#largest app developers

[maishainfotech]

What is Software Development? A Complete Guide for Beginners and IT Aspirants

In today’s digital world, software development is the backbone of innovation. Whether it’s creating mobile apps, building websites, or automating business tasks—software powers everything. But what exactly is software development? Is it the same as IT? What are the steps and processes involved?

Let’s break it down and answer the most commonly searched questions.

💡 What is Meant by Software Development?

Software development refers to the process of designing, coding, testing, and maintaining applications, frameworks, or other software components.

✅ Popular Questions:

What do you mean by software development? → It's the structured process of creating computer programs and systems to meet specific needs.

What is the purpose of software development? → To solve problems, improve efficiency, enhance communication, and drive innovation.

What is an example of software development? → Creating a mobile app like WhatsApp, an e-commerce website like Amazon, or a CRM tool for businesses.

Who is called a software developer? → A professional who writes, tests, and maintains the code of applications.

What is software in short words? → Software is a set of instructions that tells a computer what to do.

👨‍💻 Is Software Developer an IT Job?

Yes, software development is a key part of the IT (Information Technology) industry. Developers use tech tools to build solutions for various sectors.

✅ Related Questions:

Is developer an IT job? → Absolutely, developers fall under the IT domain.

Is software development an IT course? → Yes, many universities and institutes offer IT courses with software development specializations.

What type of job is a software developer? → It’s a technical job involving coding, system design, and testing.

What is the difference between IT and software developer? → IT is a broad field including networking, support, and cybersecurity, while software development focuses specifically on building software.

Is software development part of IT? → Yes, it is a major branch within IT.

Is coding an IT job? → Yes, coding is one of the most in-demand IT skills today.

📈 What Are the 7 Steps of Software Development?

This refers to the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)—a structured approach to software creation.

✅ Key Stages:

Planning

Requirements Analysis

Design

Development (Coding)

Testing

Deployment

Maintenance

✅ Related Questions:

What are the 7 stages of software development process?

What are the 7 principles of software engineering?

What are the 7 stages of project implementation?

What are the 7 phases of SDLC diagram?

What are the 7 phases of STLC (Software Testing Life Cycle)?

How to use number 7 in software engineering?

These stages help ensure successful software delivery and are widely used in industries globally.

⚙️ What Are the 5 Processes in Software Development?

Some models simplify SDLC into five core processes:

Requirement Gathering

Design

Implementation

Testing

Maintenance

✅ Related Questions:

What are the 5 steps of the software development process?

What are the 5 SDLC processes?

What are the 5 S's of software development?

What are the 5 phases of app development process?

What are the 5 stages of development process?

What are the 5 principles of software development?

These phases are crucial for anyone building web, desktop, or mobile applications.

💬 Conclusion

Whether you're a beginner, student, or aspiring IT professional, understanding software development and its processes can help you succeed in the tech world. From learning the 7 steps of the SDLC to exploring IT job roles like software developers, there’s immense opportunity in this growing industry.

What is meant by software development?

7 steps of software development process

5 steps of software development

Is software developer an IT job?

SDLC and STLC phases

Coding vs IT

Software engineering principles

Software in short words

✅ FAQs

Q. Is software development a good career in 2025? Yes, it's one of the most in-demand and high-paying careers globally.

Q. Do I need to learn coding to become a software developer? Yes, languages like Python, Java, or JavaScript are essential.

Q. Can I study software development online? Absolutely! Platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and edX offer great courses.

Q. What tools do software developers use? Popular tools include Git, VS Code, JIRA, Figma, and SQL databases.

[vijay01]

The casino game development companies are masters of creating captivating video games and slots that provide a realistic online casino experience. They can provide users with an engaging experience by offering games with rich sound design and sharp images with the help of advanced tools and technologies. Technological development and unpredictable customer behavior are driving the industry’s ongoing evolution and businesses have to continuously look for new ideas to stay ahead of the competition. RG Infotech, Mobzway Technologies , Appinventiv, Chetu, Comfygen , Aryavrat , TechGropse Pvt. Ltd, Artoon Solutions, ISHIR , NineHertz .

[a2zillustration]

Farewell

Not "farewell," but "see you later."

| First | | Previous |

[[ All Croissant Adventures (chronological, desktop) ]]

[[ All Croissant Adventures (app) ]]

...Time to blather on under the cut. I've got thank yous, some notes about potential future comics, and if you scroll to the end of the post, I've decided to compile Croissant Adventures into a physical book. It's mostly for me, so I can hold all TWO HUNDRED AND FIVE of these strips in my hands, as a brick, but if you'd like to own a copy as well, I'll have a link to the preorders down below. If this is where you're going to stop reading, I'll extend a quick heartfelt thanks to you for joining me on this adventure!

Thank you, reader.

This is undeniably the largest project I've ever tackled in my art career; it was never supposed to be this big, and I expected maybe a handful of people to read it, at most. Instead, it became this massive project that I've been working on for ten months straight, and in the end these characters meant so much to me. I'm incredibly grateful for everyone who's bothered to read my little comic strips, whether it was just one or two, or if you've been here since the beginning, following Croissant's adventure from the minute they plummeted off the nautiloid. Thank you so much for being here and supporting this project. Thank you to everyone who left kind words and comments, sent me asks about Croissant, liked or reblogged these posts, or just read these and enjoyed them! While I was determined to finish this project no matter what happened, you certainly made it all the more fun and kept me excited to tell you the next part of Croissant's story.

Thank you, Larian.

If by some chance someone at Larian ever happens to see these, I also want to give an immense thank you to everyone who was a part of making this game. I don't play that many games these days, but BG3 rocketed to the top of my all-time favorite games almost immediately. (It was also the game that made me feel the most out of anything I've ever played; I got legitimately depressed for a few days during my run don't worry I'm fine now we're all good haha). You can tell there was so much work, and so much love involved in this game's development, and I'm so happy the studio has been rewarded with multiple awards in recognition of that dedication to making a fantastic game. Thank you again for sharing this story with us, and I can't wait to see what the studio does in the future.

Is this goodbye?

I'm hoping this is less of a "goodbye," and more of a "see you later." I'll probably take a bit of a break, since I've put off other projects for months, and art fight is happening, but I have many more things I'd like to add to Croissant's story! I have yet to play the epilogue, and I intend to illustrate parts of that depending on what happens. I also have a handful of comics for post-game Breadweave, in addition to some scenes I thought would've happened in-game but weren't canon so I left them out of the original story. (If I haven't gotten to these in a few months and you find yourself wondering about Croissant again, my ask box is always open, feel free to give me a good kick to get me back into their story, lol).

...A book?

I said I never intended this project to be so large, and I meant it. But now that I'm sitting here with two hundred and five Baldur's Gate 3 Tav comics, I really wanted to compile them into a physical book for me to hold. This is mostly for me, but if you'd also like one, I'll have a preorder available in my shop until the end of July.

✨✨✨ Croissant Adventures Preorder ✨✨✨

If you made it to the end of this post, I can only thank you again, from the bottom of my heart. I hope Croissant's story brought you joy, and if you're able to play BG3, I hope that you're having just as much fun in your own tavs' stories.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Rachel Janfaza at Politico:

New data out of Yale’s Youth Poll broke the internet last week when it revealed a partisan split within Gen Z. Given a generic Democrat vs. Republican ballot for 2026, respondents ages 18-21 supported Republicans by nearly 12 points, while those ages 22-29 backed Democrats by about 6 points. It was a stunning gap that undermined the longstanding notion of younger voters always trending more liberal. On the contrary, today’s youngest eligible voters are more conservative than their older counterparts: According to the poll, they are less likely to support transgender athletes participating in sports, less likely to support sending aid to Ukraine and more likely to approve of President Donald Trump. Fifty-one percent of younger Gen Zers view him favorably, compared to 46 percent of older Gen Z. That split might seem surprising, but it’s only the latest example of an emerging dynamic I’ve noticed developing over the last few years: It’s increasingly clear that there are actually two different Gen Z’s, each with a particular political worldview.

Since just after the 2022 midterm elections, I’ve held listening sessions — open-forums for discussion — with teens and young adults across the country to find out how young people think and feel about politics. I’ve traveled to high school and college campuses, community centers and even homes. And as I’ve written before, these conversations with young people illuminated the distinctions between Gen Z 1.0 and Gen Z 2.0.

Gen Z 1.0, the older segment, graduated high school and tasted independence prior to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Their coming of age coincided with Trump’s first term in office and the rise of anti-Trump resistance movements for racial justice and gender equity. Social media apps like Instagram and Snapchat, with all their filters and made-for-social media aesthetics, were commonplace — but TikTok wasn’t yet the massively popular platform it is today. Fast forward to 2020 through today, and those in Gen Z 2.0 came of age under different circumstances. They graduated high school during or after the start of the pandemic, which disrupted their K-12 experience. When many in this cohort began college, it was largely on Zoom, or in a campus environment that barely resembled pre-pandemic times. The political situation was also starkly different: With President Joe Biden in office, Trump and his MAGA movement felt like the counterculture — especially for young men, who swung hard to the right.

Indeed, gender played a prominent role in shaping the youth vote in 2024. An analysis by Blue Rose Research found a 20-point gender gap in Democratic support between men and women ages 25 and younger — the largest such gender gap in any generation by far. “It’s normal to see women supporting Democratic candidates at like a five- to 10-point higher rate than men do,” said Ali Mortell, Blue Rose’s research director. “Among the youngest cohort of Gen Z, it’s north of 20 points. So this is really jarring, and I think, caught the Democratic Party somewhat flat-footed.”

That gender gap has attracted a lot of media attention, but the headlines gloss over some important nuances. While young men turbo-charged Trump’s success in November, they’re not the only Gen Zers shifting right. Despite the overall gender gap, the Yale poll found that, while women ages 22-29 have a net-negative favorability of Trump, those ages 18-21 are more supportive of him, roughly split between a favorable and unfavorable view of the president. Young white women in particular are trending more conservative. Data from Tufts University’s Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) shows that, while women of color ages 18-29 overwhelmingly supported former Vice President Kamala Harris, young white women were split between Harris and Trump, 49 percent to 49 percent. That’s a huge jump from 2020, when, according to CIRCLE’s data, young white women voted for President Joe Biden over Trump by a 15-point margin.

That could be in part because some of the most formative experiences separating Gen Z 1.0 and 2.0 cut across gender — the most obvious being the pandemic. “We’ve definitely been cognizant that there feels like there’s a change between the kids who got through high school before and after Covid,” said Jack Dozier, the 19-year-old deputy director of the Yale survey. “There is a huge variation that came up between just the college-age young adults, and then the young adults who are over 22.”

In my own research, I started to hear about Covid’s impact in conversations with young Americans in 2022. Throughout history, young people haven’t liked being told what to do, and for many younger Gen Zers, the pandemic restrictions chafed against their youthful discomfort with authority. At first, they expressed annoyance with what they saw as prolonged social distancing on campuses that impacted the student experience. As one 20-year-old told me in a listening session at the end of March: “The adults don’t have it all together, and they don’t have my back.” When students finally went back to school, they complained about the policing of their behavior — not just regarding Covid protections like social distancing and masking, but also broader issues around language. Our national online discourse, these young people said, had adopted an overt political correctness and cancel culture – the tendency, particularly in online spaces, to denounce others for controversial statements or action. Many young people perceived this as promoted by Democrats — those in control, not just in D.C., but in pop-culture and on social media.

[...] “Young people are not only consuming digital media content, non-traditional sources at much higher rates than older generations, but they’re increasingly getting their news from non-political, non-traditional sources,” Mortell told me. But she took it one step farther: “We are seeing this very clear relationship between defection away from the Democratic Party and TikTok consumption.” The rapid onset of TikTok encapsulates the head-spinning pace of change younger Gen Zers have experienced. There are cleavages within every generation, but perhaps none more so than Gen Z, which has grown up amid the fastest speed of technological and political change in recent memory. When it comes to their politics, time will tell if the rightward shift sticks. Until then, anyone trying to understand this generation’s politics will need to figure out just which Gen Z they’re asking about.

The Yale Youth Poll confirms that there are two Gen Z’s, with the older Gen Z cohort tracking more liberal, and the younger Gen Z cohort, especially young Gen Z men, trending conservative.

We’ll see how this will hold up in a few years.

[thatskynews]

Sky Patched Calendar Ver. 0.25.5: A Guide for Sky Events

- Season of Nesting Post-Season Content

- Days of Nature

- Days of Color/Rainbow

Season of Nesting Continues! 🪺 (April 15th - June 30th)

Nesting Challenge Board - a permanent addition to the game, so its quests (and rewards) will remain in the game even after the Season ends.

After completing all the challenges in a tree, several props will be available to unlock: an instrument stand, a music player, and a stone figurine.

Instrument stand: Use it to set out any one instrument from your closet to play. If it’s placed in an area where other players can interact with it, they can play the instrument you set out!

Music player: Plays various pieces of music that are in the game. There are several “channels” that have their own musical themes.

Stone figurine: A decorative figure that can wear any hairstyle, hats, neck items, or capes you have in your closet. (This is a decorative item only; it will not allow players to copy and wear the same items that the stone figurine is wearing.)

Friends' Nest Preview Feature - a new feature that we’re hoping will spark inspiration for everyone: an option in your Nest menu to view other Nests. You’ll be able to “scroll” through a preview of these Nests that favors ones your friends have made while also showing Nests that other players have made too. It’s just a preview, though, so you won’t see anyone in this view, and other players won’t see anyone who might be viewing their Nest through this feature either.

Season of Nesting continues until 23:59 June 30th (all times PDT, UTC -7).

Days of Nature 🌊 (May 27 - June 16; 3 Weeks)

Last year, Days of Nature had supported The Ocean Cleanup, through the American Friends of The Ocean Cleanup, as they work towards a 90% reduction of floating plastic in the world’s oceans by 2040.

During the event you can find 4 event currency each day, placed in different spots around Prairie Peaks. Use these to unlock this year’s new IGC items:

Ocean Mask: 16 event currency

Ocean Blue Scarf: 40 event currency

(16 + 40 = 56 / 4 = 14 Days in order to get both items - 21 Days of the Event = 7 Days of "skip" days)

This year the event will again offer special IAPs to support charity efforts focused on real-world cleanup work in oceans and waterways.

Half of the total list price of items listed here will be donated to these efforts. The remaining amount will cover platform fees (expenses from Apple App Store, Google Play, etc) and a portion of development (operations, taxes, and post-event refunds.)

Nature Wave Pack: 19.99 USD (10.00 USD donation) - Includes 75 regular candles

Ocean Necklace: 1.99 USD (1.00 USD donation)

Nature Sonorous Seashell: 4.99 USD (2.50 USD donation) - This placeable item has a toggle to play relaxing ocean sound effects

Earth Cape: 4.99 USD (2.50 USD donation)

Ocean Cape: $14.99 USD (7.50 USD donation)

Nature Glasses Pack: 19.99 USD (10.00 USD donation) - A toggle for these sunglasses adds a bluer tint to the world around you; includes 75 regular Candles

Nature Turtle Pack: 19.99 USD (10.00 USD) - includes 75 regular Candles

Non-Charity Items / Returning Items:

New Item - Nature Wave-Touched Hair: 6.99 USD

Nature School Cape: 180 Candles

An asymmetrical cape featuring a partially transparent motif

Nature Coral Crown Accessory: 20 Hearts

Nature Turtle Cape: 14.99 USD

Days of Colors/Rainbow 🌈 (June 24 - July 7; 2 Weeks)

This year we’re proud to once again share that we’ll be supporting the The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people.

Half of the total list price of items listed here will be donated to these efforts. The remaining amount will cover platform fees (expenses from Apple App Store, Google Play, etc) and a portion of development (operations, taxes, and post-event refunds.)

Dark Rainbow Loafers: 19.99 USD (10.00 USD donation) - includes 75 regular Candles

Dark Rainbow Pack 9.99 USD (5.00 USD donation) - includes 40 regular candles

Rainbow Pack flower hair accessory: 19.99 USD (10.00 USD donation) - includes 75 regular Candles

Double Rainbow Pack flower hair accessory: 9.99 USD (5.00 USD donation) - includes 40 regular candles

As you soar around the event space, watch out for 5 rainbow-shaped event currency each day: 4 around the area, and 1 from completing the day’s color puzzle.

Non-Charity Items:

IGC:

Color Glam Cut: 18 event currency

Dark Rainbow Mask: 32 event currency

(18 + 32 = 50 / 5 = 10 Days in order to get both items - 14 days of the event = 4 "skip" days)

IAP:

Color Bubble Machine: 14.99 USD - The bubbles from this prop temporarily change the cape color of the closest player!

Rainbow Earring: 2.99 USD

Rainbow Headphones: 9.99 USD

Rainbow Hat: 9.99 USD

Dark Rainbow Tunic: 14.99 USD

This year’s event is also the one-year anniversary of event currency! These are used for the newest in-game currency items in an event in the current year, so items introduced for event currency last year can now be unlocked for varying amounts of regular in-game currency this year.

Returning IGC items:

Dark Rainbow Cape: 177 Candles

Rainbow Cape: 175 Candles

Rainbow Trousers: 95 Candles

Rainbow Braid Accessory: 20 Hearts

[icqmuseum24]

🇺🇸 Before purchasing the iconic ICQ Messenger from Mirabilis, AOL Inc. had already developed its own internet messaging tool. Released in May 1997 as a stand-alone download for Microsoft Windows, AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) quickly became the go-to platform for online communication. Created by American Online Inc., AIM used the OSCAR and TOC protocols to connect users in real time, becoming a cultural phenomenon by the late 1990s.

💾 At its peak, AIM had the largest share of the instant messaging market in North America, particularly in the United States, where it held 52% of the market as of 2006. This figure excludes other AOL-related instant messaging software like ICQ and iChat. AIM's main competitors included ICQ (which AOL acquired in 1998), Yahoo! Messenger, and MSN Messenger. AOL had a notable rivalry with PowWow and Microsoft, sparking the "chat wars" in 1999.

🚶‍♂️ The AIM mascot, designed by JoRoan Lazaro, debuted with the first release in 1997. This yellow stickman-like figure, known as the "Running Man," appeared on all AIM logos and wordmarks and was always featured at the top of the buddy list.

👩‍🎓🧑‍🎓 AIM was particularly popular among teens and college students in the United States and beyond. Its away message feature allowed users to share their whereabouts, thoughts, and plans with friends, making it a staple of daily digital interaction. AIM wasn't just a messaging app; it was a way of life.

📉 Despite its early success, AIM's popularity began to decline in the 2010s. The rise of Gmail's Google Talk, the advent of SMS, and the explosive growth of social networks like Facebook led to a decrease in AOL subscribers. AIM's fall from grace is often compared to other once-dominant services like Myspace.

📆 In June 2015, AOL was acquired by Verizon Communications, which later merged AOL and Yahoo into Oath Inc. Unfortunately, on December 15, 2017, AIM was discontinued, marking the end of an era.

💔 Though AIM is no longer with us, its impact on digital communication remains unforgettable. It paved the way for the instant messaging services we rely on today, leaving behind a legacy of nostalgia and innovation.

[samueldays]

Life in the Provinces

I was passing through a Norwegian public transport station recently, and saw this ad on the screens:

Roughly translated: "His first 100 days threaten 100 years of advancement in children's rights. Donate by Vipps [payment app] 100 to 2230."

"Redd Barna" on the end literally translates as "Save the Children" but it's also the proper name of a Norwegian charity org. On their website is a bit more description.

Da den amerikanske presidenten tiltrådte, stanset han all amerikansk bistand – en beslutning som over natten frarøvet barn over hele verden livsviktig mat, medisiner og beskyttelse. Hans første 100 dager truer 100 års fremgang for barns rettigheter. Nå trenger barn over hele verden at du blir med å kjempe. Bistandskutt og bistandsfrys har satt barns liv i fare. Uten nødhjelp og bistand står millioner av barn overfor en usikker fremtid. Vi i Redd Barna nekter å la dette skje, og vil fortsette å kjempe for at alle barn skal overleve, lære og være trygge.

On one level this is just another begpost with crying children, by a more serious source (still not very serious, Redd Barna was also doing Greta Thunberg nonsense about climate change).

On another level I'm annoyed by the persistent low-level dishonesty and lawyer-speak. It's not enough to simply say that Trump has stopped funding and children are starving, no, Redd Barna feels the need to say there's some "children's rights" that were "advancing" or "developing" thanks to specific recent innovation, and Trump "threatens" these "rights".

On another level I once again get the feeling that Norway is an American province. (Most of the world is American provinces.) Here's a Norwegian organization writing in the Norwegian language inside Norwegian buildings to ask for more money to Pooristan, and it's framed around the American president, because it's so dependent on American money. Redd Barna says it will have to close operations in 40 countries, because of Donald Trump. Redd Barna says it will be unable to serve 8-12 million children, because of Donald Trump. Redd Barna has become an American appendage, which speaks Norwegian for legacy reasons.

Which brings me to another recent bit of Life in the Provinces.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has faced calls to respond after the Trump administration cut funding to seven Australian universities. The administration's move came after US agencies asked Australian researchers to justify why they should continue receiving American research grants. The cut of funding could leave a $600 million hole in the efforts of Australian researchers, with the US the largest research partner of Australia.

That's a lot of money. This sort of thing keeps happening. Trump pulls some funding, and a foreign country scrambles to respond because apparently some sector of their industry was living off the American money hose.

Further down the article we have this talking head:

"The federal government must push back on the Trump administration's blatant foreign interference in our independent research in the strongest possible terms," NTEU president Alison Barnes said.

I do not think those words mean what you think they mean. Is this the Curse of Babel?

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Hot damn! What a teaser!

When it began, I thought I was in for just typical animated movie teaser stuff: Characters against white backgrounds and gags, little else, something similar to ZOOTOPIA's teaser. But no!

There are plenty of flashes of new characters (some of them have really neat designs too, that's where your comma and period buttons come in handy for the YouTube video) and new locations, suggesting that a lot of the action will also take place outside of the city of Zootopia. Perhaps the far reaches of that film's world. Like, for example, that European mountain-looking place with the goats in lederhosen. In the first ZOOTOPIA, we only saw the titular city and Bunnyburrow, some of the surrounding countryside too. The filmmakers also alluded to this a while back, but what else is out there? What's the planet Zootopia is set on? It's seemingly not an alternate Earth, because you'd hear mentions of like America and such. Or maybe it is Earth, but the animals just didn't name any of the continents what we did lol. It's clearly not the all-animals Earths of ROBIN HOOD (explicitly set in England) and KUNG FU PANDA (a fantasized China) and such.

Like really, I'm already in love with this series again. ZOOTOPIA is one of my favorite Disney animated movies of the 2010s and I really dug the animal world they created, and this looks like it'll be just as much of a blast, what with the original director Byron Howard back in the chair and Jared Bush graduating from co-director to main director. This trailer I think shows that they have confidence in it, that it'll be, IMO, a swing-back from WISH and MOANA 2. Two just very nothing kinda movies to me, I'd like to be thrilled by a Walt Disney Animation Studios film again.

Now, checking in on the other big Disney studio... Pixar... Conan O'Brien is now confirmed to be in TOY STORY 5.

Ya'know, that makes all the sense, really. Conan was hitting it big in the 1990s, when TOY STORY was on its way to completion, and he was involved heavily with the best seasons of THE SIMPSONS, he's a comedy legend, and TOY STORY has cast some comedians throughout its existence to great effect... So, yeah, I have little else to say there other than... it's perfect casting. He's apparently playing a character called Smarty Pants. That tells me that he's playing some kind of educational toy or game. Maybe Smarty Pants is one of the apps that Bonnie, now glued to a tablet, plays. I'd imagine the toys interact w/ the characters in the apps, they might come to life in a WRECK-IT RALPH sort of manner when a human isn't around. We'll have to see!

I find it interesting that there's been a steady stream of TOY STORY 5 news over the past few months... But nary a peep on the original Pixar movie that's opening before it... HOPPERS.

That movie is currently penciled in for March 6, 2026, and we learned a little while back that its crew were given notes from Disney overlords about its environmental themes. That they had to tone those down because of Disney's current push to be as respectful of our current president in every way, shape, and form. Given that the whole plot revolves around a land developer who threatens the beaver habitat that the protagonist is trying to protect, yeeeah, I'd imagine such notes have either caused massive story problems or completely flipped the movie upside-down. I wouldn't be surprised if... The movie gets delayed, so that they have time - much like what happened to ELIO - to sanitize it and rewrite it so that they don't have a movie that will be called... Dear lord, "WOKE!" "DEI!"

Or, maybe it's not that at all and I'm just being too skeptical. Maybe it's as simple as "TOY STORY 5 is a sequel, part of one of their largest franchises, so obviously Disney and Pixar are gonna be louder about that than this weird little beaver movie." I only get concerned, because some of the stuff I listen to and some of the word I've heard... I get the implication that the main focus is TOY STORY 5 right now. For example, the Fine Tooning podcast had often said in recent episodes, something to the beat of "Pixar did a screening of TOY STORY 5, that's coming along." Very little about HOPPERS, though. Maybe it's just an oversight on their respective parts. HOPPERS might possibly be something of a B-team production, while TOY STORY 5 is the A-film. Nothing wrong with that if that's the case, after all... TOY STORY 2 began life as a B-picture, and in Disney animation history, there's... Let's see... DUMBO, THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE, THE LION KING, etc. Sometimes the B movie is the more creative, scrappy sort-of movie next to the more prestigious picture.

If the landing is stuck, this will be the first time Pixar **successfully** gets two movies out in a calendar year, one in March and one in June. 2015 and 2017 were both double-headers, but at least one movie of the pack lost money or underperformed. INSIDE OUT and THE GOOD DINOSAUR shared 2015, the former was a beloved hit and the latter a divisive money-loser. 2017: COCO did great, CARS 3 kinda just puttered quietly and barely doubled its budget. They tried again for 2020. In 2020, COVID-19 got in the way, literally. ONWARD opened right before shutdowns, and SOUL went straight to Disney+ the following Christmas. TURNING RED was intended for theaters in March 2022, but got rerouted to Disney+, while June 2022's LIGHTYEAR went to theaters and bombed. 2024 was supposed to be ELIO in March, INSIDE OUT 2 in June, but ELIO got de-queered and delayed all the way to this coming June... Soooo... Yeah, maybe 2026 is when Pixar successfully gets a movie out in March and another movie in June.

But like, any updates, Pixar? Disney? It seems like HOPPERS is like the skeleton at the bottom of the pool here, lol.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Kidfluencers’ dreams of wealth clash with Brazil’s labor laws

The hum of midday traffic in Santa Rita do Sapucaí, Brazil, was a familiar soundtrack to Guilherme’s hustle. Fourteen, slight, and armed with a plastic box of colorful candies — Halls and Fini — he wove between cars stopped at a light near the city center. But it wasn’t so much the few reais from each sale that fueled his energy as the lens of a nearby iPhone capturing his every move.

The true reward for the day’s labor rested with his online audience. Guilherme’s accounts on Instagram, Kwai, and TikTok drew more than 2 million combined followers this February. His videos, carefully crafted by him and posted by his management team, held the potential for a staggering 6,000 Brazilian reais, or about $1,000 a month — a sum that dwarfs the average adult income in Brazil. This wasn’t merely about selling sweets; it was about building a brand, a future. 

“I want to be a big influencer, to be known globally,” Guilherme told Rest of World. 

Guilherme’s manager, Yuri Araújo, has even bigger dreams for the teenager. “This boy can be the new MrBeast from Brazil,” he told Rest of World. MrBeast, with about 592 million followers, is the world’s largest social media influencer.

Child social media influencers like Guilherme are growing globally, and 83% of Brazilians aged nine to 17 have social media and WhatsApp accounts. Many check them daily. There is also a growing number of “kidfluencers” in Brazil who promote online get-rich-quick schemes to other children. Some are paid by TikTok and the short-video app Kwai. Others receive free products and services, or do affiliate marketing and advertise to their followers. Rest of World found scores of teenagers on Instagram in Brazil advertising courses on how to become rich as an influencer. The courses were sold on the digital marketing platforms Cakto and Kirvano for commissions. Rest of World is not revealing the identity of any minors, and pseudonyms are used in this story to protect their privacy.

Such work under the age of 16 is considered unlawful child labor in Brazil, unless the creator receives authorization from a judge to perform “artistic labor” — an exemption that is reserved for child actors and similar artists, and could include influencers. “[The law] aims to protect children and teens, and ensure that they can enjoy each phase of their life at the right time,” Luísa Carvalho Rodrigues, coordinator of child and teen rights at the Public Labor Prosecutor’s Office, told Rest of World. “These kids’ [brains] are still developing.”

Continue reading.

[maishainfotech]

What is Software Development? A Complete Guide for Beginners and IT Aspirants

In today’s digital world, software development is the backbone of innovation. Whether it’s creating mobile apps, building websites, or automating business tasks—software powers everything. But what exactly is software development? Is it the same as IT? What are the steps and processes involved?

Let’s break it down and answer the most commonly searched questions.

💡 What is Meant by Software Development?

Software development refers to the process of designing, coding, testing, and maintaining applications, frameworks, or other software components.

✅ Popular Questions:

What do you mean by software development? → It's the structured process of creating computer programs and systems to meet specific needs.

What is the purpose of software development? → To solve problems, improve efficiency, enhance communication, and drive innovation.

What is an example of software development? → Creating a mobile app like WhatsApp, an e-commerce website like Amazon, or a CRM tool for businesses.

Who is called a software developer? → A professional who writes, tests, and maintains the code of applications.

What is software in short words? → Software is a set of instructions that tells a computer what to do.

👨‍💻 Is Software Developer an IT Job?

Yes, software development is a key part of the IT (Information Technology) industry. Developers use tech tools to build solutions for various sectors.

✅ Related Questions:

Is developer an IT job? → Absolutely, developers fall under the IT domain.

Is software development an IT course? → Yes, many universities and institutes offer IT courses with software development specializations.

What type of job is a software developer? → It’s a technical job involving coding, system design, and testing.

What is the difference between IT and software developer? → IT is a broad field including networking, support, and cybersecurity, while software development focuses specifically on building software.

Is software development part of IT? → Yes, it is a major branch within IT.

Is coding an IT job? → Yes, coding is one of the most in-demand IT skills today.

📈 What Are the 7 Steps of Software Development?

This refers to the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)—a structured approach to software creation.

✅ Key Stages:

Planning

Requirements Analysis

Design

Development (Coding)

Testing

Deployment

Maintenance

✅ Related Questions:

What are the 7 stages of software development process?

What are the 7 principles of software engineering?

What are the 7 stages of project implementation?

What are the 7 phases of SDLC diagram?

What are the 7 phases of STLC (Software Testing Life Cycle)?

How to use number 7 in software engineering?

These stages help ensure successful software delivery and are widely used in industries globally.

⚙️ What Are the 5 Processes in Software Development?

Some models simplify SDLC into five core processes:

Requirement Gathering

Design

Implementation

Testing

Maintenance

✅ Related Questions:

What are the 5 steps of the software development process?

What are the 5 SDLC processes?

What are the 5 S's of software development?

What are the 5 phases of app development process?

What are the 5 stages of development process?

What are the 5 principles of software development?

These phases are crucial for anyone building web, desktop, or mobile applications.

💬 Conclusion

Whether you're a beginner, student, or aspiring IT professional, understanding software development and its processes can help you succeed in the tech world. From learning the 7 steps of the SDLC to exploring IT job roles like software developers, there’s immense opportunity in this growing industry.

What is meant by software development?

7 steps of software development process

5 steps of software development

Is software developer an IT job?

SDLC and STLC phases

Coding vs IT

Software engineering principles

Software in short words

✅ FAQs

Q. Is software development a good career in 2025? Yes, it's one of the most in-demand and high-paying careers globally.

Q. Do I need to learn coding to become a software developer? Yes, languages like Python, Java, or JavaScript are essential.

Q. Can I study software development online? Absolutely! Platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and edX offer great courses.

Q. What tools do software developers use? Popular tools include Git, VS Code, JIRA, Figma, and SQL databases.

[vijay01]

The casino game development companies are masters of creating captivating video games and slots that provide a realistic online casino experience. They can provide users with an engaging experience by offering games with rich sound design and sharp images with the help of advanced tools and technologies. Technological development and unpredictable customer behavior are driving the industry’s ongoing evolution and businesses have to continuously look for new ideas to stay ahead of the competition. RG Infotech, Mobzway Technologies , Appinventiv, Chetu, Comfygen , Aryavrat , TechGropse Pvt. Ltd, Artoon Solutions, ISHIR , NineHertz .

[mariacallous]

A jury in December found that Google broke US antitrust laws through deals and billing rules that gave an unfair boost to its Google Play app store. On Thursday, a judge began laying out how Google could be forced to change its business as a penalty. The remedies under consideration could drive the most consequential shakeup ever to Google’s dominance over the Android universe.

Fortnite video game developer Epic Games, which beat Google in the trial that saw a jury declare the Play store an illegal monopoly, is demanding that federal judge James Donato ban Google from contracts that deter competition. Epic also wants Google to be forced to help competing stores list more apps, giving them a competitive boost. The changes could enable Epic to realize its long-held plan to increase revenue by processing in-game purchases in Fortnite and other titles without using Google’s payment system, and marketing games via its own app store.

Google contends that Epic’s demands would threaten its users’ security and impair the businesses of partners, including Android device makers and app developers. The search company is appealing the jury’s verdict, which could delay the rollout of any penalties for many years—or void them altogether. But Google over the past few years already has had to make some costly changes in Europe and Asia due to court losses and new laws affecting the Play store, and a trial with Epic is currently underway in Australia.

“I want to be clear: Google as an illegal monopolist will have to pay some penalties,” Donato told Epic and Google at a hearing in San Francisco on Thursday. He explained that Google’s loss requires him to pry open the company’s grip on the Android ecosystem in a way that ends Google’s illegal monopoly and also removes its ill-gotten gains from years of unfair dominance.

That would mean major changes for the industry that has built up around Google’s Android operating system—and potentially more choices for consumers. It could require Google investing cash into new projects to make things right, Donato said.

Donato expressed frustration with Google’s claims that any changes would be bad for consumers and other businesses. “To jump up and down and say the new way is going to be a world no one wants to live in, it’s unfounded,” he said. But he also spent hours in the hearing quizzing two economists, one appearing on behalf of each company, about how to craft penalties for Google without being unreasonable.

Among Epic’s requests is that Google be barred from striking deals that prevent or discourage companies from working with alternatives to its app store. In the past the company has required hardware companies that want to offer Google Play on their devices to agree not to work with or promote alternative app stores. That prevented most consumers from ever seeing other app stores, since most device makers want to offer Google’s app store, because it is the largest.

Rival app stores such as those from Amazon and Samsung also have struggled to persuade developers to list their apps outside of Google Play, because maintaining apps in multiple stores takes extra work. To even the playing field, Epic proposes that Google be required for six years to provide rival stores a way to list apps that are hosted on Google Play. That would allow people to browse alternative stores without feeling they are missing out on popular apps, giving the store a better chance of success in the long term.

“Rival app stores [would] have incentives to sign up developers so that they can get revenue streams and so that they're not dead in the water when this provision expires,” Douglas Bernheim, a Stanford University economist testifying on behalf of Epic, told Donato. “Google [would have] incentives to continue to sign up developers so that they're not at a disadvantage.”

Matthew Gentzkow, a Stanford economist on Google’s side, responded that developers could suffer harm if their apps appeared in alternative stores that have more relaxed content policies than Google’s, because in that case their apps could appear next to, say, pornography apps that Google bars. “It could undermine their brand and reputation with users,” Gentzkow said.

Donato also raised questions about how to ease Google’s requirement that apps in the Play store use Google’s billing system to process payments, one of the rules that triggered Epic’s lawsuit. And he expressed a desire to find a way to “reduce the friction,” as he called it, that users face when trying to download an app from an app store other than Play on Android devices. Google’s operating system has been found to interrupt the process with a series of warnings that bypassing Play could trigger security issues, potentially deterring people from following through with a download.

Donato is expected to hear final arguments from Google and Epic in August. He told attorneys that he would then officially issue penalties by the Labor Day holiday in September, but then corrected himself, saying they would come “promptly.”

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Timothy Pratt at The Guardian:

After seeing Elon Musk’s X post on Saturday afternoon about an email that would soon land in the inboxes of 2.3 million federal employees asking them to list five things they did the week before, a clandestine network of employees and contractors at dozens of federal agencies began talking on an encrypted app about how to respond. Employees on a four-day, 10-hours-a-day schedule wouldn’t even see the email until Tuesday – past the deadline for responding – some noted. There was also a bit of snark: “bonus points to anyone who responds that they spent their government subsidy on hookers and blow,” one worker said. Within hours, the network had agreed on a recommended response: break up the oath federal employees take when hired into five bullet points and send them back in an email: “1. I supported and defended the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” “2. I bore true faith and allegiance to the same,” and so on. It was only the latest effort by a growing and increasingly busy group banding together to “expose harmful policies, defend public institutions and equip citizens with tools to push back against authoritarianism”, according to Lynn Stahl, a contractor with Veterans Affairs and a member of the network. Increasingly, the group is also trying to help its members and others face the thousands of layoffs that have been imposed across the federal government.

Calling itself #AltGov, the network has developed a visible, public-facing presence in recent weeks through Bluesky accounts, most of which bear the names or initials of federal agencies, aimed at getting information out to the public – and correcting disinformation – about the chaos being unleashed by the Trump administration. With 40 accounts to date, their collective megaphone is getting louder, as most of the accounts have tens of thousands of followers, with “Alt CDC (they/them)” being the largest, at nearly 95,000 followers. The network has also formed a group and a series of sub-groups on Wire, the encrypted messaging app, to share information and develop strategies – as played out on Saturday. The #AltGov hashtag has roots in the first Trump administration, perhaps most famously through the “ALT National Park Service” account on what was then Twitter, according to Amanda Sturgill, journalism professor at Elon University, whose book We Are #AltGov: Social Media Resistance from the Inside documents the earlier phenomenon. (That account, with its 774,000 followers, has since moved to Bluesky. Its online presence is parallel to and separate from the #AltGov network.) The original #AltGov Twitter accounts were dedicated to “sharing information about what was happening inside government – which usually doesn’t get covered as much, because it usually works”, Sturgill said. Examples included the first Trump administration’s deletion of data and separation of families through immigration policies, she said. The people behind those accounts also banded together to “provide services the government wasn’t providing” – like helping coordinate hurricane relief and distributing masks during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Those efforts were often coordinated in Twitter group chats.

The Guardian has a report on the #AltGov network hosted on Bluesky and other social media outlets that are resisting the 2nd Trump Regime and DOGE.

[darkmaga-returns]

Anew AI juggernaut has roared onto the scene, poised to upend the global tech landscape — or so the Chinese Communist Party would like you to believe.

Stocks tanked, and so-called industry whisperers predicted a new world order coming in tech. Nvidia, one of the most important tech companies on the planet and a driving force in last year’s stock rally, suffered the largest market loss in history when it shed nearly $600 billion in market value in a single day.

All thanks to DeepSeek, a new AI technology company wholly owned by a Chinese hedge fund, which purports to have created an AI app to rival the popular ChatGPT for a fraction of the cost. Several outlets reported that Chinese AI tech has lagged behind American AI for the last few years, but DeepSeek’s advances have propelled the communist nation to the forefront of AI development.

Some of the claims made over the last couple of days about DeepSeek’s capabilities are nothing short of incredible. Tech entrepreneur Marc Andreessen praised DeepSeek’s “amazing and impressive breakthroughs.” Several experts touted claims that DeepSeek’s AI could operate far more efficiently than competitors like ChatGPT, needing a fraction of the computing power. Even Nvidia, trying to downplay its losses, called DeepSeek an “excellent AI advancement” when asked by CBS News.