By Wells Anderson

April 5, 2003

Table of Contents

So you think of yourself as a "Legal Road Warrior" – able to leap tall airport lounges and distant courtrooms in a single digital bound. If you want to take your practice out of the office – working from home, in court, in a client's office, in airport lounges, at bar meetings – you shouldn't miss this session! We'll take a comprehensive look at the technology that can allow you to practice literally any time, any place. From Palm-sized computing with all the options and accessories to portable e-mail, converged cell and computing options to the plethora of laptop choices facing the Legal Road Warrior. Connect to your office, your clients, experts, the courts, not to mention family and friends. It's all here: understandable, complete and ready to put to use in your practice!

Not all of these ideas fit you. Pick and choose the ones you like. We have found these products and services to be especially useful for lawyers and staff away from the office.

To dig deeper, click on the Web site link to the product’s homepage. Can’t click because you are reading this on paper? Go to www.wellslegaltech.com and go to Articles. These materials are on the Web where you can easily go to the related Web sites.

Wells Anderson and Jeff Allen (JAllenLaw@aol.com) are the co-presenters of this topic at ABA TECHSHOW 2003. Wells Anderson prepared these materials with assistance from Jeff Beard and Bruce Dorner (callmylawyer@attglobal.net).

Sure, the gadget the person next to you gushes about looks interesting, but is it really worth your time and trouble to learn? To focus on mobile technology that will help you the most, answer some questions beforehand.

Where can mobile technology help you?

1.      In your home office

2.      In airplanes, airports

3.      At other law offices

4.      In your hotel room

5.      At branch offices of your firm

6.      In a car

Decide whether you can and want to be more productive in each of these locations. The more places you go, the greater the return on your investment in mobile tools. To make this decision, take a look at what you may need in these places.

What is the same out of the office?

Even without the latest equipment, you can do a number of things away from your main office that you ordinarily do in the office:

1.      Most important client documents are with you

2.      You carry your personal calendar

3.      You can place phone calls readily

4.      Faxes and voicemail messages arrive regularly

With a cell phone, a paper calendar, and a file of client papers, you can be productive in most places. The important question is: What tools and techniques will make you significantly more productive or comfortable?

What is different out of the office?

1.      You have fewer resources

2.      You have a harder time serving multiple clients

3.      You feel out of touch with the office

4.      You take fewer incoming phone calls

5.      E-mail is harder to get

6.      Books and firm documents are unavailable

7.      Most files are inaccessible

That is quite a list. You are cut off from an array of your office resources, but you could have many of them at your fingertips using new tools. Let’s get into specifics.

The portable or laptop computer is still the device of choice for the road-equipped attorney.  They come in a variety of sizes and configurations. Carefully evaluate your budget and tolerance for schlepping a bag of gear on the road. On the light side, some of the new notebooks are in the 3-pound range. However, devices such as floppy drives, CD-ROMs, and power bricks add a few pounds to the package and afford you an extra opportunity to forget one of the peripherals or the necessary umbilical cord to connect the device to the notebook.

All-in-One Heavyweights

If you want it all in one box, look for desktop replacement machines with a DVD/CD/CD-RW drive. This drive can write files onto a blank CD so you may be able to get by without a floppy drive. It also plays DVD movies that are easy to pack. These boxes will weigh between 6 and 9 pounds, depending upon battery weight, screen size and price. In some of the better units, you may have room for a second hard drive or second battery, affording more space or computing time on the road.

With the prevalence of e-mail and the ability to send attachments, floppy diskettes are becoming less important as a means of giving electronic documents to clients and associates. If you bring along a “thumbdrive,” covered elsewhere, you should be able to exchange files with others and not have to lug a floppy drive.

Does It Fit You?

With portable computers the two weak points are often the keyboard and the screen. Personal preference dictates that you try both before making a purchase.  Is the keyboard firm and are the keys reasonably sized for touch typing? Can you get along with the locations of the Delete, PgUp, PgDn, Home and End keys? These keys can be very important for writing and editing.

Is the screen large enough to be read comfortably in all lighting conditions? Is the screen viewable from an angle in case you’re not directly in front or wish to show the display to another person? Does text look readable when you set the resolution at 800 by 600 and at 1024 by 768? Both of these settings can be important:

ü      800 by 600 for showing PowerPoint slides to one or people. IBM ThinkPads may not display well at this resolution, though they are excellent all-around computers;

ü      1024 by 768 if you want to work solo with modern software that uses lots of screen space.

Some of the new portables come with a screen measuring in excess of 15 inches on the diagonal. This is a larger viewable area than a 17 inch desk-top monitor. With something this large, you might want to consider becoming a portable-only lawyer!

Size and Speed

As with any technology tool, size and speed are factors to consider. You don’t need a speed demon for text typing. However, you do need speed if you plan on showing video, DVD movies or running the latest version of voice recognition programs. For these purposes, buy a machine with a fast processor that has been on the market no longer than a year.

Besides physical size, the size of a laptop’s hard disk and RAM (the memory it thinks with) are important. As of 2002, we recommend at least a 20 GB hard drive and 128 MB of RAM with 256 MB being preferable. Be prepared to add more if you plan on using the latest and greatest software.

Cell phones have become a commodity, but something new is just hitting the market. The wireless service providers like Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile are starting to offer CDMA2000 1X technology service that can deliver download speeds of up to 153 Kbps. Imagine: plug your cell phone into your laptop and connect to the Web at faster speeds than you dial-up modem. And you do not have to pay hotel phone charges.

Other new features that will draw envious eyes to your wireless phone are color screens that display snapshots and built-in digital cameras that take photos and send them to other similar phones. It is hard to make a business case for these features, but for the Road Warrior away from home, they offer one more way to stay in touch.

Cell Phone / Palm Combo: Kyocera Smartphone 7135

The Kyocera Smartphone deserves space in any review of mobile computing for lawyers. Combining Palm features with a cell phone just makes so much sense. Palm technology makes looking up names, numbers, appointments, tasks and notes so easy that many of you will not want to bother with competing products even though they may offer more power and features. The ease-of-use of the Palm units can be compelling.

The cell phone / Palm combination offers two key advantages:

1.      Carry one device instead of two

2.      Speed-dial your entire collection of phone numbers

Key Features of the Kyocera Smartphone 7135:

1.      Voice-activated dialing

2.      Hands-free speakerphone

3.      Eudora e-mail: send and receive e-mail from your phone

4.      Truly wireless Web surfing with color images via HTML and WAP browsers

5.      65,000-color display; much brighter than your monochrome Palm; clear under all lighting conditions

6.      CDMA2000 1X technology; download data at speeds up to 153 Kbps

7.      MP3 player with stereo headset jack

8.      Media player that shows images and video

9.      Expansion card slot:  Add memory, software and accessories

10.  Trimode; CDMA digital PCS,CDMA digital cellular and analog

11.  Voice memos

12.  USB and serial connection for phone and PDA interfaces

13.  Two-way text messaging

You will definitely want to buy a headset or earpiece/microphone to use with the Smartphone. Read on for a slick new option.

JABRA FreeSpeak Wireless Mobile Headset

Are you ready for “cordless wireless”? Sound like overkill? Then you have not fought with your cell phone earpiece cord. Two good reasons for using an earpiece with your cell phone are:

1.      Avoid serious neck strain that comes from trying to wedge your cell phone between your ear and shoulder while you use your hands.

2.      Keep the transmitting and receiving of cell phone radiation away from your brain. (My astrophysicist brother-in-law says we got a lot more radiation from sunlight, but here in Minnesota we are protected from direct sun for much of the year.)

To avoid the hassle of a cell phone earpiece cord, JABRA sells a Bluetooth-powered earpiece.

The FreeSpeak works with new phones that have Bluetooth capacity built in and with non-Bluetooth phones, too. The holder/charger for this headset is also an adapter that plugs into your phone’s 2.5 mm headset jack.

The FreeSpeak weighs less than an ounce. At $179.99, that works out to $3,599.80 per pound, almost worth its weight in gold.

For more information:  http://www.jabra.com  Available from:  http://www.hellodirect.com

Do not jump at sales prices on Palms and PocketPCs until you see the low-priced new models from Dell and other new entrants in the PDA marketplace.

Dell sells two models priced at $199.95 and $299.95, hundreds of dollars less than competing products with similar specifications.

We are partial to CompactFlash cards for use in mobile devices. The cost per Megabyte has dropped sharply in the past year and these cards can be used in digital cameras, MP3 players, video projectors, and USB drives. Finally we are seeing more PDAs offering Compact Flash slots, including the newest from Dell.

Dell’s Bargain-Price PDAs

Two new PocketPC models now bear the Dell name. Pricing is $199.95 for the 300 MHz model and $299.95 for the 400 MHz model, Here are some specifications:

1.      Weight: 185g

2.      Thickness: 0.7" thin

3.      Display: 240x320 pixel screen, 64,000 colors

4.      Memory: 64Mb

5.      Expansion: CF and SD slots

6.      Connectivity: IRDA, Bluetooth and WiFI via CF slot

7.      Music: MP3 player and universal remote control software

8.      Energy: Removable battery (hi capacity option)

9.      Holder: USB cradle (with spare battery charging slot)

10.  Batteries: 1440mwh and 3400mwh

Images posted unofficially on the Web may or may not reflect what the new devices will look like, but they are fascinating:

Big vendors like HP/Compaq, Sony and Toshiba are charging significantly more for comparable PocketPCs. Still, you may want to stick with Palm technology PDA because they are so easy to use.

Dell Clemente PocketPC. No official pricing yet. Check http://www.dell.com

Fossil Wrist PDA

Available for both the Palm and the PocketPC, this wristwatch synchronizes addresses, appointments, to-do’s and memos with your PDA.

Imagine yourself at a reception. You want the business card of a technologically savvy prospect who is proud of a Palm device. By pointing your watch at the Palm, you can receive the prospect’s business card electronically.

But the most practical uses are looking up phone numbers and keeping you on time for appointments, since your schedule can always be with you.

           

Fossil Wrist PDA

$145.00  http://www.fossil.com/tech/default.asp?Tier1=&ID=tech

Power Sources

Super Batteries for Laptops

The Electorvaya PowerPad line of external batteries for laptops lets you work unplugged for up to 16 hours. They are expensive, but so is down time.

PowerPad 160  $499.00   http://www.electrovaya.com

·        Recharging them thousands of times stems the flow of dead alkaline batteries into landfills

·        They do not contain environmentally damaging substances

An added benefit of NiMH batteries: they are significantly lighter than alkaline batteries. For perhaps more than you want to know about green batteries go to this Web site offering good customer service:

http://www.greenbatteries.com

The power curve for NiMH batteries is different than that of other batteries, so you may want to check into some of the finer points. For example, when a Palm organizer signals that it is time to change batteries, it really is time with NiMH batteries, whereas you have a bit more time with some other battery types. NiMH batteries have no memory, so you can stick them into the charger any time you want.

A word of warning: other cheaper battery chargers may fry your NiMH batteries. They don’t take well to being continuously charged long after they already have a full charge. The cheap chargers use a simple timer that governs how long full current is applied to your batteries. Bad idea.

Battery Chargers                       

GreenBatteries.com offers the best mobile battery charger in the business for $69.95. It is incredibly small, light and smart. The smart part is really important. This charger uses a smart chip to prevent the overcharging of your batteries regardless of their charge level when you recharge them. It also has no external power adapter. That is one less device and cord to hassle you.

POWERline 4  $69.95
http://store.yahoo.com/greenbatteries-store/anpow4travch.html

A less expensive, heavier, equally smart charger is the POWER Charger II.

It will charge your batteries just as well. Both units are “fast” chargers.

$26.95  POWER Charger II

http://store.yahoo.com/greenbatteries-store/powen.html

You can purchase batteries bundled with a charger and save money. For example, the POWER Charge II and eight AA batteries cost $47.95.

You can enhance the effectiveness of a telephone conversation or teleconference by sharing the same computer screen. Remote control services and software, like well-know pcAnywhere, allow one person to view and optionally control another computer across the Internet or by a dial-up connection.

Remote control and Web conferencing often have overlapping features. One-to-one remote control allows one person to view and control another computer across the Internet. Other features may be available as well, such as text chat and file transfer. For a shared session in which several people or a large group can see the same screen, see the next section on Web conferencing.

Remote Control Services

Several services charge a monthly fee for the ability to connect to another PC across the Internet. They are much easier to set up than remote control software and cost more. These services can go through firewalls at one or both side of a connection without requiring special settings. Their installation process, if any, is simpler than installing and configuring remote control software.

DesktopStreaming is a Web-based application that enables organizations to support their clients and staff through remote viewing and control of computers over the Internet. Because it is completely Web-based, there is no software to install on client or staff machines. The technology works with any software and supports all major platforms including Windows, Linux, Solaris and Mac. The monthly cost is significant, but so is the set of included features. www.desktopstreaming.com

WebInteractive is another remote control product with a variety of features for communicating with others online, monitoring a remote PC, and managing a queue of requests for assistance. What separates it from the competition is its purchase option. You can buy the software, or software pre-installed on a server, and pay no monthly charges. For firms that embrace the concept of working together apart and use the product extensively, the return on investment is rapid. www.linktivity.com

GoToMyPC does a good job of connecting through firewalls without requiring users to know how to change firewall settings. It allows one user to control a particular PC across the Internet through a secure, private connection. The subscription cost is lower than DesktopStreaming, but it works only with one host PC on which the software is installed. To access another computer, another subscription for that computer is required. Because Web browser software is used to control the host PC, you can use GoToMyPC anywhere you find a computer connected to the Internet. A subscription costs $179.40 to provide access to one PC and is less when purchasing the service for multiple PCs. www.GoToMyPC.com

eBlvd.com offers a service very similar to GoToMyPC. is a peer-to-peer service licensed on a per-PC basis. For $119.95 per year, a subscriber can make his or her computer screen viewable and controllable from another computer over the Internet. Because of its peer-to-peer nature, eBlvd often works faster and more smoothly than most of its competitors. www.eblvd.com

Remote Control Software

pcAnywhere  has a long history of allowing remote control of another computer over telephone lines and, more recently, over the Internet. Here again, users may need to open particular ports in their Internet firewalls and may not be able to connect through certain kinds of Internet connection sharing technologies.  Its price is often discounted and significant rebates are available with proof of ownership of an earlier version. Earlier versions are available at bargain prices over the Internet. www.symantec.com/pcanywhere

VNC  is free software that allows remote control of another PC over the Internet or a network. Made available under the GNU General Public License by AT&T Laboratories, Cambridge, England, it performs more slowly that some of the commercially available software packages. It features are limited; for example, it does not support the transfer of files between connected computers. Its documentation is a bit confusing. It has no capability to deal with users who have dynamic IP addresses, short of determining the address each time a connection is desired.  www.uk.research.att.com/vnc

A variety of services and software packages are available to connect to clients and others across the Internet. Web conferencing allows multiple people to view the same screen across the Internet.

Web conference features can include:

Program or application sharing – Participants watch the computer screen of the presenter, sometimes with a remote control option

Whiteboards – Participants can write on or highlight text or images on a shared computer screen

Text Chat -- Participants can send text messages back and forth while viewing a shared computer window

Voice-over-IP (VOIP) – Participants with computer speakers and microphones or computer headsets can see a shared window and talk with each other over the Internet

File transfer – Files may be exchanged between computers

In the past, it was necessary to install special software or go through sometimes elaborate preparations to set up a Web conference. Preliminary steps may still be required. But now they have become simpler in many cases, easing the burden on the people with whom you want to meet, especially with the pricier services.

Web Conferencing Services

The services listed here do not burden meeting participants with the task of installing a separate software package. Authorized users can join a meeting without going through the hit-and-miss process of receiving software through the mail or downloading it from a Web site and then installing it. On the other hand, these services require the payment of on-going subscription fees.

eBLVD.com Online Meeting

eBLVD Online Meeting offers the least expensive Web conferencing service. Meetings can be public or private. Participants can log in via a Web screen or receive E-mailed invitations with a link to click on to join a meeting. Through clever technology, eBLVD has overcome limitations relating to dynamic IP addresses and done away with adjusting settings on the subscriber's firewall. By making using of peer-to-peer functions, the bandwidth requirements are reduced so that even dial-up Internet users can participate in a conference and high-speed subscribers experience fast performance.

eBLVD has a major upgrade in the works for its Online Meetings product. The upgrade will add refinements to an already rich set of online meeting features that currently include:

q       Secure, straight-forward Sign-In process through a Web page

q       Very fast screen refresh and remote control mouse and keyboard response

q       Option to give one or more participants control of mouse and keyboard

q       Option to give rights to copy and paste to and from the meeting window

q       Compatibility with virtually all applications

q       Option to record a session to an AVI file

q       Control panels for managing individual meetings and meeting schedule

q       Contact list with option for automatic E-mail notification of initial meeting and rescheduling

q       Low bandwidth requirements relative to other services

 ENC Technology Corp.  www.eblvd.com  760-602-5202

WebDemo from www.linktivity.com offers Web conferencing both as monthly subscription and as software that you can buy. The monthly costs using other services can easily exceed the purchase price for this many-featured tool. It provides a clear interface for granting or denying control of the mouse and keyboard to one or more people. WebDemo allows both one-directional presentations and interactive use of any software on the host computer. WebDemo provides a resizable viewing area so that the meeting host can reveal one window to the participants while preparing another window for display or taking notes. A conflict between MS Java and Sun Java gave us some problems, but we expect this to be fixed in a future upgrade. Pricing has recently become affordable for small teams.

VIA is a pay-as-you-go service providing online “meeting rooms” (also known as “deal rooms”) and other services. Participants can jointly view and edit documents, chat online, see each other, and share a whiteboard.

VIA includes secure storage space on the Web for shared documents.

Viack Corporation  www.viack.com

Webex is an Internet service that supports a wide range of virtual meeting and Web conferencing features. The people you invite to the conference do not need to install anything and can connect easily from behind most firewalls. Fixed monthly costs can be significant.  www.webex.com

Switchnotes brings people together to compose and revise documents over the Internet. In Switchnotes you can browse and open a Word document that will be replicated to all users whom you have invited to a session. You can edit, negotiate, resolve or finalize the document over the Internet. The moderator in a Switchnotes session can shift at the click of a single button. The company behind Switchnotes has paid a great deal of attention to security, safeguarding the moderator's computer against unauthorized access. www.switchnotes.com 

Web Conferencing Software

Microsoft NetMeeting is free; however, to use it your clients must install and configure the software. www.microsoft.com/windows/netmeeting Setting up NetMeeting and some similar products to work through a firm’s Internet firewall can be daunting. A number of third party services work with NetMeeting to overcome some of its limitations.

Videoconferencing options fall into two general categories: Dedicated videoconferencing services and Internet videoconferencing. The former tends to be expensive whereas the latter usually suffers more from performance problems.

CUSeeMe is a consumer-oriented service offering low-end Internet videoconferencing. Targeted at in formal chatting, CUSeeMe requires that you and each participant install the proprietary CUSeeMe software. In addition, you will need an inexpensive Web camera or “Webcam.” If you do not have a fixed IP address, you can still participate in conferences if you and the person initiating the conference both have Microsoft Messenger accounts. www.cuseemeworld.com

ViaVideo  At last, a product priced for solos and small firms delivers reasonable videoconferencing over high speed Internet connections. Polycom’s ViaVideo with Web prices around $400, is an affordable option.

For good performance you will want to have 512 K Internet connections at both ends of the connection and both upstream and downstream. You can, however, connect at lower speeds down to 128 K, but do not bother with dial-up modem connections.

Though ViaVideo makes a big jump forward in quality, the Internet itself can cause unfortunate slowdowns. You may find that certain times, such as mid-mornings, are problematic and therefore schedule your videoconferences outside of peak Internet traffic times. Polycom www.polycom.com/products/viavideo.html

Whether you use a highly automated document management system to check documents in and out or a simple software utility, document synchronization can save time and reduce confusion.

Document synchronization allows you to choose which documents or which folders of documents you want to copy to a remote computer. Different approaches allow you to make sure you take the most recent version of a document with you. You can also automate the process of putting updated and new documents back onto your law office server.

Time Matters – Documents and more

Time Matters began as a case management system, but has grown beyond managing cases. Each year its document features have grown and deepened. Now they include automatic document assembly, document management, and synchronization

With Time Matters World, you can take documents a step further. The World Edition allows you to access Time Matters and its collection of documents from any PC anywhere connected to the Internet..

Ways to Synchronize with Time Matters

With Time Matters, you designate a master document folder on your server. Documents in that folder, and its subfolders, can be synchronized with remote computers, whether they are laptops on the road, home office computers, or a network in a branch office of your firm.

This diagram shows how documents and other information in Time Matters can be synchronized among different computers:

Time Matters offers three ways to synchronize:

1.      Direct network connection – If your laptop has a network card, you can synchronize be connecting directly to your office network.

2.      E-mail – You can exchange documents and other information between a remote computer and the office via an e-mailed attachment. Time Matters walks you through the simple process with a wizard.

3.      File transfer – You can create a transfer files with Time Matters and then exchange them via floppy disk or file transfer over the Internet. Time Matters compresses everything into a single file.

Accessing Documents Synchronized by Time Matters

Once new and changed documents have been transferred to your mobile computer, you can get to them through Windows Explorer or through Time Matters.

Time Matters Professional:  $350 for first user, $150 each added user   

Time Matters World:  See the Time Matters Web site for options. The most cost-effective approach may be to purchase Time Matters World bundled with a Toshiba SG20 Internet appliance for $1895

http://www.timematters.com

Worldox – Documents via the Web

For a sophisticated, full-featured approach to document access and management in and out of the office, look at Worldox Web. It uses a secure Web server in your office to give authorized access to documents and files of all types over the Internet.

Worldox has been especially successful in the legal profession. It permits, but does not require, the use of a heavy duty SQL Server, including its own document server software. It integrates directly into Word or WordPerfect, as well as many other applications. Worldox lets you do full-text searches through your entire document collection in addition to organizing documents into structures you have set up, such as Client / Matter / Folder.

Worldox Web is available as an add-on to the Worldox document management software that costs $350.00 per user plus $60.00 annual maintenance.

World Software Corporation          800-962-6360
http://www.worldox.com

File Synchronizers

Network/Unplugged 4.0

Mobiliti Network/Unplugged 4.0 provides a comprehensive and automatic synchronization and backup solution for laptop users. Proprietary technology transmits only the portions of files that have changed making Network/Unplugged 4.0 a transparent and extremely fast backup and synchronization product.

You can operate in a Virtual Network environment when detached from the network. Select the files you want to see when you are not connected to the network, then work on the files anytime and anywhere. They can be automatically refreshed (synchronized and backed up) the next time you log in to the network.

Key Features:

ü      Access network or shared files when not connected to the network

ü      Synchronize and backup files from any source to any destination including external drives –

ü      Backup large files in seconds

ü      Unattended and transparent backup and synchronization projects at startup, shut down, when logged to the network, or anytime

$80.00 per user for networks of up to 10 users. Other versions available.

http://www.mobiliti.com

Idem

Idem replicates directories and synchronize files, backs up and distributes data automatically. It works with Windows NT and Windows 2000 servers. It secures critical data, copies folders from a computer location to another or between network drives. Idem can mirror important folders and files between a server and a laptop computer.

$86.00 per user  http://peccatte.karefil.com/Software/Idem/

·        Include sub-directories, so that all folders inside the two you pick will be copied.

·        Exclude designated files, so that you don’t have to copy everything.

Automating SynchronX to synchronize multiple pairs of folders is not very polished. But again, it is simple. You can save multiple SynchronX icons onto your Windows desktop. Each one will synchronize a different pair of folders. Or you can create a text file that SynchronX can read. Then it can execute multiple synchronizations automatically.

To move documents back and forth between office and home, you could synchronize to a floppy disk at work, and then synchronize the floppy disk to your PC at home. Repeat the process in reverse when you return to work. You will never have to worry about missing a document or having an out-of-date version if you synchronize your file.

Another alternative is to synchronize your files to a WebDrive (www.webdrive.com).  Sure, e-mailing documents to yourself works fine with a few documents. But you tend to end up with various versions in various places. And you always seem to want the one you didn’t see fit to e-mail. If you have a limited number of folders to work with, this can be a good solution.

Caution:  Synchronizing files could result in losing information. For example, you might delete a few paragraphs from a copy of your document on your notebook PC. If you then synchronize its folder with the folder where it came from, your earlier version with those paragraphs will be overwritten.

SynchronX could get you into real trouble if you are working on the same files with several other people. The last person to modify a file wins in that situation. But you may find it to be an excellent tool for handling your own documents that others don’t change.

Cost:  Free   http://www.clickteam.com/English/synchronx.php

CyberSecretaries – 1-800-YOUDICTATE

·        Via e-mail, in any version of MS Word, WordPerfect or plain text

·        Via fax

Conclusion