Category: In the Media

  • Tracking devices and counting cars

    Tracking devices and counting cars

    What’s the difference between seeing a red car and seeing a mobile device, Peter Beijer asked (NRC, Saturday), in response to Bas Heijne’s reaction to the news that Dixons and other stores track our behaviour using the unique signals of our mobile phones. The answer depends on whether it’s a person or a machine that…

  • Imprisoned in Facebook

    Imprisoned in Facebook

    Once anyone has started a social life on Facebook, it’s very difficult to quit again. „Quitting Facebook is like throwing away your own diary”, internet expert Danny Mekic’ says. „You build up something personal that you won’t want to lose any more.” For that reason, many hundreds of millions of users can’t go a day…

  • Facebook is far more powerful than its tens of millions of users realise

    Facebook is far more powerful than its tens of millions of users realise

    Facebook is far more powerful than its tens of millions of users realise. „It’s a very scary fact that Facebook has the power to make or break companies or individuals.” That’s a warning from internet expert Danny Mekic’ on the social network’s tenth anniversary. „Because who decides what information you are shown?” Behind the scenes,…

  • ‘I want to discover the world. I’ll learn to let go of my fear of sleeping on the streets.’

    ‘I want to discover the world. I’ll learn to let go of my fear of sleeping on the streets.’

    They’re the three young musketeers. Their eloquent and often contrarian views have made them into national celebrities. Sywert van Lienden (21), who wants to demolish the Dutch political establishment. Gadget guru Alexander Klöpping (25), who also makes many a lady’s heart overclock. And possibly the most versatile of the three, Danny Mekić (25). Internet entrepreneur,…

  • The Economic Crisis

    The Economic Crisis

    Danny, What do you expect of 2013 on a personal level? We’ve ended up in an ‘economic crisis’, or at least that the name that’s been given to the current state of the world. That word – ‘crisis’ – is often used lately to mean we’ve fallen on rough times, a difficult period we’re going…

  • Own your own data

    Own your own data

    Two years ago, Mark Zuckerberg made a bold statement.  Privacy is a thing of the past, the founder of Facebook declared. A “social norm” that “has evolved over time.” Could that be true? written by Reinier Kist, NRC Handelsblad Barely a day passes without the media reporting on a database leaking large amounts of personal…