What Enhancements Are On Your Next Generation iPad Wishlist?

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Raleigh attorney Zack Bolen writes the following:

“Was doing some morning reading on iPad rumors and comments on the Motorola Xoom, especially with respect to features.

http://www.knowyourmobile.com/blog/723364/ipad_2_to_feature_128gb_ssd.html

The article above speculates that the iPad 2 might have a 128 GB Solid State Drive, which (I think) is the same technology Apple uses on its Macbook Air. Not only is that a very respectable amount of hard drive storage, the SSD doesn’t have any “boot” time like a traditional laptop.

From a business perspective, I would rank the most desired iPad 2 features as follows:

1. A dual core processor with 1GB or so of RAM. It would completely change the capacity of the tablet to operate more involved business applications, and would allow a whole new realm of multi-tasking.

2. A high quality front facing camera.  Huge potential for the tablet to change how and when we use video conferencing.

3. At least 64 GB of storage, with 128 GB available. I’d love to see Apple include an SD slot for expandable memory but I’m not holding my breath.

4. Some sort of USB port. I don’t think it will happen. Hope I’m wrong.

5. An higher resolution screen. iPad 2 will certainly have a better screen than iPad 1 but I don’t see the current screen as a hindrance to business use. The improved screen will help for personal use (internet, videos, etc.).

6. A rear facing camera. I don’t think the tablet will ever be used as a primary camera, so I don’t care much about what they do with the rear facing camera.

I continue to be amazed by Apple’s ability to keep most everyone in the dark about their upcoming products. Apple hasn’t even said there will be an iPad 2, much less what upgrades will be made from iPad 1. They will simply announce a press conference, the world will tune in, and Apple will announce the new features of iPad 2. It has to be fun to have such power.”

Zack– thanks for sharing your thoughts.   Although it will probably never happen, I would like to see Adobe Flash capability added.  However, there do appear to be considerable technical issues with putting Flash on a touch screen device– See  http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2010/02/20/an-adobe-flash-developer-on-why-the-ipad-cant-use-flash/ 

However, if it turns out that Flash works well on XOOM and other tablets, the lack of Flash capability could become a serious competitive disadvantage for the iPad.

iPad Competitors Unveiled at CES– Motorola XOOM

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Dozens of potential competitors to the iPad were on display this week at the Consumer Electronic Show (“CES”).

My friend, Raleigh attorney Zack Bolen, took notice of the the Motorola XOOM.

The XOOM is the first tablet with a dual-core processor and Android 3.0 (Honeycomb) Google software developed specifically for tablet computers (as opposed to the current versions of Android designed for the smaller to ouch screens of smart phones). The XOOM features front and rear-facing cameras, a camcorder and Adobe Flash® Player, all on a 10.1-inch widescreen HD display. Zack is impressed by the features, but finds the XOOM to be a little too rectangular for his tastes.

Here is a feature comparison between the XOOM and iPad(1). However, this is not really a fair contest as the enhanced iPad (2) and XOOM should be on the market about the same time.
                                        XOOM                                                           iPad
OS                                  Google Android 3.0 Honeycomb                iOS 4.2
Display                        10.1″ LCD 1280×800 Resolution               9.7″ LED 1024×768
Processor                    1 GHZ Dual Core Tegra 2                            1 GHZ Cortex A8
Weight                         1.6 lbs (3G version)                                      1.6 lbs (3G version)
Storage                        32 GB                                                             16, 32, or 64 GB
Battery Life                10 Hours Video Playback                            10 Hours Video Playback
Connectivity               3G, 4G, WiFi                                                  3G, Wifi
Camera                         5 Megapixel Rear, 2 Megapixel Front        None
RAM                               1 GB                                                                  256 MB

On paper the XOOM would appear to be a real challenger to the iPad. However, the protype displayed at CES was not a truly functioning unit (only displayed a prerecorded video). Motorola hopes to start selling the XOOM in March for an yet undisclosed price.. We will report back once we have gotten our hands on XOOM to put it through its paces in our litigation practice.

Let us know if there are other tablets that you think might supplant the iPad as the lawyer tablet of choice.

THE PAPERLESS LAWYER—OneNote and MobileNoter (iPad)

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One of the most important tools in my electronic arsenal is Microsoft® OneNote™.  OneNote is an easy-to-use electronic notebook system.  Heavy in features, OneNote is totally integrated with Microsoft Office.  It typically can be purchased for about $100, if it not already integrated into your Microsoft Office software bundle.  The program is intuitively designed, and flexible enough to allow it to be adapted to individual lawyer’s preferred organizational method.

Envision a conventional bookshelf of notebooks.  The way I use OneNote, each notebook is a case file that contains the usual sections of a litigation file such as general information, pleadings, discovery, witness files, motions and orders, attorney’s notes, etc.    Practically any kind of file can be copied into these OneNote sections for ready access.  In addition, you can easily insert notes, e-mails, videos, and almost any kind of standard electronic file into your notebook.  In addition, the program contains a screen capture function which provides “what you see is what you get” snapshots of your computer screen with optional reference stamp (date/source). These screenshots can then be filed in an appropriate place in one of your case notebooks.  OneNote also has the ability to record audio and video and insert these into your case files in real-time.

With OneNote there is no more searching for one of the ten legal pads I have used over time to take notes in a particular case.  My notes (and key case documents) are neatly filed by matter, date, subject, witness, or any other criteria I want to choose.   Alternatively, I can do a word searches across all of my OneNote matters to find anything in the database.   OneNote’s integration with Outlook allows for the easy transfer of emails to appropriate OneNote notebooks.  You can also email almost anything diectly from the notebooks (e.g., sharing notes with a colleague).  Task and calendar functions can also be cross referenced between OneNote and Outlook.  I use the scheduled backup feature for daily backup of my files to our Firm server.

I have also found OneNote to be an excellent deposition preparation tool.  Using OneNote you can create an electronic notebook for each witness with an outline and key documents.   I simply provide the witness an iPad (discussed below) on which I present each document to be discussed. As a litigation road warrior, I find this much more efficient than schlepping around multiple bankers boxes of documents and witness notebooks.

When I began using the iPad as a supplement to my laptop a couple of months ago, I was delighted to learn that there is a iPad application that syncs with OneNote and allows you to copy over most of your OneNote files to the iPad and vice versa, although the iPad version does not have all the functionality of the PC OneNote version.  The application is MobileNoter and it is free at the App Store.  However, if you want encrypted cloud sych capability he cost is $16 for a year of service.  I have found this service to be reliable and efficient.

In summary, I highly recommend OneNote and its iPad companion, MobileNoter, as excellent organizational systems for the lawyer attempting to go paperless.

READY TO BE AMAZED IN 2011?

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Welcome 2011! This New Year the battle for the tablet computer will be joined. It has been  reported that over 60 different tablet concepts are in development for 2011.  If the past is any indication, advances in tablet computer technology short term should be simply astounding, especially given the level of consumer interest the and good old fashioned capitalist competition.

As for the future of the tablets, there are questions to be answered as “profound” as those in the Betamax versus VHS videotape wars of the 70s.  What is the right size for a tablet? What is the best operating system?  Can one have laptop performance holding true to the tablet benefits of reduced size, reduced power consumption, quick response and touch screen capability?

Even as we amaze and delight in the new electronic toys of our day,  we know that in a few short years (if that long), the sleek iPad of today will become as quaint and obsolete as the Gordon Gecko football sized cell phone of our not so distant past.

The relentless march of technology and literal explosion of computing capacity was brought home to me a few weeks ago when I was searching for a present my tech savvy son.  I was looking for basic mobile data storage and expected to find something in the 30 to 40 GB range that would fit my budget. Instead, I was astounded to find small portable hard drives in the 1 TB range for less about a $100 at my local Walmart store. In fact, for another $30 you could move to the 2 TB level.  I had blinked  and suddenly we were talking Terabytes.

See Below Seagate 1 TB Portable hard Drive selling for about $100.00

To put this in context, just four years ago to obtain memory at this level, one would have had to purchase a large box server device at a cost of $2000.  While I cannot vouch for the accuracy of this figure, it is widely reported that the entire printed collection of the Library of Congress could be housed in 10 Terabytes of storage.

I was born in 1962, as I grew up, there was unveiled one technological miracle after another. (e.g., color tv, microwave ovens, push button telephones, the simple calculator, etc.). The first computer I ever owned, I purchased with paper route money in about 1979. It was a Timex Sinclair 1000. It weighed only 12 ounces and hooked up to your TV which served as the monitor. Your separate cassette tape recorder served (poorly and slowly) as a storage drive.

I diligently worked my newspaper route that entire summer to earn the extra $60 to purchase the 16 K expansion module for this “behemoth” of a computer (the block at the rear of the unit). Unfortunately, it was not good for much more than creating simple programs in “Basic.”  My Dad tells me that this beauty is still up in the family attic.  I have checked into its “collector” value and it is probably worth less than $20.

As I think back on the Timex Sinclair, I am amazed that today you can find $5.00 singing birthday cards with more than 4K of memory. Surely the 32 GB memory capacity of my contemporary iPad will be eclipsed in short order making it the latest in a long line of technological recyclable products. But until then, I will delight in the effort to make it a usable legal tool.

So like a young child waiting to get a peek at Santa’s largess on Christmas morning, I look forward to being amazed in 2011. To the extent that you have any interest, I will share my explorations and amazement with you in this blog.  I also look forward to hearing about your experiences and what amazes you in the upcoming year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Bill Latham, The HyTech Lawyer

Security for Cloud Synced Data (Dropbox and MobileNoter)

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Two applications that I am using for file transfers in my new iPad centric practice are Dropbox and MobileNoter. Both of these applications provide cloud synchronization features that allow data stored on my system computer to be synced via the cloud to or from my iPad in encrypted form. Before using these services, I conducted some basic due diligence to assure myself that the security features of Dropbox and MobileNoter were adequate for the transmission of confidential information.

Dropbox explains its security measures in great detail in the memo that I have attached. The security provided appears to be multi-layered and robust.DropboxSecurityOverview[1]

Similarly, MobileNoter explains its security features as follows:

“All traffic between “MobileNoter Windows Sync Client” and the server is transmitted via a secure HTTP channel (SSL Encryption). This ensures that no one can intercept your data when it is being transmitted. This also provides a very high level of security that is enough for most of our users.

In addition to the secure channel, MobileNoter has an option to encrypt user’s data with a user-defined key. Data is encrypted on a Windows PC before it is transmitted to the server and later decrypted on iPhone/iPad/Android device when it is received (and vice versa). This means that your data is transferred through the network and stored on the MobileNoter server in the encrypted form and no one can decrypt it without the key (that only you know).
We suggest turning on encryption if you have sensitive data in your notebooks.

If encryption is turned on, MobileNoter encrypts all OneNote data and Quick Notes using the AES 256 algorithm. You are asked to enter a key when you turn on the encryption. You are asked for the same key on iPhone/iPad/Android device when MobileNoter detects that data on the server is encrypted. Your key is not transmitted anywhere, but it is saved in a local system, so you do not have to enter it on each sync.”

Obviously, attorneys using iPad applications that sync to the cloud, need to be cognizant of the security of the data transferred.  Legitimate application developers should provide the necessary documentation to make this evaluation possible.

I would be interested in hearing whether others agree that the security provided by Dropbox and MobileNoter is adequate for the transmission of confidential data. If not, what additional security feature(s) do you believe is necessary?

iPad Bluetooth Keyboard Case

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For those that need a near full size keyboard for the iPad, I recommend the Bluetooth Keyboard Case from Brookstone. I have used it for a month on  the road and it has performed flawlessly. Price $99.

Pros: Elegant compact case
iPad easily removable from case
Rubber keyboard is sturdy with click feedback
Rechargeable bluetooth battery- long life

Cons: Could use a small pouch for a stylus

Tablets other than iPad

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Does anyone use a tablet other than the iPad in their legal practice?  We would love to hear from you.  Our hope is to review the other tablet competitors to the iPad as they come out.   In the short term there appear to be three contenders: Norton Ink Adam, Samsung Galaxy Tab and BlackBerry Playbook.  The raw product statistics can be found at  http://www.blogsdna.com/14799/apple-ipad-vs-notion-ink-adam-vs-samsung-galaxy-tab-vs-blackberry-playbook-tablets-comparison-chart.htm    We are working at getting our hands on each of these units for comparison purposes.

Bill’s Top Ten iPad Apps for the Road Warrior Litigator

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I have been using the iPad as my primary on the road computer in my litigation practice for the last month. I have worked my way through a large number of applications and highly recommend the following as the Apps that I use most frequently:

1. Dropbox (free up to 2 GB )— BEST– Dropbox allows you to drag and drop files (large variety of accepted file types) from any Dropbox enabled computer and the file is synchronized to the Dropbox on your iPad (and vice versa). Developer claims that files are encrypted. This is one of my primary means of transferring data to and from the iPad.

2. GoodReader ($2.99)- Excellent reading program. Handles multiple file types.

3. DocsToGo (free) My pick for reviewing and editing documents (we use NetDocs as our third party cloud based document storage system.) The interface with DocsToGo is very good.

4. Instapaper- ($4.99) Allows you to save websites for later reading.

5. Keynote ($9.99)- The Apple version of PowerPoint. Wonderful program. Allows intuitive preparation of presentations (use AV Adapter for projector).

6. Penultimate ($.99)- The best handwriting application from the iPad. Highly recommended. Allows for organization of notes into intuitive folders. Recommend use of capacitive stylus with this App.

7. MobileNoter ($16 annual fee for encrypted sync services) iPad version of Microsoft Outlook OneNote. I use OneNote as my primary case management tool. MobileNoter syncs to iPad and provides access to my One Note files on the road.

8. Dragon Dictation (free)– Accurate voice type dictation. I use to record billing entries for later transfer to our timekeeping system.

9. iDemoWeb ($1.99)– Allows the use of internet websites in projected presentations.

10. Teleprompt+ ($9.99)  Turns your iPad into a teleprompter for that big speech. Very impressive.

What Apps do you recommend or recommend avoiding?