BRUCEB NEWS
A Nuanced Trip Down Memory Lane
If you're an old-timer like me, you probably have memories - maybe fond memories, maybe not - of Dragon Naturally Speaking, for many years the only dictation software for Windows that was even remotely useful. Dragon was quirky, buggy, and frustrating, but it also...
A Possible Fix For The Excel Slow File Opening Bug
Previously: What To Do When Excel Opens . . . Very . . . Slowly . . . Windows is weird. A year ago I wrote an article about an Excel bug: occasionally there is a 30-60 second...
The Fast And The Slow Of Windows 10 Updates
A few months ago, Microsoft announced that there will be two major updates for Windows 10 every year, in March and September. These are the big updates that bring Exciting New...
It’s Time To Improve Your Passwords! Scary Stories About The Bad Guys
The bad guys aren’t kidding around. They’re after you. Some day soon you will be walking down the street and a 400 pound hacker will galumph out and make a scary face and shout,...
Amazon’s Secret Weapon Is Of Prime Importance
You’re an Amazon Prime member, right? If not, goodness, get over there and sign up. Give Amazon $99 for the privilege of shopping there. You’ll feel that it’s money well spent....
Google And The Quest For One True Answer
The European Union’s head of antitrust enforcement hit Google with a $2.7 billion fine last week because of a shopping service you’ve never heard of. The EU’s action comes after...
Peeking Behind The Scenes At Spotify & The Music Industry
Spotify and Apple Music have helped the music industry recover from a disastrous decade. Here are a couple of interesting perspectives on streaming music – a look behind the...
Google Photos Transforms Your Memories
Google Photos is transformational. Some name will emerge to describe the next wave of technology – “post-Internet” or “A.I.-enabled,” maybe. References to “artificial...
Box Drive: The Next Step In Moving Files To The Cloud
Today Box announced that Box Drive is generally available. We are beginning a profound shift in the way we think about our files. This deserves some attention even if you don’t...
Windows 10 Tip: How To Make PDFs Open In Acrobat
One of the first things everyone does with a new Windows 10 computer is install basic programs and utilities and set defaults so files open in the right program. This is a quick...
Microsoft Hides Control Panel For Your Own Good
The picture above shows the menu that comes up when you right-click the Start button in Windows 10. Many of you haven’t seen it. It’s full of things that burrow deeply into the...
My Favorite Technology Of 2017: Set Multiple Timers On An Amazon Echo
Now you can say what a timer is for when you set it on an Amazon Echo. “Alexa, set a timer for the pasta for eight minutes.” Then set a second timer: “Alexa, set a timer for the...
What’s The Matter With Office?
The programs in Microsoft’s Office suite should be as solid as a rock. Lately that phrase doesn’t seem to mean what it used to mean. The core Office programs are mature. They’re...
Google Lens Might Be The Future Of Google, The Future Of Mobile, The Future Of Everything
Google announced a number of new products and services at its developer conference last week. One of them, Google Lens, might change the world. It might be the most important...
WeChat, QR Codes, And The Future Of Mobile
China uses smartphones differently than anywhere else in the world. It’s a fascinating story! Understanding WeChat and why QR codes are displayed everywhere in China will give...
Ransomware And Other Scary Monsters
The chances are good that you weren’t affected by the ransomware attack that began Friday and is still in progress around the world. In fact, it’s very likely that it’s not a...