Futurelawyer

Apple To Authors - We Own A Piece Of You

Apple's dirty little EULA publishing secret | TechRepublic. Say it ain't so, Apple. The new iBook publishing app, that allows authors to upload their work and sell it, and competes with similar offerings by Amazon and others, allegedly has an even more Draconian EULA agreement than any of its competitors. Lawyers are familiar with End User License Agreements (EULAs); and, I'll bet, we don't read them in the same percentages as the rest of computer users. Unless, of course, somebody actually does read one and highlights the problems. In the case of iBook, Apple asserts that anyone who publishes content to it, and charges for that content, must share the charge with Apple, and may only publish to iBook. For authors who publish to Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Smashwords, and other sites, this is a non-starter. This is like a bookstore telling an author that it will carry his book in the store; but, you can't sell it anywhere else. Amazon gives authors the option to have better access to Prime customers if they give it a 90 day exclusivity period; but, Apple's EULA makes no such distinction. Check out the article for the actual contract terms. Just a little light bedtime reading.

 

Kindle for Android - You Don't Need A Kindle

Amazon.com: Kindle for Android - Read Kindle eBooks on your Android device. If you are a Kindle subscriber, and you have an Android phone or tablet, you can access all of your Kindle subscriptions and books with this free app. I don't even own a Kindle, as the books and magazines that I want are available on Amazon, and I can read them on my Asus Transformer tablet or my Droid Bionic phone. Oh, okay, there is a Kindle for IPhone app too. So, don't kill a tree, do manipulate some electrons, and maybe save the planet. All the while, you will be satisfying your need for knowledge and entertainment. Works for me.

When Did The Library Die?

This photo of one corner of the FutureLawyer's office library was taken this morning. I walked out there to look for a client's corporate book, and was struck by the fact that I couldn't remember the last time I opened one of the old leather covered books. I acquired the oldest part of the set from a retiring lawyer many years ago; I can remember making payments on them for years. I also have not so fond memories of hours spent in the library inserting paper pocket parts into secondary source books. Now, this room is used for closings, and depositions, and conferences with larger groups of clients; but, it really isn't a library anymore. I wax nostalgic for the look of books strewn all over the room, and the smell of musty old volumes. Now, I never leave the computer screen. What have we wrought? I invite my readers to contribute photos of their libraries, if they still have them. Some of you are too young to remember books, right?

 

 

Microstyle - The Art Of Writing Little

%u2018Microstyle,%u2019 by Christopher Johnson - Review - NYTimes.com. I am, I suppose, a creature of this age. Fast food, fast communication, television, telephone, and a short attention span. We are inundated by so many things in our society that we cannot spend enough time with them all. As a consequence, our interactions have become shorter and more plentiful. Then, as law students, we learn to write complicated, long and reasoned arguments, in letters, memoranda, and briefs, and we are taught to communicate in a language that most people don't speak; nor do they want to learn. Fast forward to an economy in which branding is all, and we are told that we need to use email, and blogs, and social media, to communicate our message. Ouch. This little book takes the fundamental knowledge that communication is best done with brevity, and analyzes and explains the reasons. Good read. Now, I have reached the limit of your attention span, and I must stop. 

Where Have All The Ebooks Gone?

Free study guides grace Barnes and Noble%u2019s Nooks | Gadgetell. Modern students are using Nooks and Kindles more and more in place of printed textbooks. Mine started using them to replace printed versions of Literature on their reading lists for school. The question of the day is "where are the legal publishers?" I know that we can access case law and statutes on our notebooks, tablets and smartphones. I have posted about some apps that simplify access to such stuff. I use Google Scholar and Versuslaw to access case law; and, occasionally, since Fastcase is provided with my Florida bar membership, I use it too. For statutory law, I access the Government websites, or a smartphone app that puts all the stuff on my phone and tablet. However, how great would it be if all of this stuff was preloaded on an ereader? Once downloaded, it would be like having a paper library of the past in your pocket. And, you could subscribe to all sorts of secondary materials and form sets that are still in the paper world. How about it, legal publishers? You have a whole new market of lawyers to tap. 

Google One Pass - The Future Of Magazine And News Publishing?

Apple's new subscription service allows iPad and iPhone users to read magazines and newspapers on their devices for a subscription fee. The only problem with this is that Apple wants to control the distribution of content of publishers, and takes a hefty Thirty (30) per cent of the fees. Google One Pass is likely to be a better fit for most publishers, as Google is acting strictly as a distribution source, allows subscribers to access content on any of their devices (Android phones, computers, tablets, etc.), and leaves ownership and control of the content to the publishers. But, the big draw will be that Google only charges Ten (10) per cent for the distribution. Uh, sounds like a no brainer to me.

Google Books Learns To Define And Translate Text

Google Books now finds, defines, translates text | Webware - CNET. Say what you want about Google. It is still the go to place on the Internet, and Google Books is just one piece of the puzzle. And, what a big piece it is. Ambitious is too small a word to describe Google's efforts to put all the knowledge that human beings have put between the pages of paper books since the printing press was invented in digital form for searching, reading and using on the Internet. As lawyers, we are always reading books with case law, and statutes, and other law related primary and secondary materials. But, the world of knowledge has impact on every area of the law, and lovers of knowledge love books. Now, Google has raised the bar again. Highlight words or phrases in any text, and right click for a context menu that now contains options to define or translate text. Now, I need that computer chip with web access implanted in my temple and connected somehow to my optic nerve. 

High Caliber EBook Management From Calibre

calibre - E-book management. Okay. You now have an iPad, or a Google phone, or a tablet running Android, or a Sony EReader, or a Nook. Where do you get books? What format do you need to download them in? What if a book you want is in another format? Calibre may be your solution. The free download will convert Ebooks to a format of your choosing, and store and manage them in a location you choose. The software is free, and does much more. For professionals who do a lot of reading on their computers, phones and ereaders, it is a godsend. Now, go and get organized.

Conquer CyberLoad - Get Control Of Your Digital Life

Declutter Your Digital Domain | Your Mind on Media. I have been meaning to write a review of Dr. Joanne Cantor's new book, Conquer Cyberload, for some time. However, I have been procrastinating, since I have been so busy with all of my tech. My addiction to tech has made it impossible to read her book, and to focus on writing a review of it. Not. Actually, this little book has a lot of great ideas and techniques for getting control of your tech addiction. As I recently posted, this can be as simple as finding the "off" switch on the device. Dr. Cantor is a proponent of "balance"; that is, understanding that multitasking is impossible for the human brain. We can have a lot of tasks going on at the same time; but, we can only focus on one at a time. It is actually a time drain and time waster to be switching back and forth rapidly between tasks. Of course, the trick is to find that balance between single minded focus on one thing for too long a time, and the ability to pull away and enjoy some of the simple pleasures. Used properly, tech and gadgets can give us more time to enjoy those simple things. Manage your focus. Get control of your time. Take a break. Get your email under control. Get physical exercise. Good book. Short read. Futurelawyer recommended.

You Can Have My Smartphone When You Pry It From My Cold, Dead Hands

Amazon.com: Conquer CyberOverload: Get More Done, Boost Your Creativity, and Reduce Stress (9780984256808): Joanne Cantor, Ph. D.: Books. Dr. Joanne Cantor has written a book about the stress caused by our computers and gadgets, and our addiction to all things tech. Of course, when her publicist offered to send me a copy to review, I told him I was NOT addicted to my tech. I told him with an email sent from my smart phone, which is on my hip or in my hands 16 hours a day. When it is not glued to my body, it is in a charging dock within arm's reach. In a concession to sanity, I leave it in the den when I go to sleep. I figure I shouldn't be sending email at 3 in the morning. However, I wonder if traffic on the net slows down then? Okay, Dr. Joanne, I will read your book when it comes. But, I DON'T have a problem. I can take it or leave it. I haven't checked my email in at least two minutes.