BRUCEB NEWS
5G Will Be Important, But Not In 2020 (Despite What The Ads Say)
We are about to be assaulted. An overwhelming advertising blitz will begin in earnest in 2020, trying to convince you that you should upgrade your phone and your mobile service contract to 5G now now now. Maybe you’ve already begun to see advertising by phone...
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...
NORTHPOINT DSL SUBSCRIBERS BEING DUMPED
Personally, I blame Pacific Bell. A year ago business was thriving for Northpoint and Covad, who acted as wholesalers and contracted with ISPs to set up and maintain DSL...
TOP TEN WAYS TO PRESERVE YOUR DATA
Symantec circulated a very nice list of basic ways to protect your computer and preserve your data. This is highly recommended reading. Common sense, plain English descriptions...
MAC OS X
I've already had some evangelists tell me that Apple's new operating system, OS X, will be the jewel that restores Apple's market position and credibility. (It will be sold at...
FLAT-PANEL MONITORS
Prices on flat-panel monitors are finally falling. and it looks like this summer will be the time to buy one. The prediction is that a 15" flat-screen monitor will be in the $400...
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 -...
WINDOWS 2000 & GAMES
Windows 2000 is so stable that it's easy to forget to keep it up to date. If you're running Windows 2000, visit Microsoft Windows Update and check for critical updates. (If you...
MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP
Windows 2000 Professional is the most stable operating system ever released for a personal computer. It's a joy. But it's missing some of the cuddly features that home users...
ONSTREAM IN BANKRUPTCY
OnStream made tape backup systems. I loved them. Unparalleled reliability. A unique tape format, but I never had a problem with one of their cartridges. When I think of the hours...
NORTON ANTIVIRUS BUGGY E-MAIL PROTECTION
Norton Antivirus offers a feature called "e-mail protection" that I routinely turn off. It's a service that scans e-mail for viruses as messages come into your system - an...
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...
UNDERSTANDING AND GUARDING AGAINST INTERNET-BASED ATTACKS
Another Symantec bulletin uses plain English to describe how hackers look for a computer to attack over the Internet, what might make you a target, and steps you can take to...
LOGITECH CORDLESS OPTICAL MOUSE
I know a couple of people who picked up the Logitech cordless keyboard/mouse combo over at Costco. Thumbs up all round, so far. Tomorrow Logitech will introduce a wireless...
GOOGLE TOOLBAR
Google continues to provide search results that are so accurate that it's spooky. It bears repeating - as much as I hate screen clutter, I recommend the Google Toolbar, a browser...
AFTER NAPSTER
Napster is gone. Its death may be more or less protracted, but it's all over. There will now be a period of confusion - most of you will be well served by waiting until the dust...