Articles
Employment & Talent Acquisition
Inside Story: How TCS is redesigning its HR model to tackle talent crunch
TCS has taken a step ahead of its peers to concentrate on college hires with a renewed vigour via TCS Xplore.
https://hr.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/workplace-4-0/learning-and-development/inside-story-how-tcs-is-redesigning-its-hr-model-to-tackle-talent-crunch/88844835
How to Find a New Job: An HBR Guide
Are you ready to look for a new job? This comprehensive article covers everything from how to update your resume and write a cover letter to how to ace your interview and follow up. The piece also includes sample language to try and links to resources in the HBR archive.
https://hbr.org/2022/01/how-to-find-a-new-job-an-hbr-guide
Types of Job Interviews (and Tips for Acing Them)
Employers conduct different types of job interviews, such as behavioral interviews, case interviews, group interviews, phone and video interviews, online interviews, second interviews, and even interviews held during a meal.
Those are important job interviews to understand if you’re searching for a job, but there are other interviews you may experience throughout your career. These employment-related interviews include exit interviews, mock interviews, and informational interviews.
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/types-of-job-and-employment-related-interviews-2061343
The 2021 Open Source Jobs Report
It is the 9th Annual Report of The Linux Foundation on Critical Skills, Hiring Trends and Education
Much of the world is rebounding from the economically crippling lockdowns of COVID-19, and hiring people with the right skills is proving to be a challenge. Nowhere is this more true than in the technology sector. The talent gap that existed before the pandemic has worsened due to an acceleration of cloud-native adoption as remote work has gone mainstream. With talent shortages around the globe, training existing staff has become even more important to meet the needs of migrations to the cloud and leverage open source technologies tied to those migrations.
To shed light on these changes and challenges, the Linux Foundation, once again, teamed up with edX to produce our 9th annual Open Source Jobs Report. The 2021 report provides actionable insights on the state of open source talent that employers can use to inform their hiring, training, and diversity awareness efforts. It also provides IT professionals with clear, unbiased insights on which skills are most marketable and how reskilling and certifications benefit job seekers as a differentiator in the hiring process.
https://www.linuxfoundation.org/tools/the-2021-open-source-jobs-report/
Career Quiz
Career quizzes, sometimes referred to as career tests or career interest assessments, can help you discover your real interests and provide you with insights into potential career paths.
With the changing nature of work, career quizzes are more critical than ever. Career quizzes were commonly used by students who were trying to discover potential dream jobs and seeking guidance for better career planning. But now, people at any stage of life can use them to confirm their current career’s viability or re-evaluate their decisions made years ago. The Talent Transformation career quiz provides guidance to help people determine what they need to learn to pursue a new line of work or progress in their current role.
https://www.talenttransformation.com/assessments/careerquiz
Cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrency: Investing or Gambling?
Today’s pioneers may turn out to be tomorrow’s scammers and investors may find that out the hard way.
The most popular asset class since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic arguably is the cryptocurrency. Indians have invested billions of dollars into this market over the past year and a half.
So, let’s look at the simplest of the questions. Should we invest money in cryptocurrency?
The short answer: No.
And the reasons? Volatility and Scams.
https://www.newsclick.in/cryptocurrency-investing-or-gambling
14 Best Security Measures to Secure Your Cryptocurrency
Over the previous few years, multiple crypto coins have flooded the cryptocurrency industry, with bitcoin still taking the lead.
On November 10, 2021, the bitcoin price skyrocketed to an all-time high of $69.000.
And yet crypto scams continued to top as one of the significant ways for crypto loss. Federal Trade Commission reported the highest loss of all times through crypto scams mid-last year.
The crypto loss was worth $82 million, ten times more than the previous report. With crypto scams reaching a new high, it’s high time for crypto investors and traders to know what they are up against.
Here are some of the common crypto scams you are likely to encounter.
https://geekflare.com/finance/security-measures-for-cryptocurrency/
10 Best Cryptocurrency Platforms and Exchanges in 2022
So far, the number of cryptocurrency platforms flooding the market is overwhelming. Therefore it can be a nerve-wracking experience when looking for a platform that works best for you. To settle for a cryptocurrency platform, you need to be well informed.
Trading and investing in crypto is an obvious risk. But by working with the best platforms, you might reduce the risk to a huge extent. So before you dive right in, take your time to know more about the crypto platform.
In this post, we’ll be reviewing the best cryptocurrency platforms.
https://geekflare.com/finance/best-cryptocurrency-platforms-and-exchanges
20 Best Cryptocurrency Mining Platforms [High Performing Pool]
Cryptocurrency mining is free money, but only if you’re smart enough. You can earn by contributing to the software technology that runs the crypto blockchain!
Even your personal computer can earn some dollars while you binge-watch your favorite shows on Netflix. In this article, I’ll share various cryptocurrency mining platforms for you to make some passive income.
Mining is the lifeline of the crypto world. It validates ongoing transactions and mints new coins into circulation. In straightforward terms, a miner solves some complex Math problems to verify the transactions.
It is the process by which a miner trades his computing power and electricity for the block reward. Block reward is the incentive for the miner to help sustain the blockchain technology behind cryptocurrencies.
Simply put, blockchain is the foundation of everything crypto and the NFT universe. It’s a digital distributed ledger that holds a tamper-proof record of every entry.
The following section will discuss various advantages of crypto mining.
https://geekflare.com/finance/best-cryptocurrency-mining-platforms/
The Face Value of Bitcoin: Proof of Work and the Labour Theory of Value
Bitcoin was created to be a new kind of money rooted in a vision of a market not bound by geography, banks and governments.
Bitcoin was created to be a new kind of money rooted in a vision of a market not bound by geography, banks and governments. Despite the intentions of its creators, Bitcoin is not money. It was designed with a faulty understanding of money, and as a result has a bug, a kind of a short circuit that kick-started an asset bubble and that will eventually turn Bitcoin into a toxic asset. In order to to fix this bug we need to employ the labour theory of value.
Writing at New Economic Perspectives, Eric Tymoigne, a research associate at the Levy Economics Institute, argues that the fair price of Bitcoin is zero.
https://www.newsclick.in/face-value-bitcoin-proof-work-and-labour-theory-value
Does Bitcoin Pose a Threat to the Global and National Economies?
If the usage of Bitcoin-like currencies continues to grow, then many nation states might be looking at losing control over their economies very soon.
Bitcoin is not just digital or electronic money – there are various other forms of electronic money, including various “wallets” that are now available with online service companies like Alibaba, Flipkart, Ola, etc.. What makes Bitcoin different, is that it is not backed up by any currency that is guaranteed by a government or a central bank as money. It is created, transacted and verified, all using computational and cryptographic techniques in a completely distributed way. The computers or nodes in the Bitcoin system perform these operations and once agreed by the majority of nodes in the Bitcoin system, are recognised and recorded as valid transactions. Underlying the Bitcoin architecture, is blockchain, perhaps the most overhyped technology today. Bitcoin, therefore, brings together a number of incomprehensible issues – cryptography, mathematics, computers, and finally the most mysterious of all, money!
https://www.newsclick.in/does-bitcoin-pose-threat-global-and-national-economies
Quantum Computing
40 years of quantum computing
In 2022 we will celebrate four decades of quantum computing by looking back at the milestones of the field and forward at the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. We put together a collection of relevant reviews, opinion and retrospective pieces published in Nature Reviews Physics. New content will be added throughout the year, so we invite you to join the celebration by reading or contributing to this collection
https://www.nature.com/collections/djhfiebiig
Artificial Intelligence
15 Interesting AI Project Ideas for Beginners
Almost all the sectors are leveraging AI for their benefit, from IT, manufacturing, and automobile to defense, finance, and content creation,
So, if you want to build a career in AI, there can never be a better time to start than now. Since hands-on experience is the best way to learn a skill, you can do different projects to learn AI and related skills like programming and using tools and technologies.
It will teach you how AI can help people and businesses in real-time and help you gain knowledge in this sector to advance your career in AI. And for this, it would be highly beneficial if you have knowledge of skills like:
Programming languages such as Python, R, Java, MATLAB, and Perl
Machine learning algorithms like linear regression, logistic regression, Naïve Bayes, K-means, KNN, SVM, and decision trees
Data analysis basics and tools like Apache Spark
Artificial neural networks (ANN) that can mimic the brain functions of humans to solve problems in apps for handwriting, face, and pattern recognition
Convulsion Neural network (CNN) basics
Unix-based tools like Sort, AWK, and regular expressions.
Now, let’s quickly discover some of the interesting AI projects.
https://geekflare.com/artificial-intelligence-project-ideas-for-beginners/
Top 14 In-Demand Skills Required for AI Professionals
AI is one of the most sought-after skills in the technology domain that has influenced almost every sector, from automobile, manufacturing, and medical to cybersecurity, software, and IoT.
Organizations are leveraging AI rapidly to build useful, cutting-edge applications and services that can improve the quality of life, make business operations more efficient, and reduce complexities.
Ultimately, the demand for AI continues to increase. According to SEMrush, the global AI market will reach $190.61 billion by 2025.
So, if you want to build a career in AI, it’s the best time to get started. It will give you broader career prospects, and you can work with organizations from across the world on exciting projects. But for this, you must have the right skill sets, both technical and non-technical.
This article, introduces you to some of the in-demand skills in AI that you can learn and upskill yourself to build a brilliant career in artificial intelligence.
https://geekflare.com/skills-required-for-ai-professionals/
Artificial Intelligence (AI): 7 trends to watch for in 2022
2022 will be the year artificial intelligence goes from experimental to essential. Consider these key indicators of a maturing technology
https://enterprisersproject.com/article/2022/1/artificial-intelligence-ai-7-trends-watch-2022
Internet of Things
Top 30 IoT interview questions and answers
The internet of things can benefit a wide range of organizations. But IoT systems require professionals who know their way around the technology and understand what it takes to plan, deploy and maintain an IoT system.
When interviewing individuals for these positions, IT leaders and other decision-makers must be able to assess a candidate's skill levels and ability to comprehend fundamental IoT concepts. They must ask the right IoT interview questions of prospective employees and know what to look for in the answers.
Here are the 30 top interview questions and answers to help with this assessment. They can help organizations in need of IoT talent determine whether an individual has the knowledge necessary to meet the demands of the internet of things.
https://whatis.techtarget.com/feature/Top-30-IoT-interview-questions-and-answers
Internet of Things (IoT) Learning Resources for Beginners
As per the Cisco report, IoT will generate $14.4 trillion in revenue across all endeavors over the next ten years. IoT applications are gradually becoming a significant part of our daily lives.
Are you curious about learning more about the Internet of Things?
Many people are, but finding resources to help them navigate this complex system can be challenging.
We have put together this guide with all the top resources for your IoT learning. Also, it will help a beginner who doesn’t have much knowledge on how to start a career in IoT. There are many ways to learn the Internet of Things, ranging from online IoT courses to books and numerous web resources.
https://geekflare.com/internet-of-things-iot-learning-resources/
Open Source
2021 Linux Foundation Annual Report: New Horizons for Open Source
In 2021, The Linux Foundation continued to see organizations embrace open collaboration and open source principles, accelerating new innovations, approaches, and best practices. As a community, we made significant progress in the areas of cloud-native computing, 5G networking, software supply chain security, 3D gaming, and a host of new industry and social initiatives. Download and read the report today.
https://www.linuxfoundation.org/tools/linux-foundation-annual-report-2021/
The 2021 Hyperledger Brand Study
Over the summer of 2021, Linux Foundation Research undertook an independent survey to explore the state of the enterprise blockchain market and the Hyperledger brand. The research team collected quantitative and qualitative data from a broad community with knowledge of enterprise blockchain covering a range of topics, including familiarity with and perceptions of Hyperledger’s brand tenets and its projects, as well as other blockchain technologies. The survey also looked at broader trends, opportunities, and challenges in the enterprise blockchain space.
https://www.linuxfoundation.org/tools/the-2021-hyperledger-brand-study/
Open Source Reading List
21 must-read books for open source program managers, recommended by members of the TODO group
https://www.linuxfoundation.org/tools/open-source-reading-list/
Wireless Communication
Wi-Fi Sensing: The Next Big Wireless Movement
Wi-Fi can do more than just communication—it has the power to improve our lives through meaningful applications.
The applications of Wi-Fi and wireless technology are rapidly evolving, and scientists have developed new ways to make sense of Wi-Fi signals. This is called Wi-Fi Sensing. You may soon see this new functionality in your security systems, your health at home monitoring, your cars, and the IoT devices you use daily.
https://www.electronicdesign.com/industrial-automation/article/21214331/electronic-design-wifi-sensing-the-next-big-wireless-movement
Data Warehousing
What lies beyond the data warehouse?
Has the traditional data warehouse finally reached the end of its life? If so, what will follow it? Will it be a hybrid? We find out
https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/What-lies-beyond-the-data-warehouse
'Building the Data Lakehouse' explores next-gen architecture
In Building the Data Lakehouse (September 2021, Technics Publications), authors Bill Inmon, Mary Levins and Ranjeet Srivastava explain the data lakehouse, which they describe as the next generation version of the data warehouse and data lake. In this chapter excerpt, they delve into the elements that compose the data lakehouse and explain its infrastructure.
https://searchdatamanagement.techtarget.com/feature/Building-the-Data-Lakehouse-explores-next-gen-architecture
Software Testing
The Software Testing Lifecycle - An Introduction
The discipline of software testing has come a long way since the days of having QA staff sit at a keyboard to enter input according to a test script and then manually record the results. Today we test fast and we test often. Current market conditions demand it.
Companies realized a long time ago that it is better to adopt procedural patterns and techniques that has proven to be useful rather than wasting time reinventing the wheel. One procedural pattern has proven to have significant benefit is the Software Testing Lifecycle (STLC).
Describing the Software Testing Lifecycle in a general manner is the purpose of this article. The scope of this article is to describe the sequence of steps that make up the STLC. In addition, the article relates portions of the STLC to common testing strategies such as Test Driven Development (TDD), Behavior Driven Development (BDD), and Context Driven Testing (CDT).
https://smartbear.com/test-management/testing-lifecycle/
A Handy Guide to Using Agile Methodology in Testing: Processes, Best Practices & Tools
An agile methodology is an approach to software development where requirements and solutions evolve through the collaborative efforts of software teams and their customers or end users. If your software team is doing agile testing and development, then it's important to remember that testing isn't a role on agile teams, it's an actclass="mx-sm-3 mx-0 my-4"ivity that involves the all members of a cross-functional agile team. On agile teams, everyone is equally responsible for the quality of the product or the success of the project. This means agile testing is done by the whole team, not just designated testers or quality assurance professionals, including team members whose primary expertise may be in programming, business analysis, database or system administration. Team members whose expertise is in software testing or using a particular testing tool aren't limited to only doing that activity--they can also collaborate with customers or business owners on product requirements and work with other members of the team to develop high-quality code that fulfills those requirements. It’s this focus on the people doing the work and how they work together that separates Agile from other approaches to software development like Waterfall. On agile projects, solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing, cross-functional teams who’ve discovered—often through trial and error—the best processes, practices, and tools to use in different contexts.
https://smartbear.com/test-management/agile-testing-best-practices/
10 tips to guide you toward effective peer code review
A successful peer review strategy for code review requires balance between strictly documented processes and a non-threatening, collaborative environment. Highly regimented peer reviews can stifle productivity, yet lackadaisical processes are often ineffective. Managers are responsible for finding a middle ground where peer review can be efficient and effective while fostering open communication and knowledge-share between teammates.
https://smartbear.com/learn/code-review/best-practices-for-peer-code-review/
Home Automation
DIY Home Automation Guide for Beginners
If you wish there was more time in the day, home automation can help. Once it’s set up, simple voice commands or mobile app finger taps keep the ball rolling.
Whether you're looking for your first smart device, expanding your collection, or making your devices cooperate, here are four steps for smart home beginners to leap into home automation. Before you know it, you’ll be living in a twenty-first-century smart home.
https://www.safewise.com/blog/home-automation-guide-for-beginners/
Room-by-Room Guide to Home Automation
Now that smart home devices are more affordable and easier to install than ever before, you might want to expand your home's collection of smarter technology. It helps that smart home products can control just about everything in your home . . . except your kids.
With this in mind, we put together a room-by-room guide to home automation and recommend the best smart home devices to help you make your life easier, safer, and more energy efficient.
https://www.safewise.com/resources/home-automation/
Smart Home and Home Automation — Frequently Asked Questions
The FAQs deal with How-Tos, Home Automation, and Smart Home Tech
https://www.safewise.com/faq/home-automation/
What Is a Call Center? A Detailed Guide
Customer service is an essential part of running a modern business. Organizations with a large customer base often have a centralized call center for customers to contact for common customer service issues.
Paul Weald of Call Center Helper defined in this CallCentreHelper article, a call center as "A department or an office in which incoming and outgoing telephone calls from both new and existing customers are handled by a team of advisors, otherwise known as agents."
Call centers are used for a variety of purposes, including:
Customer service and support
Market research
Telemarketing
A call center may also handle billing, account management or other day-to-day functions of dealing with customers
https://www.cmswire.com/customer-experience/what-is-a-call-center-a-detailed-guide
Call Centers vs. Contact Centers: Understanding the Key Differences
Call centers and contact centers can serve as the front lines of your customer service and customer experience. Most organizations recognize that, but actually knowing the difference between a call center and a contact center is important as organizations shape their customer experience programs.
So what's good to know when comparing a call center vs. contact center? “All the activities in a call center take place through a phone call,” said Joe De Wet, director of product at Clickatell. “Activities in a contact center take place through multiple channels like through the company website, email, company branded apps, chat apps, social media, etc.”
https://www.cmswire.com/customer-experience/call-centers-vs-contact-centers-understanding-the-key-differences/
Science, Health & Medicine
The Scientist: 2021 Top 10 Innovations
The COVID-19 pandemic is still with us. Biomedical innovation has rallied to address that pressing concern while continuing to tackle broader research challenges.
https://www.the-scientist.com/features/2021-top-10-innovations-69438
The Scientist: Our Favorite Cell and Molecular Biology Stories of 2021
Beyond The Scientist’s coverage of COVID-19’s molecular underpinnings were many other stories highlighting the advances made in scientists’ understanding of the biology of cells
https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/our-favorite-cell-and-molecular-biology-stories-of-2021-69467
The Scientist: Our Favorite Cancer Stories of 2021
This year revealed just how much scientists have learned about the disease, from how animals become naturally cancer-resistant to how tumor cells harness extracellular DNA to develop rapid drug resistance.
https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/our-favorite-cancer-stories-of-2021-69487
The Scientist: Our Favorite Genetics Stories of 2021
Studies The Scientist covered this year illustrate the expanding importance of genetic and genomic research in all aspects of life science, from ecology to medicine.
https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/our-favorite-genetics-stories-of-2021-69537
The Scientist: Our Favorite Neuroscience Stories of 2021
From a Nobel prize and photosynthesis-powered brains to neurodegeneration research and controversy over a new Alzheimer’s drug, a look back at some of the biggest brain-related developments of the year.
https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/our-favorite-neuroscience-stories-of-2021-69560
Milk without the cow: Cellular agriculture could be the future of farming, but dairy farmers need help
A new wave of cow-less dairy is hitting the market. In the United States, Perfect Day is using genetically modified fungi to produce milk protein for ice cream at a commercial scale. And pre-commercial companies, like TurtleTree and Better Milk, are engineering mammary cells to produce human and cow milk in laboratories, although these remain in the early stages of development.
It might be some time before mammal-less dairy arrives in Canadian grocery stores. But these emerging technologies are part of the fourth agricultural revolution that aims to improve food security, sustainability and agricultural working conditions. With these promises for wins on the horizon, should the diary sector be worried?
https://theconversation.com/milk-without-the-cow-cellular-agriculture-could-be-the-future-of-farming-but-dairy-farmers-need-help-173898
The Scientist: Archives of Obituary News.
This list of obituaries provides interesting information on scientists and researchers who have contributed for the society.
https://www.the-scientist.com/tag/obituary
Books
The Angular Mini-Book
The Angular Mini-Book is a guide to getting started with Angular. You'll learn how to develop a bare-bones application, test it, and deploy it. Then you'll move on to adding Bootstrap, Angular Material, continuous integration, and authentication. You'll learn how to integrate Angular with Spring Boot and use security best practices like HTTPS and a content security policy
https://www.infoq.com/minibooks/angular-mini-book/
eBook: Building a Culture of Collaboration in Development
When teams are tackling complex challenges under rapid deadlines, collaboration is critical. This is especially true for software development teams, who are often distributed around the world.
In this ebook, we lay out the foundations for establishing a team culture that communicates effectively and makes each member better. With the same framing as Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs, this ebook presents the Collaboration Heirarchy, which shows the progression towards achieving a collaborative culture.
Over the course of this ebook, we cover:
What it means to have a culture of collaboration
How your team can continually build trust and consensus
How to implement meaningful mentorship and knowledge sharing
The impact that tools can have on your communication capabilities
https://smartbear.com/resources/ebooks/building-development-culture-of-collaboration/
Forthcoming Events
22nd Jan 2022 at 6 pm IST. iSIGCSE ACM Chapter Webinar on "Data-Centric Computing: A Challenge and Opportunity for CS Education" by Shriram Krishnamurthy, Professor of Computer Science, Brown University, USA. Register at https://lnkd.in/diZESEKi
22nd & 23rd Jan 2022. India Science Festival Talks. For details & to participate https://www.indiasciencefest.org/talks
23rd Jan 2022 from 1.30 pm onwards. CSI Chennai, Trivandram, Coimbatore, Trichy & Kanchipuram chapters jointly organise an Online ICT Quiz program in Computer Science and Trends in two categories: Junior (6th to 8th Standard) and Senior (9th to 12th Standard). Join the quiz pgm at https://meet.google.com/thm-ceab-dfo or watch the YouTube streaming at https://youtu.be/u6PZZZDj-7c
28th Jan 2022 at 3 pm IST. IEEE OES Madras Chapter presents a webinar talk on "SAMUDRAYAAN, The Indian Manned Ocean Mission" by Dr G. A. Ramadass, Director, National Institute of Ocean Technology. Join the webinar at https://meet.google.com/zqj-vzhu-vrg Other events in Jan 2022: https://bit.ly/3FzpxbP
Events in Feb 2022: https://bit.ly/3fFcSZx
IRAI Quiz -- 220121
1. For secure in room wireless connectivity with signals which does not penetrate walls, we need to use ----------- (WiFi / LiFi)
2. Which one of these four is the top emoji used worldwide: a 😂 b ❤️ c 👍 d🙏
3. The roll-out of C-band 5G in US near airports has forced major airlines to cancel their flights as the frequencies expected to affect the aircraft navigation system in particular the -----------------.
4. ----- (90/95/100) is the percentage of the worlds top 500 supercomputers run on Linux OS.
5. The German plugboard-equipped Enigma became Nazi Germany's principal crypto-system. It was broken by --------------- (country - Poland /Briton/France) by designing the deciphering machine Bomba.
6. The ---------------- (country -- Canada/Brazil/South Africa) patent office made history in July when it issued a patent that listed an artificial intelligence system as the inventor.
7. In a ------------- (Call / Contact) Centre, activities take place through multiple channels like through the company website, email, company branded apps, chat apps, social media, etc
8. What can be commonly associated with these terms: PoW, NFT, DLT, DeFi
9. Of these four, which font is not recommended in resumes? Calibre,Times New Roman, Comic Sans MS, Verdana
10. PM Narendra Modi declared that ---------- is to be observed as National Startup Day
Answers to IRAI Quiz -- 220121
1. LiFi
2. a
3. Altimeter
4. 100
5. Poland
6. South Africa
7. Contact
8. Blockchain
9. Comic Sans MS
10. 16th Jan
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