Aspect is a cross-platform photo organisation and management tool that helps photographers efficiently sort, tag and organise their image collections with an interface designed to streamline the workflow and make photo admin fast and fun. No subscriptions, no cloud.

Only recently came across Stackfield for the first time. It’s German-made and hosted collaboration and communication platform that combines task management, Slack-like chat, file sharing and calendar features in one workspace, with a focus on data privacy and GDPR compliance for businesses.

Another EU-based alternative to Big US Tech: Jottacloud is a Norwegian-based cloud storage and backup service with secure file syncing, automatic photo backups and unlimited storage options with a strong emphasis on privacy and European data protection standards. Friends of DD enjoy a 15% discount on the first year of personal subscriptions. Become a Friend to access specials like this.

A little tool that lets you create your own media feed based on RSS, websites, Substacks or even the subtitles of Youtube videos, that you can then synchronise with your e-reader (like Kindle) to comfortably read on an E Ink screen without distractions.

In yet another great piece, Rosie Spinks offers a practical formula for building community: create or find recurring, accessible gatherings that bring diverse people together without requiring significant planning or investment. She argues that by prioritising consistent presence in these shared spaces rather than pursuing immediate deep friendships, we naturally cultivate meaningful connections that are essential for combating isolation. “People can certainly turn into friends – as one reader wisely noted in a prior post, ‘quantity time leads to quality time’ – but in order for that to happen naturally, I’ve realized you have to orient your life so you can keep showing up to see them.”

Ezra Klein articulates a problem that’s plaguing many Western democracies: for an increasing amount of people their government seems to no longer sufficiently serve them and the innate inefficiencies of complex governing structures makes them turn towards extreme views. Musk’s DOGE taps into this trend and reveals a truth that liberal/left-leaning politicians need to face. The left, Klein argues, needs to present a more radical politics of abundance that proves government is capable of delivering infrastructure, housing and other essential needs. While I agree with the sentiment, I have my doubts that a politics of abundance can occur within planetary boundaries.

I’d love to see this approach get more air time: Paul Worthington argues that many companies are overly focused on data and metrics, leading to anti-human practices and a lack of innovation. He suggests that businesses should prioritise leadership that values human experience, qualitative insights and narrative-driven strategies – because it’s ultimately better for business. “The result [of measureship] is a brutalist business philosophy defined by its relentless optimization of the status quo for the corporation’s good at the expense of the customer. It also demonstrates all the hallmarks of exploitable competitive weakness, riddled as it is with predictable and observable problems.” ”