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In the United States, more than 4,000 El Paso Electric (EPE) customers have not received their monthly bills due to a bug. The problem, which has been present for the last four months, has mainly affected the customer service system. Resolutions to the problem are already underway, and the company expects the system to be fixed by the end of this month, said George De La Torre, spokesperson for EPE. According to Karmen Mayorga, also a spokesperson for the US company, most of the affected customers are voluntarily paying estimated amounts for their monthly bills until the problem is properly resolved. It is estimated that around 50 affected customers have not been paying their bills and the company's customer service representatives are contacting them to make payment arrangements. In addition, employees of the Texas-based company are asking customers who have not received these bills to use their previous ones to estimate the amount they should pay each month, so that they don't have a bill that is too high when the system works properly again, added Mayorga, who added that this is not a revenue problem for the electricity distribution company - profits in 2022 amounted to more than 113 million dollars. The continuation of the original article via El Paso Times can be read here.

In India, South Korean giant Kia has been forced to recall more than 30,000 vehicles due to a software error located in the digital instrument panel. Due to this bug, more than 30,000 units of the Carens MPV model manufactured between September 2022 and February 2023 will have to be inspected and receive a software update in order to correct the problem. According to a statement issued by the company, the recall campaign has been initiated to inspect for any potential errors in the cluster's initialization process that could cause it to go blank. Kia India also adds that it will contact the owners of the vehicles concerned directly to inform them about this voluntary recall campaign. In October 2022, more than 44,000 units of the same MPV model were recalled, also to fix a possible problem with the software, but related to the airbag control unit. The continuation of the original article via Auto News can be read here.

When analyzing current automation trends and how they will continue in the future, it is important to remember that the quality of any software product depends on the quality of its software testing. It is an integral part of the software development process, and in recent years, it has become easier, more reliable and more comprehensive for software testers to do their job. This article discusses the main current trends shaping software testing, as well as predicting those that will continue in the future. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made its mark prominently in today's digitized world. According to the Statista website, the AI software market is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years, reaching around 126 billion dollars by 2025.To improve testing processes, software testing trends incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. An AI algorithm, for example, generates test cases, and ML techniques are used to identify patterns and anomalies in the test data. Using IoT Testing for Smart Devices and Systems As the popularity of the "Internet of Things" increases, software testers are switching to IoT testing - a network of interconnected physical objects that allows them to collect and exchange data.As the number of IoT devices increases, functional testing and security testing have become essential to confirm that these devices are working effortlessly. Their aim is to verify that IoT devices and systems work as expected. RPA testing RPA, robotic process automation, is a software technology that provides an easy way to create, deploy and manage software robots that mimic human actions when interacting with digital systems. This allows humans to focus on higher-value tasks, freeing them from performing repetitive tasks. Automated RPA tests ensure that these systems are working effectively and meet user requirements: they improve efficiency, reduce costs and cut down on errors. In addition, as RPA systems are used in the health and finance sectors, the need for their efficiency and reliability has increased. Multi-Device Testing for Smarter Test Automation Everyone has several devices connected to each other at all times, such as smartphones, tablets, laptops and home devices. Therefore, multi-device testing is carried out to ensure that the application works effectively on each connected device. Multi-device testing ensures that the application works correctly in terms of size, shape and operating system. As the use of multiple devices increases, so does the opportunity for multi-device testing. There are many quality control automation testing services that offer multi-device testing to test multiple devices and browsers simultaneously, reducing the overall time and effort required for testing. In addition, mobile application testing services ensure that the mobile application is compatible with all devices and operating systems. Blockchain Testing for Increased Security and Performance Blockchain is the latest trend of the decade, with the growing popularity of digital currency and NFTs, most companies have started to adopt the technology. Along with its growing popularity, blockchain brings security threats.Today, cybersecurity has become a global issue, so to ensure the security of your blockchain-based application, blockchain tests are essential. They ensure that your application is secure and that the products are reliable by locating and resolving various problems, such as compatibility issues, security breaches or any other aspect that affects their functionality. Thus, many blockchain-based companies insist on having their application tested with blockchain tests to improve security and performance. Transform Automation Testing with Chatbots Chatbots are sophisticated tools that talk to customers about any of their questions at any time of the day. As well as interacting with customers, they handle requests and provide all the information they need. Their integration with artificial intelligence and natural language helps companies to facilitate interaction with consumers. With automation testing, chatbots can improve and optimize the testing process. Chatbots easily speed up the testing process as they automate routine tasks, allowing testers to focus on important tasks. Data Testing Online businesses are heavily dependent on data, so conducting data tests with automation and specific tools allows testers to deal with the complexity of large volumes of data. Data testing includes checking data pipelines and processing application that have a large amount of data in various formats, data storage, consumption, processing, modeling and visualization.Data testing ensures quality, accuracy and consistency, and with the growth of the industry, most companies want to ensure the authenticity of data, making data testing a growing factor in automated testing. The continuation of the original article via EuroSTAR Huddle can be read here.

In the United States, Mercedes was forced to recall more than 8,000 electric vehicles due to a software error that caused problems with the propulsion system. The German company began its own investigation into this problem in October 2022, and using detailed analysis of field data, determined that under specific conditions, the electric traction system was deactivated, which could cause the vehicle to lose power and consequently risk an accident. According to the manufacturer itself, the problem would be triggered by contact with a specific plug connector within the electric traction system, making it impossible for the driver to receive any warning before the error had already occurred, through various messages on the instrument panel. At the moment, the German giant is not aware of any accidents resulting from this problem. It is therefore planning to contact the owners of the affected vehicles, asking them to return their vehicles to an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer who will update the software accordingly, ensuring that the problem does not reoccur. The continuation of the original article via Carscoops can be read here.

One of the main concerns of companies is to guarantee maximum customer satisfaction, and the constant quest to speed up their testing procedures is one of their main focuses. Performing manual tests is often difficult and can result in poor quality products and user experiences; long release cycles and even lower return on investment. Automated software testing allows testers to speed up release cycles, minimize human work and increase the efficiency, accuracy and reliability of testing, while overcoming cost constraints by automating a series of repetitive and time-consuming testing activities. How to carry out automated tests? Choose your testing tool carefully. The industry offers a variety of platforms, technologies and development tools for automated software testing. Organizations should carefully select the test tool, taking into account the following important considerations: The language in which the software is written; The operating system; Test script writing standard; Testing requirements; In some cases, testing experts recommend an Automation Proof of Concept (POC) to choose the right testing tool. How to Define the Scope of Test Automation? Test teams must have in-depth knowledge of the company's main components; the scenarios that involve processing large amounts of data; the common characteristics found in all applications; the complexity of the test cases and many other factors for this phase. In this sense, it is extremely important to bear in mind that the development of software testing skills proposed by the ISTQB® Certifications responds precisely to the increasingly common and complex software quality requirements. Planning, Design and Development At this stage, the team develops and executes an effective plan or strategy: so that production proceeds according to the goals and objectives set by the developers, the tools, test types and structures are effectively integrated into a calendar or schedule. Test execution Immediately after planning, according to the established automation plan, tests are executed - thus helping to generate data for subsequent analysis as feedback. Maintenance Regardless of the efficiency of the testing process, it is crucial to keep the current and next systems running. To help improve the results of each subsequent version, new tests are created, run and maintained. The continuation of the original article via Software Testing News can be read here.

Electric vehicles are becoming increasingly complex. More electronics automatically means more software and, naturally, coding errors arise. Mercedes recently acknowledged a programming problem affecting more than 3,000 electric vehicles based on the EVA platform, which also constitutes non-compliance with safety standard number 305 (on electrolyte leakage and protection against electric shock). The German manufacturer became aware of a potential deviation from the required specifications during routine testing in May 2022. More specifically, certain diagnostic functions of the battery management system might not be working as intended. Precisely one year later, the Stuttgart-based company identified a warning indicator that might not inform the driver of a malfunction in the battery system. Documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reveal that this problem was corrected during production in September 2022. This, in turn, shows that Mercedes would have been aware of the non-compliant condition since then. The German company has already notified its dealer network in the United States of the necessary recall, instructing dealers to update the battery management system software at no cost to affected owners. Looking at the bigger picture, Mercedes is going all in on electric vehicles, whenever market conditions allow. The switch to fully electric vehicles will be completed by the end of the decade, meaning that the 223 is the last S-Class to feature internal combustion engines. The continuation of the original article via Autoevolution can be read here.

Why certified testers? In the USA, 88% of programmers say that they learn of software bugs and errors primarily from users, but there is a more serious alarming factor: 26% of these same bugs are disclosed on social networks - and it's not hard to imagine their impact. ISTQB® certifications help to reduce risks, costs and protect your company's reputation. With this in mind, here are 10 good reasons to include testers in your software project teams: 1. Reduce the Number of Bugs and Software Errors Studies show that "formal testing by certified personnel can achieve an efficiency of 99% in removing defects, while simultaneously reducing costs and reducing the workload to be carried out"¹. 2. Reduce Costs, Recoup Investment If a certification helps a tester eliminate just a single defect in software in production, it would mean that the return on investment in their certification has more than offset the estimated cost of the bug in production. 3 Accelerating and Improving Software Development Test team managers say that using the knowledge and terminology of ISTQB® Certifications improves communication and efficiency between project teams. On the other hand, with the inclusion of certified testers, bug detection tends to be much more efficient and programmers have more time for their development activities. 4. Global acceptance With over 750,000 test certifications issued in more than 100 countries, ISTQB® Software Testing Certification has become a global model. ISTQB® Certification exams are available in English, French, German, Spanish and even Portuguese; they can be taken in person or remotely, from the comfort of your own home. 5. practical and direct application ISTQB® certifications focus on the practical applications that testers use every day to detect and eliminate programming errors. Covering areas as diverse as Agile Development Testing, Performance Testing and Security Testing, these certifications allow you to build the testing skills needed by all project teams, thus reducing the number of software defects. 6 Motivating and Retaining Team Members; Reducing Costs The costs of employee turnover have been the subject of several studies. According to the American Psychological Association, in the absence of supervisor support for career development: Less than half of employees say they are motivated to do their best in their job (against almost 90% of those who say they have supervisor support); More than half say they intend to look for a new job outside the organization in the next year. Supporting an employee's career by offering them training and ISTQB® Certification is fairly inexpensive compared to the cost of losing that employee. So ISTQB® certification not only motivates your team members and helps reduce software errors, it also creates a more stable team, reducing turnover costs. 7 Developing Testing Skills and Increasing Profitability In addition to career development levels (Foundation, Advanced and Expert) and career paths (Test Manager, Test Analyst, Technical Test Analyst), ISTQB® offers specialized skills such as: Agile Testing, Mobile Testing, Security Testing, Test Automation, Performance Testing, Usability Testing that improve the skills of your entire quality control team to detect and eliminate programming errors. Studies indicate that companies that offer specialized training to their employees tend to make more profits than companies that invest less in training. 8 A Question of Trust Hundreds of ISTQB® certifications have been issued in Portugal with the PSTQB seal of approval. PSTQB, as a non-profit organization led by experts in the field of software testing, is dedicated to promoting software quality in Portugal, and to raising the professionalism of all those involved in testing processes. 9. Improving the Cost-Efficiency Ratio The PSTQB does not carry out training courses, as this is not its role; however, it is its role to accredit entities capable of providing recommended training courses. In this sense, companies can allow their employees to use these options. On the other hand, companies have the possibility of establishing a formal link with PSTQB which allows them various benefits: from direct discounts and priority registration for PSTQB events; to career recognition by advertising job vacancies for testers; to international networking, providing a close relationship with experts in the field of software testing. 10. Meeting Software Quality Workforce Needs through Qualification The need to hire qualified employees has been a constant concern in the business world, with several studies describing the importance of strengthening employees' professional skills, as well as the urgency of retraining them. The development of software testing skills proposed by ISTQB® Certifications responds precisely to the increasingly common and complex software quality requirements. Articles translated and adapted from: 10 Reasons You Need Testers Certified by ASTQB - ISTQB® in the U.S. ¹ Capers Jones, "A Short History Of The Cost Per Defect Metric | Software Defect Origins & Removal Methods"

"Bug Causes Losses for American Carrier" Southwest Airlines points the finger at a flaw in its network firewall. After the bug that caused the cancellation of more than 16,000 flights in December, the resilience of the company's computer system is being questioned. In the United States, after a technological glitch led to the temporary suspension of all Southwest Airlines flights, concerns are being raised about the resilience of the American carrier's IT infrastructure. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the US company attributed the bug to a failure of a network firewall distributed by a supplier, causing a temporary loss of connection to key systems. In a statement to Reuters, the carrier said that flights had been suspended as a precaution, adding that there was no evidence of a cyber attack. It also refused to identify the supplier and did not address why this failure was not part of the company's planning. Although the exact cause is unclear, some industry experts have questioned why Southwest Airlines' systems didn't include more redundancy. The carrier has been under fire since a software problem during the Christmas vacations led to more than 16,000 flight cancellations, disrupting the travel plans of 2 million customers, and leading to a loss of more than a billion dollars. "This would indicate that resilience is not adequately addressed in their systems," said Eric Parent, private pilot and CEO of EVA Technologies, a cybersecurity company with offices in Canada, the US and Europe. "Some significant improvements should be considered to increase their maturity and ability to maintain operations." The continuation of the original article via Reuters can be read here.

When working with testers (or software testing service companies), there are three important considerations to remember: General miscommunication can disrupt interaction between project elements and teams. When it comes to software testing, it's important to use a common language and follow common principles; Differences in testing terminology can pose a considerable risk. Using unclear definitions or terms in the context of a testing services company can be detrimental, in the sense of causing errors or requiring the reorganization of some specific work. Differences in testing principles can cause misunderstandings or conflicts. When the subject of software testing is approached following a certain set of principles, and the testers follow other paths, then we can have project management problems, as well as friction between the elements. Fortunately, there is an easy way to avoid most of these problems: ensure that software testing professionals hold an ISTQB® Foundation Certification. This certification (recommended for testers with at least 6 months' experience) guarantees that: Testing professionals have a solid base of knowledge about software testing, used and recognized in over 130 countries; Testing professionals use common terminology, minimizing problems of understanding and miscommunication. Remember that by including certified testers, you are increasing your project's chances of success. ISTQB® Certification Exams can be taken at PSTQB in a variety of languages: English, French, Spanish, German and even Portuguese, in person or in the comfort of your own home.

Efficiency in software development allows for quality, punctual releases and happier customers. A large part of that efficiency depends precisely on the successful correction of bugs, and quality defect reports help developers make those corrections quickly. When writing defect reports, testers can be helpful by adding detailed and precise steps to reproduce the problems they find, in which you should find the expected results as well as the actual results - they can also include screenshots and video attachments to help you understand the defect in question. The details written in the defect report help programmers understand the depth and breadth of the bug's effect and discover the affected code. Locating broken code in a complex code base is not an easy task, especially when programmers are working on more than one project at a time. The more detail the defect reporter adds to the defect report, the easier it is to reproduce, locate and fix the bug. The greater the understanding of the defect, the more likely it is that the team will fix it correctly - and without generating new, related bugs. The details required for an understandable defect report include the following: - should include, for example: Unique ID for Tracking: This allows testers to find the defect by ID; Report Author Name: Name and contact information; Application and Code Version; Server or Environment: Define the location where testing took place; Browser and OS, if Applicable; Screenshots or Video, Log Files or Errors: Browser development tool logs or other log files help developers understand the defect - including video of the defect in action, or screenshots naturally helps with visual understanding; Expected Result/Behavior and Actual Result/Behavior: Developers may not know how the application works end-to-end, as they tend to code specific functions. Including the expected result - in addition to the actual result - provides crucial information for locating the defect; Severity/Priority: How critical is the defect?; Troubleshooting Notes: Include any notes on troubleshooting measures taken, database queries or error log results. Among others. The continuation of the original article via TechTarget can be read here.