raising

For thousands of years, human beings have avoided crossing the Taklamakan Desert. Now China is raising fish there

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For more than 1,500 years, the merchants who traveled the Silk Road dared with oceans, mountains and jungles, they dared with endless walks, with warlords, with hunger and pain and the cold; with one of the most destructive epidemics in history; but they did not dare with the Taklamakan. That sand hell (whose name comes from the word ugiur for “abandon, leave alone, leave behind”) is not only the second largest dune desert in the world, but it moved, invaded and devoured everything around it. It’s been a nightmare for thousands of years. Well, now, China is farming fish right there. As? As it sounds, Xinjiang has been committed to producing fish and seafood “in the middle of the desert” for years. And no, obviously, it has nothing to do with “releasing fish in the sand” as if it were worms from Arrakis. The key is saline-alkaline water, lined ponds and recirculation techniques. It is not a revolutionary approach (already We have talked about similar techniques), but without a doubt Chinese producers are taking it to another level. Xinjiang aquaculture production was 196,500 tons in 2024. And, of course, the “desert seafood” boom raises questions about water, energy and scalability. From the promise of fresh fish… We are talking about a very harsh physical context (annual rainfall of less than 100 mm, very high evaporation and salinized soils): thus, the entire Tarim sub-basin depends on melting snow to provide water. Therefore, on the table, there are two clear approaches: the first, which has become popular in the Westtalks about the construction of monitored ponds. And this is already, in itself, very effective: “species such as grouper, mullet, shrimp, oysters and pearl musselsyes reach commercial size with survival rates close to 99%”, always according to the available data. But that’s just the beginning; just a proof of concept. …to the promise of mar. As explained by several chinese mediathe final horizon of the project is much more ambitious: creating a sea in the middle of the desert. That is, take advantage of the water associated with saline-alkaline soils and saline lakes to simulate marine conditions with technical adjustments, circulation systems and cultivation of microorganisms. And thus be able to breed species normally linked to the sea. But can that be done? Of course you can. We have the technology to do it. In a world where aquaculture already exceeds extractive fishing in volume, the interesting question is not that: the question is whether the model is scalable without aggravating tensions over water in a hyper-arid region dependent on snowmelt. What the industry that sees tons of fish emerging from the desert is asking is something even more basic: is it possible that the beginning of the end of commercial fishing is beginning? Image | On Magnet | China is exporting millions of shrimp with antibiotics to the world. And they could end up on your table

In 2016 a man began to edit movies with kittens videos. Today he projects them in cinemas and is raising a fortune

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Imagine that you like cats so much that you decide to set up a movie from funny videos that you find online. And now imagine that You end up becoming a film festival And I peta. It is not fiction, it is the story of Cat video fest And last year he raised more than one million dollars. The phenomenon. The cats are A whole genre of the Internetone that seems that It never goes out of style. In 2016, Will Braden decided to set up a feature film with funny cats of cats because … why not? It was the principle of Cat Video Fest, an annual event that projects a cinemas in cinemas and has a very noble objective: to donate part of the collection to shelters and associations of needy cats. He began projecting in the United States and Canada, but growing popularity has made it projected in other countries in the world. Cats and that’s it? Yes, cats and that’s it. Throwing things from the table, in strange postures, making mischievas … there is no history or conductive thread, only funny videos of cats, one behind the other. The 2024 film lasted 73 minutes. Those are many cat videos. In a Variety reportthe creator admits that he sees more than 15,000 cat videos a year and selects about 200 for the movie. A job. “It’s my full -time work. On my card I see that I see cat videos,” says Braden. It looks like a fairly easy and pleasant job, but there is a quite dense part: request and get permits to use the content. The selection of videos takes a complete quarter, as is the same as getting the permits of everything. The last quarter before launch is dedicated to distribution and promotion tasks. Of course, he admits that his wife who is a primary teacher wins more than him. It is profitable. There is not much information about the total raised from the first edition, but we do know what they achieved in 2024. In a Note to Shareholders (Yes, he has shareholders), Will Braden said that the total collection amounted to 1,026. $ 470, of which she would donate $ 100,000 to shelters. In one Reddit Question SessionBraden said that the minimum they donate from each entry is 10%, “sometimes more depending on the city.” It does not give details of how the remaining 90% is distributed, but they do say they dedicate it to pay the cinemas where it is projected. The 2025 edition begins to project tomorrow and hope to get 1.2 million dollars only in the collection of the United States and Canada. Image | Cat video fest In Xataka | The ‘Maullido Division’, when Russia released 5,000 cats to help in World War II

The last one signs Google “raising” his commitment to Vibe Coding

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Openai is at a key moment. On the one hand it has the entire technological industry pending its next great revolution with GPT-5its next language model that will boost Chatgpt and the rest of its AI tools. However, it is also in the midst of a bloody battle to stay for the best talent in ia. Goal has already been shown taking several of his top minds. Now Google has also moved card taking the founders of Windsurfthe company in which Openai had put an eye To buy for about 3,000 million dollars. Google’s master play. This Friday, Windsurf confirmed The play with the departure of the CEO, Varun Mohan, and the co -founder Douglas Chen, along with several key researchers of the startup that has promoted, together with cursor, the ‘Vibe Coding‘. The operation, valued at 2.4 billion dollars, includes a non -exclusive license of Windsurf technology, but leaves out any participation in the company. It is the classic “Reverse-Acquihire” that allows technological giants to take talent without awakening regulatory alarms. The context of the debacle. Openai had been negotiating the purchase of Windsurf for months, a startup that had fired its annual revenues up to 100 million dollars in April, multiplying its turnover in a few months. However, the operation had generated internal tensions between Openai and Microsoftits largest investor, since OpenAi wanted to prevent its partner from having access to Windsurf programming technology. This blockade in the agreement with Microsoft caused the purchase not to continue. In this way, when the period of exclusivity expired Openai had agreed with Windsurf to negotiate his purchase this Friday, Google did not hesitate to enter with an offer that Openai could not match. Talent bleeding. Meanwhile, goal continues to execute its burned land strategy in the AI labor market. The Zuckerberg company is offering salary packages ranging from 10 to 100 million dollars to star researchers, an unprecedented escalation that has triggered the salaries of the sector 50% since 2022. The goal is to sign 50 experts to lead their new Superintelligence Laboratoryafter the stumbling blocks of his calls and the exit of key figures such as research director Joelle Pineau. The company has already taken to several topnai top minds to his superintelligence laboratory, and has done the same with many other companies, as is the case of AI star engineer in Apple, Zhifeng Chen. Between the lines. Windsurf loss is especially painful for OpenAI because it represented its direct entry into the developer tool market, where Github co -ilot Microsoft dominates with authority. It was a way of diversifying its business beyond Chatgpt and competing in a niche that is experiencing explosive growth thanks to the tendency to program with the help of AI. Google moves file on an increasingly competitive terrain, making Openai’s strategy difficult in this segment. The pressure intensifies. The situation becomes more complex when the competitive context is analyzed. Anthropic has managed to significantly boost his income thanks to Claude Codeits programming tool, while startups as cursor (valued at 10,000 million) and Replit continue to gain ground. Google has now also entered full of offering programming tools promoted by AI, and many as many as XAI with Grok also They have announced Wanting to participate in this wave with a code specialized model that is expected to launch in August. Cover image: Wallpapercave and Village Global In Xataka | We knew that AI would generate new jobs that did not exist before. What we did not expect is that he was fixing his pifias

Fleeing from China means raising prices

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The United States has granted a small truce to the incessant tariff war temporarily paralyzing the levies for electronic devices. Scarce hours after communicating that The global tariff would be set at 10%completely putting the focus on 125% imposed on China, Trump throws an oxygen ball for large technological ones. Whatever happens with tariffs, there is an inevitable consequence: the global supply chain has been broken as we know it, and companies must start moving quickly with the consequences that this entails. Apple as best example. Among all the technology is one that stands out as the greatest beneficiary and, at the same time, such as the one that has to lose the most if it does not act agility. Apple depends deeply on its supply chain in China. The Asian country assembles almost all of its products, a situation that will criticize the entry into force of A 125% tariff to China. In the last five years, Apple has tried diversify its production chain With factories in countries like India or Vietnambut the bulk of its production, accumulated knowledge and economies of scale are still anchored in China. Getting out of China is not so easy. Apple is not the only giant that manufactures in China. Samsung continues to manufacture there, although to a very small extent and focused on smaller devices and components. Giants such as Microsoft, HP or Dell (USA), which have been moving production to Mexico and Thailand for years, have Much of the production chain In China. Its hyperspecialized industrial infrastructure, perfected for more than four decades hand in hand with large technological ones, is impossible to replicate in the short term. Big Tech have been externalizing their own talent for years: they have invested millions in installing equipment, training engineers and moving their knowledge to the Asian country. Vietnam, India, Thailand. Manufacturers need two pillars to cement their production chain: economic labor and specialized labor. Countries like Vietnam, thanks in great part to collaboration with giants such as Samsung, have been offering an alternative to Chinese manufacturing for more than two decades. Manufacturers like Samsung They have been moving much of their production to Vietnam for years to reduce their dependence on China. Except for Apple, which is still behind in this great escape, most of the sector has followed that path. But not even that diversification guarantees total immunity: the threat of new tariffs, such as those of 46% that Trump has already imposed just a week ago to Vietnamese products, could return the commercial tension to the foreground. An inevitable turn. There is no possible scenario that prevents deep changes in the global supply chain. Manufacturers have been avoiding production on local soil for the very high costs that this would entail, and betting on hyperspecialized countries in which they have invested millions, talent, and i+d. The tariff threat will change the turns, whatever happens. The 90 -day extension in the exemptions will allow to avoid a sudden rise in prices, but will not prevent large manufacturers from beginning to rethink deep changes in their manufacturing strategy. Move file and move it fast. The inevitable consequence is diversification, one that has been making progressively and slowly and must accelerate if companies want to continue respecting their profit margins. This diversification will go hand in hand, practically inevitably, of price increases. Fleeing China completely has a cost, and thinking that manufacturers will assume the impact without moving it to final consumers is little more than utopian. Image | ASML In Xataka | Spain acts where Europe doubts: the strategy that is paying fruits in China

Goal approaches 100,000 million invested in metoverso, and has no intention of raising the foot of the accelerator

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More than ten years have passed since Mark Zuckerberg announced the purchase of Oculus And he began to profile his idea of ​​’Metaverso‘, although the concept did not gain prominence until 2021, When Facebook, Inc. was called Platforms goal, Inc. Reality labs, the division that promotes this initiative, is on the way to burn 100,000 million dollarsand everything indicates that there is still a long way before those promises of incredible virtual worlds, where to work, play and socialize, come true. Virtual and mixed reality glasses, such as Quest Pro goal, Quest 3 goal either Apple Vision Prothey are the entrance door to this type of experience. However, these devices are not yet powerful, light and affordable to gain ground in the general public. A reflection of this reality is Tim Cook’s statements last year, when Apple’s CEO recognized that their glasses are “an early adoption product” intended for “people who want to have tomorrow’s technology.” Goal continues to burn money in metaverso Between 2014 and 2024, Meta has invested more than 80,000 million dollars in its virtual and augmented reality ambitions. The data comes from your financial ones that reflect an expense of 19,875 million dollars and a benefit of 2,146 million dollars to throughout the last year. In other words, the reality Labs division closed 2024 with losses of 17,729 million dollars. Far from lifting the accelerator’s foot, the giant of social networks remains convinced that this is the way, so he anticipates a 2025 with more investment and more losses in reality labs. Few companies in the world can afford with such long term. Meta, of course, is one of them: in 2024 he recorded net profits of 87,109 million dollars in family of apps (FOA), the segment that encompasses products and services such as Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp. Although reality labs is closely linked to metoverso, its reach goes much further. Immediately, this division is the epicenter of commercial products with relative successlike the family of target quest glasses and Ray-Ban Metadeveloped in collaboration with Essiloruxotic. But it is also the laboratory where the future of the company is being built. Last year we first saw Oriona prototype of augmented reality glasses that, According to Zuckerberg himselfit could one day replace the smartphone as we know it. At first glance, Orion glasses are more bulky and robust than the finish lines, probably due to the internal components necessary to project images. And they integrate micro LED projectorscapable of superimposing information in the real world. The idea is to use the physical environment as a canvas for 2D and 3D apps. But there is more. Reality labs is working on the powerful, light and affordable glasses that we mentioned at the beginning. And that, of course, requires a lot of work. At the visualization level, the objective is to achieve a practically indistinguishable experience of reality. But it is not enough with high resolution screens in next -generation glasses, but it is necessary develop technologies that still do not exist to adapt to the complex human visual system. In addition, projects include the exploration of new interfaces, such as electromiography based, which allow controlling devices through neuromuscular signals. As the company itself recognizes, its bet is to develop products that we will not see soon, but will reach its maximum splendor “in the next decade” It will be necessary to see if this goal is still standing with the advance of artificial intelligence (AI), a field in which Meta is investing billions and that, at some point, converges with its vision of metavers. Images | Goal In Xataka | Samsung and Google already have almost lists their own vision pro. And they have two fundamental advantages: Gemini and La Voz

The new Spider-Man series arrives at Disney+, but it has something that is raising controversy: its animation style

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Marvel’s new arachnid hero animation series, ‘Your friend and neighbor Spider-Man‘ has arrived at Disney+and raises an interesting point of view, although of course not unpublished in the adaptations of the hero: his first years with the costume, in which he combines work as a photographer of Peter Parker with his care Safeguard your secret identity and, at times, save New York from some cataclysm than another. However, What has caught the attention has not been his argument, but his peculiar aesthetics: appropriate to reflect the comiquero spirit of the series, has a style that reminds of Cel-Shading of the games a few years ago. That is, more than the Cel-Shading Sophisticated titles such as the next ‘Borderlands 4’ or ‘Hi-Fi Rush’, is closer to original experiments with style, such as ‘XIII’ U ‘Okami’. That it does not have to be bad, we are all excited about ‘Jet Set Radio’, but criticisms have already pointed out that it gives a somewhat expired touch to the series. Jeff Trammell, Srie’s screenwriter, defended the style in techradar. He declared that “there is no Spider-Man like ours. I think it is important -Man mixed with others, you think: ‘That is the Spider-Man of’ Your friend and neighbor Spider-Man ‘”. The truth is that this style sometimes leads to something rigid and somewhat artificial environments, But the truth is that it is perfect for action sequencesand transmits purely comic vibrations. Although it is not the only complaint: in the first two episodes that have been seen from the series, the scenarios are somewhat soulless, with empty and grid streets and that remember, again, to video games of a time that was already left behind. It is a shame, although the entire series will have to be seen to calibrate to what extent these problems weigh in the final result. Header | Disney In Xataka | ‘Spider-Man’: Where and in what order to see the films and series of Marvel character

China is raising an unprecedented dam where millions of people live. The problem is seismic activity

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Before finishing 2024 we advanced what was known about China’s last megonstruction. Actually, we could not talk about “another” as if it were something else in a long list, because it is possibly one of the most ambitious projects that are reminded of the nation: a super prey so monumental that would leave The three throats relegated to the background, producing three times more energy than the spectacular structure of more than two kilometers long. Of course, there is some problem. The superpress. It is a reality: China advances with the construction of the Motuo Superpress in Tibetan unprecedented infrastructure project that, if completed, will become the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world taking advantage of an abrupt slope of 2,800 meters, exceeding the capacity of the three throats dam (currently the biggest in the world). Located in The Grand Canyon of Yarlung Tsangpoon the border with India, the dam has aroused environmental, geopolitical and humanitarian concerns, especially due to the lack of transparency of Beijing about its development. Experts warn that the project represents a “water pump” for millions of people in India and Bangladesh. Seismic risks. The Tibet is One of the most seismically active regions on the planetit has been known for a long time because it is located in the collision of the Indian plaque and the Euroasy Plate. In fact, a recent 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Shigatse It caused damage to five hydroelectric dams and the death of 134 people, demonstrating how vulnerable infrastructure in the region is. Although Motuo’s work can be designed to withstand earthquakes, landslides and mud alluds could serve as a fuse and unleash, representing a direct threat to nearby populations. We speak, again, millions of people. This risk is aggravated by the phenomenon of Seismicity induced by reservoirs (RTS)where the weight of accumulated water in large dams can trigger earthquakes. An example is the zipingpu damwhose construction was followed by Sichuan’s devastating earthquake in 2008 which charged 87,000 lives. In addition, sediment retention by the dam could reduce the fertility of the soil downstream, causing erosion in the rivers and coasts of India and Bangladesh. Gran_Cañón Yarlung Tsangpo Environmental impact. The dam too would alter the water and climatic patterns Crucial for agriculture in the region. The Tibet, where Brahmaputra is born, is one of the most biodiverse regions of the world and a key regulator of Asian climate. The construction of the superpress could, for example, alter the monsoon rainfallwith devastating effects for agriculture in India and Bangladesh. In addition, the ecological impact of Chinese megaemblses is already evident in other international rivers, Like the Mekong, where the dams have caused droughts recurring and the intrusion of salt water in agricultural deltas. Impact between the premises and (des) information. It is another leg that must tie the project. The Tibet is under a strong control of the Chinese Communist Party, so the magnitude of the displacement of Tibetans that will require the work is not known. In this regard, Beijing has not revealed details about costs (It is estimated that total investment will exceed 130,000 million euros), The companies involved or the number of people who will be relocated. And if we are guided by other cases in Chinese provinces, protests against hydroelectric projects have been repressedit is suggested that any opposition in the Tibet will be silenced. Geopolitics of a superpress. He Brahmaputrawhich flows to India and Bangladesh, is a vital artery for millions of people. Again, that lack of Chinese transparency has generated distrust in New Delhi and Daca, whose scientists have demanded access to hydrological data to evaluate the risks of the work. India, meanwhile, Fears China use river control as a geopolitical weaponrestricting or diverting the flow in case of conflicts. Thus, and in the face of uncertainty, some Indian officials have proposed an alternative: Build a dam in a Brahmaputra tributary to counteract possible flow reductionsalthough this solution does not seem ideal and could also harm the ecology of the region. Imminent risk. Nikei had this week That the possibility of a catastrophic collapse is not a simple speculation. China has suffered hundreds of dam failures throughout its historyincluding the worst disaster ever registered: The collapse in cascade of the Banqiao dam And another 61 dams in 1975, an event that caused 85,000 direct deaths and displaced 11 million people. Even The three throats dam was on the verge of collapse in 2020endangering 400 million people. Therefore, if a strong earthquake hit the region and cause the rupture of the superpress, Millions of people in the Brahmaputra Valley in India and Bangladesh could be affected by catastrophic floods, aggravating. In addition, geopolitical and humanitarian tensions in the region. If you want also, it is feasible to think that with this mega -Obra, China would not only reinforce its control over the water resources of Asia, but also converting Brahmaputra into a geopolitical weaponincreasing their pressure capacity over their neighbors. Image | Harvey BarrisonNASA In Xataka | China prepares the most expensive megaestructure on the planet: a hydroelectric power plant on the most controversial place possible In Xataka | The three throats dam is so huge that it has caused something unexpected: extending the days of the earth

The small city that Mexico is raising to receive the thousands of deportees waiting from the US.

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Image source, Reuters Article information Author, Will Grant Author’s title, BBC News, correspondent in Mexico January 27, 2025, 13:44 GMT Updated 1 hour In the shadow of a huge crucifix, the workers and construction workers of Ciudad Juárez, a Mexican border city, are building a small city. A city of tents. In the old fairgrounds, under an altar built for a Mass of Pope Francis in 2016, the Mexican government prepares for the thousands of deportees who expect to arrive from the United States in the coming weeks. Ciudad Juárez is one of the eight border towns along the 3,000 kilometers of border in which the country is preparing for the expected expulsion wave. Men with boots and baseball caps rise to the top of a vast metal structure to cover it with a thick white canvas, raising a rudimentary shelter to temporarily house men and women exactly the same the same. It is likely that eventual workers, domestic employees, cooking personnel and agricultural pawns are soon among those sent to the south, once the President Donald Trump calls “the greatest deportation in the history of the United States. “ Image source, Getty images Photo foot, In Ciudad Juárez, Mexican authorities are building a huge center to house deportees. Not only roof and food In addition to nature protection, deportees will receive food, medical care and help to obtain Mexican identity documents, within the framework of a deporteed support program that the administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum calls “Mexico hugs you”. “Mexico will do everything you need to attend to its compatriots and allocate what is necessary to receive those who are repatriated,” said the Mexican Secretary of the Interior, Rosa Icela Rodríguez, the day of Trump’s possession. For her part, President Sheinbaum has stressed that her government will first meet the humanitarian needs of those who return, stating that they will be able to benefit from the social programs and pensions of her government, and that they can work immediately. He urged Mexicans to “keep calm and cold head” about relations with President Trump and his administration, from deportations to the threat of tariffs. “With Mexico, I think we are doing very well,” said President Trump in a video speech against Davos’s World Economic Forum last week. President Sheinbaum has said that the key is in the dialogue and keeping communication channels open. However, it recognizes the potential tension that the Emergency Declaration on the US border by President Trump could assume for Mexico. It is estimated that 5 million undocumented Mexicans currently live in the US and the perspective of a massive return could quickly saturate and overflow border cities such as Juarez and Tijuana. Image source, Getty images Photo foot, Mexico is ready to receive the thousands of deportees that Trump expects to expel from the US in the coming weeks. A difficult task It is an issue that worries José María García Lara, director of the Hostel for Immigrants Juventud 2000 of Tijuana. While teaching me the facilities, which are almost at the limit of their capacity, ensures that there are very few places where you can host more families. “If necessary, perhaps we can put some people in the kitchen or in the library,” he explains. But he admits that there will come a time when there is no longer space, and donations of food, medical material, blankets and hygiene products do not supply. “We are being beaten on two fronts. First, the arrival of Mexicans and other migrants fleeing violence,” says Garcia. “But we will also have the mass deportations. We do not know how many people will cross the border needing our help. Together, these two things could create a big problem,” he warns. In addition, another key part of Trump’s executive orders includes a policy called “staying in Mexico”, under which immigrants waiting for dates to make their asylum cases in an Imigration Court of the United States would have to remain in Mexico before those appointments. Image source, Getty images Photo foot, Mexico has also reinforced security on its side of the border to try to stop illegal crosses. When “staying in Mexico” was previously in force, during Trump’s first term and under the presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador in Mexico, Mexican border cities fought to get ahead. Human rights groups also repeatedly denounced the risks to which migrants were exposed when they were forced to wait in dangerous cities where crime related to drug cartels abounds. This time, Sheinbaum has made it clear that Mexico does not agree with the plan and will not accept any US non -Mexican asylum seeker while waiting for her audiences. It is clear that “staying in Mexico” only works if Mexico is willing to fulfill it. Until now, it has drawn a line. President Trump has deployed about 2,500 soldiers on the southern border of the US, which will be responsible for carrying out part of the logistics of his offensive. In Tijuana, meanwhile, Mexican soldiers help prepare for consequences. The authorities have prepared an event center called flamingos with 1,800 beds for the returnees, with troops that bring supplies, install a kitchen and showers. Image source, Getty images Photo foot, In his early days in the White House, Trump has issued a series of orders that seek to launch the largest deportation of undocumented history. While President Trump signed executive orders last Monday, a minibus crossed the doors of the Chaparral border crossing, between San Diego and Tijuana, transporting a handful of deportees. A few journalists had gathered to try to speak with the first deportees of the Trump era. However, it was a routine deportation, which probably had been preparing for weeks and had nothing to do with the documents Trump was signing before a crowd cooling in Washington DC However, symbolically, while the minibus passed at full speed ahead of the media waiting before a refuge managed by the Government, these will be the first of many. Mexico will … Read more

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