TechnoLawyer: TL NewsWire

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a practice management system with customized workflows for six litigation practice areas (see article below), an iOS text editor with automation tools, a practice management system that enables you to bill for email messages, work product stored on Dropbox, and more, and an Exchange add-on for maintaining a firm-wide address book. Don't miss the next issue.

A PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM DESIGNED FOR LITIGATION

The billable hour has experienced some pressure in so-called predictable practice areas in which clients essentially hire law firms for legal documents. But not in litigation matters, which have more twists and turns than Lombard Street. However, few blank checks exist in litigation so the more efficiently you can handle such matters, the more business you'll get.

ActionStep U.S. Litigation Pack … in One Sentence

Launched this week, ActionStep U.S. Litigation Pack is a set of litigation-specific workflows for the ActionStep practice management system.

The Killer Feature

Back in the day (i.e., before this week), creating a system of workflows for a litigation practice area required the help of a consultant. This was money well spent assuming your firm had the money to spend. Law firms that couldn't afford such customization used practice management systems out of the box — less than ideal.

ActionStep seeks to make such customization more accessible for small and midsize law firms. ActionStep U.S. Litigation Pack includes predefined customization and workflows for six of the most common litigation practice areas — commercial, criminal, DWI, family law, personal injury, and workers' compensation.

You can further tweak these workflows to your exact specifications (e.g., firm policies, jurisdictional requirements, etc.), which will consume much less time than creating everything from scratch.

The ActionStep U.S. Litigation Pack kicks in when a prospect first contacts your firm, which means it encompasses your intake (and rejection) system. Once a prospect becomes a client, the case type-specific workflow creates a consistent series of steps that the lawyers and staff in your firm can follow with minimal training, thus improving efficiency, eliminating errors (such as missed deadlines), and reducing costs for clients. Everyone working on a case knows its current status and can see the next task (step).

"The ActionStep U.S. Litigation Pack is a perfect example of how our App Store deliver pre-configured solutions to law firms that they can use as-is or tailor to their needs," ActionStep CEO Ted Jordan told us. "This enables law firms escape the generic one-size-fits-all trap of other practice management systems."

Other Notable Features

The ActionStep U.S. Litigation Pack is the newest Workflows app you can add to ActionStep but not the only one. ActionStep also offers pre-configured Workflows for other popular practice areas with more in development.

In addition to its Workflows, ActionStep includes calendars, contacts, email, tasks, etc. organized by client and matter, syncing with Google Apps and Microsoft Exchange, document assembly, and document management among other features. A daily "Heads Up" email message lists your deadlines, overdue tasks, and more.

What Else Should You Know?

ActionStep works in all modern web browsers on Windows PCs, Macs, iPads and other tablets, and smartphones. It's mobile-ready, automatically adjusting to the device you're using. ActionStep costs $60 per user per month. The ActionStep U.S. Litigation Pack costs $25 per user per month if you want all the practice areas. However, if you don't need all of them, you can buy them individually for $6 per user per month each. Learn more about ActionStep U.S. Litigation Pack.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers an ediscovery culling and review application that you can use from any web browser (see article below), an iOS countdown timer app, a virtual desktop service, and an iPad stylus for drawing. Don't miss the next issue.

WEB-ENABLED PRE-CULLING SOFTWARE

Every day, you use a technology so advanced that you don't even think about its existence. Instead, it just performs its job, taking you from your home to your office and back again. Yes, your car. Once upon a time, owning a car practically required that you become a mechanic. Ediscovery software needs to function more like today's cars than those from yesteryear.

Early Data Analyzer … in One Sentence

Launched earlier this year, LexisNexis Early Data Analyzer features a number of tools designed to eliminate (cull) irrelevant electronic data collected from custodians (people of interest in a litigation) faster.

The Killer Feature

Ediscovery begins with preserving custodian data in a forensically sound manner. Using Early Data Analyzer, your litigation support team or consultant culls this data significantly but usually not completely. At this point, in-house or outside counsel completes the culling process in Early Data Analyzer by reviewing the remaining documents tagged as "Undecided."

The new version doesn't require lawyers to install any software. Instead, you can use Early Data Analyzer from any web browser, including Safari on an iPad. Multiple lawyers on your team can review case data simultaneously, applying tags to complete the culling process. You can even use Early Data Analyzer as a first pass document review tool to create a production set for opposing counsel.

"The new version of Early Data Analyzer fits the modern litigation workflow," Director of Product Planning Aaron Pierce told us. "Lawyers need to help their teams complete the culling process from anywhere. Being able to use Early Data Analyzer from a web browser makes this possible."

Other Notable Features

Pierce notes that Early Data Analyzer processes collected data faster than other tools because it's multithreaded and doesn't need to make a copy. Early Data Analyzer's culling tools include global or per-custodian de-duplication, de-nisting, custom hashes (your own exclusions), and inclusion or exclusion by email domain name, file types, and language.

Early Data Analyzer offers a number of search technologies, including metadata search (e.g., email fields), a dictionary of terms from the dataset, filters, and Boolean searches. You can save searches and search within them as well as apply various parameters such as custodian and date range. The new OCR function ensures that you won't miss anything (you can choose from two OCR engines — ABBYY or ExpertVision).

A dashboard enables you to manage the culling process. Those who take the initial pass can mark documents as "Undecided" for lawyers to review as noted above. Various reports help you assess the dataset and make decisions about case strategy and reduce costs.

What Else Should You Know?

You can use Early Data Analyzer for all your culling needs and export a "load file" for popular litigation review products such as LexisNexis' own Concordance. Alternatively, you can export the dataset to LAW PreDiscovery, which has additional functionality and traditional export options such as printing and TIFF. Learn more about LexisNexis Early Data Analyzer.

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So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a Bluetooth ballpoint pen that transmits your notes to your iPad or iPhone (see article below), a doorbell that connects to your smartphone, an online word processor with realtime collaboration, and a portable flatbed scanner. Don't miss the next issue.

A PEN MIGHTIER THAN A STYLUS

Lawyers find themselves in a bit of a quandary nowadays when taking notes. Because of their raised lids and the sound of their keyboards, laptops may distract the person you're interviewing. An iPad paired with a stylus and an app that can record and sync audio seems ideal except that using a stylus slows you down. You may find it hard to keep up. This leaves pen and paper, which is fast but cannot record and sync the recorded audio to your notes. Lawyers need a mashup of all three note-taking methods.

Livescribe 3 Smartpen … in One Sentence

Launched two weeks ago, Livescribe 3 Smartpen is a Bluetooth ballpoint pen that transmits your notes and synced audio to your iPad or iPhone.

The Killer Feature

Livescribe 3 Smartpen requires Livescribe Dot Paper, which you can purchase from the company in various sizes and formats or print from your computer. You'll also need the free companion Livescribe+ app, which requires iOS 7 and works with an iPad 3 or later, original iPad mini or later, and iPhone 4s or later.

The app features handwriting recognition software that converts your handwritten notes into searchable and editable text. This not only obviates having to transcribe your notes, but also enables you to convert notes into appointments, contacts, tasks, and more thanks to the app's integration with Calendar, Contacts, Reminders, Evernote, and other apps. You can also tap a phone number to dial it when viewing notes on your iPhone.

Other Notable Features

Livescribe 3 Smartpen lasts for 14 hours when fully charged (you charge it using the bundled USB cable). In a clever twist, the pen's cover features a nib, enabling you to use it directly on your iPad or iPhone as a stylus.

The Livescribe+ app enables you to add photos and type text onto the notes you take with the Livescribe 3 Smartpen. Notes exist in PDF format, enabling you to send them to anyone, and work on them in any application that supports the PDF format.

In addition to the default Page view, you'll find two other views in the Livescribe+ app. The "Feed" button intelligently segments a page of notes. For example, the app recognizes headings for section segmenting as well as pauses in your note-taking for chronological segmenting. You can export a segment as its own note. The "Pencast" button plays back your note-taking while playing the synced audio. A scrubber enables you to play a specific portion.

What Else Should You Know?

You can choose from two packages. For $149.95, you get one ink cartridge and a 50 sheet starter notebook with the Livescribe 3 Smartpen. For $199.95, you get two ink cartridges, a leather Livescribe portfolio, a 100 sheet pad that fits in the portfolio, and a one-year Evernote Premium subscription that would normally cost $45. Learn more about Livescribe 3 Smartpen.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a new research service for corporate and securities lawyers in law firms and legal departments (see article below), a device for creating your own private cloud storage, an iPhone automation app, and a proofreading add-on for Microsoft Office. Don't miss the next issue.

ONE-STOP-SHOPPING FOR BUSINESS LAW RESEARCH

When you negotiate and draft complex agreements such as mergers and acquisitions, prepare high-stakes securities filings, etc., there's no margin for error. Often, it's helpful to see how others have handled a certain issue. The problem is that conducting such research requires using a patchwork of government and private databases (with incomplete information) plus Google searches. Litigators have long enjoyed one-stop-shopping for legal research thanks to services such as WestlawNext. Corporate lawyers in law firms and legal departments deserve a similar experience.

The Business Law Center on WestlawNext … in One Sentence

Launched this month, Thomson Reuters' Business Law Center on WestlawNext (Business Law Center) provides a single location for business law research with tools designed to find relevant information quickly at low cost.

The Killer Feature

You'll find information on the Business Law Center unavailable elsewhere, including more than one million public and private mergers and acquisition deal documents and transaction summaries. Other proprietary materials include bond offerings and other capital markets transactions.

You'll also find other tools of the trade — up-to-date SEC and global filings and disclosures, EDGAR precedent agreements, SEC administrative materials (including "the most comprehensive collection of SEC staff comment letters"), and more.

"The Business Law Center on WestlawNext is the easiest-to-use and yet also the most powerful transactional research tool on the market," General Manager of Business Law Solutions Steve Obenski told us. "It's a truly modern website with advanced search and filtering capabilities."

Other Notable Features

Content is king, but only if it's easily accessible and affordable. With the Business Law Center, you can start with a broad search and then narrow it using the product's Advanced Filters. You pay only for the initial search. All the filtering thereafter costs nothing. Search results appear "remarkably fast" according to Obenski.

The Business Law Center's Advanced Filters offer a wealth of criteria, including transaction type (acquisitions, mergers, mezzanine and subordinated debt, public offerings, etc.), industry, law firm, company type, and geography to name a few. Search Templates essentially act like software wizards to guide you through the search process. Obenski says that "finding the information you need in the proverbial haystack has never been easier."

Once you find a document of interest, Related Information provides you with one-click access from a filing to its associated transaction summary, related agreements, and related SEC Comment Letters.

With Advanced Folders, you can save and organize your research, and share it with others on your team. There's no additional charge for others who access your research in Shared Folders.

What Else Should You Know?

Corporate lawyers often work odd hours and weekends because of tight deadlines, as well as clients, co-counsel, and opposing counsel in other time zones. No matter when you're working, you can obtain help via email or telephone from "Experts on Call," a dedicated group of subject matter experts in securities and other transactional law thanks to years of experience creating services such as LIVEDGAR. In fact, Obenski told us that "if you like LIVEDGAR, you'll love Business Law Center." Learn more about The Business Law Center on WestlawNext.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a document management system in which you can also store email (see article below), a billing compliance application, an iPhone app for keeping both your billable hours target and planned vacation days on track, and touchscreen-friendly winter gloves. Don't miss the next issue.

A CENTRAL REPOSITORY FOR CLIENT-RELATED DOCUMENTS AND EMAIL

If someone asks you which type of document your law firm creates most often, you'd probably say "word processing" out of habit. However, it's probably email. Though we often forget that email messages are documents, they contain some of the most important information about a matter. And of course they often contain attached documents.

DocMoto 3 … in One Sentence

Launched this month, CHL Software's DocMoto is a Mac-based document management system.

The Killer Feature

Previously, DocMoto handled all document types except email. The new version now stores client-related email as well. You can add existing email messages and their attachments using drag and drop, so that you can quickly get email into DocMoto. You can also initiate a new email message from within DocMoto, which enables you to attach documents in DocMoto as well as documents on your Mac.

DocMoto integrates with Apple Mail, Microsoft Outlook (Mac version), and Mozilla PostBox. Any email messages you send from DocMoto will also appear in your email account's Sent folder if you use one of the above applications.

"The single biggest reason Mac-based law firms contact us is because they can't find email and other documents quickly and easily using the Finder on Apple's file server or cloud storage services," CHL Software's Marketing Manager Neil Cameron told us. "With DocMoto 3.0 we have made this simple to achieve.

Other Notable Features

DocMoto offers all the features you'd expect of a document management as well as a few unique twists. Regarding the former, each time you or a colleague work on a document, DocMoto can save it as a new version and also create an audit log. Other such features include full-text search, document and folder tags (e.g., client, matter, document type, etc.), enforced document profiles that ensure correct filing of new documents, and document- and folder-level security so that you can restrict access (e.g., read only or no access at all).

One of DocMoto's unique twists is that you can use it as a secure client portal, enabling your clients and others to access designated folders and documents via a web browser (no Mac required). Also, in a nod to the iPad's popularity among lawyers, you can access your DocMoto account using the GoodReader iPad app.

DocMoto offers a number of automation technologies. You can receive an email alert when someone changes a document or folder you're watching. To ensure consistent document creation across your firm, you can create a library of "document masters" (e.g., templates for letters, pleadings, wills, etc.). Similarly, "folder templates" ensure that each new matter has the correct set of folders. DocMoto can also automatically enter deadlines into your calendar (such as Apple's built-in Calendar application or Outlook 2011), reminding you of court or internal deadlines for document creation.

What Else Should You Know?

Your firm can host DocMoto onsite or use it on a hosted basis. In either case, it works the same, the only difference being the location of the Mac on which your firm's documents reside. Learn more about DocMoto 3.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Originally published in our free TL NewsWire newsletter. Instead of reading TL NewsWire here, sign up now to receive future issues via email.

EQUALS IN NEARLY EVERY RESPECT

Is there an iPad for everyone? Well, some lawyers prefer the fourth generation iPad because of its retina display and fast A6X CPU. But some think it's too pricy. These thriftier lawyers gravitate to the less expensive iPad 2. Others think it's too heavy. This contingent prefers the iPad mini thanks to its small size and light weight. And then there's a group of lawyers who prefer tablets running Android or Windows 8.

iPad Air and iPad mini With Retina Display … in One Sentence

Announced today, Apple's iPad Air is a 9.7-inch tablet whereas its iPad mini With Retina Display is a 7.9-inch tablet.

The Killer Feature

The iPad Air weighs one pound or 469 grams (the cellular model weighs 1.05 pounds or 478 grams). It's 0.29 inches or 7.5 mm thick. And of course it has a retina display (2048 x 1536 pixels at 264 pixels per inch).

Meanwhile, the iPad mini now has a retina display (2048 x 1536 pixels at 326 pixels per inch); its weight has increased a bit to 0.73 pounds or 331 grams (the cellular model weighs 0.75 pounds or 341 grams). It has the same thickness as the iPad Air.

Most notably, both iPads use Apple's new 64-bit A7 CPU (the same CPU used in the iPhone 5s).

By powering both iPads with the same CPU and outfitting them with a retina display, Apple is sending a clear message to lawyers and the rest of the enterprise world — choose between the two new iPads solely on size and price (and to a lesser extent weight) since they both run apps at the same speed and resolution (the iPad mini's smaller display is theoretically crisper because of its higher pixel density, but it's unlikely you'll notice a difference).

In fact, because the display size on each remains the same respectively and the difference in weight has narrowed, your preference may simply boil down to whether you prefer traditional touch typing in landscape orientation (iPad Air has the edge) or thumb typing in portrait orientation (iPad mini has the edge).

Other Notable Features

Let's delve into that other important factor. The WiFi-only iPad Air costs $499 (16 GB), $599 (32 GB), $699 (64 GB), or $799 (128 GB). The WiFi-only iPad mini starts at $399 for 16 GB. Its price also increases in $100 increments — and yes, there's a 128 GB version. Add $129 to each of these prices for the models with LTE cellular data connectivity, available on all four major carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon).

The two iPads don't only share the same CPU. All their other specifications are likewise identical — rear 5 megapixel iSight camera capable of 1080p video, front 1.2 megapixel FaceTime HD camera capable of 720p video, dual microphones, stereo speakers, 9-10 hours of battery life, Siri, lightning connector, etc.

Color choices for both iPads consist of a silver back and white front or a space gray back and black front. They have chamfered edges like the iPhone 5s, but there's no gold color option.

In addition to shipping with iOS 7, both new iPads include Apple's iWork productivity suite — Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. Updated today, these apps now use the same file format respectively across their iOS, OS X, and web versions. The most notable new feature is real-time collaborative editing (stay tuned for a more detailed report and review). The new iPads also include Apple's iLife suite of apps — iPhoto, iMovie, and Garage Band.

What Else Should You Know?

You can get your fingers on an iPad Air on November 1 and the iPad mini sometime in November (translation — expect shortages). Apple will continue selling the 16 GB iPad 2 (2011) for $399 ($529 for the 3G cellular model) and the 16 GB iPad mini (2012) for $299 ($429 for the LTE cellular model). These old, non-retina models run on the now ancient A5 CPU. Learn more about iPad Air and iPad mini With Retina Display.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a "contactless" USB scanner for books and other documents beyond the capabilities of sheet-fed scanners (see article below), a WiFi surveillance camera, an iPhone weather app, and an iPhone mount. Don't miss the next issue.

TAKE THE LAST STEP FROM LESS PAPER TO PAPERLESS

First, you bought a desktop scanner to eliminate paper from your office. Then you bought a network or production scanner to eliminate paper from your law firm. Then you bought a portable scanner to prevent bringing paper to your office after a trip. What's left? Well, you probably walk by it every day — the out-of-print books and magazines in your law firm's library that you'd like to keep. Oh — and maybe a few hundred business cards and fragile documents such as old wills just a few items that sheet-fed scanners don't handle well or at all.

ScanSnap SV600 … in One Sentence

Launched last week, Fujitsu's ScanSnap SV600 is an overhead USB "contactless" document scanner.

The Killer Feature

Scanning a book sounds like a grueling task. You'll probably want to create an uplifting playlist and don headphones, but the ScanSnap SV600 has a number of technologies to make this chore less time-consuming.

For example, the scanner detects page turning. Thus, once you position a book, you just turn pages. The scanner automatically scans each pair of pages without you having to press a button. Alternatively, you can time the interval between scans. The SV600 also automatically flattens "book curves" for better quality digital versions. Perhaps most impressively, the scanner omits fingers from scans in the event you don't yank away your hand fast enough after turning a page.

Other Notable Features

The SV600 weighs 6.6 pounds. Its base measures 8.27 x 6.1 x 15 inches. It scans documents ranging in size from 1 x 1 inches to 17 x 11.8 inches at resolutions up to 600 dpi. Each scan takes about three seconds. Scanning technologies include straightening (deskew) as well as automatic color, orientation, and size detection. You can save documents in JPG or PDF formats (including searchable PDF).

Fujitsu's engineers incorporated several other technologies designed to make scanning more efficient. Most notably, you need not scan one item at a time thanks to multiple document detection technology. This obviously works best with small documents. For example, you can scan several business cards simultaneously.

What Else Should You Know?

The SV600 requires a PC running Windows XP or later. Fujitsu has a reputation for generous software bundles. The SV600 includes Adobe Acrobat Standard, ABBYY FineReader (traditional OCR), Rack2-Filer Smart (document management), CardMinder (business card OCR), and of course Fujitsu's own ScanSnap Manager (scan settings) and ScanSnap Organizer (document management). The SV600 has an MSRP of $795. Learn more about ScanSnap SV600.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers practice management software with a secure client portal (see article below), a height-adjustable desk, a project management application, and an iPad app for creating timelines. Don't miss the next issue.

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT WITH A SECURE CLIENT PORTAL

A recent study published by Ponemon Institute found that data breaches have occurred at approximately 90% of organizations. You've no doubt read articles about such security breaches. However, it's the security breaches you never find out about that wreak the most harm. Not every criminal gets caught after all. Maybe you didn't lose that trial last year on the merits. A new practice management system contains a technology to prevent such breaches.

LexisNexis Time Matters 13 … in One Sentence

Announced this week and launching later this month, LexisNexis Time Matters 13 is a practice management and billing system with a new secure client portal.

The Killer Feature

Today's clients want the convenience of online client portals for access to their matters, including confidential and privileged documents. However, you're responsible for providing a secure solution. Your bar can only protect you from ethics charges, not other harm that results from data breaches.

LexisNexis claims that the new Time Matters Client Portal enables your firm to provide your clients and other third parties with secure yet convenient access to designated documents. As an added bonus, you need not worry about file size unlike with email. The Time Matters Client Portal is powered by WatchDox, which industry research firms Forrester and Gartner have both endorsed as the most secure enterprise file sharing solution.

The Time Matters Client Portal requires minimal setup and training. Among its features, you can share files with both PCs and mobile devices, restrict the documents you share (e.g., prevent copying, editing, printing, and/or forwarding), add a watermark unique to each user to discourage breaches, set an expiration date, revoke previously granted access temporarily or permanently, and prevent unauthorized screen capture by limiting access to small areas of a document at any one time (PC-only currently). Needless to say, all documents are encrypted. You can wipe access to any or all of your firm's documents any time.

"The dramatic proliferation of mobile devices has raised client expectations for secure access to documents," Time Matter Product Manager Alex Overcash told us. "However, law firms are justifiably concerned about security given their stewardship of sensitive information. There simply hasn't been a viable alternative until now. The Time Matters Client Portal offers a simple but highly effective way to know who has access to a file, what they can do with it, and for how long."

Other Notable Features

As its version number 13 suggests, Time Matters has a wealth of features that not only encompass traditional practice management, but also modern features such as Time Entry Advisor, which debuted last year in version 12. You can use Time Matters out of the box or customize it with the help of a certified consultant and/or third-party add-ons.

New features include the ability to color code matters in calendars so that everyone can instantly identify Events and ToDos related to particular matters. Like Time Entry Advisor, color coding also helps you catch billable hours that might otherwise go unbilled. Version 13 also includes administrator-configurable automatic backups to help prevent catastrophic data loss.

What Else Should You Know?

Existing Time Matters customers with an annual maintenance plan (AMP) can upgrade to version 13 at no charge. Otherwise, Time Matters costs $985 for the first user and $570 for each additional user. These prices include a one-year AMP, which provides you with 12 hours of telephone support on weekdays, software updates, on-demand online training, and Time Matters Mobility for access from your smartphone. Learn more about LexisNexis Time Matters 13.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TL NewsWireThe feature article of today's issue of TL NewsWire covers a wireless and cloud-capable scanner with a convenient design. The Roundup section covers a scanning app for the iPad with built-in OCR, a special edition Fujitsu scanner for Evernote users, and an iOS app for taking photo notes. Also, if you missed last week's TL NewsWire feature article, you'll find an excerpt and link below.

THE WHY-DIDN'T-THEY-THINK-ABOUT-THAT-BEFORE SCANNER

Have we reached the apex of scanning? Hardly. With foolproof scans routine, companies now seem focused on making scanning more productive. This not only means faster speeds at lower prices, but also more convenient scanner designs and better software that can scan to anywhere and automate organization and other tasks. A new scanner tackles these pain points.

NeatConnect … in One Sentence

Announced last month and shipping this month, Neat's NeatConnect is a wireless desktop scanner.

The Killer Feature

Most current scanners have just one slot, resulting in a first-world annoyance. You narrow the slot to scan a business card or receipt. When you next use the scanner, you have to widen the slot for the letter-size document you want to scan.

NeatConnect eliminates this annoyance with three dedicated slots — one for business cards, one for receipts, and one for documents. The latter slot is adjustable to accommodate tweener documents.

Other Notable Features

NeatConnect measures 11 x 8.7 x 7.5 inches and weighs 5.7 pounds. Each of NeatConnect's three slots can hold up to 15 items. NeatConnect scans duplex at speeds up to 24 pages per minute. The maximum resolution is 600 dpi.

You'll find three connection options — a USB port, an SD card slot, and WiFi (802.11 b/g/n) for wireless scanning. NeatConnect has a touch screen on its front, which you can use instead of the bundled Neat software to change settings and select the destination of your scans. This eliminates another first world problem — scurrying back and forth between your computer and scanner.

In fact, you can bypass your computer entirely by scanning directly to an email address or to NeatCloud, a secure cloud document management system that you can access via a web browser or the Android or iOS app (NeatCloud requires a subscription; you get a free three month trial with the scanner). You can also scan to other cloud services, including Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, and SkyDrive.

If you scan to your computer, you can take advantage of the bundled Neat software, which can recognize and extract data such as the establishment name and total on a receipt, and the contact information on a business card or letter. Built-in templates enable you to use extracted data for expense and tax reports. You can also export extracted data for use in other software such as your Outlook address book.

What Else Should You Know?

NeatConnect costs $499.95. The bundled Neat software works on both Macs and PCs. The optional NeatCloud service ranges in price from $5.99 to $24.99 per month (less expensive annual plans also exist). Learn more about NeatConnect.

How to Receive TL NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TL NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The newsletter's innovative articles enable lawyers and law office administrators to quickly understand the function of a product, and zero in on its most important features. The TL NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TL NewsWire covers an iPhone practice management app with a user interface designed for iOS 7 (see article below), a PACER alternative, desktop search software, and an iOS recording app and optional transcription service. Don't miss the next issue.

IPHONE APP OFFERS COMPREHENSIVE ACCESS TO YOUR PRACTICE

For years, lawyers have clamored for iPhone practice management apps. Break out the bubbly because the golden age of such apps has begun. On the iPhone, user experience — especially fast access to features — is just as important as the features themselves. With this in mind, the developers of the newest practice management iPhone app have created several user interface flourishes.

Clio for iPhone … in One Sentence

Launched this week, Clio for iPhone is a native iPhone app for the Clio practice management system that has a user interface designed from the ground up for iOS 7.

The Killer Feature

Did you know that Apple didn't invent "pull to refresh"? However, Apple has since adopted it in Mail and other apps because it's so intuitive. Don't be surprised if Apple also copies Clio for iPhone's "Triptych Layout," which consists of two slide menus on either side of the screen. It's designed to reduce the number of taps required to access features.

When you swipe from left to right, you can access Clio for iPhone's core features, including Matters, Contacts, Calendars, Tasks, Time Entries, and Documents. Swiping right to left reveals a task menu that includes a timer, your task agenda, and most important tasks as well as recent matters you've accessed. Just tap to access any item in either triptych area.

It's no surprise that Clio for iPhone's Triptych Layout coincides with the release of iOS 7 given that Apple's new mobile operating system emphasizes layers (depth). Clio for iPhone also supports iOS 6.

"We wanted to give lawyers both flexibility and fast access to their data," CEO Jack Newton told us. "The Clio iOS App achieves this by marrying all the features lawyers need to manage their practice from anywhere with an innovative design. Whether it's updating tasks during a commute, tracking time during a client lunch, pulling up documents on the fly, etc., no other mobile legal practice management app enables lawyers to access features so quickly."

Other Notable Features

Clio for iPhone's Matter Timeline gives you a complete history of any matter. You can see, access, and edit recent events, as well as see notes and other details. Quick Actions enable you to add notes or time entries to any matter. These immediately show up in the Matter Timeline.

Regarding to time entries, there's a built-in timer as noted above. Once started, the timer remains visible on every screen in a blue bar. On the Time Entry screen, you can see time entries organized by day. A summary of billed time also exists, enabling you to review all of your billed time and revenue for a matter or time period.

Other features include iPhone integration (e.g., tap email addresses to compose a message, tap telephone numbers to place calls, etc.), the ability to require a personal identification number to open the app for added security, full access to all DOC, PDF, and other documents stored in Clio, and automatic bidirectional syncing with your Clio account (if you're offline, syncing will occur when you're back online).

What Else Should You Know?

Clio for iPhone is free, available on the App Store. It requires a Clio account. Pricing for Clio starts at $49 per month per lawyer, and $25 per month per support staff. Learn more about Clio for iPhone.

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