Futurelawyer

Why I Have A Box Of Old Gadgets

Adaptception [Humorous Image] - How-To Geek. I catch a lot of flak from She Who Must Be Obeyed about the boxes of old technology and gadgets in my den and garage. Every now and then, I go down memory lane, and try to construct something useful out of the flotsam and jetsam I find in there. The How-To Geek published this photo today which illustrates the utility of this technique. Because you never know when you are going to have to read a Micro SD card in an old computer that only has a PC Card slot. Of course, you will have to find adapters to fit in between; but, that is half the fun, no?

Law Practice Today

Law Practice Today | July 2011 | Time Management Tips & Technology 

I just discovered a July, 2011 article by Natalie HuHa a/k/a Natalie Alesi, in which this blog is mentioned favorably. Thanks, Natalie. Finally, a woman who "gets" me. Seriously, for the readers of this blog who are socially "challenged" (you know who you are), Natalie has a great company, . JustEngage, that helps attorneys navigate the social media minefield. At the very least, you need to follow Natalie on Twitter, so that you will be up to date on social media. She is, in her words,  a devoted user and evangelist for social media and technology solutions in the legal and professional service industry. In my words, she is a social media guru. She will lead you out of the wilderness of your office and into the new world of connections. 

All Your Personal Information R Belong To Us

What Google%u2019s unified Privacy Policy means for Android | Android and Me.

The new Google unified privacy policy becomes effective on March 1st. Google is trying hard to look like it isn't becoming the Evil Empire in its announcement. It downplays the scary amount of information it will now collect in one place, and use to target products, services, messages, and other stuff at the users of its products. If, like me, you are circumspect about what you put in the Websphere, you may be sanguine about the change. However, there is going to be a lot of personal information about a lot of people in one place. Google risks losing popular support for its products if it misuses the information; so, I don't believe it will. But, expect to see a lot of "Google is now Evil" posts around the net. For Android users, this means a smoother experience, since anything you do in one product will be available to you in any other product. I am reserving judgment about whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. I really like not having to sync my calendar and contacts and other stuff anymore. It just happens. I really like being able to pick up my phone, or my notebook or my tablet, and know that everything is always the same on each device. And, you can always go to the dashboard and edit the information. However, like the author of this post, and a scifi movie lover myself, forgive me if all this unified information in the hands of one computer system brings to mind the Terminator movies. 

Wisdom From Rome

Execupundit.com: Quote of the Day. One of my favorite bloggers, Michael Wade, has a recurring post he does with wisdom of the ages, expressed in quotes from famous thinkers. I have always been a fan of inspirational or educational quotes from great minds. Each day should be started with one; they help to focus us on different aspects of living that help us be better. Every day should be a struggle to be better. This quote from Marcus Aurelius is especially appropriate during political campaign season. It can equally be applied to all parties, all media, and every citizen. Telling truth to power, and recognizing it ourselves, can overcome many of our prejudices, emotions, and other irrational thinking. Look things in the face. Know them for what they really are. 

Motorola Sues Apple For Patent Infringement - ETrade Baby Feigns Surprise

Motorola sues Apple for patent infringement | Reuters.

You've seen the ETrade Baby commercials in which the Baby pretends to be shocked when the actor doesn't win the lottery? Well, that is how I feel, now that Motorola has sued Apple for violating its patents in the iPhone 4s and Apple's iCloud remote storage service. What a surprise. What a shock. Apple started the ball rolling when it sued HTC, and even got a couple of injunctions abroad. Now, Samsung and Motorola (soon to be owned by Google) have turned the tables. All of these millions of dollars being earned by lawyers does my lawyer heart good; except that I don't get any of the intellectual property work. Oh well. I will treat this litigation like my answer to She Who Must Be Obeyed's reality TV shows. Wacky people doing wacky things. Sounds very similar to me.

Will You Author The Minority Report, Captain Anderton?

What would happen if you took a Galaxy Nexus, projected it on a large screen with an HDMI out cable plugged in to a projector, and then connected it to a PC running running Simple-Kinect-Touch 2.0 and then connected an XBox Kinect camera to the whole thing? Why, a motion enabled Android system of course. All of this tech exists now. There is no reason we won't be standing in front of a computer screen in the near future touching and waving our fingers and arms, and controlling the movement of app icons and screens. 

Apple To Authors - We Own A Piece Of You

Apple's dirty little EULA publishing secret | TechRepublic. Say it ain't so, Apple. The new iBook publishing app, that allows authors to upload their work and sell it, and competes with similar offerings by Amazon and others, allegedly has an even more Draconian EULA agreement than any of its competitors. Lawyers are familiar with End User License Agreements (EULAs); and, I'll bet, we don't read them in the same percentages as the rest of computer users. Unless, of course, somebody actually does read one and highlights the problems. In the case of iBook, Apple asserts that anyone who publishes content to it, and charges for that content, must share the charge with Apple, and may only publish to iBook. For authors who publish to Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Smashwords, and other sites, this is a non-starter. This is like a bookstore telling an author that it will carry his book in the store; but, you can't sell it anywhere else. Amazon gives authors the option to have better access to Prime customers if they give it a 90 day exclusivity period; but, Apple's EULA makes no such distinction. Check out the article for the actual contract terms. Just a little light bedtime reading.

 

Finally, Google Gets My Name Right

Google now allowing the use of nicknames and other established identities | Android Central. You know the old adage: "I don't care what they say, as long as they spell my name right". Well, Google Plus has prohibited the FutureLawyer from using his real name since it began last year, and actually threatened to cancel my account unless I used my real name. While the "no nicknames" policy had some rationale behind it, it chafed that I had to be "Richard Georges" on the web. The only time Richard has been used, in my experience, was when my mother or She Who Must Be Obeyed were really perturbed about my latest insanity. You know the drill: "Richard, does the floor look like a closet to you?" or "Are you really going to put that dirty dish in the sink without rinsing it?" My life is hell. But, no more. From now on, I am Richard "Rick" Georges, and you can call me whatever you like; just don't call me late for dinner.

Do You Know Where Your Hands Have Been?

Walmart.com: 3M 674 Keyboard Cleaner Kit: Computers. As I grow older, germs and illness become more worrisome. Aging geeks need to be conscious of health risks, and we tend to wash our hands more frequently, and use disinfectant wipes more often. However, are you aware that the most dangerous thing you do today may be sitting at the computer reading the FutureLawyer blog? Quick, where are your hands right now? If they are on or near your keyboard or mouse, you are touching the most germ infested places in your house. Yes, that includes the bathroom. If you then touch your face or scratch your nose, or whatever, you have just increased your risk of illness. What to do? Well, my rule has always been, WWMD. No, not the nuclear option, silly. What Would Monk Do? My favorite detective may be obsessive-compulsive; but, he has one thing right. Hands and keyboards and computer mice need to wiped down with a disinfectant wipe regularly. Hands need to be washed often. And, keyboards need to be deep cleaned less often; but, still on a regular basis. This kit from WalMart will make the job easier. Unlike some, I don't recommend removing each key. I have ruined a few keyboards when I couldn't get the keys back on properly. So, stop reading this blog. Get a disinfectant wipe. Wipe down the keyboard and mouse. Go back to computing. Repeat.

Android User Experience Chief, Mattias Duarte

Q&A: Android Design Chief Details Google's Mobile Future | Gadget Lab | Wired.com. Okay, let's get the elephant in the room out of the way first. She Who Must Be Obeyed would never let me out of the house wearing this shirt; and, she definitely wouldn't allow me to have my photo taken in front of this tapestry. I guess we now know why I will never be made Operating System Design Chief for a large software company. On the other hand, Mattias Duarte created the WebOS design for Palm and then HP, and they both failed. Will he have an effect on Android? That said, Android 4.0, which is Google's and Duarte's attempt to standardize the design of Android, and to remove the fragmentation that makes the OS problematic on many machines, is a smooth looking OS, and will bring tablet and phone interfaces to the next level. Now, if we can just get Mattias a new shirt.