Spend

Europe has promised to spend 250,000 million dollars in US energy. The problem is that the USA surely does not have it

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On the facade of the Turnberry golf course, between the Scottish Greens and the handshakes of hand, Europe and the United States They avoided a commercial war with an agreement that has been received with relief, but with considerable skepticism. As a headline, diplomatic victory sounds, but energy reality hides much greater complexity. The tariff pact. Donald Trump described the agreement as “the greatest of all”, announcing it from his Scottish resort. For his part, Ursula von der Leyen stressed that they had avoided reaching 30 %tariffs, which Washington had threatened to impose if an agreement was not reached before August 1. The agreement establishes a 15% tariff On European exports to the United States, accompanied by investment and import commitments that seek to “rebalance” a historically asymmetric commercial relationship. However, among the headlines a figure stands out: 250,000 million dollars annually in European Liquefied Natural Gas Purchases (LNG), Petroleum, coal and even US nuclear fuel. And there begins the problem. Does the United States have the capacity? The answer, As the journalist Clyde Russell has analyzed in ReutersIt is a clear “no.” In 2024, the total value of the United States energy exports to the European Union – including raw, gas, coal and refined products – was approximately 65,000 million dollars. To reach 250,000 million promised, they should quadruple. Even if Europe bought 100 % of US exports of crude oil, gas and coal – and no other country received a single drop of American energy – it would continue to be well below the objective. Russell He has described it As “an illusion”, comparable to the failed “phase 1” agreement between Trump and China in 2019, when energy purchases of 200,000 million were promised that were never fulfilled. So what is motivation? The explanation is more in politics than in logistics. The EU has preferred to avoid an escalation that threatened to paralyze its industrial exports, especially in sensitive sectors such as motor, pharmaceutical or semiconductors. As Columnist Pierre Briançon has explained in Reutersit is a “chapter disguised as success.” The new 15 % tariff multiplies by ten the previous average (1.6 %) and is not accompanied by equivalent tariff concessions by the US, beyond some specific sectors such as aviation or certain chemicals. Meanwhile, the European bloc also promises an additional 600,000 million dollars in direct investment in the United States during Trump’s mandate, including armament purchases. All this in a context of increasing tension by war in Ukraine, the dependence of NATO and American pressure on European technological regulations. From Moscow to Texas. One of the key justifications presented by Von der Leyen is that this energy turn reinforces European independence with respect to Russia. As pointed out in The Telegraphimporting US gas and oil will allow the continent “to free itself from Russian energy blackmail.” However, As several diplomats cited by Financial Times have pointed outThis also means a deeper dependence on an unpredictable and volatile trade partner. “Trump knows exactly where our pain threshold is,” an ambassador confessed to the British newspaper. In fact, it is not the first time that Trump threat directly to the EU with punitive tariffs if there are no immediate concessions. In addition, the London medium has detailed That the EU had a retaliation package worth 93,000 million euros, but was never activated due to lack of internal consensus. Germany, Ireland and Italy pressed to soften measures and protect national interests. Brussels’s “commercial bazuca” never shot. A word flies over: renewable. This energy turn also puts the European ecological transition under pressure. The pact does not mention concrete commitments in renewables, and on the contrary, Trump took advantage of the summit to load against wind energy, describing it as “the most expensive energy form” and a “scam”, As the Telegraph has collected. This raises a contradiction: while Brussels promotes projects such as Invest ai To create chips gigafactories and boost green digitalization, at the same time compromises astronomical sums on fossil fuels. A dissonance that, As the expert Mujtaba Rahman recalled in statements to Nyt“It reflects European concern for other geopolitical scenarios rather than for energy coherence.” Are they winning time? To ask ourselves, this is the first thing that comes to mind: it seems that Europe has bought time. Time to avoid immediate reprisals, to keep Trump moderately satisfied, and for the next administration – be it or not – redesign the rules of the game. A strategy that reminds the “Run the Clock” with which China sailed the 2019 trade war. Meanwhile, neither 250,000 million exist, neither gas flows yet, nor are the details closed. As The journalist Tim Wallace has summarized: “What seems like a tactical victory today, tomorrow can reveal its strategic cost.” Image | Unspash Xataka | The US has come to threaten Apple to manufacture the iPhone in the country. Your answer: spend 500 million in magnets

In 2011 a mysterious series of numbers and letters appeared in Reddit. Thousands of people would spend years trying to decipher her

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Fourteen years ago a Reddit user appeared called ‘A858DE45F56D9BC9’ and began publishing characters of characters, apparently meaningless, in a SubnetDit of the same name. For more than a year the publications went unnoticed until one day madness began. What followed was the creation of a community with thousands of obsessed people with solving the puzzle And, above all, know who was behind the one who is considered One of the biggest Internet mysteries. Reddit’s Stonehenge Although the user’s name was much longer, in Reddit it is known as The mystery of A858. Although the first publications arose in July 2011, it was not until 2012 when the Reddit community began to pay them attention. Some users attempted to disappoint the messages and there was one that made interest explode. The comment and the answer confirmed that A858 was not “something”, but “someone.” A user mentioned that A858 was Reddit’s Stonehenge in reference to Its function was a mystery. A858 responded shortly after with one of his classic encrypted messages. The surprise came when they discovered that it was an image in ASCII format that represented precisely that: the Stonehenge. Until that point he had not given too much importance, but with this it was demonstrated that Behind A858 there was someone human. And then madness unleashed. Years trying to solve it Users wanted to know the goal behind those messages and set out to disregard them, but they soon realized that it was not going to be simple. In September 2012, the SOLVINGA COMMUNITY858 which currently has 15,000 members. Here a collective effort to understand The goal behind A858 that lasted years. Decipher A858 seemed impossible. He also behaved strangely: he disappeared, erased posts … the community was frustrated Only a few messages were deciphered by the community, including some citations of famous authors such as is from Max Lerner, Christmas greetings either References to April’s Fool (The equivalent of innocent’s day). The challenge was very complex from the technical point of viewhe used unusual obfuscation techniques, and there was not a clear pattern in his behavior; Sometimes he disappeared, he deleted posts, the submandit made deprived, Some messages were very easy to solve and others seemed impossible… This made the community frustrate and begin to lose interest, but then A858 appeared and everything was reactivated. Ask A858 Anything One of the points in the Subbreddit Solvinga858 was in 2015 when A858 made a mist (Ask Me Anything) where He attended to the numerous doubts of the users, although they also had to disappoint them. It wasn’t going to be so simple. Users asked him if they were wasting his time trying to decipher him, to which A858 replied that no, but I couldn’t tell them the goal behind the project. He also revealed that only a woman from the United Kingdom had managed to decipher him and expected more correct answers. Here you can read in fullbut then we highlight some of the questions and answers of the session: What is R/A858DE45F56D9BC9? The objective cannot be revealed. A858 published ASCII art drawings, prime numbers tables, Apple II source code fragments, etc. Were you playing with us? Because? Coded posts are designed to be easily resolved. And the other encrypted using a stronger encryption? The other posts are not designed to be easily resolved. There are often long pauses in which there are no A858 posts. Is A858 your only job? Sometimes we are retouching. Other times we are working on other projects. Are you doing this love alone or are we talking to the team of which you are part? A858 is a project with a team. I am a member of the team. Are you affiliated with a government organization? I don’t know any place that has no government. An unsolved mystery The question session fed even more if the mystery fits, but over time A858 was publishing less frequently until the publications ceased completely. In March 2016, after months in which the Subbreddit had been deprived, A message appeared which said “the A858 project has concluded. It can be unsubscribed.” Many users did not believe it, but A858 never published again. A858 was never resolved. We only know that there was a company behind that one day cut the financing. The next news that was had was In September 2016 through one of the moderators of Solvinga858which revealed that he had had contact with the person behind A858. In his message he assured that this mysterious person was paid by a company to “post code puzzles through encryption and different text handling methods.” After a while, The company behind the project decided to cut the financing And there all ended. Needless to say that It was not the answer that the community expected and left too many unknowns to solve. Theories behind A858 As a good mystery, there are many theories about what was really behind A858. One of the most repeated is that it was A company looking for experts in encryption To hire them. A858 agreed over time with Cicada 3301 Another very similar mystery, although much easier to solve. Supposedly those who managed to decipher Cicada, received a message to enter a mysterious organization. Another of the theories defends that A858 a ‘Numbers Station’ Used by Mossad for Espionage Tasks. It does not seem to be known with total certainty, but one of the theories that makes more sense is that A858 was A company testing its own safety. In this scenario, The objective of the project would be precisely for anyone to solve the puzzleswhich would show that security was good. If so, they got it. Image | Amparo Babyloni, Xataka In Xataka | The James Webb has just photographed one of the great mysteries of the universe’s galaxies: how they intertwine

A Saudi prince wanted to spend his vacation sailing through Greece. There were so many who had to rent luxury cruise

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Nor the more opulent superyates They seem to be enough when it comes to the holidays of the Saudi royal family. Muqrin Bin Abdulazizancient heir prince of Saudi Arabia and brother of the current monarch Salman Bin Abdulaziz, has given what to talk after arriving with an entourage formed by more than 100 people to Greece to enjoy their summer vacations. Although the Saudi prince has his own superyte valued at more than 150 million dollars, the SOLANDGEthe boat does not have enough space to accommodate all the entourage that accompanied him, but that was not going to ruin his vacation. It was time to rent something bigger. Something like a floating luxury hotel with a crew of 250 people at your service. Spectacular deployment to receive the prince According to detailed Luxury launchesthe heir express of Saudi Arabia arrived in Greece earlier this week at the edge of the Boeing 747 that it uses as a private jet. But the prince did not travel alone. A delegation of almost 100 people was traveling next to him. According to the Greek media They captured The arrival of the Saudi Prince, at the time his plane landed, a convoy of luxury vehicles was waiting for him at the foot of the track ready to transfer his “intimate circle” to the coast of the Aegean. There the imposing luxury supereyate of more than 190 meters in length and 24 meters of manga owned by the hotel chain Ritz Carlton: he Evrima. This impressive luxury supery is part of the “floating hotels” fleet that the Hotel chain is expanding. The Evrima was the first luxury supereyate built by the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain that, as a curiosity, came out in 2022 of The viguese shipyards. Considered a five -star floating hotel, this boat was designed thinking about combining the privacy of a private yacht with the refinement and luxury of one of the hotels that the chain has distributed all over the world. The Evrima is much more than a yacht: with a weight of 25,000 tons and 190 meters in length, this sophisticated ship has 149 suites, all with private terraces and minimalist design finishes. Although the Evrima has capacity for 298 guests, Muqrin Bin Abdulaziz has reserved it in its entirety, so during his journey through the Greek waters “only” he will be accompanied by his large entourage. To serve the prince and his more than one hundred companions, the yach luxury nautical industry. According to Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection data, this proportion allows every detail to be carefully planned to guarantee a five-star experience in the high seas. A retirement in Greek waters The route chosen by Prince Muqrin has been the peaceful coast of the island of Corfú, in Greece, where the Evrima is currently navigating as the epicenter of his private vacations. The superyate has five gourmet restaurants, six exclusive rooms, a fully equipped gym, spa with full service and an infinite pool located in the stern. In addition, it has aquatic sports platform, private terraces to sunbathe and balineas beds distributed throughout the roof. Unlike other more active royalty members in social networks or in public appearances, Muqrin Bin Abdulaziz prefers to maintain a low profile, although the necessary deployments to mobilize their entourage make it unadverted to be complicated. For several days, the yacht will navigate under the Mediterranean sun without a single other host on board, with all the services focused solely on the prince and its guests. For someone who would like Emulate the holidays by Muqrin Bin Abdulaziz (accompanied by other cruise members, of course), a cruise on board the Evrime It would cost Between 6,900 and 11,300 euros per person, making different itineraries for different Greek islands. Thanks to this spectacular maritime operation, 2025 leaves us the image of a real Saudi court sailing through Greece, attended by more than 246 crew. Another example of the power and undeniably luxurious power of the Saudi Royal Family. In Xataka | A single millionaire spent on his luxury vacation in Mallorca the equivalent of 10,000 tourists: the Emir de Catar Image | Ritz Carlton

spend 500 million in magnets

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Apple has been the objective of Threats and criticism of Donald Trump from the beginning of the tariff crisis. The president of the United States has recently demanded to manufacture the iPhone in the country or pay a 25%tariff. Not only asks to leave China, Nor does India workwhat was it The great alternative. In the absence that from Cupertino they inform about structural changes, Apple has announced An investment of 500 million dollars in MP Materials, a snow -based company that, according to the company, is the only integrated producer of Rare earth of the country. Magnets, fuck (Jesse Pinkman said). Manufacturing the iPhone in the United States is unfeasible for Apple if you want to avoid one of 2,300 dollarsbut the company will invest in the local economy as they ask from the government. And the plan, for the moment and in part, passes through magnets. Specifically, neodymium magnets from rare earths manufactured in the country, and developed in Fort Worth, Texas. The magnets They are essential on the iPhone and in a lot of modern electronics: key load component by MagsafeThey are also crucial in microphones and speakers. The supply of the first rare earth magnets will begin in 2027. A larger plan. The 500 million dollars are more than an acquisition of materials. Apple and MP Materials have announced investment in the Texas plant, but also the construction of a new Mountain Pass recycling plant, California. In it they will reprocess recycled materials, as old components of used devices, which they will use in Apple products. However, the announcement not only remains in them: they will distribute magnets all over the world before the growing demand of rare earth magnets, in the electronics sector, but also in motor, aeronautics and military. The 500 million are framed within a much larger investment already announced by Apple in full tariff threat: 500,000 million dollars Over the next few years, with which they seek to build an AI servers in Houston, dated 2026, and an industrial training center in Detroit. Washington wink is clear. The Apple statement justifies the need to make this investment in a local company, but in the background is the fact of demonstrating to the federal government that they are prioritizing the national economy. Tim Cook mentioned that “American innovation promotes everything we do in Apple, and we are proud to deepen our investment in the US economy.” In addition, it also responds to Trump’s objective to create national technological employment: “The increase in production will generate dozens of new jobs in advanced manufacturing and research and development.” Now they do not mention complete figures, but the commitment of the 500,000 million promised to create 20,000 jobs. Own interests. Achieving a local supply, Apple also gains autonomy against China, authentic world dominator of rare earths: controls 70% of production and 90% of its processing. Trump’s threats turned against the country’s technology, because the Asian country Blocked the export of its most valuable rare earths. Fighting the great limitations of the country. Tim cook has said in the past that They cannot manufacture in the United Statesamong other things, due to lack of industrial knowledge. In that sense, the statement affirms that companies “will provide extensive training to develop the workforce, creating a completely new group of talent and experience of USA. In the manufacture of magnets.” By him Liberty PhoneWe know that achieving a 100 % American smartphone is tremendously complicated. His CEO said that “but there are some pieces that simply do not have supply chain,” so they will have to continue working to improve availability. The ironic is that not even the T1 of Trump Mobile will achieve be manufactured in the country. Image | Xataka and Pixabay In Xataka | The loss of the Broadcom chips factory is a malazo for Spain. Now you have to trust everything to your plan B

It is one thing to spend 5% of GDP to rearm and a very different one is to sell weapons to Europe. Spain that has it very clear

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The “pacifist” Spain, which has faced the United States alone by questioning the “unit” of NATO compared to that 5% defense expense pursued by Washington, lives a paradox. Because While he refuses of the rearma, or at least the figures that are handled, has the opportunity to accompany a national company in the epicenter of that Dispension in artillery and military resources for the old continent. It We count A few days ago. The first track Morgan Stanley gave it: Indra had raised its target price by 118%. A crossroads. Of all this did an analysis The Financial Times. In the epicenter of a continent that accelerates Your rearmeSpain is presented as the more particular case Of all: The country historically more reluctant to military spending in NATO now tries Turn Indraa company of civil roots and computer tradition, in a kind of European defense champion. Partially supported by the State, which It has 28% of its capital, Indra is undertaking an ambitious (and risky) transformation with the aim of rivaling with consecrated names such as Bae Systems, the Almighty Rheinmetall or Thales. New DNA. Its new president, Angel Escribanoentrepreneur with industrial DNA forged in the manufacture of turrets for combat cars in the Middle East, has placed the reconquest of manufacturing capabilities as cornerstone of this new stage. “There has never been an opportunity like this in three decades of defense in Spain,” has declaredaware that the Expenditure supercycle European military, triggered by war in Ukraine, represents an unrepeatable occasion for the company. From radar to armored ones. Until recently, Indra It was synonym of air traffic control systems or military missions management software. His presence in defense was important but discreet, focused on digital solutions rather than tangible product. However, in the middle of a war where drones, artillery and armored scenethe company now seeks to occupy the physical space of The military industry: Also manufacture the “metal”, not just electronics. In June, he raised his participation in Tess defends 51%taking control of the consortium that produces The VCR Dragon For the Spanish army. The step was not exempt from friction: Indra faced Santa Barbara Systems (controlled by the American General Dynamics) for the course of the company, even suggesting its purchase. Although this was rejected, interest persists and the company explores other acquisitions, including the defense division from Iveco In Italy. Indra Buy and buy. The Financial Times counted That to reach 10,000 million euros of billing in 2028 (a two -year advanced target compared to the original plan), the road map includes more than 20 possible purchase operations in Europe. On the horizon even an option as delicate as tempting appears: acquire Mechanical & Engineering notary (EM & E), the armament firm founded by the president himself, which, a priori, would create an obvious conflict of interest, but also a technical synergy difficult to match. The civil DNA dilemma. Despite of the turn Towards the defense, Indra remains a mostly civil company: its IT unit, MINSAIT, represents 62% of your income, compared to 21% of the military area. Minsait competes in the corporate world with giants such as Capgemini or Infosys, providing technological services to banks, health systems and public administrations. Some analysts and former director see in this duality a Structural contradiction: defense and services are “water and oil”, Explain the FT. In fact, when in 2024 the company announced that the defense It would be his priority And that Minsait would become “not strategic”, the market reacted positively Given the possible sale of your business not related to war. The company failed to close any agreement and now notary states that it only wants burn off the branch of payments, while it begins to revalue the rest of the unit as a source of dual use technologies (AI, cybersecurity or cloud solutions) that can adapt to the military environment. This reconsideration, although pragmatic, keeps alive the tension between what the market desires (a purely defensive company) and what the management is willing to offer. Reputation and influence. It is the last of the legs that was analyzed in the Times report. Although their actions have quadrupled since the Russian Invasion of Ukraine and its market value already exceeds 6,000 million In euros, Indra continues to quote with a strong discount regarding its European counterparts. While Bae is valued at 25 times its planned benefits, and Rheinmetall touches 60 times, Indra stays in just 18. Reasons? According to analysts As Beatriz Rodríguez de Bestinver, the growing interference of the Spanish government in the corporate strategy, which generates uncertainty about economic logic behind some decisions. It is also pointed out that, despite its turn, Indra is not yet perceived as a defense company in its purest form. Nor does the perception of improvisation in the transition from software to military hardware or doubt about whether the State be willing to firmly support the qualitative leap. The put by war. No doubt, the Spanish case tests the European model of rearme: Can a historically pacifist country lead a robust defense industry without sacrificing its institutional culture? The scribe plan It seems clear: cover all dimensions of the Modern combat. In the sea, Indra supplies Radars and Sónar for the submarines of Navantia, and in the air, leads Spanish participation in the Future Fuat Air System (FCAS), together with Airbus and Dassault. Plus: in space bought 90% of the Hispasat satellite operator for 725 million euros, and on land, already controls part of armored production, with a view to incorporating armament and sensors. It even has a participation In ITP AeroManufacturer of aeronautical components. Yes or no. In summary, the concept of “total war” seems to have penetrated the Indra strategywhich is no longer raised as a party supplier, but as a Comprehensive actor of the European war ecosystem. Notary summarize His vision with a phrase that contains both urgency and ambition: “We would not forgive if we were not able to transform this company into what … Read more

A bank convinced the people of a poor town in the US to spend their savings. Now it’s full of millionaires

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Stories of Lucky blows and Millionaires There are manybut they almost always have a common denominator: We speak in singular. Therefore, what happened in a small town in Florida whose families were going through serious difficulties to get ahead is so special. Even today, the enclave continues to look like a bland and inhospitable town. But do not deceive you, there is still a large number of millionaires among people. And all Thanks to Coca-Cola. Quincy and the banker. This is the name of the people of one of the most fascinating stories of the United States economy. There, in the midst of the great depression of the 20s and 30s and with part of the census in serious difficulties, a figure appears that was going to change everyone’s life. His name: Pat munroea cunning banker, a businessman who noticed a key detail to convince all citizens. It didn’t matter how impoverished they were in Quincy or how serious the financial situation of families was, the man observed that almost religiously, people spent until the last penny in a good glass of icy coca-cool. What if that devotion made it a blow of luck? Coca-Cola in the stock market. The sugary giant began to quote in stock market in 1919 to $ 40 the actionbut a conflict with the sugar industry and its bottlers caused a 50% drop soon, when it reached 19 dollars per share. In other words, there was a time in the story in which Coca-Cola quoted for less than the cash in the bank and its actions were extremely cheap. And among others, Munroe was at the right time. The bargain of the century. What did he do? Invest. The man He began acquiring Coca-Cola actions As if there were no tomorrow. However, he did not do it alone. He encouraged all his acquaintances and friends of acquaintances in the town to buy a participation in the company. Focusing on the final profits and the power of the brand, Pat Munroe continued and continued buying. And while doing it, he kept telling everyone who were willing to listen to him in Quincy who also bought. He took advantage of the confidence and respect that the community had towards him and undertook a crusade to get anyone who could go up to the Coca-Cola train. Loans for shares. The man was so sure of his success that every time a person went to his bank to ask for a loan, I encouraged him to accept another in exchange for actions. Farmers, shopkeepers, teachers: absolutely anyone who could spend money was tempted by Munroe. For the banker, that Coca-Cola’s action was at $ 19 each was an opportunity that no one in the city should escape. That is why he did not get tired of buying and, almost equally important, to stand firm in the decision regardless of the market fluctuations that occurred in the short term. The ball. Finally, the banker’s observations were a historical success. Quincy, an eminently agricultural city, not only remained afloat in difficult times thanks to Coca-Cola dividends, brought a wealth that is still studied in universities. In fact, the enclave became the richest city per capita in the United States for a while, and dozens of its inhabitants were nicknamed “the millionaire secrets of Coca-Cola”. People who trusted the good eye of Munroe and invested all their money (and the one they did not have), and who kneaded huge fortunes with those first actions, which then transmitted from generation to generation, making them the millionaire eponyms of Coca-Cola, some who, effectively, established whole dynasties of financial prosperity that transcended generations. How much we are talking. It is difficult to speak in total terms, but for us to get an idea of ​​money, in 2013 it was made An assessment study of what happened in Quincy. The results found that a single action with reinvested dividends were worth 10,000,000 dollars. $ 270,000 in cash dividends would be sent before taxes to the owner by sending a check worth $ 67,500 in March, June, September and November of each year. In this way, if the great -grandmother and great -grandfather on duty had acquired a round lot of 100 shares for between $ 1,900 and $ 4,000, depending on the purchase price, they would now have more than one billion dollars, excluding the effects of taxes on assets. Money for crisis. That investment has meant a lifeguard every time a hard time is approaching. When the local economy was supported by coca and the crisis arrived, tail dividends. In fact, these assets have supported the city in all recessions since then. When the crops failed, it was the money of the Coca-Cola that kept the people used. When the national economy collapsed, it was Coca-Cola’s cash that allowed people to remain in their homes. When the times were good and Coca-Cola was cheap, they bought more actions. Quincy today. It is a unique story, by unusual. All families that kneaded a fortune then passed it to their children and grandchildren, in some cases through direct donations and in others through the use of fiduciary funds. Even the bank where everything started has a Coca-Cola on exhibition And, until a few years ago, an amazing 65% of the fiduciary assets under administration were still invested in Coca-Cola shares. Quincy’s appearance today does not differ much from the era of great depression. It is still a quiet and eminently agricultural city with a population of less than 10,000 inhabitants. But do not fool your sight, some of the grandchildren whose families raised an empire, that of the secret millionaires of Coca-Cola. Image | Pxhere, Ebyabe, Pxhere In Xataka | The 100,000 million club: the exclusive group of 14 millionaires that has doubled its members in 2024 In Xataka | There are rich and ultra -ups: countries with more millionaires, centimillionaires and milmonarios of the world counted in a graphic *An earlier version of this article … Read more

It is a strategy to wait less and spend more

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Take a day in a amusement park It is a pleasant activity, but there is something that can ruin the experience (and it is not normal food luxury restaurant price): The tails. Be in a jam by carwaiting for plane or for get into an attractiontails make us waste a lot of time –and money– Every year, but there is something that has reached the rescue of some parks: the artificial intelligence. And it seems that … it works to be less in the tail. And to spend more money. Disney and its Fastpass+. It is one of the companies that most committed to technology in its parts. Well with Robots to interact with visitorsbe Action doubles Or, directly, with invisible technology to not queue in the most popular attractions. We do not refer to your 400 dollars (entrance to the park not included) to skip queues (which also have parks such as Port adventure or the Madrid amusement park), but to something they have called ‘Fastpass+‘. It is a system that uses AI to balance audience peaks in an attraction. Create a virtual tail in which we can reserve access to certain popular attractions through the MY Disney Experience app and that reserve is loaded in the Magic Band (the smart bracelet) or on radiofrequency tickets. Depending on the AI ​​calculations on the use of attraction, he warns us to move to it, being able to enter without making a long tail. LEGOLAND’s great brother. Another example is LEGOLAND. With a technology that they have baptized as’Vision ai‘, The park improves the management of the queues thanks to a camera system placed on the attractions. They analyze in real time the number of people who are in each attraction, visitors who are in the park and the expectation of using each popular attraction so that managers can make decisions in real time. Results. These measures are not implemented by whim and have a double purpose: that the user is happier when wasting less time in the queues, yes, but also spend more time on other sides of the park where he can buy food, objects or services. That they work is something that is polishing over time, but there are already some interesting results. For example, the analysis From Legoland has allowed the park to identify moments in which some of its attractions had 10% of the empty seats. Implementing adjustments, such as the entry to the so -called ‘single riders’ (users who are alone), have increased the average travel by attraction by 30%. This implies enjoying an additional daily attraction per visitor. Another example is that, if virtual things are used, visitors have more time to spend in the park 25% more that those who do not use them. And privacy? The Disney system is like a Excel With AI support, but … What happens to our privacy in a tool that uses cameras to actively monitor park visitors? They already have Chambers for security reasonsbut in the case of Legoland, we talk about a system that is constantly monitoring us. In statements a Business Insiderthose responsible for the park claim that the cameras “analyze the number of people riding in the attractions at any time. It does not identify you in a unique way, but it does detect how many people are in an attraction.” That is to say, Come silhouettes and human movements, not faces What is clear is that the lines in the attraction parks are a problem for the user, so much that there are educational degrees in which you learn how to design them better, and perhaps in their management, AI and their real -time analysis can be the solution. Image | Xataka In Xataka | The catastrophe of the ‘Star Wars’ hotel: 3,000 euros per night in an interactive film of 350 million dollars

Nobody wants to spend three hours on a Saturday. And that’s why hypermarkets go down

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For decades, hypermarket was the dominant format in the collective imaginary of mass consumption. A huge parking, infinite halls, “all under the same roof” as a promise of efficiency and a comforting feeling of abundance. It was almost aspirational, a happy import. Today that promise does not advance, but goes back. According to the latest Mercasa data cited by The economistsupermarkets already concentrate 91.8% of the commercial food area in Spain. Hypermarkets, on the other hand, have fallen to 8.2%. It is a modest percentage change – 1.3% loss in a decade – but very symbolic: the consolidation of one model and the replication of the other. Not even the investment effort of Alcampo or Carrefour have reversed the trend: in a decade, the hyper have opened 37 new stores and added more than 27,000 square meters. But its relative weight continues to fall. Even in market value there is stagnation. After a postpandemic rebound, the Híper channel has returned to 13% quota, the same level as in 2021. And the format that grows most is ‘great supermarket’, that of more than 1,000 square meters. In 2014 there were 3,501 stores like this, in 2024 were 4,836. Almost half of the food sales surface in Spain is in the hands of this specific supermarket. The reading of some experts such as Kantar points to a combination of factors: Smaller homes. Average age of the population. Urban context that favors small and close purchases. Less culture of the car than in countries like the United States. They are elements that explain a good part of this displacement of consumption. It is not the people bought less in the hyper, but often neither considers going there. From the chains themselves recognize the turn. Alcampo recently announced a plan to reduce the size of 15 of its hypermarkets and close 25 supermarkets. He is also reforming more than 60 stores and strengthening his logistics for the online channel. All with the idea, they say, to “adapt to smaller, convenient and adapted establishments to new needs.” The parent group, Auchan retail, also crosses difficulties in other markets, especially in France, with two consecutive years of fall in sales. Carrefour does not escape either. Although he bought 46 Supercor stores, Its quota has fallen to 9.8% and Its matrix has also announced adjustments. It is early to know if we are facing the definitive sunset of the hypermarket or if it is a lower correction, but although it maintains objective advantages (assortment, price, promotions, suitability for those who need to go by car …), and it is likely that it will keep its relevance in suburban contexts, the tendency direction seems clear: the battle by surface, frequency and closeness is won by the supermarket. Maybe Change is not as commercial as mental: we no longer think about purchase as an event (which requires going to a very specific place, getting the car, dedicating more time, keeping it a weekly time) but as a more spontaneous and functional routine. And in that logic, the supermarket – Ágil, close, practical, integrated in our day to day – has an advantage. It is not that the hypermarket has failed, but that the context has changed. In Xataka | Mercadona has eaten its competition in Spain thanks to a recipe as successful as Leonina: 3.88% Outstanding image | Annie Vo in Unspash

Bill Gates has revealed how he will spend all his fortune. He has also made a very serious accusation about Elon Musk

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The Gates Foundation This week has celebrated its 25th anniversary. Founded in 2000 when Melinda French Gates was 35 years old and Bill Gates 44 (and was the richest man in the world), she quickly became one of the most important philanthropic organizations in history. Therefore, and because talking to Gates is always a “song”, The New York Times and The Financial Times They have had access to an extensive interview. He has rarely left such powerful headlines. Gates goes against Elon Musk and announces the plan to liquidate a fortune of 200 billion dollars. A transcendental decision. Yes, at 25 years of its foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation He has announced that he will definitely close its doors on December 31, 2045, after having allocated more than 100,000 million dollars to improve global health and human development and with the commitment to double that figure in the next 20 years. Gates, who will allocate almost all of his personal fortune to this final stage, argues that current scientific tools, including advances in AI, offer A unique opportunity to achieve radical changes that make its institutional continuity unnecessary. This strategy responds not only to an impulse of efficacy and urgency, but also to the finding of a worrying setback in international cooperation, aggravated by the dismantling of programs like Usaid Under the administration of Donald Trump, whose decisions They could be translated into millions of additional children’s deaths in the coming decades. Gates, although still optimistic, admits that global philanthropy is going through its most delicate moment since the beginning of the century. Elon Musk and moral terrain. The struggle between two of the most influential figures in the contemporary world, Elon Musk and Bill Gates, It was knownbut now it has reached a new and sour dimension with the very hard statements of the founder of Microsoft. Gates accused in the Financial Times Musk of being responsible, although indirectly, of “killing the poorest children in the world” after the dismantling of the USAID, a measure promoted by Doge, the entity created by Musk and backed by the US government. Not just that. Gates denounced that this decision, taken (according to him) since ignorance, has paralyzed the Distribution of essential medicines and food in vulnerable areas, in addition to putting fundamental programs for public health in countries such as Mozambique, where a hospital that avoided the transmission of HIV from mothers to children was affected by cuts that Musk He erroneously justified When confusing the African province of Gaza With the Palestinian region of the same name. An ideological and long enmity. As we said, the confrontation between Gates and Musk is not new. In 2012, both initially coincided in the GIVING PLEDGEa commitment to donate much of his fortune to philanthropic causes, but Musk soon described traditional philanthropy of “garbage”defending commercial solutions such as Tesla electric vehicles as more effective tools against challenges such as climate change. His distancing was aggravated in 2022, when Musk knew that Gates had Around short Against Tesla’s actions, which unleashed his anger and caused a public response out of tone in social networks. According to the biography written by Walter Isaacson, this revelation marked A point of no return between them. A moral and financial setback. Therefore, Gates’s announcement comes in the midst of unprecedented divestment in foreign aid. The drastic 80 % reduction In the USAID budget, cuts to key programs like Pepfar And the decline in international cooperation in countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany and France, illustrate what Gates Describe in the Times as a dangerous collective withdrawal of commitment to the poorest. The paradox, As explainedIt is that while science and health innovation offer viable solutions to eradicate diseases such as HIV, malaria or tuberculosis, moral and political impulse to finance these solutions seems to be disappearing. It emphasizes that instead of consolidating the achievements of the last two decades, the world is on the verge of reversenot due to lack of resources, but for a weakening of the “humanitarian impulse” that, until recently, defined rich democracies. A finite legacy. Gates He argues thatby establishing a closing date and not trying to perpetuate the legacy of its foundation, you can allocate many more resources immediately and decisively. This approach, which describes how A “BOLUS DOSE” philanthropic (a great power injection), will allow the annual expenditure of the foundation for about 9,000 million dollars and concentrate on key areas such as maternal child health, the eradication of infectious diseases and the fight against structural poverty. Gates believes that, thanks to innovation accumulated in recent years, it is possible achieve ambitious objectives How to half reduce infant mortality, eliminate endemic diseases in Africa and double agricultural productivity in the continent. All this while driving the use of AI in local contexts (from medical diagnoses to agronomist in regional dialects) as a motor to close historical gaps. Between optimism and urgency. In both talks, although he acknowledges that pandemic and debt crisis in the poorest countries have stopped decades of progress, insists that the panorama It is not irreversible. See in technology, in collaboration with new philanthropic actors and in the example of a foundation with expiration date, A realistic route to return strength to the global movement for equity. He also states that he does not want to build a monument to his fortune, but return it to the service of humanity at the time you can have more impact. In front of a new generation of more billionaires centered on space exploration Or in individual interests, the man claims the urgency of acting now to avoid millions of avoidable deaths and definitively transform the living conditions of the most disadvantaged. In his own words, if it is not achieved now, what alternative would he have? Give your money on ships? The answer, according to Gates, is morally obvious. Image | World Economic, Ted Conference In Xataka | Bill Gates and the autistic spectrum: a family revelation … Read more

TSMC has found a way to avoid US tariffs. Although 100,000 million dollars will have to spend

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Trump wins. And TSMC, actually, too. During the last two years we have spoken in dozens of articles of The three semiconductor factories as a avant -garde that this Taiwanese company is getting ready in Arizona (USA). Approximately will be spent on them 65,000 million dollarsalthough they will cost much more (each high integration chip production plant costs approximately 30,000 million). The rest of the money subsidies will be provided approved by the administration led by Joe Biden. For TSMC it is crucial to develop its integrated circuit production infrastructure beyond Taiwan’s borders. The only way to hold your business if in the future it is triggered A war conflict with China It is precisely having a very solid network of factories outside the island. And, if possible, out of Asia. In any case, there is another reason why TSMC is very interested in having more chips plants in the US: tariffs approved by the administration led by Donald Trump. Tariffs are strengthening the US technological ecosystem At the end of last January Donald Trump launched a warning Very forceful to TSMC: “In the very close future we will impose tariffs on foreign production of computer chips, semiconductors and pharmaceutical products to return the manufacture of these essential goods to the US (…) went to Taiwan; now we want them to return. We do not want to give them billions of dollars in the ridiculous Biden program. They already have thousands of dollars. money; The Trump government ensures that you will impose tariffs on all electronic devices that incorporate chips produced abroad Although this statement is expressly addressed to TSMC, the Trump government ensures that it will impose tariffs on all electronic devices that incorporate chips produced abroad. They belong or not to US companies. This decision has caused all the large US technology companies to rush with the administration with the purpose of drawing a plan that allows them to dodge tariffs. Apple is one of them. Just a week ago those of Cupertino announced that They will invest 500,000 million dollars in the US During the next four years to dodge the threat of tariffs. This money will be destined, among other purposes, to the construction of a new server factory for artificial intelligence (AI) In Houston, at the point of a training center in Detroit and the creation of 20,000 jobs. This is the context in which TSMC has just confirmed that something similar is going to do. And it is that a few hours ago CC Wei, the president and general director of TSMC, Donald Trump and Howard Lutnick, the US Secretary of Commerce, They have announced that this manufacturer of integrated circuits will invest at least 100,000 million dollars in the construction of five new semiconductor production plants in the US. These facilities are added to which TSMC is already making a point in Arizona (the first of these three factories It has already started chips production). Three of the new five floors will be integrated avant -garde circuit factories, and two of the facilities will be dedicated to the advanced chips packaging. In addition, a research and development center will be ready. Presumably these plants will create, according to TSMC, about 40,000 jobs. Anyway, everyone wins. The US government is achieving its purpose: drastically limiting its dependence on chips manufactured abroad and controlling 40% of global semiconductor production. And TSMC protects itself against a possible future conflict between China and Taiwan, and dodges US tariffs. Image | TSMC More information | Nikkei Asia In Xataka | Intel has a bullet in the bedroom. A bullet capable of helping you compete from you with TSMC

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