BRUCEB NEWS
Dark Patterns Are Evil – And They’re Everywhere
I hate to interrupt the steady flow of happiness and joy in the news, but I want to call your attention to a small way that our civilization is degrading into a dystopian hell. Once I describe it, you’ll notice it everywhere. The web is filled with dark patterns -…
Microsoft Makes It Easy To Encrypt Your Email (Well, Easier Than Before, Anyway)
Let’s talk about email encryption. That didn’t take long! I’ve never seen a room empty out that quickly. I’d like to thank the fourteen of you who are still reading. I didn’t want to say this while everyone else was here, but you’re my favorites. If you’re in a small…
How To Use The Archive Button In Outlook
Outlook has an Archive button, right next to the Delete button. You haven’t noticed it because we have trained ourselves for twenty years to let our eyes slide over anything in Outlook that we don’t use. The Archive button appeared a couple of years ago without any…
Security Tip: Use Authy For Two-Factor Authentication
I want to talk to you about two-factor authentication and why you should use Authy to generate codes on your phone. Oh, come on! Don’t give me that look. I know you don’t want to think about this stuff. It’s roughly like having an insurance salesperson look you in the…
How To Get Rid Of The “Microsoft Account Problem” Notification
If you get a notification that you have a “Microsoft account problem,” you don’t have a problem and you don’t have to fix anything. You haven’t been hacked and you don’t have a virus. Microsoft is testing your patience. (Update 09/2020: Try the tips in this article…
Google, Antitrust, And Zero-Click Searches
When you search for the phone number for Bruceb Consulting, Google shows the phone number. Does that seem obvious? It’s a relatively recent change. Google only began serious efforts to provide One True Answer to search queries a few years ago. It completely changes…
Windows 10 Tip: Dress Up Your Desktop With A Theme
Microsoft has gorgeous collections of photos that you can use for free as your Windows wallpaper. A typical theme rotates through ten or fifteen photos; when you get bored, it’s easy to switch to another theme with new pictures. I’ll tell you where to get the…
Acronyms You Should Know: TL;DR
Too Long. Didn’t Read. You’ve seen it in Bruceb News articles. If you’re over 35, you probably thought it was a mistake. Au contrariwise! I don’t make mistakes. Sometimes, though, I slip into dope slang lingo because I’m so damn hip. Wikipedia’s definition: “Too long;…
How To Stop Microsoft Teams From Starting Automatically
Last month Microsoft rolled out an update to some Office 365 business subscriptions that for the first time includes the app for Microsoft Teams. Some of you are seeing the Teams startup screen every time the computer starts. If you don’t use Teams, the unwanted…
Your Office 365 Mailbox Is Not Backed Up (But It’s . . . Wait, Is That Okay?)
If your small or midsize business uses Office 365, there is probably no backup of your mailboxes. A backup – long-term retention of a copy of your mailbox in a separate place – requires a third-party service at startling expense. It’s starting to be a problem that…