BRUCEB NEWS
Data Brokers: The Companies Hiding In The Shadows That Know Everything About You
Your personal information is being bought and sold by companies that lurk in the shadows. You've never heard of them. That's the way they like it. This is the most important issue that affects your privacy today. Let's start with a tight focus. Assume there's a...
DSL LOSING MOMENTUM
There's no good news about DSL any more. Prices are going up, availability is going down, the horror stories about installations keep multiplying, and Northpoint's demise has...
INTEL TO INTRODUCE 1.7GHz PENTIUM 4
Keeping up? In a couple of weeks Intel will roll out a 1.7GHz Pentium 4 processor, and slash prices yet again on most of the rest of its processors. Dell has been doing a lot of...
INSTANT MESSAGING
Two years ago America Online decided to block outside access to its instant messaging system, in a heavyhanded tactic that made their boo-hoo complaints about Microsoft look very...
MUSIC INDUSTRY FOLLOWUP
Here's a good article that explains all the issues about file formats and pricing for downloadable music from the record labels - and concludes that they stand a good chance of...
RECORDING INDUSTRY GREED
Here's a glimpse of the future according to the recording industry. Like the announcement with RealNetworks a couple of days ago and MSN yesterday, MTV and VH1 are rolling out a...
MICROSOFT TO CHANGE PASSPORT PRIVACY POLICY
Microsoft is hustling to revise its privacy policy for Passport and Hotmail, after a torrent of criticism from privacy advocates. (See my item on March 30.) Microsoft says it's a...
MUSICNET DETAILS
RealNetworks and three of the five biggest music companies announced a new Net music service yesterday. Notably absent was Universal - the biggest catalog, but also the most...
MICROSOFT OUTLOOK UNABLE TO SPREAD FOOT-AND-MOUTH
Scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Symantec's AntiVirus Research Center today confirmed that foot-and-mouth disease cannot be spread by Microsoft's Outlook email...
TIME IS NOT ON YOUR COMPUTER’S SIDE
Your computer will probably automatically adjust the time when Daylight Savings Time returns tomorrow morning. But that may be the only thing it gets right about the time. Here's...
MICROSOFT AND CONFIDENTIALITY
Microsoft has new initiatives on the way that are meant to move programs and data online, relieving companies and users from some of the burden of maintaining it all....
WORDPERFECT DEATH WATCH
Corel's quarterly results showed a trivially small profit, but sales have completely collapsed for the WordPerfect suite. "Word processing and productivity sales plummeted from...
NORTHPOINT DSL NETWORK DIES
Last night 100,000 DSL subscribers were shut off after negotiations broke down between bankrupt Northpoint Communications and a dozen ISPs. My line is down. Here's some more info.
DIRECPC SATELLITE ACCESS
I just went and checked the status of satellite Internet connections, since my DSL line may go dead any day now. I've got lots of clients growing old waiting for DSL and cable in...
SUPER MINI OPTICAL MOUSE
Notebook computer users that are frustrated with their touchpad or pointing stick might want to check out the Super Mini Optical Mouse. Two and a half inches long, an inch wide -...
ADOBE PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS
Adobe Photoshop is legendary. Graphics professionals can do magic with it, and they turn up their nose at anything else. I've tried to learn it repeatedly, and I remain firmly...