Futurelawyer

Origami Video

Link: mso.swf (application/x-shockwave-flash Object). Okay, it is vaporware, and doesn't really exist, but this video, no longer officially up, shows where Microsoft is thinking of going with the Origami technology. It may not be here for a while, but watch it anyway. It is the future.

Microsoft said to issue specs for "ultramobile lifestyle PCs" - Engadget

Link: Microsoft said to issue specs for "ultramobile lifestyle PCs" - Engadget. What costs less than $500, runs the full version of Windows, connects to the world via WiFi and 3G networks, is bigger than a PDA, smaller than an ultralight notebook, and leaps tall buildings in a single bound? It's a bird, it's a plane, it's ORIGAMI! The long-rumored machine may be introduced next week, and we can't wait. If this little guy does what Microsoft hints it does, I want one. The only other full Windows PC in this category is the OQO, which goes for around $2,000.00. I will keep you up to date.

Scribble-in-Law

Link: Scribble-in-Law. If you have been practicing law for any length of time, and have a sense of humor, you are familiar with the law related legal comics of Charles Fincher. His humor and wit are now available at his new blog, Scribble-in-Law, and are highly recommended. Go and laugh a little. We take legal life much too seriously.

Justice Dept. Rejects Google Privacy Concerns

Link: Ventura County Star: VCPreps.com. NOW, Google gets a backbone. Apparently, the Justice Department isn't as scary as the Chinese Government. Or, maybe, Google wants to show some privacy muscle, in the showdown with the U.S. Government over whether the U.S. can scan Google emails to catch child porn purveyors. The unfortunate thing about the Constitution of the United States is that it protects the dregs of society, as well as the rest of us. Even though the U.S. says it only wants to scan the emails anonymously and would not identify any individual, Google is taking the principled stance, and a hearing on the issue is scheduled for March 13th in U.S. District Court in San Jose, California. I wonder if Google will make the argument that it doesn't EVER allow Governments to tinker with its results or data. As my daughter says: "Whatever!!".

Bloomberg.com: BlackBerry adding Features to Match Treo

Link: Bloomberg.com: Canada. As I have been saying for a while, the BlackBerry is a brain dead computing system, and pales in comparison to the superior flexibility and feature set of the Treo. Now, RIM is taking steps to try to compete with the Treo by adding a camera and MP3 player to its machine, as it tries to settle with NTP. Oh, so little, oh, so late. Face it, BlackBerry users. You are addicted to an inferior machine. We Treo addicts have so much more to be addicted to. As my spouse often says to me: "Get over it". Back at you, babe.
P.S. I am SO in trouble now.

Domain for sale - On the Dot - Internet

Link: Domain for sale - On the Dot - Internet. Psssst. Hey, buddy, wanna buy a domain name, cheap? This is not the way I imagined it would be. I knew that FutureLawyer was the domain name that would propel me to riches, like the guy who sold sex.com for millions. But, in truth, "FutureLawyer" isn't as "sexy" as "sex". Seriously, it is content that keeps a website going; but, like signs in front of a business, "a business without a sign is a sign of no business". If you build it, they won't come unless they find you, and a short, descriptive, but not too descriptive, domain name, helps. This site is affiliated with "Law.Com", which is a great domain name. Short, and easy to find. Does your firm have a web site? Is it merely a compendium of bios of your partners and associates? Is there content there that your prospective clients want and need? Do you ever go to the firm site for information? Every lawyer has a sign out front, or a yellow pages ad, or a phone book listing. What does your site look like? Inquiring minds want to know.

Future of the Internet Highway

Link: Excite News. The biggest battle that is shaping up in tech in the coming decade is that between the telcos and broadband carriers and the rest of us. They think they own it, because they built it, even though they built it with our dollars, and with public utility-like government protection. Equal treatment on the net requires that we resist the lobbyists who want to create a "toll based Internet" that will get preferential treatment in data transmission. The telcos and broad band companies need to get an education in the military roots of the Internet. The basic backbone was built by taxes, and, while private enterprise has leveraged that backbone, and added to it, it is still a public trust that all citizens have equal access. The best metaphor for this is the national highway system. Should the concrete contractors be able to put a toll booth across the Interstate because they built it? But, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

Water Resistant Bluetooth Headset

Link: Water Resistant Bluetooth Headset. Okay, there are some gadgets that should never make it out of the factory. The BlueTrek Water-Resistant blue-tooth headset is one of them. Now, to go with my water-resistant Timex, I can practice law IN the swimming pool, instead of at a table next to it. Now, if these guys can invent a water-resistant suit, notebook computer, and shoes, I will put a desk in the pool and (gurgle-gurgle) get to work.

Top 25 Wireless Tips & Tricks

Link: Top 25 Wireless Tips & Tricks. JiWire is one of my favorite websites, because I am always looking for tips about mobile computing and lawyering. This article distills some of the handiest tips for going wireless, and, I guarantee that, if you read it, you will be an expert. Well, some of you anyway. The key tip is that $80 a month is cheap to avoid all of the problems with finding a WiFi HotSpot when you are mobile. For example, most hotspots charge by the hour or day, and it is rare that I am in one location for more than an hour or two. Second, many hotspots prevent the sending of email from the location, to avoid spammers who set up at hotspots to avoid detection. Without email, what's the point? You can go web-based for email, but the whole idea is to be able to work without interrupting the flow of your day. EV-DO from Verizon is always on, the speed is respectable, and I don't have to worry about the Top 25 wireless tips anymore. Happy Mardi Gras.

Zillow.com - Your Edge in Real Estate

Link: Zillow.com - Your Edge in Real Estate. As proof that Internet based applications (MashUps) are the future, here is a wonderful site that permits quick and dirty appraisals of market value of more than Sixty Million homes in the U.S. Just plug in the address, and a complete analysis of market value appears, together with comparables and maps. It is a great starting point to get a feel for the current market in a given area, and it is free in the beta version at the site. The guys who invented Expedia did the site to help one of their moms, who became a real estate agent. Power to the people.