Last month’s Pacific Legal Technology Conference brought a cross-section of legal professionals from across the province, with many attending a segment I co-hosted on smartphones for lawyers. I learned that, while Apple uptake is certainly rising, a large number of lawyers and others in attendance still use Blackberry users. A recent lunch and learn I hosted in conjunction with Courthouse Libraries BC in Kamloops on October 20th confirmed another fact—that while many seasoned lawyers already own Blackberry devices, few take full advantage of the applications developers have produced with them in mind. The following is an update of an article I wrote for Canadian Lawyers’ Magazine that came out in April this year, showcasing some useful apps for the Blackeberry. Here is the revised "Blackberry Apps for Lawyers".

Blackberry Apps for Lawyers

Despite the profusion of smartphones, few of us fully appreciate what these devices are really capable of, either personally or in their practice. In our profession the smart phone combines all of the usefulness of the PDA (contacts, calendar, to do lists, note taker) with a cell phone, an email tool, a GPS, instant messaging, and an abundance of applications or “Apps”.

My current smartphone of choice is the Blackberry Torch. It includes a slide out keyboard, a touch screen, a GPS, and a 5 megapixel camera (still and video). The Torch comes with a number of standard Apps. However, the device is not limited to these Apps. This article describes just a few of the many Apps presently available and of potential benefit to those of us in the legal profession. Many of these applications are free or available for purchase at a very nominal cost. Most of the Apps described in this article are available on line at www.blackberry.com/AppWorld and www.crackberry.com. 

Some of these Apps include the following:

• BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express: This App allows you to wirelessly sync with your email, calendar, and more. Once configured, the sync occurs automatically so a change to your desktop calendar or contact list will automatically transfer over to BlackBerry and vice versa. The program works with Microsoft Exchange, Windows Small Business Server, and IBM Lotus Domino. (free)
• BlackBerry Protect: This App is designed to keep your information secure if your BlackBerry goes missing. If you’re on an applicable consumer data plan (enterprise plans are not supported at this time), you can log into the website and locate, lock and wipe your smartphone from wherever you are. The program also allows you to back up your crucial data backed up wirelessly and automatically, as often as you choose (daily, weekly, or monthly). (free)
• Blueslate Converter: The free version of this unit conversion calculator includes conversions for the following categories: area, length, time, volume, mass/weight, and temperature. (free)
• Business Card Reader: This App allows you to import contact information from business cards directly into your BlackBerry contacts by taking a photo of the card with your device camera. ($9.99 (USD))
• Caller ID Reader: reads your incoming caller’s names aloud and can also help you screen your calls. (free)
• CanPages: This App lets you use your Blackberry to find businesses (including photos and videos), restaurants, entertainment, people, maps, directions, and traffic conditions. The App features voice search allowing you to speak what you are looking for. The business listings are from the yellow section of the Canpages directory and residential listings are from the white pages. (free)
• Canadian Mortgage Calculator: This App helps you estimate the biweekly or monthly payments for a mortgage. ($9.99 (USD))
• Canadian Mortgage Calculator: The calculator calculates the payment amount for various payment frequency options as well as the interest incurred over the period of the mortgage. The user enters the mortgage amount, the interest rate, the amortization period and the mortgage length. (free)
• Canadian Yellow Pages Business Finder and Canada 411 People Finder: Provides Yellow Pages and the 411 People finder at your finger tips. (free)
• CardSnap: This App allows you to quickly and easily convert business cards into contacts on your BlackBerry. It uses the high resolution camera of your device (minimum 3.2 mega pixel required) to capture an image of a business card and processes it through optical character recognition. ($4.99)
• DataBackup Free Beta: This App allows you to backup your device data to the device SD Card. (free)
• Dictation Apps:
  • BigHand: This App allows you to record, edit and (with the premium edition) send voice files or tasks to office based support. The basic version of this App is free.
  • Dragon for Email: An easy-to-use email dictation application powered by Dragon NaturallySpeaking that allows you to easily speak and instantly see your emails by simply dictating directly within the BlackBerry email. (free)
  • SpeechExec for Blackberry: This App allows you to use your blackberry as a dictation device. Once your recording is finished, you transmit the dictation to your company’s dictation server via email, FTP/S, or HTTP/S. After transcription, the transcribed document can be sent back to your Blackberry by email. The last time I checked, this product wasn’t yet available for the Torch. As for pricing, that wasn’t readily available either. There is also a free version of this program but it does not allow you to transmit your dictation over the web but instead saves the dictation to the BlackBerry’s memory card for synchronization while back at the office.
• Dictionary Apps:
  • Beiks Bouvier’s Law Dictionary: This is a Legal Dictionary App.($19.95 USD)
  • Black’s for BlackBerry: This App puts Black’s Law Dictionary at your fingertips. ($50.00 USD)
• Documents to Go: Some of the latest versions of BlackBerry come with a free version of this program which allows you to view and edit Microsoft office formats. The premium version of this program costs around $70 (USD) and includes a PDF viewer.
• DriveSafely: DriveSafe.ly 2.0 speaks txt (SMS) and email messages aloud so you can concentrate on the road. (free). You can upgrade to DriveSafely Pro which also allows you to send txt responses by voice and use other voice commands such as such as replaying the message or calling back the sender.
• Email: This App comes standard with the Torch. This App allows you to retrieve your emails from your various accounts directly to your BlackBerry.
• Facebook: This App allows you to sync your device with your Facebook account. (free)
• Google TalkTM for BlackBerry® smartphones: This App allows you to chat in virtual real time with your instant messaging IM contacts when and where you want to not just when you're in front of your computer. It has many of the same features you already use with Google Talk on your desktop. (free)
• Garmin Mobile: This App works with your device’s GPS and provides spoken turn by turn directions to millions of destinations. It also provides you with up to date weather information. There is a one time purchase cost of around $103.00 for the lifetime of your BlackBerry device.
• Google Maps: This free program offers much of what you get with the desktop version, including satellite views, turn by turn directions, and local business searching. It also adds a GPS enabled, location-based search component for use with your BlackBerry. (free)
• iSpeech Translator™: Allows you to speak or type any phrase and listen to the corresponding translation in your choice of language. Translations are supported in Catalan, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, and Traditional Chinese. (free)
• McKellar Slide Rule - Life Expectancy and Present Value Calculator: The McKellar Slide Rule is actually two calculators in one - a Life Expectancy Calculator, and a Present Value Calculator. The Life Expectancy Calculator will provide you with the remaining life expectancy of a Canadian of a given age and gender. (free)
• MyFax: This App lets you send and receive fax with your BlackBerry. (free)
• News Apps:
  • Globe & Mail (free)
  • The Province (free)
  • The Vancouver Sun (free)
  • Calgary Sun (free)
  • Edmonton Sun (free)
  • Ottawa Sun (free)
  • Toronto Sun (free)
  • Winnipeg Sun (free)
  • Globe News (free)
  • The Canadian Press Mobile (free)
  • CNN International Mobile Web Launcher (free)
  • CNN Mobile Web Launcher (free)
  • CNN International Mobile Web Launcher (free)
  • CBC News Launcher (free)
  • La Radio de Radio Canada (free)
  • The Canadian Press Mobile: This App gives you the convenience of viewing, saving, sharing and rating stories, photos and soon video based on your choice of postal codes and topics. ($2.99 USD)
  • The Hockey News: Get live NHL scores, playoffs results, player stats, schedules plus opinions from the top sportswriters and behind-the-bench close-ups of your favorite teams. (free)
• One Touch Flashlight: This App employs BlackBerry video light, not the dim, LED screen light, delivering more light. (free)
• PDF Scanner: Take a picture (or more) with your phone, convert it into a PDF document and send it via e-mail in an instant. (free)
• Photo Translator: Take a picture of the text and instantly translate. Photo Translator supports English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Czech, Dutch, Greek, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and many other languages. ($4.99)
• Quick Pull: This App offers the same functionality as pulling your battery to reset your device. It can also be scheduled to do so at pre determined times. (free)
• QR Code Scanner Pro: This App turns your phone into a QR Code Scanner. It only works for QR codes that are square. Simply put your phone over the QR Code and it will be scanned instantly and automatically. It has the power to do any function stored in any QR barcode that you scan. It will launch your browser, dial your phone, send an SMS or email, import a contact from a vCard. It will vibrate when you have successfully scanned the barcode. (free)
• Remote Print: This App allows you to wirelessly print from your device. It also lets you print from your device wirelessly to your PC. ($4.99 USD).
• RDM+ This Remote Desktop for Mobiles: This App allows you to remote access your desktop via your blackberry. With this program, you do many of the things you would normally do sitting in front of your computer. ($39.99 USD).
• Slider App: The Slider Lock app helps prevent unwanted key press activity by automatically locking your keyboard when the back-light goes off. It also helps prevent accidental calls because you forgot to lock your phone. ($.99)
• Tether: This App allows your PC to take advantage of your Blackberry's data plan, allowing you to access the Internet on your laptop anywhere there is cellular coverage from your BlackBerry. ($49.95 USD)
• TuneIn Radio Radio for BlackBerry: Listen to over 50,000 radio stations, including your local AM/FM stations, programs and podcasts. The application requires WiFi or celluar data connection. (free)
• Trafficnet –Traffic Canada: Get traffic updates including collisions, construction, road closures, events, traffic flow and volume information, border delays and highway traffic cameras. (free)
• Twitter: Allows you to tweet from your Blackberry. (free)
• Weather Apps:
  • WeatherBug (free)
  • The Weather Network (free)
  • AccuWeather (free)
• Wi Fi File Transfer: Transfers files directly between your BlackBerry and your PC or Mac on the same WiFi Network. ($4.99 USD)

Some words of caution:

• Only install Apps you will actually use. Too many programs will slow down your device, or worse yet, cause it to malfunction.
• If you are not using an App, consider deleting it from your device but before doing so, retain a copy of the program as you may require it back at some later time.
• Before installing an App, check out its reviews. These reviews are usually available at the download site itself.
• Before purchasing a program, if you can, try it out first. Many of the “paid for” programs offer a trial period. Also, consider searching for other similar programs available that may be available. There is often more than one App for a particular function.
• If you are looking for a particular App and it’s not there, keep checking. New Apps are being added all the time.
• Perform regular backups of your system before and after downloads. Sometimes, Apps will conflict. If that happens, it’s a lot easier to correct the situation if you did a backup prior to installing the new App.
• Keep your registration materials/serial numbers on file (not on your blackberry – your Blackberry will likely crash at some point and you will likely need to re download your application).
• Keep your device and your Apps updated. Many of the App providers will notify you automatically via email when updates become available.
• Always keep your device password protected.