IPhone News For Lawyers

I use the Iphone and love it and it seems like more and more legal professionals are using the Iphone.    The Iphone has many great features for lawyers and there are more and more apps geared towards the legal industry. I will be reviewing some of the best apps for lawyers over the next month.  The Iphone 4 just  came out and people are loving it, time to upgrade again! IPHONE 4 REVIEWS ARE IN and they are all Great! Joshua Topolsky of Engadget has an incredibly well-written review, full of details, facts, pictures and videos.  And he loves the iPhone 4, concluding:  “We’re not going to beat around the bush — in our approximation, the iPhone 4 is the best smartphone on the market right now. The combination of gorgeous new hardware, that amazing display, upgraded cameras, and major improvements to the operating system make this an extremely formidable package. Yes, there are still pain points that we want to see Apple fix, and yes, there are some amazing alternatives to the iPhone 4 out there. But when it comes to the total package — fit and finish in both software and hardware, performance, app selection, and all of the little details that make a device like this what it is — we think it’s the cream of the current crop.”  If you only read one review, read this one. Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal writes that the iPhone 4 is a “big, well-designed update that, in my view, keeps it in the lead in the smartphone wars.”  He criticizes the AT&T network, but otherwise concludes that “Apple has built a beautiful smartphone that works well, adds impressive new features and is still, overall, the best device in its class.” David Pogue of the New York Times writes that the iPhone 4 is “amazing” and that it “feels solid and Lexus-like.” Ed Baig of USA Today writes that the iPhone 4 “demonstrates once again why Apple’s handset is the one to beat.” OTHER IPHONE 4 NEWS Jenna Wortham of the New York Times writes about people waiting in line for an iPhone 4 yesterday. You can download the iPhone 4 user guide (243 pages) in PDF format here. Andy Ihnatko of the Chicago Sun Times discusses iOS 4, as does Roy Forchgott of the New York Times. iSmashPhone looks at the Best 64 Features of iOS 4.

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Backing Up Your WordPress Site

Your WordPress database contains every post, every comment and every link you have on your blog. If your database gets erased or corrupted, you stand to lose everything you have written. There are many reasons why this could happen and not all are things you can control. But what you can do is back up your data. After all, it is important. Right? Some people might not even realize they need to backup the site or that its even possible. Usually you can do it from the web hosting control panel, but its somewhat complex and technical.  Yet like most things in WordPress, theres an easier way to get it done using a plugin. WordPress has plenty of information on how to backup your WordPress site and how important it is here. There are plenty of free plugins available to backup your wordpress sites but I am using one that is a paid plugin called Backup Buddy and its very easy to use and works well.  Hopefully you will never need to know if it works but it’s important to have this done. Also when you backup your files, you should have them on a different server then your site is on, in case something bad happens to your existing web server. BACKUP BUDDY PLUGIN FOR WORDPRESS: BackupBuddy is an all-in-one solution for backups, restoration, and migration. The single backup file created by the plugin can be used with the importer script to quickly and easily restore your site on the same server or even migrate to a new server with a different domain and database. Whether you’re an end user or a developer, this plugin is sure to bring you peace of mind and added safety in the event of data loss. Our goal is to keep the backup, restoration, and migration processes easy, fast, and reliable. You can find more about it here

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Google Honors Pac Man 30th Anniversary

It’s Pac Man’s 30th Anniversary and Google is celebrating by putting a free version of the  console classic on their homepage. Instead of search, hit the “Insert Coin” button and drive everyone in the office nuts, with the clanging bells of 1980’s synth yore. Pac Man was originally built by Japanese firm Namco and spawned the unauthorized spin off, Ms. Pac Man, a licensed television show and countless items of branded paraphernalia. Pac Man was the start of everything and I was 12 when it came out and I still like it! Im glad Google honored it.

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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-04-25

Finally upgraded my legal search marketing blog from Typepad to WordPress! Typepad sucked! WordPress is GOLD! # Setup Twitter account on mobile phone. So I can tweet on the road, super cool!! # Created new epilepsy civil rights site for Chicago lawfirm. http://www.epilepsycivilrights.com # Listen to my audio tweet. http://tmic.fm/rgrxr6hwrj8 # Make sure your law firm is listed in the google local business directory. Claim and verify your listing. # Created new legal website for law firm consulting firm of Rjh Consulting – http://www.rjhconsulting.com #

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5 Tips for Using Online Video to Market Your Law Firm

Statistics show that video improves online visibility and drives more action online than plain images and text. For example, according to the BIA Kelsey Group, viewers engage more after watching a video, with clicks for more information increasing by 30-40% and phone inquiries by 16-20%. Whether you choose to do-it-yourself or hire a pro, marketing your business with online video doesn’t end with the production. Remember, videos need to be seen. Here are a few tips to help you make the most out of your video marketing: 1. Aim for Authentic, Actionable Content Don’t worry about stock photography, templates, or videographers who will make you look like all their other clients. Be authentic. Be personal. After all, this is your big chance to highlight your strengths and show what really makes you different. Keep the video short and the less scripted, the better — since customers are jaded by typical sales pitches and marketing buzzwords. Creating authentic video that captures the human element behind any business allows customers to connect on a personal level. This is TRUE and creating a video that is personal and shows who you are and what you do can be a big factor when a new client chooses your law firm.  Also creating a video of client testimonials can be another powerful tool. And don’t forget to incorporate a call to action. While your authentic video builds trust and drives action, viewers must be given a reason and a way to call you, visit your website, or stop by your store. Be sure to include some action path — for example, a trackable URL, a coupon, discount code, or unique phone number to call. This not only encourages viewers to engage with you, but also provides a tangible way to measure the results of your video. 2. Optimize Video for Google Search The advent of blended or universal search has changed the search game. Search engines now display more and more videos, images, blogs, maps, and books in their results. These new search algorithms weigh video heavily, giving you a great opportunity to increase your relevance in search results (and even achieve that coveted first page ranking on Google). In fact, Forrester Research ran an experiment on the top-searched keywords and discovered that videos have an 11,000-to-1 chance of appearing on the first page of Google’s results, while text has a 500,000-to-1 chance of making it on the first page — in short, video has a 50 times better chance than plain text for getting to the top of search rankings. Even with this incredible opportunity, many marketers don’t yet think about making their video Google-friendly. There are several simple steps you can take to optimize your online video content. 3. Add Video to Your Facebook Page Most likely, your Facebook fans are already customers — the social network gives you the chance to strengthen existing relationships, build your brand, present special offers, as well as find some new customers as you reach into the extended networks of your current fan base. On Facebook, use video to show the human side of your company. Think fun and creative. Show a ‘behind the scenes’ peak at your office or shop. Use video to announce a new contest or special. Post video highlights of past events, customer testimonials, etc. 4. Put Video on YouTube and Other Video Sites YouTube has quickly grown from a network of user-generated content to become an invaluable repository of content. Next to Google, YouTube is the second largest search engine, with more than 3.5 billion queries a month according to comScore. YouTube and other video sites are great vehicles to reach an audience who might not find you otherwise. Best of all, you can create a branded YouTube channel and host your videos without incurring any bandwidth costs. And don’t worry — you don’t necessarily have to create the next viral sensation to find success on YouTube. Small businesses can create valuable new relationships and build sales without generating a million views. 5. Add Video to Your Google Local Business Listing By adding video to your business listing on Google Local, you’ll be able to tell your story and connect with those people who are looking for your products or services, at the very point in time when they’re actively researching or ready to buy. This ultra-targeted form of marketing is highly effective for driving clicks and calls. And amid a list of company names, addresses, and phone numbers, an engaging video brings your listing to life and sets you apart from the crowd. Most Importantly – Get Started There’s no time like the present to get started with video. While spare time is always in short supply for the small business owner, online video can be less time intensive and is relatively low cost compared with other marketing initiatives. Most importantly, video will reap dividends in both the short and long term. This is all great video advise.  Putting a video on your lawyer website is a great move for many reasons, just do it! Read full post at Reel SEO

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More Google Legal Woes: Buzz Lawsuit and EU Regulation

POOR GOOGLE….. Google, being the gigantic company that it is, has become the target of legal action and regulatory concern. Just this week, we learned that Italy found Google execs guilty in the case of a controversial video. There's the Google Books lawsuit and in the past Google faced scrutiny for an ad deal with Yahoo! (which they pre-emptively canceled) and its relations with Apple (Eric Schmidt later quit the board). There are a couple of new legal woes on the Google front. First, a class action lawsuit has been brought with regards to Buzz, Google's new social media effort. As you may remember, Gmail users were none too thrilled when Buzz automatically showed up in their email program and automatically updated their network. Google has reversed course on the automation, but it wasn't in time to stop the suit. Meanwhile, the European Commission has received antitrust complaints about Google from three companies: UK price comparison site Foundem, French legal search engine ejustice.fr, and – irony of ironies – Microsoft's Ciao by Bing. Oh, and Foundem is partly funded by Microsoft, as well. Google says the complaints from Foundem and ejustice.fr are basically that Google demotes their ranking because they're vertical search engines and competitors to Google. If that's really the the case, that would be like saying Target doesn't give preference to a third party toilet paper company because they want to promote their own toilet paper. Target certainly has the right to promote their own toilet paper over another company's. Last but not least, late breaking today is the EU concern about Google regarding Street View photos. For privacy reasons, Google will blur portions of their Street View photos. But they keep a coy of the unblurred photo. The Article 29 Data Protection Working Party of the European Commission has informed Google that keeping unblurred photos for more than a year is not ok. These legal and regulatory issues won't be going away anytime soon. In some areas, the problem is just the lack of a legitimate competitor. In other areas, Google is testing the boundaries of data collection. I'm sure it's quite tempting for a company of Google's size to push the envelope but the market and regulatory agencies will act as de facto checks and balances as long as they do.

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Will Google Buzz Give Facebook and Twitter a run for their money?

Google launched a new social effort today called Google Buzz. If you're immediate reaction is, "Wait, doesn't Yahoo! already have a product named Buzz?" Then you'd be correct. But Google didn't acquire Yahoo! Buzz. Nor has Yahoo! Buzz gone defunct and Google felt ok about picking it up as a name. The two products are alike in name and the fact that they're social. But that's about it. Google Buzz lets you be social from Gmail. You can update your status there and share photos. (Yahoo! Buzz is more akin to social bookmarking and trending topics.) Who do you share Google Buzz with? Gmail contacts, for one, but you can also send your updates to Twitter as well. Your Gmail contacts can respond to your updates, using the @ symbol much like Twitter and now Facebook use. Your Gmail inbox will be used to push notifications to Buzz users. Buzz is rolling out, so it may take a few days before you get access. In the meantime, check out this vid to see how it works:

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178 million Americans watched 33 billion videos in December

Nearly 178 million U.S. Internet users watched 33.2 billion online videos during December 2009, according to the latest data from comScore Vedio Metrix. This means Americans watched an average of 187 videos per viewer during the month. Here are some other related stats from comScore's announcement: 86.5 percent of the total U.S. Internet audience viewed online video in December. 134.4 million viewers watched more than 13 billion videos on YouTube.com — 97.1 videos per viewer. 44.9 million viewers watched 423.3 million videos on MySpace Sites — 9.4 videos per viewer. The average Hulu viewer watched 22.9 videos, totaling 2.2 hours of videos per viewer. The duration of the average online video was 4.1 minutes. It's no mystery any more, you should create videos for your law firms practice!

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Video Marketing and the Law – What you Should Know

Good article from Reel SEO about legal issues related to video marketing. Mark Rosenberg was recently published in Affiliate Summit’s FeedFront magazine with his article titled “Video Marketing and the Law.” We have the article for you to read here and Mark shares with us the basic proactive measures that all video marketers should be aware to to avoid common legal pitfalls, including: right of publicity issues, copyrights, licensing, contracts, and receiving proper consent. Videos can be a very effective Internet marketing tool. Yet, this tool comes with several hidden legal issues. These pitfalls can be avoided if the video marketer is aware of them and takes proactive measures. Right of Publicity issues with online video The most overlooked issue in video marketing is the right of publicity. This right relates to a person’s ability to control whether and how his or her name, likeness and voice are used. In order to avoid right of publicity disputes, affiliate marketers should have all persons appearing in their videos sign a release granting the marketer the right to use that person’s name, likeness, image, etc. in connection with the recording, display and distribution of the video. Get consents in writing These consents must be in writing. That is because some states do not recognize oral consents even if the consent is recorded on video. Everyone appearing in the video should sign a release, regardless of whether the person is an employee, family or a friend. That way, if an actor has a change of heart after the video is taped or after it begins to be displayed, the marketer is protected. Otherwise, the actor could potentially bring a lawsuit for a monetary award and an injunction prohibiting the use of the video. Copyright issues with online video Copyright law also plays a major role in video marketing. Preliminarily, in almost all cases, using video images copied from YouTube or from a television network’s or a show’s Web site without consent is a copyright violation. While the basics of copyright infringement are usually obvious, the concept of copyright ownership is not. As a result, affiliate marketers are often not aware that just because they pay someone to create a video, they do not necessarily own the copyright in that work. In many cases, the person who actually creates the video is considered the work’s author and the owner of its copyright. In fact, everyone involved in the creation of the video, including the script writer, the director and the production crew may own a portion of the copyright in the finished video and possess the legal right to determine whether and how the video can be used. This issue can be avoided by having all persons involved in the creation of the video sign a work-for-hire agreement before production commences. These agreements are written contracts which specify that entity which commissions the video owns the entire copyright in it. Background music is an additional copyright issue in video marketing. This issue is often overlooked. Unless the video uses only original music created by the affiliate marketer, the marketer must obtain consent to use the music. Otherwise, there is a potential infringement issue. By employing these basic measures, you can avoid many of the legal issues raised by video marketing. Read More

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