Over the years, Rumen has been part of the national team of Bulgaria in informatics. He is seventh in the Hall of Fame of the IOI (International Olympiad in Informatics) – an outstanding achievement for the country. Rumen is a long-time participant in the international programming competition CodeIT, in 2012 he is a winner, and in the 2020/2021 season he gives a special lecture as an IT guru at the final of the competition.

Rumen Hristov was also elected in Forbes 30 Under 30 in the United States for his work on remote health monitoring.

Rumen tells DevStyleR more about the challenges he faces in the vast technological world. He also reveals what are the qualities needed for success not only in competitions and Olympiads, but also in life. He also shares with us his enjoyable experiences in one of the oldest competitions in the world – CodeIT and what it feels like to be part of the Forbes 30 under 30 in the US. You will read all this and many more interesting topics in our interview.

You are 7th in the Hall of Fame of the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI). What are the qualities that make up a successful IT competitor?

Competitions in Informatics were an extremely important part for me and opened many doors in my life. Thanks to them, I was able to meet different people, learn new things, visit many countries, and they were the main reason I was accepted into MIT.

Although in the last 7-8 years I have not participated in any competitions, I can still distinguish many of the qualities I have learned from them. They made me a better programmer, taught me to think creatively and quickly. The Olympiads in Informatics developed my competitive spirit and taught me to motivate myself to always look for improvement in me.

In 2012 you are the winner at CodeIT, and in 2020/2021 you are again part of the competition, this time as an IT guru. Tell us about your experiences as a competitor and then as a guru.

Being an IT guru was an amazing experience. I was always happy when I had the opportunity to go back and be able to help the competitors, because I too had received a lot of help when I was on the other side of things.

The President of Bulgaria attended the award ceremony, as in most years and this fact always distinguishes CodeIT.

What is your message to CodeIT competitors?

Continue to look for every challenge and participate in as many competitions as possible, especially in school years. Then, unfortunately the race time decreases, so you should take advantage as much as possible when it’s time for that.

You complete your bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Together with prof. Dina Katabi you’re working on building an IoT system for a wireless sensor device. What inspired you to start working on such a project?

My goal was to work on an innovative project that is practical to become a community product. Professor Katabi’s group is working on wireless technologies and when I first appeared in the lab, it was in the initial steps on the project that became our company: Emerald Innovations.

The road was very difficult, and we had to solve many technical problems, as well as find the right business plan. After a few years at the university, we made sure that there was a business interest in what we do and for 3-4 years we have been working fully on our company.

You are part of the Forbes 30 under 30 list in the US for your work on remote health monitoring. How does it feel to prove yourself and be recognized in one of the most developed technological countries and what is the formula of success?

The formula of success is always focused on difficult problems. I knew that Professor Katabi’s group was one of those who worked the most hours at MIT and often spent late nights in the laboratory. This is what motivated me to work on this project and subsequently had its advantages and brought several awards.

What advice would you give to those who are just entering the tech world?

The technological world is a special field. Things change often, and people must adapt quickly. Success is often associated with spending many hours in front of a screen, so it is advisable to combine it with frequent hours without screens.

More from CodeIT:
Dusko Obradovic: A united IT Community in the Balkans – a Mission for Life
The CodeIT 2024 Team for the Competition and the Journey into the World of Programming

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Today, we bring to you a list of top 5 books for QA engineers who are just entering this interesting yet difficult field of the tech world, accorting to Apiumhub.

Testing Computer Software
Authors. Nguyen, Jack Falk

This book is a true classic that is well suited for beginning QA engineers. The authors thoroughly cover a wide range of issues from the organization of the QA process to the actual testing of documentation, code, projects, and more. The book will provide you with the right tools to approach software testing, and also give you information that would be extremely useful.

In the pages of the book, you will find testing techniques used in agile development approaches.

Testing Computer Software
Author: Lee Copeland

Again the same title but different content. IT professionals identify this book as one of the best books for QA engineers that can be very useful for professionals at different levels. It only covers test design and does not address the issues of test planning and process organization. In it you can find both new methods and in-depth descriptions of already known ones. For example, “Testing Computer Software” describes seven “black box” and several “white box” testing approaches.

At the end of the book there is a section with conclusions and a list of other authors’ works on the subject that may also be useful.

How Google Tests Software
Authors: James Whittaker, Jason Arbon, Jeff Carollo

This book describes how the best QA professionals conduct their tests. The book provides an overview of Google’s approach to software testing, followed by chapters on the two roles of a test engineer at Google, namely the roles of software test engineer (SET) and test engineer (TE). Throughout the book there are sections and interviews with many other Google employees, with the final chapter devoted to some advice on testing at Google.

Lessons Learned in Software Testing
Authors: Cem Kaner, James Bach, Bret Pettichord

This book is a gem for QA engineers, offering a rich array of tips, hints, and techniques suitable for both novices and seasoned professionals in software testing. It delves into essential areas such as testing techniques, automated testing (with insightful discussions on its limitations), test documentation, and project management.

The book proceeds to enlighten readers on cultivating a tester’s mindset and provides intriguing cross-disciplinary references for improving testing practices. Further chapters discuss various testing techniques, bug identification and resolution, and the nuances of test automation.

Agile Testing: A Practical Guide for Testers and Agile Teams
Authors: Lisa Crispin and Janet Gregory

This book introduces the concept of Agile testing quadrants as a framework for determining testing needs, identifying suitable testers, and selecting appropriate tools. Here are some essential takeaways for QA engineers:

• How to get testers engaged in agile development
• Where testers and QA managers fit on an agile team
• What to look for when hiring an agile tester
• How to transition from a traditional cycle to agile development
• How to complete testing activities in short iterations
• How to use tests to successfully guide development
• How to overcome barriers to test automation

Shocking revelations from a few minutes ago rocked the media space. Online commerce company eBay will pay a $3 million fine over a Massachusetts couple’s 2019 corporate cyberstalking campaign, TechCrunch reports. The cyber operation was conducted by several company employees including executives.

The reason for the persecution of the couple was a published newsletter containing criticism of the e-commerce giant – eBay.

As part of the cyberstalking campaign, eBay employees sent the couple a mask depicting a bloody pig, a funeral wreath, live insects and a book of advice on how to survive the death of a spouse.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts revealed that the company committed six crimes. eBay has been charged with two counts of interstate stalking, two counts of stalking by electronic communication services, one count of witness tampering and one count of obstruction of justice.

“The company’s employees and contractors involved in this campaign put the victims through pure hell, in a petrifying campaign aimed at silencing their reporting and protecting the eBay brand. We left no stone unturned in our mission to hold accountable every individual who turned the victims’ world upside-down through a never-ending nightmare of menacing and criminal acts”, said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy in a press release.

eBay acknowledged that Jim Baugh, the former Senior Director of Safety and Security, along with six other members of the company’s security team, targeted a couple who had published a newsletter addressing eBay seller-related issues. Subsequently, Baugh and his colleagues initiated a harassment campaign with the aim of coercing the victims into altering the newsletter’s content.

This campaign included the employees visiting the couple’s residence and surreptitiously placing a GPS tracking device on their vehicle. Additionally, they created advertisements on Craigslist, inviting the public to engage in sexual encounters at the victims’ home. Furthermore, the employees utilized private Twitter messages and public tweets to criticize the content of the newsletter.

In September 2022, Baugh was sentenced to 57 months in prison, while the other six employees received varying punishments, ranging from two years in prison to home confinement.

“The company’s conduct in 2019 was wrong and reprehensible. From the moment eBay first learned of the 2019 events, eBay cooperated fully and extensively with law enforcement authorities. We continue to extend our deepest apologies to the Steiners for what they endured. Since these events occurred, new leaders have joined the company and eBay has strengthened its policies, procedures, controls and training”, said eBay CEO Jamie Iannone in the press release.

eBay said it accepts responsibility for the misconduct of the former employees.

Being a technology leader is not just a task you have to do. Being a leader is a calling and a mission that carries with it great responsibility. Technology leaders care about their employees because they know that they are the foundation of a successfully completed project or created product.

Today we’re sharing the top tips that will turn you into a better version of yourself and your team’s favorite #tech leader, presented by 101 Ways.

Focus on leadership, not just technology
Technology leaders often think they must have the best technology knowledge in the world. But not only is it impossible to stay on top of the details of every technology or software development trend, given the broader responsibilities you have as CTO, CIO, etc., it’s simply not your job. As a leader, you’re not there to write code, you’re there to look at the bigger picture and make sure your teams are focused on the right problems and have the resources they need to get the job done.

What you need to do
You don’t need to have all the answers or understand all the details. You need trusted advisors who understand those details. Your job is to put that advice into context and make decisions about what is important and what is not. Then focus on communicating those priorities across the organization and ensuring your teams have the support and resources they need.

Do not forget about the attitude to culture
A sense of community has a huge impact on employee productivity, performance and engagement.

Ultimately, culture is about connections and what those connections facilitate. Culture requires attention to nuance and intentional action of reaching out and intentional listening. The need for intentional culture is becoming more apparent in the context of productivity and remote working, as well as managing teams that are not always (or never) in the same room.

What you need to do
Get into the expectations you have set for the team and embody them. Let your employees know that anyone who wants to drop by for a chat can do so, and that they’ll find a good companion and advisor in you.

Nurturing respect through differences
One of the many reasons for the ongoing obsession with the details of the latest technology trends is the fear that the only way to earn the respect of employees is to be “the best.” While there may be a grain of truth to this, you’ll never know as much about the details of a topic as
someone who spends their day, every day in this world.

What you need to do
You need to earn respect by being an effective leader and providing your teams with the support and resources they need.

You also need to develop a sense of comfort from not knowing all the answers. If you exude confidence when asking questions, you can actually use these moments as opportunities to let someone on your team shine by offering a solution. The doubt you feel is most often just in your head.

Learning programming languages is known to foster logical thinking and problem-solving skills, it also gives children the opportunity to create and innovate. However, not all programming languages are suitable for children due to their complexity.

Today, we’re going to take a look at 5 programming languages that Analytics Insight believes are suitable for kids and that could make kids’ journey through the tech world interesting and very rewarding.

Programming Languages Kids Can Easily Learn

Scratch
Scratch is a visual programming language designed specifically for beginners, including children. Using a block-based interface, kids can drag and drop code blocks to create animations, games, and interactive stories. The colorful and intuitive environment makes learning fundamental programming concepts a fun and engaging experience.

Python
Python’s simple syntax and readability make it an excellent choice for kids to start their coding journey. With its English-like commands, children can quickly grasp the basics of programming logic. Python’s versatility allows them to create anything from simple games to web applications, fostering creativity and problem-solving skills.

Blockly
Blockly is another block-based programming language that provides a stepping stone for kids to transition from visual programming to text-based coding. With Blockly, children can manipulate blocks to create code in various languages like JavaScript, Python, and more, allowing for a seamless progression in their coding skills.

Scratch Jr
Designed for even younger children, Scratch Jr introduces programming concepts through a simplified interface. Kids can create interactive stories and games by snapping together graphical blocks. This language helps in developing logical thinking and sequencing skills at an early age.

Kodu
Kodu is a visual programming language developed by Microsoft for creating games. It provides a playful environment where kids can design their own 3D worlds, characters, and game mechanics. This hands-on approach enables children to explore game development while learning programming concepts.

Coming soon part 2 with the other programming languages that are very suitable for children to learn.

Fun Fact: Did you know that 3 out of 4 companies with women in leadership positions see a 5 to 20% increase in profits?

This is stated in the report from the International Labor Organization (ILO) titled: “Women in Business and Management: The business case for change.” The survey involved 13,000 companies in 70 countries around the world.

However, there is still the question “Are women neglected in leadership positions in most industries, including technology? And today we will introduce you to Top Reasons We Need More Women in Tech according to ReadWrite.

High level of commitment in leadership roles
Women have strong communication skills and are genuinely concerned about the people they work with. They are empathetic, have emotional intelligence and create motivated work groups. The tech industry needs leaders who can connect with their teams through multiple channels and foster strong relationships.

Studies show that employees prefer women as directors because of their high level of empathy.

The Power of Women as Tech Consumers
According to a report from the HBR, women now control an astounding $20 trillion in annual consumer spending. Additionally, women outnumber men on major social networking sites. That indicates their strong presence and influence in the digital realm.

However, it is noteworthy that men predominantly dominate the development and design of these products, according to Brave Achievers.

Closing the Wage Gap
Although there has been some progress in closing the gender pay gap globally, this remains a sensitive issue as women are paid less.

According to the World Economic Forum, it will take 118 years to close this gap. One of the factors contributing to this gap is the under-representation of women in the technology industry.

Increasing women’s representation in the tech industry not only promotes gender equality, but also catalyzes economic growth and prosperity.

Women Excel as Leaders More Than Men
According to a research report published by the Harvard Business Review, women have been proven to outshine men in inspiring and motivating others.

But why do women have this advantage to motivate and inspire others better than men? Women are able to connect with their team members on a deeper level, understand their aspirations and provide the support and guidance they need to thrive.

Women insist on building rapport with team members. This sense of belonging that they foster is very important in motivating people to reach their full potential.

Overcoming challenges and promoting women’s participation
One of the biggest challenges relates to the gender biases and stereotypes that persist in the industry. The truth is that women often face unconscious biases during hiring processes, career advancement opportunities and in the workplace.

Few women in technology feel like they are the only ones; therefore, in some cases, prejudice may happen due to the lack of more women around. This bias can limit their access to leadership positions and hinder their professional advancement.

Used by powerhouses like HOK and Gensler, AXYZ’s anima 5 software is one of the fastest ways to bring dynamic 3D/4D people into a visualization. Featuring over 2,500 scanned characters, anima helps designers add high-fidelity digital humans that walk, run, laugh and move to their scenes, giving projects a realistic quality that immerses viewers in a design. With onboard tools for tailoring loops and AI crowds, there’s no better way to bring believable movement into a visual project.

“AXYZ’s state-of-the-art assets give life to projects, so they actually connect with people. Anyone that’s been in architecture for a while knows how impactful digital humans are to the design and marketing process. 4D people is the next step in our journey”, said Christian Lang, Chaos CEO.

Increasing the breadth of digital people has been a top request from customers, particularly in architecture. With the acquisition of anima, Chaos can meet the needs of its customers while setting up new ways to make high-fidelity 3D/4D human character assets more accessible than they’ve ever been. Chaos is currently planning how to integrate the software with existing products like Chaos V-Ray and Chaos Corona, whose users already use anima on a daily basis.

“When it comes to visualization, the Chaos products are unmatched. By combining forces, we can move fast and create the type of products that make designers excited to go to work. The best is yet to come!”, says Diego Gadler, CEO and founder of AXYZ design.

As architects introduce new ways to explore sustainability, biophilic urbanism and more in their designs, giving stakeholders a sense of how different people might use these spaces will only become more important.

All this, combined with being in charge of everything and being the leader of a team of colourful people with different personalities becomes an extremely difficult task.

The stress of it all can lead to many negative consequences, such as reduced productivity, poor decision-making, poor work-life balance and even health problems. But there is always a solution. And today, we’ve chosen to introduce you to different ways tech leaders like to relax, according to Insight Global.

Top Ways Tech Leaders Take a Break

Prepare the day before
Before you leave the office for the day, take a few minutes to assess the day ahead. What are your top priorities? When are your meetings? Create a to-do list based on your schedule and projects. This will help release work stress from your brain because you know everything is written down and planned.

Morning routine
When you wake up, don’t immediately check your phone for anything. Social media can be a distraction, and then you end up rushing so you’re not late. Office emails can immediately raise your stress levels when you’ve barely woken up. None of this will help you start your morning off right. Your morning routine can include a short meditation, a quick workout, a healthy breakfast, or anything else that helps you start the day.

Don’t forget the short breaks during the day
It’s important to take breaks during the day, even if you only have a few minutes. This will help you refresh and recharge so you can keep working efficiently. Don’t underestimate the importance of taking a break. If you love your job, remember that to be productive you need to give yourself a minute to breathe every now and then.

Don’t forget to get moving
Don’t be stuck in one place for a long time. If you work from an office, short walks are a must. This will get your blood flowing and improve your mood.

Nature – how important it is
Try to take your breaks outside, whether it’s a quick walk or a casual lunch. The fresh air and sunshine can wake you up and get you unfocused, so you return to work more focused and relaxed. And on weekends, don’t miss out on recharging nature walks. Believe me, it’s the best anti-stress medicine.

More healthy food
A balanced lunch and small healthy snacks during the day can help you maintain your energy and mental focus. Keep snacks like nuts and fruit on your desk so it’s easy to choose healthy foods.

Water, Water, Water
Dehydration can lead to too much fatigue and irritability, so be sure to drink enough water throughout the day. Do you find it difficult to drink plain water? Try flavoring your water with fruit or herbs or drink seltzer water.

A Brief History of Two Terms

To understand the way we talk about a software engineer vs. developer today, it helps to look at the surprising historic differences between the two terms. Google’s Ngram viewer, which records how frequently given terms appeared in books published each year, shows that the term software engineer has been in use since the 1960s. It rose steadily in popularity until about the year 2000 when it declined somewhat.

In contrast, software developers came into use only around 1980, although its popularity surged quickly at that point. It reached a peak in the 1990s, then declined precipitously–more so than software engineers did–around the time that the dot-com bubble burst.

If you look closely enough, you’ll also see that software engineer is used about three times as frequently as a software developer in books published in the last few years today. This is far from perfect data, of course. It represents only appearances of the terms inside books indexed by Google, and it doesn’t account for contexts where authors might use the term developer on their own instead of a software developer.

Still, we can draw the high-level conclusion that the term software engineer is significantly older–and, on the whole, probably more popular–than a software developer. For what it’s worth, Google Trends–another highly imperfect but still useful measure of terms’ popularity–affirms the idea that software engineer is the more popular term. Here is the relative trendiness of the two terms from 2004 to the present:

​​Software Engineer vs. Developer Today

The data above align with anecdotal examples of the way that people discuss the differences between software engineering and software developer at present. In many cases, these discussions assign the greatest prestige and value to software engineers.

For instance, Codegiant writes that software engineers are the “real deal” and the “overseers,” responsible for integrating together the code written by software developers.

Software Engineer vs. Developer Salary

The fact that software engineers are paid more than software developers is another indicator of the widespread idea that software engineering is the most complex and valuable type of coding work. If you’re a coder, then, the takeaway here should be clear: You’re likely to earn more money and be given more interesting work if you present yourself as a software engineer rather than a software developer.

Becoming a Software Engineer vs. Developer

That lesson may seem simple enough. But things get complicated when you think about what it actually takes to become a software engineer, as opposed to a developer.

Preparation-wise, both terms or job titles would seem to be the same. Most colleges and universities that teach programming give their students degrees in “computer science” (which is another very messy term, but I digress). Graduates with such degrees can call themselves either software developers or software engineers, according to their wishes. In other words, it’s not as if you need a degree in software engineering specifically to be a software engineer.

Nor is there an obvious difference in the skills you actually need to be a software engineer vs. a developer. A programmer working under the aegis of either title will need deep familiarity with programming languages, application architectures, DevOps concepts and so on.

What this means is that, to a large extent, coders can call themselves whatever they want, regardless of their background or specific skills. So, if you want to be a software engineer because it may improve your career trajectory, start describing yourself as such.

And if you’re already in a software developer role but want to upgrade to being a software engineer, there’s nothing stopping you from doing that, either, apart from having to explain in a job interview how your experience as a developer prepares you to be an engineer. But that shouldn’t be too much of a challenge: If you focus on your experience with software architectures and bigger-picture programming tasks, you’ll sound like an engineer easily enough.

Software Engineer vs. Developer: A Difference That Matters Only If You Allow It to

In short, there is a clear difference in the popular mind between software development and software engineering. The latter is held in somewhat higher esteem. But the good news is that, when it comes to the actual skills and work associated with each role, there’s arguably not much of a meaningful difference. If you want to be a software engineer, go ahead and be a software engineer.

“Developing in Swift blends creativity and coding to problem-solve in a way no other language can, giving our students the fundamental skills to create the world’s next transformative apps, from ideation to design, development, and distribution through the App Store. Demand from students and industry continues to grow, proving the need for a larger pipeline of graduates qualified to maximize today’s job opportunities and keep Queensland and Australia at the forefront of creativity and innovation.”

Swift is faster, efficient, and powerful

While it is important to learn C, C++, and Java – the older programming languages – for various job roles, the app market continues to grow at an unprecedented pace which requires that students be taught skills that they can quickly implement in real life. The older programming languages are not going to turn extinct anytime soon but newer, more powerful, and more efficient languages are taking over to keep pushing technologies to new levels. Paul Dionysius, who teaches technical courses at Siena Catholic College, noted:

“Our decision to choose Swift was clear and based on the simplicity, versatility, and limitless creativity the language provides. Every day we’re seeing our students develop enterprising ideas and designing real-world solutions to problems, building the essential skills for success in the 21st century.”

He concluded that they have future blockbuster developers here today and that he is certain of that and incredibly proud.