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BoxTone
Automating BlackBerry Support Across the IT Organization, by
Robert Holloway.
With more than 1,000 of the devices connected to five BlackBerry Enterprise Servers in North America, Beijing and the United Kingdom, and eight Microsoft Exchange mail servers, that’s a lot of people who count on us to keep them productive for the benefit of our diverse client base. BoxTone has enabled the firm to experience significant data plan and device savings.
Category: PDA. Written:
2009. Added:
12-21-2009.
LegalTech
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Vision
Automating Court Calendars With Vision, by
Joy Akens .
Vision performed very well. Attorneys and staff considered other programs, but were most comfortable with Vision: it was easy to use, and it integrated well with the firm's other software programs.
Category: Case Management. Written:
2009. Added:
6-22-2009.
Legal Tech Newsletter
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Adobe Acrobat 9
An Even Nimbler Acrobat - Adobe Acrobat 9 Has Special Appeal for Lawyers , by
Stephen Bird.
Overall I like Adobe Acrobat 9... a lot. Many new and enhanced features will benefit lawyers and law firms. It may take some time to become familiar with some of the features; however, while exploring the program for this article it was easy to perform a task like document compare or redaction.
Category: Document Management. Written:
2009. Added:
6-22-2009.
Law Practice Today
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Apple Mac
Marketing & Macs, by
Victor J. Medina.
Not just for creative types anymore! A long-time staple of the technology needs of designers, ad agencies, etc., Macs are now worthy opponents of PCs when it comes to the needs of "serious" people. Read more about the ever-growing list of applications designed to help you market your business.
Category: Operating System. Written:
2009. Added:
2-18-2009.
Law Practice Today
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iContact
iContact, by
Stephanie L. Kimbro .
As a way to use technology to keep in touch with clients, iContact one of the simplest and least expensive web-based methods out there. Sending out regular updates or newsletters through directed email keeps your law practice fresh in the minds of your clients without requiring that you devote a great deal of time or money to the process.
Category: Office Productivity. Written:
2009. Added:
2-18-2009.
Law Practice Today
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PDF Converter 5 Pro Enterprise
PDF Converter 5 Pro Enterprise, by
Rodney Dowell .
I would not hesitate to purchase PDF Converter 5 Pro Enterprise and I would recommend it to most attorneys. It provides all of the critical tools needed by a modern law office to work with PDF.
Category: Document Management. Written:
2009. Added:
2-18-2009.
Law Practice Today
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Rusin Plays BigHand in Digital Dictation
BigHand, by
Joyce Hamel.
We have had great success introducing a new technology, in this case BigHand digital dictation, to our law firm. Success has been defined by rapid user adoption, a much improved document production workflow process, remote access and remote mobility options that did not exist before, and tangible and measurable return on our software investment. Moving forward, Rusin Maciorowski & Friedman, Ltd. will look to add more mobility options by embracing a broader BlackBerrry dictation rollout initiative.
Category: Dictation. Written:
2009. Added:
2-13-2009.
Law.com
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Teneros Application Continuity Appliance
Trying Teneros When a Mail Server Is Down, by
Sean Doherty.
Teneros ACA product is easy to install and use. It is, without a doubt, simpler to set up and administer than a clustered Microsoft Exchange environment. I think the failback feature should be configured to restore services to the Exchange server automatically if no "split brain" is detected that warrants human intervention. Other than that, I certainly would not turn an ACA down if someone left it in my data center. But if I were to license one, I would certainly have to consider Exchange a no-can-do-without service in the law firm.
Category: Email. Written:
2009. Added:
2-13-2009.
Law.com
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Verdical, Trial Director and Sanction
Does Verdical Improve Trial Presentation?, by
Peter Phaneuf.
Verdical is trying to be too many things to too many people. When other companies like Microsoft or Adobe create software suites, they design and develop them with a very high level of integration so all the features and functionality are consistent and work well together. I think to convince people to use Verdical instead of Concordance/iCONECT or CT Summation/iBlaze, Verdict Systems will need to make a better database first, and then I am sure people will be willing to switch since the presentation module is nicely integrated.
Category: Trial Presentation. Written:
2009. Added:
2-13-2009.
Law.com
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Clickfree Automatic Backup
Clickfree Automatic Backup, by
Milton Hooper.
Clickfree is convenient and easy to use for standalone computers or networked systems without a backup solution. But there are no scheduled backups and lightweight design of the device could lead to it being easily lost or damaged. It's better than having no backup, and affordable for everyone
Category: Backup. Written:
2008. Added:
2-11-2009.
Legal Assistant Today
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PowerReuse
PowerReuse — Version 1.1 , by
Mary Girsch-Bock.
PowerReuse is affordably priced and a good fit for legal professionals looking for two things they never can have enough of — better organization and efficient document management. An excellent product for organizing documents and performing global changes; allows users quick access to groups of documents that are relevant in a case. Help file is poorly written in places and is confusing. PowerReuse is a bargain at $99 and will be a valuable addition to a busy law office where organizing documents is a necessity.
Category: Document Management. Written:
2008. Added:
2-11-2009.
Legal Assistant Today
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Quick View Plus
Quick View Plus 10, by
Kim Plonsky.
QVP enhances Windows Explorer; when configured as the default e-mail viewer, also enhances overall PC security; saves time and money, and increases productivity; easy to use, nominally priced, and helps keep software costs down. QVP doesn’t include the ability to search across file folders. While Avantstar thoughtfully included a forward and back button so that a user can retrace his or her document viewing history, it doesn’t include page forward and back buttons, so a user can’t advance through the pages of a viewed document. QVP doesn’t handle video or audio files — only images. QVP is an essential file viewing, copying and printing utility that should be in the software arsenal of every busy legal professional, offering great value at a low price.
Category: Document Management. Written:
2008. Added:
2-11-2009.
Legal Assistant Today
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pdfDocs compareDocs 3.1
pdfDocs compareDocs 3.1, by
Brett Burney.
I am thrilled to find a simple and reliable document comparison tool in pdfDocs’ compareDocs. I appreciate uncomplicated software that does a specific task, and does it very well. CompareDocs focuses solely on comparing documents and, for that, the software has no comparison. Simple and reliable comparison application; comparison output can be either Microsoft Word or PDF; seamlessly integrates with pdfDocs Desktop; excellent tech support. Only specifically works with either Word or PDF files. I definitely recommend this product for comparing two different versions of Word documents.
Category: Document Management. Written:
2009. Added:
1-13-2009.
Legal Assistant Today
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TrialSchedule
Plan Early and Often and Win More Cases, by
Neil J. Squillante.
TrialSchedule is a Web-based application
that provides litigation teams with a visual Gantt view of the deadlines and tasks associated with their cases. TrialSchedule features a patented Gantt view that displays all the events associated with your cases visually on one screen. At a glance, you can see the phase of each case and important
todos and milestones.
Category: Case Management. Written:
2008. Added:
1-12-2009.
TechnoLawyer
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deskPDF Professional
Docudesk's deskPDF Professional: A low-cost alternative to Adobe Acrobat, by
Sandra Rosenzweig.
My favorite of the Acrobat alternatives is still Docudesk's deskPDF Professional (www.docudesk. com). At $29.95 it's one-fifteenth the price of Acrobat Professional ($449) and it does about half of the chores its costlier cousin does. Like Acrobat, deskPDF creates PDFs out of one or more files selected from a directory tree, and it integrates with some Microsoft Office programs and countless other Windows programs-but not Outlook.
Category: Document Management. Written:
2008. Added:
1-12-2009.
California Lawyer
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Discovery Attender
Discovery Attender From Sherpa Software, by
Brett Burney.
I found Discovery Attender to be an extremely
simple and effective tool for searching through a hefty stack of email. It wasn’t overly complicated,
and after a couple of searches, I became very
comfortable with the logical steps involved in the
Search Wizard.
Discovery Attender is a nice addition to the toolbelt
of anyone who regularly needs to search through
email to find messages relevant to a litigation matter.
Category: Electronic Discovery. Written:
2008. Added:
1-12-2009.
TechnoLawyer
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Isys Desktop 8, Copernic
Isys, the Scalable Search Engine that Could, by
Sandra Rosenzweig.
OK, Isys Desktop 8 is expensive ($1,000 for the first user, $100 for each additional user). But you gets what you pays for. If you search only once in a while and for recent email messages or documents, stick with the free Copernic Desktop Search (www.copernic.com). But if you need to put your hands on every file in your archives, or on every networked hard drive, do as I say (and do) and get Isys.
Category: Document Management. Written:
2008. Added:
12-29-2008.
California Lawyer
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Boardbooks
Mechanics Bank Removes Legal Risk from Delivery of Board Materials: Board Portal Technology Also Aids in Good Governance, by
Kathleen Quennville.
Aside from decreasing the risk in distribution and increasing productivity of directors, there's also a risk based benefits. Board portals allow books to be created and approved more quickly. There's much less collating
of materials, and it's easier to track and insure that various executives sign off and okay materials.
The board portal will continue to play a part in helping the bank manage e-discovery issues, an emerging
problem facing all companies. For its own part, our bank is in the process of restructuring its records management
process. Part of that challenge is determining what records our board has, and how to best manage them.
Category: Document Management. Written:
2008. Added:
12-29-2008.
Legal Tech Newletter
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Bill4Time Mobile
Hot Products 2008, by
Tom McNichol.
Software developers have come up with several handy iPhone applications customized for the practice of law. Among the best is Bill4Time Mobile (www.bill4time.com), which lets you enter and track billable time and expenses while on the go. With Bill4Time Mobile, you don't have to sync your iPhone to the office computer--all data is wirelessly uploaded to Bill4Time's servers. You access all the features and reports of the Bill4Time application from any Internet-connected computer--Windows or Mac--needing no special software or setup. The mobile app offers flexible options for billing, such as letting you define a specific hourly rate or a combo platter of hourly, flat-fee, and contingency billing rates. A reports library visible on your PC lets you see your firm's total billable time so you can quickly determine who is and isn't billing his or her share of hours. For one to six users, Bill4Time costs $39.99 per user, per month; additional users cost $19.99 each per month.
Category: Time and Billing. Written:
2008. Added:
12-25-2008.
California Lawyer
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Norton AntiVirus
Norton AntiVirus 2009, by
Robert Vamosi.
Norton AntiVirus 2009 hits all the right performance notes and its award-winning protection technologies should start to win back even jaded anti-Symantec folks. We love its sleek build, performance speed, and array of quality security tools.
Category: Anti-Virus and Firewall. Written:
2008. Added:
12-25-2008.
cnet.com
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Best Authority
Turbo-Charge Your Table of Authorities, by
Tracey Baetzel.
Experience with Best Authority has been excellent on all counts: significant efficiency gains in TOA production, ease of installation and training, accolades from users who regularly do TOAs, service and support from the vendor and value for the investment. Lawyers preparing their own TOAs are finding Best Authority to be less work-intensive and unwieldy than previous methods, particularly when they are working under tight filing deadlines.
Category: Document Management. Written:
2007. Added:
12-25-2008.
Legal Tech Newsletter
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Intuit QuickBooks
Intuit QuickBooks Accounting Simple Start Edition 2009, by
Jeff Bertolucci .
Intuit QuickBooks Premier 2009 keeps the program's well-designed, intuitive interface, while adding a few new features. It's a worthy upgrade for people serious about online banking, and it remains the best accounting program for small business owners. However, Intuit should be more generous with customer support, particularly for setup issues.
Category: Accounting. Written:
2008. Added:
12-17-2008.
cnet.com
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Discovery360
All-In-One eDiscovery and Document Review, by
Taeho Lim.
Wouldn’t it be nice to tap into every type of document analysis or search tool available today? If you want to do that with your eDiscovery cases, you have two choices use multiple singlefunction programs and hope you can get them to integrate with one another, or use a single multiple-function program that does everything. If the latter approach sounds better to you, check out Discovery360 from InterLegis.
Category: Electronic Discovery. Written:
2007. Added:
12-17-2008.
TechnoLawyer NewsWire
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Intuit QuickBooks
Intuit QuickBooks Accounting Premier 3-User Edition 2009, by
Jeff Bertolucci .
Intuit QuickBooks Premier 2009 keeps the program's well-designed, intuitive interface, while adding a few new features. It's a worthy upgrade for people serious about online banking, and it remains the best accounting program for small business owners. However, Intuit should be more generous with customer support, particularly for setup issues.
Category: Accounting. Written:
2008. Added:
12-17-2008.
cnet.com
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McAfee
McAfee Internet Security 2009, by
Robert Vamosi .
In a strictly Norton versus McAfee universe, McAfee Internet Security 2009 once again offers more features than Norton Internet Security 2009 and integrates them with a more intuitive user interface, one that allows you to understand the specific feature as well as tweak its settings. Although independent security test scores could be higher and the technical support could be better, McAfee provides you with more than adequate protection.
Category: Anti-Virus and Firewall. Written:
2008. Added:
12-09-2008.
cnet.com
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Kaspersky
Kaspersky Internet Security 2009, by
Robert Vamosi .
Kaspersky Internet Security 2009 includes some significant changes to its malicious software engine and new security tools. However, we think the interface and the messaging around the new security tools could be much better.
Category: Anti-Virus and Firewall. Written:
2008. Added:
12-09-2008.
cnet.com
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GoodSync
Synchronizing Laptop Data With GoodSync, by
Sean Doherty.
If you have data to synchronize over multiple computers with various operating systems, GoodSync's strong feature set to fine tune and automate synchronization is a good choice.
Category: Document Management. Written:
2008. Added:
12-09-2008.
Law.com
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Foundation IP
Cloud Computing: Is It Safe?, by
Alan Cohen.
CPA Software Solutions's FoundationIP, a Web-based intellectual property management solution, bases its fees on the amount of data you need to process. A large company, typically with 5,000 to 10,000 files, would pay a few thousand dollars each month.
Category: Document Management. Written:
2008. Added:
11-26-2008.
law.com
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Lexbe.com, iConect.com and lmageDepot.com
The Wave of the Future - SaaS Technology Makes its Mark on the Law Office, by
Kim Plonsky.
It seems obvious to me that the SaaS model is the wave of the future, and is here to stay. With the Internet having taken on the mantle of a utility, and software technology having soared to amazing heights, the timing could not be better to consider these tools for electronic discovery.
Can it be long before physically installed software is a thing of the past? Only time will tell. But when and if it
happens, we all likely will be able to concentrate more on our expertise as legal professionals and less on becoming
computer gurus.
Category: Document Management. Written:
2008. Added:
11-25-2008.
Legal Assistant Today
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ZoneAlarm
ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2009, by
Robert Vamosi .
ZoneAlarm Internet Security 2009 is faster and lighter than last year's release, has a modern interface, and provides real-world identity fraud protection.
ZoneAlarm Internet Security 2009 lacks Web 2.0 safe-surfing tools, as well as utilities to back up data and shred deleted files.
ZoneAlarm Internet Security 2009 provides top-notch security protection that is light on system resources, allowing you to work unencumbered.
Category: Anti-Virus and Firewall. Written:
2008. Added:
11-25-2008.
cnet.com
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Discovery360
All-In-One eDiscovery and Document Review, by
Taeho Lim.
Wouldn’t it be nice to tap into every type of document analysis or search tool available today? If you want to do that with your eDiscovery cases, you have two choices use multiple single function programs and hope you can get them to integrate with one another, or use a single multiple-function program that does everything.
Category: Electronic Discovery. Written:
2007. Added:
11-14-2008.
interlegis.com
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Best Authority
Turbo-Charge Your Table of Authorities, by
Tracey Baetzel.
Most users adopted the product in a very short time.
Lawyers preparing their own TOAs are finding Best Authority to be less work-intensive and unwieldy than previous methods, particularly when they are working under tight filing deadlines.
Category: Document Management. Written:
2007. Added:
11-14-2008.
law.lexisnexis.com
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Acrobat.com, Buzzword, ConnectNow, Share, MyFiles and Create PDF
Acrobat.com (Beta), by
Kim Plonsky.
Innovative, clean and crisp user interface. Surprisingly fast for an online application. Backup of work occurs behind the scenes every few minutes, and every time a document is saved in Buzzword, the prior version automatically is saved. It’s easy to learn and support is plentiful. There are no spreadsheet or presentation programs. Oddly, Buzzword imports most common file formats, but not PDF. Navigation between Adobe .com’s modules is clumsy, which can lead to repeatedly being requested to sign in. Although still in beta and so too soon to recommend it to legal professionals for business use, I think it’s worth checking out, and I would not be surprised if others, like me, have at least one use in mind for it already.
Category: Document Management. Written:
2008. Added:
11-11-2008.
Legal Assistant Today
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Discovery 360
Discovery360 DataMapper, by
Brett Burney.
Not too many other tools in the industry can boast visual features like those built into Discovery360 and, earlier this year, InterLegis even announced a Mac version of its software — something that truly is unheard of in the legal software market. Pros: Customizable visual “peeks” into electronic data; visible timeline provides overview of relevant activity; ability to see relationships between e-mail authors and recipients.
Cons: Scant support documentation.
Verdict: I recommend this product for litigation support professionals who are looking for a comprehensive tool to inspect and process electronically stored information.
Category: Electronic Discovery. Written:
2008. Added:
11-11-2008.
Legal Assistant Today
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Legal Files
Using Legal Files to Win Complex Trial and Appellate Cases, by
Todd M. Haley.
Through successful input capabilities, improved output capabilities and its centralized management, Legal Files is an effective application to help us control the litigation information associated with these complex cases so that we can manage our clients' litigation portfolios and win cases cost-effectively.
Category: Document Management. Written:
2006. Added:
11-10-2008.
Legal Tech Newsletter
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ZoneAlarm
ZoneAlarm Internet Security Suite 2009, by
Robert Vamosi.
ZoneAlarm Internet Security 2009 is faster and lighter than last year's release, has a modern interface, and provides real-world identity fraud protection. ZoneAlarm Internet Security 2009 provides top-notch security protection that is light on system resources, allowing you to work unencumbered.
Category: Anti-Virus and Firewall. Written:
2008. Added:
11-10-2008.
cnet.com
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Norton AntiVirus
Norton AntiVirus 2009, by
Robert Vamosi.
Norton AntiVirus 2009 hits all the right performance notes and its award-winning protection technologies should start to win back even jaded anti-Symantec folks. We love its sleek build, performance speed, and array of quality security tools.
Category: Anti-Virus and Firewall. Written:
2008. Added:
11-10-2008.
cnet.com
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Lexbe.com
Lexbe, by
Kim Plonsky.
Lexbe's organization and structure, combined with its familiar browser interface, makes it one of the easiest software applications to learn that I have ever used. Two of Lexbe’s best features are its SaaS format and the added security it provides for exchanging privileged and confidential electronic documents. OCR of uploaded PDF files is automatic. The Lexbe Viewer supports over 100 different file formats. Lexbe adds structure and organization to the process of case management, litigation management, document management, while providing a means to collaborate on a case with others securely over the Internet through a document repository or for electronic discovery.
Category: Litigation Management. Written:
2008. Added:
11-05-2008.
Legal Assistant Today
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Acrobat 9
Acrobat 9 Balances New With Tried-and-True, by
Brett Burney.
Adobe has improved the overall performance of Acrobat with version 9, although this will most certainly depend upon the horsepower of the computer you're using. While Acrobat 9 hardly boasts any brand new capabilities, the improvements on the features from Acrobat 8 are worth the price of an upgrade. Acrobat 9 is more efficient and mature, especially on features like Bates stamping, redaction and collaboration.
Category: Document Management. Written:
2008. Added:
10-18-2008.
law.com
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Plustek Smartoffice PS252
This Ultracompact and Low-Priced Scanner Turns Out Good-Looking Images at a Fast Pace, by
Richard Jantz.
With its impressive image quality, low cost, and diminutive size, the Plustek SmartOffice PS252 is a good match for individual users or for small offices where both budget and desktop space are limited.
Category: Scanner. Written:
2007. Added:
10-17-2008.
PC World
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HP Scanjet N6010
HP's Uniquely Designed Scanner Zips Through Text Documents but Drags on Color Pages, by
Richard Jantz.
The reasonably priced HP Scanjet N6010 is somewhat bulky for a personal document scanner, but it's sturdy, it's capable, and it's fast at monochrome scans.
Category: Scanner. Written:
2007. Added:
10-17-2008.
PC World
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Scansnap S500
FUJITSU Fujitsu Scansnap S500, by
Richard Jantz.
The ScanSnap s500's compact design, easy operation, and impressive image quality make it an excellent choice for any small-office or home user--especially if your main goal is to create searchable PDFs.
Category: Scanner. Written:
2007. Added:
10-17-2008.
PC World
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Visioneer Roadwarrior
Visioneer's RoadWarrior Mobile Scanner Makes Scanning Documents on the Road Easy., by
Richard Jantz.
For anyone who wants to leave paper behind when out on the road, the Visioneer RoadWarrior is a welcome traveling companion for uploading printed or handwritten items on the fly.
Category: Scanner. Written:
2007. Added:
10-17-2008.
pcworld.com
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Practice-Specific Software
How Lawyers Practice Law and Serve Clients with Macs - Really!, by
Jeff Richardson and Ben Stevens.
Attorneys that specialize in a particular area of the law will undoubtedly have certain software programs aimed at their area of practice. However, through the use of virtualization programs noted above, Mac users can run any Windows program when necessary, all while still being able to enjoy all the benefits that Macs provide.
Category: Other. Written:
2008. Added:
10-17-2008.
abanet.org
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Chrome
Google Chrome: Where's the Shine?, by
Rod Kovel.
Chrome is a useful tool that does a handful of nice things around the flanks of the existing browsers, but does not provide full service to all comers.
Category: Browser. Written:
2008. Added:
10-17-2008.
law.com
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Microtek Artixscandi 2020
This Versatile Flatbed Scanner is Fast and Offers a High-Capacity Document Feeder, but it doesn't Create Searchable Pdf Files, by
Richard Jantz.
Nonetheless, the competitively priced Microtek ArtixScanDI 2020's impressive speed and large-capacity ADF make it an excellent choice for high-volume document imaging.
Category: Scanner. Written:
2007. Added:
10-17-2008.
PC World
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RealPractice
Finding Work Product That Really Matters, by
Angie Turner.
The work product retrieval model posed above is certainly not right for every firm. A system like RealPractice would be overkill for smaller firms that have a more finite collection of documents and, presumably, more interpersonal connection thanks to closer physical proximity. For larger firms with a broader array of practice specialties and geographic locations, however, work product retrieval can make very good sense.
Category: Other. Written:
2006. Added:
10-07-2008.
LJN's Legal Tech Newsletter
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CounterSpy 2.0
Sunbelt CounterSpy 2.0, by
Robert Vamosi.
Sunbelt CounterSpy 2.0 has been distinguished itself in a crowded field, provides a clean, institutive interface and great test results.
Category: Anti-Virus and Firewall. Written:
2007. Added:
10-07-2008.
CNET
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Steganos Secure Traveler
Steganos Secure Traveler, by
Robert Vamosi.
We have generally liked Steganos for its innovative take on encryption and security. Providing a VPN service to those without and combining it with their existing vault technologies and a means of tracking your lost laptop via the Internet make for a compelling package.
Category: VPN. Written:
2007. Added:
10-07-2008.
CNET
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Adobe Acrobat 9
Adobe Acrobat 9 Standard, by
Elsa Wenzel .
As with Acrobat 8.1, Adobe Acrobat 9 offers myriad features that the average consumer seeking to create a basic, print-ready PDF won't need. The metadata removal, 256-bit encryption, and ease of redactions alone easily could justify the purchase for, say, a law firm. Those who specialize in making presentations with moving images and sounds will find plenty of options at their fingertips, especially given the integration with Adobe Creative Suite 3.3.
Category: Document Management. Written:
2008. Added:
10-03-2008.
CNET
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