BRUCEB NEWS
Cybercrime Is Boring
The phone rings. It’s a scammer. “I’m calling from Microsoft about a problem with your computer.” “I’m calling from the IRS to discuss your past-due tax bill.” “Would you like to contribute to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation?” Don’t sympathize with the...
MEDIA CENTER 11
J. River Media Center 11 was officially released today. The new release has been in development for more than a year; it's rock solid, draws from extensive feedback from its user...
MICROSOFT MEDIA CENTER KEYBOARD
Manufacturers are releasing dozens of products to convince you that it's natural to move computers into the living room. Microsoft has a lineup that is complex but thorough and...
MICROSOFT OFFICE EXTRAS
Microsoft Office has several extra programs that can be quite handy, but they're easy to overlook. Here's an article about items on your Start menu that you might want to check...
PRINTER DEALS
Prices on printers are in endless freefall. We're edging closer to the time when it will be cheaper to replace a printer than to replace ink cartridges.Recent examples:- Costco...
MICROSOFT AND CLARIA
Microsoft is reportedly in talks to buy Claria Corp., one of the worst distributors of spyware in the world. It is utter lunacy, the single most destructive and humiliating thing...
MICROSOFT STUDENT 2006
Microsoft will release a new product later this month, Microsoft Student 2006. Here's an article about the new software.It's a big package, and a relatively pricey one - retail...
GOOGLE EARTH
Google Earth is another free service from the good folks at Google. After downloading and installing a 10Mb program, you have extraordinary access to satellite images of the...
PRINTER UPDATE
Printer prices keep falling. I've seen a plausible prediction that printers will come to be disposable - we'll replace the printer instead of replacing the ink cartridges...
ALT-TAB
Microsoft Word opens up a new window for each document. Internet Explorer frequently opens new windows - each time you click on an IE icon, for example, or when a web page is set...
PRICES KEEP FALLING
A Wall Street Journal columnist notes a milestone today - the price for an entry-level computer has fallen below $300. Dell and others are offering computers with Windows XP...
TABBED BROWSING IN INTERNET EXPLORER
Microsoft updated its MSN Search Toolbar and quietly added tabbed browsing to Internet Explorer. With this enhancement, IE can open several web pages in a single window, allowing...
PRICE DROPS ON PRINTS OF DIGITAL PHOTOS
Here's an article summing up the increased competition to print your digital photos. There's a dizzying array of options ranging from kiosks at the drug store to Costco and...
DSL PRICE WAR
SBC lowered its promotional price for new DSL accounts to $14.95 - good for one year, only available if you order online and use SBC local phone service.(As always, if you order...
THE COMING DEATH OF VOIP
Internet telephony - "voice over IP" or "VOIP" - is just now approaching the mass market. Consumer products are hitting the market from the likes of Linksys designed to work with...
NORTON INTERNET SECURITY RANT
The "Norton" brand name used to be synonymous with high-quality computer utilities. Sadly, there are almost no programs in its consumer lineup now that are good enough to...