Futurelawyer

#WhyWordPerfectIsPerfect - WordPerfect Reveals Its Codes.

I have been a passionate user of WordPerfect for document production for decades. It was my first, and will be my last, word processor; and, as a lawyer, words are my business. I know that Microsoft Word owns the universe, and I have a copy to use when I need to deal with the documents of others. But, WordPerfect does a great job of converting Word into WordPerfect and vice versa. Why are we WordPerfect users so passionate about our choice? It's simple. Reveal Codes. Word documents are a nightmare to format and alter. WordPerfect documents can be tweaked and altered easily. Just press the Alt key and F3 key. The document magically reveals its inner formatting, fonts, and every other little thing. Now that Corel has changed its name to Alludo ( I don't care if they call it Yabba Dabba Do), it is nice to see that the WordPerfect brand is still around, and will be until after the FutureLawyer has departed this mortal coil. This little three minute video describes the Reveal Codes function, in case you are interested.

 

TasksBoard - Project Management For Google Calendar.

TasksBoard When I was doing a lot of litigation, and more of everything else, I was an early adopter of case management systems. The best, in the beginning, was Amicus Attorney. Now, everything is in the cloud, and there are a lot of case management systems that can get the job done. One of my favorite Amicus functions was the ability to create a template for different kinds of matters that integrated with the calendar, and allowed the automatic reminder of the status of a case, and what needed to be done. It was project management for law. For instance, probate administration requires a set list of date requirements, such as 90 days for creditor's claims, 30 days for the filing of the Inventory after the issuance of Letters of Administration, and so on. In Amicus, a lawyer could create a template with tasks linked to dates that could be loaded at inception. Then, the required tasks would pop up when required on the calendar. Tasksboard allows the creation of lists for different sets of tasks that is connected to Google Calendar, and syncs with it. I haven't played with it yet; but, you can try a free version that allows 5 lists of tasks, and I might just see how well it works in a law environment. It doesn't look like tasks can be linked; but being able to have several different lists to categorize differences might be useful. 

It's Free. It's Easy. It Gets The Job Done. Google Tasks.

There are all kinds of To Do list and task list apps out there, all designed to keep your day organized. If you use Google Calendar, or any other Google apps, however, you really need to play with Google Tasks. It sits at the right of my calendar every minute of every day, and I add an item to my list whenever it comes up. Since I am no longer doing complex litigation, I don't really need a full function case management system, so, if you are still in an active practice, Tasks may not be for you. However, it is free, and gets the job done, and I use it all the time. I live in my browser, and Google Calendar, Email, Task Management, and various other Google functions are at my fingertips all the time. It really doesn't matter how you get organized. You will be more productive if you do.

 

Be A Windows God With One Click Of Your Mouse.

How to Enable God Mode In Windows. Windows is a complicated operating system, and there are literally hundreds of options that can be optimized or tweaked to suit your personal preferences. But, what a pain it is to find one when you need it. What if you want to auto-hide the taskbar? It will get you some more screen real estate, for sure. Of course, some of us like having all our program options visible at all times. In any event, good luck remembering how to get to the taskbar settings, along with dozens of other tasks. The good news is that the Vista inspired God mode, which puts just about every Windows command in one place, has survived all the way to the current Windows 11, and you can install it free and easily. Tom's Guide is a great site, and the instructions are online. Be a computer god. You know you want to.

FutureLawyer Has A Home Office In The Metaverse.

Spatial One of the leading platforms in the Metaverse is Spatial; and, after the presentation today by Mitch Jackson, I decided to check out the site. I had forgotten that I had set up an account years ago, and it was still active. The tech has improved tremendously, and this is a photo of my Avatar and home office. I am going to play with it, and any of you who want to try out a conference with me, about any topic, let me know, and when it is ready, I will send an invite. Cool stuff.

#WhyIAmASolo - I Don't Need An App To Manage Employees.

In fact, since I have no employees, I don't need to manage them at all.

Wearable Tech For The Mobile Lawyer.

Best WearOS Devices With Heart Rate Sensors. I confess that I was wrong about health monitoring on Smartwatches. In the beginning, I didn't think I wanted something on my wrist that monitored by bodily functions. But, after a heart attack, it occurred to me that I should probably be taking better care of my body. So, these days, I am always wearing the Smartwatch with the best health sensors, and my Galaxy Watch 4 is the best of the best. I daily measure my heartrate, blood oxygen level, do a rudimentary ECG, measure my steps, measure my stress level, and more, without looking away from my wrist. In the future, we will be wearing computing devices that track many more things, and you don't have to be an arrogant exercise fanatic to keep up with your bodily functions. Now, I have to find the motivation to get out there and exercise. I am not hopeful.

The Complete Harvard Classics - You Can Pay $1,000 Or Get Them For Free. Your Call.

Complete Harvard Classics. You can get the entire 51 Volume, Leather Bound edition of the complete Harvard Classics, for around $1,000. Or, you can download the entire set on a tiny Kindle device for free. If I had another 50 years to live, I would like to get through all of the over 100 works; but, alas, I will have to settle for making a dent. In any event, I downloaded the entire set to my Kindle PaperWhite in around 60 seconds. I just give you options. You decide.

Project Gutenberg - A Lifetime's Worth Of Free Reading.

Project Gutenberg. So many books. So little time. I don't remember when this old saying morphed from "So many women. So little time." But, it did, and when I finally realized how little time I had left, my reading days got shorter, and the number of books I wanted to read got longer. You really don't need any other reading site than Project Gutenberg, which has over 60,000 free Ebooks, and many in Kindle format. But, you can get them with or without images, in most cases, and in every EReader format. In my younger years, a trip to the wonderful library at Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, where my step-father was stationed, was a real treat. I could settle into a big leather chair, and read for whole days. I discovered Bruce Catton there, and learned about the Civil War and tales of bravery and tragedy. I thank my mom for inspiring, in me, a love of books and reading, and some of my best days have been spent with books. Michael Wade, of Execupundit, loves books also, and has an extensive paper library. While I love the tactile sensations provided by books on paper, there is great power in having the collected knowledge of the planet in a small device that fits in your hands or pockets. Check out Project Gutenberg. There is not a moment to be wasted.

Four Years With The Best EReader On The Planet. The Kindle PaperWhite.

Kindle PaperWhite Review. I have owned a tiny EReader, the Kindle PaperWhite, for four years, and I carry it everywhere. It is IPF 8 water resistant, so reading by the beach or pool is easy. It has a bright screen that is easily viewable in any lighting conditions, and I got rid of the cloth case, since I like the feel of a light, tiny device in my hand that holds thousands of books. It syncs with my tablets and computers, so that I am in the same place on every device. This little thing only cost $130, and you can find them cheaper. The newer versions cost $140, and have a bigger screen; but, you can get my version for around $110. I have an Ebook version of my last poetry book on it, along with many of my favorites, ranging from Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, classical literature, and current stuff as well. Currently, I am reading Jay Glazer's great new book on his lifelong battle with anxiety, "Unbreakable". Having suffered with mild anxiety myself, the raw power of his book speaks to me. But, you have your own favorite stuff, I know. The Amazon world is filled with stuff you can put in your pocket, and carry with you everywhere. One of my favorite pastimes is to spend time searching the 60,000 book library of Project Gutenberg, which has free ebooks spanning hundreds of years. The complete Shakespeare is another favorite. Reading is fundamental. It is enjoyable. We have a limited time to do it. Get started.