First off, I’m going to let you know that I am very biased on this topic, and believe that it is the goverment’s express duty to make its laws known to the people they affect.  So, when I was at the Oklahoma Supreme Court, and managing the court’s public website, OSCN, we made every effort to make whatever writings came out of the court available online.

But, there are a number of governments, from local to state, that attempt to put a copyright on any and all of their publications, and use that as leverage to either sell access to the information via their own publications or through publishers like Westlaw and Lexis.  Oregon just recently backed off of their attempt to sue for copyright protection once there was a public outcry against them.  My good friend Bonnie Shucha, up in Wisconsin, blogged about that case back in July.
I read today on CNET that Carl Malamud is trying to take on any government that he can by copying their published works and making it available on public.resource.org.  Great idea, but pretty hard for one man to do.  But, I do like how he is putting the web to use by also hosting the Pacer Recycling website where you can upload your old Pacer documents to his site, and others can then use them rather than going back to Pacer.
Getting governments to contribute to the public domain shouldn’t be a difficult task, but it can be.  Even when I was at OSCN, we offered the free use of our database to house the court decisions and statutes of other states.  We only had one state to take us up on the offer (good ol’ Wyoming!!)  We even helped digitize some of their older cases and put the whole thing in Universal Citation System format, so that the big boys at the major legal publishers didn’t try to sue for the pagination rights.  I was truly surprised when other courts didn’t take us up on the offer to house their cases.  There were actually a couple of them (who shall remain nameless Western Mountainous States) that were actually pretty hostile to the idea because they thought it would cut a revenue source for them.  
I wish Carl the best of luck, and will be watching to see if he finally gets under the governments’ or publishers’ skin and they sue him for copyright enfringment.

This looks like a very hip, highly functional cool new tool that I would seriously consider owning. Depends upon how it looks, ‘tho . . .

Sony Ericsson Announces Bluetooth Watches For Women

London, UK – 24th of September, 2008 – Convenient, good looking and distinctive, the Bluetooth ™ MBW-200 range of Bluetooth™ watches is an expansion of the highly successful Bluetooth ™ MBW-150 range. With three different sophisticated designs to match your personality, be the first among your friends to control your phone with your watch.

Missed an important call or SMS because you couldn’t hear or find your phone at the bottom of your handbag? With the MBW-200 this is now a thing of the past. Using innovative Bluetooth™ technology, the watch displays the caller ID and vibrates as your phone is ringing or when you receive an SMS. Reject or mute the call with a button on the watch or use the Bluetooth™ headset or mobile phone to answer the call and start chatting.

“The MBW-200 series is the next step in the development of Bluetooth™ wireless technology.” said Karmen Mandic, Product Business Manager, at Sony Ericsson. “Now women can buy a Bluetooth™ watch that gives them both wireless functionality and an opportunity to express their personal taste. We’re all looking for products that make our lives more convenient. With a glance at your watch you can see who is calling, what the time is and with a push of a button you can change your music or use it as a music remote control when your phone is on the other side of the room– all in one stylish device.”

Designed in partnership with watch industry leader Fossil and the Bluetooth™ knowhow of Sony Ericsson, the MBW-200 series comes in three distinct designs; Sparkling Allure, Contemporary Elegance and Evening Classic. The Bluetooth™ Watch Collection features scratch resistant mineral crystal glass with an anti-glare coating for optimum readability and glow. The discreet, yet stylish and clear monochrome OLED display is invisible when not in use and clearly visible on a bright day so that you can see who is calling or which track is playing with ease.

Can’t decide which stylish Bluetooth™ Watch is for you? Sony Ericsson has teamed up with three leading female tennis players to show how each MBW-200 watch has a distinct personality to match anyone’s personal style and fashion tastes.

The Sparkling Allure Edition, as modelled by 19-year-old Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova, is glamorous, yet strong and sporty – created for the ultimate young and funky fashionista. With its on trend white leather strap and display with crystal décor stones, this stylish number is perfect for making a fashion statement while being practical and convenient.

The Contemporary Elegance Edition, as modelled by 18-year-old Danish ‘Princess of Tennis’ Caroline Wozniacki, is perfect for the young professional who wants to stay focussed on the job at the same time as staying connected. Enjoy the benefits of the stainless steel watch with its efficient call handling and make a dazzling impression wherever you are.

The Evening Classic Edition, adorning 19-year-old Hungarian superstar Agnes Szavay, has a classic yet casual profile. The stylish leather strap and discreet black face can be worn in any environment, whether at home, in the office or on a weekend away. For those who are always on the move the vibration alert of an SMS, or out of phone range, means that never again will you miss an important message.

Bluetooth™ Watch MBW-200 collection features:Bringing together contemporary design and cutting edge Bluetooth™ technology
Reject or mute call through the watch
Vibrates on new SMS/MMS – and an out of range warning – when 10 m away from your phone
Discreet yet clear caller ID – OLED display
Play, pause, stop or skip a track on your phone’s music player
Quartz movements for exact time keeping – both digital and analogue
Auto pairing™ – easier to connect the watch to your phone
Water resistant up to 3 ATM
Allergy safe stainless steel
Mineral crystal scratch resistant face with antiglare coating
The MBW-200 range is available in selected markets in Q4.
Sony Ericsson will also expand the MBW-150 range with yet another design. The MBW-150 Classic is a sporty edition with a brown leather strap and white face that will be available early next year in selected markets.
The Sony Ericsson MBW-200 at a glance
MBW-200Time indicator
Analogue
Digital from mobile phone
Discreet call handling
Caller ID in display
Reject/mute call through watch
Change volume
Music player control
Play, pause, stop, next track skip
Change volume
SMS/MMS message alert
Vibrates on new SMS/MMS
Out of range warningVibration alert at 10m from phone
Standby time
Battery indicator
Bluetooth functionality for up to 7 days
Analogue time keeping for up to 7 days
SpecificationsIn-Box:
Bluetooth™ Watch
Charging clip
Standard charger CST-60
User guide
Exclusive box
3 different variants

Evening Classic
Black dial with crystal décor
Black detail on crown
Black leather bracelet
Stainless steel clasp
Stainless steel case
60g weight
Contemporary Elegance
Display with crystal décor stone
Red minute hand
Pattern detail on dial
Brushed stainless steel bracelet
Double security clasp with stainless steel folding blade
Stainless steel case
60g weight
Sparkling Allure
Rose gold rim with crystal décor stones
Rose gold hands with white fill
Mother of pearl look ‘carbon fiber’ texture display
White crocodile leather bracelet
Chrome finish polish on case
Rose gold clasp
Weight 60g
Size: 37.3 x 39.6 x 14 mmAvailability and versionsAvailable in selected markets from early Q4 2008.

While at the AALL annual meeting, I met Stephen Foley, the Chief Tech Officer of a new company called iCyte.   iCyte is beta testing its product which is designed to help the researcher better compile the information he or she gathers on the web, and to house copies of the original version of the web pages where the information was gathered.  I remember using a similar product like this years ago (pre-1999 because I was still working at Oklahoma City University’s School of Law at the time.)  But for the life of me, I cannot remember what the product was called (if you remember it, please tell me!!)  That product, however, only allowed you to save the information locally.  With iCyte, it actually stores the information on the iCyte server, allowing you to access the saved information from any computer with an Internet connection.

Here is what the service includes:
  • a browser plug in – the software to be installed on your personal computer (“Client”); and
  • access to and storage of annotations on an iCyte server (“Server”); and
  • The Client enables you to annotate relevant portions of web-based documents (including web pages and PDF documents). The annotations and the web-based document are then saved as part of a project on the Server (“Annotations”), allowing extraction, publication, sorting, searching and editing at a later date
And there are some service options available as well.
  • Public – a Public setting will allow other users and members of the public to view and access (but not edit) all of your Annotations in that project.
  • Private – a Private setting will allow only those users who have been explicitly been given privileges by you to access, view and/or edit (as specified by you) your Annotations in that project.
  • Enterprise (for users subject to an Enterprise End User Licence Agreement) – an Enterprise setting will allow only those users who are a part of your enterprise to access, view and/or edit (as specified by you) any of your Annotations in that project.
If you are like me, you tend to research by doing the following:
  1. Find the information you need online using your web browser (I’m still testing Chrome and liking it…)
  2. Copy the information to a MS Word document
  3. Analyze the information and then reformat it in the standard research format.
  4. Proof, proof, and re-proof.
  5. Hand it over to the requester (reluctantly, because you just know there was something else out there but you didn’t have enough time to find it because the associate waited until the last minute to ask for your assistance…..  oh, I’m getting off topic … )
The value of a product like iCyte allows you to work in the same manner, but the copying and pasting is much better because you can now save your research process online, keep a copy of the original web page, and use tags to mark-up the data so you can better review the information at a later time.
I’m looking forward to testing this to see if it really matches my expectations.  I’m not sure if the beta test is open to everyone, but if you’re interested, you should contact Stephen and ask to be included in the beta testing.

In a week and a day, Nevada steps up with a new law requiring encryption of electronically transmitted personal information.

NRS 597.970 Restrictions on transfer of personal information through electronic transmission.
[Effective October 1, 2008.] 1. A business in this State shall not transfer any personal information of a customer through an electronic transmission other than a facsimile to a person outside of the secure system of the business unless the business uses encryption to ensure the security of electronic transmission.

Leaving the discussion of the technical and legal aspects of this new law to others, I find this new law refreshing in a number of ways. Lawyers and regulators love to ramble about protecting clients’ knowledge but balked when it comes to actually imposing defined methods and duties. Where state bars and courts soft-peddle the duty, the State of Nevada has taken a much stronger stance.

More importantly, this new law recognizes the unsecure nature of the Internet and looks at knowledge (personal information in this case) as an asset to be protected. I like this angle. We talk about KM but do not usually recognize that the “M” is management and good management means good protection.

I predict the Nevada law will see various challenges in the near future, but welcome dialogue on this vital KM issue.

My co-blogger Greg has already posted a great list of DR lessons, so I thought I would add a thought of my own.

My DR/KM recommendation is for an organization, instead of individuals. For the duration of Ike and his aftermath, I have lived electronically on my BlackBerry. I tried not to complain too much, since I at least had access to information. But it became very apparent not many resources are well-tuned for mobile access.

I know my other co-blogger Lisa may take issue with this comment as she goes to great lengths to format websites for mobile viewing. Even though they are viewable, they are not very WAP friendly, as navigation and browsing are tedious.

And beyond web sites, I could have benefited from mobile access to systems and information. Although I was able to limp along and BS my way through many tasks, I wasn’t able to really live on my BB.

For KM, I think we need to look ahead and move more purposely in a WAP direction. What good is knowledge if it’s not accessible when I need it most?

The good news is that all of the geeks are alive and well after Ike.  The great news is that one of us got to actually go on a vacation and left the other two to pick up the virtual limbs left on our blog.

Here are just some quick things I learned from Ike:
  1. If you are not directly effected by a disaster, you truly don’t know the frustration that occurs with trying to do the simplest of tasks.
  2. If your IT department is in another city, they will attempt to ‘test’ your system during the crisis, and forget that you need access to your communication tools.  (Like taking down email access over the weekend to ‘test’ a new product.)
  3. If the power comes on across the street, you will learn to despise your neighbors (most of whom you’ve never met before.)  It also means that it will be days before the electric company gets around to restoring power to your home!
  4. Your neighbor, that you thought was the dumbest one on the block, is the only one smart enough to have bought a generator in advance of the storm.  
  5. You have a lot of really nice people in your neighborhood.
  6. You have an old lady in your neighborhood that you’ve never met before, but she still yells at everyone to get off her lawn (even though you’re removing all of the branches from it.)
  7. It is good to have family.
  8. It is good to have friends.
  9. You learn that by acting locally, you affect so many, and it can make a difference on a regional scale.
  10. Text Messaging (SMS) is great, but not fail-proof.
  11. My Amazon Kindle was a surprising resource with its basic web service.
  12. Twitter was nice to let my friends know how I was fairing.
  13. My power inverter that I bought for my car (so the kids could watch movies on trips) is a great tool to power a few items (like a fan and other low-powered things.)
  14. Pool water can help refill the toilet tank!!
  15. Next time there is a hurricane coming this way, I’m buying ice four-days in advance!!
  16. I’m a lucky guy to have friends, family and neighbors that helped keep me sane through it all!
  17. There are still other friends and neighbors that are out there that need a little help to keep sane through it all.
  18. It is good to be home!

In case you didn’t know this, all the geeks on this Blog are based out of beautiful warm and sunny Houston, Texas (oh, okay….  hot and humid Houston – but it is still beautiful!)  And, unless you’ve been under a rock, we have a little hurricane coming down on us in the next couple of days.

This brings me to the “geeky” part of the posting.  How does one stay in contact with others during these type of natural disasters??  When California had its earthquake a couple of months ago, the cell phones went out, but the land line phones stayed operational.  That just kind of goes against what I thought would happen.  And, because I’m all geeky, I don’t have a land line at my house, so I’m assuming that the cell phone towers will be the first thing to fail during the storm.
So, how does one communicate with no land line and no cell phone service??  According to Ernie the Attorney, the answer is “Twitter.”  
I thought I’d try this out during Gustav, but that storm went east of us.  But, it looks like we’re dead on for a nice little bout of rain and wind with Mr. Ike, so I’ll get to put Twitter to the test.
If you have nothing else to do, or you have some sick morbid sense of humor and want to follow the situation through IKE, you can follow my “Twittering”!!  

There was a lot of hulla-baloo today about MicroSoft’s latest attempt to recapture the market after Apple achieved wide appeal with its PC v Mac ads.Following the theme of the famed Seinfold show, Jerry Seinfeld’s presence assures that this commercial is about nothing.Lots of critics that it was unfunny. Not I. A giggle did escape . . . A thanks to my proverbial right-hand woman, Whitney Palmer, for spotting this story. More thoughts on the commercial can be read here:http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/18257

Search Engine Optimization is a constant game of cat and mouse between the Search Engine companies and the webmasters of the world.  Seems like last week, one of the biggies on the webmaster side got caught by the biggie on the search engine side, and in the process, I learned a new industry phrase called “link juicing.”  Now, I’m sad to say that all of those first page links out there may need to have an *asterisk* placed beside them.

The story goes like this:
1.  Findlaw, due to its being owned by Thomson Reuters, and being a highly visited web site, gets a special ranking by Google, and in turn, Google promotes links found on Findlaw to a higher ranking (thus pushing some law firms higher on the results page than others.)
2.  Seems that Google asks for those websites like Findlaw to tag any advertised links as such, and the ranking for these links will get downgraded and will keep the “true” links at the higher ranking.
3.  Findlaw allegedly was selling “high-octane” links on its site to law firms and others promoting the links as a way to increase traffic to the firms’ sites at the tune of $2,000 a month.
4.  Loose lips (emails) at Findlaw’s sales team, sent out an email that promoted this in a way that caught the attention of Google.
5.  Google then lowered Findlaw’s ranking in its PageRank.
6.  Findlaw apologized, tagged the links as “paid links” and Google then returned Findlaw’s higher PageRank value.
7.  whew…
8.  Now, I’m sure there are going to be some law firms lining up for a refund.
Legal Technology Blog is adding information on this story as it comes out.
I’m assuming that the Search Engine Optimization team at Thomson Reuters is going back to the drawing board and determining how they can leverage their highly ranked websites like Findlaw against the search engines out there in order to sell those links again.  If Google and other search engines are finding ways to test for  “link juicing,” then I’m sure the webmasters are out there finding the next method to work around the testing.