Category: General

  • The NFT Danger Zone

    The NFT Danger Zone

    Susanna Petrin closes her NFT experiment with a dystopia of life after we destroyed our environment: Admiring our NFTs while strolling through the metaverse. I hope we can avert both.

  • Blockchain in a nutshell

    Blockchain in a nutshell

    People often try to claim blockchain use cases without much deliberation. Here is a condensed, quotable version of «Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Blockchain» and «Data lifecycle questions, not only for Blockchains».

  • Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Blockchain

    Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Blockchain

    Blockchain, cryptocurrencies, smart contracts, Web3 and NFT are the talk of the town. Almost everyone has an opinion, but hardly anyone understands the foundations or relationships. The goal of this series, whose first part you are currently reading, is to provide a structured presentation of promises, the technology behind, and the reality. Using everyday analogies…

  • Solana Blockchain: Proof of History analogies

    Solana Blockchain: Proof of History analogies

    Here are some attempts to compare Proof of History (PoH), as used by the Solana blockchain, with Proof of Work (PoW). Comparisons to real-world activities, such as dice rolling or outer-space rubber-stamp throwing are also included.

  • Array Thickening: More can be less

    Array Thickening: More can be less

    When turning flexible file formats into data structures, the consensus seems to be to avoid using arrays whenever possible. However, more arrays may reduce code and coding errors. A plea against the extinction of arrays.

  • CompanyON: Serving as gutSTEIN

    CompanyON: Serving as gutSTEIN

    Our gift card solution for regional brick-and-mortar stores and restaurants has been successfully used in Stein am Rhein for almost a year. As of today, the local version of our gift card for Stein am Rhein, provided by the regional business association, also has a local name: gutSTEIN. The card has become an important asset…

  • Contact Tracing — Quo Vadis?

    Contact Tracing — Quo Vadis?

    How much we are all looking forward to returning to normal lives: Meeting friends, hugging family, a cool beer, culture. After more than a year, we really deserve it! However, there are still roadblocks in the form of a bloody virus and the countermeasures. Anyone promising a quick end is hailed as a saviour. (This…

  • The Phone Advantage

    The Phone Advantage

    Smartphones and apps have been hyped for over a decade now. But sometimes, the smartphone is not the smartest thing to get an interaction done. A dedicated device or even a plain old phone may be better. Let us look at some advantages of telephones.

  • Toy store for grown-ups

    Toy store for grown-ups

    Toys, games, handicraft and fun should not be limited to children, especially not in a society where creativity is important. I am therefore excited to announce that our small yet beautiful town of Stein am Rhein has a new toy store, focusing on grown-ups. The bigger sibling of the children’s toy store Wundernas, the new…

  • DNSSEC: Beware during algorithm transitions

    DNSSEC: Beware during algorithm transitions

    DNSSEC is cool. It easily adds security to probably the most important enabling protocol in today’s Internet: No web pages could be found, email delivered, or instant message received, without the Domain Name System (DNS). DNSSEC also enables DANE, a step forward for certificates for most applications. Sometimes you want to change a few settings.…