How Do You Choose a New Phone for Your Law Practice?

Lawyer Smartphone

More than ever, it is necessary for legal professionals to remain digitally connected. As technological advances are made, attorneys and support staff should endeavor to remain up-to-date. This means staying current by investing in the newest generations of digital devices, including phones. With so many options, however, it can be difficult to select the one that is right according to personal preferences and a given situation. Even within the same brand, there is a range of models, each sporting a variety of features and selling points.

Lawyer Smartphone

To choose which is the right one for your law practice, where the stakes are higher than for many professions, it is important to conduct a thorough investigation. Then, compare the top options. With better-than-average performance, the iPhone XR and the iPhone XS from Apple are two of the top contenders. Here are their similarities, as well as a few of the primary ways they differ.

How Do the Displays of the iPhone XR and iPhone XS Compare?

Although it is considered an entry-level device, the iPhone XR features the larger display. It is 6.1-inches, as opposed to the 5.8-inch screen for the XS. It has a “Liquid Retina LCD” screen, which offers better picture quality and colors than previous generations. With 1792 x 828 pixels and 326 “pixels per inch” (ppi), though, it is not as impressive as the XS.

The iPhone XS has 2436 x 1125 pixels and 458 ppi. Therefore, it provides a higher resolution and a more colorful display. In fact, it is the next generation of edge-to-edge “organic light-emitting diode” (OLED) phones.

Both have screens that are nearly edge-to-edge.

Which Has a Better Battery-Life and Charging Capabilities?

Both phones are able to charge wirelessly with a Qi charging pad. They are also both able to be charged to 50-percent within 30 minutes when using certain fast-charging accessories. There, the similarities between the battery capabilities of the two end.

The battery life of the iPhone XR is one of its most attractive features. It advertises 25 hours of talk-time per charge or 15 hours of Internet use. The XS, however, promises 20 hours of talk time and 12 hours of Internet use per charge. This is still a respectful amount, but it is considerably less. When the battery life is a primary consideration, the XR may be the phone of choice.

What Are the Best Aspects of the New Processors?

The iPhone XR and XS both benefit from the inclusion of Apple’s most recent processor, the A12 Bionic. They feature two high-performance CPU cores that are 15-percent faster than previous generations. They also have four low-power cores that improve the energy-efficiency by 50-percent. The four GPU cores improve the graphics performance by up to 50-percent, as well.

Although they are nearly identical in processing power, the iPhone XS has a bit of an edge. It is reported to have 4 GB of RAM compared to the XR’s 3 GB.

How Is the Memory of Each?

This is one of the primary aspects in which the iPhone XS is superior. The XR offers three different internal storage choices. They are as follows:

  • 64 GB
  • 128 GB
  • 256 GB

The XS provides much more. It also has three choices:

  • 64 GB
  • 256 GB
  • 512 GB

So, where the XR tops out at 256 GB, the XS’s largest storage option is 512 GB. This provides a considerable advantage for individuals, such as those in the legal field, who store large files and require a considerable amount of storage.

What Are the Improvements in Cameras and Security?

The cameras on both phones operate with Apple’s “Smart HDR” feature. This uses the A12 Bionic chip to integrate several images into one highly-detailed photograph. They both also offer “portrait mode” and “portrait lighting.”

The iPhone XR retains the single rear wide-angle camera with 12 megapixels and optical image stabilization previous models were known for.

The XS, however, doubles that. It includes a dual rear wide-angle camera system with telephoto and wide angle cameras. Each of which offers 12 megapixels and optical image stabilization. This is definitely a benefit when trying to capture the “big picture.”

In Conclusion

Finally, the appearance and construction may be the ultimate deciding factor for some lawyers. Although the color of the body can be camouflaged by use of a protective case, the XR comes in a wider range of options. It is available in black, blue, coral, red, yellow, and white where the XS comes only in silver, gold, and space gray.

If sturdiness is a primary consideration, the frame of the iPhone XR is aluminum. The XS, however, boasts a stainless-steel construction. This means that it will last as long as it needs to, or at least until the next generation is released.

 

Practical Microsoft Solutions for Improving Communication in Retail

Microsoft Solutions in Retail

Modern retailers are focusing on how to combine the best of both worlds: online and in-store, digital and physical. One of the major aspects of this “best of both worlds” is communication. And Microsoft offers many of the tools you need to improve the different levels of communication so you can remain both competitive and agile in the modern retail landscape.

Levels of Communication in Modern Retail

There are various levels of communication in contemporary retail:

  • Consumers communicate with stores
  • The head office communicates with suppliers and store managers
  • Store managers communicate with suppliers, and consumers, but not so much with the head office
  • The suppliers communicate with stores, but not so much with the head office
  • Store managers communicate with store associates

Improved communication brings benefits in the form of productivity, innovation, and better morale. But how can communication be improved?

Microsoft’s Approach to Communication

Instead of providing a single approach to communication for all levels of a retail business, Microsoft aims to provide the right capabilities to the right people.

For example, it is natural that managers would use a different communication tool to share ideas with other managers that they would use to share policy updates with associates and staff. It is also critical that managers and associates are only provided access to the information they really need. Otherwise, they run the risk of being distracted from their job or being exposed to so much that they begin to ignore everything, including what they do need to know.

As a more real-world example, the portal (or view) that an associate would work with to access what they need is typically more action-oriented and focuses on providing them quick access to data and updates that directly pertain to them. There is usually very little time available to train associates on core products, much less get them up-to-speed on using productivity and communication tools. That means the simpler and more intuitive the associate portal is, the better. When using Microsoft tools, such an associate view is facilitated by SharePoint Online through Office 365.

Microsoft Office 365

In modern retail, it is vital that business owners, executives, managers have access to the very latest information. The challenge is making sure they still have that access while spending more time on the store floor with both customers and associates. The latest information not only includes sales numbers and the like but best practices.

Office 365, as opposed to on-premises Office installations, has proven to be a powerful tool to support these goals. Microsoft and Forrester teamed together to determine the economic impact that the Office 365 suite of tools has had on retail businesses, and their findings indicated:

  • Better connections with their workforce
  • Increased sales
  • Floor feedback
  • Improves the dissemination of best practices
  • Provides anytime, anywhere access to key information
  • Collaboration made much easier

These gains were achieved through the use of Office 365 features such as document sharing, email, and enterprise social media.

Enterprise Social Media: Yammer

Communication with employees in far too many retail settings remains paper-based and often tied to a bulletin board sitting in a dusty back room Even emails are often printed out and posted on a board. This method is antiquated, and doesn’t take into account the digital prowess of the new generation of retail employees. There is potential for the use of enterprise social apps to better engage employees, and facilitate the sharing of information such as ideas, campaigns, and promotions. Microsoft’s solution to enterprise social apps is Yammer and it is used by over 85% of Fortune 500 companies.

Enterprise Video Capabilities

These days, people do much of their learning, sharing, and consuming via video. This is equally as true for retail customers as it is for retail management and associates. Enterprise video tools make it easy to upload and share videos (which could be about anything from best practices to policy changes).

This type of communication is not just top-down from headquarters to store managers, but can be shared among store managers or with associates. This allows people to share new ideas, distribute common messages, and communicate their own opinions and feedback on the videos. The Microsoft Office 365 platform now provides enterprise video capabilities.

Microsoft Solutions in Retail

Conclusion

Many major retailers have made the switch to Office 365, including well-known names such as Pandora, Game Stop, Tesco, Godiva, Starbucks, and Red Robin. The smart use of communication tools such as OneDrive, Yammer, Skype, and SharePoint have enabled both large and small retailers to drastically improve communication at all levels of the company.

These improvements in communication do lead to better sales. Training is faster, timely information reaches the right people, and employees are no longer overloaded with information that doesn’t pertain to them. Managers can share key information with other managers far more easily, such as customer feedback about new products and services. More positive work gets done with less stress and that’s a win-win for consumers and retailers.

 

Tech Tip: iPad Pro vs. Microsoft Surface Pro

Ipad Pro vs. Microsoft Surface

Laptop users are loyal to their devices, but when portability is a priority, tablets can’t be beaten.

With so many strong tablet contenders on the market, narrowing down the options before making a purchase can seem overwhelming. This is especially true for shoppers who aren’t quite sure what features they’ll find most useful in a tablet. While there are dozens of capable models to choose from, there are two that stand out from the rest: the Apple iPad Pro and its worthy opponent, the Microsoft Surface Pro.

Apple’s iPad Pro and the Surface Pro have garnered their share of loyal users over recent years, and it’s easy to see why. Each boasts their own unique power and performance capabilities, but there are still plenty of differences between these two tablets.

Here are a few ways to distinguish which option of these two will work best for you.

Appearance

Apple has made big strides with the iPad Pro’s design. It manages to pack a 10.5-inch screen into a frame not much larger than the 9.7-inch Pro.

The Surface Pro takes this even further with a 12.3-inch display, though this is not without its caveats. The Surface Pro, with its larger screen, also weighs more than its iPad counterpart. The iPad Pro is slimmer than the Surface Pro, too, measuring just 0.24 inches thick.

Today’s tablet users aren’t settling for lackluster screen quality. Brilliant picture is preferred, and both contenders deliver this, though slightly differently. Apple’s 10.5 iPad Pro is packing a crisp, 2224 x 1668-pixel display, compared to the Surface Pro’s 2736 x 1824-pixel panel, which offers higher resolution.

Operating Systems

Operating systems, unsurprisingly, carry plenty of weight in the realm of tablets. The Surface Pro boasts a reliable, highly functional OS in Windows 10 Pro. With it comes a long list of benefits, including access to full versions of Win32 software, plus Flash, Java, apps and more.

Apple’s iOS is lacking in some areas Windows 10 is strong in, but not all hope is lost. The iPad’s got a new A10X Fusion chip intended to tackle a variety of intensive tasks, like 4K video editing and complex data spreadsheets. And with millions of apps to choose from on the Apple App store, you can be sure that security is top-notch. Apps on the App store require approval before becoming available to the masses, meaning picking up some malware as you download seems unlikely. Though, to be fair, Windows is striving for this same level of security, and may just replicate it with the newest Windows 10 S operating system.

Given that a tablets’ biggest strength lies in portability, battery life is of great importance to users, as it should be. The iPad, in many ways, sets the standard for battery life in tablets. In the showdown between the iPad and the Surface Pro, there is a big difference in battery life that shouldn’t be ignored. When put to the test, the iPad Pro allowed for 15 hours and 38 minutes of video streaming, while the Surface Pro tapped out at 8 hours and 25 minutes.

Multi-Tasking Capabilities

The ability to multi-task is another strong feature when it comes to tablets. A device with the power to do all you want it to, and then some, will ensure you get the most bang for your buck. In regard to workflow, you may find that iOS can’t handle all the tasks that Windows can. The iPad Pro has gotten a few upgrades, including the ability to drag and drop text, images and other files back and forth between apps. You’ll also find a customizable Dock ideal for easily accessing your most frequently used apps.

Windows’ updated capabilities include Timeline, a tool that allows users to jump back to a website, app or another file across platforms. Another app, named Windows Story Remix, can mix videos and photos with 3D objects to create unique themed videos.

Connectivity

Connectivity is an important factor to consider when shopping for laptops. The iPad Pro doesn’t offer much in terms of ports. It’s outfitted only with a lightning port, smart keyboard connector and headphone jack. This means you’ll need to purchase adapters and other add-ons to connect to external displays. The Surface Pro, on the other hand, contains a USB 3.0 port, a Mini DisplayPort, microSD card reader, Surface Connect port and Type Cover port. This renders the Surface Pro the clear winner in the battle for better connectivity.

Accessories

If you’re hoping to make the most of your tablet, you’d do well to pick up the right accessories. For the Surface Pro, this means Microsoft’s Type Cover, which is comparable to Apple’s Smart Keyboard. While both options will make for an easy typing experience, the Surface Pro has the advantage with its built-in hinge, which offers better positioning, as well as its built-in trackpad.

Both devices carry the option of a separately purchased stylus, and while the iPad’s $99 Pencil may navigate the screen more easily, the Surface’s pen has its own perks. It offers the option of different tips, so you can change them to suit your needs. Plus, it runs on an AAAA battery that can last up to a year. It also comes equipped with an eraser on top, as well as a programmable button.

Ipad Pro vs. Microsoft Surface

If you’re hoping for a truly worthwhile tablet experience, you must do your due diligence. This means examining the many ways in which these two tablet heavy-hitters differ, and how each can impact your experience based on what you hope to use your tablet for.

How Are Law Firms Investing in Technology to Remain Cutting-Edge?

Legal Technology

The mission statement for Clio is, “Transform the practice of law, for good.” Clio is arguably the leader in legal case and practice management software, but this motto is being echoed throughout the legal sector.

Legal Technology

Lawyers have existed almost as long as mankind itself. For centuries, the profession has been known as an institution with a long and seemingly conservative tradition. Gradually, this is changing. Contemporary law firms are now using their intuitive understanding of business to influence technical innovation. This will greatly affect how legal companies behave in the future.

Why Are Law Firms Transforming?

As legal clients evolve, so do their expectations. Convenient solutions and immediate responses have become the norm in many sectors. Law firms have been encouraged to keep up, catch up, or be left behind. As the market for legal services changes, companies that provide efficient solutions will increasingly fill the void.

According to a study by the Georgetown Center for the Study of the Legal Profession, advancing technology will threaten law firms. It will allow clients to receive more complex advice from alternative providers than traditional firms generally offer. By investing in technology, legal companies are attempting to avoid this, and/or benefit from it. Additionally, they have a few things that make them particularly qualified. Things that most startup companies do not have, such as:

  • Access to loyal clients
  • Knowledge of legal industry needs
  • Resources
  • Skilled paralegals and assistants

Investing in technology is a response to the realization that they are uniquely positioned to capitalize on these developments.

Why Is the U.K. Leading the Way in Legal IT?

The U.S. has “Public Access to Court Electronic Records” (PACER). This provides nationwide, online access to U.S. Appellate, Bankruptcy, and District court documents and records. Most countries are not as transparent.

Without that system at their disposal, many U.K. firms have been developing their own systems for data analytics. This pushes them ahead of many U.S. firms in innovating and implementing technology.

What In-House IT Is Being Developed?

The recent trend has been for firms to develop IT solutions that focus on specific processes or that assess how the firm operates. These are used in-house to benefit the clients. They include technologies that track metrics to predict client retention or track employment disputes. Another example is the implementation of data management systems that integrate documents, records, and communication onto one platform.

Other innovative firms have built platforms like Pinpoint IP or Sentinel IP, which are patent analysis, management, and monitoring tools for intellectual property. These not only assess how a client’s portfolio compares to his or her competitors but also provides alerts if the patent is infringed upon.

Many new companies are unable to afford attorneys. Newly created records database tools provide a free online database of useful documents to assist young startup companies. These are just a few of the in-house IT solutions being developed.

How Are Law Firms Becoming Incubators?

It truly is a time of innovation in the legal sector. As some firms are developing specific technical products to benefit their sphere of influence, others are reaching higher. Through incubators, law firms are directing the creation and development of technology. Two of the largest and most influential incubators are Fuse and Nextlaw.

Fuse was launched by the U.K. firm of Allen & Overy. In addition to providing access to cutting-edge technologies, Fuse was developed to promote a “tech-focused mindset” in its lawyers. The first of its eight startups was Nivaura. Its platform streamlines the distribution and administration of financial tools through blockchain technology. Fuse’s other original startups include:

  • Avvoka
  • Corlytics
  • Ithaca
  • iManage
  • Legatics
  • Opus 2 International
  • Vable

Fuse’s second cohort also includes Bloomsbury AI, Kira Systems, Neota Logic, Regnosys, and Signal Media. Nivaura team members are entrepreneurs-in-residence. They share business experience and advice to help guide the other companies in the incubator space.

The Dentons law firm has the most well-known innovators of this kind. It is responsible for the incubator Nextlaw Labs and its investment vehicle Nextlaw Ventures. Its 10 current startups include the following:

  • Apperio
  • Beagle
  • Clause
  • Doxly
  • FileFacets
  • Hire an Squire
  • Libryo
  • ProFinda
  • Qualmet
  • Ross

Previously, legal technology was created by individuals unfamiliar with the needs and intricacies of the legal sector. By having attorneys work directly with the IT startup companies, the resulting technology is built to specifically address those needs.

In Conclusion

In the 21st century, the demand for tech is radically changing what it means to be a law firm.

In-house innovation and legal tech incubators are increasing in number. Some law firms are even looking toward expanding innovation outward. The push to develop better IT solutions for the legal industry has been almost overwhelming. Having attorneys lead the way is vital to the future of the field.

“We’re not in this for technology’s sake,” stated chairman of Fuse and partner at Allen & Overy, Jonathan Brayne. “We’re in this to solve problems.”

Ottawa/Gatineau Tornado Update

Ottawa Gatineau Tornado

We’re Thinking Of You.

We hope you, your family and staff are all okay after the tornado that hit Ottawa/Gatineau last night. Our thoughts are with you if you’ve suffered any damage or tragedies.

Ottawa Gatineau Tornado

If so, you’re probably overwhelmed with responsibilities. After ensuring that your family, friends, and staff are safe, you may need to deal with property damage. For this reason, we’ve included a list of tips that might come in handy to help you get your business back up and running.

  • Be careful during any cleanup – wear thick-soled shoes, long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and work gloves before entering your property.
  • Save phone calls for emergencies as service may be limited. Use text messaging instead.
  • Don’t enter damaged buildings until they’ve been deemed safe to enter by local authorities.
  • Exercise extreme caution when walking through the damaged property. Avoid electrical wires that may be strewn about.
  • Don’t use any spark-producing equipment and don’t smoke as there may be flammable gasses or liquids in the area.
  • Don’t turn on any utilities without coordinating with your utility companies.
  • Take photographs and videos of any damage and make a list of materials and labour you use to repair your property for insurance purposes.
  • Request an advance payment from your insurance company to help you resume business operations.
  • Track the hours your employees work to mitigate damage as opposed to their normal duties for insurance purposes.
  • Contact government agencies for assistance and inform them if you will be undertaking any major restoration plans.
  • Notify your clients, vendors and other business associates of your circumstances and maintain transparency as you restore operations to their fullest.

 

Colorado Timberline Taken Down by Ransomware and What That Means for You

Colorado Timberline Ransomware

According to Statista, there were 184 million ransomware attacks in 2017 and the average ransomware demand is over $1,000. Individuals, organizations, and companies have fallen victim to these attacks. Most people recognize the fact that ransomware is a danger, but they may not realize that it can actually destroy their company. The recent closure of Colorado Timberline after a ransomware attack is a solemn reminder of the seriousness of the dangers of ransomware.

Colorado Timberline Ransomware

What Happened to Colorado Timberline?

Colorado Timberline, a printing company in Denver, was forced to cease operations for an unspecified amount of time after a severe cyber attack. A statement on their website dated September 12th stated that they had been the victim of several recent cyber attacks, but the last – a ransomware attack – was something they would not be able to immediately recover from. The page that contained this statement no longer exists, but a similar statement was posted on their Facebook page:

Dear valued customers and suppliers of Colorado Timberline;

It is with great difficulty and a heavy heart that we must inform you that effective immediately Colorado Timberline has ceased all operations indefinitely.

We have recently been plagued by several IT events, unfortunately, we were unable to overcome the most recent Ransomware attack and as a result, this unfortunate and difficult decision was made.

We greatly appreciate the support and loyalty from each of you over the years.

Management of Colorado Timberline

Their Facebook page now lists them as permanently closed.

What Happened in the Ransomware Attack?

The data locker ransomware attack took place on the evening of August 14. The ransomware accessed their database server and encrypted the files it contained.

The issue that Colorado Timberline ran into, according to an explanatory post for their customers via their Facebook page, was that the hackers insisted that physical access to their files was necessary in order to obtain the encryption key even if the ransom were paid.

Colorado Timberline explained that it was not a matter of paying the ransom, but granting the hackers further access to their data was their greatest concern. Instead, they opted to make use of their data backups to restore the system and had their IT staff doing their best to extract as much data as possible from the encrypted database server.

This was not the first cyberattack that this company suffered, nor was it their last. Their Facebook page also indicated some issues on August 20th that had brought down both their website and phone lines.

As of September 12th, the doors at its physical location had been locked and closure announcements were posted in both English and Spanish. In an unusual twist, they had apparently just launched a new website tool for orders the day before the close was announced.

About Colorado Timberline

Colorado Timberline’s LinkedIn Page indicates that they had between 200 and 500 employees and that they had been in business for five years. They specialized in printing, including vinyl, apparel, banners, glass etching, and large format applications. In 2017 they were acquired by two out-of-state companies and their owner left in May. What impact that may have had on the decision to cease operations is not known.

How Data Locker Ransomware Works

Data locker ransomware malware (also known as a crypto ransomware) gains access to a computer, then it begins to search through the file system to find data that would be of value to the victim. It stays hidden as it both searches for this data then encrypts it.

Once the encryption is complete, the malware alerts the user with a message announcing that data has been taken hostage and encrypted. It will indicate how the ransom is to be paid (usually in a type of cryptocurrency, ironically) and how long before the decryption key is destroyed and the data rendered useless.

The Dangers of Ransomware

Even if a business or organization does have a backup of the data that has been taken hostage, they most likely have not tested the backup system to be sure that it works. Furthermore, any delay in getting systems back on line can quickly cost money in terms of sales as well as potential customers. If word gets out that a company has fallen victim to a cyberattack, it can negatively impact their reputation. Customers are naturally reluctant to risk sharing their financial data with a company that has been compromised in the past.

Conclusion

The first wave of modern ransomware attacks began to take place in 2015, according to “The Evolution of Ransomware” published by Symantec. The history of ransomware, however, can be traced back to 1989 where the first target was healthcare data systems. Now any company with valuable data is a target for attack. And, as with any type of hacking activity, the methods for infecting a computer with ransomware are continually evolving and improving. It is important for every business and organization, small or large, to make sure their cybersecurity systems are powerful enough to protect them and up-to-date against the latest threats.

3 Quick Tips To Boost Your LinkedIn Skills

LinkedIn Tips

Are You Using Your LinkedIn Profile To Its Full Potential?

LinkedIn is, as I’m sure you’re well aware, a hugely popular social media platform for professionals in a wide range of industries. The site allows for fantastic networking opportunities and gives you a place to get yourself, your business, and your skills out there for potential clients, partners, or employers to find.

By following these three easy tips, you can get even more out of the platform by improving your overall skills with LinkedIn.

Tip 1 – Change How Your Profile Is Viewed

Not everything in your LinkedIn profile needs to be visible to everyone who visits your page. Much like the privacy controls on Facebook, you can easily change how your networking and profile information is viewed. Start by clicking on the ‘Me’ icon at the top of the page, then select ‘Settings and Privacy.’ Click on the privacy tab and you’ll see more than half a dozen options for changing who can see what information about you. You’ll also see other privacy-related settings that are customizable. Take a moment to go through these settings and adjust them to suit your preferences.

Tip 2 – View Your Post Statistics

Sharing content to your page is a common use of the LinkedIn platform. If you’ve ever posted an article or video to LinkedIn, you can see specific demographics about your readers or viewers that can give you a better idea of who you’re reaching. To view these stats, click on ‘Me,’ then select ‘View Profile’ and scroll down the page until you see the ‘My Dashboard’ section. Click on ‘Post Views’ and then click the ‘Posts’ tab.

On this page, scroll down to the post you want to view the stats for and you’ll see the view count displayed in the lower left corner of the entry next to a small graph icon. Click on the text next to the graph and the stats of your readers or viewers will be displayed, broken down into company, title, and location. At a glance, you can see who your primary audience is made up of. This is a great way to find out if the content you’re sharing is attracting the demographics you were hoping to reach.

Tip 3 – Use Boolean Search Terms

LinkedIn allows for the use of Boolean search parameters, giving you the ability to filter your searches more specifically to find exactly what you’re looking for. You can do this by adding or eliminating elements from the search parameters. Let’s say for example you wanted to find someone who is an expert in presentation design. If you use that as a key term in your search, your search results would show anyone who had the words presentation and design in their profile, even if the two words were located separately on their page. By adding quotes around “presentation design,” your search results would only list those that had the two words together. Quotations only need to be used when using multiple word-search terms.

Another example could be if you wanted to find someone that has expertise in both infographics and presentation design. This time, you would type in infographics AND presentation design. By adding the AND qualifier, you group those two terms together ensuring that you see more relevant results.

Some other Boolean search parameters you can use for more targeted searches include the qualifier OR, which separates one or more search terms such as “Vice President” OR VP OR “V.P.” OR SVP OR EVP.

Parenthetical searches allow for more complex searches by combining terms and qualifiers using parentheses, such as design AND (graphic OR presentation) or (copyediting OR “copy editor”). The NOT qualifier allows you to do a search that excludes specific parameters, for example, VP NOT director or the more complex (Google OR Salesforce) NOT LinkedIn. A few small tweaks to the way you conduct searches can give you much better results in much less time.

LinkedIn Tips

Your LinkedIn profile is a powerful professional tool when wielded properly. There is a lot more you can learn just by exploring both your page and the site itself that can help you do even more with your account, but mastering the basics and learning a few cool tricks is a great way to start.

Ready to learn even more about how you can use this networking and social media platform in new and exciting ways? 

Microsoft Office 365 For Educators Is Available For Free

Microsoft Office 365 Education

Microsoft Office, the software suite that gave us that blueprint for all other word processing software, Word, has gone to the Cloud. Office 365 (O365) offers a cloud-based alternative to the desktop Microsoft Office 2016. There are plans available for limited home or personal use, or professional business use. But the best part is the free educational version: Office 365 for Education.

Microsoft Office 365 Education

What Is It?

A collection of the most used Office 365 applications completely free for education employees and students.

Includes:

  • Word
  • Excel
  • PowerPoint
  • OneNote
  • Yammer
  • SharePoint

Who’s Able To Use It?

Anyone with a current affiliation with an educational institution: faculty, staff, and students.

Eligibility

Must be enrolled in or working for a school. Anyone with a school-based email that can receive messages may subscribe for free. Former students or employees may still access a limited functionality version of the app that allows document viewing only.

Below are 28 Reasons To Start Using Office 365 For Education:

Access to a Trusted High-Quality Product

  1. Most widely accepted word processor in use. Easier to teach to students and not much need to teach to educators. It doesn’t need to be “gotten used to.” Getting students familiar with this program prepares them better for college and the workforce later. They will encounter either Microsoft Suite or software that is extremely similar because offices use this software over all others.
  2. Predictable save patterns. Users can set up a specific saving interval, save manually, or select auto-save just for emergencies. Contrast that with Google Docs, which defaults to automatically saving every time typing stops for more than a moment or two. A few errant keystrokes or a fight with a cat, and you’re out of luck.
  3. Saves work in a reliable format even when saving as a PDF. Moving information across apps is easier when they’re all from the same platform too – everything is compatible.
  4. Better spell check than most other paid programs (Microsoft 2016).
  5. Has many options for formatting right in the program itself.
  6. Online free or low-cost templates.
  7. Tracks changes. You can see earlier versions of your document if you need to without using an add-on or extension.
  8. Easy to migrate your files and preferences from your old versions of Office.

Portability

  1. All of the applications on the free version are easily accessed and used from tablets, Chromebooks, and other limited use, low-storage devices commonly purchased by schools. With Office 365 and Office 365 for Education, there’s no clunky installation using up all of the memory on student devices.
  2. Students can use it on their phones.
  3. One TB of storage for each user, with options to purchase more.

Reliability

  1. Microsoft has been in business for decades and has not only consistently improved the usability of its software, but also offers high quality training resources on its website.
  2. User-friendly.
  3. Familiar. Whether you’re aware or not, you have been using this software in many areas. The way that things work in Microsoft Office are the way things work nearly everywhere words appear on a screen. It’s familiar and appealing with intuitive actions.

Cloud Storage

  1. Saves space…literally. Saving to the cloud means less hardware and fewer AC units.
  2. Saves a salary. See above. Let Microsoft handle tech inquiries and storage issues while your edtech team focuses on training and troubleshooting.
  3. Limited functionality setting for former students and employees allows for document viewing. Everything is stored on the cloud and therefore accessible wherever – even after a student graduates.
  4. Automatic upgrades! But without imaging, inserting disks, or resetting your computer to accept changes, because with O365 you are never installing anything. When the time comes to upgrade, this is done automatically and there doesn’t need to be a whole technology roll-out from IT. It’s just done.
  5. Ultimate portability – finally a trusted product that can be accessed for free from any internet-ready computer. Just add an internet connection. And a laptop, tablet, smartphone, or some device that’s not even on the market yet, like VR Slime 3D!
  6. Sign up your school and add new users.
  7. Free, helpful training and information program. Promotional kits get the word out and training videos online get everyone using the app to its fullest potential.
  8. Option to upgrade for some or all by just using the paid version of Microsoft 365. Staff and maybe a computer lab available for students to use when the full Office Suite is required. For instance, maybe you have the free version for most of the school’s users, with special lab access for the paid versions. In the rare instance that a subject requires the full suite, it’s much easier to pay for a handful of licenses for one year or so to cover that class or office, rather than to install a paid program that is primarily used only for word processing anyway, on every computer in the school.

Scalability

  1. It takes only minutes to sign someone up as a new user as opposed to installing the program every time someone needs it or automatically installing Office 2016 on a bunch of computers whether or not someone uses it (a clear waste of resources).
  2. Cloud still saves documents and projects as view or read only after an employee or student leaves the school.

Training And Advertisement

  1. Free Promotional Kits are available to educators who have signed up their schools for O365 so you can get the word out about the new software and its features!
  2. Collaboration. Applications such as Yammer and Sharepoint give teams a way to share work and communicate more effectively than email.
  3. Microsoft Office for Educators Page. Such a helpful, cool resource. Offers tons of video tutorials and other training materials, as well as opportunities to share with other educators what you’re doing in your classroom.

Interoperability Even With BYOD

  1. Microsoft Office is now available on the Mac and other Apple products! So even the occasional square Macintosh peg in a round Microsoft hole can communicate with others. Great for BYOT schools who run into interoperability issues.

Just Try It Out – It’s Free!

Now that Office 365 for Educators is available for free, there is no longer a compelling reason to waste money or waste digital and literal space. Try it on a limited basis at first to see if the program will work for you. It’s not a trial, so there’s no pressure to make a decision right away. If you feel that you need more than the limited version offers, purchase a plan that suits your needs and use the free version for instances where the comprehensive suite isn’t needed. It’s probably one of the easiest EdTech decisions you’ll make this year.

Available Applications On O365 vs. O365 For Education
Office 365 (O365) Paid Version Office 365 For Education
Cloud Based (non-desktop) version of the most recent Microsoft Office Suite Free version of Office 365. Also in the cloud (not for the desktop). Has fewer features than O365 but is free to eligible members of the educational community.
  • Microsoft Word
  • Microsoft Excel
  • PowerPoint
  • OneNote
  • Outlook
  • SharePoint
  • Exchange Online
  • OneDrive
  • Publisher
  • Microsoft Access
  • Skype for Business
  • InfoPath
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Paid Subscription (Various Plans available; increased/unlimited storage begins after five paid subscriptions)
  • Word
  • Excel
  • PowerPoint
  • OneNote
  • Yammer
  • SharePoint

 

How Could the New iPhone XS Improve your Legal Practice?

iphone X lawyers

As more advanced technology continues to work its way into the daily activities in many law offices, it becomes increasingly important that lawyers keep up. Larger digital files, more complex platforms, along with a need to stay in communication mean that newer phones with improved functions are a must. Fortunately, Apple remains on the frontlines of digital innovation.

iphone X lawyers

With frequent updates, many attorneys may wonder how important it is to upgrade to a newer model. As client demand for modern techniques rises, it is beneficial for contemporary offices to take note. The iPhone XS and XS Max offer many features that would be helpful to lawyers in large firms or small practices. From a larger display to larger storage, here are a few of the ways in which the most recent generation of iPhone can improve your legal practice.

Why Would a Larger Display Be Beneficial?

Larger displays provide an improved experience when reading important legal documents. More information is visible at the same time while the content is also enlarged for easier viewing.

The iPhone XS has the same screen dimensions as the iPhone X, which was the largest available at its inception. The difference is in the size of the phone’s body. The XS has a considerably smaller bezel than previous versions.

However, the XS Max is the same size as the iPhone X. With the same screen to body ratio as the XS, the iPhone XS Max has the largest screen to date. It is 6.5-inches and features the highest resolution at 2688 x 1242 pixels.

What Impact Will the Changes in Battery Life and Charging Have?

With such a busy schedule, most attorneys and legal support staff prefer not to be tied via phone cord to a power outlet. Fortunately, the iPhone XS and XS Max offer up to 20 hours of talk time and between 12 and 13.5 hours of Internet use. This is 30 minutes over that provided by the iPhone X for the XS and 90 for the XS Max. In fact, Apple is referring to the battery as the “biggest battery yet in an iPhone.”

Also convenient are the charging options. They can be wirelessly charged on a Qi charging pad. Additionally, they are compatible with accessories that are able to charge the devices up to 50-percent in about 30 minutes.

How Will the New Processor Be an Improvement Over Earlier Options?

Both the iPhone XS and XS Max feature what are likely the first 7-nanometer chips included in a smartphone. Called the A12 Bionic, it is Apple’s next generation of processor.

The 15-percent speed increase over A11 is provided by two high-performance central processing unit (CPU) cores. A 50-percent improvement in energy efficiency is obtained from the four low-power CPU cores. Additionally, the graphics performance is improved by 50-percent due to the four graphics processing unit (GPU) cores.

How Would the Increased Memory Help a Lawyer?

One of the primary perks that would benefit attorneys would be the enormous increase in internal storage space that iPhone XS and XS Max provide. The iPhone X had what was considered a respectful amount at 64 GB. iPhone XS and XS Max are both offered with internal storage amounts of 64 GB, 256 GB, and a whopping 512 GB.

As technology continues to increasingly be used in the legal field, associates require larger storage space in smartphones. This enables them to stay connected and work via digital platforms virtually anywhere. It allows them to get more work done while still spending less time in the office.

What Is the Benefit of an Improved Camera and Security?

The iPhone XS and XS Max boast revolutionary “High dynamic Range” (HDR) imaging. This technology uses multiple images to create a more detailed photograph than older models had the capacity for. They also feature the following:

  • Dual-rear camera system
  • 12 mega-pixels
  • Telephoto capability
  • Wide-angle capability
  • Optical image stabilization

The video capabilities include an extended dynamic range, as well as stereo recording. These would be beneficial for recording interviews of clients and witnesses.

Additionally, Apple’s TrueDepth Camera System ensures that unlocking the phone will be faster and more consistent than previous versions. Its improved algorithm means that the XS and XS Max are also more secure. Using a faster and safer device keeps digital information at a lawyer’s fingertips without fear of a security breach.

In Conclusion

With a starting price of $999 and $1,099 respectively, the iPhone XS and XS Max have pre-order dates in September 2018. They are available in the colors of silver, gold, and space-grey. This generation of smartphones has a frame made from “surgical-grade” stainless steel and improved water-resistance. Therefore, one might consider that this is the last phone he or she will ever need, but that is just not how the technology works. For busy attorneys, these phones do provide better storage and faster access to apps.

Want To Learn 3 Cool Linkedin Tips?

Profile – Viewing – Searching

We get questions from our clients about using LinkedIn all the time. And we get so many that we’ve been keeping track of some of the most commonly asked ones. We’ve posted three of them here with detailed answers for you.

1. “Is There A Way To Change How My Profile Is Viewed?”

Sometimes you want to change the way your profile is viewed. Perhaps you’re looking for a new job, or you’ve just gotten one.

Or, maybe you’re working a second job and you don’t want your boss to see this. With changes in your business life, you want to keep track of what’s important to post on LinkedIn.

Here’s how to change or update how people see you on LinkedIn.

Click Me

Click Settings & Privacy

This is what you’ll see…

Click the Privacy Tab.

LinkedIn will give you half a dozen options to change your privacy settings for changing who can see what information about you.

 

Notes:

  • After you change or disable your profile public, it may take several weeks for it to be added to or removed from search engine results.
  • If you edit the settings of your profile photo from your profile page, then your public profile page will be updated with the new setting. For example: if you change your profile photo visibility setting from Public to Your Connections, that change will be applied to your public profile as well, and your photo will no longer appear as part of your public profile. Likewise, you can update your photo visibility settings while you’re editing your public profile page (or by disabling your public profile). Before these settings were unified, some members entered into inconsistent photo visibility states (e.g., their photo is visible in a public profile in search engine results, but is not visible to most members on LinkedIn), and those members are being prompted to reconcile their settings.
  • The default photo setting is Public.
  • Not all sections of your profile can be displayed publicly. On the Public profile settings page, you’ll be able to see and adjust the sections of your profile that can be displayed publicly. Viewers who aren’t signed in to LinkedIn will see all or some portions of the profile display selections you make on this page.

2. “How Do I View My Post Statistics In LinkedIn?”

If you’ve ever posted an article or video to LinkedIn, you can see specific demographics about your readers. To see this stats, just like you did above, click on Me and View Profile.

Now, scroll down until you see this Dashboard section. Click on Post views.

Next, click on the Posts tab.

Now,, scroll down to one of your articles. On the lower left click the view counter next to the line graph icon.

LinkedIn will provide you details of who viewed your article. The stats are broken down by company, title and location.

Notes:

  • Your post analytics are available for 60 days from creation.
  • Your article analytics are available for 2 years from creation.
  • Your posts and articles will display a detailed breakdown of the analytics only when they have been viewed by 10 or more unique viewers. Once your post or article has reached the minimum number of unique viewers, your analytics button will appear.
  • The analytics breakdown displays non-unique views.

3. “How Do I Use Boolean Search Terms In LinkedIn?”

LinkedIn provides powerful search capabilities. It can take a while to efficiently use the power of people search. But it’s worth taking the time to learn.

LinkedIn gives you the option to use Boolean Search Terms to perform more specific searches. You can do this by adding or eliminating elements to the search parameters.

(Boolean logic is a system of showing relationships between sets by using the words AND, OR, and NOT. The term Boolean comes from the name of the man who invented this system, George Boole.)

Boolean Operators are used to connect and define the relationship between your search terms. When searching electronic databases, you can use Boolean operators to either narrow or broaden your record sets. The three Boolean operators are AND, OR and NOT.

Here are some examples of Boolean search strings:

  • infographics AND presentations
  • copyediting OR copy editor
  • Google NOT Salesforce

Let’s say you wanted to find someone who is an expert in presentation design. You should use this as a key term in your search.

When you do, your search results will come up with anyone who has the words presentation and design in their profile even if the two words are located separately in their LinkedIn profile.

But by adding quotes around “presentation design” LinkedIn will only list those people with the two words together in their profile.

If you wanted to find someone with expertise in both infographics and presentation design, you would do a Boolean Search like this:

“infographics” AND “presentation design”.

By adding the AND qualifier, you’ve combined the two terms for your search ensuring that you receive more relative results.

Other Boolean Search Parameters you can use for more effective results:

“OR” to broaden your search to include profiles that include one or more terms.

For example:

“Microsoft” OR “LinkedIn”. “Vice President” OR VP OR “V.P” OR SVP OR EVP

Parenthetical Searches

If you’d like to perform a complex search, you can combine terms and modifiers and use parentheses. For example:

design AND (graphic OR presentation)

(copyediting OR copy editor)

Notes:

When handling searches, the overall order to precedence is:

  1. Quotes [“”]
  2. Parentheses [()]
  3. NOT
  4. AND
  5. OR

Important:

  • The + and – operators are not officially supported by LinkedIn. Using AND in place of + and NOT in place of – makes a query much easier to read and guarantees that we’ll handle the search correctly.
  • When using NOT, AND, or OR operators, you must type them in uppercase letters.
  • We don’t support wildcard “*” searches.
  • Boolean search will work in the keyword field in Recruiter and Linkedin.com, and will work in the Company, title, and keyword field in Sales Navigator.

“NOT” Parameters

If you’d like to do a search to exclude a particular term, use the term with an uppercase NOT with quotes around it. Your search results will include any profile containing that term. This term can’t be used alone. But in conjunction with other terms NOT will exclude people from your search who have that term in their profile

For example:

VP NOT director

(Google OR Salesforce) NOT LinkedIn

That’s it! Three tips you can use to improve your overall skills in LinkedIn.