Posted inCan We Talk About This Please? In the News Online & Digital Politics & Opinion

The BND Espionage Affair: When “Friends” Spy on Each Other

As if Edward Snowden’s revelations about large-scale NSA surveillance in Europe and Germany, and the tapping of Angela Merkel’s mobile phone, had not already been enough, the U.S. spying scandal has entered its next chapter—despite all denials from the NSA and CIA. To summarize what happened: last week a BND employee was arrested. He is accused of having sold 218 confidential BND documents over the past two years to the CIA for a total of about €25,000. The man worked in the department “Areas of Operation/Foreign Relations” and was apparently responsible for archiving documents. In that role, of course, he had access…
Posted inIn the News Online & Digital Politics & Opinion

Why the Pirate Party Still Matters

I usually don’t like to write anything that sounds like electioneering—but in this case, I will. For the Pirate Party. In my view, the Pirate Party is important for Germany and for its political landscape. Of course, in its current state it isn’t ready to govern a country. But especially the Berlin state faction has shown that the party can make an important contribution in parliament—and, in my opinion, also in the Bundestag. What sets them apart is their different mindset, their unconventional approach, and yes, sometimes even their lack of experience. The Pirates look at issues from a perspective that…
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Digitize Photo Books

This post also marks the very first entry in a new category I’m calling “Pick of the Week.” The idea is simple: every now and then, I want to highlight something I’ve discovered that I really enjoy and can wholeheartedly recommend to others. So let’s dive right into the first pick. For about two years now, I’ve been working on a personal project: digitizing my old photo albums. Some of them were easy enough to scan on a standard household flatbed scanner. Small keepsakes like ticket stubs or postcards worked without any issues. It’s not complicated—just a matter of patience and persistence. Of course,…
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Pick of the Week: DropIt – Automating Photo & Video Organization

Two weeks ago, I stumbled upon an interesting open-source Windows application called DropIt. Before diving into why I like it so much, let me first describe the problem I was trying to solve. I organize all my photos and videos manually into folders. Yes, I know there are plenty of archiving tools from Google, Yahoo, or even Apple’s iPhoto and Aperture on macOS. But I don’t want to upload my pictures to the cloud, nor do I want to depend on a single piece of proprietary software to keep track of something as important as my memories. Instead, all my files are…
Posted inCan We Talk About This Please? In the News Online & Digital Politics & Opinion

Dear Telekom, You’re Just a Cable

I’ve borrowed this headline from Timo Hetzel (Bits und So / Undsoversum / Blog) because I find it so fitting. Many so-called providers still haven’t understood that at the end of the day, they are nothing more than a cable. A copper cable, a fiber optic cable, or a wireless connection — but still just a cable. They connect us with one another, through telephone lines or the internet. But for years, these providers have been trying to be more than just the pipe through which the bits flow. They want to upsell us with “value-added services.” Sometimes with a bit of…
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Good Bye CC²

I still remember sitting glued to the TV, fascinated, as Wolfgang Back and Wolfgang Rudolph presented the latest technical innovations, clever ideas, and DIY builds on WDR’s Computer Club. Always up to date and truly an IT institution. The show, moderated by the two Wolfgangs since 1983, was discontinued in 2003 without a real replacement. None of the follow-up programs ever matched what Computer Club had been. Then came the relief. Thanks to a lucky discovery online, I stumbled across CC² (Computer Club Zwei) as a podcast back in 2006, when it was still in its early days. The two Wolfgangs had teamed…
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Social Media Hoaxes

We’ve all seen it: every so often, alarming posts start circulating through our timelines. Someone claims that unless you change a particular setting, all your profile data will suddenly become public. Recently, one of these rumors made the rounds again—this time about a supposed Facebook Terms of Service change that would give the platform rights to all content published there. Whether you agree with Facebook’s policies or not, here’s the reality: you accept Facebook’s terms the moment you create an account. Any future changes to the Terms of Service are announced via official notifications, and they’re considered accepted automatically if you continue…
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Great iPad Games

After writing about my favorite iPhone games (some of which I also play on the iPad), today I want to share a few of my favorite iPad games. The iPad really shines with titles that use the larger screen well or require precise touch controls. No surprise, most of my picks fall into the strategy and puzzle category. iBomber Defense Classic tower defense with a twist Yes, another tower defense game—I can’t help it! The genre demands patience, strategy, timing, and instinct… basically everything I don’t have, but I still love playing. iBomber Defense brings a unique style to the mix. The graphics are…
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Great iPhone Games

As a long-time Apple fan, I naturally spend some time gaming on my iPhone and iPad. Whether it’s while traveling or just waiting at the doctor’s office, a quick game is the perfect way to pass the time. Here are a few of my all-time favorite iOS games that might sweeten some of your own spare moments: geoDefense & geoDefense Swarm Tower Defense with a neon twist geoDefense is a classic tower defense game, but with a unique, glowing neon aesthetic. Your job is to defend your base from waves of enemies traveling along a path, using towers like lasers, rockets,…
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Mac App-Recommendation: Better Snap Tool

Managing windows on a Mac can sometimes be a bit tricky. Back in Windows 7, there was a very handy feature: drag a window to the left or right edge of the screen, and it would snap to full height but half the screen width—perfect for working with two apps side by side. For a long time, macOS didn’t offer anything like that, which is why I want to share an app recommendation. BetterSnapTool, created by Andreas Hegenberg, fills exactly this gap—and goes even further. It not only replicates the classic snap-to-edge functionality, but also lets you define your own…