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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.
Californai 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Predictive Pricing Estimator
Useful E-Discovery Cost Estimator, by
David Ferris.
With the Predictive Pricing Estimator ftom Orange Legal, you go online and plug in the volume of electronic information to be considered, in gigabytes. You also indicate the number of people who may be reviewing the material. The total cost of e-discovery is then estimated, using common industry estimates for such elements as cost of document processing, time taken to review each document, the cost of a reviewer’s time, and computer service or software charges.
Category: Electronic Discovery. Written:
2008. Added:
10-03-2008.
Ferris Research
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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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Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2007
Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2007, by
Jeff Bertolucci.
The good:
Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2007 is free; lets you manage eBay auction sales and purchases; has a clean interface; integrates with hundreds of online banks.
The bad:
Some of the features within Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2007 require the paid Microsoft Office 2007, which isn't available yet; requires Windows 2003 server, XP, or Vista; time-intensive installation; expensive tech support.
The bottom line:
The Professional version is impressive too, especially for eBay users--although not stellar enough to convert QuickBooks' legions of fans.
Category: Accounting. Written:
2006. Added:
10-03-2008.
CNET
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McAfee Internet Security 2008
McAfee Internet Security Suite 2008 - Complete Package, by
Robert Vamosi.
It's not perfect, but in a strictly Norton vs. McAfee universe, McAfee Internet Security 2008 is a much better deal than Norton Internet Security 2008. Not only does McAfee offer more security features than Norton, McAfee integrates them with an intuitive user interface, one that allows you to understand the specific feature as well as tweak its settings.
Category: Anti-Virus and Firewall. Written:
2007. Added:
10-03-2008.
CNET
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Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro
Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro Extended, 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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Chrome
Google Chrome: Where's the Shine?, by
Rod Kovel.
The much more interesting phenomenon, and Chrome's really best attribute for the typical computer user, is its reliability. IE and other browsers commonly hang and/or crash when any one tab becomes inoperable; Chrome does not permit this. 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:
9-29-2008.
Law.com
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Legal Files 7.0
Case Management in More Ways Than One, by
Dennis Kennedy.
The new version also offers greater integration with other document management, accounting, and standard law office software, including Microsoft Office and Worldox GX. Larger firms will like the support of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and Oracle 10g.
Category: Document Management. Written:
2007. Added:
9-29-2008.
TechnoLawyer
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Canon DR-2510C
DR-2510C Compact Color Scanner, by
Christel Burris.
Scan quality is outstanding. At 300dpi it’s far and away better than any other scanner I’ve used. The scans at 300dpi are so good that there is no need to scan at a higher resolution. While the “one touch” buttons on the front of the scanner are useful, one of my favorite things about the Xerox DocuMate is I can program a button to
launch Acrobat and immediately start scanning.
While you can program any one of the DR-2510C
buttons to “launch” a program, the only program it
works with on my machine is Microsoft Publisher.
Category: Scanner. Written:
2008. Added:
9-26-2008.
TechnoLawyer
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ZoneAlarm
ZoneAlarm Pro 6.5, by
Robert Vamosi.
In the boldest security software move we've seen, ZoneAlarm Pro 6.5 has partnered with an identity management solutions provider, providing both offline and online identity theft protection.
Category: Anti-Virus and Firewall. Written:
2006. Added:
9-22-2008.
CNET
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QuickBooks
QuickBooks Pro 2007, by
TopTenReviews.
QuickBooks is excellent, intuitive accounting software. This program offers most of the features you need, but adjusting to its unique section names may take time.
Category: Accounting. Written:
2008. Added:
9-22-2008.
TopTenReviews
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Outlook 2007
Microsoft Office Outlook 2007, by
Elsa Wenzel.
Light users of Outlook are unlikely to need the changes offered by the 2007 version, but they may still benefit from the improved scheduling, message composition, and security. If Outlook is the nerve center of your digital communications and scheduling and you've wished for more flexibility in its older versions, then we recommend this upgrade.
Category: Email. Written:
2007. Added:
9-22-2008.
CNET
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Apple iWork
Apple iWork '08, by
Elsa Wenzel .
The inclusion of Numbers in iWork '08 makes this software bundle a stronger alternative to Microsoft Office for the Mac, which hasn't been updated since 2004. The fledgling Numbers offers more than enough formulas for the majority of users.
Category: Office Productivity. Written:
2007. Added:
9-22-2008.
CNET
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Google Docs & Spreadsheet
Google Docs & Spreadsheets, by
Elsa Wenzel.
For now, Google's office apps make a great traveling companion to desktop productivity software. And despite the beta imperfections, the user experience is more seamless than it has been with Zoho or ThinkFree Online. We expect that Google will gradually add layers of new features to Google Docs & Spreadsheets beta.
Category: Office Productivity. Written:
2006. Added:
9-22-2008.
CNET
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Chrome
Chrome (beta), by
Robert Vamosi.
Google has rethought the Internet browser--some of its basic underpinnings are quite novel--but users will recognize some features as they exist in other, open-source browsers on the market today.
Category: Browser. Written:
2008. Added:
9-22-2008.
CNET
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NTI Backup
NTI Backup Now 5 Advanced 5, by
TopTenReviews.
Because NTI Backup Now is simple to use yet effective; it's a perfect choice for computer novices. Seasoned professionals will also find NTI Backup Now! capable of meeting their backup needs.
Category: Backup. Written:
2008. Added:
9-22-2008.
TopTenReviews
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RIM BlackBerry 8320
RIM BlackBerry Curve 8320 - pale gold (T-Mobile), by
Bonnie Cha.
The RIM BlackBerry Curve (aka BlackBerry 8320) for T-Mobile is the best BlackBerry we've seen to date as it offers Wi-Fi, best-of-breed design, and excellent performance.
Category: PDA. Written:
2007. Added:
9-21-2008.
CNET
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Quikscribe, Express Dictate, BigHand3, WinScribe, Verdatum, Philips Electronics, Olympus, VR+, Palm Dictate, Express Scribe
Legal Dictation Needs to Talk Digital, by
Enrico Schaefer.
Digital dictation technology helps lawyers dictate and immediately route the dictation to support staff 24/7 from any location in the world. While a portable minicassette recorder lets you dictate anywhere, using cassettes requires physically handing a cassette tape to support staff before transcription can occur.
Category: Dictation. Written:
2008. Added:
9-16-2008.
Law Technology News
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