Real

California project is being a real nightmare

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The United States has been dreaming of its high -speed train decades. The plan was ambitious, even poetic: Connect San Francisco and Los Angeles in less than three hoursreduce emissions, revitalize rail transport and demonstrate that the country could also compete with Europe and Asia in mobility of the 21st century. But what should be a symbol of modernity has become one of the most chaotic and discussed infrastructure projects of the country’s recent history. It all started with illusion. In 2008, California voters approved 10,000 million dollars in bonds to take the first big step. The objective was clear: a high speed line that would travel the state from north to south at 354 km/h. The, optimistic calendar, spoke of 2020 as an opening date. But 2020 arrived and passed. And 2025 is also happening, With just 35 kilometers ready To start placing the tracks. There are no trains. There are no operational stations. And what remains ahead seems, the less uncertain. Delays, cost overruns and uncertainty Today, the estimated total cost of the project exceeds 106,000 million dollarsmore than triple the initial budgeted. The layout has been reduced. The promise of joining Sacramento with San Diego It has been parked, and all the focus is now in a much more modest section: about 275 kilometers in the central valleybetween Merced and Bakersfield. A segment with low population density and a debatable impact in terms of real mobility. Why is it costing so much? There are many answers, and apparently any simple. The acquisition of private land has been a nightmare. In addition, the transfer of public infrastructure, such as pipes, electric lines or high steps, has triggered costs. But the most decisive has been the lack of stable financing. The project has been advancing to trumpets, based on fragmented budgets, partial promises and conditioned aids. Without a clear road map and with federal support that has varied according to the White House in turn, the work has accumulated delays, cost overruns and frustration. Even so, there are advances. At the end of 2023, after receiving a historical injection of almost 3.1 billion dollars by the federal governmentCalifornia High-Speed ​​Rail Authority took a key step: he published in January 2024 the list of finalist suppliers for the manufacture of their electric trains. The two selected companies are Alstom and Siemenstwo giants of the railway sector with more than accredited experience in Europe. The idea is clear: acquire trains capable of overcoming the 350 km/h, designed from scratch for this layout, and adapted to the specific needs of California. But the project is not limited to speed. There is a remarkable and unusual effort to think about the travel experience from the first moment. In Sacramento, A real scale model has already been built of one of the wagons, made of wood and foam, to visualize every detail of the interior. The model has been used to collect suggestions from experts in accessibility, engineers, public leaders and user associations. And the proposals go beyond the obvious: from large adapted toilets to emergency buttons accessible from the ground in case of fall, through areas for families, capsule compartments for those who seek privacy and spaces specifically designed for accessibility. California has also taken advantage of a structural advantage: his wagons will be wider than those of conventional trains in the United States, which will allow broader corridors Without sacrificing space for the passenger. The intention, according to the rail authority, is that this is a high -speed train designed for all. A really inclusive train. For the moment, There are more than 25 active works in the Central Valleywith about 1,500 workers deployed daily. 422 miles of the future route have been cleared, at least on the environmental level. And more than 50 structures have already been built: bridges, viaducts, high steps. But most of the project is still in the air. The financing to finish the central section must be closed before mid -2026. And although the current CEO, Ian Choudri, says they are on the right track to achieve it, either by private investors, federal loans or new bonds, the time runs against it. Especially if the Federal Administration changes sign and rethinking to keep the funds already committed. The Department of Transportation, under the leadership of Sean Duffy, has announced a complete audit of the project. THE OBJECTIVE: Determine SI California has fulfilled the commitments assumed Upon receiving federal money. The threat is clear. If there are no sufficient solid advances or guarantees, these funds could be reallocated to other states with more mature projects. The pressure, once again, is huge. The contrast with other countries is painful. Japan built his first Shinkansen in the 60s. Spain has been expanding its bird network more than three decades. Morocco has since 2018 its high -speed train between Tangier and Casablanca. In the United States, Acela remains the closest thing, with 240 km/h peaks on roads that cross tunnels of the nineteenth century. In California, everything is complex. The layout crosses agricultural areas, urban nuclei, protected land. Despite the promises, agreements and models in a real scale, there is a risk that the project appears: to continue being a dream. And yet, there is something in the original idea that continues to resist. A kind of conviction that, if ends, this train You can mark a before and after. Not only in California, but in the entire transport network of the country. Images | California High Speed ​​Rail In Xataka | The C919 Comac

tips before buying and how to analyze the real capacity of one you have

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There is nothing worse than buying a USB and seeing that you have less memory than they had told you, or that is defective. Therefore, we are going to give you some tips to prevent you from buying a USBboth before making the purchase and once you have done it. We will start with a series of rapid tips on How to avoid scams when buying a USB onlinewhy, sometimes sellers can lie, and it is convenient to have some resources to avoid it. Then we will tell you how to check a USB and see its real memory, and so know if you should return it because they have scammed you or not. I prevents you from being able to sell you a USB We are now with a series of tips to avoid deception in online stores when you are going to buy a USB pendrive. These are some very essential tips that you should always take into account. Look well in descriptions: The pendrive seller may put one thing in the head of the online store’s announcement to get your attention, something that is not very precise, and that is why you must carefully read the characteristics in the descriptions. Find there all the information you can about the unit. Look at the USB version: The USB standard has several versions, and the newer it is faster. If a pendrive is absurdly cheap possibly use the USB 2.0 standard of the year 2000, and it will be very slow. It should be assured that if you are looking for a USB of type A, the great “usual”, use the most modern USB 3.0 standard. Look comments and reviews: If you are in an online store, you should look in the product comments section before buying it. Thus, you can detect complaints that are recurring and that they point out that the USB is not what it seems in some aspects. Distrust of very low prices: As we have told you a couple of points before, when the price of memory is very low, it is possible that there is a trap related to the USB standard version, or that it is even a fraud. That is why they have a high guard with especially low prices. Be careful with little known brands and stores: Try to buy in online stores that you know perfectly, and above all that have comments section. It also tries to resort to consolidated brands of USB, even if they are somewhat more expensive, because this gives you an extra security guarantee. Verify newly bought positives: When you buy an online product you have about 15 days to return. Therefore, if you buy a USB memory, it is important that you verify the amount of memory that you have promised and that it is of the right speed. The fastest type A USB have a blue plasticize that makes them recognizable, for the amount of memory you will need a specific program. How to check the storage of a USB pendrive Imagine you buy a USB of 64 GB but it really has only 32 GB. Or that has 64 GB but half are defective areas that make you lose the data you enter. How can you look at this? To do so you need a specific program that allows you to do it. We recommend you The program Validrivefree available on the web www.grc.com/validrive.htm. It is a completely free, light and very effective program. What he does is Verify the real storage of USB memories before users suffer important losses. The application weighs less than 100 kb, and is portable, so it does not require installing it. It is created for Windowsand you just have to open it and voila. Validrive performs tests of 576 regions of the device connected by USB, analyzing the real reading and writing capacity. It also shows you the results in a visual way, putting the defective areas in red, also indicating other errors. To use it, you just need to launch the application, and in the main menu click on Check USB Drive With a connected unit. Then you will begin to see the tests in real time, and then the results will be shown. You also have other alternatives such as H2TESTW (also free)a more veteran tool although it is not so fast or easy to use. In Xataka Basics | Buy a USB-C cable: 9 things to consider

How to know the state of trains in real time and what incidents there are

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Let’s tell you How can you have information about trains that circulate in Spain in real time. You can also know What incidents are there in the rail network at all times. For this, we are going to tell you two main methods that you have available. First we will talk about the official adif app to know her and know what you can see with her, and then we will tell you Official information channels for those that Adif informs about incidents and any event. Adif app for traffic traffic The first option you have available is ADIE’s official appavailable In Google Play For Android and In the App Store For iPhone. Do you know those stations information panels with trains arrivals and exits? Well, with this app you can consult them from your mobile anywhere. The first thing you have to do when the installs is to go to the map screen. There, you can Select any station in Spain to access your real -time information. By default you will appear in your town, but you can navigate as far as you want. Once you choose the station you want, you can consult all outputs and arrivalsas well as the combinations of paths. The information is in real time, and you can see Cercanías and Long and Medium Distanceas in the informative panels of the stations. This will allow you to see all the schedules and possible delays that may be. In addition, if you click on one of the trains you can see all its journey and all its arrival schedules. You can also draw routes saying from where and where you want to go to select trains. Web and social networks for information In addition to this application, Adif has A website where it warns of all incidents Throughout the day. There you can check if there are cut stretches or notable and unexpected problems on some paths or with some trains. The address is adif.es/estado-de-la-red. You also have the infoadif profile in X, whose direction is x.com/infoadif. In this account they will also notify in real time of any new incidence and the state of the railway network of Spain. In Xataka Basics | How to use Trainline to get the best and most train tickets in Spain

Without traffic lights for the blackout, Spain lived a real libertarian experiment of mobility. And it went quite well

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And at 12:32 p.m. on April 28, 2025, Spain went black. We knew almost immediately when connections with our partners were cut of work. Computers with the Black screentrains stopped in the tunnels, frozen elevators between plants and on the street … on the street a normal life. More or less. Because beyond the tails in the Mercadona and the children running and shouting through the courtyard of school at abnormally late hours, traffic more or less flowed. No available trainsthe passengers jumped to shot traffic. In private cars, in public buses and making horsetop. More or less, at greater or lesser speed, Traffic continued flowing. Yes, we have seen that in the center of the big cities such as Madrid or Barcelona, ​​the main roads soon getting stuck. But it is also true that traffic worked with relative calm there in many other parts. It was the confirmation that traffic can flow if we put a little all on our part. And it is the confirmation of why there are those who design cross -free crossings. Traffic lights in Granada on April 28, 2025 during the national blackout A little please On March 17, 1926, almost 100 years ago, Madrid installed the first traffic light in Spain. He arrived to make “a more rational use of private cars and generally favor that of public transport, in addition to making citizen coexistence more pleasant and contributing to a greater and safer use of the street for pedestrians”, as read on municipal sides of the time. Who was going to tell us that almost a century later, the radio would concatenate connections by Spanish cities in which the return of the light to the traffic lights of the street was celebrated. It was enough to hit the ear to the transistor to feel some relief in the voice of the reporters who finally pointed out that the light had returned to the traffic lights. With the traffic lights it seemed to return normality. That red light that prohibits the passage to whoever crosses my path and leaves me free. That amber light that warns me of danger but It seems that it only shouts that accelerates. But what if normality remained without traffic lights? It is what happened in most of the country. Without lights to regulate traffic, cordiality, negotiation was imposed and we did not have to regret serious incidents. The supposed anarchy never became such and putting all on our part took control of the streets. “We install traffic lights to promote fluidity and increase speed, against negotiation and In many cases we do the opposite“The words were expressed by Román Torre, a member of the XIXONÉS OF MOBILITY and author of various articles related to mobility in cities. On your tweetreferred to a crossing in which it is observed how vehicles circulate with total fluidity. Of course, it is not a crossing with the volume of traffic that we can find in the North Zone of Madrid which, everything is said, It usually stuck with and without traffic lights. And, in fact, the tower itself indicates at the end of the thread that it is a solution “that is not worth all sites.” Click on the image to go to the original tweet However, the video does show that on many occasions the fluidity of the traffic is guaranteed without traffic lights. And, the best thing is that it is not only guaranteed, it is also a safer solution. If there are no lights, the driver is obliged to reduce the speed when approaching a crossing because he does not have the traffic light safety network guaranteeing a free track. At lower speed, a possible clash is more unlikely, it would have lower consequences and, in addition, the possibility of an outrage are reduced. The DGT contemplates How to act at intersections without priority of passage But just watch a video recorded yesterday to check how the negotiation It is imposed to give way to each car little by little, Without slowing traffic. It is something that has been studied and applied in the Netherlands. An example is that of Alexanderplein in the center of Amsterdam. There, after various studiesit was decided to eliminate traffic lights and found that despite living cyclists and trams, traffic fluidity is better than without the lights that supposedly manage traffic. The secret is to observe the rest of the traffic agents. Something similar is what is applied in Groningen where the maximum has applied for years “All green” for cyclists at 29 intersections of the city. Fully closing traffic to cars for a few seconds, it was found that if bicycles are allowed to circulate total freedom (a similar experience to do it without traffic lights) traffic is more fluid. One of the reasons is undoubtedly low speed that circulates that facilitates making decisions in very little space and, therefore, fluidity when taking one or another way. That controlled chaos is possible thanks to the fact that we move “As we would behave if we were pedestrians”, In Ford words. The company presented some time ago a solution to take advantage of communication between vehicles to eliminate traffic lights and, with them, unnecessary waiting. Without lights regulating traffic, ensures that autonomous cars They can move with total tranquility Because they reduce speed when they reach intersections and movements are safer. The point is that what humans live yesterday. Torre explains in Migijón That the absence of lights causes drivers to take the initiative when crossing the intersection instead of “obeying” the green or red light. This prevents trumpeting with a stop, an acceleration and a new detention on the next street. Obviously, without traffic lights, the car stops but applying some negotiation between drivers, the arrests are much shorter as it can be seen in their videos. Much of the secret is in that reduction in speed when approaching the intersection. No traffic light, the driver must circulate more slowly and … Read more

The mobile the AI ​​promises, but I only see repeated tricks. The real ace under the sleeve is called “agent” and comes on the way

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How could it be otherwise, AI has also reached our mobilemainly from the hand of two protagonists: Apple Intelligence on one side, Google Gemini In the other. However, in a matter of one year, we have gone from almost no manufacturer has ia that many protagonists of the industry now fight in the classic race. Samsung was a pioneer in some Galaxy AI’s first steps in which it enveloped the generative AI with profits: transcription voice recordings, simultaneous translation and generations of wallpapers, to name a few. More than a year later, AI suites for smartphone have multiplied. And yet, There is still a long way to go. Although these tools are a first step, the true pending revolution is the agricultural AI, capable of performing complex tasks autonomously. However, its implementation faces significant obstacles that limit their current potential. The next step is the agents After witnessing the MWC 2025, it is clear that IA has not been the central theme, although the most mentioned. Obviously, he has had his time of prominence, with Rimbombantes “AI” on several fronts: Motorola, Honor, Realme and Samsung have presumed suites for Android. Magicai, Next AI, Hyperai … prolong the journey of Galaxy AI, which by the way, has also overcome herself with the arrival of the Galaxy S25. How is better about the first -time version? We basically talk about two more skills, which revolve around to personalization. A short but sure step, that in essence it does not be far from What I could test Last year. Of those mentioned, the one that surprised me the most was Magicaithe honor suite (integrated into magicos) and its ambitious Honor Alpha Plan. For a simple reason: already introduces the concept of AI agents. It is not only an AI that responds, but one that can understand a complex objective, plan steps and execute actions proactively through different applications and services to achieve it (for example, plan and reserve a complete trip, not only look for a flight). These agents or agriculture contrast with current functions, which are more reactive or limited to a single task or app. Google has taken some shy steps with Gemini’s extensions, But there is a problem to treat: Interoperability between services. For an agent to reserve a table or ask for food, he needs to interact fluently with any restaurant or cast app, which in turn requires standardized APIS or a deep level of integration that, for the moment, does not exist in a generalized way. On the other hand, these demonstrations have an important limitation: they control the screen and do not allow the user to continue using the mobile while the agent acts. Leave that feeling that the machine does it for us, but it blocks us the machine itself. In the demonstration, the Honor’s AI could interact with the phone and the real world: Given the information that the brightness of his screen was very high, the mobile responded with the instructions while reducing it. Similarly, he is able to book a table in a restaurant, running its respective app automatically. Surely that is the correct direction of the mobile AIalthough it is early to say it. Along the way, several actors must be taken by the hand: not in vain, asking for online food is not just Google or Honor, in this case. Now, not only these agents are useful, but also the rest of the tools that manufacturers are adding to their customization layers. Galaxy ai is not the only It is easy to highlight the aforementioned Samsung Galaxy AI: it was a pioneer to incorporate tools based on generative, yes, together with Google. ‘Roda to search’ opened the way and is now present in a large number of Android mobiles. That is why both the Pixel and Galaxy, and the rest of the manufacturers, now have some Common functions. That are also far from the aforementioned agents. The difference marks the customization layer. Out of what Google lends its partners, the interesting thing is to know the commitment of manufacturers such as Honor, Xiaomi, Realme who already tries to follow Galaxy AI’s track. This is what I found. I start with the most unknown in Europe, a techno that could perfectly rival the strongest in the sector. Your techno aidoes not move away from what is seen in other suites of tools: restoration of old photographs, transformation of portraits into animations, a call assistant. In short, nothing new under the sun. Xiaomi, who has announced the arrival of his Hyperai In the new ones Xiaomi 15also proposes a similar conjunction: Ai Writing generates messages for us, Ai Speech Turn the voice into text, it has a translator in real time, generation of images, draft objects (example photos) and even a function destined to the recording of film video. Is more extensive than in other manufacturersbecause Xiaomi already had this AI suite in China for a long time. As we see, photography is one of the most handled aspects by AI, along with productivity tools. There are others that try to differentiate themselves, among them the mythical Motorola, now under the amparo of Lenovo. Motorola’s functions resemble what is seen in Project Astra de Google (now integrated into Gemini Live) Moto AI It is the name that receives its AI system, and not only affects the phones: Motorola adds its own agent to the most advanced headphones of the catalog. I witnessed a demonstration that pointed ways, no matter how much had some timely delay, given by the Internet connection. This system includes a voice assistant in the purest Gemini style: capable of organizing the agenda, saving annotations in a personal diary and of course, improvements in the photographic processing to avoid blurred shots. For now, Motorola does not have many models compatible with motorcycle AI: only the Edge 50 Ultra and the Razr 50 and Razr 50 Ultra. Realme, and his NextaiThey look similar to the AI ​​application to the mobile … Read more

For years, historians wondered if the fights between gladiators and lions were real. They already have the test

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One can go to posterity for many reasons. For writing a great novel, composing a symphony, being an influential politician, A pioneer or even commit some misdeed or error to forget. In the former Roman Britain, however, a young man lived, from no more than 35 yearswhich will be remembered for something very different: a bite. To be more precise the denttellada of a lion in the middle of the pelvis. It may seem an extravagant motive to move on to the annals, but that bite tells us a lot about the Roman shows. The reason? The man in question It was probably a gladiator And that old dentontellada constitutes “The first physical evidence” of the fighting between humans and beasts on the Roman sand. Historians already knew about them, but through tracks such as mosaics, ceramics or written documents. There wasn’t evidence. In a place in Britania … The origin of history (or at least that of The investigation who have just presented a group of experts from the Maynooth University and the King’s College London) is in a Roman cemetery of 1,800 years old Located in Driffield Terrace, on the outskirts of York. There, near the old EBORACUMon the main road between what is now York and London, a deposit with dozens of burials was discovered in 2004. Some very peculiar. In 70% of cases Experts appreciated that the bodies had been beheaded, a well -known practice in Britania and that it is usually considered a funeral ritual Post Mortenalthough it is also related to executions. In addition, except for a woman and some young people, the vast majority of those buried were corpulent men Between 18 and 45, men with different origins and with marks of brutal trauma cured before they die, which leads to think that they often participated in fighting. A very special bone. All those details and the similarities between York’s bones and those found in another former excavated cemetery years ago In Ephesushas led some experts to a fascinating conclusion: what they found in Driffield is neither more nor less than A burial with remains of gladiators. Among all his remains there was one, however, that caught the attention of the archaeologists: a pelvis, part of the skeleton of a man of between 26 and 35 years which was buried with two other people and covered with horse bones. What was special? A brand. Deep Sharp Enigmatic An incision that experts soon associated with the bite of an animal. What animal? And when did he bit him? Identified the dentellada was the task of finding out its origin. And to achieve this, archaeologists did the most logical: They contacted British Zoos And they were asked to be given samples of horse bones biting by cheese, tigers, leopards and lions and then compared the marks. When they finished they took a capital surprise. The puncture found in York’s pelvis coincided with everyone’s greatest feline. Thus, the other big question was pending: in what circumstances could a lion bite a fighter? How were both in the sand? The question is interesting because, to begin with, the big cats often kill their prey by biting them in the neck or head, like Remember The Guardian Tim Thompson, Professor of Anthropology at Maynooth. “The pelvis is unusual. That wound can be survived. It is not deadly. We believe that the individual had been incapacitated and that these marks are evidence that the animal dragged the body.” The bones thus counting a fascinating story. What if it is a Venatore? Few figures are more emblematic (and versioned) of Roman history than gladiators. However, not all fighters and specialists trained to entertain the people fighting with other men in melee fighting. There were aurigas, acrobats and Venators (either Bestiarii), people who fought on the sand with wild beasts. “The Roman amphitheats also organized ‘Beast Cacerías’ (Venation), who faced people against animals, a show that lasted from the republican period to late antiquity, “the researchers collect in The article in which they collect their findings, published in the magazine Plos One. Gladiator vs. great felines. During the shows the Venatore They were dedicated to hunting and measuring their forces before the public with tigers, leopards, bears, elephants, wild boars, deer, bulls … and also lions. Animals served for fighting and were also used for “spectacular mutilations” or executing criminals during bloody Damnatio Ad Beasts (“condemns beasts”). With all those data, the teacher Thomspon explains that he and his colleagues reached a fascinating conclusion about York’s nibble skeleton: “We believe that it is the remains of a gladiator who faced the feline in a combat sand as part of a Roman show.” Why is it important? Because as they underline so much The King´s College London and Maynooth UniversityYork’s bone is “the first physical evidence of a combat of gladiators between humans and animals in the Roman period.” Historians had seen images of fighters bitten by lions in mosaics and ceramics and knew about fighting with beasts thanks to written records, but the pelvis unearthed in ancient Britain has allowed them to go further and shed new light on the shows of Rome. “Although images of gladiators have appeared fighting lions in ancient mosaics and ceramics, this is the only convincing skeletal evidence of the Roman world of bite marks produced by the teeth of a great feline,” Celebrate John Pearcearcheology professor at King’s College. If York’s bone and the study he has inspired is relevant, insists The London institution is because it throws a “convincing skeletal evidence.” “The bite marks represent the first osteological confirmation of violent encounters between humans and great carnivores in a combat or training environment in the Roman world,” ditch The institution. From the clues to the tests. Archaeologists knew about the existence of shows with animals, but in a way until now they had clues, signs distributed by mosaics, ceramics and chronic. York has just yielded a test. And one that has been studied … Read more

Europe’s boycott to the United States is real and is being noticed in one of its most profitable sectors: tourism

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David Pereira is 53 years old, Reside in France And like others thousands Millions of Europeans have been raised under the influence of the US culture. The songs he listened to, the series he saw as a child, the films they threw in the cinema of his city or the cars he dreamed of driving: all ‘made in use’. Hence, when Pereira saw enough money, he decided to make his bags and meet the country in person. And he has done it conscientiously. He has been there almost a dozen times. Two years ago the national parks of the west coast was toured. His idea was to return this summer with his family to Yellowstone. But after two months of Trump administration, Pereira has changed plans. A few days ago I recognized To the CNN that has decided, in conscience, to cancel the trip. Your case connects with A trend which begins to be received in the powerful US tourism industry. A percentage: 17%. That the change of harmony between the US and Europe is taking its toll on American tourism is not a novelty. Weeks ago than the sector emits signals In that direction. And from both banks of the Atlantic. In Europe there are agencies that They find a loss of interest In the US. And on the other side of the ocean there are organisms that They start talking of a puncture in the demand. The clearest track of what is happening, especially in the flow of Europe-Use tourists, it gave it however Financial Times (Ft) a few days ago in An article with A holder that leaves little margin to interpretations: “European tourists cancel their trips to the US for Trump’s policies.” What are they based on? Basically in A percentage: according to international trade administration data (Itafor its acronym in English) visitors from Western Europe who spent at least one night in the US over March 17% collapsed with respect to 2024. It is a considerable fact. Especially if the relevance of the tourism industry is taken into account as an economic engine: represents about 2.5% of the country’s GDP. Click on the image to go to Tweet. Are there more indicators? Yes. Trump does not have not been at the head of the White House for three months, so there is still a perspective, but throughout the last weeks they have been published figures and testimonies that suggest that something is changing in US tourism. And not for good. FT He has prepared graphics They show that the flow of travelers with destiny has collapsed from Austria, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Norway or Spain, sometimes with setbacks that exceed 20%. There is also a puncture on the flights of different regions. “Something is happening”. In general Ita has found that in March they traveled to the US 12% less of foreign visitors who during the same month of 2024. And that the percentage excludes the arrivals from the residents of Canada and Mexico, two markets that do not seem to look with too much enthusiasm American tourist destinations. You have to go back to 2021, when the sector still suffered the pandemic hangover, to find a more dire March. Probably in that percentage has influenced the fact that last year Holy Week fell in March and in 2025 it will do so in April, but the sector acknowledges that there is a background trend that goes much further. “It is clear that something is happening … and it is a reaction to Trump”, Recognize Tourism Economics. Fall of reservations. They are not the only ones to point in that direction. In early April the French hotel group Accor SA, behind several brands and highlighted accommodations in the USA, confessed to Bloomberg TV that European reserves to visit this summer the country of bars and stars have collapsed 25%. Simply, tourists seem to opt for Canada, South America or Egypt. In Spain the Confederation of Travel Agencies (CEAV) also recognized A few days ago that perceives a loss of attractiveness of the US for tourists. With those data as a backdrop, Tourism Economics He has rethink down its forecasts this year for the US sector. If in February it foresee a fall of around 5%, that percentage has worsened until 9.4%already around. The French Voyageurs Du Monde has also recognized the CNN chain that since Trump’s investiture the reserves to the US have fallen by 20%. But … why? “It is probably anxious to enter an unknown territory,” He reflected the executive director of Accor when talking about the trend with Bloomberg. The truth is that the change in tendency in the sector coincides with a complex geopolitical framework: the distancing Between Washington and Brussels after Trump’s return to the White House, the escalation in the Commercial Warthe recession drumsthe speech about the European rear and, in Paul English opinionKayak co -founder, a change in the reputational image of the US. Throughout the last months several European countries They have updated Their recommendations for travelers who move to the US or have shown concern about changes in migratory and border control policies, including guidelines that affect trans people. Denmark ha issued an alert and in Spain exterior has updated Its guidelines. In the US attraction they also influence The news about arrests at the borders. Beyond Europe. The phenomenon goes beyond Europe. China He has issued Warnings on the “deterioration of economic and commercial relations” with the US and warns its citizens: “completely evaluate the risks of traveling to the US and travel with caution.” In Canada the Statistics Office registered in February A 23% drop on car trips to the US. In air traffic the descent was somewhat lower, but also stood at 13%. Those percentages and those of Ita coincide with another phenomenon that has been found for months, especially in Europe and Canada: The boycott of USA products in favor of domestic goods and services or other countries. In fact there … Read more

The tariff snowball begins in the price of iPhone. The real problem is its ramifications

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It is not just that The iPhone can end up costing more “As many other things,” but everything that derives from the problem with The tariffs of Trump that today enter into force worldwide. The consequences of these measures are unpredictable, but there are some industries that will clearly be especially affected. He snowball effect It can be spectacular. Let’s put an initial example to Apple, One of the first great victims of tariffs. We do not know if the company will end up raising the price of its iPhone or other products, but the reality is that the company will cost everything more because of the tariffs. If that happens, you will have to apply measures so that the business remains profitable, because it is likely to sell less and that consumers tighten the belt. And they squeeze it, everyone else will squeeze it. Apple could make decisions and make cuts in certain business areas. One of the most obvious – in addition to template cuts – is In advertising spending. Apple could decide that (for example) you will invest half of what you invested in social networks such as Meta. It is something that already prevented in Emarketer, where they indicate that social networks They will be the most affected for the fall of advertising expenditure. Experts expect cuts between 12 and 41% of the advertising budget in the US because of tariffs. Source: Emarketer Now let’s put ourselves in the skin of Mark Zuckerberg, who sees how much less money will come precisely in what is the pillar of his business, advertising. And if the income goes down, you will have to face that fall trying to retain advertisers, but also adapting to the situation. That advertising spending cut will affect especially to the mediathey point out In Marketwatch. In some cases they may face it thanks to using mixed models that combine advertising and subscriptions. They will not even be safe, because in that snow ball many consumers will be trapped and will decide to spend less on those monthly payments and will unsubscribe, at least temporarily, in content. If there are fewer advertisement money, you have to make cuts too. And that usually means focusing on the business areas that work and leaving other divisions in “low consumption mode.” Again the layoffs are the clear resource, but a goal could also cut in stop your investment in your commitment to AI. The development of your Family of models call 4 It could stagnate, which would also affect the work of independent institutions, companies and developers that use it as the basis for their own projects. The same could happen in Redmond. For Microsoft the theoretically theoretically cause tariffs that maintaining their services and their gigantic infrastructure in the cloud comes out more expensive, so we face potential price increases from Microsoft 365 and many other of its services. But they would not be the only feasible cuts, because in fact Microsoft has already begun to move tab and prevent before healing. Thus, the company has made cuts in its projects to expand its infrastructure. Microsoft had not stopped in investing in new data centers throughout the world, but their plans have begun to change. Ha canceled or leisurely the Creation of data centers worldwide and that is a clear obstacle to its commitment to artificial intelligence. The snowball can be made much greater, of course, and the reprisals than Other countries They can take against Trump’s tariffs will only aggravate the situation. Thus, China He has already responded To the rise of 104% tariffs that Trump threatened to activate: now the tariffs for goods that the US exports to China will go from 34% to 84%. The EU too prepare your first answerand while the ball continues to become more and bigger … and more unstoppable. Image | JP Valery In Xataka | The US has finally formalized the 104% tariff to China. Act then Apple has ceased to be the most valuable company

Mining companies believed to have found a treasure in Ciudad Real. Until the Iberian lynx appeared

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In a video that is has viralized By networks you can see how two lynxes are disputing the territory to headers, a habitual practice between these felines. He Reelrecorded in Ciudad Real, shows how felines are returning to their natural habitat. In a turn of events, these animals have managed to stop attempts to extraction a company: giving them a legal header. The exploitation. The “Neodimio Project” is an initiative of the Quantum mining company that seeks gray monacita in the province of Ciudad Real. From this rare land the neodymium is extracted, used in magnets of electric cars and wind turbines. The mining company has shown interest in exploring areas near Valdepeñas, Santa Cruz de Mudela and Torrenueva, areas to overcome the cat, According to the avant -garde. Maybe there are no lynx … But there are people living in those areas that oppose mining. The “yes to the living land” platform has asked the president of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, to oppose the Rare Earth’s mining project, According to Cadena Ser. From the organization they have explained that it could have a devastating impact on local biodiversity and endanger the ecological corridors that the lynxs have begun to recover. They do not stop in your search. Quantum’s story with Ciudad Real It has been more than a decade. After the failure of the “Matamulas” project, the company tries to return to the load. But time does not play in its favor: the citizen opposition has grown, water resources are increasingly scarce and the rural economic model (based on wine, oil and tourism) fears are affected. The controversy has also intensified for a complaint of the Seprona, which accuses the company of having done work without permission on a plot of Torrenueva, According to Castilla-La Mancha Media. Legal header The Iberian lynx, in its reintroduction process in the region, has played a decisive role in this conflict. Although rare earth mining is seen as an economic opportunity in the context of the energy transition, efforts to preserve fauna and biodiversity have led to stop these projects. As have explained at the vanguardthe lynx is no longer just a conservation symbol, but an argument of weight in legal reports and protests. Its presence in areas such as the Montiel field has become an obstacle to mining companies that seek to exploit these natural resources. It is not the only place. Although Ciudad Real is emerging as the area with the most potential for rare earths in Spain, it is not the only one. In different areas of the country we can find, as Galicia, Gran Canaria, Almería, Estremaduraamong other places. The fan that has been opened is very wide, but these deposits have in common not only the element, but their extraction seems to be complex. For its part, the European Commission has not included the Quantum project in your list of strategic initiativeswhich means that it does not have the support of Brussels to continue its development. Recovering spaces. The lynx has become a defender of its territory, interfering with projects that threaten their home. The struggle for the future of Ciudad Real is between the protection of biodiversity and the progress of mining, a dispute that reflects the dilemma between the need for natural resources and the conservation of ecosystems. Image | Pexels and Diego Delso Xataka | The rare earth war has arrived in Spain. And it is in Ciudad Real where mining and ecology are confronted

Navigating from Madrid to Lisbon, the pharaonic real dream that gave rise to the failed Channel del Manzanares

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The Manzanares river in Madrid has become one of the protagonists of recent days. March is being an extremely rainy month, so much that it has caused Solar energy ceases to grow in Spainbut has also caused the River overflow throughout the country. One of those rivers is Manzanares, which is usually a thread of water and Now it’s a torrent. But the river has not only become news for the increase in flow, but because during the works of Metro line 11 they have found a section of the real historical channel of Manzanares, an ambitious project that It was centuries on the table and that had a target target: join Madrid, Lisbon and Seville by boat. Felipe II’s dream Felipe II It is not just one of the most remembered kings in Spain: it may also be from Europe. Under his reign, The Spanish Empire reached its peak And it was a monarch interested in finance projects of several sciences. He also liked the sea, starting maritime engineering projects, stimulating the creation of large warships and the most ambitious of all: the idea of ​​making The main rivers of the peninsula were navigable. Another detail for which Felipe II is remembered is for the move of the capital of the country: he decided that Madrid would be the ideal location, so he transferred the court in full. But of course, Madrid did not have direct access to the sea and this was something important, especially for trade and those expansionist ambitionsso the project To open Madrid to the sea, he made eyes to the king. And the task fell into the hands of the Italian engineer Juan Bautista Antonelli. Nothing, something simple: Tajo, Duero, Guadalquivir and Ebro, among other rivers, would become navigable, with channels among them that would allow Madrid to have a way out of the sea and a river connection with some of the main cities of the country. For commerce, this was an extremely juicy idea between cities and between Madrid and European, Chinese, African and Indian cities. Fourth Lock of the Real Canal del Manzanares Felipe supported the project And he released funds to be carried out, but it was not going to be simple: a slope of more than 600 meters had to be saved and the necessary adjustments first to open Madrid and, later, that the 600 kilometers that separates the capital from the Atlantic coast were completely navigable. HE I would continue The route of the river and They would create 10 locks between the Toledo bridge and the Vaciamadrid jetty, many for a distance of just 20 kilometers. The capital would join with Aranjuez and, through the Tagus, it would have an exit to the Atlantic by Lisbon. A road was also projected to Seville. He did not set. Although the works are They started Among the Madrid and Alcantara Madrid nuclei, the money was not unlimited and the cocktail of technical difficulties, issues with private properties and, above all, The financing of the invincible Navycaused the money to be redistributed and the interior navigation project was saved in the drawer. He also influenced that, in 1588 Antonelli died and, in 1598, Felipe would. Madrid with double exit to the sea Later it was tried to recover, but the decisive moment came under the reign of Carlos III. Businessman Pedro Martinengo took the witness and presented In 1769 the project to recover the ambitious plan of Felipe II. The construction began in 1770 when Carlos III approved the proposal and the initial funds were in charge of Martinengo himself and private investors he had gathered. Under the direction of the businessman, the project advanced completing eight of the ten planned locks, but the costs were being tremendous and ran out of funds to continue. Martinengo had ruined, but Carlos III liked the projectso bought and thus officially became the Real Canal del Manzanares. The tenth lock Nor do we think that the monarch invested too much: he maintained what there was. Nor is it that he caught the economy at its most buoyant time and the river itself was not the most appropriate for navigation, since it needed water transvases to be able to operate correctly. Some companies were established, such as furnaces, but the channel was being underutilized. With Carlos IV, the thing didn’t improve either. Again, invested just as to maintain it, But in 1799 the disaster arrived: strong rains took part of the Gasco dam, a new construction on the Guadarraman that was the one that was taking the money. Another lock This set of misfortunes, and seeing that the Manzanares channel had been stagnant decades without contributing what was promised, caused the abandonment of the project until the arrival of a Fernando VII who tried to recover it, building the ninth and tenth lock and carrying the work until the vicinity of Vaciamadrid. But the work was not finished. Progress arrived Upon stopping, the channel was degrading, but the last nail in the coffin was the passage of time. In the time of Felipe II, the project could make sense. With Carlos III too, but already entered the 19th, things had changed a lot. The development of roads and, above all, the arrival of the railroad made the priorities change. Why keep investing a fortune to open Madrid to the sea when there were faster than the ship to transport goods? Apart from what The Manzanares channel looked like a money background wellin 1851 the Aranjuez train was inaugurated and, although with Isabel II some boats had sailed through the channel, in the second half of the 19th century it was decided to cut the tap of the funds. When not staying and being water is for a long time, health problems began to appear. The channel became a danger and, although maintenance work began again, around 1860 it was decided Cancel Definitely the pharaonic project. The irony: the railway bridge over the Manzanares … Read more

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