I had an interesting conversation over lunch yesterday. Gavin McLachlan, an attorney in South Africa who reads iPhone J.D., was in New Orleans for a wedding, so he reached out to me and we had lunch, along with Ernest Svenson of Ernie the Attorney. It was interesting hearing about the legal system in South Africa, which has some things in common with the U.S. but many procedures that are different. For example, there are no jury trials there. He told me that he first got an iPad in April of 2010, which amused me because the iPad didn't officially go on sale in South Africa until January of this year. Like so many other people outside of the U.S., he managed to get his hands on an iPad that was originally sold in America. McLachlan tells me that lots of attorneys in South Africa are now using iPhones and iPads, and he said that at one recent meeting of attorneys in that country, almost every participant was using an iPad. According to Google Analytics, I have only had about 500 unique visitors this year from South Africa, so if you are one of them, please spread the word about iPhone J.D.! It was interesting to hear that while our legal systems are different, McLachlan and I actually use many of the same apps on our iPhones and iPads. And now, on to the news of note from the past week:
- Philadelphia attorney Michael Payne wrote a good article, available on Law.com, about how lawyers can use an iPad to increase their productivity. He recommends lots of great apps for iPad-using attorneys.
- J.D. Biersdorfer of the New York Times has some advice for those taking an iPad to Europe.
- Speaking of using portable devices in other countries, John Markoff of the New York Times (who frequently writes about Apple) teamed up with James Glanz to write a fascinating article on how the U.S. is developing a "shadow" Internet and mobile phone system that can be used by dissidents in other countries when repressive governments seek to silence them by censoring or shutting down telecommunications networks. I can see this being part of the plot of a great spy movie.
- As a Louisiana lawyer, I'm a big fan of New Orleans attorney Matt Miller's iPhone apps containing the Louisiana Civil Code and the Code of Civil Procedure. This week he made the apps universal (a free upgrade), so they are now great iPad apps as well. If you practice law in Louisiana, you should get these apps. Click here for Louisiana Civil Code ($4.99):
Click here for Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure ($4.99):
- If you use Nuance's Dragon Naturally Speaking on your PC, you can now download a free Nuance iPhone app to use your iPhone as a wireless microphone. Marianne Schultz of AppShopper has details.
- Mike Elgan of Cult of Mac has an interesting article comparing the iPad to Microsoft's unsuccessful Tablet PC initiative.
- Galen Gruman of InfoWorld explains why Android smartphones and tablets are less secure that the iPhone/iPad, in large part because the Android Market is full of malware. Android users often tout openness as an advantage, but there is a downside as well.
- Speaking of security, John Edwards of Law Technology News provides ten tips to enhance iPad security.
- CNet got Academy Award winner Richard Dreyfuss to read parts of the iTunes end user software agreement in different voices. Funny stuff.
- If you are having trouble finding an app in iTunes, you might try Yahoo's new iOS App Store search engine and directory. Alan of Art of the iPhone has more details.
The best place to buy an iPhone or iPad — heck, one of the best stores in the country — is an Apple Store. Much of the credit goes to Ron Johnson, the Senior VP at Apple who helped to create and has overseen the development of the Apple Store. As reported by ifoAppleStore, J.C. Penney Company Inc. announced this week that Johnson is leaving Apple to be its new CEO. That's great news for J.C. Penney, but a loss for Apple. It's also a loss for me, because the picture at the right was a heck of a lot cooler when it was a picture of me and a high-ranking Apple VP. Me and a department store CEO? Yawn.
- Looking for the perfect last-minute Father's Day gift for the dad who loves his iPhone or iPad and loves to barbecue? Then check out the iGrill, a $99 grilling and cooking thermometer that works with a companion app.
- Megan Lavey-Heaton of TUAW also recommends apps and accessories for Father's Day.
- And finally, I'm told by Wikipedia that the Royal Ascot "is one of Europe's most famous race meetings, and dates back to 1711 when it was founded by Queen Anne." It is attended every year by British royalty, and is such a "major event in the British social calendar" that "press coverage of the attendees and what they are wearing often exceeds coverage of the actual racing." One attendee this year who (I'm just guessing) was looking for some attention decided to marry those two things we all love so much — iPads and funny hats. The result is shown below. My wife originally brought this story to my attention when she saw it on the Huffington Post, but you should also check out the funny caption contest over at Engadget.