special

this is what makes this helicopter so special

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Mexico has been operating a European military helicopter for years that has proven to be versatile in very different missions, from humanitarian support to security operations. This background, added to recent signs about the modernization of the air fleet, once again places the Airbus H225M. The operation would mean expanding the presence of a model that is already part of the Mexican Air Force. The program. A key piece to understand the current scenario provided by Military Zone. The media claims to have consulted an investment program that contemplates the acquisition of three Airbus H225M to reinforce the 101st Air Squadron. The document to which it refers sets an estimated budget of 172 million dollars and includes not only the purchase of the aircraft, but also the training of technical personnel and their long-term maintenance. Confirmed. On February 10, during the Mexican Air Force Day ceremony at Military Air Base No. 1 of Santa Lucía, the Secretary of National Defense, Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, announced that the institution will promote the modernization of its fleet with new acquisitions. In his words, “the permanent updating of its air fleet will be promoted with the acquisition of 10 multipurpose helicopters,” in addition to other aircraft intended to reinforce operational capabilities. The Airbus H225M on scene. This possible fit gains weight when the previous trajectory of the Mexican Air Force itself with this platform is observed. In 2010, it incorporated twelve EC-725 Super Cougar helicopters, acquired from Eurocopter, today Airbus Helicopters. The first units arrived in 2011 and the delivery process was completed in 2014, the year in which the manufacturer’s restructuring led to the adoption of the H225M name. This previous tour outlines a scenario of operational continuity consistent with the idea of ​​expanding capabilities within the same family of aircraft. A multirole helicopter with proven range. Airbus describes the H225M as the most capable member of the Super Puma/Cougar military family, an 11-tonne aircraft whose reliability and versatility have been proven in demanding combat environments. According to the manufacturer, the platform has accumulated more than 300,000 flight hours in different operational theaters since 2007 and has maintained mission availability levels greater than 95% in high threat conditions. Key data. It can carry up to 28 equipped soldiers or be configured for medical evacuation with 11 stretchers and four paramedics, as well as operate from land bases or ships in adverse weather conditions, including severe icing. Its radius of action reaches 920 kilometers, expandable to 1,253 with auxiliary tanks and capable of being extended by refueling in flight. Advanced technology. Beyond its scope or availability, the H225M incorporates a set of systems designed to facilitate mission management and reduce crew workload. Airbus highlights its four-axis automatic flight control system, capable of providing precision and stability both in normal conditions and in scenarios with a single operating engine, in addition to allowing automatic maneuvers such as automatic hovering with a precision of 1 meter. Added to this is a digital cockpit with enlarged screens, integrated navigation systems and safety alerts that are only displayed when necessary. Survival and maintenance. This helicopter was conceived from the beginning with a clear focus on operational endurance and crew protection. The structure incorporates reinforcements, energy-absorbing landing gear and self-sealing fuel tanks, while the cabin can be equipped with armor and warning systems against radars, missiles or laser designators. The model can also integrate the HForce Modular Weapon Systemwith configurations ranging from side machine guns to rockets or guided missiles, although the specific configuration depends on each operator. Images | Mexican Air Force | Airbus In Xataka | Spain has built a laser that shields the backbone of its Navy: the A400M is now ready for combat

The special effects of 2025 are worse than those of 2010. And part of the blame lies with us viewers

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When James Cameron released ‘Avatar’ in 2009, the film industry contemplated what seemed the future of visual effects. The film set a technical standard that, paradoxically, today’s cinema not only has not surpassed, but often does not even reach. The problem is not technological: software tools have advanced exponentially since then. But the industry has evolved in a way that everything looks worse than before. The sooner, the better. It is not necessary to go to the undisputed peak of the digital image that represented Cameron’s movie. ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’ featured Davy Jones and his beard of tentacles, one of the best live-action CGI integrations ever seen. ‘Interstellar’ featured the participation of astrophysicist Kip Thorne for their spatial sequences. It is enough to compare the photorealistic texture of Na’vi or Jones with the plasticized finishes of Marvel or DC to see that something fundamental has changed in the way of producing special effects. The common denominator in all of them was time. In this analysis about the visual effects crisisit is explained that the productions of that decade had post-production calendars that ranged between 18 and 24 months. ‘Avatar’ He had two full years for the effects phase. Its consequences have started from comparable times. The spectacular images in ‘Inception’ of the city folding in on itself, another milestone of the era, took months of planning. Luxuries that are practically unthinkable today. Increasingly. The problem is the quantity. The latest studies indicate that while a commercial film from 2010 contained approximately 600 shots with visual effects, current productions usually exceed 3,000 shots. This 400% increase has not been accompanied by proportional budgets or calendars. Quite the opposite: hasty effects, poorly worked compositions and a digital homogenization that detracts from the personality of the images. Tremendous expectations In your situation analysisTreehouse Detective explains the case of the prequel to ‘The Thing’, which in 2011 remade John Carpenter’s 1982 classic. The special effects team Studio ADI, led by Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr., built physical creatures with animatronics and prosthetics over several months of pre-production. After test screenings, Universal Pictures made a decision that Gillis would rate how devastating: Almost all practical work was replaced by CGI in post-production. Audiences expected to see digital effects in a science fiction horror film and considered practical effects “old-fashioned.” Paradigm shift. This case illustrates a profound cultural shift in expectations. During the 2010s, CGI went from being an exceptional tool for what was thought unattainable with practical effects to becoming the standard. The irony is that the greatness of films like ‘Alien’ or ‘Jurassic Park’ (where CGI was mixed with practical effects) was built precisely on the tangibility of their creatures. But the industry, and with it the audience, developed a dependence on digital finishing that is associated with prestige and quality, regardless of whether the final result can be improved with traditional effects. The economy of effects. The proliferation of streaming platforms has radically reconfigured the economics of special effects. Films produced directly for Netflix, Amazon Prime or Disney+ operate with significantly lower budgets than productions destined for cinemas, while the public maintains their visual expectations. This impossible equation has put pressure on the entire FX production chain. The era of auctions. The contract awarding system has evolved towards an auction model that prioritizes cost and speed over quality. The studios put projects into competition between multiple effects companies. The one who offers to complete the job in less time and for less money gets the contract. This process creates a competitive spiral in which small studios accept unsustainable conditions in the hope of maintaining their position in the market. Studies that close. It is a system that sometimes has extreme consequences. ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ case: after the public’s rejection of the character’s original design, Paramount ordered a complete redesign. Moving Picture Company, the studio responsible for the effects, had to redo hundreds of shots without a deadline extension or significant additional budget. The studio closed its Vancouver headquarters shortly after, with multiple sources indicating that the project had contributed significantly to their financial problems. It is not an isolated case: Rhythm & Hues, winner of the Oscar for the effects of ‘Life of Pi’ in 2013, declared bankruptcy weeks before the awards ceremony. The company had agreed to complete the job at a loss to maintain its reputation, a pattern that media outlets such as VFX Voice have documented. Visual effects artists and technicians frequently operate in crunch to meet deadlines that were unfeasible from the beginning. The lower union rate In the visual effects sector, unlike other technical departments in film, it leaves these professionals without protection against abusive working conditions. The causes. The deterioration in the quality of the special effects does not respond to a single cause, but to pressures from two opposite directions. Movie studios have optimized their production structures to maximize profit margins, outsourcing visual effects work to companies competing in a wild race. The public has developed inflexible expectations about the omnipresence of CGI, rejecting alternatives. As technology advances, the time and money available to apply it decreases. Just compare budgets: ‘Avatar’ operated on a total budget of $237 million, of which a substantial portion was allocated specifically to technological development and visual effects over several years. Meanwhile, an MCU production distributes a similar budget among multiple items (salaries, marketing) while compressing post-production calendars to just six or eight months to meet immovable release dates, established years in advance. In Xataka | Either CGI designers get their act together or our televisions will continue to put their movies on the ropes

China wants Chinese people to have more children. So he’s going to put a special tax on condoms

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China wants more babies. Many more. Enough to increase their birth rate and stop the population loss which has allowed India ahead as the most populous nation on the planet. After repealing his ‘one child’ policy and display a wide range of measurements pro-natalism at a political, social and economic level, Xi Jinping’s Government has made a radical decision: make condoms more expensive and other contraceptive items. By first time in 30 yearswhoever wants to buy them will no longer enjoy a VAT exemption. In summary: sex becomes more expensive…at least the insurance. Sex with a condom? Pay more. have sex you will be more expensive in China from now on. At least if you want to do it with contraceptives. In the context of a broader tax reform that basically affects the value added tax (our VAT), Xi Jinping’s Government has decided remove exemption tax that condoms enjoyed until now. The decision is not exactly new. The law on which it is based was approved at the end of 2024, but it is now generating noise on social networks and the media for a very simple reason: its effects will begin to be felt shortly, from the January 1, 2026which is when Chinese couples will encounter rising prices on contraceptives. One figure: 13%. The change is important because this type of contraceptive items enjoyed a VAT exemption since 1993when China implemented the rate nationwide. From now on the scenario will be different and those who want to buy condoms will find themselves with a VAT of 13%. Today, precise Guardiana package of standard prophylactics costs between 40 and 60 yuan ($5.7-8.5). The contraceptive pill, available in the country without a prescription, ranges between 50 and 130 yuan, from 7.1 to 18.5 dollars. The price increase will not be exorbitant, but it has generated criticism on networks such as Weibo. “I was very angry when I saw that condoms were going to have taxes and increase in price,” he complained recently a user on RedNote. “Is it so easy to profit from us workers? I got so angry that I placed an order at night for the condoms that I like… I accidentally bought too many.” Why now? The million dollar question. The Chinese government has not simply imposed taxes on condoms. The measure is framed in a broader initiative that seeks to modernize the tax system and check the list of products and services exempt from VAT. At the end of the day, the consumption tax represents a crucial part of the tax revenues that feed the Chinese coffers. All in all, it is striking that Beijing decides to make contraceptives more expensive precisely at a time when the country loses population and look for ways to encourage their birth rate, which has led the State to act as a matchmaker, help to couples with babies or even go household by household to encourage women to have children. It has also not gone unnoticed that the same tax reform contemplates a tax reduction for childcare services. There is more at stake than Chinese demographics: there is the country’s economy, supported by its enormous domestic market, and the challenge of what to do with million pensioners. “Unlikely”. The other question is… Does the Government really expect that applying a 13% tax on condoms will result in more babies? An IndexBox report shows that in 2020, close to 5.4 billion condoms. There is who thinkslike Quian Cai, from the University of Virginia, that a price increase may “reduce access” to contraceptives, especially among the poorest population, but warns of the consequences. “It could lead to more abortions and increased health care costs,” prevents Cai. The risk? That in an attempt to increase the birth rate, China finds itself with more terminations of pregnancies and a resurgence of diseases sexually transmitted. Others are simply skeptical that making condoms more expensive is going to influence the number of pregnancies, especially if one takes into account that one of the brakes on birth rates is the high cost of parenting. “The tax itself is unlikely to have a noticeable effect on birth rates,” explains to TIME Yuan Mei, professor at the School of Economics, Singapore Management University. “Decisions about having children in China are mainly influenced by economic and lifestyle factors, such as the cost of raising a child and long working hours. These factors outweigh small changes in the price of condoms.” So what for? There is who considers that the rate has a symbolic nature and really seeks to delve into a message. “Now that China’s birth policy has shifted toward promoting birth and no longer promotes contraception, it is reasonable to tax condoms again,” reflect He Yafu, Guangdong demographer. Nor does it seem that the initiative will have a notable economic impact. Not at least if you put it in context. Lee Ding of Dezan Shira & Associated explains to Guardian that taxing condoms will add around 5 billion extra yuan a year to state coffers (about $710 million). It is a considerable figure, but very small when compared to the billions that the country collects in general. “We don’t believe that income generation is the main motivation.” Images | Fenghua (Unsplash) 1 and 2 and CDC (Unsplash) In Xataka | While the birth rate in China plummets, a region does not stop having children. Their secret: being a large family has a reward

The Virgin appeared inside a volcano in La Garrotxa. So they built one of the most special hermitages in the world

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I confess that one of the buildings that fascinates me the most is that of the hermitage. There are some as spectacular as the one in Virgin of the Castle in Chillónbut others are four almost dilapidated walls in remote places (or locked in a Madrid roundabout). They are scattered throughout our geography, sometimes extremely hidden, to the point that there is one that crowns a spectacular landscape. It is the hermitage of Santa Margarida de Sacot, in the Garrotxa. And it is in the center of the crater of a volcano. Santa Margarida volcano. Of all the volcanic areas of the Iberian Peninsula, Garrotxa is one of the most spectacular. As in other volcanic areas, we can perfectly see the cones of the volcanoes that erupted thousands of years ago. But, unlike places like Campo de Calatrava, the Garrotxa It is dyed green thanks to its vegetation. It is estimated that the volcanic activity in the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park It expanded from 700,000 years ago to 8,300 years ago, with the Santa Margarida volcano being one of the youngest of the 40 cones that make up the area. From a drone view, the volcano is imposing, but it is striking that the interior of the crater is a treeless meadow and has a building right in the center. A hermitage would be good. Places of worship are not usually planted in a random place and, as tradition says, the hermitage that shares its name with the volcano was built when someone discovered something miraculous: an image of the virgin carved in alabaster inside the crater. It was clear: a building had to be built to honor such a miracle. Although the first documented reference to the hermitage is from 1403, when money was allocated to maintain the chapel, it is estimated that this Romanesque building would have been built at some point. moment from the 13th century. The picture is impressive The church is ruined. The miracle of the virgin could not be repeated to save the hermitage from the effects of earthquakes that shook the area in 1428. Known as “Terratrèmol de la Candelera”, a series of tremors with an estimated magnitude of between 6.5 and 7.3 knocked down several buildings, the hermitage of Santa Margarida one of those who ended up badly off. Something was saved: the image of the virgin carved in alabaster, which is currently kept in the Diocesan Museum of Girona. In 1865 decided that something had to be done with the place and they rebuilt the hermitage. They did so by building a single-nave structure that preserves something of the original: the semicircular apse and the porch, and inside it, a replica of the alabaster carving. deep symbolism. Since then, and as it has been doing for 400 years, the hermitage of Santa Margarida governs the center of the homonymous volcano and is part of the Natural Park. If you feel up to it, you can visit it, but you will have to do some hiking. The car is left on the edge of the volcano and it is necessary to continue on foot along a well-marked path until reaching 766 meters of altitude. That is the perimeter of the crater, 2,000 metersand to reach the hermitage, we have to descend a little to 682 meters, where we finally have the place of worship surrounded by a green meadow. For many, it is surely simply another fascinating place in our geography, but for many others it is possible that stopping in that place awakens the feelings that led those who built the hermitage in the Middle Ages: a deep connection with the divine. What is evident is that, whether we have that connection or not, the landscape is impressive and seeing a construction in the center of a volcanic crater is a powerful image. And if there is not much tourism, a moment of retreat and disconnection from everyday life. Images | Jordiferrer, Carquinyol from Badalona In Xataka | The largest underground labyrinth in Spain is in a town in Guadalajara: the fascinating network of “Arab caves”

This year the Three Wise Men bring something very special to children: children’s cosmetics

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There’s barely a month left until Christmas and the first catalogs are already in hands of thousands of families. But this year, among dolls, constructions and car tracks, something unexpected has appeared: construction kits. skin care aimed at girls. unicorn masks, jade rollers “to play spa” and even “children’s” serums. On TikTok, creators like Mommy of three and Alottameg They accumulate thousands of views criticizing the fact that these products are promoted as toys. The alarm has gone off: what is facial care being part of the letter to the Three Wise Men? A global phenomenon that reaches children’s catalogs. What the Christmas brochures show is not an anecdote: it is part of an international trend. According to The New York Timesactress Shay Mitchell launched Rini, a brand of masks aimed at girls as young as 4 years old, whose promotional images caused massive rejection on networks and among dermatologists. And the data increases the tension. A Nielsen IQ study has pointed out that American households are spending more than $2.5 billion annually on beauty products for girls between 7 and 12 years old. In Spain, in addition to the boom on TikTok, stores already include children’s spa kits in their toy sections. More and more girls are asking for jade rollers, creams and creams on their Christmas lists. glowmasks peel off or antioxidant serums. dand the Sephora kids to the toy aisle. According to Yale Medicinemany children and preteens are “obsessed” with creating skin routines copied from TikTok and Instagram: scrubs, serums, masks, night creams… Even without having acne or any dermatological problem. Dermatologist Kathleen Suozzi explains that: “Our study shows that 20% of tweens and teens spend more than $50 a month on products they don’t need, sometimes layering five or more products.” The phenomenon has a name in digital culture: Sephora kids. The academic study of Rachel Wetstone and Jane Grant-Kels details that Girls between 8 and 12 years old show routines of between 6 and 12 products on social networks, many of them designed for adult skin. In these videos, exfoliating acids, retinoids, concentrated vitamin C and steps that imitate a 10-step adult routine are repeated. Beyond the skin risks, the authors warn of the ethical effects: premature aesthetic pressure, misinformation and economic exploitation of an extremely impressionable public. When skin care becomes a feminine role. In parallel, children’s advertising has been pushing girls towards the field of aesthetics for years. The Women’s Institute analyzed toy advertising in the Christmas campaign and found that: In 38.5% of advertisements aimed at girls, archetypes linked to beauty or the role of caregiver/mother/wife appear. The color pink dominates in almost a quarter of toys for girls, while boys appear linked to vehicles, action, professions such as pilot, police or military. 11% of advertisements sexualize girls, while no examples of sexualization of boys were detected. In that context, that sets of skin care As a toy “for girls” it is not an anomaly, but one more piece of a puzzle: that of a female childhood associated with aesthetics, beauty and body care from a very young age. As we already explained in Xatakathe Alpha generation (born after 2010) is growing up under an “early ritual” of aesthetic care, driven by algorithms that serve them videos of perfect skin, filters and routines, often before they have reached puberty. Dermatological risks. There is broad medical consensus here. According to KidsHealthmost children and teens only need three things: a mild soap, a fragrance-free moisturizer, and sunscreen. For their part, acne-prone adolescents can use versions oil-free of moisturizer and photoprotector, but always with medical advice. In addition, they emphasize that anti-aging products (anti-wrinkle, blemishes, firmness…) are not necessary and can cause just the opposite: acne, irritation, burns or eczema. However, between different sources The ingredients that most worry about trends in preteens are: Retinoids and retinol, which can cause severe irritation, peeling, and photosensitivity. AHA/BHA acids such as glycolic or salicylic acids, associated with redness and chemical burns in children’s skin. Fragrances, one of the main triggers of allergic dermatitis in children Drying alcohols, which damage the skin barrier Chemical sunscreens, more irritating than mineral ones Comedogenic oils such as coconut, cocoa or lanolin, which clog pores and can aggravate cosmetic acne. There is a psychological impact. From Yale Medicine describe how some children They begin to feel a real compulsion to maintain long routines, to the point of affecting sleep, social time, or even school performance. The Wetstone and Grant-Kels clinical study points to growing anxietyconstant comparisons, and teenagers who feel “insufficient” if they don’t replicate the routines they see on TikTok. For their part, the case of girls between 10 and 12 years old who speak openly of fear to “get old”, a meaningless concept at his age. And some come to think that “without products they are not worth enough”, a symptom of what several experts They are already beginning to identify it as infantile cosmeticorexia. It is not the first controversial toy. But the first with real assets. For example, children’s makeup cases have existed for decades: barely pigmented shadows, almost transparent lipsticks, peelable nail polishes. They were toys. However, the current difference is twofold: on the one hand, the products imitate real cosmetics, with active ingredients (although in low concentration) and claims typical for adults: illuminates, blurs pores, anti-aging, repairs barrier. On the other hand, they are not sold only as a game, but as a routine, as a habit of care and self-care. That is, as something that is not used from time to time, but every day. As The Guardian detailsdermatologists already treat 10-year-old girls who use vitamin C, retinol and exfoliants “because they saw it on TikTok.” This is not a mask with friends: it is the idea that they should “take care of themselves” to avoid non-existent wrinkles. Is this really a toy? Christmas catalogs raise an uncomfortable question: at what point did a face mask become a normalized children’s gift? It is not … Read more

Scotland has grown tired of tourists on its difficult inland roads. So he put a special plate on them

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Every year hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of British tourists travel to the Canary Islands to enjoy a relaxing holiday on their beaches. It was not the case of Robert Marshall. From his visit to Tenerife he came back with a much less pleasant experience, the “horrible” feeling he had when he sat behind the wheel of a car and wanted to drive around the island without being accustomed to its signs, its roads or something as ‘simple’ as drive on the right side. From that trip Marshall returned home with something more than “stress” of the experience: an idea so that the same thing would not happen to any other tourist. Marshall is neither a politician nor an expert on mobility, but he does know about tourism. After all, he is the owner of a hotel located in the Highlands, the Scottish Highlandsa region that has experienced its particular tourist boom in recent years thanks to its mountains, castles and coast. When Marshall traveled to Tenerife some time ago and drove around the island, he understood much better the difficulties that foreign tourists encounter when traveling on the roads of their homeland. Added to the challenge that driving a new vehicle, in a new country, with unknown roads, customs and perhaps even rules, is the change of driving direction: on the left in the United Kingdom, on the right in most countries (including Spain). In his case, the result was a “horrible” experience that left him “completely stressed”. “When I reached the roundabouts, the intersections, as soon as I started the trip, I was going in the opposite direction to the one I usually drive. All the controls and buttons were in a different place. I kept shouting at my partner: ‘I wish these people knew that I was a tourist,’” remember. The sensation was not entirely unknown. He himself had seen how stressed foreigners get when they have to do the opposite and get behind the wheel of a car on the narrow, winding roads of the Highlands. To solve it, Marshall had an idea: What if drivers could actually recognize tourists? What if there was a simple way to identify the cars of travelers who do not know the area or are not used to the way of driving in a certain place? Would it help the rest of the vehicles you share the road with to be more understanding or even more cautious? The result of those reflections is the Tourist Platea registration for tourists. The idea is similar to that of the plate that identifies new drivers: a sign that warns other drivers that whoever is behind the wheel is not used to the area, something that the Tourist Plate achieves with an adhesive rectangle designed for the back of the car. White background, a large green T for “Tourist” and reflective surface to ensure that the plate is visible also at night. “It’s a simple idea, but it has generated conversation about road safety,” celebrates Marshall. And so much. The proposal has aroused the interest of media such as BBC, cnn, The Telegraph either The Timesamong others. And although a priori the plates have not been approved by any authority, Transport Scotland recently suggested to the cnn and BBC that in his opinion there is no problem in showing them. Stickers are sold by £9.99 on the Tourist Plate and Marshall website assures which already has orders from countries like the US, Pakistan or India. That the idea arose right in the Highlands is no coincidence. The region is experiencing a particular tourist boom thanks in part to the success of the route North Coast 500where visitors circulate who (like what happened to Marshall in Tenerife) are not used to Scottish roads, single-lane roads and driving on the left, which has resulted in a higher accident rate. Official figures show accidents in Scotland caused by drivers traveling on the wrong side they shot up 46% in one year: from 24 collisions attributable to “inexperience of the driver on the left” in 2022, the following year it rose to 35. The balance of recent years also leaves victims and accidents caused by Italian, German or American travelers. The Scottish police have even worked with the US embassy to raise awareness tourists about the importance of being cautious behind the wheel. For now, the Tourist Plate seems to have worked for Laura Hanser, activist of A9 Dual Action Groupa group that calls for improvements to road safety in the A9 road. Hanser recently decided to go from theory to practice and tested the ‘tourist license plate’ by adhering the sticker to his own car. “I drove down a single lane road at 80 km/h. I let different vehicles catch up with me. You could clearly see that it took them a couple of seconds to notice and then they slowed down when they recognized that I had that license plate on the car,” Hanser relateswho trusts that the sticker will help foreigners “acclimatize to your environmentthe car and the environment in which they are. “The infrastructure of the Highlands is under great pressure from the influx of tourists. Anything we can do to help, prevent or raise awareness can only be seen as positive,” he concludes. In Xataka | Ibiza is fed up with the waves of tourists every summer. And it has begun to limit them by leaving them without a car Images | Tourist Plate, Robert Bye (Unsplash) and Bo&Ko (Flickr)

Spaniards who make special effects for Hollywood tell us about AI

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We already had clear that Spain has become indisputable superpower of the comic mainstream United States. It is not only there that ours are triumphing internationally. By the Comic-with Malaga Many of those responsible for the VFX study were passed The ranch To break down its spectacular curriculum, and we had the opportunity to talk to two of its members, Isaac de la Pompa and Sofia Balestrini. With your help We take the pulse of the state of the special effects in Spain and review its trajectory: The Ranchito was founded in 2004 by Félix Bergés and since then has become a European and global leader in VFX, with more than 200 employees. Among the films and series in which they have participated are ‘The Snow Society’, ‘A monster comes to see me’, ‘Jurassic World: the fallen kingdom’, ‘Game of Thrones’, ‘Stranger Things’, ‘The Mandalorian’ or ‘Westworld’. All success races have a turning point, and in the case of El Ranchito, it was ‘the impossible’ of Juan Antonio Bayona. We ask how your meeting was with the director of ‘The snow society‘: “Bayonne had already worked with Félix Bergés in’ The orphanage ‘and had him again. The effects became very Old School, With real water, and the result was so good that they came to call us no less than ilm (George Lucas’s effect company) to make a projection of the film. “ What impressed so much to the geniuses of the effects of Industrial Light & Magic? “It was shot in a Valencia pool. We bought a computer specialized in making water, waves and that type of fluids, but there is not a pixel on the screen. The only thing we retouched was the foam of the top of the waves, which is a mixture of real image and effects generated by computer.” When the film opens, it sweeps at the box office worldwide. “And above all, the Best Supporting Effects prize of the visual Effects Society in 2013 wins.” And from there, El Ranchito’s phone does not stop sounding. It is a before and after: “Before that, Felix had tried by all means to enter the American market, without getting it. An occasional interview, and nothing more. But the prize made the difference.” The prize and the price recognize: “Here we were more cheaper than those of Los Angeles. It was still a time when in Los Angeles there was labor (now everything is already democalized around the world), and it was much cheaper to take things to us.” For example, ‘Game of Thrones‘. “Chapter eight of season five, which we were not sure how to dobut we accepted because Felix had a lot of value, he accepted everything. I would not have dared. “Before, from HBO they made sure:” They made us a previous exam, they sent us a plan of season 4 in which some skeletons came out and told us ‘take, animated, compose it and others’ “. They had courage, but HBO too: “Suddenly they had to get out of their comfort zone, put aside all the American, Canadian and English companies, and have a Spanish company that had not done a project of that size.” When Ranchito had a good coil of international projects, important orders followed. ‘The Mandalorian’, without going any further: “There were effects that ILM did not give time to finish, and they called us. Above all we made ships of ships.” And he gave them chance to meet an idol: “And of course, we had call with John Knoll (Creative Director of ILM, responsible for the effects of innumerable films with the company since 1989), which is a very rare feeling, being in a videoconference with such a reference. “ The future of special effects The next question is inevitable: How do you see the future of the sector, especially with the arrival of artificial intelligence tools? “At the moment there is no total change, but tools have appeared that facilitate the work, in microtheses that simply make the artist’s life a little simpler. For example, making a mask is a laborious task that before had to make frame by frame, and now there are models that do it automatically.” Nor is the panacea at the moment, they warn: “Then you have to retouch, you have to refine, but the progress is there” “But in general,” they tell us, “there will be a paradigm shift, it is the absolute future. Some professions such as 3D modelers are going to die and they will have to convert to other things.” And yet, “there are limitations.” What kind of limitations? Techniques (“In some aspects that seem unimportant details when generating images, AI is still very green”), but above all legal and use: “Lionsgate has reached an agreement with Runway to feed with a 20,000 films of which they have rights and be able to generate new ‘legal’ productions with AI. It is insufficient, they need many more references to create something with meaning.” That is to say, The current IAS are so sophisticated because they “cheat” in that sense: “Google and other IAS are based on millions and millions of references that take without permission, and that is why the videos are so sophisticated. We cannot do that, and legally we are now in anyone’s land.” Technology exists, the intention exists, but the logical legal maze of power or not being able to use images without permission is such a caliber that we may take years to see how this tangle is faded. In Xataka | What is the work of an artist of visual effects, in the words of Carolina Jiménez (‘Marvel’, ‘El Hobbit’, ‘Cosmos’ …)

Murcia is convinced that she has a special smell. So he has decided bottling him and turning him into a perfume

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If Seville has a special color, as those of the river sang, Murcia can boast another identity equally striking: its smell. At least he considers his City Council, that He has opted by a fragrance inspired by the aromas of the city, such as orange blossom or myrtle, to use it as an institutional gift. In fact so convinced is the town hall that has dedicated more than 11,000 euros to launch it in the framework of the celebration of the 1,200 years from the town. Of course the perfume has a name: “Fire ritual”. A perfume inspired by Murcia? That’s how it is. At the moment there are not many details that have transcended the Murcian Olfative Initiative, but they allow us to get an idea of ​​what is their approach. The news emerged on Sunday as a result of A tweet Posted by Ginés Ruiz, local spokesman of the PSOE. In him, pulling a sneer, he threw a polish to the local government headed by the popular José Ballesta. “Dear neighbors of Murcia: do not forget that July 7 is the last day to pay the IBI, that the mayor has to pay things like the ‘aromatic mist commemorating the #Murcia12’ to 11,325.60 euros,” Ironizaba Ruiz. The message was accompanied by The photo of a document in which, indeed, a budget item of 11,300 euros is collected for something called “aromatic mist.” Click on the image to go to Tweet. And what is it? Ruiz’s tweet led several media, basically RRNEWS, Murcia’s opinion and Murcia Economyto pull the thread and contact the City Council to learn more about that mysterious “aromatic mist.” Thanks to them we know that their real name is ‘Fire ritual’ and consists neither more nor less than a fragrance with the smell of Murcia “elaborated by Iberchem and that will be presented shortly. What exactly does it mean to smell Murcia? “It smells like the color of the flames”, replyenigmatic, the Consistory. Because? The opinion reveals that the City Council took the first leg of an unsuspected place: its tourism officia. Visitors who come there in search of information often speak the smell of orange blossom, so … why not capture that olfactory essence in a perfume? The idea, insist from the municipal government, is that “a part of Murcia always travels with visitors” and encouraged them to return. “The idea is that this initiative arising from the ‘Murcia 1200’ project lasts and extends as a gift beyond this year, being able to take this aroma everywhere where entities and groups of civil society be named Murcia with their talent,” They clarify. For now, the fragrance will become gift for those who visit Murcia in official acts or during relevant quotes. The important thing: What does it smell like? The City Council advances that it is “a unique fragrance inspired by Murcia and its history”, with “representative” aromas such as orange blossom or myrtle. “It’s a fragrance Niche Inspired by oriental, wood, smoke touches, spicy points … When you smell it, it transports you to that warm fire, with a sweet touch and Ambarado“, They clarify. The idea is that people can spray perfume and use it to set rooms. The name, ‘Fire ritual’, is inspired by one of the large celebrations of the town: the spring parties, and more specifically in its climax, The burning of the catafalco of the sardine. The news has jumped with the fragrance and ready to appear. The person responsible for forming it has been the Iberchem company and in the project a member of the Royal Perfume Academy would have participated. Images | Esteban Palacios Blanco (Flickr) and Laura Chouette (UNSPLASH) In Xataka | Vitoria has been the greatest city in Spain for years. Now he has turned against him for a gardener strike

The impact probability of asteroid 2024 YR4 has risen to 1.6%. The UN has already activated a special protocol

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In just a few days of observations, the probability that The 2024 YR4 asteroid Impact with the Earth has risen from 1.2 to 1.6%. Once otherwise, there is a 98.4% chance that the newly discovered object passes by long. But the risk of not doing so is high enough for the UN to activate, for the first time, its planetary security protocol. Revised calculations. 2024 YR4 was discovered on December 27 by the latest land impact alert system (Atlas) from Chile, but did not caught the attention of astronomers until it automatically appeared on the NASA Sentry list on December 31 by its impact risk (then just above 1%) with the planet Earth. According to the Updated data which published yesterday the Coordination Center of Objects close to Earth (NEOCC) of the European Space Agency (ESA), the 2024 YR4 asteroid measures between 40 and 90 meters in diameter and has a 1.6% chance of impacting with the Earth on December 22, 2032. He would do it near Ecuador, at some point that goes from northern South America to northern India, passing through central Africa. Meetings in NASA and ESA. We can agree that the probability of impact is still very small, but has put in suspense the Space Missions Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG) of the UN, the committee that coordinates the response to asteroids of more than 50 meters with an impact probability of more than 1% in the next 50 years. With the planetary security protocol officially activated2024 YR4 has triggered, for the moment, two SMPAG meetings. One with the NASA Planetary Defense Coordination Officeand another in Vienna with the experts of the ESE Planetary Defense Office. What the experts have decided. Actively observe the asteroid and meet again at the end of April or early May (or before, if the risk of impact increases significantly) to reassess the situation. The probabilities can change in favor or against time as astronomers make more observations and refine the calculations of the asteroid trajectory. If the asteroid remains greater than 50 meters and the probability of impact is maintained above 1% for the next meeting, the SMPAG will issue a recommendation on future actions to the United Nations External Space Affairs Office (oneo). We will definitely need offices with acronym that is easier to remember if Armageddon comes true. We have some practice. Let’s not forget that humanity has already successfully diverted an asteroid. NASA did as proof of concept in September 2022 with the Dart mission, a ship that Dimorphos’ trajectory slightly divertedthe small moon of the asteroid Didymos. The European Mission Hera He now goes there to study the impact result. Everything we can learn from this test (And the one that China will do in a few months) It could make a difference in future planetary defense missions, the case may be. Images | Astrophyscia Institute of the Canary Islands, NASA/JPL In Xataka | Dart has been a success. The question is whether it will really save us when an asteroid goes to Earth

What is special Depseek, the new Chinese artificial intelligence tool (and how differs from chatgpt or gemini)

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Image source, Getty images January 28, 2025 Updated 7 hours Deepseek, the new Chinese artificial intelligence model (AI), has shaken the digital world, dazzling investors and sinking the actions of some technological companies, after jumping to the top of application downloads in Apple Store. It was launched on January 20 and quickly captivated computer science before attracting the attention of the entire technology and world industry. The president of the United States, Donald Trump, described the phenomenon as an “alarm call” for companies in that country that must concentrate on “compete to win.” What makes Deepseek so special is the statement of its creators that it was produced at a fraction of the cost of other models in the avant -garde of the industry such as the OpenAi chatgpt, because it uses less advanced technology chips. That possibility caused the giant of the production of Chips Nvidia to lose almost US $ 600,000 million of its market value this Monday, the fall in a more loud day in the history of the USA. Deepseek also generates doubts about Washington’s measures to contain Beijing’s impulse to achieve technological supremacy, which includes export restrictions of advanced chips to China. However, Beijing has redoubled its efforts with President Xi Jinping declaring AI as the main priority. And the new companies such as Deepseek are crucial as China turns a traditional manufacturing of clothing and furniture to advanced chips technology, electric cars and AI. Here we tell you what it is. What is Deepseek? In simple terms, Depseek is a chatbot enhanced by AI, like chatgpt. It is a free application that can be downloaded from the Apple Store store, where Depseek states that it is designed “to answer your questions and enhance your life efficiently.” But the AI ​​model that drives it – called R1 – has about 670,000 million parameters, which makes it the largest open source language model to date, according to Anil Ananthaswamy, author of WHY MACHINES LEARN: The Elegant Math Behind Modern AI (“Why do the machines learn: the elegant mathematics behind the modern AI”). Image source, Getty images Photo foot, Hangzhou, where the Depseek operations center is located, also houses other Chinese technological giants such as Alibaba. It is said that it is as powerful as OPENAI’s O1 model, which enhances Chatgpt, in mathematics, coding and reasoning. It is also claimed that he is able to do all that in a much cheaper way; Its developers claim that building it cost $ 6 million, an austere budget compared to the billions invested by AI companies in the US. It is not clear how they got it. The founder of Deepseek supposedly stored advanced NVIDIA chips before his export to China was prohibited in September 2022. Experts believe that this provision, which some estimate in 50,000, allowed him to build such a powerful model when these chips with other cheaper and less sophisticated. How do you compare with chatgpt or gemini? Deepseek looks and feels like any other chatbot, although it leans more towards conversation. Like Openia or GEMINI Chatgpt of Google, you can open the application (or its website) and ask questions about anything, and the chat strives to give you an answer. Your answers are extensive, but you don’t issue an opinion even if you ask you directly by one. The chatbot usually begins by saying that the issue is “highly subjective” -it is politics (is Donald Trump a good president?) Or soft drinks (which one knows better, Pepsi or Coca -Cola?). He does not even commit to saying whether or not it is his rival Chatgpt, but he did a comparison of the pros and cons of both artificial intelligences. Chatgpt did exactly the same, using a similar language. Image source, Reuters Photo foot, Apparently and operation, Depseek is very similar to other rival chatbots. Deepseek indicates that it was trained with data until October 2023 and, although the app seems to have access to updated information, the web version does not have it. That is similar to the first versions of Chatgpt and is probably a similar protection attempt, to prevent chatbot from launching incorrect information to the web in real time. It can also respond quite fast, although it is currently a little stop under the load of so many users running to try it since it went viral. Chatgpt and Gemini tend to promote their subscription services, which can be around US $ 20 per month, for more detailed information, while Deepseek is free although more limited. Censorship of Taboo themes Where there is a palpable difference is in Depseek’s self -censorship when it comes to prohibited issues in China. Sometimes it starts an answer that then disappears from the screen and is replaced by a notice that says “let’s talk about something else.” The obvious taboo theme are the protests in the Tiananmen Plaza in 1989 that ended with the death of 200 civilians at the hands of the Army according to the Chinese government, but some media estimate that it resulted in a massacre of thousands. Like many other Chinese models of AI -Rernie de Baidu or Doubao by Bytedance- Deepseek is scheduled to evade politically sensitive questions. When the BBC asked the app what happened in Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989, Deepseek did not give detail some about that documented massacre. He replied: “I’m sorry, I can’t answer that question. I am an assistant to the designed to provide useful and harmless answers.” Photo foot, Deepseek evaded the question that BBC asked him about what happened in Tiananmen Square in 1989. For their part, their Chatgpt and Gemini rivals had no taps to expand in this regard. It is believed that one of the great challenges for the development of AI in China is the censorship of the government. But it seems that Depseek has been trained around an open source model, which allows you to perform complex tasks, while retaining certain information. Who is behind Depseek? Deepseek … Read more

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