Futurelawyer

Why Have A Remote Lawyering Backup Plan? Ask The Hurricane.

After a day and a half of plus 75 mph winds, 24 inches of rain, downed power lines, and worse, I now have a real example for other lawyers who tell me that I don't need redundancy in my Internet and computer use. BTW, we in Pinellas County got the weakest part of the storm. South of us there is true devastation, and we should all be thinking of our colleagues there. I have 3 options for shelter during a storm. My home, My office, and the RV parked at the office. I have 3 methods of connection to the Internet, my cable modem at the office, my smart phones and smart hotspot from TMobile, and the Starlink Satellite dish on top of the RV. In this case, the power went out at the office, but stayed on at home. So, we rode out the storm at home. Had the home power gone out, we would have gone to the office; and, finding that power out, would have powered up the RV generator, which provides power for AC, lights, the Starlink dish, and charging capability for the smartphones. An 1800 watt solar powered generator acts as a backup to the gas generator on the RV. As long as cell service is available, I can use the TMobile hotspot for up to 100 gigs of bandwidth, and each smartphone supplies another 20 gigs if needed. The cost of all of this is not as much as you might think. The TMobile hotspot is $50 a month. The Starlink RV plan is $135 a month. The generator is powered by the sun, and has a 100 watt solar panel that folds up with a handle. Solar panels on the house keep the monthly electric bills manageable. My next big purchase will be a whole house solar battery for the house, which provides some backup to power outages at the house. I have several small backup batteries that can charge a notebook computer and smartphones up to 5 to 10 times. We can't control what fate brings us in the way of natural disasters; but, we certainly can prepare for them. Now, since I will be working from home the rest of the week, I am going to light a cigar, pour a couple ounces of single malt, and chill out in my chair. Enjoy the suck.

 

Gen Z Goes To The Art Museum.

Alright, hold your judgments, boomers. It is possible they are viewing a digital docent describing the pieces in the museum. Of course, it is more likely they are ignoring the elephant in the room. You choose.

Google Makes A SmartWatch - It's About Time.

PIxel Watch. In a couple of weeks, Smartwatch lovers will have another option in Android watches, the Pixel Watch. It is sleek looking, and it looks like a worthy addition to the watch collection. The watch will run Wear OS, which, as a hybrid of the Tizen OS and classic Wear, is familiar to Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 and 5 users. But, it also has a FitBit integration, after the acquisition of FitBit, and promises to combine the best of all three functions. At a rumored $350 per watch, it looks like a no brainer.

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.

Starlink, T-Mobile, And Android 14, Oh My!

Android 14 Will Have Satellite Connection. I have spent the weekend in the RV, using both T-Mobile Hotspot Internet, and Starlink Satellite Dish Internet. Starlink is still in beta, and the heavy forest around me causes drop outs due to obstructions; but, it is easy to see that the partnership between SpaceX and T-Mobile that is expected to go live in beta at the end of next year, will be the first step into a future in which every square inch of our planet is blanketed with access to broadband Internet. T-Mobile customers will have the ability to add Satellite access to their plans, which will fill in any gaps in cell coverage seamlessly, making dead zones a thing of the past. Now, the rumor mill has the next iteration of Android, Android 14, being able to connect directly to Starlink's satellites. If you aren't part of the Starlink and T-Mobile universe yet, you might get left behind. 

Galaxy Watch 5 Pro - Great Watch For Outdoors Weekends In The Woods.

Galaxy Watch 5 Pro Review. I have spent a couple of days with the new Watch 5 Pro, and it is a worthy addition to the Galaxy Watch line that includes the best Smartwatches in the world. It has proven to be a perfect watch for our trek into the Ocala National Forest, as its battery power is legendary already. After a full day of use yesterday, the battery had only declined 10%. Even with heavy use, I can see this watch going for several days without a charge. Its IP68 rating also guarantees that I don't have to fear falling into the Silver River; but, of course, there are the gators to think about. It is not, however, the watch I will be wearing during the business day. It is perfectly round and thicker than my Watch 4. The watch is clearly a man's watch for outdoor use. Since I intend to use it on trips and outdoor adventures, I will keep the silicone band. The Pro is 46 mm, which is big. Since all Wear OS watches made by Samsung are combined with the Tizen OS, the actual experience with the watch will be identical. But, if you want a watch that is made for the outdoors, this is the one.

RV Starlink In The Woods.

The first Starlink for RV test run is a success; although, while tree obstructions can make the service spotty, and occasionally glitchy, for the most part the experience is fine. We are using it for the trip, and I am pleased that the RV roof mount was stable at highway speeds and a driving rainstorm. The tree obstructions cause the signal to glitch periodically; but, given my location, I am pleased. Here are some images of the system. Keep in mind, we are in the Ocala National Forest.

Starlink And The First Glamping Trip.

Starlink For RVs. As my readers know, I mounted my new Starlink satellite antenna on the roof of the RV, in a semi-permanent configuration. I received some negative comment about the risk of driving with it up there. I am happy to say, however, that it did fine on my trip to Ocala today. And, to top it off, we arrived in a driving rainstorm. By the time the rain subsided for a bit, we were able to hook up the RV, and hook to power. After setup tasks, I sat down to power on the computer, and, to my surprise, it connected automatically to the Starlink, which has a strong plus 100 Mbps signal, I am posting this using it. I am having intermittent loss of signal, since we are in the Ocala National Forest, which means tree obstructions; but, I am amazed to get any signal at all. As Elon Musk builds out the network, I believe it will be the go to Internet provider all over the world. 

Why Is FutureLawyer Buying Another SmartWatch?

Galaxy Watch 5 Pro Versus Galaxy Watch 4 Classic. Another Smartwatch, FutureLawyer? You have two dozen in your collection. What do you need with the new Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, when it is an incremental upgrade to your current Galaxy Watch 4? That is a good question, and there are answers. First, the battery life is better, and I will be able to go 3 days without charging it. Second, you can never have too many Smartwatches. And, third, because I want to own every Smartwatch ever made; except, of course, the ugly Apple Watches. So, on Monday, I will post about the Watch 5 Pro when it is delivered. Deal with it.

Starlink And TMobile Announce Roaming Partnership.

TMobile And SpaceLink Share Coverage. As a new Starlink customer, and a long time TMobile customer, the Futurelawyer was excited to hear, last night, about the proposed partnership between Starlink and TMobile, which, beginning next year, will provide access to Starlink satellites to TMobile customers in unserved or underserved areas. The service will begin with text and SMS messaging, and will later add voice and data services. While I seldom travel to areas without a strong TMobile signal, the Starlink dish on my RV creates a great addition that ensures access to the broadband Internet in more places. As Starlink builds out its satellite fleet, being able to access it on my TMobile phones, watches and tablets will be a great addition to my device collection. I left Verizon several years ago over its high prices, and lack of innovation. I joined Starlink early because of its innovative services. Combining the two innovators promises a future that is exciting to users of both services. Having both services is, for now, pricey, as I pay TMobile $50 a month for 100 Gigabytes of data, and Starlink $135 a month for unlimited data. Since Starlink is in beta, the service can be spotty, and isn't 100% reliable. Together, I have enough broadband to access the net pretty much anywhere. Are you connected yet?