Futurelawyer

How About Never Having To Go Through Another Bank Line?

Banks launch check deposits via scanner : Christopher Null : Yahoo! Tech. I wish I had a dollar for every time I, or my secretary, have had to go through the drive through lane at my bank. Thanks to the Internet, a small law firm can do just about anything online. We keep track of our bank accounts, move money around (this is important in a one man firm), and get more control over the money. However, up til now, when checks come in, somebody has always had to get in the car, and drive to the bank. Now, however, more banks are accepting scanned checks on line for deposit. I used to be leery of any banking done online. Now, I can't get along without it. So, if my bank decides to do this, I will be first in line. Of course, let's hope the clients keep paying us. If they stop, we are all out of business.

Turn your laptop into a wireless hot spot - Laptop - Lifehacker

Turn your laptop into a wireless hot spot - Laptop - Lifehacker. This little trick will turn any XP or Vista laptop computer into a portable hotspot. So, if you don't have a wireless router at home, or you haven't sprung for a Cradlepoint portable router, or you are hooked up to the cable in a hotel room somewhere, you can still share your Internet connection with your wife, kids, and colleagues, as long as they are within 50 feet or so, and have a wireless card in their computers. Just follow the instructions for Internet sharing for your OS contained in this great little PC mag article. You need to use the Windows configuration screen, and the host of this little adhoc network needs to be connected to the Internet. I haven't checked to see if this works with the host computer connected to wireless broadband; but, it should work for that also. In short, you set up an ad hoc network on the host machine, and set up a little wireless network. Fun Saturday project. And, it will give you an excuse not to cut the grass.

Last Bastion Of Peace And Quiet On Earth Is Going Away

US Airways announces plans for in-flight Wi-Fi. Yes, I am afraid it is true. When my favorite airline, US Airways, puts WiFi in its airplanes, I will no longer have a brief respite from all of you who feel the burning desire to email me or IM me or whatever else you choose to do to contact me. I can no longer use the excuse, "Sorry I missed your email. I was on an airplane." Of course, I don't HAVE to pay the $8 to $13 per flight to use the WiFi service from GoGo; however, like any addict, I will be digging around in my pockets for cash, just like all the other addicts. Is there no place left on earth that is safe from the Internet?

Stand Up For Time Management

Keep Meetings on Track By Standing - Productivity - Lifehacker. We've all been there; the deposition or meeting that goes on interminably. The participant who drones on and on about virtually anything but the topic at hand. What if all depositions were required to be taken with everyone in the room standing up? I know, it sounds ludicrous; but, standing up can give your time management and your law practice a big boost. Randy Pausch advocated taking phone calls standing up. He found that his phone calls got shorter, and that he got more done than when he was lounging back in his chair with his feet propped up on the desk. BlueTooth earsets are perfect for this skill. Walk the room with an earset on; see if you can't get off the phone more quickly. Caution. If you are too quick and brusque and to the point on phone calls, people will think you are rude. I get that a lot. However, as Randy advised, "Manage your time. You might someday find that you have less of it than you think." So, call me rude; call me brusque; just don't waste my time.

Arf, Arf. If It Looks Like A Dog, And Barks Like A Dog, It IS A Dog

Channelweb Connect: The Real Channel: Why Users Will Never Change Their Mind About Vista. Come on, Steven, tell us what you really think. Microsoft executives are claiming that, after using Windows 7 for a while, users will grow to see the beauty in Vista, and will have a better perception of it. Steven adequately points out why that is not even close to the truth. Vista was poorly conceived, poorly marketed, and poorly engineered. It was the Windows ME version of the new decade. In fact, there is anecdotal evidence that Windows 7 will find a tougher market because many users are gun shy about Microsoft Operating Systems now. Users will wait longer, and will think harder, about upgrading to Windows 7, even though the early adopters are singing its praises. Arf, arf.

Microsoft wraps up Windows 7, declares RTM - Useless Information For The Summer Doldrums

Microsoft wraps up Windows 7, declares RTM. There is only one reason to read this post. It is summer. If, like me, you would much rather be lying by the pool getting some rays, and listening to the Beach Boys (yes, we are THAT old), then you can read this post and then leave. Today's lesson is a software term, RTM. It means Release To Manufacture, and is a software company's claim that its product is ready for purchase by the user. Really, now, they might even believe it. In an industry where the standard is "good enough", Windows 7 is RTM. Of course, the inevitable patching and fixing will follow soon. So, if you believe in the Easter Bunny, you should go right out and purchase a copy of the RTM version of Windows 7. If you live in the real world, wait a while. In the meantime, my son and I will chill by the pool, listening to Surfin' USA. He actually likes this music, which gives me much hope for the future of our children.

How To Make Yourself A Target For $18 - An Online Lawyer's Cautionary Tale

Fee for Advice Sites Pose Traps for the Unwary : My Shingle. This is a very important post by Carolyn Elefant. Carolyn highlights the new service by Lawguru.com, which allows individuals to ask questions of lawyers, who receive $18 out of the $27 paid for a single answer to a single question. My first response to this was, "What?" Even with the Lawguru strategy of making the relationship an "unbundled" service that ends with the answer, the fact is that the advice given may have future consequences, and, at the very least, if the consumer has a bad result somewhere, the lawyer is exposed to unauthorized practice questions in a State not his own, can be sued for malpractice by a disgruntled consumer, and would be put to the expense of defending himself. Aren't we enough of a target already? Never give online legal advice. Ever. At least, not until the client has already established a relationship with you, and in an area of law within your own State. If somebody wants to engage my services, they may find me online; but, they will enter into an agreement in writing first. And, if I ever sell my advice for $18, shoot me.

Lawline.com Finalist for Customer Service by N.Y. Enterprise Report

Lawline.com Finalist for Customer Service by N.Y. Enterprise Report - Press Releases - CNBC.com.As I have posted before, online Continuing Legal Education (CLE) is the wave of the future. As everything moves online, you can forget about setting aside a day, burning up gas, travel time, and sitting in uncomfortable hotel rooms listening to speakers at a podium. The best online CLE company is Lawline, and I say that even though they have agreed to review a proposed CLE program by the Futurelawyer! :-) This customer service award is notable for several reasons, not the least of which is that poor customer service by an online company can really be a strain. You can stop, start, and pause online programs, to fit your schedule. What could be better than that?

Much Ado About Nothing - Windows 7 Upgrades

Microsoft Outlines Upgrade Paths to Windows 7 - Business Center - PC World. Windows 7 is a nice OS. Windows 7 plays well with others. Windows 7 is pretty and stable. Windows 7 is what Vista wanted to be. However, it is not worth going through the Microsoft upgrade, reinstall, and purchase fiasco parade. Read this post from PcWorld and tell me whether you understand the various ways that users in the U.S. and Europe can get the new version. And, like Vista, you have to comparison shop between the various versions of the new version. Spare me. I have linked Operating Systems to Tire sales before. It is a metaphor that still works. An OS is designed to be a framework, and a vehicle, for the real work to be done. It should work invisibly, and should allow for a full panoply of functional software. Permit another metaphor. It is a new car, when the old one still runs great. Sure, the smell is nice; but, is it worth the price? You be the judge.

Why Trial Lawyers Will Never Become Obsolete