Do you want to share your experience and knowledge with the InfoQ audience? Would you like the chance of winning a free ticket to the InfoQ Dev Summit and future QCons? You’re in luck, as the InfoQ team is running a limited-time article writing competition. Read on to learn how to enter and the terms and conditions.
InfoQ’s mission and how you can help
Software is changing the world, and InfoQ’s mission is to help developers learn and adopt new technologies and practices. We aim to spot emerging trends in software development that we believe have broad applicability and make our community aware of them early. One way we do this is by publishing quality articles. We think that the story is best told by developer to developer, architect to architect, and team lead to team lead. That’s why we need you to contribute an article describing your architecture story, latest learnings, or technology case study.
We constantly encourage software practitioners and domain experts to submit feature-length (2000 – 3000 words) articles that are timely, educational, and practical. We carefully curate and peer-review everything we publish, as we strongly believe that the high-quality insights offered by our editors and other contributors have the power to uplift entire communities.
To support this purpose, we invite you, the software community members, to submit articles and participate in sharing knowledge with your peers. And to add extra incentive, we are running an article competition with free tickets to our event for a limited time as prizes!
Guidelines
Articles should be:
Timely – because InfoQ tracks important and significant trends within our respective communities.
Educational – meaning that they should teach our readers something non-trivial.
Practical – meaning readers should take away processes and practices that they can apply in their daily work.
Marketing free – our readers expect InfoQ content to be educational, accurate, technical, and without hidden marketing agendas.
InfoQ readers are senior software engineers, software architects, and team leads who influence the adoption of innovations and practices. Therefore, articles should have specific takeaways, and readers should walk away with actions to perform, a new theory to think about, or a thought-provoking question to answer.
Before submitting a proposal, please read our author guidelines to ensure the best chance of having your article accepted. You can submit the article proposal by completing the dedicated contest form. This form will be open for submissions only during the established period: April 08 – May 10, 2024.
If you would like feedback regarding the suitability of an article proposal before writing the actual draft, please send us a title and abstract. However, the acceptance is always based on the complete article draft, not only on the abstract; first drafts are also considered. Contact us at editors@infoq.com for any questions or further information.
What’s in for you?
While we are aware the biggest winner is the community, we are proud and grateful to be able to offer contributors several benefits in return:
Win a ticket to one of our upcoming conferences
The authors of the articles that raise the most interest and/or appreciation from the community will be rewarded with a ticket for an upcoming event:
1st prize – win an in-person ticket for a QCon of your choice: San Francisco or London
2nd prize – win an in-person ticket for an InfoQ Dev Summit of your choice
3rd prize – win a Video-Only Pass access to talks on-demand after the conference for one of our events at your choice: London or San Francisco
In-person tickets for QCon events include access to 3 days of sessions, keynotes, peer-sharing, and recordings of the talks after the conference, as follows:
All tracks, sessions, and keynotes for 3 days
Networking and peer-sharing opportunities
Continental breakfast, lunch, and coffee breaks
Recordings of most sessions and keynotes for 6 months after the conference
Social events & receptions
Access to the exhibitor area
In-person tickets for QCon events do not include any other costs that your attendance on site might include, such as but not limited to: accommodation, travel, etc. If you are unable to attend in person, you can opt-in for the Video-Only access to most sessions and keynotes for 6 months.
In-person tickets for InfoQ Dev Summit events include access to 2 days of sessions, social events, peer-sharing, as follows:
2 days of sessions
2 Attendee Socials & peer-sharing opportunities
Lunch and coffee breaks
Access to the exhibitor area
In-person tickets for InfoQ Dev Summit events do not include any other costs that your attendance on-site might include, such as but not limited to: accommodation, travel, etc.
Video-Only Passes include access to recording for o most sessions and keynotes for 6 months.
Raise your professional profile
InfoQ’s audience surpasses 1.5 million unique visitors per month. Writing for InfoQ will help raise your profile with an international audience of developers looking to learn emerging trends. We also share the content on our social media channels. Being published on InfoQ is an excellent opportunity to grow your career and build connections with the dev community.
Give back to the community
As a software practitioner, you would share your knowledge, experience, and expertise with the community and your peers. Other developers can learn from you, and they in turn, can contribute back to the community in the future.
Topics
We welcome articles that fit into the innovator and early adopter stages of the following topics: AI, ML and Data Engineering, DevOps & Cloud, Software Architecture & Design:
Here is a more detailed list of the sub-topics for each topic:
AI, ML, & Data Engineering: Knowledge Graphs, Explainable Al, Synthetic Data Generation, Brain-Computer Interfaces, Automated Machine Learning (AutoML), Robotics, Edge interference/model training, Large-scale distributed deep-learning, Cloud agnostic computing for Al, Al coding assistants, Vector Databases, Data Contracts, Data Observability, Virtual Reality/AR/MR/XR, MLOps, Cognitive Services, Image Recognition (Computer Vision), Graph Data Analytics, loT Platforms.
DevOps & Cloud: Data Observability, Data Mesh, Cross-cloud uniform infra automation, Application definition and orchestration, Low-code platforms, SLOS, Platform Engineering teams, Industry aggregated incident analysis, Quantum cloud computing, WebAssembly (Wasm), eBPF, Policy as Code, Service mesh, Software secure supply chain, Cross-cloud/Cloud-native hybrid approaches, No copy data sharing, Sustainability accounting, Al/ML Ops, Active-active Global DB Ops, Fullstack tracing, Continuous Testing, ChatOps, DataOps, Developer Experience “DevEx”, Documentation as code, Security in the age of AI, Container Security and Observability in Kubernetes Environments, DevSecOps Best Practices for Identity & Access Management, Best Practices for API Quality and Security.
Software Architecture & Design: Large language models, Software supply chain security, Design for sustainability, GraphQL federation, Policy as code, НТТР/3, dApps, Design for portability, Data-Driven Architecture, Architecture as a team sport, WebAssembly (Server-side and Client-side), Design for security, Design for resilience, Design for observability, Micro frontends, AsyncAPI, Workflow and decision automation platforms, Low code/no code.
Criteria for winning articles
The highest number of pageviews + the highest number of social media shares, as follows: from the top 3 articles in terms of pageviews, the one with the highest number of social media shares will be the designated winner of the 1st place. The second one will be designated the winner of the 2nd place and the third one will be the winner of the 3rd place.
The number of pageviews for each published article will be counted for 14 calendar days from the date of publication of the respective article, to ensure every participant gets a fair chance to winning. The social media shares will be counted for the following channels: LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Facebook (including Instagram and Threads).
Winners will be notified via email, and the announcement will also be posted on our social media channels on July 8, 2024.
Deadlines
Deadline for sending in article submissions is May 10, 2024.
Winners to be announced on July 08, 2024.
Announcing winners
Winners will be notified via email, but also via public announcements on the following channels: LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Facebook. The announcement will be launched on July 08, 2024.
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
