Futurelawyer

Samsung Finally Makes A SmartPhone The FutureLawyer Won't Buy

A Look At The Galaxy Note 20 In Bronze. Look! It's a new Smartphone from Samsung! It will be the fastest, smoothest, most functional, and most beautiful smartphone on the planet! However, I won't be buying it. I own two Galaxy Note 10+ phones, one of which is 5G. I paid around $1,100 for each. I keep the non 5G phone as a backup. In the past, I was willing to part with a lot of money to keep the latest and greatest tech in my hands. However, even I have limits. The new phones will likely cost upwards of $1,500. Yes, Virginia, there is no Santa Claus. For a new, faster porcessor, and a rich looking bronze case, and a marginally better camera, I will keep my $1,500 and spend it on face masks, groceries, and other necessities. I predict that the smartphone market is in for a big correction, and that phones costing less than $600 will be at the outside of what consumers in a post pandemic economy will spend. Anybody disagree?

Your Smartphone Needs More Security Than Your Notebook Computer

Android Security. While I am on the topic of computer security, what is the least secure device in your possession? Of course, it is your Smartphone. It is mobile, small, and easily stolen or lost. It's only advantage is that, since it is usually in your possession (like, all the time?) you would immediately notice it was missing. However, if it is stolen, it is imperative that you have it secured with a PIN or comparable entry security. In addition, you need to keep it updated all the time, and, number one technique...encrypt the contents. Even if someone breaks in, you need to make the data incomprehesible to all. Do it now.

Galaxy Note 9 - Flagship Quality At A Decent Price

Samsung Galaxy Note 9. Two years is a long time in smartphone land. While I have moved on to the Note 10+ 5G, you know why. I have to have the latest gadget or smartphone or smartwatch. But, most of us don't have that passion. We just want a great phone at a great price. That is why I still recommend the Note 9, which, even two years old, is the sleekest, best smartphone you can buy for less than $600. This article will take you through all the features of the phone, which I still own and have passed on to my wife. If you are in the market for a new phone, don't forget the recent versions.

If WFH Is The New Normal, It Has To Be Work

I am seeing more and more posts about working from home. Will it become the new normal? I hate that phrase, by the way. It implies that whatever happens is the same for everyone. It suggests that we all have to do the same thing in order to be accepted as "normal". Whatever that means. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not "normal". I love being an outlier, and challenging expectations, whether it be how a 72 year old should act, or whether I should use so much tech, or whatever else. In any event, I have been doing the WFH thing half time for many years, and I have learned some things. One of the biggies is that this photo is NOT the way to work at home. First, the couch is for sleeping or watching TV, not working. Second, I can't begin to describe the pain to the joints and arms by balancing a computer on your lap like that. Third, one false move and that $2,000 computer is on the floor. Need I go on? So, Ms. Lawyer, get a room. Get a table and chair, and sit upright in front of the computer. Limit interruptions. Use a standing desk, if that is your preference. Get an external monitor, keyboard and mouse. Keep your documents and files close at hand. Now, take a nap and get your strength up. You're going to need it.

Working From Home - It Doesn't Have To Be Pretty

Working From Home. I like warehouse shopping at Sam's Club. Quantity discounts, everything in the world, and you don't have to go as often. Now, you can get anything you want or need online. While I have an at home work desk that is pretty much identical to my office desk, you can get everything I have online. The most important thing, in my opinion, is to have a room or closed off space to yourself. If you have to set up on the kitchen or dining room table, you are going to be defeated by interruptions, and all sorts of things. This is a photo of my workspace in my den, that used to be a garage. I got pushed into the garage years ago when SWMBO commandeered my front of the house guest bedroom. Now, that room is occupied by Diane, my current spouse, and is her she shed. I got to like the garage/den. I put up an interior wall, put paneling over the garage door, installed a big screen TV, recliner, and Air Conditioner. It also became my library. It isn't neat, and it doesn't look like the fancy dens in the TV movies. But, it gets the job done, and when I am here, the rest of the world disappears. Neat people make me uncomfortable anyway. So, if you are new to this home office thing, you only need to find a space, and make it your own. Over time, you can add the same stuff I have: Laser printer, ScanSnap IX 500 scanner (currently the IX 1500), video conferencing camera and speaker, big screen monitor, mechanical keyboard and laser mouse, high end headset, enough USB ports to charge your phone, smartwatch and other stuff, Echo desktop or equivalent, and a really good office chair. (Spend some money on the chair; your butt will thank you). I could live in here. Just bring me food.

Working From Home? Don't Use These LapDesks

Working From Home With A LapDesk. Ok. I get it. Lapdesks make it easier to use your notebook computer at home. Just sitting it on the kitchen table, in the midst of all the noise and bustle of the typical family, isn't ideal. However, how about you don't use lapdesks at all? Typing and real work on a notebook keyboard, and mousing with a track pad, and looking at a tiny screen all day is just exhausting, and you won't be as productive as you will if you duplicate the office environment as much as you can. I have been sharing work at home and at the office for years; and, I can tell you the best way to go is to have a full sized keyboard and mouse, and a big screen TV which acts as a monitor, in a fixed location in the house, preferably in a separate room. A den or bedroom will suffice. I converted my garage into a den, and it works fine. You can still buy a keyboard mouse combo for less than $50 at the local Office Depot or comparable store. Any TV larger than 50 inches will serve as a great monitor. Just connect the notebook to the TV with a garden variety HDMI cable. Presto, productive office at home. You know the models in the photos lounging on their beds with a notebook computer on a cushy lapdesk? Don't be them.

MultCloud - So Many Cloud Drives...So Little Time

Multcloud. Am I the only one who is really tired and confused? No, I am not talking about the CoronaVirus; although, that does make me tired and confused. My Stoic training helps me avoid the consequences of CoronaVirus fatigue. I am talking about trying to remember which cloud drive has which file or image that I need at the moment. Microsoft has OneDrive. Google has Google Drive. Everybody has Dropbox, or whatever other cloud service you are using. What to do? Well, I have discovered a cool app called MultCloud. Free for 30 gigabytes per month, and on sale now for $7.99 a month for 150 gigabytes of transfers a month. You just connect it to all of your cloud drives, and then you can transfer files, sync the files, or just get access to all the files in one cloud location. Call it a cloud for the cloud. I am using it to transfer years worth of documents and files from my personal Google Drive to my new GSuites drive. Fun, fun, fun. You have time. Organize your files.

#WFH - Working From Home - Get Over It

Working From Home. Ernie Svenson linked to this SmartBlogger article this morning, and it is a great resource for those who are just getting acclimated to the WFH new normal. Many of us have been doing this for a long time, at least part of the time, and there is some great advice out there for workers who never had to do it before. So, read the article and make your own choices. I agree with some of the advice, and disagree with other parts. Each of us must make our own choices. I think that wired Internet is a requirement, since it is always going to be faster and more stable than WiFi, no matter how strong the connection. I also believe that the home setup should be as close to the office setup as possible; including the use of the same brand and model printer, scanner and other peripherals as you are used to using at the office. That won't happen right away, of course, but should be the ultimate goal. Having a dedicated room with a door is also on my top ten list. You won't get much done at home if someone is always making noise or interrupting. If you live alone, this won't be a problem, unless you have pets. For instance, I have always had problems at work when the parrots start squawking in the afternoon. They can be heard several rooms away, and I have, more than once, had a phone call or video call interrupted by them. Of course, such interruptions can lend a speck of humanity to difficult interactions, so it isn't all bad. Even those of us who have had home working setups for a while need to change some things. I have always relied on my notebook cameras; but, now that it will become a larger part of my practice, I am investing in higher end videoconferencing equipment. Another thing I don't like is bulky headphones. If you have a silent room with a door, high end videoconferencing equipment means you can avoid a headset. I also have found that my bluetooth Bose Smartglasses work fine for teleconferencing, and nobody knows what sound I am listening to. I also part company with SmartBlogger when it comes to standing desks. If you are an over 70 lawyer, sitting down is more than desirable. It is a requirement. I could go on; but, I leave you to read the article yourself. Make your own choices. But, do something.

Take Up The Slack - Tighten Your Lawyer To Lawyer And Lawyer To Client Communications

Slack Law Firm Communications. Suddenly, secure online communications is all the rage. In a time of pandemic, law firms are scrambling to create methods of communicating securely with other lawyers, lawyers in their own firms, and clients. The first question about Slack, other than is it easy to use, is whether it is secure. Lawyers have a duty to guard the confidentiality of client information, so it is important at the outset. I am happy to report that it is as secure, or more secure, than traditional methods of communication. It calls to mind the early Nineties questions I got about email. Is it secure? You are sending data to remote servers. I used to answer that email is a lot more secure than sending confidential data on a piece of paper in a flimsy envelope through the mail. The test is "reasonable" security. Slack meets that test, and more. In fact, when two factor authentication is set up on a Slack account, it is pretty impregnable, at least as secure as you can get on the Internet. It is easy to set up private groups, and I am enjoying the Law Firm AutoPilot group hosted by my friend, Ernie Svenson, in New Orleans. Combined with video conferencing by Zoom, we are entering a new age of human interaction that doesn't rely on face to face human contact. It would be nice if we lived in a world where human to human contact was safe. But, at least for now, it isn't, and Slack and Zoom are my methods of choice. So, fellow lawyers, get with the program. If you need help, contact me or Ernie Svenson, and we will be happy to assist.

#WhyIAmASolo - I Can Get Things Done Without Typing

I have written before about the benefits of using Dragon Anywhere, a $15 a month app for my Android phones and tablets, that allows me to create typewritten text with my voice. I can create documents, pleadings, texts, emails and other stuff merely by speaking to my phone or tablet. The app is a great add on to Dragon, which operates while using my computer. I like to type, however, when I am at my desk at home or the office, having learned during a baseball less summer in high school. My mom made me do it, and it turns out to be one of the best summers of my life. Even though I was a "nerd", I was the only boy in typing class. But, I digress. Check out this video showing Dragon in use. About half way through the video, the actor uses her tablet in the car to dictate notes of a meeting she just had. No transcriptionist back at the office necessary. And, no per minute charges from some cloud service to type up notes. In these uncertain times, when we are all working pretty much alone, Dragon Anywhere is a must have for anyone who needs to get their thoughts down on paper.