Recently, we ran a survey to identify which features were important to lawyers when using a smart phone. The participation was bleak, but it did give us an idea as to what was important as a user.
Attorneys often find themselves operating in separate camps, such as plaintiff-defendant, prosecution-defense, civil-criminal, private-public and, perhaps most contentiously, Android-iPhone. While both iPhones and Androids deliver a smartphone experience that keeps attorneys connected wherever they go, each platform takes a unique and sometimes idiosyncratic approach to features and capabilities. These differences have helped build strong user loyalties in both camps.
Read more on Law Technology News...
LAWtrust, the first accredited Authenticated Service Provider in South Africa, says there is a great deal more behind electronic signatures (including advanced electronic signatures) than mere aesthetic quality – legally this information is considered evidence and can be of huge significance in business.
One in every four computers in South Africa is running unprotected, without up-to-date real-time anti-virus or anti-malware protection – and without this vital protection layer, these systems are 5 times more likely to be infected with malware.
"Privacy is dead, and social media holds the smoking gun" Pete Cashmore. As highlighted in the recent decision by the Honourable Willis, J in the South Gauteng High Court matter of H v W (12/10142) [2013] ZAGPJHC 1 (30 January 2013), South African courts are having to take account of the changing realities of technology and society so as not to lose credibility.
The Internet is a part of our daily lives; we use it for everything – communication, reading, research, education, current events, exploring the world, entertainment, shopping, networking and business. The Internet gives us magical access to everything at the press of a button, but it also gives strangers access to us.
Law firms should consider increasing investment in technology as a matter of urgency if they are to remain sustainable and stay ahead in an increasingly competitive environment, according to Patrick Hurley, Vice President of Global Expansion at leading international business intelligence firm Thomson Reuters Elite.
Tech4Law is launching a series of Ten*Six Lunchinar sessions, where the seminar will be online, live and delivered to your office PC while you munch away at your lunch.
On a recent trip to South Africa, where Symantec sponsored an event with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) entitled The Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Drives Information Governance, customers and partners shared important insights. One major concern the attendees had was how they will comply with the newly proposed privacy legislation set to pass any day now.
Read the full article at Clearwell Systems...
Windows takes some 40 to 60 seconds to boot from when it starts displaying the “starting windows” logo. A computer fitted with an SSD? From 6 to 20 seconds depending on the drive you buy, your computer speed, age of technology and on what operating system you are running.
Read more at Kondura Technologies' Blog...
Cloud computing is a hot topic in every boardroom and technology conference (like ABA TECHSHOW) right now. Firms are asking how they can (and if they should) take advantage of this wave of new old technologies to drive efficiencies and cut costs.
In South Africa it is not possible to get uncapped ADSL Internet without installing and renting a normal telephone line, which is only available through Telkom. You also need to rent an ADSL line, which comes at an additional charge. Luckily, most ISP’s (Internet Service Providers) allow you to rent an ADSL line directly through them. So if you are planning to get uncapped ADSL, it’s a good idea to know the total costs associated with it.
Read more at Money Smart...
The advent of the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Bill, which is set to be enacted this year, will change the way companies have to approach data handling strategies, processes and procedures.
Well, the Samsung Note II _is_ big (it reminds me of the Big Korn Bites ad) – some people say "too big", I say that I can read what is on the screen and use it practically without me having to grab my glasses every time I need to use the phone!
An examination of the current state of legal agreement drafting and review and recommendations for improving the process. Additionally, new technology designed for lawyers to improve the agreement drafting and review process is presented. By Robert Blacksberg.
After attending my first LegalTech New York, here are 10 tips for vendors who are trying to reach the next wave of electronic data discovery lawyers and litigation professionals.
Read more at Law.Com...
You might have noticed that whenever you open any document in Word 2010 and try to edit it, you just can't. To edit or save a document you have to click on the yellow bar that contains Enable Editing button. Here are the instructions to disable the irritating feature.
Read more at Repair Corrupt Files Blogspot...
Every time I do a smartphone review, I try to imagine what features would be important to lawyers in the field. So I decided that the best way to find out would be to ask lawyers what they think important in a simple poll.
Among other things, IT Leaders in law firms are tasked with keeping the lights on and driving innovation in the name of making our attorneys and users more efficient. So, the question needs to be asked: Why are firms continuing to install and advance SharePoint when in reality it has never really lived up to all the hype?
Read more at LTN...
In this article I will attempt to compare the three most exciting new smart phones which are currently available on the South African market for consumers. The phones which I will be comparing are the Apple iPhone 5, RIM Blackberry Bold 9930 and the Samsung Galaxy S3.
Read the full article at Cell Phone Deals...
If there’s one word that will be the key for the year in marketing, it is “data”. The reason for this is simple: budgets are tight, competition is fierce, and companies will want to use accurate information to benchmark return on investment (ROI) and value for money in their marketing spend. Here are five trends I expect to shape the market in 2013.
Unauthorised access to information is one of the most prevalent cyber crimes in South Africa. Data has become the lifeblood of business – from financial information to the details of a company’s customers, data is the basis of every business transaction today. 
According to Gartner, there are over 1 billion smartphones in the world. This is certainly a very large number of Internet enabled, multi-function phones, and means that in theory, one in six people on the planet uses a smartphone. 
Social media has evolved at breakneck speed over the past three years, and many marketers are battling to keep up with it. Today, social media isn’t just an experiment, but a fast-maturing sales, marketing and customer support channel.
Microsoft has committed a very large chunk of its development budget to make Windows 8 the product which will firmly establish Microsoft as a dominant player in the computer and mobile market.
During the past few weeks we discussed each of the 8 principles, and we investigated what they mean to your firm.
SQL or Structure Query Language is a programming tool which is used for database programming and backend to a number of software systems.
The Protection of Personal Information bill, soon to be enacted, will define the conditions under which personal information is lawfully processed. As the business of lawyers involves working with personal information on a daily basis the impact is obvious. We look at Data subject participation this week.Productivity is the name of the game. The more productive you are, the more you earn. Or stated another way: Time is money. Right, we acknowledge that the use of email has brought about a revolution in the way we work. But...
If you read none of the others, read this. The Protection of Personal Information bill, soon to be enacted, will define the conditions under which personal information is lawfully processed. As the business of lawyers involves working with personal information on a daily basis the impact is obvious.
This week’s article on the Protection of Personal Information bill addresses the sixth condition which is Openness. There are two elements to this condition: 1 – Notification to the Regulator and 2 – Notification to the Data Subject.
The Protection of Personal Information bill, soon to be enacted, will define the conditions under which personal information is lawfully processed. As the business of lawyers involves working with personal information, sometimes on a daily basis, it is obvious that PoPI will have a definite impact on how law firms operate.
The Internet is amazing. It allows us to communicate instantly, search for and find information on nearly anything, stay abreast of current events and, of course, watch the latest cute animal video. But how does it actually work? The infographic illustrates just how the Internet sends these packets from one place to another.
Read more at Open-Site.org site...
This week’s article addresses Condition 4 of the 8 listed in Chapter 3 of the Protection of Personal Information Bill , titled Further Processing limitation. The fundamental principle underlying this condition is that the purpose for the further processing must be compatible with the original specified purpose.
In the past, where the law required a signature, statement or document to be notarised, acknowledged, verified or made under oath, that requirement was, until recently, typically only met if the handwritten signature of the person authorised to perform those acts was used.
In this week’s article we continue to look at the conditions governing the lawful processing of personal information, as stated in Chapter 3 of the Protection of Personal Information Bill, and how this will practically affect your organization.
With instant gratification a fact of everyday life, a strategy of customer-centricity is a hallmark of competitiveness. Market leaders employ cutting-edge technologies that connect them more closely with their customers, enable a better understanding of their needs and allow shorter response times.
This week’s article continues to look at the conditions governing the lawful processing of personal information as stated in Chapter 3 of the Protection of Personal Information Bill and how this will practically affect your organisation.
We all have used the standard issue camera on the iPad – you point and click and you hopefully get the picture you imagined – if it fails you keep going until you either get the picture you want or you give up. No more with Camera Awesome…Bring your own device: How to manage the risks of IT consumerisation, without giving up the benefits
The ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) trend has taken root in South Africa, with workers increasingly relying on their personally-owned smartphones, tablets and computers in their day to day work rather than on devices issued to them by their companies.
