BRUCEB NEWS
The Outlook Search Bar Is Changing, Whether You Like It Or Not. (You Won’t Like It.)
If you use the Outlook desktop program for Windows, the search bar is going to change and move around and grow and grow and grow like a mutant chicken heart from an old horror movie. And just like the monster, you can't stop it. (Cue spooky soundtrack music.)...
XO COMMUNICATIONS TO FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY
It was reported yesterday that XO Communications (the successor to Concentric Networks) expects to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy within two weeks. No information is available...
WIRELESS WOES
Wireless technology will explode this year. By Christmas the stores will be full of wireless accessories for computers and home networking, as well as specialized devices that...
WINDOWS XP AND FTP
Not many normal people have reason to use FTP, a long-standing Internet standard for transferring files. It used to require a dedicated program like FTP Voyager, with its own...
HIGH-TECH TOYS IN A SLUMP
Video games are surging (even the PC games sector is rebounding a bit), but other categories of high-tech toys are slumping. Intel put out some cool toys, but is now exiting the...
NEW STANDARD FOR RECORDABLE DVDS
Recordable DVDs are available right now, but it's a complete mess - DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, and other "standards," using different media, playing on different machines. It's the same...
INTERNET EXPLORER SECURITY FIX
Microsoft has rolled up all the security fixes for Internet Explorer from the last few months and put them in a single download. This is a highly recommended update for everyone....
BRUCEB OUT OF OFFICE 2/11 – 2/15
I will be out of the office and out of touch from February 11 through February 15. I suggest that all my clients and friends stop using their computers until February 18th, when...
SECURITY: WINDOWS vs LINUX
As you probably read, Microsoft announced that it will focus on security rather than new features for the foreseeable future. According to one report, it has suspended all coding...
WINDOWS 2000 SECURITY UPDATE
Microsoft released a "Security Rollup Package" that provides a cumulative rollup of all security updates that have been offered since the release of Windows 2000 Service Pack 2...
OFFICE XP FEATURES
Microsoft Office XP struck me initially as a minor upgrade from Office 2000, but I keep running across new features that are changing my mind. WORD Word 2002 has a feature called...
WEB SITE OF THE DAY
Several years ago somebody was asleep at the switch. The official White House site is www.whitehouse.gov, which is fine and right. But similar names were grabbed by third...
AUDIOGALAXY AND SPYWARE
"Spyware" is a new term that describes little programs that report on your web surfing to third parties - usually without your knowledge. They typically arrive on your system as...
SECURITY UPDATE
Microsoft pledged to focus on security last week in an edict from Bill Gates that might be PR fluff - but not necessarily. Gates has a keen sense of when Microsoft has to turn...
GATEWAY SALES PLUMMET
Gateway continues to fall apart. Steep drop in fourth-quarter sales, another 15% cut in work force, more store closures. The future looks very dim. Interestingly, EMachines is...
NETSCAPE vs. MICROSOFT
The media played up the lawsuit Netscape filed against Microsoft a couple of days ago. The allegation is that Microsoft damaged Netscape by preventing the Netscape browser from...