Futurelawyer

Find My Phone, Please.

Finding your phone when it's turned off - a new Android feature? I have been a fan of Find my phone apps ever since I left mine in a Las Vegas restaurant some years ago. Luckily, I had installed one of the new find my phone apps, Lookout mobile security. When SWMBO and I got back to our hotel, I was frantic. The phone had my life on it, and Las Vegas is not a place where valuables are very safe. Then, I remembered Lookout, and, sitting on the hotel room bed, I powered it up on my laptop. Sure enough, there was my phone, blinking away. It was in the restaurant, and we quickly caught a cab back to the restaurant. Luckily, again, the waiter had taken the phone to the front desk, where a relieved FutureLawyer retrieved it, and vacation was saved. Since that time, Android has incorporated the feature into its phones; but, unless the phone was stolen, it can sit forever in a location never to be found while it is powered down. I have been much better about never leaving the phone lying around; but, a new feature planned for Android will soon be able to locate the phone even if turned off. Of course, this will ruin the plot of many TV shows and movies, because the plot line will no longer be able to rely on the "criminal just turned on the phone" gambit. Oh well. Get creative, TV writers. 

It's Saturday - Do You Know Where Your Essential Files Are?

GoodSync. Lawyers keep a lot of client files and information on their computers these days, along with their own personal files and folders. I have documents I have created since the 1990s, along with financial, photographic, and other stuff that I can't afford to lose. While full disc backup is something we all should do regularly, I have discovered a way to keep all of my essential files backed up, and it only takes a few minutes a day. First, connect a USB external drive or USB stick or micro chip drive to your computer. Then, download a free copy of GoodSync. Then, select all of the files and folders you don't want to lose in a GoodSync project list. Identify the backup drive or stick, and click Analyze. The program will examine both drives, and copy all of the files, including new ones, to the backup. Then, it will sync the files whenever you run the software. Tomorrow? Repeat. Then, in the event of a catastrophic loss, just copy the files to the new computer. I also save my files to the cloud in Google Drive. Be careful out there. Your life is on that machine. It's Saturday - Do You Know Where Your Essential Files Are?

Florida Bar Annual Tech Symposium Taking Shape.

Annual Convention Tech Symposium Taking Shape. Kevin Johnson, the Chair of the Standing Committee on Technology of the Florida Bar, of which I am a member, is sponsoring the annual tech symposium at this year's coming Convention in Boca Raton. There will be some great presentations, covering cybersecurity, and other subjects. I will be presenting about the new technology allowing remote access, including the satellite and cellular technology I am using to post this from Walt Disney World in Orlando today. I have been experimenting for decades with the use of technology to free the lawyer from her desk, and practicing law from wherever I happen to be in a given moment. Tech has risks as well as rewards, and the Committee has been providing Florida lawyers with help using it for a long time. I will also be speaking about Eink, and the current tablets that make lawyer note taking and document use a paperless process. As we predicted years ago, technology competence has become essential to the practice of law. Florida lawyers can learn more about it from the lawyers who are using it. 

Solo Lawyer, Small Firm Lawyer, BigLaw Lawyer...We All Need Help.

Florida Bar Tech Help Line. One of the lesser known services provided by the Florida Bar to its members is the amazing Tech Help Line that exists for one purpose: to help our members navigate the complex and ever changing world of technology and its impact upon the practice of law. Law Tech Partners, headed by Adriana Linares and Liz McCausland, handles the service for the Bar, and, while they might refer you to your software provider for answers, they can take care of many basic tech questions. It's your Bar. Use it.

 

#WhyIAmASolo - I Don't Have To Share A Mail Room.

Much legal mail these days is sent electronically. But, there will always be snail mail; and, in large organizations, there has to be a central place to receive, distribute, and organize paper mail. For such an important function, mail room duty has been given short shrift in the past. My mail room consists of anyplace the mail I create is. And, I decide how much of it goes out, and when. Printed delivery receipts still require manual paper and trips to the Post Office. A lost receipt can create major legal headaches. So, unless you are a solo, be careful out there. If you are a solo, you have only yourself to blame.

 

Sometimes I Hate Being A Tech Guru.

Those of us who immersed themselves in computers from the beginning, and who became tech literati, sometimes regret our choices. We are pummeled on all sides of the tech life, from family members and friends who constantly expect us to fix their computer problems, to the tech support from hell manufacturers who delight in devising ways to block our efforts to fix their mistakes. If you are a friend or family member who refuses to do the simple things, like update your systems, or set up two factor authentication, please understand that we are not magicians. I have always advised clients who want instant solutions to legal problems they have brought themselves that I am a lawyer, not a magician. Being a tech savvy lawyer also means that I have to tell my friends and family that I am a tech nerd, not a magician. But, it is nice to feel needed, so press on computer users. We live to serve.

Catfishing - Do You Know Who You're Dealing With On The Internet?

Catfishing - Do You Know Who You're Dealing With?  In the old days, a popular meme was the phrase: "On the Internet, Nobody Knows you're a dog". In our current days of social media, some bad actors pretend to be someone or something else in order to create a relationship with another. We call it "catfishing". Famous celebrities have been tricked into online romantic relationships with persons who aren't the sex they really are. In the legal field, a similar activity is used to steal money. A criminal will pose as the owner of real estate to steal escrow money, or trust funds, or otherwise defraud another in a legal transaction. It is important to thoroughly check out any new client or contact we haven't met in person. Even if we deal with another in person, it behooves us to take steps to verify who the person is. I once asked for driver licenses in a real estate closing, and the Seller and his wife advised that: "She left hers in the truck", and left the closing to get it. After I finished the Buyer portion of the closing (loan documents and such), I realized that the Seller wasn't back. It was later disclosed that he had brought another woman to the closing, posing as his wife. Be careful out there. Somebody really is out to get you.

You Can Prevent Facebook And Other App Hacking Attacks.

More than one Facebook friend has had their account hacked, and dummy accounts set up that message all their friends. This is one of the easiest hacks to prevent, and only requires the use of two factor authentication for entry to your Facebook account. While in Facebook, click the down arrow in the upper right of the screen. Click Settings and Privacy. Click Security Settings. Click Two Factor Authentication. Enter your cell phone number. Then, before a hacker can ever get into your account again, they will have to have your cell phone as well as your password. You have to get a code on your phone before you sign in to Facebook; but, you can leave Facebook connected if you have control over the physical computer you use. Sure, it is annoying to have to check your phone for a text message and code to get back in to Facebook after you log out. But, it is more annoying to find out some jerk has hacked your account because it was only secured with a password. If you aren't using two factor authentication with every site that has it available, you are like a homeowner leaving the front door to your house unlocked, who is surprised when a criminal walks in and steals something. Be safe out there.

Chrome Is New Again.

Chrome: What's New. We live our lives in our web browser. Google Chrome, my browser of choice, is the background of my life every day. I still use native Windows software for some basic tasks, such as WordPerfect for document creation, Kofax Power PDF for document distribution and Court filings, legacy Windows software like ProDoc document assembly and time and billing software. But, for everything else, I am in the cloud, and I manage my way around inside the Chrome browser. Google is always making Chrome better; and, while I have tried other browsers along the way, when Chrome got bloated and slow (or so it seemed at the time), I have always come back, and Chrome has always improved. If, like millions of others, you are a Chrome user, you should check out what's new, and make sure you are rocking the latest version. There are new ways to organize tabs, and tabbed browsing has greatly increased my speed. Too many tabs? You can search them in a search box now. You can now add passwords in Google Password manager even if you aren't at the site. You can perform an online safety check from within the browser. There are many other things you can do in the browser, and, since you live in it all day and all night, it is worth looking around. Be safe and careful and productive out there.

Windows 11 - You Don't Have To Trust It.

Windows 11 Security EBook. If, like the vast majority of computer users, are rocking Windows 11 or later on your computer, you need this free ebook. 70 pages of education, tips and tricks that will help to bullet proof your files and data. No computer system is 100% secure; but, you can make your system the smallest target in a target rich environment. Let the hackers go after the low hanging fruit. Stay above the fray. Read this book.