What are the top 10 websites a web developer must see?

1. CSS Zen Garden (The Beauty of CSS Design) - The CSS Zen Garden opened my eyes to CSS and gave me a great understanding of the difference between presentation and structure. On the site, the HTML is the same across all pages...the only thing different is the CSS.
2. Sitepoint (SitePoint – Learn HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby & Responsive Design)  - I believe Sitepoint to be a great site to learn a number of web technologies. Most of the tutorials are bite-sized and great to digest and learn from.
3. A List Apart (For People Who Make Websites) - A List Apart is another site for the latest web technologies and providing value and assistance for web developers.
4. DZone (DZone: Programming & DevOps news, tutorials & tools) - I first chatted about this site back in 2006 on my site (dZone: Digg for developers) and I've been a dedicated reader ever since. I particularly like the web technologies, architecture, and mobile sections they recently added.
5. W3C (World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)) - I always like to see what's on the horizon for the web by examining the drafts and future RFP. I especially use the W3C Validator (Markup Validation Service) for checking my website.
6. GitHub (Build software better, together) - If you want to learn how to write web applications, there is a ton of code on GitHub to show you so many techniques in CSS, JavaScript, and other various server languages that it would take you months to cover everything on the site, but it's a great place to learn.
7. Smashing Magazine (Smashing Magazine – For Professional Web Designers and Developers) - Another great tutorial site that provide detailed tutorials and leave the reader to continue with their imagination. I have bought several of their books and they are definitely worth the money.
8. MSDN Magazine (https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us...) - Since I'm more Microsoft oriented, I visit the site every month to find the source code for the offline magazine articles as well as the online articles.
9. Code Project (For those who code) - The reason I like this site is because of the tutorials written by other developers. I've learned a lot from this site and used some code as a springboard to expand on their examples.
10. PluralSight (Unlimited, online training for IT, Developer and Creative pros) - For the formal training. I've always liked Pluralsight for learning new web technologies relatively quick.

Frequently asked tricky questions in job interviews

What is the wildest thing you have ever done in life?

The idea behind this question is to test your determination, passion and the ability to take risks. It also gives a person a peek into your personality. Rather than creating a fictional situation, be upfront in tackling this. For instance, if you like to explore the world, the wild thing could be taking off on a spontaneous backpacking trip on a shoestring budget.

How would you sell this pen/chair/vase?

An interviewer might pick up an object close at hand to see if a person can think on his/her feet. It's also used for people applying for a marketing or sales position. It can determine if a person can see a USP even in mundane, everyday objects and deliver a sales pitch in a convincing manner.

If someone were to fulfil three of your top wishes, what would you ask for?

Be careful not to come across as a myopic and self-centred person. Yes, a million dollar in your bank account might sound like a great concept in your head but if all your answers revolve around you living the quintessential good life, you run the risk of being regarded as selfish. So, a balanced stance always scores better. Find out the one cause that's close to your heart and meditate upon how you can make life worthwhile for people around - a wish that basically intends at creating larger good - and make it a point to talk about it without sounding pompous. The answer will also give the interviewer a chance to see if there's an overlap between the company's philosophy and that of the candidate's.

What are some of your biggest weaknesses?

This can throw you off guard because it's natural to want to highlight only your strengths in an interview. When faced with this, a modest and honest appraisal of your shortcomings always helps. Try and find a way to project your strength into a weakness - give them a positive spin. For instance, if you take pride in being a good leader, with great communication skills, your weakness could be calling a spade a spade. You can admit that you find it difficult to mince your words when consulted for a feedback.

What will you bring to the table if we hire you?

Remember, this is not an opportunity to boast. The interviewer is looking at understanding your individual merits and how effectively you understand the job responsibilities. The panel is also looking to gauge how well you can match your skill sets to the job profile. So, systematically dwell on your positives and explain how you can add value to the organisation. Describe the colour red to a blind person.

Meant to test your creativity, this question is more common than you think. You can use an embossed font that you think best brings out the feeling that red as a colour conveys. You can say that its energy lends it to a wide range of interpretations where it stands for love as well as signifying danger.

What would you do if you were the last survivor of a plane crash?

Rummaging through the luggage to find survival supplies, finding help, taking a moment to count your blessings, finding human habitation close by, checking if there are Wi-Fi signals on the phone… the replies can wary from practical to witty to outright quirky.

Give us an example of how you tackled a crisis situation. Unexpected setbacks are likely in every business enterprise. So, being able to fire-fight effectively and deal with a crisis without passing the buck is obviously a winning quality.

So, demonstrate by example. Times when you met an unrealistic deadline, led a team through a difficult phase, took a difficult step, decided to take a call on something unethical, all qualify as crunch situations that require great troubleshooting skills. Be armed with concrete examples from your college/previous workplace.

Why did you decide to quit your last job?

A strict no-no here is badmouthing your previous employers or saying that you didn't get along with your previous boss/manager. Saying that you were looking for more exposure or that you were dismayed by the lack of growth opportunities at the old office, however, are acceptable reasons.

If given an option, would you retire now?

The worst thing to say to this would be: Yes, if I had enough money. The question is particularly targeted at understanding your opinions about life, money, ambition and ultimate life goals. By taking the other extreme and saying that money isn't the motivator at all, you might end up getting yourself a raw deal. Worse still, it might raise suspicion on your sense of achievement and ambition.

So, the best way to dodge this will be to say that you've picked up a line of work you're passionate about and would want to keep making a contribution, in whatever way possible, till you can in life. Say that money is important to you but it is by no means the only motivator.

5G is the next step for mobile carriers and tech companies around the world

The work is being done at the University of Surrey, where a leafy campus is dotted with rundown Brutalist-style buildings. Here, researchers and some of the world's biggest tech companies, including Samsung and Fujitsu, are collaborating to offer mobile Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than anything now available.

Their work on so-called fifth-generation, or 5G, wireless technology is set to be completed in early 2018 and would, for example, let students download entire movies to smartphones or tablets in less than five seconds, compared with as much as eight minutes with current fourth-generation, or 4G, technology. Companies also could connect millions of devices — including smartwatches and tiny sensors on home appliances — to the new cellphone network, and automakers could potentially test driverless cars around the suburban campus.

"A lot of the technology already works in a laboratory environment," said Rahim Tafazolli, director of the university's research center that oversees the 5G project, which includes almost 70 powerful radio antennas around the two-square-mile campus. "Now, we have to prove it works in real life."

The work by Dr Tafazolli and his team puts them at the heart of a heated race. Fueled by people's insatiable appetite for accessing videos, social media and other entertainment on their mobile devices, many of the world's largest carriers, like AT&T and NTT DoCoMo of Japan, are rushing to be the first to offer customers this next-generation ultrafast wireless technology.

The competition has led to research worth billions of dollars from telecommunications equipment makers like Ericsson of Sweden and Huawei of China, which are hoping to secure lucrative contracts to upgrade the mobile internet infrastructure of operators like AT&T from the United States and China Mobile in Asia. Those plans have become even faster paced as tech giants including Google consider their own ambitions for the latest, and fastest, high-speed Internet.

"Everyone is rushing to demonstrate they are a leading player for 5G," said Bengt Nordstrom, co-founder of Northstream, a telecom consulting firm, in Stockholm.

The efforts around 5G will be on display at Mobile World Congress, a four-day tech and telecom event in Barcelona that begins on Monday. Most of the world's largest operators and device makers like Samsung are expected to announce their latest wireless technology, including smartphones, wearable products and digital applications at the trade show.

Not to be outdone, telecom manufacturers also have announced glitzy demonstrations — including driverless cars, remote-controlled drones and autonomous robots balancing balls on tablets — to showcase their 5G credibility. The need to persuade carriers to buy the latest wireless technology has become ever more important as operators consider cutting investment plans in the face of a global economic downturn.

"If we miss the chance to make our networks relevant, it will be a disaster," said Ulf Ewaldsson, Ericsson's chief technology officer. "The billion-dollar question is what will a 5G network look like?"

Despite companies' efforts to outspend each other, that question remains unanswered.

A global standard for 5G wireless technology will not be finished before 2019, at the earliest. Companies worldwide must agree on how their networks talk to each other, so users' mobile connections do not become patchy when traveling overseas. That involves lengthy negotiations over what type of radio waves the new technology should use, among other complicated global agreements, which can take years.

As a result, carriers, telecom equipment makers and tech companies are lobbying global-standard bodies and national lawmakers to promote their own technologies over rivals', according to industry executives and telecom analysts. Because of this jockeying, a widespread rollout of 5G networks is not expected until well into the next decade.

Some analysts question why carriers are focusing on the next generation of wireless technology when many parts of the world, particularly in emerging markets, still suffer from achingly slow mobile internet access. And industry experts say mobile internet speeds in much of the developed world, especially in places like South Korea, where connections are often comparable to traditional broadband, already meet people's needs.

"A lot of this is about carriers and equipment makers looking for new ways to make money," said Thomas Husson, an analyst at Forrester Research in Paris. "Consumers shouldn't expect great things until after 2020."

These challenges have not stopped companies from staking a claim in hopes of being at the forefront of 5G.

That is particularly true ahead of major global sporting events like the Olympics and the World Cup, at which carriers and national governments want to promote their technological know-how. At the 2018 World Cup, which will be held in Russia, for instance, the local operators MegaFon and MTS are expected to test 5G-style services, including ultrafast mobile Internet, even without global standards in place.

The Korean mobile operator KT also plans to offer its own version of 5G technology at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and NTT DoCoMo has said it will have similar trials ready for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

"The only way of learning is by doing," said Mats Svardh, head of networks at the Scandinavian carrier TeliaSonera, which will test its own 5G technology in both Stockholm and Tallinn, Estonia, in 2018. "It's about putting pressure on ourselves to move forward with specifics, not just theories."

United States carriers have also jumped on the 5G bandwagon, partly to offer people new services as current mobile speeds have become relatively interchangeable between major operators nationwide.

Last year, Verizon Wireless announced that it would start testing new wireless technology in 2016 in order to offer new services, including potentially ultrafast mobile internet, sometime next year. Last month, AT&T countered with its own tests — expected to start in Austin, Tex., by the end of 2016 — that could offer mobile speeds roughly 100 times faster than its current offering."We will be ready when it's ready," said John Donovan, AT&T's chief strategy officer, who added that traditional rivals like Verizon and new arrivals like Google could eventually compete to offer 5G services. "Everywhere you don't solve a problem, someone else might step in."

For Dr Tafazolli, of the University of Surrey, whose team started working on 5G in late 2011, these battles have led to an increasing number of companies offering support — including the use of high-speed computer servers, costly radio antennas and millions of dollars of financing to research and build the next-generation wireless network on his college campus, he said. Their primary goal: to test their latest technology in a real-world setting.

Plan to Getting a Promotion Without Having to Ask for It

1. Consistently Do “Above and Beyond” Work

Exceeding expectations is only the start: You should also look for ways to add value through projects and tasks that are beyond your role. Find things that need doing that no one has had time for.

True story: Nels was a regional sales rep who regularly met his quotas and completed all the necessary reports. His group’s customer database was out of date and needed to be upgraded and scrubbed of old, bad data. The administrator was bogged down in a systems upgrade issue, so Nels asked if he could start work on making the upgrades and updates. Before anyone knew it, the job was done. Nels graciously shared the credit with the database admin and went on about his regular business.

Six months later, in a move that seemed pretty much out of the blue to him, Nels was promoted. But it wasn’t out of the blue; his manager had noticed several situations like the one above where Nels showed initiative to do extra work and share the credit with others. That’s the kind of employee managers look to promote.

2. Be Hungry for Growth, Not Status

Your boss will be far more impressed with your ability and desire to learn than he will with ego and ambition to improve your rank or status. Your hunger should be for the acquisition of skills and knowledge, not about a new office or a better title. That’s not to say you wouldn’t enjoy those things—after all, you’re human—but they shouldn’t be your primary motivation.

Resist the urge to talk about what you know or brag about how easy everything is for you. Instead, share what you’re learning, and be vulnerable and honest about it. If you’ve suddenly discovered a new way to do a task or job better, don’t say “I feel like I have my area wired”, say, “Just when I thought I had my area wired, I learned a whole new way to approach [a task] that I can now apply to how I do a lot of things. What a great lesson!”

This sounds like an employee who is ready for a promotion—because she’ll keep looking for opportunities to grow and thrive.

3. Work on Continuous (Self) Improvement

Think of it this way: You are your career’s biggest project. Get used to that idea.

As you reach new levels of mastery, take the time to pat yourself on the back. Then, roll up your sleeves and challenge yourself to do what you just did—even better.

Here’s the thing about continuous self-improvement: Most people tend to go for what they know they can accomplish, not what most needs improvement. Try to have the courage to see yourself objectively and work on those things that most interfere with your own success.

Unsure where to start? Ask your boss what you could be doing better, then work consistently to make those improvements. It’ll help you address any weaknesses that could serve as obstacles to a promotion.

4. Look for Long-Term Projects

Tasks that take longer to accomplish are, by nature, more complex. The further up the hierarchy you go, the more intricate your job will become.

Managing complexity is different than just being smart; it’s about overseeing multiple tasks with variable goals and execution strategies. Learn to handle multi-layered projects by picking tasks that are progressively more complex.

Just remember you want to stretch yourself—not drown. So, if you are used to managing tasks that can normally be completed in a month or two, don’t sign up for a project that’ll take a year to complete. Look for a six-month one first.

When you show you’re adept at handling a more advanced project, you’re demonstrating that you could work at the next level.

5. Work on Your Collaboration Skills

Mid and high-level jobs usually mean working in group environments that depend less on being told what to do, and more on being able to make things happen without using your rank to achieve results. In every great team, there is at least one person who makes things click because he or she has the collaboration superpowers of listening, compromising, and mediating. Be that person.

So, practice your teamwork skills any chance you get. Contrary to popular belief, leading every group effort won’t show your boss you’re the best person to promote. To really impress your boss, show that you’re a true team player—one who can add value through supporting your colleagues as well.

It isn’t your boss’ responsibility to help you find your dream job—that’s up to you. But when any quality manager sees these attributes in an employee, he’ll want to find new ways to help that person grow (and that often means a promotion). Yes, you may end up needing to have a direct, and potentially uncomfortable, discussion with him about why you’re ready for a higher level position, but try these steps first and see what happens.

Best Websites for Freelance Work

1. Peopleperhour

If you are a writer, web developer, designer or SEO specialist, Peopleperhour is the place to be.

At Peopleperhour, projects are posted 24 hours a day. Make it a point to look out for brand-new jobs every time you sign in as you are more likely to be noticed if you just happen to be one of the first people to make a job proposal.

2. Upwork

Given Upwork's impressive clientele consisting of 1.5 million clients, you can be rest assured that freelancers of various types will get work. There are jobs for both beginners and experts, and projects can range from being as short as an hour long or last for much longer. One of the main benefits of Upwork is that you can find long-term job contracts, some lasting over 6 months.

3. Craigslist

There are many who perceive Craiglist as a platform for buying and selling things, but it is also an excellent job site for freelancers. You can either search for local jobs in your area by searching local offerings, or you can find remote work by searching through major cities.

4. Toptal

Toptal here is slightly different than its counterparts in this list as it is only aimed at experts and pros. A candidate has to pass their thorough screening process in order to get work at Toptal. If selected, you will have access to important projects for big clients, such as Airbnb, with reasonable compensation. You will also be able to attend Toptal meet-ups and events.

5. Demand Media

This one's for the freelancers on the creative side such as writers, film makers and photographers. Demand Media offers reasonably paid work with the chance to promote your talents, and it also has a blog with helpful tips and advice on how to improve your marketing skills.

6. 99designs

99designs provides freelance designers the chance to hold design contests to hire designers. The process means that designers get feedback from possible clients, helping them to improve their talents. It also helps the designers connect with small businesses, helping the designers to build up reputable portfolio.

7. College Recruiter

College Recruiter is the perfect job site for the recent graduates and students. The site offers jobs to only students and graduates right from entry level jobs to internships. They offer work in accounting, marketing, business, education, computer science and more.

8. Freelancer

Freelancer is a competitive job platform, so it is ideal for confident and qualified freelancers. For each project, the hopeful freelancers will compete with each other in order to prove their skills. Despite the tough process, the jobs are well worth the competition.

9. Freelance Writing Gigs

Freelance Writing Gigs is ideal for writers, editors, publishers and bloggers. The site, along with offering paid writing work also runs a blog with tips on writing, blogging and business. It also has posts to help freelancers apply for work, which is useful for people who are just starting out as a freelancer.

Best Words to Use in Your Resume

What are the best words to use in your resume? 

We all know how hard it is to make your resume attractive in the eyes of potential employers. However, often times it is not our experience or lack thereof, our studies, or our extracurricular activities that don’t draw the attention, but rather our poor choice of words.

Following, we would like to present you with a list we have compiled of the top 15best words in your resume, according to a survey released by CareerBuilder. In their survey, CareerBuilder asked recruiters and employers to come up with a list of words that make a candidate’s resume more likely to get noticed. Based on the reviews received, CareerBuilder was able to compile a countdown of the words most likely to make you stand out. If you’re looking to make your resume more appealing, this is the list for you.

We are sure that this list of top 15 best words to use in your resume will raise your chances of acquiring the job you’ve wanted. Hence, you should be prepared for the new working environment, and that’s why we have also prepared a very useful article for you – 10 ways to display professionalism in the workplace and gain the respect of your colleagues. But, before you go to check what to do in the workplace, take a look at the list below that is going to help you get there in the first place. Let’s take a look at the most powerful words that should be in your CV!

15. Won

Business like life is all about winning one battle at a time, closing one deal and waiting for another. Like in life, no one likes to have losers in the workplace.

14. Under budget

Ultimately, any business is about money. Everyone wishes to have an employee who knows how to make all work done with limited resources. But, having an employee who is actually able to save some bucks, is even better!

13. Revenue/Profits

Employers are looking for someone to invest in and will always choose a person that is likely to prove themselves as a valuable asset. Including words such as “profits”, or “revenue” will show that you have some experience working with and managing company assets in a productive way.

12. Launched

Launching new projects and campaigns is always needed to help any business progress, that’s why “launched” is a word that will make your resume stand out.

11. Negotiated

Businesses revolve around successful deals and skilled negotiations. Using such words in your resume will show your potential employer that you have successfully handled your job responsibilities in the past and that you are likely to do the same for your future company.

10.  Ideas

One of the most important things in any business is coming up with new and fresh ideas. That keeps the business going, and make your company stand out from the competition.

9. Increased/Decreased:

Increased revenue by 20 % in the period of 5 years – sounds good, right? Be sure, that is something every employer would like to see in your resume!

8. Influenced

If you previous work didn’t influence anyone, then what are you talking about? What do you actually have to offer? If you are good enough, then your previous working experience must have made some positive changes, and inspirations.

7. Volunteered

Mentioning your volunteering endeavors is a great way to attract the interest of recruiters. Volunteering activities show that you’re not only focused on the money and that you are able and willing to give something back to the community.

6. Resolved

No one wants to hire someone who doesn’t know what to do when difficulties arrive, and who runs to his boss’ office all the time. Resolving problems by yourself is very important ability, that will boost your CV.

5. Created

Employers are looking for a candidate who is able to take the bull by the horns and actually offer something of value. Words such as “created” or “resolved” will prove that you have what it takes to be a valuable player within a company.

4. Managed

Completing projects, reaching goals, and managing to achieve something that was initially planned – who can say no to this?

3. Trained/Mentored

If you have had any experience training others, you should definitely include this in your resume. Words such as “mentored” and “trained” show recruiters that you’re so good at what you do that you have actually been able to teach your expertise to others.

2. Improved

Seeing “improved” in you resume, whether in the context of “improving something in your former company” or “improving your own skills” is very good.

Employers like people who take the initiative to make something better, to boost their business offers, and also people who are constantly trying to improve their own abilities and are aware of their weaknesses. Be aware of the fact that there is always some space for improvement, no matter how skillful you are. No one wants to hire a person who thinks he is “the best” and “know-it-all”, or the person who doesn’t know how to take the initiative to advance something in the firm.

1. Achieved

Recruiters are looking for people who not only have potential, but who have already proven their worth some way or another. Including words such as “achieved” or “improved” will show your potential employers that you’ve actually managed to make important strides in your professional life and that you’re not some rough diamond waiting to be polished. As poetic as this may sound, employers also prefer working with someone who already has the right experience and training, as opposed to having to build an employee up from scratch.

tips to keep Facebook secure and private

Secure your account

You've doubtless heard you should have a strong password. It's especially important for email and social-networking accounts because so much of your digital life revolves around them. Plus, many other services let you log on using your Facebook account, so if that gets compromised, so will your other accounts.

Because passwords are tough to manage, it's best not to rely solely on them. Turn on what Facebook calls Login Approvals. It's in the account settings under "Security." After you do so, you're asked for confirmation -- a special number sent to your phone -- when signing on from a new device. Unless you switch devices often, this is something you set up once and forget about.

Review your privacy settings

Facebook offers a series of quick privacy "shortcuts." On desktops and laptops, look for the small padlock on the upper right corner. On Apple and Android devices, access shortcuts through the menu — the three horizontal bars.

The key shortcut is "Who can see my stuff?" See whether you've been inadvertently broadcasting your musings to all of Facebook. You'll probably want to at least limit sharing to "Friends" rather than "Public," though you can customise that further to exclude certain individuals or groups -- such as coworkers, or grandparents. When sharing, less is more.

While you're at it, check "Timeline and Tagging" in your account settings. You can insist on approving posts that people tag you in. Note that this is limited to what appears on your personal timeline; if Mary tags you in a post, Mary's friends will still see it regardless of your settings.

If you're on a desktop or laptop, Facebook has a Privacy Checkup tool to review your settings. Look for that padlock. This tool is coming soon to mobile.

Unfriend away

Purge friends you're no longer in touch with. If you think "unfriending" is too mean, add them to an "Acquaintances" or "Restricted" list. "Acquaintances" means they won't show up in your news feed often, though they'll still have full access to any posts you distribute to your friends. "Restricted" means they'll only see posts you mark as public. Either is effectively a way to unfriend someone without dropping any clues you've done so.

You can also create custom lists, such as "college friends" or "family." This is great for oversharing with those who'll appreciate it, while not annoying everyone else and putting yourself in danger of becoming an "acquaintance" yourself. You can create lists on a traditional PC by hitting "More" next to "Friends" to the left of your feed. Individuals can be in multiple groups. Capabilities are limited on mobile, although changes you make on the PC will appear on your phone or tablet.

Watch those apps

Perhaps someone invited you to play a game a few years ago. You tried it and moved on, yet the app is still getting access to your data. Or perhaps you've used Facebook to log onto a service you no longer use.

The Privacy Checkup tool on PCs will review apps for you automatically. On mobile devices, look for "Apps" in the account settings (not "Apps" in the main menu).

A related option is the Security Checkup tool. It's an easy way to log out of Facebook on devices you rarely use. You can also enable alerts when someone tries to sign on from a new device or browser. To run this, go to http://facebook.com/securitycheckup on a PC. On the Android app, search for "security checkup" in the Help Centre. On iOS, you'll have to find the options individually in the account settings under "Security."

Control your data

You can exert some influence over whose posts you see more or less often by going to "News Feeds Preferences." The setting is on the top right on browsers and Android apps and on the lower right on iPhones. Here, you can select friends who'll always show up on top, or hide someone's posts completely.

If you're worried about data usage, you can stop videos from playing automatically. On Android, go to "Autoplay" in the "App Settings." On iPhone, it's in the account settings under "Videos and Photos."

Plan ahead

Two settings might eliminate grief later in life...or death. In the security settings, you can designate certain friends as trusted contacts. They'll have power to help you if you get locked out of your account. You can also designate a "Legacy Contact" — a family member or close friend who'd serve as your administrator should you, um, make your last status update (as in, ever).

They won't be able to post on your behalf or see your messages, but they'll be able to respond to new friend requests and take a few additional actions on your deceased behalf.

Most Popular Programming Contest Sites for Coding Practice

Most Popular Programming Contest Sites for Coding Practices

Topcoder

You get to earn real money, and it's supported by a community of nearly a million coders, so I'm pretty sure there is a lot of challenging stuff to encounter. I'm saying that because I believe that some beginner programming enthusiasts might find [topcoder] to be rather difficult.

It's possible to participate in both daily, and weekly coding challenges; both are extremely difficult, and require great thinking skills to complete. It's worth it though, as it all adds up to your resume at the end of the day.

Hacker Earth

HackerEarth provides a SaaS application to do an automated assessment of technical and logical skills of candidates. It also helps companies to source smart talent by serving as a developer aggregation and selection platform.

They've got frequent challenges being added, and you can sign up weeks before; both to prepare and know beforehand when you've got to participate. Like TopCoder, this is a high quality website, and offers thoughtful challenges that will prove to be of use later in your career.

CodeMonk

The latest feature of HackerEarth is a challenge series dubbed CodeMonk with CodeMonk challenges you can immerse yourself in the world of code from all of its aspects, repeat challenges to really make the particular problem sets sink into your brain. The challenges will be focused on programming problems.

And if you're feeling even more adventurous and have stepped beyond the boundaries of learning to complete challenges, perhaps you want to take advantage of HackerEarth's Sprint service which offers you to create your very own hackathon.

Coder Byte

Coderbyte is a Kickstarter funded project (although, it existed before the campaign itself), and is aimed at complete beginners and intermediate programmers alike.

It was launched in 2012, by Daniel Borowski, and has since grown into a self-maintained community of programmers who like to tackle programming problems in their spare time.

You can also ask questions if there is something you don't understand, and the community is fairly active; so it is more than likely that you'll get an answer. Plenty of people love Coderbyte, and I've seen only positive reviews for it.

Project Euler

Project Euler is probably the most popular coding challenge website in the world, and has been the home of some several hundred thousand users, since the initial launch, over a decade ago. You get one extra challenge added per week, but I'm quite sure it's going to take some time before you tack the 450+ problems that there are to solve already.

They've been built to not be very hard, rather; involve critical thinking and problem solving, in order to help you grow and learn more about the language you're using. It's all about working your way up, making sure you thoroughly understand what you're doing.

You can learn more about Project Euler on: Wikipedia, Reddit, Stack Overflow and Google Code.

I think there's even an Android application for it, see it for yourself.

Daily Programmer

We are going to wrap this up with one of my personal favorites: Reddit's Daily Programmer. It's a wonderful discussion board to be a part of, if you want to learn more about programming and problem solving. I think as it stands right now, you get three unique problems to solve per week.

Not to mention, several hundred to work with already. Every submission you create in the comments is reviewed by the community members, so you get a mix of opinions and answers to your approach.

Highly recommended.

Codility

You get several pre-customized and pre-thought challenges that you can submit in many programming languages. They're all sorted by their appropriate difficulty, and there is like 40-50 challenges to go through.

Each has a detailed explanation on what the end program should do, and as far as I could tell  you're also given a time limit on each, so there is no slacking!

SPOJ

Sphere Online Judge (SPOJ) is a treasure-trove of thousands of coding challenges which will keep you busy for weeks. The challenges at SPOJ range from simple coding problems to hard algorithmic challenges that require some serious problem-solving skills, like finding the best heuristics for NP-hard problems. SPOJ lets you code in almost every programming language you can imagine and provides you with feedback on your solution, which may for some challenges contain additional hints. This site is very famous for online coding challenges.

There is also an amazing community (+300k users) behind SPOJ, with many active members willing to help out on the community forums. SPOJ allows users to add their own challenges, organize programming contests, and compete for the highest ranks. It is used by both novice and confirmed programmers. For many, it serves as a training platform before large programming contests. It has been created out of pure passion for programming by theoretical computer scientists and is quite laid-back, which you can easily tell from the motto of the site: Where Hackers eat Crackers.

Code Chef

CodeChef was created by Directi as a way to challenge and engage the developer community and provide a platform for practice, competition and improvement. It's powered by a large set of problems to work with, and you can also gain access to the source codes that others used to solve the given coding challenges. In this site you can see programming contest every week.

It's split in several difficulty categories, and the website itself has a reasonable size community. Looks like a really great challenge site.

Code Eval

You can join CodeEval as a developer who wants to show his programming skills to employers and other developers. You get to participate and join competitions for several different areas, but mostly for building a product / app  and in return get money prizes. Also, you get access to programming challenges, which can be solved and added to your resume to further make a good first impression to your potential employers.

It's focused on helping developers to advertise themselves as experienced within their field of work, and seems to be doing that job great.

Hacker Rank

The thing I instantly liked about HackerRank was their section for challenges that are related to artificial intelligence, which is kind of cool and gives advanced programmers something to play around with. It also contains web coding. It's backed by companies like Y Combinator, SVAngel and many more. Definitely a nice bunch of hackers working on this.

Code Wars

Codewars has a pretty nice approach to coding challenges and take their craft quite seriously, I was trying to find the right words to describe it, but here is a ten minute introductory video of what Codewars has to offer.

Rosalind

It's a little bit more specific approach, but nonetheless a great way to tackle and learn about programming problems. Rosalind offers some challenges towards bioinformatics, which you can solve at your own pace.

Fight Code

You get to program your own robots, and then use them to fight against other community members. It's the code-and-play type of platform, but still useful for those who're new to such approach, or perhaps just want to have some fun. Try the docs to get a better sense of it.

Code Forces

In the initial revision of this post back in 2014, this particular website was somehow left out, but thanks to the nice community members in comments, we've now got an additional, and great, programming challenge site to add to our list. Codeforces is all about daily/weekly challenges. You can host your own groups, attend code gym, and see who the top coders on the site are, there are also frequent coding cups hosted that can help you to get noticed by the right people.

Exercism

This was also suggested by someone in the comments, it's a coding challenge platform built by Katrina Owen. The Exercism platform is all about crowdsourced problem solving. By becoming a member, not only do you get to improve your thinking/computing/coding skills, you also get to interact with other people who can share insightful answers and resolutions to your coding problems. A really nice approach indeed.

Kaggle

It seems that Kaggle is built more for the professional/competitive minded people, since the competitions page seems to clearly indicate that Kaggle is all about paid competitions, but even then if you're serious about coding and problem solving, there are some serious paychecks to be earned, of that there is no doubt. You can also find jobs board available, as well as programming tutorials to keep you fresh and focused.

Codin Game

>At CodinGame, we believe that everyone should be able to discover the pleasure of coding. We are programmers at heart, and we know that code is a powerful tool to innovate and create. It's a matter of passion, but above all, it's fun. So we've imagined a platform which merges programming and video games. Our goal is to help developers from around the world, whatever their qualifications or professional experience, to learn, improve their coding skills and find their dream job, while playing.

The above quote was taken from their official About page, in short it kind of is exactly what the about says, it's a coding game that is focused on the gaming aspects of entertainment, and since all of us have our brains wired in different ways, some people might find this particular site more appealing.

Top Killer interview Questions

1. Tell us a little about yourself.

This is often used to kick off an interview. It gives the interviewer a chance to see how you handle an open-ended question before they move on to the core job questions. It also quickly shows how prepared (or un-prepared!) you are. It is also a great question to trap a poor interviewee right at the beginning of an interview. This is not an opportunity to tell your life story!

Be succinct and focus on the core strengths that you emphasised in your resume. Don’t get into personal detail. Use natural language to describe what you do, what you are good at and what you have achieved. Keep your answer short, natural and job-relevant.

2. What is your greatest weakness?

This is a really common question but one you still need to think about very carefully. Think about why are they asking it.

Saying  “I work too hard” or “I’m a perfectionist” doesn’t cut it as these are the stock ‘weakness as strength’ answers that everyone gives.

Pick something that is truly a weakness and talk about how you work around it.  Preferably a weakness based on knowledge or experience (i.e. something that can be overcome).

One example could be: “I am not as experienced as some in interviews and meetings:  to overcome this I tend to put is a lot of preparation. For example, before coming here I spent some time researching your company website and LinkedIn profiles. I feel that I know what your company stands for and that what I have to offer can really meet your needs”

The key is to avoid the stock ‘weakness as a strength’ answers (which they have heard a thousand times) and instead be honest about a weakness but add how you work around it to achieve results.

3. How would a friend describe you?

This is a sneakier way of asking how you would describe yourself and is actually more searching, as your answer will reflect how you think you are seen in the world. Whatever you answer, make sure it reflects the temperament and skills needed of the job you are applying for.

Some examples that might fit:

As an organiser who gets everyone together to do things they wouldn’t otherwise do. For example in the floods I got a working party from our street organized to get help to friends and neighbours we knew had been affected.

As a creative thinker who enjoys bouncing ideas off other people.

An analytical thinker and a perfectionist who spends a lot of time on the detail, making sure everything is right.

Some examples that probably do not give the impression you hope to make:

He/she is a real party animal and always the last one standing.

Great fun to be around because he/she never challenges or questions others and goes with the flow.

Relaxed, laid back and living for the moment.

4. Tell us about a work failure that you experienced.

This can be one of the most important questions as the interviewer is looking for some real life examples from your previous employment. Again, think about why they are asking the question. Be specific and pick something that again shows your resilience and perseverance. These are qualities that everyone wants.

There are really only two points to remember with this one:

Make sure your example is relevant to the requirements for the job and

You absolutely must include how you learned from the failure to avoid making the same mistake again.

That last point is the killer answer they are looking for: learning from mistakes. Every successful person will tell you that failure is the greatest teacher.

5. Where do you want to be in 5 years time?

This one gets asked all the time. I think half the time, interviewers aren’t even sure why they are asking it. Maybe it’s just on the interview sheet.

There are some definite wrong answers:

In your job / in the corner office.

I don’t know / I haven’t really thought about it.

The key thing here is to show commitment to the role you are applying to, realism in relation to your ambitions and acceptance that you will be rewarded and progress based on your performance. So you need to learn, get up to speed, show proficiency and then show hard results before seeking promotion. They will be looking for a payback of at least 2 years from any applicant in the role they are hiring.

You can then say you are interested in progression in the company and turn the question to how career development is handled in the company concerned.

You will of course encounter all sorts of other questions. The key to successful interview performance is preparation, so be sure you do plenty of it!

10 Whatsapp Hoax messages and Scams to avoid

Whatsapp is one of the most popularly used messaging services. It has close to a billion people who are using the service. The service is today widely used and is available on all platforms including Android, iOS and Windows. It is also available for Desktops and on Chrome Browser.Given the nature and popularity of the service, the service is available to all users.

Being the most widely used messaging services of the world, it is bound to have several hoaxes and scams. Whatsapp is one platform where several hoax messages have been circulated. Rumors are abuzz here more than any other social media platform or messaging service.

We look at 10 different Whatsapp hoax messages one must certainly avoid.

Whatsapp Never Sends you a Message

Whatsapp does not send messages

Whatsapp officially states on its blog that it does not send a message to anyone and does not contact its users. Whatsapp officially states on its blog that it does not send a message to anyone and does not contact its users. Whatsapp Never asks for Bank Account details.

Never share such details

Whatsapp never asks for bank account information including details of any Debit or Credit cards. Any person asking you for details like account, or ATM / Debit card details via Whatsapp is trying to cheat you.Never share any details of your ATM / Debit card with anyone. Whatsapp never asks for bank account information including details of any Debit or Credit cards. Any person asking you for details like account, or ATM / Debit card details via Whatsapp is trying to cheat you.Never share any details of your ATM / Debit card with anyone. Whatsapp never extends Free subscription to Anyone

Whatsapp is now Free

Previously several users received messages that Whatsapp would become free if they forward a particular message to their friends. However, Whatsapp charges its users annually. Now that Whatsapp has become free and no longer charges its users, such hoax messages claiming to give users free subscription are ruled out. Previously several users received messages that Whatsapp would become free if they forward a particular message to their friends. However, Whatsapp charges its users annually. Now that Whatsapp has become free and no longer charges its users, such hoax messages claiming to give users free subscription are ruled out. Activate Whatsapp Calling

There is no activation

Whatsapp messages to activate Calling feature is one thing that had been doing the rounds. However, this is a fake message. Now, Whatsapp's calling feature also is free and users can call one another from within the app. Whatsapp messages to activate Calling feature is one thing that had been doing the rounds. However, this is a fake message. Now, Whatsapp's calling feature also is free and users can call one another from within the app. Example of a Hoax message on Whatsapp

Hoax Message

This is a example of a hoax message. It is often easy to spot a Hoax message though you must not get fooled into believing it. Image Courtesy : Quickheal This is a example of a hoax message. It is often easy to spot a Hoax message though you must not get fooled into believing it.Image Courtesy : Quickheal Your Account will be suspended

Whatsapp will not suspend your account without any reason. Whatsapp will only suspend an Account only if someone had been sending Hoax messages or if if Whattsapp has reason to believe so. Whatsapp will not suspend your account without any reason. Whatsapp will only suspend an Account only if someone had been sending Hoax messages or if if Whattsapp has reason to believe so. You are going to Win a Lottery !!

No lotteries on Whatsapp

Whatsapp messages promising that you will win a Lottery are a complete Hoax. These are chain messages doing the rounds.There is no such thing. Whatsapp messages promising that you will win a Lottery are a complete Hoax. These are chain messages doing the rounds.There is no such thing. Whatsapp is going to charge you for messages

Whatsapp is going to charge you

Whatsapp is not going to charge you individually for messages. Previous to being available for free, Whatsapp charged its users about $1 per year, which too is now free. Whatsapp is not going to charge you individually for messages. Previous to being available for free, Whatsapp charged its users about $1 per year, which too is now free. Whatsapp is shutting Down

Whatsapp to Shut Down

Whatsapp is not really shutting down. With close to a billion users, its hard to believe the Messaging service will shut down. Whatsapp is not really shutting down. With close to a billion users, its hard to believe the Messaging service will shut down. Install only Original Version of Whatspp

Install from a Verified Source

Always install only original version of the Whatsapp app from the Google Play Store or from other platforms. Avoid installing Whatsapp from third party sources, which is can be unsafe. It is best to install the app from trusted source like the original platform. Always install only original version of the Whatsapp app from the Google Play Store or from other platforms. Avoid installing Whatsapp from third party sources, which is can be unsafe. It is best to install the app from trusted source like the original platform.

Guide To LinkedIn Apps

The LinkedIn platform has expanded tremendously over the past several years, and members use LinkedIn in a variety of ways based on who they are, what they do, and what’s going on in their career. Here’s what you need to know about LinkedIn apps so you can customize your experience and make the most of mobile:

LinkedIn (also called Voyager). This is LinkedIn’s primary app. It was recently redesigned and relaunched at LinkedIn’s Talent Connect event in Anaheim, California, in 2015. The new version has a simpler design featuring five key elements: Home, Me, Messaging, My Network and Search. The interface was completely revamped too, increasing the speed of communications while making them more interactive and conversational.

LinkedIn Connected. I really like this app because it keeps you on top of what’s happening within your network without requiring you to actively seek it out. It’s quite simple in its functionality. It allows you to stay connected with your network members at times that are important to them: birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, landing a job. Of course, I don’t send a Happy Birthday wish to connections I don’t know well, but I find this app very useful for staying connected in a world where distractions are the norm. LinkedIn just announced that they will be doing away with this app in March 2016 and incorporating this feature in their primary app, so stay tuned.

LinkedIn Groups. This app lets you find, join and engage in LinkedIn groups so you can build and nurture your professional network, giving you all the capabilities you have with Groups at linkedin.com. This app was redesigned and launched in Q4 2015, and the result is that it makes the mobile experience feel more like the desktop. I am a strong advocate of LinkedIn Groups and believe it is one of the best personal branding tools available to career-minded professionals.

LinkedIn Pulse. This app provides access to news and content from LinkedIn thought-leaders. Pulse provides one simple stream of content that’s pulled from various places. Its personalized design delivers content that’s relevant to you. In addition to your Pulse feed with content from the Influencers and LinkedIn long-form publishing authors you choose, it features posts that your network members share or comment on as well as stories that mention your company or the people you work with. It’s an excellent app for staying informed about your field with great efficiency; you can access it in short bursts – like when you’re waiting in line at Whole Foods. You can save articles of interest and return to them when you have more time.

LinkedIn SlideShare. I am a major SlideShare enthusiast (see this post to learn why you should be using SlideShare for personal branding). This app gives you access to the 18+ million SlideShares available in their library – allowing you to view, like, share and save presentations that you find valuable. This is an easy way to stay on top of your area of expertise and find other thought-leaders with whom to connect.

LinkedIn Lynda. If you subscribe to Lynda for anytime, anywhere learning, you can access your account and learn on the run with the Lynda app. Because being mobile may mean learning in short bursts of time, the latest release of the app allows you to stop a lesson and pick up where you left off when you’re ready to continue. And you can sync your course history with all your devices. This means you can start learning at the office and continue on the subway while you’re heading home.

If you pay for Premium or you/your company subscribes to other LinkedIn products for recruiting or sales, there are additional apps which you many find useful: Job Search,  Sales Navigator, Elevate, LookUp and Recruiter.

LinkedIn is powerful as a desktop application, but the suite of apps gives you mobile access to the features you find most valuable. This means you can build your brand whenever and wherever it’s convenient for you.

No matter how you choose to participate in LinkedIn, remember to create a quality profile so that when people check you out, they want to connect.