My Favorite Utilities
Software and Web Gadgets to Make Your Life Easier
Wells H. Anderson
President, Wells Anderson Legal Tech Services
Helping lawyers leverage technology
E-mail: wa@wellslegaltech.com Tel: 612-791-0471
ABA TECHSHOW 2001
March 17, 2001 – 1:00 pm
Table of Contents
Introduction.............................................................................................................. 4
Free Up Windows 95/98/ME Memory................................................................. 4
ReleaseRAM.................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Create Web Videos and Training Materials........................................... 5
DazzlerMax...................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Secure E-mail without Annoying Your Clients.................................... 6
Why Bother?.................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Product: PGP Freeware...................................................................................................................................... 6
DataSAFE SE – $15.99................................................................................................ 6
For a low price, send encrypted documents and e-mail messages over the Internet........................................... 6
Special Features of DataSAFE SE............................................................................................................................ 7
Vendor Information..................................................................................................................................................... 7
Organize and Win Cases with CaseMap...................................................... 7
Using manageable outlines and powerful linking capabilities, CaseMap thinks the way great litigators do.7
Erase Old Hard Drives Completely............................................................ 8
Product: Disk CleanUp – Freeware.................................................................................................................. 8
Product: DataEraser............................................................................................................................................ 8
Send Unalterable Documents...................................................................... 8
Product: InTether................................................................................................................................................. 8
Rent Voice Recognition by the Page........................................................... 9
Product: CyberSecretaries................................................................................................................................ 9
Dictation Options........................................................................................................................................................ 9
Receiving Transcribed Documents........................................................................................................................ 10
Revision Options...................................................................................................................................................... 10
Cost............................................................................................................................................................................. 10
Capture Images Flexibly.................................................................................. 10
Product: HyperSnap.......................................................................................................................................... 10
Turn Your Web Site into a Disk Drive....................................................... 11
Product: WebDrive............................................................................................................................................ 11
Take Your Files with You.................................................................................. 11
Product: SynchronX.......................................................................................................................................... 12
The Brain – $49.95.................................................................................................... 13
The Brain serves as an organizing tool for documents, files, website addresses and notes, replacing Windows Explorer. 13
Strengths of The Brain............................................................................................................................................. 13
How The Brain Works.............................................................................................................................................. 14
Special Features of The Brain................................................................................................................................. 14
Limitations of The Brain........................................................................................................................................... 15
Vendor Information................................................................................................................................................... 15
More Resources................................................................................................... 15
Computers have problems. Software and Web gadgets can help you avoid or solve them. Keep in mind that you may have to invest some time and trouble to save some time and trouble. The utilities described here may not be perfect – your mileage may vary – but they made my list of favorites. Nevertheless, do not install them willy-nilly in your law office without giving them a trial run. Make sure your administrator approves. Let me know what you think of those you try.
ReleaseRAM
Computers are supposed to be productivity tools. When Windows crashes, you can lose not only your time but also your temper. Work demands enough without the frustration of balky computer. ReleaseRAM can cut way down on the frequency of crashes with Windows 95, 98, and ME. It offers a variety of automated choices, so you can set it and forget it.
The cost of ReleaseRAM starts at $15.00 for one PC and drops gradually to $7.00 per PC for 100 or more. It has received top ratings from credible sources like ZDNet. We recommend it highly.
DazzlerMax
Most powerful authoring tools require mastery of a procedural or object-oriented computer language. DazzlerMax may not be for the computer dabbler, but it allows mere mortals to create impressive Web videos and training materials without suffering up the long learning curve required by scripting languages.
The key here is that DazzlerMax let you get up and running quickly. Using its own computer-based training (CBT) technology, this product teaches you how to use it. Those with ambitious projects will appreciate DazzlerMax’s capability of creating industry standard learning objects.
Content produced with DazzlerMax can be published to CDs, PC files, servers or the Web with no plug-ins, royalty free and without restriction.
DazzlerMax can create:
§ Interactive Training
§ AICC Compliant Learning Objects / Training
§ Quizzes
§ Interactive Software Simulations
§ Video driven kiosk systems
§ Presentations
§ CD-Rom Software installers
Cost: DazzlerMax
Standard - $299
DazzlerMax Deluxe - $1495, including CBT course on disk
MaxIT Corporation 800-868-8039
Why Bother?
Your e-mail and attachment travel over the Internet in easily readable formats. Staff at Internet Service Providers and hackers everywhere can readily intercept them. Security through obscurity may be fine for most e-mail communications. You are relying on the low probability that your e-mail messages and attachments will be read by anyone who might do harms. But client communications can contain extremely sensitive information.
“Sniffer” programs scan Internet traffic for keywords. The FBI is not the only one with Carnivore technology. Sniffers can separate your valuable wheat from the general Internet e-mail chaff. Encrypting e-mail messages and attachments may not be something you need to do every day, but when you do, you want a method that is easy and safe for both you and your client.
Product: PGP Freeware
Public Key Encryption offers the best technology for securing e-mail, but unfortunately its use has not become widespread among e-mail users generally. Your technologically savvy clients will appreciate your adding “Pretty Good Privacy” (PGP) encryption to your e-mail software.
Pro: PGP encryption is in fact extremely strong protection. Once both of you have it installed, it can operate in the background. No hassling with passwords. PGP Freeware is free, popular among encryption users, and very well made.
Con: The problem with PGP is that is takes time and a number of steps to install. If you want to send a secure messages to clients who have not used it before, they will need to spend a significant amount of time to get up and running. They will need to learn perhaps more than they want to learn.
Cost: Free
Web site: http://web.mit.edu/network/pgp.html
For a low price, send encrypted documents and e-mail messages over the Internet.
DataSAFE SE addresses the same needs as PGP Freeware, above, but much less expensive and not so secure. It also requires the added step of separately communicating a password to the recipient. You can download a free 30-day trial version from: http://www.novastor.com/download. For $24 more, you may purchase DataSAFE, which offers a few more features including drag and drop from Windows Explorer. DataSAFE SE is available only as a download from its website.
Using 64-bit encryption, DataSAFE SE is less secure than products using "strong" 128-bit technology. But it would still take a hacker over 5 million years to break into a DataSAFE file using one personal computer. DataSAFE is more secure than the easily broken encryption built into current word processors.
You may be confident that no one will find your sensitive e-mail needle in the huge Internet haystack, but are you accounting for sniffers that automatically scan millions of e-mails looking for key words? For a readable discussion of security issues, see: Privacy and Security on the Internet by Lawrence E. Widman, MD, Ph.D. http://www.med-edu.com/internet-security.html.
Special Features of DataSAFE SE
§ 64-bit Blowfish encryption
Vendor Information
NovaStor Corporation
80B West Cochran, Simi Valley, CA 93065
Phone: 805-579-6700
E-mail: sales@novastor.com
Using manageable outlines and powerful linking capabilities, CaseMap thinks the way great litigators do.
We have run into plenty of software companies that fall short of our expectations in a few areas. CaseSoft stands out as one that seems to get everything right. They produce a high-quality product at a reasonable price, $249 per user. They include a tutorial to get you up and running with all the basic features of the product and build enough power to satisfy even lawyers with engineering backgrounds.
Customer support at CaseSoft is excellent. They answer the phone and are happy to help you. The company even encourages you to call for a free walk-through after you have downloaded the time-limited (30 days), feature-unlimited trial version. On the TechnoLawyer Community list server, they issue the most popular, educational press releases. They send out free T-shirts when you pass a CaseMap Guru test. This company not only knows how to build a great product and business, they know how to satisfy customers.
5000 Sawgrass
Village Circle
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
(904) 273-5000 (904)
273-5001 FAX
(904) 273-5000 TECH SUPPORT (888)
CaseSoft SALES ONLY
info@casesoft.com
http://www.casesoft.com
By donating your old PCs to charity, you help a worthy cause. But remnants of client documents and data will survive your efforts to delete them. Even reformatting the hard drive does not obliterate information that remains, just waiting for an inquisitive teenager to discover with hacker tools.
Product: Disk CleanUp – Freeware
Use an effective file shredder like Disk CleanUp, available for free. It can be installed on a floppy disk that will accelerate and simplify the process of completely erasing the contents of any hard disk on a Microsoft Windows PC.
But be careful! With these utility programs, erased means really gone.
http://www.gregorybraun.com/CleanUp.html
Product: DataEraser
Another good commercial product is DataEraser by Ontrack.
http://www.ontrack.com/dataeraser/
Most of the time when you send someone a document, it is fine with you if they change it. But what if you want to send a client a document that you don’t want them to alter? Or maybe you have written a long document and want to distribute it to a number of people, but you don’t want them to reuse your text?
Product: InTether
Infraworks makes a unique product, InTether:
“InTether protects the content of files, like mp3, video, software or documents, allowing the sender of information to control how the recipient uses it, including control over printing, copying and forwarding. If you don't want it forwarded, InTether gives you that control. If hacking is attempted, the file self-destructs.”
InTether provides the most extensive choice of limitations on use and access that we have seen. This power is not expensive, about $180 for the license to secure files and no charge for the reader software. But recipients do face the burden of installing reader software and rebooting their computers to make it work.
Voice recognition technology has matured to the point where it is very good. But it is not for everyone. It requires a fast computer with lots of memory. Notebook computers up to the task cost a lot. To be successful with voice recognition, you need to travel up three learning curves. Many who begin the learning journey fail to complete it, often for lack of the proper equipment or lack of patience.
Product: CyberSecretaries
You
could pay a full-time or part-time secretary to transcribe dictation on tapes,
but that approach is expensive. Besides, secretaries are not usually available
late at night, in the wee hours of the morning, weekends, and on business
trips.
Dictation Options
With CyberSecretaries, you can dictate anywhere. Use a cell phone, public phone, handheld device or a computer headset microphone. Or fax in your handwritten or printed documents. CyberSecretaries makes the process easy. They can even send you a cable to connect a dictating device to a telephone.
Because an experienced secretary transcribes your dictation, you don’t need to concern yourself with using the limited set of commands that voice recognition software understands.
You can also send document templates for use with your dictation. Using templates, you can include boilerplate language and the formatting you want.
Receiving Transcribed Documents
You can receive your dictated documents in a variety of ways:
· Via e-mail, in any version of MS Word, WordPerfect or plain text
· Via fax
Revision Options
If you receive your document via e-mail, you can revise it yourself on your word processor. Or you can print it out, revise it by hand, and fax it back to CyberSecretaries.
If you have access to a PC, you can receive your document via fax, mark up changes and then fax it back.
Cost
Dictation costs one cent per word. There is no up-front cost and no monthly cost. Pay for what you use. Boilerplate in a template is charged at 1/2 cent per word.
CyberSecretaries
Cost: $.01 per word
1-800-YOU-DICTate
Product: HyperSnap
Even Windows 95 can capture windows and full screen shots for use in presentations and documents. But a dedicated screen capture program like HyperSnap offers valuable flexibility.
With HyperSnap you can:
· Capture just the portion of a screen or window that you want to show.
· Save captured images as Web-friendly GIF or JPEG files.
· Create much smaller files than the Windows default images, so that your images are easier to distribute via e-mail or disk.
· Capture a series of windows and portions of windows to illustrate the use of a software package or Web service.
· Optionally include the cursor pointer in screenshots.
HyperSnap DX
Cost: $25.00
Quite a number of Internet sites want you to store your files with them. Some are free for limited amounts of storage. You share these concerns about such Web services:
· Will they be there tomorrow? Internet businesses come and go on Internet time.
· How hard is it to move files up and down on between your PC and their site.
· How long does it take to transfer files?
Product: WebDrive
WebDrive takes a different approach:
· Save and open files using a disk drive letter, like “W:,” so that all your current software can work with WebDrive.
· Store your files with the same company that hosts your Web site.
The chief advantage of WebDrive is its simplicity. It works like another disk drive on your computer. If you have computers in different places, such as at work and at home, you can keep files on WebDrive and get to them easily from both places.
WebDrive is not without its limitations. Your security is only as good as the security of the Web server of the company hosting your Web site. To set up WebDrive, someone needs to have or gain a little familiarity with File Transfer Protocol (FTP). Settings may need to be adjusted to optimize performance for your particular use of WebDrive.
WebDrive by Riverfront Software
Cost: $39.95 per user
Microsoft Windows has a “Briefcase” feature for transferring files from one PC to another. It also can keep the files in sync, if you can figure out how to use it. Some users master the Windows Briefcase and love it. Others become mystified and untrusting.
The
Briefcase function can be a lifesaver. It can automate the process of copying
new files from your work PC to your notebook or home PC. And it can make sure
you always have the latest version.
Product: SynchronX
SynchronX delivers the most import functions of the Windows Briefcase without the hassle. It is far easier to understand and the price is right: free.
When you open SynchronX, it prompts you to select two folders. For example, if your notebook PC is connected to your network, select a network folder and a folder on the notebook. When you click OK, the program copies all new and changed files in one folder to the other folder. It is smart enough not to copy an older file on top of a newer one. You end up with all files in both folders.
SynchronX is not long on options, so you shouldn’t get confused. You can tell it to:
· 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. See the previous tip for details on this software product.
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.
SynchonX
Cost: Free
The Brain serves as an organizing tool for documents, files, website addresses and notes, replacing Windows Explorer.
Strengths of The Brain
While dozens of utility programs offer extra features and special ways of managing your files and Web shortcuts or favorites, only The Brain lets you create many-to-many links. What are they and why are they important? Read on.
As lawyers, we tend to think about information from multiple perspectives. When organization documents, we often group them in subject hierarchies. For example:
Client A
Case 1
Correspondence
Research ...
Client B
Case 2, etc.
This hierarchy serves basic organizational needs for both paper documents – filed in drawers, pocket folders, and manila folders – and for electronic documents – filed in folders (directories) and subfolders.
But when it comes to superimposing an additional hierarchy on the same information, the traditional approaches require duplication. In order to access documents filed away in Research folders by Area of Law, Legal Topic, and Legal Subtopic, many law offices resort to making duplicate copies, either paper or electronic, and filing them in a separate Brief Bank.
How The Brain Works
The Brain allows people to create whatever organizational hierarchies they want to, then link documents and web addresses to any number of categories. Here are some examples:
In the example, My Favorite SW is a link to an MS Word document. It falls in the WA Materials subcategory, which in turn is within the Resources category. In the terminology used by The Brain, WA Materials is a parent thought and it has two child thoughts, My Favorite SW and Worldox Summary.
By clicking on My Favorite SW, it becomes the focus of The Brain and is placed in the center of the screen. When My Favorite SW is in the center, we can see all of its parents and children, if any. Here we see that My Favorite SW has two parents and no children. So a link to one document can reside in two different hierarchies.
The Brain allows you to create large collections of links to documents and web pages without becoming overwhelming. At any one time, you see no more than three levels or generations. Getting used to the changing view can take a little time since The Brain differs from all other products in the way it presents and changes views.
Special Features of The Brain
§ Superimpose multiple hierarchies on your valuable documents
§ Always available as a out-of-the-way button on the edge of your screen
§ Drag and drop files or whole folders to create links
§ Search capabilities
§ Integrated with your web browser for easy access to webpages
§ Annotate files and web links with personal notes
§ Information collections, "Brains", may be shared on the Web via the vendor's website
§ Takes up only 2.5 MB of disk space
Limitations of The Brain
§ Requires Windows 95/98/NT
§ Users can exchange "Brains", but the multi-user intranet version is not yet publicly available
Vendor Information
Natrificial Software Technologies http://www.thebrain.com
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Mail: |
Natrificial LLC |
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Tel: |
310.656.8484 |
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E-Mail: |
info@natrificial.com (General Information) |