I know your smartphone and iPad already have their device access passwords enabled (meaning anyone picking up your device can’t access the information on it without punching in a password). And if they don’t – sit down right now and turn the access password on. Otherwise the information on the device is accessible to anyone that happens to find it. If you are a lawyer and you have client information on the device, this is a critical step for protecting the confidentiality of client information.
But what happens if someone finds your device? Will they be able to figure out …

Do you have wireless dead zones in your office or home where your signal weakens or even drops? Well, good news is on the way.  You can breathe immediate new life into your Wi-Fi coverage with a wireless range extender.

They come in various shapes and forms. Some plug into your electrical outlets and use your internal electrical wiring to carry signal, while others simply plug-in to your wall outlet, and connect wirelessly in a snap to your router.

We have had a difficult corner where our wireless signal has nearly always been compromised. The product I chose to solve …

Some of the high use items linked from our firm’s intranet are calculators.  I am not talking about the e-quivalent of a device that helps find the square root of 9*, but rather tools that help calculate things for context.

We have tipped you previously on calculating present value and currency calculators but we haven’t talked about date calculators.

Time and Date AS is a Norwegian LLC that gives people free time and date related information and services via timeanddate.com.  This site offers multiple points of assistance including a date calculator that lets you add or subtract days, weeks,  …

It takes just one accidental drop to kill an iPad or smartphone.

And unfortunately, if the glass cracks, they are difficult or even impossible to repair. To prevent this from happening you want to protect your device with a good case. But there are cases and there are cases. Pretty but flimsy plastic cases will do little to protect your device if you drop it. You need to invest in a good case.
I really like OtterBox cases. Otterbox makes cases for iPhones and iPads, as well as Samsung, Motorola, LG, HTC, Nokia and even BlackBerry …

♫ So go on, indulge yourself,
that’s right, kick off your shoes, put your feet up,
lean back and just enjoy the melodies.
After all, music soothes even the savage beasts.  ♫

Lyrics and Music by Dexter Holland, recorded by Offspring.

There is a time to work …and there is a time to kick back and take it easy.

We happen to be in that magical time between Canada Day and Independence Day for our cousins down south.

So our post this week is – seize the moment and take the time …to relax…to detune…to enjoy the company …

A Slaw.ca post by Lynn Foley last week provided the inspiration for today’s tip.

Lynn asked Slawyers to consider what their clients perceive as value using the lens of the ACC Value Challenge. I ask Slaw Tips research readers to consider how the discrete piece of legal research they are doing adds value for the client.

One of the most important skills a legal researcher can bring to a project is the ability to focus on the question they are trying to answer. There are a ton of information sources available that any question can be filtered through, so the …

Regular readers of the Tuesday Tech Tip will know I get excited about keyboard shortcuts. This week I want to cover some of the keyboard shortcuts that are available in Dropbox.
Although most of you will be used to navigating Dropbox with your mouse, you can actually do many things with keyboard shortcuts. It is worth your time to learn these keyboard shortcuts as you will be able to complete common tasks more quickly than you would if you were using a mouse. Here is a list of some handy Dropbox keyboard shortcuts (Mac users please substitute the Command key …

♫ Through the fire and the flames we carry on! ♫

Lyrics and music by: Herman Li, ZP Theart, Sam Totman, Vadim Pruzhaniov, recorded by Dragonforce.

Jo DeMars, of NetNeutrals (www.netneutrals.com)  spoke at the 2014 Online Dispute Resolution Forum at Hastings College of Law at the University of California in San Francisco.  This post is based on her most excellent presentation on Wednesday June 25, 2014. While her comments were presented in the context of resolving disputes that arise in e-commerce, her advice applies to virtually any consumer complaint, including client complaints …

I like to think I know about all kinds of sources – partly because I usually remember what I share.  Sometimes I just miss things though. Today’s Tip could come with the Beatles as the background music:

I get by with a little help from my friends

Thanks to my new colleague Josette McEachern, who posted on the Edmonton Law Libraries Association Blog, I now know that there is an open and free version of the Income Tax Act Annotated provided by Lexum.

Check it out…

You can never trust your eye when it comes to hanging pictures or other similar situations when things have to be level. But no need to run to the toolbox – just grab your iPhone. Open the Compass app, swipe to the left and bingo, you have a handy level that will help you hang a stubborn picture that just doesn’t seem to want to hang correctly on the wall.…