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Meta Platforms is preparing to launch software to help developers automatically generate programming code, a challenge to proprietary software from OpenAI, Google and others, according to two people with direct knowledge of the product. Metas code-generating artificial intelligence model, dubbed Code Llama, will be open-source and could launch as soon as next week, one of these people said.

The new coding model rivals OpenAIs Codex model and builds on Metas Llama 2 software, a large-language model that can understand and generate conversational text. Llama 2, which is open-source, upended the AI field by making it easier for companies to make their own AI apps without paying for software from OpenAI, Google or Microsoft. Code Llama will make it easier for companies to develop AI assistants that automatically suggest code to developers as they type, and it could siphon customers from paid coding assistants such as Microsofts GitHub Copilot, which is powered by Codex.

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Meta's Next AI Attack on OpenAI: Free Code-Generating Software - The Information

We all love getting something for free, and if you're reading this and use a Samsung Galaxy S23 series device, chances are you just have. That's because a major update has just been made available for users in a host of new territories.

The One UI 6 beta program opened late last week, offering users the chance to test out the latest version of Samsung's software before it gets a public release. The new operating system runs on the latest Android 14 software, with a few additional lashings of Samsung flair for good measure.

Previously, the beta software was only available to users in the USA, South Korea and Germany. But now, users in China, India, Poland and the UK can also get access.

It's a great upgrade. While there's not really a headline feature upgrade this time out, it does come with a suite of smaller changes which should add up to a decent boost for users.

Among the most notable features are a new back arrow for easier navigation. That hovers on the left-hand side of the screen, and should give users a better idea of whether they're heading back a single page, or to the home screen something which hasn't always been abundantly clear, before now. There are also upgrades to accessibility features, more detailed control for media sharing and more.

On top of that, Samsung have had some fun with things. There's a new default font, which will likely be the most noticeable change. They've also redesigned the quick panel, and made it easier to access the panel in a hurry.

The new update means that users with a base model S23, a Samsung Galaxy S23+ or a Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra can gain access to the new operating system. Don't panic if you're still using an older Samsung phone, either.

Generally, the brand debut the beta access on their most recent device range, before moving on to older, supported handsets. It may take a little longer generally the roll out happens over the space of a few weeks but you'll get the same opportunity before long.

If you'd prefer to wait for the full public release, you can. There's currently no date set in stone for that to be released, with Samsung only saying that it will come out after feedback from the beta is implemented.

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Millions of Samsung Galaxy S23 users just got a sweet free software ... - Yahoo Life

benny Vasquez told iTWire in an interview: "I see Enterprise Linux shifting into something new and exciting, and I see a shift away from anyone using Red Hat as *the* standard to a much more diversified enterprise Linux ecosystem. We are already seeing new and exciting opportunities that havent existed while the 'standard' was being a downstream-rebuild of RHEL."

There have been plenty of ructions in the open source and free software communities after Red Hat announced on 21 June that it would be making the source of Red Hat Enterprise Linux available only to paying customers.

Vasquez said while there was no direct communication about this from Red Hat, "there were certainly signs of a shift at least a few weeks ahead of time".

Vasquez entered open source development as part of her early career in Web hosting. "The entire Web hosting industry is built on open-source software," she said. "It was an absolute delight to be able to encourage and support the software that we used to build the web hosting control panel cPanel, and then to take the skills Id learned there to help the community at Chef through a rough transitionary time."

The foundation is a non-profit but there is a company named CIQ that offers support for AlmaLinux, with one of its more notable staffer being Samba co-founder Jeremy Allison, a long-time supporter of free software and an individual who left Novell on principle when the company, at that time the owner of SUSE, signed a deal with Microsoft in 2006.

Vasquez said last month that from now on, AlmaLinux would aim for being application binary interface compatible

She answered a number of queries from iTWire; her answers are given in full below:

iTWire: What kind of company generally uses AlmaLinux?

benny Vasquez: AlmaLinuxs users are as diverse as they come. If we focus on just non-hobbyist uses of AlmaLinux, weve got everything from ubiquitous communication platforms to global delivery services to

How are support contracts determined? I mean the amounts, based on services offered. You don't have to give dollar figures.

The AlmaLinux OS Foundation is a 501(c)(6) non-profit and doesnt offer any contracts of any kind. AlmaLinux OS is a community operating system, which is free for use and for which our community provides support. There are some companies that offer third party support of AlmaLinux, but we dont offer them ourselves.

What kinds of services does AlmaLinux offer?

None. Our software and various projects are free to use, and we welcome contributors at whatever level they can join us.

When AlmaLinux was first announced, there was an estimate of what it would take to make the distribution a viable build at the enterprise scale. Has that target been achieved?

Im not sure what specifically youre referencing in that article, but the answer is yes. As is evidenced by our release schedule and consistent delivery of updates and security patches, weve achieved that goal and more.

Any notable names who are working for AlmaLinux? (similar to Jeremy Allison in CIQ)

For sure! Our volunteer Board has a number of bigger names, but its important to distinguish that CIQ is a commercial brand, and AlmaLinux is a non-profit who doesnt pay any of its contributors. For example, Simon Phipps, who was the president of the Open Source Initiative for many years, and has been a leader in open source for decades, has been with us since the beginning.

How much has the Red Hat move been a surprise to AlmaLinux? Were there any hints in advance voices in the corridor that the step taken in June would be taken?

We didnt receive any advanced communication from Red Hat, but there were certainly signs of a shift at least a few weeks ahead of time.

In a few of my earlier reports on the development, I have mentioned the following: "The change could have something to do with the revenue which Red Hat's owner, IBM, has been reporting for Red Hat. In the first quarter of 2023, the company reported an 8% rise in revenue; for the previous four quarters it was 18%, 12%, 12% and 10% respectively." Do you think this is accurate?

I dont think I can speak for Red Hat around their decision making, but that logic certainly tracks. If a company is looking at the situation from a dollars-made perspective only, theyre going to make changes that are consistent with building revenue.

SUSE has said it will put more than US$10 million(A$15.61 million) into helping Rocky Linux. Does AlmaLinux have any big corporate names behind it?

SUSE and CIQ are working together through OpenELA, which will certainly be a boon to Rocky Linux, but I think theres an important distinction to be made here: with our 25+ sponsors comes a diversification of our funding, and that makes us feel much more confident that were around for the long haul.

Companies like CloudLinux and CyberTrust Japan are making large monetary and staffing investments in AlmaLinux, and our other sponsors provide monetary, infrastructure, and staffing support in a variety of ways. Having such an active group of invested contributors means we can stay hyper-focused on building what our community needs, and solving the pains that we all felt with CentOS Linux.

How do you see the future of enterprise Linux playing out?

I see Enterprise Linux shifting into something new and exciting, and I see a shift away from anyone using Red Hat as *the* standard to a much more diversified enterprise linux ecosystem. We are already seeing new and exciting opportunities that havent existed while the standard was being a downstream-rebuild of RHEL.

Itll be interesting to see how it plays out from a business perspective, because even if we just take the Netflix example, the reality is people will get mad about a change, but the dollars are what the company cares about. If the dollars dont go away, and actually grow (as they do in most cases), then they feel justified in whatever decision they made.

Netflix is my favorite example right now, because they announced that they are going to start cracking down on login sharing. The whole Internet was full of people saying, Well, Im leaving, Im not gonna put up with this. But then Netflix also signed up 6 million new users in the first quarter after that change.

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Red Hat unlikely to be standard for enterprise Linux in future, says ... - iTWire

The author took this image of star trails above observatory domes from near San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, looking toward the South Celestial Pole. Credit: Molly Wakeling

I got started in astrophotography in July 2015, when I received my first telescope as a gift: an 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain on an altitude-azimuth mount. After nearly falling over, seeing Saturn for the first time, I decided I must attach a camera to the telescope somehow so I could share that beauty with the world.

Astrophotography is often associated with expensive telescopes, robotic mounts, and highly technical challenges. But getting started can be easier than you think: All you need is a basic DSLR and a tripod.

Images of star trails are stunning and easy to make. Start with your DSLR and a short-focal-length lens (a stock 1855mm zoom lens at 18mm is perfect) on a tripod, and pick an area of sky. Capturing the motion of stars as they wheel around the celestial poles is particularly mesmerizing, so facing north (or south, in the Southern Hemisphere) is a good place to start. A nice foreground, such as a barn or a tent or even a distant tree line or mountain, will make for a captivating image.

In Manual mode, set the exposure time to 30 seconds and choose a relatively high ISO, such as 1600 or 3200. Use the widest f/stop, or stop down one or two if you are using a very fast lens, such as f/1.8. If your camera has a built-in multiple-exposure mode, use that to trigger it. If not, an intervalometer is an indispensable tool for all kinds of astronomy purposes. Intervalometers can be programmed to activate the shutter for you (rather than you manually depressing the shutter button), including in Bulb mode, where you can set an arbitrary exposure time. You can get an intervalometer for around $20.

Take long exposures 15 to 60 seconds to avoid saturation for at least one hour, although you can go all night. I recommend taking images in JPEG format for ease of processing, or you can convert raw shots to JPEGs later.

Processing star trail images is simple through free software called Startrails (www.startrails.de). Simply load all the photos, press the Startrails button, choose the mode, and watch the magic. You can import the final image into Photoshop or another image processor to tweak colors, contrast, and other details.

This same technique can be used to take time-lapse videos of objects rising or setting, such as the Milky Way, the constellation Orion, or a crescent Moon. In this case, choose a short enough exposure that the stars dont trail as much. (Fifteen seconds is good for an 18mm lens.) Otherwise, use the same the settings and technique as for star trails.

There are many free and paid programs to turn individual frames into a video. A favorite of mine is TimeLapse DeFlicker ($35 at http://www.timelapsedeflicker.com), which smooths variation in light between exposures. Add some space-themed music for a fun video of the night!

Nightscape (or skyscape) images are wide-field shots of the night sky with a fascinating foreground, such as mountains, buildings, or anything else you might think of. Nightscape photos are best taken in raw format and from dark locations, far from cities.

A fast camera lens, such as a 14mm f/2, can capture the Milky Way rising using a single 20-second exposure. For an even more stunning image, photographers might take a single long exposure of the foreground say 30 or 60 seconds, while lighting the landscape in some way and then take several 15-second exposures of the sky to keep the stars from trailing. Stacking software can align and combine the sky exposures into one bright, high-contrast image; the photographer then replaces the sky in the foreground frame with the stacked sky frame.

Eight years after my first astroimaging experience, I now run four automated imaging rigs in my yard, with even bigger plans for the future. And I am thrilled to start sharing my knowledge and love of astronomy here!

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Observing Basics: Astrophotography without a scope | Astronomy.com - Astronomy Magazine

Despite the slowdown in freight shipping this year, a record number of Chattanooga's trucking and logistics businesses moved into the fast lane in 2022 among America's fastest-growing businesses.

In its annual ranking of the nation's top growing companies, Inc. magazine includes 20 Chattanooga companies on its list of the 5,000 U.S. businesses with the fastest rate of revenue growth in the past three years. Among the local companies on the new Inc. 5000 list, 70% are either logistics companies or businesses servicing the trucking industry.

"I think logistics are driving our entrepreneurial and startup economy here in Chattanooga, which is why we have called this 'Freight Alley,'" Freightwaves CEO Craig Fuller said in a telephone interview Wednesday. "We have a high concentration of talent here in a business that encourages growth and innovation, so I think we'll continue to see a lot of growth in many of these startup businesses in logistics."

Fuller, whose family has been involved in building such trucking giants as Southwest Motor Freight, U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Covenant Logistics and Transcard in Chattanooga, monitors and reports on the logistics industry for the software and media company Freightwaves, which was among the companies included on the Inc. 5000 list again this year.

Fuller said Chattanooga now rivals Chicago as a hub for the logistics industry, which is why Fuller said Freighwaves is bringing its "F3: Future of Freight Festival" to Chattanooga in November. Similar to last fall, the three-day event is expected to draw thousands of freight industry leaders to Chattanooga.

Ted Alling, one of the founders of the freight brokerage firm Access America and an investor in a number of logistics startups in Chattanooga, said the new Inc. 5000 list underscores his belief that "Chattanooga is the best city in the US to start a logistics business.

"We have a deep talent pool locally that is attracting new investments from logistics start-ups and expansion from other prominent industry players," Alling said in an emailed statement Wednesday. "There is also an incredible amount of buy-in from the local VC and academic communicate. UTC and Chatt State have been incredibly supportive."

Making the list

The slowdown in freight shipments and mergers in the industry, such as KnightSwift buying U.S. Xpress, may lead to some employee dislocations, including the termination of nearly 30,000 employees withthe bankrupt Yellow Corp. But with Chattanooga's industry foundation and talent pool, other startup ventures in logistics are likely to be spurred by the industry shakeups Fuller said.

The 20 Chattanooga companies on the new Inc. 5000 list are 25% more than the previous record high reached last year on the 2022 Inc. 5000 list.

Collectively, the companies on the new Inc. 5000 list grew their revenues by 219% over the past three years to reach a total of $358.2 billion last year. The companies on the list also have added nearly 1.2 million jobs to the U.S. economy, according to Inc. magazine.

"Steaming" ahead

The fastest growing logistics business in Chattanooga on the Inc. 5000 list is Steam Logistics, an international freight broker that moved into the renovated John Ross building this spring with more than 500 of the company's 700 employees.

Steam Logistics, which ranked No. 260 on the Inc. 5000 list, has been on the list of the fastest growing companies for seven consecutive years after the firm was started in 2012. Jason Provonsha, the founder and chief executive of Steam Logistics, called this year's ranking "particularly special" because the growth was built on a much bigger base than previous listings.

"Going from a $33 million company in 2019 to $765 million (in revenues) last year is an experience I will never forget," Provoncha said in an emailed statement Wednesday. "We've built a unique and diverse culture at Steam, and we're fortunate to have a team who takes such good care of that culture. I think it's as big of a reason for our success as anything."

Steam Logistics is among more than a dozen local freight brokerage companies that help arrange shipments and act as brokers between companies needing goods to be shipped and the trucking or other carriers that deliver such products.

More than half of the Inc. 5000 companies in Chattanooga this year are freight brokers, but others such as Freightwaves, Workhound and Reliance Partners serve the trucking and logistics industries with tracking data, employee surveys and accounting services.

Chattanooga's fastest-growing businesses

Among the 5,000 fastest-growing businesses in America over the past three years, 20 are headquartered in Chattanooga, and 14 of those are in logistics or are logistics support companies. The top local companies on the Inc. 5000 list and their rankings for growth from 2019 to 2022 include:

Steam Logistics, a freight brokerage firm started in 2012 and headed by Jason Provonsha, is No. 260 on the list with a growth of 2,151%.

http://www.mocalogistics.com,a logistics firm started in 2018 and headed by Jorge Papatzikos, is No. 766 on the list with a growth rate of 768%.

KCH Transportation,a freight broker started in 2014 and headed by Jason Whitten, is No. 999 on the list with a growth rate of 593%.

Trident Transport, a freight broker started in 2013 and headed by Heath Haley, is No. 1,331 on the list with a growth rate of 437%.

F2F Transport,a freight broker started in 2016 and headed by Brian Starnes, is No, 1,386 on the list with a growth rate of 437%.

Text Request, a telecommunications and texting company started in 2014 by Brian Elrod, is No. 1,341 on the list with a growth rate of 434%.

WAP Sustainability, an environmental services firm started in 2009 and headed by William Paddock, is No. 1,693 on the list with a growth rate of 330%.

Syssero,a business products company started in 2016 and headed by Amber Lowry, is No 2,042 on the list with a growth rate of 275%.

Logistix,a freight broker started in 2016 and headed by Carlos Garcia, is No. 2,062 on the list with a growth rate of 273%.

Max Trans Logistics of Chattanooga, a freight broker started in 2006 and headed by Mike McCallie, is No. 2,325 on the list with a growth rate of 273%.

White Harvest Energy,an energy firm started in 2014 and headed by Ben Edgar, is 2,337 on the list with a growth rate of 236%.

Freightwaves,a software and media company covering logistics that was started in 2016 and is headed by Craig Fuller, is 2,386 on the list with a growth rate of 231%.

Reliance Partners,an insurance broker that serves the logistics industry, was founded in 2009, is headed by Andrew Ladebauche and is No. 3,294 on the list with a growth rate of 230%.

Market Street Partners,an accounting firm started in 2016 and headed by Kyle Bryant, is No. 2,559 on the list with a growth rate of 213%.

Workhound, a survey and software firm that serves the logistics industry, was started in 2015, is headed by Max Farrell and is listed No, 2,897 with a growth rate of 182%.

Taimen Trucklines,a trucking firm started in 2017 and headed by Christopher Wang, is No. 3,537 on the list with a growth rate of 140%.

Delegator,an advertising firm started in 2009 and headed by Andrew Scarbrough, is No. 4,264 on the list with a growth rate of 103%.

Ambition,a software company started in 2014 and headed by Travis Truett, is No. 4,569 with a growth rate of 90%.

Source:Inc. 5000

Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6340.

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Chattanooga trucking and logistics companies are among the fastest ... - Chattanooga Times Free Press