stake

Tencent has a significant stake in US military training tools. Trump is going to stand up to it

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The Trump administration is debating if it forces the Chinese giant Tencent to get rid of its stakes in the largest Western video game companies. At stake are Riot Games, Epic Games and Supercell (more than a billion players) and the Unreal Engine, used in military simulations. The ghost of TikTok returns, but this time the affected market is different. Why Tencent. Tencent is not only the largest video game company in the world. It is also the largest silent shareholder in the Western industry: it owns 100% of Riot Games, 28% of Epic Games and majority control of Supercell, the Finnish company behind ‘Clash of Clans’. To this we must add participations in Larian, Remedy, Ubisoft and Discord, among dozens of other studios. For years, that capital has flowed to the West: the studios needed investment, Tencent had liquidity, and no one was looking for trouble. The White House sniffs. Washington, however, he has had doubts for years. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) began to review these investments during Trump’s first termand the case became one of the longest in the history of the organization, going through two administrations without reaching a clear resolution. What worries the White House is that video game platforms collect financial information, personal data and chat logs from hundreds of millions of users, many of them Americans. These databases are candy for any intelligence agency. The Epic case. The Unreal Engine adds an extra issue in which the White House has a special interest. The engine not only gives life to video games like ‘Fortnite’; It is also used by defense contractors and the US military itself for military simulation and training. In fact, the country’s Armed Forces have worked directly with Epic for years on that development. That Tencent is a shareholder in the company that builds this technology is what turns this issue into a national security problem. So much so that in January 2025, the Pentagon formally classified Tencent as a company linked to the Chinese military. Tencent rejected that classification, but the Pentagon did not withdraw it. There are problems. During the Biden administration, the issue was entrenched by an internal disagreement that no one knew how to resolve: Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco defended forced disinvestment, but the Treasury Department preferred to keep investments under data segregation protocols. Without consensus, the case was frozen. The cabinet meeting scheduled for March 4 was postponed due to scheduling conflicts. That same day, Tencent shares fell 1.72%. Parallels with TikTok. There are similaritiesbut also differences. With ByteDance, the US forced the creation of a new entity with 80% in the hands of US investors, as a condition of operating there. But the problem with Tencent is that it does not operate on American soil, but rather is a shareholder in companies already established there. Getting rid of these stakes is not the same as closing an app, it is more a restructuring of private capital. The consequences in the case of Tencent would go beyond Riot and Epic: the Chinese company has been the main injector of capital into studios for a decade, and a forced disinvestment would change the financing conditions of the entire sector, favoring large publishers. When will there be a solution? The decision has an undeclared but known deadline: Trump travels to China in April to meet with Xi Jinping. Forcing Tencent to sell would send a message of maximum pressure before sitting down to negotiate. In any case, neither the US Treasury, nor Tencent, nor Epic nor Riot have made public statements. Silence, in this type of situation, is louder than if they were discussing it loudly. In Xataka – China has made a drastic decision: prioritize ‘its’ technology, even if it is worse

Iran has put the price of oil at stake by attacking it with drones

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The world stage is Monday, a Monday marked by Iran bombing by the United States and Israel last Saturday. Iran has not sat idly byresponding with something it has already used in the past: suicide drones to attack bases of the allies of the aggressor countries. They have attacked Dubaibut also Saudi Arabia, causing the closure of one of the key refineries globally: Ras Tanura. And the result is -another- earthquake in the world market. In short. A few hours ago, Saudi Arabia and Aramco (the oil company) made the decision to stop production at the refinery Ras Tanura. The decision came when Saudi defenses intercepted several remains of Iranian drones. They did not impact, but their remains have caused some fires within the storage facilities of the power plant. Ras Tanura. We are talking about some of the largest refineries in the world, with an estimated capacity of about 550,000 barrels per day. Its closure implies that the export operations associated with the complex stop, which is addition to the closure of other energy infrastructures in the region, such as gas infrastructure in Israel and Kurdistan. As pointed out Bloombergthe problem is that Ras Tanura is one of the key refineries in the transportation fuel segment, specifically diesel, and not only have operations stopped, but very close is one of Aramco’s largest export terminals for refined products. This is the Strait of Hormuz, with dozens of ships waiting Hormuz. Uncertainty and military operations are once again causing the Strait of Hormuz to become abuzz. Hormuz is, after Malacca, the second largest oil corridor in the worldand a disturbance in normal functioning causes the entire chain to wobble. Uncertainty is causing a monumental bottleneck with ships stopped on both sides of the strait, waits that do not know when they will end, rescheduling, diversions to other ports and, ultimately, chaos in oil transportation. Impact. And you can already guess how the market is responding. Crude oil is one of the economic thermometers today, and the initial reaction has been as expected: a strong rise in prices. The barrel has risen around 10% in some markets after learning of the closure of the refinery, but it is already estimated that they could rise more than 20% if the situation continues and the strait closes. How much? Well, it is currently around $80, more than $100, according to some analysts, and it depends on how long the situation lasts that we begin to see how this price increase affects the fuel market. Vital. It is not the first time that refineries in the area have been attacked. They have become essential enclaves in the country’s economy, but also in global geopolitics. As pointed out Reuterssuch an attack is not just another military action, “it marks a significant escalation in violence.” It implies that Iran has the Gulf’s energy infrastructure in its sights because it knows its importance to the economy of the entire globe. And, evidently, an attack on its plants could cause Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbors to join the US and Israeli military operations against Iran. Now, Iran has also been ‘touched’ by that basic infrastructure for its economy. The country is the third largest producer in OPEC and on February 28, explosions were reported on the island of Kharg, where process 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports. In the end, it is one more example of the domino effect and the fragile nature of the supply chain for a basic good. It’s just a part of a perfect storm whose consequences are far from reaching their ceiling. Images | MarineTrafficUS Army, VALGO In xataka | Europe believed it had won the gas war against Russia. Now it faces a much more uncomfortable reality: its dependence on the United States.

Peru has a lot at stake in protecting a key bee for the Amazon. So you have begun to recognize legal rights

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In Peru the judicial chronicles of 2026 start with an unexpected protagonist, one that usually has little to do with courts and lawsuits: bees. To be more precise, insects gender Meliponafamous above all for lacking a stinger and their important pollinating function. Precisely because of this relevance and to protect them from possible threats, the authorities of Satipo, in Junín (Peru), have recognized to the bees legal rights, which among other issues will allow them to be represented before the law. The decision is more important than it seems. Of laws and bees. that the bees play a key role in environmental balance is nothing new. For years (decades) researchers have been analyzing their role as pollinatorsits usefulness as pollution indicators and his slow decline. However, studies on the species tend to remain in the papers scientists and only occasionally sneak into the political debate. Hence decisions like the one adopted by the Provincial Municipality of Satipo, in Peru, are so relevant. There the authorities have decided neither more nor less than to publish an official ordinance which recognizes the legal rights of stingless bees that inhabit the biosphere reserve Avirei-Vraem. More than words. The decision is important for several reasons. The first, for the clear and resounding message it sends to society. The second transcends the symbolic sphere and part of the content of the ordinance itself. In it, the Provincial Municipality of Satipo not only recognizes stingless bees and their habitat as legal subjects. The text goes further and details the regulatory shield that protects insects, emphasizing their right to live in “healthy, balanced and adequate” habitats. The ordinance even grants them the “right to representation” in case their interests are harmed. Does it say anything else? Yes. The document, signed on October 27 and which can be consulted On the Peruvian Government website, it highlights “the fundamental role” that bees have at an environmental level and the importance of recognizing their “intrinsic rights”, which affects, for example, the use of pesticides. Hence, the Peruvian authorities also want to “promote awareness” about the species. “Nature is a whole (…). The rights recognized in this declaration are not only intended to guarantee the health of stingless bees, but also of the Amazon as a whole,” ditch. Beyond Satipo. There is who considers that, with its decision, Satipo has turned stingless bees into the first insects in the world with explicitly recognized rights. Whether or not this is the case, the undeniable thing is that its October ordinance seems to have paved the way for other similar ones. The diary The Spectator relieved Recently, the provincial municipality of Loreto-Nauta has taken a similar step and has become the second region to opt for the judicial protection of Amazonian bees. Beyond the measure itself, both localities have managed to put the focus on the risks that faces a species on which not only the environmental balance depends, but also the future of crops with a considerable impact economical, like cocoa or coffee. Is the situation so serious? In September the Peruvian Amazon Research Institute (IIAP) echoed from a study that warns that more than 50% of bee habitats Melipona eburnea and Tetragonisca angustula They are located in “high risk of deforestation areas” in the Amazon. Among the causes of this vulnerability, he cited the felling of trees in which the species nests, the illegal extraction of wood and the expansion of agriculture. It is not a minor issue if we take into account that, as remembers the Municipal Council of Satipo90% of the region’s wild plant and flower species depend directly on pollination driven by bees. Images | IIAP, Elena Mozvhilo (Unsplash) and Wikipedia In Xataka | The scientific reason why it is not a good idea to jump into the water to escape from bees (and other tips to avoid getting stung)

Europe was happy with the changes in the App Store, but not with those in Google Play. There is a historic fine at stake

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Google is in the crosshairs of the European Commission. A few days ago they announced a new investigation into monopolistic practices with AI summaries, but it is not the only front they have open. The company has already paid historical fines and you face a new one if you don’t make changes to Google Play, your app store. what has happened. They tell it in Reuters. The European Commission is not satisfied with the changes that Google has made to its app store to comply with the Digital Markets Act or DMA. Regulators consider that there are two points that do not comply with the standards: There are technical restrictions that make it difficult for developers to direct users to external channels with better prices. Google continues to charge a commission to the developer even if the user buys the app from its website, with the excuse that they have “facilitated” the purchase. Why is it important. If Google does not make the necessary changes to comply with the DMA, it faces a fine that could amount to 10% of its total revenue. In 2024 they will invoice 350,000 million dollarsso the maximum fine would amount to 35,000 million, the highest to date. Google can still offer to apply changes to avoid paying the fine. The Apple case. The one the Commission is satisfied with is Apple. In fact, they are using your case as an example of what needs to be done. It was not a bed of roses and Apple was fined 500 million euros for not complying with the DMA. Apple had to remove restrictions that prevented redirection to alternative offers. The Epic trial. The European Commission is not the only one that has Google Play in its sights. In the United States, the judge of the Epic vs Google case made a historic decision: Google would have to allow rival stores within the Play Store. Recently Google and Epic reached an agreement through which Google undertakes not to charge commissions of more than 20% on purchases’in-game’ and 9% for the rest. In addition, developers will be able to showcase other payment systems through Play Billing. The agreement must still be approved by the judge, but it seems that Google will have no options but to comply with what both the judge and the EU ask of it. What Google says. The company announced changes in Google Play last August to avoid the fine, is what the Commission now considers insufficient. Google competition lawyer Clare Kelly said the company was “concerned that these could expose Android users to harmful content.” This is the usual position of American companies that are under the scrutiny of the European Commission. Mark Zuckerberg called the DMA “censorship” and there has also been harsh criticism and tariff threats since the Trump administration. Recently, a national security strategy document He claimed that European laws could mean an “erasure of American civilization.” The fruits of the DMA. He overregulation of the European Union is subject to criticism, but It also has a good side. Thanks to the DMA has made USB-C mandatory for all manufacturers, forcing Apple to abandon its proprietary connector. It has also brought us the Universal AirDrop and the changes in the app stores so that we have more freedom when it comes to where to download our apps. Image | Xataka, Pexels In Xataka | Europe wants to protect itself against Huawei, but the energy sector knows something uncomfortable: it cannot move forward without it

Germany wants to end the plug-in hybrid scam. Your industry is at stake

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We do not know how much plug-in hybrids consume and it is not very clear what they pollute. We do not know because it is very difficult to understand how the driver of a vehicle of this type behaves and, intrinsically, it is just as difficult to replicate these conditions in a laboratory test. That is why plug-in hybrids consumed just one liter of fuel according to official approvals. That’s why they now consume much more. And that is why for entities like Transport&Environment, they are cars that They consume seven times more than they say. All of this has put in the spotlight a technology that looks like the perfect bridge to jump from combustion car to electric. With plug-in hybrids that travel more than 100 kilometers in purely electric mode, the solution seems perfect for those clients who they do not dare to take the step to a pure electric car. With Europe determined to make the jump to the electric car and some clients who do not fully embrace this new paradigm, Germany has chosen to position them as the logical evolution. To convince the rest of Europe, he wants to put a stop to those who use the plug-in hybrid as a pure combustion vehicle. And why do you take this step? Because your industry is at stake. More combustion please Just a few days ago, Germany and Italy presented themselves to Europe as the guarantors of the combustion engines from 2035. In front they have Spain and France who have teamed up so that we forget about this type of mechanics from 2035 if they are not neutral in carbon emissions. This would leave out plug-in hybrids. The plan goes through a review of objectivesan analysis of how the European Union is adapting to the new regulations. A process that Germans and Italians want to take advantage of to modify the regulations already approved. Germany’s latest proposal has been launched from the VDA association (Verband der Automobilindustrie), which encompasses German industry manufacturers. These manufacturers, including those who said they would make the leap to electric cars even before 2035 (such as mercedes either Audi) are now committed to maintaining combustion engines. They assure that there is not enough demand of electric cars to guarantee production and anticipate massive layoffs if the jump to “neutral in carbon emissions” is made. What is now proposed is to keep plug-in hybrids alive in exchange for the driver being obliged to recharge the car in a specific kilometer cycle. Although it has not been specified how long that number of cycles would be, the punishment has been proposed: limiting the power of the car. Technically, the car would have a software that counts the number of kilometers that the vehicle has not been used in purely electric mode. At a certain point, if the car is not recharged, the vehicle’s power is limited as a clear reminder that the time has come to plug in the car. The obvious intention is to prevent someone from buying this type of car and never using the car in electric mode. Although from a purely economic point of view it doesn’t make much senseright now in Spain if you buy a plug-in hybrid you can receive a minimum of 2,500 euros discount with the MOVES III Plan (if the car does not exceed 45,000 euros before VAT is applied) but counts as an electric car if the range is greater than 90 kilometers, increasing the aid to 4,500 euros discount and 7,000 euros if a vehicle is scrapped. In addition, many cities have advantages such as free parking in zones with limited hours, entering the interior of the ZBE or using the lane Bus-HOV despite only having one passenger inside. In return for maintaining combustion engines, Germany wants to put a stop to traps that operate in a similar way to AdBlue, for example, which prevents starting a diesel car whose tank is completely empty. It is not the first proposal to arrive for plug-in hybrids either. On other occasions the possibility of fence cities using GPS so that this type of automobile can only operate in completely electric mode within the city or very specific places in it (schools, hospitals…). This is something that can already be done and German manufacturers such as BMW has been mounting it for years with options in the browser that allow you to move only in electric mode within the municipalities and they save battery (or even produce it by converting the car into an electric generator) if passing through a city is contemplated on the route. Photo | bmw In Xataka | That people don’t charge their plug-in hybrid cars is not good for Toyota: so they have decided to change our habits with an app

A plan with 1,000 companies and billions at stake

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For decades, when there was talk of technological innovation, there was an inevitable destination: Silicon Valley. From that strip of northern California advances were promoted that marked the lives of millions of people worldwide. There were companies that today are part of our day to day, such as Apple, Google, Nvidia, Adobe or Netflix, and there a cultural imaginary was also forged that made Silicon Valley synonymous with synonym of modernity. The term not only defines a place, it is also a brand What have we seen in series, movies and even the way we think about technology. Today, however, other regions of the planet begin to claim their space, with the ambition to balance, or at least approach, to the symbolic and economic weight of that Californian cradle of innovation. And in that struggle, one of the most striking movements comes from China. Shanghai has put A project that seeks to transform Zhangjiang, into Pudong, in what we could interpret as its own Silicon Valley of artificial intelligence. The goal is as specific as huge: create an ecosystem with 1,000 new companies from here to 2030, reach an industrial volume of 100,000 million yuanes, one 12,000 million euros to change, and raise an innovation center with global influence, According to the Xinhua state agency. They are figures that impose respect. If the announcement came from any other part of the world, it could sound more to aspiration than tangible plan. Because gathering a thousand artificial intelligence startups In just five yearsmoving more than 10,000 million euros in such a short time and also pretending world influence is not precisely a simple task. But we talk about China, a country that in recent years has proven to be able to turn its ads into realities. The transformation of its technological industry is evident. China is no longer limited to being the world factory That supplies the devices we use every day, also innova. And he does it hard. There are cases like Deepseek in the field of artificial intelligence or Unitree Robotics In Robotics, companies that have climbed positions until they become international referents. China is no longer limited to being the world factory. There is another key element: resilience against external restrictions. The United States has imposed severe limits to Chinese access to the most advanced technology, From nvidia leading chips Until the Lithography Machinery of Advanced Nodes of ASML. And, despite this, China has managed to respond. Huawei’s example, who managed to develop a 5G chip in full technological fencehe surprised his own and strangers in Washington and showed the country’s ability to advance even under pressure. This context feeds an inevitable question: can Zhangjiang become the Silicon Valley of artificial intelligence? For now there are no definitive answers. What we do have is a plan with clear goals. If it will end up being a new Silicon Valley or not, only time will say it. But the movement is already underway and deserves to be followed closely. Shanghai’s commitment to convert Zhangjiang into a magnet of companies, talent and capital To land the promise, it is convenient to go down to the facts: on September 16 it was inaugurated in the heart of Zhangjiang Science City the call Zhangjiang Artificial Intelligence Innovation Townthe starting point from which to understand what the project is, where it unfolds and what goals has been set for the next few years. It is not about lifting a technology park from scratch, but to integrate existing spaces such as Moli Community, a residential and innovative area, AI Island, a park specialized in artificial intelligence, or the Moli Twin Towers. The idea is clear: that this concentration works as an innovation engine, test terrain for new applications and fertile space for startups and large companies. In official words, ambition is to build a place of “low cost of innovation and high intelligence density”, With an eye on attracting talent and accelerating the implementation of artificial intelligence in specific scenarios. The project is displayed by a planned surface of 2 square kilometers, According to China News. The heart of the area brings together more than 700,000 square meters of industrial spaces and is based on 1,000,000 square meters of facilities. Less than 3 kilometers are added 7,000 homes aimed at talent. The sources that we have consulted do not clarify whether these figures correspond to new work or existing resources. The plan has set two clear horizons. By 2027, the goal is to have gathered more than 500 new artificial intelligence companies, complete the registration of 100 large models and have consolidated between three and five companies with a vocation of global leadership. The second milestone arrives in 2030, with the aim of reaching the 1,000 new companies and an industrial volume of 100,000 million yuan. The inauguration of September 16 marked the beginning of that road. The premiere was not symbolic. At the inauguration The first twenty companies were presented. They do not reach a desert, because since July 28, when the concept of the initiative was announced, more than forty companies had already joined. To attract companies and talent, Pudong has launched what he calls the “Ten high quality measures”From Zhangjiang AI Innovation Town. The menu includes rentals from 1 yuan (0.12 euros) per square meter and day, free accommodation between one and two weeks for equipment in the initial phase, low -cost youth apartments with a Maximum 2,000 yuan (239 euros) per month for three years, and a system of coupons that cover up to 100 percent in computing services, models or linguistic corpus, with stops of one million yuan per category. To this are added support for “AI demonstration scenarios” of up to 10 million yuan (1.2 million euros), among other incentives. Capital is also part of the design. The inauguration announced the Zhangjiang AI Innovation Town Link Fund, a fund of 2,000 million yuan created by Hillhouse Venture and the Pudong Public Investment Group. Its function is to … Read more

For resources at stake

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The phrase “a small step for man” is recorded in collective memory such as the zenith of space exploration. The United States won the race to the Soviet Union when Neil Armstrong marked the lunar soil with his footprint. However, 56 years later, Washington looks at the moon again with concern. The rival has changed, and the prize is much greater than the simple feat of arriving. The new space race against China is not for glory, but for the control of the resources that will define the future in space and the balance of power on earth. Sean Duffy’s promise. Hours after Starship will complete its tenth flightthe first successful of the last four attempts, NASA’s acting administrator made a resounding statement: “In 2027, we will send American astronauts to the Moon. We won yesterday’s space race, we will win today’s space race against China, and we will always win tomorrow’s space race.” Artemis delays. The initial date set by NASA for a new moon -deduction with humans was 2024. As noted Alejandro Alcantilla de NSFby then they were neither the central stage of the SLS rocket, nor the Orion ship, nor the spatial suits of the astronauts, much less the HLS Aunidation module: a spacex starship adapted to land on the moon. The last date planned for the Mission Artemis III It is August 2027. It is possible that the other elements of the mission are ready by then, but more and more analysts question that the Starship ship arrives on time, since it accumulates its own delays. The “lost” year of Starship. The gigantic Spacex ship is the only US trick to pose its astronauts on the moon, at least until The Blue Origin alternative Be ready. But its development has suffered a significant break. After a successful flight in June 2024, Elon Musk’s company has needed more than a year to channel the program. This year of scarce advances in Starbase has kept NASA in suspense. Especially because Spacex still has to demonstrate the transfer of propellants in space on a scale never seen before moving forward with a crewless -rating in 2026. The Methodic Lunar Conquest of China. Far from political fluctuations that often affect Western space programs, China has followed a persistent plan for decades. The Robotic Missions Chang’e have already logged First samples of the hidden face of the moon. But they have been only the beginning. China’s goal is create a huge base on the moon with its partnersfor which it has been developing its own manned lunar program. China plans Send your first astronauts to the moon in 2030and their engineers are advancing like a clock towards that goal. In recent weeks, the state company CASC has successfully tested a prototype of its Lanyue lunar module and completed a static ignition of the CZ-10 heavy rocket. For experts in the Chinese space program, Like Dean Chengit is “quite likely that the Chinese terrify on the moon before NASA can return.” The Wild West of Lunar Resources. China’s hypothetical victory in space would be an unprecedented geopolitical defeat for the United States, but not for the fact of reaching the moon, something that after all already made between 1969 and 1972. American senator John Cornyn exposed it bluntly: “Those who control the last border control the future. If the United States does not take advantage of the non -exploit resources of the Moon, China will do it.” According to him Scientific Policy Professor Kazuto Suzukithis is not a race to put your feet on the moon. It is a career to find and control lunar resources. “China wants to be the first to have the right to dominate and monopolize resources, it is the wild west.” What resources do we talk about? Although the 1967 ultra -resort treaty prohibits the national appropriation of celestial bodies, the reality is that whoever arrives first and establishes the infrastructure will have an advantage to exploit the vast treasures offered by the moon: Ice water: concentrated in the perpetual shadow craters of the lunar poles. Not only is it vital for life, but it can decompose in hydrogen and oxygen, the basic components to produce rocket fuel. A base in the South Lunar Pole would be, in effect, a “gas station” for future missions to Mars and beyond. Helio-3: A light and weird isotope on Earth that is abundant in the lunar regolite. It is considered a clean and efficient fuel potential for nuclear fusion, the energy of the future. Metals and minerals: The lunar surface is rich in iron, titanium, aluminum and the most crucial material, silicon. These materials could be used to build and maintain a base using local resources, from make bricks with lunar dust to print solar panels. Solar energy: Without an atmosphere that dispenses it, solar energy in lunar poles is constant and abundant, a reliable energy source to feed a human base. The nuclear reactor and its exclusion zone. The fear in Washington is that the first country to establish a functional base can, in practice, claim the territory. This concern became explicit a few days ago when the US administration urged NASA to install a nuclear fission reactor on the moon by 2030anticipating the plans withoutorruse. A nuclear reactor is indispensable to survive icy and long two -week lunar nights, where solar energy is not an option. The directive made it clear: “The first country to do so could declare an exclusion zone, which would significantly limit the United States.” In addition, the highest land control is at stake, key to master communications, navigation and military intelligence on Earth. A lot of power at stake. If China manages to alunize before the United States, we would be before the end of American exceptionalism. Arriving first translates into a decisive influence to establish the technical standards and communication protocols of the cislunar space. The United States has the advantage of its experience and a more advanced private sector, but … Read more

There was a lot of money at stake

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A few years ago we talked about the “Fasters“, that group of people who did not conceive of their favorite series to less than 1.5x. The same with the podcasts or the audiobooks. At that time, they were the exception, and when asked about social networks, people would be surprised and horrified at the possibility of enjoying the culture in that way. Today things have changed, and being “faster” becomes quite common: according to a survey of The Economist and Yougov31% of Americans between 18 and 29 years listen to audios for more than 1x. The greats of the Internet have made it very easy to accelerate everything. YouTube, Spotify or Netflix are Internet giants that They only do not compete against their direct competitorscompete against everything And all looking for one thing: Our sustained attention. They want us to spend more and more time on the platform, not only to prevent us from going to the competition, but because they loyalty more and generate more advertising income per user. In the case of Spotify, for example, earn more money when we reproduce podcasts (and it is common to accelerate them) that when we listen to music, because they save rights to pay the recordings. On YouTube the logic is similar: if we accelerate reproduction, we can consume more content at the same time. Thus the part is understood the success of rapid consumption of content: these companies and others not only implemented the speed of accelerating reproduction where before it was not so common (outside the audio), but they put the function almost at the level of relevance of pausar or advance reproduction. Thus, YouTube offers to tricks such as leaving the video clustered on mobile or on the web so that reproduction goes from 1x to 2x automatically. Life at 1x becomes slow. WhatsApp and Telegram know it, and in 2021 they implemented the possibility of Accelerate audios Of our contacts, something that a server values greatly. The feeling with the audios, as one of Your hateorsthere is “there is a lot of detour, pauses, unnecessary repetitions”, and accelerate them to 1.5x offers, in many cases, a more normal cadence of conversation. As in person, with fewer distractions. Personally, all audios are already reproducing them at that speed, and I feel that I do not lose attention, context or data of what my friends and family explain to me. The audios of some slow -speaking people are compatible with climbing 2x, but it is usually not comfortable. Accelerating everything so much has consequences: when listening again at normal speed, there is some feeling that people are “drunk.” This effect is extreme if instead of accelerating we slowly slow down. Fomo as a factor of a huge “savings” of time. To understand the effects of accelerating reproduction in different services it is very useful to remember its official figures. According to YouTube in 2022, its users They saved 900 years of video per day Seeing them faster of their original speed. For Linda Stone, researcher at the Digital Revolution, accelerate everything has to do with the phomothe fear of losing things, not to get to everything. TV, redoubt of respect for creative intention. Of the big platforms (Disney+, Netflix, Prime Video, HBO Max and Apple TV+), Netflix is the only one that allows us to accelerate its contents from the official mobile application. The rest, neither in mobiles nor on other platforms, perhaps following The reasons that Netflix alleged Not to offer the function on larger screens: “We have been sensitive to the concerns of the creators and we have avoided including larger screens, especially televisions.” Five years after releasing the mobile adjustment, Netflix still does not allow reproduction on the smart TV. YouTube does not take it that way, and among its adjustments the possibility of Vary the reproduction of 0.25x to 2x for 15 years. Do not destroy my work. The rhythm and assembly are key elements of series and films. That they are slow or fast is not a failure, they are a decision with which they reflect an intention. So the filmmakers consider that accelerating reproduction is something devastating for work. In the face of the joy of the “fasters” for being able to accelerate Netflix and “unnecessarily stretched” series, Peyton Reed (Ant-man) and Peter Ramsey (Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Ambverse) were clearly against implementing functionality, to which Aaron Paul joined, despite having worked with them in ‘The way‘. The effects. The Economist includes the position of different experts and studies regarding the phenomenon. The conclusion of researchers from the University of Waterloo in Canada was that consuming content up to 1.5x does not add cognitive differences with respect to doing so at the original speed. Yes, but. However, when we approach or overcome the 2x speed, the thing changes: the responses to the evaluation of students who had seen evidence at this speed were of much worse quality. Taking this into account, the striking thing is that YouTube is already offering the option to reproduce its videos to 4x speed to premium subscription users. The experience of a fan. My partner and editor of Xataka José García acknowledged in a talk among colleagues to have seen ‘One Piece‘At 1.5x speed, “in those scenes that I knew they were important, but in which they also did not contribute to me 10 seconds of intense looks”, while “what I knew was mythical (coffee for coffee growers: episodes 483, chapter 1,000 and 1,076, for example) left it to 1x”. And he did not have the feeling of missing anything with this concrete anime, because “the dialogues are relatively slow and total, I do not understand much Japanese, so with being able to read the subtitles it is worth.” He also points out that something like this was possible at 1.5x, while “A 2x was already another story.” Unlike what can happen to WhatsApp the audios, returning to 1x was satisfactory: “It was weird. He was accustomed to … Read more

There are up to 2.8 billion at stake

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“We are here because the data is overwhelming and alarming, since there is an unjustified lag of more than two euros per kilo between the real price at the origin of olive oil (3.5 euros per kilo) and the value it should have (5.55 euros per kilo).” They are the words of Miguel PadillaSecretary General of Coordinator of Agricultural and Livestock Organizations (COAG). They said on Tuesday by presenting in front of the National Markets Commission and the competition to file a formal complaint to what seems like a manipulation of the olive oil market. Market manipulation? We have been counting it. For months, the spokesmen of the Spanish olivers They have denouncing that something weird happened with the price of oil at source. The reality is that, in terms of contribution, this market is very “simple.” With logical variations according to the situation of the moment, the price of oil is an extremely predictable fact: it depends almost exclusively on the stocks there. And that the problem, which the price that the liter of oil is much lower than what it would have to be. In -depth investigation. Concerned about this anomaly, the Provincial Council of Olive Oil of the Provincial Council of Jaén requested a detailed report to a group of researchers from the University of Jaén, the University of Córdoba and the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research and Training. Your conclusions They were crystalline: That mismatch not only existed, but it was much larger than the first estimates said. Are we facing a crime? The artificial alteration of the prices of origin of olive oil is of course illegal according to the Law of Defense of Competition. In fact, to demonstrate, it would be a serious infraction. For now, yes, only indications have been verified that the market is not working correctly (losses of up to 2.8 billion) are estimated, but the next step is more complicated. And need authorities to take action on the matter. Because although it is expressly prohibited for companies to reach agreements in order to restrict or falsify the competition, prove it is not easy. A symptom of a chronic disease: the inability to be able to make strategic decisions that ensure the future of the olive grove and the good condition of a strategic sector that industrially vertebra A territory already very touched by the olive tree, depopulation and lack of opportunities. As we have been saying weeks, in the coming months, Spain You will control The global marketing of olive oil and will not help you. It is worth remembering that we talk about a sector that, despite growing 15% a year, will see how more than 500 oil mills will close in the next decade. Not only that, it is worth remembering that we talk about a sector that, despite its feeling of leadership and solidity, is crossed by the same problems than the rest of Spanish agriculture. With all that means that. Image | Miguel Masegosa In Xataka | The great paradox of Spanish olive oil: although it grows 15% per year, more than 500 oil mill will close in the next decade

Those responsible for the Robinson list deny having been hacked. The data of more than 600,000 people are at stake

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Hackmanac hackeos monitoring account published A few hours ago a worrying advertisement: the Robinson list It has supposedly hacked in Spain. According to hacking data, personal data of 614,197 people They would have been exposed. Among these data are full names, postal addresses, ID, telephone, date of birth and emails. These data represent a real treasure for cybercriminals who make use of the phishing technique to try to cheat users. With this information they can make personalized messages even try to supplant identities in attacks more specific to anyone. Our partners Xataka mobile indicate who have contacted Adigital, the agency that manages the Robinson list. Those responsible deny that this hacking has occurred And they have issued the following statement: “We have carefully reviewed the information available with our technical and legal team and we can conclude with total security that there has been no hacking or illicit access to our systems. In any case, we will be attentive to evolution and make our knowledge and tools available to the Spanish Agency for Data Protection.” The Robinson list is An advertising exclusion service to which any Spanish citizen can sign up for free. Its objective is to send advertising to registered users, both to their postal addresses and email or by mobile messages. A potential theft of the data on the list could precisely cause the opposite: that these users became direct victims of future Phishing attacks. It remains to be seen if the information published by Hackmanac and other media was really true or not – the authenticity of cyberboo is To be confirmed– But the organism presume to maintain the most important repository in the world of “verified, successful and publicly known cyberbrays.” In Xataka | The Robinson list works. And the companies that jump are already known the punishment: 10,000 euros

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