Futurelawyer

Saturday Morning Project - Add Extensions To Your Browser For More Privacy.

Browser Settings To Change ASAP. Web browsers are designed to track everything you do on the Internet, ostensibly to give you better results, and to sell you stuff you are probably interested in. They are also designed to create data that can be sold to advertisers and manufacturers. All of this is fine in a consumer focused economy. However, bad actors can also get the data, and politicians have used the data for nefarious purposes. So, how does a responsible lawyer or other person strike a healthy balance? Why, tweaking the browser, of course. You could change to a more secure browser. But, you wouldn't get the benefits of Chrome or the other ad supported browsers. So, read this article, and consider adding extensions that increase browser security. You can add only the ones you need to strike the balance you require. A great source of security extensions for Chrome is the Electronic Frontier Foundation. My favorite is HTTPS Everywhere, which adds secure browsing to every site. This page has more EFF security extensions to consider. Think of it as putting better locks on your doors at home. You won't prevent all crime; but, you will have a deterrent. Be safe out there.

Why Isn't Everyone Using Signal?

Signal. I don't understand. Politicians, celebrities, and others in the public eye keep getting cancelled. Of course, cancelling someone for what they said years ago is reprehensible, and free speech is under attack; but, the fact remains that those who depend upon public approval need to be careful these days. So, why they aren't using Signal for every text message, and only sending texts to their clients and colleagues who are also using Signal, is beyond me. I suppose that the craving for fame is in all of us; but, be smart, people. Lawyers especially need to be careful, at least with confidential information. I am as guilty as the rest of you, and don't always insist that my text partners have, and use, Signal. But, I use it as my only text messaging app, and, if I were to need a specific conversation to be encrypted everywhere, I would insist the other person use it. It is important that we monitor our words carefully in the political environment in which we find ourselves.

Rumors We Hope Are True - Galaxy Watch 4 Will Be Able To Use Google Assistant.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Rumored To Allow Use Of Google Assistant Instead Of Bixby. One of the things I don't like about my Tizen based Galaxy watches has been the requirement by Samsung that I use the Bixby search engine for voice searches on the watches. Bixby isn't really great at most searches, and Google Assistant is what I use on all my devices. It hasn't been a big problem, since I can call up Google Assistant on my phone, and on my Bose Frames when out and about. But, on the rare occasion I am away from my phone, and not wearing the Bose Frames, like in the swimming pool, it would be nice to be able to interact with my Smartwatch using "Hey, Google". Hey, no tech is perfect. But, if the rumors are true, I will be talking to Google on my Smartwatch very soon.

Internet Everywhere - How Fast Is Your Hotspot?

Sluggish Hotspot Made Faster With One Setting. Gone are the days when a mobile lawyer had to find a hotel lobby or airline waiting area or hotel room with a cabled or WiFi Internet connection. No longer are we subject to insecure WiFi hotspots, with spotty reception, or hotels that want an arm and a leg for Internet access. I am old enough to remember crawling under a motel room bed to find the phone jack so that I could connect a dial up modem that could hardly handle a text based email transmission. These days, the biggest problem is learning how to connect your phone to a 5Ghz connection for fast hotspot data. For less than $15 a month, I have several devices (phones and tablets) that can use up to 40 Gigabytes of hotspot data a month, which is enough for all my Internet needs when traveling in the RV, and that includes TV streaming. You don't need Cable TV. You don't need Satellite TV. You don't need to call the front desk about the spotty WiFi. Learn to use your Smartphone Hotspot, and better yet, have a second phone to use as a Hotspot. It is secure. It is easy. Just make sure you configure the Hotspot to the fastest connection you can use, either 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz.

Make Your Law Firm Pandemic Proof - Set Up Systems Now.

How to Choose Legal Software that will ensure firm continuity. If the Pandemic taught us anything, it is that the ability to run a law firm remotely can be a lifesaver. The law firms that had systems setup in the cloud, and employees trained to work from remote locations clearly had an advantage this past year. Many firms rushed to set up makeshift systems; but, as the Pandemic subsides, there is a natural inclination to slide back into the old ways. Don't. This piece by Nikki Black is a great primer on what you need to do before a problem arises, in order to ensure that your firm will survive the next problem.

EFiling - Be A Lawyer Without Ever Leaving The Office.

EFiling Resources For Florida Lawyers. One of the best things to happen to Florida lawyers in recent years has been the ability to file documents and pleadings electronically in any County in the State. Additionally, one of the unintended consequences of the Pandemic has been the increased use of videoconferencing for court hearings, trial, and other previously in person events. Combined, the Internet has made a remote, virtual law practice possible. Check out this LegalFuel page for checklists and information about EFiling in Florida.

#SecuritySaturday - Who Can See Your Google Activity?

You Can Now Password Protect Your Google Activity. I am frustrated that many of my suggestions for computer security are ignored by many of you. For example, asking you to add two factor authentication to your Facebook access is like yelling down a dark hole. Then, when you are hacked, you come looking for solutions. I hate to break it to you; but, coming to me AFTER you have been hacked is like closing the barn door after the animals are out. So, when I tell you that there is another security hole in your browser, I know that many of you aren't paying attention. If you are, and you have read this far, click the link and add a password to your Google Activity page. This adds an extra layer of protection to your most sensitive web activity. Are you still here? Why aren't you going to the Activity page and adding a password? 

We All Need One Of These.

Some people get tattoos. Some people wear high fashion clothes. Some people play dangerous sports. We all have our thing. Some of us want a computer in our brain.

Artificial Intelligence And The Internet May Not Be A Good Combination.

As AI becomes more advanced, and as we move towards a society in which we get all of our news on the Internet, we should probably be worried about the consequences. Pig is.

What Can I Do With PhotoPea?

Without training, I was able to create this meme, using only PhotoPea,  a free tool that is Internet based. With some talent, imagine what you could create.