In the news

I’ve had my first full week with the iPad 2, and I really love it.  So do others — several other people in my law firm have stopped by my office to show off theirs as well.  It’s interesting how much varied interest there is.  Some folks showing off their shiny new iPad 2’s are very tech savvy, and they immediately want to talk about the best new apps that they have found and how many advanced things you can do.  But those with little knowledge of tech have been equally enthusiastic about their new gadgets, and those folks have been amazed at how well the iPad 2 handles the core tasks (e-mail, web browsing, photographs, etc.).  It is interesting that a single device can be so loved both because it is powerful and versatile and also because it is easy to use and handles important tasks with such ease.  [Appropriately enough, as I am in the middle of typing this paragraph on Thursday night, one of the senior partners at my firm just sent me an e-mail to say that he now has an iPad 2 and asking what apps should he get.]  But enough about my fun new device, let’s get to the news of the week:

• The latest issue of Law Practice Magazine is full of articles written by people speaking at, or attending, ABA TECHSHOW next week.  You can view the whole March/April 2011 issue online here.  A few articles that I recommend to iPhone J.D. readers:
• Josh Barrett of Tablet Legal wrote a great article called A Day in the Life of an iPad Lawyer.
• Brett Burney wrote Flying Safely in the Cloud.
• Simon Chester wrote Thinking About Social Media in Your Law Firm.
• And I wrote an article called Must Have iPhone Apps for Lawyers.
• If you want to take notes with your iPhone, Dr. Drang wrote a good review and comparison of four of the top apps.
• Neil Augenstein of PBS describes how one radio reporter is using an iPhone 4 in place of almost all of his other equipment.
• Charles Starrett of iLounge reports on a ChangeWave survey that finds that Verizon iPhone 4 owners report fewer dropped calls than their AT&T counterparts, but both Verizon and AT&T iPhone users are equally satisfied with their phones.
• The new CIO at Clorex told the thousands of employees at that company that they could replace their BlackBerries with iPhone, Android or Windows Mobile 7 devices.  Lucas Mearian of Computerworld reports that of the 2,000 devices issued so far, 92% were iPhones, 6% were Android and 2% were Windows Mobile 7.  I’m sure there is a joke to be made here about cleanliness being next to godliness.
• Rick Broida of CNet shares 11 iPhone tips for novices.
• Jenna Wortham of the New York Times writes about using an iPhone to take videos that looks like an old Super 8 movie.
• Mike Elgan of Cult of Mac writes about how the iPhone and now iPad have gotten people used to not having a physical keyboard.
• Apple Store Law & Order #1:  man who used computers in an Apple Store in Palo Alto, CA to send threatening e-mails was apprehended by the police, thanks to the folks at the store recognizing a photo shared by police.
• Apple Store Law & Order #2:  Armed criminals break into the Otay Ranch Apple Store and start shooting employees; a security guard hired by the Apple Store returns fire, shoots one criminal, and the rest are soon apprehended.  (Click here for The Daily’s take on this story.)
• Leander Kaheny shares the video and the story of an iPad-related April’s fools joke involving two news anchors.  Juvenile?  Yes.  But still funny to watch?  Yes.
• And finally, the clever guys at Scoopertino not only wrote a funny fake story about Steve Jobs running for president, they also created a website devoted to the campaign.