IT news January 11: Durov urged users to switch to Android, Huawei will launch its own browser, salaries of Java developers in Ukraine rose to a record level
The founder of Telegram and Vkontakte, Pavel Durov, advised users to abandon Apple gadgets in favor of Android-based devices. He said this in response to a comment about the removal of the Parler app from the Google Play and App Store app stores. According to Durov, the duopoly of Apple and Google poses a much greater problem for freedom than Twitter's rules. “Apple is the more dangerous of the two because this company can completely restrict what apps you use, while on Android you can install your own apps as APKs,” Durov wrote on Telegram. The head of Telegram also added that switching from iOS to Android is the least that users can do to maintain access to the free flow of information. Source: Telegram
Firefox will block the Backspace key
Mozilla, the developer of the Firefox browser, will prohibit the use of the Backspace key as a Back button. The reason for this is the need to reduce the risk of accidental data loss. Mozilla engineers say that many users who press the Backspace key don't always mean to go to the previous page (the equivalent of pressing the Back button). Many of them think that the cursor is inside the form or search field. As a result, they accidentally returned to the previous page and lost the data they entered on the site. The change is already live in Firefox Nightly and is expected to arrive in Firefox 86 soon. This version of the browser is scheduled to be released at the end of February 2021. Source: ZDNet
Apple, Google and Amazon refused to serve the Parler app
The Parler mobile app has been removed from the Google Play and App Stores. Parler was also denied service on the AWS cloud platform. The social network, popular among Donald Trump supporters, was disconnected from Amazon Web Services servers today, January 11. The reason for shutting down the Parler app was cited as a lack of moderation and the presence of “aggressive content” on the platform. In a letter from AWS to Parler management, it was reported that 98 posts were found on the social network that “clearly encourage and incite violence.” After Parler was removed from app stores and disconnected from hosting, the social networking site became unavailable to users. Parler representatives promised to restore access to the social network in the coming days. Source: Neowin
Salaries of Java developers in Ukraine have grown to a record level
The Ukrainian website DOU has summed up the results of its winter survey on the state of the software development industry in the country. 10 thousand 280 developers took part in the study. The results of the survey showed that Junior developers make up 18% of the total, Middle - 39%, Senior - 27%, Team/TechLeads - 12%, Interns and Architects - 2% each. Among developers, women make up 8%, men - 92%. The average age of a Ukrainian programmer is 28 years. Over the past six months, the number of developers living in Kyiv has decreased from 44% to 41%, which is likely due to the transfer of most of the staff of IT companies to a remote work schedule. In other cities, a significant number of programmers live in Lviv (14.7%), Kharkov (13.9%) and Dnipro (5.9%). JavaScript is recognized as the most common programming language in Ukraine, used by 24% of developers. In second place is Java (15.6%), in third is C#/.Net (15%). The median salary of a programmer in Ukraine is $2,500, which is $200 more than in June 2020. In December 2020, Java Senior and Middle specialists experienced a 9-year record salary increase. Senior's income increased to $4 thousand per month, Middle's income increased to $2,250. The average salary of beginning Java developers increased to $800 over six months (in June - $785). Source: DOU
Huawei is preparing to launch its own browser for PCs
The Chinese company Huawei continues to create its own ecosystem for mobile applications and web services. Following the AppGallery app store, the PC version of which appeared a few weeks ago, Huawei plans to launch a desktop browser and a set of proprietary Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) Core services. It is also planned to create a cloud service. Huawei AppGallery for PC is expected to make app installation easier and help the company build its own app market on the PC platform. In addition, entering the desktop platform will expand the scope of Huawei services. Huawei management made the decision to create its own application ecosystem in 2019, after the imposition of sanctions against the company by the US authorities. Source: Huawei Central
Moscow authorities will expand the collection of personal data about residents of the capital
The Moscow City Hall's Information Technology Department (DIT) will create a detailed database of residents of the Russian capital. More than 185 million rubles ($2.48 million) will be allocated from the budget for this. The database will include passport numbers, individual tax numbers, information about the actual place of residence, relatives, place of work and pets. The system will be combined with other databases with information about Moscow residents. It will also be equipped with a special module that checks information about real income. The department said that financial information is needed “exclusively for the provision of a number of government services - for example, certain social support measures.” It is planned that the system will process 20 million accounts every year. Source: Kommersant
“Apple is the more dangerous of the two because this company can completely restrict what apps you use, while on Android you can install your own apps as APKs,” Durov wrote on Telegram. The head of Telegram also added that switching from iOS to Android is the least that users can do to maintain access to the free flow of information. Source: Telegram
The reason for shutting down the Parler app was cited as a lack of moderation and the presence of “aggressive content” on the platform. In a letter from AWS to Parler management, it was reported that 98 posts were found on the social network that “clearly encourage and incite violence.” After Parler was removed from app stores and disconnected from hosting, the social networking site became unavailable to users. Parler representatives promised to restore access to the social network in the coming days. Source: Neowin
Huawei AppGallery for PC is expected to make app installation easier and help the company build its own app market on the PC platform. In addition, entering the desktop platform will expand the scope of Huawei services. Huawei management made the decision to create its own application ecosystem in 2019, after the imposition of sanctions against the company by the US authorities. Source: Huawei Central
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