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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By Harshita Mary Varghese and Joey Roulette (Reuters) -Amazon on Friday said it booked three Falcon 9 launches with Elon

ChatGPT maker OpenAI has delayed the launch of its custom GPT store until early 2024, Axios reported on

A federal judge in Montana has blocked a bid to ban TikToK in the state. The state-wide ban would have come into effect on 1 January 2024 and would have seen Montana become the first US state to ban TikTok, which is owned by the China-based tech giant ByteDance. Judge Donald Molloy said he blocked the ban because it “oversteps state power” and Montana failed to show how the original SB 419 bill would be “constitutionally permissible,” among other reasons, according to a legal filing released on Thursday. “Despite the State’s attempt to defend SB 419 as a consumer protection bill, the current record leaves little doubt that Montana’s legislature and Attorney General were more interested in targeting China’s ostensible role in TikTok than with protecting Montana consumers,” Judge Molloy wrote in the filing. Judge Molloy’s ruling was a preliminary injunction, so it is possible the ban can still be reinstated. The bill was signed into law by state governor Greg Gianforte in May with the aim of “protecting Montanans from Chinese Communist Party surveillance,” he claimed. Under the law, Montana’s 200,000 TikTok users did not face any repercussions for using the app, however TikTok and other companies faced a $10,000 daily fine for each time someone accessed the app or was “offered the ability” to download it. Opponents of the bill have argued that it violates users’ First Amendment rights. A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement the company is “pleased the judge rejected this unconstitutional law and hundreds of thousands of Montanans can continue to express themselves, earn a living, and find community on TikTok.” ByteDance sued Montana in May to “prevent the state of Montana from unlawfully banning TikTok,” the company said at the time, after state officials alleged the Chinese government “could access data about TikTok users, and that TikTok exposes minors to harmful online content.” TikTok has previously insisted that it does not share data with the Chinese government. Montana attorney general said in a statement that the judge’s decision is merely “a preliminary matter at this point,” adding that the state will continue to defend the ban. In January 2020, the United States Army and Navy banned TikTok on government devices after the Defense Department labeled it a security risk. US lawmakers have expressed concern over the ability of the Chinese Communist Party to access the data of US citizens using the app, and have considered implementing a nationwide ban on TikTok. Read More Apple users told to make urgent update to stay safe Three has gone down Advertisers ‘won’t take risk’ of returning to X after Musk’s expletive-filled rant Apple users told to make urgent update to stay safe Three has gone down Advertisers ‘won’t take risk’ of returning to X after Musk’s expletive-filled rant

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

A venture firm backed by Power Corp. of Canada closed a round for a new climate-technology fund, tapping

Three has gone down, leaving users with no service. Vast numbers of users reported issues with receiving messages and other problems. “We’re aware that a small number of customers may be experiencing issues with our network this morning,” the company wrote on Twitter. “Our engineers are working hard to fix this as soon as possible. We’re so sorry if you’ve been impacted by this.”

Advertisers are refusing to return to X – formerly Twitter – after the platform’s owner Elon Musk told them to “go f*** yourselves” if they try to pull their marketing from the microblogging site. After Mr Musk was accused of antisemitism last month, a number of the world’s biggest companies and X’s biggest advertisers, including Apple and IBM, pulled their marketing from the platform. While the Tesla chief initially said he was “sorry” and denied any suggestion he was antisemitic, he later added that advertisers who withdrew their marketing from X because of his tweet should “go f*** yourselves”. “If someone is going to try to blackmail me with advertising, blackmail me with money? Go f*** yourself. Go f*** yourself. Is that clear? I hope it is,” Mr Musk said at the New York Times’ Dealbook Summit. “The whole world will know that those advertisers killed the company and we’ll document it in great detail,” he added. Now, a number of marketing agencies say the brands they represent are firmly against returning to advertising on X. “Thank you Elon Musk, for making it very clear how seriously you take advertisers concerns... Advertisers, judge for yourselves if this is a man who you can do business with,” Lou Paskalis, the founder and chief of the marketing consultancy AJL Advisory, posted on X. “There is no advertising value that would offset the reputational risk of going back on the platform,” Mr Paskalis told NYT. Advertisers are unlikely to step in to support X, said Ruben Schreurs, the chief strategy officer at marketing firm Ebiquity. The row began last month after Mr Musk endorsed a post claiming that Jewish people “have been pushing the exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them” as the “actual truth”. In response, a number of top companies, including Apple, Disney and Coca Cola, have since removed paid ads from X – moves that could slash the company’s revenue by millions of dollars. Watchdog Media Matters also published a report alleging that ads on X were being placed next to posts supporing Nazism, in response to which the social media company filed a defamation claim against the group. Mr Musk’s rank at the Dealbook Summit came come on Wednesday. “I will certainly not pander,” the multibillionaire said. He even took a direct jab at Disney chief Bob Iger who had earlier explained why the entertainment company had pulled advertising from X. Just hours after Mr Musk’s expletive-laden comment on Wednesday, X chief Linda Yaccarino attempted to soften the damage, sharing the owner’s apology on the platform and appealing to advertisers to return. “Here’s my perspective when it comes to advertising: X is standing at a unique and amazing intersection of Free Speech and Main Street — and the X community is powerful and here to welcome you,” Ms Yaccarino said. “Businesses are simply full of people, and people like to be treated well, respected and dealt with with dignity,” Steve Boehler, founder of marketing management consultancy Mercer Island Group, told NYT. Read More Everything we know about Tesla’s Cybertruck after first cars are delivered Musk says antisemitic tweet was ‘foolish’ – but blames media for angry reaction Elon Musk believes OpenAI may have made ‘dangerous’ discovery OpenAI may have made a ‘dangerous’ artificial intelligence discovery, Elon Musk says Elon Musk publicly tells advertisers to ‘go f*** yourselves’ Elon Musk mocked for trying to resurrect QAnon Pizzagate conspiracy

Tesla has revealed the prices and features of different versions of its highly-anticipated Cybertruck at a delivery event in Austin where the company finally handed over to customers the first 13 electric pickup trucks. The deliveries to a select group of customers come six years after Tesla boss Elon Musk tweeted about building a truck, and 4 years after a version of the Cybertruck was unveiled for the first time in 2019. At the short livestream of Thursday’s delivery event, Tesla also redemonstrated the toughness of the Cybertruck after its 2019 demo awkwardly shattered the windows of the truck. The event started with the Tesla boss driving the truck on a stage in darkness and hopping out to talk about it. The electric pickup truck’s angular body is made of a stainless steel alloy developed by Tesla with Mr Musk calling it the “most unique thing on the road”. “Finally the future will look like the future,” he told the attendees, consisting of Tesla investors. The Cybertruck, dubbed “an armoured personal carrier from the future,” will eventually be available in three different configurations with the cheapest version starting at a $60,990 base price, Mr Musk said. He said the pickup truck can carry over a ton in its bed and tow over 5,000kg (11,000 pounds). However, this ”rear-wheel version” with a range of 250 miles and acceleration from zero to 60mph in about 7 seconds, would not be available until 2025, the company said. An all-wheel drive version of the Cybertruck, Tesla announced, would have an estimated 341-mile range, top speed of 112 mph, and a starting price of $79,990. The third version announced on Thursday is what’s called the “Cyberbeast” – slated to arrive in 2024 – with a range of 320 miles and 845 horsepower, travelling from 0 to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds at an estimated price of $99,990. All these models are much more expensive than the $39,900 starting price Tesla announced for the base version in 2019. Tesla also announced that it would offer a range extender to push the all-wheel drive Cybertruck to about 470 miles and the Cyberbeast to a range of over 440 miles. The range extender, Mr Musk explained later in a post on X, is an “optional pack” that fits in about a third of the truck’s bed. “Still room for plenty of of cargo. It’s meant for very long trips or towing heavy things up mountains,” he said. “Massive congrats to the incredible Tesla team, from design through to manufacturing, for making Cybertruck real! I love you,” the multibillionaire said. At the event, the Tesla boss also invited the electric vehicle company’s chief designer Franz Von Holzhausen to re-do the demonstration of the toughness of the Cybertruck that was botched in 2019. This time, instead of throwing a metal ball at the vehicles glass, Mr Von Holzhausen threw an ordinary baseball – rather weakly – showing the glass could the projectile. Tesla has said the glass will not shatter in the face of a 70mph baseball strike. This definitely wasn’t that. The livestream event ended after about 30 minutes, once Mr Musk had listed the features and performance capabilities of the Cybertruck’s different versions and its bulletproof exterior. It was followed by the Tesla boss assisting some of the first customers in driving off in their trucks. Mr Musk has played down hopes that the Cybertruck would revive profits for the carmaker in the near future. He told investors and analysts in an earnings call in October that it could take at least 18 months for the truck to become profitable. “There will be enormous challenges in reaching volume production with Cybertruck and making the Cybertruck cash flow positive,” he said. Read More When and where to watch Tesla’s highly anticipated Cybertruck delivery event Google users urged not to press button Nasa has received a signal from 10 million miles away Google users urged not to press button Nasa has received a signal from 10 million miles away Magazine under fire for publishing AI-written articles with fake author headshots