Futurelawyer

Cloud Storage Shoot Out - Google Drive Or Microsoft One Drive?

Google Drive Versus One Drive. These days, one of the safest places for your files and data is the cloud. We all have Gigabytes worth of programs and data stored on our computers, and, while a local saved copy of our files and an image of our entire hard drive or SSD is important, we all live in the cloud these days, and it is a perfect place to store our files for easy on the go access, and a safe place for the files. While nothing is absolutely safe, data security is a mission critical aspect for the companies that provide the service. Google and Microsoft have competing storage services, and which one you choose depends on how you use your computer. This article will give you a good comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of both. For me, I use the Deion Sanders approach. I use both. I live in the Googleverse, so the automatic storage and syncing of my Google data is appealing. However, I also use Windows products, and OneDrive is a great place for Windows users. Pick your poison, or use both. Cloud storage is surprisingly inexpensive.

Want To Find Something In Windows 10? Search Everything.

VoidTools - Everything. Forget Windows search. Forget opening up a Windows search bar and trying to find the file you have been looking for. After using Windows 10 a while, we all accumulate thousands of files and images, and looking for them is a nightmare. This free tool sits at the bottom left on my taskbar, and I use it multiple times every day. Simply named: "Everything", it is a quick and dirty file name search that literally looks for files by name. In seconds a list of every file on the computer with the search term in the file name, in its location. Click on it and you are there. Since lawyers represent clients with names, it is ideal to find every file or document that refers to a particular client instantly. You're welcome.

Create A Windows 10 Recovery Drive On A USB Stick.

Create A Windows 10 Recovery Drive. We all have USB sticks these days. In fact, most of them have 64 Gigabytes or more of storage. However, what about the ones from a couple of years back? If you have an old USB stick with at least 16 Gigabytes of storage, you can create a recovery boot drive for your Windows 10 computer, and protect yourself against system failure. Just click on the link and follow the instructions. Think of it like that stash of Halloween candy you have that nobody else in the family knows about. Be careful out there.

 

The Windows Tips App...Do You Really Use Windows 10 Productively?

Windows Tips App. Like anything else, practicing law is a process. We learn over time, and we get better at it the more we know. Lawyers are experienced in learning, and are always pursuing mastery of any topic a case or matter might involve. In my early years, I remember being amazed at how much trial lawyers I admired knew about medicine. Some of them knew more than the physicians they were examining in the courtroom. The Windows operating system is complex, and there are thousands of ways in which Windows can be used better. In fact, the Windows Tips app is built in to the OS, and is a fast way to learn about productivity tips and better ways to do a job. Check it out.

Because You Don't Have Time To Waste.

Windows 10 TaskView. You are busy. You don't have time to waste, learning new tips and tricks for your Windows 10 machine. Clients, and courts, and others demand your full attention. But, since many of us are living in the computer environment these days, we are constantly switching between tasks on screen. In the browser, we have learned to keep tabs open to things we need to switch to frequently. Our favorites lists are long, and enable us to get to a website quickly with a minimum of effort. But, what about that document you were reviewing for a client an hour ago? You have opened several apps since then, and you need to get to it right away. Look down at your keyboard. There is a little key with 4 rectangles that looks like a group of windows. Look above and to the left. There is a key that says: "tab". Press them both at the same time. Like magic the last few windows open will appear as tiles on your screen. See one you like? Click it and go. Time saved. Money saved. Have a nice day.

YourPhone - Control Your Phone From Your PC Screen.

Microsoft YourPhone App. We spend a lot of our working lives in front of a PC screen. We carry those lives with us when we leave home or the office. Texts and emails are now a principal connection between us and the rest of the world. The YourPhone app allows me to bring up my phone screen anytime I am at my desks, and to view my phone as if it were in my hand. I can leave it cradled until I have to leave the home office or regular office, and never miss a call or text. Notifications on the notebook or big screen are nice; but, actually using the phone from the office setup is very efficient and fun. Here is a grab of the YourPhone screen on my notebook computer.

Ctrl F - The Lawyer's Friend

The Reasons Why Ctrl F Is Your Best Friend. Lawyers are always dealing with long, often dry, documents. From pleadings to memoranda to contracts, we have to slog through stuff while our eyes blur. When we need to find a particular word or phrase in a long document, we are used to using the menu strip at the top, and clicking edit, scroll down to find, click find, and enter the text we want. But, there is a keyboard shortcut that you should be using instead of all that clicking: Ctrl F. Yep, it means bring up the Find text box, and all you have to do is enter the text you are looking for. There are many other keyboard shortcuts. Learn them.

Microsoft Releases PowerToys For Windows 10

PowerToys For Windows 10. I will take a risk and say that putting the words "Power" and "Toys" in the name is a sure way of getting male geek blood going. I used PowerToys back when Windows 95 was the OS de jour, and it was fun to get under the hood and do cool things. So, this new version appeals both to the geek and the guy who loves playing with "toys". Anyone with me? Grunt.

Windows Update Is Essential To Your Security

Windows Computers Aren't Getting Patched. The most recent Windows monthly security update patched 132 vulnerabilities. None of them had been exposed in the wild; but, if you need a reason why Microsoft OS defaults to getting the updates, and makes it difficult to turn them off, that is it. Operating systems ALWAYS have bugs in the system. With millions of lines of code, it is inevitable. I talk a lot about computer security and data security. For lawyers, it is essential, because we deal with confidential information every day. However, most of you have older computers still buzzing along that aren't being regularly updated. I talk mostly about two factor authentication, and other ways to limit risk when information is accessed or stored in the cloud; but, just keeping the computer software current is the first step. How long would your car run without regular maintenance? When that check engine light goes on, do you investigate immediately whether it is caused by something as simple as a loose gas cap? Go to Windows Update and make sure your computers, all of them, are running the latest version. Do it now. Tomorrow may be too late.

 

Liquid Text For Windows Desktop - Pour Your Words On To The Page.

Liquid Text. Finally, something Apple invented that I am happy to use on my Windows machine. This cool app allows you to take any computer document and add notes, written with a stylus, or typed, and drag and drop excerpts of the document to a side by side workspace. I will use it most to review documents that I formerly printed and annotated with a pen. Thanks, Apple. It's about time you did something for Windows users. In fact, since Windows notebooks have touch screens, we can now make notes right on the screen. I hadn't used a Microsoft stylus; but, I see one in my future. Put your 2 in 1 notebook computer in tablet mode, and go to town. Cool.