Real

Science has calculated the real impact of reading books on your brain. And it has a very simple recipe: 30 minutes a day

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It is well known that a sedentary lifestyle It is one of the great enemies of public healthespecially at advanced ages where muscle loss is a great danger. However, there are sedentary activities that are really beneficial and that we sometimes stop, such as reading books. Its benefit is such that science has shown that immersing yourself in the pages of a good book It not only feeds the intellect, but also lengthens life. The demonstration. One of the most important studies who wanted to focus on the benefits of reading, beyond the cognitive benefits or the richness of vocabulary for everyday life, analyzed a group of 3,635 nationally representative participants in the United States over 12 years. And as a result, they saw that the longer the time spent reading books, lower risk of mortality. The results. To understand the magnitude of the discovery, the researchers followed all the patients until 20% of them died and only 80% remained. There they put the cut and began to draw conclusions. The first is that non-readers reached this point at 85 months, while book readers reached this same threshold at 108 months. This is something that translates into a 23-month survival advantage for those who had the habit of reading books, or in other words, readers reduced the risk of mortality by 20% throughout the 12 years of follow-up. Furthermore, this protection was maintained regardless of a person’s gender, wealth, education, or health status. The format matters. Although you may think that any type of reading is appropriate, even the back of a shampoo, the reality is quite different. In this case, the study explicitly compared the impact of reading books versus reading the newspaper or a magazine. The findings here demonstrated that reading books contributes to a significantly greater survival advantage than that seen with newspapers or magazines. While magazines offer short articles that we often skim, books require a higher level of concentration. Something that is enhanced above all because the authors constantly present themes, characters and topics and that is essential to be able to follow the thread of the story that is being presented to us. Because? Here science is quite clear that the key is in the brain, since the “cognitive score” functioned as a complete mediator of this survival advantage. This means that reading books improves cognition and it is this cognitive improvement that prolongs life. Here reading books activates different specific neural processes that create this advantage. Among the most notable points, we find that active reading of books improves skills such as reasoning, concentration, critical thinking and vocabulary. But it also promotes social perception, empathy and emotional intelligence, which can lead to better health behaviors and stress reduction. Fundamental things when we talk about extending life. It’s backed up. In addition to the original study published in 2016, science has wanted to continue investigating the benefits of reading with a study published in 2024 where the complexity of reading in older adults pointed to less cognitive decline. But it has also been decided to analyze even the cultural level of the citizens, where it has been seen that low literacy increases mortalityonce again making the act of reading books stimulate our brain and protect our cognitive reserve. Although it is not necessary to be reading all day to guarantee having a better brain, studies specifically point out that with about 30 minutes a day It is enough to start reaping these advantages and obtain more years of life in which to continue reading. Images | Blaz Photo In Xataka | The problem is not that we are reading fewer books: it is that the books we read are much simpler and easier

monitor disasters in real time

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There are natural disasters such as strong storms that cause floods, maritime storms or uncontrolled fires in which observing the evolution is providential both when it comes to sizing the mishap and to draw up a strategy for solutions on the ground. In this scenario, satellites are real lifesavers. So Spain and Portugal are going to launch a “atlantic constellation” of satellites that observe the Iberian Peninsula from space to protect it. The context. It is not difficult to find catastrophes that have hit the peninsula in recent years, as an example is the train of storms with which we began 2026 and whose effect can be seen from space or the DANA that destroyed Valencia. Currently, the reference satellites for forest management, fires and emergencies in Europe are ESA’s Copernicus / Sentinel, which generate images of the Iberian Peninsula every two or three days. What is the Atlantic Constellation. It is a set of 16 small satellites, eight launched by each country, which will orbit less than 700 kilometers from Earth, coordinating to generate images of the territory every two or three hours. It is a complement and not a replacement for the European Copernicus Sentinel. Why is it important. The implementation of the Atlantic Constellation brings an obvious improvement when it comes to evaluating progress and planning solutions to disasters: going from having information every 2 – 3 days to doing it every 2 – 3 hours, practically in real time for this type of disasters. On the other hand and as explained for El Periódico Nicolás Martín, director of Users, Services and Applications of the Spanish Space Agency, this is a project “very relevant for the Spanish aerospace sector and for our strategic autonomy.” And although its main mission is emergencies and natural disasters, it also has applications for other sectors and entities, such as agriculture. How are they going to do it? Spain has awarded their part to the Catalan Open Cosmos through a contest. The company will be in charge of designing and manufacturing the state’s eight satellites, while the ICE-CSIC will develop one of the four payloads of each satellite and the geophysical data extraction algorithms. On the Portugal side, it will be GeoSat who leads the project. The ESA will be the one who supervises everything. On each satellite there will be four instruments: high-resolution multispectral optical cameras to analyze vegetation and terrain, GNSS reflectometry sensors to measure soil moisture or sea state, IoT connectivity and a system to identify and track vessels. The roadmap. The first demonstration satellite will be called Pathfinder and according to the project schedule, it will be ready by the end of this year. It will be launched in the first half of 2027, thus serving to validate the integrated technologies before manufacturing the rest of the units. However, the full deployment of the entire satellite fleet will take place in the following years. In Xataka | Poland and Spain are the European countries that have increased their contribution to space the most. For very different reasons Cover | Photo of SpaceX

How to know if the music you listen to on Spotify or Apple Music is from a real artist or made by artificial intelligence

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Let’s give you some clues about how to detect if the music you are listening to Is it by a real artist or is it made by artificial intelligence. We are going to focus on that music that is on streaming platforms like Spotify or Apple Music. The way to detect it is not by looking for things in the music itself, but looking at the artist who created the song. Music made by artificial intelligence does not stop flood streaming servicesand they are having enough trouble stopping it. Many times it is easy to detect, it is music without soul, but one way or another, they are there taking clicks and listens, and the money that should go to real musicians. Therefore, we are going to give you a list of things you should pay attention to to detect if what you hear is from a real musician or not. It is not that if one of these points is met it is music made by AI, but that the more of these red flags it raises, the more it will be pointed in that direction. Listen carefully to the music If you are going to check if an artist is real or if they are songs made by AI, it is possibly because you are noticing something strange in the music. Here, you will be able to notice it especially depending on the musical genre you listen to. This is because elements such as excessively clean voices or lack of natural breathing can be the first indication, although in some commercial genres you will also find this due to excess production. Ultimately, the music will sound artificial, soulless. The phrases in the case of singing will sound mechanical and without any emotion, and the lyrics will also be quite bad. Pay attention to how the instruments sound musicals, because if they sound too compact, like a mush where you can’t distinguish each one of them and their clean sound, it could also be due to AI… or again, due to bad production. Biography and photo of the artist If music has left you suspicious, play then Click on the artist’s name to enter their profile within the streaming platform. The first thing that may make you suspicious is that there is no photo of the artist or the bandand instead there is some landscape or generic image. The fact that the photo of the band is not a photo of the musicians or the soloist is something that should make us suspicious. In the case of a photo of people appearing, you can check if it is made by AI, if it looks unnatural or if there is an excess of processing of the image, but normally AI artists do not usually risk this. It is also worth checking the biography of the artist or band. Look out for some suspicious signs, like the fact that it doesn’t include names of the members, where they are from, or those biographical data that usually give you a little more context about the artists. Instead, “musicians” made by AI will give ambiguous descriptions, and there will be times when in a fit of honesty they will directly say that it is music made by artificial intelligence. Discography and volume of releases The next step would be to look at your albums. If you see that their first releases have been around for many years, this would indicate that they are a normal band, because the AI ​​that generates music has only been able to resemble real music for a couple of years or three. If the releases they have are all new, it could also be because they are a new artist. Then look at the volume of the pitches. Human musicians, those of flesh and blood, can take from one to five or six years to release each new record. If you see that the artist has 2 or 5 full albums released in two monthsthen this should set off all the alarms. It’s AI. And by this we mean albums, not singles or individual songs. you should also pay attention to how the music sounds. If all the songs seem too samey you should also be suspicious, and if the track titles are too generic and simple too. Real artists are not a donut factorythey are not going to release an album every two weeks or every two months, because this requires a process of composition, recording, mastering, and creation of physical formats. Nobody is going to release 40 songs to you in a year if they don’t cheat. Find information about the artist and his concerts If your suspicions are still there, then comes the next level, that of looking for information about these artists on other pages. The first thing could be search for photos or videos of live concerts on YouTube, Facebook or Instagram. Also look for news on music websites. You can also search for concert dates, if they appear at festivals, if they are mentioned on networks. Come on, there must be proof that they are artists that someone has seen or known, because the normal thing is that the objective of musicians is to play live, not simply record albums. You can also search for his name on specialized platforms. Discogs is the largest database of albums and music releases on the Internet, it is a good place to start, in addition to Wikipedia or All Music. Also look for specialized media, such as Metal Archives for rock and heavy metal, and those for other musical genres. In the end, If it seems as if the artist does not exist because there are no photos or any reference outside of streaming platforms… possibly because they don’t exist. There will be artists who use AI In short, if everything we have told you above points in one direction, you will have already located a fake musician who is really an AI algorithm. … Read more

Movistar is already giving away its Pixel 10a. In addition, you have movies and great games like Real Madrid-Benfica for 9.99 euros per month

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Free is always good. Most companies have devices that we can get at a good price or without paying anything, although most of the time they are mobile phones that have been available for a few months. We say in the majority and not always because Movistar is there, which puts the new Google Pixel 10a and allows us to get it for 0 euros per month. And, also, movies and football like tomorrow’s great game for 9.99 euros per month. You have the Google Pixel 10a, iPads and more in the Movistar catalog If we take a look at the Movistar page, we can see that it has a fairly large catalog of devices. All we have to do is go to the filters (they are just on the left) and, within the price section, select only those that cost 0 euros. There we can find everything: from various TVs to Dyson vacuum cleaners, including, of course, a lot of mobile phones. We are going to focus on this Google Pixel 10a, which was announced just a few days ago. If we take a look at your file on the Movistar websitewe can see how it will cost us 0 euros per month with both the ‘Premium Pack’ and the ‘Advanced Pack’, whether we are already customers or if it is a new registration. The mobile will be our 24 months, which can be extended for another 24 months. In all that time (4 years) we will not pay anything for the mobile and, when the term ends, we can keep the device by paying 1 euro. This phone has what it takes to be one of the best mid-range phones of 2026. This version, with 256 GB of capacity, will offer you a pure Android experience with seven years of guaranteed updates and a lot of AI from Gemini. In addition, it is compact, so it is perfect for you if you don’t like carrying a large cell phone with you. You have movies, series and football for less than 10 euros per month Beyond cell phones and other devices, we cannot lose sight of Movistar Plus+. You can hire it without having to have anything with Movistar and, furthermore, it does not have any type of permanence: you can try it for just one month and unsubscribe at any time. In fact, it’s a good time to give it a try now that tomorrow we will be able to see the great game Real Madrid-Benfica for alone 9.99 euros per month (although we can get it for only 39 euros per year if we have Cultural Bonus). Monthly subscription to Movistar Plus+ The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Of course, the platform doesn’t only have football. In fact, their catalog has a lot of gems like ‘The Tigers‘, ‘Sirat‘ or others that will arrive soon, like ‘Sundays‘ (premieres next February 27). All rounded off by series like ‘Poquita Fe’ or ‘El Centro’, making it a very complete platform that, remember, you can share with a friend or family member without problem. You may also be interested Samsung TV 65 Inch Neo QLED QN80F 4K Mini LED Smart TV with Vision AI, Quantum Matrix Technology Core, Motion Xcelerator 144Hz and Gaming Hub The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Google Pixel 10 – Free Android Smartphone with Gemini, Advanced Triple Rear Camera, 24+ Hour Battery and 6.3″ Current Screen – Indigo, 128GB The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Some of the links in this article are affiliated and may provide a benefit to Xataka. In case of non-availability, offers may vary. Images | Movistar In Xataka | Movistar Plus+ for non-Movistar customers: what it is, how much it costs, channels, additional services and how to contract it In Xataka | Best televisions in quality price: which one to buy and seven recommended 4K smart TVs

Telefónica is already selling its minicenters to compete in the era of real time

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For years they have told us that the future of artificial intelligence lies inincreasingly larger data centersmore powerful and more demanding in energy consumption. And it’s true that computing muscle matters. But there is an equally determining factor that is talked about much less: distance. In the era of real time, it’s not just how much you process that matters, but where you do it. Every millisecond that data takes to travel can disrupt the ability to react instantly. This nuance, apparently technical, is beginning to become a strategic issue for Spanish companies. Telefónica’s bet. The company has activated the commercialization of its edge computing services for B2B clients in five Spanish cities, Madrid, Valencia, Seville, Bilbao and A Coruña, as part of a broader deployment that includes 17 nodes in this initial phase. This means that companies and administrations can now hire these processing and storage capacities close to the point where the data is generated. Closer data. Edge computing involves processing information where it is generated, rather than constantly sending it to distant data centers. As Microsoft explainsis about moving computing and storage capacity to peripheral network locations, such as factories, stores, offices or distributed infrastructures. In practice, local devices and servers analyze and filter data on site and only send what is relevant to central systems. The goal is to reduce latency, alleviate network traffic and enable real-time responses, complementing rather than replacing traditional cloud. The deployment. Telefónica’s Edge Plan plans to reach 17 nodes in this first phase throughout this year. According to the company, 12 infrastructures are already deployed: to the five with active B2B services, other nodes are added in Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Málaga, Palma de Mallorca, Valladolid, Terrassa and Mérida. This same year, the incorporation of Zaragoza, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gijón, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Santiago de Compostela is planned. Many of these facilities are located in old copper plants converted into Edge centers, adapted to availability and security requirements. Basic and Smart. Telefónica does not sell “edge” in the abstract, but rather two concrete ways of using it. The first is Basic Edge, a stable layer that brings computing capacity closer to the territory and focuses on data control and compliance with national, regional or local regulatory frameworks. Each node acts as an availability zone, allowing applications to be deployed with additional guarantees of continuity and resilience. The second is Smart Edge, which introduces dynamism: selection of the most appropriate node at all times, creation of instances on demand and operation with FTTH or 5G SA connectivity depending on the scenario. Beyond physical infrastructure. Telefónica integrates computing capacity with GPUs into its portfolio for artificial intelligence loads, available as a service and deployed in Edge nodes. This allows companies and institutions to run high-performance models without purchasing their own hardware and maintaining processing within the defined regional environment. The company also mentions the incorporation of RAG agents and capabilities to adapt models to specific contexts. Overall, the strategy seeks to bring AI closer to data under criteria of sovereignty and regulatory compliance. When the millisecond rules. An example helps to dimension the scope of this architecture. Telefónica developed with CAF a pilot that combines Edge and 5G Stand Alone for the railway sector, providing artificial vision solutions that process data close to the asset instead of depending on centralized infrastructure. According to the company, this approach avoids installing processing nodes in each car and keeps responsiveness at levels compatible with real-time operations. Images | Xataka with Gemini 3 Pro In Xataka | We had suspicions, but Sam Altman has confirmed it: AI is just an excuse to fire

AI enters clinics to tell you its real potential

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For years, freezing eggs meant also freezing an unknown. Women who opted for vitrification as a strategy to preserve their fertility knew how many oocytes they stored, but not what real potential they had. The estimate depended almost exclusively on age and population statistics. There wasn’t much else. That’s starting to change. Artificial intelligence has begun to be used in reproductive medicine not only to optimize technical processes, but also to offer patients more precise predictive information about their real chances of becoming mothers in the future from their own vitrified eggs. From visual intuition to algorithmic precision. Before the introduction of AI, the quality of an oocyte could hardly be objectively assessed. According to Dr. Marcos Meseguer, Global Director of Embryology Researchin an interview for Xatakathe assessment depended on general morphological criteria and the embryologist’s subjective impression, often based on whether the egg “looked pretty or ugly.” There were no solid quantitative standards or models capable of estimating the biological competence of the oocyte. The prediction was extremely limited, almost equivalent to chance. The technological leap has not been incremental, but qualitative. “We have gone from having practically no prognostic tools to having models with real prediction capacity,” Meseguer details. Today, algorithms are introducing a layer of quantitative analysis that transforms that scenario. More in depth. The change is not minor. As Meseguer explains to us, AI allows us to analyze thousands of images of oocytes whose subsequent clinical results are known—if they formed an embryo, if they reached a blastocyst—and learn patterns associated with reproductive success. The algorithm always evaluates the same parameters in a standardized way. This systematization eliminates variability between observers and converts a subjective assessment into an objective and reproducible evaluation. In other words, for the first time a probabilistic estimate can be offered based on data and not just general statistics by age. It’s not magic: measure better, don’t see more. It is important to clarify what exactly AI does and what it does not do. The algorithm does not detect hidden genetic abnormalities nor does it replace tests such as preimplantation genetic diagnosis. As the specialist clarifies, the genetic analysis is not performed on the oocyte, but on the embryo after fertilization. The AI ​​applied to the oocyte analyzes the same images that the embryologist sees, but in a quantitative way. It accurately measures parameters such as oocyte diameter, the thickness of the zona pellucida or certain characteristics of the cytoplasm. “The difference is not seeing more, but measuring better and in a standardized way,” says Marcos Meseguer. Furthermore, the oocyte is not evaluated dynamically, as is the case with the embryo, but rather statically. It is not about choosing an “ideal candidate”—all mature oocytes are used in assisted reproduction—but rather about stratifying their biological potential and offering probabilistic estimates of competence. More information, but no guarantees. This advance does not imply that laboratories “select” only the best oocytes. All mature oocytes (metaphase II) continue to be used. The difference is in the stratification of their biological potential. In fertility preservation—women who vitrify eggs for use years later—this information takes on special relevance. Instead of basing expectations solely on age, personalized data derived from algorithmic analysis can be incorporated. However, caution is key. Age continues to be the most determining prognostic factor. AI does not modify biology or compensate for physiological limitations. It is a support tool, not a miracle solution, warns the expert. What it does achieve is reduce uncertainty. And in a field marked by emotional stress and complex decision-making, having quantified and objective information can change the clinical conversation. A global trend towards automation. The incorporation of artificial intelligence is part of a broader transformation of fertility laboratories. A recent example picks it up The New York Times from a study published in Nature Medicine. The work analyzes a microfluidic device called OvaReadycapable of recovering eggs that the conventional method did not detect after follicular aspiration. In the study, the device analyzed follicular fluid that had already been examined manually. In more than half of the patients, additional oocytes were found that were going to be discarded. The birth of a girl was even documented from one of those recovered oocytes. Although this technology is not exactly a predictive system like image analysis algorithms, it illustrates a clear trend: laboratories are incorporating automated tools that standardize processes and reduce exclusive dependence on human judgment. Experts quoted by the American newspaper highlightHowever, larger studies are still needed to confirm that these additional eggs consistently increase the live birth rate. The real impact: better managing the “biological clock”? Technological enthusiasm, however, has boundaries. “AI is a tool to support diagnosis and decision-making, not a miracle solution,” says the specialist in the interview. It can optimize decisions and reduce variability, but it cannot modify the intrinsic quality of gametes or alter biological limitations. In other words, it improves the information available, but does not change the biology. The next step. Development does not stop at the oocyte evaluation. According to the embryologist, the next big leap will be the progressive optimization of ovarian stimulation protocols through predictive models that integrate clinical, hormonal and previous response data. More than “absolute customization”, it will be a continuous improvement in precision. Reproductive medicine is moving toward increasingly data-driven decisions. In economic terms, technological incorporation may initially entail a higher cost, but in the medium and long term it could reduce failed cycles and make the system more cost-effective. Freezing eggs without freezing uncertainty. Vitrification will continue to be a bet with a margin of uncertainty. No algorithm can promise a future pregnancy. But it can offer a more refined estimate of the biological potential of those frozen eggs. For years, fertility preservation was a decision supported by general statistics. Today it is also beginning to rely on personalized predictive models. Artificial intelligence does not eliminate the passage of time or guarantee motherhood. But it does introduce something new to a discipline historically marked by probability: … Read more

the alert for community transmission is now real

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Measles seemed like an eradicated disease and something of the past thanks to the very high vaccination rates in our country. However, the most recent epidemiological data is clear: the virus is back and is beginning to circulate among us. This is something that was seen in January 2026 when the WHO withdrew to Spain the status of “measles-free country”. Now, the figures recorded in the first weeks of the year illustrate the size of the problem. Local situation. Only in the Community of Madrid have been confirmed officially 24 cases of measles in the first seven weeks of 2026. To put this figure in perspective, we must know that in just a month and a half the total number of infections recorded in the region for the entire year 2025 has been exceeded. Community circulation. What is truly alarming about the current Madrid outbreak is not only the absolute number of cases, but their nature. This is not something that can be perceived in a non-objective way, but rather the latest weekly epidemiological report of the Community of Madrid, published this February 17, explicitly confirms the community circulation of the virus. Until recently, the vast majority of cases in Spain, What were the 108 reported in 2025?were imported from other countries, such as Morocco and Romania mainly. But this situation has completely changed, since the geographical dispersion of current cases and the absence of previous travel in the vast majority of patients demonstrate that the virus is being spread indigenously within our borders. The profile of those affected. Among the 24 infections There are 13 women and 11 men, most of them being adults. But the most striking thing about all this is that 66.6% of those affected They were not vaccinated with the complete schedule. It must be taken into account that measles is not a mild disease, but six hospitalizations have been recorded, four of them due to severe respiratory involvement. It already transcends Madrid. The national data, centralized by the Carlos III Health Institute through its Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin, reflect that the rebound is not a phenomenon isolated to the capital. Here it has been seen that only in these first weeks of 2026, 60 cases have already been registered nationwide, locating Madrid and Alicante as the main sources of contagion, although these figures are still provisional due to delays in notifications. It comes long. This beginning of the year is the direct consequence of an upward trend that has been brewing for months. According to the Situation Report of the Ministry of Health published at the end of January, Spain closed 2025 with 397 confirmed cases, which represents a jump compared to the 227 infections in 2024. It was precisely this reestablishment of the endemic transmission documented between 2024 and 2025 that led the WHO to give us the wake-up call and revoke our virus elimination status. European context. We are not alone in this crisis, since, according to ECDC data, measles continues to be a continental challenge. Although Europe fell from 35,000 cases in 2024 to 7,655 in 2025, the global trend is the same, since community transmission makes its way through gaps in vaccine coverage. In fact, the WHO European Regional Committee warns that 87% of those infected on the continent do not have the vaccination schedule. What is being done. Given this scenario, the Ministry of Health has already made a move and is updating and reinforcing the Measles Elimination Plan with a clear objective: encourage vaccination in susceptible groups and break the chains of transmission thanks to herd immunity. On the other hand, the Madrid health authorities have raised the alert level in health centers so that professionals keep this new situation in mind to request tests with the aim of confirming possible cases. Images | AboutKidsHealth Community of Madrid In Xataka | Thanks to AI we can now stop reading and writing as much as we used to. According to science, it is the worst for Alzheimer’s

A Moroccan sued a real estate agency for not showing him an apartment just because of his origin. Now they will have to pay 10,000 euros

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The story sounded so strange, so much like an ‘improvised excuse’, that Hamid Hmata decided to do an experiment. In January 2024after seeing how the umpteenth real estate company closed the door on him after finding out about his Moroccan origin, Hamid asked a co-worker to help him out. His friend (with a Spanish name) called the same agency asking about an apartment in Mataró that Hamid had been interested in shortly before. He had no problem. They confirmed that the home was available, gave him information and scheduled an appointment. Shortly before, Hamid had been told the opposite, that it was already rented. The story could have stopped there, but what the agency probably did not take into account is that Hamid has been battling discrimination in access to housing for some time. Now that episode of 2024 has led to a pioneering sentence by “real estate racism”. a dozen complaints. The statistics They suggest that Hamid is not (far from it) the only immigrant who encounters obstacles or outright racism when looking for housing. His case is different in something: this man of Moroccan origin, father of two minor children and with the necessary income to pay for a rental house, has been denouncing real estate racism for some time. And he has also done so in an active way, calling out against various agencies and presenting a dozen complaints before the Mataró City Council. “For being a migrant”. His case was revealed ago just a month and a half the DESCA Observatory, one of the entities that has accompanied Hamid in his peculiar real estate crusade. At that time, the platform explained that the man had been looking for an apartment for four years, a long period during which he had dealt with “great difficulties.” The reason? Everything indicates that its origin. “Different real estate agencies, allegedly, would have covertly avoided providing him with their services (showing him the apartment, evaluating his candidacy, managing a contract, etc.) due to the fact that he was a migrant,” details DOWNLOAD From office to office. Despite his efforts, most of Hamid’s claims were unsuccessful. Their complaints to the City Council ended up being filed and they undertook a “bureaucratic journey” by different organizations, such as the Housing Agency of Catalonia, the Consumer Agency and finally the Office of Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination. Almost all of Hamid’s complaints ended up being dismissed, but last month DESCA recalled that there were still three live files: two “in the administrative procedure phase” and another “in the preliminary proceedings phase.” And the big surprise came. We have now known the next chapter in Hamid’s real estate odyssey. a few days ago DESCA revealed that the Office of Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination (OITND) of the Generalitat of Catalonia has imposed a fine of 10,001 euros on a real estate agency in Mataró for, the association claims, “a case of real estate racism in access to rentals.” The reason would have been the episode with which we started this article. Same floor, different answers. In 2024 Hamid was interested in an apartment for rent, so he contacted the real estate agency that owned it to visit it in person. He couldn’t. A day and a half after requesting the interview they told him that it was already leased. The explanation did not convince Hamid, who asked a colleague (in this case with a Spanish name) to call the agency to inquire about the home in question. Same agency, same apartment… different answer. Him, ensures DESCAYes, they made an appointment for him. Click on the image to go to the tweet. “True, but it has nothing to do with it.” Determined not to let the matter go, Hamid attended the visit scheduled by his friend to ask the head of the agency for explanations. Specifically, I wanted to know if the problem was that the owners of the apartment did not want to rent it to a person of Moroccan origin. “The administration admitted it: ‘That, that’s also true, but it has nothing to do with that. It’s reserved,’” reveals DESCA. The phrase is reminiscent of the one he received recently as well. another moroccanin this case from Irún, who was looking for a home. Mosqueado recorded the explanations of the head of an agency that had slammed the door: “The owner doesn’t want anyone from outside.” A figure: 10,001 euros. Hamid’s experience demonstrates several things. To begin with, proving an episode of “real estate racism” is not easy (he has denounced a dozen agencies). The second is that when it is detected it is expensive. DESCA explains that, in this case, the OITND has fined the agency a fine of 10,001 euros, although that is only part of the punishment. For one year you will not be able to receive any public aid or subsidies, nor establish contracts with the Generalitat Administration. “The OITND resolution recognizes that the reported facts consist of a case of discrimination in access to housing for ethnic-racial reasons and/or origin, which according to Law 19/200 on equality and non-discriminatory treatment is a serious infraction,” argues the observatory. The standard to which the platform refers clearly states in its section 14.3 that real estate agencies and their clients “must respect” equality and not discriminate. Why is it important? For several reasons. The first, the pioneering nature of the sanction. At least in Catalonia, where according to the RAC1 chain There is only one similar precedent. In 2022, Barcelona City Council revealed that the court had ratified a fine of 90,001 euros which he had recently imposed on “a real estate agent” for “excluding a group of people from access to housing due to their origin.” On that occasion the trigger was an advertisement for an apartment that only accepted Spanish tenants. The fine that the OITND has just imposed is interesting for another reason. There are studies that suggest that real estate racism is far from being a one-time phenomenon. In … Read more

There are 30 centimeters left before the Montejaque ghost dam becomes a very real problem

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At the beginning of the 20th century, getting light to the most remote towns in the Serranía de Ronda and Grazalema was an impossible mission. Despite “being close”, they were areas that could only be accessed with a lot of effort and any infrastructure became a logistical problem. It was at that time when the Sevillian Electricity Company decided to make a clean break: build a dam on the Gudares River and produce the energy (up to 20,000 kW) right there. They commissioned the work to a Swiss company and built an 83-meter concrete structure near Montejaque, in Malaga. Then they realized that it was tremendously stupid: the limestone soil in the area turned the reservoir into a sieve and, in the more than a hundred years since its construction, it has never been in use. Until now. Although “use” isn’t exactly the word. Because, in reality, what has happened is that, given the enormous amount of water that has fallen in the area in recent weeks, the dam has filled. Of course, this filling is relative: from the first moment the water has been filtering through the cat’s cavevery close to there. But, thanks to it, it has been possible to ‘laminate’ Gudares Avenue and control the flows. The problem is that, right now and for the first time since we have data, Montejaque is about to overflow. 30 centimeters away from it, in fact. A ghost dam filled to the brim? And draining as if there were no tomorrow: at a rate of 200 cubic meters per second. The images are not only spectacularbut (also) are completely unheard of. There were no clear precedents, but the system (using siphons, as opposed to the usual spillways) has been put into operation before it overtopped the dam. And now what? In principle, monitoring and preparation. The town councils of Jimera de Líbar and Benaoján they have evacuated 150 people and monitor both the Guadiaro riverbed and the Hundidero-Gato cave system. This dam system stands between the reservoir and the closest towns, but no one is very clear about what could happen: it is expected to collapse the possible flood, but it has never happened and the UME continues to monitor the situation for what may happen. Calm. That is the message most repeated by the authorities and, from what we know so far, it is justified. However, it shows that too often we forget what is in the bush. The Montejaque concession has already declined, but it is still there, converted into a tourist attraction. From now on it will also be the constant reminder that we have to rethink all our water infrastructures. Image | Ronnie Macdonald In Xataka | Andalusia anticipates the storm and has already canceled in-person classes and activated the UME. The doubt is placed on the workers

A Brazilian has shown that having Internet in mid-flight is possible with Starlink. It has also shown that it is a real danger

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If the Internet does not reach the plane, let the plane reach the Internet. One of the Azul Linhas Aereas travelers must have thought something like this, who along with another hundred passengers began to discount the first minutes of their flight. A flight that began on the ground but has not yet ended. And our protagonist tried to connect to the Internet during takeoff using a Starlink antenna and a battery that far exceeded the maximum allowed capacity. The flight has landed but is not over. And the company is now investigating what happened. On Instagram. It’s where the Azul Linhas Aereas traveler has published his invention with the following text: “Who hasn’t suffered the frustration of getting on a four-hour flight and not having Internet? When you get on the plane and the WiFi doesn’t work… Your problems are over.” The video briefly shows how the passenger places the Starlink antenna on the window and hooks it to the window blind. From it, a cable hooks up to a large battery stored in the pocket of the front seat. Click on the image to go to the original post What is Starlink? Starlink is a internet service through satellite connection designed by SpaceX, Elon Musk’s company. The system is simple, with thousands of satellites orbiting around the earth, the service seeks to ensure that a small antenna can provide Internet to anyone anywhere in the world, no matter how remote it may be. To do this, the customer mounts the antenna and points it towards the sky. From there a signal arrives that is interpreted by a router included in the pack to, in turn, multiply the signal so that we can connect to the network. Its latency is high compared to fiber optics, so it is not a system to compete with home connections, it is designed to provide Internet to areas without 4G or 5G coverage. And does it work on a plane? Of course, the operation is exactly the same as if we placed the antenna on the ground. In this case, what the airline passenger did was put the antenna in the window pointing outside to improve signal reception. For the rest, it works exactly the same as if we contracted Starlink to have Internet at home. In fact, Starlink service is being offered to airlines. And although it has been the trigger between the latest tantrum between Elon Musk and Michael O’Leary (CEO of Ryanair), the truth is that Starlink will be offered this year on Iberia, British Airways or Vueling flights. And the first tests with United Airlines They were already very satisfactory. Starlink improves what is already known because, although a plane also connects via satellite to offer Internet on its flights, the bandwidths that customers demand and its applications are increasing, which has been reducing the speed of data transfer that each device on board can enjoy. But it’s a danger. However, what this passenger has done is a real danger that is being investigated by the airline. In the Brazilian State Post Office They explain that the Starlink antenna was powered by a 60,000 mAh portable battery. Its 222 Wh capacity is far from the 100 Wh maximum that can be carried on board a plane according to Brazilian aviation regulators. Large power banks can be a danger on board, so Aeronautical authorities limit them in size and number. And it is that batteries can self-combust if a thermal leak occurs, which may be caused by overheating or a blow that results in a short circuit. The problem is already huge if we are on land But it can be much more serious if the plane is fully operational because lithium ion batteries are very difficult to turn off and, in addition, they release gases that are harmful to our health. That is why the size of the battery is limited and if an incident occurs, it is manageable by the crew. Photo | Wikimedia and Fallon Micheal In Xataka | Airlines are beginning to regulate and restrict the use of power banks on airplanes: South Korea leads the way

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