A a passionate German philologist and historian, Sven Krumrey, born 1973, was introduced to the computer age early by his Commodore C64 and later turned his hobby into a profession. He is equally intrigued by gadgets, good software, hypes surrounding the Internet and the contradictions of the digital age.
It's good apps that bring smartphones to life but app stores have unfortunately become somewhat of a jungle over the years. Many apps require far too many permissions while others cram home screens full of ads or become usable only after features have been unlocked through in-app purchases. That's why I like to look for open-source alternatives. Their source code is freely available, commercial interests play a minor role (contributors appreciate donations though!) and quality control is achieved through community participation. So let's look at 8+1 apps that deserve your attention!
YouTube, Facebook and many other media platforms are facing a problem: a lot of smut is distributed through their channels. That has always been the case but, recently, it has become a threat since extremists of all sorts have begun to use their channels to spread propagandist and violence-glorifying content. As new privacy laws are passed and advertising sponsors put on the pressure, the media giants have to either find better ways to handle the deluge of user posts or risk hefty fines. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been touted as the magic bullet but are algorithms really the solution?
Some news set the Internet ablaze with intractable fronts facing off. When recently the news broke that, as of now, all newly released European cars would have to include the "eCall" emergency system, that was one of those days. While some saw clear signs of an imminent Orwellian future as depicted in "1984", others made a case for faster help and fewer accident victims. And while we're still debating, Dubai has abandoned data privacy altogether. But where does expediency end and mass surveillance begin? Will future cars be traceable with pin-point accuracy in mere seconds?
As Windows advances, one important part of it remains as imperfect as ever: Windows Explorer. It may be enough to navigate around your files but if you value a little comfort or miss the old split-view (present up to Windows 95), you're out of luck. Why Microsoft doesn't offer a decent alternative is beyond me! Luckily, there are better, more feature rich and often free file managers out there - and one piece of software that has been painfully missed for over a decade is making a return!
Sometimes, you develop an almost personal relationship with a program. You know its quirks, follow its development over the years and appreciate the little features that make it unique. When the downfall of Netscape was on the horizon, I sorrowfully began looking for a new browser - and found an alternative that was just a little different: quirky but fast, customizable, and with various features other browsers only slowly adopted a few versions later. And despite all temptations and marketing buzz from rivals with more marketing power, Opera still remains my browser of choice to this day.
