As most readers know, I write a column for NYC-based TechnoLawyer called SmallLaw (formerly known as, no joke, “Crazy Mazy”). Anyhow, as TechnoLawyer’s intrepid Chicago reporter I’ve written about the ABA TechShow since 2008; and before that for this blog.
Here are the 12 videos we shot at this year’s TechShow. Feel free to subscribe to my YouTube Channel for more legal tech news and check out my TechnoLawyer pieces as well.
Everyone knows they should patch their PC via Windows Update, right? Well if not everyone, then at least everyone who reads this blog. But what most don’t realize is that Windows Update includes only Microsoft updates, which leaves the rest of their system vulnerable. And of course Microsoft has been the Internet’s virtual whipping boy for years, often deservedly. But much of that bad press actually has more to do with the company’s size than the quality of its products, which are better engineered and more secure than most anything else. But I digress.
The point is that whether you run IE, Firefox, or Chrome, cyber-criminals know that PC security has improved so they’ve shifted strategies to exploit your weakest point: holes in your browser. So what about it? Is your browser security up to date?
“Sure my browser is secure. I use [fill in your browser's name here].” Well, just because you run IE9, Chrome 11, or Firefox 4, it turns out that doesn’t mean that purveyors of malware can’t access y our system via the armada of add-ins and plug-ins on your system. You know you’ve got ‘em. Are they current? Fortunately there’s a free tool to help you out called Browsercheck by Qualys. Browsercheck is available at browsercheck.qualys.com. You just need to install their plug-in to scan your browser. Those of you unfamiliar with Qualys, they are a security company well known to larger businesses. They have enterprise class tools to scan networks of computers for known security vulnerabilities. Fortunately for us, they have provided this free tool to assist in keeping your browser patched and secure – give it a try.
CrowdFlower helps businesses outsource mundane and repetitive tasks relating to data collection, content moderation, and product searches to the cloud. It recently raised an additional $7 million for product development and expansion. Most recently it released a categorization product aimed at e-commerce sites. The company’s next goal is industry-specific tasks. It competition from CloudCrowd.
CrowdFlower joins a gaggle of companies including TaskRabbit, AgentAnything, FancyHands, even Peapod, and many others, in a virtual army of online assistant and concierge services – with the twist that CrowdFlower is pursuing the business market. It’s getting pretty crowded in the consumer concierge space so it will be interesting to see how this shakes out.
Google Cloud Print was developed in fall 2009, thrown to developers in April 2010, and has been fully functional for some time. In theory it’s perfect: print anything from anywhere. As usual, in practice things get trickier. What if you’re on the road? Can you print a document at your office by pushing a button on your iPhone? Luckily, issues such as those (and others) get sorted out in articles like this one. In the meantime, if you don’t already use Cloud Print I recommend giving it a try. Its easy, convenient, and can be a lifesaver.
Check out the video at Google Apps for Business
Hey Microsoft, stick this in your hard drive! Google Apps for Business, already fast gaining ground with both Fortune 500 and SMB customers with its dead simple suite of cloud-driven, maintenance-free business applications, just brought the smack down, introducing over 60 new applications (all Google properties) to every account for the bargain price of $0/month. Game, set, match.
Posted via email from practice (redux)
Socialwok is a free add-on for Google Apps that you can pick up at the Google Apps Marketplace.
I installed it a month ago but have never really been able to connect people in my office using this app. I know it’s working, but it still does not really seem to be adding much interaction. I’ll keep trying and let you know if it truly does the job. In the meantime, here’s a video about using Socialwok with Outlook. Enjoy.
Posted via web from practice (redux)
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TechnoLawyer ABA Techshow
