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Have you ever asked yourself, why the vast majority of people use either a Windows or a macOS computer? Or how it can be, that there’s virtually only one office suite (Microsoft Office), that uses de facto vendor-locked file types (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx). Or when software started to be a rental product, for which you need to keep paying money monthly or yearly? And why, despite this rental charge, those tools still collect and track your data, and violate your privacy at every moment?

In this blog post, I am going to explain how to change the WiFi card of a mini PC, using the Realtek 8852BE WiFi card, that comes with the Geekom A5, as an example. Many people (myself included) experience WiFi issues when using Linux on an affordable mini PC, such as the Geekom A5. While I absolutely love this device, the chosen WiFi card - the Realtek 8852BE - is not great. It seems to work well on Windows, but on Linux, it can lead to problems: WiFi would often suddenly disconnect and it would not be possible anymore to reconnect to the internet. Only a reboot helps in this situation.

When business stakeholders ask data experts seemingly simple questions, they often expect a quick and straightforward answer. On the surface, it seems like a piece of cake. But in the messy reality of data, what appears to be a simple question can quickly turn into a multi-layered onion of a problem - each layer revealing increasing complexity and ambiguity. Let’s take a practical example from the insurance industry. A sales executive asks:

In recent years, in light of the growing attention given to climate change and environmental concerns, insurance companies worldwide have been increasingly focused on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) objectives. Indeed, according to a survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2022, 85% of global insurers believe that ESG will impact all functions of their business in the years to come. Bitcoin on the other hand, is often denounced to be “terrible for the environment” and a “contributor to climate degradation”. Media outlets oftentimes quote statistics such as:

Insurance is a market-based risk management tool, which is fundamentally based on sharing and diversifying risks among a community of policyholders. It creates a safety net against unpredictable events, protecting individuals and societies from potentially hazardous financial losses. This invaluable system not only provides a sense of security to its members but also fosters innovation and exploration, encouraging humans to embrace calculated risks. Thus, insurance makes our world more resilient, fostering innovation and stability.