BRUCEB NEWS
AI Advances Are Exciting! Also Unintelligible!
Psychologists use various terms to describe disorganized speech. “Word salad” - words and concepts so disconnected that there is no logical thread. “Neologisms” - made up words that have no literal meaning. “Loose association” - associations that are irrelevant or out...
Apple’s Unforced Error
Two weeks ago Apple announced that iPhones would begin scanning for photos involving sexual abuse and exploitation of children. Sounds like a good thing that makes the world a...
Tech Companies Are Too Big (And They’ll Probably Stay That Way)
They’re too damn big! Admit it, that’s your gut feeling about the five giant tech companies - Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft. It’s a constant refrain in the news, and...
Hey, Google, Do I Feel Lucky? Well, Do I, Punk?
If you’re like me, you probably haven’t wasted any time on the internet lately. You know how it goes, you get involved in your work and weeks go by where you never take time to...
Practicing What I Preach: What It’s Like To Use Microsoft Web Apps
I haven’t used the desktop versions of Outlook or Word in six months. I did it for you. I’ve been telling you about how swell it is to store your files in OneDrive and use...
The Covid Vaccines Started With A Teddy Bear Stuffed With Money
On January 10, 2020, Chinese scientists posted online the genetic sequence of a then-unidentified virus isolated from 41 hospitalized patients in Wuhan. Two days later a team of...
Google Drive And Living La Vida En Línea
A few days ago Google announced a new/updated Google Drive app for Windows and Mac computers. It allows you to use File Explorer or Mac Finder to view and open files stored...
The Kaseya Hack And The Mysterious Disappearing REvil Gang
On July 3 the Russian hacking group REvil infiltrated tools distributed by a security and monitoring firm – Kaseya, this time – and slipped ransomware into thousands of business...
How To Buy A Cheap Windows PC
Do not buy a slow Windows PC to save a few dollars. If you get a slow Windows PC, you will become bitter and depressed, people will mute you in Zoom meetings, and you will pound...
Mudslides, Undersea Cables, And Fake News
The longest mudslide in history was just reported by an international team of researchers. Huge quantities of sand and mud traveled nearly 750 miles, causing significant damage...
Fascinating Details About Windows 11
Now that you’ve seen the big picture of why Windows 11 exists, let’s go through some of the fascinating details. This could be the most interesting technology article you will...
Windows 11: The View From 11,000 Feet
Microsoft will release Windows 11 later this year. It is an incremental upgrade to Windows 10, with a facelift so it looks nice and a few small changes that mostly appear to be...
Your Credit Card Was Not Used To Buy An Inflatable Motorcycle
Someday soon your email will have a receipt for something you didn’t buy. It will be matter of fact and bland but you’re pretty sure your wife would have mentioned it if she had...
Vaccine Passports And Made-Up Crap
Most of the arguments against vaccine passports are just made-up crap. Like many of today’s social issues, much of the opposition to Covid vaccination certificates is not...
Memories Of A Giant Boulder
Forty years ago this week, I was eating popcorn in the middle of the tenth row at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood, and I was having one of the best nights of my life. I...
This Ain’t Our First Vaccine Certificate Rodeo
Before we get to the issues that are being raised as objections to vaccine passports today, there are some lessons to be learned from history about the intersection between...