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Computer Corner:
Using Your Smartphone in the
Paperless Office
By Marjory Harris, Esq.
In this series, we explore organizational
techniques, software and hardware that will help you clear the mess from
your desk, be more productive, and cut office overhead.
In the last
issue,
we presented a primer for setting up a paperless office. Now we talk about integrating
your smartphone through essential apps.
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The smartphone is not just the latest
yuppie plaything, it is an essential piece of equipment for the paperless
office. There is an astounding array of apps which can make you more
efficient and productive. In this article I talk about a few of my
current favorites for the iphone. Some of these are also available
for Blackberry and Android. Just Google the name of the app and add
the name of your phone.
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| Not just a phone, not just a
computer, but also a scanner, camera, calculator, etc. To learn more
about this amazing device, click here. |
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Connect
to the Internet Anywhere
The smartphone can be used as a modem for your laptop. With the iphone
it is called “tethering” and currently costs $20 per
month. Check with your carrier about their plans.
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Keep Up with Emails, Appointments & Tasks
Have a few minutes between events? Read and write emails or review
or create tasks. The apps come with the phone and sync with Outlook.
No need for Post-its when you make regular use of these functions.
For a task list on steroids, check out 2do
app.
This award-winning productivity app is worth the small charge. You
can drag and drop your tasks, sync with Outlook, etc., and organize
your life while you pump gas or wait in line at the WCAB.
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Stop Lugging
Files to the Board or Depos
You no longer need to lug files to court or deposition. All you need
is one small file, as I described in MSC Mess? Tame it with a low-tech
paper organizer and your smartphone, and a program that lets
you see your files such as Carbonite, Dropbox or Logmein.
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Carbonite-stored file
open for further action
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Search
Engines and Reference Works
First check out Google Mobile by visiting this URL in your phone’s
browser: m.google.com. Then click the links and download your favorite
Google apps. Organize them into a "Google" folder. You
can search on Google by speaking, which is certainly more convenient
than fiddling with the little keypad. You can download many free
books into Google books so you always have things to read while waiting
around in court or a gas line. If you need to find something near
where you are, like a restaurant or a coffee shop, use Google Places
and get reviews. While waiting for your order, you can check out
Google Earth and track natural disasters, or dictate something and
have it translated into a foreign language with Google Translate.
Then explore the free Dragon
apps that let you dictate and search.
I especially like Dragon
Go,
which lets you dictate something like “find best coffee shop
near San Francisco Civic Center” and in seconds produces a
list with addresses and reviews and links to websites (e.g., yelp.com,
OpenTable.com) that relate to the search.
Dragon also has a terrific and free medical app, Dragon
Medical Search.
After you dictate a term (e.g., “San Joaquin Valley fever”)
it immediately produces webpages for Medscape, Medline, IMO (for
ICD codes), and drugs.mobi. When I dictated “medications for
fibromyalgia” it immediately produced the latest news results.
This app alone would be a real head start for reseaching when preparing
for a doctor depo (see “Depo
Prep Made Easy”).
If you get records through Med-Legal or DefensePro, or use their
scanning or other services, get their nifty reference works as pdf
files to be accessed in GoodReader.
These include the Labor Code, Quick Reference, the permanent disability
schedules and tables, the QME flowchart, GAF, and more.
Call your customer care rep for these files.
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The HP 12C Classic Calculator
No need to take your 12C with you and risk losing this valuable and
expensive essential piece of equipment. It is available as an app
for iphone.
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Scanning and Printing on the Go
Your smartphone is also a scanner.
There are several good scanning apps that let you scan documents,
business cards, receipts, barcodes. If the copy machines are broken,
this comes in very handy. You can also use your smartphone to send
documents to a printer, should there be a wireless printer within
range. If you have a portable wireless printer, you can retrieve
documents from your office computer or server through your logmein
or other account, and then get it printed. Read more about this on
Apple’s
website.
You can also send faxes from your smartphone using different
fax services.
If a copier isn’t working, and the judge needs a document,
consider scanning with the phone, then faxing to the board’s
fax machine. To learn more about scanner apps for smartphones, click
here.
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Walking
and Talking
Get the free Dragon
Dictation (previously DragonDictate) and dictate your thoughts into your phone. You will see the text
transcribed with amazing accuracy in a few seconds. By clicking on
the copy command, you can insert the text into other apps, emails,
and tasks.
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Taking
Notes & Adding To-Dos
There are many smartphone note taking apps and systems, including
the ever popular Evernote which
lets you link all your computers and phones, so no matter where you
add a note or clipping, you can find it in one place later, your
Evernote account. For ideas on how to use this program, go
here and get inspired.
Another great note app
is Simplenote.
To learn more and get inspired, read
this.
I like to dictate into the free Dragon Dictation app, then paste
it into Simplenote. Later I can copy and paste notes into letters,
emails, or whatever.
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Some Must-Have Utilities
Snippets is
a clipboard manager that lets you copy and paste frequently
used phrases, passwords, web addresses or anything else you
do not want to retype over and over. It comes with a bunch
of ready to use items but is easy to customize.
Read
it later lets you mark web pages on desktop
or smartphone using “bookmarklets,” which
save pages to your reading list. As time permits, you can read what
you marked. Or you can just play your favorite games, a few of which
follow.
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Idling
and Venting
Are
you waiting seemingly endlessly while your opponent reviews their
file or tries to reach someone with authority? Or just waiting
in line for the judge to approve your documents? Try these games
– with the sound off of course – to vent your
rage or let off steam:
Angry Birds: You can get this free, but
for the cost of a cup of cappuccino, you can get some $.99 enhancements
that remove ads, get you away from impossible situations, or provide "walk-throughs" when
you are stuck. Like morning coffee, this can be addictive and wiring,
so proceed with caution.
Pocket Frogs: Like Angry Birds, this is
an addictive game that requires some motor skill with your fingers
and strategy as you hop around the lily pond zapping flies, mating
or racing your frogs, seeking awards, responding to requests, etc.
Eventually you can end up with one glass chroma frog for each species,
which will make breeding easier for fulfilling requests and getting
awards.
Tetris: this old favorite is available as an app, with
a lot more bells and whistles than the original game.
Solitaire: no need for Xanax when you can play solitaire. My favorite game
is "Baker's Game" which is also on my office and laptop
computers.
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Some Parting
Thoughts
There are thousands of apps out there, especially for the iPhone.
It is easy to get overwhelmed and end up with a disorganized mess.
You can logically order your apps in labeled folders, such as "Utilities" or "Legal
References" with 12 apps in each folder (see screenshot in
sidebar).
Keep the charger handy – a dead battery means a
return to paper (pads or Post-its) and defeats efforts to run a
paperless office. To prolong battery life, read
these handy tips.
Lastly, if you are still lugging that bulging litigation case,
do not forget to get a flashlight app to let you peer into its
dark depths while you are frantically searching for a document
or a pen.
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Organize apps into well-labeled
folders – each can hold 12 apps
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