Rules

The Galaxy Ultra already had a scandalous screen. The Galaxy S26 Ultra directly changes the rules of the game

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I don’t want to waste my time talking about seniority, but I’ve been dedicating myself to current technology and video games for more than a decade and I can say that, at this point, few things surprise me. There are evolutions and functions that are cool, but on very few occasions it is something groundbreaking. Then Samsung arrived with the screen of the Galaxy S26 Ultra and its privacy mode. And I tell you what it is one of those things that you have to see to believe. In the first impressions of all Samsung Galaxy S26 We have already told you the essentials. The South Korean company has put a lot of effort into providing its new models with artificial intelligence functions. According to their estimates, more than 80% of users see value in the features of AI and we have a call assistant to avoid the SPAM, agents who perform actions for usa photo editor to which we give commands with prompts and other functions that make more or less intense use of AI. However, what I have noticed the most is something done so that you do not ‘focus’ on the screen of the one next to you: the new privacy screen. It is a mix between software and software that is explained simply. Have you seen one of those tempered panels that are tinted so that they can only be seen from the front so that curious people can’t see anything? Well, that’s what the Galaxy S26 Ultra screen does. Yes with him S24 Ultra they introduced an anti-glare screen that worked very, very wellthey have now added another layer of technology and functionality. The operation is simple and has to do with the pixel matrix of the OLED panel. We have pixels that emit in a narrow spectrum and those that emit light in a wide spectrum. When privacy mode is not activated, the screen lights up all the pixels, allowing it to look great both from the front and at any angle. But, when we activate the new privacy mode, pixels that emit light in the wide spectrum are turned off. And that’s the trick. When that happens, as users, we notice that the brightness drops a little, but also that we can only see the screen if we are completely perpendicular. If we start to tilt the phone, we quickly lose the angle of vision to the point that at 30 degrees it is very difficult to see anything. In practice, whoever is next to you on the couch, on the train or on the bus, will not see anything at all on your screen. And this is great in terms of privacy, but also in terms of security. Because let’s see, you may be thinking that it is ideal so that no one sees your conversations. Telegram or a mischievous eye that tries to take a look at the gallery or the bank app. And yes, it’s useful for that, but also so that your PIN or important notifications don’t get caught. Because There are three ways to activate this mode: Activated at will in full screen. Activated when we run certain apps in full screen. Notifications only. For example, I don’t care if they see my Telegram, but I don’t care if they take a look at my photo gallery. So I can set it to turn on when I open the gallery and turn off when I exit. But, also, I can add another condition: When there is an app that asks for my PIN, it is automatically activated to hide the process. And the truth is that it works like a charm: it’s fast, transparent for the user once we configure it for the first time and… you don’t see anything, really. I know it sounds very “source: believe me”but in the photos and video above you can see it in operation. In addition, it is not tied to Samsung apps, but to anyone. And it also works with notifications, hiding only the notification bar at the top. Now, it has a catch. You may have noticed that I said “the screen of the Samsung Galaxy S26”, and there is a reason: It is a technology reserved for the most expensive model. We already saw this with the anti-reflective finish of the S24 Ultra and it is a decision that I understood. It is logical that manufacturers save exclusives for their most ambitious models. However, here we are no longer talking about a function to keep gossip away: we are talking about something focused on improving privacy and security. I think that little brothers should have it. What’s more, I think all brands should step up and copy this function. It’s going to make cell phones go up in price, yes, but the truth is that I prefer something like this to cell phones that are increasingly more and more powerful and with more and more –very expensive– RAM for AI functions. From now on, this Samsung ‘invention’ has become something to which I am going to pay close attention. And surely there is someone who doesn’t like anything: to manufacturers of tempered glass with privacy function. Because I have one from a very well-known brand and it works well, but it is a pain in many circumstances and, in addition, it interferes too much with the brightness sensor. That does not happen in this Samsung implementation. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra, 512GB, Smartphone with Galaxy AI, 200MP Camera, 12GB RAM, 5000mAh Battery, 3 Year Manufacturer’s Warranty + 1 Extra Year, Cobalt Violet Color (Spanish Version) The price could vary. We earn commission from these links Photos | Xataka In Xataka | It’s not that AI makes us stupid: it’s that we are surrendering to it

We just found a planetary system that breaks the rules of the game with a planet where it should not be

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The universe has a curious habit: every time we think we have a perfect standard model for how things form, something comes along that forces us to rewrite the textbooks. At the moment, our solar system (like many others) seems to have a logical order with rocky planets like the Earth near the Sun and gas giants far away, but what just published the magazine Science It is the exception that confirms that the rules are meant to be broken. A new model. An international team, with strong Spanish participation from IEEC-CSIC and the IAChas discovered LHS 1903, a system 120 light years away which presents an “impossible” architecture according to traditional models: rocky, gaseous, gaseous and… rocky again. The importance of order. This study details the discovery of four exoplanets orbiting a red dwarf starwhich a priori does not seem anything out of the ordinary. But the focus is on how they are placed, as can be summarized in the following list: LHS 1903 b: an inner rocky planet. LHS 1903 c: a gaseous sub-Neptune. LHS 1903 d: another gaseous sub-Neptune. LHS 1903 e: an outer rocky planet. The normal thing in planetary formation is that the outer planets, when formed far from the heat of the star where ice and gas are abundant, accumulate enormous gaseous atmospheres like Jupiter or Neptune. This is why a rocky, bare planet, without a gaseous envelope, in the outermost orbit is an anomaly that has baffled astronomers. It’s like there are two Earths in locations where they shouldn’t be. How it has been seen. To confirm this strange system, a single telescope was not enough. The finding is the result of the combination of data from TESSNASA’s exoplanet hunter, and the satellite’s surgical precision Cheops of the European Space Agency (ESA). In this way, while TESS detects the general transit signals when a planet passes in front of the star, Cheops is able to refine those observations to determine the exact size. Combining all this with velocity measurements from ground-based observatories such as the Canary Islands telescope, the team was able to calculate the densities and confirm that planet ‘e’ is indeed a solitary rock on the outside. How is it possible? A priori, there are two theories to explain why a planet loses its gas and becomes rocky: photoevaporation and the internal heat of the planet. However, neither of these theories work for LHS 1903 e. As the most distant planet, it receives much less radiation than its inner gaseous brethren and is too cold to have lost its atmosphere on its own. In this way, if the planet did not lose its atmosphere a priori, the only logical explanation that the authors find is that it never had it. The study proposes a training model in a gas-depleted environment where the protoplanetary disk ((the cloud of gas and dust where the planets are born) did not form all the bodies at once. What happened, theoretically speaking, is that the inner planets formed first when there was a lot of gas and the outer planet formed later. He is left with the crumbs. By the time the last planet finished forming, the gas in the disk had already dissipated or been absorbed by its older brothers. In this way, it was formed from solid “leftovers”, with no gas available to build an atmosphere. This supports the theory of the “inside-out” formation, where the planets appear sequentially. It is a scenario that has rarely been confirmed with such observational clarity as until now in this system. Its importance. This discovery forces us to rethink the history of solar systems around red dwarfs, which are the most common stars in our galaxy. And we even thought that the position of a planet determined its destiny, but LHS 1903 teaches us that timing is just as important. The LHS 1903 system thus becomes a perfect laboratory: four planets, the same star, but completely different birth stories coexisting in a stable orbital balance. Images | THAT Images | There are satellites in space that need to be “towed.” And a company from Galicia has exactly what is needed

painful rules cost billions in productivity

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Although in Asian countries like Japan, South Korea or Taiwan the cancellations due to painful rules They have been around for a few yearsthey are still rare bird. Without going any further, Spain is a pioneer in the EU (Italy tried it in 2017but it did not come to fruition) and the measure came not without controversy before and after approval. Because periods and pain are managed privately, but they have a profound impact on people’s health… and also on the economy. How much does a period cost at work?. A recent study published in the Australian Journal of Social Issues How the rule affects Australia’s economy makes its importance clear: 14 billion Australian dollars a year alone in lost productivity (about 8.54 billion euros at the exchange rate). And the calculations are conservative in that they do not include health or treatment costs. The rule, in figures. The first menstruation arrives at approximately 12 years of age and since then it occurs more or less regularly every 21 – 34 days until menopause arrives, around the age of 45 – 55. We are talking about between 400 and 600 periods throughout life (except interruptions in the form of hormonal contraceptives or pregnancy). The rule, in discomfort. And if we leave the quantitative and go to the qualitative, for the majority it means a period of discomfort in the form of menstrual pain and bleeding. in the studio They speak of 90% of women under 25 years of age with dysmenorrhea, more intense pain during the first two days. Likewise, it is also quite common to experience fatigue, dizziness, lower back pain and headaches. He heavy menstrual bleeding It results in blood loss that causes a feeling of tiredness or fatigue (among other things, due to loss of iron). The study quantifies between 20 and 25% of those surveyed. The study. To carry out the research, they interviewed 1,796 Australian women with paid jobs of different age ranges (from 18 years old) to find out how common menstrual pain and other symptoms are and what the impact was on their work productivity in terms of presenteeism and absenteeism. Or what is the same: go to work but be at half speed or directly miss work. It hurts me. They came to a conclusion: those with periods between the ages of 35 and 44 suffered a noticeably greater loss of productivity than the younger ones. However, 97% had suffered menstrual pain in the last three months and 1 in 4 said they always had pain. Worldwide, menstrual pain is around 71% and only in Spainthe Spanish Contraception Society reports that almost half have to take medication for pain. From here, they calculated the range of economic impact: 7,176 Australian dollars per person per year, for a total of 14,005 million dollars. Why is it important. Because it provides economic data that is sufficiently impactful so that the management of menstrual symptoms at work is not managed individually and in isolation, falling on those affected, but rather from a collective and institutional level. As resume The research team itself “highlights the strong economic case for governments and companies to adopt policies that help people manage menstrual symptoms.” That is, with laws and policies that standardize and regulate to homogenize and streamline individual procedures in companies, but also with dialogues within the company to introduce changes in working conditions aimed at improving the productivity, health and well-being of the workforce. Among the measures proposed by the team, the modalities of teleworking or hybrid work or the schedule flexibility. In Xataka | The majority of medical discharges that are investigated are fraud. The nuance is that they are only investigated if there are signs of fraud In Xataka | Period pain in adolescence is not “normal”: massive study links it to increased risk of chronic pain in adulthood Cover | Annika Gordon

Google just changed the rules of the lightweight model

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Now, in the race to lead the development of artificial intelligence, something unusual has just happened. Gemini 3 FlashGoogle’s new model, has surpassed GPT-5.2 Extra High, the higher-reasoning variant of OpenAI, in several performance tests. And that forces us to rethink some of the rules that we took for granted. A fast model that also reasons. Google’s new model comes with a very specific promise: to demonstrate that “speed and scalability do not have to come at the expense of intelligence.” Although it has been designed with efficiency in mind, both in cost and speed, Google insists that Gemini 3 Flash also excels at reasoning tasks. According to the company, the model can adjust your thinking ability. It is able to “think” for longer when the use case requires it, but it also uses 30% fewer tokens on average than Gemini 2.5 Promeasured with typical traffic, to complete a wide variety of tasks with high precision and without penalizing response times. The truth is in the benchmarks. Are the benchmarks perfect? No. But they are still one of the most useful tools we have for comparing AI models.confront them against each other and detect in which scenarios they perform better or worse. And in this area, Gemini 3 Flash comes out well. In SimpleQA Verifieda test that measures reliability in knowledge questions, Gemini 3 Flash achieves 68.7% compared to 38.0% for GPT-5.2 Extra High. In multimodal reasoning, within MMMU-Pro, Google’s model scores 81.2% compared to OpenAI’s 79.5%. In Video-MMMU, Flash achieves 86.9% compared to 85.9% for GPT-5.2 Extra High. If we look at multilingual and cultural capabilities, Flash is again ahead, with 91.8% compared to 89.6% for GPT-5.2 Extra High. In Global PIQA, focused on common sense in 100 languages, the difference remains: 92.8% for Flash versus 91.2% for the OpenAI model. Everything indicates that Gemini 3 Flash is specially optimized to capture nuances outside of English and reason more fluently in global contexts. He also excels in the use of tools and agents. In Toolathlon, Flash scores 49.4% compared to GPT-5.2 Extra High’s 46.3%. In the FACTS Benchmark Suite, the difference is tighter, but still in favor of Google: 61.9% versus 61.4%. In long-term tool execution tasks, Flash appears to show greater consistency. But he is not the king of pure reasoning. Now, it is worth looking at the complete photo. Although Gemini 3 Flash outperforms the best OpenAI model in several tests, if you are looking for “pure” reasoning, the balance changes. In the most demanding tests in this area, GPT-5.2 Extra High continues to set the benchmark. OpenAI’s model leads ARC-AGI-2, focused on visual puzzles, with 52.9% compared to Flash’s 33.6%. In AIME 2025, with code execution, it reaches 100% compared to 99.7%. And in SWE-bench Verified, aimed at software engineering, it obtains 80.0% compared to 78.0% for Gemini 3 Flash. What exactly is GPT-5.2 Extra High. Throughout the article the name GPT-5.2 Extra High appears several times, and it is normal to wonder if it is something new or little known. In reality, it is not a model that is usually mentioned to the general public. Google uses this designation in its comparison table to refer to the maximum level of reasoning available in the OpenAI API for GPT-5.2 Thinking and Pro. In the official OpenAI documentation it is identified as “xhigh”. Where you can use Gemini 3 Flash. Access to Gemini 3 Flash is not country dependent. If you have access to the Gemini appyou are already using this model, which has become the default option. It is also reaching developers through the API, AI Studio and Vertex AI. In the United States, the deployment goes a step further, as the Gemini 3 Flash has become the default model of the AI Mode of the Google search engine. The price of using Gemini 3 Flash. For those who want to integrate Gemini 3 Flash into their applications, the model costs $0.50 per million input tokens and $3 per million output tokens. This is a slight increase over Gemini Flash 2.5, which was $0.30 per million tokens in and $2.50 per million tokens out. An increasingly tight race. Gone are the days when Google tried to confront ChatGPT with Bard, or when OpenAI seemed to be years ahead of the rest. Today, the distances between the big players in AI have been drastically reduced. The competition is more direct, more technical and, above all, much closer. Images | Google In Xataka | Amazon is preparing an investment of 10 billion in OpenAI because if you can’t beat your enemy, the best thing is to join him

These three alternatives want to change the rules

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Artificial intelligence chatbots have crept into our daily lives without asking permission. We talk to them to work, resolve doubts or simply vent, but many times we overlook an important detail: services as popular as ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot They use these conversations by default to train their models. And there they end up ranging from personal issues to work issues that perhaps we would never share with a stranger. For anyone who values ​​privacy, this may be a cause for concern. Turning off training from the settings menu helps, but does not eliminate all risks. There is some possibility that a security breach could also expose conversations. So the question that we haven’t quite resolved returns again: are there alternatives that really put privacy first? And if there are, which ones work best? AI chatbots that better protect our privacy In a new video from Xataka’s YouTube channelFrancisco Franconi tries to shed light on this dilemma. He himself admits that he is not the best example of prudence: over the years he has turned sensitive information in ChatGPT. “He has my tax return, my medical history, he knows what time I walk my dog, how many days I have left on vacation,” he confesses. But this time he is determined to change the rules of the game. After testing several options, it has selected three alternatives that focus on privacy and that also have free versions. He acknowledges that there are more, but he preferred to focus on those that really convinced him. The first is Venice. “Your data is encrypted and are stored locally in your browser and not on its servers,” explains Franco, highlighting one of its big claims. The way Venice works is peculiar: it adopts a different mechanic than usual to manage messages, a process that he details step by step in the video and that helps to understand why it fits so well into a more secure approach. The second proposal is the work of an old privacy acquaintance. “If you are a freak privacy, you most likely know the DuckDuckGo search engine, an alternative to Google that became famous for not track your searches or your history,” says our colleague before presenting Duck.AI. The tool, he assures, has been very well received and its philosophy is clear: “It does not compete by offering its own model, but rather guarantees privacy in the use of commercial or third-party models,” he adds. In the video, Franco also shares practical recommendations for getting the most out of Duck.AI, which is useful if you are looking for a chatbot that fits into more intensive workflows. The third option is, perhaps, the least known, but also the one that makes the most forceful declaration of intentions: Okara. For Franco, this platform is “a declaration of war on the data business model.” Its proposal is supported by its own infrastructure, open source models and an encryption approach that gives full control to the user. “Although your history is stored on their servers, it is encrypted in such a way that only you can decrypt it using your key,” he explains. In addition to explaining how Okara works and what advantages it brings, Franco also talks about its limitations. For some users they will be minor details, but for others they can tip the balance towards one platform or another. Each of these alternatives offers a different approach, but a common goal: privacy. And you, which one would you choose? Have you tried any or are you tempted to take the leap? We read you in the comments. And remember that you can see the full video in the Xataka YouTube channel. Images | Xataka In Xataka | DeepSeek has launched its new reasoner model. It’s free and beats GPT-5

Putting four chickens in the yard seemed like a good idea to have cheap eggs. Bird flu just changed the rules of the game

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From November 13, 2025, there is no poultry farm in the country that can be outdoors. With mass confinement, the Government wants to contain the spread of the H5N1 bird flu. And it makes sense: so far this season, 14 outbreaks have already been recorded in poultry, several in captive birds and dozens in wild birds. The problem is everything that falls under the radar. “What do I do with my chickens?” In Spain, at least from 2024, all chickens must be registered. And yes, that includes ‘self-consumption’ chickens; some animals that, according to the data, they represent only 0.77% of the census (but all experts know there are many more). A report from El País from the spring of this year confirmed that “the figures do not reflect reality and that a large part of self-consumers have birds (especially the ISA Brown species) without census.” This has meant that in a context in which self-consumption does not have inspections (and lives unaware of animal health regulation), the doubts and risks have grown exponentially. As Cristina García Casado explained in InfoLibrethe question most frequently asked by veterinarians across the country is “what do I do with my chickens?” And the answer is very simple: confine them. Because the regulations do not understand sizes: a backyard chicken infected by contact with a wild bird can be just as big a problem as any other type of chicken. Or maybe more. After all, the European authorities they continue to qualify the risk to the general population as low; but they raise it to low-moderate for people in direct contact with infected birds or contaminated environments. Having unmonitored poultry increases the risk to the “civilian” population and if we are realistic we will recognize that they cannot be monitored. The problem has names and surnames: at least when it comes to the flu, all those domestic pens have the same sanitary requirements, but much less infrastructure. The ‘boom’ of homemade eggs. We must remember that this does not happen in a vacuum. The truth is that in recent years we have lived a real ‘boom’ in self-consumption chickens. It is the confluence of the “happy chickens” movements with the response of many citizens to a price that does nothing but go up. According to the National Institute of Statistics, have gone up 15.9% so far this year and, according to the OCUthe growth has been 105% compared to 2021. And, be careful, we are not talking about a luxury product. We are talking about what may be one of the proteins cheaper and more accessible of the world. Faced with this ‘ovoflation’, the accounts are clear: “a hen costs about nine euros, it is easy to raise and maintain with fruit, vegetables and feed, and it lays an egg every 25 hours.” How can there not be a problem? What to do if I have a chicken coop for self-consumption? If we are in that situation (or are thinking about setting up our own domestic corral) there are some things to keep in mind: Whether larger or smaller, the corral must be registered in the REGA (General Registry of Livestock Operations). Implement confinement and biosecurity measures: separate chickens from any contact with wild birds; control inputs and outputs; record all changes in a log book. Improve cleaning conditions, more frequent bed renewal and tightening daily management protocols. Introduce wellness programs to contain the problems associated with a sedentary lifestyle. But, above all, be extremely vigilant. There are many warning signs (apathy, drop in production, high mortality or flu symptoms). Therefore, it is best to be alert. Anything can happen. Image | Finn Mund In Xataka | H5N1 bird flu unleashes a massacre in Antarctica: half of the female seals have already disappeared

Cameron’s ‘Titanic’ was going to be a flop. Until a trailer that broke several Hollywood rules changed the narrative

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In a few weeks the posthumous memoirs of Jon Landau, producer of ‘Titanic‘ and ‘Avatar‘, and frequent collaborator of James Cameron. Media as Variety have been able to access its content, and they tell of a masterful marketing maneuver: how a film that seemed doomed to failure, ‘Titanic’, was saved thanks to an intelligent trailer. It was sinking. Before the release of ‘Titanic’ In 1997, there was a certain pessimism in Hollywood and in the press about the film’s chances of success. With a then-record budget of $200 million, constant delays during filming, and negative rumors about the development of the production, many experts and media assumed that the film would be a financial disaster. Landau says that he was famous an article from ‘Time’ magazine in which the possible future of the film was compared to the real fate of the ship with the onomatopoeia “Glub, Glub, Glub…” Too much noise. But as he says in his memoirs, titled ‘The Bigger Picture’, Landau knew that “perception becomes reality”, even though expectations were not good: the jump from 100 to 200 million dollars brought to mind another major failure (and with a very marked aquatic component as well): ‘Waterworld’ by Kevin Costner. Paramount’s marketing team proposed a conventional trailer. Landau described it as a “John Woo-style trailer”, meaning “quick cuts and booming music, gunshots and screams. It made the movie look like an action movie that just happened to take place on the Titanic.” Cameron and Landau knew this wasn’t their movie. Four minutes or so. The decision they made was seemingly counterintuitive: an exceptionally long trailer, four minutes and two seconds. Before, they had to fight for a long time with Paramount executives, who initially wanted a shorter trailer oriented solely towards action. Landay and Cameron argued that a longer trailer was necessary to convey the magnitude and complex narrative of Titanic. They presented it at the ShoWest event in Las Vegas, a key convention for theater owners. Kurt likes it. The trailer had an immediate and favorable effect among attendees, decisive for the good distribution of the film. It also had a positive impact on stars like Kurt Russell, who helped spread the word that they were watching a great film. The actor, sitting at the Paramount table, stood up and shouted, “I’d pay ten dollars just to see that trailer again.” Since then, even the initially skeptical press began to reconsider the film, marking a turning point in public perception and hopes for commercial success. Change in narrative. The trailer not only showed what no one had seen and how the film worked (the memories, the romance, the action, the gigantic scale), but it also redefined the conversation from rumors of failure to raising the possibility of it being a success. The film was released in December 1997, became the highest-grossing film of all time and won 11 Oscars. Another victory for Cameron, although with this one he didn’t have it with him all the time. In Xataka | The “ghost” category of the Oscars: it exists but it is so demanding that there have never been films that compete for it

US responds to China’s new rare earths rules with 100% tariff threat that screams negotiation

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Just a couple of days ago we knew China’s new rare earth rules with which it completely disrupted the global map of strategic minerals. Taking into account that the Asian giant supplies approximately 70% of strategic minerals to the world, it could be said that China is the global mine of an essential raw material for the technology industry. And that gives it a privileged position to apply a standard of this caliber: any product manufactured outside of China with at least 0.1% of materials of Chinese origin. will require a license for export. That is, it not only controls what leaves China, but also what other countries produce with their materials and technologies, being able to decide what is exported, to whom and for what purpose following national security criteria. After a few hours assimilating the news and speculation of a response from Donald Trump and even his non-attendance at the next event where he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, The United States has announced new 100% tariffs unparalleled. New tariffs, more control and a date that invites negotiation The president of the United States has exploded in Truth Social talking about ‘an extraordinarily aggressive stance on commercial matters‘, of ‘an extremely hostile letter‘and of’a moral shame in dealing with other nations‘referring to China’s new measures on its rare earths, insisting that it affects both the products they manufacture and those they do not. Furthermore, he has asserted that ‘It was evidently a plan drawn up by them years ago.‘. More tariffs. Because Donald Trump has announced in Truth Social that the United States will impose a new 100% tariff on China, which will be added to any other tariffs already in place. Likewise, they will also impose export controls on all critical software. It must be taken into account that practically all products imported from China to the United States already have high tariffs, ranging from 50% on steel and aluminum to only 7.5% on consumer goods, with an effective tariff rate of around 40%, according to expert analysts from Wells Fargo Economics and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. AND has left a key date of entry into force: next November 1, 2025. Between the lines. The date chosen by Trump is not coincidental: it is exactly the same as China’s for the measures on rare earths to be operational. And its message hides several key words that refer to a predisposition to negotiation ‘from the November 1, 2025 (or sooner, depending on the actions or changes China takes)‘. He also insists that he (obviously) speaks on behalf of the United States and not ‘from other countries equally threatened‘ Throwing down a gauntlet to potential allies for their coup d’état. In Xataka | In 1978 Chinese engineers visited two key US companies. Upon his return, an empire began: rare earths In Xataka | An industry in the hands of TSMC and Asian factories: the map of global chip production Cover | Jose Alberto Lizana with AI

The US investigates 2.9 million cars for breaking the rules

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Tesla continues to push for its FSD to reach Europe. At the moment, the company still does not have its semi-autonomous driving system available (requires paying attention while driving) on ​​our continent. In recent months they have intensified their messages but now they have a problem. One that concerns 2.9 million cars. FSD. Full Self Driving. It is Tesla’s most advanced driving assistance system. The company sells this system in the United States that allows you to take your hands off the wheel and let the car take all the reins. The system can even be activated within a town with the car taking various exits or reacting to traffic agents such as pedestrians or improperly parked cars. The system, for now, is still awaiting approval on our continent. The deadlines have been extended but, at the moment, the only cars that allow you to drive without hands on the steering wheel are those equipped with Ford BlueCruise and as long as the route has been previously mapped. Click on the image to go to the original tweet More and more pressure. Since last summer, Tesla has been pushing for the European Union to allow this system to be used on its roads. Last June, Elon Musk asked in X the support of his followers so that the European Union speeds up the processes. And, furthermore, He went so far as to say that the FSD “will save lives”. The tweet was preceded by two other publications aimed in the same direction. From the official Tesla account, the company shared videos showing how its cars equipped with FSD circulated normally through cities like Rome or Paris. In the latter, even entered fully into the chaotic roundabout of the Arc de Triomphe Parisian and behaved completely normally. 2.9 million. With this idea on the table, the NHTSA, in charge of traffic safety in the United States, has opened a preliminary investigation into 2.88 million Tesla cars equipped with its most advanced autonomous driving system, advancing in Reuters. The reason is simple: they violate traffic regulations. In total, NHTSA has been informed of at least 50 violations while the FSD was active. Nearly two dozen warnings have been reported after cars ran a traffic light or stalled after it had already opened. Other warnings reflected that the car did not take cross traffic into account and was rushing to pass an intersection with other vehicles already performing the maneuver. They remember in Ars Technica that these investigations are not unknown to Tesla. In fact, this is already the third time that the NHTSA has opened an investigation related to Tesla’s driving assistance systems. like a human. For better and worse, Tesla cars appear to have been configured to behave like a human. Elon Musk already pointed out that their fleet of cars allows them to collect data in real traffic scenarios much faster than their competitors and this allows them to improve autonomous driving skills much faster. However, it was noted a long time ago that this “more human” and less robotic behavior sometimes passed for violate certain traffic rules. And with the launch of the first robotaxis onto the streets, it was proven that this human behavior, even, could be translated into braking in case you see the police. Clue. The problem for Tesla is that FSD approval is key. First because it has been one of his great promises: buy a car today that, tomorrow, you will be able to drive alone. Promises that, on the other hand, have not been fulfilled. But, also, for Tesla the FSD is really very important. First, because it is a source of income that I hoped to make profitable over the years, either with a significant income at the time of purchase or with recurring payments to activate and deactivate it through updates. And, second, because it would allow regain a leadership position within the industry. Right now, except for the specific case of Ford and the Mercedes level 3 applicable in very specific circumstances, no one can drive without having their hands on the wheel. If Tesla obtained this approval it would turn the system into an added value that could tip the balance in its favor when choosing a new car. Photo | tesla In Xataka | Tesla unlocks one of its most advanced functions in Europe. And incidentally confirms that we will have the least autonomous Teslas of all

its new rare earth rules target the United States

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China has just moved a piece that can alter the global board of strategic minerals. Beijing has approvedtwo official announcements that establish a new regime of control over the rare earth and technologies linked to its extraction, processing and manufacturing of magnets. The change is not minor: any product manufactured outside the country that contains just 0.1% of materials of Chinese origin will need a license to be exported. It is China’s most ambitious response in an area that it has been using for years as an economic and political lever. This movement does not come from nowhere. The Asian giant has been weaving a strategy for months to strengthen its control over the materials that feed the global technology industry. In April it already restricted the export of metals such as gallium and germanium, essential for the manufacture of chips, and weeks later expanded the list with scandium and dysprosium. Later this year we explain how This offensive is based on a solid base: 39 university programs specialized in rare earths that ensure the knowledge and manpower that today support its leadership. How the Asian giant transfers its power over minerals to the rest of the world With the new provisions of the Ministry of Commerce, Beijing introduces extraterritorial control over strategic minerals for the first time. It not only regulates what leaves its territory, it also what other countries produce with materials or technologies of Chinese origin. The country will be able to decide what is exported, to whom and for what purposes, under national security criteria. Applications for military purposes will bein principle, denied, while those related to semiconductors or artificial intelligence will be examined on a case-by-case basis. The second standard approved on the same day goes one step further: it is not limited to materials, but it protects the technical knowledge that makes them possible. The Asian country prohibits the transfer without permission of its extraction, refining, metallurgy or magnet manufacturing technologies, as well as any type of technical assistance linked to them. The definition of “export” is broad and includes activities such as consulting, training or collaboration in research projects. With this measure, Beijing shields its industrial experience and restricts the dissemination of its know-how outside its borders. The application schedule is staggered. Part of the new framework takes effect immediately, while the rest will take effect on December 1. At the same time, the Ministry of Commerce expands its scope of action with an additional package that add new items to the checklistincluding graphite anodes, certain lithium-ion batteries, synthetic diamonds, and various rare earths that were not listed in the previous restrictions. The expansion directly targets industries with high technological value and reinforces the Asian giant’s ability to set the pace of the global supply chain. The new rules could disrupt the pace of entire sectors. Magnets and alloys derived from rare earths are present in electric motors, wind turbines, medical equipment and consumer electronics. Under the new licensing system, every component that uses Chinese materials or technologies will have to go through an additional layer of oversight. The most exposed companies are those that depend on intermediate suppliers, especially in the automotive and energy sectors. For many, this move confirms that Beijing’s industrial control is no longer limited to its borders. Applications subject to increased scrutiny include advanced semiconductors and artificial intelligence. The Ministry of Commerce has established a procedure case-by-case review for exports related to chips 14 nanometers or smaller and high-density memories. In the case of AI, supervision extends to projects with military or defense potential. This is not a general veto, but rather a system of selective licenses that allows Beijing to adjust its response depending on the context and the country of destination. The application of the new framework will require a high degree of coordination between companies and authorities. Exporters must apply for licenses through the Ministry of Commerce system and submit documentation in Chinese. In addition, they must issue compliance notices to the following links in the chain and report each approved shipment. The ministry has also enabled a consultation channel for doubtful cases, which reflects the complexity of the process. Even in Beijing they admit that effectiveness will depend on the supervision capacity that it manages to build in the coming months. Exporters must apply for licenses through the Ministry of Commerce system and present documentation in Chinese The moment is not coincidental. Beijing announces these measures just before the meeting between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump planned in South Koreain an attempt to strengthen their negotiating position. For months, rare earths have been at the center of trade talks between the two countries, and the new regulations add pressure on Washington. The strategy is clear: demonstrate that the Asian giant retains decisive levers in sectors that the United States considers strategic, from semiconductors to the materials that support its military industry. With these regulations, Beijing closes a circle that it had been drawing for years: it controls access to materials, the technologies that transform them and the knowledge that makes them possible. The Asian country converts strategic minerals into an instrument of economic and diplomatic power, reinforcing its weight in the negotiation with Washington. For the United States and its allies, the new situation represents an uncomfortable reminder: while they seek to reduce their dependence, the Asian giant continues to set the pace for the resources that sustain the global technological economy. Images | wirestock | ArthurHidden | aboodi vesakaran In Xataka | In 1978 Chinese engineers visited two key US companies. Upon his return, an empire began: rare earths

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