Category Archives: Product Reviews

Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad mini

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ultrathin keyboard miniIf you prefer to have your keyboard built into your cover, you should consider the Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad mini from Logitech. It performs double duty, providing a fully functioning wireless Bluetooth keyboard and simultaneously protecting your iPad mini.

Its built-in recessed groove holds the iPad mini at the perfect angle for typing and using the touch screen.  Users with large hands may find the keyboard a bit small, but it should be sufficient for most users.

The form factor of the Ultrathin Cover matches the iPad mini perfectly, and it’s extremely light, weighing less than one-third the weight of the device. It connects securely with magnetic clips, and it wakes the iPad mini when you open the cover and puts it to sleep when you close it – helping to conserve the batter life of both. The keyboard is rechargeable with the included USB cable, and it advertises up to six months of battery life on a full charge.

Adonit Jot Script – The Mac Lawyer’s Favorite Stylus

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Adonit Jot ScriptAdonit released its Jot Script stylus in late 2012, and it quickly became one of the dominant players in the market, receiving very favorable reviews from famed tech illuminati including Macworld, Engadget, and TUAW.

What makes this stylus truly unique is its utilization of Pixelpoint™ technology to reduce the tip to a mere 1.9 mm, which is 70% smaller than its nearest competitor.

This fine point places the ink point directly under the tip, and its material mimics the drag of a pen on paper, giving you more control and better expression in every stroke. The result is that handwriting feels more natural and you are able to write more precisely. For attorneys, this can mean the difference between your signature looking like it was signed by an adult with pen or a by a child with a crayon.

The Jot Script is made of aluminum and it takes a AAA battery, so it feels like much more like you are you are writing with a “normal” ballpoint pen than using a stylus. It has also been optimized to work with Evernote‘s Penultimate notetaking app (as well as other popular apps) to offer the best note taking experience possible.

If you (like me) have ever been turned off by fat tipped styli, then give the Jot Script a try, and it may change your mind. The Jot Script is my go-to stylus, and I really like it. It’s also worth mentioning that Adonit makes a Jot Tote case, which snaps onto the back of your iPad mini and features a rubber-lined slide grip drawer that securely locks your Jot Script in place when you’re on the go.

Evernote Clearly Rocks!

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Evernote ClearlyThe title of this blog post is a double entendre. Yes, it’s no secret that I have been a huge fan of Evernote and have used it for years, so as an App, it is amazing.

However, I have recently begun to use Evernote’s Clearly browser plug-in, and it clearly rocks! Busy attorneys will find the following features in Clearly particularly helpful:

  • Distraction-free reading – Clearly provides a distraction-free view of your favorite web content by making the text cleaner and easier to read and removing ads, navigation and other distractions.
  • Save to Evernote –  Save content from the web directly into your Evernote account with one click, so that you can read or reference it later. Using Evernote’s Smart Filing feature, your content will automatically be tagged and saved to a related notebook.
  • Listen with text-to-speech – If you have an Evernote Premium account, Clearly can read web content to you, and it highlights the word currently being read to make it easy to follow if you so desire.

Clearly offers a number of ways to customize your reading and web clipping experience, and it’s available for Chrome, Firefox, and Opera browsers. Best of all, it’s absolutely free! You can learn more about Clearly’s features (including its customization options) and watch a short tutorial video here.

Prior to using Clearly, I used Evernote’s Web Clipper plug-in, which provides similar clipping functionality, but frankly it would tend to be somewhat temperamental at times. I have found Clearly to be much more user-friendly, and it’s additional features make it a much better option for lawyers.

If you want to learn more about Evernote and how it can be used in your law practice, read some of our previous posts below:

Snugg Executive Case Offers Rugged (Yet Professional) Protection for the iPad Mini

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Snugg Executive CaseThese days it seems that if you’ve seen one tablet case, you’ve seen them all. For our Mac-loving family, we tend to push our cases and other accessories to the limits. Our busy travel schedules and six children (who are not always as careful with our electronics as we’d like them to be) quickly take their toll. When Snugg provided us with their latest Executive Case & Flip Stand for the iPad Mini Retina, we were happy to give it a workout.

One of the best things about this case is the super easy installation of the iPad. Some require you to “snap” your device into them, only to then wonder if you’ll ever be able to extract it again. This cover offers an easy “slide in/slide out” option with a surprisingly secure velcro tab underneath, which prevents sliding or much movement at all once wrapped around under the device. This, along with the durable, yet very soft leather, virtually eliminates any concern about inadvertent scratching or scuffing on the device glass or back cover.

The integrated stylus loop is perfectly sized for the typical stylus, and it’s designed to keep your stylus handy at all time, but out of the way. The inside cover is designed for the busy professional, with a soft, but durable hand strap for holding the iPad during meetings or presentations. It also features several small pockets for keeping your notes or extra business cards handy.

The only ‘con’ we could find was the stand holder on the back of the case. It is made of the same leather as the case and is supposed to hold the case in two angled positions – one for typing and the other for watching videos or conducting FaceTime calls, etc. We found that it took a while to break it in so that it would hold the case in the right position without popping out but once it was fully broken in, it seemed to work okay. However, since it is made entirely of leather, it’s not quite as sturdy as some of the other stands we have tested. This case retails for $39.99 and is available in an amazing array of 14 colors, so there’s one to please everyone. You can learn more or order one by clicking here.

Readdle’s Scanner Pro Available for Free for a Limited Time

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Scanner ProScanners are an invaluable tool for most attorneys. Do you ever use your iPhone or iPad as a document scanner? If not, you should – as it’s very handy when you aren’t near a “real” scanner.

There are numerous apps that provide this functionality, but one of the best (and The Mac Lawyer’s personal favorite) is Scanner Pro from Readdle – and it’s available for free for the next week because it’s been named Apple’s “App of the Week”.

Scanner Pro is one of the most highly rated scanning apps in the App Store, and it turns your iPhone or iPad into a portable scanner for documents, receipts, notes, photos, and more. The app removes shadows, sharpens scans, and corrects perspective in order to make scans as “readable as possible,” and it utilizes edge detection in order to create fast, accurate scans, and it stores scans as PDF files that can be emailed/printed or uploaded to Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive, etc.

Even though I believe that Scanner Pro is a bargain at its normal $6.99, this marks the first time since it was released in 2011 that it’s been available for free. If you don’t have it yet, do yourself a favor and click here to get it now.

Source: Readdle’s ‘Scanner Pro’ Named App of the Week, Available for Free published at MacRumors.com.

ChargeCard, the Pocket Sized Charging Solution

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ChargeCard

There are a few constants in life. If you use mobile devices (iPhones/iPads), you crave more power. The easier and more accessible it is, the better. What if you had a charger that you could carry around in your wallet? Well, now you can.

ChargeCard is a wallet-sized lightning cable that’s the thickness of just two credit cards. As you’d expect, it works just like any “normal” cable for charging/syncing your iPhone or iPad and plugs into any USB port.

I have given the ChargeCard a good workout. Because of it’s compact size and unique design, it takes a little getting used to, but I’m pleased to report that it works as advertised. The ChargeCard is made by Nomad, and retails for $25.00, with free shipping worldwide. It’s guaranteed for life and comes with a 100% money back guarantee. If you’re interested, click here to buy one (or barter for one, seriously).

Macworld’s Best Products of 2013

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EddysThe end of the year means numerous “best of” lists. One of the more prestigious awards is the Macworld Editors’ Choice Award, or Eddy. You can access the entire list here, but these are some selections worth checking out:

  • Adonit Jot Script ($75) is the hottest new stylus on the market. It features a 1.9mm plastic nib with Pixelpoint technology for extra-precise writing. It’s an incredibly impressive pen for writing on your iPad or iPad mini, particularly in Evernote’s Penultimate app.
  • Fujitsu ScanSnap iX500 ($495) is simply the best scanner on the market, period. While it may look similar to its predecessors, this version has a faster and more reliable paper-feed mechanism (up to 25 double-sided pages per minute), and its built-in Wi-Fi converts the scans to JPEG or PDF to allow scanning directly to your iPhone or iPad.
  • Logitech Bluetooth Easy-Switch Keyboard K811 ($100) pairs with up to three OS X and/or iOS devices simultaneously and lets you switch your active Bluetooth connection between them with a simple key press. It’s smaller and lighter than Apple’s Wireless Keyboard, recharges by USB, and even has motion-activated backlighting for typing in dimly lit environments.
  • Agile Bits 1Password is available in both OS X Mavericks ($50) and iOS ($18) versions. This app offers a great combination of convenience and security. You can easily access or create passwords, either through the app itself, through the Mac menu bar, or in a browser with the 1Password extension, and then sync your data via Dropbox, iCloud, or Wi-Fi – all while savely encrypted.
  • Surtees Studios Bartender ($15) helps you organize the application icons in your menu bar. It places its own icon there, which when clicked gives you a submenu bar filled with the icons you’ve chosen to hide. It is simple to use and does its job without muss or fuss.

Source: Macworld Editors’ Choice Awards: The Best Products of 2013.

Review of Snugg’s Squared Skinny iPhone Case

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snugg squared skinnyThe Snugg manufactures cases for all types of electronic devices – smartphones (including the iPhone), tablets (including the iPad), and even Kindles. Its website proclaims that it uses “the finest materials” and “the highest quality craftsmanship” to achieve “the perfect Snugg fit.”  As a result, it offers a lifetime guarantee on all of the cases it sells.

With that advertised pedigree, I was excited to receive and and review Snugg’s Squared Skinny Fit Protective Case for my iPhone 5. After using the case for several weeks and putting it through its paces, I have the following observations:

  • Appearance :: The black squares molded into the black background look stylish, with the red embossed Snugg logo adding a nice contrast without being gaudy.
  • Quality :: The rubberized silicone case stretches to easily go onto and off of the phone. However, it would be better if the case fit a little more snug (no pun intended), as it would occasionally begin to pull off of the phone while in my pocket.
  • Protection :: The Squared Skinny case was thick enough to provide reasonable protection from bumps and scrapes, yet it was thick and light enough to not be intrusive. Its design also allows complete access to all buttons, switches, and ports.

In summary, I like this case a lot, but I don’t love it. It looks and feels nice, but a tighter fit would provide more protection, which is its primary function.  Thanks to Snugg for allowing me to review their product.

Discover iOS 7

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Apple’s iOS 7 was released about two weeks ago, and everyone seems to have an opinion about it. I downloaded it the first day, and I like it overall. Sure, there are some things that take a little getting used to, but that’s the price of new technology.

iMore published a comprehensive guide that tells you everything you could ever want to know about iOS 7. If you want to learn some tips/tricks or discover more goodies, check it out. Best of all, it’s free.

Source: “iOS 7 Review” by Rene Ritchie, published at iMore.

STM’s Cable Wrap Is a Traveler’s Best Friend

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It’s no secret that STM makes great products (see here and here), but they have come out with something that’s a “must have” for techie lawyers on the go – called simply the Cable Wrap.

This nifty case easily organizes and protects those hard to pack and easy to lose items, such as adapters and cables, thumb drives, portable hard drives, power cords, and other accessories.

Measuring approximately 10″ x 6″ and weighing next to nothing, it quickly rolls closed to a much more compact size. An internal zipper pocket inside enables you to store the tiniest of items safely and securely. This is one of those “why didn’t someone think of this before” items that can make your travel much easier.  To find out more about the Cable Wrap, click here.