BRUCEB NEWS
Chatting With AI: Synthetic Empathy
A lot of people talk to their AI buddies as if they have little friends that live in their phones. It doesn’t come naturally to me. I’ve been using ChatGPT and Gemini as if they are amazing upgrades to Google search. It doesn’t occur to me to open my phone for a…
It’s Not Just Your Computer – Everything Is Too Hard To Use (And It’s Not Your Fault)
I wrote an article a few years ago about how difficult it is for non-tech people to manage the fiddly bits required to run a Windows computer. It’s one of the things that drove…
Bloomberg And Chinese Spies: The Strangest Technology Story Of The Year
The Chinese government has put secret spy chips on US government servers. They’re stealing secrets from Apple and Amazon. And the US government is engaged in a massive effort to…
The 2018 Bruceb News Year In Review
Remember when I wrote an article a year ago predicting that always-connected computers would be heavily promoted in 2018? Yeah, about that: not even close. Nada. All the buzz…
Spotify Wrapped: My Top Ten Is Better Than Your Top Ten
(This will be the last Bruceb News article for 2018. I’ll return with more news next year, if anything interesting happens. Remember, a subscription to Bruceb News makes a lovely…
Algorithms And Paperclips: How Facebook Drives Us Apart
A famous thought experiment shows how an AI could be designed with good intentions and without malice, and still wind up destroying humanity. Imagine that an artificial…
Put A Google Home Hub On Your Xmas List
The Google Home Hub is my favorite home assistant. Put it on your Xmas list, or sneak one under the tree for yourself. If your pictures are stored in Google Photos, then the…
Microsoft Has Not Made Any Progress On Sorting Out Its Personal And Work Accounts
Microsoft has two giant identity systems set up by different divisions of the company – one system for personal accounts, a different system for “work or school” accounts. It’s…
Outlook Tip: Paste Your Way To A New Email Message (And A Few Other Random Bits)
Outlook is full of hidden surprises and shortcuts. Here are a few tips for Outlook junkies that range from obvious to obscure. I know the first one (sent in by good friend BillG)…
Prepare Yourself (And Your Budget) For Subscription Fatigue
You’re going to be so fed up with subscriptions by the end of next year that you will want to scream. Want to play a game? Before you read further, think about your recurring…
Kasvot Växt And The Best Album You’ve Never Heard
It’s Thanksgiving week in the US. Do you mind if I tell you a story that has nothing to do with technology? Indulge me. We’ll get back to Microsoft shenanigans next week. My…
Windows 10 Tip: View Your Clipboard History
Your Windows 10 computer is going to install a major update soon. Microsoft just began rolling out the “Windows 10 October 2018 Update,” bringing Windows 10 to version 1809. The…
Am I The Only One Who Didn’t Know That Surge Protectors Wear Out?
Surge protectors wear out. A few thunderstorms, or just day to day use for a couple of years, and they are completely useless for power surges. And you know how you can tell? You…
Vote 2018
To all my US readers: This is what history looks like when it’s happening. If you don’t get to the polls, or if you turn away because the line is long, you will regret it for the…
Google Knows So Much About You That It’s Creepy, But It Might Not Be An Invasion Of Privacy
The term “invasion of privacy” is distracting us from understanding important issues. Invasion of privacy is frequently thrown around as a core issue where consumers need…
Office Tip: How To Make Outlook Easier To Use On A Touchscreen
This tip is for anyone who uses the desktop version of Outlook on a laptop with a touchscreen. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, this is for you. If you’re not a…