Windows: We’ve featured many ways to convert single PDFs to editable formats like a Word Doc, but if you work with PDFs regularly, you may need something a bit more robust. Shareware batch converter PDFZilla is free for the next few weeks.
https://esign.adob.com
E-signatures? Yep – Adobe’s got ‘em. How does this work? Just like you think it works. Sign up for free, sign a document digitally. Enjoy.
What could this technology change for lawyers? Only everything. I plan to start using it immediately for client agreements, contracts, receipts, license agreements, status reports, letters, etc., etc., etc.
I have to admit – just when you think that Adobe has it all wrong … they go and do something intensely right. I stand corrected.
Adobe, no one seems to want to say this to you, but I will. Stop it, you’re embarrassing yourself. You’ve just spent God-knows how much money on an ad buy that blankets much of the technology press (including this site). It’s a strange passive-aggressive message that just makes Jobs’ aggressive-aggressive post from a few weeks ago seem even more forceful. And it’s transparent. But worst of all, it won’t work. You must know this. <<Read the Full Article on TechCrunch>>
Who knew? It turns out that free tools online can help you achieve your personal, financial, and practice goals. Below you’ll find the 10-step plan to do it.
1. Get the big-picture of what you want do to using software like mindjet.
2. Develop task lists via Remember the Milk, Google Tasks, etc.
3. Use services like Bing and Hunch that give suggestions.
4. Record your progress via Springpad and like services.
5. Use tools like Diigo, Zotero, and Laterloop, to save work.
6. Searchpad can help integrate the results of your research.
7. Calendar and organize using services like Ning and Meetup.
8. Build or participate in communities of goal-oriented people.
9. Review content-sharing sites like WordPress, YouTube, etc.
10. Refine, reconfigure, repeat.
Sites to Checkout
Geezeo tracks personal finances in a community of like-minded people. The site just launched a Facebook application.
Mint: the more famous and earlier financial website recently purchased by Intuit, the makers of Quicken. Imagine the possibilities.
Goalmigo is an online community that helps you set, track and find supporters to reach your goals.
112 Apps that help you Get Things Done (GTD) is a great list, but of course who has time when you’re getting things done?
Thought I’d share some choice video from TechShow 2009 featuring all 4 of the Best of Show winners that I wrote up in TechnoLawyer, plus interviews with some of my heroes such as Bob Ambrogi, Jay Funeberg, and Kevin O’Keefe, as well as sightings of legal blogging all-stars like Dennis Kennedy and Tom Mighelle. I’m still excited.
See related videos here and find me on YouTube as practicehacker.
We're the ABA Damnit! We own you!
This was my 10th year at ABA Technology Show in Chicago. This year was particularly cool. Here’s why:
Meeting The Heavies: To me, seeing people like Dennis Kennedy, Tom Mighelle, Bob Ambrogi, Jim Calloway, Kevin O’Keefe, Brett Burney, Andy Atkins, Jay Foonberg (!) and the rest of my pretend blog friends … I mean pretend LinkedIn friends … is like reconnecting with long lost relatives. Exciting and a little intimidating. But all of them were really great and down to earth. Except that Kennedy. Such a prima donna. I kid, I kid.
Meeting Canadians: Who can forget meeting the Great Librarian of Upper Canada! Beat that. Then there was Phil of the Future (my name for him), Steve Matthews (nice guy), Brett Burney (I think he’s Canadian), Dominic Jaar (vive la Quebec libre!), the boys from Clio (or as I called them, the Booth Babes), and a host of other talent from the Great White North. It was great to meet you all: now go back where the ice doesn’t melt until July.
Technology Becoming Accepted: This year for the first time in memory I noticed a preponderance of grey hairs and the careful gait of partners scoping out potential buys for their offices. This was not the brash, flash-in-the-pan TechShow of the late-90′s in which the Internet was decried as a fad.
SaaS, Saas, and more Saas: Software as a service was all over the place, and by next year it will be pervasive. This year I was knocked out by the number and variety of kick-ass SaaS providers at the show including Clio, RocketMatter, and VLO Tech. Clio was my hands-down favorite for a number of reasons – I intend to use it in my own practice. Whatever your cup of tea, the idea of throwing away the IT department in favor of the Cloud is gaining traction fast.
Less is … Less: One lamentable fact about this year’s show – there was less of it than I’ve seen in a long time. Another casualty of the economy I’d say, but we shouldn’t overlook the fact that many legal technology vendors have been slaves to profit instead of boosters for innovation and the slow economy is making it painfully apparent what a royal screw job they’ve been giving lawyers all these years. Many players couldn’t make it ? Good riddance to bad company.
Other than that however, it was a great experience as always and one that I heartily recommend to one and all. If you haven’t been to TechShow, go there. If you have, come back. A splendid time is guaranteed for all.
For more coverage see my SmallLaw Column in TechnoLawyer.
Check out Twitter coverage of TechShow.
As always, I’d love your thoughts. E-mail me at mhedayat[at]mha-law.com or tweet me @practichacker.
ttyl 
TechnoLawyer ABA Techshow
