Category: Tech

Some time-tracking alternatives to Timeslips for law firms

Just listing these informally, as I haven't used most of them.

Legal:

One law blogger put up this list of solutions, well worth looking into. I looked at the offerings, and Bill4Time is the one that offers a) logins for multiple users, and b) a way to integrate with QuickBooks, which would be crucial for your operation. At $30/month, it looks pretty tight. 

That blogger had a few articles on web-based practice management, and seems to have concluded that Rocket Matter and Clio are the two most suited for a smaller firm. I've had one client try out Clio, but it didn't work for them. (Worth mentioning that they offer a discount through ABA.

A law blog that gets frequently referenced in my world is The Mac Lawyer, who really loves him some Rocket Matter. The service is pricey — y'all would pay 60+(50*5)+(6*40)=$550/month, and since it's unclear to me that you would use all of its features, Rocket Matter may not be the direction you want to head. (Though I have to say that, if I were starting a law firm today, I'd sign up for Rocket Matter straight away.)

Not specific to the legal industry: 

I don't know that you would need a solution specifically tailored to legal practice. I have been using FreshBooks for a year, and it has totally changed my business. I also have two clients using Harvest very happily.

Whenever I want to search for "cloud-based" solutions, I start with Google Apps Marketplace, not because it's comprehensive, but because I can cover a lot of ground quickly, getting a sense of the current offerings with some very helpful user feedback.

In their Accounting section, I found a couple of services that look very promising: I like FreeAgent's pricing scheme of $20/month with no restrictions. And Invoicera received some good reviews. I have looked at the Zoho products before, and while they seem nice and clean, I always run into some major thing that they're missing. If my new switch to Xero for online accounting doesn't pan out, I might give FreeAgent a go.

Posted via email from J2 Tech Blog

Verizon iPhone: Mashable’s Infographic

http://mashable.com/2011/01/11/iphone-comparison-infographic/

I keep forgetting that CDMA doesn’t support simultaneous voice and data. That’d be a dealbreaker for me. Perhaps an LTE-supporting iPhone 5 would change that. Wonder if I can go a year without buying that year’s iPhone. Maybe if I stay on AT&T, and everyone else defects to Verizon, AT&T’s network will get better… and maybe monkeys will fly out of my butt.

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Pleeeeeeease use good passwords

I have gotten at least 4 calls in as many months from people whose email accounts have been hacked. Some of them even had passwords that I would have considered decent. The bastards sent spam out to all of their contacts.

Your passwords need:
  • At least 10 characters
  • At least two letters
  • At least one capital letter
  • At least two numbers
  • At least one non-alphanumeric character
Eventually, we will all be hacked unless we take these precautions.

Posted via email from J2 Tech Blog

Later days, Xserve

From a client with a Mac mini with OS X Server, after today’s announcement:

Wow no more rack mounted Xserves. I wonder if they will still use them in-house.

Finally I make a correct Apple prediction. They gotta make something else. They obviously are still developing the server OS.  I do hate Mac Pro as server though. Clunky. But the Mac mini with Server is one of the best things the company has ever done. Wish it had eSATA. 

All mac users will use the new amazon-like service.

[I believe he’s referring to the internet service Apple is likely to roll out when its new data center in North Carolina goes live.]
Yep. Forcing people into the cloud. Only Apple could do it. 

I feel like I bought the last Model T.

Hah! The Xserves are gonna look more like Tuckers. 

I’m gonna bet there’s a very different idea of “server” coming around. Something hopefully not as complicated as the current paradigm.

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Put Airport Base Station in 2wire DMZ

Those of our clients who have AT&T DSL probably got talked into purchasing AT&T’s “wireless” networking along with their internet package. This service [sic] comes with about the crappiest network hardware, made by 2wire, with which I’ve ever had the displeasure of working. They have poor wireless range, and lame networking options. Your best bet is to get a wireless router you can be proud of; we typically choose Apple Airport Extremes or Time Capsules, as they are much easier than any others to help a client configure or troubleshoot, even over the phone.

Anyway, to use the 2wire as just a modem, and put another router behind it to make your actual LAN, do the following:

Put main Airport base station in 2wire DMZ (“De-militarized zone”):
  1. Make sure 2wire is in WAN port of the Airport Base Station.
  2. Get 2wire system password from sticker on bottom of box.
  3. surf to 192.168.1.254. 
  4. I can’t find the exact nav links, but navigate to something like Settings > Firewall > Advanced > “Applications, DMZ, etc.”
  5. (possible that this direct link might work: http://192.168.1.254/xslt?PAGE=J11&THISPAGE=A02_POST&NEXTPAGE=J11)
  6. You will see a list of connected devices, possibly as a drop-down menu. They will mostly be IP addresses, but the base station should appear with its actual host name. Click on that name.
  7. Then, below, you will see three options, selectable by radio buttons. The bottom one should be, like, “DMZplus” or “Use device in a DMZ” or “Put this sucker in the DMZ.” Choose that one, and save your settings.
  8. Reboot the Airport. When it comes back on, it should have a public IP. (You may have to switch wifi networks to check.)
  9. Return to the 2wire wifi network. Log back into the 2wire and turn off its crappy wireless.
  10. Return to the Airport network, and configure the base station with Airport Utility according to the needs of the environment.
Finally, unless they have Uverse, suggest to the client that they call AT&T and ask them to turn off wireless on their internet service. They may get a fight, along the lines of “Well, you now own the hardware, and you’d have to pay for the new modem.” I’d ask for the “Retention Department.” I admit that I don’t know how successful this conversation would be. I want to try it sometime when I have extra moments at a client’s site. I’d do it for free, once.  

These are screen shots from the earlier model of crappy 2wire hardware: http://www.sbbala.com/uverse/pg2.html. I can’t find any for the newer crappy model, which appears to be the previous piggy software with lipstick on.

I’m not biased against AT&T or anything. Suckas.

Posted via email from J2 Tech Blog

Chart of remote desktop solutions

Amy Rinehart sent me this link to a very helpful chart of remote-desktop solutions currently on the market, which platforms they support, what protocol they use, how strong their encryption is, etc. Remote screen control has become a major interest not just of nerds, but increasingly of iPad and other mobile users in general. After trying Copilot from Fog Creek for a while, I myself have landed on GoToAssist as an affordable and easy-to-implement tool for servicing clients (as of writing, this link from twit.tv gets you a discount; thanks, Leo!). I’m anxious for Citrix to release an iPad app for GTA.

Begin forwarded message:


The link to my chart is:

Thank you so much!

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Reaction to today’s Apple announcements

Apple TV

1) At $99, they’re likely to sell a gajillion!
2) I love the ability to stream data. Curious if it will confuse people to have to work it through iTunes.
3) Netflix. Awesome.
4) I’m gonna be disappointed if they don’t allow other apps and services like Pandora.
5) Micro USB means they’re trying to make it hard to hack, which is annoying and hopefully not a dealbreaker. I need to get non-MPEG content on there.

iPod touch
With a mic and two cameras, that thing becomes an awesome communcation device, no AT&T contract required. You could do wireless off of a Mifi or whatever and have VoIP and Facetime everywhere.

iPods nano and shuffle
Very smart updates. 

Ping??
I just have no idea what to think.

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Prepare a new hard drive for Time Machine

If you plug in an external drive that you want to use for Time Machine backups on macOS, and your Mac doesn’t automatically present you with the option to “Set Up,” then:

  1. Make sure the drive is on
  2. Click on Spotlight, the little magnifying glass at the top right of your computer screen
  3. Type “disk”
  4. Double-click on Disk Utility
  5. In the left sidebar of Disk Utility, you should see a line with the generic volume name and thumbnail of your external drive, e.g. “LaCie” or “WD” probably with a yellow icon. Click that line
  6. Click the Erase button on the right
  7. Set the Name to “Backup” (if you like, put your name in there too)
  8. Set the Format drop-down menu to “APFS” if it’s not already
  9. Click the Erase button
  10. You’ll be asked if you’re sure. Yes, you are sure.

Now, if you haven’t previously chosen a Time Machine backup, your Mac may ask if you want to use the new volume for backup. Say yes. If it doesn’t:

  1. Go to Apple menu > System Preferences > Time Machine
  2. Click Select Disk
  3. If there’s a lock at the bottom left of the window, unlock it with your password
  4. Click the Options button at bottom right. If there are any items listed under “Exclude these items from backup,” remove all of them except for the grayed-out “Backup” drive
  5. Click Save
  6. Click on “Backup” (or whatever you called your drive)
  7. Click Use Disk.

Time Machine will start backing up your computer. It will give you a broad idea of how long it will take. Whether it’s a couple of hours or overnight, just leave it until it’s done. From then on, Time Machine will continue to back up the entire computer every hour.