Surprising Factors That Make the Software Development Expensive

The software development is a tedious process that involves researching, developing and testing. Because of its long and detailed process, the cost of development will also be high no matter how big or small the company might be. Many companies or organizations even spend hundreds of dollars in application development based on client requirements and business. So overall, the entire software development process is considered expensive. 

Why is Software Development Expensive? 

The cost of application development can include various aspects and taking time to evaluate all those expenses will give you a basic idea of what consumes the most cost and helps to keep track of your money better. When a new project is assigned, all the mobile development agencies will send an estimated cost of the projects (monthly) to the company or organization. From that invoice, you can clearly see where all your money is being spent and how quickly the cost can rise. Here are some software development cost distributions to further enlighten you. 

Android and iOS Developers 

Mostly the businesses prefer to develop their application in both android and iOS platforms because it helps their services to reach the global platform. This means it requires both the android and iOS developers, and they do not come for free. Both platforms need different coding and testing so that the development process can become quite expensive. Try hiring freelance developers from various regions other than your city; this might reduce some cost. 

Quality Assurance Management 

A quality assurance manager does the quality assurance management; the job of a QA manager is to check the quality of work in the developing and testing team. They make sure that everyone on the team is working efficiently and they also responsible for checking if there are any errors in the application. They see if everything is running smoothly without any hindrance. 

The studies say that quality assurance manager salary is three-fourth of the developer’s salary, so this will increase the cost of the development process. 

UI/UX Designer 

The UI and UX designers are an essential part of application development; they are in charge of the layouts, quality and aesthetic of the applications. Some designers design the entire layout of the application and send it to the developers, and some designers are capable of integrating those designs as well. So the salary of the designers depends on their ability. But mostly, the UI/UX designers make about 90% of what developers make.

Software Project Manager 

The leading role of the project manager is to see everyone on the team is on time and working correctly. They are the ones who need to encourage and motivate the team in case of any slump. The project manager makes sure that the team is working productively and delivering the projects on-time. The project manager’s salary is a little less than developers and designers. 

Key Aspects that Result in More Development Cost 

Now that we covered the cost of the software development team, it is now the time to analyze the full project development and price. To estimate the expenses build a UI flow chart of the entire development process of an application. 

The flowchart will allow you to keep track of the entire development process and what process takes up more money to develop. Divide the flowchart into two sections, and the top part should consist of the user login, home pages and settings, and so on. The bottom section should consist of different features in applications like the dashboards, calendars, etc. So this will give a clear idea of how long each process takes and how much it costs. 

Custom screens and Reports 

It is essential to create a custom screen based on app’s features in the flowchart, and it will be easier to know how many hours does it take for the developers to complete one custom screen and to be honest one screen may take less time than the other. Still, it is essential to track them in the same amount of the time. 

The backend custom screens, like password changes, should also be considered when it comes to the software developing process. The custom reports are essential to keep track of the application performance; these reports can include user engagement, user retention, and so on. 

Application Integrations 

Integrating third-party features or readily available features can also consume time and money. These features may include Google maps, severs for mails or any payment methods. 

Application Errors 

While developing mobile or web applications, errors are inevitable. If there is a delay in the schedule or project goes out of budget, a good back-up plan is needed. This is why a certain amount of money should be allotted to fix errors and budget problems at the beginning of the project planning. Therefore, sudden and hidden expenses can be avoided in this way. 

In summary, these are the necessary expenses in the software development process, and if planned and executed correctly, the unnecessary costs can be avoided. Consider all the aspects before making a software development plan and split the expenses efficiently among different teams. 

Author Bio: 

Monish Sinthala is an Entrepreneur and the co-founder one of the successful mobile app development companies in Chennai, Pyramidion Solutions. The company has delivered many cost-efficient and dynamic mobile applications for its global clientele catering to the business markets and trends. 

Mi PLM10IZM

Overall Best Pick

• 18W fast charging
• Two-way fast charge
• Intelligent power output

Xiaomi has been launching electronics products in India right and left in every segment.

The Mi PLM10IZM is the power bank offering from Xiaomi which succeeds its much-praised Mi Power bank 2.

Battery Capacity

Equipped with a Lithium – Polymer 10,000mAh battery pack, the Mi PLM10IZM has an actual output capacity around 7000mAh.

The outer case is made of anodized aluminium that can withstand a couple of falls without affecting the functionality of the power bank.

Hardware Features

This power bank comes with two output ports that support fast charging supplying power up to rated amperage of 2.4A.

Two-way quick charge support ensures that along with charging your device quicker, the power bank itself can be charged faster from an external power source.

Surge Protection

Xiaomi has implemented various measures to protect the internal circuit from surges and overheating of the components.

A 4 LED battery level indicator helps you to determine the state of charge on the power bank.

Miscellaneous

The Mi PLM10IZM budget power bank supports 18W fast charging which no other devices in its segment possess.

This means that if you have a compatible fast charger with you, you can juice up the power bank much quicker, in less than half of what it takes to top up with a conventional charger.

Verdict

Since manufactured locally, the taxes are low and this lets Xiaomi price the power bank very aggressively.

Priced at Rs.899, The Xiaomi Mi PLM10IZM is the overall best power bank available right now in India.

• Anodized aluminium chassis
• 9-layer circuit chip protection
• Slim and lightweight

Specifications

Battery Capacity	10,000 mAh
Weight	276g
Output Ports	2

HP Pavilion 15

Feature Rich Laptop

• Powerful CPU+GPU
• Superfast 512GB SSD storage
• Fast charging support

The Pavilion series has been a runaway hit for HP with its great specs at reasonable price segments.

The new Pavilion 15 is lurking in the premium laptop market with some of the best in class internals and loaded with features that will attract customers for sure.

Build Quality and Design

The new HP Pavilion follows the design principles set by previous pavilion laptops priced under Rs.60,000.

But the one thing that sets this device apart from the rest is the all-new black and green accent that the company has now chosen over the popular red and black option.

The already good build quality of the previous generation pavilion notebooks now has elevated into a whole new level that isn’t just good but great.

The matte finish on the chassis feel-good to touch and the overall colour scheme looks pretty cool.

The hinge mechanism of this laptop is one of the robust factors and works pretty well even at times with a single hand.

The minimal black coloured design looks and feels refreshing as well.

Processor and Performance

Inside the beautifully crafted chassis is a ninth-generation Intel Core i7-9750H processor which is one of the latest offerings from Intel to the performance mobile computing market.

This processor in itself is capable of running the most demanding of apps without any hassles.

There is a 4GB DDR5 Nvidia GTX 1650 GPU inside the chassis for that significant extra oomph when it comes to gaming and graphics-intensive tasks.

The 8GB DDR4 RAM gives enough leeway to perform multiple tasks simultaneously.

The high-speed 512GB SSD storage helps further improve the performance of this laptop.

Display

The 15.6-inch display on this laptop is one of the best in class, we’d have to admit.

This full HD panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels has amazing clarity and colour accuracy that will get you hooked up to this laptop in case you love to watch movies on your laptop.

The not so thick bezels around the screen make it look even larger and provides an immersive viewing experience.

When it comes to gaming, the 60Hz display provides a smooth full HD experience that feels buttery smooth without any frame skippings in between.

Miscellaneous

The Bang & Olufsen tuned speakers are placed in the front keyboard deck facing the user and sound loud and clear.

The new improved design of internal Wi-Fi antenna provides you with the best possible signal reception resulting in guaranteed network connectivity within a certain possible range.

Battery Life

With a 3-cell Li-ion integrated battery inside, the HP Pavilion 15 can last for about 5 hours on a single charge.

The built-in HP fast charge technology will help you to juice up the battery up to 90% in just under 90 minutes.

Verdict

The HP Pavilion is a great performance oriented laptop that can double up as a capable media consumption device.

With the abundance of hardware features such as USB 3.1 ports and an SSD at a couple of rupees less than its contenders, this laptop is worth checking out.

The brand name and the nation-wide service network is yet another reason for you to consider purchasing this laptop.

Minimal yet elegant design

Robust build quality

Bang & Olufsen audio

No USB C

Specifications

Operating System Windows 10 Home

Processor Intel Core i7-9750H

HDD –

SSD 512 GB

RAM 8GB DDR4

Display 15.6 inch IPS BrightView micro-edge WLED-backlit Display

Graphics 4GB DDR5 Nvidia GTX 1650

Battery Up to 4 Hours

Online Games to Play to Make Money

Are you an unemployed youth who wants to earn money for day-to-day expenses? Have you recently lost your job and need money for upcoming bills? Don’t worry! You just need to play a few games from the comfort of your home. Yes, you read it right! In this blog, I’ll mention six interesting games that can help you to make money. Let’s start!

1. Swagbucks

It started as an online rewards program that gave members rewards for using the Swagbucks search engine. Now the company has transfigured itself into an GPT site.

At Swagbucks, you can earn money for the things that you are already doing online. Obviously playing games is one of the best ways to earn money on this website. Here, you would be presented with the usual word and arcade games.

By playing games, you can (randomly) earn credits that are also known as “Swagbucks”. Here, gaming just represent one of the options. Other money-making alternatives include shopping, taking surveys, referring friends, searching the web, and much more.

You can redeem Swagbucks in the form of Amazon gift cards, coupon codes and several other amazing prizes, or you can also ask them to convert the game credits into cash, which can be transferred to your PayPal account.

2. Exodus3000

Exodus3000 is one of the most popular multiplayer RPG strategy games. Here, you are transported into a future time frame, which is about 1,000 years from now. The game story dictates that the Earth is no longer a sustainable living planet because of a catastrophic event. All inhabitants are tasked to find minerals and “Mars Dollars” (it is also currency of the game) right from their home base.

There are basically three ways to accumulate Mars Dollars: searching ruins, mining volcanoes, and attacking other gamers. Upon reaching a sufficient amount, you can cash it out in the form of real money. This is full of fun and simplicity, but the most significant part of this online game is that it’s easy to reach and receive rewards.

After signing up as a member, you get 5,000 free Mars Dollars as a welcome bonus. The exchange rate is $20 for 300,000 Mars Dollars.

3. Play Rummy

This is one of the most interesting online gaming sites where you can earn a handsome amount of money. It’s also my personal favorite. If you like playing rummy and also want to make money with this interesting game, then you must give it a try.

This online rummy portal is fully owned and operated by Innopark India Pvt Ltd. You can also download its app which is available at Google Play store and iPhone app store. Some other notable features of this safe and secure game are easy payouts and 24/7 support.

Cyber Security Threats Everyone Should Be Aware Of

1.) Ransomware

Threat:

This is a major threat to any organization in the current scenario. In this type of ‘cyber security threats’ attack, the attacker breaks into the system of target organization by using any vulnerability in-network and “Encrypts” all the data on it into the non-readable format, leaving a ransom message in plain text.

There are multiple encryption techniques available; hence organization literally cannot figure out the encryption algorithm and so the corresponding decryption key as well.

An organization cannot afford to lose all the data; hence they have to pay the ransom in order to get the decryption key from attackers.

This attack is done to extract money from any organization. This way with the efficient use of cryptography, an attacker can get a good amount of money as Ransom.

Vulnerability:

It is caused due to improper configuration of the firewall due to which malware enters into the system. It can be also caused due to any employee downloading the malicious program file and running it on the client system.

2.) Phishing

Threat:

In this type of ‘cyber security threats’ attack, attacker poses as a trustworthy source to send emails to any employee of an organization that contains some forged link. When the user clicks on such a link, it diverts them to any malicious website.

As email seems to be coming from a trusted source, the employee is more likely to enter the personal details and credentials on such websites. Learn How To SEND EMAIL FROM FACEBOOK TO ANYONE | Email Spoofing Tool

Now, the attacker has access to one of the employee’s accounts from where he can further work on retrieving the Admin login credentials to execute further attacks.

3.) Denial of Service (DoS)

Threat:

In this type of ‘cyber security threats’ attack, attackers flood the network with a large number of requests in order to restrict legitimate users from accessing specific services. An attacker sends multiple false requests to the server having an invalid return address.

Hence the server gets involved in processing the false requests and legitimate requests are queued and waited long before execution.

Suppose any marketing organization needs to process at least 1000 users’ requests per minute and on such an organization DoS attack takes place, then it has to bear a huge loss.

DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack is even dangerous as in it the attacker launches the fake requests on the target machine by the number of sources at a time.

This is usually done by using botnets that are remotely controlled by the attacker. This makes it impossible to eliminate the attack completely from the system and network.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip review: The best foldable phone yet is still disappointing

• When folded, the Galaxy Z Flip is thicker and wider than most phones you can find today
• The first generation Moto X feels a lot more compact than a folded Flip

Let’s face it. If you have upwards of a lakh to spare you’ve probably already decided to buy a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. Having a phone that folds at this point of time IS something you can flaunt, at least in India.

But this generation’s foldables have been disappointing at best. That holds true for all of them, including the Galaxy Z Flip, Moto Razr, Galaxy Fold, or the Huawei Mate X. The best thing about all of these phones is that they fold, and the worst thing about them is that they JUST fold. It’s not Samsung’s fault, neither is it Motorola’s. I truly believe they’re doing their best. The Galaxy Z Flip is the best effort so far, but smartphone tech is at such saturation that making a screen fold is all companies are able to achieve right now.

When I unboxed the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, my first thought was that this is the ugliest phone I’ve seen in I can’t remember how long. That’s probably because I had the mirror black version, which looks plain, and that the pink etc. do look better. For me though, I wouldn’t be caught dead carrying a phone as shiny as those other colours. But I admit that, at least based on photos I’ve seen, those don’t look utilitarian. The striking colours take your attention off the lines running along the sides, but I’m still not happy about the fat protective bezels surrounding the screen.

But looks are subjective, so I’m not going to dwell on that. However, I have major issues with this phone’s ergonomics, design and functionality. Here’s why.

Let’s talk about the design

You have to give props to Samsung for being able to “fold" a screen in half. I’m glad that phones can fold now, but I’m not convinced they’re at their best yet or that they justify the price.

When folded, the Galaxy Z Flip is thicker and wider than most phones you can find today. It means it’s an aberration in your pocket and unless you have large hands, you’re not going to fold and unfold it with one hand. If you’re thinking you’ll flip your phone to take a call like Shahrukh Khan did in Don, it’s not going to happen.

In fact, the only reason this phone is “compact" when it’s folded is because we’ve been conditioned to carry big-screen smartphones. My first generation Moto X feels a lot more compact than a folded 

Flip.

Furthermore, there’s actually an entire screen inside. So these hinges can’t snap open like the Moto Flip or other flip phones of yore. Even those who can flip it with one hand will easily feel that a resistance from the hinge and the whole thing doesn’t really snap. This is true for the Moto Razr too, so I’m convinced it's a hurdle for the industry in general.

In the three days Samsung gave me with this phone, I already felt wobble a little. This used to happen to my old Moto Flip too, but I used to literally flip that phone open and close like it was a fidget spinner used for relieving stress. With the Galaxy Z Flip, I flipped strictly when needed, because it wasn’t easy and it always needed both my hands.

It’s a glass slab when folded

Moving on, in older clamshell designs (phones like the Moto Flip, the original Moto Razr or the V3i update, Samsung’s own Rugby III and many more) you could do precious little in their folded form factors, which was fine then, but it’s not now. Those were simpler times, we bought phones to make calls and respond to texts, perhaps put a polyphonic ringtone (or maybe even a singtone), we didn’t expect the world from them. The smartphone changed all that.

Folded up, the Galaxy Z Flip is a little more than a glass slab that slips on almost every surface. There’s really nothing you can do with the phone closed, except look at a tiny display next to the cameras and reassure yourself that it does support touch input. It’s akin to the “Edge display" on phone’s like the Note Edge. It was expected to add functionality, but really it’s nothing more than a peripheral feature.

If you double press the lock button to turn the selfie camera on when folded, you’ll quickly see less than half of your face on the tiny screen. You can get a wider view by tapping that screen for the wide angle view, but it doesn’t really help either. Samsung allows some swiping etc, but there’s only so much one can do with this much real estate.

By the way, you can take calls from this screen but it will turn on the speakerphone, meaning you’re never going to do that in public.

The Z Flip costs Rs. 1,09,999 in India, wouldn’t customers prefer to pay a slightly higher amount but get more functionality from their phone?

Unfolded, it’s just a smartphone

Things don’t end there. Once unfolded, the Galaxy Z Flip is simply any other flagship phone, closely resembling the S20 series. There’s no real change to the software. The goal seems to have been to just make sure the screen folds.

On top of that, I felt the screen depress under my fingers at times, which probably expected is still unnerving. The protective film on the screen feels unnatural too and somewhat sticky. The touch experience isn’t like the Galaxy S20 series or an iPhone. Neither are the cameras as good as the Galaxy S20+. In fact, the selfie camera made me look like a mannequin with lifeless black eyes.

Other than the fact that the camera and some apps can shift to half the screen at times, there’s really no use for the foldable form factor on this phone. Which brings me back to the point about all foldable phones — should they JUST fold?

In Samsung’s defence, no one else has figured this out either. Everyone’s focus seems to be on making screens that fold and hoping they get to the point where they don’t break or scratch easily. The Z Flip certainly feels more dependable that the Galaxy Fold did, and that’s Samsung’s big achievement with this series.

But it’s cool, right?

But you’re not buying a Z Flip for functionality, you’re buying it because it’s “cool". But I couldn’t take the Z Flip to the gym, because I was too scared it would scratch when it was in the bag, fall or break while working out etc.

In public, people saw me very carefully pull it out of my pocket and then unfold it with both my hands. It was really uncool. If the point of the Flip and Fold were to prove its technological superiority, Samsung has only just succeeded. But it’s certainly not cool yet.

Should you buy it?

I wouldn’t buy this, but like I said before, you’re probably buying it irrespective of what I or any reviewer says. It’s just sad that “cutting edge" smartphone technology in 2020 doesn’t dazzle. Foldables should not just bring back old form factors, they should be an amalgamation of everything smartphones can do, combined with that old form factor.

The Galaxy Z Flip and other foldables remind me of the old Vertu phones which were meant solely for showing off and never really tried to make anything of the over-the-top additions. If show off was the point, I’d prefer Samsung’s custom gold phone from the movie Ocean’s 13, or even Vertu’s diamond studded ones.

It’s too early to compare foldables based on performance and features right now, but pound for pound, the Z Flip certainly beats the Moto Razr. It’s faster, has a better camera, better screen, similar battery and is cheaper, not to mention the fact that Samsung could at least amass enough units to send some to reviewers.

In fact, of the four foldable screens I’ve seen so far — Galaxy Z Flip, Huawei Mate X, Moto Razr and Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha — Xiaomi and Huawei wouldn’t let anyone even touch the phones, while Motorola could only afford to show it to me for 20-odd minutes.