underway

It is the most important change to the app and it is already underway

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WhatsApp has begun to implement in Europe a function that marks a before and after in the use of its application: the possibility of other third-party messaging apps integrate with the platform. Users will be able to receive and send messages from WhatsApp to people who use other messaging apps, maintaining the end to end encryption. It is the first step towards something unthinkable until now: using WhatsApp without actually being inside WhatsApp. Regulation. This change is not really an altruistic decision that came from Meta, but rather an obligation imposed by the Digital Markets Law (DMA) of the European Union. According to explains WhatsApp on its official blog, “in light of changing laws in Europe, Meta now offers the option to chat with other people using third-party messaging applications.” The deployment is progressive and will arrive “over the next few months.” For now, the function will only land for users with phone numbers registered in the Member States of the European Union. How to activate and configure the function. Users who meet the requirements will soon receive a notification in WhatsApp settings inviting them to enable the function. The process is simple: you have to go to Settings > Account > Third Party Chats and activate the option. From there, you can select which external applications you want to enable and choose between two display modes: a combined inbox, where third-party messages are mixed with those from WhatsApp, or a separate inbox that keeps these chats isolated. WhatsApp assures that “you can update this setting at any time.” What is shared and what is not. When chats with third-party apps are activated and a conversation is started, the user’s phone number is shared with the person they choose to chat with. However, according to clarify WhatsApp, “your name and profile photo are not shared.” This means that to start a chat with someone using an external app, you need to know their user ID on that platform, which can be an email, phone number, or username, depending on the app. The first compatible apps and current limitations. BirdyChat vs Haiket They are the first two applications messaging services that have implemented this interoperability. WhatsApp promise that users will be able to “send messages, photos, videos, voice messages and documents to end users of supported third-party messaging services.” For now, the feature only allows one-on-one conversations; Future updates will include cross-platform group chats. In addition, certain native WhatsApp features such as stickers, statuses or disappearing messages will not be available in conversations with third parties. The encryption is maintained, but with nuances. WhatsApp assures that “messages or other content you send from WhatsApp to third-party users are encrypted during transit, and WhatsApp cannot see them.” The company also specifies that third-party messaging apps must use the same level of end-to-end encryption. However, Meta warns that “third-party apps have their own policies and may handle your data differently than WhatsApp.” The platform recommends reviewing the privacy policies of each external application before using it. Locks. There is one aspect that may be uncomfortable for some users. And people blocked on WhatsApp could continue to contact you through these third-party apps. According to explains WhatsApp in its FAQ, “anyone who has your phone number will be able to send you messages from third-party apps, including people you’ve blocked on WhatsApp.” If you receive an unwanted message in a third-party chat, you can block the sender specifically from that app, but WhatsApp blocking is not automatically extended. Limited availability and technical requirements. The function is limited at the moment in WhatsApp for iPhone and Android, so not yet WhatsApp Web, nor desktop, nor tablets. Furthermore, the company also remember that if a user changes their phone number to another registered in a region that is not covered by the DMA, they will lose access to third-party chats. In this sense, previous messages will remain in the chat list, but in read-only mode. Because it’s so important. It’s a big shift precisely because it has operated as a closed ecosystem for years. The possibility of interacting with users of other platforms without leaving WhatsApp, and vice versa, breaks a series of barriers which can end up being very attractive to many users. It is, in essence, the first step towards a scenario where the app you use to send messages could no longer be as relevant. Now all that remains is for Telegram to also implement this function. Cover image | Dimitri Karastelev In Xataka | It’s a matter of time before WhatsApp ends up filling your phone’s memory, unless you do these three things

The most complex nuclear reactor in the world is underway in the United Kingdom. His critics directly call him “a monster”

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Two figures are enough to understand the scope of the British challenge: 38,000 million investment pounds and six million homes fed with nuclear electricity for sixty years. This presents Sizewell C, the center that Downing Street describes as a clean energy and employment engine. His detractors, on the other hand, see it as a financial well and the last attempt to give life to a nuclear design so complex that in France it already call it “the monster.” The crown jewel. The objective of the British government is to double the nuclear capacity of the country by 2050 and guarantee a stable supply of low carbon energy. Sizewell C, With two EPR type reactors (European pressurized reactor), is the key piece of that strategy. According to the BBCthe project is the successor of Hinkley Point C, in Somerset, which accumulates a decade of delays and a runaway cost: more than 18,000 million pounds planned in 2010 to about 46,000 million today. Minister Rachel Reeves declared The Guardian that investment is “a powerful support to the United Kingdom as the best place to do business and as a global center of nuclear energy.” Instead, Henri Proglio, former director of the French electric EDF – developmentator of the project -, assured the Financial Times that the reactor design is “scary” and “almost impossible to build.” Faced opinions. The detractors have it clear. Proglio describes it as “a machine with more reinforcement rods than concrete.” Another engineer, Also cited in the FThe spoke of a “colossal error.” And Greenpeace warned the BBC That this time will be taxpayers, not EDF, who pay the inevitable cost overruns. But there are also moderate voices. Tony Roulstone, Professor of Cambridge and exejecutive of Rolls-Royce, declared to FT That Sizewell could be ready “one or two years before Hinkley” and cost 20 % less. Thanks to the fact that much of the design is already tested since the supply chain was consolidated in Somerset. There are already works in Suffolk. The project is not just paper. In Suffolk, 1,700 operators are already working in preliminary works, According to the Financial Times. The first one: a perimeter wall 55 meters deep and 3 kilometers long to drain the marsh before placing the foundations. In addition, Hinkley errors will be avoided. This time the concrete structures will be pregnant in workshops and not in the work, which should accelerate the deadlines. Even so, the official calendar – entered into operation in the middle or end of the 2030s – raises doubts. Flamanville, in France, and Hinkley have shown that deadlines in projects of this type are usually wet paper, As Critica Nils Pratley in his column for The Guardian. It is very complex. It is more complex than it seems to the naked eye. EPR are nuclear reactors of generation III+, the result of Franco-German collaboration between EDF and Siemens. According to World Nuclear Associationare designed to offer a net electrical power of between 1,600 and 1,650 MW, although they can reach 1,770 MW. In addition, they incorporate advanced security measures: double containment, four independent cooling systems, a Core Catcher to catch the nucleus in case of merger, and structural capacity to resist impacts and earthquakes, in addition to diesel generators and backup batteries that guarantee operability to multiple failures. They also stand out for greater energy efficiencyconsuming up to 17% less fuel than old reactors and producing up to 14% more energy. All this with a projected life of 60 years. This technical complexity is, at the same time, a strength in terms of safety and efficiency, and a challenge for the delays and costs that it has shown in its construction. The invoice reaches the British pocket. The cost of the central already exceeds twice the first estimates, According to BBC. The majority (36.6 billion) will be covered with public debt through the National Fund of Wealth. While the financing is distributed among the State (the largest shareholder with 44.9%), followed by the Canadian Caisse (20%), Centrica (15%), EDF (12.5%) and Amber Infrastructure (7.6%). The great novelty is the “Regulated Assets Base” model (Rab) in which households will begin to pay £ 1 per month in their electrical invoices for at least a decade, Julia Pyke explained to the BBC. This scheme mainly protects investors, As Nils Pratley recalled in The GuardianCentrica ensures returns of more than 10% even if the costs reach 47.7 billion pounds; Any excess will be assumed by taxpayers. France already tried. Although with problems. The first French EPR reactor, Flamanville 3, in Normandy, connected to the network In December 2024 after 12 years of delays and with a final cost of € 13.2 billion, four times budgeted. As explained in Financial Timesthe French experience forced to redesign the concept, so EDF no longer prioritizes the EPR, but the EPR2, a simplified and cheaper version that hopes to build in six units here to 2038. Meanwhile, in China they have shown that its Taishan center that has operated for years with an EPR of 1.75 GW, is one of the most powerful reactors in the world. A continent that turns nuclear. The British bet arrives in a contradictory European context. Germany He closed his last central in 2023 and Spain plans to close them in 2027. France, on the contrary, Maintain nuclear as a pillar (70 % of its electricity) and accelerates new EPR2 projects. The board moves: under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Germany has stopped blocking France and accepts that the nuclear receives the same treatment as renewables in EU legislation. The agreement includes giving “green” status to pink hydrogen and opens the door to European financing, although Austria continues against and countries such as Belgium and the Netherlands reevaluate their policies. In the midst of this continental debate, the United Kingdom, outside the EU, advances alone with Sizewell C: an EPR that even EDF has relegated in favor of the EPR2, while in Europe the SMR and nuclear fusion gain space. … Read more

The first prohibitions to diesel cars over 10 years are already underway. There is only a small detail: there are no

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Gasoline cars that comply with Euro 3 and diesel cars that comply with Euro 4 or Euro 5. That is the definition made by the DGT of the vehicles that They carry the bchatin B in cars. Although, really, what traffic has done has been discriminating for years of enrollment. Thus, cars with stickers B are enrolled between 2000 and 2006 for gasoline cars and Between 2006 and 2014 for diesel. This decision has generated some inconveniences since there are vehicles enrolled before 2000 (gasoline) or 2006 (diesel) that comply with the aforementioned emission regulations. But, except those exceptions that can be reviewedcars with stickers B are at least ten years behind them if we talk about diesel vehicles. Discrimination has raised some controversies since the owners of these cars face more hard restrictions than gasoline cars. To sticker equality, his car is many less years old. And that opens the door to be prohibited to diesel cars more modern than gasoline in our cities. Restrictions that, as you have been able to read, are already applied or will arrive very soon. But they do not exist. An exception (very exceptional) In recent days, social networks have been filled with messages that point to alleged prohibitions to cars with sticatin B. that is, gasoline with more than 19 years behind them but diesel with just over 10 years. But the truth is that when one goes to detail, those prohibitions They do not exist or, at most, they will be very soft restrictions that do not limit the use of the car. First, you have to understand that Since 2023 All cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants had to launch low emissions (ZBE) areas to improve air quality. But in the regulations It was not established how they should be These, who had to affect nor a punishment was established for not doing so. This has caused many municipalities to choose not to apply the measure, claiming that they needed clear orders from the government (aware that it is a measure that can negatively affect the electoral level). But it has also caused Paradoxes like Ciudad Realwhere you aspire to establish a ZBE … where all cars can access (even those who have no environmental labeling of the DGT). If we use the map that the government itself has active and select Restrictions by B labelwe will see that only the city of Segovia, Madrid and Barcelona remain active. In Madridcars with b label can circulate without problem but in the area of low emissions of special protection center center (ZBEDEP CENTER DISTRICT)they are obliged to park in a parking lot, whether public or private. It is the same restriction as when the area was called Madrid and there are no firm plans to change it. The case of Barcelona is a bit more special. Right now, all cars with stickers can circulate within the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (AMB) without restrictions. Of course, cars with stickers B are included. The point is that The Generalitat of Catalonia has given green light to a plan to put obstacles to its use. That plan puts on the table restrictions on cars with B label from January 1, 2026 in all cities of More than 50,000 inhabitants within Catalonia as long as the anti -antamination scenarios are activated. That is, when the pollution is so high that it forces to prohibit circulation to some vehicles. It is something that It is also contemplated in Madrid In some scenarios. The protocol does contemplate the restriction of cars with B label B but as of January 1, 2028. By then, those cars will be over 14 years in the case of diesel and more than 22 years if we talk about gasoline. In Catalonia, cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants are Barcelona (and all the municipalities that already enter the AMB), Lleida, Tarragona or Girona, among others. You can consult here on this link. However, in the plan it is only specified that they will have to have a ZBE and that it must restrict the circulation to the cars with environmental label B but the size of it is not specified. That, just as it happens in the rest of the territory, has proliferated cities where Zbe barely affects a handful of streets, without substantial impact for the vast majority of drivers. That is what happens in Salamanca, the only city that Restrictions to cars with sticatin B already applies throughout Spain. However, the size is just 0.37 km2, the historical bud. Inside can access the aforementioned vehicles if they are registered in that area or if they do it outside the schedule established for the application of the ZBE: Monday to Thursday: from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Vespers of festive: from 7 to 23 hours. Sundays and holidays: 10 to 20 hours. Much Runrún and few prohibitions In spite of everything, in some media we continue to read that there are already prohibitions raised to cars with almost immediate application B label, as inferred in the holders. Then we leave a list of the most commented cities and what will be applied or not. Bilbao: This zbe It has a size of 2 km2 and is active from Monday to Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. In that time section, from June 15, 2025 cars with B label B of the DGT are forced to enter a parking lot (as in Madrid) but can enter with that condition until January 1, 2030. By then, these diesel cars will have at least 16 years. Estepona: This zbe It has a size of 0.49 km2 and is also located in the historic center. Here, cars with stickers B are obliged to park in a parking lot or in a hotel, as in the previous case of Bilbao. There are no more restrictions. Getafe: This zbe It has a size of 1.18 km2. Since 2025 it has the same … Read more

The countdown is underway

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Five months have passed since Max will publish the trailer From the second season of ‘The Last of Us‘. The wait has been long, but we finally know the release date of the continuation of the successful series. Joel and Ellie will return to our screens next April 14 And they will do it in a much more dangerous and challenging world where heartbreaking emotions will have a leading role. The new delivery will have seven episodes and will take place five years after the events we saw in the opening season. As we say, we will find a variety of emotional moments among the characters, as well as drama, tension and violence scenes. Recall that this adaptation began with a strong connection with the story told in the video game.. Less than 60 days after the premiere The cast will be updated in the second season. In addition to having Pedro Pascal in the role of Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Kaitlyn Dever will be AbbyIsabela Merced will put on the skin of Dina, Young Mazino will perform as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac. Catherine O’Hara will participate as a guest. The posters of season 2 of ‘The Last of Us’ The American company has also published new production posters with the release date. The main characters, equipped with different weapons, advance in a post -apocalyptic world accompanied by the legend “each decision has a price.” Touch to know if Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann with Sony Pictures Television and PlayStation Productions will repeat the success of the first season. At this time it is not clear if ‘The Last of Us’ will have a Third season. If the metrics accompany, it is probably an accurate decision to continue developing the story. The rumorsHowever, they point out that the continuation is a fact and that protection will begin as soon as this summer in Vancouver, Canada. Images | HBO In Xataka | If ‘the snow girl’ has left you wanting, you can recover this 6 -episodes miniseries in Netflix with a similar argument

The renaissance of nuclear energy is underway. And the microreactors are preparing to give it a boost

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The physicists and engineers involved in the development of fourth generation nuclear fission reactors They are working to propose new designs that conceptually may be very different from those of previous generations. Of course, the requirements that these new nuclear power plants must meet are clearly defined. The first of them consists of achieving the maximum possible sustainability, so that the fuel is used to the maximum to produce energy, the amount of radioactive waste resulting from the process is minimized and its management is as efficient as possible. The second requirement concerns the economic investment that must be made to start up and maintain the nuclear power plant, which must be as low as possible so that it can be compared to the expenditure required by other sources of energy, thus reducing the risk. financial. And the third and final requirement stipulates that safety and reliability must be high enough to minimize the probability of damage to the reactor core. Besides, if an accident occurred It should not be necessary to take emergency measures beyond the nuclear power plant facilities. Westinghouse and Radiant working on the world’s smallest reactors The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) published a very detailed report in September 2024 entitled “Energy, electricity and nuclear power estimates for the period up to 2050”. In it, it analyzes the short and medium-term future of nuclear energy and delves into its role as a means of generating electricity that can contribute to the achievement of global climate objectives. However, the most interesting thing is that this organization predicts that global nuclear power will increase by 2.5 by 2050. Microreactors use uranium-based isotropic tristructural particles as fuel Compact and modular nuclear reactors play a crucial role in achieving that vision, but microreactors will also likely play a very important role. As their name indicates, they are compact and modular nuclear reactors much smaller than conventional fission machines. As we can predict, they produce less energy than the latter, usually 50 megawatts or lessbut thanks to their size they can be installed in remote places where it is not possible to set up a traditional nuclear power plant. However, nuclear microreactors have more advantages. On the one hand, its installation is relatively simple and much faster than that of conventional reactors. In addition, they do not require large water cooling systems, they operate in an automated manner and their maintenance is simpler than that of a traditional nuclear plant. And, interestingly, the eVinci and Kaleidos microreactors being developed by the American companies Westinghouse and Radiant use uranium-based tristructural isotropic particles (TRISO) as fuel. The particles of this fuel are the size of a poppy seed and contain uranium, carbon and oxygen encapsulated in a carbon-ceramic shell that is capable of withstanding extreme temperatures. On paper this nuclear fuel is the most robust ever developed to date. An interesting note: Radiant uses helium as a coolant, while Westinghouse uses a passive heat duct system. These two companies have the financial support of the US Department of Energy (DOE) and plan to place their microreactors on the market in 2030 as long as, of course, they obtain a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Image | Westinghouse Electric Company More information | IEEE Spectrum In Xataka | Bill Gates has an ambitious nuclear energy project. And now it also has an associated Spanish company

‘Doctor Strange 3’ is officially underway at Marvel

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Good news for Doctor Strange 3. The fans of Marvel Cinematic Universe They just got a great reason to celebrate. And, after a few months of rumors, it is confirmed that Doctor Strange He will have a new solo adventure. A point that makes it clear that the Sorcerer Supreme will have a prominent participation in the future of the saga. Much more, that the magical world of the character is just beginning to be explored and that the upcoming film probably shows all its possibilities. Benedict Cumberbatch confirmed the above during an extensive interview with Variety. In the text, the star revealed that there are ongoing conversations between him and Marvel Studios about the immediate future of the character. Something that includes your participation— or not — in Avengers: Doomsday and secret war yes. For now and in light of the information, something seems certain. Stephen Strange will be part of a good part of the franchise’s immediate plans. What it means an indication of where the stories to come from The House of Ideas may be headed. According to the actor’s words, Strange is a figure of enormous importance when it comes to Marvel adventures. A twist that involves resuming the character’s story, after his last solo appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness2022. In Sam Raimi’s film, the Sorcerer confronted Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), but also discovered a worrying fact. In alternate realities, Strange is considered a threat. A point that could be explored in the future. A new world to explore for Marvel But in addition to starring, Benedict Cumberbatch revealed that Marvel Studios asked his opinion about who could direct and write the script for the third feature film in the subfranchise. From what is evident, the interpreter’s knowledge of the character, It will be crucial to shape the ongoing project. Much more, when everything seems to indicate that once again, he will have to face a cosmic threat that he must deal with through his special abilities. As you may remember, Strange’s latest film introduced to Clea(Charlize Theron), character’s wife in comics and current Sorcerer Supreme in the publishing world. For Benedict Cumberbatch, playing one of the most fascinating figures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is quite a challenge. So you have multiple ideas of where you could go. In his words, Strange has hidden dimensions that still need to be explored. “He is a complex, contradictory and problematic human “He has these extraordinary abilities, so there are powerful things to play with.”commented the actor. What can we expect from ‘Doctor Strange 3’? For now, there are no concrete details regarding what story or under what aspect the next Doctor Strange movie could take place. The production is reportedly moving forward in terms of development. However, there are no answers about which characters will be part of the plot or If it will be connected to the upcoming films of the saga. For now, the only clear thing is that the film would be released from 2027after Avengers: Doomsday and perhaps also Secret Wars. Which indicates that Strange could also help kick off the franchise’s next film saga after the Multiverse Saga. That, after being a key character in the upcoming Multiversal War.

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