Legal iPad

Check out my review of the Stabile Pro iPad stand. All in all I...

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:02:00 -0500

[Flash 10 is required to watch video.]

Check out my review of the Stabile Pro iPad stand. All in all I really like this stand, but it’s definitely not intended to be a portable stand. Rather, it’s a very solid, but attractive, stand that allows you to elevate your iPad and use it in one location, wether it’s your office or home. It retails for $99.99 and you can buy it here.

(The kind folks at Thought Out Company provided me with a free copy of this stand so that I could review it on this blog)

More iPad Apps for Lawyers

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:00:05 -0500

This week’s Daily Record column is entitled “More iPad Apps for Lawyers.”

A pdf of the article can be found here and my past Daily Record articles can be accessed here.

*****

More iPad Apps for Lawyers

IPad sales have exploded since this revolutionary device was released less than 2 years ago in April 2010. In the last quarter of 2011 alone, it is estimated that more than 13.5 million iPads were sold — a 166 percent increase from the same quarter one year ago — and a total of nearly 25 million iPads were sold in 2011.

This is one technology trend that lawyers are embracing, with tablets regularly making an appearance in law offices and courthouses across the country, and iPads are clearly leading the way. In fact, according to the ABA’s 2011 legal technology survey, the iPad is used by 89 percent of those lawyers who use a tablet device for work-related tasks and 15 percent of respondents used a tablet to conduct work while outside of their primary workplace. For firms with more than 500 attorneys, that number increased to 26 percent.

With more and more lawyers buying iPads, the legal field’s collective interest in iPad apps has increased dramatically and developers have been responding to this increased demand by creating apps tailored specifically for lawyers, with new ones coming out all the time.

Unfortunately, the iTunes app store does not yet have a specific category for legal apps, so it can sometimes be a challenge to locate apps created just for lawyers. To save you some time, in today’s article, I’ll describe a number of the more popular legal apps available

First, there are the apps that I wrote about in April 2011, including: 1) 3 trial presentation apps: the RLTC Evidence ($4.99), Exhibit A ($9.99) and TrialPad ($89.99); 2) an app that assists with jury selection, Jury Tracker ($4.99); and 3) 2 other useful legal apps including Lawstack (free), which includes, among others, the U.S. Constitution, the Federal Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure, the Federal Rules of Evidence and certain state codes, including New York; and Fastcase (free), a legal research app that includes cases and statutes from all 50 states and the federal government.
Since April, there have been a slew of new legal apps released, all of which are available in the iTunes app store.

First, New York lawyers can stay on top of their ethical obligations using the New York State Bar Association’s newly released “Mobile Ethics App for New York Lawyers” (free). CaseManager for iPad ($14.99), is another new app that operates as a mobile case manager for all of your law firm’s matters.
ExhibitView ($29.99) is another new addition to the legal app family, and operates as a presentation aid for use during trials or depositions.

Another app intended to make trial preparation simpler is the Transcript Pad app ($49.99), from the makers or TrialPad. This app allows you to import multiple deposition transcripts onto your iPad so that you can review and mark up transcripts right on your iPad. Then there’s iJuror ($9.99), a jury selection app that aids lawyers in managing the voir dire process.Rulebook (free), is another app to consider. This app allows you to the download federal and state court rules specific to your jurisdiction and then makes them readily available and searchable on your iPad.

Finally, there’s the Wolfram Alpha Lawyer’s Professional Assistant app ($4.99). This app is a reference tool that pulls information useful to lawyers from Wolfram Alpha’s massive database. Using this app you can access a vast amount of data including definitions of legal terms, state-specific statute of limitation information, and investigative information, such as weather and company information. You can even perform calendar and financial calculations or utilize the blood alcohol calculator.

As you can can see, legal-specific iPad apps abound and more are sure to follow. These apps make iPads all the more useful in the 21st Century law office, allowing you the flexibility to access information relevant to your practice no matter where you are.

Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney and GigaOM Pro Analyst. She is the author of the ABA book Cloud Computing for Lawyers, co-authors the ABA book Social Media for Lawyers: the Next Frontier, and co-authors Criminal Law in New York, a West-Thomson treatise. She is the founder of lawtechTalk.com and speaks regularly at conferences regarding the intersection of law and technology. She publishes four legal blogs and can be reached at nblack@nicoleblackesq.com.

iPhone 4S Texting and iMessage Issues

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:47:42 -0500

Image by William Hook via Flickr

Since upgrading to the iPhone 4S, I’ve encountered a number of problems with the messaging functions of the phone. And, I’m not the only one. A number of my friends have encountered similar issues, as have many others, judging from the results of a Google search for “iPhone 4S texting issues” or “iMessage issues.”

I thought I’d post about the issues I was having and let you now what I did to address the issue, simply for posterity’s sake, if nothing else, since it seems the issue is memorialized primarily in online forums versus blogs or other mainstream sites.

The main problem that I encountered was that I simply wasn’t receiving texts that were being sent to me. After much research and confusion, I determined that it only occurred when receiving texts from other iPhone users and appeared to have something to do with the new iMessage feature.

If you’re not already aware, iMessage is the new messaging system rolled out with the new iPhone operating system IOS 5. iMessage allows IOS 5 users to send messages to other IOS 5 users across all devices, including iPods, iPhones, and iPads. Unfortunately, it’s a bit buggy at this point.

Some people, like me, have had issues receiving messages. Other have had issues with the group messaging function. I’m still unsure whether the issue is related to the IOS 5 operating system, my carrier (AT&T), or is limited to iPhone 4S users. In any event, thus far, the only solution for me is to simply turn iMessage off. Since I pay for unlimited texting and am grandfathered in to the unlimited data plan, the fact that I can’t use iMessage isn’t an issue for me.

But for others, iMessage offers a way to get around the text limit caps and data limit caps when sending multimedia messages via text. Unfortunately, that benefit is lost if iMessage can’t be used due to its inherent unreliability. Hopefully Apple fixes this annoying issue soon. Let me know over at the Legal iPad Facebook page if you’ve had similar issues and if so, if and how you fixed them.

Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney and GigaOM Pro Analyst. She co-authors the ABA book Social Media for Lawyers: the Next Frontier, co-authors Criminal Law in New York, a West-Thomson treatise, and is currently writing a book about cloud computing for lawyers that will be published by the ABA in late 2011. She is the founder of lawtechTalk.com and speaks regularly at conferences regarding the intersection of law and technology. She publishes four legal blogs and can be reached at nblack@nicoleblackesq.com.

My Latest Venture: GigaOM Pro Analyst

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:23:07 -0500

Image via CrunchBase

Over the past two years, in addition to my other projects and obligations, I’ve been very busy writing two different books. First, there was “Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier,” a book I co-authored with Carolyn Elefant, which was published by the American Bar Association in June of 2010. The second book, “Cloud Computing for Lawyers,” is about to go to press and is expected to be published by the ABA within the next month.

As the publication date for my most recent book drew closer, my thoughts were drawn to the possibilities of my next major project. I had two different book concepts in mind and was considering submitting a proposal or two and seeing what came of it.

Instead, a new and exciting opportunity unexpectedly presented itself: becoming an analyst for GigaOM.

For years now, the GigaOM blog has been one of my favorites. It provides interesting, relevant content with a focus on emerging technologies, including cloud computing, mobile computing, social media, Web 2.0 collaborative tools, green technology and more. GigaOM’s focus squares perfectly with my passion for emerging technologies and for that reason, I’ve always enjoyed GigaOM’s content. I read the blog on a daily basis and frequently share links to GigaOM blogs posts with my followers.

So when I was offered the chance to become a GigaOM Pro analyst, I simply couldn’t pass it up.

For those unfamiliar, GigaOM is a cutting edge startup that recently raised another $6 million in funding, for a grand total of $14 million.

GigaOM Pro is at the heart of the company’s growth plan, as described in this MediaBeat article:

“We believe that the growth of GigaOm is going to be driven by our research platform and GigaOm Pro,” (Om Malik) said. “That does not minimize the importance of our online audience. What we write about on the blog is what brings people to read GigaOm on a daily basis.”

GigaOm now claims more than 4 million unique monthly visitors across its sites, a number that’s growing 30 percent annually. According to Walborsky, the company doubled its revenue in 2010, thanks largely to GigaOm Pro. It’s on-track to double that revenue yet again this year, and to become cash-flow positive by the end of 2011.

So, what exactly is GigaOM Pro? Well, as described at its website:

GigaOM Pro was created to address the gap that exists in real-time expert industry analysis on emerging technology markets.

All too often, insider analyst research and commentary is costly, inaccessible or ineffective to the entrepreneurs, investors and innovators who need timely insights most. We’re changing this by making high-quality expert reports, data and commentary easy to access and highly interactive for our community in key emerging technology areas…

Every GigaOM Pro subscription includes instant access to hundreds of pieces of original content, including research reports, daily and weekly updates, expert columns, and must read links.

As an analyst, I’ll be one of the people creating that content and will also participate in occasional webinars and GigaOM conferences. Needless to say, I’m very excited about this new opportunity. For now, I’ll have to shelve my book ideas and see what comes of this newfound adventure. Tune in tomorrow and see…

I decided to buy my kids a Kindle Touch for the holidays. It...

Tue, 22 Nov 2011 14:40:00 -0500

I decided to buy my kids a Kindle Touch for the holidays. It arrived in the mail today and I just had a chance to give it a test drive. Needless to say, I’m not impressed and if the Kindle Fire is even remotely like this device in terms of its responsiveness, then it doesn’t hold a candle to the iPad.

The Kindle Touch has a number of problems. First and foremost, it doesn’t respond to touch well. It’s much, much slower to respond than my iPad is. There is an approximately 1 second delay between my initial touch and the device registering that I touched the screen. With my iPad, the response to my touch command is nearly instantaneous.

Secondly, it takes the Kindle nearly 2-3 to perform the desired function after registering my touch command. Again, in the iPad it’s a seamless interaction in most cases and you don’t even notice the delay.

This slow response time is particularly noticeable—and extremely annoying—when turning pages. I would say it takes between 1-2 seconds for the page to actually change whereas with my iPad Kindle app, again—it’s nearly instantaneous.

This device has no page turn buttons. It was designed to be navigated solely by touch. For that reason, it should be highly responsive to touch. Because it is not, in my mind, it is a failure as a device.

Finally, I just don’t like the interface. The screen is gray and dull. It’s depressing. I much prefer the iPad Kindle app’s interface with the choice to have a bright white background screen with crisp black letters. I realize that the Kindle interface is supposed to work better in bright light, but quite frankly, that just doesn’t win me over.

Bottom line: I’m glad this one’s for my kids and not me;)

Dear Verizon--Thanks for Nothing

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:14:51 -0500

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Dear Verizon,

Just a quick note to thank you for crediting my Mifi account in the amount of $267 and for terminating the 2-year extension of my Verizon contract. I am especially appreciative that you did this for me given that I never actually authorized the purchase of a Blackberry (a Blackberry, of all things—the horror!) using my Verizon account.

It would have been nice if you were able to provide me with more information about the fraudulent activity on my account aside from “We think it was an inside job.” Whatever that means. And, from the standpoint of the person who was the subject of said fraud, it was disconcerting, to say the least, when your fraud representative informed me that it would be 2-3 months until the “fraud team” would be able to advise me as to the specifics of this fraud, on the off chance that they were actually able to figure out how it occurred.

Unfortunately, “all we know right now is that it occurred via our website” isn’t very reassuring and provides me with no direction in terms of how to go about preserving my identity in the interim. Did someone provide my date of birth? My social security number? My Verizon account password? My mother’s maiden name? Where was the person located who authorized this purchase? What was the person’s name? Or did an employee simply access my account via your system and authorize the purchase internally?

It makes a difference, you know. And, apparently, you guys don’t have a clue.

So, thanks for nothing.

Oh and while I’m at it, thanks for failing to adequately train your employees regarding how individual Verizon accounts work.

Once I learned of the fraud, I requested that the ability to make purchases using my account be turned off. I was advised: 1) by Customer Service rep #1 that I would have to talk to the credit department 2) by Customer Service rep #2 that she turned it off, and then a few days later 3) by a Fraud Services rep that it wasn’t turned off and if I chose to turn it off, I would have to pay my monthly Mifi bill in in CASH at a Verizon store.

So, as it stands, despite my wishes to the contrary, equipment purchases can still be made using my account, which was recently fradulently accessed for that very purpose.

FYI, I was advised that my Mifi account contract expires next month. Guess what I’m going to do once it expires?

Thanks again Verizon. You guys rock!

Sincerely,

Niki Black

Lawyers (and millions more) love their iPads

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:13:06 -0400

This is a re-print of this week’s Daily Record column, entitled “Lawyers (and millions more) love their iPads.”

A PDF of this article can be found here and my past Daily Record articles can be accessed here.

*****

Lawyers (and millions more) love their iPads

Approximately 14.8 million iPads were sold in 2010, with 7.3 million being sold in the last quarter of 2010. According to industry estimates following Apple’s fiscal fourth quarter financial results earlier this month, 11.12 million iPads were sold during that quarter—a 166% increase from the same quarter one year ago—and nearly 25 million iPads have been sold thus far in 2011.

That means since the iPad was introduced, just 1.5 years ago in April of 2010, nearly 40 million iPads have been sold.

The bad news is that my that my prediction, made in this column in March 2011, was way off base. I had predicted that 22 million iPad2s would be sold by the end of 2011. Obviously my prediction came in far too low, especially since the holiday season is just around the corner and nearly half of all iPads sold last year were sold during the last quarter of 2010.

The good news is that another prediction made in this column in March 2010 was spot on: “The iPad won’t change life as we know it, but it will revolutionize the way that we interact with various news and social media. Undoubtedly, we will look back on 2010 as the year the iPad changed the way we obtain and consume information…The iPad will not fill an already existing niche — it will create a new one. It will be ever-present in our homes, during daily commutes and on airplanes…The iPad will be the interface of choice for Web browsing and media consumption. Soon, it will be quite common to read books, magazines and newspapers via the iPad interface.”

While it’s a great entertainment device, importantly, the iPad isn’t being used for just fun and games. As reported during Apple’s fourth quarter results call, 92% of Fortune 500 testing or deploying iPads – up from 86% last year—and iPads are now being distributed in 90 countries.

And, it’s not just private businesses that are using the iPad. As a reader recently brought to my attention, according to internal agency records available at governmentattic.org, a number of governmental agencies are considering the utility of iPads for their employees, including the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), just to name a few.

Lawyers are using the iPad, too. According to the 2011 ILTA/InsideLegal Technology Purchasing Survey, which examined the purchasing trends of law firms with 50+ Attorneys, 25% of respondents said that the iPad would be one of the major technology purchases over the next 12 months, 11% of firms had already purchased iPads for their attorneys, and 55% of surveyed firms reported providing IT support for employees who purchase and use their personal tablet devices.

But wait, there’s more! According to the 2011 ABA Legal Technology Survey, the iPad is used by 89% of those lawyers who use a tablet device for work-related tasks and 15% of respondents used a tablet to conduct work while outside of their primary workplace. For firms with over 500 attorneys, that number increased to 26%.

It’s hard to argue with statistics like that. When the iPad first debuted, naysayers wrote it off as a silly toy. What they failed to appreciate was that the utility and flexibility of this device would quickly make it an indispensable part of our personal and business lives.

In a little under 2 years, 40 million of these devices have been sold, with millions of other tablet devices in circulation as well. Such a rapid proliferation of a device that didn’t even exist prior to April 2010 is a clear indication that tablet computers aren’t a fad or a “silly toy”; they’re an indication of what’s to come.

Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney. She co-authors the ABA book Social Media for Lawyers: the Next Frontier, co-authors Criminal Law in New York, a West-Thomson treatise, and is currently writing a book about cloud computing for lawyers that will be published by the ABA in early 2011. She is the founder of lawtechTalk.com and speaks regularly at conferences regarding the intersection of law and technology. She publishes four legal blogs and can be reached at nblack@nicoleblackesq.com.

This is a video of the Keynote that I gave at the LexisNexis...

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 19:02:00 -0400

This is a video of the Keynote that I gave at the LexisNexis 2011 Practice Management Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida on September 22, 2011. It’s entitled: “Legal Technology: Change is Good.”

In it I examine the roots of the rapid technological change beginning in 1995, with a particular focus on the last 6 years. I then explore how emerging technologies, including cloud computing, mobile computing and social media, are affecting the legal field and are changing the way that business is conducted.

The video is about 41 minutes long.

Stylish, Functional Computer Bag for Women

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 10:26:00 -0400

I recently had to part with my trusty, tattered computer bag that my mother had given to me—one that she had received as schwag at a conference. It was just too beat up.

So, I was in the market for a new one. I wanted one that was functional, stylish, travel-friendly and reasonably priced. But, little did I know, it’s not easy finding a computer bag if you won’t settle for a basic, boring, black, luggage-like bag.

I found one though, and wanted to share my discovery, in case anyone else is looking for a nice, reasonably priced bag. (And, no, I won’t receive a commission, etc. from touting this product. It was simply a good find that I wanted to share with my readers.)

I looked around at local stores, but couldn’t find anything to my liking. The functional bags were too masculine and the stylish bags either cost an arm and a leg or were totally impractical, with minimal pockets or straps that weren’t comfortable.

I decided to broaden my prospects and look online. I started, and ended, at Amazon.com. I have an Amazon Prime account, which means that I get free shipping on many items sold at Amazon. I also get free movie streaming for a decent number of movies. For just $79 per year, it’s a great deal, assuming you shop online a lot. I do nearly all of my holiday shopping online, so that alone makes it worth it.

So, I spent a while looking at bags on Amazon and found one that I really liked. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Amazon Prime eligible, so I had to pay shipping, which was approximately $6. But it was well worth it. It arrived the other day and I really like it. For just $55.99, it’s a great bag. Stylish and functional, with flat, comfortable shoulder straps and lots of pockets and storage.

All in all a great buy and one that I was very happy about. So, if you’re in the market for a stylish womens’ computer bag, you might want to give this Kailo Laptop Tote, or one of the other bags by this company, a try.

My iPhone 4S Siri Fails and Wins

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:30:00 -0400

I brought home my iPhone 4S last week and am impressed by the Siri Assistant and the built in dictation system, which I demonstrate in a video in this earlier post.

When I tried to use Siri, I encountered an error that appeared intermittently, but seems to have subsided. Disconnecting and re-connecting to my wifi connection usually solved the issue. The Siri fail is shown in the video below:

I also figured out that I could require my phone to refer to me using something other than my name, and it now calls me “Sexy Mama,” to my endless amusement. If you’d like to do that, just tell Siri “Call me ‘X’” and voila! (If you ever send your contact info. to others from your iPhone, I would avoid this, since it adds your nickname to your contact profile.)

This particular command can result in a funny Siri Fail, as seen below:

Below are screenshots two of my more memorable interactions with Siri:

(In case you were wondering, Siri wasn’t able to perform the web search because my iPhone is password protected and I hadn’t yet unlocked the phone by entering my password. Sometimes Siri will prompt me to do so if issue a command that can’t be performed if the phone is still locked; other times, it won’t).

Demonstration of the iPhone 4S new dictation interface and why I...

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:40:53 -0400

Demonstration of the iPhone 4S new dictation interface and why I think it will make this device indispensable to lawyers and other professionals.

iPads--The Tipping Point?

Tue, 17 May 2011 08:39:00 -0400

Image via CrunchBase

I think this summer will be the tipping point for iPads. Why do I say that? Well, for a number of reasons.

First, over Easter weekend, a number of friends and family members were considering buying iPads and asked me for my opinion regarding specs, etc. These are people who are not particularly techie. To me, the fact that so many people unrelated to one another and from different walks of life were simultaneously researching and buying iPads—just a few months after the iPad 2 was released—is a definite sign that iPads are beginning to have mass appeal.

Another reason I think we’re reaching the tipping point for iPads—lots of famous people are getting them—from the President of the United States and the Queen of England, to celebrities like Kate Hudson to Justice Scalia. And all sorts of institutions are using them, from law firms and hospitals to preschools to grade schools, high schools, colleges and law schools. Soon the iPad will be ubiquitous in every setting.

They’re already showing up quite frequently in all of the places I predicted they would just over a year ago: in airports, on trains and at coffee shops. That’s because iPads are supplanting the use of other devices in those settings—smart phones, eReaders and laptops. In fact, based on a recent Nielsen study, some are asserting that, based on recent sales figures, iPads are replacing those devices.

As I’ve often said in the past, I don’t think that iPads will replace those devices in all settings—in the business setting, laptops and desktops aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Instead, iPads fill a niche that many weren’t aware of until they got their hands on one. iPads are the perfect device for content consumption—and content creation, in a pinch.

Whether iPads will rule the tablet computer market down the road remains to be seen. I think that Android-based tablets, like Android-based phones, will ultimately take at least half of the market share. But, for now, iPad sales have eclipsed the sales of all other tablet combined.

Either way, tablet computers, led by the iPad, are about to reach a tipping point. Come fall, I think that my prediction will have come to pass and it will be evident that tablet computers are undoubtedly the next stage of computing for the everyday consumer.

What do you think? Let me know at the Legal iPad Facebook page.

iPad Links Galore #11

Wed, 04 May 2011 08:38:12 -0400

Image via Wikipedia

Here’s a round up of my most recent iPad tweets and other useful iPad links:

iPad Predicted in 1994 (Video) http://feedly.com/k/mhSZ39 (ReadWriteWeb)
Yahoo! News: Most Viewed - Top Stories: Why the iPad Appeals to Older Users (U.S. News & World Report) http://6sen.se/f9BKfc
Oklahoma State students, faculty tout iPad in classroom | The Digital Home - CNET News http://t.co/lC0kgan
Amazon’s Plan to Create iPad Tablet Rival Reportedly Underway - Desktops and Notebooks - News & Reviews - eWeek.com http://t.co/xRmG8dO
iPad presents problems for Presidential Records Act - The Hill’s Hillicon Valley http://t.co/3rofqnB

iPad Links Galore #10

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:54:00 -0400

Image via CrunchBase

Here’s a round up of my recent iPad tweets:

Prepare for Depositions With the iPad Deponent App - http://tinyurl.com/3srnuwr
Lawyers and Their iPads http://feedly.com/k/gDcbhu
Lawyerist: The iPad as an Indispensable Lawyering Tool http://6sen.se/i6lRjJ
What is the “iPad for Lawyers” Crowd Smoking? http://feedly.com/k/fkTTYk
iPad Apps for Lawyers http://bit.ly/hqCdEa

iPads for Lawyers Resource Page

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:23:00 -0400

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

I created a running list of blogs and books that discuss iPads for lawyers. You can find that list here. If I’ve missed any, please let me know.

iPad Apps for Lawyers Page

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:14:00 -0400

Image via CrunchBase

I just created a running list of iPad apps developed specifically for lawyers. I’ll update it as new apps come to my attention.

You can find that page here.

Aside from a few big aggregators, I didn’t include apps for federal and state codes, laws, regulations, etc. simply because there are far too many of them.

The prices of the apps are accurate on the date that the date that the app was included on the list, but may have changed since then, so be sure to check the iTunes store for the most up-to-date pricing.

If you know of an app that’s missing, feel free to contact me and I’ll be happy to consider adding the app.

The iPad: The Future of Personal Computing

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 07:33:00 -0400

Here’s a recent article from my Daily Record column entitled “The iPad: The Future of Personal Computing.”

A pdf of the article can be found here and my past Daily Record articles can be accessed here.

*****

The iPad: The Future of Personal Computing

Approximately 14.8 million iPads were sold in 2010, with 7.3 million being sold in the last quarter of 2010. One year ago, industry experts predicted far smaller numbers ranging from 3 million to 9 million. In 2010, iPad sales were so high that its revenues for actually surpassed Apple’s portable computer revenues last year.

Earlier this month, the iPad 2 was released. It sold out in the United States during the first weekend, with analysts estimating that between 500,000 – 600,000 units were sold. 70% of the purchases were made by first time buyers. By the end of 2011, sales of the iPad 2 will no doubt surpass the original iPad’s. I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that by the end of 2011, Apple will have sold over 22 million iPad 2s.

Last Tuesday, I joined the throngs of iPad 2 owners. Nearly one week and a half after the iPad 2 was released, I stood in line at the Apple Store at 7 a.m. on a Tuesday with approximately 100 other anxious Rochestarians. Three hours later, I left triumphantly with my new iPad 2 in hand, affectionately naming it “Dorothy” once it emerged from its packaging.

Now some have asked me why I bothered to buy Dorothy when I already own “Alice”, my first generation iPad. The reason is simple: I am tired of constantly battling my family for access to Alice. My husband and 9 year old are now regularly reading books using the Kindle app. And, both of my kids love to play games on the iPad. So, I decided to buy Dorothy for my own use and gave Alice to my family. Now we’re a two iPad family, as I predict many families will be within the next year or so.

I am very confident in this prediction, given that my predictions regarding the original iPad, made last year in this very column just a few weeks before it was released, came to fruition (and my prediction regarding how lawyers would use the iPad can be found here). In my column published on March 16, 2010, I concluded that the iPad would change the way we obtained and consumed information:

“The iPad will not fill an already existing niche — it will create a new one. It will be ever-present in our homes, during daily commutes and on airplanes. The iPad will be prevalent where people tend to read books or magazines, but will be far less visible at locations where people mostly work or socialize. It will be our conduit for media consumption and our interface of choice. The iPad is a game changer of epic proportions — of that I am sure.”

I also asserted, correctly, I believe, that the iPad would not replace laptops or smart phones:

“It won’t be a portable work station. Laptops will continue to serve that function far better than the iPad. The iPad will suffice for composing e-mails and short documents but, for most businesses, laptops and desktop computers will remain the interface of choice. Likewise, the iPad will not replace the iPhone. Smart phones will continue to function as miniature connectors to the information super highway. Their smaller size and GPS functionality make smart phones ideal for certain tasks that the larger, less portable iPad will not be able to duplicate.”

Of course, I wasn’t the only one to make these predictions. Many industry experts and analysts came to the same conclusion—just as others claimed, vehemently and incorrectly, that the iPad would be a tremendous failure.

Industry experts aside, even my decidedly non-techie husband accurately predicted the iPad’s importance last April when, after he’d had a few minutes alone with the iPad, he handed it back to me and said, “I totally get it now. In a few years, every member of the family will have one of these and will use it as their own personal computer. And people will pass iPads around the family room like a magazine or book.”

My husband was right. The iPad and other tablet computers will soon be mainstays in most middle-class American homes and will be the personal computing device of choice. Mark my words—within two years, at least one member of your family will own one, if not more.

Nicole Black is of counsel to Fiandach & Fiandach in Rochester. She co-authors the ABA book Social Media for Lawyers: the Next Frontier, co-authors Criminal Law in New York, a West-Thomson treatise, and is currently writing a book about cloud computing for lawyers that will be published by the ABA in early 2011. She is the founder of lawtechTalk.com and speaks regularly at conferences regarding the intersection of law and technology. She publishes four legal blogs and can be reached at nblack@nicoleblackesq.com.

iPad Apps for Lawyers

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 11:58:00 -0400

This week’s Daily Record column is entitled “iPad Apps for Lawyers.”

A pdf of the article can be found here and my past Daily Record articles can be accessed here.

*****

iPad Apps for Lawyers

A friend of mine from my Public Defender days who still works at the PD’s office recently emailed me and asked to write an article about iPad apps for lawyers. I was happy to oblige—especially since I regularly write about topics like this at my blog, the Legal iPad (www.legal-ipad.com).

First off, before you purchase any apps, spend some time with your iPad, think about your workflow and decide whether you plan to create content, consume content or both. This decision will necessarily affect which apps you choose to purchase. As I’ve oft repeated, creating content with the iPad is easier said than done and for many, it will be used primarily for content-consumption. Since iPad apps tend to cost quite a bit more than iPhone apps, you may as well avoid wasting your hard earned money and invest in apps that you will actually use.

If you plan to create content, including documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, you should consider purchasing either QuickOfficeConnect Mobile Suite ($14.99), which allows you to create and edit Microsoft compatible files or Apple’s productivity suite of apps, Pages (word processing), Numbers (Spreadsheet creation) and Keynote (presentation software), each of which costs $9.99.

A file management app is another important tool to have on your iPad if you plan to work with a large number of files. Absent a file management app, your files will be segregated inside of different apps. File management apps store all of your files in one place and some also allow PDF annotation. There are a number of apps of this type, but two of the most popular are GoodReader ($2.99) and Readdle Docs ($4.99), both of which, in addition to file management, also provide decent PDF annotation capabilities.

If your file management app of choice doesn’t permit PDF annotation, or if you would prefer a feature-rich PDF annotation app, there are a number of great apps to choose from that make it easy for you to mark up PDFs. Using these apps, you can input text, add written notes, highlight text and more. Some of my favorites include SignMyPad, iAnnotate PDF ($9.99), Readdle PDF Expert ($9.99), or Noterize ($3.99).

Many of the apps mentioned above sync with a number of cloud-based storage options, making it easy for you to access and import into the app documents stored in the cloud. For that reason, and for the sake of convenience, you may want to consider using a cloud-based storage app such as DropBox (free), the online storage option that is most likely to be compatible with most apps. Another option is Box.net, also free. These apps allow you to upload and stores your files in the cloud, so that you can access them anywhere, anytime, and from any type of Internet-enabled device.

Another way to access files using your iPad is to remotely access your desktop computer. There are a number of apps that facilitate this process, including LogMeIn Ignition ($29.99), Splashtop Remote Desktop ($4.99), Wyse PocketCloud Pro ($14.99), or Remote Desktop ($5.99).

There are also a number of legal-specific apps available that you may want to purchase. If you are a litigator, there are 3 different trial presentation apps: the RLTC Evidence ($9.99), Exhibit A ($4.99) and TrialPad ($89.99). An app that assists with jury selection is also available, Jury Tracker ($9.99).

Other legal apps include Lawstack, which includes, among others, the US Constitution, the Federal Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure, the Federal Rules of Evidence, and certain state codes, including New York (free). LawBox (free) is another app that is very similar to Lawstack.

Finally, Fastcase (free) is a legal research app that includes cases and statutes from all 50 states and the federal government.

For more information on using your iPad in your law practice, check out the following blogs, in addition to my own: Tablet Legal (www.tabletlegal.com), iPadLawyer (www.ipadlawyer.co.uk), iPad Notebook (www.ipadnotebook.wordpress.com).

Meet Dorothy and My iPad Case Recommendation

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:53:00 -0400

So today, I stood in line at my local Apple store. For 3 hours. Just to get another iPad. Fortunately, I’m pleased to report that I have something to show for my efforts.

Dorothy, meet my everyone. Everyone, meet Dorothy:

Now some have wondered why I bothered to buy Dorothy when I already have Alice, my first generation iPad. Well, the reason is that I am constantly battling my family for access to Alice. My husband and 9 year old are now regularly reading books using the Kindle app. And, both of my kids love playing games on the iPad.

So, I decided I’d buy Dorothy for me and give Alice to the family. So now we’re a 2 iPad family, as I predict many families will be within the next year or so. My decidedly non-techie husband even predicted this trend last year after he’d had a few minutes alone with the iPad. He handed it back to me and said “I totally get it now. In a few years, every member of the family will have one of these and will use it as their own personal computer. And people will pass these around the family room like a magazine or a book.”

Our family is already there. Many others will soon follow suit. Mark my words. I am just as confident about this prediction as I was last year when I predicted that the iPad would change personal computing as we know it. It already has, and will continue to do so.

In the meantime, I recommend that those in possession of a first generation iPad run out and buy the JavoEdge Axis case. And, those who just bought an iPad2, forgo the Apple Smart Cover and wait for JavoEdge to come out with their iPad 2 case. It costs just $39.95 and comes in a number of really interesting and eye catching designs.

I bought the JavoEdge case (pictured above—I’m using it for Dorothy even though it’s not a perfect fit) in December after doing a lot of research and I love it. It protects the case, doesn’t show dirt and scuff marks and allows for easy reading at many different angles, whether on a counter or your lap.

The Apple Smart Cover is cool, but that’s about it. It doesn’t offer much protection in terms of a buffer if the iPad is dropped and only allows for viewing at 2 angles and only horizontally. And, the case is not suited for lap use. So, cool as it may look, it’s really not very functional.

The JavoEdge is far superior. It provides an attractive, stylish cushion for your iPad and you can use it vertically or horizontally at three different angled settings. The case works equally well on a flat surface or on your lap.

I highly recommend it.

An iPad Annotation App-Sign My iPad

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 21:18:00 -0400

I’ve been searching for the perfect iPad annotation app since my iPad arrived in the mail last spring. Sign My iPad (website) is a good option.Much like Zosh, one of my favorite iPhone apps, the app is created with the intention of allowing people to fill out forms, such as contracts. But it works equally well for the purposes of annotating a document such as a pleading or memorandum of law.

To get documents into the app, you either open a PDF that you’ve already saved to your iPad or open a PDF in your email and then save the PDF using Sign My iPad. You can then add typed text, written comments (using the “signature” option), a check box or the date.

To add handwritten annotations, you use the signature function. Unfortunately, even when using a stylus (I use a BoxWave stylus), it’s still not the same as writing on a piece of paper with a pen. The iPad isn’t as responsive as I’d like and it’s more difficult to write accurately and legibly. Nevertheless, it works good enough and is a good alternative to carrying around large, heavy files or loose pieces of paper everywhere you go. Using the typed notes function is a good option, as well.

(Oh, and by the way, should you need it, there are tons of free online services that allow you to convert Word documents into PDF documents, such as pdfonline.com.)

The app costs only $3.99 and you can buy it here on iTunes.

(The app developers recently contacted me and offered me complimentary access to this app, but I’d already purchased it previously with the intent of reviewing it and just hadn’t gotten around to it. I finally got around to it!;)

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