Best match

Most recent

University of Washington

Taking small steps to make digital content more accessible can make a big difference. That was one takeaway from the University of Washington’s Global Accessibility Awareness Day held earlier this… Re

Accessibility

Zulily

How the Univ. of Washington aims to make online systems and content more accessible

https://www.bing.com/th?id=ODF.8xuMx67galb6fHwFjOgRrA&pid=news

GeekWire

No cost information was yet available at the time I spoke to McCafferty. Your cable TV is another relic. We members of the older crowd rely on a provider to deliver a bank of channels that can be tuned with a set-top box,

https://www.bing.com/th?id=OVFT.Qc6P7xfZ-scDbqBD9QS6ey&pid=News

Niceville

Advertising

Television

No more bundling? A new era in technology

Northwest Florida Daily News

Apple Inc.

Canadian Parliamentary Review

Geek

Does it offer a fully functional dive computer with all the necessary safety features required for a worry-free dive? The post Geek Review: Apple Watch Ultra (Diving) appeared first on Geek Culture.

https://www.bing.com/th?id=OVFT._8TveeuC6HIryFv9VAZp-y&pid=News

Geek Review: Apple Watch Ultra (Diving)

https://www.bing.com/th?id=ODF.kkwLo8iJPFcWP1fA_VstCQ&pid=news

Yahoo News Singapore

Georgia Institute of Technology

RealNetworks

Presidents of the University of Alabama

Seattle-based digital media company RealNetworks named Chris Wheaton as president, chief operating officer, and chief financial officer. Wheaton joined RealNetworks in March and was previously CFO at Bsquare and

https://www.bing.com/th?id=OVFT.oPZaYop4Zjqf14j3muhzxS&pid=News

Tech Moves: RealNetworks appoints president; Microsoft Alumni Network leader to step down

Scott County

Fancy

Study

A professor of law who’s a computer geek carves an undaunted path through the conceptual and technical undergrowth in this illuminating tour of cyberspace’s dark side

https://www.bing.com/th?id=OVFT.pWcCOt1qqvzEUUhSrTgwbi&pid=News

Fancy Bear Goes Phishing by Scott Shapiro review – a gripping study of five extraordinary hacks

https://www.bing.com/th?id=ODF.FLSSz2cn3Rqzpu_HVWuRvA&pid=news

The Guardian

NASDAQ

Insight

Shares of SolarEdge Technologies, a smart energy company, were rising today after the company beat analysts' consensus estimates for both its top and bottom lines in the first quarter.

News & Insights

Nasdaq

Information technology

New research finds that Canada's electrical and electronic waste (e-waste) has more than tripled in the last two decades, the equivalent of filling the CN tower 110 times and generating close to a ...

News tagged with information technology

Phys.org

Get the most recent info and news about Geeks on HackerNoon, where 10k+ technologists publish stories for 4M+ monthly readers.

Based in south London, we are one of the fastest growing software development companies in the UK. Our passion is business efficiency enhancement for our clients, via smart application of automation techniques. We are winners of international awards for our innovations in business productivity.

Geeks

I’ve recently bumped into a couple of thought-provoking R&D research studies that inspired me to dive in and elaborate further on their findings. One recent study by suggests that although supply chain disruption is the top challenge that organizations across different domains are grappling with today, they’re also facing growing pressures due to continuously accelerating innovation development cycles and faster time to market. Deloitte Another study by finds that “attracting and retaining technical talent” is the top challenge facing R&D leaders in 2022. In particular, of R&D leaders surveyed by Gartner say it’s critical to solve this challenge for the overall performance of their department, and of leaders are confident in their company’s ability to solve it in the next 12 to 18 months. One more significant challenge identified by Gartner is that of R&D Heads find it challenging to optimize their R&D resourcing. Gartner 96% 53% 81% These findings imply that the lack of qualified R&D talents can significantly slow down corporate innovation in general and next-generation product development. This can drastically affect the evolution of the cutting-edge technologies required to remove current technical constraints and find non-trivial, outside-the-box solutions for newly discovered problems that had never existed before. To better understand the difference between R&D engineers and mainstream, regular developers and how to bridge the R&D skills gap effectively, I’ve talked to Victor Dornescu , Chief Innovation Officer and Co-Founder of a Romanian software company rinf.tech that has its own R&D Center for Embedded Development and IoT in Bucharest. Victor, what defines a good R&D strategy today? Essentially, it’s a Team. A cohesive multidisciplinary team can drive any R&D project to success and bridge the gap between science and engineering. For R&D engineers to bring value to any research, they must work closely with people skilled in many other areas and leverage the so-called “group intelligence.” Working in a multidisciplinary team can help engineers abstract from generic findings and self-evident conclusions and focus on discoveries that can create from scratch or disrupt and enrich the existing body of knowledge on a particular subject matter. That being said, a good is to: R&D strategy properly define the problem that needs to be solved through research, assemble a team that will provide space for people with different skill sets and backgrounds to complement each other’s knowledge, and expand and narrow the scope while filtering and venting the backlog by killing zombie ideas/features that will take the team astray. Given the current shortage of R&D engineering talent, as indicated by many recent research studies, where can businesses (especially the non-tech ones) looking to innovate and indulge in engineering research source such talent? And what should they focus on when building their R&D teams? Co-creation is emerging as today’s innovation model of choice, with corporations exploring collaboration with academia, startups, custom software development providers, and even competitors. Pairing engineers with scientists and researchers to work on R&D pilots and proof-of-concept (PoC) projects isn’t easy, as these two groups of specialists are used to different methodologies and approaches. Scientists discover new things while engineers make things work. So, answering your question, there’re a couple of factors to consider. First, make sure you have the ability to search for diverse, multidisciplinary talents both inside and outside your organization. Second, when creating perfect candidate profiles, focus on attracting people from different domains with strong . system- and innovative thinking skills Third, make sure they have done the same or similar thing before and have relevant composable (reusable) assets to speed up the work. Can you provide a real-world example? Some time ago, Honda Research Institute built a multidisciplinary R&D team to explore in-depth data structure format. As they were looking to integrate real-world software engineers with their research team, they turned to rinf.tech and involved three of our team members as research contributors. Our employees participated in the early discussions on the research concept, reviewed the study, and helped develop the virtual language and debugging tool to validate the findings. Multithreading in JavaScript using a JSEN That being said, Honda Research Institute assembled a multidisciplinary team and created conditions supporting cross-skill collaboration, brainstorming, agility, innovative thinking, and others. Thanks to this strategy, they came to several important conclusions like this one: with JSEN, it is possible to execute functions concurrently, avoiding blocking the JavaScript main thread. Today, there’s an acute need to integrate scientists and researchers with coders and software developers, architects, hardware engineers, business analysts, marketing and HR people. Instead of applying when evaluating potential R&D team members, consider applying the so-called . T-matrix π (pai)-matrix Can you explain more about the π-matrix? It is a concept first coined by Airbus. In the past, people were expected to specialize in just one technology area ( ) and have some knowledge of related technical topics ( ). a vertical line in T-matrix a hotizontal line in T-matrix In software engineering, this created a situation when developers lacked business understanding and didn’t share their clients’ mission, vision, and values when building their custom products. This resulted in a strong technical focus but a disconnect from the development strategy, engagement model, overheads at post-production stages, cumbersome, buggy, and partially effective solutions, and other negative business consequences. Over 70% of the code written is never used. A new breed of engineers should have multidisciplinary technical specialization plus related technical disciplines as in the full T-matrix), as well as a good understanding of business functions ( ) paired with mastery of the innovation contradictions ( ). the horizontal line in the π-matrix second vertical line in the π-matrix π-shaped engineers typically work at the intersection of technology, business and society and understand the key performance indicators and functions such as sales, marketing, and HR to be able to deliver actual value and drive modern research. To better manage expectations and R&D outputs, they need to be flexible in changing things on the fly, as projects can change a lot after an MVP stage and target user feedback. They need to be elastic in giving up their planning and direction for a pivot towards a new set of objectives, then renounce their attachment to the comfort of carefully built client relationships and select just a few out of many in order to essentialize new features and scale with those only. They are required to mind-bend in changing research concepts and shifting from an initial focus. It may seem like a straight line, but it’s cyclical like innovation itself, so the engineers must accommodate contradictory directions. Summing up, the ‘T shaped’ engineers are those who appreciate the existence and importance of other engineering roles and technical disciplines and can cross technical boundaries conceptually and in terms of vocabulary and ways of working. Extending this ‘T’ to ‘π’ means engineers are additionally able to work effectively with all business functions (2nd horizontal line) - marketing and sales, services, finance and procurement, etc. - which must be supported by the (2nd vertical line). innovation competency And what constraints exist in transitioning from a T-shaped into a π-shaped engineer? I’d say many constraints are coming from the innovation life cycle. Many engineers still live in the paradigms of fixed-scope projects or agile models, which affects how they treat projects and deliver value. Modern R&D engineers should be able to pivot and change directions. Therefore, they need to keep an open scope and be able to brainstorm, accommodate, reorient and find the way forward within cyclical roadmaps. It’s a new shift in the engineering mindset they should pursue to become π-shaped. So what does it take to turn T-shaped people into π-shaped ones? I think this happens naturally. Today, engineers are influenced significantly by entrepreneurs and salespeople, scientists and researchers, HR and marketing people, creative hipsters, growth hackers, , etc. They form a new social club, and they add value to any type of project, not just R&D. hustlers But still, how is this possible? Well, the engineers are users as well! As new technologies emerge, evolve and catch on, more engineers tend to master them, so there’s an interesting trend of “traditional” engineers transforming themselves into data engineers or AI engineers. Considering the boost in Quantum Computing research (with 127 Qubits of data having been processed by Intel to date and 300 Qubits expected to be processed by the end of the year), many new opportunities pop up for R&D engineers to become π-shaped. So, to wrap it up, modern R&D leaders should be driving the evolution and maturity of a new generation of π-shaped engineers by creating favorable conditions for multidisciplinary collaboration among diverse skills and functions within their teams. On the other hand, academia should promote such new skills among STEM students and adjust their curricula and programs accordingly. This should be a joint effort between the corporate (business) and education (science) worlds. And keep in mind – it is well underway already. Images courtesy of rinf.tech

Growing Geeks Into π-shaped R&D Engineers

Some gift ideas for your programmer friends and family members for holidays and links to buy them. Hello guys, it’s that time of the year again when we love to spend time with family and friends, buy gifts for them and show our love and care to them. My friend circle has a lot of programmers and non-programmers and when it comes to buying gifts for birthdays, anniversary or holidays, I receive a lot of queries from my non-programmer family and friends about what to buy for a programmer? Well, buying a gift is easy but choosing the right gift for someone is really really tough. I have had this experience when it comes to buying gifts for kids. I know they like toys but my wife told me to buy something more valuable, which will not only keep them engaged but also provide some value, help them in learning and they appreciate every time they use. That’s a lot to cater in one single gift, but that’s the perfect gift, isn’t it? Same goes for programmers, you buy them something which they don’t care will not make a difference, they will gleefully accept it and it will remain in a corner of the house. But, if you give something which they can use daily or carve for, they will not only remember you every day but also appreciate your sense of gift. You will be on their good books for a long time. This is particularly important if you try to impress your colleague or boss, who happens to be a technical guy or programmer. some are good but if they are very expensive and you can’t afford them then it not useful. Like any gift, the budget is very important, gifts But, if you want to give someone who is dear to you e.g. your husband, boyfriend, brother, or just a close friend, you definitely want to buy more valuable gifts. That’s why I have included both valuable and somewhat expensive as well as many affordable gifts, which you can buy under 100$ or a little bit higher. Top 10 Gifts for Programmers and IT Pros Here are some of the best gifts you can give to your programmer friends. The gifts are listed in random order and some of them are costly, you can choose based on your budget. 1. MacBook Pro Programmers Love Gadgets and nothing beats Apple when it comes to gadgets. If you are programmer friends doesn’t have MacBook Pro then its a very good idea to gift that to him. Sure, it’s costly, but if he is someone you love or very close to, then its definitely worth it and whoever you gift it, will not forget you for a long time. 2. Plurasight Membership Programmer appreciates memberships and Pluarlsight is like the NetFlix for Software developers. It contains 5000+ online courses on all latest topics like front-end and back-end development, machine learning etc. It also includes interactive quizzes, exercises, and latest certification material. Since learning is an important part of programming job, Plurlasight membership is a great way to stay ahead of your competition. You can buy the , which cost around 299$. It’s the little bit expensive but it offers him a lot of choices on learning and your programmer friend will appreciate everytime he uses it. Plurasight annual membership If you are concerned about the cost side then monthly membership is also a good option, which cost around 29$. The annual membership of Pluralsight is a little bit costly, but it’s worth every penny. Btw, if you get lucky, you may get some holiday offers, last time I bought Pluarlsight membership on during the same period. 33% discount 3. Amazon Prime Music subscription Another thing Programers Loves is music, they just never get tired of listening to music. Many programmers, in fact, need music to work and increase their productivity. Amazon Music is the biggest collection of music and your programmer friend will surely find something he loves in this big store of music. He will appreciate your thoughts and effort, every time he listens to music on his bose headset as well. 4. A Raspberry Pi Raspberry Pi has been around for a while, but it seems like it just keeps getting awesome. Programmers are curious people and them to play with electronics. Raspberry Pi is an entire mini-computer for a ridiculously cheap price and you can get an awesome bundle, like this one, which adds all kinds of cool stuff to play with. It’s also great for tinkering around with a teaching programming to kids or making your own network of servers. Once, I ran Linux on my and used putty to connect it, how awesome is that? In short, one of the best gadget to gift your programmer friend. Rasberry Pi 5. Books Similar to gadgets and music Programmers also like books a lot, but with the book, there is confusion. Which book you should buy for them? A novel, a programming book or something else. Well, even though many programmers like fantasy books and novels they are not so valuable for them but if you buy them something like , books which every programmer can read, they will appreciate it more. Soft Skills: The software developer’s life manual If you need more books to gift programmes there are a lot of choices available, you should check out my list of 10 books every programmer should read . here 6. A Fitness club membership This is another awesome gift you can give someone you love. Since many programmers lack physical activity, you not only encouraging to do more physical activity but also improving their lifestyle. They may not appreciate in a short time but they will surely do in the long run :-) After all, Health is Wealth and you have just got one body to live in :-) If you want some inspiration, you can also read book, another perfect gift when it comes to combining both Fitness and book. The Healthy Programmer The Healthy Programmer 7. Logitech G710+ Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Every programmer needs a good keyboard and your friend will not be different. Though some programmer like silent keyboard and some programmers like a Gaming keyboard, I like gaming one more because I also play games on my PC. Logitech is one of the best companies for peripheral devices, so to me, this keyboard is a great buy. In addition to being a fantastic mechanical keyboard, it also has a bunch of really cool gaming features, so I’m a big fan of it. 8. Games Like gadgets, music, and books, Programmers loves Games too, well I certainly do. I have grown up playing Nintendo games like Super Mario Bros, Mortal Combat and I still play games on my . Xbox So, either you can buy your friends a gaming console like Xbox or Nintendo PI or if he already has one, you can buy them games like . That’s something they will enjoy for sure. Minecraft 9. Intel Boxed Compute Stick with Windows 10 Pre-Loaded This is a really awesome gift for tech geeks? An entire computer, complete with Windows 10, on a stick. You just plug this thing into a TV or monitor and you have a computer. And the best part of it is that it will just you over $100. Simply Awesome. 10. Gift a course from Udemy Programmers love online courses, including me and Udemy is the biggest collection of online courses. It has got over 85,000 online courses to learn anything e.g. starting from popular programming language like Java and Python to advanced technology e.g. Big Data, Automation, Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Machine learning, Robotics etc. Udemy allows you to send a course or a gift card to your programmer friend, you just need to enter his email while purchasing the course. My wife gifted me the and I simply loved it. If your husband is interested in Data Science, Machine Learning, or Artificial intelligence then you can gift that too. Machine Learning A-Z: Hands-On Python & R In Data Science Machine Learning A-Z: Hands-On Python & R In Data Science If you know what your husband or boyfriend like then you can choose some awesome courses from Udemy otherwise just bought a gift card for them. That’s all on this . I am sure, your programmer friend or colleague will love any gift from this list. You can buy them for their birthday or them during the coming holidays. list of 10 awesome gift ideas for programmers gift I know its hard to choose a gift but whatever time and effort you put to select a gift will be remembered forever by your friend if you keep their interest and needs in mind. Btw, if you are still not sure what to buy, you can also check out this from Amazon. Biggest Electronic Gift Guide If you have any other gift ideas then please share as I have told you … Buying a Gift is easy but finding the right gift for someone is really really tough. Happy Holidays and New Year.

10 Awesome Gift Ideas for Programmers and Geeks

Reading Tolkien can Broaden Your Command of English (even if you aren’t taking SATs) When I was in business school a few years ago, all the students were categorized (very informally) into “quants” or “poets” — based on whether you had an engineering/math background, or a liberal arts background. While I didn’t mind this categorization at all, I recall during my own middle and high school years that we geeks were stereotyped as not appreciating literature. Which is odd, because the one thing we geeks love to do is read. We may (or may not) have read Hemingway (except for in a class); but almost all geeks like to read SF&F (science fiction and fantasy). I first read t_he Hobbit_ ( a pretty easy read) and started reading the _Lord of the Rings (_not so easy read) when I was in the sixth grade. I’ve probably re-read them every few years since then (at least until the Peter Jackson movies came out) owning many different editions of the books. It wasn’t just Tolkien’s love for made-up languages that made it a tougher read (Tolkien after all was a professor of medieval languages at Oxford, and in fact, at one point he described the whole reason for the Middle Earth was that he wanted to complete the language of the Elves). For an impatient teenager like me who had grown up on Star Wars and Superman movies, it was also the “pacing” and what I thought of informally as the “boring parts”. I couldn’t really tell you the difference between dales and vales and glens and ferns and dells, I honestly could’ve cared less. I just wanted to get to the Elves and wizards and dwarves, and the incredible fantasy locales like Rivendell , the Mines of Moria, the Bridge of Khaza-dum or the magical Lothlorien. Tolkien liked to spend many paras describing the landscape that the hobbits were traveling through, including descriptions of flora and fauna and weather and the road on days where nothing of note happened. “It was the night of the fifth of October, and they were six days out from Bree. In the morning they found, for the first time since they had left the Chetwood, a track plain to see … It dived into dells, and hugged steep banks …” And then, every now and then there would be a passage like this one: “Great ilexes of huge girth stood dark and solemn in wide glades with here and there among them hoary ash-trees, and giant oaks …” I certainly know what an oak tree is. I am not ashamed to admit that I don’t know what an is (most likely a kind of tree!). I couldn’t tell you off hand what a glade is — something to do with trees (or lack thereof) . But what the hell are ? Again, I am not ashamed to admit, that as a fairly well educated geek — having read Tolkien dozens of times, and armed with degrees from MIT and Stanford — I have no idea what these are! ilex exactly hoary ash-trees Recently, I had a lot of time on my hands, and I re-read the full quadrilogy — rather than watching the Peter Jackson movies (which is what I had been doing in recent years when I was missing hanging out with some of my oldest friends — Bilbo, Frodo, Gandalf, not to mention Gimli, Legolas, Merry, Pippin and of course Strider). This time, I read the books on my kindle, which made it easier to look up the definitions of: a word that I had never heard of (happened now and then), a word that I only vaguely knew the meaning of (happened very often). Looking back, I wish I had this auto lookup ability when I was reading LOTR in high school - it just might have helped me with my verbal SAT scores! So, in honor of the many Geeks who love to read, and the many fans of Tolkien, here are 20 vocabulary words that I came across (and their corresponding definitions) in LOTR that you may not know: If you’ve read LOTR, how many of the words you already know ? Bonus if you can figure out where in LOTR the sample usage is located! : usage in LOTR : “‘No mail have we to fit you,’ said Eowyn, ‘nor any time for the forging of such a ; but here is also a stout of leather, a belt, and a knife.” def: a piece of armor originally covering only the neck and shoulders but later consisting of a full length coat of mail or military tunic. hauberk hauberk jerkin — def: a sleveless jacket. jerkin — def; “another term for HOLM OAK”, or “a tree or shrub of a genus that includes holly and its relatives”. ilex usage in LOTR given earlier. — usage in LOTR given earlier. def: this can mean “grayish-white” or “old and trite”. hoary —usage in LOTR: “Luminous these were too, beautiful and yet horrible of shape, like the demented forms in an uneasy dream; and they forth a faint sickening charnel-smell;” def: “associated with death”. charnel — usage in LOTR: “Looking out from the covert he could see only a dun, shadowless world, fading slowly into a featureless, colourless gloom.” def: of a dull grayish-brown color. dun — usage in LOTR: “and there were acres populous with the leaves of woodland hyacinths; already their sleek bell-stems …”. def: a bulbous plant of the lily family, with starlike leaves and a compact spike of bell shaped fragrant flowers. hyacinth —usage in LOTR: “Here Spring was already busy about them: fronds pierced moss and mould, larches were green-fingered, small flowers were opening in the turf, birds were singing.” def: the leaf or leaflike part of a palm, fern or similar plant. frond — a yellow flowered shrub of the pea family, the leaves of which are modified to form spines. LOTR usage: “For the most part it was covered with a thick growth of gorse and whortleberry, and low tough thorns.” gorse — usage in LOTR : “The host was bivouacked in the pine-woods that clustered about Eilenach Beacon, a tall hill standing up from the long ridges of he Druaden Forest …” def: a temporary camp without tents of cover, use esp. by soldiers or mountaineers. bivouac — LOTR usage: “The townlands were rich, with wide tilth and many orchards and homesteads there were with oast and garner, fold and byre, and many rills rippling through the green…”. def: a kiln for drying hops. oast — a concrete, stone, or metal platform lying alongside projecting into water for loading and unloading ships. “There Anduin, going in a wide kneee about the hills of Emyn Arnen in South Ithilien, bent sharply west, and the out-wall rose upon its very brink; and beneath it lay the quays.” quay — LOTR usage: “far back into the vanished years before the failing of the kings, since Vorondil father of Mardil hunted the wild kine of Araw in the far fields of Rhun.” def: cows collectively. kine — LOTR usage: “He cut out some turves at the foot of the bank just outside the fern-brake, and made a shallow hole and laid his fuel in it.” def: plural form of turf. turves — LOTR usage: “.. and other kinds unknown in the Shire, with wide glades among them;” def: an open space in a forest. glade — LOTR usage: “They are like great carrion birds.” def: the decaying flesh of dead animals. carrion — LOTR usage : “They were very small to look at, yet he knew, somehow that they were huge, with a vast stretch of pinion, flying at a great height.” def: the outer part of the a bird’s wing including the flight feathers. pinion — LOTR usage: “It seemed as if whole armies were on the march, though fro the. most part they were hidden by the reeks and fumes drifting form the fens and wastes beyond.” def: a low and marshy or frequently flooded area of land. fen — LOTR usage: “Day came, and the fallow sun blinked over the lifeless ridges of Ered Lithui.” There are several definitions and I got the wrong one at first: plowed and harrowed but left unsown for a period. The right definition: a pale brown or reddish yellow color. fallow . LOTR usage: “Many great trees grew there, planted long ago, falling into untended age amid a riot of careless descendants; and groves and thickets there were of tamarisk …” def: An Old World shrub or small tree with tiny scalelike leaves borne on slender branches, giving it a feathery appearance. tamarisk Bonus words: The townlands were rich, with wide tilth and many orchards and homesteads there were with oast and garner, fold and byre, and many rills rippling through the green…” OK so what exactly are: tilth, garner, fold, byre, and rills?? And there you go — these 20 are by no means the only vocabulary words I found in LOTR that I didn’t know. You can just pick up the book and within a few pages I think most modern readers, esp. geeks like me, won’t know the exact definition of. Tolkien had quite the vocabulary. In some cases he used words that while apparent to him what they meant, were hard even for the Kindle to look up using the New Oxford dictionary. As you’ll see above, many of the words dealt with nature — these may have been common knowledge to educated Englishmen of Tolkien’s generation, but to today’s American city-dwelling geeks, they might as well be made up Elvish names from the Undying Lands! Still, this time when I read the whole books, by not skipping “the boring parts”, I actually enjoyed his descriptions of the countryside. It really enhanced my respect for Tolkien the writer but also my appreciation for the clarity of his vision of Middle Earth. So who says SF&F can’t be educational too?

Vocabulary for Geeks and Hackers: Lord of the Rings Edition

A few days ago, I stumbled upon the following Tweet, claiming that this is the best cryptocurrency scam the author has ever seen Well if this scam is so brilliant, then it surely deserves a full-blown inquiry. In this post we will go through the details of this scam and hopefully we’ll learn a thing or two about Ethereum, private keys and scams. The Scam The scam is presented from the victims’ point of view, quoting their potential thoughts as they go through the steps of this scam. To make things even more entertaining, I encourage the readers to actually follow the steps on their own, but obviously refrain from sending money to any of the mentioned addresses. Part I: The Discovery The scammers have posted their private key in several public forums and chats. When other members of the forum had seen it, they probably thought: “Such a newbie IDIOT posting his private key: 716560d7fb3c7b937d9af8a532ff154e583320fc42abc46dfc29e0171a6a38e2!” A screenshot of one of the public forums in which the private key was disclosed https://tgwidget.com/widget/?id=5a04632283ba88122a8b4567 Disclosing a private key is of course a big no-no, as the private key is the only information needed to spend cryptocurrency. It’s the equivalent of leaving your wallet in the main street unattended. Part II: Looking inside the Wallet The next step for the more curious members of the forum was probably to find about the contents of this seemingly unattended wallet, left in the main street. “Well, let’s take a look what’s in the wallet.” Viewing the wallet contents and effectively taking control over it is achieved by importing the wallet through feeding the private key to a wallet app. For example, we can use the popular wallet app (MEW) MyEtherWallet Importing a wallet using its private key in MEW https://www.myetherwallet.com/#send-transaction “I’m pressing “unlock”… to find the public address associated with the private key 0x4F805BF6843b6dBd10F9066f27c0cd10fdB444ac and I’m very disappointed to see that the wallet has 0 Ether (ETH).” The public address of the wallet: 0 ETH, but may contain tokens “However, since I know that MEW does not excel in supporting tokens, I follow its suggestion and take a deeper look on the address using EtherScan” EtherScan view of the address. It contains $5K of coins https://etherscan.io/address/0x4f805bf6843b6dbd10f9066f27c0cd10fdb444ac “Ooh-La-La! Although there’s no Ether in the wallet, it holds more than $5000 worth of other Tokens!” Part III: Taking the Money out of the Wallet “Now let’s transfer the money from this poor fellas’ wallet to my wallet quickly, before someone else will get a hold of this treasure.” To do the transfer the account must pay fees, or “Gas” in the Ethereum lingo. MEW suggests the Gas amount to be paid is 21K, which is about 0.0005 Ether or $0.25. “Well, $0.25 is a very small amount, compared to the $5000 I can earn. So I transfer a small amount of Ether for the Gas to the wallet I’m about to empty its contents. Now I’m ready to make the transfer… But wait! I have no Ether in the address again! How did it happen?” Part IV: The Realization “Oh No! Someone had transferred the money I just sent to another address!” Taking a deeper look into the wallet’s history, we can see that it’s not the first time it happened. In fact there are many pairs of incoming transaction followed by an immediate transfer of the same amount (minus Gas) to another address 0x3f3eacb691462d3d067f031f88c9a8bc54fabc79 Taking a deeper look in the history of the address reveals multiple pairs of subsequent transactions https://etherscan.io/address/0x4f805bf6843b6dbd10f9066f27c0cd10fdb444ac “Damn! I was tricked! That poster in the public forum was not the IDIOT in this story, I was!” The scammers have probably written a script (just a regular script, nothing fancy or specific to Ethereum such as smart contract) to monitor their address before disclosing its private key, and whenever Ether is sent to the address, the scammers’ process creates a transaction, signed using the private key and transfers the money to another wallet of the scammer. That other wallet’s private key is not disclosed, naturally. Viewing this address’ history reveals that the scam had earned its creator a nice sum of almost $400 The scammers target address in which they store their loot https://etherscan.io/address/0x3f3eacb691462d3d067f031f88c9a8bc54fabc79 BTW, there’s even more technical depth to it, as the $5K worth of Tokens isn’t really spendable, but that’s a topic for another post. If you would like to dig deeper, please check Adam Hadar’s tweet The Social Engineering Elements in this Scam Although the scam has is interesting from the technical perspective, I think it’s even more intriguing from the psychological point of view. It’s basically an elegant version of the “ applied to cryptocurrency. In the original Nigerian Prince scam, the scammer persuades the victims that they can earn a lot of money, but just need to pay a relatively small amount before. When the victim pays, the scammer disappears with the loot. Nigerian Prince” scam All the elements of the Nigerian Prince scam are present: Easy money, that the victims feel that they already won, just need to pay a small amount to take care of some bureaucracy. In this case the Gas for the Ethereum transaction. Sense of urgency: Since the private key is “a wallet left in the main street” (i.e. posted in a public forum) it creates a potential race between the potential takers, as the winner takes it all. Sense of urgency is a as it disrupts the victim’s better judgement. common element of effective scams Accomplice in crime: Nigerian prince scams try to involve the victims in a shady operation, to make sure the victim will hesitate to report to the authorities. Similarly, in this case since the victims originally thought they are scamming the scammer, therefore they are not likely to protest as much. What makes this cryptocurrency version of the Nigerian Prince scam even more elegant than the original, is the fact there is no dialogue between the scammer and the victims to persuade them to do anything. It’s just an inevitable slippery slope once the victims start with it. Summing Up Once more it’s proven that honesty is the best policy. Don’t do shady things, even if you think that you know what you are doing. Private keys should be private. If you are using a private key that may have been published, you are at risk as you don’t know what others may do with the account and what they will do might eventually surprise you.

Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts: Autopsy of an Ethereum Based Scam

Being a Geek I Demand More Power From My Browser Hi there! My name is . I’m a webdesigner, coder and . I write about my journey in the . Alexander Isora entrepreneur startup Telegram channel My browser is my main weapon. I use it daily for 90% of my tasks. My life wouldn’t be so smooth without all these awesome extensions I’m about to share with you. Similar Web This is the extension I couldn’t even dream about. Similar Web uses dark magic to display traffic of websites, the traffic sources, geo some more extremely useful info. Get it: _See website traffic and key metrics for any website, including engagement rate, traffic ranking, keyword ranking and…_chrome.google.com SimilarWeb - Traffic Rank & Website Analysis Vimium: Vimium is the belle of the ball of the this list. Vimium makes using browser super fast by adding tons of tricky hotkeys. The key feature of Vimium is it’s modes. E.g. if you press ‘f’ you will enter the link mode. Each link on the page is now has it’s own short ID. Typing this ID will trigger the link. See the screenshot below. If I press “D” I will open the “About” page in the new tab. So damn fast 🚀 However, Vimium is not prfect. Some AJAXy websites will not work with this extension. So it’s too early to throw your mouse away 😅 See docs: _vimium — The hacker’s browser._github.com philc/vimium Get it: _The Hacker’s Browser. Vimium provides keyboard shortcuts for navigation and control in the spirit of Vim._chrome.google.com Vimium Grammarly Grammarly will make sure your messages, documents, and social media posts are clear, mistake-free, and impactful. It has neat UI and UX. I also love the way Grammarly encourage people to buy a pro version. You must pay to fix issues. Neat! advanced Get it: _Enhance your written communication everywhere you type!_chrome.google.com Grammarly for Chrome Image Size Info This small extension does only one thing: it shows an image’s dimensions. Since Chrome is not so geeky oriented as FireFox, we need such tiny extensions. Get it: _Inserts option in the browser's image context menu to view image width, height and file size._chrome.google.com Image Size Info Google Analytics Debugger Prints useful information to the JavaScript console. I use this tool when I need to debug custom Google Analytics events. Get it: _Prints useful information to the JavaScript console by enabling the debug version of the Google Analytics Javascript._chrome.google.com Google Analytics Debugger Tabstop Tabstop prevents tabs from loading when you start Chrome. Click on the blocked tab and it will automatically reload. This simple extension can dramatically reduce Chrome starting time. Get it: _Stops tabs from loading on startup_chrome.google.com Tabstop Session Buddy Session Buddy is a must have for anyone who can not The extension allows saving sessions, name them and search through them. A must have ⚡️ simply close all those tabs. Get it: _Manage Browser Tabs and Bookmarks with Ease_chrome.google.com Session Buddy Octotree This extension shows code tree for GitHub and GitLab. Much simpler to navigate through repos with 🐙tree. Get it: _Code tree for GitHub_chrome.google.com Octotree Ratings Preview for YouTube™ Another ‘why did not they do this themselves?!’ extension. It shows a small rating bar under each thumbnail. So you know in advance whether a video is nice or not. Get it: _Show the likes and dislikes bar over every video thumbnail in YouTube so that you can know its rating before watching…_chrome.google.com Preview for YouTube™ The Great Suspender This extension suspends unused tabs and frees up system resources. Neat! Get it: _Automatically suspends unused tabs to free up system resources_chrome.google.com The Great Suspender Papier I need maaany places to drop my thoughts. Evernote for a structured data, Telegram for fast todos on-the-way, Notion for collaboration, stickers, whiteboard. And here is another one I use: Papier. It’s a simple text editor that shows itself when you open a new tab. Get it: _Open a new tab and trap your best thoughts._chrome.google.com Papier Fontface Ninja Ever asked yourself ‘what font does this website use?‘. Then you will love Fontface Ninja. Get it: _Explore fonts within a website, try, bookmark and buy them !_chrome.google.com Fontface Ninja Marmoset Marmoset is actually not an extension but an app. Anyway, it’s pretty damn great. Marmoset allows creating beautiful code screenshots fast: Perfect for the ones who often writes tech articles. Get it: _Create gorgeous code snapshots._chrome.google.com Marmoset Lighthouse And the last but not the least, is an open-source, automated tool for improving the performance, quality, and correctness of your web apps. Lighthouse Made by , and 100 more awesome contributors, Lighthouse is the number one software to track performance today. Paul Irish Paul Lewis Get it: Lighthousechrome.google.com Lighthouse Conclusion 🔥 Hope you guys enjoyed this list. If so, clap your hands — it’s the best gratitude. I’m hungry for new terrific extensions. Got something not listed here? Share in the comments or in . Twitter Btw, if you want to learn more about , check out this post in my blog: launching a product on Product Hunt https://isora.me/what-ive-learned-from-publishing-10-product-hunt-projects/

14 Hot Chrome Extensions for Geeks 🔥

Imagine you are ready to publish an app to the app store or google play, all the code is written and finalized. In the most traditional SDLC (software development cycle), testing is done after the development phase. In , the app testing phase goes after coding too, but the process of development is split into sprints, so the testing is continuous. We essentially have two app testing phases: alpha and beta testing. Agile is done first with all the stakeholders (developers, QA, product team), and the goal is to find critical bugs and issues. So, what’s beta testing, and why do we have to do it before the app production? Alpha testing What Is Mobile App Beta Testing? Beta testing is the second type of user acceptance testing. Geeks for Geeks define the term: “ is the process of testing a software product or service in a real-world environment before its official release.” Beta testing In other words, a specific group of real users (beta testers) are given access to the application for a certain period. They are part of the target audience of the app and are encouraged to interact with the beta product (or beta version) and give feedback. Beta testers comment on user experience, found bugs, and interact with a user interface. After the mobile app beta testing, the issues are fixed by developers, and app production starts. MVP vs Beta Phase The MVP and Beta Phases have different purposes and stages of development. The MVP serves as an , with the bare minimum features needed to test its viability and gather user feedback. initial version of a product It's like dipping your toes in the water to see if people are interested in the application. Let’s take, for example, a grocery delivery app's MVP, which might include functions like browsing products, adding them to the cart, and placing an order. On the other hand, the comes after the MVP and brings a more advanced version of the product that's almost ready for public release. Here, the focus shifts to gathering user feedback for further improvements and fixing any bugs. Beta Phase For instance, a social media platform in the Beta Phase might have features like messaging, image sharing, and comment threads, allowing users to thoroughly test the product before its official launch. The main difference is that the MVP tests the core concept, while the Beta Phase fine-tunes and enhances the product based on user feedback. is important for startup MVPs too. When the MVP phase is over, the beta testing stage helps better shape the product and increase the chances of success. Mobile app beta testing Benefits of Beta Testing for Startup MVPs Does any product need beta testers for successful release? In a rush to get the finished product and enter the market, beta testing might be superficial or lack real conditions for potential customers. Let's look at the . pros we get with the beta release for startups User Feedback: With a beta release to a select group of users, startups can gather valuable customer feedback about its functionality, usability, and overall user experience. It helps identify potential issues, understand user behavior and preferences, and make necessary fixes. Bug Identification and Fixing: Beta testers often find bugs and glitches that are missed during the internal alpha phase. This early detection allows startups to address these issues promptly and ensure a smoother and more stable product when it reaches the wider market. Product Refinement: Beta testers take part in refining the finished product based on . Real customers (or ideal customer base) understand what actual features are useful and which ones need modifications. The iterative process helps establish basic features, adjust core features, and come up with a list of features for future updates. real-world usage and the current market Customer Engagement and Loyalty: Involving active users in the creates interest. Participation of the customer base contributes to the product's development and the startup's journey. Engagement can foster customer loyalty, as active users are more likely to support and advocate for a software product they helped shape. beta testing phase Market Validation: helps startups validate their product idea and market segment by observing user reactions and gauging interest and demand. Making informed decisions about pricing, business strategies, and the overall marketing direction comes from trying out software products. Beta testing Competitive Advantage: If the beta testing phase is done right, startups can find and address product weaknesses or gaps in the market before their competitors. Beta testing gives them a competitive advantage in product development, letting to release a stronger finished product, potentially capturing market share more effectively. Best Practices for Beta Testing To answer “How to beta test apps?”, we won’t give a one-fits-all answer. However, there are some best , and following them, it’s hard to miss. practices for mobile app beta testing Make a beta test plan beforehand, and set clear objectives. Beta testers should be as close to ICP (Ideal Customers Persona) as possible. Concentrate on the target audience first but test several different groups. Include diversity when choosing beta testers. Make a detailed plan with instructions and a timeline for beta teasers. Try to give incentives to active users in the form of free service. Look for beta testers communities for quality feedback. Make the feedback as seamless as possible. Strive for a near-real-time environment to fully access capabilities. Implement a variety of continuous feedback mechanisms (not only for early adopters but also for critics). Reward beta testers for the best engagement (with recognition, cash, and discounts) Sum Up So, now we know that before hitting “publish an app to the app store” we have some testing stages to do. Mobile app beta testing plays a crucial role in gathering feedback, fixing bugs, refining products, engaging customers, validating the market, and gaining a competitive advantage for startups and mature businesses. Having doubts and questions? Feel free to consult with me. Also published here

Why Beta Testing Matters For Your MVP

In today’s digital age, the world of software development has become an essential component of our technology-driven society. Platforms like Microsoft’s (VSCode) play a significant role in the daily tasks of many developers. However, this ubiquitous use also makes such platforms a prime target for cybercriminals. The recent discovery of on the VSCode Marketplace underscores the importance of cybersecurity awareness and action. We’ll explore the details of this alarming issue, and its implications for VSCode users, and provide actionable advice for safeguarding your systems. Visual Studio Code malicious extensions Threats in the VSCode Marketplace As an integral part of Microsoft’s VSCode Integrated Development Environment (IDE), the VSCode Marketplace has carved out a crucial space in the software development ecosystem. It serves as a hub for over 50,000 add-ons, providing a wealth of resources to enhance functionality and customization for developers globally. Unfortunately, this popularity has not gone unnoticed by cybercriminals. Recently, three malicious extensions were found on the marketplace, downloaded a staggering 46,600 times before their removal. This event signifies a concerning trend of cyber threats infiltrating the VSCode user community. The Malicious Extensions The extensions identified as harmful were ‘Theme Darcula dark’, ‘python-vscode’, and ‘prettiest java’. Each of these posed unique threats to unsuspecting users: : Disguised as a harmless theme pack, this extension was programmed to pilfer basic information about the developer’s system. This includes hostname, operating system, CPU platform, total memory, and CPU information. Though lacking in other observable malicious activities, such conduct is highly unusual for a theme pack, raising significant red flags. Theme Darcula dark : With an empty description and an unassuming uploader name, this extension managed to secure 1,384 downloads. Beneath its simple facade, it concealed a C# shell injector capable of executing code or commands on the victim’s machine – a grave security risk. python-vscode : Mimicking the popular ‘prettier-java’ code formatting tool, this extension operated stealthily to steal saved credentials or authentication tokens from various applications. The list of targets included Discord, Google Chrome, Opera, Brave Browser, and Yandex Browser, with stolen data being transmitted to the attackers. prettiest java The Risks of User-Supported Repositories User-contributed software repositories, such as and , have a long history of being targeted by threat actors. The VSCode Marketplace, though a relatively new target, is on a similar trajectory. The ease with which malicious extensions can be uploaded coupled with the recent discoveries, suggest a concerted effort by cybercriminals to infiltrate the Windows developer community. NPM PyPi Precautionary Measures for Safe Coding The current landscape necessitates users of the VSCode Marketplace, and all user-supported repositories, to adopt several precautionary measures: Prioritize installing extensions from trusted publishers with a high number of downloads and favorable community ratings. Make it a habit to read user reviews thoroughly. Always inspect the source code of an extension before proceeding with its installation. Conclusion The evolution of software development brings with it an ever-changing landscape of cyber threats. Staying informed about these risks and adopting proactive safety measures are our best defenses. Understanding the nature of these malicious extensions and adhering to secure installation practices will go a long way in ensuring a safe. Originally published on Programming Geeks Club.

Security Alert: Identifying Malicious Extensions in Microsoft's VSCode Marketplace

README.FIRST This write-up is a log of the author’s personal challenge to learn the bare minimum basics of in a tight timeline for a specific purpose. JavaScript Please, take this piece as a “foundation building up reading” if you are someone like me who just want to take API testing and the automation of rigorous tasks a step further with Postman and JavaScript. The author logged the bare-minimum JS basics he thinks are needed for API testing scripting in . As such, this article omitted a good number of important topics like and loops and - flow etc. that are a must for those who want to learn JS seriously. Postman forEach while try catch The target audience of this log is SQA engineers and testers who have prior knowledge of one or two programming languages and clearly know what they are doing to get what output. Scripting Scopes in Postman: Pre-request Script and Tests Just a humble revision to the scripting scopes in is given below: Postman : In this tab, we write the scripts that will be run before making an HTTP request. These scripts include setting up and assigning environment variables, any modification of the request body, etc. Pre-request Script : Scripts written in this tab are run after an HTTP request ends. These scripts include different tests like looking for specific data in the response body, setting up environment variables for the next request/s, testing response codes and time, etc. Tests : Response body is shown in this window. We can select format options like , etc. from there. Response JSON HTML : This tab prints the request headers, errors, and any JavaScript code outputs. Console You need not to worry about running the collection. . It is available in the cloud here For this tutorial, I used test APIs in . DummyJSON Postman has a runtime that gives us the ability to modify HTTP requests dynamically. node.js The scripts we write in the Pre-request and Tests tabs are run in the Postman sandbox. The following resources are two must bookmarks for an  API tester who uses Postman Scripting in Postman Postman JavaScript reference Day 1: Variables Variables are the fundamental building blocks of a program or script. We store values in them. A variable in JavaScript can be declared using either , or keywords. var let const As I have a specific scope for writing test cases for ,  I have chosen and for brevity after doing some R&D with a JS veteran and on the internet. Postman let const Using for variables that can be changed dynamically let let x = "ASDF"; 
console.log(x);
x = [1,2,3];
console.log(x); Using for variables that should be untouched const const lifeOfGeek = {
    first: "Family",
    second: "Geeky Things",
    third: "Career"
}; 

// avoid an accidental assignment in the same scope
lifeOfGeek = {
    first: "Greed",
    second: "Drugs",
    third: "Polygamy"
};
/*
$ node lifeOfGeek.js 
{ first: 'Family', second: 'Geeky Things', third: 'Career' }
life = {
     ^
TypeError: Assignment to constant variable.
...
*/ In the following example, we will declare some JS variables, set and get environment variables in the and tabs that are the fundamental building blocks to script in the tool. Postman Pre-request Script Tests API testing Example Request: DAY_1_All_Products_VARIABLES Action : Submit The following codes are self-explanatory: tab Pre-request Script // Set an environment variable without any initial value 
pm.environment.set("eighthProduct");

// Set an environment variable with an initial value 
pm.environment.set("PI", 3.141); tab Tests // Assign response data in a JSON object
let jsonData = pm.response.json();

// Assign the 6th object to sixthProduct
let sixthProduct = jsonData["products"][5]; 
console.log("sixthProduct: ", sixthProduct);

// Assigning value to a pre-request script environment variable 
pm.environment.set("eighthProduct", jsonData["products"][7]);
console.log("eighthProduct: ", pm.environment.get("eighthProduct"));
console.log("PI: ", pm.environment.get("PI")); Sample response {
    "products": [
        {
            "id": 1,
            "title": "iPhone 9",
            "description": "An apple mobile which is nothing like apple",
            "price": 549,
            "discountPercentage": 12.96,
            "rating": 4.69,
            "stock": 94,
            "brand": "Apple",
            "category": "smartphones",
            "thumbnail": "https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/1/thumbnail.jpg",
            "images": [
                "https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/1/1.jpg",
                "https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/1/2.jpg",
                "https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/1/3.jpg",
                "https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/1/4.jpg",
                "https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/1/thumbnail.jpg"
            ]
        },
... Please read the section in my GitHub repository to learn more about Day 1 7_Days_of_JS JavaScript variables. Day 2: Arrays Arrays are indexed collections of the same or different types of objects. The behavior of arrays varies on the philosophy of programming languages. A JavaScript array can hold multiple types of objects in its indexes. The basics of JS arrays are available in my GitHub repository. The examples are well commented. here In the following script, we will extract an array from a JSON response and append some arbitrary data in it. Tests : Example Request Day_2_All_Products_ARRAYS : Action Send Now look at the response JSON in the tab of the response window. We will extract the array of the sixth item from it, which  holds different images of a . Body images MacBook Pro ...
{
            "id": 6,
            "title": "MacBook Pro",
            "description": "MacBook Pro 2021 with mini-LED display may launch between September, November",
            "price": 1749,
            "discountPercentage": 11.02,
            "rating": 4.57,
            "stock": 83,
            "brand": "Apple",
            "category": "laptops",
            "thumbnail": "https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/6/thumbnail.png",
            "images": [
                "https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/6/1.png",
                "https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/6/2.jpg",
                "https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/6/3.png",
                "https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/6/4.jpg"
            ]
        }, 
... Let’s parse the JSON, extract and print the expected array in the console let jsonData = pm.response.json();
let sixthElementImages = jsonData.products[5]["images"];
/*
The above statement is equivalent to the following-
let sixthElementImages = jsonData["products"][5]["images"];
*/
console.log("sixthElementImages values: ", sixthElementImages);
/*
Expected Output 
"sixthElementImages values: "
> (4) ["https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/6/1.png", "https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/6/2.jpg", "https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/6/3.png", "https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/6/4.jpg"]
*/ Click the small arrow sign beside to expand the object for a more readable formatted view. (4) The array contains four URLs to a laptop. MacBook Pro Now, we will different types of objects into it and see the effect. push sixthElementImages.push("A Quick Brown Fox");
sixthElementImages.push(["https://discord.com/", "https://www.notion.so/"]);
sixthElementImages.push(3.1141);

console.log("After push sixthElementImages values: ", sixthElementImages);
/*
Expected Output
"After push sixthElementImages values: " 
> (7) ["https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/6/1.png", "https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/6/2.jpg", "https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/6/3.png", "https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/6/4.jpg", "A Quick Brown Fox", …]
	0: "https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/6/1.png"
	1: "https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/6/2.jpg"
	2: "https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/6/3.png"
	3: "https://i.dummyjson.com/data/products/6/4.jpg"
	4: "A Quick Brown Fox"
	5: [2]
		0: "https://discord.com/"
		1: "https://www.notion.so/"
	6: 3.1141
	*/ Notice, the length of is increased from to as we pushed three new objects into it. Basic indexed operations are similar to other programming languages. sixthElementImages 4 7 An interesting twist for geeks—  a JS array is an object under-the-hood. PoC console.log(typeof sixthElementImages); Day 3: Objects Objects, a pair entity, play a vital role in JavaScript language that is used to store different types of data, variables, and functions for using them efficiently. In JavaScript, we can directly declare objects without creating a class. key:value Let’s declare a simple object. const pcConfig = { // ... 1
	cpu: 'intel i5', 
	cores: 4,
	ram: '16 GB',
	motherBoard: 'Asus',
	'operating-system': {  // ... 2
		name: 'Debian',
		version: 11, 
		bits: 64
	}  
}; Some features of an object to be noticed: It is a common practice to declare an object with for avoiding unexpected assignments. This will be elaborated on later. const Although names can be written without quotations, it is mandatory to use them if the key contains any special character or words reserved for JS. key/property Here is a PoC why we use for declaring an object const const pcConfig = { // ... 1
	cpu: 'intel i5', 
	cores: 4,
	ram: '16 GB',
	motherBoard: 'Asus',
	'operating-system': {  // ... 2
		name: 'Debian',
		version: 11, 
		bits: 64
	}  
};

pcConfig["rgbLight"] = "N/A"; 

console.log(pcConfig);

pcConfig = "ASDF"; // avoid accidental reassignment

/*
$ node objectTest.js # Expected output 
{
  cpu: 'intel i5',
  cores: 4,
  ram: '16 GB',
  motherBoard: 'Asus',
  'operating-system': { name: 'Debian', version: 11, bits: 64 },
  rgbLight: 'N/A'
}
pcConfig = "ASDF"; 
         ^
TypeError: Assignment to constant variable.
...
*/ There are two more important fundamental concepts of and copy of JavaScript objects discussed in my . The code is self-explanatory with necessary comments. deep shallow GitHub repository In the following example, we will convert a JS object into a JSON object and send the request body in a method to create an entity in the remote server. POST // Declare a JS object
const jsObject = {
  id: 1000,
  title: 'Linux Phone 10',
  description: 'Custom Linux OS on custom embeded system',
  price: 1000,
  discountPercentage: 50,
  rating: 4.99,
  stock: 150,
  brand: 'Not Applicable',
  category: 'smartphones',
  thumbnail: 'https://linuxstans.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/volla-phone@2x.jpeg'
};
// The type is object
console.log(typeof jsObject);

// Convert the object into a string
let jsonData = JSON.stringify(jsObject);
// Notice: They keys or properties are now in double quotes
console.log(jsonData);

// The type is string
console.log(typeof jsonData); Note: Keep in mind that JSON and JS objects are two different things. Now paste this string into the request body, select radio button and select from the right drop-down menu and finally, click the button to make the string more readable. POST raw JSON Beautify Example Request: Day_3_POST_Add_Product_OBJECTS Action: Submit JSON in tab after beautification Body {
    "id": 1000,
    "title": "Linux Phone 10",
    "description": "Custom Linux OS on custom embeded system",
    "price": 1000,
    "discountPercentage": 50,
    "rating": 4.99,
    "stock": 150,
    "brand": "Not Applicable",
    "category": "smartphones",
    "thumbnail": "https://linuxstans.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/volla-phone@2x.jpeg"
} Day 4: Loops A loop repeats the workflow of a code block for a limited or infinite time. There are four types of loops in JavaScript for Conventional .. loop for in .. loop for of loop that calls a callback function to control the workflow forEach I will discuss and in a  future article. forEach while The syntax of the first three type of loops are: for // Conventional
for(let i = 0; i < lengthOfArray; i++){
    //codes here
}
// for .. in
for(index in object){
    //codes here
}

// for .. of
for(object of objectCollection){
    //codes here
} A rule of thumb to remember the .. vs .. is for in for of an of .. returns the index of an object in for in an of .. returns the value or object of a collection of objects of for of Day 5: Flow The basic execution flow of a JavaScript code is controlled by blocks. if else The following code chunk written in the block filters outs odd-number product ids that are divisible by and Tests 15 23 : Example Request Day_5_All_Products_FLOW : Action Send let jsonData = pm.response.json();
let productsArray = jsonData["products"];

for(element of productsArray){
    // Filer the odd ids that are divisable by 15
    if(element["id"] % 2 !== 0 && element["id"] % 15 === 0){
        console.log(element)
    }

    // Filer the odd ids that are divisable by 23
    else if(element["id"] % 2 !== 0 && element["id"] % 23 === 0){
        console.log(element)
    }
}

/*
Sample Output 
{id: 15, title: "Eau De Perfume Spray", description: "Genuine  Al-Rehab spray perfume from UAE/Saudi Arabia/Yemen High Quality"…}
 
{id: 23, title: "Orange Essence Food Flavou", description: "Specifications of Orange Essence Food Flavour For Cakes and Baking Food Item"…}
 
{id: 45, title: "Malai Maxi Dress", description: "Ready to wear, Unique design according to modern standard fashion, Best fitting ,Imported stuff"…}
 
{id: 69, title: "Golden Watch Pearls Bracelet Watch", description: "Product details of Golden Watch Pearls Bracelet Watch For Girls - Golden Chain Ladies Bracelate Watch for Women"…}
 
{id: 75, title: "Seven Pocket Women Bag", description: "Seven Pocket Women Bag Handbags Lady Shoulder Crossbody Bag Female Purse Seven Pocket Bag"…}

*/ I will discuss and in a future article. try catch Day 6: Functions A function is a group of codes that we can reuse in a scope. This is the very first concept of code re-usability. The format of a function in JavaScript is given below function functionName(param1, param2, ...){
	// Codes here 
	return returnValue1, returnValue1, ... ;
}

// Calling a function
functionName(param1, param2, ...); Let’s write a basic function in the tab that will check if an input is a prime number or not. Tests function isPrime (number) {
	let prime = true;
	if (number === 1 || number === 0) {
		return prime = false;
	}

	for (let i = 2; i < number; i++) {
		if (number % i === 0) {
			return prime = false;
		}
	}
	return prime;
} Now, we will use this code block in a Postman request to filter out products that have a prime number price value. : Example Request Day_6_All_Products_FUNCTIONS : Action Send let jsonData = pm.response.json();
let productsArray = jsonData["products"];
console.log("Products that have prime no. price values")
for(element of productsArray){
    // Filter prices that are prime in vlaues
    if(isPrime(element["price"])){
        console.log(element);
    }
}

/*
// A truncated view of the output in the Console

> {id: 69, title: "Golden Watch Pearls Bracelet Watch", description: "Product details of Golden Watch Pearls Bracelet Watch For Girls - Golden Chain Ladies Bracelate Watch for Women"…}
...
id: 69
title: "Golden Watch Pearls Bracelet Watch"
description: "Product details of Golden Watch Pearls Bracelet Watch For Girls - Golden Chain Ladies Bracelate Watch for Women"
price: 47
...
*/ Wrapping it Up So far this was my 7-day journey to explore the tip of the JavaScript iceberg. In the next installment, I will come back with the basics of how to write test cases in Postman using JavaScript along with other necessary API testing tips and tricks. I also wish to make Bangla video tutorials on API testing with JS and Postman in the future. Until then, ! Happy Hacking

JavaScript for Testers Part 1: JS Basics for Postman

A Malaprop PseudoBiographical Sketch This is intended as satirical comedy In the Theater of the Grotesque and the Absurd There is a Playboy So we have heard Who says we can believe his every word. Born the scion of an indigent emeral miner His Father sold the jewels to help his plucky son escape to the West Where the lad’s talents at card games Helped him become wealthy playing with them. He sold his house of cards and started Space Exploration (SpaceX) Corporation. And started pitching for shots to Mars. Not every launch was successful, it’s a risky business. But to his credit they have a pretty good track record. So maybe we’ll have a base on Mars. Perhaps we can hope for space As a peaceful conflict free place. All of this put Elon in the predicament of what to do with these scads of money that were in his way. Ever a fan of cars as toys for boys, he met the founders of Tesla at a space geeks meeting. And Elon was well aware that Tesla had won the West. Elon favors the Pave America Program where every open space is dedicated to asphalt and concrete farming. Yet the lad can sell some cars. They can scarce keep up with demand. The future is the Tesla Tesla. And Teslas everywhere you look! Looks like he has that pretty well tied up. Amid all that he began to tunnel across the USA. Elon was always a social kind of a guy He does alright in parties large and small Always an advoate for free speech He was concerned with limitations imposed by social media As a man of means with lots of beans the solution was obvious. Buy the bird. However there were dietary issues and the Bird about went tits up. So Elon has loosened those ties that the Bird might yet survive its dive. Elon has always had a soft spot for animals Of every political stripe But there’s a special place for Doge And some room for Pepe. So though he has lots of power the iron man rusts in the shower Yet listen to what he has to say. Maybe we’ll get to space one day. And Elon clones will overrun the Galaxy. Well hope you enjoyed this babble speak, or is it Babel Speak? As always Comments, Criticisms, and Suggestions are welcome. It’d be a GREAT day for Peace on Earth too. Thanks for reading!

The Legend of Elon Musk

I recently sat down with the CEO of BeInCrypto to discuss the rise of crypto journalism and the recent spate of anti-crypto narratives circulating in mainstream media. You can also read Forbes’ story on . Alena Afanaseva How BeInCrypto Took On The Sector’s Macho Image - And Won Does BeInCrypto Have a Physical Office? Thanks to the culture of the Web3 industry, BE[IN]CRYPTO proudly adopts a remote-first and asynchronous work culture. As a result, we have successfully built one of the world's leading crypto media companies, covering 65 markets in 14 languages without needing a physical office or headquarters. Our team, comprising over 260 members across 65 markets, operates entirely remotely. I am based in Argentina, there are opportunities for in-person meetings, and we do occasionally gather with team members at BE[IN]CRYPTO. While I still believe in the importance of face-to-face interactions, I recognize that they are not as crucial as once. Moreover, as a leader committed to sustainability and mindful of our carbon footprint, we embrace a remote-first culture to achieve a net-zero impact. What's your route to blockchain and Web 3? Is crypto journalism a promising industry? I take great pride that BE[IN]CRYPTO's editorial arm has achieved self-sustainability, making us one of the rare news media organizations within the crypto industry and globally capable of building an editorial model that generates sufficient cash flow to maintain profitability. This accomplishment is due primarily to our remote-first approach, which has significantly reduced our financial requirements. However, we are not resting on our laurels. We recognize the strength of our community and readership base and are actively working towards diversifying our portfolio of services. With the emergence of technologies like AI and the changing landscape of content consumption, we are committed to reimagining the future and meeting the evolving demands of our readers. Regardless of any future changes, I firmly believe that the need for a trustworthy news organization with an unbiased narrative will remain as crucial in the future as it is today. Thanks to this strategy, we operate in 14 languages and cover 65 markets while keeping our operational costs lower than our competitors through our remote-first culture. Being financially independent allows us to remain fully transparent and unbiased, enabling us to explore different growth directions, such as developing our education portal, dedicated HR product for talent management, and other services that build our financial strength. As we look towards the future of BE[IN]CRYPTO, our focus remains on diversifying our revenue streams by developing new products that address the needs of industry participants. By continually innovating and providing value for our readers and partners, we are confident that we will maintain our position as a leading media organization in the crypto industry. One such new offering we are developing is an advanced learning portal, providing users with a comprehensive learning experience to develop new skills and gain a competitive edge in the job market through upskilling and reskilling. We aim to bridge the talent gap and fuel adoption by offering a learning and development platform that benefits job seekers and employers. Additionally, we offer managed HR services to top businesses in the industry, facilitating team building, hiring, and talent upskilling. We are confident that our platform will soon become the go-to resource for traditional companies seeking to upskill their existing talent to meet the demands of web3 adoption and development. In addition to vertical diversification, our goal is to become the reference point for everything web3 in all languages. We operate in 14 languages and plan to expand our linguistic capacities to provide even more coverage. BE[IN]CRYPTO offers services in more languages than any other direct competitor, giving us an edge in the industry. How did you set up Beincrypto? In 2018, the idea for BE[IN]CRYPTO was born during the ICO boom. With a decade of experience as a fundamental analyst, I saw the vast potential of blockchain projects and recognized a dire need for reliable information in the industry. Many inexperienced entrepreneurs were attempting to cash in on the burgeoning industry, leading to many scams, misinformation, and shilling around crypto. I had the right background and experience to develop a crypto news media project that could fill this gap. Our mission to simplify the first steps for non-experienced users set us apart from competitors, making the web3 space accessible for everyone. We focused on providing trustworthy and accurate information for all things crypto, aimed specifically at newbies. This approach proved successful, and within six months of launch, we attracted 500K monthly users. We soon realized that while crypto market information was accessible in English, it was scarce in other languages. This prompted us to change our focus from growing within the English-speaking audience to expanding worldwide, offering more opportunities to people from emerging markets. After a year of operation, we formed local teams to provide original content in their language, starting with Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, and Turkish. Two years later, we added four more languages, becoming the world's leading international crypto new media. In 2021, we became the first crypto news media to adopt globally recognized trust indicators through the 'Trust Project.' The project honors news sites that comply with its 8 Trust Indicators aiming for news transparency and accuracy. This recognition helped us establish ourselves as a reliable source of information and cemented our commitment to providing only fact-checked information. Today, we publish unique content in 14 languages written by locals who understand the audience's pains. At BE[IN]CRYPTO, we strive to empower your web3 journey, regardless of your background and skills. Our mission is to make the web3 space accessible to everyone, and we will do our best to provide you with all the needed information without misleading or complicating things. While the costs were on us for the first six months after we launched BE[IN]CRYPTO, we continue to expand and provide a platform for all things crypto. What were the early challenges you faced setting up your media company? How did you overcome them? At BE[IN]CRYPTO, we lead by example when it comes to finding top talent. We believe in hiring individuals who share our values of responsibility and self-drive, are passionate about new technologies, and are willing to work hard to build something from scratch. However, finding high-quality talent can be challenging, especially when working with a limited budget and in a new industry like web3. When we started, we faced the same hurdles, but through perseverance, we built the right team of 250+ employees spread across 50+ countries. Managing a 100% international and remote team from different cultures, backgrounds, and time zones in a decentralized setting is an ongoing improvement process. Local teams produce our content, and we have partners in over 160 cities worldwide. These regional teams take timely global information and fine-tune it to their target audience, speaking their language - literally. Building on this success, we are now developing our HR product offering to help similar businesses in the industry build the right capacities in a decentralized and asynchronous manner. Through our expertise in managing a remote team, we aim to help others navigate this new way of working and build their successful decentralized teams. Does crypto journalism have a common philosophy? Bloomberg, Financial Times, and CNBC are increasingly entering the crypto sphere by establishing dedicated news branches. While several successful crypto information portals cater to various needs, we closely follow the work of our colleagues at Decrypt, Cointelegraph, and Coindesk. Despite the intense competition, we take pride in that BE[IN]CRYPTO, the youngest among them, has established itself as one of the top three players in less than four years. At BE[IN]CRYPTO, we differentiate ourselves by simplifying the initial steps for non-experienced users and helping a less mature audience understand the web3 and crypto industry, explore its potential, and embark on their journeys. This sets us apart from competitors who primarily target the needs of experienced "crypto geeks," making the space exclusive and inaccessible to a broader audience. Our mission is to empower individuals on their web3 journey, regardless of their background and skills. We firmly believe that anyone can enter the space and are committed to providing all the necessary information without any misleading or complicated jargon. Our goal is to make web3 accessible to everyone by offering learning opportunities and employment possibilities within the industry, allowing individuals to develop the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in the crypto world. Today, we can confidently assert that BE[IN]CRYPTO and most of our direct competitors in the industry take journalism very seriously and adhere to the highest journalistic ethics when collecting and publishing news. However, as the sector is forward-thinking, we must also be agile and creative. It has become common for media outlets to reference tweets from insiders, access community information, and build stories around bite-sized knowledge. This agile approach is driven by the need for financial market players to have firsthand information to make informed decisions. As a result, I believe that crypto media is challenging the status quo and traditional media while maintaining trustworthiness and a solid reputation. Is it reactive to mainstream media pushing a wrong narrative about crypto? Mainstream media has long been influenced by bias shaped by sponsors and external funding. As I mentioned earlier, at BE[IN]CRYPTO, we firmly believe that only financially self-sustainable media organizations can maintain unbiased reporting in today's complex entrepreneurial environment. Traditional media has exhibited bias not only in their coverage of crypto and web3-related news and stories but also in the handling of incidents like the FTX scandal, where media outlets tended to approach the story with a victim-blaming perspective, failing to hold criminals accountable and using language that softens the severity of the situation. The New York Times, for instance, was among those guilty of this approach. In other words, it is exhibits bias against crypto. I firmly believe that any media organization should recognize its power and act with goodwill, serving as an open platform for education and enlightenment without bias. It may sound overly optimistic, and perhaps it is, but this is how we operate within our organization. Where do you see it heading? As I mentioned earlier, the trustworthiness of a news media organization cannot be achieved when it heavily depends on external factors. At BE[IN]CRYPTO, we take pride in being an independent news media organization with a positive cash flow. We have chosen a different path in an industry where many players receive heavy subsidies, such as Coindesk, owned by Digital Currency Group, and Binance, investing in news media organizations. Binance, for example, made a $200 million investment in Forbes shortly after suing the publisher for defamation and even secured seats on the media organization's board. Instead of relying on external financial support, we believe in sustainable and steady growth, reinvesting our profits into developing markets. The question of how a news media organization can remain unbiased when it heavily relies on external investments for survival is not unique to crypto media but applicable to the entire news business and media industry. While financial support and funding may offer a competitive advantage to some businesses, our focus on sustainable growth allows us to maintain independence and make decisions that prioritize the needs of our readers and the markets we serve. This strategy also enables us to attract top talent, enhance our editorial capabilities, and expand our user base in alignment with our values and mission. We have established several revenue streams at BE[IN]CRYPTO contributing to our positive cash flow. Our primary source of revenue comes from advertisers and affiliate partners, reflecting the value of our platform as a leading source of information and insights for the crypto industry. In addition to advertising, we have experienced a surge in demand for our expert HR product, which assists emerging Web3 businesses in building their teams, streamlining hiring processes, and establishing remote work foundations. Our job portal, featuring opportunities from top employers in the industry, has also seen substantial growth, attracting over 20,000 job seekers every week. Our newly developed education portal and consulting business have started generating revenue after years of steady investment and product development. These areas hold significant potential for further growth and expansion in the coming years. Looking ahead to 2023, our goal is to diversify our revenue streams through new product development that caters to the needs of industry participants. We are confident in maintaining our position as a leading media organization in the crypto industry by continuously innovating and introducing offerings that add value for our readers and partners.

"Traditional Media Exhibit Bias Against Crypto", Alena Afanaseva CEO BeInCypto News Media 

An experiment coauthoring with ChatGPT. The scarcity problem of Bitcoin is presented in a convention. When cryptography meets quantum computer and cryopreserved bodies hide secrets worth millions, it only takes one bad actor to unleash a thrilling action. Coauthored with ChatGPT based on my prompts. The technology and historical events in this novel are real. The sun was shining brightly as a group of bitcoin miners made their way to the tropical resort for the annual conference on cryptography. The buzz of excitement was palpable as they entered the conference center, filled with vendors showcasing the latest in mining technology and experts in the field of cryptocurrency ready to share their knowledge. Bizarre combination of hostesses in attractive dresses and fancy make up together with robustly built sales guys in slick suits trying to promote their wares to a collection of irreverent geeks. The miners, hailing from all corners of the world, were eager to network and learn about the latest developments in the industry. As the conference began, the miners settled into their seats, ready to immerse themselves in the world of cryptography and mining for the next few days. The attendees eagerly awaited the presentation by Dr. W Shagwell, a renowned researcher in the field of cryptocurrency. Dr. Shagwell walked up to the stage, his laptop in hand, and began presenting his thesis on the economics of bitcoin mining. He started by explaining how the current market conditions and increasing competition in the mining industry were making it difficult for small miners to turn a profit. He then delved deeper into his research, presenting data and analysis on how the cost of electricity and equipment were also on the rise. Peter was in the audience listening intently as Dr. Shagwell presented his findings, which showed that the profitability of bitcoin mining was likely to decrease in the future. He also discussed the potential impact of this on the industry and the miners themselves, many of whom were in the audience. The miners sat with a mix of shock and concern as they processed the information being presented. Alas, the bitcoins are but a finite treasure, Mined by digital alchemy, yet bound by a ceiling set. As the years pass, the mines yield less and less, And the rate of gain doth inversely progress. This limit doth approach with each block mined, And soon the reward shall be but a pittance, Merely the coin of the realm for transactions, And not the bountiful harvest of yore. As the mines grow barren, the miners must adapt, For in this digital realm, change is the only constant. Thus, they must seek new ways to earn their keep, For in the future, the reward shall not be reaped. And so, let this serve as a warning, dear miners, To look to the future and diversify, For the days of riches from mining alone, Are but a fleeting memory in the digital sky. Peter looked at his friend Olivia and laughed at the “crazy dude” hand signal that she made while pointing to the professor. “What’s with this guy, he thinks the is Shakespeare or what?”. Peter laughed and with a shake of his head motioned her to get the heck out of there. Peter and Olivia were walking by the sea promenade on their way to the standup comedy event of the evening. The sun was getting ready to set by the sea and the orange and yellow tones of the golden hour were making evertyhing look bright. The last beach goers were picking their stuff, and the public announcements were blasting the news that the beach were closing for the day. They were discussing the events of the day at the Bitcoin conference. Peter shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe how complicated it all is. I mean, I thought I had a handle on Bitcoin, but this mining stuff is like rocket science.” Olivia nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it’s definitely not as easy as it used to be. Professor Shagwell was saying that the cost of electricity and equipment is making it almost impossible for small-scale miners to turn a profit.” Peter let out a sigh. “That’s what I was afraid of. I was thinking of maybe investing in some mining equipment, but now I’m not so sure.” Olivia continued. “I didn’t understand all the technical details, and the language he used was a bit archaic, but it sounds like he’s saying that the number of bitcoins being mined is decreasing and that the cost of mining is going up.” Peter: Yeah, that’s right. He said something about how the amount of bitcoins is limited by the algorithm and that the limit is being reached in an inverted exponential mode. Whatever that meant. Olivia: Between his talk about mines grow barren and “the limit doth approach with each block mined” I’m not sure I understand what he means, but it sounds like it’s not good for us miners. Peter: Exactly. He said that at some point in the future, miners will only be paid by the transaction fees, not by the new bitcoins being mined. As Peter and Olivia arrived at the stand-up comedy venue at the end of the day, they handed their tickets to the attendant at the entrance. “Welcome to the comedy club, guys,” she said, as she gestured towards the rows of chairs. “Please follow me and I’ll show you to your seats.” The two friends followed the lady, their eyes drawn to her striking figure and sparkling eyes as she led them through the crowd. They couldn’t help but feel a little star-struck as she showed them to their VIP seats, front and center. “Enjoy the show, guys,” the lady said with a wink, before turning and walking away. Peter and Olivia sat down in their seats and couldn’t help but feel a bit of excitement as they took in the stage and the lively atmosphere of the comedy club. After a long day of presentations it was nice to relax and enjoy some lighthearted entertainment. They look forward to the night, and the good looking lady that helped them to their seats, had made their night even more interesting. The curtains opened and the first comedian of the night sat on a stool mic in hand. The publicum gave her a warm welcome round of applause. “Ladies and gentlemen, did you sat through the presentation by a Professor Shagwell? I mean, it was like trying to understand a foreign language without subtitles. I swear, the only thing more confusing than his PowerPoints is my ex’s text messages. Some laughs from the audience followed. He was talking about something called Bitcoin mining and how the best times might already be over. I’m like, ‘Okay, wait, so you’re telling me that I can’t just sit on my couch and make money? But that’s my whole retirement plan!’ But then he starts throwing around words like ‘blockchain’ and ‘hashrate’ and I’m just sitting there like a deer in the headlights. Some more laughs and a few claps. I mean, I barely know what my bank account balance is, let alone how to mine for Bitcoins. I think he might as well have been speaking in Klingon for all I understood. But hey, at least I know one thing for sure, I’m not gonna be a Bitcoin miner. The audience sat silently, you could have heard a pin hit the ground. Bitcoin mining? It’s getting to the point where these miners might as well be working for free. But you know who’s going to make a killing? Me, that’s who. I’m going to start selling mining computers. They’re like the shovels and pickaxes of the 21st century. I’ll be like those merchants who sold supplies to the gold diggers in California during the gold rush. They got rich while the miners were out there breaking their backs for a few flakes of gold. Some boo’s start to be heard. And let’s be real, with the cost of electricity and equipment, it’s not just the small-time miners who are struggling. It’s like a game of musical chairs and the music has stopped but there’s still one chair left and a hundred people trying to sit down. They’re all fighting for a seat, but in the end, only a few will be left standing. And I’ll be standing there, with a mining computer in one hand and a suitcase full of cash in the other. Louder boo’s. The disgraced comedian took the hint and stands up to leave Thank you, you’ve been a great audience!” Also published here

The Last Bitcoin: Chapter 2 - The Story I Coauthored With ChatGPT

Many may think that nerds and geeks have a singular focus. They may believe that our intellectual prowess can only be contained within one topic of our interest. While this may be true sometimes, it doesn’t mean our thoughts always align with these interests. Oftentimes, like most people, our minds wander. We wonder what we would do in certain situations, what would happen if the world were a certain way, and ask ourselves questions that probably have no concrete answers (yet). In the distant future, I wouldn’t be surprised if we were counted among the philosophers of our time. In any case, we’re always asking questions. If not to others, then to ourselves. Below are some of the questions I’ve pondered, along with my thoughts on them. I hope they spark some imagination in your own mind. Note: This story/interview is from HackerNoon’s philosophical questions writing prompt. Feel free to answer these questions yourself in the comments below or fill out the prompt. If automation replaces 70 percent of all possible human jobs, what do you think people will spend their time doing? If automation replaces most human jobs, people may spend their time on hobbies or attempting to create small businesses. But there is also a possibility of people conducting large-scale protests or riots against the parties responsible for such large-scale automation, which robbed them of their jobs. It all depends on how people adapt to such a shift in the job market. In such a case, what do you think the governance structure will look like? The overall structure of the government may stay the same. I don’t see how automation could replace the intricate mess of politics and bureaucracy. Furthermore, I don’t think people will be too keen on the idea of AI or robots taking on roles in the government. It would defeat the notion of a government by the people, for the people. Could you survive in a post-apocalyptic wasteland? I’m sure many of those who played Fallout, The Long Dark, or the dozens of other survival games out there have asked themselves that at some point, myself included. While I never earned the during my time in the Boy Scouts, I believe I could survive a post-apocalyptic wasteland, at least for a couple of weeks. Aside from food, water, and shelter, my main priority would be finding other survivors and forming a group if I wasn’t already a part of one. Wilderness Survival merit badge It’s been proven repeatedly that people in a group last longer in a survival situation than those who attempt to do so independently. Stories of lone survivors are reserved for movie main characters, video game protagonists, and those with special forces training. I don't fall under these categories as a nerd writing articles on a tech website. I’d have better chances of surviving by finding a group of like-minded people and setting up camp on the roof of a Wal-Mart. Could you survive in a bunker? How would you do it? How would you go without trackers picking up your radio frequencies? While certain aspects may be challenging, I could survive in a bunker. I’d stockpile plenty of non-perishable food, water, and first aid supplies. I’d also have a stash of electronic and print media to stay entertained. If circumstances permitted me to leave now and again, I’d go out to gather supplies and reach out to other survivors. This would be when I would use a radio to try to contact other survivors. By transmitting from a different location and doing so in a particular window of time, I could avoid getting traced back to my bunker. Are you afraid of a robot army? How would you fight against one if you had to? I wouldn’t say I’m afraid of a robot army, but I definitely wouldn’t want to go and fight one, either. If I were forced to fight a robot army, I would use guerrilla tactics. I’d lure them to a location and use minefields and other traps (using powerful magnets whenever possible) to thin the ranks before they get wise. If their remaining numbers are small enough, I’d then pick off the rest by ambushing them with some like-minded friends. If the traps didn’t work, I’d retreat and try again elsewhere. Rinse and repeat until the army becomes a new junkyard. What is consciousness? Our consciousness is our sense of identity. It is our beliefs, awareness, and ability to produce active thoughts. Does life require a purpose and a goal? While a purpose and a goal can help guide us in life, they are not necessarily required to live life. Sometimes you just need to stop momentarily and take in what’s around you. Does fate exist? I don’t think fate exists. It’s a core concept in many works of fiction, but the idea that there is some force that predetermines the outcome of all events just denies the concept of free will and choice. It would mean that we have no control over our own lives. What is intelligence? Intelligence is the knowledge we’ve collected throughout our life and our ability to apply that knowledge in appropriate situations. Why do we dream? Our brains never switch off during our lives. When we sleep, our mind is still processing our unconscious thoughts. That’s probably why our dreams don’t make much sense yet contain enough recognizable things to leave an impression on us. They’re a mix of memories, experiences, ideas, and emotions. That’s my theory, at least. It would explain the concept behind dream interpretation. What did you think of my answers to these questions? Let me know yours in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts and see where we agree or disagree. This story/interview is from HackerNoon’s philosophical questions writing prompt. Feel free to answer these questions yourself in the comments below or fill out the prompt. The lead image for this article was generated by HackerNoon's via the prompt "Dreams, Robots, and Other Mysteries of the Mind". AI Image Generator

Philosophical Queries of a Nerd: Dreams, Robots, and Other Mysteries of the Mind

194 Stories To Learn About Git

338 Stories To Learn About Github

An NFT Anti-Case: We Built An NFT Game Just Before a Big Market Crash

306 Stories To Learn About Docker

I am a software engineer who geeks on learning, using a scientific approach to solve problems, and optimizing my performance. Working as a software engineer, I’ve felt burnout and noticed other people feel it. In this article, I will share a few recommendations, supplemented with sources, on how to deal with burnout. What is burnout According to the , the most common symptoms of burnout are: mentalhealthUk Feeling tired or drained most of the time Feeling helpless, trapped, and/or defeated Feeling detached/alone in the world Having a cynical/negative outlook Self-doubt Procrastinating and taking longer to get things done Feeling overwhelmed that around 38% of workers reported feeling burnt out before covid. This number grew to 43% after the pandemic hit. For software engineers, the numbers are even worse. During the pandemic, 54% of software engineers said that they are affected by (21% and 34% accordingly). The top three reasons for that are: high workload (47%), inefficient processes (31%), unclear goals and targets (29%) Statistics show burnout to a great and moderate extent So, burnout is widespread, and it became even more prevalent during covid, which may still hold as some burnout triggers manifest to a greater extent in remote positions. Let’s address this widespread issue, its causes, and how to deal with them. Major Causes of Burnout High workload I personally feel that staying late at work to fix some critical issue or brush up on a feature that you want to complete is pretty fun. But, and a very important “but”,  only if it is done at leisure and in a comfortable environment. On the contrary, being in a situation where staying late is a habit or having permanent upcoming deadlines, extra important throw-everything-you-do-now-and-fix-this production bug, or having higher performance expectations that one can achieve is detrimental. So, when I notice that having a high workload is a constant state of my work, I know I need to fix it because I borrow from my resource pool and if it is going to continue for a while, my pool will end up empty. And it is going to punch me back in my face. Hard. This is often an issue that must be addressed with your manager as they can typically solve it, tell you when it can be solved, or explain why it cannot be solved at all - the case when you understand that you have other options open in front of you. Once I was working in a startup that had a tight budget, and last-minute changes, overtime, and a high workload were the norm. When we asked the manager for the strategy to deal with that, he said that it’s the nature of the company to execute it in such a way. We are a startup! It became clear, that if I want to stay sane, I should not linger on the project for too long. My mental stability is much more important to me than continuously meeting deadlines with vague benefits. For the startup, their execution was a sprint, win-or-die situation, because they needed to secure another financing round and were always running out of money. But for me it was a marathon - I needed to think about remaining stable and passionate through my long career. I don’t want to overperform for 6 months and try to deal with the consequences of a serious burnout for another year. I didn’t have to leave them as I got reassigned to another project and the company closed soon anyway, but I knew that I would have eventually left. Typically, a high workload can be solved by: Constraining it to a time period; Putting/hiring more resources; Reducing the performance expectations. Also, I’ve seen behavior that is more typical for Junior Software Engineers - to prove that you are a great developer to superiors by working much more than required. It can come from fear of being fired or from feeling insecure because you produce less code than other more-experienced colleagues. The truth is that it is expected that it will take more time and some guidance to achieve the same result as your senior peers. Be careful of somebody who would utilize your Junior title as an excuse for you to work more. You don’t have to. Inefficient Processes Inefficient processes can be both time-consuming and frustrating. Imagine you have a gatekeeper security manager who is the only one with access to the company’s DNS provider. And to add a new subdomain, which is a fairly frequent process, you need to create a ticket, wait for her for a week to pick it up, and schedule a call. Then after all that she questions all the decisions you make, even though she personally does not know how to configure DNS records. Or imagine you want to change the blur of a background picture by 10%, and do A/B testing, but to do that, you need to submit a formal design change proposal document and get approval from the design committee in the company. Or that you must write a 200-word review to 20 engineers in your department every half a year, even though you work only with two colleagues all the time. Some bad processes are created as a failed experiment, some residues from different company times, some are cargo-cults, and some are improvements of even worse processes. But the key thing is that you can try to change them. It happened to me a lot of times, that I would propose to change how we organize meetings or ask to cancel it altogether or I would explain how terrible or frustrating some process feels and how I see it becoming better. At times I got a decent explanation of why things are like that, at times the processes were changed, at times nothing happened at all and I needed to bear with that. But I, at least, knew that I did all I could. Unclear goals and targets This issue kills even the strongest. I think you’ve seen the folks who have no idea why they develop a piece of software or why they are kept in the office as well. With losing the goal, one loses a sense of meaning. This is why it is so important to align the whole team on the company’s goals and explain why they do the things they do. When I see the whole picture, it inspires me, because now I know what I contribute to and how to do it. This Issue often arises as a result of: poor team communication; sunset of the team absence of a good Product Manager who will find the goal which ultimately leads to the previous point. Often, if there is no clear goal for a team, and the team does not understand why they exist, it leads to the imminent sunset of the team, because, well, it’s a pricey team of developers not put to work. In such situations, I try to reach the management to understand how I can be useful elsewhere. If it is not possible, I know that I need to look for another job. When there is no clear goal, I tend to become cynical. I try to dissociate from the company, I am disinterested in what it wants to accomplish because I cannot contribute to that as I don’t have a goal, and my initiative drops. This is why I find having a clear goal so important. Unmatched values Writing code is a game. It is an entertaining process in itself. But what makes it even more fulfilling is writing code for a project that corresponds to your values. At my first job, I developed websites for Belgium businesses. It was fine and entertaining because everything was new, but I would not say that creating a management system for aquaparks was so fulfilling. And I remember the day I was said that I am going to work on a system that will provide exercises for children with dyslexia. I like teaching, I like games, and I like helping people out. I became so passionate about the idea that I couldn’t sleep well that night because I was thinking about all the cool things I could build. It had never happened to me before. So, even though it is not always easy to find a job where values correspond with the ones an engineer has, I think it is one of the very rarely mentioned but most rewarding things to look out for. To find projects I’m passionate about, I ask the following questions: What are the problems in the world and around me that I deeply care about? How can I contribute to the world to make it a place where I want to be? Which hobbies or topics capture my interest the most? What company would I feel proud about working at? Lack of change Another critical thing for companies to do is change things up a little bit. For a software engineer, there is no one place where all of your learning can be done. New information, tools, techniques, and languages come out all the time. I am writing this at a time when personal coding assistance based on big text models is in the works. For a software engineer, you’re  either moving backward, stagnating, or slowly becoming obsolete. Change is important. Another important thing that goes hand-in-hand with change is curiosity. A lot of engineers go into development because they like to tinker and experiment. This is why I believe in the power of in-company rotation to boost the knowledge level and job satisfaction across software engineers. It makes us learn new things, understand other people’s thinking, and explore new tools. This is why I don’t think it is beneficial to be in one company, in one culture, or in one position for more than a couple of years. I believe that it is very fun to engage in different activities in different companies, solve tasks using new technologies, and do new things. Manual work I used to be very pragmatic about what I would automate. If I need to do a process that takes 10 minutes every month, and I would spend half a day automating it, I’d typically not go for automation as the upfront cost is pretty big. However, recently, this approach led me to feel frustrated about the functionality I needed. I needed to change a repetitive and complex JSON structure into a bulk of in-code objects with manual typing and our proprietary templating library. Initially, it seemed it didn’t need to be automated since the process of converting it didn’t involve so many steps, so I spent 2 weeks coping, adapting, and converting the JSON file. At some point, I noticed that every time I think about the task, I wanted to avoid it. I took other tasks meanwhile, I tried to bargain with myself, and I procrastinated as the result (so it actually took me a month to produce the 2 weeks' output). I had approximately half left when I realized, that it makes more sense to spend 3 weeks automating instead of pushing my way through and making me do the work that I hate. And the 3 weeks of coding were fine. Did I use more time just to automate it? Theoretically, yes. But overall, it was a good decision because I don’t think that I would indeed do 2 weeks of work in 2 weeks. After all, I found it to be so daunting. What is more important is that the process was interesting, and I enjoyed it. I did not need to push my way through and suffer. Since then, I try to also add the cost of the damage to my mental state that doing a long manual task incurs so that I can compare it fairly with the cost of automation. Resilience The final aspect to consider is resilience. It allows one to endure and adapt to moderate levels of stress and pressure, recover from them, and return to a state of equilibrium. Inevitably, one will encounter frustrating, confusing, stressful, and challenging situations, whether in software engineering or life in general. Hence, it's crucial to equip oneself with the ability to manage such situations effectively. The most important aspect here is general health. While I’m not going to give any medical advice as I’m not a health professional at all, I feel that the following protocols have changed me to become a much more resilient version of myself: (7-9 hours, regular times of falling asleep, no bright/any light 1 hour before sleep, 15+ minutes of sun exposure early morning, colder temperature when I fall asleep and a little bit higher when I wake up, no coffee after 2 pm, no alcohol 6 hours before sleep); Good sleep (resistance training 3 times per week and 90 minutes of cardio per week) Regular exercise (little amount of sugar/fast carbs, little amount of processed food, a wide range of vitamins, macro, and microelements, 5 grams of Omega-3, 5+ grams of fiber, 8 hours feeding window, vitamin D when there is winter and there is little sun outside) Versatile diet High-quality supportive relationships with people Cold and heat exposure (cold showers or bath for 3-10 minutes, 1-2 times per week, sauna 80-120 °C, 2-3 times per week for 20 minutes) (20 minutes per day) Meditation Psychotherapy Don’t take my word for it, research the topic of well-being yourself, experiment, and find what makes you feel the best. Conclusion Keep an eye out for the following things: Notice early symptoms of burnout like feeling constantly tired, avoiding responsibilities, and a loss of motivation. Don’t stomach a high workload for a long time, talk with your manager to modify your work if possible. Find out inefficient processes that affect your work within a company and do your best to change the,. Strive to get a clear idea of goals for your team and yourself Automate big manual tasks Find a workplace that matches your values Change what you do, learn new, do new things Get your physical and mental health in order This article is a part of the "The Rational Software Engineer" series on Hacker Noon. It covers topics related to optimizing personal processes, education, career development, and being passionate in a software engineering context. Some other titles in this series include: The Rational Software Engineer: A Guide to Work Time Organization The Rational Software Engineer: There is No Perfect Project ] The Rational Software Engineer: How To Be Passionate About Your Work [Part 1 ] The Rational Software Engineer: How To Be Passionate About Your Work [Part 2

The Rational Software Engineer: How to Manage Stress and Avoid Burnout

I am a software engineer who geeks on learning, using a scientific approach to solve problems, and optimizing my performance. During my work as a software engineer, I changed my career vector several times and even considered changing the field altogether. I feel like I’ve gained some insights into this topic, which may be useful for others as well. In this article, I will share a few recommendations that helped me navigate career changes, both big and small. When I first started out as a Python Developer, I was thrilled by the endless possibilities of coding with Python and Django in web development. I dabbled in JavaScript and Vue/React for some frontend pieces and felt constantly challenged and excited by the new things I was learning. But as time went on, I started to feel like I was stuck in a rut. The technologies I was working with no longer seemed as exciting and the tasks I was tackling felt repetitive and unchallenging. I found myself having to dig deeper into the nitty-gritty details of documentation to learn something new in my primary area of expertise, and it no longer had a strong impact on the code I wrote. At the time, I found myself grappling with a lot of questions: "Should I stick with Python? Is backend development still the right path for me? Should I even continue in software engineering?" The desire to shake things up was strong, but I was also filled with doubt about what my next move should be. I know I'm not alone in feeling this way, and it can be overwhelming and frustrating. But at the same time, I truly believe that this can be a fantastic opportunity for growth. What are my options? As I looked at my career trajectory, I realized that instead of becoming a Senior Python Developer, I had a few other options to consider. These included: Continue my current technical trajectory but get more non-code side activities Choose another narrow technical trajectory as Frontend Developer or IOS developer Develop my skills to become a T-shaped developer, meaning I would have a broad range of skills with a specific area of expertise on the backend. Become a Software Engineer in a broad term with no specific area of expertise. Transition into a managerial role. Consider a completely different career path, either in IT or outside of it. First, I wanted to understand if I wanted to remain in the field at all, so I asked myself some ground questions. These questions closely reminded me of the Ikigai circle, which promotes thinking that the perfect career falls at the intersection between activities “I love”, “I am paid for”, “I can”, and “the world needs”. So I asked myself “Is programming something I'm good at, something I love, something the world needs, and something I'll get paid well for”? For me, the answer was a resounding "YES!" It felt like the perfect match for me, so the idea of changing my field was out of the question. But I know not everyone feels the same way. I've seen people who got into the tech industry for money and stability because being a developer is definitely something one can get paid well for, and that is in high demand. Still, they're just not that interested in it and find themselves feeling bored with their work. Being a software engineer may seem like a great opportunity, but it's not for everyone. And, while you can learn to be good at something, it's harder to learn to love it. Big and spooky career change Making a career change can be a big decision, but there are options to make the transition smoother. You can: Gradually shift into the new position within your current workplace. Keep your current job while gaining experience and knowledge in the new field in your spare time. Take the leap and fully commit to breaking into the new industry. The first option is an amazing option if it’s available! Making the transition while still keeping part of your old responsibilities is a smooth process. Let's say you want to switch to Marketing, and your company has a thriving marketing department. They already know you, and they may allow you to gradually make the switch or even split your time between development and marketing. This option is ideal because it often comes with no or little pay cut, and you gain valuable experience as you learn on the job. At some point, I found myself interested in Product Management, so I tried to take over some responsibilities of the role. Everyone in the company was happy with it, but I eventually decided not to go that route. Nonetheless, because of that experience, I feel like I have a good foundation to find the next job as a Product Manager. The option to get experience and knowledge during your spare time can be a smart move, especially if your dream job is in a totally different field from your current one. You earn your regular paycheque while gaining new skills and knowledge, all at your own pace. Plus, if things don't work out the way you hoped, you can remain at your current job. And there are also so many options available to start something by dedicating only a few hours per day. You can find books on the topic, sign up for the course/bootcamp, and eventually start doing a pet project in the new field. All of that can take no more than 10-20 hours per week and can give you enough knowledge and experience to find a new job. The downside? It takes more time to switch, which you need to spend at the job you're not too thrilled about. Also, it can be challenging to keep learning after a long day at work. When you do get a new job, you are likely to face a pay cut as, unfortunately, the experience you get with the toy project/self-education/bootcamps is typically not considered “work” experience. The last option is to go full in. To quit and put all of one’s attention on learning and trying to get a new position. If you have a good safety net or the loss of income for a few months is not problematic to you, going full in is an amazing option, as you make the transition as quick as possible. Also, you will definitely have enough time to learn, and let's not forget the added motivation of finding a new job because, well, you don’t have another option now :) And while big transitions are really scary and definitely not pain-free, getting into something that one is truly passionate about is 100% worth it. I think you easily tell the difference in well-being between somebody you know who likes what they do for 8 hours per day and who hates it. But let’s return to a few other options that I still needed to figure out. Will I enjoy shifting my focus to being a manager? As I gain more experience, I can't help but notice the abundance of managerial tasks that come with it. But here's the thing, just because you're a fantastic software engineer doesn't mean you'll automatically excel in the role of a tech lead, project manager, client-facing representative, or negotiator. I've seen it happen time and time again, where great engineers transition into management and lose touch with what they truly excel at - coding. As for me, I was not quite sure. The idea of managing people and helping them develop does sound exciting. But I needed to give it a test drive before I would make a decision. I decided to keep the opportunity on the table and wait for the right time to exercise it. Will side activities make the job more entertaining? There's a whole world of possibilities within a company beyond just writing code. From interviewing and leading tech talks to mentoring, organizing conferences, and even dabbling in product or project management — the options are endless. If you're eager to take the initiative, you can easily fill up half your day with these exciting activities. Personally, I've found that every time I branch out and try something new, my mood improves and I feel like there's always something interesting to learn and do. That's why I decided to start dedicating 1-2 hours a day to non-coding activities and taking initiative to keep things fresh and exciting. And while some people find it intimidating to ask for non-coding activities, there are plenty of initiatives or tasks that your manager would encourage you to do. So it’s a clear win-win situation. You make it more interesting for yourself plus you do what is needed for the company. While coding is great and all, who wants to do it 40 hours a week for years on end? So I decided to put this tool into my toolbelt. Do I want to shift my focus from the Backend? There were a lot of shiny sub-fields out there: Frontend, Data Science, Data Engineering, DevOps, Mobile Development, Game Development — you name it. I wanted to understand whether I would like myself more in another specialization. To do that, I would ask people who work in the relevant sub-fields and try out some experience myself. I would stress the former. Often, a lot of doubts can be cleared out if you find 2-5 people who work with the new shiny thing you want to work with and ask them what they like about it and don’t. You can ask your friends/colleagues to introduce you to somebody or reach out to 50 people on LinkedIn that resemble your path (live in the same city, have similar years of experience, and come from the same cultural background) and ask those who accept your request a few questions. A lot of people are really nice out there and will gladly help you and share their experiences. Like, I didn’t think much, for example, that for doing a lot of Machine Learning, you typically need to wait hours for your model to train. I like asking the following questions - what do you like the most about what you do? - are there any things that you do not find exciting but you must do anyway? - what is the ideal position in your field for you and how realistic is it to get there? - how was your experience the last time you changed your job? After exploring some of the technologies myself and asking other people, I realized that Backend is still something that I like doing as it has one of the shortest feedback loops I know in development. When I have a task, I am typically able to break it down to a micro-task, which takes me 5-20 minutes to code, and then I can typically test it in a matter of 1 minute. It makes the experience very pleasant and almost game-like. I s T-shape development will be interesting enough? The next option to consider was to continue developing primarily as a Python Backend developer, but also add more technologies on the side and gain solid experience in them. The typical combination would be to get more Frontend. A lot of times, I see that Fullstack developers are rather T-shape developers with their main expertise being a Frontend or Backend. Then, I could still continue doing what I already know and like, and get some experience on the side. I liked the option, and I feel that, in general, it is a step toward becoming a software engineer if it is desired. Do I want to become a Software Engineer in a broader term? For me, the definition of a software engineer is someone who uses the right tool to fix a problem business problem end to end. Basically, a one-man band that will set up the project, gather data, do the development, style it, deploy it, etc. While it is almost impossible to be excellent at multiple things while doing it in this style, such people have a good overall image and a wide concept range to choose from. This option seemed really tempting to me as it would allow me to use a wide toolbelt of technologies, always learn something new and most importantly, feel great from being able to solve all tasks end to end. What did I end up with? I was a Python Developer. I decided to start by becoming a T-shape developer by adding Frontend to my stack and ended up becoming a Software Engineer while keeping a preference for Backend. I also decided to take on more side activities and to be open to a managerial position. To Summarize Ask yourself if software engineering is still something you love, are good at, and can get paid well for, and if the world needs it to understand whether you should stay in the field or switch it. If you are to switch the field completely, then you have the following options: Gradually shift into the new position within your current workplace if possible. Keep your current job while gaining experience and knowledge in the new field in your spare time. Build a portfolio or pet project to showcase your skills in the new field. Take the leap and fully commit to breaking into the new industry if you have a good safety net or can afford the loss of income. Consider getting certifications or taking courses to gain credibility and knowledge. If you are to make a more subtle change, do the following Research and network with professionals who work with the thing you want to switch to. Get your hands on the things you want to transition to Understand which style fits you better: Specialization Developer (like Python Developer), T-shape Developer, or Software Engineer Consider side activities and managerial tasks Good luck, and I hope that you experience a very smooth and exciting transition!

Geeks News on
HackerNoon and Around the Web

geeks.ltd.uk

126 employees

Since 2007

2333183 at Alexa

Geeks Story Mentions

Articles Around the Web

Read More Tech Stories Related to #Geeks

Geeks News on HackerNoon and Around the Web