TechnoLawyer: Online/Cloud

No one loves the technology industry more than I do, but it sure has its share of conundrums. My latest observations:

• Given the number of people who use shopping comparison sites, why do prices for the same item often vary to a such a large degree?

• On a related point, why do shipping charges vary so widely for the same product among various online resellers?

• Am I the only person who finds Amazon's user interface overly complex and distracting? Has Amazon jumped the shark?

• Given the importance of specifications when evaluating technology products, why do so many companies provide incomplete specifications? For example, most laptop case manufacturers don't list the weight of the case.

Thoughts?

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.

TechnoLawyer is a peer-driven network for those who manage law firms and implement technology within law firms.

The International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) is a peer-driven network for those who manage law firms and implement technology within law firms.

Don't you think it's about time TechnoLawyer and ILTA teamed up?

Beginning today (March 1, 2006), all ILTA members who join TechnoLawyer using the special sign-up page we've created will receive a free one year TechnoLawyer Archive subscription (a $65 value).

If you already belong to both ILTA and TechnoLawyer, fear not — you too are eligible. Just contact our customer service department with the coupon code, which you can obtain by visiting our sign-up page via ILTA's Web site.

ILTA marks the sixth legal organization to offer free TechnoLawyer Archive access to its members. We're particularly excited about this relationship because every ILTA member has an interest in legal technology.

I'd like to thank Randi Mayes, ILTA's Executive Director, for her enthusiasm in bringing this benefit to ILTA's members.

Here is a list of all organizations offering TechnoLawyer Archive access to its members:

Canadian Bar Association
Cincinnati Bar Association
International Legal Technology Association
Oklahoma Bar Association
Texas State Bar
Washoe County Bar Association

To add your organization to this list, please contact us.

In today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, tech expert Jill Bauerle covers a fast, versatile PDF suite, a Web-based billing system, and an anti-spam appliance with a unique twist. Don't miss the next issue.

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

A Sly Suite of PDF Tools
By Jill Bauerle
Does your PDF software leave you enough time to fetch a cup of coffee when opening files? Instead of sitting like a hen in front of your screen, try Foxit's quick-footed PDF tools. Foxit develops a number of programs for managing, reading, writing, and converting PDF files. At 1MB, the free Foxit Reader downloads instantly and runs without installation. No more "welcome" screens and agonizing waits. Foxit Reader supports Chinese, Korean, and Japanese character sets once you download a special plugin. Another program, Foxit Reader Pro, has added features like a typewriter tool for inserting text, a note tool for inserting comments, and text-marking tools for highlighting, underlining, and striking out text. With Foxit Reader Pro, you can also draw lines and shapes, convert pages to pure text, and browse files in the Foxit Library. Other Foxit programs include the Reader for Pocket PC, PDF Editor (which enables you to freely edit text and images in PDF files), PDF Text Viewer, and PDF Page Organizer. Foxit's tools require Windows for the most part, but Foxit Reader can also run in Linux. Foxit Reader is free; Foxit Pro costs $39. Check Web site for pricing on other Foxit programs. Learn more about Foxit.

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.

Coming March 3, 2006 to Fat Friday: Brian Garves explains how to reduce your Stamps.com costs, Jerry Sullenberger reviews three iPod accessories, Bruce Hanson discusses alternatives to Symantec AntiVirus, Anita Evans joins the debate over technology training for lawyers, and Maggie Fisher argues for more transparency among legal vendors. 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.

In today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, tech expert Jill Bauerle covers an online postage service, a spell-checking program that corrects as you write in any program, and free antivirus software for your PC. Don't miss the next issue.

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

Online Postage for Image-Conscious Firms
By Jill Bauerle
Why wait a hundred years? Put your face on a postage stamp today in a few simple steps with the help of Endicia, an online postage service for both Mac and Windows users. Endicia saves you the headache of bulky, temperamental mail meters by enabling you to print easy-to-read, bar-coded  postage onto an envelope or address label. With Endicia, you can design your own postage using a combination of logos, photos, and text. You can also design envelopes, postcards, and other mail items with the postage affixed. Endicia also features electronic delivery confirmation, package services (e.g., parcel post), express mail, international mail, insurance, and more. Endicia enables you to track postage by client/matter for cost recovery, and integrates with the address book in ACT! and Outlook. The accompanying Endicia software comes in five versions: Basic Service, Premium, Mac, Professional and Platinum Shipper. The Premium, Professional, and Platinum versions have professional shipping features such as "stealth postage" that hides the postage price. They also integrate with auction management programs like DEK and Galaxy and carrier systems like FedEx and UPS. The Mac version integrates with iPhoto, and features built-in support for electronic postal scales. Endicia supports Windows 2000 and higher and Mac OS X. Endicia sells a starter kit that includes one year of Endicia Standard, a label printer, and a 10 pound scale for $239.95 (add $10 for a 25 pound scale). Thereafter, you'll pay just $9.95 per month or 99.95 per year. The Premium plan costs $15.95 per month or $174.95 per year. Learn more about Endicia.

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.

In today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, tech expert Jill Bauerle covers a powerful document search tool from one of the biggest names in the tech industry, a Windows Explorer replacement utility, and a new "photocasting" service for sharing your photos, either publicly or privately. Don't miss the next issue.

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

Google Your Clients and Colleagues
By Jill Bauerle
If you work in litigation, you're always looking for the quickest way to search through thousands of irrelevant documents for a few critical ones. You used to call it hard work. Now you can just call it Googling. The Google Mini soups up your intranet with Google's famed search technology, enabling you to find the proverbial smoking gun in an instant. You can also use it to search your firm's work product — find a model brief just as quickly. Just plug in the small, slender box and, after 30 minutes of configuration, it's ready to go. Three versions exist that will search up to 100,000, 200,000 or 300,000 documents respectively. Your colleagues will instantly recognize the Google Mini's interface, saving you training time on top of searching time. The Google Mini works with over 220 file types, including HTML, PDF and Microsoft Office, and features a self-learning spell-checker. Google Mini pricing starts at $2,995 (100,000 documents), including hardware and software plus one year of support and hardware replacement coverage. Learn more about Google Mini.

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 year I've encouraged TechnoLawyer members to start thinking about how to incorporate mobile video into their marketing activities. For inspiration, check out Podguide.tv, a new site devoted to content created for the video iPod. A tip of the blog to Richard DeLuca of Stark & Stark for informing me about this site.

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.

In our January 9, 2006 TechnoPoll, we asked you: In your opinion, what is Google's weakest offshoot service?

The results are in, and the loser is ... Froogle, Google's shopping and price comparison search tool. Froogle garnered 22% of the votes. A number of other services also received a fair number of votes, including Orkut (14.5%), Google Talk (9.7%), and Picasa (8.1%).

I voted for Google Local Search, which received 6.5% of the vote. I used to like Google Local Search until Google enlarged the map it places on every page. Now I much prefer Yahoo! Local Search, which provides more space for the listings and loads faster. Plus, Yahoo! Local Search has never let me down — it has helped me with everything from finding a good car service to the airport to finding a parking garage near the location of our recent BlawgWorld launch party.

Take a look at the results.

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.

In today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, tech expert Jill Bauerle covered an online service that enables you to easily build your own Web site complete with blogging capabilities, a program that converts text documents and e-mail into MP3 files, and a free application that creates a peer-to-peer VPN between any two computers. Don't miss the next issue.

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

Web 2.0 as Easy as 1-2-3
By Jill Bauerle
Problem: Your firm needs a Web site and a blog desperately, but you don't want to hire a designer and you don't want to become one yourself. The solution? Squarespace, a service that provides you with a design, template, and secure platform for your Web site and blog in one package — at your own domain name. Squarespace's modular site-building architecture enables you to configure your Web site similar to the way you use My Yahoo! or Google's personalized home page. Once you've designed the structure, pick and choose from hundreds of appearance-managing functions to personalize your site — and change them at any time! For a meta-look at your Web site, click "Site Overview" to track recent posts, traffic and your Google PageRank. Sophisticated, versatile, and stocked with the latest in Web technology, your site will look and work exactly how you envisioned it, maybe even better. Squarespace features a tool for attaching podcasts to a blog entry, short URLs, member accounts for employees to log journal entries or subscribe to e-mail updates, Moveable Type importing, spell checking and anti-spam filters. Your blog page features category headings, printable article links, threaded discussions, RSS subscription, multiple authors, XML-RRC pinging, and timed publishing dates. You can even incorporate Amazon affiliate links to that hot new legal treatise you just published. Your Squarespace blog has a special function for importing and crediting Web sources. Once you set up your Web site, maintain it by logging on as the administrator and editing the content using WYSIWYG or HTML. Prices for a Squarespace Web site start at $7 per month. Learn more about Squarespace.

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.

In today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, tech expert Jill Bauerle covered an application that converts one Linux PC into two virtual workstations, a utility that blocks unauthorized executable programs from invading your Windows PC, and a free, editable information resource on the Web for tax professionals. Don't miss the next issue.

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

Where's the Second Computer?
By Jill Bauerle
Providing a PC in your reception area is a welcome gesture for waiting clients, but if you have a busy reception area, you'll have to furnish two computers, doubling the cost. Not so fast. With Desktop Multiplier, you can transform a single Linux PC into two computers (Linux with Firefox works fine for Web browsing and checking Web-based e-mail). This free software add-on by Userful, developers of public computing software, can save your firm as much as $500 per station in hardware costs and hundreds to thousands in maintenance per year.  The software turns one computer into two virtual workstations — you'll need two keyboards, mice, and monitors. If your firm runs browser-based applications, you might be able to employ Desktop Multiplier beyond your reception area, saving even more money. At home it's an excellent way to "buy" the kids an extra computer. Desktop Multiplier runs on Linux OS and requires 15 MB hard disk space and a minimum of 64MB memory, a dual video card and extra USB keyboard and mouse. Learn more about Desktop Multiplier.

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.