David Hockney has unveiled his latest Christmas-themed artwork to bring “joy and hope” to people in London. The Bigger Christmas Trees artwork at Battersea Power Station depicts two large green and purple striped Christmas trees, each with a gold star at the top. The artwork is being displayed on the landmark’s two chimneys, which measure 100 metres (328 feet) and overlook the River Thames. “Battersea Power Station is such a beautiful building, I wanted to decorate it in a way that I hoped would bring joy and hope to Londoners,” said Hockney, 86. The artist, who is known for using a range of mediums including apps on iPhones, used an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil to create the design. Hockney has used Apple products in his artwork for more than 15 years including the first iPhone model in 2007. Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing Greg Joswiak described Hockney’s artwork as a “gift” for London. He said: “David is one of the world’s most important and influential artists, and we couldn’t be more excited to see his latest creation lighting up Battersea Power Station. “It is a privilege for us that he chooses iPad for his work, and to create this beautiful Christmas gift for the people of London.” Hockney’s other work using an iPad includes a stained glass window and a piece to highlight the natural world, which he created during the Covid-19 pandemic. In November, he unveiled his David Hockney: Drawing from Life exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, in London, which showcases a portrait of singer Harry Styles. Styles is depicted wearing an orange and red cardigan with a pearl necklace and blue jeans in one of 30 displays at the gallery. The Bigger Christmas Trees artwork will be displayed in a 10-minute animation on two of Battersea Power Station’s towers from 5pm to 10pm every evening until Christmas Day. Read More Apple names its App Store apps of the year £16bn Adobe takeover could harm competition in digital design market – watchdog Young people the biggest users of generative AI, Ofcom study shows Software firm Cloudsmith announces £8.8m investment UK and South Korea issue warning over North Korea-linked cyber attacks Data protection watchdog warns websites over cookie consent alerts

A landmark discovery on an ancient branch of the River Nile may have solved the mystery of how the pyramids in Egypt were built centuries ago. The now dried-out waterway, which once ran through Giza might have been used to transport the materials that were used to construct the pyramids. The proximity to the waterway might also suggest why there is such a cluster of pyramids in that particular area of Cairo, as the large amount of water would have been able to support the various building blocks needed for the colossal structures. The discovery was made by Dr Eman Ghoneim who used radar satellite data from space to study the Nile Valley which showed an "invisible world of information beneath the surface." Ghoneim presented her research to the 13th Congress of Egyptologists earlier this year. Speaking to IFLScience Ghoneim said: "The length probably was really, really long, but also the width of this branch in some areas was huge. We're talking about half a kilometer or more in terms of width, which is something that is equivalent to today's Nile course width. So it wasn't a small branch. It was a major branch.” The defunct waterway has been dubbed the Ahramat Branch and ran from Giza to Faiyum and amazingly passed through 38 different pyramid sites. However, without confirmation of whether the river was active during the Old and Middle Kingdoms, around 4,700 years ago, cannot fully determine if water was used to help build the pyramids. One indication that it could have been used is that according to Ghoneim these pyramids were "located exactly at the bank of the branch that we found" which could mean that they were "valley temples" which acted like ancient ports. The research might not just unlock the secrets of the pyramids but it could also uncover parts of ancient Egypt that have long been lost as towns disappeared when the Nile naturally migrated. Ghoneim added: "As branches disappeared, Ancient Egyptian cities and towns also silted up and disappeared, and we have no clue actually where to find them." Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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A solar storm predicted to hit Earth on Friday (December 1) may cause internet blackouts, according to forecasters. Radio and GPS could also be affected due to the solar storm, also known as a coronal mass ejection (CME), which is caused by interference with Earth’s magnetic field. "A Direct Hit! The impressive #solarstorm launched in the Earth-strike zone has been modeledmodelled by NASA," space weather physicist Dr Skov posted on Twitter/X. "The storm is predicted to hit Earth by midday December 1. Along with two earlier storms already en route means we have a 1,2,3-punch. If the magnetic field is oriented correctly, expect #aurora to reach deep into mid-latitudes." She added: "Amateur #radio & #GPS reception issues are likely, especially on Earth's nightside. G3+ conditions are possible with this storm series." A solar storm can have substantial effects on the Earth, taking place when the sun emits powerful bursts of energy which come from solar flares and CME that contain charged plasma. During which, a stream of an electromagnetic field is directed towards Earth and this causes the aurora borealis. Three solar storms were predicted to advance towards Earth – and some may merge, resulting in increased disruptions to Earth’s magnetic field, according to The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). “Along with two earlier storms already en route [this] means we have a 1,2,3-punch,” Dr Skov said. Consequently, she added there are “excellent chances” of strong G3-level magnetic storms and auroras on Earth. The way the strength of a solar storm is measured is with the letter G and then a number system from 1-5 (1 being the weakest, to 5 being the strongest). So a G3 level storm means radio, internet and GPS could be affected due to the strength of these events. Solar storms are also known to cause electrical grids and knock out satellites, depending on their strength. Meanwhile, experts have warned the solar storm thought to occur today may impact communication systems in high latitudes. “With 3 CMEs already inbound, the addition of a 4th, full halo CME has prompted SWPC forecasters to upgrade the G2 Watch on 01 Dec to a G3 Watch. This faster-moving halo CME is progged to merge with 2 of the 3 upstream CMEs, all arriving at Earth on 01 Dec,” the NOAA said. “G3 (strong) conditions are now likely on 01 Dec,” it added. How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Apple has issued an urgent update for most of its devices. Users of iPhones, Macs and iPads have been urged to install the new update – or to risk their devices being attacked by hackers. The update patches an security bug that could let cyber attackers break into Apple devices through their web browser. Exploiting it would allow for “arbitrary code execution”, the technical term for when attackers have full access to run any code they like on a device. The new updates are numbered iOS and iPadOS 17.1.2, and MacOS 14.1.2. There is also an update for the Safari browser that fixes the issue. All of Apple’s platforms that allow for web browsing appear to have been affected by the issue. As such, devices such as the Apple TV and Watch do not have the emergency update. Apple said that it was “aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited” with devices running early versions of iOS. It usually gives little detail about security issues to ensure they cannot be used by other hackers. The company does not “disclose, discuss, or confirm” issues at all until they are fixed. The latest problem was found by Clément Lecigne, from Google’s Threat Analysis Group, or TAG. TAG works to identify threats against Google and its users, and has in the past identified security issues that have been exploited by government hacking groups and other large-scale cyber attackers. Apple has been forced to push out a significant number of security updates this year. The two new bugs are the 19th and 20th such issues to be found this year, according to security website Bleeping Computer. Many of those issues fixed small security bugs that could nonetheless be exploited by spyware such as Pegasus and Predator, which have been known to be used by governments against journalists and activists. The company recently revealed some of the security work that goes into securing its devices against such hackers, and warned that the danger was becoming ever more present. Apple has also introduced new tools, such as “Lockdown Mode”, aimed specifically at users who are most at risk from such attacks. Read More Apple names its App Store apps of the year Police spread panic with warning over new iPhone feature Why Apple is working hard to break into its own iPhones

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