Articles and Columns for January 2020

• Competitive Intelligence – A Selective Resource Guide – Updated January 2020 – Sabrina I. Pacifici has completely revised and updated her guide, which she first published in 2006 and has updated regularly since that time. A wide range of free and low cost sites with expertly sourced content specific to researchers focused on business, finance, government data, legislation, legal research, analysis and news from the U.S. and around the world, are highlighted and their value described. The resources in this guide are the work of corporate, government, academic, news organizations, advocacy groups and subject matter experts, many of whom use open source applications. This guide is pertinent to professionals who are actively engaged in employing a balanced yet diverse group of reliable, expert, actionable sources for their daily research.
• Automation in MS Outlook – This guide by legal tech expert Catherine (Sanders) Reach is a must-read for every Outlook user seeking to implement value added features and functions that are currently underused, or not used at all. Many of us spend a good portion of our day in Outlook, receiving and responding to email, sending and filing attachments, scheduling appointments, responding to meetings, and updating contacts. Sanders Reach identifies key shortcuts, tools and techniques already built into application, as well as third-party add-ins, to help manage your communications much more effectively.
• Toxic for libraries? KKR investment firm to buy OverDrive, biggest library ebook company – The KKR investment firm is buying OverDrive, the biggest library ebook company, providing ebooks and audiobooks to 43,000+ libraries and schools in 75 countries – from Rakuten, also owner of the Kobo ereader, audiobook and ebook business. As the number of e-book publishers and ereaders continues to shrink, David H. Rothman asks, “do we really want to trust digital libraries to KKR on issues ranging from access to reliable digital preservation.”
• Local news outlets can fill the media trust gap – but the public needs to pony up – Recent surveys found that trust in local media is higher than for national media, yet many newsrooms are struggling financially. Damian Radcliffe, Caroline S. Chambers Professor in Journalism at the University of Oregon, suggests four ways local newsrooms can forge deeper relationships with the communities they serve.
• 50 Lessons For Women Lawyers From Women Lawyers – Nicole Black recommends a recent book written by women lawyers for women lawyers. The 50 different lessons are from 50 different women lawyers with diverse career paths that inform their unique perspectives and useful advice.
• The Legal Research Tools Lawyers Are Using in 2020 and Beyond – The ABA’s annual Legal Technology Survey Report is the basis for Nicole Black’s overview of what free and fee-based legal research tools lawyers are using – and yes, a number of lawyers continue to use print collections as well as CD-ROMs.
• The Decade in Legal Tech: The 10 Most Significant Developments – Robert Ambrogi describes and identifies why this was a decade of tumult and upheaval in legal technology, bringing changes that will forever transform the practice of law and the delivery of legal services. From the ubiquity of big data, to migrating applicationsto the cloud, and the increasing adoption AI, Ambrogi’s keen insights and comprehensive expertise make this article critical reading.
• Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, January 25, 2020 – Four highlights from this week: How Do People Decide Whether to Trust a Photo on Social Media?; Microsoft discloses security breach of customer support database; NIST Releases Privacy Framework; Apple complies with 90% of US government requests for customer data.
• Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, January 18, 2020 – Four highlights from this week: Inspector General Warns Public About New Twist To Social Security Phone Scams; SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy is issuing this alert to urge investors to use caution before investing in so-called “initial exchange offerings” through online trading platforms; NSA Takes Step Toward Protecting World’s Computers, Not Just Hacking Them; and A Billion Medical Images Are Exposed Online As Doctors Ignore Warnings.
• Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, January 12, 2020 – Four highlights from this week: FBI, Homeland Security warn of Iranian terror and cyber threat in new intelligence bulletin; Police are buying hidden cameras disguised as rocks, trees, tombstones; ‘Shattered’: Inside the secret battle to save America’s undercover spies in the digital age; and Cities, states face costly cybersecurity landscape after attacks spiked in 2019.
• Pete Recommends – Weekly highlights on cyber security issues, January 5, 2020 – Four highlights from this week: The 5 Best Authenticator Apps for Protecting Your Accounts; Major US companies breached, robbed, and spied on by Chinese hackers; US Army bans soldiers from using TikTok over security worries; and 7 types of virus – a short glossary of contemporary cyberbadness.

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