TechnoLawyer: Laptops/Smartphones/Tablets

Coming May 18, 2007 to Fat Friday: Blake Bailey shares his thoughts on Preservation Demand letters and other issues associated with amended Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 26, Ruth Sternglantz responds to a recent post on practicing public interest law, Charles Beach laments about the shortcomings of smartphones and proposes an alternative, Kevin Svec explains how to end the Word v. WordPerfect debate once and for all, and Peter Shafran provides an update on the saga of criminal defense lawyer Joseph Caramagno. Don't miss this issue.

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Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming May 11, 2007 to Fat Friday: David Ventker discusses how he reduced overhead expenses in his litigation boutique by going paperless, Daniel Fennick reviews CD ripping service Ready to Play, Thomas Beltran reviews his experience getting his Dell laptop repaired, Rob Howard reviews his Treo 700p and compares it to the iPhone, and JP Siou sets the record straight regarding Outlook's advanced search function. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming April 20, 2007 to Fat Friday: Dave Culbertson reviews and provides a comprehensive guide to getting started with the Fujitsu ScanSnap s500 in a law firm, Eli Nelson discusses the risks associated with clawbacks and sneak peaks during discovery, Joyce Glucksman reviews her Treo 650 after nine months of use, Andrew Shear reviews PasswordMaker, and Charles T. Lester, Jr. explains how to see a file's metadata using Windows Explorer. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming April 17, 2007 to TechnoFeature: Do you only use your Treo as a phone and to occasionally check your email? Did you know that you can also use it listen to music, read books, review documents, share photos, and much more? In this article, attorney Bryan Sims details his top 12 Treo programs for the mobile lawyer (we tried to stop him at 10, but he just kept writing). Among his picks, you'll find both free and commercial programs, professional programs geared for productivity, and programs that just make a Treo more fun.

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Published on Tuesdays, TechnoFeature is a weekly newsletter that contains in-depth articles written by leading legal technology and practice management experts. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming April 13, 2007 to Fat Friday: Roy Allen reviews Interwoven's FileSite client for managing Outlook email, Paolo Broggi provides some Amicus Attorney-PDA syncing tips, William Kellermann responds to a recent TechnoFeature on software upgrades, Andrea Cannavina shares her thoughts on the place of technology in the law office, and Thomas McDow explains how he achieved a seamless paperless workflow. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming March 29, 2007 to Answers to Questions: Nerino Petro and Edward Williams review their respective digital dictation recorders — the Philips Pocket Memo 9350 and the Olympus DS-4000, Paolo Broggi shares his tips for buying a new laptop, Thomas Stirewalt reviews dtSearch for document management, and Aaron Craft divulges the secret to a successful WordPerfect-to-Word switch. Don't miss this issue.

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Published Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a 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.

Two weeks ago, I poked fun at legal technology predictions.

But that's not to say I don't like reading them. How timely then that Dennis Kennedy has issued his latest predictions in a report entitled: Seven Legal Technology Trends for 2007: Widening the Digital Divide in Law Practice.

Of note, Dennis predicts that:

• BlackBerry usage may have peaked among lawyers.

I disagree, particularly in light of RIM's push into the small business market. I do believe that Treo usage may have peaked because I think Apple's iPhone will grab market share from Palm. I don't think the iPhone will have as much impact on the BlackBerry.

• A sizable number of lawyers will begin using MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks since they can run Windows.

I agree, and hope to see some enterprising legal technology consultants add Windows installation on these notebooks to their repertoire (it's not trivial to install Windows).

• The growth of all-in-one electronic discovery tools for smaller cases that law firms can handle in-house.

I agree since even your run-of-the-mill slip and fall case involves electronic evidence nowadays (such as email admissions).

• A shift from Yellow Pages advertising to search engine advertising among law firms.

I agree. Yellow Pages has not kept up with the times. No one under the age of 30 Fewer people use the Yellow Pages now than during its heyday 20-30 years ago. I use a Yellow Pages as a laptop stand.

Read Dennis' Seven Legal Technology Trends for 2007.

What do you think of his predictions and predictions in general?

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 March 15, 2007 to Answers to Questions: Steve Enfield advises the best current method for securing your wireless network, Paul Billings reviews the Sanyo ICR-B150 digital dictation recorder, Michael Shaikun reviews his IBM ThinkPad X41 laptop, Emil Chang enters the fray by sharing his experience switching from WordPerfect to Word, and David Bernier reviews PracticeMaster's ability to track telephone calls. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a 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 January 26, 2007 to Fat Friday: Andrea Cannavina reviews Treo smartphones and its competitors, Kurt Schoettler discusses the importance of password strength (especially for lawyers), David Caracappa explains why winning the lottery would prompt a career change, Daniel Schultz explains how he makes use of a dual monitor setup, and Craig Humphrey takes a stab at defining Web 2.0. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

In today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, lawyer and legal technology legend Dennis Kennedy covers a suite of security utilities for your laptop, an online personal finance tool that taps into Metcalfe's Law, and a network appliance that enables everyone at your law firm to securely send and receive large attachments. Don't miss the next issue.

Below you'll find one of the three articles from today's edition:

Transfer Large Files Securely Without Attachment Limits
By Dennis Kennedy
In the old days, sending a large document meant using a FedEx Pak instead of a FedEx Envelope. Nowadays, sending large electronic files poses more of a challenge than simply choosing the next size up in packaging. Notwithstanding multi-gigabyte mailboxes, many e-mail servers (including Gmail) impose limits on the size of file attachments. Plus, e-mail servers are notoriously lacking in security (by design actually). Free file transfer sites can handle large files, but also lack sufficient security. So what's a law firm to do? Dust off its FedEx number and send CDs and DVDs?

No way! Accellion's Courier Secure File Transfer Appliance (SFTA) Version 5.0 provides law firms with a secure option for sending and receiving large files both internally and externally. Accellion has a history of providing secure file transfer solutions on a global basis to enterprises of all sizes. As a dedicated appliance for business file transfers, SFTA requires minimal IT administration and support.

When you use SFTA to send files to third parties, they receive a secure download link. To send or receive a file, all you need is a Web browser. Your firm can set up accounts for its employees and clients in minutes. Accellion claims that some firms may witness an 80% reduction in e-mail load.

New in version 5 is the ability to send and receive entire folders, thus preserving a directory structure (especially useful for your client's discovery documents). Version 5 can handle files and folders up to 10GB in size.

New administrative tools enable you to control usage throughout your firm. Like previous versions, SFTA simply plugs into your network and starts working. SFTA uses the SSL standard, and generates an audit trail. Much easier to use than even FTP and SFTP, which require software on both ends, SFTA works with your existing network and software. Optional plug-ins exist for integration with Outlook and Lotus Notes, which enable you to use your e-mail program instead of a browser.

SFTA comes in a wide array of configurations, starting at $3,500. You can start small and add capabilities as needed.  Learn more about Accellion Courier Secure File Transfer Appliance (SFTA) Version 5.0.

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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.