Futurelawyer

Your Phone Companion - Finally You Can Make Phone Calls

Your Phone Companion - Link to Windows - Apps on Google Play. Finally, the Your Phone Windows app can do what phones are supposed to do, make calls. For some time, a connection with Android phones permitted viewing of photos, sending and receiving texts, and so forth, has been available while working on the notebook or desktop. Now, an update permits the user to make calls from the notebook. Very cool.

Software Developers And User Interface Hell

I have a few candidates for the software user interface hell awards of the year. I am certain I am not alone. Does anyone here know what they're doing? I remember the early days of computing, when bugs appeared in software. The marketing guys said "It's not a bug! It's a feature!" Spin doctors unite. This is your time.

 

Dragon Anywhere - There Be Dragons In That Phone!

Dragon Anywhere. What if you could pull out your smartphone, start dictating a letter or pleading, and have a digital transcript immediately? What if the accuracy of the transcription approached 99%? Sound like a lawyer's dream? Not. For $15 a month, Nuance hosts the Dragon Anywhere cloud service, that stores and distributes any recording you make, wherever you are. Call it dictation on steroids. I am often away from the office or my desk computer, or driving in the car and can't use a notebook computer or tablet. An idea comes to me, or a letter needs writing, and, with the touch of an app icon, I can be dictating to my heart's content. The transcription is immediately available, and stored in the cloud for retrieval. The RoadWarrior dictates a memo. Enemies fall.

Android Phone? Install Malwarebytes Now.

Unrelenting %u201Cad blocker%u201D plasters users with%u2014you guessed it%u2014ads | Ars Technica. Unwanted ads, while not necessarily dangerous, can ruin the computing experience on a smartphone. If an ad pops up every minute on your phone, annoying is not a strong enough word to describe a user's frustration. So, a false flag app that claims to be an adblocker that actually serves up ads really sucks. You may have Malwarebytes or other antimalware, antivirus program on your computer. But, you need it on your phone as well. I don't know why ad serving programs are called PUPs (Potentially Unwanted Programs). Trust me, they aren't wanted on my phone. Be safe out there.

#WhyIAmASolo - Quicken Is My Accountant

Quicken Home & Business Download | Quicken. Okay, I still use an accountant for tax returns and monthly financials. But, a $99 a year subscription to Quicken is all I need to have control over my finances, both personal and law firm, and, with connections to my bank, daily monitoring and control of all the bank accounts. Office accounts, trust accounts, asset and liability listings, are all available at all times. I know balances, checks clearing, deposits, and anything I need to manage my finances instantly. My entire financial life can be encrypted and backed up to the cloud for instant retrieval; and, with a mobile app, I can do it from a phone or tablet. Are you a solo lawyer yet?

Spies Are Everywhere - Protect Yourself

How to Protect Yourself From Unethical or Illegal Spying. The best security software for Windows is Malwarebytes, and I have written about it before. It is the first program I install on every new computer. Less than $50 a year, and worth ten times that. But, it is also available for Android, and is a great way to stop spyware in its tracks. Since you have your phone with you everywhere, and your life and its data and your clients' data resides on it, or is accessible in the cloud, it is essential that you do everything possible to protect it. The Android version is only $12.99 a year. Do it now.

Lawnchair Launcher - Where Are Your Apps?

Lawnchair Launcher - Apps on Google Play. I wish I had a nickel for every new Android app launcher I have tried. The Pixel launcher is perhaps the best I have tried; but, I have used them all. The Lawnchair Launcher is my current favorite, and I have it installed on my main phone, the Galaxy Note 10+. Simple, easy to use, clean lines, and gets right to the point (I mean app). What's on your phone?

Put A Ruler On Your Computer Screen

5 Ways to Display a Ruler on Your Computer Screen. Remember rulers? I used to have a plastic one in my notebook. While I never got into the ones that did advanced math calculations (let's just say I was math challenged), I used them for drawing straight lines and as stress relievers ( I chewed on them when the nuns were around). These days, there is never a ruler around when you need one; so, it is not surprising that some enterprising app developers figured out a way to put on a computer screen. Here are some options. Now, go measure something.

RCS Messaging Coming To All Carriers Next Year

US carriers join forces to deliver RCS messaging in 2020 - 9to5Google. Rich Communications Services make text messaging a much better experience, allowing for high quality pictures and videos, better group chatting, and more. The Carriers were apparently spurred by Google's plans to upgrade Google Messages, and they want the consumer eyeballs to stay with the Carrier as long as possible. Also, the richer experience of the App based Facebook Messenger has caused many of us to use two SMS systems. Right now, you can do a lot more with Facebook Messenger; but, a built in RCS messaging system would already know everything about you and your phone. So, if you are ordering a pizza online, it would already know your phone number, etc. And, Facebook is a closed system; albeit, a huge one. What's in your phone?

Mirror Your Phone Screen To Your Tablet - Useful Apps

How to Screen Mirror Phone to Tablet/Phone (Android/iOS) Easily. I was reading about one of the biggest flops on the funding pages, a tablet screen that purported to mirror a phone screen, giving a large sized screen to mirror a smartphone. The screen was never delivered, and several million dollars was lost. Out of curiosity, I began searching for similar products, and I found a free app that uses bluetooth to mirror the phone screen to a tablet. Screen Share is free, and easy to install. It connects your phone to your tablet via bluetooth, and mirrors whatever is on the phone. While my tablet has an LTE chip and doesn't need WiFi, it works fine for me; although, some have complained that their setup doesn't work. Be careful who you give your money to; I am out $219 for the VinPok Split screen external monitor for notebooks, which has never been delivered. No more funding sites for me. I want to help innovation; but, you need to get your funding elsewhere.