Year

On this island in Japan there is a traffic light that only turns green once a year, and not precisely to control traffic

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On the small Japanese island of Himakajima there is a traffic light which remains flashing amber or red all year round. Only during one day in May does it change its usual behavior and activate its green light (or blue, as they insist in Japan). This is not a fault. It was designed this way for a reason that goes beyond traffic control. An educational traffic light. The traffic light was installed in 1994 at the Himakajima East Port intersection, but not to regulate traffic. The island barely has 2,000 inhabitants and few vehicles circulate on its roads. The traffic light exists solely to teach children of the place how the urban signals work before they leave the island for larger cities. One less problem. According to explains the Himaka Road Safety Association, which promoted its installation, minors grew up without real experience with traffic lights. Before, they used small models in traffic safety classes, but the children themselves asked “what does a real traffic light look like?” account Kazuo Sugiura, former president of the association, to the local media Asahi. One day a year to learn. Every May, the traffic light is activated for a full day. Third and fifth grade students from the local school go to the crossing accompanied by teachers, parents and authorities. There they practice how to cross correctly: they wait for the color to change, look both ways and cross the zebra crossing with their arm raised, just as they would in any city in Japan. More difficult than expected. The children also discover that calculating the time they have to cross the pass is not as simple as it seems. “It was complicated because it turned red when I was trying to cross,” explained a third-grade student after practicing with her bicycle. The exercise helps them understand the real times of light change and develop security reflexes that they cannot acquire in their daily life on the island. An unexpected tourist curiosity. This little anecdote has gained notoriety beyond Japan. Every year videos and photos circulate on social networks showing the peculiar educational ritual. Some users even consult the local government website to find out the exact date of “green day” and witness the event, although it varies slightly each season. It is already part of the island’s identity. Once the annual training is completed, the traffic light returns to its flashing lights routine. It does not serve any practical function in traffic control, but it has ended up becoming a small symbol of how the community of this island prepares its children for the urban world. The rest of the year, Himakajima remains a quiet place known for its beaches and octopus dishes, with a traffic light that counts down the days until it can turn green again. Cover image | Google Maps In Xataka | Convenience stores were an emblem of Japan. Until the demographic crisis has revealed the dark side of opening 24 hours

Yes, next year I am going to carry the V-16 beacon because they force me to. It doesn’t even occur to me to throw away the triangles

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January 1, 2026 we will say goodbye to the triangles. Or maybe I would have to say that “we should say goodbye to triangles.” Because that is what the DGT wants. Traffic has decided that in just over two months, the V-16 beacon will be the one that signals breakdowns or accidents that occur on the road. And by the way, it prohibits the use of triangles. And I will say that, when I need them, I will continue using them. It’s not a tantrum. It is not a question of simple rebellion because I have to spend 30, 40 or 50 euros on a new accessory for my car. It is as simple a question as deciding what is best for my safety, that of my passengers and that of my car. A good (but improvable) idea I am not one of those who rant about the V-16 light for the simple fact that the DGT forces us to spend money on a new accessory for our car. I think it has its good parts but I also think it has some things that could be very improved. And, above all, I don’t understand why both devices cannot be combined. According to the DGT, we are experiencing a kind of epidemic of abuses when it comes to put emergency triangles in our country. Well, there are reasons to be skeptical. Between the years 2018 and 2022 (that is, a period that includes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic), an annual average of between 18 and 26 people died in accidents “after getting off the vehicle” on high-capacity roads, as reflected in the document itself which explains why the regulations and technical requirements of this connected V-16 beacon are changed. The DGT highlights the year 2019, the year in which 58 pedestrians lost their lives on high-capacity roads, of which 18 people were run over “after getting off the vehicle” by a particular group. In those five years, there were 108 pedestrian deaths on our roads that can be classified in that particular group. According to data collected by Statista8,615 people died on our roads between 2018 and 2022. That is, 1.25% of those killed on Spanish roads died from a collision under these circumstances. But the most problematic thing about the matter is that these very particular circumstances do not reflect the abuses that occurred while a person placed a triangle. Are you looking for that number? The DGT does not offer it. It talks about accidents on high-capacity roads but does not pay attention to the number of accidents when putting the triangles. That is, the organization is putting a patch on a problem for which we do not have clear or verifiable data. Yet, I break a spear for of the connected V-16 beacon. It seems like a good idea to have a system in the car that warns of an obstacle on the road and that can be installed on the roof of our car without having to get out of the vehicle. And all this despite the fact that it is already mandatory to start the car flashing. It also doesn’t seem like a bad idea to me that the beacon connects with the DGT in its platform 3.0 and so from Traffic they can give notice through the road panels that there is an obstacle on the road. Of course, notifying the emergency services is the responsibility of the driver and passengers. It would be appreciated if, since there is connectivity with DGT 3.0, Traffic would study fluid communication with these emergency services. Not to mention that in all new cars sold there is already the function eCall to sound the first alarm. I will continue wearing the triangles That said, I will continue to carry emergency triangles in my car. And I threaten to use them! (Insert image of Abraham Simpson yelling at the clouds here) No jokes. I have already seen the V-16 beacon in operation connected to the DGT in operation and I am sorry to say that its visibility level during the day and in good light tends to zero. I fully agree with what A few days ago José Lagunar expressedroad safety expert Auto FMin the article in which we asked three voices to give us their opinion. In broad daylight, the differences between setting the DGT V-16 beacon and activating the car’s flashing are: none. In fact, it should give us a clue about this that Netun Solutions, the creators of the invention and the first beacon approved by the DGT, are already selling us “more powerful” lights than the minimum required by Traffic. Will I put the beacon on the roof of my car? Well yes, because it is of no use to me to buy it and carry it in the glove compartment. Furthermore, the connection with DGT 3.0 to alert by the lights is welcome. But I will also put the triangles. With great care and with all the caution in the world but I consider that it improves visibility in case of breakdown. And we’re talking about a highway in broad daylight. But, What happens on a secondary road with a sharp curve? And with a pronounced change in gradient? Not putting emergency triangles in those situations, especially during the day where the light beam from the V-16 beacon is diluted, seems at least dangerous to me. In those cases, it is essential for me to place the emergency triangles. I am firmly in favor of the fact that both systems can coexist. The connected V-16 light doesn’t seem like a bad invention to me. At night, for example, the visibility of the triangles improves and even in a secondary vehicle in the above conditions it is likely to alert the rest of the vehicles sooner than the triangles. But if you use a battery, you are only forced to run it for 30 minutes. What happens if I am left stranded with … Read more

If you spend more than 25,000 euros a year with your card, the PIN will not be the only information they ask for

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He cash is increasingly anecdotal for consumers, not only because of the lack of concern that comes with not having to be looking for a cashier to withdraw cash from time to time, but for the convenience that the mobile payments. However, from January 1, 2026, the Treasury will have stricter control over payments made with bank cards. If a card accumulates more than 25,000 euros in annual expenses, financial institutions will be obliged to “submit an annual informative return” on these movements to the Treasury. Payments of more than 25,000 euros must be declared. The new measure is included in the regulatory modification introduced by the Royal Decree 253/2025allowing the State to detect possible fraud and ensure that capital movements of a certain size are transparent and justified. This control comes at a time when most payments are made digitally and cash is increasingly used less. Therefore, the regulations that already required financial institutions to notify cash movements have been reinforced. The scope is expanded. Until now, the regulations required notification of payments with cards and Bizum of more than 3,000 euros per year to companies and professionals. However, the scope of the measure is now extended to all charges made by card in any payment method, both in physical establishments and online, as well as through platforms linked to telephone numbers. That is, it not only affects credit or debit card payments, but also extends the measure to Bizum or other mobile payment systems. “Banking or credit entities and other entities that, in accordance with current regulations, provide the collection management service through cards, with physical or virtual support, that offer cash, debit, deferred debit, credit and electronic money functions, in any currency, as well as through payments associated with a mobile phone number, to businessmen and professionals established in Spain,” the regulations specify. Differentiation between companies and individuals. The new regulations establish differences between business and private use, but in both cases entities must notify movements of more than 25,000 euros annually. For self-employed workers and companies, the new regulations eliminate the minimum limits to communicate card operationswhich implies that any payment, regardless of its amount, must be reported to the Tax Agency. This significantly increases the monitoring and traceability of all commercial operations carried out with card or mobile payment. On the other hand, for individual consumers, only those who have a high annual spending with cards will be subject to this more exhaustive tax control. What information is reported? In accordance with the provisions of article 38ter that modifies the new Royal Decree, financial entities must notify the Treasury of the following data about the holders and linked payment products of those who spend more than 25,000 euros per year in card spending: Contract number formalized by the entity for the issuance of cards. Identification data of the contract holders (or their authorized persons or beneficiaries), which will include name and surname or company name, tax identification number, country of residence, and date of birth for natural persons. In the absence of a tax identification number, the passport number or identity number valid in your country of origin and the country issuing the identification documentation will be provided. Card number (PAN) associated with the contract and type of card. Number of subscriptions and their total amount, registered on the card in the year, with indication of the number of cash recharges and their total amount, made on the card in the year (movements and total amount of the expense) Number of charges and their total amount, recorded on the card in the year, with an indication of the number of spending operations carried out with the card and their total amount, derived from payments made in establishments in the year and the number of cash withdrawals and their total amount, made with the card in the year. Identification of the account, if applicable, to which the card operation is linked, through its International Bank Account Code (IBAN) or, failing that, through the corresponding customer account code. In Xataka | In 2030 we will no longer have to enter card numbers in purchases. Mastercard already has a substitute Image | Unsplash (Nathana Rebouças)

AI has been great for Satya Nadella. His salary this year exceeds 96.5 million dollars

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Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella’s salary has reached a new record in 2025: $96.5 million. According to collected Bloombergthe Microsoft executive received a 22% salary increase compared to 2024 that reflects the skyrocketing stocks from the $4 trillion tech giant. Underlying this salary increase lies a debate that has been on the table for some time: the accelerated increase in the wage gap among senior managers of a company and its employees. Work well done pays off. The last fiscal year has been historic for Microsoft and its CEO, Satya Nadella, who will receive the largest salary package since he took office in 2014. According to what Microsoft made public in a document filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the total compensation awarded to Nadella amounts to $96.5 million. This remuneration represents an increase of 22% compared to the previous year, in which a salary of $79.1 million for the CEO. If Microsoft does well, so does its CEO. As stood out Fortunethis salary increase goes hand in hand with the good stock market performance that Microsoft has had in recent months, and the prominence of artificial intelligence in its products and services The company’s board of directors indicates that more than 95% of Nadella’s compensation is linked to the performance of his shares, highlighting financial results, the creation of value for shareholders and leadership in AI as key elements to grant that salary increase to the executive. It’s salary, but not everything is cash. The majority of the compensation Nadella will receive comes from stock awards worth more than $84 million. The bonus that the CEO will receive in cash for different incentives will amount to 9.5 million dollars. For his part, the manager’s base salary It remains at 2.5 million and will obtain $196,000 in other benefits, such as per diems or private jet services. This implies that about 90% of their remuneration is variable and dependent on stock market performance, which means that it is only a valuation that is made at the time it is assigned, but it is an asset that can increase or lose part of its value. depending on your management. This remuneration strategy linked to shares represents an important incentive for the CEO to continue meeting objectives. Salary escalation. Since Satya Nadella took over as CEO of Microsoft in 2014, his salary has continued to increase at the same rate as the company’s stock price. According to the published data by Business Insiderin 2015 Nadella’s total salary was $18 million. By 2022, his compensation had multiplied to $55 million, and increased by 63% in 2024 to $79.1 million. With the 96.5 million, the Steve Ballmer’s successor At the head of Microsoft he has broken his own record. Salary gap and layoffs. This year of prosperity for the CEO of Microsoft occurs in a context of complex internal adjustments in the company he leads, which has announced layoffs that will affect up to 15,000 employees. The difference between Nadella’s salary and that of an average Microsoft employee is significant: the CEO earns 480 times more than the average annual salary of his employees, which is around $200,972. This gap between managers and employees does not only occur at Microsoft, but is another example of an upward trend in large technology companies. According to a study that has analyzed the main companies of the S&P 500, in the last five years the salary of managers has been increased by 35%. A much higher percentage than the salary of its employees has increased. In Xataka | The highest paid Spanish manager in the world does not work in a large technology company: he sells “sugar water” Image | Microsoft

A hero without a cape recorded the same shot for a year. Along the way he left the flat earthers without arguments

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Intrigued by the phenomenon, Eratosthenes decided make an observation in Alexandria, located about 800 kilometers north of Siena. There, on the same day and at the same time, he noticed that a vertical stick did cast a definite shadow. The discrepancy led him to a fundamental question: how was it possible that in one place there was no shadow and in another there was, at the same time? Eratosthenes deduced that the only explanation was that the earth’s surface was curved. A lot of time has passed since then, but the flat earthers are still among us. The home experiment. For centuries, the idea of ​​a flat Earth has outlived telescopes, satellites and lunar missions. Despite the overwhelming evidence, from the images taken from space and the established physical principles from Aristotleflat earthers have continued searching for the edge of the planet, organizing expeditions to Antarctica or navigations to the supposed “end of the world” that invariably end with the same discovery: that the edge does not exist. Be that as it may, an anonymous Reddit user has dismantled once again his entire creed without leaving home. Armed only with a security camera, the shadow of his garage and the patience of an entire year, he managed to record a test as simple as it was incontestable: the movement of the Sun drawing a figure of eight perfect on the ground. The footprint of the Sun. Between March 2024 and March 2025, this user (under the alias RedditorofReddit07) marked daily, at the same time, the position of the end of a shadow cast by a corner of his garage. After twelve months, the yellow dots traced on the cement an asymmetric curve in the form of infinity: an analemma. This phenomenon, documented by astronomers for centuriesis the direct result of the 23.5 degree tilt of the Earth’s axis and the planet’s elliptical orbit around the sun. In the summer months, the star reaches the highest point of the analemma; in winter, the lowest; and during the intermediate seasons the rest of the figure is drawn. Each latitude generates a slightly different shape, but they all share the same essence: an Earth that moves, rotates and tilts, not a motionless disk under a celestial lantern. The physics of time. The analemma not only reveals the movement of the planet, but also the difference between solar time and time measured by clocks. In theory, noon always occurs at 12 o’clock, but the Sun does not reach its highest point at exactly the same time every day. This variation, a consequence of the inclined axis and the unequal speed with which the Earth travels its orbit, is the reason why the analemma adopts a figure-eight shape. Science sums it up in a formula called the “Equation of Time,” an adjustment that explains why solar days vary in length and why the apparent position of the Sun advances or lags throughout the year. This mismatch is as predictable as it is beautiful, and can only be explained by a spherical planet that orbit a starnot by a flat disk with a wandering Sun that rises and falls without altering its size. The impossible refutation. In the flat earth modelsthe Sun moves on a plane, like a lamp on a table, projecting its light in circles on the surface. If that were true, the end of a shadow always observed at the same time should remain fixed throughout the year. However, the garage experiment shows exactly the opposite: a harmonic displacement that only fits the heliocentric model. Reproducing this effect in a flat world would require, in addition to an act of faith without a network, that the Sun change its trajectory, height and speed in an absurd way, violating the very laws of optics and gravity that its alternative model allows. The flat earthers themselves, faced with such evidence, barely manage to develop new explanations that are more imaginative than scientific. The method. He merit of the experiment It lies not in its complexity, but rather in its humility. Without telescopes or laboratories, a simple fixed camera and a daily routine were enough to record the annual dance of the Earth in front of the Sun. Each shadow point marked on the cement is a slap to the conspiratorial noise that floods the internet. In times when science is forced to defend the obvious, an ordinary garage has become an observatory and an anonymous user a popularizer. He already said it Carl Sagan himselfalthough he only needed a stick to dismantle conspiracies. Image | reddit, jailbird In Xataka | 48 people went to Antarctica to prove that the Earth is flat. They confirmed what can be done with a simple stick In Xataka | Astronomers cannot define this object. They only know that it is heading at two million km/h to the center of the Milky Way

On the outskirts of Madrid there is a luxury shopping paradise for tourists. And 2025 is going to be its best year

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Las Rozas Village, the luxury sales center located on the outskirts of Madrid, is preparing to close its best year in its 25-year history. In an interview For the CincoDías media, Esteban Liang, business director of the sales center, stated that they will exceed five million customers and will achieve “single-digit sales growth”, a modest figure in appearance but that they consider exceptional compared to a textile sector that stagnated in 2024 and has fallen 1.8% until September. The secret: the international tourismespecially Latin American and American, which already represents 30% of its turnover. New clientele. In just six years, the profile of the buyer in Las Rozas Village has changed radically. China, which in 2019 was the center’s most important source market, has fallen to third place. According to Liang, Mexico and the Middle East have become the new protagonists. Mexican customers lead both in volume and spending, with an average ticket of 690 euros per traveler, the highest of all markets. As Liang tells the outlet, between 2022 and 2024, tax-free sales to customers outside the euro zone doubled, with Mexicans in the lead. Why did the map change?. The manager explains that “there has been an exponential growth of the middle class in China, whose expectations have been frustrated by the economic crisis.” This has caused Chinese consumers to travel within their country or to nearby markets such as Japan, in addition to increasing their preference for local brands. Meanwhile, the massive arrival of luxury hotels from American chains to Madrid has boosted the flow of American travelers, according to Liang. The director remembers that before there were only three large luxury hotels in Madrid and now there are 35, with another ten under construction. The balance that sustains the business. Despite the good moment in tourism, for Liang, the national market continues to be essential and represents 70% of clients. “They are no longer only from Madrid. They also come from Valencia, Valladolid or Málaga thanks to the improvement in railway connections,” says the manager. The diversification strategy has allowed the outlet to maintain growth even in a context of economic cooling in Europe, America and the Middle East, according to the medium counts. The last quarter of the year concentrates up to 35% of annual turnover thanks to key dates such as Halloween, Black Friday and Christmas, where the Spanish consumer takes on special relevance. Renew to continue growing. As explains In the middle, Las Rozas Village has also discovered opportunities in the deseasonalization of Madrid tourism. “Before, in the summer, the capital emptied. For two or three years we have discovered an opportunity to continue growing,” says Liang. In addition, as the manager says, the center has incorporated new brands aimed at generation Z to expand its audience. The center has more than 100 open-air boutiques housing luxury brands. And its outlet has been attracting a whole mass of deep-pocketed tourists for 25 years, knowing how to attract the international public with good discounts. Cover image | L35 Architects In Xataka | More and more cities are stopping the creation of tourist apartments. Alicante has proposed to be its spearhead

Half a year after the blackout, Red Eléctrica still has problems stabilizing the voltage. And there is a geographical reason

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Just six months ago, Spain was left in the dark. The “electric zero” of April 28, 2025 was the most serious warning of a system that he believed himself invulnerable. Since then, Red Eléctrica (REE) operates in “reinforced mode”with dozens of gas plants turned on every day to prevent tension from skyrocketing. But, half a year later, the problem is still there: the Spanish grid is faltering not because of a lack of energy, but because the gas is in the north and the sun is in the south. How are the measurements now? At the beginning of October, the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) approved, at the request of REE, an emergency resolution to introduce exceptional measures “in the event of sudden voltage variations” detected in the system. The document details changes to several operating procedures that affect the way the electrical grid is programmed and regulated. In practice, the rules of the game were tightened for everyone: from solar producers to gas plants. Among the most significant measures is the obligation for renewable plants to carry out their power transitions in a minimum of 15 minutes, when before they did so in two. The intention, have explained from REEis to avoid sudden changes that could destabilize the system and give the thermal power plants time to react. As explained in Cinco Díasthis instruction allows gas plants to “absorb” excess renewable energy without causing power surges. But for many expertsthe underlying diagnosis is different: the problem is not speed, but geography. Two electric Spains. The country is experiencing a geographic imbalance that we already saw it coming. On the one hand, the north and the Mediterranean coast concentrate the majority of thermal power plants and combined cycle plants – the only ones capable of providing the so-called “rotating mass”, that is, inertia and reactive power that stabilize the network. On the other hand, the south of the peninsula—Andalusia, Extremadura and Castilla-La Mancha—has been filled with solar plants and domestic self-consumption, technologies based on power electronics that do not generate natural inertia. “During peak radiation hours, the south produces more electricity than it consumes, the lines are discharged and the grid becomes extremely sensitive,” explains in his column Joaquín Coronado, president of Build to Zero. Under these conditions, starting a thermal power plant in Asturias to stabilize a voltage problem in Seville is as useless as trying to put out a fire in Andalusia with water pumped from Galicia. The tension starts from the local. The error of approach is in confusing frequency with tension. The electrical frequency is a global magnitude: it is the same throughout the synchronous network. But the voltage is a local variable, which depends on the reactive power flows in each area. Coronado sums it up clearly: reactive power “does not travel well.” On 400 kV lines, its radius of action is 30 to 80 km. In 220 kV networks, from 15 to 40 km. And at 132 kV or lower, just 5 to 20 km. This means that a turbine in the north cannot stabilize the voltage in the south, no matter how much power it has. The CNMC, in its resolutionrecognizes precisely that “rapid voltage variations” appear in periods of low demand and high solar production, aggravated by the growth of self-consumption that “reduces the observability of the system” and leaves the operator without control over thousands of small installations. In summary and how we have explained in Xataka: we have more sun than cables. This shows in the pocket. REE’s response has been to maintain lit every day between 20 and 30 combined cycles to ensure stability. This “reinforced operation” has cost more than 1 billion additional euros since April and could add 3 billion more with the new measures. Adjustment services – energy that is paid outside the daily market to keep the network stable – have gone from 240 million in 2019 to 4 billion in 2025, according to Cinco Días. The result is paradoxical: Spain has one of the lowest wholesale prices in Europe, but one of the highest electricity bills. Ember’s report explains why: the market price only covers half of the bill; The other half are fixed network costs, tolls, taxes and system stability, which do not go down even if energy is cheap. Slowing down is not stabilizing. The decisions adopted by REE and temporarily endorsed by the CNMC are “a defensive strategy” for Coronado. Furthermore, he points out that instead of providing the system with rapid response capacity, it is chosen to slow it down to give time to the thermals. The result is maintaining “a 21st century system operated with a 20th century mentality.” Slowing down the renewable ramps does not provide voltage control where it is needed, because the problem occurs in seconds and in specific places, not in the 15 minutes that these ramps last. The measures, therefore, gain time, but they do not gain effectiveness: they mitigate the frequency, not the tension. Is there any future perspective? The solution is to bring the control capacity closer to where the energy is produced. In fact, we have already discussed in Xataka some of those possible solutions that agree with what Joaquín Coronado says. Grid-forming inverters in solar and wind plants, able to behave as synchronous generators and stabilize the network in milliseconds. Batteries strategically distributed in the southern nodes, which provide instantaneous active and reactive power. Devices FACTS and synchronous compensators in critical substations (Guillena, Mérida, Puertollano…) to dampen local voltage changes. Flexible demand from large industries to modulate consumption in real time. And predictive algorithms based on artificial intelligence that anticipate local instabilities. Some of these solutions are already underway. Spain prepare the installation of eight synchronous compensators and 2,600 MW of batteries, with 340 MW already approved. These devices could save 200 million euros annually by reducing the use of gas for network services. A model that is exhausted. Beyond the technique, there is a structural dilemma: how … Read more

We face the two ultra-thin mobile phones of the moment in one of the duels of the year

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There were those who, with the Galaxy S25 Edge in the window, decided to wait in case Apple was betting on an ultra-thin iPhone. That bet is already here with the iPhone Airand the duel that many had in mind has become inevitable. We talk about two paths to the same thingthinness, designed for users who value form as much as experience. The question is raised from the first minute: which proposal best suits you if what you prioritize is a very thin mobile phone? We return to the format 24/7the Xataka space in which each round counts and only one can take the final score. On this occasion, it is Samuel Oliver who pone face to face on video the two ultra-thin proposals of the moment, comparing screen, performance, cameras and battery. We have already experienced crashes here before like the iPhone 17, Garmin, Huawei and Amazfit watches or the duel between the AirPods Max and the Sony WH1000XM6. Today, the challenge enters a new terrain. Two motives, the same purpose: conquer the terrain of thinness The confrontation begins where everyone looks first: the design. Samuel Oliver makes it clear from the beginning: “The first thing that catches the eye is the design. And although, as always, it is a section that does not score, it is impossible not to mention the two authentic gems that both brands have made.” The video shows how Apple and Samsung interpret thinness from very different angles, and what sensations they transmit when holding them in your hand. The screens mark the first major technical clash of the versus. “The iPhone always tends towards more neutral and consistent colors, while Samsung has that visual punch from the factory, but which we can always configure to taste,” says Samuel Oliver while showing both panels side by side. Two philosophies that change the way we enjoy content. The power round is not decided by numbers, but by experience. “The best thing of all is that none of them get too hot when you give them stressful tasks“says our colleague after subjecting the two phones to a session of intense use. In the video he shows how they perform and to what extent they manage to keep the temperature under control. “Best of all, none of them get overheated when you give them stressful tasks.” The photographic section comes with a surprise. “One of the things that made me raise an eyebrow when I saw the presentation of the iPhone Air was its camera module with a single sensor in 2025. We are crazy, but it is the bet that Apple has decided to make and it doesn’t turn out completely wrong,” he comments. In the video he compares how each phone resolves scenes in good light and to what extent the contrast of its sensors makes a difference. If we focus on the round dedicated to autonomy we find that both have had to make sacrifices. “I’m surprised that an iPhone has greater fast charging than that of a Samsung,” admits Samuel before showing his evidence. The big question is which of the two terminals will have won the point. The price puts the last test on the table. Both phones cost around 1,200 euros, a high figure if the sacrifices in camera and autonomy are taken into account. In this part, Samuel lets experience speak: how each mobile phone feels on a day-to-day basis and to what extent they manage to convince when cost enters the equation. The duel between the iPhone Air and the Galaxy S25 Edge has left precise blows, risky decisions and more of a surprise. But the final verdict, as always, it’s in the video. There the nuances, the tests and the outcome of this ultra-thin combat are revealed. You can see it now on the Xataka YouTube channel. Images | Xataka In Xataka | Mobile phone manufacturers first stopped including the charger with every purchase. Your next threat is clear: the USB cable

If you are a student, you have Gemini Pro free for a year: this is how you can get it

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If you are a student, Google has just launched a promotion with which you can enjoy Google AI Pro for one year totally free. In addition to being able to use the model Gemini 2.5 Pro whenever you want, with the subscription you can enjoy 2 TB of storage. Its value without promotion is 21.99 euros per month, which is more than 260 euros per year. If you use Gemini in the free version, the model you can use is Gemini 2.5 Flash, faster but also more limited in terms of reasoning capacity. With Gemini 2.5 Pro You can take advantage of the Deep Research mode for more in-depth investigations or make audio summaries, as well as use the imaging with Nano Banana and create videos with I see 3. There’s more, the promotion also comes with 2 TB of storage and more credits to use experimental tools like Whisk and flow to generate images and videos. Requirements to obtain the offer In order to enjoy the Google Gemini promotion, you will have to meet several conditions that we detail below: You must be over 18 years old. Be a university student and your institution offers the Google AI Pro trial. Have a personal Google account. That your Google account has a valid payment method registered. Register before November 3, 2025. How to get the Gemini Pro offer for students If you meet all the requirements, you can register to enjoy the promotion. We tell you how to do it step by step. The first thing you should do is enter the following link https://gemini.google/es/students/ and click on the Get Offer button. If you are not logged in to your Google account, the next step will ask you to do so. Then you will have to fill out the form where you must enter the name of your educational center and your information (in the email do not use the address of your university, use the Google account on which you want to apply the offer). If everything is correct, you will proceed to verification using SheerID. Basically you will have to log in to your university’s platform with the email and username that you have configured on it. You may be asked for proof of registration. You will have to upload the document and click Send. Finally, select “Subscribe to Google AI Pro” and “Student Offer”. When you redeem the offer you will not be charged anything, but we have already seen that in order to subscribe you need to have a valid payment method. If you do not want the subscription to renew and be charged You have two options, wait until the date approaches and cancel it or do it now from this link https://play.google.com/store/account/subscriptions. If you choose the second, you can continue using it until the renewal date. In Xataka | Gemini Image Editor: 16 Ways and Tricks to Squeeze Nano-banana with Google’s AI

Microsoft believed that the purchase of Activision was a round business. A year later I lost 300 million for ‘Call of Duty’

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The clients of Game Pass They are still trying to recover from the impressive 50% rise of the Ultimate mode rate in the service. A spectacular climb that moves Microsoft’s proposal away from that buffet Economic games of all kinds That once it was, and that he has his clients since then circling a single question: why? And although Microsoft has not yet made anything clear, there are some issues that already have an answer. 300 million. Game Pass had rare He arrived at the service on day onesomething only possible thanks to the purchase of activation by Microsoft. However, it was still extraordinary: ‘Call of Duty’ was, thanks to that acquisition, The most valuable property that Xbox had in its portfolio. And now it was available for all Game Pass users without additional cost. According to Bloombergthe experiment cost Microsoft 300 million dollars. Internal affairs. This movement is the last and most striking of this type that Xbox has given, determined to drown its rivals with strategies that meant a high cost in sales. Bloomberg states That, as seven anonymous informants have told the environment, getting as powerful as powerful as’Forza Horizon 5‘ either ‘Halo infinite‘Internal fractures already supposed due to the important sales that were lost by placing these games available to all Game Pass subscribers. According to The Vergethe discussion about ‘Black Ops 6’ was even greater, and it was not for less. In An interview with Windows CentralBobby Kotick, an Activision Ex-Cecement, already claimed that due to having spent his career in Los Angeles, he had seen with disgust how “large media companies had transferred their contents to these subscription streaming services, which had negatively affected business results.” The story was repeated. It was clear. Ign counted at the time That the movement triggered the subscriptions to Game Pass, as expected, and the ‘Cod’ itself went up: 23% more than the previous delivery, ‘Modern Warfare 3’. But there is an important nuance: 82% of those sales were in PlayStation, in opposition to Xbox and PC. Yes, subscriptions had risen, as expected, but not enough: just 16%. According to The calculations that Kotaku doesto compensate for the 300 million copies of the game that Activision (and therefore, Microsoft) did not sell, it would have needed an impossible: 15 million new monthly subscribers to Game Pass (or 1.25 per year). Drink for pain. Again, according to Kotaku calculations, the remarkable price increase in the Ultimate rate relieves these numbers for Microsoft: it would need 10 million new subscribers to compensate for those losses. Something that, without a doubt, is far from the possibilities of the service, but we get an idea of ​​to what extent the climb was an urgent need for Microsoft. Bloomberg states that Microsoft Amy Hood’s CFO has asked the division of games to find more ways to raise benefits, so new increases are not ruled out at all, inclusion of advertising or limitations in the characteristics of the Tiers cheaper to encourage subscribers to pass to Ultimate. A purchase at all. Everything summarizes well in the statements of the specialized analyst Joost Van Dreunen: “Game Pass has not provided the explosive growth that Microsoft anticipated in the post-Compra of Activision era, and they have realized that their structural costs do not align with their pricing model.” That is, Microsoft foresaw a notable impulse of subscriptions thanks to blows to the table such as the arrival of ‘Black Ops 6’, and it has not been so. Crisis policy is approaching in Microsoft (which, by the way, states that He does not leave his plans to continue in the hardware business) and, without a doubt, it will have an impact on our pocket. In Xataka | The portable Xbox is finally a reality. The only unimportant detail is that it is not exactly an xbox

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