TECH

MP3 - Blessing or curse for music?

Sven Krumrey

Exquisite listening experience for some - horror trip for others

Whenever I see my friend Frank kneel in front of his stereo system there's something cultish in the air. He demands absolute silence and concentration when he plays one of his songs. For hours, he can talk about speaker cables, capacitors and image widths. But if you wanted to silence him, all it would take is a single word: MP3. Then, his facial expression would reflect a little bit of pain, he'd be searching for the right words and let his shoulders fall down in resignation. Read on to learn why, to him, this format means the end of music while at the same time the beginning of a comprehensive music collection for many.

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TECH

2 minute tech: What's 4K / Ultra-HD?

Sven Krumrey

Three different screen resolutions in comparison

Tech zealots have been trembling in awe for a while when uttering these to words: 4K and Ultra-HD. You may have heard that this is a new standard for TVs and computer displays. Read on to learn what the fuss is all about and whether you should jump on the 4K bandwagon now!

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TECH

A high end cellphone for $150? A Chinese adventure

Sven Krumrey

Colorful, plain but spiffy!

My beloved Samsung S4 mini hasn't aged well over the years. Buttons are loose, the Android version feels ancient and the battery is on its last legs. What to do? Certainly not spend $600 on a high-end cellphone, my contract didn't warrant any subsidized replacement so I ventured into the legendary realm of China cellphones! The risk: These phones are not made for Western markets and there are no official distribution channels. Read on to learn about the entailing disadvantages and why I've begun to feel slightly paranoid.

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TECH

Windows 10 Upgrade – Free is too expensive?

Sven Krumrey

Sough-after or non-seller?

It's a bizarre situation: Microsoft offers a free upgrade to the latest operating system to its users - and they just say no! Or more precisely: They do upgrade but not in droves as Microsoft had planned. Windows 10 was supposed to run on more than one billion computers soon, that was the goal. At the beginning of 2016, roughly 200 million have installed it. And then Yang Yuanqing, Lenovo's current CEO who used to be a reliable ally, made the situation worse by openly criticizing the many issues especially users of older machines were facing with Windows 10. But Windows 10 still has a lot to offer and runs, to sum up the many tests, quite smoothly. Read on to learn about what you can expect from Windows 10, who really needs the new operating system and what risks are involved!

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TECH

2 minute tech: BIOS

Sven Krumrey

Your little helper

A friend of mine who works as a computer teacher refers to the "BIOS threshold" when asked to judge the competence of his students. Those who know about BIOS („basic input/output system“) have already had deeper experience in dealing with PCs. Since a BIOS is an integral part of most computers yet unknown to many users, here's a short introduction for you.

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