Futurelawyer

Echo Look - Alexa, What Tie Should I Wear?

Oh Great, Now Alexa Will Judge Your Outfits, Too | WIRED. What if Amazon Echo had a live camera? What if it could see you and judge what you are wearing? What if it could give you fashion advice? Welcome to Echo Look. Are you kidding me? I am going to put a live camera in the bedroom? It is bad enough that Alexa listens to everything said. Now, Amazon can see us? I don't think so.

Enough Said

"Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which, in prosperous circumstances, would have lain dormant."

- Horace (65-8 BC) Roman Poet

Beat The Traffic - Fly Your Car To Work

Flying cars are (still) coming: Should we believe the hype? | 89.3 KPCC. Once a dream of Fifties futurists, flying cars really are coming, and they are coming sooner than you think. Technology, like life, will always find a way, and the car of the future will be powered by batteries and likely will be a vertical take off and landing vehicle on 3 or 4 wheels. Want to avoid gridlock? Just step into your person aerial vehicle (PAV) and soar above the city. 

Lawyers - Lock Down Your Data and Files

Hackers are increasingly targeting lawyers%u2019 computers. Lawyers increasingly keep more sensitive client data and information on their computers and devices. This means they are targets for hackers, and computer security becomes more important. As this article points out, and the video advises, it is the lawyer's responsibility to keep the information on office computers and devices safe. This means you must be encrypting your data on all mobile devices, requiring secure passwords for access to all computers, and using two step authentication for all information stored in the cloud. If you store information in the cloud, you must vet the provider carefully.  There are other security provisions you can make that don't necessarily involve computers. For instance, do you keep sensitive files in locked metal cabinets? Does your physical office have deadbolt locks on all doors, and a security system in place? Do you have video camera live surveillance at the perimeters of your building that is accessible via smartphone 24/7? No security, computer or physical is 100% secure all of the time. But, you can make yourself a less attractive target. Now, read this article, go to work, and get with the program.

 

 

It All Depends On What The Meaning Of "Unlimited" Is

Which Carrier Has the Best Unlimited Plan? AT&T vs Verizon vs Sprint vs T-Mobile. In the law, many terms don't mean what you think they mean. Some terms are impossible to determine what they mean. Take "reasonable" for instance. Negligence is defined as falling below the "reasonable man" standard of care. What would a "reasonable man" do? Of course, the definition depends on many variables. Like the law, mobile phone plans can be inscrutable. This comparison of cell phone plans reads like the Internal Revenue Code. It all depends on what the meaning of "unlimited" is. Happy wandering through the fine print. I wonder if these plans were authored by lawyers.

Politics And Protests - Don't We Have Enough To Worry About?

I went to a protest that had its own app. I have always hated politics. I don't care what your political views are. Does anyone really believe they can change minds by marching in protests, acting out in public, or whatever? Now, my love for technology and apps is being used to enable such behavior, with apps to organize protests. I suppose it takes a family illness or emergency to focus our minds on what is really important; which is the people we love and are with, and the daily struggle to survive. To the extent that getting out and attempting to control other people is a coping mechanism for avoiding your own problems, have at it. But, perhaps we need to ask ourselves whether dealing with our own problems, illnesses, faults and foibles, privately, would be more likely to affect the quality of our lives. The Stoics tell us that we can't control things external to ourselves. That includes the people we are trying to reach when we march in protests, carrying signs. That behavior looks more like someone who is in denial about their own life, and is avoiding what is really important. The Stoics are the real authors of the wisdom of the Serenity prayer. Control what you can, yourself and your reaction to life's twists and turns. Accept what you can't control. Have the wisdom to know the difference. 

Google Offers Photo Editing Software For Free

Google Makes Its $149 Photo Editing Software Now Completely Free to Download | Open Culture. The Google Nik Collection is a suite of photo editing software that has been made free by Google. This is a no brainer download, and anyone who wants to learn to manipulate images should learn it. Google makes a ton of money on advertising; it is nice to see the company giving back. Life's problems got you down? I know how that feels. Software like this will take your mind off of your problems. 

Top Ten Smartwatches - 2017

Best Smartwatches Buyers Guide - April 2017 | Androidheadlines.com. If you are finally deciding to purchase and wear a Smartwatch, this list will give you plenty to think about. My favorite is still the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier, with LTE, even though it has its own OS, and all the others have standardized on Android Wear. Android Wear, now upgraded to version 2.0, is a great watch OS; but, the Gear S3 with its rotating bezel, and classic good looks, is still the best watch on the planet. 

#ParrotSunday - Red Crowned Parrot Of Pasadena

Soooooo. What%u2019s Up With All the Parrots in Pasadena? - Los Angeles Magazine. Whether they escaped a burning pet store, or were lost in the pet trade, the Red Crowned Parrots of Pasadena have formed a vibrant community that dwarfs the endangered birds in South America. Life finds a way.

Wisdom And Suffering

"Wisdom comes alone through suffering." - Aeschylus 525-456 BC