We are less than a week away from Thanksgiving in the U.S. What does that have to do with the iPhone and iPad? I haven't seen an official announcement from Apple, but Apple traditionally offers discounts on its products on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving). The discounts are usually modest, but it is typically the only day each year that Apple offers any discounts at all on numerous products so for that reason it is notable. If you are planning to get an Apple device or accessory and you want to save a few bucks, plan to check out the Apple Store — online and the retail stores — one week from today to see if there are any good deals that appeal to you. And now, the news of the week:
- San Francisco attorney Deanne Katz of FindLaw's Technologist discusses TranscriptPad, one of my favorite legal-specific applications on my iPad.
- Lit Software, the developer of TranscriptPad, also sells TrialPad, a powerful app for presenting an annotating exhibits at trial or in meetings. The app was recently updated to version 3.0, and Ian O'Flaherty of Lit Software wrote a free iBook to explain how to use TrialPad with its new features. Click here while you are using your iPad (or iPhone) to download the iBook to your device.
- New York attorney Nikki Black shares her thoughts on lawyer use of the iPad for LLRX.com.
- South Carolina attorney Justin Kahn discusses Timeline 3D, a new app for the iPhone and iPad that lets you create a timeline.
- California attorney David Sparks is also pretty excited about Timeline 3D for iOS.
- Sean Martin discusses mobile apps for lawyers based on discussions he had at this year's ILTA conference in this article for Law Technology News.
- Indianapolis law librarian Cheryl Niemeier recommends iPad apps for attorneys and paralegals in this article for Res Gestae, the Journal of the Indiana State Bar Association. (Link is to a PDF file)
- This past October I reviewed MobileLaw, a great app for statutes and rules on your iPhone or iPad. I noted in that review that the app lacked a highlight feature. The app has since been updated to add support for highlighting, and it seems to work great. Click here to get MobileLaw (free):
- I'm still testing an iPad mini and compiling my thoughts on what it means to lawyers. John Paczkowski of All Things D reports that according to one survy, very few people buying an iPad mini are doing so to replace an iPad. Instead, most iPad mini purchasers were enticed by the device to buy their first tablet.
- Jilly Duffy of PC Magazine recommends 20 iPad apps for productivity.
- The power adapter that comes with an iPad is larger than the one that comes with an iPad mini or an iPhone. Traditionally it was a 10W adapter, but Jordon Kahn of 9to5Mac reports that Apple is now shipping a 12W power adapter with the latest, fourth generation iPad. You can also buy it separately for $19 from Apple. I know that it usually takes around 3 hours to charge a third generation iPad to about 80%, plus another 60 to 90 minutes to get it to 100%. Insanely Great Mac reports, in a video discussed in a follow-up article by Kahn, that the new 12W power adapter shaves about 30-45 minutes off of that 4 to 4.5 hour charging time. You can use the 12W power adapter with any iOS device, but I suspect that you will only see reduced charging time with an iPad.
- I often talk about people who used the Find My iPhone feature to find a stolen iPhone. Kathrene Herndon of KSBY in Santa Barbara, CA reports that a father used the feature to locate his son after his son was in a car accident. Police found the vehicle on the side of the road, but not the son who was driving the car because he had walked away from the car at some point during the night. Find My iPhone helped the police to find the driver so he could be brought to the hospital.
- And finally, Toronto attorney Michael Schmidt alerted me to a new music video by The Elwins for the song Forgetful Assistance that features band members shuffling four iPhones and an iPad around a tabletop. It's a good song and a very cool effect. Worth watching. (Thanks, Michael!)
