BRUCEB NEWS
Looking Forward: Google Home, Amazon Echo & Home Assistants
The battle between Amazon and Google in the market for home assistants will be the source of the most interesting technology advances in 2018. You probably know the basics. Perhaps you have an Amazon Echo or Google Home in your kitchen already. You may not be aware,…
Store Files Online, View Them On Your Computer With Dropbox Smart Sync
Dropbox Smart Sync is a new feature that allows you to store files online and browse through them with Windows File Explorer or Mac Finder. The files are not synced. They are only online, not on your local hard drive. This is an important change in technology for…
Rules For Computer And Online Safety 2018
These are the rules for computer and online safety in 2018. You can download a copy here. You will be safe if you are cautious. Stop and think before you click on links, before you call unfamiliar phone numbers, before you install programs, and before you fill in…
Office 365 Tip: How To Turn Off Focused Inbox And Turn On Clutter
I don’t like Focused Inbox. I want my Clutter back. Focused Inbox is Microsoft’s new method of filtering mail for Office 365 business accounts. Here’s more info about Focused Inbox. The short version: • Clutter and Focused Inbox are both ways to separate important…
LogMeIn Hopes You Won’t Notice That Its Price Is Absurdly High
In 2013 LogMeIn was free for individuals. In 2018 the exact same service from LogMeIn costs $349.99/year. That is so outlandish, so absurd, that it seems like it must be a joke. No joke. LogMeIn is a publicly traded company that offers a number of services for…
Connecting The Always Connected PCs
Previously: Looking Forward: Always Connected Computers If you were paying attention during the previous lecture, you know that Microsoft is working with Qualcomm on “Always Connected PCs.” HP, Lenovo, Asus and other manufacturers will soon be selling laptops that are…
Looking Forward: Always Connected Computers
Stretch your imagination. Imagine that you pull your laptop out and pop the lid open and start using it right away. There’s no delay, no swirling circle – it’s just on, bang, every time. You put your finger on the fingerprint reader and you’re logged in immediately….
Looking Forward: Increasing Your Core Strength
Nothing will stand still in 2018. You’ll be bombarded with new technology and more jargon. As always, some of the changes will be useful advances that will make your life better, and some of them will . . . not. We’re going to start the year with a look at some…
Meltdown & Spectre: What You Need To Know About Intel’s Security Disaster
Nearly every modern processor has security flaws that potentially could allow hackers to steal data from any computer or server. The two related problems, code-named Meltdown and Spectre, have the technology industry in a tizzy and spilled over to the mainsteam press…
The 2017 Bruceb News Year In Review
A year ago I wrote this prediction: “The word of the year for 2017 is “chaos.” Write it down, seal it in an envelope, open it up a year from now and see if I got it right.” I think I get full marks. (Although Dictionary.com chose “complicit” as the word of the year,…