BRUCEB NEWS
The Claude Crisis: AI And The Presumption Of Regularity
It’s Anti-AI week! Protests and petitions and boycotts and resignations , oh my. OpenAI (ChatGPT) is the villain. Anthropic (Claude) is the hero, topping the download charts after a burst of headlines about AI and the Pentagon and are you kidding me,…
MSN MESSENGER ENCARTA BOT
Here’s an interesting thing to do with MSN Messenger. Add the Encarta bot, encarta@conversagent.com, to your contact list, then ask a question. If the answer can be found…
EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES AND BACKUPS WITH WINDOWS ONECARE LIVE
If you’re not backing up your computer, you’re not alone – but the backup utility in Windows OneCare Live should be on your mind. The price is low, the software…
WINDOWS ONECARE LIVE
Microsoft’s antivirus program, Windows OneCare Live, is now open for general beta testing by anyone running Windows XP with Service Pack 2. Go to the Live.com web site…
RIAA BANS TELLING FRIENDS ABOUT SONGS
In the news today: “LOS ANGELES-The Recording Industry Association of America announced Tuesday that it will be taking legal action against anyone discovered telling…
CYBER MONDAY
The retail industry built the day after Thanksgiving into a cultural icon as “Black Friday” – the must-shop day when consumers are meant to feel a nearly…
VIRUS OUTBREAK
Update your virus definitions and stay away from e-mail attachments! There’s a new virus out there, the “SOBER” worm, that’s generating an unusual amount…
QUICKTIME INSTALLATION
Quicktime has a special place in my heart, along with America Online and RealPlayer, for its annoying and nonstandard installation routine. Here’s a blog that provides a…
SONY ROOTKIT OFFICIALLY MAINSTREAM NEWS
Sony is having a bad month. They’re still trying to sweep the whole thing under the rug, but their malware has even hit the comics page. If you haven’t been following…
QUICKBOOKS PRO 2006
Intuit has been working on an improved interface for Quickbooks for years, and the result just hit the shelves this week. The first review is very positive and it’s the…
PANEXA AND THE IMPORTANCE OF READING SAFETY INFORMATION
The web can be a valuable resource for researching heavily advertised pharmaceuticals. Case in point: the ads for Panexa may look tempting, but it’s a clear example of how…
SONY POSTSCRIPT: DRM FOR MACS
With reports of viruses in the wild taking advantage of Sony’s malware, Sony has agreed to drop the DRM software it licensed and take a deep breath before jumping back into…
BABY NAMES WIZARD
Great technology and a fascinating way to while away a few minutes: The Baby Name Wizard: NameVoyager has a wonderful visual display of the frequency that names have been used in…
SONY FLAILS
The Sony DRM debacle will continue to be in the news. Sony was hit with a class action lawsuit in California yesterday, and new information has emerged about the software that…
SONY’S LICENSE AGREEMENT
Sony is taking a lot of heat for the malware installed on people’s computers by Sony’s DRM software. Here’s my writeup and links, and some followup information….
SBC LOOKS FOR CONTROL
There is something about the communications industry that makes its executives go crazy – at our expense, and to our detriment. It happened to the CEO of Verizon in an…