BRUCEB NEWS
Reliability Monitor Is Your New Old Favorite Windows Troubleshooting Tool
Reliability Monitor is the best Windows troubleshooting tool that you’re not using, which is a shame, but I understand. If you’re an IT pro, then you probably forgot about it, and who can blame you with so many things to remember because computers are too damn hard to...
WINDOWS SECURITY UPDATES
Lots of new security updates from Microsoft today, the regularly-scheduled once-a-month release that's become known as "Patch Tuesday." Here's an article about this month's...
WINDOWS VISTA BETA 2
There will be a lot more to say about Windows Vista in the coming months, but for the moment let me discourage you from testing the recent "public beta" released by...
PARENTAL CONTROLS AND INTERNET FILTERING SOFTWARE
Over the years various programs have promised to filter Internet browsing to prevent access to inappropriate content. Net Nanny, for example, was reputed to be one of the leaders...
NETFLIX AND THE FUTURE OF MOVIES
It's easy to imagine movies on demand, streamed to your television over the Internet. Unfortunately, there's also reason to think that it will be many years before that becomes...
PHISHING
A momentary lapse led a client to respond to an e-mail from Wells Fargo, clicking on a link and filling in account information on the login page.The message wasn't from Wells...
REMOTE SUPPORT FROM DELL
Dell's image has been slipping. Tech support has been rocky for more than a few of my clients (and abysmal for computers purchased from Dell's Home division, which outsources...
THE NEED FOR CELLULAR DATA PLANS
There are three Treo models (the Palm-based 650 and 750p and the Windows Mobile-based 700w), plus the Motorola Q, that are appealing combinations of cell phone and PDA. The Treos...
THE FAILURE OF SONY CONNECT
Recently I wrote some notes about Sony's record of failure in developing consumer electronics and music products. Here's the story behind the collapse of the Sony Connect online...
ANTIVIRUS SHAKEUP
Microsoft's integrated security software, Windows Live OneCare, got its official release today and will be available on CD starting tomorrow. This doesn't mean anything to anyone...
URGE MUSIC AND THE SMALL PRINT
The Urge music service, an iTunes competitor jointly sponsored by Microsoft and MTV, is supposed to be one of the major selling points of the new Windows Media Player 11. When I...
WINDOWS MEDIA CENTER 11
Another week, another beta release from Microsoft. Windows Media Center 11 is the latest program getting a bunch of attention from the media - here's Paul Thurrott raving about...
INTERNET EXPLORER 7 BETA – FOLLOWUP
After a week, I've uninstalled the IE7 beta. There were no big problems, just a feeling that things weren't quite right - some pages that wouldn't display correctly, some Java...
INTERNET EXPLORER 7.0 BETA 2
Microsoft feels reasonably confident that Internet Explorer 7.0 Beta 2 (available for download here) is stable enough for end users to try; in fact, they're providing free phone...
NY TIMES: WHY THE WORLD DOESN’T NEED HIGH-DEF DVDs
The New York Times has summarized the reasons to be cynical as high-definition DVD players hit the market. "Just contemplating the rise of a new DVD format is enough to make you...
DISCLAIMER FOR THE INTERNET
A particularly thorough disclaimer for a rock climbing site inspired attorney David Canton to adapt it into a disclaimer for the Internet.WARNINGBusiness is unpredictable and...