Jul 12, 2020 | Cortana, Microsoft, Privacy, Windows tips, Windows10
This is a collection of default settings in Windows that I change to make computers less annoying. It reduces the number of ads for Microsoft disguised as “tips” and “suggestions,” and it softens some of Windows’ rough edges. There are...
Nov 7, 2019 | Amazon, Android, Apple, audio, business, Cortana, Echo, Google, Google Home, hardware, home assistants, Samsung, web_services
Part 1: Ambient Computing – Buzzwords That Are Changing Your World Part 2: Google Wants To Surround You With Invisible Assistants Google, Amazon, and Apple are the only companies capable of surrounding us with connected networks of devices and services. Google...
Sep 16, 2018 | Cortana, domains, laptops, Microsoft, Office, Office 365, OneDrive, security, web_services, Windows tips, Windows10
With the collapse of the Microsoft consumer ecosystem, there are fewer reasons all the time to sign into Windows 10 with a personal Microsoft account. I’m finding I frequently set up new computers with classic local accounts and bypass Microsoft’s push to...
Sep 4, 2018 | Amazon, Android, Apple, Chrome, Chromebook, Cortana, Echo, Google, Google Home, home assistants, Microsoft, phone, Samsung
Samsung is a global electronics company with hundreds of thousands of employees. It is the world’s largest information technology company, consumer electronics maker and chipmaker by revenue. Samsung sells more smartphones than any other manufacturer by a large...
Aug 29, 2018 | Adobe, Apple, Azure, Box, business, Cortana, Google, home assistants, IE, Microsoft, Office, Office 365, OneDrive, Outlook, Skype, Surface, web_services
Microsoft does not have an ecosystem for consumers or small businesses in 2018. There is very little synergy between Microsoft products and almost nothing locks us into Microsoft products when we move from one category to another. It makes old-timers sad to think of...
Jul 15, 2018 | Android, Chrome, Cortana, Google, Microsoft, Office, Office 365, Office tips, OneNote, Outlook, Windows10
Microsoft has quietly improved the speech recognition features in Windows 10 and in the Office programs. They’re still not great but you might want to give them a try if you haven’t talked to your computer in a while. One fundamental truth has not changed: If...
