Just last week, as Larry, co-founder of Rocket Matter, and I discussed his App of the Week post about nutrition, we went on a tangent about the work-life and wellness topics we’ve written about here and the need for more, as it speaks directly to productivity. And we’re all about productivity!

We were especially burdened about addressing issues related to lawyers and depression. Later that day, through the magic of social media, we came across a mention by Susan of Solo Practice University about the Dave Nee Foundation. I contacted them and chatted with Wynne Kelly whose passion and commitment to this very important project formed the basis for this piece.
(more…)

We don’t often write about substantive law issues, but when the Supreme Court is about to address something near and dear to us – using technology to improve efficiency – we make an exception.

More often than not, we’re downright giddy when we find ways to use technology to dramatically improve a process (particularly a boring, repetitive, or annoying one)  but we’re all now starting to see applications that do start to cross a line from cool to creepy.

So, while the continuous, rapid evolution of technology makes smiley little Kurweils pop up on our right shoulders, at the same time we get flashbacks of 8th grade English and see a cautious George Orwell ominously spring up on the left.    Consider two very simple, equally plausible scenarios:

(more…)

Let’s face it: Facebook is almost must-have at this point, but like any ubiquitous service, there’s plenty to gripe about. Topping the list is the onslaught of notifications that can flood your phone and inbox.

Comment threads in particular can spiral out of control. Here’s how to keep Facebook from turning into a comment-response firehose: (more…)

When the distinctly unglamorous (yet critically important) day-to-day lawyering tasks are leaving you less than intellectually satisfied, have no fear: the Oyez Project is a multimedia archive for the Supreme Court, a great diversion for attorneys.

For most lawyers – even some of us business types who rarely, if ever, step into a courtroom – the United States Supreme Court represents the pinnacle of the legal profession in America. Relatively few get the chance to actually practice before the Court, but it’s hard to believe any lawyer hasn’t at least one time envisioned herself appearing in front of the Justices. (more…)

Yesterday, I came across a spot-on post by Fastcase, Online Privacy Takes Another Hit which was based on the Slate article, The Leaky Nature of Online Privacy .

The Slate piece suggests that we consider being more open so that we become more trustworthy. Trustworthy? To whom? I suggest instead, that we pay more attention to tempering our online discourse than concern ourselves with porous privacy settings.

Facebook does what it wants

What if all the Facebook privacy settings in the world couldn’t stop someone from prying into the details of your life?, the Fastcase piece asks.

True, we can’t control what our friends reveal about us online, though I’ve been known to delete a comment or two and untag a slew of pictures. And how many times has Facebook changed privacy settings without letting us know, making our once private information vulnerable? (more…)

In yesterday’s post we chatted about digital book reading. Today we switch focus to blogs and the news online and how to efficiently track and consume our favorite sites!

We’re bombarded with online news and information. And for the first time in history more people get news online than from newspapers.

Technorati, which has been tracking the explosive growth of blogs since 2004, lists over a million blogs in their directory alone. And the ABA Journal Blawg Directory lists legal blogs in over 100 categories!

Let’s face it, the shift from buying and reading traditional newspapers and magazines to browsing the web for news makes sense. The internet is the place to find any and everything you could ever hope to know! Not to mention that nowadays, all major newspapers and magazines have an online version that we can access anytime, anywhere!

If you’re arriving late to the online news party OR still transitioning from reading news in print to reading it online, the time has come for you to make a decision on just HOW you will process all that useful (and useless) information without loosing yourself in the search.

That’s where the beauty of the rss feed reader comes in! If you don’t know what we are talking about when we say rss feed reader, this video from Commoncraft explains the concept in plain english.

(more…)

Let’s face it, your life is on Facebook. Your friends and family’s lives are too. How about your clients and business partners? Yep, they’re all active Facebook users.  Now here’s a vital question: On a scale of 1-10 What value would you assign to you and your families personal data?

I hope you said 10!

According to a recent article on internet security published in Consumer Reports Magazine:

“More than 5 million online U.S. households experienced some type of abuse on Facebook in the past year…” moreover, “[Facebook's] position as the king of social networks has made Facebook the custodian of arguably the nation’s largest collection of details about consumer’s personal lives”

You name it, Marketers, Headhunters, Lawyers…all of these professionals use Facebook as an invaluable data resource. (Not to mention Identity thieves!) In mere seconds these individuals can find out all kinds of interesting things about you: where you’re going on vacation; who you were cheating on your spouse with; and yes, incriminating pics your friend tagged you in from that less-than professional night out on the town!

Add the 3rd party app element to this equation- combined with people using such apps on their iphones, blackberries, and other smartphone devices – and more risks arise, most unnerving is How Mobile Apps Track you, an issue that has gone all the way to the U.S. senate.

Facebook’s private policy even states ”… that when you connect with an app or website it will have access to general information about you.”

In this post we’ll focus on Facebook app usage and how it directly affects your online security. Here are 3 vital questions you need to be asking yourself : (more…)

Are you an Internet Addict?

Last week, Rocket Matter’s Co-Founder and Chief Software Architect Larry Port, revealed some very scary and very real risks of 24-7 Internet usage, including distracted driving, constant intrusion of personal time, confidentiality risk, and even fundamental changes to the way our brains work.

As a Lawyer in the 21st century, there is no question about it – new technologies (cloud-based, mobile, and otherwise) are crucial in providing your firm the cutting-edge advantage it needs to stay competitive. So how does one find the right balance between being online and being present in real life?

In this video podcast episode, we’re excited to offer the first 15 minutes of this completely original session! Watch and learn as Mr. Port explores the hazards of constant connectedness and what attorneys can do to manage their risks!

Also, if you’re a fan of our Legal Productivity Webinars Series, here’s a list of what’s coming up and a list of past programs NOW AVAILABLE on RocketCLE!

Thanks for watching! And let us know if there’s a topic you’d like us to cover in a future webinar!

Is your technology interfering with your life? Please join us by registering for this free webinar!

When: Thursday, July 14th at 12PM EST
Speaker: Larry Port of Rocket Matter

Description:

Lawyers in the 21st century need to be connected. Clients demand quick turnaround on issues, social media is essential for marketing, colleagues collaborate online, and news and events are disseminated rapidly through the Internet.

However, we’re starting to see the risks of 24-7 Internet usage, including distracted driving, constant intrusion of personal time, confidentiality risk, and even fundamental changes to the way our brains work. This completely original session, created for MILOFest 2010, explores the hazards of constant connectedness and what attorneys can do to manage their risks.

Please join us for Responsible Connectivity – How Not to Be Consumed by Technology.

Have you ever been to a restaurant and seen someone a few tables down from you checking their constantly buzzing smart phone, occasionally ignoring a message but mostly responding to it? And in between, actually eating?

Oh, and remembering to have snippits of conversation with their lunch date?

Me too. But who am I to judge since I’m opining from my laptop with three browsers going and at least 30 tabs open.

However, if you’re paying attention to recent headlines and research, you know that the pendulum is swinging towards single-tasking. (more…)