BRUCEB NEWS
Are You Feeling Subscription Fatigue Yet?
There are a lot of video streaming services. During the years when cable TV ruled the earth, all of us complained about the pricing of the bundles pushed by the cable companies. "I just want to watch The Daily Show! How unfair that I have to pay for a bundle that also...
SOFTWARE SECURITY FLAWS
Every so often I feel compelled to respond to the incessant coverage of the security flaws in Microsoft products. It’s easy to get the impression that Microsoft products are...
INTERNET USAGE CHARGES
The high-speed broadband providers, especially the cable companies, are driven to distraction that some people download more than others. Some people are using their broadband...
USB DRIVE FOLLOWUP
The little drives discussed below (see November 20) are truly wonderful. Here’s a roundup of six more that are less than thirty dollars each, for 16Mb of storage space –more than...
DMCA MADNESS
Everybody’s favorite legislation, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, got a workout yesterday. WalMart, Target, Best Buy, and Staples served notices under the DMCA on a bargain...
MICROSOFT RESEARCHERS: DRM DOOMED TO FAILURE
A fascinating report delivered to a conference on “Digital Rights Management” yesterday. A group of Microsoft researchers presented a paper which concludes that all efforts to...
USB DRIVES
I love my JumpDrive. Many people need to carry files from home to office. Floppy disks don't hold enough, and zip drives break. (Zip drives break a lot! Don’t trust them with...
POCKET PCs FROM DELL
As expected, Dell announced two new Pocket PC handhelds, breaking new ground for low prices at $199 and $299. Each has comparatively generous amounts of memory, built-in slots...
MAC VS. PC: HYPE VERSUS REALITY
I hear it from people all the time: PCs might have some advantages, but boy, there’s nothing like a Mac for graphics and video work, especially if you’re a professional. Well,...
ACCESS TO OUTLOOK FROM ANYWHERE
As we get more mobile, it becomes difficult to leave Outlook behind when we step away from our desk. America Online and MSN/Hotmail are awful services, but the idea of having...
COREL DEATHWATCH CONTINUES
Canadian news is reporting that Corel is laying off 22% of its remaining workforce in another last-ditch effort to stay alive. That leaves Corel with a grand total of 769...
VERISIGN DOMAIN MANAGEMENT
Verisign built a distinguished name for itself as “Network Solutions,” with sole responsibility for handling domain names for many years. It was, hands down, the least friendly,...
WEB SITE TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Speaking of Slashdot, somebody over there nominates American Airlines for the longest web site statement of terms and conditions, a behemoth that you have to accept before...
MICROSOFT DECISION LEAKED EARLY
An interesting technical sidelight on Judge Kollar-Kotelly’s approval of the Microsoft-DOJ settlement. The release of her decision was carefully scheduled for 4:30pm US Eastern...
DELL COMPUTERS AT COSTCO
Here’s an unexpected announcement. Dell Computers is going to sell computers through Costco’s web site at www.costco.com. The announcement is unclear about whether to expect...
MICROSOFT SETTLEMENT APPROVED
The coverage of Judge Kollar-Kotelly’s approval of the Microsoft-DOJ settlement in the mainstream press is likely to be a bit short on details and context. Here’s CNET’s...