacokinetic reasons behind this. At equivalent doses, women tend to reach higher concentrations of the drug in blood due to physiological differences such as lower body weight and different metabolism. This could lead to adverse effects not seen in men with the same doses. Although it is something that will have to continue deepening. Studies that are opposite. The grace of science is that opposite results can be found on the same topic. And just when the reboot result seemed to sentence the debate, the results of the twin trials were published Betami and Danblock made in Norway and Denmark with almost 5,600 participants. With a similar design (patients with IAM and FEVI ≥40%) their conclusions were different. In this case, the treatment with beta blockers did demonstrate a benefit, reducing the risk of the primary objective (a death combined, major cardiovascular events, unplanned revascularization, stroke …). The incidence was 14.2% in the group with beta blockers compared to 16.3% in the control group. When the data broken down, the main engine of this benefit was a significant reduction in the incidence of a new myocardial infarction: 5% vs. 6.7%. Interestingly, and in direct contrast with reboot’s findings, its subgroup analysis showed that the benefit seemed more pronounced in women. A meta -analysis to find the midpoint. We have two mass studies, well designed and with opposite results. How do we solve this apparent contradiction? For this we use the most powerful tool of scientific evidence: a meta -analysis of individual patient data. An international team, led by the researchers of the previous essays, decided to combine strength. They combined the data of reboot patients, Betami, Danblock and a fourth smallest study (capital-RCT) to focus on a very specific group: those with slightly reduced FEVI (between 40% and 49%). This is the “gray area”, patients who do not have seriously damaged heart, but not completely normal. A surprising result. When analyzing the 1,885 patients who fit in this profile, the conclusion was clear: in this subgroup, the beta blockers are beneficial. A 25% reduction was seen in the risk of having a heart attack, heart failure or dying. In addition, the Hazard Ratio (a risk measure) was 0.75, indicating a clear and statistically significant protective effect. Beta … Read more

If you have ever wondered what the pride of the Spanish Navy is like, this virtual walk puts you in the S-81

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Although the Spanish Naval History is rich and prolificfor years, Spain built submarines under foreign license. Giving life to one of these vehicles is not an easy task, but at the beginning of this century, something changed and the Navy decided that it was time to have its own model: Class S-80. After years of development, delays and some problems, in November 2023 the S-81 was delivered, aka “Isaac Peral” It is a submarine with some of the latest technology innovations and A “unique” propulsion system (which will work at some point). And, if you have ever wondered what life is like within a submarine or how its operators train, the Navy has published a 3D video in which we can see some of the S-81 rooms. What needs to be done to enjoy the video is to give the ‘play’ and rotate with the mouse, turning the camera to see the first details of the roof and, then, of the interior. The first thing we see is the upper area of the submarine, which in some works has been indicated as the entrance zone to it, but that it is an ‘watchtower’ from which the commander performs the work of approach to port. It is the best point to control the operation and has manual controls and a huge compass. At the bottom of the bow, the submarine entrance hatch can be seen, as well as a series of countermeasures in the foreground. Apart from the torpedoes, the S-81 has electronic and acoustic countermeasures as part of its defense and survival suite. In the offensive weapons, it has torpedoes, missiles and mines. As countermeasures, an acoustic lally system is helped that Imitate the submarine signing To divert enemy torpedoes. It also has the possibility of launch mobile countermeasures, luresand the electronic system allows both the detection of enemies and the disturbance of adversary signals to increase their ability to perform furtive operations. In the final bow we see the hatch through which the crew enters the submarine. In the central hall, a plaque remembers the main characteristics of Isaac Peral, as well as some historical data. On both sides of the hall, we find dependencies for the crew. These are six or three beds cabins and each of the 48 occupants of the submarine has its own bunk. In other submarines, especially in the oldest, there was something called “hot bed”, beds in which the crew slept in shifts. Only the commander has his own cabinless than 3 m². Now, although the crew can be rested by having its own bed, there are bad news: there are only two toilets and three showers for the entire endowment. Under the candle, the highest part of the submarine that is from which the commander controls the entrance to port, is the command platform. This is the brain of the submarine and in the image below we can see operators training in the simulator found on the mainland. Also on the mainland, operators can train with a simulator to learn to keep the ships of the ship through ‘avatars’. It is very widespread, but it is always curious to see how they handle similar systems with Xbox’s command. The truth is that the virtual walk of the Navy is short and would have been great to see some non -confidential units under the optics of that 360º camera. Currently, Isaac Peral will be a few months stopped in port because it will undergo a new maintenance round. As they detail in The confidentialwork will be carried out in Mechanics, electricity, hydraulic, electronics and cooling areas With the intention of calibrating systems such as communications, analyze the operation of the drinking water production system and check the state of missile throwers. The S-81, the unique of the S-80 fleet at the moment, due to a postponement In the afloat of the S-82 Narciso Monturiol until the end of summer, it will be three months stopped in port for this maintenance. Images | Navy, Navantia, Rubén Somonte Mde In Xataka | That time Spain bombarded Istanbul: nine ships, a film flight and the Obsession of Octavio de Aragón

The magic number that puts Mercadona very much ahead of its competition and that has a hidden cost

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Mercadona has achieved something that seemed impossible in the saturated food distribution sector: A net margin of 3.88% in 2024. Well above not only Spanish or European rivals, but even world giants such as Costco (2.95%), Walmart (2.88%) or Tesco (2.87%). The figure, a trifle compared to other sectors, is stratospheric if we compare it with rivals such as Carrefour, with just 0.93%. Others, such as Dia, Casino or Auchan directly record losses. The supermarket business Historically operates with megic margins (1-2%) compensated for its high volume and cash flow. Mercadona, touching 4%, It is an anomaly. And he has achieved it mainly in the last five years, in which it has gone from 2.7% of 2019 to 3.88% of 2024. In addition, its net benefit has shot 37%, to 1,384 million euros. The 6 keys to unprecedented profitability “Total Efficiency” Model. The figures obey a polished strategy for decades. Juan Roig described the results of 2024 as “from ‘very good’ to ‘spectacular’” during his presentation at the central offices in Paterna. He attributed them to “the good progress of the economy, a great business model and brave decision making,” according to Castellón Plaza. One of Mercadona’s distinctive elements is its commitment to an “efficient assortment.” In other words: a short catalog. Other chains offer between 15,000 and 20,000 references, Mercadona has a rather lower number, prioritizing high -rotation products. It is one of the points that highlights the analysis of Food retaila strategy that “allows you to be more efficient, reach economies of scale and boost the quality of your own brand, all this while offering low prices.” That goes in the next point … Own brand domain. The weight of the distributor brand in Mercadona is overwhelming: its landowner brands, green or deliplus forest represent 58.2% of its sales, according to data from Actuality distribution About 2018. The chain then controlled approximately 44%of the total Spanish market of white brands, far ahead of competitors such as day (16%) or Lidl (11%). This strategy eliminates marketing costs and intermediaries associated with commercial brands. And allows you to set competitive prices without sacrificing margin. Mercadona has constantly invested in improving the quality of these products, developing them together with specialized suppliers to match or overcome the quality of leading brands. A unique relationship with suppliers. The Valencian chain has changed the distributor-professional relationship since the late nineties, when Roig promoted the “interproved” model. As it details INFORETAIL MAGAZINEMercadona “selected a manufacturer by category and granted long -term exclusivity to produce its brands”, working in “open book”: the chain knew the costs of the supplier and jointly set objectives of productivity improvement. Although this model has evolved since 2018 to a broader base of 1,400 “Totaler suppliers“, The philosophy of vertical integration and joint optimization remains. Mercadona negotiates block for all its stores, and that allows you to get conditions that other distributors do not get. The success of this symbiosis is such that, according to The economist“Mercadona suppliers are made of gold”, with growth of more than 10% in their sales during the last year. Logistics and automation. Mercadona operates one of the most sophisticated logistics networks in Europe, with 16 large highly automated blocks that supply their 1,674 supermarkets daily. In 2024, it allocated 276 million euros (26% of its total investment) to strengthen this infrastructure, according to Digital economy. The company has implemented advanced technologies such as the system Figa bridge picking (PPG) In its fresh warehouses, which speeds up the preparation of orders: it allows you to carry fresh products from the field to the store in 24 hours. Less losses and better perceived quality. This obsession with efficiency has raised productivity per employee at 313,545 euros per year, the highest in the sector. Almost null expense and marketing control. Unlike other chains with a lotHere is an example in this house) and not so much to announce products. Trust more on the mouth-a-or and the repetition of purchase. This savings in marketing, which for competitors can mean 1-2% of sales, is direct to the net margin. The company also maintains a relatively simple directive structure. In 2024, he even reduced his management committee to only six members, in front of the sixteen he came to have, according to reports Castellón Plaza. The six members of the Management Committee with Juan Roig in the presentation of results of exercise 2024. That committee came to have sixteen members. Image: Mercadona. No promotions or discounts. Mercadona has no loyalty program, points, coupons or specific discounts. Instead, opt for stable and competitive prices throughout the year. He no longer entrusts his motto ‘Always low prices‘which started at the end of the nineties, and in fact He has explicitly said that it is not his goal to be cheapbut the idea of ​​SPB remains in a certain way: fixed prices instead of specific offers. This saves you promotional marketing costs and constant price changes. In 2024 He reduced 2,000 pricesbut permanently and without this affecting its profitability, according to the company itself. In fact, its gross commercial margin remained stable at 24.7%, confirming that the increase in net profit (37%) compared to sales (9%) is mainly due to internal efficiency improvements, not to make products more expensive. Internationalization problems Mercadona has a 28% market share in Spain and is a baggy leader, but it is having difficulties when leaving other markets. In Portugal he has been for five years but “only” has sixty stores. Although the Portuguese is a market that has begun to give benefits (7 million euros in 2024), Roig has admitted that “it costs a lot” to grow there. As collected The avant -garde“after being forty years in Spain” it is not easy to adapt the model, and international expansion requires “generating managers in the country through internal promotion, which is a long process.” Mercadona has had to adapt its assortment to Portuguese taste and develop a local supplier network. According to Merca2although store sales in Portugal … Read more

France puts Apple a fine for making advertisers difficult. The problem of the fine is that it is symbolic

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Apple It has been fined with 150 million euros By the Fancesa regulatory authority, I authorized her in the concurrence. The sanction is due to its dominant position between 2021 and 2023 in the advertising segment in mobile applications. It is the first fine that an antimonopoly regulator issues Apple by the call Tracking transparency app (ATT). This technology is supposed to prevent apps from tracking us more than the account. In iPhone and iPad ATT it allows users to decide which apps can monitor their activity. However the system has been criticized by advertisers And for Apple’s rivals –With Facebook as a great example-, to which it harms by depending on that online advertising. In fact, the investigation that has ended up causing this fine comes from the complaints of Several online advertisers associations and also of Internet suppliers who accused Apple of abusing their privileged position. The French regulatory entity indicated in a statement that “although the objective pursued by ATT is not critical in itself, the way in which it applies It is not necessary or provided to the declared objective of Apple to protect personal data. “ In fact, the statement also stood out as ATT “particularly penalizes small advertisers”, who depend largely on third -party data for their business. The fine, of course, is much smaller than the European Union imposed on Apple last year for Spotify demand for “limiting options and drowning innovation.” Then The fine was 1.8 billion euros. Apple has indicated that it was disappointed with the fine, and that the French regulator has not specified what changes should make for its privacy control tool. The ATT system is also being investigated by the regulatory entities of Germany. The fine, as we say, is almost symbolic, especially if we compare it with what the EU imposed last year. Even so, this could return to Increase existing tensions with Donald Trump’s governmentwhich in recent weeks has begun to launch tariffs that raise a global commercial war and that of course They significantly affect Europe. Image | Anthony Choren | La Moncloa In Xataka | The Spanish car will be unscathed from US tariffs for a very simple reason: we manufacture cheap models

Should the same fine pay the same poor as a rich? Spain is already serious that the DGT puts progressive sanctions

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An increase of up to 500%. That is what has been able to add in the Congress of Deputies with their proposal of law to implement the concept of progressivity to traffic sanctions. A measure that already applies in other countries and aims to match the balance. This is what we know. A Law Proposition. First of all, it is important to know What is a law proposition. This formula allows any parliamentary group to present a letter in which the modification of a law or the creation of an existing one is. Once presented, the government has 30 days to answer whether or not it is processed. If processed, the deadline for presenting possible amendments to the text is opened. In case of moving forward is when the final approval of the text is discussed in the Congress of Deputies. Here is the time to approve this proposition, which decays or that different modifications are included. The proposal to add. Therefore, the proposal to add is, for the moment, in the first step before traffic violations are forward. However, it is still important because it opens the debate to the approval of progressive fines in our country. As you can read in the text presented at the Congress of Deputies, the idea is that the one who has the most pay in case of committing an infraction. “It cannot be that for some a fine ruins the month and for others it is a calderilla,” said Enrique Santiago, spokesman to add, in words collected by The country. What is it? As we say, in which he pays more who has the most. But, to what extent. That is what would have to be defined and add its proposal: A 30% increase in the cost of the sanction “in response to the severity and transcendence of the fact, the background of the offender and his status as a repeat offender, the potential danger created for himself and for the other users of the road and the criterion of proportionality” A 150% increase for sanctioned offenders whose annual gross income is between 70,000 and 85,000 euros. A 300 % increase between sanctioned offenders whose annual gross income between 85,000 and 100,000 euros. A 500 % increase for sanctioned offenders whose annual gross income greater than 100,000 euros. In addition to increases in the payment of sanctions, the proposal also includes reductions for serious and very serious infractions: 30% reduction for those who prove income up to 1.5 times the SMI 15% reduction for those who prove income between 1.5 and 2.5 times the SMI What do we pay? At the moment, the DGT contemplates three scenarios to punish the infractions According to the Traffic Law: Mild infractions: up to 100 euros of sanction. Serious infractions: sanction of 200 euros. Very serious infractions: sanction of 500 euros as a general rule. Reiteration in alcohol or drug use is punished with 1,000 euros. Driving a car with detectors or radar inhibitors is punished with 3,000 euros. Current punishments for speeding How much would we pay? If we apply the proposal to add to the current sanctions, it must be taken into account that all speeding is a serious offense, although a penalty of 100 euros is contemplated for the milder cases. That is, to exceed the maximum permitted speed would entail the payment of the following fines: People who enter less than 1.5 times the SMI: 70 euros. People entering between 1.5 and 2.5 times the SMI: 85 euros. People who exceed 2.5 times the SMI and up to 70,000 euros: they could pay up to 130 euros “in response to the severity and transcendence of the fact, the background of the offender and their status as a repeat offender, the potential danger created for himself and for the other users of the road and the criteria of proportionality.” People who enter between 70,000 and 85,000 euros: 250 euros. People entering between 85,000 and 100,000 euros: 400 euros. People who enter more than 100,000 euros: 600 euros. In response to more serious speed, which is punished with 600 euros, we could talk about sanctions of up to 3,600 euros at the upper end. For fines for drug use, it would amount to 6,000 euros. And for the use of inhibitors and radar detectors they would be 18,000 euros. Does this apply in any country? Yes, different European Union countries have this way of acting in traffic but not all apply in the same way. The most obvious and known case is that of Finland, pioneers who apply this method since 1929 according to Pyramid Consultingspecialized in resorting traffic sanctions. Finland is also famous because in the early 2000s, a Nokia manager was sanctioned with a Fine of 116,000 euros for exceeding the maximum limit allowed at 25 km/h. It is not the only Finnish case, Anders Wiklöf, Finnish millionaire owner of Wiklöf Holding (A group of more than 20 companies that invest in all types of sectors), complained that only three fines 300,000 euros had cost him. And Finland is not the only country where this criterion is applied. In Sweden and in Switzerland he also pays the most and in Denmark, reductions of up to 50% are contemplated when paying fines so not everything is bad news, they collect in Cubic centimeters. And does it work? There are doubts that increasing what is paid for traffic infractions has a real effect on traffic accidents. Some studies They claim that applying progressive fines can reduce road deaths by 5% and 2% serious injuries. However, a meta -analysis It did correlate an increase in the payment of the sanctions between 50 and 100% of the cost of them with a 15% reduction in infractions. Despite this, it was not confirmed that there was a clear correlation between this reduction and a decrease in the number of accidents, dead on the road or injured. Photo | Jorge Fraganillo In Xataka | We already know … Read more

First it was Broncano. Now, the new TVE director puts the channel’s afternoons up to compete with private

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No one has caught the filtration that TVE will have his own ‘Save me‘, As much as that concept is not entirely exact. The appearances of María Patiño and Belén Esteban in ‘The revolt‘(One of both meetings, two more from Esteban alone) They have been interpreted As consistent confirmations of the presentation of the presenters to public television, as it seems that it will finally be. However, it is more than a signing: behind there are proper names linked to the ‘Save Me’ phenomenon and a medium -term TVE strategy. Rumors of changes. The exclusive televise was givenin information that other media have been confirming: Aitor Albizua, presenter of ‘Figures and Letters’, will lead a daily program for the afternoons in which María Patiño and Belén Esteban will also be. Albizua has achieved unusual data for LA2, such as 5.5 of average monthly fee in February, and this step to La1 (without abandoning the contest that has given him fame) is a jump for the presenter, who will be in charge of a program that will flag one “deep renewal“In the afternoons of the chain. To renew the afternoons. This is how Sergio Calderón, director of RTVE, spoke of the public television plans for that strip, when he decided to cancel the series ‘The Modern’. In ‘RTVE responds‘, The program in which the defender of the audience of RTVE helps to resolve the doubts of the spectators with the directors of the chain, Calderón said that “the curve of audiences of the series benefited from the expectation of the start of the chapter of’ The Promise ‘, our daily leading series of the afternoons, and we saw that its curve depended in excess of the performance of this subsequent offer.” That is, it was a space with possibilities, but “it was impossible to maintain, at emotional and also budgetary rhythm, three daily series in the afternoons.” And there enters a new formula. Who is Sergio Calderón. In December last yearthe new president of RTVE, José Pablo López, appointed Calderón director of TVE (with a certain controversy for the urgency with which it arrived). Calderón worked in Mediaset Spain until March 2024 -was fired by Alessandro Salem, CEO of the group After Vasile-, after 13 years of responsible for thematic channels such as Divinity, Energy and Be Mad. Then he entered as director of content, innovation, marketing and communication of manufacturers Studio (previously the TV factory), a producer known for the creation of ‘Save Me’. He was one of those responsible for the creation of his heir program, ‘nor that we were Shhh’ that has ended up being broadcast and under his own digital channel, Quickie Canal. The popularization of TVE. The signing of Broncano and his Good audience resultsplanting face to that moment untouchable Pablo Motos, confirmed the turn of TVE Towards a more popular televisionprecisely that one that tried to distance Salem’s mediaset with the cancellation of Sálvame. It is in that model where both a hypothetical space with Buenafuente and this program with the rumored Esteban and Patiño (rumors reinforced by statements of both in ‘La Revuelta’, where a “we are available”). What is confirmed is that it will be daily, live, and the Osa Audiovisual Producciones, of the creators of ‘Save Me’ and ‘Nor what we were’ will be managed. For the first time. There were no previous referents of these radical changes in the orientation of TVE, which had always maintained in late cultural competitions such as’ the hunter ‘ – which also leaves the grill with’ Moderna’- and, since September 2024, three series that will now remain in two to give space to the new Magacin. A more radical change than it seems because with this not only face face in the battle of audiences with Broncano, turned and good source, but will also do so in the afternoon Sonsoles Onega and ‘afternoon’. Header | RTVE In Xataka | ‘La Revuelta’ has made the issuance of lotteries at last something interesting. In return, a millionaire fine has been taken

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