On Christmas Eve, this is where the capital of the Catholic world is located.
On the night of December 25, Pope Francis wished all Catholics a Merry Christmas - during his traditional sermon, he called for remembering the insignificance of material wealth and drew attention to the inequality and injustice of the modern world, in which some people wallow in luxury while others do not have a piece of bread for lunch. Tens of thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square in Rome, and in the main cathedral of the Catholic world, the Pope celebrated a Christmas mass, which was attended by an MK correspondent.
An absolutely non-Orthodox, but completely Christian desire to go to the Christmas service in the Vatican consumed me for a long time - approximately from the very moment Pope Francis was elected. A very charming Pope, every action is full of tenderness: he will either take out a chair for a guardsman, or refuse the car assigned by his status... We managed to realize our plans this year, and then it turned out that we would fly to Rome and appear at St. Peter’s Basilica - this, of course, is half the battle. However, this step by itself will not achieve anything at all.
Joke. If you come to St. Peter’s Square on the evening of December 24 without any special preparations, you will still be able to stand among the festive crowd, listen to the mass broadcast on huge screens, admire the Christmas tree and, which sounds trivial, immerse yourself in the atmosphere. Whatever one may say, on Christmas Eve this is where the capital of the Catholic world is (and not only on Christmas Eve). And there is even a chance that you will not be trampled in this capital.
So if you were lucky enough to be in Rome for Christmas, the newborn himself told you to go try your luck. No preparation. But for those who want to listen to the Christmas Mass directly in St. Peter's Basilica and even try to see Pope Francis out of the corner of their eye, the algorithm of actions is somewhat more complicated.
“You have been assigned registration number 41 417”
Entrance to the cathedral on Christmas Day itself is free (Catholic priests have a vow of poverty!), but still requires tickets, they explain on the official website of the Holy See. These tickets must be requested in advance - by mail.
But not online – even though the progressive Pope Francis regularly posts photos on Instagram, but email doesn't admit it, obviously. He is waiting for a letter in an envelope... Well, an additional attraction for those who have long forgotten how to do this. Moreover, send it very, very early - applications received after December 1 will not be considered, they warn on the website. When you buy winter boots on sale, then you have to write a letter to the Vatican.
No lyrics - on the site there are special form. Everything is simple: contact details, number of tickets and “notes”. Here, of course, you can write something touching - something like “Dear Pope, all my life I have dreamed of going to the Vatican, send me a ticket, please.” By the way, we are assured that the pontiff’s secretariat has translators from all languages that Catholics can speak, so we’ll check.
So, I sent the notorious letter in an envelope at the end of September, causing a small sensation at the nearest post office.
“Honestly, I don’t know how long it will take: this is my first time sending to the Vatican,” the girl shyly admitted at the window, sticking the necessary stamps on the envelope. But why be embarrassed? I would be much more surprised if it turned out that all residents of an ordinary Moscow district regularly write letters to the Vatican.
To be honest, I didn’t really believe that the idea would turn into something worthwhile. However, about a month later - on October 19 - the answer arrived. Perhaps, now I understand the emotions of Harry Potter, who received a letter from Hogwarts... The stamp alone is impressive - with the image of Pope Francis surrounded by Catholics of all races and nationalities: I think an enviable catch for philatelists.
“In response to your request, we provide instructions for booking tickets for the liturgy. However, the number of places in the basilica is limited and we cannot guarantee that everyone will be able to attend. Those who cannot fit in will be able to attend the Mass in St. Peter's Square. Thank you for your understanding,” was the answer.
And most importantly: “You have been assigned registration number 41 417.”
An old joke immediately comes to mind:
Tell me, do I have the right?
Yes, yes, of course, you have the right!
So I can?..
But here everything is more complicated...
So it is with access to the Christmas service: a letter from the Vatican and serial number 41,417 is only the first step of the quest. The next step is to present the letter and receive a ticket directly: this had to be done on the eve of the liturgy (December 23), by knocking on the bronze gates of the Apostolic Palace, the message says.
Queue laws
The time for receiving the coveted ticket was very blurry - throughout the day, so only six people were at the bronze gate with me at the same time (not bad, if you remember that I was waiting for 41 thousand!).
-Have you come before? – the lady, supposedly from Latin America, asks in awkward English. But no - it turns out that we are all debutants here in the queue, even the girl in the monastic dress.
The MK correspondent had to arrange a ticket for the Christmas service in the Vatican long before the holidays.
The famous guardsmen don’t let you linger too long: they came in single file, marched to the office, took away the envelopes - personalized ones! - and on the way out, on the way out... Don’t even think about taking pictures of the palace itself or the guards, that’s not what they came for!
Wow, everything is already more fun - the number “4654” appears on the ticket. Sounds much more optimistic than forty-one thousand... by the way, where did they all go, I wonder?
True, on Christmas Eve it turns out that they, it seems, have not gone anywhere - judging by the crowd flocking to St. Peter's Square, approximately that many have gathered there. The mass begins at 21:30, the entrance to the cathedral was promised to open at 19:00. The queue starts at about half past six - very, very impressive, but still many times more modest than the one that wrapped around the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow, when they brought us the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker or St. Spyridon of Trimythous. Here you go...
The queue, however, lives here according to all the laws of queues.
- Excuse me, do you have an extra ticket?
No, I didn’t hear it. A couple of tens of meters from the cathedral, a miniature girl in a novice’s dress addresses everyone she meets, sometimes in English, sometimes in Italian... And she’s not the only one - the question about the “extra ticket” has to be heard several more times while you’re integrating into the “tail” . But no one seems to be trying to sell “extra” tickets, as happened in many Moscow queues... maybe there is something sacred left in people?
Security control at the entrance to the square is far from formal, but even like on an airplane - requiring you to take off your watch, unfasten your seat belts and get rid of liquids with a volume of more than 100 ml. The latter, by the way, is also meanness - bottles of water are taken away at the entrance, although you still have to sit in the cathedral for more than one hour... however, the winner was probably the seller in the tent directly on San Pietro.
- Where are you from?
– From Austria, and you?
– We are from Argentina, and where are you from?
The queue, although long, is still moving, not standing still - and at the same time trying to get to know each other at least approximately: you will have to ask someone to take a photo of you against the backdrop of the main Christmas tree of the Catholic world.
- Tickets, take the tickets in your hands! Please raise your tickets higher! – the guards on duty at every cordon never tire of reminding us. Like this - with blue leaves held high - the crowd flows into St. Peter's Cathedral. The whole operation - the whole line - took about 45 minutes. You can tell those who waited six hours for the opportunity to venerate the relics of St. Nicholas in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, they’ll probably laugh...
“Too many people think about abundance when others don’t have a piece of bread.”
Inside the cathedral, by the way, there is no crowded crowd, but only neatly arranged chairs. There are no standing places, as many can fit - as many sit, and the rest in the square, please, in front of the screens... These are the traditions of the Catholic service. The triumph of humanism.
-Are we in? Are we in? Have we sat down? I'm just happy! - a teenage boy from Latin America repeats continuously in Spanish. Well, I fully understand his delight... Then, without waiting for the service to begin, he quietly begins to sing a Christmas hymn. - Oh, this is my favorite: “Holy night, silent night...”.
According to official data, 10 thousand people fit into St. Peter's Cathedral - not forty-one thousand, but still too many to be able to really see the Pope. But it’s quite possible to hear.
“Modern people pay too much attention to devouring and accumulating; for many, the meaning of life comes down to acquiring material wealth. And now we see a monstrous gap - some people buy more and more new things, while others don’t even have a piece of bread for lunch. This gap is growing stronger every day. However, baby Jesus was born in a manger on straw, we must remember that Bethlehem is our chance to change the course of history. He lived not to devour food and accumulate goods, but to exchange good for good and give away the best. Life is not to flaunt abundance, but to cherish simplicity. Let's ask ourselves this Christmas: can I break bread with someone who needs it?” Francis said during his traditional homily.
Moscow – Rome – Vatican
In California, the traditional annual presentation of new Apple devices. The company showed three new iPhones, including the largest version of the device in history, as well as budget model. In addition, Apple has updated its watch line.
iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max
New iPhone models– XS and XS Max. The XS model will have a diagonal of 5.8 inches, like the one released in the past year iPhone X. The XS Max model will have a 6.5-inch screen, and this is the most big iPhone in history. New smartphones will support eSim technology, which allows you to work in the networks of two operators at once, but this option will not be available in Russia.
The new A12 Bionic processor is the fastest and most powerful in iPhone history, it has six cores. At the same time, the iPhone XS lasts 30 minutes longer without recharging than the iPhone X, and the iPhone XS Max lasts an hour and a half longer.
The XS and XS Max models will be equipped with a 12 megapixel camera and 2x optical zoom, as well as an OLED display - providing the highest pixel density of any Apple device.
Apple has also expanded the color range of stainless steel cases. In addition to the two standard silver shades, a golden color will be added.
Price: new smartphones will be available with 64 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB memory at prices starting from RUB 87,990. and from 96,990 rub.
When will they appear in Russia: September 28, in the second wave of sales. The first wave of sales will begin on September 21 (pre-order from September 14), including the USA, Australia, Great Britain, Germany, Hong Kong, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Canada, China, UAE, Singapore, Switzerland, Sweden, France and Japan.
iPhone XR
Apple showed a new budget model of the new iPhone generation. The device has a 6.1-inch screen, an LCD screen (less advanced technology than OLED), and a 12-megapixel camera with one lens. The aluminum case will be made in six colors: white, black, blue, yellow, red and coral. The processor is the same as the premium iPhone XS, and the eSim function is also available.
The iPhone XR will last an hour and a half longer than the iPhone 8 Plus.
Price: from 64,990 rub. up to 77,990 rub. for smartphones with memory 64, 128 and 256 GB.
When will it appear in Russia: will be available for pre-order on October 19th and will be available on October 26th.
Apple Watch Series 4
Display new Apple Watch 30% more than the previous one, speakers – 50% more powerful. The watch will be able to detect the owner's fall and call ambulance, if it doesn't rise for too long. Also new Apple The Watch is equipped with a heart activity sensor, that is, it is even more tailored to monitor the physical condition of the owner. However, the ECG application to store electrocardiogram data will be available at a later date and only in the US. The new Apple Watch will also have a Walkie Talkie app - new way communication via WiFi or cellular network.
The other day, Apple sent out invitations to the media for its annual event - a presentation, which is traditionally dedicated to the release of a new iPhone, the launch of a new software and announcements of other new products. This year, the presentation date fell on September 12, and the venue was the Steve Jobs Theater on the new Apple campus in Cupertino. We will briefly announce possible new products that you should expect at the “event”.
What to expect?
iPhone 2018
First of all, the public is waiting for the release of the new iPhone, or rather the update of the entire line of Apple smartphones. According to rumors, we expect to see a new 5.8-inch iPhone with an OLED display, a 6.5-inch iPhone with an OLED screen, and an inexpensive 6.1-inch smartphone with an LCD display. Each of them will receive an improved A12 processor, integration of the Face ID function, the Home button will not be on any phone model, and the display will occupy the entire front surface.
A low-cost version of the iPhone with an LCD display can cost around $700 and will have a single-lens main camera. The other two smartphones with OLED panels will be priced at around $800-$1000 and will have a dual camera setup on the back.
By the way, a little later after the date was announced Apple presentations in September 2018, several images were leaked online showing new iPhones. The photo below confirms the presence of at least two models with OLED displays, which will be available in gold color. Recall that the iPhone X with OLED display was launched in only two colors - silver and space gray. 
The photo also shows the presence of a thin frame and the absence of a HOME button. According to preliminary data, these versions of the smartphone will be called iPhone XS.
Apple Watch Series 4
In addition to the release of the new iPhone at the presentation on September 12, Apple may also introduce new Apple Watch Series 4, which according to preliminary data will receive a larger display, longer service life and improved monitoring capabilities.
In addition to leaking photos of the new iPhones, 9to5Mac also published photos of the new fourth generation watch. Indeed, the screen has become larger due to the reduction of the frame. Judging by the photos, Apple may also launch a stainless steel model with a shinier gold finish. But it could also just be a marketing effect in the image. The Digital Crown has a new hole that may be another microphone, and the Digital Crown has a red outline rather than a full red dot.
iPad 2018
According to experts and analysts, the manufacturer may also announce new iPad models. The tablet will receive the Face ID function for facial recognition, the frames around the perimeter will be as thin as possible. However, there is a possibility that Apple may postpone the announcement of the new iPad until October. Let us remind you that for several years in a row the tech giant holds two events in the fall - in September and October.
Also on September 12, Apple should announce an updated version wireless headphones AirPods with Hey Siri support, AirPower charging mat for simultaneous charging of Apple Watch, iPhone and AirPods. And, of course, users are waiting for the public launch of iOS 12, as well as macOS High Sierra. This is perhaps the most important thing.
As usual, the Apple 2018 presentation will be broadcast live on the company's official website.
On Tuesday, September 12, Apple showed several new products at once. The most anticipated new product was the “anniversary” iPhone X, which came out 10 years after the presentation of the company's first phone. Apple for the first time abandoned the familiar interface, removing the home button, and introduced technology recognition persons The company also showed off the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and a new watch. As Western analysts note, this was one of the most important presentations of the company, which continues to struggle with Samsung, Google and the growing Chinese market smartphones.
iPhone X
The company's CEO Tim Cook called the "anniversary" iPhone "the biggest step forward" for the company. The new phone features for the first time a Super Retina display with a diagonal of 5.8 inches and a resolution of 2046 by 1125. 458 pixels per inch is the maximum among smartphones, says Cook. The main difference from previous models was the edge-to-edge screen without a home button on the body.
The dimensions of the new model are not much different from the “small” iPhone 7 (143.6 mm in length and 70.9 mm in width), but, as The Wall Street Journal writes, it has a larger screen than the Plus models. It is equipped with an A11 Bionic processor - the “smartest” iPhone in history, Cook said
To unlock, you will need to press the screen and swipe your finger towards the center. To enter multifunction mode (in previous models, double-click the home button) you will also need to swipe from the bottom of the screen to the center:
In addition, for unlocking it will be possible to use facial recognition technology - the main innovation of the model. For facial recognition, several sensors are located on the front, including an infrared sensor, a dot projector and a TrueDepth camera for capturing facial expressions.
According to the developers, the system is protected from fraudsters. You won't be able to hack it using a photo or a mask. She will be able to “recognize” the owner not only in the dark, but also if he puts on glasses, a scarf, a hat or changes his hairstyle. The system fails in one case in a million.
Also, thanks to this technology, in the “tenth” model it will be possible to use animated emoji in iMessage, recording your own messages. The system will recognize facial expressions and project them onto the picture:
Unlike previous models, the new iPhone will be completely covered in glass. Thanks to this, the “tenth” model will have available wireless charging. Apple will introduce a special station at which it will be possible to charge several devices at once in 2018
iPhone X sales will begin on October 27 and delivery on November 3. It is unknown when sales will begin in Russia. But the official website already has a price - from 79,990 rubles for a model with 64 gigabytes to 91,990 rubles for a model with 256 gigabytes. The phones are available in two colors: silver and space grey.
iPhone 8 and 8 Plus
In addition to the “anniversary” iPhone, Apple showed the iPhone 8 and a larger and more powerful iPhone version 8Plus. Both models will have a Retina HD screen, stereo speakers and an A11 Bionic processor - the same as on the tenth model. The most significant improvements affected the camera, the company claims. We are talking about portrait modes, shooting in low light and in motion. On the model Plus camera will be double.
The smartphone will be available in a glass case and in three colors: silver, space dark gray and gold. The new models will be available on September 22. In Russia they will cost from 56,990 to 68,990 rubles for the iPhone 8 and from 64,990 to 76,990 rubles for the iPhone 8 Plus, but the start date of sales is not known.
Apple Watch
Apple's smartwatches have surpassed Rolex in sales this year and become the most popular watches in the world, the company announced at a presentation. Main feature With the 3 Series Apple Watch, it became possible to use the watch without an iPhone. You can insert a SIM card into them.
In addition, Apple said it has improved its built-in sports tracker apps. The battery in the new watch will last for 18 hours. Sales of the new watch will begin on September 19, they will cost from 27,490 rubles.
Market reaction
After the presentation, Apple shares, which had grown by 2% the day before, fell by 0.8%, Bloomberg notes. The Wall Street Journal writes that the fall in the company's shares after the presentation is an Apple tradition. The company's shares have risen about 40% this year on expectations that new phone will boost sales growth after declining revenue last year, the agency writes.
“Following the expected innovations in the field of augmented reality, wireless charging, OLED screen size, etc., the new iPhone is clearly poised to enter its biggest refresh cycle yet,” a Macquarie Securities USA Inc. analyst wrote in a note to investors. Ben Schachter.
As Bloomberg notes, for Apple, half of whose sales come from the iPhone, new model shows that the company is ready for competition from Samsung, Google and Chinese manufacturers.
Tim Cook himself, at a presentation that took place on the new campus at the Steve Jobs Theater, said: “Jobs would be proud of us.”
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Apple's annual developer conference WWDC is taking place from June 4 to 8 in San Jose, California. There are always more people wanting to attend than there are available places. The company even has to give away the right to buy a lottery ticket.
And yet, several hundred talented people from all over the world come to WWDC every year for free, at the invitation of the company. In this way, she encourages their enthusiasm and highlights interesting projects. And invariably, several Russians are among the winners.
What does it take to attract the attention of the world's largest technology corporation?
1. Help geometry teachers in schools using augmented reality
“When children move from flat figures to three-dimensional figures to solid geometry when studying geometry, it can be difficult for them to switch,” explains 17-year-old Philip Zakharchenko, the only schoolchild in the world to receive a scholarship to travel to WWDC three times in a row.
The problem is solved using augmented reality - figures appear right in the air and can be viewed from different angles.
Like all other projects submitted to the competition, Zakharchenko’s project was made in the Swift Playgrounds environment, which was created specifically to teach programming to literally anyone. But his idea may also have commercial prospects: while there are already many games in augmented reality, the market for educational applications using AR is not yet so saturated.
“Perhaps my idea attracted Apple, since the company now places a strong emphasis on education,” says Philip. Despite his young age, Philip himself developed a course for teaching programming in the Swift language for schoolchildren from 9 to 19 years old. They plan to introduce it at the Moscow School of Economics, where the young man is studying.
Philip Zakharchneko. Photo: Personal archive
2. Draw complex fractals
The project of 21-year-old Dmitry Rozov from St. Petersburg can hardly be called utilitarian: beautiful and complex fractals appear on the smartphone screen accompanied by music.
But it demonstrates the possibility of creating complex and productive applications for hardware. That is, after looking at the fractals in Rozov’s project, other developers will understand: now you can create graphics for smartphones that will be no worse than on a computer. It will not overload the system.
“No one knows exactly how the winning projects are selected,” says Dmitry. “They send a variety of applications there. It could be a story about themselves in the form of a program. It could be something complex that a person has been doing for several months.”
He himself began programming at the age of 7, following the example of his own mother. Dmitry has already worked in teams that made mobile applications for large businesses.
Dmitry Rozov. Photo: Personal archive
3. Make a productive and compact 3D game
Among the technical requirements for the competition project is the file size. In 2018, it should not exceed 20 megabytes. But even with such a limitation, you can make a full-fledged mobile game with 3D graphics.
This was achieved by 22-year-old Alexander Danilyak from Moscow, who created a three-dimensional variation of the popular game Stack. You need to build a pyramid in it, trying to lay each next layer exactly on the previous one. If you lay it unevenly, the edges are cut off, and so on, until the area of the block is reduced to zero.
"I just looked at what was popular in the app store, what tens and hundreds of millions of people were playing recently. The idea arose to do the same thing, but quickly, without resorting to complex schemes implementation. At the same time, at a good level with high quality,” explains Alexander.
In his opinion, when evaluating projects, Apple pays attention to the quality of the written code and the absence of errors in it. An additional role can be played by information in written essays - about what a person is interested in, what he does, in addition to programming. “I wrote about my passion for Apple technology, for developing in Swift. They appreciate it,” says Danylyak.
Alexander Danilyak. Photo: Personal archive
4. Play on nostalgia for the first iPhone
You have a revolutionary device in your hands, and you need to show it to the whole world right now. Arthur Davletshin offers such an exciting experience. His project is an interactive fantasy based on the presentation of the first iPhone in 2007.
But instead of the usual smartphone with a full-body screen, Arthur chose an early prototype from Apple, which involved controlling the device using the Click Wheel, like on early iPods.
As a result, the program oozes irony. "Texting with friends has never been so easy!" - she assures you after you have tried long and hard to type at least one word, choosing one letter at a time using the drawn wheel. Every action you take is accompanied by Steve Jobs’ favorite adverbs: “great”, “amazing”, “unimaginable”.
“I can assume that Apple appreciated my numerous references to the presentation of the first iPhone and its behind-the-scenes details,” 21-year-old Arthur explains the success of his project. - “In any case, the main criterion in the competition is creativity - I apparently showed it.”
Arthur Davletshin. Photo: Personal archive
5. Make a life simulator
“First, you place animals around the territory, then, according to the rules, they increase the population or die out. This is a kind of interpretation of the cellular automaton of the English mathematician John Conway,” says 24-year-old Denis Karpenko about his project. In fact, it is a mathematical model that describes a hypothetical machine capable of reproducing itself.
Denis believes that several factors brought him victory. Firstly, such games are known among programmers, and the Conway automaton influenced many branches of the exact sciences. Secondly, the game turned out to be bright and colorful, with positive music. And finally, thirdly, it works clearly and smoothly.
Denis Karpenko. Photo: Personal archive
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