Dropbox
Google Docs Adding Support For Microsoft Office File Formats
Google is trying to make the grass look greener in its walled garden, hoping to lure businesses that might otherwise stay loyal to Microsoft. The change it has announced sounds innocuous but might have big consequences in the long run.
Google is adding native support to Google Docs for editing, commenting, and collaborating on files in Microsoft Office file formats. […] continued
Read moreHow To Live The Simple Life . . . With Microsoft
My new computer is simple and has relatively few confusing bits.
My new computer runs Windows and primarily relies on Microsoft services.
Those two sentences are not normally uttered together! Microsoft’s mish-mash of dueling and overlapping personal and business accounts is anything but simple. I continue to have conversations every day with people who are confused by Microsoft services. […] continued
Read moreMicrosoft Has Improved AutoSave For Office Documents (But Not For Everybody, And With One Bit That Might Make You Curse)
Have you ever lost hours of work in a Word document because you closed it without saving? Of course you have. It’s happened to everyone.
That has never happened to you if you use Google Docs. In fact, you’ve forgotten about that problem because Google Docs automatically saves everything continuously. Now that you think about it, you’re feeling a bit superior, aren’t you? […] continued
Read moreThe 2018 Bruceb News Year In Review
Remember when I wrote an article a year ago predicting that always-connected computers would be heavily promoted in 2018?
Yeah, about that: not even close. Nada. All the buzz died away when the first PCs in that category turned out to be underpowered and, well, pretty awful.
Okay, that prediction didn’t pan out. […] continued
Read morePrepare Yourself (And Your Budget) For Subscription Fatigue
You’re going to be so fed up with subscriptions by the end of next year that you will want to scream.
Want to play a game? Before you read further, think about your recurring monthly expenses for digital services, devices, and subscription boxes. Write down a quick estimate of how much you spend each month. […] continued
Read moreStore Your Files In The Server In The Sky
It’s time to move your files to the cloud.
Box, Dropbox, and OneDrive now all have plans that support an important feature: You can store your files online and access them with Windows File Explorer or Mac Finder, without syncing the files and without using space on your hard drive. Today I have to explain a bunch of stuff for that to make sense, but I think this will be our natural expectation without a second thought in a very short time. […] continued
Read moreHow Microsoft Became Uncool And Lost Touch With Consumers
There was a time when Windows was cool. A long time ago, people lined up to get new versions of Windows when they went on sale. Maybe not quite the numbers of people outside of Apple stores at the height of iPhone madness, but still – Microsoft was pretty cool.
When the iPhone was released in 2007, Microsoft began its long decline with consumers. […] continued
Read moreBox Drive Hits A Milestone
Box Drive has been declared to be generally available, instead of being labeled a “beta.” Box Drive users will be prompted to install an update – more about that below.
Need a refresher?
Box is a service for businesses to store files online. Box was built from the ground up for business and is not the right choice for individuals. […] continued
Read moreStore Files Online, View Them On Your Computer With Dropbox Smart Sync
Dropbox Smart Sync is a new feature that allows you to store files online and browse through them with Windows File Explorer or Mac Finder. The files are not synced. They are only online, not on your local hard drive.
This is an important change in technology for small businesses and individuals with a large number of files. […] continued
Read moreMicrosoft Is Moving Past Windows
If you’re an individual or small business Windows user, you might have the wrong idea about how Microsoft is doing.
We all tend to generalize from our own experiences. You can be forgiven for thinking that Microsoft’s future is dim when Outlook has just crashed or you’re paralyzed by an unexpected and unwelcome Windows update. […] continued
Read moreThe Confusing Story Of OneDrive Files On-Demand
OneDrive Files On-Demand is a new feature being rolled out now to Windows 10 computers worldwide. It’s a valuable and welcome new feature that you should know about and that you might use. But this is from Microsoft, so you will not be surprised to find out that (1) it’s hard to predict when you’ll get the update that includes the new feature, (2) it’s confusing to set it up, and (3) it’s poorly documented. […] continued
Read moreWho Should Buy A Chromebook?
Chromebook series
Why Your Next Laptop Might Be A Chromebook
Which Chromebook Should You Buy?
If you read the last article about Chromebooks, you know that the virtual store shelves are lined with lovely laptops at prices that start at $450 and go down from there. […] continued
Read moreGoogle Changes Its Programs For Storing Photos And Files Online
Google is changing the programs that Windows and Mac computers use to store photos and files online. You’re not required to do anything right away but some of you will be prompted to update to a new program in the next few months. Let’s see if we can unravel some of the details of Google Backup and Sync, and Drive File Stream. […] continued
Read moreCreate PDFs With Your Phone
One of the technology challenges in 2017 is simply remembering what can be done with your phone or computer. It’s easy to add apps to your phone or install programs on your computer; it’s harder to remember them a few weeks later when you have something new to do.
There are several ways to create PDFs with your phone. […] continued
Read moreiPhone Tip: How To Make Sure Your Photos Are Backed Up
Here’s a tip for iPhone users that might make you sleep more soundly.
If you rely on Google Photos, OneDrive, Dropbox or other online services to back up your photos from an iPhone, open those apps when you’re connected to Wi-Fi and make sure they have synced your photos online. Otherwise there’s a chance that some photos won’t have been uploaded when you drop the phone or lose it. […] continued
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