Futurelawyer

Surprise, Surprise. Microsoft Software Was Designed to Annoy Us!

Link: Microsoft: Vista feature designed to 'annoy users' | Tech News on ZDNet. There must be something in the water. First, we had the AT&T guy who is running around saying the Internet sky is falling. Now, a Microsoft manager has admitted that one of the most annoying things about Vista, user account control (UAC), was DESIGNED to annoy users. Excuse me? Rather than design the OS to be secure, Microsoft prefers to annoy its users to death. Microsoft clearly underestimated the intelligence of computer users, as the lack of sales and conversions to Vista would seem to indicate. However, it is the arrogance of the software developer that frosts me. I thought Apple had the patent on annoying users with its proprietary closed systems. Can anyone say open source, or Ubuntu Linux?

Sir, Please Step Away From The Internet

Link: AT&T: Internet to hit full capacity by 2010 | Tech News on ZDNet. Please be advised that the Internet is full. There is no more room for diatribes, blogs, useless information, defamation, or education. It is 2010, and, according to AT&T, vast infrastructure improvements are required to avoid the whole thing grinding to a halt. If broadband entertainment continues to grow, in 3 years, according to this spokesman, 20 households will be using the same bandwidth as the entire Internet today. Of course, there are lies, damned lies and statistics. Let's pray that this guy's rant is a figment of his imagination. Soon, Internet capacity will grow without borders, and we will all have chips implanted in our temporal lobes. I think I saw a sci fi movie about that once. Books were banned, and everybody forgot how to read. Welcome to the Twilight Zone.

Web 2.5: Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Go Outside

Link: Web 2.5: The emergence of platforms-as-a-service | Outside the Lines - CNET News.com. Just when we started to understand Web 2.0 (interactive web sites that allowed user interaction with information stored on the web), or "cloud computing", (doing real work on data and programs stored elsewhere, and SaaS (Software As A Service), running programs and accessing data in web browsers, now we have to deal with the half-step to Web 3.0 (the semantic web, which I have no idea about). Web 2.5 appears to be the migration from software applications and data over the web to "platform computing" over the web. Google's App Engine enters a field in which developers can use Google's servers to create applications that will be served over the web. In the future, you won't even have to have your own servers to create stuff for users to pay you to use. This may be a way to partially control legal applications that are created for lawyers to use on the web, since the developer will control just about everything. It's a brave new world.

If You Believe This, I Have Some Swampland in Kuala Lumpur to Sell You

Link: Computerworld Malaysia - Velchip signs three major partnership deals to advance the world’s biggest broadband powerline project. Powerline networking has always been slower, and less reliable than dedicated Internet lines. The electrical current problems have not dampened enthusiasm for it, however, especially in parts of the world where development is lagging. Often, electrical power is the only way to get Internet to many people. However, the claims of this Malaysia company that they will be able to provide over 200 Mbps networking for $1.58 a month per user are either inflated, or I am moving to Indonesia. Hey, I have an idea. How about bringing the network here? Of course, with all of the other wireless and electrical stuff going on, the interference will be a real problem. In the U.S., powerline networking products that have claimed 200 Mbps throughput have actually shown real life performance of 90 Mbps. And, the access costs a lot more than a buck and a half a month per user.

Giveaway of the Day - MemOptimizer

Link: Giveaway of the Day - free licensed software daily. MemOptimizer - Free up your PC's memory locked by executed applications. My Dell D620 only has 1 Gig of RAM. I would upgrade it to 2 Gigs, but my new Dell, the ultralight D430, already has 2 Gigs. I tell you this because I got a free download of MemOptimizer this morning, and saved $20. Every day the Giveaway of the Day site highlights a free piece of software, and some of them are quite useful. Bookmark the site, check it every day, and you will see what I mean.

Digital Watermarks - Protecting Copyright on the Web

Link: IBLS | INTERNET LAW. The Internet creates an environment in which copyright violations proliferate so rapidly that it is beyond human ability to keep track. Digital watermarking of copyrighted documents placed on the Web creates a way to use the technology of the Internet to fight copyright violations spread over the Internet. Tracking spiders comb the Net 24-7 looking for the digital watermarks, and phoning home to the copyright owner. Once a violation is found, voila, more work for lawyers!

Divorce Guide for Divorcing Women

Link: Divorce Guide for Divorcing Women. When Helene Taylor sent me an email asking me to take a look at her website, I hesitated. Do I really need to be giving She Who Must Be Obeyed ideas? However, after looking at the site, I realized that women need to be made aware of their rights, and Helene's idea to have the first ever directory for divorce lawyers that allows audio greetings to prospective clients was innovative enough that I had to blog about it. Of course, as long as I obey She Who Must Be Obeyed, why would she ever divorce me? As she says, Men are difficult to train; but, once trained, we are handy to have around.

DirecTV to offer broadband over powerline this year - Engadget

Link: DirecTV to offer broadband over powerline this year - Engadget. What is the biggest network? If you guessed the electrical grid, you are correct. Since Edison, we have been installing electrical outlets in every room on the planet, and, while our electrical systems aren't all joined together, collectively they are the biggest physical connection on the planet. DirecTV, best known in the FutureLawyer household for the service that takes PaPa away from the family for 9 hours every Sunday, watching football on NFL Sunday Ticket, now threatens to make Ethernet obsolete. Running broadband Internet connections over the power grid will make Internet connections as easy as plugging into the wall outlet. Wonder of wonders. Miracles of miracles.

Ubuntu creator claims more Linux-based Dells to emerge - Engadget

Link: Ubuntu creator claims more Linux-based Dells to emerge - Engadget. I love the fact that two of my favorite computing companies are getting married. Dell and Ubuntu are expanding their partnership, and more Dell computers will be offering Ubuntu Linux as the operating system. Dell created the personal computer direct sales model, and so it is to be expected that it is on the leading edge of the coming OS transparent world. Try Linux in your law practice. Your wallet, and you, will be glad you did.

Wireless USB - Is It In Your Future?

Link: Excite Money & Investing. What if you didn't have to plug in all those USB peripherals? What if the tangle of USB 2.0 wires didn't create spaghetti style confusion on your desk? Nirvana, you say? Well, get ready for a new standard, Wireless USB. Alereon's announcement of wireless USB chips, with throughput that is as fast as USB 2.0 wired, up to ten feet distances, may be in the immediate future. No more USB hubs cluttering up your briefcase. Printers, cell phones, smart phones, external hard drives, keyboards, mice, and all sorts of stuff just sitting in close proximity to whatever computer you are using. Oh joy, oh happy day.

Security researchers: Safari for Windows not so secure

Link: Security researchers: Safari for Windows not so secure | . Grant Griffiths and I read each other's blogs religiously, just so we can bust each other's chops in the great Windows/Linux versus Mac debate. The past couple of days, we have been debating the Apple attempt to make inroads on the Windows boxes, by providing a beta of Safari, the Mac web browser. As I reported yesterday, I couldn't get the thing to show dialog text on my machine, and it was running slowly. Grant opined that it WAS a Beta, so give it time. Well, today we learn that Safari for Windows has the same security flaws as the Windows browser. Grant will, no doubt, blame this on the Windows operating system. I suspect it is because the script kiddies just haven't bothered going after Mac OSx enough yet. And, the debate continues.

Microsoft shows off DigiDesk workstation of the future - Engadget

Link: Microsoft shows off DigiDesk workstation of the future - Engadget. Will the law office of the future feature a desk that doubles as a computer and digital monitor? The Microsoft Corporation is finally spending its billions on something that might some day be useful, and the DigiDesk project promises to make our future office furniture touch controlled information terminals that will allow the Internet access and application heaven we all are looking for. These desks are a long way in the future, but will have speech recognition, image resizing on the fly, document digitizers, and other cool stuff. If you have seen any scifi movies lately, you have seen one of these (dummy boards, of course). I can't wait.

Blogging and the Future of Internet copyright

Link: Journal Gazette | 04/08/2007 | Future of Internet copyright. One of the most important questions to be answered in the intellectual property field is the extent to which the fair use doctrine should be applied to the Internet. The Internet has changed the way we view news and opinion, and has magnified our view of the freedom of information. On the Internet, information wants to be read, and to be free, and will NOT be ignored. However, copyright owners are entitled to the protection of their ideas; especially, if they earn their living with them. Fair use clearly includes bloggers' comments and opinions on the news and opinions of the day. However, at what point does the use of another's copyrighted work on the Internet become an actionable violation? As this article considers, "accomodations will be made in terms of law AND technology".

Microsoft PR: Worse than the FBI? : Christopher Null : Yahoo! Tech

Link: Microsoft PR: Worse than the FBI? : Christopher Null : Yahoo! Tech. Microsoft's heavy handed attempted manipulation of tech journalists is the focus of this Christopher Null column. Apparently, Microsoft's PR firm keeps dossiers on journalists that go beyond the typical PR guy's information packet. The one that the column highlights contains strategy for manipulation of the journalist, and insulting comments. Null is a high visibility journalist, and he can't get Microsoft's PR people to return his calls. Why? He has been panning Vista, which is a buggy, broken, DRM ridden operating system, and takes control away from the user. Oops. I guess I won't be getting a Xmas card from Gates universe. Oh well. Put that in my dossier and smoke it.

Dell Listened: May Offer Linux Option Instead of Windows : Christopher Null : Yahoo! Tech

Link: Dell Listened: May Offer Linux Option Instead of Windows : Christopher Null : Yahoo! Tech. So far I have resisted Grant Griffith's suggestion to adopt Mac OSX as an operating system for several reasons: 1. It would require the purchase of a new computer. 2. I can see the benefits of the Mac operating system, but I really don't want to go on a learning expedition right now; especially one I have to pay a lot of money to experience. Of course, I could keep all my essential Windows apps, and still have the Mac to learn from. However, in seeking new alternatives, I remembered the free one: put an Ubuntu Linux partition on my drive, and see what Linux had to offer. Ubuntu is the easiest to install and use of the Linux distros, and can run in a dual boot setup with Windows XP. Now, when I need a new computer, it looks like I won't be forced to pay the couple of hundred extra dollars for Vista, which has serious problems. I can get a Dell with Linux. On the other hand, Windows XP is working fine right now, so why do either? Even Ubuntu Linux has problems with accessories, and some of my most used software doesn't have a Linux equivalent. I disagree with Christopher Null's conclusion that the Dell with Linux is the only real option other than the Mac. How about staying with XP? My mom always told me: "Dance with the One that Brought You". In other words: "My XP, I think I'll keep her".

Why Aren't You Upgrading to Vista? : Christopher Null : Yahoo! Tech

Link: Why Aren't You Upgrading to Vista? : Christopher Null : Yahoo! Tech. Christopher Null lists the reasons why Vista isn't worth the upgrade, most of which I have posted about before. However, perhaps the most important is that Vista isn't really any different than XP in its security, or lack thereof. It already needs a patch, and I don't know anyone who has bought it yet, unless it came with a new computer. Worse, it sends a really annoying "Windows Needs Your Permission to Use this program" message everytime the user tries to load, run or otherwise use the computer. Once you turn off the annoying reminder, how is Vista any more secure than XP? Rather that lock the door to everyone, and require the user to open the door whenever a task must be performed, Microsoft should think more about teaching the software the difference between something the user initiates, and something a bad third-part is trying to do to the system.

IntelliAdmin.com: The 5 sins of Vista

Link: IntelliAdmin.com: The 5 sins of Vista. It is good to see that I am not the only one who has doubts about Vista. Steve Wiseman, at IntelliAdmin is having all sorts of problems with it. I got this post via Christopher Null, who also is complaining. Duh. Windows Networking with XP and 2000 machines is broken. Duh. The search facility is broken. Duh. Anybody who installs Vista before the bugs get worked out, unless forced to by bosses, deserves what they get. Microsoft has a long history of pushing software to the market before it is ready. We who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

LegalZoom: Online Legal Services: LLC,Divorce,Wills,Incorporation & More

Link: LegalZoom: Online Legal Services: LLC,Divorce,Wills,Incorporation & More. In case you were wondering whether the adoption of tech in the law office should be a high priority, take a look at the competition. LegalZoom is an Internet site that allows consumers to create legal documents online, without the assistance of a lawyer. I will leave to the future the wisdom of this; except to say that lawyers who don't use technology will not be able to compete. We need to offer legal advice AND document drafting at a competitive price, or we will not have to worry about law practice anymore. It will be gone. There is no subsitute for a competent lawyer's advice. However, we need to give the public value, or they will go elsewhere.

Chuck Newton: The Third Wave

Link: Chuck Newton: The Third Wave. I have been meaning to highlight Chuck Newton and his entertaining web site about "Third Wave Lawyering" for some time. Chuck is using technology to follow the path of a home based lawyer, without traditional trappings of law office success. I haven't been assimilated completely (I still have an office and a secretary and a waiting room); but, Chuck's adoption of his interpretation of how lawyers can create their own Toffler "Third Wave Law Offices" is wonderful. Computers and technology have certainly given me freedom from BigLaw and all the trappings of the large law firm. Chuck, and my friend, Grant Griffiths, Home Office Lawyer , are walking the walk, and talking the talk. This post by Chuck is long, but take the time to read it through, and then reflect on it. Are you living your life and practicing law when you want to? Or, are you practicing law, and living your life in small interstitial spaces of time that get smaller and smaller?

Ernie The Attorney: Apple OS X & Windows XP, together in perfect harmony

Link: Ernie The Attorney: Apple OS X & Windows XP, together in perfect harmony. Ernie the Attorney has installed a new beta of Parallels that he says runs Windows and Mac on the same Intel-based Mac in a separate screen. The only problem that I see is how do you run the system simultaneously in an RV and a Hot Air Balloon?

Intel Rolls Out Quad-Core Processors

Link: Intel Rolls Out Quad-Core Processors. If two computing cores are better than one, four must be awesome, right? Well, we are about to find out. The new quad-core Xeon processors are out, and they are marvels of tech. If history repeats, AMD will be playing catch up for a while. These processors will be likely first used in servers, since the multiple computing cores can better handle multiple operations. Expect to see them in servers, serious gaming machines, and heavy-duty video or graphics systems. Does the typical lawyer need one of these? No. Does the little boy in all of us want one? You bet. Remember when the Blue Man Group did the ads for the Pentium 4? Well, now Intel really has a "Four" to shout about. Maybe we will see the group again.

Lab Rats! Core 2 DeMystified

Link: Lab Rats! A vidcast about technology you already own. In recent posts I have been raving about my Core Duo processor in my new Dell D620 laptop. The dual processor setup has really speeded up my computer use, and my friend, Andy Walker, has put up an entertaining episode of LabRats in which he and Sean Carruthers explain the Duo Core processors for the lay audience. Watch this entertaining and educational video cast. You might learn something, and have fun doing it!

NETGEAR Powerline Networking

Link: NETGEAR Powerline Networking. Powerline networking has never lived up to its promise, but new digital home standards adopted by the Universal Powerline Association promise data transfer speeds up to 200 mbps. Real world experience with the new devices is closer to 20 to 40 mbps, fast enough for ordinary networking and Internet stuff, but not fast enough for the future of video media transfer. In any event, if you are uncomfortable with running Cat5 cable through your house or office, and don't want to mess with wireless networking, the new devices may be for you. Figure about $130 per appliance. Just plug your router into the powerline adapter, plug the adapter into the wall, install the software, and go. You can get a kit with two Netgear powerline adapters for around $250.

Faster HomePlug Power-Line Networking Gear--Finally - Yahoo! News

Link: Faster HomePlug Power-Line Networking Gear--Finally - Yahoo! News. Is there a power line network in your future? Now, we are being told that high speed networking CAN work over the home or office power lines. Just plug into a wall socket, and the electrical lines already in your home or office can carry high speed Internet traffic anywhere in the structure. Unfortunately, we have been told this before, and none of the products worked very well. Even if the new systems work, most of us already are using wired and wireless networking, and even have EV-DO wireless access anywhere. This sounds like an idea whose time has come, and went.

The Mac Lawyer: Upgrading Your Computer :: Mac Style

Link: The Mac Lawyer: Upgrading Your Computer :: Mac Style. Ben Stevens, over at the Mac Lawyer, has this post on my column about the problems upgrading a Windows computer. He wants me to become a Mac user, and opines that it is much easier to migrate to a new computer on the OS10X operating system. Alas, I must decline. While I concede the benefits of the Mac world, I could not practice law without Amicus Attorney, ProDoc, HotDocs, or WordPerfect. They are ingrained in my legal personality. Now that I can run them from any XP machine anywhere with my little La Cie Carte Orange credit card drive (can't do that on a Mac!); I am afraid that I am stuck in a Windows world. However, I suggested, in my comment to Ben's post, that maybe we should all learn to get along. Let's all move to Ubuntu Linux! Free, open source, and easy to use. What more could one ask?

Security & Mobility Virtual Tradeshow

Link: Security & Mobility Virtual Tradeshow. Recently, PcMagazine conducted a trade show entirely online. Vendor booths, educational sessions, and speakers were available on line, and can still be viewed and listened to. This is the future of educational programs, and there is a lot of good information here on computer security and mobile applications. There are presentations by John Dvorak, Jim Louderback, and some of the more popular PcMag columnists. Worth a look.

USB Audio - USB Sound Card - Turtle Beach - Audio Advantage Amigo

Link: USB Audio - USB Sound Card - Turtle Beach - Audio Advantage Amigo. Well, the weekly FutureLawyer Skypecast is in the books, and, while sparsely attended, is getting better. In a search for a USB headset that isn't huge, but is high quality, I discovered this little adapter from Turtle Beach. Digital output in a tiny box, which has a microphone dongle, and connects to IPOD stereo buds, or an included single over the ear mono sound pad. Portable, and competent. It works great for VOIP and for music. The software from Turtle Beach allows for equalizer quality surround sound for applications that support it, as well. If you are going to use Skype or any other VOIP solution, this little product, at $49.95 is a real bargain. Now, fire up a free Skype account, and join us next week, at Noon Eastern Time Wednesday, for "Conversation With the FutureLawyer". Carlos and I will be doing most of the talking, but, you can ask questions via Chat, and, if you are nice, I might turn your mike on.

Win 98 Is Dead - Yahoo! News

Link: Win 98 Is Dead - Yahoo! News. Hey you! Yes, you, over there with the ancient machine running Windows 98! You are now officially obsolete; although, you have been functionally obsolete for several years now. It is amazing how many lawyers and law firms are using outdated technology and operating systems, and then complaining that they can't perform some now essential computer task. For heaven's sake, get with the program. UPDATE your computers and operating systems. You can do it. Stop whining about upgrade costs, and treat the purchase of a computer with the same seriousness that you purchase your automobile. Of course, if you are one of those who drive a car until it dies, like the FutureLawyer, then you need to accept reality, and give those old Windows 98 PCs a decent burial.

Kennedy Space Center | Orlando Florida Vacations | Space Shuttle Launch Calendar

Link: Kennedy Space Center | Orlando Florida Vacations | Space Shuttle Launch Calendar. We Floridians tend to take more interest in the Space Program, because it is in our backyard. I will be taking the Family to the Cape over the Fourth of July weekend to catch STS-121 on July 1st. Much of our computer and Internet technology would not exist but for the space program, and we lose sight of the fact that technology allows us to explore the universe. I will be live blogging from the launch, and you can watch it at NASA's site, or on the NASA TV channel. This launch will start us off on our new journey to Mars, hopefully by 2018.

One More Move, and the Monkey Gets It! @ WEB 2.0 JOURNAL

Link: One More Move, and the Monkey Gets It! @ WEB 2.0 JOURNAL. Meet Daniel Markham, who is a software architect, and is developing some really cool Web 2.0 applications. Daniel has created a toolkit for blogs that will make it easy for everyone to publish on the Internet, and make Web 2.0 a common reality. His toolbox makes it possible to send and receive information over the Net across different hosts, and, well, you read about it. If you want to delve into Web 2.0 structure, read this article. Daniel is as hilarious as he is brilliant. And, he uses IP lawyers a lot.

Events and Webcasts

Link: Events and Webcasts: Business Professionals. Did you know that you don't have to get on a plane and travel to Redmond, Washington, to hear speakers direct from the Microsoft campus talk about using software published by the giant company? Well, the Events and Webcasts site is a great place to learn about the software directly from the mouths of the guys and gals who build it. Learn how to use OneNote, Office, Outlook, and other programs. It is free, and it doesn't require an airplane or expensive hotel. You can even hear Bill Gates' thoughts about the future of the Internet.

TheStar.com - Perils of the on-the-job blog

Link: TheStar.com - Perils of the on-the-job blog. Comedy Central doesn't have a sense of humor. At least not about itself. Like many large corporations, employee blogging has become an irritant, and, as we all know, big business is often humorless. Andy McDonald, who started a blog entitled: "I'm a Comedy Central Intern" found that out when the company made him change the blog's name, and stop talking about internal corporate matters. Do I smell the influence of corporation lawyers here? It must be tough to be in-house counsel these days. Not only do you have to defend the company from outside sources; now, you have to protect against the people inside the perimeter as well.

Welcome To How To Make It Rain

Link: Welcome To How To Make It Rain. I got an email today from an old friend, RJon Robbins, who is a small law firm marketing consultant, and whose website has some great tools for the solo and small law firm. Rather ironic that he is talking about rainmaking while I am looking out my window at the 6 inches of rain Tropical Storm Alberto has dumped in my yard today. My readers know that I have a soft spot for the solo and small firm lawyers, who are trying mightily to compete with mega firms and their P.R. specialists and large marketing budgets. The Internet and tech are the great equalizer, and RJon's website is a great example. Check it out, and say hi when you visit.

DennisKennedy.blog: "Electronic Discovery 2.0" - My EDD Predictions Slides from LegalTech West Coast 2006

Link: DennisKennedy.blog: "Electronic Discovery 2.0" - My EDD Predictions Slides from LegalTech West Coast 2006. Here is another example of traveling via the Internet. If you missed Dennis Kennedy's presentation at LegalTech WestCoast 2006, he has graciously converted his slides into a PDF file, and you can download it from his blog. He has coined the phrase: "EDD 2.0", and I will be the first to attribute him as the author. Regardless, he has become an expert on Electronic Data Discovery, and the slides are instructive. Dennis is one of the co-founders of LexThink, which I attended last year. Since it is the last time I traveled anywhere, I remember it well. That is one of the reasons for the LegalNetTourist Blog. Travel from your computer chair. Dennis, it is just like being there. Thanks for the slides.

Under threat of litigation: How to survive a software audit

Link: Under threat of litigation: How to survive a software audit. Have you been audited lately? No, not by the IRS. By the software police. This is one life experience in which the old adage is true: "The bigger you are, the harder you fall". Software companies take these things seriously, and, if you don't know whether your firm's employees are using licensed versions of the software on their computers, you are at risk. Of course, this creates another strong argument for the growth of Web 2.0. If software is a managed service, and accessed over the Internet, the publisher of the software is giving you access to the latest and greatest version for a monthly subscription fee, and there isn't any local software on your network to audit. Now, if there were just some way to pay our taxes and file returns that way. Hmmm...

The Common Scold: KICK OFF

Link: The Common Scold: KICK OFF. Monica Bay has a post today about last night's kick-off dinner at LegalTech 2006 in LA. You can meet the litigation support people attending by reading her post. One disadvantage of attending via the net? You don't get to eat the steak and lobster and key lime pie...I had roast chicken for dinner last night. Oh, well.

iTWire - Toshiba 200GB 2.5 inch drive sets storage density record

Link: iTWire - Toshiba 200GB 2.5 inch drive sets storage density record. What is smaller than a deck of cards, stores 200 GigaBytes of data and programs, and leaps tall buildings with a single bound? Why, Toshiba's new 200GB 2 1/2 inch drive, of course! This little marvel packs bits tighter than a well-wound clock, and does it vertically, so that more stuff can be stored in a smaller space. As media and programs become larger, we need more space for our data, and this Toshiba product is raising the bar.

Legal Technology

Link: Legal Technology. I often get asked why I am affiliated with Law.Com. Today's post shows one of the reasons. As the biggest legal web site and law publisher, Law.Com provides many tech and web resources for free on the net. (Including the FutureLawyer content). This site culls together online video of some of the current software and tech knowledge, and is a great resource if you want to keep up to date. The Legal Technology site brings together content and videos from over 40 American Legal Media publications. If it relates to law and technology, it is here. Check it out.

Microsoft Drops PDF From Office - Yahoo! News

Link: Microsoft Drops PDF From Office - Yahoo! News. Be careful what you wish for. Adobe is under the impression that the ubiquitous use of its portable document format (pdf) by everybody everywhere can be used to threaten the 800 pound gorilla that is Microsoft. When Adobe petulantly threatened to sue Microsoft for its plan to include a "Save To" button in the next edition of Office, allowing a direct route to save PDF files, Microsoft swatted the fly that is Adobe, and just decided not to include the option. So, if you want to save Office files in PDF format, you will need to download a separate free program. Would somebody please call the hall monitor?

joegratz.net � Blog Law & Blogging for Lawyers: Kevin O’Keefe on the Business of Blogging

Link: joegratz.net � Blog Law & Blogging for Lawyers: Kevin O’Keefe on the Business of Blogging. Perhaps the leading expert on law blog marketing is Kevin O'Keefe. This live blog from a conference where Mr. O'Keefe was speaking, by recent law graduate, Joe Gratz, is an example of the power of the Internet in the current world. This is being posted simultaneously at legalnettourist.com, since it is a perfect example of my vision of the future of Web 2.0 and the Internet. We can travel the world, getting information about events, all over the Web, and we never have to set foot on an airplane. O'Keefe's observations about law blogging have shaped much of the FutureLawyer blog. I heard him at LexThink's conference in Chicago last year, and was impressed. His ideas about law blogs in marketing should be read and discussed at every law firm. Does your firm have a blog?

My Shingle

Link: My Shingle. I have been looking for an excuse to highlight the excellent blog by my fellow solo practiioner, Carolyn Elefant. She pens MyShingle.Com , which is a great resource for those of us who don't want to go to work in some shiny office tower with 100 or so of our closest and dearest friends and colleagues. She comments on the latest Lexis Nexis acquisition, one of my favorite resources, CaseSoft:

"I don't know if it is a coincidence of timing, but shortly after LEXIS bought Accurint, it suffered that huge security breach. Now the service is incredibly cumbersome to use.  Again, don't know if the breach was the fault of the LEXIS takeover or was bound to happen anyway, but I do share your concerns about the LEXIS gobbling of all of these services. Think antitrust/Microsoft."

I had forgotten about the Accurint debacle. I still use PcLaw, Accurint, and CaseMap and TimeMap. I also use HotDocs. They are all owned by Lexis Nexis, and they all now carry the Lexis Nexis logo. What other changes are we in store for? I used to be afraid of West; except that Thomson (f/k/a West) seems to be going after the large firm business. Lexis Nexis is acquiring the resources that I, as a solo, have used to level the playing field. I am optimistic that the market and the development of Web 2.0 will keep the prices affordable for the little guy. We shall see.

Buy.com - Verbatim 1GB U3 Store N Go USB Drive - w/ McAfee - 95229

Link: Buy.com - Verbatim 1GB U3 Store N Go USB Drive - w/ McAfee - 95229. The Monday special from Buy.Com is just what you lazy lawyers need. If you don't like to travel with a notebook computer, and you have resisted the smartphone craze, you can still tech up with this 1 Gig USB drive. It comes with a bungee cord to carry it around your neck, and you can store a lot of programs and data. Just plug it in wherever you go, and, presto, you have your programs and documents and data available. It makes a great backup device as well. Just drag and drop files to it. The best part? Buy.Com is selling it for $37, and giving a  $15 rebate, for a net cost of $21.99. I know, I hate mail-in rebates as well, but the price before the rebate is amazing. Look at it this way, this little guy carries as much data as 1,000 floppy disks, and you don't need a steamer trunk to carry it around.

Faster wireless gear in works - Yahoo! News

Link: Faster wireless gear in works - Yahoo! News. The first true 802.11 N routers and cards are out, but analysts say that users should wait to purchase them. LinkSys is the first to market with the speedy routers. As I have posted before in this spaceLinksys MIMO router (link), the new routers promise much faster speeds over much longer distances. The problem is that, even though the new LinkSys router is true N class, the final specs have not yet been adopted. Still, I am quite happy with the performance of my Pre-N Linksys router, and it works well with computers at the far end of the house. If wife and daughter are happy, I am happy. As a caveat, previous G class products don't work well, in my experience, and I had to get Pre-N cards for the other computers in the house to get the full speed and distance effect. So, plan on spending money for a new router, and cards for each computer in the network, if you want to upgrade.

ABA TECHSHOW 2006 - The World's Premier Legal Technology Conference&EXPO

Link: ABA TECHSHOW 2006 - The World's Premier Legal Technology Conference&EXPO. TechShow is going on this week in Chicago, and if, like the FutureLawyer, you can't get there this year, check out the website for all the good stuff. You can check out the Exhibitors in Expo Hall without even being there. One of the cool things about tech and the Web is that just about any event like this can be attended virtually. No plane tickets, no hotel rooms. Enjoy the show, and sleep in your own bed.

Vista won't show fancy side to pirates | CNET News.com

Link: Vista won't show fancy side to pirates | CNET News.com. In another universe, the citizens don't care about operating system and hardware compatibility. However, in this one, Microsoft's impending (before the end of the century?) release of the next iteration of its Windows operating system, code-named VISTA, requires a lot of thought and preparation. VISTA will require upgraded hardware on many machines, which is one way of saying, don't buy it and try to install it on your current machine, unless you are willing to take a chance. In addition, if you install it, Microsoft will require validation, similar to the rigamarole we have to go through now to download and install Windows Defender, the Microsoft anti-spyware software. If you don't validate, Microsoft won't use the coolest new VISTA Aero graphics and features (assuming we want them in the first place). More important, the operating system may kick back to Windows 2000 mode. VISTA has some really weird hardware requirements as well. It will work (allegedly) with a lower powered system, which doesn't have a graphics chip with VISTA code, but will not have the fancy features promised in VISTA. There will be VISTA capable index program to evalutate your system. Give me a break. In a Web 2.0 world where we are all becoming platform independent, and in which much of our work is being done on the Web, does it make sense to make an operating system like this? I guess it does, if you are the largest software company on the planet.

Lab Rats!- RAM Upgrades

LabRats RAM Upgrades - Link. Is your computer lagging behind? Do you want more performance when you are running multiple applications? Does your computer groan when you load your case management system, time and billing system, word processing system, and various other legal related apps at the same time? Multi-tasking attorneys should learn from this video cast about increasing and upgrading RAM (Random Access Memory), by my friend, Andy Walker, of www.labrats.tv.  If you don't know the difference between SDRAM and DDRAM, or don't know how to tell which memory stick to buy, check out this video. Don't wait for an IT guy. Do it yourself, and increase system speed up to 30%. Power to the people.

EchoStar Could Dish Out Millions To TiVo - Yahoo! News

Link: EchoStar Could Dish Out Millions To TiVo - Yahoo! News. Shades of the BlackBerry wars. TIVO has won the first round in its "bet the company" patent litigation against EchoStar, best known as the DISH Network, and has been awarded $74 Million in damages. TIVO has been an essential part of my life for several years now, and I am pleased that it will survive for a while; at least, while the litigation wends its way through the appeals process. We also serve who only stand and wait.

First Look: PC World Installs Windows XP on a 20-Inch iMac With Boot Camp - Yahoo! News

Link: First Look: PC World Installs Windows XP on a 20-Inch iMac With Boot Camp - Yahoo! News. Well, the mountain has come to Mohammed. PcWorld has tested the Boot Camp software, and smoothly installed and ran Windows XP on a Mac. If you have a Mac, try it out and let us know whether the legal applications run on it. It is ironic that Mac users are starting to run Windows just as I am switching over to Windows Mobile from Palm. Now that I have Style-Tap, all my old Palm applications can run on my Windows Mobile machine, the MDA from T-Mobile. I am using the Treo 650 less and less. Some of the MDA and Windows Mobile glitches take some getting used to, but, overall, it has been a successful experience. My biggest gripe is that the stylus is hidden away in the lower back right of the machine, which is a pain for me, since I am left-handed. Also, you need two hands to use this thing, while Treo has the one-handed operation thing down pat. The MDA uses Mini-SD cards for storage (think one-half the size of SD cards, if you can think that small) and I am waiting on a 2 Gigabyte card to load the rest of the Palm apps. More later on the great experiment.

The Paparazzi-Detector Test

Link: The Paparazzi-Detector Test . Trial lawyers have been wondering for some time about digital photography. How can any photograph be relied upon as accurate when most photographs are printed from digital files created by digital cameras, and consist of millions of pixels in a computer file? The simple answer has been that you can't. It was assumed that digital manipulation would be difficult or impossible to detect. Computer forensic scientists could examine the computer on which the image was manipulated to determine file changes, but the actual changes could not be determined. At least, until now. Italian Engineer Lorenzo Cozzella has devised an ingenious way to protect digital images from manipulation; at least, any manipulation can be detected. He removes a random pixel that doesn't contribute to the image, and replaces it with a pixel containing a logo or identifying digital watermark. It is invisible to the naked eye, and is encrypted so that its presence can only be detected with a private code. I guess we can add digital photography encryption engineer to the expert witness list. Will documentary evidence ever be the same?

Sling Media :: SlingPlayer Mobile

Link: Sling Media :: SlingPlayer Mobile. I want my mobile TV. My favorite non-legal tech devices are converging on my Treo 650. I have written about the SlingPlayer here , a little box, that lets you watch your Home Cable TV anywhere you have Internet access (and today that is everywhere). I have also written about MobiTV here  which provides 24 cable channels, some live, on mobile phones, including Treo 650. Unfortunately for MobiTV, Sling Media is preparing to release SlingPlayer Mobile, which the company says will permit SlingPlayer viewing of home Cable TV boxes on a mobile phone. Bored waiting for a Judge to hear your Motion? Looking at kids' magazines in the Dentist waiting room? Pretending to watch kids kicking a ball around a soccer field? This is for you and me, Pilgrim. I can't wait. For readers wanting to know what this has to do with legal technology, I can only say: "All work and no play makes Jack and Jill dull children."

PCWorld.com - Samsung Replaces Hard Drives With Flash

Link: PCWorld.com - Samsung Replaces Hard Drives With Flash. Hard Drives, with their spinning disks, and mechanical parts, will soon be a thing of the past. In a form factor designed to be installed in notebook computers, with the same size configuration, Samsung is really pushing the envelope in SSD (Solid State Disk) technology. A 16 GB version is expected out soon, and the Company has announced a 32 GB version soon. This means that all of the stuff on the normal notebook computer will be s