Industry News - Week of Nov 29, 2021

IN THIS ISSUE: Geo-diversity, Faster Code Increases; Shift Left Saps API Security; Add RT Analytics to Azure Digital Twins; Will 'Click Here' Ever Go Away?; Include Comments on a Static Website; How to Launch Chrome Apps Faster

Report: Geo Diversity Rises, Code Ships Faster

Code repository GitHub in 2021 added 16 million new users to its base, almost 70 percent of which is now from outside North America. Its annual Octoverse report released last week also revealed that code is being delivered more rapidly, thanks mostly to use of open source software. 

Does Developer-first Approach Sap API Security? 

As organizations have increasingly adopted the "shift-left" philosophy, affording developers earlier access aspects of the development lifecycle, an unexpected consequence appears to be a decrease in API security. 

Add Real-time Analytics to Azure Digital Twins

Originally developed at NASA as a means of modeling spacecraft telemetry, digital twins are now being used in myriad applications to track performance in real time. One recent solution allows organizations deploying Azure to analyze IoT data to improve situational awareness. 

Will "Click Here" Ever Go Away? 

When selecting hyperlink words, "click here" should have died along with the Mosaic browser. Despite the fact that most browsing is now on touchscreens (on which users "tap" rather than "click"), the bad practice continues. Here are more reasons to quit cold turkey. 

Include Comments on a Static Website

The static web site, as with most web technologies, has its pros and cons. Pros include ease of setup, better performance (over dynamic sites) and lack of reliance on a database. One of the cons is a lack of user interaction for things like commenting. That's where third-party solutions such as Disqus come in. Here's a checklist for organizations thinking about integrating one. 

How to Launch Chrome Apps Faster

There's a number of seconds that a user will wait before deciding that the app they just launched isn't worth waiting for. The number, based on Chrome Usage Statistics, varies by app and user, of course, but less is always better. Here are some techniques from a Chrome engineer on reducing launch times by tweaking a few simple Chrome settings.