Month: April 2011

Last year, the New York Times reported that in 2009, research began on an authorized biography of Steve Jobs, the first book about Steve Jobs written with the full cooperation of Mr. Jobs.  The book is to be called iSteve:  The Book of Jobs and is being written by Walter Isaacson, a New Orleans native who has previously run Time magazine and CNN.  (We both went to the same high school, although he graduated about 17 years before me, and I have not yet had the chance to run either Time or CNN.)  Isaacson has published numerous well-reviewed books including biographies of Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin, and Henry Kissinger.

Last night, Simon & Schuster announced that the book will be published in early 2012.  For some good background on Isaacson and this book, check out this article by Philip Elmer-DeWitt that ran last night in Fortune.

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.

This weekend I’m headed to Chicago for ABA TECHSHOW 2011, and I look forward to meeting and catching up with lots of iPhone J.D. readers.  I first attended in 2008 when I spoke about preparing a law firm for disasters (something near and dear to those of us in New Orleans who lived through Hurricane Katrina) and about using a Mac to practice law when your law firm uses PCs.  In the Spring of 2008, there were very few people using iPhones; they had only been on the market a few months, there were no third party apps, there was no support for Microsoft Exchange e-mail, and the memory on the device was limited.  When I next attended TECHSHOW in the Spring of 2010, I was amazed at how many iPhones I saw.  To be clear, it seemed that more people were using BlackBerries and other phones, but those with iPhones seemed to use them more often during the conference.  This year I expect to see even more people using iPhones.

I’m curious how many iPads there will be.  At last year’s TECHSHOW, the iPad had been announced but we were a few days away from them going on sale.  Since last year’s TECHSHOW, not only has the iPad been released but now the iPad 2 is for sale.

You can learn so much about technology at TECHSHOW, but frankly I’ve most enjoyed TECHSHOW as a way to interact with other attorneys who appreciate technology.  If you are going and you see me this year, please say hello.  But there are lots of places that one can be during TECHSHOW with up to seven sessions taking place at the same time, not to mention that large Expo floor and the numerous conversations taking place in the halls and around the Concierge Desk.  Here are some of my initial thoughts on where I will be during the conference. 

Sunday, April 10:

6:30 – 8:00 pm:  Welcome Reception. 

Monday, April 11:

8:30 – 9:30 am:  Technology Adoption: Is Your Firm Ahead of the Curve? by Todd Corham and Josh Poje.  There are lots of good sessions to start the conference but this one looks good for people like me who work at large law firms.

9:30 – 10:30 am:  This is a break in the schedule, so probably a good time to get a first look at the booths on the Expo floor.

10:30 – 11:30 am:  A tough one.  I’m curious to go to the Meet the Author session with Tom Mighell to hear about his new book iPad for Lawyers in One Hour.  But I’m also think I could get a lot from the Insourcing or Outsourcing E-Discovery session by Dominic Jaar and Browning Marean and the PowerPersuasion session by Craig Ball.  So who knows where I’ll end up.

12:00 – 1:15 pm:  There are several Lunch ‘N Learn sessions. LexisNexis is hosting one, and from the schedule it doesn’t look like they are planning to show off their Lexis Advance for Associates product that comes out later this year, but if they are, I’ll attend that one.  Otherwise, I’ll probably attend the WestlawNext session.

1:30 – 2:30 pm:  Keynote Address: “Code is Law” by Professor Larry Lessig

2:30 – 4:30pm:  I’ll be “working” at the Concierge Desk.  If prior years are any indication, that means that I’ll spend a little time helping people find things at the conference, but most of the time will be devoted to talking about iPhones and iPads with anyone who stops by to chat.  It’s usually the most social spot at the conference.

4:30 – 5:30pm:  Mac Power Users by Brett Burney, Finis Price and Ben Stevens.  I use a PC at my office, but I use a Mac at home and always enjoy learning more tips and tricks.

5:30 – 7:30 pm:  Silver Jubilee Reception.  Because this is the 25th year of TECHSHOW, this reception will feature 25 Years of Legal Technology in 25 Minutes, billed as a “fun and interesting retrospective of technology in the legal profession and ABA TECHSHOW.”

8:15 – ???:  Taste of ABA TECHSHOW dinner.  Josh Barrett of the great Tablet Legal site and I are hosting a dinner at Tutto Italiano restaurant to chat about iPhone and iPad topics.  Our dinner was one of the first to fill up this year, so hopefully you made your reservation early and can join us! 

Tuesday, April 12:

8:00 – 9:00 am:  Lots of good sessions, but I think that Define Paperless! by Andy Adkins, Ernie Svenson appeals to me the most.  Thanks to the iPhone and iPad, I really have gone mostly paperless in my practice.

9:00 – 10:00 am:  Another break time, which might mean I’ll be on the Expo floor, or perhaps I’ll hang around the Concierge Desk.

10:00 – 11:00 am:  I’m leaning towards either Popular Cloud Services for Lawyers by Stephanie Kimbro and Tom Mighell or Logistics of Going Paperless by Debbie Foster and Dave Maxfield.

11:00 am – 1:00 pm:  It appears that there will be an Expo break followed by a luncheon of some sort.

1:15 – 2:15 pm:  I’ll probably attend Safe Flying in the Clouds by Brett Burney, Sharon Nelson and Dan Siegel

2:15 – 3:15 pm:  Expo break

3:15 – 4:15 pm:  I’m trying to decide between Effective Preparation for Rule 26(f) Conference by Craig Ball, David Chaumette and Hon. David Waxse or Getting the Most Out of PDF Software by Larry Smith and Ernie Svensen.

4:30 – 5:30:  60 Tips in 60 Minutes

5:30 – 6:30:  I hear a rumor that Kevin O’Keefe of LexBlog will be hosting one of his famous Beer for Bloggers events.

7:15 – ???:  Taste of ABA TECHSHOW dinner.  I signed up for the Mac dinner hosted by David Sparks and Victor Medina.  Sparks runs the great MacSparky blog and co-hosts the amazing Mac Power Users podcast along with attorney Katie Floyd.  I don’t know Victor Medina personally, but I look forward to talking with him.

Wednesday, April 13

Both of my presentations are back-to-back Wednesday morning.

8:30 – 9:30:  I will be presenting the session 2011 Smartphone Shootout along with Michael Morse and Alex MacDonald.  We will compare and contrast iPhone, BlackBerry and Android and talk about how to get the most out of your smartphone.

9:45 – 10:45:  Josh Barrett, Reid Trautz and I will present the fast-paced session 60 iPhone and iPad Apps in 60 minutes.  We have an amazing group of apps to talk about this year, almost all of which are apps that we did not even mention last year.  Last year this session was standing room only and a lot of fun, and we have an even better presentation this year.

11:00 – Noon:   60 Sites in 60 Minutes.  Like the 60 Apps session that I am doing just before it, the 60 Sites session is always fast-paced and a lot of fun, usually one of the highlights of TECHSHOW.

For those of you going to TECHSHOW, it looks to be a great show this year.  For everyone else, the above should give you a taste of what you can get at this conference if you attend next year, March 29-31, 2012.

Are you the sort of person who loves movie trailers, who watches the Super Bowl for the commercials, and who loves looking at the advertisements in a magazine just as much as the content?  Well then Apple has the app for you, the new iAd Gallery app that was released yesterday.

On April 8, 2010, Apple announced a form of mobile advertising called iAds, and they started to appear on June 21, 2010 when Apple released iOS 4.  You may have seen an iAd in an app that you downloaded, especially a free app; they show up as small banners that, when tapped, take over the screen and provide an interactive advertising experience.  They tend to be well produced, in part because Apple exercises strict control over what can be in an iAd to keep the quality high.

The iAd Gallery app allows you to view all of the ads that are currently in rotation on the iAd Network.  The “New” button at the bottom allow you to view just the latest iAds, and if you really like an iAd you can tap a heart to indicate that you “love” it and it shows up in a list of Loved apps.

You can also browse a list of all of the apps in two different ways.  Tap the Search button and you will see an alphabetical list of apps that you can search.  Or more fun, tap the Browse button and you will see a carousel of ads that you can spin to select one.

Tapping an ad gives you some basic information about the ad (such as the advertising agency that produced it) and the iAd itself which you can tap to launch.

There have been times when I have heard about an interesting iAd that was available but had trouble viewing it because when I launched an app containing iAds, another iAd would be displayed.  Using the iAd Gallery is certainly easier than opening and closing an app over an over again trying to get the right one to launch.  Otherwise, I’m not sure how useful it is to have a dedicated app that just lets you view advertisements, although it is interesting that Apple considers its iAds so compelling that it made an app to allow you to do nothing more than view the ads.  The app is free, so if you want to check it out, I’m sure that Apple — and its advertising partners — will be glad that you did so.

Click here to get iAd Gallery (free): 

One problem with trying to pick out the “best” case for an iPad is that you can do so many useful things with an iPad.  Sometimes you want an easy way to prop it up to watch a movie.  Sometimes you want to hold it in your hands.  Sometimes you want to use it in the kitchen.  Sometimes you want to type.  For the last few weeks I have been trying out an iPad case called the modulR that tries to solve all of these problems at once, and I’m very impressed with the review unit that the company sent me.  (I’ve been using the original iPad to test out modulR, but I’m told that a version for the iPad 2 is in the works.)

The main part of the modulR is a $49 case (with cover) that fits around the back of your iPad.  The case is a flexible rubbery plastic that is very easy to put on and to take off of the iPad. It is very thin and adds very little weight, but it does give some added protection to the back of the iPad.

If you want to protect the front, there is a cover that easily snaps on.  When attached your iPad is protected from scratches by a hard, thin case. 

But the real magic of the modulR is that on the bottom there are four rubbery feet:

With these feet on the iPad you can do all sorts of useful things.  If you want to hold the iPad in your hand without fear of it slipping out, you can get the $15 hand strap.  You can either attach the strap to two feet on one side, or adjust the strap to go diagonally across the iPad (which is what I find works even better):

There is also a $15 shoulder strap that you attach to two of the feet.  With it, you can carry the iPad in its modulR case much like you might carry a small messenger bag.  In all candor, when I used the shoulder strap to go home from work one night, I feared that I looked a little silly with an iPad on a strap around my shoulder.  But hey, that’s just me.  Maybe you can pull of the look better than I can.

If you want to prop up your iPad, you can use the $19 Quick Stand, which comes in black, orange, pearl or white.  It works in two positions.  in one position, the iPad is slightly elevated in the back to make it easier to type.  When you flip over the Quick Stand, you can prop up the iPad like this:

I have used lots of different iPad cases to prop up an iPad, and sometimes they are not very sturdy.  Just touching the screen can cause the iPad to slip down.  The modulR Quick Stand is made of metal and is very strong.  Thus, an iPad in a Quick Stand is very sturdy.  Note, however, that you can only prop up your iPad in the landscape position; the Quick Stand doesn’t give you a way to prop up in the portrait mode.

If you want to place your iPad on a wall like a small flat screen TV, you can purchase the $29 Slim Mount, which also comes in black, orange, pearl or white.  This is a strong metal mount that attaches to a wall with four (included) screws.  Once the Slim Mount is mounted, you can easily slip your iPad into the Slim Mount using the feet on the back of the modulR and easily slip it back out again.  I can imagine someone putting a Slim Mount in their kitchen so that the iPad is on the wall to show recipes or even play a movie or music while the person is cooking.

You can purchase all of these modulR accessories that I’ve described a la carte, or you can select from several packages such as the Starter Kit 3 for $99 which includes everything that I described above (except that you have a choice of strap; I strongly recommend the hand strap, which I found very useful).

The company plans to add more to the modulR line.  As mentioned above, they plan to come out with a new version of the case for the iPad 2.  I understand that many people have asked the company to consider a case with a cover attached, instead of the two parts that I reviewed, and the company is considering doing so — perhaps for the iPad 2 case?  We’ll see.  They are also working on a Headrest strap so that you can put the iPad behind your seat for the kids to watch something while you are on a road trip.  The company is also working on a swing arm.  You can see many of these future products on the modulR website.

If you have a first generation iPad and you are looking for a case with a lot of versatility, I was very impressed with the modulR.  You get all of the protection of a standard hard case, plus with the accessories that work with the knob feet you can do a whole lot more.  I’m looking forward to seeing what the company comes up with for the iPad 2.

Click here to get the modulR case and related products from the manufacturer’s website.

One year ago yesterday, April 3, 2010, the original iPad went on sale.  It was a difficult device to define.  Was it just a big iPhone?  Was it a tablet computer?  A netbook competitor?  One of the TV commercials that Apple aired in connection with the original iPad was called “What is iPad” and it sought to answer the question of what one might do with an iPad.  Here is that commercial, which was narrated by Peter Coyote, a prolific actor with an amazing voice who has been in tons of movies (including E.T.) and television shows (most recently the new Law & Order: Los Angeles):

Now that the iPad has been out for a year, we have a better understanding of what the iPad is.  It is a new type of device, a tabula rasa than can do a countless number of different things.  In light of the blockbuster iPad sales, other companies are trying to compete by coming out with tablets with different specs.  One has a better camera, one has more memory, one has a different size screen, etc.  But Apple realizes that the most important aspect of the iPad is to get the hardware out of the way, to be that blank slate on which you can do almost anything.  And since Apple has a knack for producing impressive commercials, over this past weekend Apple unveiled a commercial for the iPad 2, again narrated by Peter Coyote, that explains what the iPad is really about:

The videography in the commercial is really beautiful and makes the iPad 2 seem very personal and intimate.  When I saw the person playing the virtual guitar in GarageBand, I almost swore that I was watching strings on a real guitar being plucked.  But the words are really the star of the commercial.  The script is:

This is what we believe.
Technology alone is not enough.
Faster, thinner, lighter … those are all good things. 
But when technology gets out of the way, everything becomes more delightful.
Even magical. 
That’s when you leap forward. 
That’s when end up with something like this.
iPad 2

I don’t think that this is just commercial hype; I think that this ia how the engineers at Apple really think of the iPad, and this is what makes the iPad such a very special device.  This is especially true for the iPad 2.  It is noticeably faster than my original iPad, but I notice it not in that particular tasks occur more quickly, but instead in that the entire iPad seems so much responsive to my touch.  The technology gets out of the way, and I feel even more like I am directly interacting with the app.

I got an iPad 2 last night (Black, 32GB, Wi-Fi only).  They sure are hard to get right now; you have to be lucky to catch an Apple Store when they have one or two in stock.  I knew it was going to be thinner and lighter, but I wasn’t expecting it to make such a big difference.  That is partly because I used a case with my original iPad, and carrying around my original iPad in a case was like carrying a hard cover book.  Carrying around the iPad 2 with a Smart Cover is like carrying around a magazine.  It is a night and day difference.  I’ll post more after I have used the iPad 2 for more than just these last few hours, but my inital impression is:  wow.  Here is the iPhone and iPad news of note from the last week:

• I consider my iPhone and my iPad to be an important part of my law practice.  I use them both every day.  Apparently many doctors are starting to feel the same way, according to a CNBC report that is described by David Winograd of TUAW.  I like the article’s title:  “iPads are becoming as important to doctors as their stethoscopes.”  
• This is really more of a Fourth Amendment issue than an iPhone issue, but Denver attorney Bill Kelly passed along this interesting report by Anita Thompson on the Huffington Post Denver about the Colorado Supreme Court’s recent decision that police improperly invaded a man’s privacy when they read through the text messages on his lost iPhone and used what they found to get search warrants and ultimately get felony drug charges.
• The Paul, Hastings law firm unveiled its iPhone app this week.  It is a typical law firm iPhone app with firm bios and news and other information that you would find on its website, but it is nicely done.  Click here to download the Paul, Hastings app (free): 

  

• On the Lawyer2Laywer podcast that I linked to yesterday, attorney Rick Georges bragged that an advantage of Android is that it is an “open” platform.  While I question what difference that really makes for attorneys using smartphones, there was some truth to that when Android debuted.  However, Ashlee Vance of Businessweek reports that Google is now retreating from its prior policies of openness.
• Also on that podcast, Rick Georges talked about how much he loves his new HTC ThunderBolt phone, especially the fast 4G LTE speeds.  If you are interested in learning more about that phone, Jonathan Geller of BGR has a comprehensive review.  He concludes that “the sheer thickness and weight” and “the poor battery performance makes it a tough sell,” and while the LTE speed is fantastic, “that means nothing if my battery dies after just a few hours of usage.”
• Tim Chaten of AppAdvice reports on his research into insurance policies that you can purchase for your iPhone and iPad.
• David Pogue of the New York Times reports on Amazon’s new Cloud Player service.  It doesn’t work with the iPhone or iPad yet (there are work-arounds, but they are clunky), but many have speculated that Apple is planning to offer a similar service, so it is interesting to see Amazon’s approach.
• Litigation consultant Ken Broda-Bahm discusses two iPad apps that can help with jury selection, iJuror and Jury Duty.
• Attorney Finis Price recently gave a presentation on the use of iPads by lawyers including recommended apps.  Ben Stevens of The Mac Lawyer reports on that presentation.
• If you would like to read a comprehensive review of the iPad 2, Daniel Eran Dilger wrote one such article for AppleInsider.
• I much prefer magazines on the iPad than to reading them on paper.  Electronista notes that Popular Science recently announced that it now has over 10,000 iPad subscribers, which sounds like a lot until you realize that they have 1.2 million print subscribers.  But hey, you have to start somewhere.
• Tom Kaneshige of CIO writes about the use of iPads in large companies.
• Debra Cassens Weiss of ABA Journal reports that some federal courts are banning smartphones because of fear that they could be used as bombs.  This is unfortunate; I consider my iPhone a critical tool when I am in federal or state court.
• Nick Bilton of the New York Times reports that the smartphone market is poised to explode in 2011.  Wait… no, he said “soar.”  Not “explode.”  Don’t tell the federal courts I said “explode.”
• Last week, I mentioned that Sylvia Hsieh of Lawyers USA interviewed me and other attorneys for her great article on the iPad 2.  You can now read that article even if you don’t subscribe to Lawyers USA because it was republished by the Wisconsin Law Journal.
• Legal consultant (and fellow New Orleanian) Craig Bayer tells me that he is very impressed with miniLaw, a time and expense tracking app for the iPhone that works with the PCLaw accounting software.
• The most famous BlackBerry-using attorney in the world — President Obama — confirmed that he owns and uses an iPad, as reported by MacNN.  Now that he is using the iPad, can the iPhone be far behind?
• If you would like to process credit card payments on your iPhone, you should look into Square.  Attorney Jeremy Horwitz of iLounge posts a comprehensive review of the app and hardware accessory.
• Attorney Tom Mighell discusses iPads replacing PCs for attorneys on the Attorney at Work blog.
• Atorney David Sparks of the MacSparky blog and the MacPowerUsers podcasts discloses the apps on his iPad’s home screen in this post at Tablet Legal.
• And finally, if you want to keep your iPhone close to you — really close to you — how about underwear that can hold an iPhone?  The folks at SCOTTEVEST (the company that makes coats and other apparel with a million pockets to store all of your gadgets) created boxer shorts with a pocket for your iPhone.  Get more info here on the company’s website, or watch the company’s founder and CEO extol the virtues of the product in this video: