TechnoLawyer: Post

In response to the review of six metadata removal utilities in a recent issue of Fat Friday, TechnoLawyer member Lewis Siegel writes: "Although the price per seat for KKL Software's ezClean is only $20/seat in smaller quantities, it has a 20 seat minimum making it very expensive for a small firm." A small correction — according to KKL Software's Web site, ezClean requires a minimum of 25 seats.

About Quips
A Quip is a brief member contribution for which we don't have room in our Answers to Questions or Fat Friday newsletters. Instead, we place Quips here in TechnoLawyer Blog and also in our TechnoGuide newsletter, but they appear in TechnoGuide first. TechnoGuide also contains exclusive content.

A recent issue of IP Memes questioned the wisdom of raiding a toy store for alleged trademark and trade dress violations. TechnoLawyer member Michael Millen would like to remind everyone that this agency has a mandate much larger than its name implies, writing: "Trademark infringement investigation is an important part of U.S. Customs (an agency now under the rubric of Homeland Security). Are you suggesting that U.S. Customs cease all trademark investigations?"

About Quips
A Quip is a brief member contribution for which we don't have room in our Answers to Questions or Fat Friday newsletters. Instead, we place Quips here in TechnoLawyer Blog and also in our TechnoGuide newsletter, but they appear in TechnoGuide first. TechnoGuide also contains exclusive content.

Firefox has become a popular topic of discussion in Fat Friday — 100 million downloads will do that. Adding to the frenzy, TechnoLawyer member John Davidson writes in with this tip: "Firefox's best feature is that it can be tweaked to work even faster." Great tip because my only complaint about Firefox concerns its slow speed.

About Quips
A Quip is a brief member contribution for which we don't have room in our Answers to Questions or Fat Friday newsletters. Instead, Quips appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

In Answers to Questions, several TechnoLawyer members have tried to guide Robert Rowlett on his quest for time-billing software that will work with whatever case management solution he buys down the road. TechnoLawyer member and Timeslips consultant Caren Schwartz adds this Quip: "If you want a time billing solution that will give you flexibility in choosing a practice/case management solution, I would recommend Timeslips. Most other solutions that I would recommend are tied into the case management package. You might want to think about both parts at once, even if you implement the billing first, it will be easier if you know your ultimate goal."

About Quips
A Quip is a brief member contribution for which we don't have room in our Answers to Questions or Fat Friday newsletters. Instead, Quips appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Recently, in Answers to Questions, TechnoLawyer members debated the wisdom of using a Mac in a law practice. Martin Pagel, realizing that most lawyers have no choice in the matter, points to Sharp's new Actius MC24 notebook, which looks like an Apple iBook but weighs 0.5 pounds less. It sells for $999 directly from Sharp; less elsewhere. Among its specs: Mobile AMD Athlon XP-M Processor 2400+, 512MB of DDR SDRAM (upgradable to 768MB), 12.1-inch XGA TFT LCD, 40GB hard drive, 802.11g WiFi, 4 USB 2.0 ports, a VGA port, a PCMCIA Type II card slot, and a CD-RW/DVD combo drive.

About Quips
A Quip is a brief member contribution for which we don't have room in our Answers to Questions or Fat Friday newsletters. Instead, Quips appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Recently in our TechnoGuide newsletter, TechnoLawyer member Diane Targovnik asked for help synchronizing her Treo with Group. Fellow TechnoLawyer member Nancy Crow has come to her rescue, writing "Intellisync syncs my Handspring Visor with GroupWise quite nicely. I'm sure it will work with a Treo." TechnoLawyer member Sharon Taylor seconds Nancy's recommendation: "We have been able to use the Intellisync software to transfer data to GroupWise and sync calendar and address information from Palm Pilot databases into Groupwise databases." You can try Intellisync before you buy a copy.

About Quips
A Quip is a brief member contribution for which we don't have room in our Answers to Questions or Fat Friday newsletters. Instead, Quips appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

In response to the recent reviews of digital dictation recorders in Answers to Questions, TechnoLawyer member Stan Burton writes: "Look at StartStop for great solution using the Olympus DS-330, real footpedals that connect USB, and simple to use software."

About Quips
A Quip is a brief member contribution for which we don't have room in our Answers to Questions or Fat Friday newsletters. Instead, Quips appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

On the topic of paper shredders, which we recently discussed in Fat Friday, TechnoLawyer member Martin Oppenheimer adds his two cents: "I'm not tied to a specific brand, I have a Fellowes at home and a GBC at work and they both seem fine. But, based on some chopping, I suggest you buy a cross-cut model, it is apparently more secure."

About Quips
A Quip is a brief member contribution for which we don't have room in our Answers to Questions or Fat Friday newsletters. Instead, Quips appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

Regarding the recent discussion in Fat Friday about bans on smartphones in courthouses, TechnoLawyer member Steve Minor reports that at least one court — the Eastern District of Tennessee — is "willing to make a deal with you." What about the courts in your jurisdiction?

About Quips
A Quip is a brief member contribution for which we don't have room in our Answers to Questions or Fat Friday newsletters. Instead, Quips appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.

In Fat Friday, we recently discussed devices banned by courts around the country. Regarding the reasoning behind these bans, TechnoLawyer member Jon Calhoun posits: "I think the cell phone ban is addressed not so much to deter carrying in explosives, but to prevent a cell phone from being used as a remote triggering device to set off explosives. I know this sounds like something out of Mission Impossible, but I believe cell phones were used as triggering devices in the bombings in Spain recently."

About Quips
A Quip is a brief member contribution for which we don't have room in our Answers to Questions or Fat Friday newsletters. Instead, Quips appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.