TechnoLawyer: Email/Messaging/Telephony

Coming November 15, 2005 to TechnoFeature: Bringing work on the road? If so, you probably have two questions — what do I need and how will I carry it?  In this article, attorney and technology enthusiast Jeffrey Allen explains how to assess your individual techno-travel needs, and how to create your personal mobile tool kit. If you're a lawyer on the go, Jeff can show you how to stay connected and remain productive — from anywhere.

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Given the recent discussion of courts banning cell phones in Fat Friday, TechnoLawyer member Felicia Kooienga writes: "I don't want a camera on my cell phone. I don't want to connect to the Web with my cell phone. I don't need a memo pad, calculator, world clock, or stop watch on my cell phone. I just want to send and receive calls. I want a cell phone with a built-in address book that maintains a digital signal no matter where I travel, with a loooong-lasting battery. Does such a phone exist? If not, ATTENTION PHONE MANUFACTURERS: Please bring back the basics."

About Quips
A Quip is a brief member contribution for which we don't have room in our Answers to Questions or Fat Friday newsletters. Instead, Quips appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Coming November 14, 2005 to Answers to Questions: Thomas Parker reviews two Toshiba laptops (Tecra M2 and the Portege R200), Stephen Seldin reviews the Plantronics DSP-100 headset as well as Dragon Dictate, Jim Slayton reviews the Xerox DocuMate 252 scanner, Maria Smith explains how to create custom labels in Word, and JP Fernandes discusses why his firm stopped using instant messaging. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a thrice weekly newsletter in which TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers (including you if you join TechnoLawyer). Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming November 10, 2005 to Answers to Questions: Mark Deal dissects the many myths surrounding HotDocs, Manuel Quilichini discusses how he uses instant messaging as a General Counsel, Greg Jones reviews PaperPort for document management, Thomas Parker reviews Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred edition plus the best microphone to use, and Gregory Deatz provides some backup tips. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a thrice weekly newsletter in which TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers (including you if you join TechnoLawyer). Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming November 9, 2005 to Answers to Questions: David Outtrim reviews AbacusLaw, including the recently released Silver version for solos and small firms, Ernest Marquez reviews the lightweight Averatec 3300 laptop, Joseph Booth reviews Dragon NaturallySpeaking and how to enhance its performance, Clint Pullin explains how to print comments in PDF files, and Jenny Jolinski offers her two cents on instant messaging at work. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a thrice weekly newsletter in which TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers (including you if you join TechnoLawyer). Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

A few months ago, we took some flack among bloggers (despite being bloggers ourselves) for publishing a TechnoFeature article entitled A Contrarian View of Legal Blogs.

Now comes a Forbes cover story entitled Attack of the Blogs that has generated a storm of controversy. The article discusses bloggers who try to sabotage companies, products, and people.

Fine, but just as many if not more bloggers also praise companies, products, and people without disclosing their financial ties in the same — an equally serious problem.

Transparency is always the best policy. That's what we aim for here in TechnoLawyer. Shills sometimes elude our "doesn't smell right" detectors, but we squelch most such attempts.

When it comes to blogs, no one can screen them for you so keep this advice in mind — if you cannot ascertain the identity of the blogger, don't trust what you read without corroboration from a trusted source. Common sense goes a long way whether you're reading a blog, newsletter, newspaper, prospectus, etc.

About TechnoEditorials
A TechnoEditorial is the vehicle through which we opine and provide tips of interest to managing partners, law firm administrators, and others in the legal profession. TechnoEditorials appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Coming November 7, 2005 to Answers to Questions: Jason Havens reviews must-have plug-ins for Google Desktop Search, Erik Gellatly suggests some tips for those having trouble with Hummingbird DM 5, Robert Johnson reviews a cordless headset and microphone combination by Shure (especially for voice recognition), Douglas Gibran offers electronic discovery advice when confronted with GroupWise e-mail, and Gibson Gahan discusses the ethics (and legality) of using an open WiFi network for Internet access. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a thrice weekly newsletter in which TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers (including you if you join TechnoLawyer). Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming November 2, 2005 to TechnoLawyer NewsWire: In this issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about a service that synchronizes deposition videos with their accompanying transcripts, software that efficiently handles metadata and document security issues, a handy device that routes your calls over your landline or broadband connection depending on the circumstances, an e-mail backup service that kicks in when your mail server kicks the bucket, and an amazing gadget that scans text and translates it into the language of your choice.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Why is the mainstream media not covering court bans of cell phones? Fortunately, our coverage continues. TechnoLawyer member Bryan Sims writes: "I find it hard to believe that cell phones are going off in courtrooms on a regular basis. I am in court quite a bit. In my experience, I would say that a cell phone rings in a courtroom less often than once a month. Maybe it is different elsewhere in the country, but in the Chicago area, frequent cell phone ringing has not been my experience. However, I do wish that more phone manufacturers made phones without cameras. Most courthouses around here prohibit phones with cameras. Although I have never encountered a problem with a camera phone at either the Daley Center (state court) or the Dirksen Building (federal court) in Chicago, both of which seem enlightened in their security rules. They take reasonable precautions, screen and x-ray items, but do not waste time trying to keep out modern conveniences, such as cell phones."

About Quips
A Quip is a brief member contribution for which we don't have room in our Answers to Questions or Fat Friday newsletters. Instead, Quips appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Below you'll find one of the five articles from today's edition of TechnoLawyer NewsWire:

Three Phones in One
By Jill Bauerle
Ever wish your cell phone acted more like your land line or vice versa? Uniden's flip-style 5.8 Ghz ELBT595 cordless phone system merges the functionality of an office phone with the capability of a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone. While the ELBT595 doesn't snap photos, it's expandable to as many as ten handsets and displays your phone book on a full-color LCD screen. Don't want to waste the long distance minutes on your cell phone but want clear voice quality? The ELBT595's "CellLink" feature enables you to make calls through  your cell phone carrier (provided your cell phone is also Bluetooth-enabled) with the press of a button. The ELBT595 also gives you the option of going hands-free with a Bluetooth-enabled headset (Uniden claims you can wander up to 150 feet from the base). Also included is "DirectLink" — Nextel-like walkie-talkie functionality among handsets. Other functions include the ability to sync up to 100 address entries from your PC using Outlook, picture displays, caller ID, downloadable ringtones, a calendar and alarm, 5-way conference calls, and even a baby monitor. The ELBT595 comes with a Microsoft Windows software package for configuring the phone and runs on a lithium-ion battery. The ELBT595 lists for $229. Learn more about the Uniden ELBT595.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.