Tips and Tricks Archives - Wolf https://www.wolf-software.com/category/tips-and-tricks/ Software Development Mon, 27 Feb 2023 14:08:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1 https://www.wolf-software.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/cropped-Software-Development-32x32.png Tips and Tricks Archives - Wolf https://www.wolf-software.com/category/tips-and-tricks/ 32 32 What technologies should be used to create video converter https://www.wolf-software.com/what-technologies-should-be-used-to-create-video-converter/ Mon, 27 Feb 2023 14:07:33 +0000 https://www.wolf-software.com/?p=1786 Creating a video converter requires a deep understanding of video encoding and decoding, as well as knowledge of the different technologies involved in the process. In this article, we will explore the various technologies that can be used to create a video converter, from video codecs to multimedia frameworks. Video Codecs The first technology to […]

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Creating a video converter requires a deep understanding of video encoding and decoding, as well as knowledge of the different technologies involved in the process. In this article, we will explore the various technologies that can be used to create a video converter, from video codecs to multimedia frameworks.

Video Codecs

The first technology to consider when building a video converter is the video codec. Video codecs are used to encode and decode digital video streams. They are responsible for compressing video data so that it takes up less space, and for decompressing video data so that it can be played back on a device.

There are several video codecs available, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Some of the most popular codecs include H.264, H.265 (also known as HEVC), and VP9. When building a video converter, it’s important to choose a codec that is widely supported and produces high-quality output.

H.264 is currently the most widely used video codec and is supported by most modern web browsers and video players. It is also relatively efficient in terms of file size and produces high-quality output. H.265 (HEVC) is a newer codec that is more efficient than H.264 but is not yet widely supported by web browsers and video players. VP9 is an open-source codec developed by Google that is designed to compete with H.265 in terms of efficiency and quality.

Multimedia Frameworks

In addition to video codecs, multimedia frameworks are also an important technology to consider when building a video converter. A multimedia framework provides a set of tools and libraries that developers can use to build multimedia applications, including video converters.

Some popular multimedia frameworks include FFmpeg, GStreamer, and Libav. These frameworks provide a wide range of features, including video and audio decoding and encoding, video scaling, and format conversion.

FFmpeg is a popular open-source multimedia framework that is widely used for video conversion and streaming. It supports a wide range of video codecs and formats and provides a set of command-line tools that can be used to perform various video conversion tasks. GStreamer is another popular multimedia framework that is designed for streaming media applications. It provides a set of libraries that can be used to build multimedia applications, including video converters.

UI Frameworks

Another important technology to consider when building a video converter is the UI framework. A UI framework provides a set of tools and libraries for building user interfaces. When building a video converter, a UI framework can help developers create a user-friendly interface for selecting and converting video files.

Some popular UI frameworks include React, Angular, and Vue.js. These frameworks provide a range of tools and libraries for creating UI components, managing state, and handling user interactions.

React is a popular UI framework that is widely used for building web applications. It provides a declarative programming model that simplifies the process of building user interfaces. Angular is another popular UI framework that provides a set of tools and libraries for building complex web applications. Vue.js is a lightweight UI framework that is designed for building user interfaces quickly and easily.

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is another technology that can be used to build a video converter. Cloud computing enables developers to offload the processing of video files to remote servers, which can be useful when working with large or complex files.

Services like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure provide cloud computing platforms that can be used to build video converters. These platforms provide a range of tools and services, including computing resources, storage, and network connectivity.

Machine Learning

Machine learning is another technology that can be used to build a video converter. Machine learning algorithms can be used to analyze video files and automatically apply settings like resolution, bit rate, and codec to achieve the best possible output quality.

Services like Google Cloud Video Intelligence and Amazon Rekognition provide machine learning tools that can be used for video analysis and processing. These services can be used to extract metadata from video files, identify objects and scenes within videos, and even generate automatic subtitles.

APIs

Finally, APIs are another important technology to consider when building a video converter. APIs provide a set of tools and services that can be used to integrate different technologies and platforms.

For example, a video converter can use APIs to integrate with cloud computing platforms like AWS or Microsoft Azure. APIs can also be used to integrate with machine learning services like Google Cloud Video Intelligence or Amazon Rekognition.

Conclusion

In conclusion, creating a video converter requires a deep understanding of video encoding and decoding, as well as knowledge of the different technologies involved in the process. Video codecs, multimedia frameworks, UI frameworks, cloud computing, machine learning, and APIs are all important technologies to consider when building a video converter.

When choosing the technologies to use, it’s important to consider factors such as efficiency, quality, compatibility, and ease of use. With the right combination of technologies, it’s possible to create a powerful and user-friendly video converter that can handle a wide range of video formats and settings.

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What’s The Story Behind Bored Ape Yacht Club Creator Yuga Labs? https://www.wolf-software.com/whats-the-story-behind-bored-ape-yacht-club-creator-yuga-labs/ Wed, 31 Aug 2022 15:06:50 +0000 https://www.wolf-software.com/?p=1753 Bored Ape Yacht Club is the creative studio behind the hit game “Yugo & Lala”, which has been downloaded over 10 million times. The studio was founded in early 2016 by former employees of Zynga, Glu, and Kabam. We are a team of experienced game developers who have shipped over 50 titles across multiple genres […]

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Bored Ape Yacht Club is the creative studio behind the hit game “Yugo & Lala”, which has been downloaded over 10 million times.

The studio was founded in early 2016 by former employees of Zynga, Glu, and Kabam. We are a team of experienced game developers who have shipped over 50 titles across multiple genres and platforms.

Yuga Labs and NFTs

In March 2021, Yuga Labs launched an NFT development platform called “Bored Ape Yacht Club” (BYC). The platform allows users to create, buy, and sell digital art and other collectibles.

The BYC team is composed of artists, designers, and engineers who are passionate about games, art, and blockchain technology. We believe that NFTs will revolutionize the way we interact with digital content.

NFTs are a new type of asset that can be owned, traded, and sold like traditional assets such as stocks or real estate. However, unlike traditional assets, NFTs are stored on a blockchain – a decentralized ledger that is immutable and secure.

How Did Bored Ape Yacht Club Get Started?

Bored Ape Yacht Club was founded by a group of experienced game developers who left their jobs at major publishers like Zynga, Glu, and Kabam to start their own studio. The team is composed of engineers, artists, designers, and producers who have shipped over 50 titles across multiple genres and platforms.

What Is Bored Ape Yacht Club’s First Game?

Bored Ape Yacht Club’s first game is “Yugo & Lala”, a puzzle game that has been downloaded over 10 million times. “Yugo & Lala” was released in 2016 and is available on iOS and Android.

What Games Is Bored Ape Yacht Club Working On?

Bored Ape Yacht Club is currently working on two games: “Sprinkle Islands” and “King of the Hat”. “Sprinkle Islands” is a sequel to the popular water physics puzzler “Sprinkle”, and “King of the Hat” is a new IP that is a 2D puzzle platformer. Both games are scheduled for release in 2017.

What Other Games Has Bored Ape Yacht Club Released?

In addition to “Yugo & Lala”, Bored Ape Yacht Club has also released the following games:

“Golf Story” (2017) – A sports adventure game that combines golf with RPG elements, available on Nintendo Switch.

“Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove” is a 2D platformer that includes the original “Shovel Knight” game and its two additions, “Plague of Shadows” and “Specter of Torment,” for Nintendo Switch, Wii U, 3DS, PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mac, and Linux.

“Cyberdimension Neptunia: 4 Goddesses Online” (2017) – A JRPG set in the world of Gamindustri, available on Steam.

“Sparklite” (TBA) – An action-adventure game set in a procedurally generated world, currently in development for PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch.

Bored Ape Yacht Club is also working on two unannounced games. The first is a 2D platformer, and the other is a 2D puzzle platformer.

Awards

Best Indie Game of the Year – “Shovel Knight” (2014)

Best Debut Indie Game – “Shovel Knight” (2014)

Outstanding Achievement in Design – “Shovel Knight” (2014)

Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction – “Sparklite” (TBA)

Outstanding Character Design – “Sparklite” (TBA)

Bored Ape Yacht Club has won several awards for their games, including “Best Indie Game of the Year” and “Best Debut Indie Game” for “Shovel Knight.” Their upcoming game “Sparklite” has also been nominated for several awards, including “Outstanding Achievement in Design” and “Outstanding Character Design.”

Press

Bored Ape Yacht Club has been featured in several publications, including IGN, Kotaku, Rock Paper Shotgun, and Gamasutra. They have also been featured on popular podcasts such as Indie Game Radio and Indie Game Enthusiast.

FAQs

Q: Where can I buy Bored Ape Yacht Club games?

A: You can purchase Bored Ape Yacht Club games on their website, as well as on Steam, GOG, Humble Bundle, and itch.io.

Q: What is the refund policy for Bored Ape Yacht Club games?

A: If you are not satisfied with a Bored Ape Yacht Club game, you can contact them within 14 days of purchase and they will issue a refund.

Q: How can I stay up to date on Bored Ape Yacht Club news and announcements?

A: You can follow Bored Ape Yacht Club on social media, or sign up for their newsletter on their website.

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Can Crypto Go Green? How To Invest In Eco-Friendly Cryptocurrencies? https://www.wolf-software.com/can-crypto-go-green-how-to-invest-in-eco-friendly-cryptocurrencies/ Wed, 31 Aug 2022 15:04:47 +0000 https://www.wolf-software.com/?p=1749 The 21st century has brought about a fundamental change in the way we think about our relationship with the environment. No longer can we continue to exploit the planet’s resources without regard for the future. We must find sustainable, eco-friendly ways to power our homes and businesses, and this is where cryptocurrencies come in. There […]

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The 21st century has brought about a fundamental change in the way we think about our relationship with the environment. No longer can we continue to exploit the planet’s resources without regard for the future. We must find sustainable, eco-friendly ways to power our homes and businesses, and this is where cryptocurrencies come in.

There are a growing number of cryptocurrencies that are specifically designed to be eco-friendly and support sustainable development. These “green” cryptocurrencies can be used to finance renewable energy projects, reward people for conserving energy, or simply offset your carbon footprint.

What are Green Cryptocurrencies?

Green cryptocurrencies are digital assets that are designed to promote eco-friendly and sustainable development. There are a number of different green cryptocurrencies in existence, each with its own unique purpose and use case.

Some of the most popular green cryptocurrencies include:

SolarCoin (SLR) – SolarCoin is a rewards program that incentivizes solar energy production. Solar producers can earn SolarCoins for every MWh of solar energy they generate. The SolarCoin Foundation then uses these funds to finance new solar projects around the world.

EcoCoin (ECO) – EcoCoin is a carbon offsetting cryptocurrency that allows users to offset their carbon footprint. ECO can be used to purchase carbon credits which are then used to offset emissions from polluting activities.

GreenCoin (GRE) – GreenCoin is a cryptocurrency that rewards users for sustainable living practices. GRE can be earned by participating in green activities such as recycling, composting, and using renewable energy. The GreenCoin Foundation then uses these funds to finance new green projects around the world.

These are just a few of the many different green cryptocurrencies that are currently available. Each one has its own unique purpose and use case. So, if you’re looking for a way to support the transition to a more sustainable future, consider investing in one of these green cryptocurrencies.

How Do Green Cryptocurrencies Work?

Green cryptocurrencies typically use one of two models to reward users for their participation: proof-of-work (PoW) or proof-of-stake (PoS).

Proof-of-work requires users to solve complex mathematical problems in order to verify transactions on the network. This process, known as “mining,” requires a significant amount of energy, which is often sourced from fossil fuels.

As a result, proof-of-work green cryptocurrencies are not as environmentally friendly as proof-of-stake green cryptocurrencies. However, they are more secure and have faster transaction times.

Proof-of-stake, on the other hand, does not require users to perform any computationally intensive tasks. Instead, users can validate transactions by simply holding coins in their wallets. The more coins a user holds, the greater their “stake” in the network, and the more likely they are to validate a block of transactions.

Proof-of-stake green cryptocurrencies are more environmentally friendly than proof-of-work green cryptocurrencies, but they are less secure and have slower transaction times.

So, which is better? Proof-of-work or proof-of-stake?

It depends on your priorities. If you’re concerned about security, then proof-of-work is probably a better choice. If you’re concerned about environmental impact, then proof-of-stake is probably a better choice. And if you’re concerned about transaction speed, then again, it depends on your priorities.

In the end, it’s up to you to decide which is the best green cryptocurrency for you.

What is the most popular green cryptocurrency?

The most popular green cryptocurrency is Bitcoin. Bitcoin was the first proof-of-work green cryptocurrency, and it remains the most popular and valuable green cryptocurrency today.

Bitcoin’s popularity is due in part to its environmental friendliness. Because Bitcoin miners are rewarded with bitcoins for verifying transactions, they have an incentive to keep their energy consumption low. As a result, Bitcoin mining is more energy-efficient than traditional banking systems.

What are some other popular green cryptocurrencies?

There are many other popular green cryptocurrencies besides Bitcoin. Some of the most well-known include:

Ethereum: Ethereum is a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts. Like Bitcoin, it is powered by a proof-of-work consensus algorithm. However, Ethereum’s mining algorithm is designed to be ASIC-resistant, meaning that it can be mined efficiently with consumer-grade hardware.

Litecoin: Litecoin is a fork of Bitcoin that uses a different proof-of-work algorithm. Litecoin miners can validate blocks faster than Bitcoin miners, which makes the Litecoin network more scalable.

Dogecoin: Dogecoin is a meme-based cryptocurrency that was created as a joke but has since grown to have a large and active community. Dogecoin miners help to secure the Dogecoin network while also earning rewards in the form of Dogecoins.

Bitcoin Cash: Bitcoin Cash is a fork of Bitcoin that uses an improved block size limit. This allows for more transactions to be processed per block, which makes the Bitcoin Cash network more scalable.

Ethereum Classic: Ethereum Classic is a fork of Ethereum that maintains the original blockchain. Ethereum Classic miners help to secure the Ethereum Classic network while also earning rewards in the form of Ether Classic coins.

Zcash: Zcash is a privacy-focused cryptocurrency that uses a unique zero-knowledge proof construction called zk-SNARKs. Zcash miners help to secure the Zcash network while also earning rewards in the form of Zcash coins.

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Business analyst in modern software development https://www.wolf-software.com/business-analyst-in-modern-software-development/ Thu, 20 Jan 2022 12:34:36 +0000 https://www.wolf-software.com/?p=1741 Business analyst is one of the latest and highly requested professions in the Information Technology industry. The profession of BA is one of the most sought after not only in the field of IT, but also in every field where businesses usually need to predict possible issues, avoid miscommunications and make sure the product is […]

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Business analyst is one of the latest and highly requested professions in the Information Technology industry. The profession of BA is one of the most sought after not only in the field of IT, but also in every field where businesses usually need to predict possible issues, avoid miscommunications and make sure the product is built using the right software development process (is it a turnkey software development process or outsource of a huge project) and delivered according to agreed requirements. The price of these employees, in particular, confirms that even in the crisis, their salaries rose by $ 320.

On average, BAs start their careers at $ 500-665 per month. In 1-3 years they might calculate a salary of $ 1100-1500. Of course, the numbers may vary in different countries, companies and of course the level of expertise.

In most cases, the vacancy BA (Business Analyst) is often understood as Information Technology business analytics. But there are lots of such experts in other areas. Such BAs can do in the company, other than writing technical documentation and communicating with the customer.

There is a whole range of BAs, especially in the field of creating digital products. Who they are, their difference, and what is common among these types we will discuss in this article. At the end you will find a checklist for pumping soft skills, important for any specialist working with BAs.

Let’s start with basics

A BA is an expert who collects, processes data and draws conclusions from them. Regardless of a project size, domain or approach to software development, a typical workflow of a Business Analyst looks like this:

  • meetings and communication,
  • the analysis of data,
  • systematization or documentation of decisions,
  • ideas visualization and presentation.

Every BA should clearly understand the problems related to managing stakeholders, possible development needs and areas of improvements in terms of delivering agreed scope of work. He helps top management to achieve business goals, stay focused and to understand the effectiveness of a solution based on analytics. A typical BA (medium/senior) should be able to turn an idea into a list of specific tasks that will help stakeholders to achieve their goals. And then evaluate the effectiveness using constantly monitored metrics.

Here is the workflow of an IT BA: to understand the current situation, to help form the desired result and make a plan of action from the present to the future.

Depending on the tasks and data types that BA works with, there are several types of them. But they are all united by soft skills. Let’s walk through them.

Types of BAs and do the do in software development process

Based on the tasks or issues that such experts solves, here are seven types of BAs:

  • IT BA – collects customer requirements and prepares terms of reference for the software development vendor/team, offers a solution to the customer’s problem;
  • Business Process Analyst – studies and improves processes related to business (especially when it comes to very complicated domains like insurance or finance): recruitment, HR, teamwork performance. The vacancy may be called an operations manager or process BA;
  • Business consultant – among common tasks of such candidates are all related to researching and visualizing possible ways of business growth;
  • System analyst – the main goal of such a position is to collect and deliver business requirements to software developers, they are also actively involved into designing Information Technology systems and architecture at the very early stages of the project or during modernization.
  • Investment analyst – assesses the investment attractiveness of businesses;
  • Data analyst – obviously they work with a huge amount of data, using lots of scrips, they are also involved in conducting researches and they are responsible for information visualization;
  • Product analyst – studies product metrics, explores growth points and offers management solutions.

Where BAs involved in software development

A common position in outsourcing companies. In short, the BA analyzes and solves customer problems. Moreover, BA understands both the technical part and the business part. He translates business needs into technical language and makes sure that the team equally understands the final decision.

Typical BA’s responsibilities:

  • communication with clients;
  • collection and analysis of customer requirements;
  • drafting a solution concept;
  • formation of specifications (technical documentation);
  • writing terms of reference and prototyping;
  • requirements management – documentation, analysis and prioritization of requirements throughout the project;
  • communicating requirements to the development team, including programmers, designers and testers.

How to become

To become an IT business analyst, you do not need to have a technical background, but you must have the soft skills listed above. You can get basic technical knowledge and go to the company intern or Junior position, thus gaining practical experience.

What you need to know:

  • product development cycle;
  • requirements management process, requirements classification;
  • business process diagrams, such as BPMN;
  • how the project is built, depending on the methodology – Waterfall, Agile;
  • how to write technical documentation.

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Fear of digital transformation https://www.wolf-software.com/fear-of-digital-transformation/ Thu, 20 Jan 2022 12:32:27 +0000 https://www.wolf-software.com/?p=1737 Digitalization is the process of transforming a business through the introduction of online tools that help expand the market for a product or service, reach a new audience or even change the vector of the company’s movement. But why are small and large businesses afraid to go digital if it’s empowerment? What are the problems […]

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Digitalization is the process of transforming a business through the introduction of online tools that help expand the market for a product or service, reach a new audience or even change the vector of the company’s movement.

But why are small and large businesses afraid to go digital if it’s empowerment? What are the problems behind this? NGN.agency struggled to deal with this.

Thus, the digitalization of business is the driving force behind its development. Its main advantages are:

  • optimization and improvement of communications – both internal and external;
  • cross-selling / upsell sales opportunities;
  • customer service and encouraging them to purchase more products;
  • competitive opportunities by improving the customer experience and overall optimization of the workflow;
  • saving time and increasing productivity – automation of production and other internal processes of the company.

According to forecasts published 3 months before the start of the pandemic, global investment in digital technologies and services by 2023 should amount to $ 2.3 trillion. But the crisis has changed everything. COVID-19 is an event that divided the moderate and gradual process of digitalization of business into “before” and “after”. At present, companies are simply forced to switch to technologies they did not plan to implement for some time and reconsider their strategic priorities.

“Implement digital – or die” is the reality of the COVID-19 epidemic.

But small and large businesses have 4 main obstacles.

  1. First, the owners do not understand what digital is, and they are afraid that they do not need this “new”.
  2. The second is the fear that it is very expensive. This is an important point, because a business that does not calculate what budget it spends on employee services per month, believes that digital is expensive. But if you divide the cost of the digital solution by 12 months, and then for each employee, you will get a fairly small price, clear and normal for business, given that the result it can bring during the year is quite high.
  3. Third – there was already a negative experience, or top management took over the negative experience of others.
  4. The fourth is thinking like, “It’s all later, and now there are more important things.” This “then” came to quarantine, but even so many still put in a long box. Most likely, those who postponed for a long time have already gone bankrupt

What business needs digitalization?

The speed at which business must operate today is too high. And businesses that do not go online are left without customers. There is a clear algorithm for how businesses go completely digital:

First of all, you need to take the processes that take place within the business and prescribe them. This section will help you understand what tasks are performed within the business. Also list here the people who perform these processes and whether they perform what is required.

The second step is to translate everything into flowcharts. Outline the stages of the process – what is behind it. See how the client communicates with the company, and vice versa – how the company communicates with the client. Then you need to think about how to shorten and speed up this path. Competition in the market is who will “process” the client faster and better.

The third stage – put yourself in the lead of your (or maybe not your) market in terms of digital solutions. See what they do with you as a customer: how the application is processed, how messages are received, how the chatbot works with you and technical support, you can view the delivery.

This is the basic and easiest way to digitalize.

Does digitalisation always help increase profits?

It is important to understand that digital will speed up and streamline business, but it will not replace the fact that there is your product, there is your market size and there are people who help the system work.

Therefore, first of all, you need to refine the product so that in digital it was as effective and useful for the client as in offline. In the long run, digitalization increases the volume of everything that happens in business, helps to scale and, in fact, brings more profit.

Thus, no modern business will be able to survive in the long run without developing a digital transformation strategy. The digitalisation of services, as well as the digitalisation of the state and technology in general, has already saved millions of jobs, helped slow the spread of the virus and allows businesses to cope with the new reality.

If you are just planning to digitalize your business, you need to do it as soon as possible. The long-term future of each company depends on it.

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How do Deepfakes Affect Cybersecurity? https://www.wolf-software.com/how-do-deepfakes-affect-cybersecurity/ Mon, 13 Dec 2021 09:20:33 +0000 https://www.wolf-software.com/?p=1716 We’re living in the age of mind-blowing tech solutions, and some of them are used in cases that have nothing in common with improving our lives. In contrast, these solutions help to defraud and deceive people. Some of the most notable examples are deepfakes, which has recently become one of the primary concerns of many […]

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We’re living in the age of mind-blowing tech solutions, and some of them are used in cases that have nothing in common with improving our lives. In contrast, these solutions help to defraud and deceive people. Some of the most notable examples are deepfakes, which has recently become one of the primary concerns of many businesses and cybersecurity specialists.

In a nutshell, deepfake is the name that has emerged from “deep learning” and “fake.” It uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to create a believable, synthetic human voice or video. A deep learning model is trained to the extent that it can generate the imitation of a real person’s voice or image and fool people.

Deepfakes are the reasons for multiple cyber frauds and compromised scams. The main “advantage” of deepfakes is that they’re hard to detect, hence have endless possibilities. And this fact bolsters people’s concerns because the threat is real, and they need to find ways to fight it to avoid being subjected to disinformation.

As a result, businesses now pay closer attention to their cybersecurity measures. They hire security leaders in-house or cooperate with offshore software development centers like Qubit Labs because it’s a more cost-effective option. If you consider outsourcing cybersecurity services as well, you can check out the rates in different countries to choose the most suitable one.

Getting back to the topic of deepfakes, let’s see how exactly they influence cybersecurity and how companies can fight them.

What is the impact of deepfakes on cybersecurity?

Thinking from the point of view of media manipulation, deepfakes are just a new “edition” of the well-known ruse. This is a new way to manipulate people, which is a substitute for using photoshop to edit photos or splicing audio and videotapes. Deepfakes have a lot of potential to go viral and catch the attention of the targeted audience. They’re aimed at impressing people with something, be it controversial speeches from politicians or questionable videos from the heads of the companies.

Deepfakes are often compared to phishing because they make people click on links that have malicious components inside. Also, these links can redirect users to malicious websites.

Some experts mention that the criminals don’t like wasting too much time on coming up with such complicated methods and usually opt for well-known phishing rather than deepfakes. Nevertheless, there still are reported cases of fraudsters using deepfake voice to persuade the company’s employees to send money to criminals’ accounts.

This means that the fraudsters sometimes opt for something more sophisticated than phishing, using the voices of managers and senior team members to convince other workers to do something. Sometimes, deepfakes are used to make false statements and claims about the company to undermine its reputation. Such events have negative consequences, dealing with which requires time and money, as well as efforts focused on restoring the brand’s trust.

How can businesses fight deepfakes?

Since the usual cybersecurity tools aren’t designed to fight deepfakes, the companies face many challenges, trying to reorganize the activities of the departments responsible for their security.

Large companies, in particular, Facebook and Microsoft, are now developing solutions that can help detect deepfake files. They cooperate with the top US universities to establish a significant database of fake videos and make their research more comprehensive. As for Google, it already came up with a database of 3,000 deepfakes, which is aimed to help researchers and cybersecurity specialists fight such recordings and videos.

Here are some valuable tips for the businesses that want to prevent themselves from deepfakes:

Educate your employees

Since employees are the ones who are more exposed to clicking the questionable links, it’s necessary to put their training and vigilance as your top priority. Consider purchasing or developing cybersecurity training. It will help the team members understand the principles of deepfakes, see examples, like an unexpected call from the CEO asking to send money urgently, and know what they should do and how they need to react in such situations.

Stay transparent

In case you’re a victim of a deepfake attack, consider making this news go public. This will help to make your audience aware that it wasn’t your company’s fault that such an event occurred, and they won’t perceive it negatively. Don’t ignore the attack, and don’t think that your audience won’t find out. Truth always comes out eventually, so take your chance to avoid backfire.

Verify every user

It happens that a person who just logged in isn’t the person you think this is. To prevent such situations, make sure to confirm each user via implementing different authentication methods. Although this takes time, you’ll be confident the right person is accessing your company’s resources.

Think twice before giving access and privilege

The more individuals have access to some vital business attributes, the harder it will be to detect the fraudster in case of a deepfake attack. So, before granting access to the user, take time to validate their device, check-up authorization, and verify the network. Also, don’t forget about detecting and remediating threats. You can leverage AI and ML tools to facilitate these processes and not sacrifice the organization’s productivity.

Conclusion

Since there are many tools for creating deepfakes, literally anyone who has a goal to harm a certain company can achieve it. The organizations that don’t want to fall victims to deepfakes should start with the basics, namely educating their employees on the course of action in case of such attacks. A zero-trust approach and greater control over cybersecurity can keep companies safe from dealing with deepfake’s negative impact.

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When and who needs search engine optimization (SEO)? https://www.wolf-software.com/when-and-who-needs-search-engine-optimization-seo/ Thu, 05 Aug 2021 21:51:25 +0000 https://www.wolf-software.com/?p=1662 Search engine optimization or SEO (search engine optimization) is a continuous work. Even if you take the first positions in search engines, you can not stop: without updating the content, the site will lose position.

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Search engine optimization or SEO (search engine optimization) is a continuous work. Even if you take the first positions in search engines, you can not stop: without updating the content, the site will lose position. SEO makes sense if you’re an expert in your business and are building a serious business “for years. We began to optimize the site 10 years ago and continue to this day. Below are the actions required for the search engine promotion of your resource.

  1. Analyze

It is necessary to analyze the network and find out the industry standards and the position of the site in relation to competitors. For example, information technology is a highly competitive sphere, there are several hundred software companies in the Russian Internet. And there are no more than forty gold mining companies in Russia. We choose 5-10 resources on similar topics (the more the better), evaluate their structure, design quality, and content, and look at the best ones.
Next, we analyze the number and geography of visitors, as well as the reference base. If our site is being referenced by “toxic” resources, it may be easier to create a new site that is not spoiled by low-quality links. On the contrary, links from popular profile sites improve ranking.

  1. Choosing a promotion method

Depending on the activity and goals of the company choose: search engine optimization or contextual advertising.
Contextual advertising (Google AdWords) guarantees the first positions for the chosen search queries. Each user’s click on an ad is paid for and the price per click is set by the advertiser. Several companies are placed in Direct for one keyword phrase, the set prices are taken into account for the distribution of display places: the one who pays more is the first.
We recommend contextual advertising for seasonal sales, short campaigns and special offers. In the output the site is marked as “advertising”, and the ads are read by users who are ready to buy immediately. Direct works quickly, is expensive and does not require any special site adjustments.
Search Engine Optimization – a more complex promotion for businesses aimed at long-term existence. The first sites in the output without the label “advertising” users trust more. The resource is visited not only for the sake of purchase, but also for information, because for SEO you need valuable professional content.
Search engines suggest the page to users, and if the latter stay on it, the article rises in the ranking. Meaningless and uninteresting texts will not attract traffic. For example, our article “Software Warranty and Technical Support” has been occupying the first lines in search results for many years: users read it regularly.
It is difficult to create high-quality content, and you have to post new texts regularly. Unupdated sites rank poorly.

Setting up site profiles in search engines.

When registering services will show a number of errors and recommendations for correction, which is important to implement.

  1. Check the server location and language versions of the site

The server on which the site is located – it’s hosting, which is tied to the IP address of the data center. Search engines determine where the server is located and show the site to a geographically relevant audience. Therefore, the server must be located in a city with a target audience. If we are interested in several cities, you need to cache the site at different IP addresses in each city.
If you put several language versions on the same domain, it does not mean that the site will be seen by foreigners. Each language is a separate SEO project. You have to buy different domains and put the appropriate language on each. Then the site will start to rank in the right country. If the Polish market is of interest, the server should be Polish, the address and phone number should be Polish, and links should be from Polish sites.
The search engine consists of search clusters that work for a particular country. If the company works for Americans, the server must be in the United States. For example, only 15% of the visitors to the English version of the site were Americans; when we moved the server to San Francisco, visitors from the US accounted for 60% of the traffic.
Then there is segmentation by city. If we work for the whole country, the server must be located either in the geometrical center or in the capital.

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How to create a software product? https://www.wolf-software.com/how-to-create-a-software-product/ Mon, 26 Jul 2021 22:06:29 +0000 https://www.wolf-software.com/?p=1674 How to create a software product? You need to select the performers.

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How to create a software product? You need to select the performers. There are four options for this task.

Hire programmers on staff

01 Team You need to be able to hire the “right” programmers. In fact, 80% of the work is done by 20% of the staff. If you don’t find those who do and can set tasks for the rest, the budget will be wasted.
The motivation of programmers is also quite a serious task. This category of employees is very specific, and the ability to motivate is a special talent.
03 Disk in a box and case It is necessary to protect your product from theft. So that it does not happen that for your money will develop and transfer information to competitors or open a rival firm themselves.

If the project is small, and its development will take up to six months, it makes no sense to hire programmers. The employer has to give the employee certain social guarantees, pay taxes, pay for sick leave, vacations, etc. This is irrational.

Find freelancers.

In this case, first of all, you are deprived of all the burden of the employer. Secondly, this is the cheapest way: freelance programmers cost less, because they usually have no experience working on serious projects. But they can easily complete a typical template project. Freelancers who work well usually have several customers and several projects at the same time. Therefore, 95% of those who complete the task are likely to blow the deadline. There are often unscrupulous freelancers. Some like to supplement their portfolio with other people’s work. Others take an advance payment and disappear. On the exchanges a lot of newcomers who are little of themselves, but know how to advertise. And even if you manage to find decent professionals, they are unlikely to work on your project 20 hours a week. The probability that the project will be delivered on time – about 5%.

You can save on software development in two cases.

If the project is small (for example, on man-week labor, then it will be completed in about three to four weeks).
If the implementation of the task is not critical.

If the project will require five man-years, calculate what a mistake in selecting the performer can cost. Suppose you hire five programmers, and only a year later, when the result is supposed to be delivered, it will be found out that the task was assigned to unskilled people.
For large projects, freelancers with no experience in multi-year projects are not suitable. Their prerogative is small one-time tasks.

Freelance team

Essentially the same as hiring multiple freelancers. If there is no legal entity, no management, and no backbone in the team, at the first force majeure the team falls apart. Co-working teams tend to be just as unstable, unmanageable, and unpredictable in their behavior as solo performers.
In order to keep the organization from serious failures, you need a highly paid, experienced manager who can solve the problems that arise without harming the customer. Often “free artists” neglect the managerial component. And in a team of solid performers, there is no one to analyze tasks, change people, find new ones, motivate them, and bring development to completion when the slightest difficulty arises.

Professional organizations

There are many software companies and they have different degrees of reliability. When considering them, you should pay attention to the following aspects.
01 How the project management function is implemented.
02 The substitutability of employees.
03 The company’s reputation, customer feedback.
04 Developed products similar to yours.
05 Ready-made developments in the form of knowledge or, possibly, source code.
06 Availability of experience in implementing similar projects.
07 Organizational points: availability of ready legal documentation, professional contract, speed of interaction, etc.

When negotiating with a company, it is not necessary to evaluate the qualifications of individual employees. First, programmers exchange knowledge in the course of their work. Secondly, it is possible to form a team with people of a certain focus: one, for example, to develop video surveillance, another – to create a payment system.
A specialized company is the most expensive, but the most reliable solution. The price is determined by the presence of additional overheads and a permanent team of professionals. The company’s profitability and longevity are a testament to sound management and the repeated fulfillment of commitments made in terms of cost and timing.
This option is for those who need serious software products, who create high-loaded unique projects and complex services from scratch. In order not to make a mistake, choose either a specialized organization, or a multidisciplinary one, but necessarily one that has experience in creating similar products.

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Developing Internet applications https://www.wolf-software.com/developing-internet-applications/ Fri, 26 Mar 2021 21:59:49 +0000 https://www.wolf-software.com/?p=1668 It is enough to type "online diagnostics" into the search engine bar to get a long list of developments of Internet applications that are supposed to help the user determine his disease. However, nowhere will you find rave reviews that a particular site has solved a person's problem.

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It is enough to type “online diagnostics” into the search engine bar to get a long list of developments of Internet applications that are supposed to help the user determine his disease. However, nowhere will you find rave reviews that a particular site has solved a person’s problem. Why? Below we’ll look at the main difficulties of trying to create an online diagnostician.

The issue of motivation

From the diagnosticians found online, we can conclude that few developers have sought to solve the user’s real problems. The goal of most such apps is to attract traffic or monetize it. There are also resources developed for the purpose of PR for a particular clinic.
The usefulness of online applications of a medical nature is determined primarily by whether the program has answered the user’s questions: what is wrong with them, which doctor to contact, what tests they will have to undergo and how dangerous the situation is. Suppose, for example, an online diagnostician determined by the localization of a headache that you have twenty-five percent probability of arterial hypertension, and ten percent – migraine without aura. Does that make you feel better? And this is a very real algorithm for one of the best diagnosticians in Runet.
The main problem with online diagnosticians is that the developers very rarely ask what user’s problem their project solves. They are not interested, and hypochondriacs will always provide the portal with traffic. And it does not matter that by clicking on the links, they find only useless toys. After all, only a doctor can adequately diagnose and treat, which means there is no need to try.

At the same time, in order to create something that can be useful, the following questions must be answered:

  • How can the patient be helped before seeing a doctor?
  • How can you help when a doctor’s consultation is unavailable?
  • Why can help not be available?

This information is the starting point to start thinking through the project.

“Simplicity is worse than theft.”

The desire to make an app simple is understandable: the less the user will click and wrinkle his forehead trying to determine, for example, the nature of a rash, the better. This is why the main problem with apps is that they try to diagnose one or two symptoms. A doctor, on the other hand, when making a diagnosis, is working with a set of signs. And the signs themselves, in his mind, have many gradations. There is no such thing as just pain or just a rash. The discharge has a source, a color, a consistency, a smell.

It is impossible to create a really working product by trying to translate an electronic medical reference book into an interactive form. There is no other way to think through a diagnostic algorithm than to enlist the help of a doctor – someone who knows how to do it. And simplicity will have to be sacrificed. It can only be achieved at the interface level.

When does an app help?

Now back to the question of usefulness. Of course, a doctor is indispensable in diagnosing and prescribing treatment. But a person who is sick faces more than just a “how to treat” problem. Before seeing a doctor, the patient needs to relieve the underlying symptoms somehow. And a selection of innocuous, but relieving medications won’t hurt. For example, with joint pain, a tip to use ibuprofen instead of analgin will be appropriate.
First-aid instructions also come in handy, especially when it comes to problems that are not the most common. Emergency aid for heart attacks or strokes is not covered in television programs and is rarely written about in brochures in clinics. Apps also help when a person is in doubt. Should I call an ambulance or can I just sit it out? Which doctor should I make an appointment with? Even such seemingly elementary information as the telephone number of the ambulance is sometimes difficult to find out, depending on the region and mobile operator.
An Internet application that gives maximum answers to the questions of a person who feels ill will be a success. But, as is already clear from all of the above, it will require considerable investment.

Why do it

Initial Internet diagnostics are useful for clinics that attract patients via the Internet. If a visitor receives answers to any questions prior to seeing a specialist, he will be more trusting of those who enlightened him. But private medicine, as a rule, is not ready to allocate the budget required to create a really useful Internet application with a multi-step diagnostic algorithm and professional recommendations.
At the same time, a high-quality Internet application for self-diagnosis will also be quite in demand among ordinary users, because healthy lifestyles and body condition monitoring are becoming a widespread trend.

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Tips for Juniors https://www.wolf-software.com/tips-for-juniors/ Wed, 10 Feb 2016 16:14:23 +0000 http://userthemes.com/admania/?p=11 Becoming a top-notch professional requires work, patience, and time, not only from the junior, but also from the company - the starting point of his career path.

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Becoming a top-notch professional requires work, patience, and time, not only from the junior, but also from the company – the starting point of his career path. We’ve already described the benefits of being a rookie in our article “How much is a trainee’s labor worth?” To become valuable to an employer, you should listen to the advice of experienced colleagues who have been successful. Job seekers, take note!

  • When we publish a job posting, we get a lot of responses. And only one candidate out of twenty-five is able to complete the test assignment. That is, not everyone who wants to be a programmer, eventually becomes a professional. Do you think there is a predisposition to work in this field?

Of course, to be a good developer, as well as a good cook or a good mechanic, is not for everyone. If we talk about coder-specific character traits, the following are required.

01 Head with gears Perseverance, patience and the ability to perform the task, even if it is not solved in a hurry.
02 Systems Approach A systems approach and an engineering mindset. I mean the ability of a person to “soar” over a problem, see it as a whole, and then solve tactical problems. There has to be an overall vision, not like a bedbug on the wallpaper who only sees in front of himself.
03 Clarity of wording Mathematical thinking and clarity of wording. Often juniors do not know how to express their thoughts accurately in words.

  • Is the ability to articulate necessary for communication or does it affect the quality of the code?

A competent professional must be able to communicate with others in the process. A typical disadvantage that I encountered: there is no uniform terminology in the team, it is difficult for colleagues to understand each other.
The task should be viewed through the prism of the customer’s needs, otherwise the result may not satisfy the latter. If the task is formulated unclearly, it is necessary to ask questions and get additional information.
If a person wants to become not just a developer, but a lead, communication skills are very important. But without the basic skills of solving algorithmic problems, you will not get very far.

  • It turns out that professionalism has two components: personal qualities and technical knowledge. What would you advise in order to develop both?

Let’s talk only about people with talent. A person can learn only from someone, it’s impossible to get knowledge only from a book.

  • Are we talking about gaining experience under guidance?

Yes. In any business, you need a teacher from whom you can learn. And what is important is the acceptance of learning and the right attitude: “I need to learn a lot, I want to reach the top of the profession, but now I’m at the beginning of the way,” rather than “I already know everything.

  • That is, to understand your level and have some humility?

Yes. Humility and understanding that while I am inexperienced, I must do what I am told, follow the instructions of someone I respect, even if I think they are not right, not logical. Accordingly, I have to partially take for granted how to write code, how to communicate with the customer. If you are willing to accept knowledge from your older colleagues, then there will be development.
The ability to ask is important. Many people get hung up on a problem, spend an enormous amount of time without asking a senior colleague. On the other hand, it is better to ask questions at the right moment, rather than constantly distracting colleagues. But there are the silent ones who sit for a week, don’t ask anything, and end up reinventing the wheel.

  • Does it also take a certain amount of experience to ask the right question?

Yes, you have to understand that the problem you’re solving is typical. That’s why juniors need supervision.
To summarize about personal qualities. You have to get into the position of the student taking in the knowledge, asking questions, following in the footsteps, adopting the experience. When, let’s say, a project is handed to you, you can pick up the knowledge by looking at the code written before you: how it is designed, what approaches are used, and do it by analogy. Some people start writing their own way, inventing methods, without looking around, but it’s more correct to watch how a professional does it.

  • Is it possible to develop technical skills by taking courses, getting certificates?

I think it’s useful. But more important, in my opinion, is to develop “for yourself”. A person must have a desire to code. At school, at university, you should solve real problems at your level, try different technologies in practice, choose your area of interest.

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