BRUCEB NEWS
Chatting With AI: Synthetic Empathy
A lot of people talk to their AI buddies as if they have little friends that live in their phones. It doesn’t come naturally to me. I’ve been using ChatGPT and Gemini as if they are amazing upgrades to Google search. It doesn’t occur to me to open my phone for a…
Prepare To Be Disrupted
The supply chain is all screwed up. It’s going to dominate our conversations for the next few months. I know, you have enough crises to worry about, thank you very much, no need…
Bing Sucks At Searches
Bing sucks at searches. You know how I know that? Because I have an anecdote to prove it. Anecdotes don’t prove anything. I know that. You know that. If I’m going to make a broad…
All Roads Lead To Philosophy In Wikipedia
Open a Wikipedia article – any article, it doesn’t matter. Here, try the article about Jasper Fforde. Click on the first link in the main article. Skip links that are in…
Start: The Microsoft Intervention Continues
Ah, Microsoft, thanks for coming back. I know you’re probably feeling a little vulnerable. Here’s a tissue. Let’s continue our session. I assume my article about problematic…
A Default Intervention For Microsoft
Microsoft, come in, glad you’re here, take a seat. Interventions are never welcome but I’m afraid we have to talk. You’re doing great work! Let’s start with that. The pivot to…
Breaking News: Apple Postpones, Microsoft Accelerates, Google & Facebook Play Defense
Since it’s a short week, here’s a collection of brief updates about stories you thought I had beaten to death already. Apple postpones CSAM features After criticism and pushback…
Is Your Computer Slowing Down?
I think our computers are slowing down. I can’t prove it. I don’t have any benchmarks. But I have a long memory of other versions of Windows that slowed down as the years went…
The Controversy Over Apple’s Child Security Proposals
If you were paying attention during the last lecture, then you know Apple announced two proposals to scan iPhones for photos involving sexual abuse and exploitation of children….
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…