Futurelawyer

Worldwide Ransomware Attack Affects Many Companies And Governments

Called The GoldenEye/Petya ransomware exploit, the newest version of ransomware is nasty and dangerous. Consider that one of the affected systems is the radiation monitoring system at Chernobyl. Ouch. You need to know how ransomware works, and how to prevent it from affecting your systems at home and at work. This two minute video will get you started. Once infected, this new version encrypts not only all your data; but, also your NTFS structure so the computer won't even boot. You are responsible for your own first line security. Update all of your software today. Install one of the new ransomware detection software programs. Don't download links in email that you don't know are coming, and backup your system often and regularly. Be careful out there.

Never Wire Money To Kenya

Scams Continue to Target Texas Attorneys | Texas Bar Blog. The phishing scams never stop, and lawyers are a popular target. This Texas Bar Blog articles gives some examples of the novel ways that scammers are trying to steal from attorneys and their clients. My favorite is the one in which a big check is mailed to the attorney, and, after the check clears, he is asked to take a percentage as a fee, and wire the rest of the money to Kenya. Of course, the check is fraudulent, and after the bank refuses to honor it, the attorney is left holding an empty bag. If you take anything from the Texas Bar article, remember that, just because a bank clears a check doesn't mean the funds are guaranteed. Even wire transfers can be fraudulent. Be careful out there.

Use Old Android Phone As A Dedicated Music Player

How to turn your old Android phone into a standalone music player. Playing music all day on your phone can wear down the battery. So, take that old phone off the shelf that is gathering dust, and download all your music on it. Presto. You have a dedicated music player that is more capable than the original iPod. Nowadays, you can even broadcast the music to your favorite bluetooth speaker. In fact, I have a couple of ancient phones that are tiny and more portable than my current phone. Just tuck one in your pocket when you are out and about. Repurpose. Reuse. Conserve.

T-Mobile Increases LTE Speed With LTE-U

T-Mobile bolsters speeds with unlicensed LTE rollout | Android Central. T-Mobile has rolled out LTE-U service in 4 areas, which is the first volley in the speed wars that are coming with equipment that can take advantage of unlicensed WiFi 2.4 Ghz and 5GHz bands to mesh with LTE. Called LTE-U for unlicensed, the WiFi bands are available to any carrier with the equipment to use it. Expect to see more LTE-U from T-Mobile in the future. The only phone that can take advantage right now is the Galaxy S8; but, there will be more coming. 

Anxiety Is Within Us, Not Outside Us

I have been experiencing more than usual anxiety lately. But, Marcus Aurelius is helping. Yes, he has been dead 2,000 years; but, his wisdom lives on in his Meditations. 

"Today I escaped from anxiety. Or no, I discarded it, because it was within me, in my own perceptions--not outside."

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 9 Verse 13

Anything that is within you can be cast out. Anything outside of you is probably not something you have any influence or control over. So, let it go. 

There. I feel better already. Thanks, Marcus.

Canon Pixma iP110 Mobile Printer - Get The Job Done Anywhere

Amazon.com: CANON PIXMA iP110 Wireless Mobile Printer With Airprint(TM) And Cloud Compatible: Electronics. I recently bought this printer to travel with; and, on my first trip, it worked like a charm. It is small, light and portable. The Amazon price is up to $100 to $150 cheaper than anywhere else, and it comes with a great deal for color photo paper. While I print mostly black and white documents with it, it is great for photos as well. I use it with a USB cable, and, to keep weight down, I plug it in rather than pay $100 for the optional battery. I connect it to my WiFi hotspot; but, I haven't used it as a WiFi printer yet. From now on, this little printer will be with me when I travel. You can now do anything on the road you can do at home. 

Keep Calm

#ParrotSunday - Yellow Front Amazons Singing Phantom

Google Already Has All Your Data - Get Over It

Google now has all the data it needs, will stop scanning Gmail inboxes for ad personalization | TechCrunch. Google won't be scanning your email for data to send personalized ads to you anymore. The company claims it already has enough data. Of course it does. But, Google isn't alone. In case you think you can exist on the Internet without your data being mined for ads, look around. Amazon does it. Apple does it. They all do it. Get over it. No large Internet company will allow such data to be used for other than anonymous marketing. Such a ploy would be a Bet The Company risk. I want Google to know what I like and what I don't so that they can send me to the right places on the Internet to buy stuff. It is not reasonable to believe that we can protect our data online. What we can do is to make violation of privacy for nefarious purposes so painful and costly that no one will attempt it. And, you can keep prying eyes away by using two and three factor authentication and other security measures. 

Google Keep - The Best Note Taking App You're Not Using

7 Reasons You Might Actually Want to Use Google Keep | PCMag.com. I wrote about Google Keep last year, and I am still using it. It meshes well with Chrome and my other Google apps. I can create saved notes with a click, and there is a Chrome extension that allows click and save while browsing. See an inspirational quote you want to save? Just right click, and click on Save to Keep. I am a member of the GoogleVerse. So, I like Google Apps which sync on all my devices. I have tried many note taking apps; but, have abandoned each one due to complexity. I want simple, minimalist, do one thing, and do it well apps. While legal case management systems do much of what a note app does, and even better, they are complex, and overkill for many solo and small firm lawyers. Of course, if you are a small law practice with active matters that require tracking over the firm, you should look at Amicus, MyCase, RocketMatter, Clio, or one of the other leading systems. If you just need a quick and dirty (and free) ToDo list app that can integrate photos, reminders, and other things, take a look at Keep. I "Keep" it in an active tab all the time.You can dictate to it, set reminders, pull text out of photos, collaborate with others, and more. Now, go install Keep, right click on the FutureLawyer blog post you like, and add a note to read FutureLawyer every day.