I am in Chicago right now for ABA TECHSHOW, where there have been lots of interesting presentations on how to more effectively use technology in the practice of law. It was fun (and informative!) to watch a session yesterday afternoon that was essentially a live version of the Mac Power Users podcast with California attorney David Sparks and Florida attorney Katie Floyd. One topic of news right now, of course, is that in just a few days, on Monday March 21, Apple will introduce some new products. I look forward to learning all of the details. And now, the news of note from the past week:
- One of my favorite app publishers (and a current sponsor of iPhone J.D.) is Lit Software, creator of the great TrialPad, TranscriptPad and DocReviewPad apps. This week, TranscriptPad and DocReviewPad were updated to support the larger screen on the iPad Pro. I noticed the update when I was reviewing transcripts earlier this week to prepare for a hearing on a motion for summary judgment, and it was great to see the TranscriptPad app look even better on my iPad Pro. And by the way, I won my summary judgment motion, using deposition testimony that I selected in TranscriptPad.
- The day after Apple’s new product announcement on Monday, March 22, Apple will have a federal court hearing on its dispute with the FBI on Tuesday, March 23. A few days ago, Apple filed its Reply Brief on this issue with the Central District of California. You can read the full brief at the bottom of this article by Greg Kumparak of TechCrunch. It’s a well-written brief. I like what Apple did in footnote 14 to respond to the government’s footnote 9.
- Apple’s footnote 15 in that brief is also interesting, responding to the claim that Apple embraces encryption just as a marketing stunt by stating: “Since passcode-based encryption was first introduced in October 2014, Apple has produced 627 separate ads in the United States and approximately 1,793 ads worldwide” and “[n]ot a single one advertised or promoted the ability of Apple’s software to block law enforcement requests for access to the contents of Apple devices.” That footnote made me wonder how Apple advertised Touch ID (the fingerprint sensor) when it was introduced with the iPhone 5s in 2013. Touch ID is not the same thing that is at issue now, but it is related. I came across this introduction video, and the closest statement I found to Apple promising that encrypted data was not accessible by others is when Apple talked about storing your fingerprint in the “secure enclave” in the new A7 processor, saying: “Here, it is locked away from everything else, accessible only by the Touch ID sensor. It’s never available to other software, and it’s never stored on Apple’s servers, or backed up to iCloud.” I, for one, really don’t think that this is about marketing for Apple. I think that Apple’s true intention is to protect your private data, and the only way to protect it from the bad guys is to protect it from everyone, including the government.
- Lev Grossman of Time magazine interviewed Apple CEO Tim Cook to discuss the FBI situation, and wrote one of the best articles that I have seen on the subject.
- Houston attorney Greg Baumgartner recommends good technology blogs for lawyers. The list caught my eye because iPhone J.D. is mentioned (thanks!), but if you don’t read the other sites listed, you are missing some good stuff.
- South Carolina attorney Bill Latham of The Hytech Lawyer discusses using an iPad Pro in his law practice for the past four months.
- Florida attorney Rick Georges reports that smartwatches such as the Apple Watch now outsell Swiss Watches.
- The Sun reports that an Apple Watch saved a man’s life by altering him that his heart rate was very high and he needed to go to the hospital.
- Kwame Opam wrote an interesting article on First Lady Michelle Obama’s effective use of social media, including iPhone apps like Vine.
- That article is neat, but perhaps even more interesting is the video interview of Michelle Obama by (attorney) Nilay Patel of The Verge. The video was shot using 360º technology, so if you click this YouTube link and watch it on your iPhone or iPad, you can look all around the room during the interview, helping you to feel like you are there. The Verge did a great job creating this video.
- Tom Warren discusses using his Apple Watch to make payments in an article for The Verge.
- How can you not love this new Apple commercial featuring Cookie Monster?
- And finally, I’ve been wondering for a few weeks if John Oliver would weigh in on the Apple v. FBI topic, and he finally did so this past Sunday night. He offers a humorous but also smart take on the situation. Worth watching if you haven’t seen the video yet. I love the last “Join us…” line.