<p>Dark Web started in the 1960s as an anonymous communication network and has shown immense growth since then. Presently, it covers 6% of the total World Wide Web, which is 2% more than what the standard internet or the surface web occupies.<br>However, most internet users don't even know of its existence. This post is for all these users. It will shed light on this side of the internet and also provide you the information like browsers, legal laws, security measures, and risk related to the dark web.</p><h3 id="what-is-the-dark-web">What Is The Dark Web?</h3><p>According to its use types, the internet that you use has three different layers. The first part is the surface web or the standard internet. It covers <a href="http://2oqz471sa19h3vbwa53m33yj.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/surface-web-vs-deep-web-vs-dark-web-2.png">4% of the internet</a> and is the part that you are using most of the time. Even right now, you are using it to read this post.</p><p>The second layer is the deep web, which consists of the underlying data related to the surface web. It covers 90% of the world wide web and includes data like medical records, databases, financial records, and academic information.</p><p>The remaining part goes to a fully encrypted part of the internet known as the dark web. From the core, it is very similar to your standard internet. It has websites, social media sites, communications channels, eCommerce, and all the other services. The only difference here is that in this part of the internet, you don't have to reveal your identity for any transactions. The channel uses a secure channel that hides your data and doesn't need any proof of your identity.</p><h3 id="how-do-i-access-the-dark-web">How Do I Access The Dark Web?</h3><p>The Dark web is a highly secured one, and out of coverage for most of the browsers and search engines. You will have to modify your browsers with software or extension and use a dark web complaint search engine for it. A much simpler option will be to use the TOR browser for this task. You will also need a masking application or a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to hide your work from the internet service provider.</p><p>Here's how you can download and install both these programs.</p><p><ul><li>Open TOR's official site <a href="https://www.torproject.org/download/">Torproject.com</a> and navigate to the downloads section and download the TOQ setup for your OS.</li></ul></p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-width-wide kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://iaxds62ruoojbg1k4180.cleaver.rocks/images/posts/4730d2ec7e8e8464a783b7e84343bcce.png" class="kg-image" alt="" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Downloading TOR Browser</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://ssd.eff.org/files/2019/04/02/tor_download.png">Source</a></p><p><ul><li>Now, navigate to your downloaded location and install the application.</li><li><span style="font-size: 0.9rem; background-color: rgb(249 249 252/var(--tw-bg-opacity));">After installation is complete, open the program and click on the connect button.</span><br></li></ul></p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-width-wide kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://iaxds62ruoojbg1k4180.cleaver.rocks/images/posts/0fc8548771b4d68d4703b404d182f0d4.png" class="kg-image" alt="" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Connecting TOR Browser</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://ssd.eff.org/files/2019/04/02/connect_to_tor.png">Source</a></p><p><ul><li>TOR will apply the configuration and establish a connection with your network for accessing the dark web.</li></ul></p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-width-wide kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://iaxds62ruoojbg1k4180.cleaver.rocks/images/posts/2b48c1db1d168afb4724cca2d97db4b3.png" class="kg-image" alt="" loading="lazy"><figcaption>TOR Browser Connection Establishing</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://ssd.eff.org/files/2018/12/07/torwindows9.png">Source</a></p><p><ul><li>The browser will take some time to connect for the first use, but the waiting will reduce later on.</li><li>Once the connecting part is over, you will see a Google-like user interface that you can use to surf the dark web.</li></ul></p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-width-wide kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://iaxds62ruoojbg1k4180.cleaver.rocks/images/posts/95df368ee6f717166ed078ac153327ae.png" class="kg-image" alt="" loading="lazy"><figcaption>TOR Browser Search Screen</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://ssd.eff.org/files/2019/04/02/welcome_12.png">Source</a></p><p>The next thing you need is a good VPN. There are several of those on the internet that you can choose. However, you have to make sure that you use a high-quality VPN downloaded from an authorized site. It's essential as low quality or non-genuine VPN will not mask your work from your service provider and also open you to malware.</p><p>The process of using VPNs applications can be different depending upon its brand, but the core process will be the same. Here's how you can install and use the VPN.</p><p><br><ul><li>Select a VPN you want to use and head to its official website download section. Then select your preferred OS from the list.</li></ul></p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-width-wide kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://iaxds62ruoojbg1k4180.cleaver.rocks/images/posts/717ab82a859160169c1d213670270d55.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="" loading="lazy"><figcaption>VPN Website Download Section</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://nordvpn.com/download/">Source</a></p><p><ul><li>Search for the download button to download the setup of your VPN.</li></ul></p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-width-wide kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://iaxds62ruoojbg1k4180.cleaver.rocks/images/posts/00667e447c23529c34ed95ae46a537ea.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Downloading VPN</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://nordvpn.com/download/ios/">Source</a></p><p><ul><li>Head to the download location and install the VPN program like any other application on your OS.</li><li>After the installing is over, click on its icon to open it. For the first use, the application will ask you for some permission and configuration.</li><li>After configuring the application, click on the connect button, and the VPN will start to hide your address and usage data from your ISP.</li></ul></p><p>It is also a good idea to use a disposable OS or a virtual machine application while accessing the dark web. It is not that crucial to maintain privacy, but it can help you to contain the damage if something goes wrong. For instance, if you open a website or link with malware, it will stay inside the virtual machine and prevent your data.</p><p>Once you have installed these elements, you can start accessing the dark web securely. There are two ways to do it, the first is the TOR over VPN, and the other is VPN over TOR methods. The procedure for both methods is the same, except for the order of connection.</p><p>In the first method or the TOR over VPN, you will connect the VPN before the TOR browser, and in the other, it's the opposite order. However, it is best to stick with the first method. It's because when you connect TOR before VPN, there is a risk that your ISP will find out about your activities.</p><h3 id="does-dark-web-have-websites">Does Dark Web Have Websites?</h3><p>Dark web follows a different encryption and security rules, but its core functionality is very close to the surface web. It will have a search engine and several websites that you can access according to your requirement.</p><p>The only difference here is that there is no index of the websites. It means dark web's search engine, Grams, will not assist you in finding stuff. You will have to have proper knowledge of the data that you need to search for accessing the pages. There is also an uncensored Wiki called the "Hidden Wiki" to help with this part, but it contains data about both legal and illegal websites. It has high load time and often returns with an error.</p><h3 id="is-it-illegal-to-surf-the-dark-web">Is It Illegal To Surf The Dark web?</h3><p>The term dark web has a "dark" in its name, so most people believe that this part has to be illegal, but it's not. The part may not be in the search engine indexes, but it's still a part of the internet and a rather informative one. Therefore, most of the countries and the government doesn't restrict its use.</p><p>However, you can get in trouble for accessing the dark web if you use it for a restricted activity. You have to make sure that you stay away from a dark site that sells guns, drugs, child pornography, and anti-national materials. In fact, according to an <a href="https://assets.weforum.org/editor/01y-T3Fr7U4ypAY3O4317yETHi-7OOWLD2mSprPIhY8.png">infographic by coolinforgraphics.com</a>, people used the eCommerce Silk Route 2.0 on the dark web to sell drugs of $27.0 million between the years 2013 and 2015. The sellers also sold prescription drugs of $4.6 million and stuff like fake brands, credit card data, and counterfeit money of $0.8 million on the dark web.</p><p>The encryption makes it secure for such illegal activities. A lot of terrorist groups have used this part of the internet for planning attacks and blasts. This section is also a home of trojans and malware that can harm you in more than one way. Many times, hackers have used dark websites to send malware to computers and then use them for their illegal activities. Hence, take special care of what you are downloading over the dark web.</p><h3 id="where-is-the-dark-web-content-hosted">Where Is The Dark Web Content Hosted?</h3><p>The most probable question that struck every brain after knowing so much about the dark web is about its server. Like where are the servers that operate it, and who takes care of them? Moreover, if the section is so dangerous, why not shut it?</p><p>Honestly, no one exactly knows the location of all the servers holding dark web data. Its keepers and users mostly stay anonymous. The only thing that's for sure is that the server is increasing, and so is the data on it. There's a high possibility that you will find the server all around the globe, which is also a little reason why no one shuts it.</p><p>Another reason for its existence is the benefits that it offers for law enforcement. They have used it to extract information regarding illegal activities and prevent them. The intelligence services also use it for secure communication. A lot of large-scale companies also use the dark web to ensure their market without being noticed by the competitors.</p><h3 id="the-final-words">The Final Words</h3><p>The part of the world web that is anonymous and not indexed by search engines like Google and Bing comes under the dark web. Its section doesn't follow any secure protocol of the browser and offers full flexibility for your activities. You can use it for communication, information extraction, and a lot more. Sure, it has some risk, but it is not totally a crime site. You can, and you must prefer to learn and use this part of the internet. It can help you enjoy all that the internet offers and more without privacy issues.</p>

Simranjeet Singh Pelyia

Premium reporting on technology, startups, VC funding, and software from Techfastly tagged with technology. Read articles on technology here.

Technology

Dark Web 101

<p>With the increasing need for faster and leaner app development, DevOps has become one of the most preferred methods for delivering quality applications. A study by <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2016/05/11/1208186/0/en/RightScale-Releases-New-DevOps-and-Docker-Trends-in-Follow-Up-to-State-of-the-Cloud-Report.html">Globenewswire.com</a> suggests that over 81% of enterprises now prefer this approach.</p><p>However, even with this adoption rate, there are still many lingering confusions about the approach. For instance, what exactly is DevOps, what are the roles of DevOps engineers, and when is the right time to adopt this method? This post will help you to find an answer to all these questions.</p><h2 id="what-is-devops">What is DevOps?</h2><p>The life cycle of an app includes multiple stages like security, analysis, testing, and a lot more from development to deployment. These functions are widely classified into two categories: the operational stages and the development stages. There are generally two different teams to handle these tasks: the developer team and the IT or the operators.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://iaxds62ruoojbg1k4180.cleaver.rocks/images/posts/ff7d2ba7b1cc337974d0a987c2fc0832.png" class="kg-image" alt="Working Of DevOps" loading="lazy"><figcaption><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Devops-toolchain.svg/1280px-Devops-toolchain.svg.png">Source</a></figcaption></figure><p>DevOps is a collaboration system that combines both these teams for faster app development. It started from a conference handle in Ghent, Belgium, in 2009 and came to light in around 2014 when several businesses began to adopt it over the traditional app development ways. The simple reason for its development and high adoption rate was the communication issues it solved and the speed enhancement it offers.</p><p>Previously, the developers had to develop the app and then send it to the operators. These operators would check the app's performance and send feedback. They have to repeat the process until the app is perfect. It was time-consuming and often led to conflicts. DevOps, on the other hand, had no such issues.</p><p>Since both teams worked together, they could talk in real-time and solve all the issues. The system also allowed them to check both the codes and the operation without causing any delay. As a result, the developed app met both the deadlines and the required quality.</p><p>Apart from communication, DevOps also enables the automation of specific processes. There are several tools and stacks in this system that can help you to evolve the apps when required. These tools also helped the engineers to individually accomplish tasks that would generally require aid from other teams. It comes in handy for enhancing the velocity of the team.</p><h2 id="what-do-devops-engineers-do">What Do DevOps Engineers Do?</h2><p>DevOps has emerged as one of the most successful ways of app development. Today almost every firm that needs faster results is opting for this specific system for app development. The demand for professionals who are skilled in DevOps is damn high at this time.</p><p>However, the field is not as old as the other app development field and therefore has a lot of confusion about it. Due to the similarity between software developers and DevOps engineers, many think that both these jobs need the same skill west. However, in reality, DevOps engineers need diverse skills to thrive in the field. Here's a small list of skills that you will need.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://iaxds62ruoojbg1k4180.cleaver.rocks/images/posts/a3b7dd0d4ec040725f964d3ada7f2ba5.png" class="kg-image" alt="Role Of DevOps Engineers" loading="lazy"><figcaption><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Devops.png">Source</a></figcaption></figure><h3 id="soft-skills">Soft Skills</h3><p>Working with a team of diverse types of people with multiple types of skills is always tricky. There will be various answers to every question, different ways of approaching problems, and distinct working methods. These factors can easily create communication gaps and land into conflicts amongst the team. They can harm not only inter-member relations but also harm your work quality.</p><p>Obviously, none of these problems will be good for your carrier in the company. So, you must have a deep understanding of your team and always know the best way to share your views or approach them.</p><h3 id="coding-and-database-management">Coding and Database Management</h3><p>From the core, DevOps is a system of developing apps, which means it will include languages and databases. You need to learn about both SQL and NoSQL database management tools for making applications. As for the languages, you can start with a few like python and JavaScript and then learn more on the way.</p><h3 id="virtualization-and-cloud-computing">Virtualization and Cloud Computing</h3><p>Cloud and virtualization are the next steps in app development. Almost every company is moving towards these two trends for better performance and flexibility. The two tools help to simplify the whole development task and provide seamless access to the system databases from any place. Therefore, if you are looking for a prosperous career in the app development field, visualization and cloud system is must to learn tools.</p><h3 id="system-expertise">System Expertise</h3><p>A DevOps engineer works as both a developer and an IT professional. Therefore, you cannot expect to call a professional IT expert for every minor malfunction in your system. You have to learn about the basic troubleshoots that your system may need and the tools you will need for them. Taking help from an IT professional at times will be fine, but the companies always prefer engineers who can handle most situations by themselves. It helps to reduce both the expenses and the downtime of an app or server.</p><h3 id="data-security">Data Security</h3><p>The DevOps engineers are responsible for writing the codes for apps and websites. It makes the first line of defence of any software against malware and viruses. Knowing about data security ensures that their codes are free from any vulnerability that can harm the users or the app.</p><p>Some firms also combine their software security teams with the DevOps team for this very cause. They call it the DevSecOps system. Here the DevOps Engineers take measures to write safe codes, monitor them, and perform precise testing to find/fix the vulnerable sections.</p><h3 id="automation-and-tools">Automation And Tools</h3><p>In DevOps, you have to deploy automated testing tools to check the app while it's being built. It ensures that by the time you deploy the application, it's fully optimized, bug-free, and up to the user's requirement. Therefore, you need to learn about the basics of automation and the tools used for these processes. There is no need to get details of all the automation tools, but you need to know the basics of all of them and advanced knowledge of a few of them. You can start with trending tools like Selenium and water to get started with this part.</p><h2 id="when-is-the-right-time-to-opt-for-devops">When Is The Right Time To Opt For DevOps?</h2><p>DevOps is a way of app development, and there are no specifications for using it. You can consider it at any time, depending on your needs and its benefits. You can consider it anytime you need one or more of the following.</p><p>?       Develop quality applications within a limited time.</p><p>?       Eliminate the time and resources spent in knowledge transfer amongst different departments.</p><p>?       Decentralize responsibilities to come up with innovative ideas for the applications.</p><p>?       Reduce the risk and cost involved in building the app and deploying it.</p><p>?       Enhance the pace and frequency of your releases to improve your app quickly.</p><p>?       Scale the application regularly to meet the customer requirements.</p><p>?       Level up the communications amongst your team for a better work environment.</p><p>?       Ensure security of the application at every step without affecting deadlines.</p><h2 id="famous-companies-using-devops">Famous Companies Using DevOps</h2><p>DevOps is an exceptionally good approach to app development and not just on books but also in real life. This is why even the most famous companies in the world are opting for it. Here's a list of companies that have adopted this system and have gained excellent results from it.</p><p>?       Amazon</p><p>?       Netflix</p><p>?       Etsy</p><p>?       Target</p><p>?       NASA</p><p>?       Hertz</p><h2 id="devops-optimizers">DevOps Optimizers</h2><p>The DevOps mechanism has benefits in all aspects and worked brilliantly, but that does not mean there is no room for improving it. There are multiple tools and techniques that you can use for it. For instance, if you can use self-contained containers with this model. They come with a pre-configured delivery mechanism that makes them very effective in deploying changes to the software infrastructure. It can help you to avoid microservice complexity errors and simplify the monitoring of data. The container is also helpful in developing multiple management systems to ensure the quality and security of your codes.</p><p>Another way to enhance your DevOps mechanism is to use automation in it. You can integrate into the system to measure the metrics like the leads you get and the overall progress of your firm. The automation can also take care of the redundant task and ensure that you don't have to waste time doing them manually.</p><h2 id="key-takeaway">Key Takeaway</h2><p>DevOps is a rather new and growing method of app development. It is very similar to agile and is often confused with it. However, it is much very different from the agile system and definitely offers many more benefits for it.</p><p>The system has shown immense growth in the last few years due to its quality and is still growing at an alarming rate. It won't be wrong to say that it will soon be shaping the app development world at this rate. Therefore, you must consider this method for progressing the app development world and get the most out of it.</p>

Premium reporting on technology, startups, VC funding, and software from Techfastly tagged with DevOps. Read about themes, trends and strategies for DevOps.

DevOps

DevOps- What Is It And Why It Matters?

<p>Adopting AI and robotics in industries is one of the biggest steps towards a better and faster world. It marks the start of a new digital era, which will offer much higher profits and efficiency.</p><p>However, no innovation comes without a cost, and in this case, it's the job losses. The following post will tell you more about this part and discuss strategies that may help deal with it.</p><h2 id="automation-and-job-losses">Automation And Job Losses</h2><p>Automation and application lack basic human instincts. They don't need rest, food or break during their work. These systems never get sick or distracted from their work.  You can run them continuously for days, and they will provide you the same quality and speed of work. Therefore, a simple machine can replace multiple employees in the industry.</p><p>For instance, say that you own a gear manufacturing plant with 1000 employees working in it. Each of these employees will have expertise in only one or two particular sections. Hence, you will have to create a proper timeline and work schedule to get results. You may also have to set a different department to manage the process. Each of these steps will add cost and time required for manufacturing, which will directly affect your profit.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://iaxds62ruoojbg1k4180.cleaver.rocks/images/posts/f0746b7b22797b0198d8f6994b7d992f.jpg" class="kg-image" alt loading="lazy"><figcaption><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5e/KUKA_Industrial_Robots_IR.jpg">Source</a></figcaption></figure><p>Now let's remove the manual work and add automated CNC to this scenario. This machine will have a tool crib that will allow you to perform all the necessary manufacturing processes at the same spot. It will work faster than the manual device and eliminate the time to spend on task planning. The machines also don't need any management or quality analysis team. One operator and maybe one helper will be enough for one machine. So, you only need half of the employees, and you still get the same profits as before. The bonus point is that it's a one-time investment. You don't have to pay it monthly. Isn't this method better than hiring humans?</p><p>Well, it is, and that is the main reason why most of the industries are moving towards it, leading to unemployment. The <a href="https://www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk/downloads/academic/The_Future_of_Employment.pdf">studies by the oxford university</a> involving 702 occupation groups reveal that 47% of US workers' jobs will be automated by the next two decades. Another <a href="http://bruegel.org/2014/07/chart-of-the-week-54-of-eu-jobs-at-risk-of-computerisation/">study by Bruegel</a> presents somewhat the same result for Europe. The study reveals that 54% of EU jobs are at risk of computerization. The <a href="https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/social-issues-migration-health/the-risk-of-automation-for-jobs-in-oecd-countries_5jlz9h56dvq7-en">researchers at OECD</a> (Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development) also support the stats. They say that more than 14% of jobs are automatable, and another 32% are at risk.</p><p>48% of the experts at a <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/08/06/future-of-jobs/">Pew Research Centre study</a> involving 1896 experts also stated the risk of automation. The study established that robots and digital agents would replace a considerable number of blue- and white-collar workers by the next few years.</p><h2 id="is-there-a-solution">Is There a Solution?</h2><p>The present estimates of automation and its rising stats make it clear that it's the future of industries. There is no obvious way to stop it, but you can't exactly let it go. If the governments and industries don't find solutions for it, millions of employees will have to suffer poverty. It may even become difficult to sustain even the basic need for life. Therefore, some states came with the concept of UBI or the universal basic income.</p><p>It was a no-strings-attached program that focused on providing a certain amount to all members of society. This program aims to ensure that everyone has enough money to at least afford their basic needs. It's like a monthly payment system from the state government side. Each payment will be unconditional, recurring, and guaranteed for life (may differ according to government and conditions).</p><p><br></p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://iaxds62ruoojbg1k4180.cleaver.rocks/images/posts/7fbc54f734ba93e20116a5fe2479fa77.jpg" class="kg-image" alt loading="lazy"><figcaption><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Maslow%27s_Hierarchy_of_Needs.jpg">Source</a></figcaption></figure><p>Some of the countries have also started taking steps to introduce UBI for their people. Countries like Finland have even begun to deploy and test the concept. Its government studied people's conditions and selected the ones that have been suffering due to low jobs and incomes. The government has been providing these selected candidates with 560 Euros per month for the last two years. There have been some controversies over the concept as many believe that a fixed income will make people lazy, but it's proving beneficial. This income has provided stability to many students and unemployed struggling with their basic needs. [<a href="https://www.dw.com/en/does-finland-show-the-way-to-universal-basic-income/a-53595886">1</a>]</p><p>Kenya has also started a similar experiment program to test the efficiency of Universal Basic Income. Their researchers plan to partner with GiveDirecty to evaluate the villages for the experiment and study its effects. Presently, they have created four categories for the regions for this experiment. The first category is the Comparison group and will include villages that won't get any payment. The second group is the long term UBI and includes villages that get paid for the next 12 years. The next category is the Short-term UBI with the eligibility of 2 years and Lump-Sum UBI with one $500 per adult payment. The payment started in 2018 and is still running using mPesa apps. GiveDirectly plans to run it for some time and conduct surveys every 3-5 years to analyze the results. [<a href="https://www.poverty-action.org/study/effects-universal-basic-income-kenya">2</a>]</p><p>Another country that will soon start using the UBI system is Spain. Its government has planned this experiment in the wake of the recent Covid-19 outbreak that has affected the country's finances. Spain has a 3-35 billion euros budget for the UBI program and will provide financial help for over 1 million families. Spain plans to set criteria for categorizing people according to their annual income and asset for finding the once eligible for the UBI payment. The economy ministers also stated that if the experiment proves useful, Spain may consider its permanent affiliation. [<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/world/news/spain-is-about-to-bring-in-a-basic-income-scheme-which-the-government-thinks-will-stay-forever/articleshow/75806745.cms">3</a>]</p><p>Therefore, it's possible that by the next decade, your country will also introduce this scheme for combating job losses due to automation.</p><h2 id="is-your-business-ready">Is Your Business Ready?</h2><p>The UBI is a government scheme and doesn't seem like a big deal for business, but it is. The scheme will affect the whole market in the coming time and may cause the downfall of many prospering companies.</p><p>Think of it like this, the student, the unemployed, and struggler who never had an income now have a fixed source. They don't need to search for jobs anymore, which means they have enough time to plan businesses. Your market competition might increase to a great extent. It also means that most people will prefer to start their own businesses over jobs. Therefore, wages for workers may rise.</p><p>On the bright side, since everyone will have a reliable income, they would not be interested in saving. People will spend more and invest more. It can mean a huge difference for your business, provided you are ready for it. You will need more innovative products and better work culture. Employing better marketing trends and investing or potential future start-ups may also come in handy.</p><h2 id="final-words">Final Words</h2><p>Automation has entered almost every field of work and is influencing the market to a very great extent. It has replaced a considerable number of human workers and will cause job loss for many. However, the world is not helpless against this rising trend. The government schemes like UBI can combat it.</p><p>However, the trend is new and has a lot of different aspects that are still unsolved. It will also cause a massive change in the global market. So, be prepared for the change that's coming.</p>

Premium reporting on technology, startups, VC funding, and software from Techfastly tagged with AI. Read about themes, trends and strategies for AI.

Artificial Intelligence

Universal Job Losses & Universal Basic Income

Learn the differences between React Native and Flutter. 

React Native Versus Flutter

<p>There was a time when developers had to write separate codes for different application platforms like android, iOS, and more. However, it all changed with the development of a cross-platform application platform. It allowed developers to create one script and then deploy it on multiple platforms with minimal or sometimes no changes.</p><p><br>Both Google and Facebook have been good at developing these cross-development platforms. They have been competing with each other for a  while. It's very challenging to choose the right one from them. This post will shed some light on the brands and their platform to help you with this selection.</p><h2 id="what-is-react-native">What Is React Native?</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://iaxds62ruoojbg1k4180.cleaver.rocks/images/posts/c5f48dbbbba420486bed0771b84b2c76.png" class="kg-image" alt="React Native logo" loading="lazy"></figure><p>React Native is an open-source UI framework started by Facebook. It came to light around the year 2015 and has been a part of Facebook ever since. Most of their applications, including Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, use this framework. Some of the other apps, like Pinterest, Skype, Bloomberg, and Tesla, also rely on it. Even the famous website builder WIX.com, uses React Native as its base.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://iaxds62ruoojbg1k4180.cleaver.rocks/images/posts/2c168247826156021957887860fee278.jpg" class="kg-image" alt="Companies using React Native" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Source: <a href="https://dzone.com/articles/will-react-native-mark-the-demise-of-native-app-de">DZone</a></figcaption></figure><p>The platform started in 2013 with an internal hackathon at Facebook. It used the most adopted language, JavaScript, for making the applications. It offered the developers several benefits, including faster refresh, more choices, vast community, and multi-platform compatibility. The recent change in the Stack by Facebook further added to these benefits.</p><h2 id="facebook-s-new-stack">Facebook's New Stack</h2><p>A lot of things have changed in the app development world since the start of Facebook's React Native. Therefore, it is no rocket science that Facebook has to adapt some new stacks options.</p><h3 id="lamp-facebook-s-previous-stack">LAMP- Facebook's Previous Stack</h3><p>LAMP or the 'Linus, Apache, MySQL, PHP' is the conventional Stack that combines four technologies for its operation. The platform used LINUX as the primary operating system combined by Apache as the web server, MySQL as Relational Database Management system, and PHP or Python as the scripting language.</p><p>The part that made LAMP a viable option at that time was its compatibility. While it was for Linux, the developer could use it for windows, Macintosh, and Solaris systems.</p><p>The Stack worked amazingly for many years, but it had some limitations. For instance, LAMP used a non-blocked architecture that made it challenging to scale it and also affected its speeds in some cases. Similarly, LAMP required a full stack team for making an application using LAMP. It also required both backend and frontend coding, which made it costlier and more time-consuming. The development got even more tricky for complicated and hybrid applications.</p><h3 id="mean-the-new-facebook-stack">MEAN- The new Facebook Stack</h3><p>MEAN is a more modern version stack that uses JavaScript as its main element. The Stack also uses a four-element structure like the LAMP, but it has replaced the four parts. It uses MongoDB for databases, AngularJS for frontend frameworks, and Express.js as the base framework. As for the operating system, the Stack uses a Node.js runtime as the base platform rather than any specific OS.</p><p>The upgraded elements of the MEAN stack make it much faster, reliable, and easy to use. It also offers the user the flexibility to scale the development work if and when required. The use of AngularJS also enables the user to reuse, maintain, and test the client-side application. You can prefer the Stack for not only the main application but also for creating routes and templates.</p><p>The best part of the Stack is that it is a NoSQL platform. This feature reduces the time required for organizing and extracting data. It also simplifies the schematic for data storage, which in turn enhances the speed.</p><h2 id="benefit-of-the-stack-migration">Benefit Of The Stack Migration</h2><p>The new MEAN stack that Facebook adopted was a game-change. It enhanced the application in more than just one way. Here's a list of a few benefits that it served for their business.</p><p>?   The new Stack allowed JavaScript both a front and back end. It reduced the requirement of professionals and allowed them to switch one or more members between projects.</p><p>?   MEAN allows easy transferability of any type of code. You can use it to transfer codes written in one particular framework to any other framework.</p><p>?   Unlike the previous Stack technologies, MEAN allows cloud-based testing after completing the development work. You can also add information by adding fields to the existing forms at any time.</p><p>?   Since the Stack uses Node.js as the base platform, there is no restriction of the operating system you need to use.</p><p>? Node.js is quite flexible and has a non-blocking architecture. Therefore, the application that uses it is faster and easy to maintain, test, and reuse.</p><h2 id="is-facebook-stack-migration-a-threat-for-google">Is Facebook Stack Migration A Threat For Google?</h2><p>Facebook's new Stack made it much more reliable and preferable than its previous platform. It offers the leverage it needed to dominate the internet and get ahead of Google. It was a clear threat to the search engine company, and there is no way that Google wasn't responding to this threat. Therefore, they came up with Flutter.</p><h2 id="what-is-flutter">What Is Flutter?</h2><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://iaxds62ruoojbg1k4180.cleaver.rocks/images/posts/ec247630fc79caa8de97d49770a0eef6.png" class="kg-image" alt="Flutter logo" loading="lazy"></figure><p>Flutter is a portable User Interface kit developed for highly virtual Cross-platform applications. It's a new concept by Google and is still not as mature as the previous UI kits. However, being a newer version, Flutter offers very high potential and future scope. It enables the developer to build highly responsive, fast, and most of all, virtually attractive applications for not just mobiles but also web and desktops.</p><p>The best part is that the platform also removes the restriction of OS that you can use. You can use it on macOS, Windows, and Linus with the same convenience. Google is also working on a web version of Flutter that will allow users to edit existing DART codes and deploy them into the client experience. The platform also provides an extensive range of widgets to ease out the development experience and save time.</p><p>Flutter's customization and speed make it a viable option for all kinds of applications. Many like Xianyu, Hamilton, Google Ads, Reflectly, JD Finances, and Topline use this platform as its base.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card kg-card-hascaption"><img src="https://iaxds62ruoojbg1k4180.cleaver.rocks/images/posts/fc80f35ad0b5b7add3200f6d675b4f05.png" class="kg-image" alt="Companies using Google Flutter" loading="lazy"><figcaption>Source: <a href="https://appinventiv.com/blog/kotlin-vs-flutter-cross-platform-app-development/">Appinventiv</a></figcaption></figure><h2 id="how-does-flutter-affect-business">How Does Flutter Affect Business?</h2><p>The main motive of Flutter was to provide a quality alternative against Facebook's React Native. It did well in this section. The platform has become one of the most preferred Cross-Platform for native application development frameworks. It offers the developer several benefits, like the following.</p><p>?   Apps developed in Flutter are cross-platform, which opens it to all kinds of devices. So, it offers a much wider audience than any native framework.</p><p>?   Flutter's development kit enables you to use the same code for multiple operating systems. It helps you to deploy an app in various languages OS and device type with minimal effort.</p><p>?   Since the same code is used for all the platforms, you will save a lot of time and money that you would have spent on making different codes.</p><p>?   Google has developed Flutter for speed. You can expect it to compile an entire code in approximately 25 seconds.</p><p>?   Flutter has an autosave feature that reflects any change in code as soon as you save it. You won't need to compile it every time.</p><p>?   Like React Native, Flutter also includes tools for quicker or the hybrid versions of an application.</p><h2 id="hybrid-vs-native-applications">Hybrid vs. Native Applications</h2><p>Hybrid and Native are two different categories of a mobile application that you can develop using Flutter or React Native. The terms are not new, but they are often confused with each other. It is also difficult for the newer developer to decide which one to choose. This section will explain both of them and guide you about which one to use for your task.</p><p><strong>Native applications-</strong>A native application is an application that you develop specifically for one particular operating system. It uses the same language as the device's operating system and needs a complete installation to its memory to work correctly. This reliability on the OS makes them a bit restricted and limited on speed, but they offer excellent consistency.</p><p>It also enables the application to use the in-built features of the devices like GPS, Address Book, and camera for better user experience. The default application like the music player, camera, reminder, and others that come with your OS are prime examples of this type.</p><p><strong>Hybrid Applications- </strong>The hybrid application is an app that uses a combination of web packages and a shell of a native application for its functionality. These apps look and feel exactly like the native application but use a much different code language. You can easily develop them in HTML5 or JavaScript. There is no need to stick with the base OS language.</p><p>This kind is preferable due to its flexible coding and time-saving features. Since it uses the other application to access the required hardware, you can build the whole Hybrid app with a single code base. It is also easy to deploy the application to multiple platforms without any special requirements.</p><p>The hybrids are a bit slower than the native but are viable options for anyone looking to construct a quality app with less time and coding works.</p><h2 id="final-words">Final Words</h2><p>Google dominated the ad market for a very long time until the failure of their Google+. It was then that Facebook acquired the market and became the top contender, but not for long. FB got dragged into scandals and lost a lot of their market. The development platform is a new face for both these tech giants.</p><p>They are fierce competition in this case, and both offer unmatched features. It is not ideal or even possible to tell which one is better than the other. So, use the knowledge provided in this post, analyze your requirements, and select the one that works best for your business.</p>

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