IT news January 21: A web developer almost fell into IT slavery during employment, iOS developers can now create their own discount codes, Google Drive will warn about suspicious files
A web developer almost fell into IT slavery during employment
A web developer under the nickname ILONMASK told how he almost fell into slavery while working for one of the IT companies in Rostov-on-Don. The candidate avoided major troubles only because he very carefully read the internship and subsequent employment agreement. According to the document, after the internship, the employer obliged the new employee to work for 3 years on his salary terms. In case of dismissal before service, the employee was obliged to pay the employer a fine of 3 million rubles ($39 thousand). During the 9-month internship, the developer was promised a salary of 20 thousand rubles ($260). You cannot leave the internship - otherwise the employee would face a fine of 1 million rubles (13 thousand dollars). As a result, the applicant refused the employment offer by filing a complaint with the labor inspectorate regarding this agreement. Source: Habr
iOS developers can now create their own discount codes for their app
Apple has added a new tool to the App Store Connect platform that allows iOS developers to create custom promo codes for in-app discounts and subscriptions. “In addition to one-time codes, you can now create your own codes in App Store Connect - each with a unique name you choose (for example, SPRINGPROMO). Each code can be redeemed through a direct URL or in your app,” Apple says on its website. New custom promotional codes differ from one-time (unique alphanumeric) codes in that they can be redeemed by multiple users. The new option works in apps running iOS 14.1 or iPadOS 14 or later. Each developer can offer users of one application up to 150 thousand promotional codes per quarter. Source: Apple
Google Drive will warn users about suspicious files
The Google Drive web service has received a security update that shows users warning banners about suspicious files. The new feature was announced last year at Google Cloud Next 2021. A warning banner will be displayed when opening Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drawings. The company called the update a necessary step to protect users from ransomware, phishing and malware. The warning banner displays text stating that the suspicious file “could be used to steal your personal information.” The update has no administrative controls or end user settings, banners will be displayed by default. The feature is being rolled out in stages and will be available to Google Workspace, G Suite Basic and Business users over the next 15 days. Source: Neowin
Game developers want to unionize
The Game Developers Conference (GDC) has released the results of its annual developer survey. They showed that among game developers there is growing support for the idea of unionization. Video game developers are also concerned about toxicity in the workplace, the introduction of blockchain, and the creation of the Metaverse. Key survey results:
55% of respondents believe that gaming industry workers should form unions.
23% of companies are talking about creating a union.
38% of respondents said their companies are trying to combat toxicity in the workplace.
17% of developers are involved in projects related to the Metaverse.
The most popular Metaverse options are Epic/Fortnite (17%), Facebook (8%), Microsoft/Minecraft (8%), Roblox (6%) and Google (5%).
31% of respondents develop games for PlayStation 5, 29% for Xbox Series X/S. As for mobile devices, 30% of developers are working on a game for iOS and 30% for Android. Another 20% of respondents are working on a game for Nintendo Switch. At the same time, the PC remains the most popular platform: 63% of respondents develop video games for Windows. The annual industry survey was conducted ahead of GDC 2022, which is scheduled to take place in San Francisco from March 21 to 25, and online. Source: Venture Beat
There are 5,000 IT companies and 289 thousand IT specialists in Ukraine
The IT Ukraine Association has published a study on the current state of the local high-tech market. According to the information presented in it, there are about 5 thousand IT companies and 289 thousand IT specialists operating in Ukraine. In terms of the number of IT specialists in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Ukraine is second only to Poland (430.7 thousand people); 86% of Ukrainian IT companies have no more than 80 employees. 3% of IT companies have more than 200 employees. Only 16% of organizations develop their own software products. The rest are service or service-product. Among all IT specialists, 25% are women. At the same time, the share of women in management reaches 32%. The IT industry accounts for 2.7% of Ukraine's GDP. In Eastern European countries, this figure is higher only in Belarus (3.3%) and Serbia (2.8%). Source: AIN.ua
Web apps can now use protocol handlers in Microsoft Edge
Microsoft has announced that web apps can now use protocol handlers in Microsoft Edge, starting with Edge 96. This will allow installed web apps (PWAs) to navigate predefined or custom protocols. Web applications can also be registered with the operating system as protocol handlers and initiated when a specific protocol is called. Registering web applications as protocol handlers improves integration with the operating system and customization for opening some protocols. If necessary, a PWA can be set as the default handler, which means that a web application that is, for example, an email client, users can make e-mail the default application, instead of Gmail or other services. Protocol handlers are supported on Windows, Linux, and Mac. The feature is also available in other Chromium-based browsers. Source: Windows
Elon Musk asked Twitter to “not waste developer resources on nonsense”
Elon Musk criticized Twitter's decision to add NFT avatars to the social network. In his opinion, the management of the platform, instead of introducing NFT avatars, needs to take care of ensuring the safety of users. “It's annoying. Twitter is wasting developer resources on this nonsense while crypto scammers run their spambots on every thread!” — Musk wrote on his account. The head of Tesla and SpaceX believes that Twitter is not doing enough to combat attackers who impersonate celebrities in order to steal cryptocurrency from gullible users. Earlier, the social network Twitter announced that owners of iOS devices with a Twitter Blue subscription who own an NFT token can set it as the original hexagonal avatar. Source: Yahoo
According to the document, after the internship, the employer obliged the new employee to work for 3 years on his salary terms. In case of dismissal before service, the employee was obliged to pay the employer a fine of 3 million rubles ($39 thousand). During the 9-month internship, the developer was promised a salary of 20 thousand rubles ($260). You cannot leave the internship - otherwise the employee would face a fine of 1 million rubles (13 thousand dollars). As a result, the applicant refused the employment offer by filing a complaint with the labor inspectorate regarding this agreement. Source: Habr
A warning banner will be displayed when opening Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drawings. The company called the update a necessary step to protect users from ransomware, phishing and malware. The warning banner displays text stating that the suspicious file “could be used to steal your personal information.” The update has no administrative controls or end user settings, banners will be displayed by default. The feature is being rolled out in stages and will be available to Google Workspace, G Suite Basic and Business users over the next 15 days. Source: Neowin
86% of Ukrainian IT companies have no more than 80 employees. 3% of IT companies have more than 200 employees. Only 16% of organizations develop their own software products. The rest are service or service-product. Among all IT specialists, 25% are women. At the same time, the share of women in management reaches 32%. The IT industry accounts for 2.7% of Ukraine's GDP. In Eastern European countries, this figure is higher only in Belarus (3.3%) and Serbia (2.8%). Source: AIN.ua
“It's annoying. Twitter is wasting developer resources on this nonsense while crypto scammers run their spambots on every thread!” — Musk wrote on his account. The head of Tesla and SpaceX believes that Twitter is not doing enough to combat attackers who impersonate celebrities in order to steal cryptocurrency from gullible users. Earlier, the social network Twitter announced that owners of iOS devices with a Twitter Blue subscription who own an NFT token can set it as the original hexagonal avatar. Source: Yahoo
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