Willem's Blog
https://willem.com/blog/ (RSS)
Why not to use AI for writing - a blog post on the underestimated long term costs of AI tools for human creativity.
Learn how to go viral on X using simple logic in creating engaging posts.
This may be Apple Vision Pro's killer feature, enabling you to see dead people: augmenting old photos into lifelike representations.
How hard can it be to build your own cycling and running workout tracker app using native code with some help from AI? Read along to find out!
Discover my journey from noob to (half) marathon finisher and how I balanced data with fitness - read about my experiences!
Discover how saying 'no' can lead to more innovative and meaningful work in this blog post: "No, I Won't Build That!"
My thoughts on using Vision Pro to get some real work done, exploring what Spatial Computing means and how it can be useful.
Exploring the balance between health data and intuition, this blog post delves into how personal well-being and fitness goals shape our relationship with technology and self-awareness.
Learn about the rsync-backup-rotator tool that helps you automatically rotate backups using rsync, creating and maintaining multiple recovery points from your backups.
Embark on a digital detox journey as I swap my smartphone for an Apple Watch Ultra, exploring the liberating yet challenging world of wearable tech.
Discover how one cyclist's quest for the perfect lighting solution led to a custom installation of dynamo powered lights, ensuring a bright and hassle-free ride on the darkest roads.
Explore the transformative power of AI in everyday work: Dive into firsthand insights from a recent AI training session that's reshaping professional landscapes.
"Discover the transformative power of simple conversations in our tech-dominated world, as one individual delves into the lost art of talking to strangers and the profound connections it can forge."
It's been over half a year since I moved from the city to the countryside. I regularly travel between these locations for work and leisure. Being a cycling enthusiast, I keep a bike at both places, and this has led me to discover a funny thing.
Join me on an intriguing journey as I explore the transformative impact of effective training and data analysis on my performance in the Fietselfstedentocht 2023.
Discover the hidden advantages of the iPad Pro in this insightful blog post, offering tips and personal experiences to help you maximise the tablet's potential and redefine your workflow.
Discover how AI-generated code can revolutionise your software development process and optimise cloud performance in our fascinating exploration of GPT-4's transformative capabilities.
Dive into a digital blast from the past and learn how a 15-year-old ThinkPad X200 can revolutionise your workflow – join my cloud-free adventure today!
Embark on your own long-distance cycling adventure by learning from my post-COVID Fietselfstedentocht experience, packed with invaluable tips and tricks.
Facing sky-high cloud costs, I found software optimisation vital. Discover how I saved 90% on cloud expenses!
Join me on a special course exploring scientific programming, the perfect moment to learn Python with recent advancements in machine learning like ChatGPT!
Celebrating a major milestone, I treated myself to a Rolex DateJust 36. Want to know what it's like? Keep reading!
Join me on a journey from the bustle of Amsterdam to the tranquility of Noord-Limburg's countryside.
MUSE's legendary rock fused with Amsterdam's Royal Theatre Carré for an unforgettable, electrifying experience - read about my experience!
With the Brompton foldable bike you find yourself a very versatile companion to go whenever and wherever you please!
The weather app indicating rain caused an empty bike lane this morning, making me wonder about the power we put into these things.
If you're looking for a user-friendly alternative for CAPTCHA's you should check this post out where I outline how I protect web forms against malicious actors and spammers.
People sometimes act suprised when I tell them about my music hobby, manually converting CD's to lossless audio files; there is some reason to this madness however!
Happily accepting the invitation to attend an exhibition of Snake 97 art works in Antwerp. This was totally WOW!
Use WHOOP to see the impact your choices have on your body, think of it as a special kind of mirror - it's so powerful, that I don't take mine off!
The iPhone Mini has intangible greatness that most folks don't know about: read along for the love of mini!
Finding the answer to the question how resilient a puncture-proof tire really is took me quite some time, but alas - here it is!
Using a Google Free Android phone is uncommon these days, yet I decided to try the Volla Phone to experience its freedom and privacy.
Explore the world together with your kids and reap the rewards of adventure and fun!
In response to a possible security breach on a VMware ESXi host machine, I search for a way to improve security of the management console using NGINX and a firewall
Witnessing the birth of a child changes a man, for science and curiosity I wore a biometric sensor capturing the impact of birth on yours truly.
Helping a customer clear its on-premise data room and migrate to the cloud: an adventure full of cables, cabinets and bandwidth!
I am glad I took the opportunity to wear a Grand Seiko, learning first hand about its craftsmanship, innovation and practicality.
The paper-like display makes you forget about reMarkable's digital innards, working with this tablet is therefore quite remarkable!
This week our son was hospitalised because a regular illness caused him to keep vomiting, a dangerous situation if you're diagnosed with MCADD.
Worn on your fingers, the Tap Strap recognises tapping and moving to control and type without a mouse or keyboard!
Taking a fixed gear road bike for a gran fondo! Let some of my fun be of inspiration to you!
You learn from experts if you have the privilege to work with them, this month I had a chance to help a professional food photographer.
Consider these three things to maximise the effect of the words you write for your website, blog or company.
Why you should wear two watches, don't choose between a mechanical watch and a smartwatch!
It's easy to dismiss your phone's notifications as something that disturbs you, but if you take the time to set them up correctly, notifications can actually save you time!
Downtime happens and it is nothing to be ashamed of, just make sure that you set yourself up to discover problems as soon as possible! Know about problems before your customers do!
Leverage platform capabilities to quickly launch new products, designing for reusability, flexibility and extensibility.
After a year of experimenting with Debian GNU/Linux on a Surface Go 2 I have returned to iPad Pro and the Mac.
This week my trustworthy commuter bike started making strange squeaking noises when braking, time to have a look at the bike after 21.000KM!
This month I reversed engineered my way into developing software for a Chinese Android device with an embedded printer!
Never have I been so blown away as by the new MacBook Air with M1 processor. It is a big deal.
Dealing with a capacity queue is challenging, but if you take the time to model it right it is possible to create a performant and reliable system.
Last month I received my custom made wristwatch from Switzerland, it is a minimalistic mechanical annual calendar designed to be understated and true to the metal.
After some adventure with our cargo bike, the Shimano Nexus 7-speed shifter cable got damaged and needed replacement. Read my blog post to learn how to do this yourself.
This week I tested the Surface Laptop Go with Windows 10 and quite frankly was amazed by the experience!
Using NodeJS I added RSS feeds to my blog as support for feeds can still provide you with value. Read about the "how" and "why" in this post.
In this post I'll explain how to use rsync to transfer files to another computer system in an efficient manner, suitable to be used in a backup script.
This week I attempted to recover two decades of personal photo history from a crashed iMac.
If you're looking for an alternative for common cycling computers, the Omata One is something truely special: it indicates your speed, distance, ascent and time ridden using mechanical hands!
Installing Debian GNU/Linux on a Surface Go 2 with LTE/4G to replace my iPad Pro as daily driver.
In order to optimise my workflow, I was looking for a way to seamlessly access the same files on both my computer and smartphone. Read along to find out how I did it.
Recently I freed myself from Apple Photos, using free software to manage my photo library. Read along to find out what software I use and how to make it play nice with your devices.
This week I cleaned an automatic vintage watch and fitted it to with a new strap, rediscovering old beauty underneath layers of dirt!
While everybody is raving about the Magic Keyboard there is something to be said for the "mouse-less" Smart Keyboard Folio. Read along for a detailed analyses based on actual iPad use.
For my work I am continuously looking into scientific sources to improve e-commerce performance, conversion rates and online revenue. Use this useful report to apply behavioural sciences principles to your advantage.
This month I nearly destroyed my iMac during an attempt to upgrade it. Thanks to determination and some spare time I was able to resurrect it from the death!
Try fixing your Giro bicycle helmet? I went through some trouble to do it! Read along to find out how.
I am working on a new app involving personal health that requires a natural intuitive interface that works well on touch screens. It's good to check out some best practices for touch UI design
For the past six months I have been wearing the same watch, every day and night. Read along to learn what makes the Tudor Black Bay 36 the perfect every day watch.
Designing backend servers to connect with external services is challenging as you need to take into account unreliability and unpredictability.
To better understand how to visualise health I looked at different health/fitness apps and games.
I needed to design a scalable backend infrastructure that could handle lots of concurrent users. I did this by leveraging the client's computing power having it handle most of the user interaction workload.
Designing a food ordering page is surprisingly challenging because of the many variables that need to be accommodated on a very small screen.
For the past few months I have been riding the Schindelhauer Siegfried Road bike with the Gates CDX Carbon Drive, read about this beautiful minimal bike in this post.
Over the past few weeks I worked with Microsoft Surface Pro X to see if it is any good, can it be your main computer?
This month I responded to an automated alert indicating excessive bandwidth usage on a server, requiring me to apply traffic shaping to mitigate the traffic.
Designing and implementing a micro payment system with an emphasis on simplicity. Read about how I did it in this post.
I wondered if I could escape Windows by installing Debian GNU/Linux on a Surface Go, read along to find out how to do this!
This week I flew to Gothenburg to talk about enterprise software architecture, read along to learn about choosing the right architecture for your app development
You can setup a CardDAV/CalDAV server to manage your own contacts, addressbook, agenda and task data and share it between your devices.
This week I sold my car, I now no longer own one. I look back at my years of owning a sports car, if you're looking for a reason to buy one you should check this out.
This week I had my blood examined to measure my cholesterol levels, taking a lipid profile. Know your LDL, HDL and Triglycerides numbers with a simple test.
I have been wearing a sleep mask in bed, blocking all light. It has been amazing for my sleep's quality. Read along for my findings!
The past months I have been wearing the WHOOP Strap 3.0, a wearable sensor that collects health and fitness data. It's different compared to most other fitness bands as it was designed with professional athletes in mind. It is focussed on daily strain, recovery and sleep. Read along to find out how this works.
For an exciting new project I have been experimenting with TensorFlow, enabling realtime pose detection using PoseNet.
Earlier this month my dynamo powered headlight on my commuter bike needed replacing. One of the electrical connectors broke of, likely caused by intense daily use. I searched for the best possible light, one that would be extremely durable and bright. I found the Supernova E3 PRO 2 and decided to install it on my bike.
This month I installed a professional HPE ProLiant DL380p server in a datacenter in Amsterdam, read this post to see how this was done!
Flying in a C47-A Skytrain over The Netherlands is one magnificent birthday gift I received, experiencing aviation history unlike anything else!
Take advantage of the improved support for multiple windows on iPadOS by implementing new UI concepts enabling different use cases for your app.
This month I attended Global AppSec Amsterdam, an international conference for hackers and security specialists. Read along for some of the highlights.
Deal with backscatter spam by implementing a stringent SMTP delivery policy at MTA level.
In this post I describe my experience with installing the 4iiii Precision Powermeter on my road bike.
I wondered how hard it would be to make a bike from spare parts I had in my garage
Limitations of heart rate analyses during sleep, why you should reconsider tracking your sleep.
Understanding the differences in common HR monitors used in wearables, smartwatches and fitness trackers
How hard can it be to assemble a cargo bike? This posts shares my experience with assembling the Babboe Big cargo bike.
It's six months since our son was born with MCADD, a good moment to reflect upon the experience of being a parent with some thoughts and tips.
This week I took my bike for a long distance (211)KM ride around the Dutch Markermeer, solo! Read along for practical tips for long distance cycling.
Learn how to use the dig command to query domain name servers to find the source of network problems, IP-addresses, hostnames, mail servers and related info.
Collect advanced bike ride data using your smartphone connected to external Bluetooth sensors and a steer mounted display.
Read along for a comprehensive list of advanced Google search operators that allow you to filter your search results.
A lot of people use WordPress to manage their website. Prevent your site from being hacked using this blog post.
This week it was time for some maintenance on my iRobot Roomba robot vacuum cleaner. Read along to learn how I did it.
People pay me to hack them, provided I'll explain how I did it. Read along to learn how hackers use security holes to hack your app, webshop or website!
Answering questions from one of the most popular posts of last year, I am reviewing my commuter bike after one year of extensive use through winter and summer.
Our son was diagnosed with MCADD days after he was born. We experienced a metabolic crisis but were lucky to be just in time!
Last Christmas my wife gave birth of our son. It's a life changing experience to become a parent. Read along for my (biometric) findings and some practical tips.
After much testing I have selected a bag and set of cases to fit my entire business, wherever I go.
Read about my experience during the workshop I got as a birth day present involving the Wim Hof Method.
For one week I drove the electric Smart EQ fortwo in and around town. I found out what it's like to drive electrically: fun!
I tested the Apple Watch during my work in Frankfurt this week where I had to go inside an internet data centre.
Yesterday I helped a young woman with her broken computer containing precious photos, could I safe them?
I switched to Android to find out how good a budget smartphone performs compared to an expensive iPhone.
This month I tested the newest watchOS while swimming and cycling.
Make your website faster by optimising the images. This posts explains how you can do this.
On Tenerife you'll find Teide, the world's second highest volcano with extra terestial views and a perfect altitude for stargazing.
Comparing Google Analytics with AWStats to find out where they differ and which is better.
This week I helped a man with repairing and reinstalling his computer with Debian GNU/Linux.
This year I didn't drink alcohol during Rock Werchter, leading to interesting observations during the music festival.
Using dichloromethane and sanding paper I removed the paint from my bike frame to create a minimal, raw aluminium look.
Today I created a minimal iPhone stand from oak wood. I used a single piece of wood to get it done.
Using health data gathered by sensors and wearables I learned to listen to my body. Now I have stopped using bluetooth sensors all together.
This week I went out for lunch by plane from Hilversum to Texel with a good buddy of mine.
Learning from powering my personal devices using nothing but self generated electricity using a solar panel and power banks.
This month I strapped myself with sensors during a little experiment outside my comfort zone: I debuted as amateur actor!
These 5 practical cyber security measures will improve the safety of server, website and data.
I have been using a tablet as my main computer for quite some time now. In this blog post I share you my experience on using Surface Pro and iPad Pro to get my work done.
Creating the ultimate commuter bike by upgrading the Sensa Cintura belt drive bike.
This month I bit the bullet big time: I redesigned the game engine of the wildly popular Snake '97 game. Read about the design challenges in this blog post.
Patina is often neglected when comparing smartwatches with regular watches.
How we're tricked into repeated purchases replacing perfectly fine products just for the sake of change.
One week on the VanMoof Electrified S E-bike testing it for commuting and comparing it to a normal bike.
Wearing a clinical-grade PPG sensor for a month to collect advanced biometrics from my wrist.
Creating a night stand from a raw slab of chestnut wood.
Saving a MacBook Air with a swollen battery pack.
Climbing Mount Etna, an active volcano on Sicily Italy.
Building a little datacenter in my basement utilising a very fast internet connection.
I killed my office LAN and went 4G only. Saves a lot of clutter, energy and money.
Cycling the 235KM long Fietselfstedentocht through Friesland
Blog post about an amazing AMG Circuit day at the race track of Zolder, Belgium.
Why I still wear a mechanical watch and why smartwatches have potential.
Reparing an old Nintendo Gameboy Advance to play classic Zelda again.
Programming with VIM over SSH on Apple Watch using a bluetooth keyboard
Using iPad Pro with Apple Pencil next to my computer to form a create powerhouse
GPS recording an entire year of bike rides using Garmin and Strava.
About my work as volunteer in the local community center in Amsterdam Zuidoost
What does it mean for my state of mind and creativity if I am no longer be constantly connected to the Internet using a smartphone.
Restore the retro glory of an old bike from the 70s using the internet.
Is the time right to use an iPad as primary development platform to get some real work done?
Find out if it is possible to turn a computer from the 90s into a modern development machine.