bruceb news

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.

Let’s start to unravel it. There’s a lot of information here and it’s at the heart of what you need to know about Windows 8. Get some coffee and dig in! […] continued

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.

If Microsoft had not embarked on a major shift in its core business, it would have seen its business flatten and then begin a long decline. All the evidence you need is in an article in this week’s Time magazine about the future of computing.

The headline is: “Apple vs. […] continued

On October 25, Microsoft will formally unveil Windows 8, followed closely by a separate presentation of Windows Phone 8 on October 29. Windows 8 computers, notebooks, tablets and hybrid devices will go on sale on October 26, and Windows Phone 8 phones will go on sale through all carriers in early November.

Taken together, the releases represent the most significant change in business and consumer technology since Windows XP arrived eleven years ago. Apple’s mobile devices have changed the world for consumers but Microsoft’s vision is broader and might even have a greater impact in the long run.

Microsoft is engaged in remaking itself on a scale that is rarely attempted by large companies. […] continued

HTC previewed the Windows Phone 8X and Windows Phone 8S at a press conference last week, with Steve Ballmer beaming onstage like a proud father. The phones will be available sometime in early November, along with the Nokia Lumia 920 and 820, the Samsung Ativ S, and likely others. The HTC Windows Phone 8X looks like the new high-end Windows phone to beat, with stylish lines, a high-quality camera, and very light weight. It’s also the first Windows Phone 8 device confirmed for Verizon, which is crucially important to those of us in the wilderness of Sonoma County where AT&T and Sprint fear to tread. […] continued

Apple dominates the news today but perhaps not the way it was hoping: an underwhelming introduction of the iPhone 5 at the press conference yesterday, and some dissatisfaction about an extended outage of iCloud mail.

First, the good news: the iPhone 5 is the best iPhone yet. It’s also kind of dull.

When Apple introduced the iPhone 4 in 2010, it raised the bar for smartphones to a whole new level and forced the industry to redouble its efforts to create competitive products. They sold tens of millions of them.

In 2011 Apple changed the name to “iPhone 4S” and released the iPhone 4 with some modest improvements, things that were bigger or faster or more shiny or less thick, along with some incrementally improved apps and features. […] continued

Get some popcorn, keep a grip on your wallet, and settle down. The action is about to begin.

There are big changes coming up in the world of mobile devices, and the thrilling conclusion will affect your computers as well when Microsoft officially releases Windows 8.

Here’s a look at what lies ahead.

WINDOWS PHONE 8

On September 5, Microsoft and Nokia will hold a press conference in New York to unveil Windows Phone 8. Other manufacturers are also making Windows 8 phones but Nokia gets the spotlight because it has partnered the most closely with Microsoft on their development (and Nokia needs the boost). […] continued

Verizon and AT&T are both offering new share plans that allow all of the family devices to share unlimited calls, unlimited texting, and a pool of data that can be used by up to 10 devices – smartphones, tablets, and PCs. If you already have a number of devices with individual data plans, one of the share plans might save you some money, and it makes it tempting to get more broadband devices in the future.

(Verizon’s plan is available now. AT&T’s plan will be available on August 23.)

For the last few years the cost of a data plan has been an annoying consideration with each new device. […] continued

The most successful smartphone manufacturer in the world sold more than twice as many phones as its nearest competitor in the second quarter of 2012. In fact, it increased its lead last quarter, when the second-place manufacturer saw sales start to slip.

Quick! Without looking, who finished first?

It was Samsung, of course – by any measure, the world’s largest maker of smartphones.

Surprised? It’s hard to resist Apple’s reality distortion field. Apple shipped 26 million phones in the second quarter. It’s no slouch. But Samsung’s share of the market is steadily increasing, whether measured by number of units sold (52 million last quarter), by market share (35% vs. […] continued

Previously:
LastPass 2.0: An Upgraded Version Of An Essential Program
LastPass 2.0 And Secure Notes

LASTPASS PREMIUM

Almost all of the important functions of LastPass are available for free, but you should consider paying $12/year for LastPass Premium. Although there are other Premium features, most of you will be paying that dollar a month for a LastPass app to run on your smartphone and iPad.

There is a mobile version of LastPass for every device – Android, iPhone/iPad, Windows phone, and more. You can view, add, edit, and delete all of your sites and secure notes from the app. That’s valuable by itself, especially if you begin keeping all of your personal information in LastPass Secure Notes as I suggested yesterday – you’ll have convenient, secure access to your driver’s license number and credit card numbers, all in one place. […] continued

Previously:
LastPass 2.0: An Updated Version Of An Essential Program

The upgrade to LastPass 2.0 includes a meaningful improvement in “Secure Notes” to help you use LastPass to store all of your private information, not just Internet passwords.

Secure Notes allow you to store any kind of information securely – a digital encrypted notepad. You can save bank account numbers, credit card information, Social Security numbers, locker combinations, and anything else you need to remember.

The information is stored in your LastPass Vault in a folder named Secure Notes. You can create subfolders to keep the notes organized. A Secure Note can be created from the LastPass toolbar or from the LastPass Vault in your web browser. […] continued