Starting in October: Tell us your favorite apps – get featured!

iBraryGuy is excited to announce a new crowdsourced feature starting in October. Let’s hear your APPlause!

It seems like there is an app for everything these days. Just within the realm of information alone, there are apps for staying updated on the news, conducting research, managing your time, communicating with your team, and even billing for the good work you do. These are just the tip of the technological iceberg! At iBraryGuy, we do our very best to share reviews of some of our latest and greatest app discoveries. Yet we cannot help but wonder what you are using. Continue reading “Starting in October: Tell us your favorite apps – get featured!” →

What the ILTA Technology Survey Says About Mobile Legal Research

Recently released, the ILTA Technology Survey offers information professionals great insight into how lawyers are interacting with technology at their firms. The organization, made up primarily of firm IT and KM professionals, produces an annual technology survey, and, thankfully, releases it for free (the AmLaw Tech Survey and the ABA’s Legal Technology Survey Report will run you a few dollars).

Notably, among the many topics it covers, the survey focuses on attorneys’ use of tablet pcs and apps.

The results for the question “to the best of your knowledge, which non-native tablet/iPad apps are most used at your firm for business purposes (choose up to five apps)” are as follow, with a brief/not-all-encompassing description from me on what these apps do:

1. Citrix Receiver – enables access to Citrix environments from mobile devices

2. LinkedIn – social media platform for business professionals

3. Dropbox – cloud-computing storage service

4. Adobe Acrobat – .pdf viewer and editor

5. Skype – remote video and voice or instant messaging platform

6. FaceBook – social media platform

7. Documents to Go – enables users to view Microsoft Office and Adobe files in the iOS environment.

8. Evernote – enables users to take electronic notes

9. GoodReader – annotate and read .pdfs

10. Mimecast – enables access of Mimecast email environment

Interesting results:

14. TrialPad – presentation tool tailored to attorneys

15. Westlaw Next – legal research system

27. iTimeKeep – time tracking utility

39. iJuror – jury selection app

Westlaw Next’s inclusion is notable, in that it signifies tablets are being used for legal research, but its location on the list shows the strong popularity of the more well-known productivity-oriented apps (dropbox, evernote, documents to go, etc.). The answer to the overarching question how much traction is there for tablets and mobile devices to be used for legal research is still a little nebulous. Will user behavior change to where tablets and mobile devices are commonly used to conduct legal research? It’s hard to say. Is there a legal research platform that could really exploit the unique characteristics of tablets or mobile devices, to the point where the mobile-version would offer something valuable that would distinguish it from the desktop version?

Also notable is that attorneys themselves are typically not the respondents to the survey questions–rather, it’s the membership of ILTA who are queried. And, it is important to point out, once again, that those queried were to only chose 5 apps, and not every app they have observed/encountered their attorneys using.

Site of the Week: TaskRabbit gets it done!

When you need help getting something done, finding reliable assistance can be a real problem. You can ask family and friends. But how many of us have been let down by the well-intentioned? You can hire through a professional services provider. But that can be expensive. Yes, you can also post something on a basic internet bulletin board. But how can you be sure the folks answering your ads are safe and trustworthy? With everything that could wrong, there is some real credence to the notion that you are better off doing things yourself. Luckily, you do not have to, thanks to the folks at TaskRabbit.

TaskRabbit is a site that let’s you get the help you need from safe, reliable, vetted individuals. No task is too small or too silly. You post what you need done and how much you are willing to pay and the site’s corps of “TaskRabbits” will literally bid to do your bidding. And just who are these folks, you might be wondering. Well, according to the site:

Every TaskRabbit goes through our application process, which includes a video screening and a multilayered background check.

TaskRabbits and TaskPosters use their real identities online, so everyone knows who they’re dealing with. TaskRabbits are also reviewed and rated on the Tasks they complete, so it’s easy to ensure that good TaskRabbits are always busy.

We recently used TaskRabbit to get help moving some heavy items of furniture. They guys who took the job were friendly, came prepared, and were very enthusiastic about their work with the site. It was an amazing experience to say the least.

There are even smartphone apps that let you post tasks while you are on the go. Can it get any easier?

My Library app puts your catalogue in your pocket!

Looking for an easy, convenient way to take your personal catalogue on the road with you? Look no further than My Library by Josh Pressnell. This powerful and handy app for the iPhone lets you catalogue your home collection and then carry it in your pocket.

We do not often review smartphone apps here on iBraryGuy, as we know our readers use a plethora of different models and that any discussion as to which one might be better leads to some serious controversy. Every once in a while though, a smartphone app comes along that is just too cool to ignore. So we don’t. My Library is definitely an app worth courting a wee bit of controversy for. Have you ever wanted a quick and easy way to catalogue your home library and then have that information at your fingertips when and where you want it? My Library does all of this and more. Creating a personal catalogue is as simple as entering an ISBN or even scanning the barcode with your iPhone’s camera. The app does the look-up and download of the book’s information for you. You can organize your collections, back them up, and even share them right from the palm of your hand. We loved how easy it was to use and how quickly we were able to catalogue our entire home collection.

But My Library is not just for cataloguing your books. No, it is much more versatile and powerful than that. You can use this app to also organize your movies and CDs. Beyond creating just a catalogue, My Library actually lets you search, track, and rate the items in your collection. Mark your books as having been read, in the process of being so, or even loaned out to a friend. Make notes on what you thought about a particular book or movie. Go ahead, librarians, have at it. My Library is an OPAC in your pocket. And you do not have to be a librarian to use it. It is just that easy.

One of the coolest features of My Library is the interface. You can actually view the covers of your books and CDs. If an image is not available in the info that the app downloads from the internet, you can simply use your phone’s camera to snap your own. For a really eye-popping experience, turn your phone to landscape position to browse your items in shelf format!

As of now, My Library is only available for the iPhone. We hope to see it on other platforms soon. As iPhone users, the iBraryGuy team have become eager and enthusiastic adopters of this app. We highly recommend it!

iBraryGuy unveils iPhone App for Librarians & Info-Pros!

Exciting News from iBraryGuy!!!

The iBraryGuy team is pleased to announce the release of iBraryGuy for iPhone! Our new, FREE app is designed to bring the best of the library and info social web to your iPhone. With the iBraryGuy App, you can access our content and that of some of the best library and information blogs in the internet from any place you have 3G or WiFi access.

The iBraryGuy App is simple, yet powerful. The initial screen upon opening the app is a live feed of iBraryGuy content, streamed directly from our blog. With a click of the InfoBlog button, the entire web of library and information blogs is opened. The InfoBlog section provides a live feed from our Librarians.Collected collaboration at Collected.Info. Librarians.Collected features over 30 (and growing) of the best and most popular blogs by and for librarians and info-pros. If you know of any blogs that we should add to the list or have one you would like us to remove, please let us know!

We'd appreciate any feedback you can offer and hope to have an Android version available later this year. Oh, and did we mention, iBraryGuy for iPhone is FREE?

iBraryGuy for iPhone . . . News for the Info-Minded!