May 01

Google Play is officially launching its own version of privacy-related “nutrition labels” for apps. They are introducing a new section in Play Store listings that requires developers to describe the data their app gathers and how they will use it. This will be like a privacy label giving users crucial information at a glance, which should be enough to help them decide if they would like to proceed with the installation.

According to Google, users want to understand the purpose of the apps to collect their data and whether the developer is sharing it with third parties, as well as how developers protect that data. The new section is titled ‘Data safety’ and will appear alongside the usual sections like ‘About this app’ and ‘Ratings and reviews’. It will function as a privacy label, providing users with key information shortly, which should be enough to let them decide whether or not to install the app. Not only will developers declare what data they collect, but also what data they share with third parties, essentially disclosing the purpose behind the collection. Google showed off its version last year but is only beginning to roll it out this week. According to them, it will begin to roll out the new Google Play Data safety section to users on a gradual basis so that Android users won’t see this new section immediately but over the next couple of weeks.

Suzanne Frey, Vice President of Product, Android Security, and Privacy at Google said in a blog post, “You alone are responsible for making complete and accurate declarations in your app’s store listing on Google Play,”

Failure to do so would lead to policy violations, leading to the suspension of the app in the Google Play Store.

“Google Play reviews apps across all policy requirements; however, we cannot make determinations on behalf of the developers of how they handle user data. Only you possess all the information required to complete the Data safety form”. “When Google becomes aware of a discrepancy between your app behavior and your declaration, we may take appropriate action, including enforcement action,” explained Frey.

If the user wants to learn more about a particular entry, tapping on the corresponding item will collapse the menu to reveal more information on what is collected or shared. The third pillar of the Data Safety section will be the app’s security practices, which describe the security mechanisms employed to protect the collected data, like the MASVS standard. This third section also clarifies whether users are given the option to ask for the deletion of their data at any time. And finally, Data Safety will specify if the app follows Google Play Families Policy, which is geared toward children’s protection.

Developers can begin declaring how collected data is used starting today, with the deadline to complete their submissions being July 20th, 2022.

Google told that developers would provide this information themselves, which Google will not confirm. However, if it is discovered that a developer has misrepresented their data use disclosures, they will be required to fix the provided information. Google is essentially relying on developers, to be honest in the information they provide to users in this section.

While Google’s move is beneficial to Android users, a similar feature called ‘Privacy Nutrition Labels’ was already introduced by Apple in 2020. Apple also released a similar feature as part of numerous privacy-enhancing features in last year’s iOS 14. This is another case where competition in the mobile OS space has brought positive developments, giving users more insight and control over how their data are handled by the various software that runs on their smartphones.

While both sets of labels focus on informing users about how apps collect and manage data and user privacy, there are some key differences. Apple’s labels largely focus on what data is being collected, including data used for tracking purposes, and on informing the user what’s linked to them. Google’s labels, meanwhile, put a bigger focus on whether you can trust the data that’s collected is being handled responsibly by allowing developers to disclose if they follow best practices around data security. The labels also give Android developers a way to make their case as to why they collect the data directly on the label, so users can understand how the data is used — for app functionality, personalization, etc. — to help inform the user’s decision to download the app. They can also see if the data collection is required or optional.

Up until now, Android apps on the Play Store had to list a link to their Privacy Policy under the “Additional Information” section and provide a contact email. Since this privacy policy is hosted on an external location, it’s subject to modifications, might be vague, may not disclose all the crucial details about data collection and protection, and may even lead to a broken link.

This Data Safety gives users a clear understanding of what happens with their data without requiring them to spend time digging into sections, while it also empowers Google with enforcement. Moreover, since reading large texts of legal jargon isn’t exactly what users look forward to when browsing the Google Play Store for new apps, almost nobody checks these.

App privacy labels have already been accused of being an unreliable source of information following their launch on the App Store. According to a report by The Washington Post last year, many of the labels they reviewed in a spot-check provided false information. For instance, apps claiming they collected no data were actually found to be doing the opposite — collecting it and sharing it. Google is confident about the step it is taking and also claims to be honest about this Data Safety feature they are bringing.

With a large number of scam apps, malware, and usury apps found on Google Play, this new Data Safety section will not only be useful for Android users but also allow Google to find policy violators more quickly. For more information on the new system, what it includes, and how it works, check out Google’s support page.

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Nov 07

Last week, Browserling, world’s leading cross-browser testing company, announced that they’re launching a network of online developer tools that offer simple, free and easy to use utilities for programmers.

They’re starting with four sites in the network and will be expanding their network to thirty websites. Each site in their network covers one specific programming category. There are no ads, popups, blinking download buttons, or other garbage. Just useful utilities that work in your browser. All utilities are created by skilled software engineers and they just do the right thing.

Let’s review first four sites in the network.

#1 Online JSON Tools


Online JSON Tools for Programmers
Online JSON Tools

Online JSON Tools is the first website in Browserling’s online tools network. It’s all about working with JSON data structures and objects. You can perform all the most common operations, such as minify JSON, beautify JSON, validate JSON, escape and unescape JSON, convert JSON to XML, CSV, TSV, and YAML, and encode/decode JSON to/from base64 encoding.

Soon you’ll also be able to syntax highlight JSON and edit it in your browser, display a summary of JSON object statistics, flatten JSON objects, convert JSON to HTML tables and LaTeX tables, compare two JSON structures, and encode and decode JSON to and from percent-encoding.

#2 Online String Tools


Online String Tools for Programmers
Online STRING Tools

Online String Tools is the second and the largest website in Browserling’s online tools network. It’s all about working with strings. There are over 100 tools in this website and many more are getting added every week. Online String Tools allow you to encode, decode, convert, filter, replace, and generate strings right in your browser.

For example, you can URL-encode and URL-decode strings, HTML-encode and HTML-decode strings, base64-encode and base64-decode strings, slash-escape and slash-unescape strings, generate random strings and generate strings from regular expressions. You can split strings, join strings, convert strings to binary and ASCII codes. And much more.

The upcoming tools in Online String Tools website will be a multi-replace string tool that allows you to replace multiple strings at once, online diffing tool that will show changes between two strings, Levenshtein distance calculator, which will also let you view the distance visually, a string rewriting system, Zalgo string generator, and a string typo generator.

#3 Online CSV Tools


Online CSV Tools for Programmers
Online CSV Tools

Online CSV Tools is all about working with Comma Separated Values (CSV) files and data. It currently offers over 20 CSV tools. You can convert CSV to JSON, XML, TSV, and YAML. Encode and decode CSV to and from base64 encoding, and perform various row and column operations, such as swap CSV rows, replace, append, insert, and delete CSV columns and transpose CSV.

Here’s a list of CSV tools that Browserling has planned adding in the next few months. You’ll be able to convert CSV to a PDF document and HTML, Excel, and LaTeX tables, then create images of CSV data, generate SQL queries from CSV files, merge CSV files, change quoting of CSV fields, delete empty CSV rows and columns, minify CSV and also diff two CSV files to find differences.

#4 Online XML Tools


Online XML Tools for Programmers
Online XML Tools

Online XML Tools is a collection of useful XML utilities for working with Extensible Markup Language documents and data structures. You can beautify XML, minify XML, escape and unescape XML, validate XML, and convert XML to various other data formats, such as JSON, CSV, YAML and XML. You can also encode and decode XML that’s been stored in base64 encoding.

Some of the upcoming tools in XML tools collection will be XML syntax highlighter and XML editor, then you’ll be able to view XML document statistics, and compare two XML files for visual differences.

#5 And beyond

Browserling is adding 25 or more sites to their network in the next 2-3 years. Here’s a list of upcoming sites:

  • Online TSV (Tab Separated Values) Tools
  • Online YAML (Yet Another Markup Language) Tools
  • Online PDF Tools
  • Online IMAGE Tools
  • Online AUDIO Tools
  • Online BROWSER Tools
  • Online CSS Tools
  • Online JS (JavaScript) Tools
  • Online CRYPTO Tools
  • Online RANDOM Tools
  • Online FILE Tools
  • Online TIME Tools
  • … and many more!

If you love what Browserling is doing you can follow @browserling on Twitter or follow Browserling on Facebook.

May 06

Influenza virus Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by a virus that affects birds and mammals.  The most common symptoms of the flu are chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort.  In more serious cases, the flu can lead to pneumonia, which can be fatal, particularly for the young and the elderly.

There’s a lot of hype and concern now about the new H1N1 swine flu and the possibility for a global pandemic.  It appears the swine flu is currently no worse than the regular flu, but health officials worry that the swine flu will reemerge with the autumn flu season even stronger than today.

If there’s a problem in the world, we can always count on one or more innovative computer scientists trying to solve the problem with software.  Here’s a collection of software for analyzing and treating the flu:

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Mar 09

100 million lines of code in your car,
100 million lines of code,
If one of the lines develops a bug…

An article by IEEE indicates that a premium-class automobile “contains close to 100 million lines of software code.”  The software executes on 70-100 microprocessor-based electronic control units (ECUs) networked throughout the body of your car.  Even low-end cars have 30-50 ECUs embedded in the body, doors, dash, roof, trunk, seats, etc.  Software controls just about everything from your brakes to the volume of your radio.

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Aug 11

I Am Rich

Apple pulled the plug on a controversial application sold in its new iTunes App Store.  Last Thursday, Apple removed the $999.99 “I Am Rich” application created by developer Armin Heinrich.  Apparently eight idiots with nothing better to do with their money had purchased the “glorified screensaver” before it was removed from sale.

The “I am Rich” application displays a glowing red gem on the iPhone screen for the sole purpose of proving that the iPhone’s owner is either rich or stupid or probably both.  That’s literally all it does.  Here is the product’s official description:  “The red icon on your iPhone or iPod Touch always reminds you (and others when you show it to them) that you were able to afford this.  It’s a work of art with no hidden function at all.”

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Aug 07

Beerware is software that is released under a very liberal license.  The Beerware license provides the end user with the right to use a software program and its source code for any purpose.  Should the user ever meet the program’s author, the user is encouraged to buy the author a beer.

The term was invented by John Bristor in 1987.  Many variations have been implemented, including the short and sweet Beerware license by Poul-Henning Kamp:

/*
 * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 * "THE BEER-WARE LICENSE" (Revision 42):
 * <phk@FreeBSD.ORG> wrote this file. As long as you retain this notice you
 * can do whatever you want with this stuff. If we meet some day, and you think
 * this stuff is worth it, you can buy me a beer in return Poul-Henning Kamp
 * ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 */

Source: Wikipedia

Jun 06

You’ve spent thousands of hours developing a new software program. Now how do you ensure that your competitors don’t copy your program and steal your market? The sad truth is you can’t, as Apple discovered when Microsoft “borrowed” its graphical user interface to build Windows and corner the PC operating system market. But there are steps you can take to give you an edge over your competition and make it more difficult for others to copy or steal your work. You can protect your software with patents, copyrights and trademarks. Continue reading »

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May 16

Although PC software piracy declined in many countries in 2007, piracy increased in fast-growing PC markets, resulting in an overall rise of piracy from 35% to 38%, and dollar losses that increased by $8 billion to nearly $48 billion.  The annual study was conducted by IDC and released by the Business Software Alliance (BSA).

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Apr 24

To be a “most important” innovation, an innovation has to be an idea that is very widely used and is critically important where it applies. – David A. Wheeler

It’s not easy choosing the best innovators in an industry defined by innovation. The nature of software is such that the technologies, systems and products completely refresh every decade or so. The triumphant invention of just 10 years ago is now considered “legacy” or even obsolete. So making a lasting impression in the software business is a tough task indeed.

Following is my list of the top 10 software innovators of all time. Inclusion on this list doesn’t mean the person came up with every idea or wrote every byte of code. Rather, these are the people whose leadership, ideas, designs and products propelled the software industry forward by leaps and bounds. Their innovations affect us greatly even today.

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Apr 17

A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a government to an inventor for a fixed period of time in exchange for disclosure of an invention.  The patent enables the inventor to exclude others from making, using, selling or importing the invention. (wiki)

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