BRUCEB NEWS
DROP Promises Privacy But The River Still Flows
California has new rules – the DROP platform – that could interfere with the money being made by California data brokers. The data brokers will find ways around the rules . The profile they put together by spying on you is a tiny twig carried in a rushing river of…
New Directions For Skype
Skype is being transformed this year into an integrated platform available on phones, tablets and computers for a variety of communications tasks. There has been a flurry of…
Skype Fundamentals
Most of you are familiar with Skype, the program that lets you make free calls to other Skype users anywhere in the world. Microsoft bought Skype at the end of 2011 and has been…
Windows 8 Sales Are Slow–And It’s (Partially) The Manufacturers’ Fault
Windows 8 was introduced at the end of October. Although Microsoft claims to have sold 60 million Windows 8 licenses since then, it’s generally conceded that sales have been…
The Vulnerable, Deceptive World Of Java
Ed Bott has written a fascinating article about Java’s bad behavior – not just its security vulnerabilities, which are legion, but also its incessant attempts to install adware…
Windows Tip: Use The Browser Address Bar For Web Searches
You can type web searches into the address bar of your browser and get the same results as if you had typed them directly into Google. This is an old trick but it’s not well…
Thinkpad X1 Carbon Touch–The Practically Perfect Laptop
Lenovo has begun shipping the Thinkpad X1 Carbon Touch, an updated version of its already awesome Ultrabook, now with a touchscreen that is perfectly suited to Windows 8. It is…
Bruceb Remote Management: Staying Up To Date In A Dangerous World
Your brush with danger from the weekend Java vulnerability ought to help you appreciate the importance of staying up to date on all the programs targeted by malware: Windows,…
Dangerous Java Security Flaw Causes Much Excitement
Hackers discovered a new security flaw in Java and immediately set up poisoned web sites that can compromise your computer if you click on a link. Since no patch is currently…
Office Tip: How To Open Multiple Outlook Windows
You can open Outlook in multiple windows – one window displaying your inbox, for example, one window displaying your calendar, one window displaying your contacts. It can be far…
Smartphone Wars: Google Blocks Windows Phone From Accessing Google Maps
Previously: Clash Of The Titans: The War Of The Ecosystems Google did something evil. It will get undone shortly, but the fact remains that Google directly attacked a group of…
Google Now: Android’s Ambitious App Pulls You Into The Google Ecosystem
If you have a new Android phone running the latest version of Android (“Jelly Bean,” Android versions 4.1 or 4.2), you can turn on Google Now , one of the most interesting and…
Windows 8 Tip: What You Need To Know About Windows 8 Security
Windows 8 includes antivirus software built into the operating system. You don’t have to install anything additional for malware protection on a Windows 8 computer. Microsoft has…
Happy Holidays From Bruceb Consulting!
Season’s greetings! I hope you all get lovely new technology for the holidays and have a wonderful time poking and clicking and pinching and zooming! I’ve been looking ahead to…
Clash Of The Titans: The War Of The Ecosystems
Previously: Clash Of The Titans – The Battle Over Skydrive On iOS War has broken out. Apple, Google, Microsoft and Amazon have been building walled gardens, ecosystems of…
Clash Of The Titans: The Battle Over Skydrive On iOS
Microsoft is embroiled in a conflict with Apple that is part of a bigger story. Today I’ll tell you about the details of the standoff over whether Microsoft will be allowed to…