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iPad Developer Interview: Cliff Maier

By on February 18, 2010 in Interview

I’m happy to introduce what I hope will be a recurring series here at Tablet Legal: Developer Interviews. I’m reaching out to developers of applications for the legal industry to see what they think of the iPad, how they are developing for the new device and what we might be able to expect once the iPad is released. To start us off, I contacted Cliff Maier to discuss his thoughts about the iPad. Cliff is the mind behind Waffle Turtle, developer for nearly 40 legal related applications. Cliff’s work has been covered well over at iPhone J.D. (where he has even been found to respond to user questions in the comments!).

I started off by asking how he got into software development initially:
My background is as an engineer. I have a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and spent the first decade of my career as a microprocessor designer for companies like Sun and AMD.

As part of that, I picked up programming, and toward the end of my career most of my time was spent writing code – at AMD I was responsible for much of the software they used to do chip designs, and I wrote a lot of it myself. I went to law school while still working at AMD, and when I graduated I found that almost all of the software for lawyers was absolute garbage, so I started writing software for my own use. When I first saw the iPhone, I realized it was going to revolutionize the computing industry, and I immediately signed up as a developer (I was one of the initial round of third-party developers). I started by writing software I wanted to use myself, and there we are.
TL: Looks like you have close to 40 legal related apps currently in the store, with more to come. How do you select your topics for development?
I started with apps I wanted myself – a lot of the I.P. law and Federal practice stuff.  Then I took polite requests.  That’s pretty much still how I operate, with the understanding that there are too many apps for me to constantly be updating them as statutes change – so I take requests there, too, updating what I can as often as I can.
TL: What are your initial impressions of the iPad as a device from a user’s perspective? From a developer’s perspective?
It’s a far more capable of device, and much more is possible with it. The question is whether the form factor is such that it will lose the iPhone’s chief advantage – it’s always in your pocket.  As a developer, it’s not much different than coding for iPhone, but you need to rethink the entire user experience.

TL: Do you think the user experience needs for lawyers is different from that of other types of users? Put another way, what types of interface considerations do you have when building more of a “working” app as opposed to a “leisure” app?

Well, depends on what type of users you compare to, I suppose.  I think my approach is colored by my experience writing code for engineers.  I want to minimize the physical and mental effort involved in doing things, make features easily discoverable, etc.  I also think like an engineer, so to me statutes and rules are outlines, not a series of pages. This colors everything about my approach.  I also try to “fit in” with the platform – on iPad it’s not quite clear yet what the design aesthetic is, since we’ve seen only a few app demos.

Q: Have you downloaded the SDK?

Sure have!  And I’ve been coding like a mad man, trying things out, and working with different potential user interfaces. This is a quick screen grab from a potential approach I’ve been working with:

Possible Configuration of Maier Applications for iPad

TL: What are the major advantages you see to developing for the iPad platform? Disadvantages? New challenges or opportunities?

The primary advantage is screen real estate.  This allows much more flexibility in what can be done.  Until I have an actual iPad in hand, though, I won’t know for sure what else is different.

TL: Any thoughts about how any of your apps might change for the iPad platform?

I’m thinking of using a single reader app for all the content, though I’m not sure that will work yet.

Sort of like buying a “library” instead of a particular book. What else are you looking at?

I’m also playing around with completely new user interfaces and a completely different way of interacting with content – my apps have always differed from other law-text apps in that while others tend to treat the content as pages in a book, I tend to treat the content as an outline which can be collapsed and expanded. On the iPad, with its much bigger viewing portal, I’m exploring ways to extend the metaphor further.

TL: Any major issues that developers will face in developing for the new platform even though the underlying code is based on the iPhone?

I think one major question is whether developers will sell combined apps that run on both iPad and iPhone, or whether the differences in user interface, functionality, etc. be so great that developers will fork their development and have separate apps for each platform. While it is possible to write one app that runs on both platforms, is it worth having double the code, bloating the apps, etc.? So far I’m leaning toward having different apps on each platform, but I’m still exploring and waiting to see what the community thinks – I hate to make people pay for yet another version, but I don’t think there’s a heck of a lot of value in just scaling iPhone apps up to fit the iPad screen.

TL: Seems like could create pricing issues especially for existing customers who want the new interface but who have already paid for the content.

Absolutely.  I would love if Apple would provide some sort of “upgrade” pricing feature. I’d be happy to give iPad versions for free to everyone who has an iPhone version of my apps.  Apple has been fairly inflexible in allowing this sort of thing, and developers don’t even have anyway to know who has purchased our apps.  I’m thinking about what can be done, but I don’t have any clear answers yet.

TL: Are you trying to have any apps ready on launch day or are you going to wait a week or two to see how things shake out in the app store?

I’d like to have at least one or two ready, but I don’t think I would release anything until I have a device in hand. As I mentioned, I need to see what the “look and feel” of all the built-in apps is so that I can fit it, and I need to check my performance and track down any bugs that may not turn up in the simulator.  I think it would be irresponsible to release an app without testing it on a device.

TL: OK, most important question. Which device are you thinking about getting?

The top-of-the-line 3G model :-)  I may need to get a wi-fi model, too, to have one for testing so I can release apps sooner.

Thanks to Cliff for doing this. You can find all his apps in the App Store (iTunes link).

Update (02/26/2010): I see that Jeff over at iPhone J.D. also did a great interview with Cliff back in late 2008. Tons of great details – check it out!.

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Bar Review on your iPad: BarMax

By on February 16, 2010 in Apps

The folks over at BarMax have gotten a lot of press recently, and deservedly so. For those who haven’t heard, BarMax is a complete bar exam prep course made for the iPhone. I mention it on this blog about the iPad for two reasons:

First, this seems like an absolutely perfect application for the iPad. While being able to study while on the go is certainly a benefit, more of the time a person will have dedicated time at a desk or chair to really study. The iPad is a natural in this environment, and the larger form would give more room for text, answers, outlines and related study material. Perhaps an iPad version would play a video lecture on one part of the screen and an editable outline on another part of the screen that scrolls in time to the video. The ability to tag and cross reference materials through the different media in the application would be a terrific help with focusing on difficult areas.

Second, BarMax may be the first of many examples as to how the iPad and electronic book format affects the market for otherwise printed materials. Only weeks after BarMax was introduced, TechCrunch reports that BarBri, has made significant changes to its pricing and course offerings to compete. In apparent response to BarMax, BarBri is now offering unlimited online access to course materials and free retakes for those that fail the bar exam. TechCrunch notes:

This is a great example of why competition in any market is a good thing. BarBri has gone on for decades without bending its offering that students often feel is ridiculously priced. Now, in just three weeks, an app has come along and forced it to do just that.

Considering the benefits of the iPad in terms of horsepower and screen space, I suspect we will see plenty more developers tackling the course material space. As someone who felt like I paid too much for BarBri back in the day, I’m rooting for BarMax to stay one step ahead of BarBri in helping people prepare for the bar exam.

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iPad as Personal Assistant for Lawyers: Siri

By on February 15, 2010 in Apps

First of all, huge hat-tip, kudos and all around thanks to Jeff over at iPhone J.D. for bringing Siri to my attention. Jeff has a great write up about Siri and I encourage you to go check it out. I’ve been using Siri on my iPhone for a few days now (based on Jeff’s review) and wanted to expand on one feature mentioned in Jeff’s review that I thought would be of particular interest to lawyers. Appropriate to this blog, I also wanted to give a few thoughts about how this app might be developed specifically for the iPad.

Quick overview: Siri is a voice guided personal assistant. You ask for information and Siri delivers it to you. That is a huge oversimplification, so go read Jeff’s comments about Siri to really understand the power of this program. Done? Good, now, a little more discussion about that feature of interest to lawyers:

Reminders. I am constantly having those “oh yeah, don’t forget to….” moments when I’m out and about. I’ve found the best way to make sure I don’t forget them is to capture them immediately. Siri makes this absurdly simple. To set a reminder for yourself, simply ask Siri to remind you of something and when you want the reminder. Siri will parse your request into a to-do item and then send you an e-mail at the time you requested. Simply tell Siri “Remind me to…” followed by your request. For example, the request “Remind me to call client tomorrow at 4:00″ will be turned into a e-mail reminder that you receive the next day at 4:00. Reminders can repeat as well. Have a weekly status conference call until the merger is closed? Tell Siri to remind you weekly and you’ll get a repeating email.

You can use the emails Siri generates as reminders or turn them into more permanent fixtures on a to-do list or calendar when convenient (Siri does not yet integrate directly into calendar or task systems).

Siri on iPad. If Siri is adapted for the iPad, I think the main difference will be showing the results of your searches alongside the transcribed text of your searches. This isn’t much difference from how the application works now, with results presented in a “stream” similar to an instant message chat. You simply flip up and down to view your search history. Putting the results alongside the queries will allow you to see more search results and context at the same time adding context and easing access. That said, I think Siri really shines as an iPhone application. Its best application or for those quick questions while on the go (rather than sitting in your favorite chair or coffee shop with an iPad).

While not an iPad specific improvement, I’d also expect Siri to develop hooks into calendar and task applications, allowing users to avoid the step of transcribing an email reminder into a calendar entry or task list item.

Siri’s voice transcription technology is powered by Nuance, the folks that do Dragon Dictation and Jott, so the voice recognition is pretty good (and surprisingly fast). I used to use Jott to capture those on the go to-do reminders, but didn’t use it enough to justify paying for it when Jott went to a fee service (Siri is currently free). Jott has the hooks into other task management applications and it works well to turn your voice into text.

What do you think Siri could do to enhance its application for the iPad?

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Quickoffice coming to iPad?

By on February 13, 2010 in Apps

Two tools I use heavily on my iPhone are Quickoffice and Documents To Go: mobile office suites that allow editing of Word and Excel files. iPhone J.D. has covered these products extensively since introduction and on Friday posted a great review of the latest offering from Quickoffice. I encourage you to check it out.

The obvious question one has in using these products is whether they will be updated for the iPad. At least with respect to Quickoffice, it sounds like something may already be in the works. The Unofficial Apple Weblog interviewed the Quickoffice team at MacWorld today and posted the video below. In addition to giving a good overview of some of the new Quickoffice features and functionality, they hint at iPad development for the product (at about 5:10).

Obviously, a tool like Quickoffice on the iPad would offer amazing functionality given that the overwhelming majority of law offices use Word and Excel. While the Pages and Numbers apps in the iPad iWork suite will import and export the Word and Excel formats, Quickoffice is a known commodity in the mobile environment and may be a more comfortable choice for some.

I’m hopeful that Quickoffice has its product available at or near launch of the iPad.

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Redmond Considering Office for iPad?

By on February 11, 2010 in Apps

Well, “considering” may be a strong statement.

T3 reports that a Senior Product Manager at Microsoft says the company is “looking at” a version of its popular Office suite for the iPad. This is something I ruminated about a few days ago in the context of how having the ability to read and write from common storage on the device could encourage more robust app development. It would be interesting to see how Microsoft tackles a purposely more limited platform, given its historical penchant for somewhat bloated products.

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iPad: Easy Enough for a Lawyer to Use

By on February 10, 2010 in Opinion

Is it possible? Could Apple have designed a product so simple and so intuitive that it is easy enough for a lawyer to use?

While I write a bit in jest, an outsider might wonder about the technological acuity of lawyers given how terribly slow they are to adopt technology. I keep reading about how the iPad is so intuitive that your grandmother, a luddite or even a lawyer can use it. “Perhaps Apple is really on to something here,” I thought to myself. But on reflection, the comparison fails. The reasons your mom surprisingly ends up using an iPad will not also convince your lawyer to do so.

Lawyers are (generally) smart even if sometimes cantankerous folks, so why not giving something new a go? There reasons have been blogged about to death, so I won’t belabor them here. What I think it comes down to is precedent. Lawyers like to follow a path that has been blazed before. Preferably many times before. In a lawyer’s world, staking a new path or even a lightly worn path (or a path only recently recognized by a different circuit) exposes them and their clients to risk.

While taking a new position in a system that has at its heart a huge respect for prior decisions may create risk for a client, the metaphor is more difficult when deciding whether to use a new device or technology. The part lawyers forget is that the status quo has risks and problems associated with it as well.

Side Note: I informally consider the extent to which an opposing lawyer uses technology as a tell as to how they will advise their clients. If I see a luddite on the other side of a deal, I infer that the advice they may provide will be very risk adverse or reflect older paradigms. This can be helpful information when trying to move the other side off a position. I wouldn’t say it is 100% correlative, but it can be helpful.

But, mom doesn’t have this kind of hangup. Other hangups possibly, but probably not the curse of stare decisis. The iPad presents as a device that is easy to use and allows access to the things your mom enjoys: an email from the kids, pictures of the last vacation, a movie of the grandkids, etc. In contrast, a lawyer isn’t avoiding the iPad because it is hard to use or because they are stupid, but because it requires doing something differently which a lawyer perceives as risky.

So even while smartphone adoption by lawyers has been relatively high, an iPad is something different. As a result, I don’t anticipate the rate of adoption by lawyers to be terribly high. The tipping point for lawyer adoption is probably much farther off…probably after   development of a killer app or two specific to the legal profession. It won’t be legal research, matter management or time and billing. I’m not sure what it will be, but I look forward to finding out.

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iPad = Flexibility for Lawyers

By on February 8, 2010 in Opinion

In commenting on the post iFuture by Jordan Furlong over at Slaw, the potential I see in the iPad (for my practice at least) crystalized a bit. And that is flexibility.

Any tool that cost effectively gives me choice in how I deliver services is a win. Maybe it is a fortunate benefit of my transactional practice but only a small part of my it requires me to be sitting at a full blown PC in the office. The overwhelming majority of the time, I can handle the emails, calls, quick drafts, calculations, research and thinking from just about anywhere and anytime. Flexibility makes me more responsive to clients and allows me to be available to them in multiple ways and with fewer barriers.

I think the benefit of the iPad will be in allowing me to deliver my product – my services – better than the next guy stuck to a PC in his office. Sure, I don’t have everything in my hands and the machine isn’t perfect. But, an overwhelming percentage of the time, it won’t matter. Considering the benefit of good design, Jordan Furlong hints how the iPad can benefit lawyers:

Apple doesn’t get everything right, but it does make sure that everything it makes and everything it does puts the customer experience front and center. How many law firms can honestly say that? How many lawyers can say, and back it up with evidence, that the ways in which they work, communicate and bill their services are designed and delivered with the client’s complete personal satisfaction in mind? If your firm wants to have a fighting chance at making it through this coming decade in one piece, then it needs to take a lesson from Apple: design matters. If the customer is delighted, you win.

Using an iPad as part of one’s practice isn’t a substitute for killer client service, but it may help deliver on that promise.

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iPad and Storytelling for Lawyers

By on February 7, 2010 in Lawyers Using iPad, Opinion

On his blog yesterday, marketing maven Seth Godin talks about his dream application for the iPad. He calls this talking pad “an interactive presentation tool for smart people.” He goes on to talk about a non-linear interface that would allow the “presenter” to jump around easily, access different types of media (documents, slides, web pages, video, audio) in presenting.

The iPad becomes a storytelling device and the presenter isn’t confined to a script. This is exactly what I had in mind a few days ago (though unsurprisingly, Seth’s description is much better) when I talked about being able to assemble and play “packages” of information on the iPad.

With an integrated file storage on board, I envision pdf, spreadsheets, photos, videos, text docs, presentation slides, etc. being assembled together into folders or containers of related information. I’d love to see a universal “player” application like QuickLook, perhaps with a CoverFlow style interface, to allow easy movement between, and display of, different file types.

The device gets out of the way and there is nothing between the presenter and the audience but the content and the story being told. In the legal context, I see lots of applications:

  • Advocate. Trials, arbitrations and mediations aren’t linear. Surprises happen. Good advocacy requires the ability to respond to surprises with arguments and evidence in context. With a tool like this, the lawyer can display the key elements of a case in a dynamic and flexible fashion: Play the 911 recording, display the key phrase from the document, run the security video, compare the competing marks, visibly calculate damages, etc. The lawyer becomes a storyteller.
  • Inform. Part of most any lawyer’s practice (certainly mine) involves explaining sometimes confusing (and dull) principles or consequences to clients and helping them make business decisions based on that information. Typical presentations often fail to aid client understanding because while the principles in these cases are often the same, the client’s needs and facts never are. A talking table would enable the lawyer to dynamically address client’s needs and questions in a visual and compelling way.
  • Market. When pitching to new clients, I’ve found nothing more genuine and meaningful than simply showing them how you work. Fill a marketing “package” with examples, highlights and comparable information so you can show and not simply tell a client how you will help them succeed or solve their problem.
  • Manage. I’m the leader of the business practice group at my firm. At our meetings, we cover a wide range of topics, big and small. I look forward to supplementing these meetings with a package of visual information corresponding to the content we cover: new cases, continuing education opportunities of interest, client materials, administrative notes, websites of interest and the like. At the end, I’d hope I can also zip the package into a pdf and e-mail it off to those interested in receiving the materials.

How could you use a visual storytelling device in your practice? Have ideas, go post them at the wiki that Seth set up about this conceptware and put your $.02 in. Maybe soon you’ll be holding it in your hands.

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iPad Will Have Common Storage. Lawyers Rejoice.

By on February 4, 2010 in News

Documents Go Here

One thing lawyers use a lot of is documents. We draft text documents, review and annotate pdf documents, assemble spreadsheets, etc. At present, the iPhone does not have a centralized place where documents can be accessed from or stored. Sure, you can dump everything into your DropBox, but Documents To Go can’t open them for editing. While some apps have workarounds, they are often clumsy and counterintuitive.

This all looks like it will change with the iPad. Version 3.2 of the OS will make available some sort of shared directory that can store documents created / edited on the device or that can be filled up from your Mac or PC. This will be huge toward making the iPad a device that can do more actual work and justify leaving the laptop behind. Consider:

  • MS Office. All MS Office docs can be opened in the iWork applications and iWork applications can create MS Office compatible versions. It sounds like this import / export functionality will also be included in the iPad versions of the iWork applications. This begs the question about whether Redmond might be readying an iPad compatible version of its Office suite. While doing so might greatly increase adoption of the iPad by lawyers, it seems an unlikely distribution channel for Microsoft to pursue.
  • Acrobat. A relatively full featured Adobe Acrobat application for the iPad would go a long ways toward making the device a tool for real work. A simple reading or file management app like Acrobat.com Mobile won’t be enough. i think a truly useful Acrobat application would need the ability to: create pdf; add, remove rotate pdf pages; protect pdfs; sign documents digitally; and use commenting tools like sticky notes, highlighter, stamps.
  • Trial Notebook. I’m hoping to see applications like Circus Ponies Notebook available on the iPad. The flexibility to deal with lots of different types of content plus the organizational tools built in make them ideal for assembling trial notebooks or any sort of project.
  • Packages. With an integrated file storage on board, I envision pdf, spreadsheets, photos, videos, text docs, presentation slides, etc. being assembled together into folders or containers of related information. I’d love to see a universal “player” application like QuickLook, perhaps with a CoverFlow style interface, to allow easy movement between, and display of, different file types. This could be the hub for controlling exhibit displays in juries, reviewing documents with a client or running a meeting.
  • Safari. Lots of web apps accept file uploads. I immediately thing of Clio and its document management module. Create documents and upload to your SaaS matter management application and also make them available to clients via Clio’s Client Connect features. Or, move new documents into any of the 37Signals applications to be accessed by clients or other members of your firm.

Here’s hoping this file management feature makes it into the first release of the devices.

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iPad Missing Features? A Lawyer’s View

By on February 2, 2010 in Opinion

A couple days ago we talked about how how the features of Apple’s iPad might appeal to lawyers. In this take, we consider what a lawyer might find missing from the iPad

What's Missing?

  • User Facing Camera. I think a camera facing the user is a significant omission. A front facing camera is the tool for video conferencing, video chat and Skype. That said, news came today that the prototype that Steve Jobs demoed last week may have included an unannounced user facing camera. Further, examination of iPad parts reveal a notch in the bezel that perfectly fits an iSight camera. So, it is possible that this omission may be resolved in the production units. If not, lawyers needing video conferencing ability must continue to tote their laptops.
  • Outward Facing Camera. While some have made much about the absence of an outward facing camera (away from the user), I’m not persuaded. Holding the iPad up to use it as a camera would be awkward at best. Moreover, I suspect most users will still have their camera phone (likely an iPhone) with which they can capture photos or video and move it to the iPad for viewing or editing.
  • GPS. It appears that only the 3G models will have “true” GPS. This is a bit personally disappointing as I was considering purchasing a WiFi only model. I think many people will use the iPad to get directions the same way the iPhone is used. Better yet, with its bigger screen, it would be much easier to follow a map while the iPad rests on the passenger seat of your car (compared to a map on the iPhone screen) on the way to court, a client or opposing counsel’s office. But, as a work device for a lawyer, this is a big drawback of the WiFi only models.
  • Flash. This seems to be the big issue for folks. I’ve gone back and forth. As a multimedia reading device (e.g., The New York Times), Flash functionality is a must have. Countless news, client and product websites have Flash functionality. This doesn’t really bother me on my iPhone, when I’m typically just browsing the net or searching for something specific. In contrast, I think one reasonably expects to be able to view Flash on the larger screen especially as a work device. Steve Jobs says that Flash is buggy and is betting that HTML5 will replace Flash for that type of content. For my practice, I’d call the absence of Flash an annoyance, but I can see how it could affect other people’s practices more significantly. Note that by omitting Flash, Apple is doing us a favor in terms of battery life.
  • Multitasking. For me, this is huge. The ability to run multiple processes is critical as a work device. I typically have 6-10 programs or windows open on my desktop. It isn’t unreasonable to conceive of needing a few different applications running to use the iPad as a true working device. That said, my understanding is that this is a software issue that can be addressed in an upgrade. I’m hoping this is the case. What I absolutely don’t want to see is application developers building Frankenstein applications to try to do multiple things within one app. My guess is that this will be addressed in the next major OS upgrade.
  • USB. There is no standard USB in, which would be helpful for moving documents, photos and other information to the iPad. Of course, while docked the 30 pin connector is your conduit. Apple has already announced a camera connector (30 pin to camera) to allow downloading of photos directly to the iPad. I suspect a third party manufacturer will make a USB adapter. In the end, with products like DropBox, I don’t see the need for USB connection to move basic data and documents.

For many lawyers, the practice involves email, the web, document preparation and document review. While I’m not convinced yet of the iPad as a substitute for the work one can do on a computer (especially for document preparation), the above limitations don’t seem to be major impediments to these basic functions. If the goal was to replace a laptop or work computer, the iPad will likely fall very short. If the goal is to supplement the tools one has to give more working flexibility, then the device has potential.

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