Juror Tweets, Not So Sweet

The ABA Journal ran this article about a juror who tweeted from his cell phone both during and after his jury service in a trial where the jury awarded a $12.6M verdict.  Obviously this is cause for concern and consternation by the losing party and their attorneys, but the judge found that it didn't rise to the level of improper conduct.  The lesson learned by one of the plaintiff lawyers is that he will ask potential jurors about cell phone and Internet use.  The juror's response:  "The courts are just going to have to catch up with the technology."

Bob Ambrogi over at Legal Blog Watch posted some of the juror's more inflammatory tweets.  Definitely not so sweet.

Big Hard Drives = Big Failure Rates? How Safe Is Your Data?

Consider this post as a public service announcement.  I've recently been shopping online for a nice big capacity external hard drive, as well as a larger capacity notebook drive.  Over the years, I've seen the major hard drive manufacturers go through major problems with quality control and drive failure issues.  So naturally I headed on over to Amazon and Newegg to check out the feedback on various drives.  It's good to know which zone they're in at the moment before buying.

Since my last 3.5" drive was a Seagate that has performed exceptionally well in one of my desktops, I checked the Seagate drives first.  However, after reading about their failure rates in both their external FreeAgent series as well as the internal drive models, I would recommend staying away from them for some time, especially in the 1 - 1.5TB range, and even their previously acclaimed Barracuda series.  I also read some negative feedback on their 500GB notebook drives - that users have experienced serious performance issues with audio or video media stuttering while trying to play back from these hard drives.

I thought I'd share my online findings as a "Buyer Beware" post, based on the following numerous sources:

Slashdot:

• "Seagate Hard Drive Fiasco Grows" (Jan 16, 2009)
• "Seagate Firmware Update Bricks 500GB Barracudas" (Jan 21, 2009)

Newegg User 1-Egg Reviews:

• Seagate FreeAgent Desk ST315005FDA2E1-RK 1.5TB 7200 RPM Silver External Hard Drive - Retail
• Seagate FreeAgent XTreme ST315005FPA2E3-RK 1.5TB 7200 RPM USB 2.0 / IEEE 1394a / eSATA Black External Hard Drive - Retail
• Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST31500341AS 1.5TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (bare drive) - OEM (This last one is an internal drive, so it seems to illustrate that the problems run across the Seagate 3.5" drive line)

Amazon User 1-Star Reviews:

• Seagate FreeAgent Desk 1 TB USB 2.0 Port External Hard Drive-Silver ST310005FDA2E1-RK
• Seagate FreeAgent Xtreme 1.5 TB External Hard Drive (Black)
• Seagate 1TB Barracuda 7200.11 Bulk/OEM Hard Drive ST31000340AS (this is an internal drive)

In my book, when the 1-star reviews (the worst rating) constitute the first or second highest category of customer feedback for each drive on multiple sites, this indicates a serious problem, which is backed up by the Slashdot articles and postings above.

You see, a number of the 3.5" Seagate drives were/are affected by a firmware issue that makes the drives inaccessible after a very short period of use.  While Seagate has issued firmware updates, the feedback from users on their effectiveness is not encouraging at all.  In fact, it's downright miserable out there, and I wouldn't be surprised in the least to hear of a class action in Seagate's near future.  [3.31.09 - I figured I wasn't the only one, see this law firm's site.]

Supposedly the data stored on the drive is still intact, it's just rendered inaccessible.  Gee, just what I want to experience with a brand new drive!  Others reported the dreaded "click of death" within just days or weeks of use - a sound that usually signals drive failure is imminent.  So while Seagate's firmware recommendations page states this "affects a small number" of drives, it would seem that the above Slashdot and negative user feedback pages provide more insight into the scope of the problem(s).

So until we hear of users being more successful with a firmware update, it's probably best to steer clear of those drives for a while.  Even if Seagate should release an effective firmware update, the average purchaser probably won't know which dealer stock has the fix, and which ones won't.  To have to flash a hard drive right out of the packaging is ludicrous, and who would feel safe trusting their data in this context?  Our data is worth far, far more than the drives themselves.  As I said, I've had good luck with Seagate drives previously, so it's a shame to hear all the negative feedback with their latest drives.  I sincerely hope they're able to turn things around for everyone's sake.

Seagate Not Alone:

That's not to say that Western Digital doesn't have its issues as well.  A number of their 3.5" large capacity external "My Book" drive models have received significant negative or mixed feedback online as well, which makes me question why we're seeing such poor or mixed reliability in the 1TB and 1.5TB drive range.  Technical issues?  Cost-cutting?  Quality control issues?  Bueller?  Bueller?

For a nice in-depth review of several external 1TB drives, see the following at Tom's Hardware:

"External Storage: Terabyte Drives Compared"

WD Scorpios in the Notebook Spotlight:

Moving on to notebook drives, the bright spot seems to be the Western Digital Scorpio Blue and Black 2.5" SATA drives, which have received very good feedback on the above sites.  FYI, WD's marketing folks made it very easy to understand the product line:  the Scorpio "Blue" notebook drives run at 5400 rpm, while the "Black" drives run at the faster 7200 rpm speed.

The difference is that currently, WD offers a 500GB notebook drive in the Blue series, while the faster Black series maxes out at 320GB, forcing one to choose between larger storage and faster performance.  However, looking at the in-depth performance testing over at Tom's Hardware, it appears that the 500GB Scorpio Blue drive provides a very nice balance of high capacity notebook storage, better performance than smaller capacity drives from even a year or two ago, and reasonable power consumption.  Because the Scorpio Blue 500GB drive has received overwhelmingly good feedback at several major sites (Amazon, Newegg, Tom's Hardware), this is the one I've selected for a swap for my laptop's 200GB drive.  I want a bit more room for my many projects, photos, and other media, without sacrificing battery life, and its user reviews are overwhelmingly very positive.

SimpleTech to be Acquired by Hitachi:

It was recently announced that SimpleTech (by Fabrik) is being acquired by Hitachi Global Storage Technologies.  While SimpleTech's base-level offerings have never appealed to me,  I was very much intrigued by their Pro Drive external hard drive line, particularly the 1TB and 1.5TB models with the quad interface (USB, FireWire 400, FireWire 800, and eSata).  That's when I saw the acquisition announcement.

I'm informed from both their sales and tech support departments that while their previous Pro Drive external hard drive products were multi-sourced with drives from several different drive manufacturers, their newly manufactured Pro Drives will contain Hitachi drives only.  No surprise there, given the acquisition.  So far the limited online feedback I've seen on the 1TB Hitachi drive appears to be fairly good in balance, although I've never tried a Hitachi drive yet myself.  But given the mixed feedback on both Seagate and Western Digital 3.5" external drives, it's enough to make me consider SimpleTech's Pro Drive line instead.  It's certainly more versatile in the connection department, and it received a good recommendation in the Tom's Hardware article listed above.

Another option is to roll your own external drive, by buying the drive you prefer along with an external drive enclosure.  Just make sure that the enclosure is rated for the drive.  Because of power and potential chipset limitations, though, many enclosures are not rated for these big capacity drives, which is why it's nice to buy a ready-made external drive in the first place.

[Update 3.31.09:  I should also note the external V2 ABSplus USB 2.0 & eSATA drives offered by CMS Products.  Their bundled backup software, BounceBack Ultimate, has some interesting features, including full drive restoration including partition formatting, continuous data protection, versioning, synchronization, and support for backing up open files.

It also backs up your files in their native format on the drive.  Native file format is nice for the fact that you can simply copy the backed up files from the external drive to another drive without having to first install or use the proprietary backup software on another PC.  You can also use the BounceBack software to restore them too, it's your choice.  The trade-off with native file storage is that you lose some of the space savings that comes from backing up in a compressed format, but I really like that you aren't handcuffed to the backup software to restore it.

By the way, CMS Products is based in California (est. 1983), their sales and tech support people both answered the phone quickly, and were very helpful and pleasant in answering all my questions.  It was soooo nice not having to deal with outsourced tech support, so score one for a domestic tech company with great customer service.

I'm informed that while their external 1TB V2 ABSplus drives were using drives from Western Digital and Hitachi, their 1.5TB drive was indeed the exact same model number as the Seagate Barracuda drive I listed as the third one under the Newegg heading above.  Thus I shared with them my concern over the Seagate drives at the present time.

Notably, their 1TB drive recently won the top "Best Buy" category in PC World's "Top Ten External Hard Drives" list.  Unlike most other 1TB external drives that have a plastic enclosure, this drive comes in an aluminum case - which makes it far more durable and protected, and the metal case also serves to dissipate heat.  I also like that it has a power switch on the back, something most consumer brand external drives lack these days.  So I ordered a 1TB V2 ABSplus unit, and am looking forward to putting it through its paces.]

WSJ’s Mossberg on Windows 7 Beta – Leaves Vista in the Dust

I rather enjoy reading Walt Mossberg's Personal Tech column.  Walt likes to tell things as they are, the good and the bad, without slanting it with too much tech enthusiasm or jaded pessimism.  He recently loaded the Windows 7 Beta onto two laptops and overall had some good things to share about it, including a personal video. If his experience is any indicator, performance is noticeably better than Vista, its nag prompts are better controlled, and there's some interesting tweaks to the user interface relating to the task bar for better control.

I'm also interested in the new multi-touch input feature likely heavily influenced by Apple - think iPhone and iTouch for sizing photos and videos with your two fingers.  But as it requires new hardware that supports multi-touch, I just found another compelling reason to look for a new laptop when Windows 7 is officially released.

On the downside, he notes that currently only Vista users can upgrade directly to Windows 7, not XP users.  Supposedly there will be a migration process from XP that will involve several hops aimed at preserving data, but it doesn't sound too appetizing.  This may affect some, perhaps more the consumer and small business side.  However, as most experts will tell you, a fresh install of a new OS is usually far better than an upgrade, and I'd expect many enterprise deployments to follow this curve.

Also, he confirmed what I've been hearing that Microsoft is removing some of its basic free apps (Windows Mail, Calendar, Movie Maker, Photo Gallery, etc.) from the Windows 7 installation package.  Instead, there will be Windows Live counterparts available for download, with the idea that they will be more web enabled.  I tend to use more third party apps for those tasks anyway (e.g., Outlook, Photoshop, etc.), so it's probably not as big of a deal as it may sound, and if it helps Windows 7 to be a bit leaner than Vista, that should be a very good thing.

Many of us are hoping that Windows 7 will be what Vista should have been.  Don't expect too much of a departure from Vista, though - it's been said repeatedly that Windows 7 shares much of Vista's kernel (the main operating component) - which would also explain why Walt didn't experience any compatibility issues with some leading third party apps.  If his first impression with the beta is any indication, it sounds like Microsoft has learned from some of its mistakes with Vista.  But as with any major new release, we'll definitely be hearing more as its release date nears.

PC Magazine Going Digital-Only

For you computer enthusiasts, after 26+ years, PC Magazine is discontinuing the print version of the magazine, primarily for financial reasons. The Jan. 2009 issue will be the last print edition, and there will be a digital version instead going forward starting with the Feb. 2009 issue.

While this is certainly a "green" way to go and other publications have already blazed this trail, I'll miss the print version. Why? There's at least one situation where hardcopy is still king -- when you're strapped in while "all electronic devices need to be turned off at this time." Until the rules are changed regarding low-power handheld devices such as the Amazon Kindle, or even your laptop, you can't read eBooks for at least 20-30 minutes at either end of your flight.

Note to Publishers: If you're going to "Go Digital", don't think in paper terms. It's important to offer a downloadable version so we can read it offline when Wi-Fi isn't available, as well as offering versions that don't require an installable reader app, so we can read it on a wider range of portable devices on the go (think iPhone, iTouch, BlackBerry, etc.).

Donna Payne's BlackBerry Tips & Shortcuts

While the iPhone is all the rage for consumers wanting the ultimate smartphone and entertainment device, many businesses still won't support them until they're more enterprise- and security-friendly (some improvements in those areas are on the way). So BlackBerries are still the main staple for corporate and firm smartphones, at least for a while yet.

Techno.Diva Donna Payne just published a very cool BlackBerry tips column on Law.com. She covers both beginning keyboard shortcuts and Super Geek Tips to help you get the most out of your CrackBerry, including links to several other great BlackBerry resource and tip sites.

Here's another tip: Bookmark them on your BlackBerry's web browser for easy access on the go.

CNET Blogs: Why the iPod Should Die

A couple of interesting CNET blog posts explaining why the iPod has to die before we'll see any serious innovation in the music player and PMP (portable media player) space:

Why I can't wait for the iPod to die
Posted by Don Reisinger

iPod dying? It's already dead
Posted by Matt Rosoff

From Don Reisinger's post:

When one company makes it big with a product in the tech industry, every other company in the market wants to try its luck in the same space. Because of that, we've seen countless iPod-wannabes like the Zune, the iRiver Clix, and many more. None were able to vanquish the leader, and few were even able to make a dent. And yet, all these companies still try to make their iPod competitors work.

Here's a clue: it'll never happen if you do the same thing Apple does.

[...]

Instead, I think the iPod is the main reason why innovation is at a standstill in the PMP market and why we're not being satisfied nearly enough by the right devices.

As Apple continues to sell millions of iPods, it realizes that it has no reason to change tactics and try something new. And as executives at other companies look at the state of the economy and their company's own financial health, they think it's better to offer a PMP that will appeal to a small percentage of the market than take a risk and try something new.

And therein lies the rub. How can we get out of this vicious cycle if neither the leader nor the others competing in the market want to change anything?

The way I see it, nothing will change until Apple experiences a year of declining iPod sales. Once that happens, its competitors will panic and try to be the first to the market with something innovative and Apple will be forced to make serious changes to the iPod or come up with something new altogether. And once that happens, the market should start booming with innovation once again.

As I said, interesting. I've been eyeing up my next portable entertainment purchase, and have been considering these for the following reasons:

iPod Touch 32GB:
Leader of the iPod pack for me. Finally, a flash storage version that offers more than the Nano, enough for hopefully a somewhat decent collection of music, podcasts, and movies when traveling. The larger screen and App Store -- big pluses. The only reason I didn't mention the iPhone is that it's still tied to AT&T (nee Cingular). I've had Cingular in the past and was very dissatisfied with both their lack of coverage and customer service. If Verizon Wireless offered the iPhone, then it'd be a no-brainer for me, but I'm not going to wait until whenever the iPhone becomes non-exclusive -- 2010? We'll have all new devices by then. Touch's main drawbacks: No camera, and it's flash memory is still lagging behind the hard drive storage of the iPod Classic. Apple, I want to be able to bring along my entire music collection and a decent number of movies! Give me a few hundred Gigs and I'll be happy. (Seriously.)

iPod Classic 120GB:
Purely from the standpoint of the massive storage -- enough to bring along LOTS and LOTS of music and movies, but the screen is still a tad too small for getting into a movie I'm watching on it. The problem with the Classic is that by today's standards, it lacks a wireless connectivity feature, it's too big physically, yet too small of a screen, for what it offers and costs overall. It was great in its heyday, though, but it's been surpassed by the iPhone and iPod Touch. It also just doesn't have the same cachet it held just a few years ago.

iPod Nano (newest redesign -- long and thin):
Not sure what to make of this one as it doesn't offer too much of any one thing, other than a nice pocket size. The revised screen dimensions are a little better. I like the accelerometer sensor so you can just shake it a few times to shuffle songs without pressing buttons. The Genius playlist feature is nice, but I believe that's more a function of the new iTunes software than the player. Definitely not enough storage capacity for a true PMP, but 16GB is enough to take a decent set of music along.

Slacker G2 (2nd Generation Player):
While the original Slacker portable player reminded me a lot of the Amazon Kindle eBook reader (big and boxy), the G2 looks a lot more compelling. Note that Slacker calls it a "Personal Radio Player", not a music or mp3 player. What the Kindle did for books, the Slacker G2 does for music via a Wi-Fi connection. It's clearly not an iPod-killer, and isn't aimed as such. It takes a completely different approach as it's focused on serving you what you want to hear, exploring music you don't own (yet), and serving up lots of background information on the groups and artists as your're listening to them.

In my opinion, despite the lazy-themed name, Slacker Radio is the BIGGEST innovation in internet radio with a great tie-in to a portable music player. Granted, it's not an iPod nor a regular internet radio provider, as Slacker has created their own niche. It's aimed squarely at the die-hard music lovers (no movies). So if you're a music-loving-first kind of consumer who doesn't want to be tied down to just the music you own, you need to check out Slacker's online radio player, downloadable player for your PC, and their redesigned portable player. Stay tuned for a post on how much I really enjoy Slacker Radio, and why it's the biggest innovation in internet radio and portable music that I've seen in a long time.

Should You "Go 64-Bit" with Vista or Windows 7?

I subscribe to Windows Secrets, a weekly tech newsletter by industry veterans that usually provides good technical information on all things Windows. However, last week I read a column by Stuart J. Johnston that recommends that you don't "go Vista" unless you implement the 64-bit version instead of the more common 32-bit version. My take is that sounds great if you're ready to buy all new hardware and software, have the expanded budget to do so, don't have a lot of critical-use 32-bit software, including drivers, and don't mind creating additional tech support issues.

That's a lot of "if's", isn't it? The catch is that it would require you to buy a PC with a 64-bit compatible BIOS, CPU, chipset, OS, device drivers, and the programs you use. Lack any one of those, and you could experience problems that range from mildly annoying to very serious.

This is borne out by Mr. Johnston's follow-up column where he received very negative real-world feedback from some 64-bit Vista users. You can click through to the article so I won't repeat here all the problems encountered. While 64-bit Vista can run a number of 32-bit programs in a 32-bit compatibility mode, you could experience some quirks and problems with them, as several Windows Secrets readers reported. My favorite was the poor guy who found this out the hard way:

Another glitch Heiker continues to confront is a real doozy: with no explanation in sight, his 64-bit Vista PC has accumulated some 23 million Registry entries. No, that's not a typo - 23 million.

"I brought this to Microsoft's attention and there's no solution to it," he said. "Apparently, a Registry entry is made each time a 32-bit application tries to update the Vista-64 Registry ... duplicating Registry entries a huge number of times."

Despite Heiker's long list of complaints and multiple contacts with Microsoft support, little has changed. "They haven't fixed a single problem that I've reported," he adds.

23 million registry entries would likely result in a very large registry database that would become fragmented and would probably slow down your PC where you'd notice it.

By the way, this isn't just another negative issue tied to Vista. Windows XP's 64-bit version has its issues too, and it wasn't even as refined as Vista's 64-bit incarnation. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for improving our computing capabilities and 64-bit systems look promising when all the right pieces are in place. We're getting there.

However, while the hardware world has been catching up with 64-bit components over the past year or so, the software side has definitely lagged behind in this regard. Nearly two years after Vista was released, and definitely many more years since Windows XP 64-bit came out, a significant number of programs and device drivers still are only available in 32-bit versions, including Office 2007, arguably the most common group of business applications used daily by millions of people (I'm including all its prior versions still in use today). From the 2007 Microsoft Office system requirements web page:

Note: The 2007 Microsoft Office system programs client is a 32-bit application and can run on a Windows 64-bit platform (Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista) but there may be some feature limitations as noted in the system requirements below.

In theory, the biggest improvements from installing the 64-bit version of either XP or Vista on a compatible 64-bit computer platform is increased speed in calculations/processing, some security improvements, and the ability to access more than 3GB of memory by the OS. Notice that I said by the OS, because some of those who have gone 64-bit early on have found that 32-bit programs lack this ability. You see, 32-bit computing is limited to accessing a maximum of 4GB of RAM. Furthermore, roughly the last 1GB is not usable by programs, but is shared by the system with other devices. So even on a PC with 4GB of memory installed, you might only get to use somewhere between 2.7GB and 3.5GB for your OS and software.

For most users, this is not a problem. For instance, I'm running the 32-bit version of Vista Ultimate (the one with all the extras), and even when I have lots of open programs, including photo editors and media players, I haven't seen it come even close to maxing out the 2GB on my laptop. Now if you're running some really big bloated apps simultaneously (games, multimedia development, video processing, etc.), then I can see where you'd want more. However, most legal and business users are not in that category. And regarding the 64-bit speed increase mentioned above, some experts have said that regular users may not notice it all that much, as it's likely to benefit those who are doing some serious crunching with their PC. DBA's, data and financial analysts, and those working with large multimedia apps would all likely fall within the group who would probably experience the most benefit from running a 64-bit OS.

But again, for most users, the ability to have some likely modest speed increases and more usable memory is going to greatly pale against the need to be able to install legacy programs and drivers, have them run without compatibility problems, and without having to shell out a lot more money to buy all new 64-bit versions (if they even exist).

The bottom line is that 64-bit processing is the direction the industry has been heading. Over time, regular end users will likely find it to be a better experience overall as applications and drivers are either updated or recoded from the ground up. However, I've been running Vista Ultimate 32-bit well over a year now with precious few issues, none of them serious (I'm as surprised by that as anyone), and have found that it is by far the more compatible way to run Vista with legacy apps and drivers.

So my best advice, today, is that if you're buying a new PC, you'll want to keep your options open. The good news is that a new 64-bit PC should be able to run a completely 32-bit software platform (OS, drivers, programs, etc.). This provides the option to upgrade to a 64-bit OS and other software later while maintaining compatibility with your current apps and drivers today. The downside is upgrading later involves some additional time and expense, but it also gives you the most flexibility. Personally, I wouldn't move to a 64-bit desktop Windows OS just yet because of the mix of software that most people and organizations have accumulated over time, and can't afford to part with yet -- at least until they can find suitable 64-bit replacements for the most critical ones. This is particularly true for anyone using legacy peripheral devices and their accompanying drivers. Another key point is that as we continue to move to web-based apps and working in the cloud, I'm not sure that the pain and costs associated with going all 64-bit are justified, at least not yet.

64-bit computing is certainly being touted as the way to go, we'll get there eventually, and it certainly has some notable advantages. However, as a practical matter the existing 32-bit Windows OS platforms will serve the average user for the foreseeable future (meaning the next 2-3 years, which is what the average PC lifecycle is). Many new dual- and quad-core PCs are pretty fast already. Notice I'm only talking about the choice to use 64-bit Windows, and not the hardware. I agree buying an all 64-bit hardware system that's backwards compatible makes a lot sense these days.

Perhaps by the time Windows 7 gets released the software world will have evolved to update most of our apps and new hardware drivers to 64-bit. That would be very nice indeed, but until then I think most people and organizations will choose the OS version that best fits their user base, tasks, applications, and driver mix. If that can be achieved with a 64-bit OS without creating lot of support headaches and additional costs, great. But if not, I think they'd be wise to stay with a 32-bit OS until that changes. This is an area where the best fit and mix today will certainly change with advancements in the hardware and software industries, so we'll just need to remain informed to be best prepared in making various tech choices.

What's New in Cordless Mice?

Not counting BlackBerries, many mobile legal professionals are toting a notebook as their primary computer. In doing so, it's sometimes easy to overlook some of the essentials, such as a good travel mouse. Touchpads and eraser-head "pointing sticks" have their place, but there are still definite productivity and ergonomic advantages to be gained with a well-designed cordless travel mouse, especially if you do any work with images and presentations.

I was recently in the market for a new notebook mouse, and definitely wanted to avoid anything with cables. I haven't done a gadget review in a while, so I had some fun with this one. With the holidays upon us, a good cordless mouse could make a nice road warrior present, and they're fairly affordable.

Logitech and Microsoft still dominate the field, but there are other options as well, including several unconventional yet innovative designs. Finding a small travel mouse isn't a problem these days, but the trick is to find one that's fairly comfortable, flexible, and usable with a minimum of travel fuss. Here's my take on current offerings, including what's particularly naughty or nice in each mouse's overall design and function. Please note all prices listed are MSRP, and you may find a particular mouse at lower prices online and during holiday sales:

Microsoft's Dangley Dongles
Price Range: $29.95 to $99.95 MSRP

I've long been a fan of various Microsoft desktop mice, as they have been very comfortable and durable performers. However, I just haven't been as impressed by a number of their cordless notebook mice due to their USB dongles. While generally sturdy and compact mice, many of their models' USB transceivers are absolutely HUGE by today's standards -- they stick out more than some thumb drives. Breakage is a real concern on the road, which likely increases the longer the dongle sticks out from your laptop. As Logitech has proven below, smaller is better and it's doable. Microsoft needs to go back to the drawing board and redesign their USB dongles. With that caveat, two of Microsoft's higher-end mice offer additional features for the mobile road warrior:

Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000
Price: $79.95 MSRP

Perhaps most notable is the new Microsoft Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000. On the top it's a nicely designed travel mouse, with a laser pointer embedded in the front end. On the bottom there are a number of buttons for controlling PowerPoint presentations or your media player. I like that it has a tilt-wheel for horizontal scrolling and side function buttons. All in all, it's a unique and useful combination. Its $79.95 retail price is on the high side for a notebook mouse, but keep in mind it could save you the cost and space of bringing a separate presentation mouse.

As for the ergonomics and tactile feel, I didn't like the skinny scroll wheel's feel under my finger. First, it lacks the intermittent scroll "clicks" which usually aid in controlling scroll movement and help prevent "overshooting" your mark. I also didn't like the tactile feel of the milky-white material used in Microsoft's tiny scroll wheels, nor the hard plastic ridge surrounding the center scroll wheel. It just wasn't as comfortable as it looked, as that ridge kept spreading my fingers apart and felt annoying.

The Presenter Mouse 8000 is also a Bluetooth (BT) mouse, which is an advantage if your laptop has built-in Bluetooth; otherwise you'll need to use the separate USB Bluetooth receiver. Keep in mind that BT generally only has a 30-foot range, which may not be sufficient for some presentation locales -- especially in a mouse developed specifically for this purpose. As my laptop doesn't have built-in BT (only about half do currently), and after reading a good amount of online criticism against BT mice performance lags in general (not specific to the 8000), I decided to keep looking. But if you're looking for the most features in one compact device, it should be on your list -- especially if your laptop has built-in Bluetooth.

Mobile Memory Mouse 8000
Price: $99.95 MSRP

Another good but very pricey mouse is the Microsoft Mobile Memory Mouse 8000. At first glance, it's unconventionally round and squat for a mouse, but don't judge it by its looks. The Mobile Memory Mouse 8000 felt extremely comfortable the moment I put my hand to it and started moving it around -- the ergonomics are surprisingly excellent. It features two programmable side buttons, often used for browsing forwards and backwards in web pages, and they're located in just the right place -- where your thumb can easily press them without ungainly stretching exercises. It also features a battery indicator light and a fully functional scroll wheel. Again, this is just my preference, but it lacks the scroll "clicks" and is somewhat narrow for a scroll wheel. With that said, the smooth top surface of the Mobile Memory Mouse 8000's buttons is a huge improvement ergonomically compared to the Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 above -- as there is no hard plastic ridge pushing against your fingers on the Memory Mouse.

The reason it's named the "Memory Mouse" is that it comes with a 1GB flash memory thumb drive that doubles as the 2.4 GHz radio transceiver. While a nice bonus, 1GB is now at the shallow end of the thumb drive pool, and again, it makes for a noticeably larger USB dongle. While a wonderfully comfortable mouse, Microsoft introduced a puzzling paradox in the "wireless" department. You see, the Memory Mouse 8000 is a rechargeable mouse, which means you need to take its charging cable along or risk it ending up as road warrior road-kill. Thus I greatly prefer replaceable batteries in mobile mice. The good news here is the recharging cable's magnetic connector, à la the Apple MacBook Pro. So if it's accidentally caught or yanked, it'll just pop off the end of its USB dongle. But why? As a wireless mouse should in fact be wire-less, it rather defeats the purpose. All these extras also make this mouse very expensive at $99.95, so while I loved its overall feel, I simply felt there were better and more affordable travel mice available for notebook users.

Mogo Mojo?
Price: $69.99 MSRP

In the "Think outside the box, store it inside the box" category, I was intrigued by the radically different Mogo Mouse. It's extremely thin and shaped to fit inside a notebook's PC Card slot. This saves space, ensures it's always with your laptop, and recharges the Mogo mouse while it's in the slot (only ~40 mins. full recharge time). It features a plastic kick-stand that flips down for use. This elevates the back of the mouse to provide a more suitable angle for your hand. There are two versions of the Mogo mouse -- one for PC Card slots, and another for the differently-shaped Express Card slots found on some newer laptops. It's another Bluetooth mouse, so again you're in luck if your laptop has built-in Bluetooth. If not, you'll need a dongle.

Which brings up several of its disadvantages and compromises: The current PC Card model is only a basic two-button mouse, with no scroll wheel or other buttons. However, Mogo now offers scrolling software which adds a scroll function by using button and movement combinations. However, it appears this is actually very old abandoned software initially posted by a Mogo user. It's also only a 500 DPI mouse, which places it at the mid-to-low range of current mouse resolution offerings. This means you'd likely have to move the mouse further to move it smoothly across wider and higher resolution laptop panels. It's usually possible to increase the mouse speed and/or acceleration settings to compensate, but many times that also increases screen "jumpiness" in use. It's also not as suitable for fine detail work, such as working with images.

I'd need a BT dongle, and due to the Mogo's slimness, you can't store the receiver inside the mouse itself. In addition, I was concerned with the durability of the plastic kick-stand. While it's an innovative storage and charging design, overall the Mogo came across as a bit too gimmicky for my needs. With the slot type dependency, there's a chance you'll need to buy the other form factor if you get a new laptop with a different card slot, but that would be down the road. In contrast, external cordless USB mice would be more freely transferable to newer laptops.

At least Mogo is planning to provide arguably the world's smallest Bluetooth adapter in the Mogo Dapter. It's a tiny, rounded, and speedy Bluetooth 2.0 and USB 2.0 adapter you can leave plugged into your notebook. Announced earlier this year, it doesn't appear available yet. When I started writing this review, the Mogo web site stated it would be available "Fall 2007". Apparently, it's now pushed back to "January 2008". As it was initially slated for release within Q2 2007, it should be very useful whenever it gets released, supposedly for a $49.99 MSRP. Let's hope with all these delays it's not just another vaporware product.

Honey, I Shrunk the USB Dongle!
Price: $69.99 MSRP

Brand new is the Logitech VX Nano, so named for its smaller size and tiny USB receiver. I really, really wanted to like the new Logitech VX Nano. It has the world's smallest USB receiver, which is so incredibly tiny you can just leave it in your notebook's USB slot and forget about it.

Logitech has raised the bar significantly on this feature alone, and it's likely only a matter of time before other manufacturers follow its lead. The Nano also stores the receiver inside the battery door on the bottom of the mouse. Unlike last year's VX Revolution, storing the wireless receiver does not turn off the VX Nano, so you'll need to use the power button on the bottom of the mouse. Ejecting the USB receiver also requires you to first remove the battery door. I'd expect most people will simply leave it in their notebook's USB port assuming they have one open.

The VX Nano mouse is noticeably smaller than last year's VX Revolution, both in thickness and length. It's compact design means it takes up less space in a crowded bag, and it has the cool Logitech free-spinning scroll wheel for hyper-fast scrolling through long documents, spreadsheets, and web pages. No longer do you have to flick a switch under the mouse to change scroll modes from the clickety-kind to the free spin as was needed for the VX Revolution. Simply push down on the scroll wheel to toggle the spin mode -- great for changing on the fly. It takes two AAA batteries and battery life is estimated at six months with occasional use. Heavier users can naturally expect less, but this is a long time for a cordless mouse.

Unfortunately, Logitech had to make a number of compromises to fit all this goodness into such a small space: Gone is the beautifully curved and ultra-comfortable right-handed ergonomic contour from the prior Logitech VX Revolution notebook mouse. Also gone is the VX Revolution's programmable zoom button. While the new ambidextrous design is certainly better for lefties, the VX Nano is not as ergonomic since it requires a claw-like grip. That's fine for short usage, but it's not as appealing for longer stretches.

It's so slim height-wise that Logitech moved the forward/back buttons away from the thumb rest and placed them on the extreme upper left corner by the left mouse button. That made them difficult to reach, requiring a very unergonomic finger "stretch maneuver". These two buttons are made from a rubbery material instead of hard plastic (as on the Revolution mouse), so you don't get as much of a tactile response. The nice 4-stage battery meter of the Revolution was replaced by a single LED on the Nano. Last but not least, the smaller redesigned scroll wheel has a looser, sloppier feel compared to the Revolution's larger wheel -- particularly when pushing it left and right for horizontal scrolling. However, I liked the smaller wheel's size itself, which was more appropriate for a compact travel mouse.

All in all, I could probably live with these drawbacks due to its more compact size and wonderfully tiny receiver, but the real deal-breaker for me was that the VX Nano's scroll wheel cannot function as a middle mouse button. Clicking down on the wheel only changes the wheel's mechanical spinning mode. I caught myself automatically clicking the wheel out of habit. Since I'm a multi-tasking power user, particularly with tabbed web browsers, losing the the middle click button was a tougher item to ignore. The ability to use it to open and close web links in a new tab is a key productivity feature that I just wasn't willing to sacrifice -- especially as I use the middle click button far more often than the free-spinning scroll feature. FYI, the bundled SetPoint software can be used to reassign one of the other buttons (e.g., the search button) to become the middle click button -- a change that will take some time getting used to.

Overall, it's a good travel mouse with some extra features and buttons, a travel pouch, and the tiniest USB receiver to date, so it's very worthy of consideration. It's certainly one of the better cordless mice in its size class and has a nice "executive" look, but I recommend you try it out in the store before you buy.

A Fast Fish with a Twist
Price: $39.99 MSRP

An interesting contender presented itself from a very unlikely brand -- the RocketFish Twister Wireless Laser Mouse. RocketFish is Best Buy's house brand, and the Twister Mouse is extremely compact yet quite usable. The built-in twist is simply brilliant. The mouse stores flat, and I do mean flat, in an included travel pouch. Give it a quick twist, and it adds the necessary curve for use. For an animated demonstration of the "twist", view the 360º image.

To keep its low profile, it substitutes a flat scroll touchpad where the scroll wheel would be, and underneath that is a clickable middle mouse button. Other features include a diminutive USB receiver dongle that stores right in the mouse. I prefer mice such as this that not only store the receiver inside, but which automatically turn the mouse on/off when ejecting or reinserting it back in the mouse to save battery power. The Twister mouse includes an extra button on the left side, nice for clicking "back" when web browsing, and bundled software for reassigning button functions and adjusting mouse performance.

The Twister Mouse's flatter design is perfect for extremely crowded laptop bags and it easily fits in nearly any pocket. I discovered another great use as a wireless presentation mouse -- the mouse buttons are the perfect size, but just don't touch the middle scroll pad unless you want your slides to advance very quickly. Its wireless range could be a bit better, as I only got roughly 20-30 feet away on fresh batteries before responsiveness dropped off. So it's best suited for small to mid-sized presentation rooms, or where you won't be moving far from your notebook. Note that the mouse buttons operate in either twist mode, so you can use it to present in your hand with it flipped flat as desired. Another tip: Change PowerPoint's setting to uncheck "Show menu on right mouse click." This allows you to use the second mouse button to go back a slide without popping up PowerPoint's annoying navigation menu.

Now for the reality check: It took time before the Twister's unconventional shape felt more natural in use. It's boxy, but usable. The middle scroll touchpad is innovative, but requires a heavier touch for the desired responsiveness. It's a shame its touchpad sensitivity is not currently adjustable in the bundled software, which would help make it feel more fluid and require less effort. The left and right mouse buttons are fairly quiet and have a very short click depth. This makes them quicker to click, but it's an acquired taste. The red side button is also too slim and recessed for easy clicking. I had to consciously apply more pressure to make it click. However, since many notebook mice don't even have an extra button, this was at least a thoughtful and somewhat useful addition.

The Twister Mouse features a "Connect" button on its bottom should its USB receiver not automatically recognize it. This occurred on occasion: several times upon insertion of the USB receiver into the laptop (easily cured with the "Connect" button), and once after the mouse was left inactive for 30+ minutes. Unfortunately, the "Connect" button did not solve the latter problem, but removing and reinserting the USB receiver did the trick. So it wasn't a seamless connection throughout, which could cause problems before a big presentation and/or potentially frustrate a new cordless mouse user.

Battery-wise, it takes two AAA's and both the USB receiver and the mouse will light up in various colors indicating relative battery strength. I prefer a multi-segment meter, or at least a percentage indicator in the included mouse software, but it's better than nothing to avoid a dead rodent. Bringing or buying spare AAA batteries on the go is easy enough, and for that reason I prefer replaceable batteries over internal rechargeables for notebook mice.

Compared to Logitech's and Microsoft's offerings, the Twister Mouse doesn't compete in refinements, but it's more reasonably priced, functional, extremely compact, and is still somewhat comfortable in use despite its small and boxy size. If you're looking for a tiny mouse to use on an airline tray and have a cramped laptop bag, consider the Twister Mouse or the Logitech VX Nano above.

[Update: It is currently unknown whether Best Buy is continuing to sell this mouse. As of this date, the RocketFish site features a broken link to Best Buy's site, and the latter doesn't return any results for this mouse. It may still be available in some Best Buy stores.]

Viva La Revolution!
Price: $79.99 MSRP

When it came down to it, my favorite cordless notebook mouse is the Logitech VX Revolution. It's not the smallest, but if you're looking for a single cordless laser mouse to use while traveling and also as a desktop mouse, this is the one. It's elegant, extremely comfortable, and incredibly versatile. If you do a Google search for VX Revolution review, you'll find many highly positive reviews. Logitech did a superb job in designing this mouse.

I had become so accustomed to using a touchpad that I'd almost forgotten some of the benefits of a great cordless mouse:

• The Revolution is so-named for its innovative dual-mode scroll wheel. Flicking a little switch on the bottom changes its function from the clickety-kind to a nearly frictionless free scrolling wheel -- perfect for long documents, web pages, and even longer spreadsheets.
• Its long radio range is phenomenal, and its 2.4 GHz frequency worked beautifully along with all of my Wi-Fi devices -- no interference either way.
• I also like the deep comfortable thumb rest and the proper location of the forward/back buttons just above it, so they're very easy to reach. It has just the right tactile feedback as well, giving it a very polished and refined feel. However, it's not ergonomic for the left-handed, who will likely want an ambidextrous design.

What's extremely rare for a notebook mouse is that the VX Revolution has a whopping 7 physical buttons. Considering that the scroll wheel and zoom buttons have multiple positions, it's more like a 10-button mouse. The well-designed Logitech SetPoint software makes each button very customizable. For example, you can assign unique button functions for different programs, and one of the options is a "document flip" which supports Vista's new 3D window flip feature. While not as tiny as the VX Nano's USB receiver, I rather like that the VX Revolution's receiver is fairly small (about half the size of most Microsoft USB receivers), and it slides into the mouse for easy storage. Popping out the receiver automatically turns on the mouse, while reinserting it powers it off -- so you won't accidentally have a dead mouse in your bag. The single AA battery is also cheap and easy to replace on the go. Battery life is slated at four months, but will naturally vary with usage.

I'd say the VX Revolution only has two drawbacks: First, it's a slightly larger and thicker notebook mouse, due to the higher but extremely comfortable ergonomic palm curve. The other is you'll have to flip the mouse over during use to flick the microgear switch to change its mechanical scroll wheel modes. However, as the VX Nano above demonstrates, smaller isn't always better, and I'll gladly make a little extra room in my laptop bag for the VX Revolution. It doesn't come with a travel pouch, so a quick trip to my local Best Buy matched me up with a nice Lowepro Ridge 30 case that fits it perfectly and is lined in soft brushed-tricot to prevent scratches.

As the Logitech VX Nano is the newest model, the VX Revolution's price has begun to drop. I've also recently seen a number of rebates at online stores if you're so inclined. The rebates may signal a phase-out in favor of the newer, smaller Nano. So if you if want a Revolution, you might want to give it a spin before they're gone.

Addressing Laptop Data Vulnerabilities

Law.com has an excellent article discussing several workable approaches for securing data on corporate laptops. A quick look at one list of data breaches illustrates how sensitive data continues to be compromised by unsecured storage on laptops.

It's a particularly savvy article because its first piece of advice is not to overreact and go overboard -- "Draconian laptop-use policies may, ironically, increase an enterprise's vulnerability." Consider that employees often respond by finding other ways of circumventing security to make their jobs easier, which usually means making the data more accessible (i.e., less secure). For instance, blocking file saves to the laptop's hard drive or limiting e-mail inbox sizes can result in employees saving the data to unsecured thumb drives or forwarding sensitive e-mail to personal e-mail accounts. Where there's a will, there's a way. EMC was quoted as opting for a more blended approach, depending on the sensitivity of the data.

Another interesting suggestion was full hard drive encryption, rather than just encrypting the documents folder. This is often a highly debated solution. In my experience, some IT professionals will quickly suggest that doing so will entail a performance hit on the user and cause additional support problems. I'd say that noticeable performance hits are more likely with older, slower laptops. If this presents serious problems, consider phasing in encryption or issuing new laptops to those accessing more sensitive data.

Also keep in mind that when you are working on a laptop, it is likely creating a number of temporary file copies on the hard drive, sometimes in places outside the document folders. Full drive encryption therefore provides more complete protection for these additional copies of sensitive data. Naturally, such a solution would need to be thoroughly tested to determine the real-world impact on users and the IT support organization. Another issue to consider is segregation of the master keys -- do you allow one person or group to have them, or do you segregate them between two entities within the organization to avoid unilateral and potentially undesirable actions? I liked the allusion to the missile silo two-operator requirement.

Removable storage continues to be a major concern, such as flash thumb drives and external hard drives. And let's not forget iPods, which are either the former or latter type of devices. On one hand, these drives are very useful tools for mobile users. When unsecured (e.g., unencrypted), they can represent a larger security threat due to their tiny physical size and increasing storage capacities. For example, an 8GB thumb drive goes for less than $100 and can store a staggering amount of information. The article mentions products that control which devices can be plugged into which computers, and the best ones allow exceptions to be set when needed. If thumb drives will be used and supported, I'd suggest issuing employees with the following: only those models which support high-end encryption, such as AES, and make its entire capacity encrypted before it's issued to the employee. While a savvy user will likely know how to reformat the thumb drive to make it unprotected, the default encryption status is in your favor for the majority of users.

Many new laptops have built-in fingerprint readers, which can make security a bit more convenient. But as the article states, users often forget a key step: Register more than one finger with the device, so if you cut or burn your primary finger, you can use another one to gain access via the reader. Also, without the back-end drive encryption, keep in mind that a fingerprint reader only locks the front door. There are other ways to get to the unencrypted data on the hard drive, such as removing it from the laptop and accessing it from another PC.

Lastly, the article mentions lojack services for laptops, which hopefully reduce their recovery time. However, once the horse is out of the barn, it's too late to employ any of the above security measures. An unprotected hard drive containing sensitive data can be copied very quickly to a number of storage devices. The data contained on missing laptops is often much more valuable and/or costly to an organization than the cost of the physical laptop itself. An ounce of prevention...

Speech Recognition Comeback Via Cell Phones?

Speech recognition has been around for a long time, but hasn't enjoyed much traction. Products like Dragon Naturally Speaking were useful if one was prepared to spend the requisite time training and correcting it. Another problem was transferring around the large speech files between computers as it was speaker-dependent.

New services are popping out of the Web 2.0 world, making it much easier for people to use their phones to communicate with others in a variety of ways. You could probably call some of these services "Phone 2.0".

For instance, Jott provides a service whereby you can leave a short voice message and have it sent to others (or yourself) as text messages or e-mails. Or, it can send along the voice message. Jott uses a combination of speech recognition technology and human transcribers to convert your voice messages into text.

Of course, this may raise privacy and confidentiality concerns for some. For Jott to work, you need to add the recipients' contact information into Jott's site so it can send your messages to them. Jott is perfect for those times when you need to tell several people, "I'm running late," or "The meeting was changed to ten." Since you can set up groups, it beats having to call each person individually or have one tell all the rest.

While Jott says they "hide personal info from the people doing transcription", there's at least a temporary record being made, so it's best to be prudent with messages going through an intermediary. Also, the one-year-old Jott doesn't seem to have much of a business model yet, so what's going to happen to all of that personal and contact information we enter? Jott does have a posted privacy policy, but doubts may linger.

For more, see "Jott Networks Bridges Voice, Text Worlds" at Law.com.

As the article mentions, Microsoft recently completed the acquisition of one of my favorite phone services, Tellme Networks. Simply call 1-800-555-TELL (8355), and speak keywords like "weather", "traffic", or even "blackjack" to play a game with a very convincing and humorous Sean Connery impersonation. Additional voice prompts are given and it recognizes your vocal responses. Granted, sometimes I've had to repeat myself, particularly in noisy locations, but it works and it's free.

Cell phones are also becoming a focal point for other technologies. Location-based services such as GPS-like navigation and social networking "friend locators" are catching on. So expect to see even further convergence of messaging and location-based services from cellular and third-party providers. In other words, watch for even more services to connect the Jotts.

New Yahoo! Widgets 4 Upgrades XP & 2000 Desktops

From Wired's Monkey Bites: If you're feeling a bit left out that you're still running Windows 2000 or XP at home, don't worry. Yahoo! just released their new desktop Widgets 4 software to add Vista-like gadgets and sidebars. Want a preview? If you prefer the stability and compatibility of XP, but crave some of the desktop coolness of Vista, this could be the interim cure.

Is Palm Getting Palmed Off?

Treo owners take note: Palm is contending with rumors of a buyer for their aging platform. This is nothing new, yet this time around, the latest round of rumors have an unusual amount of detail per News.com -- "It's crunch time for Palm".

Critics are quick to cite that the Palm OS has not been updated in years, still mired in Palm OS 5 (n/k/a Garnet OS). Palm recently retired the LifeDrive, their foray into the hard-drive based media player/organizer market, and seem to be relying on the Treo as their cash cow. To be fair, Palm has been incorporating the Windows Mobile OS in newer Treo devices. But how far can it carry them? The Treo product itself is relatively old, and the design has not changed substantially since September 2003 with the Treo 600, per Gartner.

"...that's a bad thing in a fast-moving industry like this where we've moved to thinner and cheaper devices. The Treo is looking fat, heavy and expensive." -- Todd Kort, Gartner analyst

To get a good view of where the smartphone market is headed, one just needs to glance at the svelte Motorola Q Phone, the Samsung Blackjack, and of course, the eye-popping Apple iPhone. The iPhone is even equipped with a rotation sensor to automatically switch its display from portrait to landscape, and a proximity sensor to turn off the display and disable accidental screen touches when it's next to your ear. Nice touches.

While the Treo is a fine device and still useful, it needs to overcome a strong "last year's model" showing. Perhaps getting bought up wouldn't be such a bad thing, if it will infuse more resources into updating the platform.

"Palm OS" is No More...

...now that Access (the real owner of Palm OS for some time) has renamed the Palm OS to "Garnet OS" -- thus removing Palm altogether from its name. Engadget has the details and writes, "Treo users die a little more inside."

Palm pretty much started out as a one-product company. With the impending retirement of the LifeDrive, and Symbol Technologies dropping the Palm OS (excuse me, "Garnet OS") from its line, Palm looks like it's headed back to its roots with the Treo being the only compelling product left.

While there's riches in niches, Palm is going to have increasing competition in that space, with the Q phone and Blackjack already making inroads and the Apple iPhone poised to be the latest threat, not to mention being some serious eye candy.

Beware Free Wi-Fi Scam In Airports

Everyone loves free Wi-Fi while traveling, right? Check out this Computerworld article on fake Wi-Fi hotspots at major airports that really put you and your company at serious risk.

Fake Wi-Fi hotspots and "man in the middle" attacks are nothing new. The key is that they are actually peer-to-peer or "ad hoc" wireless network connections -- meaning that your laptop connects directly to someone else's PC, not a wireless access point. That's a major security no-no, as they can sniff your logins, passwords, and other confidential data you send through. They can also deposit some nasty items on your PC behind the scenes. Guess what happens when you connect to your company's or firm's network when you get back to the office?

What's nice about this article is that it also tells you how to set your wireless networking settings in both Windows XP and Vista to prevent your PC from making any ad hoc wireless connections. Note this won't stop your laptop from finding and connecting to a bogus wireless access point set up nearby for nefarious purposes. It's just one more layer of security, and every little bit helps.

Think Twice Before Upgrading Your Wi-Fi Router

Law.com has a quick and helpful piece on why you shouldn't upgrade to a Pre-N Wi-Fi router -- at least not until the new "n" standard, 802.11n, has been ratified. If you're using your home Wi-Fi network mainly for surfing the web, then your broadband ISP provider is most likely the limiting factor, not your existing router, especially if it's a "g" router (802.11g).

For much less than the unratified "Pre-N" or "Draft-N" routers, you can buy 802.11g routers that have been enhanced with so-called MIMO technology -- which use an array of antennas for Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output transmissions, extending range and speed." The challenge with these pre-releases of "n" routers is how well they'll conform to the final specs and work with various other Wi-Fi equipment from different vendors. My guess is that the closer we get to the final "n" standard, newer routers produced along the way will generally fare better in compatibility -- but -- nothing is for certain until the standard is ratified.

Supposedly, routers using the forthcoming 802.11n standard will be backward-compatible with the previous 802.11a/b/g devices, working at those older devices' fastest speeds. "N" achieves speeds far above "a", "b", and "g" through three methods: It’s more efficient, it has more radios, and it can use more spectrum. It's widely been discussed that "n" wireless routers will have more range and speeds in the hundreds of Mbps.

For now, the enhanced "g" MIMO (Multiple-input-multiple-output) technology looks to be the most cost-effective. MIMO's benefits boost performance and range, while still handling existing 802.11a/b/g radios. Now, if you're regularly pushing very large files and print jobs through your home wireless network and it's taking its toll on your patience or productivity, then the "Pre-N" performance gains are worth a look. It should also be mentioned that as long as the "Pre-N" router hardware is fully compatible with the final "n" standard (buyer beware), it's probably a good bet that "Pre-N" router vendors will make software upgrades available -- allowing users to update the router's firmware to be fully "n" compliant. If you're squeamish about flashing firmware or reconfiguring your router, then I wouldn't recommend "Pre-N" routers. Overall, I think most people will continue to do well with their existing home "g" router until the final "n" standard routers hit the market, with prices falling as volume increases.

Charge2Go Emergency Cell Phone Charger Review

Even though battery technology has improved, cell phones still tend to average a few hours of talk time. They drain even faster when using the backlight or all the extras: Bluetooth, camera, music/video player, games, web browser, e-mail, text/photo/video messaging, and GPS navigation.

So sooner or later it happens -- you're out and about and you get the dreaded "low battery" warning. Perhaps you forgot to charge your cell last night, or it's just been a heavy cell day. If you're lucky, you might get a couple of minutes to finish your call.

A Simple Solution:
Enter the Charge2Go emergency cell phone charger. You pop in a single AA battery (alkaline, lithium, or even rechargeable), plug in the short connector cable, and hook it up to your cell phone's charging port. Two red LED's start flashing on the top to let you know it's providing power to your phone. The LED's go out when the AA battery is discharged. The main unit is best described as the size of a small flashlight or lipstick, so it easily fits in your pocket or laptop bag. I like that it takes a AA, since they're easy to find on the go. It also makes the Charge2Go reusable.

How It Worked:
I gave it a try with phones from LG and Motorola. Overall, it does the trick, but you have to know how to best use it. Initially, I was disappointed. I had tried to use the Charge2Go to recharge the phones' internal batteries, so I wouldn't have to talk on the phone with the charger attached. Three times it drained a fresh AA alkaline in about 30-40 minutes, but when I powered each phone back up, there was no noticeable increase in battery capacity. On the last test, the phone shut itself off within seconds.

After a helpful call with Charge2Go, I tried a different approach. This time, I used it as an auxiliary battery while making calls. It's a little strange to leave it dangling from the bottom of the phone, but it worked. On the same discharged phone that powered down immediately on its own, I easily made over 25 minutes of calls with the Charge2Go attached, and it still had capacity for more. When I detached the Charge2Go, the phone again powered down, so it was very apparent the Charge2Go did its job.

Construction:
The Charge2Go sports a metal barrel, with a nicely machined screw cap that twists very smoothly. Besides looking sharp, the metal barrel is functional. It dissipates the heat generated when discharging the AA battery quickly. Most often, it was only moderately warm to the touch. Only once did it feel on the hot side, so it's best to leave it out in the open while attached to your phone. It only draws substantial power from the AA battery when it's attached to your phone, so you can leave in a fresh battery until it's needed.

Pricing and Compatibility:
The Charge2Go is affordably priced and you can order online: $24.99 will get you the Charge2Go charger plus one phone connector of your choice included, all with free shipping. Additional phone connectors are only $2.99, again with free shipping. The charger comes in four colors: Black, Silver, Red, and Blue. There are currently 8 phone connector cables available online, and one for the iPod Shuffle for $3.99.

The web site contains a list of compatible phones and connectors. Some of the newest cell phones are not yet supported. After trying the Charge2Go, I recently upgraded to a fully-loaded LG VX8300 that has a slightly different charger port. The LG connector provided by Charge2Go doesn't fit due to some minor changes made by LG. It's a shame that some phone manufacturers change their charge ports between models, so Charge2Go will need to keep pace. The good news is that Charge2Go has already been working on providing additional connectors, so stay tuned.

Considering Alternative Solutions:
Road warriors usually have multiple chargers on hand, but we're not always within range of a wall or car socket. USB chargers help in a pinch, but you end up draining your laptop's battery unless you're plugged into AC. You can also buy a second phone battery, perhaps an extended one that provides longer life. However, those add to to bulge of your device. Also, some phone chargers can't charge the second battery unless it's actually in your phone at the time. That means buying yet another dedicated charger for the second battery to keep it topped off. (Believe me, I've looked at all of these.)

Don't overlook disposable chargers, such as those that look like Zippo lighters. Keep in mind they cost more than regular disposable batteries, but they don't dangle like the Charge2Go. However, if your phone's charging port is on the side, they can make holding the phone a bit awkward and cumbersome.

Bottom Line:
No solution is perfect, and the Charge2Go is best categorized as an emergency charger. Once you get past the dongle form factor, it's simple, affordable, and reusable. When used properly, it was effective in extending my talk time.

I should also note that the original Charge2Go charger reviewed here has been available for a while. In speaking with Ben Ovadia, their VP of Business Development, I've learned that a new model should be released very soon. He shared it will have even more charging capacity due to incorporating two batteries into the charging unit. Considering how power hungry most new mobile devices have become, this should be a welcome upgrade as long as the overall size and weight stays convenient for mobile use.

Palm OS Left Behind

A year ago, I posted what I thought about the various Palm OS announcements, and that it was probably going to be too little, and far too late.

Since then, PalmSource has been acquired by Access, and is stuck with the old Palm OS for at least another year. That will make at least three years from the last Palm OS release -- more like a decade in mobile tech doggy-time. Today I saw CNET News published an equally sober article, "Is the Palm OS Missing the Multimedia Boat?"

Users of mobile devices are increasingly looking for them to do more, and not just to play MP3's either. Business users like more interactive travel aids, maps, remote access to data, etc. Consumers are already primed for mobile multimedia (thanks in no small part to video iPods). Both markets are leaning more toward multitasking devices with better security. The Palm OS lacks native Java, which is required for some new mobile applications. PalmSource relies on external developers to come up with the cool multimedia tools, not a good sign.

Thus it's not surprising the latest Treo is running on Windows Mobile; however, it's not all peaches and cream. Former Treo 650 users tend to prefer their 650 over the new 700, at least from the online comments I've read. Thus it's not so much a prediction as it is an extrapolation these needs will quickly overpower the Palm OS even coupled with newer, faster hardware. Keep an eye out for more mobile applications geared towards Windows Mobile and Symbian platforms. It might just affect your next mobile gadget choice.

iPod Used as an Identity Theft Cache -- Only the Beginning

The San Francisco Chronicle reported yet another use for iPods: storing lots of stolen identity-related information. iPod users have known for quite some time that they can be used as portable storage for computer files, just like a thumb drive. Perhaps more troubling than a criminal using it that way is that the San Francisco police sounded surprised and considered this novel -- and that was the fraud division. They got their man through a sting operation, though, and I'm glad to hear it given the details of the identity thefts and other crimes perpetrated.

But it underscores the need for law enforcement and security professionals to consider new uses for everyday tech tools and gadgets, especially when theft of data with iPods is nothing new. As the Tech Law Prof Blog correctly pointed out on this issue, at least four years ago we learned that one could walk up to demo Macs in stores, plug in an iPod, and copy entire software programs for use on other Macs. I remember reading about this on Wired.com ("Have iPod, Will Secretly Bootleg") at the time. So why is this considered something "new"?

With all due respect to our police departments (I mean that sincerely), it sounds like they would benefit from a "Tech Culture 101"-type class. Give them some freebies to go play with -- iPods, thumb drives, camera phones, Treos, BlackBerries, Bluetooth devices, digital cameras, flash cards, etc. Show them how they work, how they capture, store, and transfer information, and perhaps most importantly, how easy it is to hide information on them "in plain sight". I hate to say this, but "you gotta think like a teen".

For example, it would not surprise me to hear one day very soon that someone was caught smuggling confidential information on one of the tiny flash cards inserted into innocuous-looking devices like a cell phone or a PSP (Play Station Portable). In fact, the PSP is quite a useful computer in its own right, well beyond playing games. Heck, you can already remotely control your home with it, not to mention all of these cool uses. Sony is also empowering it with the LocationFree console to stream all kinds of digital media to your PSP at any hotspot.

There's also a new project for porting Linux over to the PSP. As any hacker knows, once you've got Linux running on a capable device with Wi-Fi (yup, it's a Wi-Fi Finder too). . . well, it doesn't take much imagination, does it? Now that makes toting stolen info on your iPod très passé.

Enhancing Mobile Security - Feature Article

Organizations usually focus more heavily on protecting the castle by fortifying its defenses. However, mobile technology security can be a bit more challenging, in no small part due to the plethora and complexity of devices, user mobility, and increased risks outside the firewall. Sometimes it doesn't receive as much attention, or perhaps is perceived as less securable. Thus I've recently written a feature article on effective mobile security techniques, strategies, and policies, entitled "Enhancing Mobile Security". The downloadable PDF is compatible with Acrobat 5 or higher.

This was originally published as the cover feature in the February/March 2006 issue of Law Office Computing. I am greatly honored by Amanda Flatten, LOC's Editor and Publisher, for granting me permission to publish it here. Amanda, you're the best. If you're in the legal field and have any interest in improving your practice via savvy use of technology and keeping abreast of new developments, then I highly recommend a subscription to LOC.

Avoiding Mobile Computing Burnout

Whether you're a road warrior or just tote a few mobile gadgets, I think you'll find this article helpful in setting expectations and managing your stress from always being accessible. It was recently published online at eLOC, the e-magazine version of Law Office Computing. A hearty "Thank You" goes to Amanda Flatten, the Editor & Publisher extraordinaire, for graciously permitting me to post the entire published version here at LTG (especially for those of you who download the RSS feed).

Avoiding Mobile Computing Burnout

Use technology to enhance your work, not take over your life.

By Jeff Beard

It’s no secret that lawyers and legal staff have high-pressure jobs. As if we were not multitasking enough, mobile technology makes us even more accessible to client service and other demands. Untamed, it leads to information overload, multiple interruptions throughout the day and more stress.

Are your wireless gadgets just making you more wired? Do you need to go on a technology diet? Clients demand more access to you, and you want to provide good service. Mobile technology offers many tools to help you do just that. The problem is, sometimes they deliver too much of a good thing.

Consider how many devices and technologies are used to stay in touch: wireless e-mail devices; Wi-Fi laptops loaded with e-mail, office suite, time entry and various practice applications; cell phones; hands-free headsets; a lot of cables (laptop power brick, modem, Ethernet, universal serial bus, FireWire, audio, iPod charger, cell phone charger and personal digital assistant charger); home, office and cell phone voice mail accounts; professional and personal e-mail accounts; office, PC and Internet faxes; text messaging; instant messaging; replicated e-mail account on your laptop’s hard drive for offline reading; Virtual Private Networks, Citrix or other remote access software; camera phones, digital cameras and portable scanners; and a prepaid Starbucks card (for a liberal dose of Wi-Fi and caffeine).

That is a lot of technology to manage. It’s not uncommon to hear of professionals checking their e-mail in the middle of the night, while driving, during their children’s sporting events and let’s not even dwell on the restroom scenarios. While some will deny these stories, I have heard them all. The faster you respond, the faster your clients and co-workers expect you to in the future. After all, you reinforce their expectations with a five-minute turnaround from your BlackBerry or cell phone. Congratulations — you have just become a victim of your own success. All isn’t lost, however. There are a number of ways you can avoid mobile computing burnout and reduce information overload.

Set Reasonable Expectations

Jim Calloway, director of the Oklahoma Bar Association’s Management Assistance Program, recommends setting parameters with clients during the initial interview. “Communicate that you will normally get back to them within 24 hours, not including weekends,” Calloway said. “Share that you process messages on a first-in, first-out basis. Think about how you are going to handle the client relationship and what mobile access means.” The same goes for managing your relationship with your employer or co-workers. Calloway said legal professionals often can set themselves up for failure by committing to do too much, but setting realistic goals and ground rules will help you manage your workload.

Determine Which Mobile Devices Work for You

When it comes to traveling, less can be more. Ask yourself what you truly need to be productive and if you really will use what you take along. If you are reasonably tech savvy and comfortable with different gadgets and access methods, it might be worthwhile to have alternative technologies at your command. If you are not a technophile, then try introducing one new gadget at a time. That way, you are increasing the odds you will be comfortable using it on your own.

This might be a gross oversimplification, but generally I find two main types of BlackBerry or Treo users: those who can’t wait to get one, and those who really, really don’t want one, ever. If you are in the former category, make sure it’s for the right reasons and not just to have a status symbol or another tech toy. If you are in the latter category, take heart and use these tips to set reasonable expectations with others regarding your accessibility. You might be able to agree on alternative communica