TechnoLawyer: TL NewsWire

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers an email client for Mac and Windows, a secure document sharing service, a Web application for creating public or private discussion forums, a service that enables you to monitor social networks via email, and BlackBerry syncing software for Macs (see article below). Don't miss the next issue.

Email on Performance-Enhancing Technology

Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal published an article entitled, "Why Email No Longer Rules." The article notes that while email usage continues to grow (21% more email accounts than in 2008), social media is growing faster (31% more accounts). That hardly sounds like a dying medium. Doesn't the Wall Street Journal, the bastion of financial news, realize that a hot new medium will have a faster growth rate than a hot "old" medium because fewer people use the new one? No, email is far from dead. But it's certainly ripe for some new tools given its central role in law firm workflows.

Postbox 1.0 … in One Sentence
Postbox is an email client with a new approach to email management.

The Killer Feature
When you consider that email harkens back to the 1970s, it has a surprisingly rich structure — date, from, to, cc, subject, body, attachments, etc. Why then do so many email clients either lack the ability to search these parameters or take forever to display the search results?

Postbox claims to address this shortcoming with what it calls "ultra-fast search." Using the Search Panel, you can create narrow searches such as messages that contain a certain word within a date range. Alternatively, you can use Postbox's search syntax (e.g., from:Barack) to create these searches directly in the search box.

Postbox displays the matching messages in the left column, and highlights your search terms when you view a message. In the right column. it lists matching attachments. You can search from any window, including the Compose Message window, enabling you to find a previous attachment that you want to send again.

Other Notable Features
Postbox features an assortment of organizational tools. For example, you can list all recent messages involving a contact, and organize messages using Topics (e.g., client/matter). You can also view messages by conversation. Unlike Gmail, which gives you no alternative, Postbox enables you to toggle between a traditional view and the conversation view.

Postbox also organizes the content within messages. In the inspector panel to the right of each message you'll find attachments, addresses, URLs, etc. You can edit and annotate any message, and archive a group of messages when a case or deal closes.

Even though everyone knows you shouldn't use email messages as a task list, everyone does it anyway. Rather than scold you, Postbox enables you to mark messages as ToDos, which pins them to the top of your message list so they don't get lost among messages that don't contain a task.

What Else Should You Know?
Postbox runs on Mac or Windows. Because it's built atop Mozilla, developers can port their Thunderbird utilities to work with Postbox (e.g., calendars). Postbox costs $39.95. For an additional $24.95, you'll receive all future upgrades at no additional charge. You can try Postbox free for 30 days. Learn more about Postbox 1.0.

How to Receive TechnoLawyer NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The "In One Sentence" section describes each product in one sentence, and the "Killer Feature" section describes each product's most compelling feature. The TechnoLawyer NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a file opening and saving utility (see article below), a typography style guide for law firms, a desktop organizational utility, a gadget for tracking your fitness and sleep, and a push synchronization utility for Google Calendar and Gmail. Don't miss the next issue.

Faster Folder Navigation

For more than 20 years, open and save dialog boxes have required click after click after click as you drill down to the specific folder you need. Conspiracy theorists might conclude that a cabal of accessory manufacturers have blocked progress so that computer mice wear out faster. Whatever the reason, law firms would welcome a different approach given the many nested client/matter folders they typically use.

QuickJump … in One Sentence
TechHit's QuickJump is a Windows utility that enhances "File Open" and "Save As" dialog boxes.

The Killer Feature

TechHit's QuickJump aims to improve your productivity when opening and saving documents. QuickJump appears within every open and save dialog box. Instead of drilling through folders, you just type a few letters of the folder name. As you type, matching folders appear in the list below. When you see the folder you need, select it and open a document from that folder, or save a document to that folder.

"Many TechnoLawyer subscribers already use other TechHit products such as SimplyFile and MesageSave," TechHit CEO Alex Kovalchuk told us. "QuickJump's fast folder navigation will further save them time."

Other Notable Features
QuickJump does not limit you to typing the name of one folder not does it require contiguous data entry. For example, suppose you want to save a document to C:\Clients\Jones\Invoices\Unpaid. Instead of typing "Unpaid," which would pull up that folder for every client, you could instead type "inv jon unpa" to display just that one folder. Note that you need not type whole words or even type them in the order of the nested path.

QuickJump integrates with TechHit's MessageSave, an Outlook add-on that enables law firms to archive Outlook messages and create an audit trail for compliance and retrieval purposes. QuickJump makes the archival process even faster, especially if you archive your email messages in nested folders by client and matter.

What Else Should You Know?
QuickJump works with Windows XP, Vista, and 7. Pricing starts at $29.95 per user with volume discounts available. You can try it for free for 30 days. Learn more about QuickJump.

How to Receive TechnoLawyer NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The "In One Sentence" section describes each product in one sentence, and the "Killer Feature" section describes each product's most compelling feature. The TechnoLawyer NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a browser-based practice management system (see article below), a Web-based enterprise search solution, an online password manager, a site that matches lawyers with prospective clients, and an iPhone app for processing business cards and receipts. Don't miss the next issue.

Make Your Practice Management Headaches Disappear

Lawyers routinely perform magic. Just as magicians use the power of persuasion to make it seem like they've changed the laws of physics, lawyers use similar powers to win over judges and jurors even when the facts of the case make it seemingly impossible. But when it comes to managing their law firm, lawyers seek another form of magic known as practice management software.

Houdini ESQ … in One Sentence
LOGICBit's Houdini ESQ is a browser-based practice management suite.

The Killer Feature
LinkedIn may help you recruit a new associate, and Twitter may help attract a new client, but email remains the communications workhorse for law firms.

Recognizing email's central role, LOGICBit engineered Houdini ESQ to work with any email system, including Microsoft Exchange and Google Apps.

When you use your email account through Houdini ESQ, it logs your messages and attachments by client/matter so you can pull them all up tickler-style. You can also search for email messages and attachments firm-wide.

Other Notable Features
LOGICBit offers Houdini ESQ as a server that you install at your firm, or as a hosted Web application (SaaS as they say). The server requires a static IP address and runs on Mac, Windows, or Linux. Either way, you use Houdini ESQ in a Web browser.

Houdini ESQ offers an "event-centric workflow," which means all activities become "events." For example, if you and a colleague have a meeting, you can create an event, add both of your names, and start a timer. At the end of the meeting, stopping the timer creates two time entries that you can approve and bill.

Houdini ESQ also includes group calendaring with filters, document management with full-text search and bulk uploading by client/matter, secure chat, virtual post-its, billing, general ledger and trust accounting, and reports.

Houdini ESQ offers extensive customization so that you can capture information specific to your practice areas. Tools such as entry and lookup fields, drop downs, radio buttons, and checkboxes, and validators for social security numbers, zip codes, credit cards, etc. automate data entry and reduce errors.

What Else Should You Know?
Houdini ESQ's founder and chief developer previously served as the chief architect of Time Matters World Edition, one of the first browser-based practice management systems. The self-hosted version of Houdini ESQ is free for solos (single user). Otherwise, the server costs $792 and each seat $96. The hosted version of Houdini ESQ costs $48 per user per month. Support costs $96 per incident or $672 for an entire year. Learn more about Houdini ESQ.

How to Receive TechnoLawyer NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The "In One Sentence" section describes each product in one sentence, and the "Killer Feature" section describes each product's most compelling feature. The TechnoLawyer NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a document workflow solution (see article below), a browser-based automatic time capture application, a service that provides daily case summaries, a utility to organize multiple windows, and an iPhone app for investors. Don't miss the next issue.

Add a Little Magic to Your Legal Documents

With clients pressuring law firms to increase efficiency, you must distinguish between true legal work and administrative work — and automate the latter if possible. This dichotomy exists in virtually every legal document, which consists of legal work product (the words) and administrative work (style, file format, etc). Once you develop this sixth sense, you can figure out which automation technologies to employ.

pdfDocs Desktop 3.1 … in One Sentence
DocsCorp's pdfDocs Desktop 3.1 helps law firms automate their document workflow, including creation, sharing, and organizing.

The Killer Feature
Arthur C. Clarke noted that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." DocsCorp hopes you see magic in the pdfDocs Desktop's new Organizer Projects.

Organizer Projects act like a drop box. Once you import related documents, you can edit them, apply annotations, redact confidential information, and more. When you finish, you can apply predetermined "output settings" and export them with one click.

For example, you can enable security, add watermarks and Bates numbers, remove metadata, and then export the documents in PDF, PDF/A, JPEG, or TIFF format. You can then send the documents to clients or opposing counsel, and also upload them to your document management system or Microsoft SharePoint portal.

You can create matter-centric and task-centric Organizer Projects, each with their own output settings, and place them in a network folder for use firm-wide.

Other Notable Features
pdfDocs Desktop's Binder feature enables you to automate the process of creating closing books and other such deliverables for clients, courts, etc. Version 3.1 offers new Binder functionality. For example, you can import an entire matter folder, maintaining file and folder structure into pdfDocs Desktop.

When you drag in documents from folders or your document management system, pdfDocs Desktop enables you to check the document management system for the latest version of the source document. Also, you can now burn Binders to an auto-launching CD-ROM. You can save single PDF Binders (or multiple PDF Binders) as a link to your document management system or SharePoint portal or both.

Speaking of SharePoint, pdfDocs Desktop now offers dual integration, serving as a gateway that ties together your document management system and your SharePoint portal.

What Else Should You Know?
As you would expect, pdfDocs Desktop's docu-centric features remain intact from previous versions — PDF creation and annotation, file-splitting, PDF form creation, Microsoft Office integration, Bates numbering, metadata removal, and much more. Learn more about pdfDocs Desktop 3.1.

How to Receive TechnoLawyer NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The "In One Sentence" section describes each product in one sentence, and the "Killer Feature" section describes each product's most compelling feature. The TechnoLawyer NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a document assembly add-on for Microsoft Word (see article below), a touchscreen pocket computer (PDA), a litigation support program for managing discovery documents, an online electronic discovery workflow and project management application, and an iPhone fax app. Don't miss the next issue.

Document Dis-Assembly the First Step in Document Assembly

Few work-related tasks are as difficult as drafting legal documents. Even newly-minted lawyers with three years of law school and a bar exam under their belt lack the experience required for this task. But document drafting also involves a fair amount of tedious work. Nowadays, you can "outsource" such work to document assembly software, but some of these products seem like they require a software engineering degree — and you do not have any interest in going back to school.

Pathagoras 2010 … in One Sentence

Pathagoras is a document assembly solution that requires no programming knowledge to set up or use.

The Killer Feature

Pathagoras has always approached document assembly like a lawyer — you select clauses to create a rough draft, and then fill in the blanks with case-specific values such as your client's name, opposing party, etc. But moving clauses from existing documents into Pathagoras' clause libraries and books can consume a fair amount of time.

Pathagoras 2010's new "Term Works" technology automates this process. It provides the tools needed to "dis-assemble" a complete document into its core components. Open an existing document and then tell Pathagoras what separates the clauses — headings, paragraphs, or a simple character-set that you insert throughout the document. Pathagoras then dis-assembles the document, and stores each clause as a separate document using proper, meaningful names.

Because Pathagoras stores each clause as a Word document, it preserves all formatting such as italics, font size, etc. Pathagoras even preserves automatic paragraph numbering markers.

Other Notable Features

Pathagoras 2010 also features improved "DropDown Lists," which eliminate the need to manually dig through nested folders to find the document or clause you need to complete your document assembly project. Always on and always active, DropDown Lists reside at the top of your editing screen, and enable you to access any file within a designated folder with a single point-and-click. You can create up to ten DropDown Lists to access up to ten folders.

Other features include an Instant Database, which enable you to supply values to any variables in your document and save the assignments for reuse with other documents, Clause Sets for grouping clauses that you often use together, and built-in synchronization between your local hard drive and a network drive.

What Else Should You Know?

Pathagoras 2010 is a Microsoft Word add-on that works with Word 2000 and later on Windows. Pathagoras can convert your WordPerfect files into Word format so that you can extract their clauses using the new Term Works feature. You can also treat images as clauses for insertion into documents via the DropDown Lists. Pathagoras a2010 costs $379 for a single license or $799 for a 3-pack license. The company offers volume discounts for larger orders. Learn more about Pathagoras 2010.

How to Receive TechnoLawyer NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The "In One Sentence" section describes each product in one sentence, and the "Killer Feature" section describes each product's most compelling feature. The TechnoLawyer NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers a practice management system (see article below), a miniature Linux-based server, OCR software, an eBook reader and bookstore, and an iPhone app for streaming television shows. Don't miss the next issue.

Need to Manage Your Practice? There's an App for That.

The practice management software market has seen its share of ambitious products over the years, many of which don't survive beyond version 1 or 2 thanks to a misreading of the market, inadequate capital, poor management, version inflation (too many upgrades), or all of the above. Interestingly, several of the companies that gave birth to this market have survived and remain independent thanks to their customer focus. We've been remiss in covering one such product.

Needles Case Management Software Version 4.8 … in One Sentence
Needles Case Management Software Version 4.8 (Needles) is a practice management system designed to help law firms optimize their workflow and reduce errors.

The Killer Feature
When software like Needles first cropped up in the early days of the PC, the ability to generate mailing labels was a revelation.

But thanks to the business intelligence movement, law firms want to slice and dice their data in ways never before imagined. To meet this demand, Needles now provides more than 85 standard reports, and an overhauled Report Writer to make it easier to create your own custom reports. You can base a report on virtually any standard or custom fields, and sort the data as you see fit.

Other Notable Features
Needles has a wide array of features, including calendar, contacts, email, internal messaging, conflict checking, statute tracking, checklists, document management, case status, cost tracking, litigation management, and much more.

Opening Needles displays the Needles Today screen — a dashboard that lists upcoming calendar items, email and internal messages, and a checklist of tasks related to your matters. Needles' internal messaging system enables you to view a communication related to a case. In version 4.8, you can elect to have these messages sent to your email address so you can access them when you're not logged into Needles (e.g., on your smartphone).

Also new is a redesigned interface that enables you to view more information on Needles' case status screens, which provide a snapshot of a particular matter. You can export a status screen in HTML format and upload it to your extranet for client viewing.

Over the years, Needles has added the ability to integrate with accounting and billing programs such as QuickBooks, Tabs3, and Timeslips. Version 4.8 adds integration with Juris.

What Else Should You Know?
To make it easier to get started, Needles includes Case Types — templates for practice areas ranging from bankruptcy to insurance defense to personal injury that include everything from client intake to legal research to statutory deadlines. You can customize these templates further to suit your specific workflow. Needles costs $1,000 per user for up to nine users. The price per user drops incrementally at 10 users, 20 users, etc. Learn more about Needles.

How to Receive TechnoLawyer NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The "In One Sentence" section describes each product in one sentence, and the "Killer Feature" section describes each product's most compelling feature. The TechnoLawyer NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers an online document and records management service (see article below), an Exchange alternative with over-the-air push email, an online court rules service, a dual LCD monitor system, and an iPhone credit card app. Don't miss the next issue.

From Paper to Pixels to Searchable Text

You buy a scanner intending to scan years worth of records. But regardless of the scanner's speed, you soon realize the enormity of the task at hand. Time for some outsourcing, but who can you trust with your firm's documents?

Pixily … in One Sentence
Pixily is an online document and records management service with document scanning included in its monthly fee.

The Killer Feature
Pixily provides you with postage paid, waterproof envelopes with which you can send documents for scanning. Pixily scans your documents and also makes the text searchable, and then mails the originals back to you. You can keep the documents in your online account and/or download them in PDF format to store locally. Pixily provides end-to-end 256-bit SSL encryption.

Other Notable Features
You can upload Microsoft Office and PDF documents to Pixily as well as images in a variety of formats. You can also add documents to your account via email. If you snap a photo of a document and upload it, Pixily will make the text searchable.

Pixily offers a Google-like search tool. However, instead of listing your documents by title, Pixily also displays a thumbnail and the top of the first page, making it easier to find the document you seek. Once you find a document, you can view it within Pixily, and also email, print, or download it.

What Else Should You Know?
Pixily offers an iPhone-optimized version of its site for accessing your documents on the go. Pixily offers four plans — Free (1,000 pages), Value ($14.95/month; 1 envelope/ month, 3,000 pages), Value Plus ($29.95/month, 2 envelope/month, 6,000 pages), and Select ($59.95/month, 4 envelopes/month, 12,000 pages). Learn more about Pixily.

How to Receive TechnoLawyer NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The "In One Sentence" section describes each product in one sentence, and the "Killer Feature" section describes each product's most compelling feature. The TechnoLawyer NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers an online collaboration suite for law firms (see article below), an online legal research and practice management application, a 27 inch LCD widescreen monitor, a Windows utility for inventorying PCs, and a GPS-based navigation app for the iPhone 3G and 3GS. Don't miss the next issue.

Collaborate Online Just Like the Big Boys

In most industries, prices increase over time thanks to inflation and product improvements, cars being a prime example. But this law doesn't apply to technology. Prices tend to decrease even as functionality increases. As a result, large firms no longer have a monopoly on client-pleasing technologies — like online collaboration tools.

PBworks Legal Edition … in One Sentence
PBworks Legal Edition is an online collaboration suite for case management, client extranets, deal rooms, legal knowledgebases, and intranets.

The Killer Feature
You have probably experienced a visit from a consultant or sales representative who tries to persuade you to re-organize your firm's workflow to fit their product. While many law firms could benefit from fine-tuning, flexibility should go both ways.

While PBworks Legal Edition provides a general framework for online collaboration, the tools enable you to create your own custom workflows.

For example, suppose you store all of your notes and research in Microsoft Word files. PBworks Legal Edition enables you to import Word files into the Legal Knowledgebase. Once there, anyone in your firm can search them. On the other hand, if you prefer, you can place this information directly into the Legal Knowledgebase's wiki, which is also searchable.

PBworks Legal Edition also offers customizable templates. You can use these templates to ensure that everyone in your firm handles specific matters in a uniform manner. You can also create client-specific templates.

"Our goal for our legal customers is to help them get their work done more efficiently and effectively," PBworks CEO Jim Groff told us. "Enabling law firms to customize and standardize how they collaborate puts the focus on the work, rather than the technology."

Other Notable Features
The five components of PBworks Legal Edition — Legal Knowledgebase, Case Management, Client Extranet, Legal Intranet, and Electronic Deal Room — interconnect with one another when appropriate and offer full-text searching. Because PBworks Legal Edition resides on the Web, you use it within your Web browser and need not install software or buy servers.

As noted above, the Legal Knowledgebase offers a place to capture research. You can organize this information by client/matter if applicable. When you do so, you can access it from the Case Management component, which records all information related to a particular matter. This component also offers a Case Chronology, Tasks and Milestones, and automated email notifications for approaching deadlines.

The Legal Intranet serves as a storehouse for all internal records such as human resources. Similarly, the Client Extranet enables your clients to access key files and final deliverables. PBworks provides "enterprise-grade" security with the ability to restrict access to individual pages or files. You can also automatically remind clients of important dates such as depositions.

For matters that require collaboration with several parties, you can create an Electronic Deal Room, which differs from the Client Extranet by providing an Audit Log of all activity and even more granular control over who can access what.

What Else Should You Know?
You can use PBworks Legal Edition on a Mac or PC and also on a BlackBerry or iPhone. PBworks Legal Edition costs $50 per attorney per month with no minimum requirement (i.e., a solo would pay just $50 per month). Your assistants, paralegals, and other non-lawyer staff can use it for free. Learn more about PBworks Legal Edition.

How to Receive TechnoLawyer NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The "In One Sentence" section describes each product in one sentence, and the "Killer Feature" section describes each product's most compelling feature. The TechnoLawyer NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers an Phone navigation app (see article below), a Web application that facilitates corporate Twitter use, software for managing your firm's smartphones, a metadata removal utility, and an online discovery review application with concept searching. Don't miss the next issue.

All Roads Lead to Convergence

Naysayers will tell you that convergence results in compromised products. That's sometimes true and sometimes false, but it misses the point because naysayers fail to appreciate the convenience factor. Does your local supermarket offer better steaks than your local butcher? Trick question. Your town no longer has a local butcher. Never bet against convergence. Now, about that dedicated GPS navigator dangling from your car's windshield.

MobileNavigator North America … in One Sentence
Navigon's MobileNavigator North America is a GPS turn-by-turn navigation app for the iPhone.

The Killer Feature
Nowadays, software companies want to sell you subscriptions. While subscriptions may make sense for complex products that would otherwise require a significant capital investment and constant maintenance, do you really want to pay an annuity for a navigation app?

MobileNavigator is the first iPhone navigation app from one of the major players that doesn't require a subscription. Instead, you pay a flat fee of $69.99 (this price will rise to $99.99 after August 31st).

If you're married and/or have teenage kids, the price drops significantly. That's because you can legally sync up to five iPhones to the same iTunes account. Thus, if you and your spouse each have an iPhone, you'll effectively pay $35 each.

Presumably, Navigon will offer to sell you updated maps in the future, but you can always politely decline if you don't need them.

Other Notable Features
You can use MobileNavigator in portrait or landscape mode and choose from 2D or 3D maps. Voice prompts instruct you when to exit, turn, etc.

To select a destination you can use your iPhone's address book. You can also select from points of interest. MobileNavigator supports both day and night mode when displaying maps. It also displays the speed limit for most roads and can alert you when you speed.

The Reality View Pro feature provides a realistic display of roads and markers to make it easier for you to get your bearings. Similarly, Lane Assistant Pro tells you which lane to occupy for upcoming exits and junctions. Real signposts provide additional context.

The Take Me Home feature does what it says with one press. If you receive a phone call, navigation resumes when you hang up.

What Else Should You Know?
Navigon promises additional features at no charge such as lowering iPod volume during voice prompts, multiple-destination routing, and integration of points of interest with the iPhone's address book. Navigon also sells MobileNavigator Europe. Learn more about MobileNavigator North America.

How to Receive TechnoLawyer NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The "In One Sentence" section describes each product in one sentence, and the "Killer Feature" section describes each product's most compelling feature. The TechnoLawyer NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.

Today's issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire covers time capture software (see article below), a widescreen GPS navigation device, a document and photo scanner, an online workflow system for approving and paying bills, and an iPhone app for using your FreshBooks account. Don't miss the next issue.

Time Capture Software (Almost) as Smart as a Lawyer

If humans ever split into different species, lawyers will likely evolve into giant heads with no bodies. After all, you only need your body to transfer your thoughts to your computer. Otherwise, it serves no particular function other than creating more lawyers, which you could no doubt outsource. But for now, you may as well make sure you get paid for the long hours you spend hunched in front of your computer.

Chrometa 2.0 … in One Sentence
Chrometa automatically captures and organizes the time you spend on your PC, facilitating your ability to accurately bill all your time.

The Killer Feature
As soon as the "ink" dried on our previous report on Chrometa 1.1, the company announced version 2.0. As you may recall, we pointed to Chrometa's ability to log all your computer activity as its killer feature. You can later transform these log entries into time entries in your billing system.

This automatic capture still exists, but the company has added a second killer feature -- drag and drop, which further automates the time capture process.

You can now drag one or more activities recorded by Chrometa and drop them on the appropriate client/matter account. Chrometa is smart enough to remember this action so that next time you perform similar work (e.g., editing the same document), Chrometa will automatically enter the time spent in that client/matter account.

"We found that lawyers spend an average of 2.6 hours each week reconciling their time," Chrometa CEO Brett Owens told us. "Chrometa's automatic time capture and now drag and drop take a significant bite out of this process."

Other Notable Features
Befitting its new version number, Chrometa includes many other new features. For example, you can now capture meeting, phone, and other time spent away from your PC, and categorize it by client/matter. This form of tracking requires manual entry, but Chrometa created a quick entry tool for this purpose. The upshot is that you can now see all your activities in Chrometa.

By popular demand, Chrometa features improved categorization of computer activities. For example, it can list email messages individually by subject line along with the accompanying time spent reading or writing the message. Chrometa also supports advanced tagging of both Word and WordPerfect files, providing similar granularity down to each individual document. When you're ready to transfer the time entries you've captured into your billing system, Chrometa can sort them by client/matter.

Equally notable in the new version are the redesigned user interface (see accompanying screenshot) and improved security tools. You can now password protect Chrometa, delete activities, and remove historical data.

What Else Should You Know?
Chrometa 2.0 runs in Windows XP and Vista, and sells for an introductory price of $99, which includes unlimited email support. You can try it for free for 30 days. Learn more about Chrometa 2.0.

How to Receive TechnoLawyer NewsWire
So many products, so little time. In each issue of TechnoLawyer NewsWire, you'll learn about five new products for the legal profession. Pressed for time? The "In One Sentence" section describes each product in one sentence, and the "Killer Feature" section describes each product's most compelling feature. The TechnoLawyer NewsWire newsletter is free so don't miss the next issue. Please subscribe now.