by Brian Focht | Jan 13, 2016
Download this Episode: Download Audio Well, we’ve passed through the “holiday season,” and on into the new year. While much time has been spent recapping the events of 2015 (usually through about December 1 – seriously, do these people think December didn’t happen?!?) and predicting 2016, it’s time to look back on what happened while you were busy shopping. On the apps front, two important things: First, there were some new ones released, which I’ll get to in a minute. Second, I was invited to speak at the 2016 ABA TECHSHOW in Chicago. And amazingly enough, I’ve been asked to talk about apps alongside established experts Tom Mighell, Jeff Taylor and Jeff Richardson. I’m truly honored to be included on such an amazing panel, and I hope you’ll attend! Here are my best new apps for lawyers released in December 2015: Multi-Platform: Multi-platform apps begin at the (1:49) mark of the podcast. Google Calendar by Google, Inc., free (iOS, Android) (Update). Much like the smartphone industry in the US, the use of office productivity systems by lawyers seems to be split into two main camps: those who use Microsoft Office (the majority), and those who use Google Docs (a growing minority). This, obviously, is for those in the second group. One of the biggest problems with Google Calendar was that, unlike Microsoft Outlook, users were unable to combine task and calendar management on one screen. No longer. The Google Calendar app now lets you add Reminders to your calendar, and allows you to create and view tasks alongside your calendar. You also get the other, lesser discussed benefits of using Google Docs – the power... read more
by Brian Focht | Dec 8, 2015
Download this Episode: Download Audio As the food coma from Thanksgiving wore off, I glanced at my collected research for the best new apps from this past November. Holy crap, we’ve returned to what happened in August and September – a TON of new apps with applications for lawyers! Well, I was about to set upon my task, when a case of walking pneumonia – a silly name for an illness that makes walking a wobbly experience – came to visit. However, the illness has mostly passed, so it’s time to get to work! Here are my best new apps for lawyers released in November 2015: Multi-Platform: Multi-platform apps begin at the (1:06) mark of the podcast. Dragon Anywhere by Nuance Communications, Inc., $15/month or $150/year (iOS, Android). There are a few companies that are going to be mentioned on this list anytime they create a new app, simply because of how important the company’s product is to lawyers. LinkedIn is one of those companies (see the next entry on this list), and so is Dragon Dictation. Although not because of how used it is (quite a lot), but because of how much more it needs to be used! Dragon Anywhere is a mobile add-on to your Dragon tools. Provided you have a stable internet connection, Dragon Anywhere gives you cloud-based adaptive speech recognition right on your smartphone. (Translation: You can dictate, and your phone will actually know what the hell you’re saying!) There are a lot of cool tricks you can do with this app that I discuss in greater detail in the podcast. Suffice it to say, if you’re... read more
by Brian Focht | Nov 10, 2015
Well, after what I can only describe as two amazing months for apps in August and September, it appears the world of app developers slowed down somewhat in October. Fine by me, since most of mine was occupied by my honeymoon in Italy (which was freaking awesome). However, that’s not to suggest that the month was a complete waste! Here are my best new apps for lawyers released in October 2015: Multi-Platform: Office Lens by Microsoft Corp., free (iOS, Android). (Update) Leading off the list of multi-platform apps this month (all of which are major updates of existing apps) is Office Lens, your mobile scanner by Microsoft. What’s most interesting about the updates this month is that they’re not universal. For iOS users, Office Lens now connects directly to your Microsoft 365 account, giving you the ability to directly scan in documents to your OneNote or OneDrive account. While this was probably a lot more interesting before Microsoft decided to completely back-out on their promise to provide unlimited storage in OneDrive, it’s still going to be a very effective way of making sure that your business-related documents get saved correctly. For Android users, Office Lens now boasts the capability (already available on iOS) to scan a business card, digitize the data, and add the information directly to your contacts list. Although not as effective as Evernote (according to this author), users of MS Office products likely want to keep their information in one ecosystem, which Android users are now able to do. Overall, Office Lens still falls short of Evernote in several ways. However, if you’re like the author... read more
by Brian Focht | Oct 6, 2015
Download this Episode: Download Audio First, please let me apologize for my absence over the past few weeks. A combination of major involvement in a large construction defect litigation case and my wife and I moving into our first new house kept me INSANELY BUSY over the last month. Hoping to rectify that in the next few weeks, though. More importantly, the apps. Well, June and July were actually relatively light for high-quality apps, so I wasn’t expecting too much from August. My mistake. Tons of great new apps have dropped, and sadly, I had to leave off plenty of good ones. Here are my best new apps for lawyers released in August 2015: Multi-Platform: Multi-platform apps begin at the (0:46) mark of the podcast. AdBlock Browser by Eyeo, free (iOS, Android) / Crystal by Dean Murphy, $0.99 (iOS only). Regardless which side of the Ad-Blocking Software vs. Online Publishers debate you are, there’s really no denying that the current state of online advertising is a mess. Ads pop up on every part of every site you visit (I really do try to minimize the intrusion!), and actually destroy performance in a lot of cases. In fact, I can think of too many sites whose content I love, but whose ads make me shudder at the thought of even visiting. Well, Apple has finally announced that it’s jumping on board and allowing developers to help everyone block ads. Two major new apps were released for mobile last month as part of that – AdBlock Browser and Crystal. They both do roughly the same thing… and they’re both potentially problematic for the same... read more
by Brian Focht | Sep 17, 2015
Download this Episode: Download Audio First, please let me apologize for my absence over the past few weeks. A combination of major involvement in a large construction defect litigation case and my wife and I moving into our first new house kept me INSANELY BUSY over the last month. Hoping to rectify that in the next few weeks, though. More importantly, the apps. Well, June and July were actually relatively light for high-quality apps, so I wasn’t expecting too much from August. My mistake. Tons of great new apps have dropped, and sadly, I had to leave off plenty of good ones. Here are my best new apps for lawyers released in August 2015: Multi-Platform: Multi-platform apps begin at the () mark of the podcast. Microsoft Translator by Microsoft Corp., free (iOS, Android). Have you ever tried to use an app that suggests it has the ability to translate what you’re saying into another language? There are good, bad, and… terrible. On the good end has been apps like Word Lens (if you don’t mind the apps size). Microsoft is helping to balance out the scales as well, with it’s new Translate app. For iOS, Android, Watch OS, and Android Wear, Translator can help you translate phrases in 50 different languages. It’ll even speak the phrases for you in case you’re worried that your terrible pronunciation is punishable by death in the country you’re visiting! Even better for attorneys, in a country that is becoming more and more multi-lingual, it’ll be nice to be able to communicate with your clients without being a total jackass! PushBullet/Portal by PushBullet, Inc., free (iOS, Android). Ok,... read more
by Brian Focht | Aug 4, 2015
Download this Episode Download Audio July has come and gone, and with it the two-year anniversary of The Cyber Advocate! (And there was great rejoicing!)July was also quite a month for new apps out of the Microsoft Garage Project, their den of frenzied app-creation activities. As you’ll see below, they did quite well. I hope you had a relaxing month, because it’s time to dive in! Here are my best new apps for lawyers released in July 2015: Multi-Platform: Multi-platform apps begin at the (0:20) mark of the podcast. OneNote by Microsoft Corp., (iOS, Android), free. (Update) As part of its continuing strategy to make their flagship systems evenly accessible across all platforms, which you’ll see more of below, Microsoft has released new versions of it’s OneNote app for both iOS and Android. For iOS users, the iPad app has effectively been replaced with it’s more advanced iPhone sibling, meaning there won’t be any differences between the apps anymore. Additionally, you’re now fully able to view the “recent notes” view, and has fixed the preview mode, allowing pages to be previewed in landscape mode. For Android, Microsoft has added a highly requested feature: the ability to move or copy a note from one section or notebook to another. You can even copy and save a note to your home screen instead of OneNote. For users of Android Wear, Microsoft reports that a significant update is on your way too. Convo by Scrybe, Inc., (iOS, Android), free. (Update) While technically an update, this really should qualify as a new app. Convo, one of the top business collaboration tools available, has completely revamped its desktop system, and released... read more
by Brian Focht | Jul 7, 2015
Download this Episode: Download Audio I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer! With Independence Day weekend in the proverbial rear-view, it’s time to tell you about some of the great new apps released last month. We have some new stuff here at the Cyber Advocate, too! For everyone who has checked out our new podcast, the Legal Technology Review, we appreciate it. For those who haven’t, here’s your perfect opportunity: Beginning with this post, our Best New Apps series will become part of the podcast. Not to worry, you’ll still be able to get the monthly list right here. The podcast will offer more detailed information on how you can use each app to improve your practice. Additionally, the podcast will include additional apps – an honorable mention, of sorts – that didn’t make the final cut for the post. So without further ado, here are my best new apps for lawyers released in June 2015: Multi-Platform: Multi-platform apps begin at the 1:34 mark of the podcast. Microsoft Outlook by Microsoft Corp., (iOS, Android), free. (Update) Microsoft’s Outlook app underwent a significant update last month, adding functionality that is both incredible and critical for anyone concerned with the security of mobile devices. Bring Your Own Device, or “BYOD,” is a major concern for IT staff, and attorneys and law firms should be incredibly concerned about the potential for confidential data to be compromised due to a lost or hacked phone or tablet. The recent update should help your firm and IT manager enforce compliance with your BYOD Policies, particularly with mobile device management. Now, you can prevent users... read more
by Brian Focht | Jun 1, 2015
Hey everyone, happy June! According to my calendar, summer starts in about 20 days. According to the actual weather… been here for a while! I’ve been insanely busy these past few weeks, and have some exciting news to announce (which I end up giving away in this post, but you’ll need to read it to find it!) about new features coming this month! But I couldn’t leave everyone without your list of new apps! Here are my best new apps for lawyers released in May 2015: Multi-Platform: Google Photos by Google, Inc. (iOS, Android), free. Ok, so this one might not necessarily have too many lawyer-centric photos, but Google Photos is probably one of the coolest apps released this month (and it’s my blog, so I’ll include it if I want to!). Sorry, just a little tired. 🙂 Now a completely separate app from Google+, Photos is your complete photo collection, on-the-go. With unlimited storage, you can add as many photos as you want. Once uploaded, Google will tag the photos based on facial recognition, object recognition, and location. Apparently, facial recognition can even track the same person as they age! (This would be terrifying if they could identify everyone by name, which they claim they cannot.) Even your old photos, taken back in the stone age (prior to, say, 2001) become searchable, too. That old photo by the Eiffel Tower – Google has that location on file, so it comes up in your search for “Paris.” Pretty cool, huh? Not impressed? Ok. It can also recognize the breed of your dog. *Drops mic* QuizUp by Plain Vanilla Corp. (iOS, Android), free. (Update) A... read more
by Brian Focht | May 6, 2015
Ever wanted to start a Microsoft Word or Excel document right on your iPhone and save it to Dropbox? Well, thanks to a massive overhaul of the Dropbox iOS App, you’ll soon be able to do that, and more. Today, Dropbox announced a major update to the Dropbox iOS App designed to take advantage of their recent surprise partnership with Microsoft, as well as improve the collaborative tools of the app. All while improving the app’s functionality. Dropbox has become synonymous with “cloud computing,” particularly for personal or small business use, over the past few years. Its great price (free for 4GB), combined with its easy-to-operate interface, has made it a massive hit with consumers. While there certainly are (fixable) security issues with Dropbox, it is an undeniably easy way to keep your files, documents, and other important information available at all times. Collaboration with co-workers in remote offices or locations is much easier, and you can easily transfer important documents from your desktop to your laptop, smartphone or tablet. The update adds several important tools to your Dropbox iOS App: View Your Most Recent Files One of the most painful parts of using Dropbox on my iPhone has always been that I have too many individual files to sift through. Also, I have a strange propensity for saving my more important files by names beginning with ‘S’ or ‘T’, making them a royal pain to locate. Plus, sometimes I really need to find the document I just annotated… among 400 similar deposition notes. Well, goodbye static file list, hello “Recents” tab! The new home view of the Dropbox iOS... read more
by Brian Focht | May 4, 2015
I’m back! For everyone who missed me over the past two weeks, I’ve completed a hellish move into temporary housing until my wife and I move into the house we purchased in mid-August. For everyone else, well, there were some nice apps released last month. Here are my best new apps for lawyers released in April 2015: Multi-Platform: Facebook Messenger by Facebook, Inc. (iOS, Android), free (Update). Facebook’s first foray into breaking its social capabilities into multiple apps got a major update last month. Messenger, the stand-alone app that allows you to send individual or group messages to your Facebook friends, added a video calling feature. You are now able to start a video call directly from an existing message, expanding on the recent introduction of voice calls through messenger. Probably the most valuable element of this new feature is that you’re able to conduct video calls between any mobile devices, regardless of the brand, OS, or network. LinkedIn Elevate by LinkedIn Corp. (iOS, Android), free. Does your law firm create its own content, via blog or social media? Do you routinely share articles and stories relevant to your law firm’s practice areas with your employees or clients? Are you simply looking for a way to share valuable content? LinkedIn Elevate might be just the platform for you. Taking advantage of your employees’ social networks, LinkedIn Elevate allows you to share the unique or important content you create or discover with a wide audience. Using state of the art analytics, find out the best times to post content so it gets the best audience, boosting your circulation and enhancing your employees’ authority with their... read more
