Futurelawyer

Woman Sues Google for Bad Directions

Woman Sues Google for Bad Directions - PCWorld.  And, in the category of "Lawsuits that give lawyers a bad name", we have this one, in which a woman allegedly followed a GPS Google direction that happened to be wrong, and which allegedly told her to walk down a "highway", during which stroll she was hit by a car and suffered injuries. She is suing the driver of the car, which I understand. However, suing Google for giving wrong directions is a bit much. To quote my sainted mother, if someone told you to walk off a cliff, would you do it? 

GMail For Android Froyo 2.2

This little video shows some of the improvements coming to GMail in Froyo, which will be showing up on Android devices this summer. Since most of us use email all day all the time, little improvements in GMail are always welcome. My favorite is auto advance. It is a great annoyance to deal with an email, and have to go back to the inbox to look at the next one. The new version has a Settings tweak to handle the problem. Hooray.

Qik Video For Android Will Be Free - For Basic Service Only

Qik Responds: Core Capability of 2-way Video Chat to be Free | AndroidGuys.  Qik is a free app for Android and other smartphones that makes it easy to create, upload and share videos. With the new front-facing camera phones coming out, it also intends to be at the forefront of the Holy Grail of computing, video chat. Video chatting via computer has been around a long time; but, it has never caught on, primarily because most people didn't have the capability to easily use it. For point to point family and client contact, it has had some success, as long as both parties were in front of a computer with a camera at the same time; and, providing they wanted to communicate visually. It is a great way to keep in touch with loved ones at college or in the military. My question has always been, do I really want to see and be seen in this way? Does video really add a lot to the communication stream? I have long thought video communication, if it became ubiquitous, would be a great way to handle motion practice for lawyers and judges. Visual cues are important in the context of a serious court hearing. Think of all the fossil fuels we could save if we conducted hearings in our offices.

Netbooks vs. Tablets: Are You A Content Consumer Or A Content Creator?

Netbooks vs. Tablets: How to Decide | Tim Bajarin | PCMag.com.  This is a great article on the netbook versus tablet debate. I have not been a fan of tablet computers; however, I never could put my finger on the reason. After reading this article, I think I understand. I am a "content creator", both as a lawyer and as a blogger. I need a full sized tactile keyboard to create text and posts and pleadings and motions. I do some content consumption; but, my handheld smartphone suffices for that purpose when I am out and about. A tablet computer is an appliance that makes it easy and convenient to access content; but, the lack of a real input device makes it kludgy to create and disseminate content. The Internet has made it possible for all of us to create content; whether anyone reads it or cares is another question. We don't need editors, or newspapers, or magazines or book publishers to tell us whether our content is worthy. Our readers tell us that. Will tablet computing put a dent in content creation, or will it just find its way into the hands of those who prefer to consume? 

Litigation Frenzy - Thanks, Google

Lawsuits Pour in Over Google%u2019s Wi-Fi Data Collection | Threat Level | Wired.com. Google's now well publicized collection of data while taking street view photos has spawned a plethora of lawsuits over data privacy. There are any number of state statutes prohibiting unauthorized access of another's computer network, whether data is collected or not. I love it when lawyers get more work; however, it would probably be better if Google can prove it really was unintentional and that no evil intent was intended. After all, do no evil is the company motto, yes?

Defensio- Facebook Account Security

Defensio � Security for the Social Web.  Websense, the web gateway security people, are at the forefront of defense against hackers who target the social networks and websites that are becoming the predominant user interface with the Internet. While many have been concerned with Facebook's use of personal information to make money, and the convoluted security settings (which Facebook is allegedly fixing), Websense has a new, and the only, product that attempts to protect social network accounts from hackers. The success of social networking makes such accounts ripe targets for the bad guys. This add-on is free for personal use, and is getting high marks from reviewers.

Now Here's A Tablet I Can Get Behind

OLPC's Negroponte Says XO-3 Prototype Tablet Coming in 2010 - PCWorld.  I have been a fan of the One Laptop Per Child program since the beginning. It is a noble venture, to put computers into the hands of the poorest of the poor. I bought a couple of them, and sent back the second so it could be refurbished and donated. Now, Nicholas Negroponte says he is going to try to have a Linux or Android tablet ready for delivery by the end of 2010, and I will be praying for his success. If we ever want to bring peace to this world, education and communication are the stepping stones.  

Dell Streak Coming This Summer

Dell%u2019s 5-Inch Streak Hits UK in June, US in Summer | AndroidGuys.  With Memorial Day around the corner, a young man's fancy turns to gadgets; and, does Dell have a gadget for you. Formerly the Mini5, the Dell Streak (good name) is aimed right at the gadget boy demographic. It isn't sleek and thin and big, like the iPad, and it is way too big for the dainty hands of a non-geek female; but, it will fit in a big jacket pocket, has a humongous 5 inch screen, and runs Android. Plus, it is a 3G phone, which gives it a lot more features than the iPad. The Futurelawyer is perfectly happy with the 3.7 inch screen of the Droids; but, if you are craving something bigger, this is the one for you. Grunt. But, while it has bluetooth for headset use, if you make a call while holding this bad boy up to your ear, you are the kind of person who wears pens in a pocket protector and wears ties with short-sleeved shirts.

Why Nobody Likes Microsoft

Microsoft warns on Windows 7 upgrade tool | Beyond Binary - CNET News. Let's get this straight. After years of trying to foist Vista on Microsoft customers, and after practically begging users to stop using the last decent Microsoft OS, Windows XP, Microsoft finally gets it right with Windows 7. Now, after a third party vendor, Parallels, which is the company that allows Windows to run on Apple boxes, creates a product that makes it easy for Microsoft customers to upgrade to Windows 7 by running the old version, XP, in a virtual space on a Windows 7 computer, Microsoft claims that this is a violation of its licensing agreement with 80% of its customers? Apparently, Microsoft doesn't like its customers to run XP in a virtual space on a computer running another OS. Hey, Microsoft, I am a lawyer, and even I think that is draconian. Get over yourself, or you might find the world passing you by, and moving lock, stock and barrel to Google's Chrome OS. Maybe free, open, in the cloud operating systems are what computer users should be using? As much as I like Windows 7, Microsoft is really scrambling for dollars now. 

Bertrand Russell And Wasting Time On Planet Earth

Quote Details: Bertrand Russell: It is a waste... - The Quotations Page. According to Mr. Russell it is a waste of time to argue with an angry man or with a car that won't run. I have my own list, to which I expect my readers to contribute:

1. It is a waste of time to argue with She Who Must Be Obeyed.

2. It is a waste of time to tell a teenager to turn out the lights, lock the door, or whatever else you want him or her to do.

3. It is a waste of time to dye your hair, get a tummy tuck, or just about any other fool thing that someone wants to sell you to keep yourself from looking as old as you are.

4. It is a waste of time to tell a client what the best course of action is.

I could go on, but I have work to do.