This Week I Learned - Week #139

This Week I Learned -

* 41 percent of developers are self-taught, according to the 2015 Stack Overflow Developer Survey

* The Datamuse API is all about finding words and phrases, whether for helping your users search, or helping your users write more effectively. It does not have features for describing words and phrases (definitions, example sentences, etc.) 

* There are a good number of SQL Server command prompt utilities

* Check the  Microsoft certification exam retirement page before taking the exam

* Myntra & LocalOye are abandoning the app-only strategy of selling goods and services within their walled gardens. Flipkart worked alongside the Chrome team at Google to develop its mobile website (discontinued earlier in favor of their app), the idea for which was floated  by technology head Peeyush Ranjan, a former Googler himself. The company opted for deeper integration with Chrome, giving it the ability to push notifications on a user’s smartphone — one of the key reasons developers choose to build native apps in the first place. Following the announcement from Flipkart, rival Snapdeal also announced it was working on a lite version of its website for access on smartphones However, as entry-level smartphones offer limited storage space for apps, there is a tendency to uninstall apps which are not frequently used. More importantly, media reports say Google has revamped its search algorithm with a penalty on App Install Interstitial, and that could have played a part in Flipkart’s u-turn - Business Standard

* Some of the players who  recently adopted the app-only route include dating property Truly Madly, quick service restaurant and delivery chain Faasos and cabs aggregator Ola.

* Trivia:Calvin and Hobbes are supported by an amusing motley crew of secondary characters, which include Calvin’s parents, Rosalyn, the babysitter, Moe, the school bully, Mrs. Wormwood, the disgruntled schoolteacher, and Susie Derkins, his classmate. Interestingly, the reader is not given any information about Calvin’s parents, their names, professions or even the city they live in, thus defining their roles only as exasperated parents, who act as foils for Calvin’s mischief 

* In absolute terms, the top four telecom operators in India have a total of 86.38 million 3G connections and 109.67 million 2G connections.

* Chennai is the second largest base for IT companies. The recent Chennai floods may impact IT firms in December quarter

* Mumbai/Bombay is "a city that was imagined up out of seven islands and lots of swamp and sea."

* Mani Ratnam's movie Bombay was shot in Mumbai for 3 days out of the total schedule of 65 days