Futurelawyer

CD Wallet Toolkit - You Can't Take That On A Plane

Make Your Own CD Wallet Toolkit for On the Go Tinkering. (Apologies to Bruce Carton, whose "You Can't Do That On A Plane:" series is always entertaining). I like DIY projects, and this little toolkit, which stuffs pliers, a portable screwdriver, a utility knife, and more into an old repurposed CD Wallet is very cool. However, you can't take this everywhere; although, you could probably put it in checked luggage at the airport. That is, if you are willing to pay the price to check luggage at the airport. If you fly at all. This guy spent around $30 on his kit; I probably have this stuff already, but it would take a while to find it. 

And This Time, We Really Mean It!

Verizon, Google get ready to post Galaxy Nexus' Android 4.0.4 update, really really this time -- Engadget.
Verizon has finally approved the ICS update for the Galaxy Nexus phone, to IMM76K. Of course they have. After a couple of months of waiting, I finally bit the bullet last weekend, unlocked and rooted my phone, and flashed the new build from the Google website. If any of you need rain, I will fly there, and go out without an umbrella. Well, at least I now have a rooted phone that I can play around with. I don't recommend the rooting and flashing process, unless you have some experience. I have some not so fond memories of bricking my old GTablet a few times before I got it right. Anyway, if you have a Nexus, check for an update in the next few days. It does increase speed and stability.

This Isn't Your Daddy's Nintendo

GameStop to sell Android tablets in over 1600 stores | Android Central. If you have kids, or have had kids in the last 20 years, you have spent some of your time in GameStop or similar store, looking at kids holding tiny video game machines. My kids ran the gamut, and I spent enough money on small game cartridges to bring Greece out of bankruptcy. These handheld game machines were pricey, and I remember spending $149 on one ill fated GameBoy, that mysteriously disappeared from my son's room a few weeks later. Now, it appears that the high end Android tablets are becoming kids' game systems of choice; at least the ones they carry around. With 7 to 10 inch screens, dual core, or better, processors, and dozens of game companies selling games in the the Google Play Store, they are an ideal product for GameStop in this new century. The great graphics, and modern gaming techniques, make the tablets ideal for this stuff. And, the benefit is that you can teach your kid all the productive things they can also do with an Android tablet, like spend hours talking to their friends on Facebook. Some things never change. Only the methods do.

Large And In Charge - It's A Bird! It's A Plane! It's Viewsonic's 22 Inch Tablet!

ViewSonic%u2019s 22-inch Android 4.0 ICS Tablet Coming Next Month: Is It Real? :: Tablet / Laptop / PC :: Mobile & Apps. It is safe to say you won't be carrying the new Viewsonic 22 Inch Tablet, running Ice Cream Sandwich, in your pocket. Unless, of course you are the Jolly Green Monster. Hey, tablet manufacturers have tried every other size. But, the upcoming Viewsonic version of a giant, over $1,000, tablet, is monstrous indeed. Seriously, there will be some business and industrial uses for this thing. You could put it on the wall of the library or conference room, and you and your clients could play Angry Birds. However, how about watching movies, or doing legal research as a group, or doing demos if you are an Android developer? Of course, the smart users will buy a $200 32 inch TV and connect it to their existing Android phone. But, nobody ever said computer manufacturers were in tune with their users. 

Asus EEE Pad Transformer - Everything Old Is New Again

ASUS - Eee- ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101. My tech buys keep coming back to me. I tend to pass down my tech, as I upgrade, to the members of my family. When I moved to the smaller form factor and thin and light goodness of the Galaxy Tab 7.7 this week, I passed my Galaxy Tab 10.1 to She Who Must Be Obeyed, and she returned my old Asus Pad Transformer tablet that she had been using. She now has an on board radio, and gets 2 Gigs of data monthly for the same price I was paying for her hotspot access on her phone. I had forgotten how great the Transformer is. It is a little thicker and heavier than the Galaxy 10.1, and it is WiFi only; but, it has been upgraded to Ice Cream Sandwich, has a fast processor, and ICS has greatly improved its speed. On top of that, it still has the best keyboard attachment in the business, making it a great Android netbook for use in real work. You can't run your Windows productivity software on it; but, the Android versions of Word compatible products are really good. I have used Documents to Go, Polaris Office, and QuickOffice, and they are all great. The best part is that you can get one of these for around $300 now, a bargain in anybody's book. If I want to do something in big screen again, I will have it available. 

But Will They Come In My Prescription?

The first video taken with Google Glasses has surfaced; and, while it isn't that impressive, and the glasses are really nerdy looking, I want some. In the not too distant future, will we go to our Optometrist and ask for Google Glasses frames in our prescription? Probably. I am still waiting for the chip to be implanted in my temple, and connected somehow to my optic nerve. THAT would be cool.

 

Screen Test - New IPAD versus Galaxy 7.7

Okay, I admit a bias towards Android products; however, I got tired of new iPad fans bragging about the retina display screen. So, I looked around the net, and found this little side by side comparison video. I think the 7.7 screen is more color saturated, brighter, and generally more pleasing than the iPad. But, again, I am biased. You be the judge.

 

Best Android Apps Waiting For A Flight

Best Android Apps for the Wait at Your Flight Gate | AndroidTapp. She Who Must Be Obeyed has a shiny, almost new, Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, which is my old tablet. While it was the thinnest, lightest tablet out there (sorry iPad), I have downsized to the new 7.7 inch Galaxy Tab, which has a screen large enough for video and books and magazines, and is as thin and even lighter than the 10.1. However, the really cool thing about the 7.7 is that it is the only tablet in the U.S. with Samsung's bright, Super AMOLED screen, which is brighter and crisper than the new IPad's retina display. It also has a built-in 4G LTE radio, and has a fast dual core processor. Go to the store, and hold one of these next to a new iPad. Amazing. But, I digress. Now that I have the lightest, thinnest, brightest tablet on the planet, what do I use it for while waiting for the plane? Here are some cool apps to bide your time with. My favorite is Tango, because I can do video calls with She Who Must Be Obeyed, and she can tell me to focus on making money so the kids can stay in school. Some things never change.

If You Have To Have An IPad, Get This One

iPad | Verizon iPad | Verizon Wireless. I love my Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computer. I carry it everywhere. I do everything on it. The other day at lunch, I took a client call, loaded up LogMeIn Ignition on the tablet, pulled up a document on the computer back at the office, and Efaxed it to the client remotely. I love the choice and flexibility and customizability of the Android ecosystem. But, some of you road warrriors just have to have an iPad. I get it. Many lawyers want what everyone else is using; and, it seems that some of the in court app developers have settled on the iPad as a standard. So be it. But, if you have to go along with the crowd, at least get one from Verizon Wireless, with a 4G LTE radio in it. No more worrying about finding WiFi on the road. No more expensive hotel connections. Bring your Internet with you. Even if you have to have an iPad.

Top 8 Uses For Your Old SmartPhone

8 More New Uses for Your Old Smartphone | PCWorld. I love my old smart phones. Once, they were my one and only; they lived with me. But, then a new model came along, and I succumbed to the charms of a younger phone. But, I keep the old ones in a gadget bag behind my desk. Occasionally, I will charge them up, update the software over my WiFi connection, and lovingly replace them in their bag. But, wait, what if I could use them for something? Just because they no longer have a cellular connection doesn't mean they are useless! They are Wifi tablets with tiny screens! In fact, my old HTC Incredible has a screen as large as an iPhone 4! So, I put it on the charger, loaded up the new free CoPilot app, which has maps of the entire North American continent available for free download, and I now have a shiny new Wifi tablet that also serves as an in car navigation system. Check out this PcWorld article for some other uses for that old phone. The old girl has some life left in her yet.