As we step into July 2024, the Android app ecosystem continues to evolve, offering users a wealth of innovative applications designed to enhance their smartphone experience. From intuitive navigation tools to advanced security features, these apps cater to a wide range of user needs and preferences. The video below from Sam Beckman walks us through […]
The post New and Noteworthy: The Best Android Apps to Download in July 2024 appeared first on Geeky Gadgets.
In late June, the European Union shared its preliminary findings that Apple had violated the Digital Markets Act (DMA) — the bloc's first regulatory action since the law took effect in March. Now, it's Meta's turn, with the EU announcing Facebook and Instagram's owner has also breached the DMA. The European Commission first opened investigations into Apple, Meta and Google's parent company, Alphabet, shortly after the DMA became law.
The Commission's preliminary findings on Meta focus on concerns about Meta's "consent or pay" model. Meta currently gives users the choice to have free access to its apps and consent to data sharing or pay to prohibit its collection. The Commission's statement argues that Meta "Does not allow users to opt for a service that uses less of their personal data but is otherwise equivalent to the 'personalised ads' based service," Furthermore, Meta doesn't "allow users to exercise their right to freely consent to the combination of their personal data."
Echoing past statements, the Commission called for Meta to create an "equivalent alternative" that requires no fee payment. The EU's regulatory body has until late March 2025 — one year after opening its investigation — to make a final decision. If Meta is found guilty of violating the DMA, it could owe a fine equal to ten percent of its annual global revenue.
Meta has yet to concede any wrongdoing. "Subscription for no ads follows the direction of the highest court in Europe and complies with the DMA. We look forward to further constructive dialogue with the European Commission to bring this investigation to a close," Meta said in a statement.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meta-could-get-slapped-with-a-massive-fine-for-violating-the-eus-digital-markets-act-120053616.html?src=rss
Ever wondered how much time you could save if you didn’t have to manually enter data from lengthy documents? What if there was a way to automate this process seamlessly? With Claude 3.5 Sonnet, the latest AI model from Anthropic, which surpasses even ChatGPT-4 in various benchmarks. You can automate data extraction using Claude 3.5 […]
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The Jonsbo N4 NAS case is a carefully designed enclosure that caters to the specific needs of custom storage servers. This case seamlessly combines aesthetic appeal with functional design, making it an attractive option for enthusiasts and professionals alike. With support for ITX and Micro ATX motherboards and ample drive bays for various storage configurations, […]
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Ancient Egyptian architecture is deeply rooted in the divine relationship between humans the kings and their Gods. This symbolism is echoed in the tombs, pyramids, and temples of Egypt. The prevalent use of materials such as limestone, sandstone, and granite evolved from sun-baked mud bricks, with architectural designs reflecting a harmonious mix of religious, social, and political influences.
Designer: I. M. Pei
Egyptian art history is characterized by three key epochs:
The Old Kingdom was characterized by political stability and economic prosperity. This period witnessed the construction of grand pyramidal tombs for Egyptian monarchs, while early Egyptians employed mastabas for marking their deceased graves.
This period is often regarded as the golden age which gave rise to some of its most exceptional works of art and literature.
The history of Egyptian Architecture is marked as a flourishing era of architecture and art. During this period, the Pharaoh’s empire was achieved through diplomacy, trade, and warfare, securing centuries of political stability and prosperity.
• Materials: The temples and pyramids were constructed from stone, while houses were primarily made from mud brick. Most of the Egyptian structures featured flat roofs, which were supported by exterior walls and columns.
• Monumental Scale: Egyptian architecture is known for its monumental scale as in the Great Pyramid of Giza, standing over 450 feet tall.
Image courtesy of: antonpetrus
• Hierarchical Planning: Hierarchical Planning in Egyptian architecture arranges spaces deliberately. Karnak Temple Complex is a testament to the planning skills as it incorporates a strategic layout, leading to the grand Hypostyle Hall, emphasizing its religious importance.
Image courtesy of: Givaga
• Symbolic Decoration: Symbolism forms an integral part of Egyptian architecture. Deir el-Bahari’s Temple of Hatshepsut is beautified with intricately carved reliefs and sculptures that narrate her divine birth, reign, and religious significance.
Image courtesy of: Givaga
• Hieroglyphs: Hieroglyphs are formal inscriptions on papyrus and wood. They encompass logographic, syllabic, and alphabetic elements, portraying real or abstract concepts, and holding religious significance.
Image courtesy of: animix
• Pylon Gateways: Pylon gates of the Temple of Horus at Edfu, feature immense, sloping structures marking the transition from the secular to the sacred world and it is adorned with intricate artwork.
Image courtesy of: wirestock
• Mortuary Temples: Mortuary temples are dedicated to pharaohs like Ramesses II. They were places of worship, featuring colossal statues and detailed reliefs, aimed at preserving the pharaoh’s legacy and ensuring divine favor.
Image courtesy of: Merlinus74
• Hypostyle Halls: In Egyptian architecture, Hypostyle halls are expansive spaces featuring numerous colossal columns, as seen in the Temple of Luxor’s magnificent hall with 74 intricately adorned columns.
Image courtesy of: BlackBoxGuild
• Carved stone images: Architects utilized indigenous stones like soft limestone, sandstone, calcite, and schist to craft sculptures of deities, monarchs, and royalty. These sculptures conveyed tales of victories, battles, foreign conquests, and pharaohs’ lives.
Image courtesy of: BreakingTheWalls
• Mastabas: A hallmark of Egyptian architecture, mastabas, served as burial tombs along the Nile’s banks. Inspired by pyramid construction, these brick and stone structures entombed kings and their families. The structure featured rectangular shapes, sloping walls, and interiors with statues, vaults, and chambers.
Image courtesy of: wirestock
• Clerestory Windows: Clerestory windows were positioned on high walls as they channel natural light into sanctuaries. This divine illumination enhances spiritual experiences, harmonizing with architecture.
• Obelisks: Obelisks are iconic in Egyptian architecture due to their towering, slender structures topped with pyramids, exemplified by the Luxor Obelisk, formerly located at Luxor Temple.
Image courtesy of: filin72
Many remarkable ancient Egyptian marvels have withstood the test of time and dedicated archaeologists have unveiled the stories hidden within these grand temples, statues, tombs, and the pharaohs responsible for them. Below, explore ten of Egypt’s most extraordinary ancient monuments.
Image courtesy of: wirestock
The Great Pyramid, part of the Giza necropolis in Cairo, was built by Khufu during Ancient Egypt’s 4th Dynasty. Standing at 139 meters and employing 100,000 craftsmen, it’s the last of the Seven Wonders of the World. Khufu’s son, Khafre, built the second, slightly shorter pyramid, while Menkaure constructed the smallest.
Image courtesy of: ivanmorenosl
During the 19th Dynasty, Ramesses the Great carved the imposing Abu Simbel temple into solid rock to assert his divinity in Nubian territory. The Great Temple’s entrance is guarded by four colossal 20-meter statues of Ramesses II, with hieroglyphs inside depicting his feats and interactions with gods. The Small Temple, dedicated to the sky goddess Hathor, features statues of Ramesses II’s wife, Queen Nefertari, standing 10 meters tall.
Image courtesy of: wirestock
The Great Sphinx, near Khafre’s pyramid complex, is a unique monument crafted in the 4th Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. Khafre added his face to a lion’s body. The nose, often attributed to Napoleon’s soldiers, was likely removed by 14th-century Muslim groups to discourage offerings from local farmers, dispelling earlier myths.
Image courtesy of: Givaga
Luxor Temple served as a site for New Kingdom pharaohs to rejuvenate their kingship before the gods. Amenhotep III and Ramesses II erected monuments to celebrate the Opet festival, during which gods like Amun, Maat, and Khons journeyed from Karnak to Luxor for a 24-day celebration. Notable structures include the Colonnade of Amenhotep III, the Great Court of Ramesses II, the First Pylon, and the Standing Statue of Ramesses II.
Image courtesy of: Unai82
Built during Egypt’s 18th Dynasty, the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut is near the Valley of the Kings, beneath Deir el Bahari’s cliff. Architect Senenmut designed it, dedicated to the god Amun. Hatshepsut, a unique female Pharaoh, ruled for nearly two decades and is considered history’s first “great lady.” She accidentally poisoned herself while treating a hereditary skin condition.
Image courtesy of: Yakov_Oskanov
Karnak, a revered site in Egypt, was dedicated to Amun-Ra’s worship. This complex, central for Thebes’ festivals, evolved over 2,000 years. Akhenaten’s temple to Aten was demolished by Horemheb and Ramesses II. Prominent monuments include the Hypostyle Hall, Thutmose I’s Obelisk, Hatshepsut’s Obelisk, Horemheb’s Great Edict, and the Avenue of Sphinxes.
Image courtesy of: DavePrimov
The Valley of the Kings, located on the west bank of the Nile near Luxor, served as the New Kingdom pharaohs’ burial ground. It contains various tombs, ranging from single coffins to elaborate underground family tombs for the afterlife. The most renowned is King Tutankhamun’s, discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. Attempts to erase Tutankhamun from history by later pharaohs protected his tomb from disturbance for nearly 3,500 years.
Image courtesy of: BlackBoxGuild
Sneferu, the inaugural pharaoh of Egypt’s 4th Dynasty and Khufu’s father, reigned for around 50 years. He constructed three pyramids, including the Bent Pyramid, named due to mid-construction angle adjustments. The Red Pyramid, known for its reddish color due to limestone oxidation, once had a white limestone casing stolen by robbers due to its flat sides, leaving the red core visible.
Image courtesy of: Givaga
The Colossi of Memnon, two 20-meter-tall statues of Amenhotep III, are now part of the Theban Necropolis in Luxor. Originally part of his mortuary temple, they are massive stone structures stacked without mortar. The statues were restored multiple times, even by Roman Emperor Septimius Severus, but face recent deterioration due to pollution and wear. Efforts are underway to prevent further damage and collapse. “Memnon” is the Greek name given in honor of their hero from the Trojan War.
Image courtesy of: Unai82
Constructed in the Ptolemaic Kingdom, the Temple of Edfu is a tribute to Horus and Hathor. With the ascendance of Christianity in the 4th century, the temple lost its religious significance, suffering arson and vandalism. Villagers later built over and nearly buried the site. Today, Edfu attracts tourists on Nile riverboats, offering a glimpse into Egypt’s history.
The post Unveiling Egypt’s Architectural Wonders: A Journey Through Time first appeared on Yanko Design.
Most of us already know how to capture a screenshot when using Microsoft’s Windows operating system but due to new tweaks, enhancements and features added by Microsoft to its latest Windows 11 OS. You can now take and manage windows screenshots even more efficiently in Windows 11. How to Screenshot on Windows 11 Windows 11 […]
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Welcome to the first day of July. Summer is here in earnest, but let me keep you, briefly, indoors with tales of finalized rules for crypto in the US, and how Lego is making bricks from stardust.
A new rule finalized by the US Treasury Department will ensure that people that dipped their toes into crypto (and crypto trading) are paying the proper amount on their sales. The new rule will require cryptocurrency platforms like exchanges and payment processors to report their users' transactions to the IRS. Brokers will have to start reporting sales proceeds on digital assets in 2026 for all transactions accomplished in 2025, which means crypto traders are still on their own for now.
The rule will make easier for people to declare their earnings because their brokers will now have to provide them with a 1099 form. The form has a threshold of $10,000 to report on transactions involving stablecoin, which are cryptocurrencies that track fiat money like the US dollar.
— Mat Smith
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Officials insisted in a press conference Friday afternoon that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are not “stranded” on the International Space Station. “We’re not in a rush to come home,” said Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Boeing’s Starliner has been docked with the ISS since June 6 for what was meant to be a 10-day flight test. However, during approach, the craft experienced problems with five of its thrusters, and a known helium leak appeared to worsen.
It was initially stated that Starliner could only stay docked at the ISS for a maximum of 45 days due to limitations with its batteries, but Stich said during the conference that these batteries are being recharged by the space station, so this can be extended.
The US has a higher incarceration rate per 100,000 people in its population than any other NATO country. Hashem Al-Ghaili, a molecular biologist and science communicator, claims he’s got the solution. In an interview with Wired, he outlined how a virtual prison could work. Instead of locking prisoners up for long periods of time, prisoners would be subjected to artificial memories in a virtual environment. The system creates customized AI-generated content that’s converted to visual information and delivered to the prisoner’s brain as well as the parts of their DNA and RNA linked to memory formation to establish a long term memory pattern. There are a lot of wrinkles and road bumps, but the biggest may be that such technology just doesn’t exist.
Lego has teamed up with the European Space Agency (ESA) to make Lego pieces from actual meteorite dust. They are on display at several Lego store locations until September 20, although it all isn’t just for giggles, or Lego kit upsell. It’s a proof of concept to show how astronauts could use moondust to build lunar structures.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-the-us-treasury-finalizes-tax-rules-for-crypto-111534062.html?src=rss
Pieces is a new artificial intelligence (AI) powered application taking the form of an on-device AI coding assistant designed to enhance developer productivity by understanding and integrating into their workflow. The app supports Mac OS, Windows, and Linux, and provides a comprehensive suite for managing code snippets, technical documentation, and collaborative projects. If you are […]
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Apple enthusiasts and tech aficionados alike are eagerly awaiting the release of the Apple M4 MacBook Air, the latest iteration of the company’s popular lightweight laptop series. Set to hit the market in early 2025, this new model promises to deliver significant performance enhancements while maintaining the sleek and portable design that has become synonymous […]
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Nyobolt, a pioneering company in the electric vehicle (EV) industry, has recently unveiled a groundbreaking advancement in **ultra-fast EV charging** technology. This innovative solution promises to transform the way EVs are charged, making them more practical and convenient for everyday use. Nyobolt’s innovative batteries can charge from 10% to 80% in just under five minutes […]
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