Futurelawyer

Microsoft takes aim as RIM battles in court - Computerworld

Link: Microsoft takes aim as RIM battles in court - Computerworld. The big draw of BlackBerrys, I am told, (I have to be informed third hand, since I wouldn't touch one with a ten foot pole:-) is that the email is "pushed" to the user by the BlackBerry network. A beep notifies the user that new email or messages have been received, and the user doesn't have to go out and "get" it. I suppose it is irrelevant that Palm and Windows devices can be configured to do the same thing; however, most of us really don't want the damn thing beeping and buzzing at us all the time. Well, Microsoft, never shy about snatching business opportunities from the flailing hands of inept or down on their luck competitors, is preparing to upgrade its new mobile operating system, Windows Mobile 5.0, to provide just such functionality to those soon to be former BlackBerry users who opt to buy a Treo 700W, or similar device. There are a lot of reasons not to like BlackBerrys (proprietary programs, lack of expandibility, brain dead operating system, etc.); however, it will be a tragedy if Microsoft takes over the push email market, and RIM succumbs to its arrogance and lack of innovation. How did the song go? One more bites the dust?

Google Agrees to Censor Results in China - Yahoo! News

Link: Google Agrees to Censor Results in China - Yahoo! News. Am I the only person bothered by the fact that Google is compromising the integrity of its search results in China in order to get more customers there? How are we supposed to trust the integrity of our search results here? Is it naive to expect companies to treat information with the respect that it deserves, in an Internet age? Just wondering...

Gonzales Says NSA Criticism Misleading - Forbes.com

Link: Gonzales Says NSA Criticism Misleading - Forbes.com. In an age when the Internet's backbone is invisible to most of us, and our communications are increasingly conducted over an electronic highway, invisible to the human eye, the old argument about what tactics can be used against  the bad guys by those charged with the duty of protecting us, has serious consequences. Is it more important to protect civil liberties when they can be violated with the click of a key on an Internet connected computer? I was thinking about this issue when I came upon an article about Benedict Arnold, perhaps the most famous traitor in American history. In 1779, Arnold passed many secrets to the British. His principal mode of communication was the handwritten letter. Some of these letters survive; however, what if the Government had the ability to track Arnold's movements and communications over the Internet?  On the other hand, what treachery would remain hidden, like the invisible electrons in today's Internet communications? This issue, children, is not going to be easily resolved. We all must, however, spend some time thinking about it. The future of our country and our children demand it.

Law.com - High Court Rejects BlackBerry Patent Appeal

Link: Law.com - High Court Rejects BlackBerry Patent Appeal. I thought about posting about the Supreme Court's decision on Monday when I learned about it yesterday; however, I decided to wait a day since it was all over the news anyway, and I wanted to think about it for a day. Looking at the Supreme Court's action in the light of day, I don't think BlackBerry users really need to worry all that much. First, the decision was really a "no decision". The Supreme Court merely decided not to decide. This is a healthy thing. The highest Court need not take over every time a commercial dispute becomes news. Second, RIM still has some cards to play; not the least of which is the fact that it allegedly has a tech work-around for the NTP patents. Finally, the jury is still out on the validity of the NTP patents. Somehow, I think that neither party will allow service to be killed to the 3 million or so BlackBerry users in the U.S. That is somewhat like throwing the baby out with the bath water, isn't it? For the record, my wife, an addicted BlackBerry user, had nothing to do with the content or tone of this post. :-)

EFF: Breaking News

Link: EFF: Breaking News. If you are following the battle between Google and the U.S. Government over the Government's subpoena of aggregated search data, ostensibly to provide evidence related to the attempts to revisit the Child Online Protection Act (COPA), you can find detailed information at the website of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), which is dedicated to free speech, and the protection of consumer rights in the digital universe. The legitimate aims of Government to protect citizens from evils such as child pornography and terrorism sometimes conflict with the desire of citizens to protect their privacy. Privacy is under attack, and the Courts are being flooded with competing claims of the interested parties. Whichever side of this debate you are on, the EFF site is mandatory reading.

Cingular Denies Treo Is a Smartphone - Yahoo! News

Link: Cingular Denies Treo Is a Smartphone - Yahoo! News. And, in the category of "Cell Phone Companies who should be worrying more about quality of service than asking stupid questions" , we have a Cingular executive who says that the new Treo 700w and the Treo 650 are not smartphones, but PDAs. Huh? I am quite certain that I have never met a Treo user who has given much thought to this issue. However, I am also quite certain that I am glad I am a customer of T-Mobile, where quality customer service occupies the minds of its employees. I am also glad that I own one of the smartest phones on the planet, the Palm Treo 650, which just happens to be a phone with a brain. Now, if I can just get this guy to argue the next Motion hearing I have where I need to baffle the Judge and confuse the issues...

Reuters - Privacy Experts Condemn subpoena of Google

Link: Reuters Business Channel | Reuters.com. Lawyers will be interested in the evolving battle between privacy activists and the Government concerning the mining of aggregated search data in Google's computers by Government officials, using National Security and Anti-Terrorism as a rationale. This battle is perhaps the next step in the ongoing battle between the Government and privacy interests after the legal disputes arising from the passing of the Patriot Act. There will be lawyers on both sides of this argument, and the result will change the landscape of information, both in the U.S. and on the Internet. My take on this is that Google searching has become as much a part of American life, as browsing the card catalog in the local library. Should the Government be required to have reasonable grounds before looking at search data? The opposing argument is that merely looking at aggregated search patterns does not identify specific citizens. But, that is a slippery slope. Do we really want to go down it? On the other hand, none of us wants terrorists using the Internet for nefarious purposes. Where to draw the line? Well, that is why we went to law school, isn't it?

Sling Media :: Welcome

Link: Sling Media :: Welcome. Okay, it is Saturday. Time to play. The SlingBox is just about the coolest Internet appliance I have ever seen. Combined with TIVO, this will change the way you watch Television. I know, it has nothing to do with legal technology. However, this use of the Internet and the network at your home is so compelling that I have to share with you. I bought the SlingBox this morning, and installed it in about 20 minutes. It connects to the Cable Box or other video input at your home or office. I connected it to the Cable DVR I got from the local cable company, a Scientific Atlanta Digital HD box. Then, you just plug it into your router, connecting to your network. Plug it in, install the software and go. This thing allows me to watch TV on the computer, and control the Cable box from any place in the world. I can't wait to try it with my EV-DO wireless broadband Verizon card. Too cool for words. I am going to leave you now, and go watch TV on my computer.

802.11n Proposal For Next-Gen Wi-Fi Approved - Yahoo! News

Link: 802.11n Proposal For Next-Gen Wi-Fi Approved - Yahoo! News. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, Wi-Fi just got more complicated. First, we had to learn about 802.11b, which was the first approved Wi-Fi standard. It was very cool, and we early adopters bought routers and cards, and created wireless networks in our homes and offices, and all was good. Then, as is the norm, we felt the need for speed, and 802.11g became de rigeur. It was several times faster than b, and the reach extended through our houses and offices. And we saw it, and it was good. Then, we decided that we wanted Wi-Fi in our backyards (God knows why, as, in Florida, that is an invitation for sunburn and insect bites), and we installed 802.11preN routers, which used something called MIMO (multiple in - multiple out), and turned out to be just something to pass the time until the REAL N routers came out. MIMO works by using multiple signals out and back, and is REALLY FAST and goes REALLY FAR. The standard now adopted promises that all manufacturers will now settle on one method of doing Wi-Fi. I don't know about you, but, after a while, and as I age, I long for stability, and satisfaction with what I have. Fast enough has to be good enough, sooner or later, right? SURE, and I have some swampland in South Florida to sell you, too.

FutureLawyer : CafePress.com

Link: FutureLawyer : CafePress.com. In response to the overwhelming demand for caps, mugs and related merchandise bearing the FutureLawyer logo (okay, my son asked about it), I am proud and happy to announce the FutureLawyer merchandise page. I know all of you can't wait to get your hands on a coffee mug or cap with the FutureLawyer logo! The prices are reasonable, and, since none of you are paying for this page, it is the least you can do. Go forth and buy, buy, buy!