BRUCEB NEWS
AI Hype In Overdrive
There was a full-page ad in the New York Times on Friday for the new Samsung “Bespoke AI” washer/dryer combo. Seriously. Of course “AI laundry” is marketing crap. I’ll bet some business advertised “Crypto Ovens” a couple of years ago. It’s meaningless and stupid. AI...
The Curse Of Downtime: Backups Aren’t Always Sufficient Protection
We have reached a tipping point. If you’re working in a small business or law firm, you already know this at some level, but it deserves to be brought out into the open. This is...
The Curse Of Downtime: Preface
Perhaps you think it will be like this when the office server fails. “Two weeks ago the network went down; soon after Senior Management assured the company it would have the...
Windows 8 Tip: Install Windows 8.1 Now!
If you’re running Windows 8, make sure you’ve upgraded to Windows 8.1. Everyone should be running Windows 8.1 and getting the benefits of the changes and updates that make...
The Shrinking World Of Hard Drives
Here’s a visual image to help you keep track of the ever-shrinking world of data storage. (1) Number 1 is a conventional hard drive, referred to as a 3 1/2” drive because that’s...
Speed Up Your Slow Laptop With An SSD
Laptops fly when they have a solid state hard drive (SSD) instead of a conventional hard drive. If you buy a new laptop with an SSD, it will make more of a difference to your...
Spotify Is The Best Way To Listen To Music
Technology is causing another shift in the way we listen to music. There’s no right or wrong answer but Spotify has some advantages over many of the other choices. Background A...
Windows 8.1 Tip: Display Photos On Your Lock Screen
Windows 8.1 can display a slide show of your photos on the lock screen. It’s a surprisingly fun distraction if you have an ever-expanding collection of photos. The lock screen is...
Microsoft (Still) Does Not Call To Fix Your PC
The phone rang when I was in a client’s office last week. A heavily accented Indian man said, “I am calling from Microsoft. We have received reports that your computer is sending...
The Rising Price Of Search Engine Optimization
If you’re a small business or law firm with a website, you probably have a vague understanding of “search engine optimization” (SEO), the process that is supposed to cause your...
Tales From The Trenches: Upgrades Gone Wrong
Here’s a story about small business technology in 2014. It’s a long story and there’s no moral and no villain (except for Adobe, in the surprise twist at the end, but just so...
Three Tips For Changing Your Password
The Heartbleed bug has been responsible for a lot of well-meaning advice to change your passwords. I’m a little skeptical about whether that’s necessary because of Heartbleed but...
The Two Things You Need To Know About The Heartbleed Bug
Heartbleed is the popular name of a security vulnerability that is generating a great deal of excitement. A bug in OpenSSL software - used by 500,000 widely used web sites for...
Learn Windows 8.1 From Paul Thurrott’s Windows 8.1 Field Guide
Windows 8.1 Field Guide is highly recommended for anyone who wants a clearly written book about what’s new and changed in Windows 8. It’s an experiment in self-publishing – over...
The Evolution Of Windows 8 For Keyboard & Mouse Users
Windows 8.1 computers are getting a significant update on Patch Tuesday this week, part of Microsoft’s continuing effort to improve the Windows 8 experience for keyboard and...
How To License And Install Microsoft Office
Here’s a guide to buying a license for Microsoft Office, followed by a description of what Office programs and apps are available for computers, tablets, and phones. The core...