Futurelawyer

Zoom Isn't The Only Video Conferencing Game In Town.

How to Use Google Meet To Stream. Zoom has become the go to app for video streaming and conferencing since the Pandemic made remote computing a big thing. Hearings, trials, client conferences, and social events have been streamed, and everybody uses it. But, if you are a member of the Googleverse, you owe it to yourself to give Google Meet a try. It has become much easier to use and more functional, and the integration with Google Calendar makes it a necessary add on to your Web presence. Everyone who uses Google is a potential Google Meet partner, and you can create events from within the Calendar app. Check it out, and broaden your video conferencing options.

A Locate Service For Books

We Need Ping For Books. Execupundit has lost a book among his thousands of them. He now is envious of digital device users who can use the "Find My Phone" feature to locate lost devices. He now wants the feature for lost books. Actually, Michael, that already exists. Put those thousand books, in electronic form, on your smartphone, tablet computer, or notebook computer. Then, using a computer search algorithm, type the title or a keyword, and, presto, the book will appear. Sit in your favorite chair and read away. Isn't technology wonderful?

#WhyIAmASolo - I Can Manage My Life And My Finances For $35.99 A Year.

Quicken Starter For Windows. When I am traveling, one of the most valuable pieces of software on my computer is Quicken. I can keep daily track of every bank account, and each is updated with the bank's computers, allowing me to see and manage my finances and law practice anytime anywhere. Coupled with modern credit card updates, which send me a text or email with every purchase, I can keep track of everything on a mobile phone or tablet or computer. The data is backed up daily, and I have used it for many years now. Recently, I needed to find a disbursement from my trust account for a closing that I did in 2011. A simple click, click on my Quicken app, and the transaction was recovered. I realize that larger firms require a more complicated system of financial controls; but, Quicken is perfect for the solo. What's in your computer?

GoodSync - Protect Your Files And Data.

GoodSync. Lawyers create thousands of documents in their careers. They also create the same business and personal records as everyone else. Years of scanned documents, receipts, photos, pleadings, and all sorts of data that are essential to life and practice. Before computers, paper files contained this information, and they needed to be stored in file cabinets, rooms, storage facilities, and all sorts of places the required physical security. These days, all of that data can be stored on a thimble sized digital device. Your computer contains your life, and needs to be protected. I needed, and found in Goodsync, a backup and syncing program, that, for under $30 a year, makes file backup simple. Every poem, every pleading, every bit of data, is automatically backed up and synced, on MicroSDs, USB drives, and in the cloud, whenever I want. I try to run it every day. If my hard drive crashes, I have several copies of my essential files in several physical locations. The software has a free 7 day trial for 99 cents. Do you know where your files are?

Docusign And Its Alternatives - Is The Wet Signature Dead?

Docusign Alternatives. One of the most useful applications in my legal arsenal is Docusign. Lawyers deal with situations all the time, in which clients or others need to sign documents for filing or recording, and mailing paper and waiting on a signature to be mailed back can derail a project. While I am happy with Docusign, the Alternative, JotForm, has written an article that highlights the many alternatives to it, all of which serve the same purpose. Regardless of which application you choose for electronic signatures, make yourself aware of the options.

Lawyers - You Should Be Using Signal For Text Messaging.

Signal Is Catching Up To WhatsApp In The Text Messaging Space. Lawyers who deal with client confidential information all day are tempting fate if they aren't using secure, encrypted from end to end, text messaging apps. Computer and data security is risky enough these days, and, while perfect data security is impossible, lawyers are required to use reasonably available means to protect client confidentiality. Signal is free. Signal looks and works just like your current text messaging app. Signal is encrypted from end to end.  There is a phone app and a Windows app. Why aren't you using it?

OneUI Watch Demo...What Happens When Samsung And Google Work Together.

I inhabit two digital universes: Samsung and Google. My phones and Smartwatches (at least my daily drivers) are from Samsung; but, my daily life is spent in Google Apps. Google never got Smartwatches right, and Wear OS is clunky, slow, and unusable in most iterations. So, when OneUI Watch is announced in August, I am anxious to see whether the collaboration creates a joint watch universe that takes the best of both worlds. The coolest thing will be the automatic syncing back and forth between phone and watch. Check out the demo video, and it looks like a winner. 

Android Apps On Your PC? Not So Fast, Kemo Sabe.

Android Apps On Windows. The announcement that Android apps would run natively on Windows 11 created some confusion. My first reaction was "Why?" My Android apps run fine on my phones and tablets. Then, I remembered that I like to access my Wyze security cameras that are set up at the office to see what is happening. I also have a couple at home. I can remotely monitor the house and office from anywhere. And, alas, there is no Windows desktop version of the Wyze software yet. I solved the problem with an Android emulator, BlueStacks. The only problem is that Bluestacks takes forever to load, and uses a ton of computer memory. So, it would be great to run it natively in the Windows environment. But, alas, that isn't the whole story. It seems that there will be no native Google apps and no Google Play Store, and no Google Play Services. Without them, Android just isn't worth it. Play Services performs many essential tasks for many Android apps, and native Google apps are essential to the Android experience. So, cool your jets, fellow Android nuts. We have a long wait ahead.

Computer Security - Best Ransomware Protection Is Malwarebytes.

White Paper - Defeating Ransomware. The best way to protect against criminals is to present a difficult target. Nothing is completely secure. However, computer users and companies who want to protect against ransomware can make themselves too difficult to attack. Holding a business' data hostage, is a scary prospect. Lawyers who need to protect their clients' confidential information have a lot to lose. For these reasons, the first thing I do with a new computer is install Malwarebytes Premium, and keep it running in the background 100% of the time I am using the computer. It attacks ransomware on four levels, none of which I understand. But, I am better protected than the normal user, and what more can you ask? So, read this white paper, and be safe out there.

Do Not Download Windows 11 Preview - Really, Don't Do It.

How To Download Windows 11 Preview. How brave are you? How curious are you? You have a dependable Windows 10 machine that you use every day of your working life. Microsoft uses new versions as a guinea pig lab. You are now able to download and install a Preview edition of Windows 11. It will contain bugs and glitches, and not all the features. You should not risk your computer by doing it. I really mean it. Please don't. You aren't listening, are you? Jeez.