TechnoLawyer: Laptops/Smartphones/Tablets

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a new smartphone (see article below), server-based OCR software, an online scheduling service, an online meeting service, and an iPhone app for accessing Wikipedia. Don't miss the next issue.

Read Me

Lawyers have traditionally embraced mobile technology much faster than office technology. The smartphone as a status symbol (versus the PC as a nerd symbol) has certainly played a role in this early adoption, but lawyers actually need the features of the latest and greatest smartphones more than most people. Apple's iPhone currently leads the pack in terms of mindshare and press. Its slogan, "There's an app for that," has become part of the cultural fabric because it perfectly describes the iPhone's chief selling point — simple, useful applications that require little to no training. What can Apple do for an encore?

iPhone 4 … in One Sentence
Announced this week and shipping on June 24th, iPhone 4 is Apple's fourth-generation smartphone.

The Killer Feature
If you're playing games, a sharper screen can enhance the experience, but gameplay is far more important. That's why classics like Tetris endure. A sharper screen, however, can dramatically improve your reading experience.

iPhone 4 features a new "Retina" display with a 960x640 pixel resolution at 326 ppi. In other words, the screen provides a sharper resolution than a piece of paper printed at 300 dpi.

Also new, Apple has outfitted the iPhone with a more durable "aluminosilicate" glass screen that sits directly on top of the display to further improve sharpness and depth of field. The same glass covers the back of the iPhone as well.

Other Notable Features
iPhone 4 has two cameras — a 5 megapixel camera on the back with a 5x digital zoom that shoots still photos and HD video and has a flash, and a 3 megapixel camera on the front. Using the new FaceTime app, you can video chat with other iPhone 4 users when you're both on a WiFi network. Both cameras work with FaceTime. Using the toggle button, you can either show yourself or what's happening around you.

Also new on iPhone 4 is a noise-canceling microphone designed to help with phone calls in noisy environments.

Many of iPhone 4's features will also become available on older iPhones thanks to the new iOS 4 operating system. For example, iOS 4 supports multitasking (running multiple apps simultaneously), and folders for organizing your apps. Similarly, the iBooks app with its built-in bookstore will become available for iPhone 4 and older models. iBooks will support PDF files.

What Else Should You Know?
In the United States, AT&T remains the sole carrier (for now). You can choose from two models in black or white — 16 GB ($199) or 32 GB ($299). Learn more about iPhone 4.

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So many products, so little time. In each issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The "In One Sentence" section describes each product in one sentence, and the "Killer Feature" section describes each product's most compelling feature. The TechnoLawyer NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to Answers to Questions: Karl M. Rowe shares tips for converting WordPerfect documents to Word format, Andrew Weltchek offers some advanced PDF bookmark tips, Bob Leonard discusses the importance of refreshing retainer fees, Howard Raab reviews the iPhone's note taking abilities, and Rick Cloud shares an important tip for naming files. Don't miss this issue.

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Coming today to BlawgWorld: Our editorial team has selected and linked to 120 articles from the past week worthy of your attention, including our Post of the Week. Here's a sample:

Maybe It's Time to Reconsider Office Software Choices

iPad: Toy or Tool for Lawyers?

Why You Shouldn't Act Like a Baby Bird at Work

Should You Join a Business Networking Group?

This issue also contains links to every article in the June 2010 issues of GPSOLO and Law Technology News. Don't miss this issue or future issues.

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Today's issue of Fat Friday contains these articles:

James Poole, Review: Fastcase for Intellectual Property Research

Brent Blanchard, Review: Motorola Backflip; The Problem With Windows Mobile

Kalani Patterson, Windows 7 Printer Problems

Donald Lowrey, Avvo Ratings Inflated by Colleagues?

Don't miss this issue — or any future issues.

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Our most serendipitous offering, Fat Friday consists of unsolicited contributions by TechnoLawyer members. You'll no doubt enjoy it because of its mix of interesting topics and genuinely useful knowledge, including brutally honest product reviews and informative how-tos. The Fat Friday newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to Answers to Questions: Bryan Conway explains how to use Adobe Acrobat for archiving and filing email, David Grabill reviews Google Voice, Edward Kionka offers some money-saving and other tips for law firms that switch from PC to Mac, Marilyn Herrera explains how she buys postage, and Paul Purdue suggests a program for split fee billing. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive Answers to Questions
Do you believe in the wisdom of crowds? In Answers to Questions, TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers. This newsletter's popularity stems from the relevance of the questions and answers to virtually everyone in the legal profession. The Answers to Questions newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to BlawgWorld: Our editorial team has selected and linked to 79 articles from the past week worthy of your attention, including our Post of the Week. Here's a sample:

Review: Toshiba Dynadock V Impresses

Android Versus iPhone: All Out War

Why You Should Set Up a Practice Advisory Board

Sneak Peak at the New Martindale-Hubbell Connected

Don't miss this issue or future issues.

How to Receive BlawgWorld
Our newsletters provide the most comprehensive coverage of legal technology, practice management, and law firm marketing, but not the only coverage. To stay on top of all the noteworthy articles published in blogs and other online publications you could either hire a research assistant or simply subscribe to BlawgWorld. The BlawgWorld newsletter has received rave reviews and is free. Please subscribe now.

How to Receive Fat Friday
Our most serendipitous offering, Fat Friday consists of unsolicited contributions by TechnoLawyer members. You'll no doubt enjoy it because of its mix of interesting topics and genuinely useful knowledge, including brutally honest product reviews and informative how-tos. The Fat Friday newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to Answers to Questions: Roy Johnston shares a tip on evergreen retainer fees, Richard Lehrman discusses what he missed about Windows after switching to Mac, Mike Fellows reviews Vito Sound Explorer for mobile dictation, Stephen C. Carpenter reviews Acronis True Image 10 for backing up and restoring data, and Joshua Stein reviews PagePlus X3. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive Answers to Questions
Do you believe in the wisdom of crowds? In Answers to Questions, TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers. This newsletter's popularity stems from the relevance of the questions and answers to virtually everyone in the legal profession. The Answers to Questions newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Coming today to BlawgWorld: Our editorial team has selected and linked to 75 articles from the past week worthy of your attention, including our Post of the Week. Here's a sample:

Dual Monitors and Multitasking — A Contrarian View

iPad Is a Move in the Right Direction

One PPEP Junkie Down, 199 to Go

Law Firm Media Survey Reveals Pay, Policies

This issue also contains links to every article in the May 2010 issue of Law Practice Today and the May/June 2010 issue of Law Practice. Don't miss this issue or future issues.

How to Receive BlawgWorld
Our newsletters provide the most comprehensive coverage of legal technology, practice management, and law firm marketing, but not the only coverage. To stay on top of all the noteworthy articles published in blogs and other online publications you could either hire a research assistant or simply subscribe to BlawgWorld. The BlawgWorld newsletter has received rave reviews and is free. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a credit card processing service for smartphones (see article below), an authoring system for creating multimedia demand letters, an online backup and file sharing service, a Gmail add-on, and a clipboard manager for iPhone. Don't miss the next issue.

Make it Cool for Clients to Pay You

If you invented blogs and then sold your invention to Google, would you retire? Or would you invent Twitter instead? And if you invented Twitter, would you stop there? Or would try to reinvent credit card processing? Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Blogger and Twitter, is clearly not a man who rests on his laurels. If your law firm accepts credit cards, his latest invention may help you far more than his previous two.

Square … in One Sentence
Square offers credit card processing via smartphone with simplified processing fees.

The Killer Feature
Why start a credit card processing company? Who knows, but it seems likely that Jack Dorsey once opened a merchant account and was mortified by all the nickeling and diming on each month's statement.

Square offers a simpler fee structure. If you swipe a card in person, you pay 2.75% of the amount charged plus 15 cents. If you key in the card number (card not present), you pay 3.5% plus 15 cents.

You do not need a merchant account. There's no contract, setup fees, monthly fees, or monthly minimum. Square gives you a free mobile card reader.

Other Notable Features
The Square card reader plugs into the headphone jack on your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or Android smartphone (Square plans to support other devices in the future). You can also manually enter credit card numbers in the free Square app.

Square emails you a receipt of each transaction. You can log into your account using a Web browser to review transactions and create reports.

Your clients can also sign up for a Square account, enabling them to monitor their bills and payments. You can create offers to generate repeat business though these rewards probably work better for retailers (e.g., buy 10 cups of coffee and get your next one free).

What Else Should You Know?
Square processes transactions using bank-grade security, including PCI Level 1 and PA-DSS. Learn more about Square.

How to Receive TechnoLawyer NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The "In One Sentence" section describes each product in one sentence, and the "Killer Feature" section describes each product's most compelling feature. The TechnoLawyer NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.