The Trifecta!
By Marybeth Everhart
Kingston MobileLite G2: Kingston's MobileLiteG2 is a compact, portable, multifunctional card reader that lets you easily transfer digital data.
Otoma PK101 Pico Pocket Projector: This microprojector is the smallest projector you have ever seen.
Rotating Single Outlet Surge: Easily convert any outlet into a surge-protected outlet.
For more information, click here.
JCR Contributing Editor Marybeth Everhart, RPR, CRI, is a member of NCRA's Technology Evaluation Committee.
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Tech News
Courts Ban Use of Blackberry, iPhone, Twitter, and Facebook
Due to the increased use of cellular devices and computers by jurors, the Judicial Conference Committee on Court Administration and Case Management for U. S. District Courts has developed guidelines to be issued to jurors. The guidelines instruct jurors that they are not allowed to consult the Internet for any reference or research purposes, and they are not permitted to use electronic devices or social media sites to communicate while they are serving. The committee hopes that the explicit instructions will help jurors to better understand and adhere to the rules.
For more information, click here.
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Judicial Conference of United States Approves Changes to PACER
On March 16, the Judicial Conference of the United States approved changes to the Public Access to Electronic Record (PACER) system. The Conference voted to allow courts to make digital audio recordings of court hearings available online to the public through PACER provided that the presiding judge deems it appropriate. In addition, the Conference approved adjustments to the fee schedule, so in the future, users will only be billed if they accrue more than ten dollars in usage per quarter rather than per year. The Conference felt that these, along with other approved changes, "improve public access to federal courts by increasing the availability of court opinions and expanding the service and reducing costs for many users."
For more information, click here.
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Expanding Access with a Wearable, Wireless Captioning System
Leanne West, Director of the Landmark Research Center at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, is developing a wearable, wireless captioning system. The system harnesses standard wireless technology by using the selected venue's transmitter to send captions to the consumers' wireless-enabled PDAs, smartphones, or laptops. A current prototype of the device is in use at the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Conn., and the system debuted publicly at the January 3, 2010, Dallas Cowboys home football game.
For more information, click here.
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Circumventing E-mail Size Restrictions
Are you having problems sending large files due to e-mail servers that restrict the size of attachments? Drop.io's Outlook plug-in allows users to send larger files through its "unique file-sharing and collaboration platform." E-mails with attachments sent using drop.io will include download links, so the e-mail recipient can access the files online or download the attachment.
For more information, click here.
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Signing Documents on the Move
A new application called Zosh allows iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad users to sign, add text or images, and e-mail documents. After downloading the application, users create an account and then can e-mail any document to a special e-mail address they are given. Users can access the document and add text and even utilize the touch screen to sign their name to the document while on the go.
For more information, click here.
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Dropbox Confirms Android Application
After teasing customers with hints of what was to come, Dropbox has officially announced that it will be getting an Android application. Android users will be able to access the contents of their Dropboxes from their Android devices. In addition, any changes made to files using the Android application will sync back to the user's Dropbox.
For more information, click here.
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Pilot Program Tests Case Management System
The Third Branch, the newsletter of the Federal Courts, suggests that the Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) System could provide solutions for probation and pretrial services offices "looking for a way to save time and money, move cases faster, and eliminate paper." The CM/ECF system is live in all district and appellate courts, and since last November, seven probation and pretrial services offices have been involved in a pilot program to test the integration of the system into their day-to-day processes. The findings from the pilot have been formalized to create methods for future use of the program by similar entities.
For more information, click here.
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Cloud Computing Creates Legal Challenges
With new technology comes new concerns and precautions for users, and this principle applies to cloud computing software licensing and outsourcing agreements. While lessons can be learned from the traditional agreements, cloud agreements have "new issues, which will need new solutions." The increasing popularity of cloud computing has required vendors and users to establish new kinds of agreements to ensure that their respective legal rights are protected.
For more information, click here.
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Making Broadway Accessible to Everyone
The Theater Development Fund (TDF) is attempting to make Broadway more accessible to individuals with disabilities. The TDF Accessibility Program (TAP) helps theaters to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The services provided include hearing devices for live descriptions of what's happening on stage, sign language interpreters, and open captioning of the performances.
For more information, click here.
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Standards for Mobile Digital Television Devices Announced; Includes Captioning Compatibility
The Advanced Television System Committee (ATSC) has released A/153: Mobile DTV Standards. The Mobile DTV Standards define "the technical specifications necessary for broadcasters to provide new services for mobile and handheld devices using the digital television (DTV) transmissions." These standards mark the first time that a video program transmission technology was planned from the start to support closed captioning, rather than requiring an after-the-fact retrofit or modification.
For more information, click here.
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NCRA's Tech Tracker is a service to NCRA members and provides a digest of recent news items relevant to the profession. The views expressed in the cited articles are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of NCRA.