#FACTOR

[bambinamoon]

Mantener la muerte presente y no negarla, es muy importante.

BambinaMoon

[snappingthewalls]

[jcmarchi]

The Importance of Investing in Soft Skills in the Age of AI

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/the-importance-of-investing-in-soft-skills-in-the-age-of-ai/

The Importance of Investing in Soft Skills in the Age of AI

I’ll set out my stall and let you know I am still an AI skeptic. Heck, I still wrap “AI” in quotes a lot of the time I talk about it. I am, however, skeptical of the present, rather than the future. I wouldn’t say I’m positive or even excited about where AI is going, but there’s an inevitability that in development circles, it will be further engrained in our work.

We joke in the industry that the suggestions that AI gives us are more often than not, terrible, but that will only improve in time. A good basis for that theory is how fast generative AI has improved with image and video generation. Sure, generated images still have that “shrink-wrapped” look about them, and generated images of people have extra… um… limbs, but consider how much generated AI images have improved, even in the last 12 months.

There’s also the case that VC money is seemingly exclusively being invested in AI, industry-wide. Pair that with a continuously turbulent tech recruitment situation, with endless major layoffs and even a skeptic like myself can see the writing on the wall with how our jobs as developers are going to be affected.

The biggest risk factor I can foresee is that if your sole responsibility is to write code, your job is almost certainly at risk. I don’t think this is an imminent risk in a lot of cases, but as generative AI improves its code output — just like it has for images and video — it’s only a matter of time before it becomes a redundancy risk for actual human developers.

Do I think this is right? Absolutely not. Do I think it’s time to panic? Not yet, but I do see a lot of value in evolving your skillset beyond writing code. I especially see the value in improving your soft skills.

What are soft skills?

A good way to think of soft skills is that they are life skills. Soft skills include:

communicating with others,

organizing yourself and others,

making decisions, and

adapting to difficult situations.

I believe so much in soft skills that I call them core skills and for the rest of this article, I’ll refer to them as core skills, to underline their importance.

The path to becoming a truly great developer is down to more than just coding. It comes down to how you approach everything else, like communication, giving and receiving feedback, finding a pragmatic solution, planning — and even thinking like a web developer.

I’ve been working with CSS for over 15 years at this point and a lot has changed in its capabilities. What hasn’t changed though, is the core skills — often called “soft skills” — that are required to push you to the next level. I’ve spent a large chunk of those 15 years as a consultant, helping organizations — both global corporations and small startups — write better CSS. In almost every single case, an improvement of the organization’s core skills was the overarching difference.

The main reason for this is a lot of the time, the organizations I worked with coded themselves into a corner. They’d done that because they just plowed through — Jira ticket after Jira ticket — rather than step back and question, “is our approach actually working?” By focusing on their team’s core skills, we were often — and very quickly — able to identify problem areas and come up with pragmatic solutions that were almost never development solutions. These solutions were instead:

Improving communication and collaboration between design and development teams

Reducing design “hand-off” and instead, making the web-based output the source of truth

Moving slowly and methodically to move fast

Putting a sharp focus on planning and collaboration between developers and designers, way in advance of production work being started

Changing the mindset of “plow on” to taking a step back, thoroughly evaluating the problem, and then developing a collaborative and by proxy, much simpler solution

Will improving my core skills actually help?

One thing AI cannot do — and (hopefully) never will be able to do — is be human. Core skills — especially communication skills — are very difficult for AI to recreate well because the way we communicate is uniquely human.

I’ve been doing this job a long time and something that’s certainly propelled my career is the fact I’ve always been versatile. Having a multifaceted skillset — like in my case, learning CSS and HTML to improve my design work — will only benefit you. It opens up other opportunities for you too, which is especially important with the way the tech industry currently is.

If you’re wondering how to get started on improving your core skills, I’ve got you. I produced a course called Complete CSS this year but it’s a slight rug-pull because it’s actually a core skills course that uses CSS as a context. You get to learn some iron-clad CSS skills alongside those core skills too, as a bonus. It’s definitely worth checking out if you are interested in developing your core skills, especially so if you receive a training budget from your employer.

Wrapping up

The main message I want to get across is developing your core skills is as important — if not more important — than keeping up to date with the latest CSS or JavaScript thing. It might be uncomfortable for you to do that, but trust me, being able to stand yourself out over AI is only going to be a good thing, and improving your core skills is a sure-fire way to do exactly that.

[chronivore]

[persimmonlions]

Founded in 1982, FACTOR supports Canada's English-language music industry by offering a wide range of grants for musicians, record labels, event organizers, awards shows and others in the industry, with funding from the federal government and private radio broadcasters.

The organization has helped artists achieve success beyond Canada's borders — from rising stars like tenor and composer Jeremy Dutcher and musician Debby Friday to international success stories like Nickelback and Tegan and Sara, who were buoyed by funding early in their careers.

In the 2022-23 fiscal year, FACTOR offered more than $51 million in total funding to more than 3,000 projects across Canada.

[thismachinekillscobbles]

[mobilerafie]

The most impressive part of this Angel figure is the impressive wings. We get a glorious wingspan and amazing texture to the feathers. This is a great action figure!

[chiefmcclane]

My MIL got Factor and every time she goes to close the account they keep giving her freebies, which has led to me getting a week's worth of meals for free. Here's my quick consumer review:

1. Delicious for a microwave meal. Genuinely some very good tasting food.

2. Not as healthy as they make themselves out to be. One of my meals today has 660 calories (fine) but an insane 19g of saturated fat (which is 95% of that macro if you have a 2000 calorie diet). It's extreme, but the other ones that I have had were all within 40-60% of daily saturated fat macros.

3. Expensive. Average about $12-$15 per meal if you aren't getting freebies. For context, meal prepping the same thing would cost about $5, so you are really paying for convenience.

4. Filling. I was not hungry for several hours after my meal. Didn't even want to think about a little snack.

[cerebrodigital]

Esta condición afecta entre el 5% y el 10% de las personas y sigue siendo un enigma para los médicos.

Te dejamos el estudio científico:

[ladyphantasm]

Exploring the Solo Careers of Little Mix

As Little Mix members pursue their solo careers, each has taken a unique path. While some have thrived, others face challenges in finding their identity outside the group. In this post, we’ll explore the journeys of Jesy, Leigh-Anne, Perrie, and Jade, highlighting their strengths and struggles as they carve out their own spaces in the music industry.

Jesy has a unique and powerful voice, which she showcased in her debut single featuring Nicki Minaj and Diddy. However, there are concerns about cultural appropriation in her style, as it seems misaligned with her identity. The themes of her music, particularly her portrayal of relationships with "bad boys," feel out of place given her age and background, making the concepts seem odd. While her music has a genuine quality, it lacks artistic coherence and direction. Although her second single represented a shift in style, it appeared reactive to public reception, which may overshadow her future releases. Overall, her cultural representation and portrayal of identity don’t resonate as authentic, leaving listeners questioning her artistic integrity.

Leigh-Anne has clearly defined her artistic vision and sound, producing catchy and diverse music that aligns well with her vocal range and personal style. She has consistently demonstrated growth in her skills over the years, and her artistic expression is complemented by her top-notch fashion sense. Leigh-Anne’s confidence in her identity as an artist translates into her work, creating a cohesive and appealing brand that resonates with her audience. Her ability to maintain a clear vision allows her music to feel authentic and purposeful, setting her apart in the industry.

Perrie made a strong impression with her first single, which showcased a departure from her previous sound in Little Mix, offering a refreshing change. However, her second single lacked cohesion, raising concerns about her musical direction. The shift to a different genre felt disconnected from her established image, and while she possesses a remarkable voice—arguably one of the best of her generation—her music sometimes lacks a distinct signature. Although her third single mirrored her debut, it still didn’t quite capture the attention it deserved. I wish she would cultivate a more unique style, as her immense talent has the potential to take her far.

Jade stands out as a true artist, deeply involved in the writing, singing, and overall creation of her music. She has a clear vision and demonstrates a strong artistic identity, making her work feel authentic and engaging. Jade’s comfort in her own skin shines through, creating an emotional connection with her audience. Her distinctive sound and aesthetic set her apart in the industry, and her artistic versatility is compelling. It’s evident how much she influenced Little Mix, and her growth as an artist is remarkable. While her vocal range may not be the widest, she excels at utilizing her strengths effectively, solidifying her status as a unique and valuable artist.

In conclusion, Leigh-Anne and Jade have forged the most successful solo careers, as they possess a clear understanding of their identities as artists, which is reflected in their music. Jesy, while showcasing a powerful voice and initial promise, seems lost and lacks a distinct identity, struggling with authenticity and a coherent artistic direction, which may impact her long-term success. Perrie, despite her incredible vocal talent, also appears to be navigating her path without a definitive direction, leaving her potential somewhat untapped. Together, their journeys highlight the diverse challenges and opportunities each artist faces in establishing their solo careers.

[thesuperheroesnetwork]

This week’s content is brought to you by our sponsor, Factor!

Factor is America’s #1 Ready-To-Eat Meal Kit. Healthy, fresh, never frozen meals you can heat up quickly that taste great. We LOVE them! 

Get 50% off your first box with code tfs50off or head to https://factormeals.com/tfs50off

[xmencovered]

X-Factor Annual Vol 1 4 / Published: June 29, 1989 / Artist: John Byrne

[jcmarchi]

Industry First: UCIe Optical Chiplet Unveiled by Ayar Labs

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/industry-first-ucie-optical-chiplet-unveiled-by-ayar-labs/

Industry First: UCIe Optical Chiplet Unveiled by Ayar Labs

Ayar Labs has unveiled the industry’s first Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express (UCIe) optical interconnect chiplet, designed specifically to maximize AI infrastructure performance and efficiency while reducing latency and power consumption for large-scale AI workloads.

This breakthrough will help address the increasing demands of advanced computing architectures, especially as AI systems continue to scale. By incorporating a UCIe electrical interface, the new chiplet is designed to eliminate data bottlenecks while enabling seamless integration with chips from different vendors, fostering a more accessible and cost-effective ecosystem for adopting advanced optical technologies.

The chiplet, named TeraPHY™, achieves 8 Tbps bandwidth and is powered by Ayar Labs’ 16-wavelength SuperNova™ light source. This optical interconnect technology aims to overcome the limitations of traditional copper interconnects, particularly for data-intensive AI applications.

“Optical interconnects are needed to solve power density challenges in scale-up AI fabrics,” said Mark Wade, CEO of Ayar Labs.

The integration with the UCIe standard is particularly significant as it allows chiplets from different manufacturers to work together seamlessly. This interoperability is critical for the future of chip design, which is increasingly moving toward multi-vendor, modular approaches.

The UCIe Standard: Creating an Open Chiplet Ecosystem

The UCIe Consortium, which developed the standard, aims to build “an open ecosystem of chiplets for on-package innovations.” Their Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express specification addresses industry demands for more customizable, package-level integration by combining high-performance die-to-die interconnect technology with multi-vendor interoperability.

“The advancement of the UCIe standard marks significant progress toward creating more integrated and efficient AI infrastructure thanks to an ecosystem of interoperable chiplets,” said Dr. Debendra Das Sharma, Chair of the UCIe Consortium.

The standard establishes a universal interconnect at the package level, enabling chip designers to mix and match components from different vendors to create more specialized and efficient systems. The UCIe Consortium recently announced its UCIe 2.0 Specification release, indicating the standard’s continued development and refinement.

Industry Support and Implications

The announcement has garnered strong endorsements from major players in the semiconductor and AI industries, all members of the UCIe Consortium.

Mark Papermaster from AMD emphasized the importance of open standards: “The robust, open and vendor neutral chiplet ecosystem provided by UCIe is critical to meeting the challenge of scaling networking solutions to deliver on the full potential of AI. We’re excited that Ayar Labs is one of the first deployments that leverages the UCIe platform to its full extent.”

This sentiment was echoed by Kevin Soukup from GlobalFoundries, who noted, “As the industry transitions to a chiplet-based approach to system partitioning, the UCIe interface for chiplet-to-chiplet communication is rapidly becoming a de facto standard. We are excited to see Ayar Labs demonstrating the UCIe standard over an optical interface, a pivotal technology for scale-up networks.”

Technical Advantages and Future Applications

The convergence of UCIe and optical interconnects represents a paradigm shift in computing architecture. By combining silicon photonics in a chiplet form factor with the UCIe standard, the technology allows GPUs and other accelerators to “communicate across a wide range of distances, from millimeters to kilometers, while effectively functioning as a single, giant GPU.”

The technology also facilitates Co-Packaged Optics (CPO), with multinational manufacturing company Jabil already showcasing a model featuring Ayar Labs’ light sources capable of “up to a petabit per second of bi-directional bandwidth.” This approach promises greater compute density per rack, enhanced cooling efficiency, and support for hot-swap capability.

“Co-packaged optical (CPO) chiplets are set to transform the way we address data bottlenecks in large-scale AI computing,” said Lucas Tsai from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). “The availability of UCIe optical chiplets will foster a strong ecosystem, ultimately driving both broader adoption and continued innovation across the industry.”

Transforming the Future of Computing

As AI workloads continue to grow in complexity and scale, the semiconductor industry is increasingly looking toward chiplet-based architectures as a more flexible and collaborative approach to chip design. Ayar Labs’ introduction of the first UCIe optical chiplet addresses the bandwidth and power consumption challenges that have become bottlenecks for high-performance computing and AI workloads.

The combination of the open UCIe standard with advanced optical interconnect technology promises to revolutionize system-level integration and drive the future of scalable, efficient computing infrastructure, particularly for the demanding requirements of next-generation AI systems.

The strong industry support for this development indicates the potential for a rapidly expanding ecosystem of UCIe-compatible technologies, which could accelerate innovation across the semiconductor industry while making advanced optical interconnect solutions more widely available and cost-effective.

[nofatclips]

Blue Sunshine by Ghost Twin from the Artoffact Records 2021 sampler

[i-scavenger]

A lot of Factor meals found on a bench.