Dec 25 2007
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas to You!
If you are reading this on December 25, step away from your computer and go spend some time with a friend or loved one.
Archive for December, 2007
Dec 20 2007
Good News From You Send It
Not long ago, I wrote about You Send It and how much I liked using it to transfer a large electronic file.
Since then, the kind folks at You Send It have provided me with a promotional code for my readers for a free month of service on the Business Plus plan.
The code is RHORBP07. The email from You Send It explains:
Business Plus offers additional security features and options- perfect for dealing with sensitive material. The tracking feature also provides absolute assurance that you file has been received and downloaded.
Simply create a free account, then go to “my account”/”account details” and enter this code. Accounts will be upgraded for 30 days, then revert back to the free version when it expires. No credit card info is collected.
This is a great opportunity to give You Send It a try, if you have not done so before.
Related Posts
Dec 18 2007
Christmas Around the World
A few days ago I received an email that began:
Guten Tag,
unser Logistikzentrum hat den unten stehenden Artikel verschickt!
Unser Hinweis:
Sie koennen Ihr Kundenkonto jederzeit ueber “Mein Konto”
http://www.amazon.de/mein-konto einsehen und verwalten.Ihre Bestellnummer 028-2384921-6012345 (eingegangen 16-Dezember-2007)
Surprisingly enough, this was not spam. Despite the fact that I do not speak German, I was quite happy to have received this email written in German.
Last year my family hosted an exchange student from Germany. For Christmas this year we wanted to send a present to her. However, if you have ever had to send anything to a foreign country, you know what a frustrating and time consuming process that can be. It can take weeks just to send a card to Germany. Further, any gifts that we sent would require us to make sure that they complied with applicable customs rules. Also, there is possibility that the receiver would have to pay a tax upon her receipt. This seems like a lot of work just to send a Christmas gift.
Then, I had an idea. Why not send the gift from Amazon. However, I would not send it from Amazon.com, but instead from Amazon.de (Amazon in Germany). Sure, I had the problem that I don’t speak any German. But, any problem is solvable with the internet. Right?
Anyway, using Google Translate and Babel Fish I was able to understand enough to make sure that I was ordering what I wanted. Further, the great thing about ordering from Amazon is that its website looked the same in German as it did in English. Thus, despite the fact that I could not understand the words on the page, I could navigate the page and complete the required information because, based on my experience with Amazon.com, I knew what information they were looking for.
In sum, I think it is amazing that we like at time where I can send a gift to someone in a foreign country with only minimally more effort that is required for me to give a gift to someone in the house with me. If you want to send a gift to someone in a foreign country, I recommend that you check out that country’s version of Amazon. It may save you time, money, and frustration. Further, it won’t be nearly as difficult as you think, even if you don’t speak the language.
Related Posts
Dec 17 2007
Scrolling with MoGo
Last year I bought my wife a MoGo Mouse. The great thing about this mouse is that it stores and recharges in your laptops
PC card slot. This means that you always have your mouse with your laptop. Plus, it is always charged. The MoGo connects to your laptop via Bluetooth. Thus, if you have Bluetooth built in your laptop, you can easily carry and use the mouse without adding any extra bulk to what you carry.
The only drawback to the mouse is that it does not contain a scrollwheel (the new version contains a scroll wheel). Once you get used to using a scroll wheel, it is difficult to use a mouse without one. Thus, despite having this cool, easily transportable mouse, my wife wasn’t using it much.
Fortunately, Jeff Beard at LawTech Guru has come to my rescue. He has posted a portable mouse roundup that is very informative. If fact, if you are in the market for a portable mouse, I recommend that you read his post. In his post he mentions that MoGo now offers scrolling software for its mouse.
Following the link, I find that, sure enough, you can download the software from MoGo that allows you to scroll simply by holding down your left mouse button and dragging your mouse. It’s certainly not as elegant as a scroll wheel, but it is definitely better than nothing. As Jeff points out, MoGo’s software is old software revived by a MoGo user looking for a solution to the absence of a scroll wheel.
Related Posts
Dec 10 2007
I’m Not the Only One
It looks like I am not the only one who who is happy that the Supreme Court is releasing recordings of its arguments but disappointed that we are no closer to uniform electronic filing.
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Dec 10 2007
Good News From the Illinois Supreme Court
The Springfield Journal Register reports that beginning in January, the Illinois Supreme Court will release audio and video recordings of the oral arguments before it. The article states:
The court announced Friday that the arguments should be available on its Web site – www.state.il.us/court – the day after they take place, or possibly even sooner.
“I’m very excited about this new technology,” Chief Justice Robert Thomas said in a news release. “It will provide the parties with a record of their appearance before the court, and it will help the public better understand what we do.”
Supreme Court spokesman Joseph Tybor said in an interview that making oral arguments available online is “something the court has been interested in for some time.”
According to the article, there will be three cameras, one facing the attorneys and the other two facing the front of the courtroom.
The article goes on to say:
Audio files will be in the MP3 format, and a podcast feed will be available. Video files will be in the Windows Media format.
I am glad to see that the Court is adopting this technology. (In fact, last June, I called for the Supreme Court to do release recordings of its arguments.) I am also glad to see that the court will be using a podcast feed. These are steps in the right direction.
I just hope that the Court continues to take these steps. Right now, Illinois is woefully behind the times in even considering a viable electronic filing system in its courts. As I stated in June:
The state of electronic filing in this state is absolutely abysmal. Further it appears as though any possibility of electronic filing is headed toward a hopelessly convoluted system where every county has their own version and own system.
Unfortunately, in the 6 months since I posted that initial statement, I have see little out of the Supreme Court that would lead me to believe that a viable and usable electronic filing system is within our foreseeable future.
In the above quoted article, Tybor (the Court spokesman) is quoted, saying:
“This is a Supreme Court that hasn’t turned away from technology and hopes to use technology to enhance justice and to enhance the educational value of the system,” Tybor said.
This is a great sentiment. However, I would like to see a little more action behind it. It is fantastic that the Court is making recordings of its argument available to the public. Why is it, however, that at least 14 other states (including Florida, Texas, Indiana, and Wisconsin) beat Illinois to the punch?
