The great thing about the evolution of gaming is that we are no longer restricted to physical disks to play games. Instead, we can download them straight onto a device or play from the cloud or other online destinations. This means when you’re at home, and you’re unsure of what to play and how to play it – don’t fret. We’ve taken a look at some of the best online games you can enjoy at home.

Play games full Steam on the PC

One of the joys of gaming on the computer is a huge selection, especially when you’re playing on Steam. As long as you connect to the internet, you can browse plenty of games to play, whether you want to purchase any or play the free available ones. It’s like finding new shows on Netflix; you’ll spend ages just searching and adding things to your wish list before you even play! 

Whatever mood you’re in, you’re bound to find an online game that will match it. Have you got a yearning feeling to take control of battleships, sail the seas and destroy all your enemies? Then World of Warships is the online game you need to try out. If you want to wear an admiral hat, feel free to. Alternatively, you may want to take to the skies on War Thunder and see what life’s like controlling your own fighter planes! And if you want to take the battle to the ground, you can guess what you’ll be driving – World of Tanks – the name says it all, really. 

There are many great games you can play on the PC that you won’t find on other consoles.  And you can play cooperatively online, such as on games like Warframe, where you can control a space ninja and play against other…er…space ninjas. Or perhaps you want to take on the epic Neverwinter, an MMO game that boasts action, wizards, mythical beasts and more. It’s all there online for you to try out.

There are loads on the consoles

You can always head to the shops to buy a game for your Xbox, PlayStation or Nintendo, or you can just download it straight onto your device. But if you want to play a game that’s free online, you can do that too.

There are plenty of free-to-play games, which means you will get a standard character and gear, but you can enjoy a lot of what the game has to offer. If you want to purchase new levels or items, you can do that too.

But even paid games still have a massive online element to them, which is good as it’s always fun to play online. You could try the latest FIFA game, compete against other players across the country, and test your footie skills. Then there’s always first-person shooters such as Call of Duty, which allows you to try out your sniping skills and rule the roost.

Or if you really want the battle royale feel, Fortnite is a massive online multiplayer game, and if you’re the last one standing, then you’ll have bragging rights for ages.

Try out online casinos

Whether you’re playing for real money or just want to try out some games for free, online casinos are always a hoot. You can feel like 007 when you’re playing baccarat, or if you want a video game-inspired session, try out some online slots. You’ll be guaranteed vivacious visuals, fun storylines and some characters that could give Mario a run for his money.

Mobile gaming has it all

Gaming on mobile or tablet devices has become much more popular these days. And it’s easy to see why. Some online games are fully blown RPGs. There are even miniature versions of console games, and all you need is an online connection to play. And as the majority of today’s mobiles are always connected to the internet, it means you can play whenever you like, wherever you are.

No longer are you restricted to playing in front of the TV or the computer screen; you can do it in the bath if you like. Or you can enjoy a box set while casually gaming. The games range from action shooters to platformers to even quiz games you can play with friends, such as Words with Friends or classics like Chess. And by the end of it, your fingers and thumbs will have had a proper workout.

There is debate about nearly everything in the business world, but if there is one thing that consumers, investors, and companies can all unequivocally agree on, it’s that they dislike product recalls.

In the very least of cases, there are faulty products or contaminated foods that are an inconvenience to a few buyers; however, in the worst of circumstances, some recalls can be linked to breaches in security, injuries, and even death. Whenever there is a product recall, it is usually done swiftly, meaning there will be a lot that you likely haven’t even heard about. This article will discuss some of those product recalls in more detail.

DVRs and IP Cameras by Hangzhou Xiongmai Technology

A lot of recalls come in large numbers but in this instance, the Chinese manufacturer of DVRs and IP cameras Hangzhou Xiongmai Technology had to recall an eye-watering 4.3 million products. They were posted as a culprit in facilitating the exploitation of security vulnerabilities that led to a massive denial of service attack. For more information on this massive recall, you can read here.

Tylenol recalled by Johnson & Johnson

In 1982, Johnson and Johnson had to recall a whopping $100 million worth of Tylenol. This was quite a significant event and is branded as the “recall that started them all” due to the fact it essentially laid out the framework for how corporations are supposed to handle these kinds of situations.

Following a case of product tampering, seven people in the Chicago area died after they ingested some Extra-Strength Tylenol that had been laced with cyanide. Johnson & Johnson was forced to spend $100 million so that they could recall 31 million bottles of their best-selling product. Though this was a horrible event, the swift actions taken by the brand meant they were able to save the name of one of their best-selling products. Granted, purchases dipped massively, to begin with, but they picked back up after around two months.

The Peanut Corp of America Following a Salmonella Outbreak

Yes, you read that heading right. The Peanut Corp of America was a privately held peanut processor in Georgia. They were doing fine until there was a salmonella outbreak in their product, which led to the death of nine people and made hundreds sicker. The recall came in the form of about 3,913 products from 361 different companies. This was a huge blow to the company who eventually declared bankruptcy and went out of business. Not only that but one of their top executives was sentenced to 28 years in prison because of the role that he played in the outbreak.

Conclusion

A product recall is the last thing that any company wants to have to do, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t common. A lot of the time, recalls can be handled swiftly and without massive consequence, but as described above, that isn’t always the case as the end result can sometimes be death and jail time.

An API (Applications Programming Interface) is a programming interface that makes it possible for applications to communicate and share information. Just like any other software application, the design of an API is very important especially when it comes to its implementation and operations.

A user or developer implementing an API should find it seamless and intuitive to master and learn. If this is not met, chances are that users will not use the API. Frontend users might never realize this since they do not care about what happens behind the scenes as long as the applications they use meet their requirements. However, APIs are primarily developed for software developers, and their (APIs) design should focus on what the developers go through when implementing the APIs.

The success of an API can be measured through developer experience. No matter how experienced or skilled a developer is, they will not use any API that is poorly designed or one that is difficult to implement. This means that it is vital for organizations to implement the following principles for the successful design of their APIs;

Following REST principles

One of the most important principles for a successful API design is making sure that organizations have followed REST principles when designing their APIs. They can use API developer tools to guide them when adopting these principles. They include;

1. Stateless transfer

Stateless transfer requires that any call made to an API should be independent of any other call that might come before or after it. In addition, every request, as well as response, should have all the resources required to complete transactions.

2. Uniform interface

This requires that requests to an API as well as responses are formatted in a similar manner with the same protocol and language.

3. Separation between the client and the server

This principle requires that for any interaction with an API to take place, a request must be sent from a client to the API, then a response sent in return. All interactions with the API should start from the client.

4. Independence of layers

The client and the API should process requests and responses in the same way no matter the number of layers that might exist between them.

5. Caching

When providing a response, an API should indicate if a response can be cached. If it can, then the API should indicate the amount of time that the response should be cached.

Using clear syntax

The labels assigned to server collections and resources are very important when it comes to developers understanding how the API internals are used. A resource can be defined as an item in a server that developers can access using an API. These resources can be retrieved, modified, placed, and even removed through API requests. 

To ensure a successful API design is implemented, API developers should make sure that they have used a clear syntax when assigning labels. This makes it easy for developers to implement the API and reduces the time taken during onboarding.

Implementing proper security measures

One of the things that can seriously damage the reputation of an API is a breach of security. As discussed above, APIs allow applications to communicate and share data with each other. This means that they gain access to data that is quite sensitive, meaning that they are high targets for cybercriminals. For instance, there has been a rising number of online scams during COVID-19, and most of them target application users.

It, therefore, means that a successful API design puts security measures at the forefront when the API development starts. Organizations need to make sure that they are using the right principles when implementing authorization, authentication, and encryption with their APIs.

Useful error messages

An organization might come up with a well-designed API that meets all its requirements. However, a developer might implement the same API and despite the API being well designed, they might still have some errors with it. This might be caused by things such as incorrect formatting of resources and poor authentication among others.

When such a thing happens, it is very important for the developer to get an error message that expressly tells them where the problem is. The message should also tell them where the error is coming from and what they need to do to correct it. This is an important principle for a successful API design.

The design of an API is crucial in determining how successful the API will be. Part of this success is measured by how developers adopt and implement the API. It is, therefore, important for API developers to ensure that their APIs are well designed for them to be successful.