Now that high schools are back in session, some students are taking measures to hide content and their identities on their cell phones. Students are able to accomplish this with the use of a certain group of apps.

A decoy app is an app that looks like one thing, but has a piece of code that allows the phone owner to click past the facade and access hidden -often taboo- content. Here are some examples that you may want to look out for if you are a parent that monitors the use and configuration of your high school student's phone:

Omegle

This free app allows a user to chat with complete strangers without the need to register. Participants are randomly paired together for chat sessions.

All participants thus are anonymous and difficult to track. This app is an excellent haven for predators.

Calculator%

The simple idea behind this app is that it looks like an ordinary calculator. A piece of code, however, allows the owner to hide content behind the calculator.

Burn Note

Just as Facebook is passe for most people under 30-years old, high school students are more likely to turn to Burn Note rather than Snapchat. The two apps are similar: content -pics or messages- is only visible for a short time; then the content disappears from the device.

Audio Manager

This app operates like Calculator%: it masquerades as a benign chunk of code used to manage a user's audio settings. The true function of the app, however, is to store data that the user does not want anyone to see.

If you are taking the time to monitor your student's cell phone use and configuration, keep an eye out for these apps. You may want to have a discussion with your child about these apps and about the dangers of distributing inappropriate content and of course, chatting with strangers.

Post #557

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Attorneys, perhaps more than any other professionals, are awash with information; information about their cases, information about changing laws, a constantly shifting schedule.  The pace with which the information now flows can only be described as instantaneous.

The manner in which a lawyer collects, stores and utilizes this information is a good indicator of that lawyer's professional skill.  In this era of a 24/7 stream of digitized information, mobile devices are beginning to offer specialized apps for lawyers.

Here are some examples:

SCOTUS App.  The Oyez Project has just launched an app that will download U.S. Supreme Court activity to your mobile device.  This will include digitally recorded oral arguments, text of the High Court's decisions, as  well as media coverage and analysis.  Pretty cool, to be sure; but is this information-overkill?  Why not just wait until you get back to your computer?

Mobile Transcript.  This app allows you to download, manipulate, summarize, and transmit deposition transcripts right from your mobile phone.  Great for when litigation data must be processed fast.  Try using this while on vacation, however, and you will likely need to hire a divorce attorney.

Family Law Apps.  Speaking of divorce, there are plenty of divorce-related apps in both the Droid and iPhone markets.  For those residents of Gotham, there is an app to calculate your child support, there are apps to save your marriage; apps to stop your divorce; apps to help you win custody and, or course, apps for various forward-leaning divorce attorneys and law firms.  Exhausting, to be sure.


State Bar App.  Useless here in Michigan, but perhaps a harbinger, the Maryland State Bar Association has produced an  app that downloads their rules of evidence, rules of professional conduct, and bits of professional philosophy right to your handheld device.  Can the SBM be far behind?


Law Blog Apps.  In a case of life imitating art, or perhaps this is best described as lawyers taking themselves too seriously, the blawg "FutureLawyer" announced on Tuesday that there is an app available to download their tech-related posts directly to your mobile device.  As if you just could not live without their updates; now you can digest their posts about the latest tech developments while you wait for your case to be called; could have used this App today.

In 18-months, most of these current apps will be considered obsolete.  The thing about high-tech is that products are constantly being improved.

Soon, you will be able to go to your doctor and just get a "chip" implanted into your skull; that way you'll have all the world's latest data right under your hood.  

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