Will/Can there be a Europe without WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram?

Meta fears for the future of Facebook, WhatsApp, even Instagram in Europe. But what's behind the dispute?

Meta, formerly Facebook and still a genuine tech giant, has recently made a scary threat: Either we (EU) allow the company to process our data the same way it did for years, **or Facebook, WhatsApp, and even Instagram have no future in Europe**. The threat literally took our breath away–never before had we laughed so hard! It's difficult to imagine a company would kill its golden goose without a fight, after all. But what caused this hilarity and what are the opposing views exactly?

Meta, formerly Facebook and still a genuine tech giant, has recently made a scary threat: Either we (EU) allow the company to process our data the same way it did for years, or Facebook, WhatsApp, and even Instagram have no future in Europe. The threat literally took our breath away–never before had we laughed so hard! It's difficult to imagine a company would kill its golden goose without a fight, after all. But what caused this hilarity and what are the opposing views exactly?


A Merry Christmas 2021 from the Ashampoo Blog team!

The Christmas mood can't be forced or triggered via light show. Sometimes, it's the small things that make all the difference–like a little Christmas tree.

It's now been two years since I wrote my last Christmas blog. As we all know by now, many things were bound to change–not necessarily for the better. So this is another year I find myself struggling to get into the Christmas spirit, despite the neat decorations on our tree in the foyer, and the Christmas balls and elves lining our window sills. For quite a while, I was in a rather sullen mood and mostly ignored the lights, after all, deadlines were rushing up fast and work makes no allowances for Christmas sentimentalities. And thus, December seemed gray and and full of business as usual–until Christmas finally caught up with me. It was because of a little tree, and old German Christmas song, and an American who sang it.

The cellphone cam stays on!

A new chip provides additional convenience features–as long as the camera is constantly rolling. But what about privacy? Does convenience trump everything else?

Judd Heape, vice president of product management at Qualcomm Technologies, bravely smiled through the demo of the new "always on" camera feature of their new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor. “Your *phone’s front camera is always securely looking for your face*, even if you don’t touch it or raise to wake it, ” he said. This (and more) is what's in store for you once the new processors make it into the flagships of various cellphone manufacturers. But **why is the camera supposed to be always on** and what about privacy? Or more generally put: Is convenience the one argument that trumps everything else? Am I just a little too oversensitive when I find this development rather alienating?

Judd Heape, vice president of product management at Qualcomm Technologies, bravely smiled through the demo of the new &quot;always on&quot; camera feature of their new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor. “Your phone’s front camera is always securely looking for your face, even if you don’t touch it or raise to wake it, ” he said. This (and more) is what's in store for you once the new processors make it into the flagships of various cellphone manufacturers. But why is the camera supposed to be always on and what about privacy? Or more generally put: Is convenience the one argument that trumps everything else? Am I just a little too oversensitive when I find this development rather alienating?


How Microsoft intends to force us (again) to use Edge

Microsoft is currently trying to establish its Edge as the browser of choice in Windows 11. Read on to learn why browser choice has become a Windows-internal affair

With unusually peskiness, Microsoft is currently *trying to establish its Edge as the browser of choice* in Windows 11. Unless you agree (which seems to be a minority), you'll now have to wrestle with checkboxes and frequent popups. Changing the default setting has been deliberately made harder for users. While Windows 10 had begging-like notifications to switch to the allegedly much faster and safer Edge, the thumb screws have been tightened in Windows 11. Naturally, you can still install alternative browsers and make minor adjustments, but Edge has now become **the only choice in some scenarios**!

With unusually peskiness, Microsoft is currently trying to establish its Edge as the browser of choice in Windows 11. Unless you agree (which seems to be a minority), you'll now have to wrestle with checkboxes and frequent popups. Changing the default setting has been deliberately made harder for users. While Windows 10 had begging-like notifications to switch to the allegedly much faster and safer Edge, the thumb screws have been tightened in Windows 11. Naturally, you can still install alternative browsers and make minor adjustments, but Edge has now become the only choice in some scenarios!


What's YouTube Premium and is it any good?

Do you know what YouTube Premium is about? I wanted to know what you get for $11.99.

When it comes to viewership, YouTube still rules the roost in the streaming world, far ahead of Netflix or Spotify–and still free. I had a strange feeling when *advertising segments were starting to pile up* in their videos last year. Who wants to view a four-minute video when they first have to go through two minutes of ads? Was this a deliberate attempt to annoy their users? Unless you were using ad blockers, you were literally flooded–and it felt like an **obvious attempt to drive users towards a paid offer**.

When it comes to viewership, YouTube still rules the roost in the streaming world, far ahead of Netflix or Spotify–and still free. I had a strange feeling when advertising segments were starting to pile up in their videos last year. Who wants to view a four-minute video when they first have to go through two minutes of ads? Was this a deliberate attempt to annoy their users? Unless you were using ad blockers, you were literally flooded–and it felt like an obvious attempt to drive users towards a paid offer.


"Have you heard? WhatsApp is offline!"

It was supposed to be a totally normal evening. And then, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram were down–and the internet was aflame.

It was supposed to be a totally normal evening. Alan Parson's soothing "Tales of Mystery and Imagination" was purring from my speakers, a steaming cup of tea plus some reading material were ready and I had plans to watch a detective show. But then, I heard an almost forgotten sound: an **SMS notification**. Nowadays, this form of communication is mostly used by the authorities or companies for account verification. Sent by a friend, it read "*WhatsApp is gone, Facebook is gone, people are already asking what's next! It's total chaos!*" It sounded interesting so I went to have a look.

It was supposed to be a totally normal evening. Alan Parson's soothing &quot;Tales of Mystery and Imagination&quot; was purring from my speakers, a steaming cup of tea plus some reading material were ready and I had plans to watch a detective show. But then, I heard an almost forgotten sound: an SMS notification. Nowadays, this form of communication is mostly used by the authorities or companies for account verification. Sent by a friend, it read &quot;WhatsApp is gone, Facebook is gone, people are already asking what's next! It's total chaos!&quot; It sounded interesting so I went to have a look.


A review of Google Nest Mini: Is the smallest Nest worth it?

I’m generally not a fan of “smart speakers”–unless I get them for free! Let’s take a look at Google’s smallest speaker.

I'm generally *not a fan of "smart speakers"* like Amazon's Echo Dot, Apple's HomePod or Google's Nest Mini. I like the technology but I didn't own any of them for the longest time. I won't froth at the mouth about the alleged spying nature of these devices but I will say I dislike voice-based interfaces. I'd **rather talk to people than machines**, and type my commands into the latter when they require input. Recently though, I switched electricity providers and got **two Google Nest Minis** in my mailbox as a reward (they usually sell for about €50 a piece). Google is one the three major players in the market for virtual assistants, yet I never had the chance to review their Mini–until now. Let's get started!

I'm generally not a fan of &quot;smart speakers&quot; like Amazon's Echo Dot, Apple's HomePod or Google's Nest Mini. I like the technology but I didn't own any of them for the longest time. I won't froth at the mouth about the alleged spying nature of these devices but I will say I dislike voice-based interfaces. I'd rather talk to people than machines, and type my commands into the latter when they require input. Recently though, I switched electricity providers and got two Google Nest Minis in my mailbox as a reward (they usually sell for about €50 a piece). Google is one the three major players in the market for virtual assistants, yet I never had the chance to review their Mini–until now. Let's get started!


Where I can watch the series? On a different channel in a different country!

Streaming has become an affordable alternative for series and movie lovers. However, illegal sites have been seeing an increase in visitors for some time now–and many hold streaming service providers partly responsible!

Recently, we sat together and reminisced about the wild past. When the internet was still young, pirated copies of current movies were everywhere. People usually brought hidden cameras to theaters and recorded the screens–background noise and poor image quality included! *Who'd ever want to watch that?* Then, streaming services appeared on the scene and illegal movie sharing sites became less frequented. For a fair price, users could instantly pick from a solid selection of movies and songs, good enough for most users. For some time though, illegal sites have been seeing an increase in visitors–and stream service providers **may be partly to blame**!

Recently, we sat together and reminisced about the wild past. When the internet was still young, pirated copies of current movies were everywhere. People usually brought hidden cameras to theaters and recorded the screens–background noise and poor image quality included! Who'd ever want to watch that? Then, streaming services appeared on the scene and illegal movie sharing sites became less frequented. For a fair price, users could instantly pick from a solid selection of movies and songs, good enough for most users. For some time though, illegal sites have been seeing an increase in visitors–and stream service providers may be partly to blame!


Happy birthday Linux!

Even though we are a company with a clear focus on Windows, Linux certainly deserves flowers on its 30th birthday! After all, its influence on computer science in general and all of our lives in particular cannot be overstated.

Even though we are a company with a clear focus on Windows, Linux certainly deserves flowers on its 30th birthday! After all, its influence on computer science in general and all of our lives in particular cannot be overstated. Whether you're enjoying the onboard computer in your car, your "smart" TV or this blog article on your Android device, Linux (or its derivatives) is running the show. Even Windows users frequently benefit from standards, features and ideas born in the multitudinous Linux community.

Even though we are a company with a clear focus on Windows, Linux certainly deserves flowers on its 30th birthday! After all, its influence on computer science in general and all of our lives in particular cannot be overstated. Whether you're enjoying the onboard computer in your car, your &quot;smart&quot; TV or this blog article on your Android device, Linux (or its derivatives) is running the show. Even Windows users frequently benefit from standards, features and ideas born in the multitudinous Linux community.


Fight against evil or step in the wrong direction? Apple's latest plans

However noble and necessary Apple’s fight against child pornography may be, the technical implementation and unspoken general suspicion towards users has caused much discussion.

Apple wants to keep child sexual abuse material off their iCloud servers and away from minors–and has created an uproar among their fans and beyond. Because, *however noble and necessary their cause*, **the technical implementation and unspoken general suspicion towards everyone sparks controversy**. So what is Apple planning, how far can they go as a private company, and how are other service providers handling the issue? Let's find out!

Apple wants to keep child sexual abuse material off their iCloud servers and away from minors–and has created an uproar among their fans and beyond. Because, however noble and necessary their cause, the technical implementation and unspoken general suspicion towards everyone sparks controversy. So what is Apple planning, how far can they go as a private company, and how are other service providers handling the issue? Let's find out!


All posts by Sven: