Futurelawyer

Sometimes You Don't Want To Go Where Everybody Knows Your Name

DuckDuckGo In addition to using a VPN to anonymize your Internet access and usage, if you really want to be anonymous on the net, you need a search engine that doesn't track you and doesn't know what you search for. DuckDuckGo doesn't track you, doesn't bombard you with ads, and generally leaves you alone. Sometimes, you don't want to go where everybody knows your name. DuckDuckGo is the search engine for that. Before you make judgments about why someone might want to remain anonymous, remember that lawyers sometimes do work for clients that must remain confidential. In fact, lawyers have a duty to keep their clients' secrets. Anonymity can be  used for good purposes. Be careful out there.

Phishing Scams - Don't Take The Bait

How a Password Manager Protects You From Phishing Scams. By now, you should already be aware that clicking links in email, when you are aren't certain of the source, can be dangerous. Scammers can get your passwords, email, and banking information by loading malware on your computer without your knowledge. However, any systems that automatically inserts passwords can also protect you, because you aren't using the keyboard to type characters and numbers on the screen. So, password managers, and even browser extensions that save passwords, can be an additional layer of protection. Be careful out there.

CloudHQ - It's In The Cloud

Gmail Productivity Tools | Sync, Migration and Back up - cloudHQ. When Diane informed me she had lost or deleted all of the wedding related emails by accident, I immediately attempted to locate them on my system. I had them all stored in a label and I quickly realized that forwarding them to her one at a time would take all day. I have much better things to do with my time, so I started searching for bulk forwarding solutions online. That is when I discovered CloudHQ, which has dozens of web enabled apps for Gmail and other cloud services. It is pricey if you buy them all, so I am just using the free ones for now. Forward 20 a day for free, and $15 a month for unlimited forwarding. But, the coolest free service they provide I am using right now. Like most of you, I have several cloud storage services; in my case, more, but the ones I use all the time are Google Drive and Microsoft One Drive. It is a real pin to figure out what has been stored in which service. CloudHQ provides a tool that syncs the files in both, so that you have a single, redundant cloud back up of the files you store. Very cool. I might have to pay for CloudHQ if it works out. What's in your backup files?

T-Mobile Turns On 5G Coverage Nationwide. Are You Ready?

I had planned to wait until 2020 to upgrade my Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ to the new 5G version. But, T-Mobile just turned on the 5G network nationwide. That means 200 million people need to upgrade their phones to get a 5G signal. Is it worth it? Are you kidding me? Fast doesn't begin to describe what is going to happen. I am pre-ordering the upgraded 10+ I am now using to the 5G version. I should get it between December 7th and 14th. Can you say zoom zoom? 

Google Photos - Crop That Sucker

Google Photos gets markup functions for its image editor. Most amateur photographers (that means you, person with phone in hand taking photos and posting them online) make one colossal mistake with their photographs. They don't get close enough, and don't fill the frame with their subject matter. Sometimes, scenics and nature require broad views; but, if you are photographing people, animals, birds or other subjects, it is almost always better to get close. If you don't get close when you take the photograph, you can zoom in with the cropping tool of an image editor. There are a lot of these around; but, now, Google Photos, the best image collection cloud service, is providing editing tools in the app. You can crop and now make annotations on the fly. So, start cropping those photos, so I don't have to look at extraneous background anymore. Please.

Browsing On Your Phone Gets Better

Chrome%u2019s latest update revolutionizes tab switching on phones | Tom's Guide. As phones become phablets, and more people browse the web while mobile, Google has quietly made the de facto world's best browser even better. Rather than have to scroll through open tabs like an old fashioned rolodex, users now will see a grouping of small tiles, from which they can choose the page tab to view. This reminds me a little of Windows tiles, or the old Windows phone interface. You can enter incognito mode with a slider on the top bar, and there are other small improvements. Browse on. You can do it while mobile.

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?

GMail Dark Mode Isn't For Everybody

Gmail's dark mode is coming to Android phones. Turn it on now - CNET. And the Lord said: "Let There Be Light". So, what is the deal with doing apps with dark mode? You don't save that much battery if the screen is black and the letters are white. I prefer a white page with black letters, thank you very much. I have been reading many years in that milieu, and I really don't understand the hype. So, in a BigEndian, LittleEndian, Jonathan Swift way, I suppose we are now in a battle for eyes of computer users. May the Lord bring light to the world, and may he send the evildoers to the dark environs, where they belong. Alleluia.

GMail - Use It Properly

From The Center Gmail Enhancements and�Tips. I have a vanity email address at futurelawyer.com. In fact, my host provider will forward to me any email sent to futurelawyer.com. Please don't take this as an invitation to send me an email at bozo@futurelawyer.com. The truth hurts. But, the email address I use for most communication is rickgeorges@gmail.com. I have taken flak in the past from  those who think only the great unwashed use gmail. Trust me, I have never lost a client because I use Gmail. But, there are tips and tricks available to GMail users that you should know. Catherine Sanders Reach has done a good job of highlighting them in this article. Every GMail user should check it out. For lawyers, I particularly recommend the option that allows the sending of emails that can only be opened with a code received on the user's phone. This two factor authentication method is a secure way of accessing websites that contain confidential data, and works great for private emails. Be careful out there.

You Now Can Tell Google To Forget It Ever Knew You - Before 3 Months Ago

Google rolls out auto-deletion tool for Location History and activity data. You want Google to know who you are, and where you are. You want Google on that Internet Wall. You want the truth. Well, here's the truth, Pilgrim. Google knows all about you, and there is nothing you can do about it. Except that, now, you can tell Google to delete all your data prior to 3 months ago. Or, for a longer time if you wish. If you are  a litigator, you don't want your opposing parties and witnesses to find this out. What an evidentiary honey pot Google can be. But, if you value privacy; but, still want Google to know what you want in the current time period, go to Settings and tell Google to forget it ever knew you...before three months ago.