Snippets

49 short distillations of the longer posts, written per paragraph and each linking to its full article. These are not published on willem.com itself: the current build renders only the full posts, so these pages have been unreachable since. They are complete, hand-written, and exposed here because a machine surface is exactly where a focused answer belongs.

• Aves Gallery — A Privacy-First Photo Gallery App for Android: No cloud, no Google Photos dependency — a local-first gallery that just works.
• AWStats vs Google Analytics — A Privacy-Friendly Alternative: Server-side analytics that work without cookies, JavaScript, or tracking your visitors.
• Batch Rename Photos by Date Using EXIF Data on Linux: Use exiftool to rename thousands of photos to YYYYMMDD-HHMM format in seconds.
• Building a Cross-Platform Game with HTML5 — The Snake '97 Engine: One codebase, every platform — how a retro game runs on iOS, Android, and web from a single HTML5 engine.
• Cyclemeter — The Best Bike Computer App for iPhone: GPS tracking, sensor support, and Apple Watch integration — without a subscription.
• Dovecot 2.4 mail_location Has Changed — How to Migrate: The mail_location setting has been split in Dovecot 2.4 — here's the new syntax.
• Dovecot 2.4 SSL Certificate Configuration Change: ssl_cert becomes ssl_server_cert_file — and other encryption changes.
• Fixing the dovecot_config_version Error in Dovecot 2.4: Dovecot 2.4 refuses to start without dovecot_config_version — here's how to fix it.
• Game Localisation — How Snake '97 Supports 45+ Languages: From Arabic to Vietnamese — internationalising a game for a global audience.
• Gates Carbon Drive on a Commuter Bike — Long-Term Review: A carbon belt instead of a chain — after thousands of kilometres, was it worth it?
• Google Search Operators — The Complete List for Power Users: site:, filetype:, intitle:, cache: — every operator explained.
• How Much Data Does Google Collect from Your Android Phone: The hidden tracking inside a stock Android phone — and what you can do about it.
• How to Clean a Vintage Automatic Watch by Hand: Found at a flea market, taken apart, cleaned, and brought back to life.
• How to Convert HEIC to JPG in Bulk Using ImageMagick: One command to convert all your iPhone HEIC photos to universally compatible JPG.
• How to Export Photos from Apple Photos Without Losing Quality: Export your unmodified originals, batch rename by EXIF date, and convert HEIC to JPG.
• How to Open a 27-inch iMac 5K — Step by Step with Photos: The screen is glued on. Here's how to remove it without breaking anything.
• How to Remove Paint from a Bike Frame: Chemical stripper, sandpaper, patience — the complete strip-and-repaint guide.
• How to Replace a Swollen MacBook Air Battery: The trackpad bulges, the case warps — here's how to save it before it's too late.
• How to Service and Repair an iRobot Roomba Vacuum Cleaner: Complete teardown and service guide — brushes, filters, sensors, wheels.
• How to Upgrade RAM in a 27-inch iMac 5K: The easiest iMac upgrade — accessible through a small hatch behind the screen.
• Installing and Riding with a 4iiii Power Meter on Your Bike: From installation to first ride — what power data actually tells you about your cycling.
• Installing Linux on a Microsoft Surface Go: From creating a bootable USB to a working touch-friendly Linux tablet.
• Leiden Marathon Review — When the Going Gets Tough: A flat course through Dutch history — and the mental game of pushing through the wall.
• Living with MCADD — A Parent's Guide to the Metabolic Condition: What MCADD means for daily life, what to watch for, and how one family navigates it.
• Managing Your Photo Library with Free Software Instead of iCloud: Shotwell on Linux as a complete replacement for Apple Photos and iCloud.
• Mindfold Sleep Mask — Total Darkness for Better Sleep: Not a regular sleep mask — the Mindfold blocks 100% of light while letting you open your eyes.
• NuPhy Air60 V2 Review — A Compact Mechanical Keyboard for Serious Typing: Low-profile mechanical switches, Bluetooth, compact layout — tested by someone who types for a living.
• Omarchy — A Minimal Linux Distribution on an iMac: Arch-based, tiling window manager, designed for focus — running on Apple hardware.
• Ortlieb Urban Daypack 15L — The Minimal Business Backpack: Waterproof, compact, and just big enough for a laptop, tablet, and nothing more.
• Replacing the Roc Loc 5 Retention System on a Giro Helmet: The retention system broke, but the helmet itself is fine — here's the fix.
• Restoring a 1978 Batavus Champion — Vintage Bike Rebuild: Found in a shed, stripped to the frame, rebuilt with modern parts — the bike that started it all.
• rsync Backup Rotation — Daily, Weekly, Monthly Archives: A practical rsync backup scheme with incremental transfers and automatic rotation.
• Shimano 7-Speed Shift Cable Replacement — Step by Step: The most bookmarked bike repair guide on the site — with photos of every step.
• Smart Roadster — The Impractical Car I Loved and Sold: A tiny sports car with a leaky roof, a sluggish gearbox, and an unforgettable driving experience.
• Swimming with Apple Watch — Waterproof Performance Tested: Pool laps, open water, heart rate in the water — does it actually work?
• TCS Amsterdam Marathon Review — Running 42 km Through the City: One of Europe's fastest marathon courses — through the Vondelpark, along the Amstel, finishing in the Olympic Stadium.
• Touch Screen UI Design — What Mouse Interfaces Got Wrong: Why most touch interfaces are broken — they were designed for a cursor, not a finger.
• Traffic Shaping on Linux with iptables and tc — A Practical Guide: Limit bandwidth per IP or service using HTB queuing disciplines.
• Tudor Black Bay 36 — Three Years of Daily Wear: Not a first-week review. This is what happens after 1,000+ days on the wrist.
• Using an Apple Watch with Cellular as Your Only Phone: What happens when you ditch the iPhone entirely and live with just the watch.
• Using dig to Query DNS — A Beginner's Guide: The most useful terminal command for debugging domains, email, and web hosting.
• Valencia Marathon Review — Running a World-Class Course in Spain: One of the world's top 5 fastest marathon courses — flat, warm, and finishing through the City of Arts and Sciences.
• Venloop Half Marathon Review — Running 21 km in Venlo: A first half marathon through Limburg — with sensor data, honest preparation notes, and the finish line feeling.
• Vibe Coding — When AI Writes Code from Natural Language Prompts: The trend of letting AI generate code from descriptions — tested by a developer who's been coding for decades.
• Whoop Heart Rate Accuracy — Tested Against a Chest Strap: Optical wrist sensor vs clinical-grade chest strap — the real numbers.
• Whoop Sleep Tracking — What It Actually Measures: Sleep stages, HRV, respiratory rate — and the limits of wrist-based measurement.
• Why a ThinkPad X200 is Still a Great Laptop: An old machine that outperforms new ones — for the work that actually matters.
• Working in VR — Can Apple Vision Pro Replace Your Monitor?: Spatial computing tested for real work — not demos, not games, but actual productivity.
• Working Offline First — Why Your Software Should Work Without Internet: The case for computing that doesn't break when the WiFi drops.