bruceb news

Thank you for your patience! I’m back at my desk now. I won’t desert you again, I promise.

There’s nothing more exciting than finding out how someone else’s vacation is going, right?

Quite nicely, thank you! (Family and friends can find more photos here.)

I’ll be out of the state from June 13 through June 25.

I’ll be answering the phone, responding to emails, and working with you remotely, just like always. But I’ll be slow to respond some days, and you won’t want to ask leading questions like “How are you?” or “What can you see from your window?”

If you have an emergency or something needs hands-on attention, call my friend and colleague Mike Cook at (707) 827-1524. He may be able to lend a hand.

If you talk to me in the next two weeks, forgive me if I seem to take your problems lightly or laugh inappropriately at odd moments. […] continued

The Google search box on the bruceb favorites page now returns exactly the same results as a search on the main Google page. You’ll get images where appropriate, plus the new options to refine your search results.

If you’re really, really sensitive to change, you’ll notice slightly more white space above and below the Google search box. I can’t squeeze it any tighter to make it look like it did before. I tried. It resisted.

Use bruceb favorites as your home page with no regrets! And as always, help me keep it up to date and useful. Let me know if you find any dead links, and alert me if there are general interest web sites that have become popular and deserve to be listed. […] continued

Click here to receive articles from the bruceb news page by email.

I’ve been writing short articles on this page for more than ten years. The bruceb news page has become a useful collection of computer tips and technology news and analysis.

• Yesterday it was a short explanation of why older Windows XP computers should probably get a memory upgrade.
• Last week I called attention to a fascinating article about the Conficker virus that might deliver a devastating worldwide attack on April 1.
• I’ve just written recommendations for security software and I’m in the middle of a series about backups, including some new technology that you probably don’t know about.

[…] continued

On Friday morning, March 27, from 7:30-9:00am, join Mike Cook and me at the French Garden restaurant in Sebastopol for continental breakfast and some bits of wisdom about technology – security, backups, online services, and more. There’s a fifteen dollar fee for the event, which is sponsored by the Sebastopol Area Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club, and seats have to be reserved today at (707) 823-3032. See you there!

That’s 14” of fresh snow overnight, followed by an afternoon of sunshine and deep powder skiing. I’m sorry, I didn’t want to gloat, but I had to tell someone. There will be a brief pause in the technology news.

Joe Nevin of Bumps For Boomers has been doing an extraordinary job of teaching us new ski techniques, but I don’t want to use the news page for that. Instead, go take a look at the mobile phone service that he introduced me to, ChaCha.com. Dial 1 (800) 224-2242 from your cell phone and ask a question, any question. “What is the elevation at the top of Ajax Mountain in Aspen, Colorado?” You’ll get a text message back with the answer in less than a minute. […] continued

Oh wow, deja vu.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before.

I’ll be attending a seminar to brush up on important technical skills during the week of March 9.

I will be occasionally available by cell phone during the week, and I will be checking email in the evening. Feel free to leave a message and I’ll do my best to get back to you.

If you have a crisis that needs immediate attention, please call my trusted friend and colleague Mikel Cook at (707) 827-1524. He may be able to help out.

All my best wishes for another quiet week with calm and relaxed computers! […] continued

There is no reason to panic. Back away from your computers slowly. Without breaking eye contact, feel your way along the wall and pull the power cord out with a smooth motion.

There! Now everything will be fine while I’m gone. I’ll be back at my desk on Monday, February 23, ready for you to turn your computers back on and resume working normally.

I will be occasionally available by cell phone during the week, and I will be checking email in the evening. Feel free to leave a message and I’ll do my best to get back to you. Please understand that I will be just the teensiest bit distracted this week. […] continued

The first blog entry on the beautiful new White House web site:

“Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 at 12:01 pm

“Change has come to WhiteHouse.gov

“Welcome to the new WhiteHouse.gov. I’m Macon Phillips, the Director of New Media for the White House and one of the people who will be contributing to the blog.

“A short time ago, Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States and his new administration officially came to life. One of the first changes is the White House’s new website, which will serve as a place for the President and his administration to connect with the rest of the nation and the world.

[…] continued