Welcome to Markus Schall

Current contributions

Future with a charger - Mr. von L'oreot buys an e-scooter

by

It was one of those quiet mornings when the sun shone through the fine curtains of my study and the smell of freshly brewed Darjeeling mingled with that of newspaper ink - a smell that always reminds me of the orderly times when paper was still considered the carrier of thought and not the packaging for bananas.

As usual, I had neatly arranged my breakfast: two slices of gray bread, butter in a geometric arrangement, and a boiled egg with the familiar crack that always appears in the same place - a mystery that even progress cannot explain.

Read more

LoRA training: How FileMaker 2025 simplifies the fine-tuning of large language models

by
LoRA Fine tuning - FileMaker 2025

The world of artificial intelligence is on the move. New models, new methods and, above all, new possibilities are emerging on an almost weekly basis - and yet one thing remains constant: not every technical innovation automatically leads to a better everyday life. Many things remain experimental, complex or simply too costly for productive use. This is particularly evident in the so-called fine-tuning of large language models - a method of specializing generative AI to its own content, terms and tonalities.

I have accompanied this process intensively over the last few months - first in the classic form, with Python, terminal, error messages and nerve-wracking setup loops. And then: with FileMaker 2025. A step that surprised me - because it wasn't loud, but clear. And because it showed that there is another way.

Read more

Career, world view, future: Decisions in the shadow of upheaval

by
Decisions in the shadow of upheaval

This is not a guide in the traditional sense. You won't find any career recommendations, tables of future industries or tips on the perfect job application here. Instead, it's about something deeper: attitude, orientation and the ability to see clearly - at a time when many things are no longer sustainable.

There are times in life when you feel inside that things can't stay the way they were. Not because you are suddenly dissatisfied. But because you can see that the world around you is changing - and not for the better. Many people today feel this quiet pain. A tugging in the background that won't go away. The feeling that what has been sold to us for decades as "security" has less and less to do with reality.

Read more

Stress is not a force of nature - How to reclaim your freedom, step by step

by
Stress is not a force of nature

"You have too much stress."

That's what my dentist said to me when I was being treated for my CMD problems. And my spontaneous answer was one that many people would probably give:

"Yes, what am I supposed to do - I have the stress."

But his next sentence stuck in my head. He just said calmly:

Read more

Electronic invoices for SMEs: XRechnung, ZUGFeRD and ERP at a glance

by
Overview of the obligation to issue electronic invoices

Germany did not invent the e-invoice overnight - it is the result of years of standardization work (EN 16931), federal and state regulations (B2G) and now, via the Growth Opportunities Act, the gradual expansion into everyday B2B life. Since January 1, 2025, a new legal situation has applied: an "electronic invoice" is only an e-invoice if it is structured and machine-readable - pure PDF attachments by email are no longer an e-invoice according to the definition. This sounds technical, but has operational consequences from invoice receipt to accounting and archiving.

Read more

How AI specialists can be trained today - opportunities for companies and trainees

by
Train an AI specialist

Just a few years ago, artificial intelligence was a topic for research institutes and large corporations. People talked about neural networks, deep learning and speech recognition - but it hardly played a role in everyday life. Today, AI is no longer a topic for the future, but a reality: it writes texts, creates images, analyzes data and controls production processes. Whether in administration, trade or industry - it can now be found everywhere.

Read more

Emigrating to the Czech Republic: My path, my reasons, my plans

by
Emigrating to the Czech Republic

Some decisions are made overnight - others grow slowly. In my case, it was the latter. The idea of leaving Germany and starting a new chapter abroad has been with me for years. But as life goes, something kept getting in the way: Commitments, projects, personal ties - and last but not least, the comfortable familiarity of what you know. But at some point, the moment comes when you feel it:

Now is the time. Now is the time to act.

Read more

Detox without side effects? My experience report with humic acids

by
Humic acids for gentle detoxification

There are remedies that you only find out about much later than would actually have been good. That was the case for me with humic acids. In the early 2000s, I still had some amalgam fillings, which I had replaced with more modern fillings. Back in the 1980s, this was quite normal - you went to the dentist, got a silver seal and that was that. Nobody talked about heavy metals, mercury or detoxification. At least not in the dentist's surgery.

Read more