Partner Barron Henley, Esq. and Director of Education, Jennifer Ramovs collaborated on this recent article published in the upcoming edition of the ALA's Legal Management. 

Barron and Jenn discuss how technology can boost efficiency and how to make sound decisions with your IT budget so that you get the technology you need and the training necessary to ensure that you can get a solid return on your investment.

Click HERE to read more

ALA Members, be sure to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it about taking advantage of exclusive member benefits from Affinity Consulting.

LogMeIn is well-known for their free and paid remote access and control software and service. I often use it to remote back to my primary desktop computer from my notebook or netbook when I am on the road. My colleagues here at Affinity Consulting Group use it for tech support through the Remote Support Link at the left side of the home page on our web site. We are now using the smart phone version of LogMeIn Rescue to remote into a client's smart phone to configure it for maximize productivity. Now LogMeIn is making a direct challenge to on-line meeting services such as GoToMeeting and WebEx by offering both free and paid versions of its new Join.me service. It is an on-line meeting and collaboration service that requires minimal setup and configuration. Both home and office users can conduct meetings with up to 250 people – free. To use the software, you go to the join.me Web site, click to share your computer and then get a code. You can send that code to anyone you like and off you go. People receive a phone number for holding conference calls, can send instant messages during presentations and can share control of a screen. The free version offers: screen sharing chat file transfer remote control The paid version offers all of the above, plus: personal link meeting scheduler user management meeting lock This could be an excellent tool for lawyers within a firm, but in different locations, to work together on a case. It could also be a way to work with clients and co-counsel.

I've written in the past about how much I like using Microsoft's Live Mesh Beta service to sync my current client folders across the three computers I regularly use in my practice (desktop, full-sized notebook, and netbook). Microsoft is in the process of transitioning this beta service into its more full-featured Windows Live Mesh 2011 service for Windows 7 and Vista PC's, but not for computers still running Windows XP. XP users wanting to keep the Live Mesh Beta service will soon be out of luck or will need to upgrade to Vista or 7 . Once Windows Live Mesh 2011 has been out and in use for a few months, Microsoft is expected to terminate the original Live Mesh Beta service. XP users could switch to a non-Microsoft file and folder sync service such as Dropbox that remains compatible with XP. My full-sized notebook and my netbook are still on XP, so I will have to make this decision myself very soon. Like the Live Mesh Beta, Windows Live Mesh is free. In addition to the very useful remote desktop and file syncing features of Live Mesh Beta, Windows Live Mesh 2011 adds the ability to sync your Microsoft Office and Internet Explorer settings across multiple computers. If you use more than one computer, you know what a nuisance it can be if Office is not set up exactly the same way on each computer or if you set IE favorites on one computer, but they don't appear when you open IE on your other computer. The inability to sync favorites/bookmarks was one of the reasons I switched from IE to Firefox a few years ago. Now, if you have a computer at the office and at home (or have a notebook or netbook in addition to your primary desktop), you can use the free Windows Live Mesh 2011 service to do the following: Keep your client or firm files/folders (this includes PDF's and other files in addition to MS Office format files such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint) in sync between your office and home or portable computers. Connect to and remotely control any of your computers you have assigned to your Windows Live Mesh account, even if they have a "home" version of Windows Vista or 7 that does not directly support a Remote Desktop connection. This would substitute for a service such as LogMeIn or GoToMyPC. Keep your MS Office and IE settings consistent across each of the computers you use. Also worth mentioning is the 25 GB of free on-line storage provided by Microsoft's SkyDrive which integrates well with Microsoft Office's web apps for collaboration and sharing files with others.

Whether you thought it was a convenience or an annoyance, you will within a few days have the option to turn off the threaded or conversation view in Gmail's web interface. In this view, all messages in a conversation are grouped together. Email traditionalists (wouldn't that have been an odd phrase just decade ago?) complained that they often couldn't find new messages in the threaded view. Others liked having all messages in a given exchange lumped together for easy access. Whichever side of this divide you are on, Google will over the next few days roll-out to your account the option to turn off threaded view. Details are in the official Gmail blog.

Although I have each of the "big three" browsers (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Firefox), installed on all three of my computers (desktop, notebook, and netbook), I use Mozilla's Firefox most of the time for web browsing. I do so primarily because of the wide variety of add-ons available for Firefox that make my life easier. I keep the other browsers, particularly Internet Explorer (IE), available because a few web sites render better in IE or simply require IE for certain functions. Fortunately, the number of web sites requiring IE to function properly is decreasing rapidly. Of course, Firefox's add-ons have become so popular that the Google updated the Chrome browser to also be able to accept add-ons. I will say that Chrome seems to be the fastest of the three browsers, but all three are sufficiently fast for most normal uses. My favorite Firefox add-on is Firefox Sync. It makes my life (and would make the life of anyone using multiple computers) much easier by synchronizing my browsing history, bookmarks, passwords (use caution with saving passwords in your browser), and even open browser tabs across all three of my computers. I can start web-based research on one computer (say my desktop in my home office), then pick up where I left off while on the road using my notebook or netbook computer. Until you experience this type of browser sync, you cannot truly appreciate the added convenience. Sync is now also built into Google Chrome, but Firefox had it first and still has a much larger collection of useful add-ons, so for now I am keeping Firefox as my primary browser. What has been missing from the mix is a version of Firefox I could run on my Droid X cell phone. Mozilla has now released an "alpha" version of Fennec, which is the mobile version of Firefox, for Android (version 2.0 and later) phones. The really great news is that Firefox Sync is built into Fennec. So I can make sure my history, bookmarks, open tabs, and even passwords (caution advised, of course) are with me all the time. If you have an Android phone and are a dedicated Firefox user like me, browse to this page from your phone's existing browser and give it a try.

Attempting to compete directly with Skype's subscription phone calling service (which I use regularly), Google is in the process of rolling out a new feature that lets anyone with a Gmail account make free telephone calls to the U.S. and Canada (for now, and at least through the rest of this year), directly from their computers. It is accessed from the Chat menu in the left column of the Gmail web interface. You just need to download and install the Google voice and video browser plug-in. The phone call feature has not yet rolled-out to all Gmail accounts. Each of the four members of my household has a Gmail account, but as of this morning the feature was available only on my son's account. I tried a few test calls from his account, and it seems to work fine (similar to Skype's subscription-based services that costs about $3 per month for unlimited domestic calling to regular or cell phones). By offering free domestic calls and calls to Europe for as little as 2 cents per minute, it appears that Google is working toward world domination on a variety of fronts. Remember when we used to fear Microsoft's empire building?

Few things are as frustrating as having an inconsiderate colleague, client, co-counsel, or opposing counsel attach a huge file to an email message directed to you. If all goes well and you are in your office with a speedy connection using your regular email client, the attachment gets through without a problem, perhaps with some delay in processing your email send/receive cycle. But if you are on the road and depending on a slower Internet connection or, worse yet, your smart phone and its 3G connection, a huge email attachment could tie-up your email send/receive process for many minutes or even an hour or more. Although you cannot control the behavior of others (beyond making suggestions for appropriate conduct), you can avoid being the inconsiderate person who sends overly large email attachments. My personal rule is to never send a file that is 5MB or larger as an email attachment. For multiple attachments, the I keep the combined size under 5MB. In a perfect world, perhaps 1 or 2 MB would be a better limit given the wide use of smart phones among mobile lawyers. There are many services (some free, some paid) that let you upload large files and share them by emailing a download link to your intended recipient. One way to "send" larger files is to create a free account at Acrobat.com. Once you create your account, simply sign-in to your account's home page and upload the large file you would otherwise send via email attachment. Then simply click on the name of the file and hit the Share File button at the bottom left. A window will pop up so you can enter the email address of the recipient along with the subject and a message. Within a few seconds, your recipient will receive an email containing a link to the file. It will open in a browser-based viewer and provide a download option. This is a much more courteous way to share large files than by burdening your recipient with a huge email attachment that could, depending on where they are and how they are accessing their email, bring their workflow to a halt.

As a family law appellate practitioner, the issue of relocation of children post-divorce is of great interest - and frustration. Unlike actual custody disputes, where compromise solutions are often possible allowing both parents to have regular substantial contact with their children, relocation cases often result in a clear winner and a clear loser. That sort of winner-take-all result, while inherent in this issue, can further strain already difficult post-divorce relationships. As a technology consultant, I am also interested in ways technology can provide some benefit in litigation, particularly family litigation. Although not a complete substitute for actual physical contact, I've learned as the parent of two college students that video conferencing via Skype can help make long-distance contact more meaningful. Fortunately, the cost is nominal and the technology is easily employed, even by complete novices. All it takes is a broadband Internet connection, a computer with a web cam and microphone (present in nearly all notebook and netbook PC's today or easily added to any desktop PC), and a free download of the Skype software. Although broadband, web cams, and Skype have been around for years, family courts are only now starting to require implementation of this technology to aid in communication between parent and child over significant geographic distances. An example is the case mentioned on the ABA's web site yesterday. In this New York case, the judge required the mother to arrange for and pay for a Skype communication setup as a condition of relocating with the children to Florida. The relocation was permitted over the father's objection because the mother could not find work in New York and could live with her parents in Florida while seeking employment there. Interestingly, Florida has a considerably higher unemployment rate than New York, so presumably the presence of the mother's parents and their willingness to provide shelter was the deciding factor. We will see more of this type of "virtual visitation" as court's catch up with long-existing technology.

There is no shortage of free web sites that promise the ability to convert text, image, audio, and video files from one format to another. But few have as wide a range of supported formats as online-ConVert.com. I tested several file format conversions and the site worked as claimed. One nice feature is the ability to convert documents to various ebook formats targeted to display best on particular ereader devices. For example, I downloaded standard PDF copies of the Michigan Court of Appeals Internal Operating Procedures (IOPs) and the Michigan Appellate Court Rules. I then had online-ConVert.com convert them to PDF's optimized for the Amazon Kindle DX ebook reader I use in my practice. It was simple to then transfer the converted files over to my DX via USB cable. The results were excellent. The site also converts a wide variety of word processing documents. For example, the site will convert WordPerfect documents to Word format. Lawyers need to be concerned about privacy and security, so I sent an email to the company that runs this site asking for details of their security policies. I will post their response when received. Meanwhile, I would limit use of this site to non-confidential documents and files.

Life within the browser is a place people find themselves more and more as web applications creep into our personal lives and the business world. Simple builds of Google ChromeOS are starting to pop up with some frequency now. ChromeOS will be an operating system that is simply an interface between you and all of your applications and data which will be living, breathing and resting in the cloud. The transition from traditional client/server and desktop applications to a pure web based experience is going to take place over a long period of time and there are some that question if the full leap can be made. Make no bones about it, the full leap will be made. The question is how and over what period of time. No one can definitively give an honest answer to that question. It will be different for different people and different industries. Given the legal world's normal rate of technology adoption, I have no doubt that a lawyer will be asked to turn off the lights and close the door on traditional software architecture. It will happen most likely after the power supply blows out on the only machine left that could run WordStar 3. This is where the browser comes in; as the bridge. The good old gateway between your hard drive and an Amazon EC2 cycle of processing power will be around for a while, so you might as well get comfy. Firefox has always been a browser for the tinkerer. It's ability to add functionality from extensions that are as simple as changing the font a web site presents itself in to editing a YouTube video has always made it the browser of choice for those that like to customize the experience. While perusing through my RSS news reader, I came across a couple of stories on some new, as in future, functionalities of the Firefox browser that I think will make life in the browser a little less claustrophobic. The first was on a project being worked on called "Tab Candy" which will help you categorize and make sense out of the tabs across the top of your browser that have replaced the rows of icons across your toolbar. Perhaps you are like me and still have both. Tab Candy looks to me like it will be great for keeping track of your case research. Here is a video clip of what the developer is planning for functionality. The second was on a feature that will be in Firefox 4 when it is released later this year. This feature will allow you to keep tabs open that are home to your web applications that you use frequently during the day, like webmail or calendar. Maybe it's your favorite new web based practice management application. Here is a video on what is currently being called "App Tabs" Hopefully, as we all learn to get comfortable in the browser, developers will continue to add clever ways to make the transition to web application life a smooth one. Go at your own pace, but don't forget to turn the lights off when you're done.

Lawyers tend to be avid readers. Much of what we read is professionally required (statutes, rules, case law, discovery responses, etc.). But lawyers also read extensively for pleasure. Having ready access to a steady stream of reading material is important to many of us. Traditionally, that has meant well-stocked, but also bulky and unwieldy, bookshelves stocked with hard covers, paperbacks, and periodicals. Today, it is just as likely to mean an ebook reader. That is why the news yesterday from Amazon, as reported by Gizmodo, is so interesting. Sales of ebooks for Amazon's Kindle ebook readers have outstripped sales of hardcover books for the first time. This trend may accelerate with the recent substantial price drops in both the standard-sized Kindle and the lawyer-worthy large-format Kindle DX. As revealed by Amazon: Over the past three months, for every 100 hardcover books Amazon.com has sold, it has sold 143 Kindle books. Over the past month, for every 100 hardcover books Amazon.com has sold, it has sold 180 Kindle books. This is across Amazon.com's entire U.S. book business and includes sales of hardcover books where there is no Kindle edition. Free Kindle books are excluded and if included would make the number even higher. So we are seeing with books what we've seen over the last decade with music. Digital media is replacing physical media as the format of choice. Just as the iTunes store and the iPod drove the move to digital music, Amazon and its Kindle are driving the move to ebooks. The Apple iPad will help move that trend forward, although it is a slate or table computer, not truly an ebook reader. Android and Windows 7 slate computers coming later this year will also promote ebook sales. We see another form of this move from physical to digital everyday in our offices where on-line legal research services have effectively replaced a paper library for most research tasks. Also part of this trend is the move from locally installed software on a firm's own servers to web-based hosted applications (software as a service) for everything from time and billing to practice management to word processing. Read Ed Emmerson's recent post on cloud computing for more information. Being in the cloud is especially useful for firms or businesses with multiple offices in different locations or with a mobile workforce. Affinity Consulting Group, for example, with offices around the Eastern U.S., uses a "hosted Exchange" service to better integrate email and calendar functions no matter where a consultant or staff member may be located. It is a cloud-based tool that lets us serve you more efficiently. Moving to cloud-based services from locally installed hardware and software can be a mind-set adjustment that isn't easy for lawyers (or even some consultants). Security and confidentiality concerns are usually at the forefront of the debate. On the other hand, most small and medium-sized firms don't do an adequate job of protecting their physical technology assets. In many cases, moving to the cloud will improve security and reliability. Each firm's situation must be carefully analyzed. We can help with that process.

Jason Fried is the co-founder and president of 37 Signals, the developers of Basecamp®, a popular web based project management tool. The 37 Signals philosophy since it's inception in 1999 is simplicity. In the video below, Jason gives a very simple explanation of his view of cloud computing in easy to understand terms. His thoughts on what it is, when you should consider it and a great take on data security.

In my practice area, family law, Internet-based evidence such as Facebook pages and blog posts are increasingly important. But how do you get that information properly admitted in court proceedings. The ABA Section on Litigation has made available a free podcast by litigator Greg Joseph of the Gregory P. Joseph Law Offices. The podcast focuses on the Federal Rules of Evidence, but many state rules are similar. When downloading the podcast mp3 file, be patient. It seems to be stored on a slow server. But the wait is worth it if you need to use Internet-based evidence in court.

There are several well-known file-sharing services that let you share files that are too large to send as email attachments. Keep in mind that many email services, such as Gmail and many ISP-based accounts, have a limits of around 5MB to 10 MB for attached files. A good solution, especially if security is a concern, is Drop.io. The service is free for files up to 100 MB in size. You can upgrade to the paid version for larger files. There is also a Firefox add-on that makes a simple process even simpler. Where Drop.io differs from better-known alternatives such as Send This File is the ability to password protect the file you are sharing and to set an expiration date for the download link, both of which are a good idea for any file a lawyer might need to send. As always, make sure you read and are comfortable with Drop.io's privacy policy before you use this service.