IT news February 19: the code for the Apollo 11 lunar program was posted on GitHub, Elon Musk again warned about the dangers of AI, programmers are leading the list of popular freelance professions
The source code for the Apollo 11 lunar program has been posted on GitHub
Participants in the Virtual AGC project and MIT Museum staff have posted the source code for NASA's Apollo 11 lunar program on GitHub. Anyone can download and view the code that was used in 1969 to control the Comanche055 command module and the Luminary099 lunar module. The flight control of the Apollo 11 spacecraft, whose goal was to successfully land the first man on the Moon, was provided using a computer control computer (AGC) and a relatively small number of files written in the Assembly programming language. Prior to the digitization of NASA's lunar program code, hard copies of these files were kept at the MIT Museum. Attached to the list of repository files are instructions for compiling the code on the Virtual Apollo Guidance Computer. The source code is distributed in the public domain. Source: GitHub
Elon Musk again warned about the dangers of artificial intelligence
Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk again warned about the dangers of uncontrolled artificial intelligence development. On his Twitter, the entrepreneur wrote about the need to regulate the field of AI development. According to Musk, this requirement should apply to all companies, including Tesla. The well-known IT innovator has repeatedly expressed concerns about unregulated development of artificial intelligence. Despite the fact that in 2015, Elon Musk co-founded the non-profit organization OpenAI to develop “friendly and open AI,” two years later he announced the need to create a supervisory body for companies creating this technology. In addition to his tweet yesterday, Musk explained that the development of AI should be regulated not only by individual national governments, but also by international bodies, including the UN. Source: TechCrunch
Programmers lead the Top 10 most in-demand freelance professions
The Freelancehunt website has published statistics on the most popular freelance professions in the CIS countries. Programmers took first place (43.7% of all orders or more than 100 thousand projects). Compared to 2018, demand for their services increased by 8%. Most often, customers are interested in web programming (creation and modification of websites) and development of mobile applications. The compilers of the rating explain the popularity of programmers by the fact that many companies and private entrepreneurs cannot afford to hire a full-time developer. Given the high level of salaries in IT, it is more profitable for them to attract programmers to one-time projects. The second position in the list is occupied by designers - 20.1%. Third place goes to copywriters (9.7%). Orders for SEO promotion (3.9%) and SMM (3.4%) services are placed much less frequently. The Top 10 also included translators (2.3%), video and audio editors (2.2%) and content managers (1.8%). Source: Freelancehunt
Deepfake technology was first used in political advertising
Indian politician Manoj Tiwari used the power of Deepfake technology to create his own video aimed at different groups of voters. The technology was used to seamlessly integrate Tiwari's facial expressions with the dubbing of the original video into the Haryanvi dialect of the Hindi language. The video was created by local company The Ideaz Factory. Thanks to artificial intelligence, programmers were able to accurately imitate the articulation of a politician. A video of Tiwari, who is an MP for the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, was circulated on WhatsApp among non-resident workers living in Delhi. For many of them, the Haryanvi dialect is their mother tongue. In his video, Manoj Tiwari accused the authorities of failing to fulfill election promises and called for voting for their political force. Representatives of the Bharatiya Janata Party claim that the reaction to the deepfake video was positive: “Everyone was pleased that the politician spoke in their native language.” After the first video, a second one was released, in which Tiwari speaks English. It is intended for "urban voters of Delhi". Source: VICE
In Belarus, IT companies occupy from 50 to 80% of office space
Belarusian IT companies occupy a leading position in the rental market for class A, B1 and B2 offices. This applies not only to Minsk, but also to regional centers, where IT specialists rent from 50 to 80% of “quality” office space. According to statistics from Colliers International, the increase in personnel of software companies in Belarus has led to a shortage of offices in the regions. Because of this, developers have begun converting underutilized industrial space into office space. Examples of this are the Brest Electromechanical Plant, a former furniture factory in Grodno and other locations. The greatest demand among IT companies is for offices designed for a staff of 50 people or more. Source: Dev.by
New Wi-Fi standard for air travel has been developed
Several major airlines, along with Airbus, Vodafone, Panasonic, Softbank and Nokia, have announced the development of a new Wi-Fi standard, Seamless Release 1.0. It is expected that it will provide aircraft passengers with more convenient and cheaper access to the Internet. Airlines, in turn, will be able to save money by using a single software and hardware. “Poor Internet on a plane damages the airline’s brand. Passengers on social networks complain that they could not receive quality service, and they blame the airline, not the provider,” said Jack Mandala, head of the Seamless Air Alliance. The Seamless Air Alliance includes several well-known airlines, including Delta, Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic. It is expected that the number of participants in the project will soon expand due to the addition of the aircraft manufacturing company Boeing and other air carriers. Source: Forbes
The Pentagon is developing technology for facial recognition at a distance of up to 1 km
The US military is close to completing the development of technology that will allow face recognition at a distance of up to 1 km using a portable device. It is expected that the new equipment will be used in unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as in identifying people during ground military operations. The project “Advanced Tactical Facial Recognition Using Remote Technology” is being developed for the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM). Work on the new technology began in 2016. Last December, a working prototype was demonstrated to customers from the Pentagon. This paved the way for a production version to be released. The creator of the technology is Secure Planet. Its website states that “the mobile biometric verification and identification system provides critical protection for soldiers and civilians, allowing them to stay safe in the face of ever-evolving threats.” Source: Digital Trends
The flight control of the Apollo 11 spacecraft, whose goal was to successfully land the first man on the Moon, was provided using a computer control computer (AGC) and a relatively small number of files written in the Assembly programming language. Prior to the digitization of NASA's lunar program code, hard copies of these files were kept at the MIT Museum. Attached to the list of repository files are instructions for compiling the code on the Virtual Apollo Guidance Computer. The source code is distributed in the public domain. Source: GitHub
The video was created by local company The Ideaz Factory. Thanks to artificial intelligence, programmers were able to accurately imitate the articulation of a politician. A video of Tiwari, who is an MP for the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, was circulated on WhatsApp among non-resident workers living in Delhi. For many of them, the Haryanvi dialect is their mother tongue. In his video, Manoj Tiwari accused the authorities of failing to fulfill election promises and called for voting for their political force. Representatives of the Bharatiya Janata Party claim that the reaction to the deepfake video was positive: “Everyone was pleased that the politician spoke in their native language.” After the first video, a second one was released, in which Tiwari speaks English. It is intended for "urban voters of Delhi". Source: VICE
The Seamless Air Alliance includes several well-known airlines, including Delta, Air France-KLM and Virgin Atlantic. It is expected that the number of participants in the project will soon expand due to the addition of the aircraft manufacturing company Boeing and other air carriers. Source: Forbes
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