BRUCEB NEWS
The $240 Question: Is Free AI Good Enough?
In the last article I ordered you to subscribe to a $20/month plan for ChatGPT or Google Gemini. I didn’t explain why and in hindsight I shouldn’t have phrased it as “Follow and obey me, you low-bandwidth peasantry.” That was rude. Let’s talk some more about that….
Spotify Wrapped: My Top Ten Is Better Than Your Top Ten
(This will be the last Bruceb News article for 2018. I’ll return with more news next year, if anything interesting happens. Remember, a subscription to Bruceb News makes a lovely…
Algorithms And Paperclips: How Facebook Drives Us Apart
A famous thought experiment shows how an AI could be designed with good intentions and without malice, and still wind up destroying humanity. Imagine that an artificial…
Put A Google Home Hub On Your Xmas List
The Google Home Hub is my favorite home assistant. Put it on your Xmas list, or sneak one under the tree for yourself. If your pictures are stored in Google Photos, then the…
Microsoft Has Not Made Any Progress On Sorting Out Its Personal And Work Accounts
Microsoft has two giant identity systems set up by different divisions of the company – one system for personal accounts, a different system for “work or school” accounts. It’s…
Outlook Tip: Paste Your Way To A New Email Message (And A Few Other Random Bits)
Outlook is full of hidden surprises and shortcuts. Here are a few tips for Outlook junkies that range from obvious to obscure. I know the first one (sent in by good friend BillG)…
Prepare Yourself (And Your Budget) For Subscription Fatigue
You’re going to be so fed up with subscriptions by the end of next year that you will want to scream. Want to play a game? Before you read further, think about your recurring…
Kasvot Växt And The Best Album You’ve Never Heard
It’s Thanksgiving week in the US. Do you mind if I tell you a story that has nothing to do with technology? Indulge me. We’ll get back to Microsoft shenanigans next week. My…
Windows 10 Tip: View Your Clipboard History
Your Windows 10 computer is going to install a major update soon. Microsoft just began rolling out the “Windows 10 October 2018 Update,” bringing Windows 10 to version 1809. The…
Am I The Only One Who Didn’t Know That Surge Protectors Wear Out?
Surge protectors wear out. A few thunderstorms, or just day to day use for a couple of years, and they are completely useless for power surges. And you know how you can tell? You…
Vote 2018
To all my US readers: This is what history looks like when it’s happening. If you don’t get to the polls, or if you turn away because the line is long, you will regret it for the…
Google Knows So Much About You That It’s Creepy, But It Might Not Be An Invasion Of Privacy
The term “invasion of privacy” is distracting us from understanding important issues. Invasion of privacy is frequently thrown around as a core issue where consumers need…
Office Tip: How To Make Outlook Easier To Use On A Touchscreen
This tip is for anyone who uses the desktop version of Outlook on a laptop with a touchscreen. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers, this is for you. If you’re not a…
The End Of New Product Announcements
In the last two months, there have been major announcements of new products by every computer and phone manufacturer on the planet. You don’t know about any of them, do you? On…
Store Your Files In The Server In The Sky
It’s time to move your files to the cloud. Box, Dropbox, and OneDrive now all have plans that support an important feature: You can store your files online and access them with…
Something You Know, Something You Have: Better Security With Two Factor Authentication
Two factor authentication adds an extra step to the process of logging into your accounts. It’s inconvenient. It makes you safer. Until recently two factor authentication was…