Bruce Brown, a PC Magazine Contributing Editor, is a former truck driver, aerobics instructor, high school English teacher, therapist, and adjunct professor (gypsy) in three different fields (Computing, Counseling, and Education) in the graduate departments of three different colleges and universities (Wesleyan University , St. Joseph College, and the University of Hartford). In the fall of 1981 he was bitten by the potentials of personal computing and conspired to leave the legitimacy of academia for a life absorbed in computer stuff. In the fall of 1982 he founded the Connecticut Computer Society and began publishing a newsletter that eventually had a (largely unpaid) circulation of 28,000.Bruce has been a freelance writer covering personal computing hardware since 1983, the year he co-founded Soft Industries Corp., a computer consulting company, with Alfred Poor (also an ExtremeTech contributor) and Dick Ridington (a Fortune 500 consultant with Creative Realities, Inc., a Boston consulting firm). In 1988 Bruce left Soft Industries to be a full-time freelance writer. He has written for several now defunct publications including Lotus Magazine, PC Computing, PC Sources, and Computer Life as well as Computer Shopper and PC Magazine. In 1990 he and Craig Stinson co-wrote Getting the Most Out of IBM Current, an immediately remaindered work published by Brady Books.Married to PC Magazine Contributing Editor Marge Brown, Bruce is the father of former PC Magazine Staff Editor Richard Brown (a former and currently thriving freelance writer), Liz Brown (a recent graduate of Colgate University who aspires a career in marketing and public relations), and Peter Brown (who evaluates console gaming systems and games for PC Magazine and various Websites).Bruce can be contacted at bruce_brown@ziffdavis.com.
For about the same price as a regular USB flash memory device, the StealthSurfer comes with Netscape Browser 7.0 and privacy software. You can surf the Web and securely store e-mail, downloads, and other files, along with your Web-browsing history and Internet cache, on the device. When you remove the StealthSurfer from a PC, all […]
Your PDA becomes a valuable navigation aid with Mapopolis.coms GPS add-ons for most popular makes of Palm OS and PocketPC handhelds. We tested the Mapopolis GPS for the Handspring Treo ($180 street). The bundle includes a National Marine Electronics Association–compatible (and waterproof) GPS module, a Mapopolis v.5.16 PDA mapping application, and downloadable street maps for […]
In true summer sequel fashion, Palm has replaced the original Tungsten/T—its mainstay PDA for professionals—with the new Palm Tungsten/T2 ($400 street). Unlike as in Hollywood, however, this follow-on is better in almost every way. For starters, the T2 has double the memory (32MB) of the T. The increased memory pays off quickly. Even after loading […]
Internet appliances have yet to find great success, largely since the compromises inherent in the earlier devices were too great. The Greenbell BluePAD ($1,350 list), however, is a versatile multipurpose Internet appliance that combines Internet connectivity, wireless networking for mobility, and a TV tuner in one attractive—albeit expensive—device. Capable of running in mobile mode via […]
Dell seems to be making itself into both a one-stop and a one-brand computer shop. Besides selling PDAs and printers, the company has stepped into the wireless networking market. Two new house-brand 11-MHz, 802.11b devices are part of this push—the $69 (direct) Dell TrueMobile 1180 Wireless USB Adapter for Desktops and the Dell TrueMobile 1184 […]
In many parts of the U.S., the most pressing needs of wireless users have been better coverage and more available bandwidth for voice calls. High-speed data capability, although more highly touted, has been in less demand. But the new Sprint PCS Connection Card CF2031 ($230 street plus monthly service fee), with the slight dimensions of […]
Setting up a new wireless network? Then you should be considering a dual-band network that supports both 802.11b and the faster 802.11a standards. And these multifunction a/b routers from D-Link Systems and Netgear might be just the place to start. Both routers come with four-port 10/100 Ethernet switches, NAT routing, DHCP servers, VPN pass-through, firewall […]