Egypt
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Researchers used CT scans to virtually unwrap a pristine mummy
The scans helped researchers learn new details about Egypt's 18th Dynasty.
Egyptian authorities 'detain' robotic artist for 10 days over espionage fears
Egyptian authorities detained a robotic artist and her human handler for 10 days over fears that he was actually a sophisticated spying device.
Google's Fabricius uses machine learning to decode hieroglyphs
Google’s Arts and Culture vertical has been known to release fun apps and tools to help people engage with art and history. Now, the company is launching a web-based AI tool to let users interact with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and also help researchers decode the symbols with machine learning. It’s called Fabricius, named after the “father of epigraphy, the study of ancient inscriptions,” according to Google, and will let you send roughly translated messages in hieroglyphs to your friends.
Scientists tried to recreate a mummy's voice with an electronic larynx
Researchers recently resurrected the "voice" of an ancient priest for the first time since his death over 3,000 years ago. Called Nesyamun, he lived during the time of the pharaoh Rameses XI, who ruled from 1107 to 1078 BC. The team used a combination of scanners, 3D printing and synthesized sound to create the vocal simulation.
Uber clears a key hurdle to buying its Middle Eastern rival
Uber is now much closer to becoming a major force in the Middle East. Egyptian regulators have approved the ridesharing giant's $3.1 billion acquisition of Careem, giving it the most significant clearance needed to complete the deal. There are still other approvals needed if the union is going to close as planned in January, but it now appears to be more a matter of time. However, this isn't a carte blanche approval -- Uber will have to abide by some conditions.
Twitter bans thousands of state-backed accounts spreading misinformation
Twitter has suspended thousands of accounts linked with state-backed misinformation campaigns. In a transparency report shared today, Twitter says it removed 4,248 accounts from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), 273 accounts from the UAE and Egypt, 1,019 accounts based in Ecuador, 265 accounts from Spain and six accounts from Saudi Arabia. It also released more data on 4,301 of the 200,000 accounts from China and Hong Kong that were suspended for stoking unrest around the Hong Kong protests.
Russia is going to test an internet ‘kill switch,’ and its citizens will suffer
Russia is planning to disconnect itself from the global internet in a test sometime between now and April. The country says it is implementing an internal internet (intranet) and an internet "kill switch" to protect itself against cyberwar. The question is, would this actually work? "This, as a single tactic, would not be sufficient," explained Bill Woodcock, executive director of Packet Clearing House, via email. "But it hugely reduces their attack surface. So in combination with many other tactics, it's a component of a reasonable strategy."
Egypt signs censorship-focused cybercrime bill into law
Egypt's increasingly strict regulation of internet use just became that much harsher. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has signed a cybercrime law that makes it illegal to run and even visit sites considered threats to the country's economy and national security. If convicted, operators and users have to pay fines or, in some cases, face prison sentences.
Egypt will subject popular social accounts to anti-fake news laws
Egypt's parliament has passed a new law that will categorize social media accounts and blogs with more than 5,000 followers as media outlets. As such, they'll be regulated by the Supreme Council for the Administration of the Media and be subject to media laws that criminalize the spread of fake news. Additionally, the regulatory body can now block websites and file criminal complaints against those deemed to be "inciting people to violate laws" and spreading "defamation against individuals and religions."
Egypt bans YouTube for one month over 2012 anti-Islamic video
Egypt is about to act on its longstanding threat to temporarily ban YouTube. The country's highest administrative court has ruled that officials must block the streaming video site for a month (along with "all" links playing the video) after it allowed the 2012 anti-Islamic video Innocence of Muslims. The short film's portrayal of the Prophet Mohammed triggered outrage in the Islamic world and led to a 2013 Egyptian case demanding the ban, but the appeal process has kept the ruling in limbo for the past five years.
Uber avoids ban in Egypt over taxi driver lawsuit
Uber has faced more than a few service shutdowns over legal issues, but it just dodged a bullet in Egypt... at least, for a while. A court has negated a decision that would have suspended the licenses of both Uber and its local rival Careem for allegedly violating transportation laws. A group of 42 taxi drivers had filed a lawsuit claiming that both ridesharing outfits were illegally using private cars as taxis, and that they'd registered under false pretenses (Uber, for example, reportedly registered as a call center). There's still a final decision coming from the Highest Administrative Court, but that may not happen for some time.
Scanning technique reads hidden writing in mummy boxes
Historians can use scanning to peek inside mummies without risking damage, but that hasn't been true for the papyrus boxes those mummies were placed in before entering the tomb. If you've wanted to read the discarded everyday writing on that papyrus, you've typically had to destroy the boxes. That won't be necessary from now on, though: researchers at University College London have developed a scanning technique that lets you read a mummy case's writing while leaving it intact.
'Firewatch' studio Campo Santo is building an Egyptian adventure
Campo Santo, the independent studio behind Firewatch, is working on a new game called In the Valley of Gods. It's a first-person adventure set in the 1920s that takes players through the abandoned, ancient deserts of Egypt. Here's how Campo Santo describes it: "You play as an explorer and filmmaker who, along with your old partner, has traveled to the middle of the desert in the hopes of making a seemingly-impossible discovery and an incredible film."
'Assassin's Creed Origins' adds history lessons in early 2018
The Assassin's Creed games have always had an element of historical realism to them, but it's hard to appreciate that cultural authenticity when you're five seconds away from being stabbed by a Templar. Thankfully, Ubisoft will take the pressure off for Assassin's Creed Origins players. It's adding a Discovery Tour mode devoted solely to giving you history lessons. There are "dozens" of guided tours led by Egyptologists and historians, focusing on subjects like the Great Pyramids (naturally), Cleopatra and mummification. And importantly, you're free to explore on your own terms without combat or plot getting in the way.
Egypt bans dozens of independent news websites
Egypt didn't retire its ban hammer the moment it blocked 21 independent news websites back in May. According to Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression, an Egyptian government watchdog, the country's government has blocked access to a total of 62 websites as of June 12th. Most of them are private news companies and media platforms that Egyptian authorities claim have expressed support for terrorism or are associated with Qatar and the Muslim Brotherhood. As Reuters says, though, the ban also affects outlets like Mada Masr, a publication with no Islamist ties, and financial newspaper Al-Borsa.
Egypt asked for Uber's help tracking passengers
Were you uncomfortable about Uber's ability to track rides? Be glad if you don't live in Egypt -- in that country, the power could easily fall into the wrong hands. The New York Times understands that the Egyptian government asked Uber to give it access to Heaven, its tool for live ride tracking data. Uber thankfully said no, but the offer may have been tempting. Reportedly, military intelligence officials were willing to give "preferential treatment" to Careem, Uber's Middle Eastern arch-rival, if it had given into those demands. It also shot down the idea. However, there's a real chance that these companies might not have much say in the matter before long.
'Assassin's Creed Origins' arrives October 27th
Gladiator battles, pyramids and hippos. Yes, hippos. Assassin's Creed Origins will tell you the story of how the assassin brotherhood began, with Bayek, an Egyptian sherif. While the rumors of an Egypt-based title have been around for weeks, we finally got to see how that will shape the stealthy-stabby series.
Egypt blocks Al Jazeera and other sites for 'supporting terrorism'
People living in Egypt will have to put their VPNs to work accessing 21 websites the the country has banned. According to state news agency MENA, Egypt has blocked Al Jazeera's main website and 20 other publications and online destinations, accusing them of supporting "terrorism and extremism as well (as) publishing lies." The government will even be taking legal action against them. While local media didn't list all the affected URLs, Reuters sources said the government blocked them, because it believes they're affiliated with Qatar -- Al Jazeera is based in Doha, the country's capital -- or the Muslim Brotherhood.
Amazon is buying the 'Amazon of the Middle East'
Amazon wants to be a one-stop shop for the entire world, but has struggled to get a foothold in the Middle East. After months of deliberations, the company has finally purchased Souq.com, the "Amazon of the Middle East." Russ Grandinetti, Amazon VP, says that the deal is a no-brainer, since both sites "share the same DNA," adding that the pair will now "work hard to provide the best possible service" in the region.
ICYMI: CT scanning mummies and drones that land like birds
Today on In Case You Missed It: Researchers from The Field Museum are using CT scanners to look inside mummies from Peru and Egypt to see what lies behind the casket and ancient gauze. The images have uncovered information about the gender and approximate age the of deceased when they took their last breath. It also gives museum-goers the opportunity to peel away the layers of a mummy and check out 3D models of what the dead might have looked like before they met their untimely end.
