Steve Jobs Day

California has declared today Steve Jobs Day.  In this post I will discuss how I am concerned that we no longer have a great industrialist to lead us out of the Great Recession.  Where is our Henry Ford?

But first, this seems like an appropriate time to reflect on what a great industrialist Steve Jobs was.  He helped create the personal computer market with the Apple II (and I have fond memories of my Apple IIc and IIgs).  He led the creation of the first mouse based graphical computer system.  He helped make Pixar the great studio it is today.  He helped revolutionize music with the iPod.  Reinvented the phone with the iPhone (and gave what was one of the best presentations I have ever seen....the iPhone launch speech still gives me chills.....it completely changed smartphones).  He helped create a new product category with the iPad, a device I use all of the time in my practice (I realize that there were Windows tablets, but those were very different devices.....really just PCs with a little bit of touch interface).  I am just beginning to get the hang of iCloud, but I am certain that it is a giant leap forward in the post-pc age.  It will take many years, perhaps even a century, to fully appreciate how important these changes will be.

Now about Henry Ford.  No one can deny how much the automobile changed the American landscape, and how the automobile changed how America was perceived around the world (the Germans and others even used "Fordism" to describe American mass production).  Henry Ford was an essential part of this great industrialization.  He was also an essential part of the war effort, despite being both a pacifist as well as quite elderly.  This great industrialization led America to victory in World War II.  The Germans simply could not keep up with American production.  Moreover, this industrialization led America out of the Great Depression.

Before Steve Jobs and his amazing "second act" (taking over control of Apple for the second time, and leading to be the most valuable company on Earth), it seemed like the coolest tech products came from other countries, such as Sony in Japan.  Now, people around the world line up for these iconic products designed in Cupertino California.  Although I am convinced that Apple will be fine for awhile, who else in American industry will be able to so invigorate American ingenuity?  In other words, who will be our Henry Ford now, and help industrialize America, and lead us out of the Great Recession?
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I plan to post soon regarding a fellow Colby alum, Mike Daisey, and how he is completely wrong about Apple, and why you should never trust someone who hasn't run a company to comment on capitalism.

Very sad day....Steve Jobs has passed away....

I really didn't think it would come this quick since it wasn't that long ago that he did the iCloud announcement.

It's no secret that I am quite a fan of Apple products, and in this difficult economy its even more tragic to lose one of the greatest industrialists in US history.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

For those of you who have ever done tech support this is funny

Check out this article:
apple-tech-support-at-its-very-finest

This reminds me of when I worked in a Macintosh computer lab in the early to mid-1990s. I remember when a person came in and asked how to use the foot pedal (meaning the mouse). People would put all sorts of things through the laserwriters which messed them up, including one person who wanted to print what lunch they had packed on a paper bag.

When I worked at the Department of Justice as an intern, one of the attorneys there (this was 1995) asked me to install the Internet (the entire internet, not just a browser) onto his laptop so that he could connect to it when the computer was not connected to the network. He thought it was just another program.

However, I don't think anyone came to ask me how to lift up a computer. I wonder if this was put on there as a joke.....


Gizmodo via Engadget

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Tips for iPad

I am a rather big Apple fan, and as such use my iPad all of the time.  Unlike many, though, I use it for more than just "consumption."  I frequently get asked what are the best Apps to install and the best way to use the device.  Some of these tips will work on the iPhone as well.  Here is my list:

Apps:

I like iTap RDP to use to connect with remote desktops.  My firm has virtual workspaces set up on our exchange server, and ITap RDP is the best way that I have found to access it.  One change I would suggest making in the settings to ITap RDP is to use the pointer instead of tapping to click.  The pointer is a bit more accurate,

Logmein is good choice for logging into specific computers.  Very well designed and easy setup on macs and PCs.

Simplenote: I use Simplenote on my Mac (using JustNotes) and PC (using ResophNotes) as well as on my iPhone 4 and iPad 2 (using the Simplenote App).  If find that this is a quick way to take notes, and syncs across all of my devices.  I use the tagging function to organize everything, generally by subject area and client name.  Much better than having stacks of yellow pads with my chicken scratch on them.

Reeder:  I use this app to keep track of all of my rss feeds from Google Reader.  This is a great way to keep track of all of your interests.  I have groups set up to monitor blogs relating to tax, estate planning, Apple products, and Thailand.

Omnifocus:  Simply the best todo list program I have ever used.  Organized using the Getting Things Done philosophy, I love how when I am sitting at the phone, it will list out all of the calls I need to make.

Dropbox:  A great file storage solution that works cross platform.  Free.  Best way to store your files.

AirPrint: this is built into the iPad, but unless you have an AirPrint compatible printer, then you will need software on either your Mac or PC.  For Macs, I definitely suggest Printopia.

Evernote: I love this program because whenever I see an article, pdf or something that I want to keep, say a great news article on an area of tax law, then this program makes it so easy to retrieve and sort and keep.  I subscribe to the premium, which is not expensive.  Works cross platform.  Allows you to email items to your account, and can be installed in browsers.

Fastcase, Black Law Dictionary (I love this for the Westlaw key number categories...a great way to search), Title 26 CFR and Title 26 USC, BNA Quicktax, 

iCatcher: A great way to keep track of podcasts.  There are many tax, estate planning, etc. podcasts, as well as some Apple related ones that I listen to....  Actually, I have a TomTom holder for my iPhone that goes into my car, and I plug it into my audio system.  That way, I can listen to these podcasts while driving.

Docs2Go:  My favorite editor for Microsoft Word on an iPad.

Keynote:  Great way to present from an iPad.  Don't forget to bring your adapters!  If you touch the slide when you have the iPad plugged into a projector, then your audience will see a laser pointer like dot on the screen.  Always seems to get some oooos and ahhhs....

Goodreader: great document viewer and organizer.  Cheap.

iAnnotate: great PDF annotator.

PowerOne:  Amazing calculator with many great downloads available.

Tips:

To use Westlaw on an iPad, I do the following: 1) go into the settings on Westlaw, and turn off link viewer, 2) Download iCab mobile (a web browser) from the App Store and set it to desktop Safari.  Use ICab to view Westlaw.  For some reason the normal mobile safari doesn't work well.  Remember to use two finger scrolling sometimes if the single finger doesn't work.  When you want to email an article to yourself, be sure to select rtf (rich text format) as the .doc version used by Westlaw doesn't seem to work well with the iPad.  These tips can save you from having to spend a lot of money on WestlawNext.

As stated above, sometimes you must use two fingers to scroll so that the entire page doesn't move.

Remember that if you have a web page you like, you can save it to your home screen.  I have BNA Tax Management Portfolios saved this way.

Remember that you can do a google search not only across the internet, but also right on the page as well.

If you are trying to make folder out of Apps, the easiest way is to drag right up under the App, otherwise the App might move to either side, and it can be frustrating then to make a folder.

If you tap at the top of the screen, you can scroll right back to the top...works in mobile Safari and in emails.

Remember in iTunes to check the box to encrypt your backup (I got this tip on Daring Fireball, my favorite Apple site).  By doing this, when you upgrade your iPad (or iPhone) software you won't have to reenter all of the passwords.

If you hold down some of the keys on the iPad, you will notice that some other characters pop up (such as a Section symbol, "§," if you hold down &).

  

iPad for Legal Research

I have been using my iPad for legal research for awhile now.  I love the fact that it is much like reading a book, and just seems easier to browse larger cases and treatises than on my Macbook Pro (although I am liking some of the full screen reading options in the newer Mac apps).  BNA Tax Management Portfolios work great, no issues at all.  With Printopia setup on my Macbook Pro, I can even print if I need to.  I do not subscribe to WestlawNext, and instead subscribe to regular Westlaw.  After shutting off popups of cases in settings on Westlaw, and remembering to use two fingers to scroll on my iPad, this seemed to work great in Mobile Safari.  However, recently I have had difficulty in getting the cases to display properly, and have switched to using icab mobile (with icab set to display in regular safari mode).  This seems to work great.

As for apps, I really like the Blacks Law Dictionary, since it lets me search by topic under the key number system on Westlaw (I may be the only person still using key numbers....I don't know).  I also have the tax code and regs on there, and Fastcase as a backup for looking up case law.  There are some great financial calculators as well.