Products

Keyboard Paradigm: What is the Difference Between a Synthesizer, a Keyboard, and a Controller and Which One is Right for You?

In this pandemic, many people try a lot of gigs and explore new things to make them feel alive even inside their home. Some discovered their talent and unlocked their hidden skills. For enthusiastic music lovers out there, trying to learn a musical instrument can save you from wasting your time. This is a great way to show your friends and family the new incredible skill you learned. If you like to play musical instruments with just your fingers and create a melodic theater vibe in your home or make your party even cooler with some amazing DJ skills, then you’ve come to the right place. And if you’re unsure about the differences between a keyboard, a synthesizer, and a controller, then let us break it down for you: 

Musical Keyboard

For beginners, it is not the Keyboard you use on computers! The word Keyboard is also used to describe a musical instrument used to create sounds by pressing buttons. Most of them are portable and have the bass sound at the left-side and treble at the right-side keys. If you are thinking about a piano, you are right! Electronic keyboard instruments like pianos are related to keyboards. The main difference between pianos and keyboards is their keys. The former has lighter buttons and easier to manage. 

It is best to use it by beginners such as young children who need to be familiar with this instrument. Also, it will enhance their finger strength to be able to play other instruments with ease. 

Controller

This type of Keyboard requires an external source with recorded data of designated sounds to create music. It can only “control” the sounds if plugged into a device that contains the documented data. It looks like a piano and sends MIDI data to your external software.

Synthesizer

It is a type of Keyboard that is considered an electrophone. It is the modern Keyboard since it makes sounds by digital chips via algorithms. Digital synthesizers are great if you want to be techy and if you want to discover something exclusively new. It is used by putting data, using your fingers to tap the keys, and it will automatically produce its designated sound.  With this instrument, you can create endless tunes and sound configurations. It will enhance your creativity and make you want more time to spend playing it. 


If you still doubt their differences, check this table out!

KEYBOARDCONTROLLERSYNTHESIZER
Device that generates soundDevice that generates sound via a digital source Has no sounds of its ownNO built-in soundsDevice that generates and contains all kinds of built-in sounds
Tells the controller and synthesizer what sound to playHas KeyboardHas Keyboard
Do not requires any form of voltsRequires external source such as a computerRequire triggers in the form of MIDI and volts
Standalone instrumentDesigned to control software configurationsCan be plugged into the amplifier
Can be analog or digitalDigitalCan be analog or digital
Perfect for beginnersRecommended for intermediate musicians and upRecommended for intermediate musicians and up More expensive than the other

Basically, the term Keyboard is a broad and general word for instruments with keys that you can use with your fingers. The Keyboard Controller has no built-in sounds, so you can’t play music with it alone. It needs an external device that contains the stored data. Lastly, the Keyboard Synthesizer has built-in sounds that can be connected to an amplifier. 

After knowing the basics, what is the one for you?

Before considering buying one, it is important to note that the type and price should not be the priority to start your music career. Thus, your passion is to produce music and utilize it to give you and other people happiness. You must first assess yourself based on your future goal and what skill levels you want to earn. You can choose the best device with ease after these steps. 

Specifications to Consider Before Buying the Right Instrument for You

KEYBOARD

If you are a casual learner or a beginner and need to enhance your finger strength, this instrument is the one for you. Keyboards are portable and incredibly lightweight, with up to 76 keys. Do not worry since it has hundreds of tones and dozens of options to select with. Keyboards are not expensive and portable. It is recommended to find a slim key keyboard equipped with a 64-step arpeggiator. You can store up to eight memories and play eight pattern styles with this one. Look out for a capacitive-touch pitch bend and modulations trip with USB ports and power adaptors to use the instrument as a piece of standalone equipment. A good Keyboard has 12V modern gear support that allows you to record chords and play with them. If you want portable Keyboards, an item that weighs 3 pounds is the one to find. 

CONTROLLER

Choosing Keyboard Controllers will let you enjoy the upbeat vibe even more. Most Controllers allow you to play different notes louder than usual. Since this instrument needs to use external computers, you can play a program like authentic drumbeats and minimal music. Suppose you want to step up and add more diverse music configurations. In that case, it is recommended to choose Novation Launchkey 49 [MK3] MIDI Keyboard Controller for Ableton Live for its capability to create programs using Novation Components that you can utilize by using a browser. The product’s arpeggiator allows you to experience creating tunes with amazing patterns you can mix with. 

To fully enjoy the Keyboard Controller, find an instrument that has eight scale modes. They usually come with modern sensitive pads for splendid navigation over the software’s dynamics. Enhanced 8 x 8 grid of RGB velocity plays smooth melodies with lively beats via external MIDI hardware. For musicians who perform in front of the crowd, Launchpad Pro with five modes and excellent scale function with 32 keys will never let you feel the pressure of pressing the wrong keys.

SYNTHESIZER

If you are a techy person who likes to use modern style electronic instruments, synthesizers will be the best match for you. Endless music configuration for an entry-level is not that hard to figure out when Synthesizers with a tone of unique synth engines with a solid arpeggiator and diverse sequencer will give you better sound qualities.

Analog Synthesizers also come in handy if they have an incredible KeyStep-style sequencer with the MiniBrute 2 model allowing you to witness the modern style of music that everyone loves to hear. Paraphonic Keys with their voltage-controlled amplifier will automatically sync your notes even if you pressed other keys that blend naturally to your music.

Finding a synthesizer that is all about the music quality and smoothness of symphonies rather than the volume it can make is important to remember.

Development

How The Gaming Industry Will Progress in The Next Decade

The video game sector is larger than the music and movie industries combined. Even though it does not get the same attention that the music and movie industry does, it is important to acknowledge that there are over 2 billion gamers globally. That makes up about 26% of the entire world’s population.

Video games have been providing entertainment for both children and adults for several years now. As technology continues to enhance, so do video games, and they are likely to experience more changes in the next decade. Also, unlike other industries that have suffered losses due to Covid-19 pandemics, the gaming industry had even progressed. In an article called How COVID-19 Has Affected the Video Game Industry, Geeks Vibes Nation lists several reasons for the rise of the video game. In the future, we can expect even more prosperity in this industry. 

Video games have become more costly and complex, which might sometimes give developers a hard time. Luckily, some sites offer free resources for web designers and programmers to help make the creation of video games a lot easier.

What Changes Are to Be Expected in The Gaming Industry

1.   Changes in Gaming Distribution Models

Gaming distribution models and monetization are changing since gamers no longer rely on just Apple or Google Play stores. This is because most gaming applications can now be directly downloaded through their websites. This happened as a result of Apple and Google eliminating application models that use third-party revenue earnings from their app stores.

An excellent example of such games is Fortnite which was removed from the Google app store. Gamers are currently for alternative delivery methods and are succeeding at it. Third-party applications such as Amazon App Store, Mobile9, Samsung Mobile app store, 1Mobile marketplace, and others are also rising.

Still, Apple and Google Play stores will be popular places for finding games for a long time to come. Games like PUBG Mobile that can be downloaded from the Google Play store, attract a large number of gamers who are looking for Battle Royale games. If you are a fan of this game check out the Best PUBG Mobile Weapon Combos.

2.   Cloud Gaming Services

Cloud gaming services such as Unlimited Gamez, Stadia, and many others have facilitated new ways of playing MMPORGs online with family and friends. Since they do not require gaming power from your system, you can easily play some of the latest games on your current gaming system.

These gaming services use cloud servers and RDPs to run the game; therefore, all you need is a decent internet connection. Even though you will be paying for your gaming subscription, the cost is negligible.

3.   AR/VR Will Go Mainstream

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality go hand in hand. Gamers with VR gaming consoles can use them to play AR-based games. Today, many developers are joining the field of AR/VR mobile application development. Pokemon Go is one of the games that is solely based on AR/VR gaming and has been downloaded over a billion times.

4.   LTV Measurements Will Get Deeper

Lifetime value measurement is the only measurement metric that most gaming developers want to know now. LTV refers to how long a gamer will play the game or how long they keep their game on their smartphones, varying from one to six months. Lifetime value promptly analyzes the profit margin of game development firms.

By bringing out new versions of their games, further upgrades in games, and developing new levels and scenarios, game developers will enhance how to retain more users.

5.   Gaming Console Upgrades

Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Xbox, Sony PlayStation console get upgrades almost every year. This process can include new hardware upgrades like graphic cards, RAM, and several other technical aspects.

Combining all these upgrades will revive the gaming industry on both software and hardware levels. Additionally, companies such as Google and Apple are now entering the market with their products, Apple TV 4K and Google Stadia streaming service.

6.   Game Streaming Will Be the New Monetization Method

Game streaming websites such as Facebook Gaming, YouTube Gaming, Twitch, Hitbox, and numerous others are becoming increasingly popular due to high-speed internet. This will facilitate a new means of monetizing activities for gamers.

Previously, gamers did not know how to earn through playing games. Today, gamers are able to stream to their followers and earn directly through subscriptions, ads, or donations with services such as Patreon and Twitch donation, and monetize their own hosted game servers. To grow your stream on Twitch try Blerp sound alerts and soundboards that can help a lot.

For example, if you are interested in Twitch Drops for World of Tanks or World of Warship games you can find useful info at  https://thearmoredpatrol.com/  

7.   E-gaming Tournaments

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the e-gaming industry has encountered a significant shift. Tournaments used to be organized in arenas and are now being organized from homes, leading to an increase in the frequency of engaging in tournaments.

With eSports and iGaming marketing featuring heavily within the game sector, the value of this industry continues to also grow for both players and companies.

Instead of the audience having to pay $100 to get a seat in the arena, they now pay $10. The ultimate benefit of this change is that a lot of people will join the tournament as the audience and the seats are never going to be sold out.

At sites like VPEsports you can find out about breaking esports and gaming news, and connect to a fascinating world and watch your favorite esport player do a battle.

Will These Changes Enhance the Gaming Industry?

The gaming industry is all about innovation; therefore, new experiences, new technology, and new controls are expected. As the world continues to move towards spending more time on their phones, playing mobile phone games, and streaming services, large tech companies will want to leverage their current framework to get involved since it will become a significant arena for revenues.

The expanding demographics of gamers is perhaps the most exciting change in the video game industry. With more and more people creating demand for more immersive entertainment, playing games, and looking for more straightforward ways to access them, the video game industry will enhance drastically.

Products

Pros and Cons of Smart Home Automation

Some of us have a love/hate relationship with technology. We love how convenient it is for increasing efficiency and the many ways it helps power our lives. On the flip side, we fear things like data breaches, identity theft, and hacking exploits.

In most cases, the downside can be neutralized by taking a few basic precautions.

The same can be said for smart home technology. We love the luxury of having our indoor environment managed to our preferences, 24/7 security monitoring when we’re asleep or away, and the cost savings that comes from conserving resources through automation.

Like every form of technology, there is an upside and a downside.

Before we get into those, we’ll provide a brief definition of smart home automation and tell you a little bit about how it works.

What is Smart Home Automation?

Smart homes and smart home automation are not quite the same thing. The terms are often used interchangeably, and they’re closely related.

However, Smart Home refers to the networked devices that can be controlled via your home internet connection from anywhere. Home automation is the technology that makes it possible to connect and control these devices.

You’ve no doubt heard of the Internet of Things (IoT)? This is part of it.

Home automation is what allows you to network and configure devices that control the temperature in your home, start your car on a cold day while you wait inside all cosy and warm, and coordinate your indoor lighting, stereo, and many other home electronics with little input or effort from you. You simply set a schedule or scene, and the automation does the rest.

The extent to which it can do this depends upon how it is set up and configured, which devices are connected, and how they’re programmed to interact with other devices.

Smart Home Automation works by programming a hub or multiple hubs that you can then activate from your phone or via voice activation. The most common proprietary home assistant is Alexa, but there are great open source systems, such as Home Assistant, that some consider to be more private and secure.

The difference is that the first is a premium, cloud-based home automation platform and the second is local. Home Assistant is free and open source, but you can add a cloud component for a subscription fee, which would convert it into a hybrid service.

Now that we know a little more about smart home automation and how it works, let’s take a closer look into whether it’s worth it to install or a dangerous capability that you should avoid.

5 Advantages of Having a Smart Home

Do you remember the days when you would need to take a day off from work because a repair technician was coming to install your cable or replace a major home system? With smartphone automation, you can let them in your house from nearly any physical location and use an app on your phone to monitor what’s going on inside your home while you’re away.

Setting up a smart home is remarkably easy and requires no in-depth tech knowledge, though it can be a bit pricey, to begin with. However, keep in mind that it’s a small price to pay for the benefits of remote access and 24/7 visual monitoring of your property. These are just a few advantages of venturing into smart home technology. Here’s another 5 listed below on why you should seriously consider smartifying your home

1. Energy Efficient

Did you come from one of those households where the parent(s) were constantly walking through every room and turning off the lights or complaining when the utility bills arrived in the mail? Smart home automation eliminates this problem by allowing you to configure lighting, thermostats, water, and even your light bulbs to turn on or off on a set schedule. You can also configure and coordinate systems by season, occupancy, time of day, and other metrics in order to conserve precious resources and cut consumption.

That means greater efficiency and lower bills.

Another money-saving feature is built-in sensors that tell you when it’s time to change a filter, service your system, or that you might need a repair. This is a much more sensible solution than waiting for a breakdown or inefficiency that puts strain or wear on your home appliances and systems.

2. Hands-free Convenience

With voice activation, you can tell your home assistant to preheat the oven, record your favorite show, turn on the lights, or even fill the tub. This feature is also great for those times when your hands are full and you need to multitask.

3. Enhanced Security

From remote monitoring to round-the clock surveillance, smart home technology offers enhanced security. You can set your door locks and alarms or see who’s at the door while you’re away. If there’s a problem with your stove or furnace, it can shut down automatically and send a service request straight to the plumber or HVAC technician even if you’re on a business trip or vacation.

4. Save Time With Automated Tasks

Wouldn’t it be great if you could program your home to have the indoor temperature and lighting set to your preferences before you arrive home from work? No more fumbling for your keys at a darkened doorway or bumping your shins on the end table while you feel around for the lights.

Whatever compatible devices or preferences you need can be automated and customized to save time for things that really matter.

5. Access control

This not only saves money and alerts first responders when there’s a fire, medical emergency, or break in attempt, it also makes homes and home systems more accessible for the elderly and disabled.

The Downside of Smart Home Technology

”People assume that the smarter your home, the better your life. But in reality, technology so often gets in the way of leading a good life.” ~ Joe Gebbia, Designer

Of course, for every advantage, there are certain disadvantages. The trick is to determine if the benefits are worth the risk.

To our minds, these are the main liabilities you face when installing smart home automation and how to minimize those risks.

Security and Privacy

Anything that’s connected to the internet or has remote access can be hacked. There’s no way to make home automation 100 percent impenetrable, but there are things you can do to minimize risk.

First of all, don’t connect all systems and devices to the same network. Most modems will allow you to segment your networks, so you can have one connection for computing, one for visitors, a separate network for security monitoring, home appliances, and your furnace. Check with your IP service for more information about setting up your network.

Cost

Although it’s becoming more common, the technology is still out of reach for some people. First, determine if the savings offer an ROI that offsets the cost. You could also implement more critical features, such as a remote doorbell or video monitoring first, and then add technologies or devices as your budget and requirements change or increase.

Setup and Configuration

Sometimes, even someone who’s tech-savvy can have a difficult time setting up or configuring devices. Many companies offer tech support and installation/setup assistance. Even if there’s a small fee attached, it’s worth the price to avoid improper configuration and hassle.

Do the Advantages Outweigh the Risks? Final Thoughts About Smart Home Automation

When precautions are put in place and it’s properly installed and maintained, smart home technology offers many advantages. In fact, it’s projected that by 2025, global home automation investment will reach $133.2 billion. By that point in time, it’s estimated that there will be more than 30 billion active IoT connections or networked devices.

In other words, this technology isn’t going away any time soon. The automation will also become more affordable and secure as it evolves, diminishing several of the disadvantages.

Our best advice to you is to evaluate your own needs and budgets to determine how – and how many – smart home capabilities will improve your life.

Development

How is Machine Learning Useful In Mobile App Development?

Currently, the evolution of mobile apps has taken a turn and started following new ethics and strategies. Grabbing ideas from the environment helps with the creation of the product with uniqueness. Machine learning is a unique concept that assists mobile app developers in improving their app designs. It helps to access and handle data. 

As per the research, the machine learning market is expected to grow by USD 11.16 billion during 2020-2024. ML is geared to computer programs. It is a highly trending system that mobile app development companies are following while creating or improving any app. Machine learning introduces the industry with entirely new and revamped mobile application development circumstances. 

What Are The Prime Reasons To Build A Machine Learning Application?

Here are the benefits that one can expect from implementing machine learning – ● Machine Learning helps banks to increase their sales● Machine learning technology predicts better user behavior and optimizes the app processes● The enterprises refine marketing issues by using machine learning. 

How Does Mobile App Developer Use Machine Learning To Generate Innovative Mobile Applications?

Machine learning reduces the gap between understanding the user’s requirements and creating a personalized solution. Thus, a machine learning system is embedded in the applications by the app developers to create a customized solution for the apps. Machine learning customizes the app features and solutions as per the user’s everyday activities. These advancements help in creating an app that assists the users in achieving an ideal overall experience. 

● Machine Learning Is Best For Predictive Analysis

It is an excellent technology that helps applications process massive data and derive quantitative predictions easily customized based on the user’s requirements. 

● Machine Learning Is Used For Filtering Out The Junk 

The mobile app developers train machine learning modules for filtering out spam or insecure emails or sites. It is the best technology for leading to a proactive security measure. 

● ML For Character Recognition 

Predictive analysis, along with character recognition, creates mobile applications to read and understand the language. It is a milestone that is achieved by Machine learning applications.

How Mobile App Development Is Benefitted From Machine Learning?

Machine learning in app development represents the complete solution of Artificial Intelligence Mechanism designed to provide a universal approach for solving the problems related to the web. The algorithm depends on the machine learning system so that the end-users get a better experience. 

Every mobile application development is currently done with efficiency by artificially embedding a machine learning mechanism in its background. Regardless of everything, there is a huge gap between personalization and actual personalization. You can’t satisfy your users with an app with fewer essential features. But with artificial intelligence development, one can narrow down the gap and personalize the app as per the user’s requirement. Machine learning is a technology that makes the platform – user friendly with an enhanced edition of its features. 

● Improves The Personalized Experience Of The Users 

The digital units in machine learning enable it to continue with all the learning processes. The algorithm of machine learning has the tendency to analyze and process the information of the user based on their social media activities. For instance, when a user starts browsing about any app – the ratings or recommendations would start appearing one by one. 

● Active Association With Mobile Application Users

Machine learning applications can help to manage the users based on their preferences. You can provide all the relevant and approachable content on your application to convey its true impression to the users. Android mobile application development companies are applying exceptional resources to influence the prospects behind using those resources. 

● Machine Learning Supports The Apps With Visual And Auto-Recognition 

The mobile applications with machine learning integration identify different faces and words through neural networks. It greatly helps make the users experience seamless and less time expensive. 

● Offers Efficient Search Experience For Application Users 

With data leading the world to evolve at high speeds, effective search is becoming more important in creating a better user experience. When the users use the net for searching their queries, they expect a result that is much similar to their search purpose. Machine learning applications are the best in achieving it quickly.

● ML Helps The Application With Advanced Data Withdrawal 

The trading of big data is uncontrollable and multi-fold. Though, processing high amounts of raw data requires many efforts for analyzing and categorizing the information. ML is enabled for processing numerous profiles at a time and thus helps in crafting aligned strategies for an application that is backed with robust data sets. 

● Quick And Secured Authentication Process

With the addition of machine learning in mobile applications development, businesses can provide a protective environment for the customers. Thus, it enables the eCommerce application to add an authentication process and approved identification system for the users to log into the mobile app. Machine learning adds extra security to the applications; thus, it is preferred by mobile app developers. 

● Evaluating Customer Behaviour 

With the development of artificial intelligence, both app development companies and marketers are getting more concerned with the customer’s choices and preferences. On the basis of these preferences, all the users have a better and more personalized experience of the web. The experiences mostly differ on the basis of – gender, browsing history, geographical locations and the intensity of the mobile application usage. 

With all these features, it is time for all industries to adopt ML. 

Top Machine Learning App Examples

The advanced algorithms of the industry transform the way users interact with their devices while adding unique ideas to the mobile app. Here is the list of the best machine learning app examples –

● Tinder 

It uses the algorithm with strength learning for the photo feature, increasing the user’s chance of finding the perfect match. It shows users the photos of other users in random order. The ML system analyzes the number of right or left swipes each image receives. This way, Tinder learns which image is more attractive to other users and which is not. It thus rearranges the images and puts popular images first. 

● Snapchat 

This application has an efficient face detection feature with the use of AI and ML algorithms.

Mobile machine learning algorithms look for faces in the images and add fun elements like dog ears, hats, and much more. 

● E-Bay

It is an online shopping store that takes the help of Machine learning development companies for creating a user-friendly environment for the customers. ML helps in understanding the requirements of the users. Later, the Chatbot (product of a machine learning algorithm) processes the text messages and images offered by the users to find the best match for them.

Other than these, there are many more applications that use machine learning for providing an advanced and innovative experience to their users. Some of these applications are – Netflix, Google Maps, Spotify and many more. Capabilities of machine learning systems are highlighted in these applications, which are popular worldwide.

Key Takeaways

The technology of machine learning has empowered websites and mobile apps and thus has attracted many users. Most Android app development companies rely on machine learning as it offers advanced research methods, protection against fraud, and secure authentication.

Development

How To Build and Manage Your Mobile services App on Multi-Cloud

Cloud platforms have completely changed the way developers and businesses perceive mobile app development. When modern businesses need fast-paced, smooth, easy, and efficient ways to build and implement mobile apps targeting a particular user audience, cloud computing comes to their rescue. Cloud computing platforms bring a lot of flexibility to mobile app development projects.

 In a multitude of ways, cloud computing is creating higher value propositions for app development projects. When building a mobile app from scratch, multiple cloud platforms with their plethora of services can come to your aid all the time.

Here we are going to mention some of the value propositions the multi-Cloud approach offers.

●     Quicker response time: Cloud-based apps allow quick testing and deployment allowing faster time-to-market.

●     Enhanced scalability: Depending upon the evolving business demands, the application capacity can easily be scaled up or down.

●     Lower costs: All the data centers being managed by the leading cloud infrastructure companies catering to a large pool of businesses often end up delivering lower prices. This is why Cloud-based apps require less maintenance cost than on-premise ones.

●     Enhanced security: Since the cloud-stored data can be readily and instantly accessed by authorized users, they enjoy robust backup measures. All the leading cloud service providers with the help of world-class security experts also ensure optimum infrastructure security and on-demand security for businesses.

●     Smooth operation: Third-party cloud service providers who have hired managing infrastructure further ensures smooth operation.

Key Reasons for companies to opt for multi-cloud

In many companies, the decisions corresponding to new technology adoption aren’t taken care of by centralized teams. Various teams can independently go for different cloud providers and thus the whole organization can actually end up going for multi-cloud. Apart from looking at it as an unintentional fallout of decentralized management, it is important to look at the benefits of this approach as well.

Flexibility

It is probably the principal reason for companies to opt for multiple cloud platforms. Through this approach, businesses can also prevent the “vendor lock-in” and remain flexible in their choices.

When it comes to IT infrastructure, this also ensures easy access to a large number of tools and resources. There are many app developers in Belgium who get cloud app projects with the only intention on the part of clients to stay flexible and open to all.

Cost competitive

Staying cost competitive is another crucial reason for businesses to embrace the multi-cloud approach. Enterprises can just opt for the low-cost Cloud resources as per their requirements and can opt for higher-priced services for certain functions when they really need them. Multi-cloud native platforms also allow getting cost estimates in advance so that the businesses can actually utilize Cloud services keeping an eye on cost.

Awesome Performance

Performance enhancements become easier through a multi-cloud strategy. A company can opt for a data center close to their business location and can ensure optimum latency fulfilling specific hardware requirements.  Their system also becomes more resilient as occasional outrage in one part of the system can be botched up by the other part.

Adhering to Regulations and Compliance

In the IT industry, there are several Cloud specific regulations regarding keeping data stored in particular locations. To meet these rules businesses prefer diversifying their cloud platforms to make sure they have access to multiple data centers in all key locations of their business operation.

Robust Security

Since through multiple cloud platforms data and IP addresses are spread across locations and diverse platforms, any security breach can actually do less damage to the data. On the other hand, new security tools are being worked upon to give the power of modern p analytics and machine learning to the users of multiple clouds. These technologies will further help to diversify the location-based data breach risks.

Why Do Mobile App Developers Prefer a Cloud-backend?

Now that we have a gross idea about the benefits of cloud services for businesses, it is time to know the perspective of the mobile app developers to understand their reason behind choosing Cloud backend.

In recent times Cloud platforms are coming with a backend-as-a-service (BaaS) solution. These solutions take maximum responsibilities besides dealing with the back-end capabilities. This gives the app developers a lot of flexibility and freedom in dealing with their own tasks of creating features and functionalities for the app and they can completely do away with worries over app security, scalability, and reliability.

Get the ideal cloud service based on the app needs

Cloud platforms are popular for delivering a great foundation for your app’s performance. Cloud services ensure that you can run apps consistently in all environments. But, you also need to choose the cloud platforms where the app runs best with the least performance glitches.

The app developers ideally need to write application code that is totally cloud platform agnostic and can run on all platforms. But often that doesn’t happen in practical life. This is why it is advisable to focus upon one or two cloud platforms for running your app. The kind of workload your app needs to deal with may not be perfect for every cloud platform and hence you need to be selective.

Conclusion

Cloud computing is continuing to help mobile app developers in delivering superb and engaging user experiences while ensuring a lower cost of development and experimentation. Through the use of the cloud, app developers can incorporate social login functionality, offer a high context-driven user experience based on the geo-location data of the users. With so many promises in terms of flexibility and ease of use, Cloud is very likely to play the role of a game-changer in the global app development scene.

Development

Is cloud-native the future of software development?

The emerging wave of cloud-native technology is taking over the software development world, and for a good reason. The cloud-native application supports developers to take advantage of the new and existing platforms and processes of the cloud system. Also, an enterprise can handle disruptive challenges with cloud-native apps.

The popularity of cloud-native apps are growing, and even the most renowned organizations such as Netflix, Pinterest, Uber, etc. are increasing their cloud-native abilities to avoid technological issues. 

So when cloud-native has so much to give, can it dominate the development world? Can it be the future of app industries? 

Let’s discuss ahead and find the answer!

Cloud-Native Application – A Quick Introduction

Before we move ahead, first, let’s gather some knowledge about what cloud-native applications are

Cloud-native is an advanced technology to build applications that use cloud computing as the base instead of an in-house server. So when you will build an app, you don’t have to invest in an in-house server to store it; instead, cloud-native gives you an amazing option to store the app on the cloud.

Besides, while developing software, you don’t have to worry about ‘where’, you would focus on ‘how’ as the cloud-native has a unique approach for app development than the traditional one that we are familiar with.

There are 3 major support pillars of cloud-native applications development:

Containers:

Individual part of the cloud-native app is encapsulated in a container. So whenever an application is run, everything it requires is in its own package. 

Orchestration:

Each container is managed so that all the resources are optimized properly.  Hence, it is handled automatically and doesn’t require any manual attention.  

Microservices: These are just like small apps, and each app has its different purpose. A team of developers can easily handle microservices.  

Polyglot: Every cloud-native app is built using a certain language or framework. This way, developers can take advantage of using diverse programming languages, frameworks, and runtime for discrete services.

 Need of Cloud Native in your Enterprise 

There are four major reasons to have Cloud Native for your app development enterprise: 

  • Advanced tools for Monitoring & Management

An app developer can use various tools for the auditing and monitoring of cloud-native apps. Also, platforms such as Datalog, AppDynamic, and Newrelic can become handy to check Microservices and containers.

Open Tracing and Zipkin are also great tools for debugging your app. And for log aggregation, use Splunk, Fluentd, and Elasticsearch.  

  • Auto-Scaling for Connectivity 

Auto-scaling is the major reason why more and more software companies are switching to cloud-native. The piece of code where to apply the auto-scaling feature will scale-out without manual interrupt as the traffic spikes.  

  • Affordability of the Application Development

Another big reason to choose cloud-native is the cost factor. One can achieve consistency of tools and infrastructure by using specific cloud-native tools such as microservices. Hence, it includes low cost because of this factor and, as we all know, cloud-native application for an ‘open source’ model. You will not get pay-per-use costing time in milliseconds support in any other server. So cloud native is easy on your budget.  

  • Reliability

Any company would anticipate the utmost reliability from their software development platform. That’s exactly what you can expect from cloud-native applications. The microservice architecture and Kubernetes offer developers a robust and secure app production method that would bear faults without crashing. The self-healing property of cloud native applications make them special and the most reliable. Besides, one can easily move to a new data centre in the middle of failure. This automatically lowers failure chances and increases reliability on cloud-native.       

Major Cloud-Native Applications for Software Development

 Following are the major cloud-native applications:

Microservices

As we discussed earlier, microservices is the combination of small apps that work collaboratively to provide functionality to your system. Each microservice focuses on single functionality and contains limited APIs and boundaries, and managed by a small team of professionals. Hence, a single package of microservices can help you handle & control the multiple functionalities of your app.  

Application Program Interfaces (APIs)

API works as connectors that unleash the functionality which other apps can use. API has this magical power to customize or extend an application without reaching or changing the code. It is the best way to ensure code security. API also helps developers to use the best functionality of other applications as well.

For example, Google Maps in the digital world. A developer can easily merge mapping functionality to any app by requesting geographic information through API. They simply just don’t develop a map from scratch to match the digital standards because API makes things easier. Great, isn’t it?   

Software-defined Infrastructure & Security  

Do you ever imagine if you could transform the hardware such as switches, plugs, dials, etc. into the app to get the virtual feel? It’s possible with advanced cloud-native application. This system considers the underlying infrastructure as the fuel and adapter to all the requirements. It gives you the freedom to automatically scale up or down the capacity, start & stop the services, and relocate the resources through the app. So nifty!   

Do Cloud-Native Applications Hold the Future of App Development?

The obvious answer is ‘Yes.’

Cloud native application development brings so many continuous benefits to the table that a developer can shun half of their efforts required to develop an application that runs efficiently on the Internet. Its properties such as microservices offer an advanced level development experience.  

But let’s just keep all the benefits aside and have a look at the potential challenges that a developer might face while using cloud-native for application development.

Data Storage in Cloud-Native Apps

When you have the power of serverless containers and functions in immutable infrastructure, the permanent storage might become insufficient. This could lead to continuous internal data disruption when the system or app is turned off. So cloud-native could lead to data storage issues as well.  

Service Integration into App

Cloud native application development comes with a variety of services that might perplex a developer. They have to ensure that each service is sized accurately. They might even lower the number of services because these could convert into increased integration and complexity, which nobody wants in their app.   

Complexity Working in Synergy

Cloud-native tools such as DevOps support developers or a team of developers to build, test, and deploy an app synergically, but it can become complex sometimes to work with one another.

Do all these challenges make cloud native applications any less? Nope!

Cloud-Native is an extraordinary and evolving technology that eases the app development process. Only the time and coming challenges will define if cloud native applications will change the way we develop apps. But for now, cloud-native is changing our work style and helping developers to build excellent apps inexpensively.    

Final Words

 The idea of serverless Cloud Native applications is to support an easy way to implement scalable and complex systems and provide huge storage for apps elements.

Containers ease up the way an app is distributed.

Microservices allow you to accurately structure your system.

You get security for your app, and any data disruption will not stop your app is guaranteed. And if you have decided to partner with a software company for cloud native services, you must also consider orchestration and docker as well to manage everything harmonically.

Insights

A Guide to Cryptocurrencies in 2021

The usage of paper cash is declining year to year. Most prefer using credit and debit cards, as they are more convenient, and you don’t have to worry about the cashier counting exact change. But at the beginning of the 2010s, another form of payment was developed: Bitcoin.

Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrencies have exploded in popularity since the mid-2010s, and many Internet users today are raving about the latest developments of other cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and Dogecoin. Even public figures are getting in on the action, the biggest supporter of cryptocurrency being Elon Musk.

But what, exactly, is cryptocurrency? And how would you even use it? Today, let’s answer those questions and dig deep into the world of crypto.

What Cryptocurrency is

The best way to describe cryptocurrency is by calling it a digital currency. Think of it like cash, but instead of handling paper and coins, you’re using an online ledger to make transactions.

And just like how every country has its own unique currency, there are dozens of types of cryptocurrency available on the market. Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, Litecoin, etc.: they are all available for you to purchase, sell, and use in your transactions.

One unique trait of crypto is that each type of crypto (or coin) is volatile. After all, there’s no regulation affecting crypto. This means that your Bitcoin that was worth $16,000 a day ago could suddenly drop into the low thousands by tomorrow. Crypto is an investment more than it is a flat currency.

How Cryptocurrency is Used

So how does someone gain crypto without buying some off someone else? And how would someone go about using crypto? Let’s start by discussing “mining,” the process someone would go through in order to gain cryptocurrency.

Mining involves someone using their computer (typically packed with a specialized graphics card and tons of RAM) to solve complex math problems that only machines can solve. Solving said math problems help verify the legitimacy of transactions (crypto trades) that take place. In other words, solving the math problem gets the user crypto and helps secure transactions.

Once a user gets their hands on some crypto, they are free to spend it however they wish. Some cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, can be linked to a debit card from certain issuers. Others can only be used on sites that directly offer crypto-payment services.

They could also go through a trading platform like Coinbase and sell their earned cryptocurrencies for cash.

How to Stay Secure When Using Cryptocurrency

All that said, the world of cryptocurrency isn’t perfect, and security is often an issue. From nonsecure trading platforms to basic user error, it’s easy to have your crypto stolen or have your information leaked.

So, there are a couple of things to keep in mind when trading crypto. One, use a VPN for security so that your information isn’t visible to anyone. After all, mining isn’t an entirely secure process.

Two, when storing your cryptocurrency, typically in a digital wallet, make sure you’re using a wallet that uses two-factor authentication. And always keep your wallet code on you, but never give it to anyone else!

Conclusion

It’s apparent from all the fanfare cryptocurrency has received the last few years that crypto is here to stay. So, it’s good to keep up with cryptocurrency’s latest developments and learn how to start trading!

E-commerce and AI
Development

What You Need to Know about Print on Demand Services

Many people prefer to choose custom services. Are you familiar with photo prints and print on demand services? Or are you new to the concept? Either way, you will find answers to all probable questions about this concept. 

This guide provides you with an insight into the concept of print on demand services. You will find out how these services work and how you can use them. Let’s Find out! 

What are photo print services? 

Before delving into the concept of print on demand services, it is best to understand photo print services. 

Photo print services help you to create high-quality prints of digital photos. It allows you to beat the hassle of acquiring expertise or purchasing costly products. Likewise, you won’t have to spend as much as point-of-sale printing operations. 

Whether you are an artist or an art lover, you would have to use printing services one day. They print on various materials like frames. You can also have prints on custom materials like T-shirts, mug cups, caps, etc. 

Some printing services make digital prints available for sale, while some prefer to print when there are orders. Hence, the concept of print on demand services. 

What is Print on Demand Services? 

Print on demand services uses a similar concept to regular printing services. The main difference is the order fulfillment method. Items and images are only printed after an order is made. Print on demand also allows you to create custom designs for varieties of products and make them available under your brand. 

There is no limit to what you can print on demand online, from frames to other custom materials. It allows you to work with a supplier to customize white-label products, including frames. You will also get the opportunity to sell the products on preorder under your brand. 

So, you won’t have to pay for your prints until you already sold them. The supplier handles all needs, from printing to shipping. So, there is no need to buy the materials in bulk for sale. 

Uses of Print on Demand Services 

The increasing popularity of print on demand services is because of their increasing uses and benefits. Here are some of the uses of print on demand services. 

  1. It helps you to test a business idea without risking your capital 
  2. Allows you to make money from your existing audience 
  3. It helps you to explore a niche to create an original product 
  4. Print on demand services allows you to sell your photos and other artworks online 
  5. Allows you to print one-off items with ease 
  6. Shipping and other process is handled by the manufacturer, making it relatively easier 
  7. It is useful for creating quick products with minimal investments and risks

Cons of Print on Demand Services 

There is no doubt about the benefits and uses of print on demand services. Regardless, it has its shortcomings. But understanding these limitations helps you to handle and explore this service better. 

The cons of print on demand services include; 

  • It gives you lower control over the shipping process 
  • Limited customization control over products 

Summary 

Print on demand services is a good way to market your brand with minimal risks. It helps you to make prints as fast as possible. It also comes with minimal risk. If you want to have a more creative idea about photo prints, check this link https://www.elephantstock.com/collections/photo-prints

Customer trust
SaaS

Essential Hardware and Software Solutions for a Productive Virtual Office

The concept of a virtual office might not be new, but it has definitely been booming around the world in recent years. Initially driven by technological advancement but nowadays boosted by the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual offices have started popping up all over the world to facilitate remote work and keep businesses afloat. After all, just because you were forced to send your employees home doesn’t mean that you can’t resume your operation remotely, or that you can’t effectively manage a decentralized workforce.

However, for all the advantages that remote work brings to the table, there’s no denying that it poses some challenges that you need to overcome in order to thrive in the digital world, especially if you’re running an online business. Building a productive virtual work environment requires the right leadership skills and managerial processes, but it also requires the right software and hardware solutions.

Here’s the kind of software and hardware you need to build a productive virtual office.

Great peripheral gadgets make all the difference

When people are working from home or remotely in general, they need to decide on the kind of devices they’re going to use to communicate and collaborate with teammates. You can choose between a laptop and a PC, for example, but if you want to be as productive and efficient as possible, you should pay special attention to the peripheral components.

These include a mouse and a keyboard, but more importantly, these are your audio and visual gadgets like a proper headset and a quality camera. Ideally, you’d want to get a quality headset instead of using speakers and a built-in microphone, because you want to be able to hear and speak to your colleagues without any interfering noise.

Likewise, a quality full-HD camera with 60 FPS will make all the difference and produce that crystal-clear image that will just make your experience that much more enjoyable during video calls and presentations. 

Using the right software to maximize productivity

Productivity tools for virtual offices and remote workers come in all shapes and sizes, but they all serve the singular purpose of making your time at work more efficient and effective. Recently, connected devices for time tracking have emerged on the market, that aim to minimise unnecessary digital distractions. Instead, they helps building a time tracking habit with your muscle memory. Your goal should be to automate various menial processes so that you can focus on the complex, mission-critical tasks, but also to implement productivity tools that will help you improve your remote team’s productivity.

As you assign IT equipment and peripherals to your remote workforce, it is also important to ensure their devices are always functional so operations can keep running seamlessly. Investing in an IT asset management solution will enable you to keep complete track of all your IT equipment and resolve any hardware breakdown issues instantly, should they occur. 

For example, a staple software solution for a decentralized workforce is a project management tool, which should be a comprehensive tool that allows you to retain control of every project from inception to completion. The right cloud-based project management tool should provide you and your team with:

  • Comprehensive visual boards
  • Time tracking features
  • File management
  • Messaging features
  • Performance reports
  • Project timeline features visualize the progress of work

With such a comprehensive tool, you will be able to collaborate easily with your remote team and keep every project on track. 

Fast and reliable internet across the board

It should go without saying that every virtual office needs to have a fast, reliable, and stable internet connection. The modern business world runs on the web and various digital technologies that directly rely on a stable internet connection, so it’s important to keep all of those services running when you’re working in a virtual environment.

Having 4G internet available at all times is one of the best ways to secure fast internet speeds, and installing a 4G flybox is a great way to get fast mobile internet along with a reliable Wi-Fi network that will keep you running throughout the day. You want to make sure you have a good mobile network when you’re on the move, but also a strong Wi-Fi connection that doesn’t dip at any point during the day when you’re working from home. 

Opt for stable and feature-rich virtual meeting software

Virtual meetings have become ubiquitous in the modern business environment and when it comes to remote work, they are essential for productivity, efficiency, and ultimately, success. You and your teams need to meet on a regular basis to keep things moving along, set clear expectations, brainstorm effectively, and bring amazing ideas to life.

To do all of this, you need a reliable, feature-rich virtual meeting software. The software you’re using should provide a stable, quality listening and viewing experience, and it should allow you to share your screen, chat with team members in the sidebar, enter presentation mode, and much more. 

Use cloud storage for easy access, security, and collaboration

Finally, make sure that you’re using the right cloud storage solution to quickly and easily share your work with team members, but also keep your files in a safe and secure digital environment. There are many cloud storage options out there that are reliable and offer numerous perks to free and paid users, and providers like Google offer excellent support, features, and storage for free to business users as well.

Over to you

Creating a truly productive virtual office is a difficult task, but with the right hardware and software at your side, you can do it with relative ease and minimal financial investment. Be sure to implement these tools into your virtual work environment and watch as productivity and efficiency start to rise across the board. 

Development

Web Service: How to load test

Anybody who has used internet or visited a website must have encountered the term ‘website crash’. What exactly it is, have you ever explored? In a simple language, it is the inability of a website or a webservice to withstand load. The traffic surge puts pressure on the website server and it may fail to respond to all commands and queries received. There can be other reasons, too, like bandwidth issues, etc.

In this post, we intend to walk you through:

1. What is load testing?

2. How to do load tests

·         Creating and performing load tests

·         Other important steps in load testing

3. Load testing strategies

So, let’s begin!

a. What is load testing?

Load testing is nothing but performance testing. It involves testing how the web service or API will work in a given set of conditions. Load testing services create simulated environments to find how the web service will work in response to various types of external and internal factors.

b. How to do load tests?

Load tests require creating different types of loads that may impact functions first. The load testing services have a full-blown repertoire of loads to create. Not only do they design load testing strategies of various kinds, they also offer the intelligence of validating the tests done to their clients. The process is demarcated into various parts, such as:

·         Create a new load test

Load testing services employ automated tools to do performance tests. The tool comes with a navigation panel. Common steps involved in creating a new load test are:

a.    Go to Navigator Panel

b.    Right click on the test instance or case

c.    Select ‘New Load Test.’

d.    Enter the load test name in subsequent dialog box, for example, SampleLoadTest

This opens the LoadTest editor. Now you are all set to configure and perform the created test.

·         Perform the load test

Performing the load test involves following steps:

·         Creating a dedicated test environment for starting the load test

·         Determine load test scenarios, by preparing following criteria:

o   Prepare data report transaction-wise

o   Predicted number of user at any instance

o   Types of connections plausibly used by people

o   Types of operating systems and browsers users are likely to use

o   Web, application and DB server configurations

·         Execute tests scenarios in various combinations, monitor and collect various metrics

·         Result analysis and recommendations

·         Apply all system fine-tuning procedures

·         Repeat the performance test on all chosen grounds

Best load testing strategies

Load testing services adopt different strategies to test web service performance. Load testing is done in simulated conditions. However, there are some strategies that can help perform load tests as realistically as possible. These strategies are:

a.    Adding more virtual users: In real conditions, the web service is utilized by several virtual users simultaneously. The load testing services may create bottlenecking conditions at the login point. And, keep adding the users simultaneously.

b.    Adding different use instances:The real working capacity of the web service can be checked by exposing it to various use instances. Load testing experts can employ user data in different combinations in the web service fields. However, the focus is to be on testing service by putting different information each time. Playing back the results for the same person using various information fields interfere with the sanctity of the result.

c.    Switch from simulated to real browsers: It is nothing but leveraging the virtual users on real browsers. The process involves:

·         Understanding and assessing how the web service will work in different devices and browsers.

·         The performance check on different bandwidths plausibly used by the web service users.

·         Since the users may spend different times on various pages, the page performance comprising load time, think time, etc. can be found out.

d. Set the load duration:All users don’t access the web service concurrently. Some may have just logged in, others may be at the checkout page, and so on. The users enter their scenario, complete it, and also, the load is maintained for that duration. The tester may have run the scenario for ten minutes for a 2 min long instance. So, experience of 5 concurrent users can be assessed by using load duration time of 10 mins.

How to analyze the load test results

Load means how well a system or application can handle multiple requests coming from concurrent users. The load test results are analyzed based on the following parameters:

  1. Page Load Time
  2. Request and response throughput
  3. Response load time
  4. Errors and warnings
  5.   Hosts

a.    Page load time: A short page load time means better user experience and engagement. The web service does not take more than a second to load. Thus, the web service may enter an SLA with the developer where they agree upon having a page load time. There is a challenge of bottleneck to combat too. It arises when the page load time differs due to the nature of content.

b.    Request and response throughput: It is dependent on the amount of data the web service is required to handle. Bandwidth reaches a plateau after a certain point of data handling. The point of reaching the highest use is mostly due to firewalls. Load test allows to find what setting will be required to ensure that the bandwidth does not reach the maximum use.

c.    Response load time: This analysis-worthy point helps understand the reason why any page behaves the way it does. The response load time helps find which activity or instance is consuming the most time or resource. All the tests done in load test can be integrated into various kinds of web service performance monitoring tools.

d.    Errors and Warnings: This point of analyzing loads gives an overview of what kind of errors occur on any web service’s page and at what instance. Load testing services may make a list of all the errors and warnings that occur. Further, the analysis is done to find how the errors occur and change when the load intensifies or cools down.

e.    Hosts: The current ecosystem of web service comprises ads and analytics servers, content delivery networks, social media and syndicated content, multiple hosts are put to use. The hosts serving the web service may be a source of lag due to the response times involved in processing requests. All those lags need to be understood to take appropriate action. When any host is found painfully slow, the factors and the remedies need to be outlined.

Important tips for load testing

Online retail faces the most load on Black Friday. It is the day after Thanksgiving and is no less than an acid test for web services or applications. To manage the unprecedented situations like this day, load testing is essential. Important tips are:

a.    Test the load well in advance

b.    Test the web service’s full stack

c.    Monitor the backend results

d.    Gauge user experience

e.    Test in real life scenarios too, after testing it in simulated conditions.

Summing up,

The load is a challenge as well as the opportunity. Makers of web service find the load handy in understanding the design and functionality requirements, and any other changes it requires. They can do scaling up or down of resources by taking cues from the results of load tests.