Futurelawyer

Too Cool For School - St. Pete...Say What?

Visit St. Pete. When I came to St. Petersburg, Florida, for law school in the late Sixties, it was a sleepy little town that rolled up the streets at 10 P.M every night. Fast forward 50 years, and we are the new, cool kid on the block. Many have discovered what we always knew. The combination of weather, sun, surf, and a laid back attitude makes for a great place to live. This article in the Washington Post tells the rest of the world what we already knew. Now, the question is, whether we want all you snow birds to come down here. I'll have to think about that a bit.

#RoadWarrior - Bring Your Entertainment With You

One of my favorite pastimes is finding new uses for old tech. The tiny projector in this photo is my PicoProjector that I used to take to do presentations to small groups. I used to carry a large projection screen; but, they are a pain to take on airplanes. So, I have purchased a 4 pound tabletop screen that is 40 inches and is perfect for hotel rooms and small conference rooms. Why? Well, since I don't do a lot of presenting anymore, it occurred to me that I could use a USB C to HDMI cable to project my computer and smartphone screens when I travel. Now that a lot of TV and entertainment is streaming over the Internet, just connect to WiFi or your own mobile hotspot, and, presto, in room entertainment. I am projecting a 10 inch image here on to the side of my laser printer at home as a proof of concept. This would be great for on the fly courtroom presentations as well. Smartphone, projector and screen all weigh less than 5 pounds. The projector has a rechargeable battery that lasts a couple of hours, so you don't even need a power connection. Fun, fun, fun, until your wife makes you take her out to dinner.

Be A Road Warrior - Or, Just Look Like One

Road Warrior Gadgets. This is a pretty good article about LTE enabled devices. I don't go anywhere without an LTE enabled device. Being a lawyer everywhere requires Internet access everywhere. So, I have a Samsung Galaxy Watch which has its own LTE chip and phone number. Every call, text, or email comes to the watch, and it vibrates or beeps whenever one comes in. It also can get data direct from the Internet, and there are weather, news, and other apps for it. It has sensors that measure heart rate, steps, and other health related information as well. I also carry a recent model Smartphone, in my case a Samsung Note 10+ 5G, which can serve as an Internet hotspot, which provides Internet access anywhere in the Hemisphere, as well as 210 countries worldwide. TMobile has plans for $25 a month that provide 25 gigabytes of hotspot data at 4G speeds where available. I actually have a couple of Smartphones that can serve as Hotspots anywhere in the world. Finally, I carry a Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e tablet with its own LTE chip, and it also can serve as a hotspot for Internet access anywhere. So, Road Warrior, don't just pretend to be connected. Prove it.

Change The Mind, Not The Venue

A Stoic Approach to Travel and Tourism by William O. Stephens %u2013 Modern Stoicism. Happiness is not a function of place, wealth, circumstance, or public view. It is inside the head, and you should look for happiness where it is; not where it is not. We travel a lot, in our mobile society. As I prepare for a week of eating, drinking, and other excesses in the Big Easy, where I went to college, I am thinking that I will still be me there. So, rather than try to escape here, I should be thinking about where my head is at. The venue may change; but, I am always traveling with a companion, in my head. Are you seeking redemption in travel? Or, are you looking at what you can control, inside?

When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go

While my first idea about using this product was in the middle of a long tailgate at a football game, it occurred to me that, as I age, I need products like this more and more. For camping out and other outdoor activities, this thing might be useful. Of course, try not to use it in the presence of other people. Please.

Google Shuts Down Trips App?

[Update: Dead, RIP] Google is preparing to shut down the Trips app [APK Teardown]. Google has shut down the Trips app. What app, you say? I never heard of that app, you say? Exactly. A vast majority of us use Google Maps, and the fact that Maps has been getting more and more functionality should have been a clue. Most of us don't even use the features in the Maps app. We want to get from Point A to Point B, and we don't do a lot of trip planning these days. Remember the AAA Triptiks? I used to be the designated Triptiks reader on long drives, and, even then, I was more interested in the time remaining to destination. Anybody use Trips?

#WhyILiveInFlorida - I Don't Need A Website To Find A Park - I Live In A Park

The Coolest Urban Parks in the World | The Discoverer. It is ironic that many people, millions of them, want to live in a concrete jungle of skyscrapers, and paved streets and sidewalks, along with millions of other people, all of whom seem to be walking on the sidewalks and driving on the streets at the same time. Then, they spend their time and money looking for parks in the middle of the urban landscape. They even have websites that tell them how to find a small patch of green in the middle of the concrete. Some of us are happy living in a place that is a large park, dotted with buildings that are not skyscrapers. If I want a park, I just go out the front door and walk four blocks to Bird Lake. Jeez.

#WhyIAmASolo - Practicing Law On The Road

Creating an RV Desk out of an RV Dinette. I am looking forward to my new law office on the road. I can imagine looking out at a Montana sunset, or a Louisiana bayou, or a Grand Canyon sunrise from my RV home, while I realize my dream of having the ability to access the Internet, create documents, communicate with anyone in the world, and just generally be footloose and fancy free. No need to pay for high priced hotels in tourist destinations. No need to scramble for desk space in a tiny hotel room Why not bring the office with you? Here is my first RV improvement project that I have planned. This guy gets it. See you out on the road.

Google Maps Goes Public

Google Maps is receiving major public transportation improvements | Android Central. Not everyone has the benefit of living in an area where automobile transportation is the best way to get around. In sleepy St. Petersburg, I can get in my car and, ten minutes later, be at the office without so much as stopping at one or two traffic lights and in light traffic. However, big city dwellers often are dependent on public transportation, like buses, and it is difficult to navigate those busy options. Now, Google Maps is being updated to provide real time traffic info for buses and crowdedness. The app is being updated today, and includes nearly 200 major cities. The updates will make travel a lot easier as well. If you can't move to Florida, get Google Maps.

Travel Hub For The Road Warrior

Amazon.com: Intpw 11-in-1 USB C Hub, 4K USB C to HDMI Adapter, 3 SD/MicroSD Card Reader, 5 USB 3.0/2.0 Ports with 87W PD Charging Port for MacBook Pro 2018, Chromebook, XPS, Nintendo Switch and More(Silver): Computers & Accessories. One of the most annoying problems with traveling is the charging and connection of the many little peripherals that we need to carry with us. Hotel desks usually have only a couple of outlets for AC, and who wants to carry a bunch of power adapters anyway? So, what to do if I need to connect to HDMI on the room TV, and charge my smartphone, smartwatch, smartglasses, and whatnot? Why, bring a USB hub, of course. Modern USB-C ports can power a bunch of peripherals, and this compact little device is what I will be carrying. It even has SD slots in various sizes for additional storage. What's in your go bag?