TechnoLawyer: Computer Accessories

Coming April 27, 2007 to Fat Friday: Paul Lepine reviews his VXI Tuffset telephone switch box for telephone and dictation (an update on a Post from three years ago), Wells Anderson clarifies Time Matters' current support policy and points to some free Time Matters resources on the Web, Ben Schorr explains why Outlook has a size limit on Rules and how this limit has changed in Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, Stephen Adams reviews his experience with Dell tech support and laptop repair services, and Julia Gordon responds to a recent TechnoFeature article about hardware and software upgrades. Don't miss this issue.

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Remember that fable about the city mouse and the country mouse?

Well, I have a tale (tail?) of two mice for you so gather round. A few months ago, a publicist for Logitech contacted me and asked f I would like to try the new MX Revolution mouse. "Sure," I said.

But upon receipt, I could not use the MX Revolution because it's for right-handed use only. I'm a righty, but use my left hand for the mouse.

So I gave it to Sara, our senior production manager. She loves it. In particular she likes the way it feels in her hand, the ability to scroll horizontally as well as vertically, and fact that it's wireless but not heavy. What doesn't she like? Remembering to place it in the recharger every Friday before leaving for the weekend.

Read Gizmodo's review.

Read ExtremeTech's review.

But that still left me without a new mouse — and I really needed a new one as wear and tear had taken a toll on my Logitech MX-310.

First, I tried the Razer Pro 1.6. This mouse feels great in your hands, but doesn't work well with the native OS driver. I don't like installing third-party drivers so I returned it.

Next I tried Apple's wireless Mighty Mouse — too heavy because of the two AA batteries. Apple is the king of rechargeable batteries (think iPod) so why did it use disposable batteries in this mouse? I returned that mouse as well.

Finally, I bought Apple's wired Mighty Mouse — bingo! It scrolls in every direction, the buttons require only a light press, and it fits well in small-normal size hands. As for the cons, the cursor sometimes jumps to the top right corner of the screen, and the side buttons are too easy to click by accident (I turned them off).

Read Ars Technica's review.

Read MacWorld's review.

Did you recently buy a mouse? If so, please post a review.

About TechnoEditorials
A TechnoEditorial is the vehicle through which we opine and provide tips of interest to managing partners, law firm administrators, and others in the legal profession. TechnoEditorials appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Coming March 1, 2007 to Answers to Questions: Thomas Stirewalt offers up some tips for cataloging files on backup CDs, Edward Poll reviews Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 and his microphone of choice, Katrina Curfiss reviews PracticeMaster for tracking client referrals plus Tabs3 for integrated invoicing, William Tait shares two sure-fire ways to keep your files secure when in the hands of a technician, and David Stuckel adds his two cents to the Word v. WordPerfect debate. Don't miss this issue.

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Published Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a weekly newsletter in which TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers (including you if you join TechnoLawyer). Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming February 1, 2007 to Answers to Questions: Karl M. Rowe shares his thoughts on the Word v. WordPerfect debate (you thought it was over?), Harold Goldner shares some iPod cassette adaptor tips plus he unknowingly sparks a debate on iPod sound quality with our publisher, Ronald Gossett offers advice for configuring your imageRUNNER 5000 to work with Adobe Acrobat, Brett Burney reviews his experience with Bluehost and lists a few other Web hosting options, and Bobby Abrams reviews his HP LaserJet 4 and offers up a first look at Windows Vista for law firms. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a weekly newsletter in which TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers (including you if you join TechnoLawyer). Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

In today's special holiday edition of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, lawyer and legal technology legend Dennis Kennedy covers three new iPod accessories — the first ever in-ear wireless earphones, a Star Trek-like iPod video viewing system, and an iPod battery pack that will take you across the pond and back even if you watch videos the whole time. Don't miss the next issue.

Below you'll find one of the three articles from today's edition:

Unchain Your Head and iPod
By Dennis Kennedy

Serious audiophiles and frequent fliers always rave about in-ear earphones. They like the combination of high fidelity sound and external noise reduction. If the powers that be could only figure out a way to eliminate those darn wires.

Etymotic Research, which developed one of the first in-ear systems, has introduced the wireless Ety 8 — the first and only wireless (Bluetooth) in-ear earphone system. The company claims that Ety 8 sounds just as good as its wired models. Ety 8 uses a new folding technology to reduce the size of the antenna. As with all earphones of this type, the earpieces fit snugly in your ear canal — no external support is needed. A perfect fit is critical so Etymotic provides you with a choice of 3-flange, 2-flange, and foam ear tips.

The technical specs on Ety 8 are comparable to the rest of Etymotic's products. Each earpiece weighs only ounce. One earpiece houses the battery and the other houses the antenna as well as iPod controls (play, previous/next, and volume). Expect a 10 hour battery life, with an automatic shut-off after 5 minutes if no audio is playing.

The iPod version comes with its own adapter and works with fifth generation iPods and first and second generation Nanos. Ety 8 is compatible with devices supporting Bluetooth specification 1.1 and higher and supports A2DP and AVRCP profiles for stereo listening. It comes with a USB power port for charging and a leather case.

Ety 8 with the iPod adapter costs $299. If you use a Bluetooth device other than an iPod, the earphones cost $199. Learn more about Ety 8.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Wednesdays, TechnoLawyer NewsWire is a weekly newsletter that enables you to learn about new technology products and services of interest to legal professionals. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

This week's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire will cover three new iPod accessories for you to consider when holiday shopping. Why iPod? We think it will once again reign supreme as the leading technology gift this year. Below I've placed a pick of my own.

FM transmitters enable you to play your iPod through an unused FM radio frequency. However, in large cities, finding an unused frequency may prove difficult so what you need is a transmitter with the power to jam a weak radio station.

I can't say that my Kensington Digital FM Transmitter/Auto Charger is the best one out there, but I can give you a real-life field test in a tough environment — Manhattan. Set to 88.1 FM, my iPod's signal comes through loud and clear with no static (except when I'm near the Empire State Building for some reason). You can store three frequencies, but I've needed just this one.

I also like the connection through the iPod's dock connector, which provides better quality sound than the headphone port, and enables me to control the volume with my car stereo. As an added bonus, the charger eliminates concerns about battery drain. The Kensington Digital FM Transmitter/Auto Charger costs about $80 and comes in white or black. Take a look at some photos.

About TechnoEditorials
A TechnoEditorial is the vehicle through which we opine and provide tips of interest to managing partners, law firm administrators, and others in the legal profession. TechnoEditorials appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Coming November 16, 2006 to Answers to Questions:Wilson C. Muhlheim discusses how his firm successfully implemented a paperless workflow and the resulting benefits, Paul Bannon reviews the latest version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking, Charles Tievsky reviews RemotelyAnywhere and compares it to other remote access tools, Fred Brock discusses the use of uninterrupted power supplies in law offices (plus we point you to 10 tips for a successful implementation), and Michael Mannes suggests a simple way to handle retainer fees in PCLaw. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published Thursdays, Answers to Questions is a weekly newsletter in which TechnoLawyer members answer legal technology and practice management questions submitted by their peers (including you if you join TechnoLawyer). Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Sometimes we come across products or services that we cannot cover in TechnoLawyer NewsWire for various reasons — not enough features for a 250 word article, stuck in perpetual beta, not legal-specific enough, etc. Nonetheless, you may find some of these products of interest so here is a list:

Futurephone: Free international calls. My grandmother uses it to call the old country (Italy).

Optimus Keyboard: A keyboard with display screens on each key, enabling you to customize the keys. Insanely great! Unfortunately, we've had this product in our queue for more than a year. It's vaporware.

BackFence: Small town news and gossip (currently in California, Illinois, Maryland, and Virginia). Bo Peabody tried to serve small towns with StreetMail during Web 1.0. It didn't work then and I don't think it'll work now — and I know a thing or two about online communities (now called social networks). Besides, Craigslist will eventually serve every town in the country. Game over.

About TechnoEditorials
A TechnoEditorial is the vehicle through which we opine and provide tips of interest to managing partners, law firm administrators, and others in the legal profession. TechnoEditorials appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Coming November 10, 2006 to Fat Friday:  John Starkweather explains how he has embraced branding and technology at his small firm, James Zuffoletto discusses the "unhappy lawyer" phenomenon, Diane Hopkins shares a real-life client story involving Tabs3 that teaches an important technology lesson, Arshia Javaherian reviews Sonnet's PodFreq FM Transmitter for the iPod, and Aaron Morris discusses his unique multiple monitor setup. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.

Coming October 20, 2006 to Fat Friday: Mark Lieb discusses how a firm's litigation support department should operate, John Dorst reviews Sonnet's PodFreq FM transmitter for the iPod, Douglas Simpson reviews his experience using Copernic Desktop Search over the past year, Thomas Shigo chimes in on the DIY v. hire a consultant debate, and Jeff Wyatt reviews the Brother HL-5250DN laser printer. Don't miss this issue.

How to Receive this Newsletter
Published on Fridays, Fat Friday is a weekly newsletter that features a grab bag full of genuinely useful product reviews and tips on a wide variety of topics. Like all of our newsletters, it's free. Please subscribe now.