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Microsoft Releases Office For iPhones
This morning Microsoft released mobile versions of Word, Excel, and Powerpoint for iPhone users with an Office 365 subscription. “Office Mobile for iPhone” closely resembles the Office programs included on Windows Phone 8 devices, allowing files to be edited and viewed with integrated access to Skydrive and full compatibility with the Office file formats. […] continued
Read moreOur Changing Tech World
Think you’re keeping up with the tech industry? Here are two recent reports that took me by surprise.
Android is crushing everything in its path. In the first quarter of 2013, Android smartphones had a 75% market share. Apple’s iOS came in at a distant second place, with 17% market share. […] continued
Read moreUnderstanding Skydrive, Part 2: The Basics
Previously:
The Difference Between A Microsoft Account And An Office 365 Account
Understanding Skydrive, Part 1: Skydrive vs. Skydrive Pro
Skydrive lets you store files online and access them from anywhere, including PCs, Macs, and mobile devices. There are some good reasons to begin using it as the primary location for saving all of your files and pictures. […] continued
Read moreGrowth In Smartphone And Tablet Markets Continues Unabated (And It’s All Android And Apple)
The number of smartphones and tablets sold worldwide in 2012 is absolutely staggering. The sense of amazement is the same no matter how you measure it – number of units sold, growth year over year, spending, profits, comparison to declining computer sales. There is something profound going on in the world. […] continued
Read moreSkype Fundamentals
Most of you are familiar with Skype, the program that lets you make free calls to other Skype users anywhere in the world. Microsoft bought Skype at the end of 2011 and has been slowly (very, very slowly) rebuilding it and integrating Skype with its other services. Skype is going to take center stage in 2013, with features that go far beyond simple Skype-to-Skype calls. […] continued
Read moreSmartphone Wars: Google Blocks Windows Phone From Accessing Google Maps
Previously: Clash Of The Titans: The War Of The Ecosystems
Google did something evil.
It will get undone shortly, but the fact remains that Google directly attacked a group of consumers for no reason except to gain a competitive advantage by making their life more miserable.
Sometime last week, the Google Maps web site became inaccessible from Windows phones. […] continued
Read moreGoogle Now: Android’s Ambitious App Pulls You Into The Google Ecosystem
If you have a new Android phone running the latest version of Android (“Jelly Bean,” Android versions 4.1 or 4.2), you can turn on Google Now, one of the most interesting and forward-looking smartphone apps available on any platform.
I don’t have a Jelly Bean phone, so I’m relying on news reports, blogs, and comments by knowledgeable tech journalists. […] continued
Read moreHappy Holidays From Bruceb Consulting!
Season’s greetings! I hope you all get lovely new technology for the holidays and have a wonderful time poking and clicking and pinching and zooming!
I’ve been looking ahead to 2013, trying to guess what will fill our time in the technology world next year. Here are some of the things that are coming, in no particular order. […] continued
Read moreClash Of The Titans: The War Of The Ecosystems
Previously: Clash Of The Titans – The Battle Over Skydrive On iOS
War has broken out.
Apple, Google, Microsoft and Amazon have been building walled gardens, ecosystems of services that work best if you have multiple devices on the same platform. Example: once you buy an iPad, it is far more likely that your next phone will be an iPhone, because you’ve become familiar with how iOS works, and because the Apple ecosystem will make the two devices work together. […] continued
Read moreClash Of The Titans: The Battle Over Skydrive On iOS
Microsoft is embroiled in a conflict with Apple that is part of a bigger story. Today I’ll tell you about the details of the standoff over whether Microsoft will be allowed to keep giving away a Skydrive app for iPhones and iPads. In the next article, I’ll give you the bigger picture, which will help you understand some of the battles to come – and perhaps help you make decisions about what devices you buy. […] continued
Read moreMicrosoft Surface To Be Sold In Best Buy, Staples
If you’re curious about the Microsoft Surface tablets, you’ll be able to look at them in Staples and Best Buy next week. Microsoft’s original plan was to sell them only online and in Microsoft-branded stores until early next year but something – probably slow sales – has inspired them to make the Windows RT tablets more widely available starting December 16. […] continued
Read moreVerizon Brings 4G LTE Coverage To Santa Rosa
An email arrived tonight from Verizon announcing that 4G LTE service has officially arrived in Santa Rosa and nearby areas in Sonoma County. Verizon actually turned on LTE up here about a month ago; I noticed the LTE indicator lighting up on my Verizon devices and loyal correspondents left comments about it on my earlier article about 4G. […] continued
Read moreA Snapshot Of The Tech Market
Let’s catch our breath for a minute and do a quick recap of where things stand as we head into November.
COMPUTERSWindows 8 is becoming available, at least as an option, on new computers from the major manufacturers. At the moment everything is in transition, so you might run into something like the order page this morning for a Dell Inspiron 14z Ultrabook, which says in boldface “Dell Recommends Window Pro 8” and then does not offer Windows 8 as an option. […] continued
Read moreWindows 8: The View From 36,000 Feet
Windows 8 is a term that will be used to refer to several different things. It is the next operating system for Windows computers, but you’ll also see the name used loosely to describe a tablet operating system, a phone operating system, the environment for apps that run on those different platforms, and the design aesthetic that Microsoft is using for the operating systems, for apps, and for its online services. […] continued
Read moreWindows 8: The Shift To Mobile Devices
In order to understand why Microsoft has created Windows 8, you have to look at the long-term, fundamental change in the way the world uses technology.
We are in the middle of a massive structural shift from computers to phones and tablets. Mobile devices, not desktop computers, are the future of general-purpose computing. […] continued
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