world

There are more robots working in Chinese factories than in the rest of the world together. Beijing’s strategy is already a blow of global authority

by

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine The country with more robots in its factories. The logical thing would be to think of Japan, and not a few would also include the United States in the quiniela. However, the most recent figures point out another destination and do it clearly: China, where robotics has ceased to be an experiment to become the daily pulse of production. It should be specified from the start: we do not talk about showcase humanoids, but of industrial welding robots, manipulation and assembly, which are transforming how it is already manufactured what speed. The last report From the International Robotics Federation offers the clearest photograph of this phenomenon. In 2024 alone, Chinese factories installed about 300,000 industrial robots, a figure higher than the rest of the combined world. In parallel, the total park exceeded two million active units, well above any competitor. In contrast, the United States added 34,000 new robots in its production and Japan lines around 44,000, confirming the magnitude of the Chinese jump. China not only competes, already dominates China’s hegemony in industrial robotics has not appeared out of nowhere. Since 2017, its factories have installed Between 145,000 and 295,000 annual robotswith a especially strong jump from 2021. Pandemia barely slowed that progression, and in 2024 the figure was again located around 300,000 units. In contrast, the United States, Japan, South Korea and Germany not only started from much more modest volumes, but also registered declines in the last statistics. The next step in the Chinese strategy was not only to install robots, but to manufacture them on a large scale. For the first time, Chinese suppliers sold more than foreigners in their own market: 57% of the 2024 facilities were of local origin. On a global scale, Japan remains the main manufacturing country (around 38% of the world supply, according to IFR). This turn reduces dependence, although it does not equals full technological autonomy Chinese industrial policy has been decisive to accelerate the transition to automation. The initiative Made in China 2025 marked the first great milestone in 2015, with the aim of REducate dependence of imports in key sectors. Six years later, in 2021, the country adopted a specific plan to multiply the deployment of industrial robots. This planning added loans at low interest from state banks and support for technological purchases abroad. The result has been a fertile terrain for the expansion of Chinese robotics. When talking about robotics, the most common image is that of humanoids as Optimus either Figure. However, the figures that place China in the lead correspond only to industrial robots: mechanical arms that weld, assemble or move materials in the production line. The report leaves humanoids out, still in an experimental phase and with very small sales. Even so, the state impulse has generated an ecosystem of humanoid -centered startups, such as UNITREEalthough its weight in the industry remains marginal. The figures that place China in the lead correspond only to industrial robots. The integration of artificial intelligence into the factory is not exclusive to China: Japan, South Korea, Germany or the United States also apply with vision systemsautomated failures and quality control algorithms. What distinguishes Beijing is the scale with which this practice has spread, until it becomes a usual component of its industrial strategy. In many plants, the AI ​​monitors real -time machines, anticipates breakdowns and adjusts processes. This broader and more coordinated deployment has multiplied the impact of automation. The technological jump also depends on the people who make it possible. China has a large number of specialized technicians, from programmers to industrial electricians, capable of installing and maintaining robots in complex environments. Even so, the demand exceeds the supply and salaries of the installers have shot, already around $ 60,000. This talent gap reflects a global bottleneck: automation does not advance with capital and machines, it needs professionals who integrate it into the factory. Chinese leadership in industrial robotics still has clear borders. Although the country already manufactures a third of world robots, it continues to depend on foreign supplies for some key components. High precision sensors and advanced semiconductorsfor example, they are still domain from Japan and Germany, with decades of technological advantage. This deficit limits China’s ability to assemble higher range robots, especially humanoids. Even with a thriving ecosystem, technological autonomy is not yet complete and marks one of Beijing’s pending challenges. Although China continues to depend on foreign suppliers, the weight of its market already conditions global dynamics. By producing and installing more robots than anyone, it achieves economies of scale that reduce automation projects and pressing international prices. Its volume also gives it the capacity to influence technical standards and equipment interoperability. In the supply chain, the center of gravity moves to Asia, forcing other countries to adapt to an ecosystem in which China marks the rhythm, even without still controlling all technology. The map of industrial robotics is no longer understood without China in the center. In the next two years, the attention will be to verify whether to reduce its dependence on key components and if it maintains the rhythm of 300,000 new annual facilities. Beijing does not hide that he wants to extend this model to emerging sectors such as humanoids and reinforce their weight in global chains. For the rest of the world, the question is not whether China will continue to lead in volumebut how to respond to a strategy that combines scale, industrial policy and technological ambition. Images | Simon Kadula | Arthur Wang In Xataka | Qualcomm believes that the 6G will be the final network for AI and has already set it: the reality is that 5G is still in diapers

Tether is the great cover of the world of crypts. Aspires to value 500,000 million for doing something simplistic: save foreign money

by

Tether Holdings SA is the company responsible for issuing and controlling the most important stablcoin in the world – also called “Tether” (USDT) -. And those responsible are in negotiations with investors for lift up to 20,000 million dollars. If that round becomes effective, Tether would become a company with an assessment of 500,000 million dollars, and the question is obvious: how can a company be worth so much that nobody has heard? What is Tether (USDT). Launched in 2014, Tether is a cryptocurrency With its own block chain. It is designed to facilitate the use of Fiat currencies (such as the dollar or the euro) digital. Tether is specifically A stablecoina cryptocurrency whose value is strongly linked to the US dollar, which makes its volatility virtually nil. One would think that it is much more interesting to operate with Bitcoins or Ethereum, but care: Tether is a giant for a much simpler reason than it seems. As big as Netflix. If this investment round is confirmed, Tether would be at the level of companies such as Netflix, the 18th company for market capitalization According to Companies Market Cap. Unlike other technological companies focused on future innovation, Tether is a company whose business model is strongly tied to current cash flow. Sources close to negotiations talk that this investment round could be “significantly lower”, so the estimated assessment could be much lower. Interest gains. This is Tether’s main source of income. For each USDT token, the company keeps an equivalent amount in reservations, and does so largely in assets that generate interest, such as US Treasury Bonds. Its current market value is 173,000 million dollars, and thanks to that you can invest those huge reserves and obtain mass profits. In fact Tether is currently one of the great debt holders of the United States government. Extraordinary benefit margin. The CEO of Tether, Paolo Ardoino, He has affirmed Recently the company has a 99%benefit margin. That means that their COESTE operations are incredibly low compared to their income. Tether Holdings Sa is an efficient money to make money. The reference stable. Its success is also based on having become the most popular stablcoin in the cryptodivsis market. Thus, while the current market assessment of Tether S of 173,000 million dollars, the following stablecoin in relevance is USDC, with an assessment of 74,000 million, less than half. But. Although the company has a privileged position and an apparently promising future, Tether He had problems in the past that also threaten their projection. Thus, in 2021 He had to pay A fine of 41 million dollars for a lawsuit for misrepresenting its reserves. The company has also been criticized for the opacity of its reserves: although it publishes quarterly reports, these are not audited by any of the Big Four (such as PWC or Deloitte), but by less recognized signatures. Regulation. The true Damocles sword for Tether is the regulatory tensions. That has left her out of the US market for years, but the company has moved a card hiring a former White House official and it seems that there is now a clear and favorable approach Bajo Trump. However, the US continues Approve laws that will force Tether to restructure its model to access that market. In Xataka | In 2011 a group of investors bought 80,000 bitcoins. They have been sold by 17,000,000% more expensive

70 years ago the United Kingdom took the most remote islet in the world to frustrate the USSR. Today is a huge headache

by

Rockall is a sharp stone in the middle of the Atlantic. Literally. Small, inhospitable, isolated, The islet It seems molded on purpose to repel any human presence. No one lives there and the few adventurers who have challenged the island, tried to spend as long as possible on their surface, have endured as much a month and a half. However and despite all that, Rockall stars in an exciting story that Even today It is marked by the controversy. After all, it has gone from being an important piece for the national defense of Great Britain (and the whole of NATO) to an important economic asset. In a (remote) place of the Atlantic … Throughout the Atlantic there are countless islands, archipelagos and rocks, but few are as inhospitable as Rockalla small rocky promontory of the North Atlantic. He arrives with reviewing a few data to get an idea of ​​to what extent he is isolated and is the last place on the planet in which one would want to spend his vacation. Rockall is among the coasts of Scotland, Ireland and Iceland, hundreds of kilometers from anywhere inhabited. To find houses and population you have to look at 370 kilometers From there, a NORT UISTin the Exterior hebrids (Scotland). “The most isolated rock”. It is not just that Rockall is far from everything. It is directly thought to repel the presence of humans. The islet measures only 25 meters wide and rises 17 m above sea level, which explains that its slope is often shaken by the waves of the Atlantic. There is no one to live there, but the few people who have tried to try their luck have encountered an inclined and rocky surface, a granite block in which there is hardly any space of 3.5 x 1.3 m level enough to stand. In the middle of the last century the British naturalist James Fisher described Rockall as “the little most isolated rock of the oceans of the world.” Even more graphic was a few years ago Lord Kennet, torque and exmarinero than He referred to the islet as the “most desolate, most despair and more horrible” place on the planet. The person who has spent more time on his sharp rocks was the surveyor Nick Hancock, who endured 45 days on its surface. A few years ago a teacher and veteran of the British army wanted ‘Solo’ a month. A rock with an intense story. Given its characteristics, one might think that Rockall is a rocky point without any interest in the middle of the North Atlantic, an islet away from political debate or territorial disputes. Not at all. Its history can go back several centuries agobut he became especially intense in the mid -XX. It was then, at the end of the summer of 1955, to be more precise, when Queen Elizabeth II authorized the annexation of the islet and ordered the British Royal Navy to “take possession of the island.” That same year, Remember the BBC chaina commander reported the successful “conquest” of Rockall. An indomitable island. That episode has already demonstrated how indomitable the rock islet is. The HMS Vidal, a recognition ship by the British Royal Navy, arrived in the area on September 15, 1955, but the sailors It took several days to be able to raise your flag. The reason: the very strong and violent wind gusts. The BBC Slide which was the last territory claimed by the British Empire. Years later, In 1972Parliament voted in favor of incorporating (already formally) Rockall into the United Kingdom, integrating it into the Western Islands of Scotland. But … why? 70 years ago Rockall was the same inhospitable, uninhabited and isolated rock that is today, so why the hell was Great Britain interested in his possession? What was lost there? To understand it you have to keep in mind the complicated geopolitical map of the 50s, In full cold warwhich conferred to Rockall a special value. With the NATO submarines and the USSR patrolling the North Atlantic, its possession became a festive issue. Not just that. Rockall may be isolated from everything, but less than 400 kilometers from there, in the exterior hebrids, London had its first Test field For American guided nuclear missiles. The islet may be hell on Earth, an sharp rock in which it was impossible to live more than a few weeks, but … what if “hostile agents”, as spies at the service of Kremlin, managed to settle in the area to monitor British tests? Beyond the Cold War. The USSR collapsed in the early 90s and London’s priorities in defense became others, but Rockall did not lose interest. Of course: this went from the military strategy to the field of economy and resource management. On the island the geologists identified a special type of granite, but if for something he stood out it was the potential of their marine bed and its waters. They interested their possible oil reserves. And interest (and much) the fishing richness that hid their waters, where rappes are captured, North Gallo, haddock or squid, among other species of high value. The problem is that this wealth not only interested London. He also did Islandia or Ireland. A headache. In 1982 the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Convent) established that rocks without population or economic fabric, as was the case of Rockall, could not be used as a basis for territorial claims. In other words, the islet could no longer be used as ‘key’ to argue the theoretical legitimacy of the United Kingdom over the surrounding waters. However, a Google search arrives to verify that in recent years law and fishing in the area have been a reason for friction With Ireland, Iceland or even Denmarkas representative of the Faroe Islands. The ‘Roces’ of 2019. One of the most tense episodes was lived before the pandemic, in 2019, when Scotland warned the Irish ships on the “illegal” drag fishing that … Read more

Not even the world championship of stones in Scotland escapes scandals: they have brought false stones

by

The world championship to throw stones into the water exists and, curiously, is not in a United States in which its competitions are “worldwide.” If there is Mobile repairthat of collect trash from the street or that of Microsoft Excelof course there was going to be something like that. It is celebrated in Scotland, and hundreds of participants demonstrate their expertise every year as you expect: throwing stones into the water to see who gets more rebounds. The problem is that there are those who even cheat. And it has been a scandal. Tradition. He World Stone Skimming Championshipsby its official name in English, it is a tournament that has been held since 1983 on the island of EasdaleScotland, after two people came up with the idea … taking something in a pub. As usually happens with picturesque quotes, the event was born as a punctual celebration, but little by little the thing became serious until it was institutionalized in 1997. Since then, it has become an annual tradition and an attraction that attracts hundreds of tourists. There are rules. Traditionally, the appointment is celebrated in September in a flooded quarry that was an exploitation of slate. The island It has a population of about 60 people, but during the competition, it is multiplied by both the participants and the curious. And although it consists of throwing stones, there are rules and categories. The first thing is that it is divided by sexes and age, where they can participate to over 60 years. Each participant has three releases to make only natural slate stones that find the island. They cannot exceed three inches in diameter (just over seven and a half centimeters) and the competition is simple: the stones must throw two or three times (something that is marked at the beginning of the competition) on the water without leaving a specific area. There are few jumps because the rebounds are not measured, but the distance traveled by the stone. Seeing them throwing is a true show, especially because of the huge distance traveled between the first rebound and the next. A party. And the competitors take it seriously: they train for it and the releases are prepared well, but in the end it is a great party with an atmosphere in which there is music, food and the awards are commemorative, but not in metallic. It is an event to, above all, generate funds for the local community. 15,000 pounds last year. Remember those Activities that villages of empty Spain are taken out of the manga to value its surroundings and generate funds that allow covering expenses in the town. Cheats. That is why he has caught the attention that, in this year’s edition, some contestants cheated. And you will wonder “How can you cheat in something like that?” In an episode of ‘The Simpsons’ Of the last seasons, Homer uses stones tied to a rope that Bart drags from the other side. It is nothing so elaborate. To enforce the stone diameter limit, the organization has something baptized as the ‘ring of truth’, a tool through which the stone with which it will compete to verify that the size is correct is passed. That tool has a skinny point: it measures the diameter, but not the shape or any possible modification. During the competition, Thursday and other players They detected Something weird in some stones: they were too perfect, so they began to review more exhaustively, discovering that several had been polished to achieve more symmetrical forms and improve the physical characteristics of the rock. First of all, it’s a party Uneasiness. That has sat as a jug of cold water both among the honest competitors and between the attendees and the local community, precisely, so we commented on some lines: the atmosphere is, above all, festive, so they did not imagine that someone began to polish stones that were, they were from Easdale, but illegal. Kyle Mathews is one of the organizers and “official teacher” of stone launch and commented to The New York Times That there was something ‘honest’ in this story. When he contacted the suspects, they all immediately admitted what they had done and accepted the punishment of disqualification. He also removed iron into the matter by commenting that it was “flattering” that someone took the competition so seriously. Note for the future. And the truth is that it has not been badly resolved. Lucy Wood has the Guinness record The one that accumulates the most victories in this World Cup, also told NYT that it was surprised by how well the matter had been resolved. “You wouldn’t see something like that in many sports,” he said. And the truth is that people do take the competition seriously: only last year, 2,000 people registered online to get one of the 400 seats, which sold out in less than three minutes. This year, more than 2,000 attended to contemplate the event (imagine the life they can give to the island) and there are players who point to growing competitive pressure due to what is growing. The question of what they will do if this happens again has an easy answer: to grant pre -approved stones to the competitors. So, you know: if you have a lake nearby and discover that you are good by throwing stones, maybe next September you can find the glory in Scotland. Images | Stoneskimming In Xataka | The World Cup, paper, scissors exists. And it is a very serious thing

This cyclist touched the world record through Eurasia. Then he arrived in Russia, and since then he cannot leave

by

The history of sport is full of heroicities and records They seem impossible to beat. Also of moments of great cruelty, where the elite athlete “dies” on the shore, just a few seconds, meters or even centimeters of glory. Therefore, the story of a French cyclist who has been so close to being crowned with A historical deed It is being news these days. TO Sofiane Sehili44 years old, he only lacked Russia, and there it continues. An interrupted epic trip. As we said, Sofiane I was nothing to be crowned in the History books: Nothing less than a bicycle, without assistance, 17 countries from Cabo Dan Roca in Portugal to Vladivostok at the eastern end of Russia in just 62 days, which would have exceeded the 64 -day world record. After about 18,000 kilometers of inhospitable roads, storms, tremendous nights in Mongolian gas stations and China’s infinite steppes, he was at just 180 kilometers of your goal when He was arrested On September 2 by Russian border guards in the Irf region, accused of cross illegally From China despite having a valid visa. Your odyssey, narrated in videos They showed both the pain of pedaling with the feet sunk in mud and wet socks and the joy when contemplating wild horses and lonely landscapes, it has ended abruptly in a cell. The Euroasyatic labyrinth. The arrest occurred after VAryans frustrated attempts to cross the border between China and Russia. In official positions, the step was denied because only Chinese or Russian citizens can enter a bicycle, while in other steps only access by car, bus or train is admitted. After these rejections, Sehili tried to advance by a forest near Suifenhe and, by showing his passport to the Russian guards, It was arrested. Your partner, Fanny Bensussan, confirmed thatafter being rejected at the official crosses, he looked for alternative routes, which precipitated his arrest. The Ussuriysk court ordered its imprisonment until October 4 waiting for trial, without formal charges. From record to hostage. Sehili’s case cannot be separated of a pattern Increasingly evident in Moscow: the arrest of foreigners in what analysts and NGOs qualify as “hostage diplomacy.” Russia has accumulated notable history, such as the basketball player Brittney Grinerthe journalist of the Wall Street Journal Evan Gershkovich or the consultant Paul Whelanamong others, used as exchange sheets by Russians convicted in the West. French citizens have also suffered this policy, such as the researcher Laurent Vinatierconvicted of not registering as a “foreign agent” and recently accused of espionage at risk of Up to 20 years in jail. In this context, the imprisonment of a resistance athlete, although apparently the result of a border incident is also interpreted as a political movement of international pressure. The human dimension of the challenge. Beyond geopolitics, Sehili’s journey illustrates the hardness of the Ultra-resistance challenges. Throughout his journey, the man faced frozen nights in cement floors, hotels without minimal conditions, constant breakdowns, wind against and the wear of pedaling more than 270 kilometers a day. In his storiesmoments of absolute hopelessness were mixed (when he confessed not to want to move on) with moments of total serenityin which he recognized that these adventures made sense of his life. Human contact, such as the gesture of a Chinese woman who He offered hot food And he introduced his children after a rainy and cold day, worked as small reminders of the value of his trip. Disturbing precedent. That Russia has arrested a cyclist On the edge of a world record, it places resistance sport on unpublished field, where physical and personal challenges can collide with the political interests of the states. Sehili’s image, exhausted but determined to reach Vladivostok, contrasts with the reality of a converted border In political trap. His case, far from an anecdotal, emphasizes how even sports gestures can be trapped in a geopolitical scenario where governments They instrumentalize citizens foreigners to send forces of strength or to prepare future diplomatic exchanges. On the border between sports feat and repressive diplomacy, Sehili’s journey will remain as a symbol of the individual’s fragility in the face of power calculations. Image | Capture/ YouTube In Xataka | An hour, a bike and a cyclist: or how to break technological barriers in the record of the hour In Xataka | A 1978 day, Porsche tried to reach 240 km/h … with a bicycle. And ended up getting it

lose the status of wonder of the world

by

In tourism there is a very fine line between being a successful destination and die of success. Kyoto, Venice, Bali or Some points of the Spanish coast, areas so busy that they have ended up saturating, harming the experience of those who visit them. When the great tourist claim is nevertheless a patrimonial jewel as Machu Picchuin Peru, the scenario is nevertheless more complicated. So much, in fact, that in a year in which he expects break your record Of visits, the famous citadel risks losing its ‘wonder of the world’. What happened? Than Machu Picchu It takes a risk to lose one of its large presentation cards and one of its most powerful tourist hooks: the ‘new wonder of the world’. This has been warned in A resounding statement New7Wornders, responsible for managing a list that the famous Inca citadel shares with other heritage jewels on the planet: the Taj Mahal of India, the Christ redeemer from Rio de Janeiro, the Colosseum of Romethe Mayan site Chichén Itzáin Mexico, the Great Chinese wall either Petrain Jordan. The ‘New Wonder of the World’ label part of an initiative launched at the beginning of the century by the company New Open World Corporation, which organized an international competition to choose the seven most impressive monuments on the planet. The firm assures that it received More than 100 million of votes, which allowed them to announce in 2007 the list of farmers. Since then it ensures that its promotion has generated a flow of thousands of millions of dollars. Why is this status in danger? In Your statement New7Wornders warns that he has been observing “challenges” for several years that in his opinion require a “priority attention.” Which is it? “The high pressure of tourism without sustainability management, the increase in prices in services and goods, the risk of affectation to assets, denunciations of irregular practices linked to the sale of tickets, difficulties in land transport, as well as limitations in conservation and management policies”, enumerates the agency, which speaks in addition to “disorder” between institutions and companies and “repeated complaints” by visitors. And what does that imply? The organization warns that if these problems are not solved, they will damage the image of Peru among tourists and “will compromise Machu Picchu’s credibility as one of the seven wonders of the world.” In case the message was not clear enough, those responsible remember that appearing in that world list brings a series of “commitments” of conservation and adjusting to certain “standards.” “The permanence, justifiable and credible by Machu Picchu as one of the seven wonders under our jurisdiction depends on it, which remains our primary objective,” ditch The letter, signed in Zurich on the 13th and signed by its director, Jean-Paul de la Fuente. What does the government think? The touch of attention has generated enough stir for the Peruvian government to have to go out to calm the spirits. He did it on Monday, through Another statement launched by the Ministry of Culture and in which it emphasizes some ideas. The main one, that one thing is the ‘new seven wonders of the world’ and a very different cataloging as World Heritage by UNESCO, a status that reached in the early 80s. The Peruvian Ministry of Culture recalls that, during the meeting held last July in Paris, the World Heritage-Unesco Committee “valued the improvement in visitors’ management” and the use of “monitoring and conservation tools” in the site. “We are emphatic in specifying that the conservation and protection of the historical sanctuary of Machu Picchu is not being violated, so much so that it is not registered in the ‘World Heritage List’ of Unesco”, They underline From the Department of Culture. Is that true? Yes. Among the 53 patrimonial enclaves that UNESCO considers “in danger”, a list that It can be consulted In detail (with map included) the organism’s website, does not appear Machu Picchu. And it is also true that the authorities They have made an effort To protect the citadel, reinforcing access and access control and rethinking The ticket sales system. However, it is no less than New7Wornders is not the first one that has raised the voice to warn of the challenges facing the famous Inca site. Recently the specialized portal Travel and Tour World It included it in Your selection of destinations that are no longer worth visiting for its saturation, along with others such as Venice or Bali. Have there been more notices? Probably the most severe touch of attention received it however from within the country itself. A few months ago the general control of the Republic, autonomous body, warned the government That Machu Picchu is suffering a “tourist overload”, a problem that extends to both the citadel and the Inca road network (Qhapaq Ñan). The agency stressed that the excess of visitors is a “risk” for the place and shared an exam that proves that in April the maximum permitted qualifications were exceeded. What is the danger? Beyond the impact that the tourist massification can have for the Incas vestiges or the environment, the greatest risk for Peru is to fall into the list of ‘World Heritage’ of UNESCO. And the truth is that, although the government emphasizes that it has received congratulations from its commission, the control would seem not to see it so far -fetched in May. In fact slid that the overload “could cause” that the site enters the list. “It should be noted that at the UNESCO commission meeting in July 2024 in New Delhi, concern about the state of conservation of the sanctuary was expressed,” he recalled. Is there anything else? Yes. Chance or not, the New7Wornders statement has arrived at a complex moment for the citadel. The government only a week ago celebrated That 1.4 million tickets have already been sold to visit Machu Picchu, which is confident in closing the year above the million and a half. Of achieving it, warnswill involve a “historical” milestone that … Read more

Goal is living in the first person a world reality. You may want not to depend on China, but you actually depend on it

by

Although Mark Zuckerberg’s speech about the importance of American dominance in the face of China has adopted an increasingly aggressive tonethe reality is to stop depending on China in this regard It is complicated. And is that his strategic commitment to Smart glasses It depends almost completely on Chinese suppliers, especially on Gortek. According to sources of Financial Timesit is a company that has consolidated its control throughout the sector supply chain in Shandong. China dependence. Sources close to the company They assure that Zuckerberg has held meetings with Trump to talk about the importance of the United States leading the technological career against China. However, at least today, your company cannot manufacture your most promising devices without these Chinese companies. The Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which have sold More than two million units Since its launch, and the new Hypernova that aim to show during the Meta ‘Connect’ event, depend on Gortek for its production. Control. Goertek has not been a simple manufacturer. According to The medium, the Chinese company has executed an aggressive acquisition strategy to control key points of the chain: it has taken control of Shanghai Omnilight, specialized in micro/nano devices optics for smart glasses, and has financed the purchase of Plessey, a British optical supplier that also works in the finish line. “Goal has no choice but to work with them because they are the most stable and reliable supplier for key components,” They assure Sources close to the company. Failed diversification attempts. Goal has tried to reduce its Chinese dependence, moving part of the production of its Quest headphones To Vietnam. But even there, Goertk is still one of its main partners, as they point out from Financial Times. The Chinese company seems to have intuited the opportunities that it would have intuited very early The metaverso (who would say it) and its smart glasses, becoming an indispensable supplier. Past and present tensions. The relationship has not always been simple. According to affirms The medium, in 2022, tar The Quest. Meta executives came to discuss legal actions, but finally decided not to do so. Goertek denies having sold its own VR glasses and ensures strictly complying all agreements with its partners. The future also passes through China. According to the medium, the new Hypernova glasses, which will incorporate for the first time A small screen In one of the lenses to show notifications and responses of the Meta’s assistant, they are also being manufactured by Gortek. Fuentes say they would have a price close to $ 800, and represent the next step in the goal strategy to integrate artificial intelligence into portable devices. The premise is similar to what Google showed in its event Google I/or with that concept of smart glasses that already We could try in advance. It seems that we will have to wait for the event ‘Connect’ of Meta that will be held in the next few hours to learn more information about it. And now what. The company assures Having a “robust and diversified supply chain” and that does not depend solely on a manufacturer, but the information indicates that Gortek has become practically indispensable. A good part of the technology that drive this kind of glasses depend on Chinese manufacturers, so if this type of products end up being a massive success, it will be interesting to see what the strategy of Chinese companies around this other key sector will be. In Xataka | The Meta Ray-Ban have turned anyone into spy for 329 euros. Barcelona’s detainee is only the first visible case

China has been hoarding copper for months. And the rest of the world are dedicating ourselves to look

by

After the Rare earthChina has made copper its new geopolitical weapon. It only produces 4% of world reserves, but already controls 49% of the world refining and is buying raw materials at an industrial scale. Why is it important. More than accumulating raw materials, China is building an intentional bottleneck in the most strategic metal supply chain of the 21st century. Copper is indispensable for AI data centers, electric cars, solar panels and electrical networks. Who controls your refining will control the technological transition worldwide. In figures. The numbers are overwhelming: This mathematics is only possible to buy into mass abroad: import minerals from Chile and Peru, and junk of the United States. Then he processes everything in its low -cost melters. The general panoramic. The Chinese strategy shows sophistication that goes far beyond commercial opportunism. He has created a refining infrastructure distributed throughout the country (Jiangxi, Anhui, Guangxi, Shandong, Jiangsu) that can process any type of copper mineral at prices that no competitor can match. USA is exporting concentrates and scrap metalbut it does not have that refining capacity. Instead, China imports them, processes and turns finished products. Between the lines. He Timing This accumulation is not accidental. It coincides with the escalation of commercial tensions with the United States and the strategic approach to Afghanistan, which has large copper deposits. For China, controlling copper refining is an insurance policy in the face of a possible naval block of its commercial routes with Chile, Peru and Australia. Afghanistan thus becomes its only safe terrestrial source of copper. Yes, but. This strategy has a hidden cost that is already being manifested. Chinese foundations operate with negative margins due to the scarcity of copper ore and excess refining capacity. Some have already closed or suspended operations. The Syomine company has paralyzed its Namibia plantGlencore closed its foundry of the Philippines. China is paying a high economic price to maintain its dominant position. At stake. The commercial war is spreading to copper. Mexico has imposed 50% tariffs on Chinese products After Trump’s pressures, and China has threatened with reprisals. Mexico contributes 5% of Chinese copper mineral imports. If China cuts these imports, Southern Copper and the entire Mexican sector will suffer. But China needs each ton of available mineral. The money trail. Investors They have put 2.3 billion dollars in copper funds this year45% more than in 2024. They recognize the obvious: there is scarcity and China controls the refining tap. Accumulating copper is also a financial commitment in a deficit market. China has played a master letter. He turned his lack of own deposits in industrial domain: controls the refining, the link that adds the most value. But it has an Achilles heel that is to depend on importing minerals from countries that can become enemies. It is the dilemma of power in a fractured world: you need those who can betray you. In Xataka | Baidu is no longer satisfied with being the Chinese Google. His new AI model also wants to turn it into China Openai Outstanding image | Joanna Kosinska

The improbable world capital of the VPN

by

In the offices of the Cyber ​​Citythe new Technological Campus of Vilna (Lithuania) that houses 3,000 employees, Vytaautas Kaziukonis (in the upper image) moves his hands while explaining something that seems to challenge all business logic. The Surfshark CEO, one of the most popular VPNs in the world, has just described how your company works completely independent of Nordvpn, although Both belong to the same group since 2022. “Everything is separated: servers, applications, code, infrastructure. It would be very easy to merge everything, but then we would kill creativity, we would kill the brand identity,” he says while on the glass wall behind him the stickers of Signal and Tor are seen in the developer’s laptops. Subtle signals of the company’s culture. The history of how Lithuania, a country of just 2.8 million inhabitants, became the world epicenter of digital privacy is as unlikely as the business strategy that Nord Security has chosen: to keep alive and compete with each other to the two greatest brands of VPN of the planet. From vile with privacy “When you are a small country, you can’t do business just for the local market. It is too small, so you automatically think about the world,” explains Kaziukonis during our conversation at the Surfshark offices. This forcedly global mentality is just a piece of the Lithuanian puzzle. Vytaautas kaziukonis, CEO of surfshark. Image: Xataka. The transformation began when foreign companies established technological centers after the independence of 1990. International banks needed developers and created demand, universities responded with specialized programs. But when Lithuania became “too expensive” for some, the talent remained. “Those young people learned how to do international marketing, how to develop global products. Some left those companies and created their own startups,” the CEO continues. The result: four technological unicorns in a country with the population of Galicia or the province of Valencia (The most famous is Vinted). To internationalize the comparison, Austria, “an old and rich country in the heart of Europe” with triple population, He recently got his first unicorn (Bitpanda), says Kaziukonis with a smile that suggests national pride content. The fusion that was not fusion On February 2, 2022, the world of cybersecurity witnessed something unpublished. Nord Security, owner of Nordvpn, announced Fusion with Surfshark To create a giant valued at 1.6 billion dollars (which would duplicate to 3,000 million just a year later). But here comes the turn: They didn’t touch anything. “People assume that when there is a fusion, everything integrates. We did exactly the opposite,” explains Marijus Briedis, Cto de Nord Security, in a talk in their facilities. Surfshark offices are in a different building on the same campus. The equipment is not mixed. Infrastructure remains separate. Even security audits are made separately. “We could save short -term money by merging everything,” admits Donatas Budvytis, surfshark cto. “But We would kill innovation. We have people here who have been working in Surfshark for eight years. For them, Surfshark is part of their identity. If we simply crush everything … “. Image: Xataka. Nord Security headquarters entrance. Image: Xataka. The strategy reminds how the Volkswagen Group has kept Volkswagen, Seat and Skoda with separate identities even though they share platforms, engines and even factories. Nord Security maintains the same level of separation. Both proposals reduce the monthly price by more than 50% if one or two years are paid. There you can see well how both brands aggressively encourage long -term commitments. The real business is not to be cheap, but in seem cheap while you ensure early payments of years. “We never try to position Surfshark as the cheap option,” Kaziukonis replies when I mention the price difference. “Our goal was always to be an affordable solution for as many people as possible.” The invisible technological career In the laboratories of both companies, internal competition produces constant innovations: Surfshark developed Nexusa network that connects all its servers in a global mesh, allowing functions such as Dynamic IP Automatic every 5-10 minutes. Nordvpn responded with Nordlynxits implementation of the Wireguard protocol that promises to be “hundreds of mb/s faster.” “If you look at the independent audits, sometimes the performance is better in one and times in the other,” says Dominikas Virbickas, Nordvpn engineer. “That shows that they are really different infrastructure.” Paranoia for privacy permeates everything. Both companies have traveled to Solo-RAM servers, where all the information is deleted with each restart. The policies of No-Logs They are audited annually by Deloitte. “In 2024, we received a judicial data application,” reveals a Nordvpn transparency report. “We couldn’t provide anything because we had nothing”. Beyond the VPN tunnel Nord Security’s real bet goes beyond VPN. During the presentations, it is clear that the vocation of the company is to build a complete digital security ecosystem. NordPass For passwords, NordLocker For encrypted storage, but also more ambitious products. THREAT PROTECTION PRO It is your response to malwarecapable of blocking threats at the URL level, not just domain. “Traditional antivirus come from the world of files. We come from the world of connections,” explains Rokas Slavinskas while presenting NordStellara tool that monitors the Dark Web in search of business data leaks. But perhaps the most unique movement is that of Incognia service that automatically contacts more than 400 Brokers of data to request the elimination of personal information. “Last year we completed 90 million elimination applications,” says Sarunas Sereika. “This year we point to 300 million.” And then it is Sailyyour entrance to the market esim For travelers. It is the only brand in the group that does not carry “Nord” in the name. In fact it has its own visual identity. “We launched four months earlier than planned, with the supplier contract signed three weeks before and confirmed data plans three days before launch,” Briedis confesses. “Now is our fastest growing startup.” The true Moat Lithuanian During lunch at a traditional Lithuanian restaurant, the inevitable question arises: can this model of independent brands last? The VPN industry is … Read more

The most expensive sushi in the world that costs the same as the trip to Japan

by

Japanese cuisine is one of the most extended in recent years thanks to a delicious ambassador: sushi. With Ramen’s permissionthe these rolling of seasoned rice accompanied with the most varied fish, meats or vegetables, has led to Japanese gastronomy to all corners of the planet. From fast food chains with home cast to the most exclusive restaurants. However, to eat the most expensive sushi in the world you will have to go to the Sushi Kirimon restaurant, in Osaka, and pay 17,500 yen (which are about 101 euros) for each piece of its Omakasewhich in Japanese cuisine represents the best culinary experience of each restaurant. A delicious bite … to your wallet The Guinness record Confirm that sushi kirimon holds the title to the most expensive sushi in the worldwith its individual Kiwami OMAKASE menu, composed of 20 unique and exclusive pieces that cost the a whopping of 350,000 yen, equivalent to about 2,025 euros according to the current contribution. Each piece in this menu has been elaborated following traditional techniques and with selected ingredients from both Japan and the rest of the world. Sushi Kirimon’s proposal is mainly based on fine cutting nigiri, Sashimi and two perfectly rolled maki, all presented with detailed gold details as a sample of opulence and sophistication. According to details the restaurantthis dish is designed as “tribute to Washoku“, the Japanese traditional cuisinefusing crafts and innovation to create an experience within the reach of very few pockets. The menu includes Matsutake mushrooms from China, black truffles brought from Italy and whale meat from the North Atlantic. All ingredients are prepared through traditional methods that reflect the Respect for gastronomy Japanese more ancestral. In the elaboration, the restaurant is committed to the “fusion of ancestral techniques and a contemporary presentation”, presenting delicate pieces decorated with 24 carat gold sheets, as well as Japanese rice of the highest quality and vinegar with aging of up to 12 years. This mixture of premium ingredients and classic procedures manages to further raise the exclusivity (and price) of the proposal. The legacy of Japanese haute cuisine and a record Before Sushi Kirimon achieved the Guinness record with his Kiwami Omakase, the most expensive sushi title was Filipino chef property Angelito Araneta Jr., who presented pieces wrapped in gold of 24 carats decorated with diamonds and pearls, reaching prices of up to 1,664 euros per complete ration. The most luxurious sushi competition has pushed chefs to explore unique products such as Norwegian wild salmon, French Foie and Palawan pearls as a complement to dress their rice preparations. The global recognition received by Sushi Kirimon and his Kiwami Omakase marks a milestone in the world of haute cuisine, establishing a new standard for excellence in Japanese gastronomy. He Menu is expensivebut at least you don’t have to fish your own dinner As you should do in other Osaka restaurants. In Xataka | The most expensive restaurant in the world is in Ibiza, dinner costs a salary and shares table with 12 people Image | Unspash (Mahmoud Fawzy)

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.