The founder of the British consumer electronics company that develops smartphones and other accessories made these comments during an interview at the SXSW conference.

In terms of AI in software, I think people should understand that apps are going to disappear,

So, if you’re a founder or a startup and your app is like where the core value lies, that will be disrupted whether you like it or not.

The company is pitching the idea for some time now about a new kind of smartphone using AI and personalization technology accurate enough so its users won’t feel they have to double-check its output.

Some companies already implemented AI features that can execute a command on the users’ behalf, like booking flights or hotels. However Pei believes the AI could begin to learn a user’s intentions long-term. For example, if you wanted to be healthier, the device could give you nudges to help you accomplish your goals.

I think it gets even more powerful when it starts surfacing suggestions for you; you don’t have to manually come up with an idea…when the system knows us so well, it will come up with things that we don’t even [know] we wanted,

Pei explained.

Pei believes AI-first smartphone would do things for its users without needing to be commanded to. This would mean a device with an interface designed for the AI agent to use.

Despite this Pei doesn’t think apps are going away in the near future, but over time the AI will use the “app” in a frictionless way, not mimicking human touch on the smartphones by moving through menus and tapping options.

That’s not the future. The future is not the agent using a human interface. You need to create an interface for the agent to use. I think that’s the more future-proof way of doing it.

Image: TechCrunch. (2019). TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2019 – Day 3 Carl Pei (cropped). Wikimedia Commons

Konstantin Drenski, Senior Software Engineer

Konstantin has been a senior software engineer at Paysafe since 2021. In addition to the financial industry, his professional career to date includes experience on several large software projects in the telecommunications and energy sectors. In his free time, he enjoys sports, traveling, and experimenting with new technologies.

Alexander Petrov, Software Engineer

Alexander is a software engineer with 5 years of experience in Java, Spring Boot, and microservices architecture. Outside of work, he has a strong interest in electric vehicle platforms and battery technology. He often applies his engineering mindset to his hobbies, whether it’s home automation, energy efficiency, or smart solutions for everyday life.

Stoyan Stoyanov, Junior Software Engineer

Stoyan has been a Software Engineer at Paysafe since 2024. He holds an engineering degree in mechanical engineering and transitioned into the field of software engineering about four years ago. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family and actively engaging in various sports activities.

What do you like most about your job as a software engineer?

Konstantin: What I like most is the opportunity to solve complex problems through technology and create solutions that have a real impact.

Alexander: I like that I can create something useful, from an idea to a real working product. I feel satisfied when I see how the solution I have worked on makes others’ work easier or contributes to a better experience for end users. In addition, my profession constantly challenges me – there is always something new to learn and improve upon.

Stoyan: I like the fact that by writing code, we actually solve problems and create value. The work combines logic and creativity, and the greatest satisfaction comes when I see something I’ve worked on being used in real life—especially on a large scale, as I’ve seen with my previous employers and now at Paysafe. Technology is constantly changing, which keeps me curious and engaged – it’s never boring.

When you encounter a technical challenge, how do you approach solving it?

Konstantin: When I encounter a technical challenge, I first analyze it thoroughly, break it down into smaller parts, and systematically seek a solution through research, testing, and collaboration with the team.

Alexander: First, I try to really understand the problem– what exactly is not working and why. Then I develop a clear plan of action – step by step. If necessary, I look for information, consult with colleagues, or try out different options. I believe that with patience, logic, and good communication, every challenge has a solution.

Stoyan: I usually start by understanding the full context – not just what’s broken, but why, and what should be happening. I break the problem down into smaller steps and look for confirmation through logs, tests, or observing the behavior of the system. If I’m stuck, I don’t hesitate to ask a colleague for advice. My work so far has taught me that asking the right question at the right time saves a lot of time and effort.

What is the most important lesson you have learned so far in your career?

Konstantin: The most important lesson I have learned so far in my career is that effective communication and collaboration are as key to success as technical skills.

Alexander: My most important lesson so far is that at work, especially in a team, it is not only important to find a solution, but also how you present and communicate it. A good software engineer is not someone who knows everything, but someone who knows how to work effectively with others, share knowledge, and create clarity, not confusion.

Stoyan: I have learned that communication is just as important as writing good code. There have been cases where better coordination would have saved hours of debugging. Another important lesson is that good planning and design at the beginning can save a lot of headaches in the end – something I have also seen in larger projects in a corporate environment.

How do you maintain and develop your skills in the dynamic world of technology?

Konstantin: I maintain and develop my skills through continuous learning. I follow new technologies, participate in online courses, read specialized literature, and engage in practical projects that challenge me to step outside my comfort zone.

Alexander: I try to regularly find time for learning, sometimes through online courses, sometimes through real projects, or by setting myself new challenges. I keep track of what is changing in our field, I like to experiment and ask myself the question: “Can this be done better?” For me, development is a continuous process.

Stoyan: To be honest, my free time doesn’t always allow me to keep up with everything new, so I try to get involved in a variety of tasks and projects at work that allow me to learn new technologies. This way, I learn practically – “on the go,” through real problems. This helps me develop naturally, without losing touch with the real context.

What do you think makes a team of software engineers successful?

Konstantin: In my opinion, a successful team of software engineers is built on open communication, mutual trust, clearly defined roles, and shared responsibility for the end result.

Alexander: A successful team is built on trust, respect, and open communication. Everyone should feel free to share ideas and concerns. When people help each other, learn from each other, and work together toward a common goal, the results are really good. And last but not least, a good mood in the team is always reflected in the quality of the work.

Stoyan: Clear communication and a culture of mutual trust are the foundation. In a strong team, people help each other, are not afraid to share uncertainties, and give each other feedback. In my opinion, teams are most effective when everyone is clear about how they contribute, but is also open to getting involved in things outside their comfort zone if necessary. I have seen this in practice – good teams are immediately recognizable by the way they communicate and take responsibility.

The material and images are provided by Paysafe

“Whether you’re a developer or you’re managing the entire team, GitLab Duo Chat can empower you to take advantage of AI exactly where you need it throughout the software development lifecycle — all while helping you maintain code quality and security guardrails,” the company wrote in post.

Organizations can control which data the AI gets read access to at the project, subgroup and group level. GitLab also said that customer data is not used to train the AI models.

Other new features in GitLab 16.11 include:

• Policy scoping, which allows compliance teams to assign policy enforcement to a specific group of projects;
• Product analytics, including key usage and user adoption data;
• Ability to disable personal access tokens by enterprise users;
• Autocomplete when inserting links to wikipedia pages;
• Sidebar containing project information;

In total, over 40 new features have been added to GitLab 16.11. It is available in GitLab and in IDEs such as VS Code and the JetBrainsIDE.

Read more:
1. From Competitions in Informatics to MIT – Rumen Hristov’s Formula for Success
2. Xbox Comes with New Titles in the Second Half of April
3. OpenAI Adds New Tool to Its API for Assistants

“While SAS Viya is the foundation of the SAS software ecosystem, the company is evolving its portfolio with innovative products to meet diverse user needs”, saidKathy Lange, Research Director for AI Software, IDC.

He adds that new offerings such as SAS Viya Workbench aim to boost productivity, improve efficiency and “build trust among AI developers”.

Viya Workbench allows developers and modellers to work in the language of their choice. Initially they will have a choice between SAS and Python, with R expected to be available by the end of 2024. Viya Workbench offers two development environment options – Jupyter Notebook/JupyterLab and Visual Studio Code.

The use of SAS analytic procedures (PROCs) and Python native APIs within Viya Workbench accelerates the development of high-performance AI models. Additionally, custom Python libraries can significantly improve speed and performance with minimal changes to a developer’s existing Python program.

Viya Workbench is a flexible, scalable, and efficient development environment that can be terminated with minimal IT support. The dedicated analytics environment features custom CPU/GPU compute power to meet project needs.

“The many challenges developers face aren’t just minor annoyances – they are obstacles that prevent questions from being answered and work from getting done”, said Jared Peterson, Senior Vice President of Engineering, SAS.

Viya Workbench will initially be available through the Amazon AWS Marketplace in the second quarter. Additional supported cloud service providers and a software-as-a-service deployment option are expected to be available in the future.

Read more:
1. 5 Awesome Features to Expect in Windows 11
2. Companies Unite to Create AI Tools for Enterprises
3. Oracle Releases Critical Update, Fixes 372 Vulnerabilities

1. Hive

Through this application, you can create a to-do list, record deadlines, and assign tasks to people who are in your workspace.
This application is suitable for you whether you work in person or from home, as well as in a hybrid form.

Hive’s Kanban feature lets you put tasks on a visual board. You can see what their execution status is. Your calendar shows what tasks you have set for the day.

What else does Hive offer?

•  Ability to track set goals
•  An AI writing tool that serves to generate content
•  Create a project plan
•  Create tasks from notes in notes
•  Workflow automation tools

2. Todoist

Todoist is the simplest application for recording daily tasks. It is suitable for recording tasks that need to be performed regularly and are frequently repeated.

The application is available from various platforms. Its interface is extremely easy to use. Karma is a built-in system in Todoist that tracks your progress and gives you points for completing your tasks.

3 . Google Keep

This is a Google list making app. It is suitable for recording the products you need for purchase.
Google Keep will come in handy if you need a free app to send you reminders. It is a place to keep basic daily notes. Not suitable for work.

4. Remember The Milk

This application is also intended for use in the everyday sphere, not in the work sphere. It is available on many platforms and is a great option for busy people who need household reminders.

Through it you can create lists of your daily tasks. You can also create tags to priority tasks. In addition, Remember the Milk allows you to create sub-tasks to your main ones.

5. Way of Life

This platform is suitable if you want to give up an old habit and replace it with a new and more useful one. The app is suitable if you have recurring weekly tasks as it allows you to see what progress you have made.

Performance can be noted via a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ function based on the application’s color coding. Way of Life presents graphs that report your activities.

The app also has a reminder function. A journal section can be used to add additional notes to the task.

6. nTask

nTask is an app that can combine recording tasks from both your personal and professional life. It is suitable for task and project management.

Through it you can add other users that you can add to different tasks. The app is available on many platforms and is easy to use.

App Features:

• Team management
• risk management
• meeting management
• bug tracking

7. Microsoft To Do

The cloud system that the application has allows you to access it anywhere and anytime. Microsoft To Do is easy to use. Through it, you can create your tasks by importance, in alphabetical order, and you can also sort them by due date.

The application allows tasks to be shared with your relatives, friends or colleagues. It can connect to Microsoft Outlook.
Microsoft To Do software is available for all mobile devices. Your lists will be permanently accessible over the Internet. Also, the app is completely free if you have a Microsoft account.

8. TickTick

The application can be used on several platforms. It is available for both computers and mobile devices.
TickTick is characterized by the frugal features:

• Making smart lists
•  Calendar
•  Access to a comprehensive overview of all tasks both daily and monthly
• Kanban visual board

9. Any.do

This app is suitable for both individual and team task setting.
The application software allows managing both daily tasks and creating batch tasks for workflows.

Through the application, you can add other users to the lists of tasks prepared by you. Additionally, the app enables you to assign tasks as well as create a general chat in real time.

10. OmniFocus

This application allows you to quickly save the tasks that remain in the tracking system, and you do not have to remember them. OmniFocus works with the GTD methodology to accomplish tasks.

It is a powerful tool with various customizable features. The app is currently only available for Apple devices. It can be synced with your computer or mobile device.

A group of technology companies, including Intel, Google, Arm, Qualcomm and Samsung, created the Unified Accelerator Fund (UXL) alliance, through which they will work together to remove the advantages that NVIDIA has as a dominant player in the artificial intelligence market, reports The Verge.

The alliance will undertake the mission of developing an open-source software package that will allow AI professionals to break away from NVIDIA’s technology. Additionally, the code that developers create will be able to function on any machine with any chip.

The Unified Acceleration Foundation is still in the design phase, but is expected to begin operations by the beginning of the second half of the year. UXL currently supports the OneAPI open standard. It was created by the Intel company.

Members of the alliance believe that it will remove restrictions on developers using specific programming languages, code sets and any other tools intended to bind developers to the use of certain architectures. For example – NVIDIA’s CUDA platform, which strives for this.

After focusing entirely on making chips for AI models like the H100, the company reached $2 trillion in market capitalization last month. This secured NVIDIA’s top spot among chip makers. The company is also planning to release new AI models soon – H200 GPU.

The chips that NVIDIA manufactures require developers to use the CUDA architecture, which supersedes all other chip manufacturers’ architectures by leaps and bounds. Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, also shared that 4 million developers use CUDA.

However, technology companies are not giving up and continue to try to create alternative architectures of their own to displace the dominant one in the market.

For now, the creators of UXL intend to support NVIDIA hardware and code. Initially, the project will aim to develop options for AI applications.

The group of tech companies that make up the alliance is looking to collaborate with other powerhouses like Microsoft and Amazon to make sure the solutions they provide can be built into any chip or hardware.

Python

This language is used in web development, data science, machine learning, and process automation. Python is also known for being an easy language to learn. It is suitable both for people starting to develop in the IT field and for experienced specialists.

JavaScript

It is a flexible language. It is cross-platform compatible. It is suitable for creating various web applications. JavaScript is one of the most preferred languages for work in Europe. It is used in web development as well as front-end technologies.

Java

The language is suitable for creating enterprise applications as well as developing for Android. Java is one of the main languages used in the creation of secure software solutions in the technology industry.

C#

C# finds application in the creation of games, the development of enterprise software and Windows applications. The language’s ability to integrate with Microsoft’s various technologies makes it a highly desirable working language for programmers in Europe.

The rapid development of the .NET ecosystem and Unity in game development adds to the flexibility of C#, making the language even more stable when creating high-performance applications.

SQL

Structured Query Language (SQL) is the leader in database management in Europe. In the fields of finance, healthcare and e-commerce, mastery of SQL is highly sought after and valued.

Using the language is key for professionals who manage large databases, retrieve information, or ensure that data integrity is maintained in all types of institutions.

PHP

The language is a leader among web development and content management systems. PHP’s ability to integrate with databases, as well as its ease of use, make the language one of the most suitable for creating dynamic websites and various web applications.

Ruby

Ruby is a language often used by startups and web developers because of the convenient environment it provides to programmers. The language focuses on developer productivity and convenience. This makes it a suitable choice when creating web solutions.

Each one of the listed languages contributes to the creation and development of different applications or to the invention of different solutions for the needs of the European market. By knowing the strengths of languages, developers help drive innovation in technology.

Through the lens of cinema, today we’ll look at Software Testing not only as an important aspect of the #tech world, but also as a cinematic art that influences anyone who chooses to take the QA path of professional development, look beyond the digital landscape typical of the average viewer.

Movies are a good choice for an educational tool with an entertaining nature that combines the useful with the enjoyable, and helps you not only acquire new knowledge, but also remember it easier and faster.

Today we present you a list of TOP 3 Software Testing movies suitable for every future and current QA engineer.

Webmaster

The movie is about a super talented webmaster hacker on an illegal cyber domain on the dark web.

The movie is exciting to watch as there are many transformations in it. At one point you are watching a webmaster with VR goggles. And the next moment it’s either a chase, a party, or someone trying to survive in cyberspace.

Webmaster is one of those films that explores the quality assurance of software that needs to be done early on. This is important to avoid hacker attacks and downtime.

The film shows programmers the importance of not underestimating the testing of all software to avoid hacking.

Who Am I? No System Is Safe

Critics rate this film as one of the best software testing films you can find. The film tells the story of a group of hackers who have one goal – to become famous around the world for their hacking skills.

“Who Am I” is a film that follows an interview with a hacker who talks about his life journey. The film briefly raises the issue of concept testing in popular films in a peculiar way, introducing viewers to the strong presence of hackers in the digital space.

Many of these hackers see this work as a profession in which they should thrive, and many also have ambitions to gain popularity by causing harm and damage to online businesses.

This is one of the best hacker-themed movies, with themes like Darknet, IRC Windows, and more at its center. The movie indirectly tells the world that every online software product needs proper testing for best protection.

Ex Machina

The film Ex Machina focuses on the wonders of artificial intelligence. It gives a fresher and different take on the exhausted science fiction formula of artificial intelligence turned evil. The film takes us into a world where tech experts are testing AI software in its ability to work like humans.

Ex Machina goes deeper than focusing between the fake and the real, and that makes it one of the best thought-provoking testing films. Ex Machina sends a strong message to the audience, which is to be careful what they “say to their computer.”

AMD and Intel do not appear on the list of processors approved by China’s Information Security Assessment Center, The Register reports. A December 26, 2023 document lists 18 processors that Beijing has approved as suitable for use by locals. The x86 architecture is included on the list, but only in chips manufactured by Shanghai Zhaoxin Integrated Circuit Co. Ltd – which is minority owned by Taiwan’s Via Technologies and holds a license to produce x86 processors.

Zhaoxin’s processors aren’t as powerful as Intel’s Xeons or AMD’s Epycs, but they can power some desktops.

The list also includes approved desktop and server operating systems. Only Chinese code is present, namely:

• Galaxy Kirin Linux developed by China National University of Defense Technology;
• Tongxin OS, a Debian variant developed by Shanghai-based UnionTech;
• Fangde OS, another Chinese project;

In addition to chips and operating systems, the list also includes databases, but nothing from Western developers made the cut. Again, China relies on its own established projects such as Alibaba Cloud’s PolarDB, Tencent’s TDSQL and a few others.

The publication of the list is an indication of China’s growing efforts to replace Western technology with locally developed products.

The Financial Times spoke to some IT shops in China, which confirmed that they are phasing out products such as Windows PCs as “shop from home” regulations have come into force.

These provisions were first proposed in 2014. As of May 2022. They were re-introduced. A deadline of two years for their implementation was also set then. This means that China has just five weeks to switch to using indigenous hardware and software.

However, many Chinese companies have already developed applications and automations based on Western technology. According to market observers, rebuilding these tools will be neither a quick nor an easy task. Whether this is the final date after which China will not use Western-created technologies is unclear, given that past edicts to switch to Chinese-only technologies have been repeated several times.

In its lawsuit, the US Department of Justice alleges that Apple is abusing its control of the iPhone app store to keep its users.

Furthermore, it gives the impression that the company is making its competitors’ products less available and appear less attractive to consumers.

Apple denies all accusations. This case is becoming one of the most serious problems facing the company. Complaints against its practices have increased in recent years.

The complaint alleges that Apple uses a series of policies to restrict access to its hardware and software. The company is said to be focusing on increasing its income by increasing prices for its customers and is trying to prevent its competitors from innovating.

“Apple has maintained monopoly power in the smartphone market not simply by staying ahead of the competition on the merits but by violating federal anti-trust law”. “Customers should not have to pay higher prices because companies break the law.” Attorney General Merrick Garland said at a press conference announcing the suit.

The complaint lists 5 areas that the US Department of Justice says the company is infringing.

According to the US, Apple is preventing the development of super apps and streaming apps because it fears that they will drive users away from their need for the iPhone.

In addition, the lawsuit alleges that the tech giant prevents syncing between iPhones and smartwatches made by competing companies.

Additionally, the complaint describes Apple not allowing banks or financial companies to access iPhone payment technology. This action provides revenue for the company, which earns billions in fees for processing transactions through Apple Pay.

Apple, for its part, says that according to American law, the company is free to choose which business partners to cooperate with. The tech giant says its rules have been tweaked for security and privacy reasons.

“We believe this lawsuit is wrong on the facts and the law, and we will vigorously defend against it,” the company announced.

Apple representatives announce that they will fight to have the court dismiss the complaint.