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V lednu byl otevřen editor kódů Zed od autorů editoru Atom a Tree-sitter. Tenkrát běžel pouze na macOS. Byl napevno svázán s Metalem. Situace se ale postupně mění. V aktuálním příspěvku Kdy Zed na Linuxu? na blogu Zedu vývojáři popisují aktuální stav. Blíží se alfa verze.

Sources claim ransomware is to blame

Healthcare organization Ascension is the latest of its kind in the US to say its network has been affected by what it believes to be a "cybersecurity event."…

Editor’s note: On Thursday, after this story was published, Apple apologized for its ad and said it would not use it.

For years now, Apple has been as much a marketing company as a technology company. But after Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced the iPad Pro ad this week, you have to ask whether Apple has lost its marketing mojo. 

The ad features — if that’s the right word — musical instruments, artist tools, toys, and games being crushed by a huge hydraulic press and turned into a new iPad. All this happens to the musical background of Sonny and Cher’s 1971 hit, All I Ever Need Is You. 

Ah, no, Apple, we need far more than just you.

I mean, seriously.  How was this ad ever made? Who greenlighted it? And how in the world did it ever make it to the public? Did no one even look at it?

It’s not just me. Many other people hate — really hate — the ad, based on the groundswell of criticism that erupted online this week. 

At a time when artificial intelligence (AI) fans are pushing out artists, writers, and musicians, it’s offensive for Apple to imply we can do without all those old analog creative types. (I’m reminded of how James McNerney, former Boeing CEO, would call his company’s senior engineers  “phenomenally talented a**holes.” If Apple ends up shoving out its creative people the way Boeing did its engineers, future Apple products might be as “good” as the Boeing 737 Max 9, and the 787 Dreamliner.)

No one will die from a bad Apple, but it’s a red flag whenever a company mistreats its top people. It’s a slap in the face to all of Apple’s in-house creatives, as well as the company’s many loyal creative users. 

The timing could not have been worse. People, especially creative pros, are understandably nervous about their work being stolen and losing their jobs to soulless AI algorithms and apps. This ad is that very fear crystallized into 60 seconds of video. 

This is not the kind of “Think Different,” people want to see from Apple. Indeed, this is the opposite of what people want. As Michael J. Miraflor, chief branding officer for venture capital company Hannah Grey VC, tweeted, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a single commercial offend and turn off a core customer base as much as this iPad spot.“

James Cook, marketing director at venture capitalist firm Molten Ventures, summed it well on Xitter: 

Apple’s new “Crush” ad (let’s call it “2024”) is a visual & metaphorical bookend to the 1984 ad.

1984: Monochrome, conformist, industrial world exploded by colourful, vibrant human.

2024: Colourful, vibrant humanity is crushed by monochrome, conformist industrial press.

Exactly so. 

Now, Cult of Mac members might argue we just don’t get it. That just tells me that Apple’s marketing policies, started by Steve Jobs with his personal reality distortion field, have been remarkably persistent. But that was then; this is now.

Seeing objects like pianos and guitars that many love being smashed is a slap in the face and it’s painful to watch. This is how Apple can lose its marketing mojo.

And if you don’t think Apple could lose its popularity due to an ad, think again. Ask Coca-Cola how  its 1985 New Coke campaign worked out. Hint: Many of you have never had a New Coke in your life. More recently, Peleton saw its stock price drop by 15% after its ad campaign showing a woman being thankful to her husband for getting an the exercise bike so she could become prettier. Yeah, that went over well.

Remarkably, the same concept was done much better by eBay, of all companies, in 2015, eBay produced an animated GIF of the evolution of the desk where desktop items from photos to calculators to calendars transform into icons on an ever-changing computer screen. 

Unlike the Apple ad, this was fun, and it made the same point.

Even more annoying is that Apple could have used the same footage and music to make a brilliant ad. That’s what Reza Sixo Safai did on Xitter. Safai simply reversed the video, so from an iPad Pro, the crushed wreckage is restored to all its wonderful, delightful glory. 

The moral of this story is that no company can ever be so successful that it can’t blow it. If Apple is as smart as its fans think it is, it will dump this ad as soon as possible and try to find another way to get people excited about buying iPads. 

This was not the way. 

Apple, iPad, IT Strategy, Marketing and Advertising Industry, Vendors and Providers

IT giant tries to downplay leak as just names, addresses, info about kit

Dell has confirmed information about its customers and their orders has been stolen from one of its portals. Though the thief claimed to have swiped 49 million records, which are now up for sale on the dark web, the IT giant declined to say how many people may be affected.…

Researchers have detailed a Virtual Private Network (VPN) bypass technique dubbed TunnelVision that allows threat actors to snoop on victim's network traffic by just being on the same local network. The "decloaking" method has been assigned the CVE identifier CVE-2024-3661 (CVSS score: 7.6). It impacts all operating systems that implement a DHCP client and has

Researchers have detailed a Virtual Private Network (VPN) bypass technique dubbed TunnelVision that allows threat actors to snoop on victim's network traffic by just being on the same local network. The "decloaking" method has been assigned the CVE identifier CVE-2024-3661 (CVSS score: 7.6). It impacts all operating systems that implement a DHCP client and has Newsroomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

Having China, Russia, and Iran routinely rummaging around is cause for concern, says ex-NSA man

RSAC  Digital intruders from China, Russia, and Iran breaking into US water systems this year should be a "wake-up call," according to former National Security Agency cyber boss Rob Joyce.…

Mise Čchang-e 6, v rámci níž chce Čína poprvé dopravit na Zemi vzorky z odvrácené strany Měsíce, je v plném proudu. A zdá se, že její součástí je i jedno zařízení, o němž dosud nebylo nic zveřejněno. Vesmírný reportér Andrew Jones na snímcích sdílených China Academy of Space Technology zaznamenal ...

It’s not often an Apple advertisement bombs, but when it does it generates international attention. That’s why everyone is now learning that Apple’s newly introduced iPads can be used to make music, create art, capture images, make movies and do much more, and the versatile tool isn’t just for creative pros, but for the rest of us, too. What makes this possible? Apple Silicon — and additional details have emerged since the introduction of the chip.

The big news concerns speed. Apple’s M4 is up to 45% faster than the M2 processor and 25% faster than the not-so-old amazing M3, according to the latest speed data leak. It makes the chip faster than Qualcomm’s much-hyped Snapdragon X Elite — as well as the competing M3 Pro.

Fresh data for the M4 on Geekbench 6 gives us these scores:

• Single core: 3,767.
• Multi core: 14,677.

These results are likely to have been captured from new iPads, which means the actual performance potential for the M4 on the Mac is likely to be even greater. 

While the test results come from one of the tablets with 16GB RAM, we understand the processor has clock speeds lowered to make the device more energy efficient. Once someone does give Apple Silicon a heat sync, it should be able to run faster, even though when it comes to single-core chips no other consumer processor or chip can compete with the M4. The only way, as they say, is up.

I’ve said before that Apple’s silicon design teams are moving so fast that they compete with themselves, and this continues to be true. Not only that, but it seems to be accelerating the introduction of these processors.

Here’s the evidence:

M1 processor (November 2020)

• Single core: 2,304.
• Multi core: 8,422.

M2 processor (June 2022)

• Single core: 2,623.
• Multi core: 9,803.

M3 processor (October 2023)

• Single core: 3,027.
• Multi core: 11,883.

M4 processor (May 2024)

• Single core: 3,767.
• Multi core: 14,677.

Sources: At time of writing Geekbench 6 appears to be offline. As a result, I’ve had to use Nanoreview to source the data. It is also true that these results vary; an earlier check on Geekbench showed single core results between 3,595-3,810. Take them as a guide.

It is worth noting the extent to which each iteration of M-series chip leapfrogs the previous generation. The current highest end iPad Pro with an M4 chip running 1TB+ RAM seems like it might even surpass the M3 Pro chip. That’s significant, I think.

The three towers

Apple’s teams seem to have the following goals: To make computationally powerful chips, make them extremely power efficient, and ensure they generate little heat so the processors can be used across a slew of different devices. 

Iteration by iteration of the Apple Silicon concept, realizing these goals lets Apple achieve significant environmental benefits, dramatically reducing the power required by its devices while also trimming the size of batteries inside them — which means those devices derive the same life between charges. It also means Apple’s designers can scale cheerily between versions of the core architecture, scaling all the way from A-series chips in iPhones to the powerful Ultra series of processors the company also has the ability to create. 

This wide scale remains a huge design opportunity for Apple, which can visualize and design systems that could not exist before. We’ve all seen talk about plans for folding devices; those are made far more possible as products get thinner and batteries become increasingly less likely to overheat. Within this, the influence of ARM, (which itself recently announced record results), is tangible. 

Where is this going?

What this means is that Apple Silicon is becoming a huge competitive advantage to the company. “The flexibility of Apple silicon architecture remains one of their biggest technical advantages over competitors,” said Ben Bajarin, Creative Strategies analyst, following Apple’s latest iPad launch.

Apple’s own CPU tests claim that the M4 chip with 28 billion transistors outpaces the M2 by 50%.  Apple also compared the processor to an Asus Zenbook 14 OLED with an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, arguing that its new iPads could deliver the same performance at a quarter the power. That means you get more life between charges and as enterprise apps appear, the iPad can only become a more attractive tool for anyone in the mobile enterprise.

They’ll become even more tempting once they do become foldable and processor sizes shrink even more.

Please follow me on Mastodon, or join me in the AppleHolic’s bar & grill and Apple Discussions groups on MeWe.

Apple, CPUs and Processors, iOS, iPad, Tablets

Pro časté přenášení a plnohodnotnou práci i na cestách jsou nejlepší volbou notebooky s úhlopříčkou okolo 14". Zaměřili jsme se na cenově dostupné modely s klasickou konstrukcí a cenou do 20 000 Kč.

Polish government institutions have been targeted as part of a large-scale malware campaign orchestrated by a Russia-linked nation-state actor called APT28. "The campaign sent emails with content intended to arouse the recipient's interest and persuade him to click on the link," the computer emergency response team, CERT Polska, said in a Wednesday bulletin. Clicking on the link

Polish government institutions have been targeted as part of a large-scale malware campaign orchestrated by a Russia-linked nation-state actor called APT28. "The campaign sent emails with content intended to arouse the recipient's interest and persuade him to click on the link," the computer emergency response team, CERT Polska, said in a Wednesday bulletin. Clicking on the link Newsroomhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/[email protected]

Agentura Mercury Research zjistila, že podíl AMD na dodávkách x86 procesorů opět roste a obecně činí 20,6 %. Intel tak do notebooků, serverů a desktopů stále dodává čtyřikrát více čipů a má z nich pětkrát více peněz, protože podíl AMD na tržbách činí 16,3 %. Jsou to ale lepší čísla než před rokem, ...

There has been a promising shift in the tech industry, with major companies pledging to release products with built-in security features. This development aims to address the increasing cybersecurity threats individuals and organizations face.

Romantické snímky patří k nejvyhledávanějším titulům; a to nejen ženským publikem. Připravili jsme přehled ikonických klasik tohoto žánru i filmů, jež mají náběh se jimi stát.

SpaceX hodlá realizovat první čistě komerční vycházku do vesmíru, resp. extravehicular activity (EVA). A to během mise Polaris Dawn, která by měla proběhnout letos v létě. „Je to první komerční EVA. Je to poprvé, co takovou misi nepodniknou vládní astronauti,“ uvedl velitel Jared Isaacman během ...

In a bid to improve accountability and transparency in AI development, OpenAI has released a preliminary draft of “Model Spec.” This first-of-its-kind document outlines the principles guiding model behavior in its API and ChatGPT, OpenAI announced in a blog post.

“We’re doing this because we think it’s important for people to be able to understand and discuss the practical choices involved in shaping model behavior,” the company said in the blog. “The Model Spec reflects existing documentation that we’ve used at OpenAI, our research and experience in designing model behavior, and work in progress to inform the development of future models. This is a continuation of our ongoing commitment to improve model behavior using human input and complements our collective alignment work and broader systematic approach to model safety.”

Model behavior — how AI models respond to user inputs, encompasses various aspects such as tone, personality, and response length — plays a critical role in AI-human interactions. It is a complex task to shape the behavior as models learn from diverse datasets and may encounter conflicting objectives in practice.

Shaping this behavior is still a nascent science, as models are not explicitly programmed but instead learn from a broad range of data, OpenAI said.

A three-tiered approach to shaping responsible AI

The “Model Spec” draft document outlined a three-pronged approach to shaping AI behavior. This document specifies OpenAI’s “desired model behavior” and how the company evaluates tradeoffs when “conflicts arise,” the ChatGPT creator added in the blog.

The first part of the Model Spec focuses on core objectives. These are broad principles that guide model behavior, including assisting users to achieve their goals, benefiting humanity, and reflecting positively on OpenAI. These foundational principles also ask model behavior to adhere to “social norms and applicable law.”

Beyond these broad objectives, the document also provides clear instructions, which the blog refers to as “rules.” These rules are designed to address complex situations and “help ensure the safety and legality” of AI actions. Some of these rules include following instructions from users, complying with laws, avoiding the creation of information hazards, respecting user rights and privacy, and avoiding the generation of inappropriate or NSFW (not safe for work) content.

Finally, the Model Spec acknowledges that there may be situations where these objectives and rules “conflict.” To navigate these complexities, the document suggests default behaviors for the AI model to follow. These default behaviors include assuming the best intentions from the users, being helpful without “overstepping” boundaries, and encouraging respectful interactions.

“This is the direction the models should ideally be going and it’s great to see OpenAI making the effort with this new spec on how a model should behave according to the user with greater context and personalization but more so “responsibly,” said Neil Shah, VP for research and partner at Counterpoint Research, a global research and consulting firm.

OpenAI’s stress on transparency and collaboration

OpenAI, in the blog post, acknowledged the Model Spec as a “living document,” meaning that it is open for feedback and evolving alongside the field of AI.

“Our intention is to use the Model Spec as guidelines for researchers and data labelers to create data as part of a technique called reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF),” another document by OpenAI detailing the Model Spec said. “The Spec, like our models themselves, will be continuously updated based on what we learn by sharing it and listening to feedback from stakeholders.”

RLHF will drive how a model will be more tuned to actual human behavior but also make it transparent with set objectives, principles, and rules. This takes the OpenAI model to the next level making it more responsible and useful, Shah said. “Though this will be a constantly moving target to fine-tune the specs as there are a lot of grey areas with respect to how a query is construed and what the final objective is and the model has to be intelligent and responsible enough to detect if the query and response is less responsible.”

The Model Spec represents a significant step towards achieving ethical AI. The company emphasizes the importance of building trust with users and public, who are increasingly interacting with AI systems in their daily lives.

Emerging Technology, Technology Industry

O víkendu 11. a 12. května lze navštívit Maker Faire Prague, festival plný workshopů, interaktivních činností a především nadšených a zvídavých lidí.