60 Apps in 60 Minutes — follow up to the ALI-ABA CLE

Yesterday, I teamed up with Reid Trautz and Josh Barrett to present 60 iPhone and iPad Apps in 60 Minutes, a CLE sponsored by ALI-ABA.  Tom Mighell was the moderator.  We had a great time, and ALI-ABA tells us that it was their best attended webinar ever.  It was possible for participants to submit questions online, but the session was so fast-paced that we had little time to answer then, so instead we promised that we would create a follow-up post to answer the questions.  Here are the audience questions and our answers.

Dropbox

Question #1 from: K.M. in Charleston, WV:  We are attempting to use Dropbox to save exhibits (PDF documents) in the Deponent App.  I would like to be able to have my paralegal put the exhibits into MY Dropbox account so that I can later move them into deponent app and attach them to a deposition outline.  However, my paralegal has her own Dropbox app already saved to her desktop computer and has been unable to move documents from our server onto MY Dropbox account. Is there a way to have two Dropbox accounts on my paralegal’s desktop?  Or, is there a way to drop documents into Dropbox without having it on your desktop? 

Answer:  You don’t need to have two separate Dropbox accounts.  Because you both have accounts, transferring documents is simple.  You can share any folder in your Dropbox with any other Dropbox user.  To do this, just highlight the folder you want to share, right-click on it, and select Dropbox and then Share this Folder.  Type in the email address of your paralegal, and she will now have access to that folder.  You can also share folders via the web version of Dropbox, by clicking the drop-down menu next to the folder you want to share.  Once you are sharing folders, your paralegal can easily move the PDF files into the shared folder, and you can then load them into Deponent. 

Black’s Law Dictionary

Question #2 from: J.H. in Baltimore: After looking at the materials, I purchased Black’s Law Dictionary. It is uploaded into my Dropbox as a zip file, but my iPad can not open it. How can I open it?

Answer:  After you purchase the Black’s Law Dictionary app from the App Store, you can use it on both your iPhone and iPad.  In other words, it is a “universal” app; buy it once, use it on all iOS devices that you own.  Did you purchase the file on your computer using iTunes?  If so, just sync your iPad with that computer and the file will transfer over.  Or just go to the App Store on your iPad and tap the button to download the app; as long as you are signed in with the same account that you used on iTunes, the App Store will recognize that you have paid for the app in the past and let you download it again to another device for free.  We’re confused by your reference to a .zip file.  Did you create that file yourself using another version of Black’s Law Dictionary, something other than the iOS version?  If so, you will need to spend another $55 to get the iOS app to use it on your iPad. 

Keynote and a projector

Question #3 from: F.P. in Alexandria, LA: Keynote will output to a projector — have to have a physical connector, right? 

Answer:  To do this today, you need to purchase Apple’s VGA Adaptor, which costs $29 in the Apple Store.  In some apps, the output mode remains hidden until you plug it in to the projector.  But in the next version of the iOS operating system (iOS 5, which we will probably see in September), you will be able to use the AirPlay feature to display virtually anything on your iPad 2’s screen — including your Keynote slides — on any TV that has an Apple TV ($99) attached.  The Apple TV is a very small device so you can easily take it with you to your next meeting, hook it up to a TV, and then display your slides without connecting your iPhone or iPad to the TV.  Note, however, that the Apple TV requires an HDMI or Component input, so if you only have access to a projector with VGA input, you’ll need to use a physical connection. 

Android

Question #4 from: W.P. in Washington, DC: I am sure you have also had exposure to iPhone/Pad apps that are also found on the Android system. So in your opinion, what are the best 3 apps for us Android users to snag? 

Answer:  Many popular iPhone apps also exist for other platforms.  For example, Documents to Go will work on BlackBerry, Android, Palm OS, Symbian (S60) and Nokia (Maemo Select).  Having said that, because Apple’s App Store is so popular — and so profitable for developers — you often see apps appear first for the iPhone / iPad, and only later for other platforms.  A notable exception:  the great apps from Google.  Because Google is behind the Android system, the Android version of apps (such as Google Voice and Google Translate, which we discussed yesterday) often appear first on Android and have more features on Android. 

Court dockets

Question #5 from: M.C. in Philadelphia: Any Apps for checking court dockets? 

Answer:  Not to our knowledge, but some court dockets and online and can be accessed using Safari on the iPhone or iPad.

Two Microsoft Exchange (Outlook e-mail) questions

Question #6 from: A.S. in Miami: Are there any mail apps that allow you to access the .pst or exchange outlook folders so you can organize emails from your device as you review them? If not, do you know of plans in iOS5 to make this feature available? 

Answer:  If you use your computer to create an Outlook folder that is on the server, it should also appear on your iPhone or iPad if you sync with your company’s Exchange server.  To access those folders, just tap the “Mailboxes” or “Inbox” button at the top of the screen to see all other online Exchange folders associated with your account.  If you create a local folder using Outlook on your computer, that folder is only on your computer and cannot be accessed by the iPhone or iPad.   

Question #7 from: P.C. in Verona, NY: My office has Outlook with Exchange server, so I cannot access my office e-mails, calendar and contacts directly on the iPad mail feature. We have to use Good Technologies to access our e-mail, calendar and contacts. It is cumbersome because we never know if I have an e-mail unless we log into Good to check. Is there a better program which integrates Outlook into the iPad’s existing e-mail function? 

Answer:  The iPhone and iPad can indeed work with an Exchange server, but only if your firm turns on that feature.  Some companies are more security conscious and require the use of third party products with extra security to access e-mail, such as Good Technologies or Citrix.  Unfortunately, this limits the usefulness of your iOS device because, for example, third party apps that integrate with the built-in Mail app will not work with your e-mail.  Each company needs to weigh the advantages and tradeoffs — increased security vs. decreased usability. The Apple iPhone Configuration Utility can be engaged to find a happy medium to satisfy your reluctant IT staff. 

Adobe Flash on the iPad or iPhone

Question #8 from: S.M. in Scottsdale, AZ: Does Atomic Browser allow you to access Flash websites? 

Answer:  No, but there are other, third-party web browsers for the iPhone and iPad that allow you to use Flash to a limited extent.  For example, Skyfire will let you view some Flash videos on your iPhone or iPad.  In general, though, Flash websites do not display very well on the iPhone or iPad.  Fortunately, many companies realize this and provide an iOS-friendly version of their website when access with an iPhone or iPad. 

Antivirus and spyware apps

Question #9 from: D.B. in Winter Park, FL: Do I need to install antispyware and antivirus software on my iPhone? if I log on to my Lexis and/or Westlaw or email account, do i need to worry about spyware?

Answer:  No.  There are currently no viruses or spyware on the iPhone or iPad, and because of the way that these devices and third party apps work, the risk that they will exist in the future is very small.  Having said that, it is possible that they will exist in the future, but the risk is currently so remote that we do not think that it is worth spending money on iPhone security software. 

iBooks as a PDF reader

Question #10 from: T.F. in Hallowell, ME:  What was the name of the Apple i-reader app you recommended? 

Answer:  iBooks.  Although Apple promotes the iBooks app as a way to purchase and read books on your iPad or iPhone (similar to Amazon’s Kindle app), iBooks also does a good job of reading PDF files.  In fact, it is currently the fastest PDF viewer on the iPhone.  On the iPad, it is nice to have a full-featured app that you can use to annotate a PDF file, but if you just want to view a PDF file quickly on the iPhone, iBooks is a great (and free) option. 

VMWare

Question #11 from: M.G. in Atlanta: My firm does not use Citrix.  We do everything via VMWare.  Is there a compatible app with Visual Machines that allows the user to access their office desktop on their iPhone/iPad? 

Answer:  Yes.  The app is called VMWare View and it is free.  We haven’t tried it, but the reviews on the App Store are positive. 

Stylus options

Question #12 from: D.V. in Indianapolis: Penultimate — what can you use besides your finger to type? 

Answer:  For any of the iPad apps that allow you to draw on your iPad — yesterday, we discussed Penultimate, Note Taker HD and Notes Plus— the apps work much better if you use a stylus to write on your iPad screen.  There are many different brands available such as the Kensington Virtuoso (with or without a real pen), the BoxWave Capacitive Styra (with pen) and Stylus (without pen), and the Ten One Design Pogo Sketch Stylus.  If you go to the iPhone J.D. website and do a search at the top right for “stylus” you will find lots of reviews pointing out the advantages and shortcomings of each.

List of apps

Most of the apps that we discussed yesterday are the same apps that we included in our 60 Apps in 60 Minutes presentation at ABA TECHSHOW a few months ago, but there were some differences.  Here is a list of the apps that we discussed according to my notes, although I think that a few more were mentioned by Reid, Josh or Tom during the presentation that I missed:

1. Black’s Law Dictionary – dictionary ($54.99): 

   

2. Book of Jargon – example of effective law firm marketing in an app (free): 

   

3. Calvetica Calendar – calendar ($2.99): 

   

4. Appolicious – app recommendations (free): 

   

5. Atomic Web Browser – web browser ($0.99): 

   

6. Sticky Notes for iPad – note taking app (free): 

   

7. Keynote – presentations ($9.99): 

   

8. Penultimate – notes ($1.99): 

   

9. iThoughtsHD – mind mapping ($9.99): 

   

10. Chase Mobile – deposit checks (free): 

    

11. Citrix Receiver – remote access (free): 

    

12. LogMeIn Ignition – remote access ($29.99): 

    

13. Food Truck Fiesta – find food ($0.99): 

    

14. Google Translate – voice translation (free): 

    

15. Jibbigo – voice translation ($4.99): 

    

16. Flipboard – news aggregator (free): 

    

17. Zite – news aggregator (free): 

    

18. Instapaper – save web pages to read later ($4.99): 

    

19. Documents to Go Premium – view and edit Microsoft Office documents ($16.99): 

    

20. Dragon Dictation – transcribe speech (free): 

    

21. Dragon Go – voice recognition and search (free): 

    

22. Eye Glasses – magnifying glass ($2.99): 

    

23. Google Voice – phone services (free): 

    

24. HootSuite for Twitter – social media aggregator (free): 

    

25. iCPR Full – emergency medical (free): 

    

26. Digits Calculator – calculator ($0.99): 

    

27. PDF Expert – document editor ($9.99): 

    

28. Photogene for iPad – photo editor ($2.99): 

    

29. Fastcase – legal research (free): 

    

30. GateGuru – airport information (free): 

    

31. Hipmunk – find flights (free): 

    

32. Goodreader for iPad – document editor ($4.99): 

    

33. Price Check by Amazon – compare prices (free): 

    

34. Noted – notes (free): 

    

35. Siri – personal assistant (free): 

    

36. Fuse Meeting HD – online meetings (free): 

    

37. Satchel – client for Backpack service ($9.99): 

    

38. Plaintext – text editor (free): 

    

39. Court Days Pro – date calculator ($2.99): 

    

40. DaysFrom – date calculator ($0.99): 

    

41. Note Taker HD – take notes ($4.99): 

    

42. Notes Plus – take notes ($4.99): 

    

43. Text’nDrive Pro – read text messages and e-mails ($9.99): 

    

44. Word Lens – translation (free): 

    

45. Office Bleepster – two-way communication with your staff ($9.99): 

    

46. TextExpander Touch – macro utility ($4.99): 

    

47. TuneIn Radio Pro – listen to and record radio stations ($0.99): 

    

48. PDF Converter – save to PDF format ($6.99): 

    

49. Pro HDR – improved HDR photography ($1.99): 

    

50. Skype – VOIP calls and video (free): 

    

51. WordPerfect Viewer – view .wpd files ($4.99): 

    

52. Join.me – online meetings (free): 

    

53. JotNot Scanner Pro – document scanner ($0.99): 

    

54. MindMiester for iPad – mind mapping ($7.99): 

    

55. PhotoSync – transfer photos from iPhone to iPad ($3.99): 

    

56. Trickle for Twitter – Twitter display ($0.99): 

    

57. Reeder for iPad – RSS reader ($4.99): 

    

58. iMovie – edit movies ($4.99): 

    

59. Localscope – find nearby businesses ($1.99): 

    

60. Atari’s Greatest Hits – game (free): 

    

61. GoToMyPC – remote access (free): 

    

62. TrialPad – display and mark up exhibits on external display ($89.99): 

    

63. Snapseed for iPad – photo editor ($4.99): 

    

64. Minimal Folio – presentations ($2.99): 

    

If you want to learn more about these great apps and you missed the CLE yesterday, ALI-ABA will soon publish the session online so that you can view it at your leisure and get CLE credit.  I believe it will be available here.

Thank you to everyone who participated yesterday!