On three Wednesday evenings, October 22nd, November 5th, and November 19th, ReporterWebinars.com will present a series dedicated to the cloud. If you keep hearing about “the cloud” and aren’t sure what it is, you’re not alone. In a recent national survey, when asked what “the cloud” is, a majority responded it’s either a “fluffy white thing,” the sky, or something related to the weather (29 percent). Despite the confusion, 95% of all the respondents were actually using cloud services at the time of the survey via online shopping, banking, social networking, and file sharing. It’s likely you are, too, so there’s no reason to be scared. The key is to learn what it can do for you, as court reporters, and the answer is a lot!

Reporters can securely store transcripts in the cloud, or can share them with scopists, clients, firms, or colleagues. Dropbox, iCloud, OneDrive, Google Drive, and Microsoft Office 365, among others, are all cloud services. Reporters can also deliver realtime transcript via the cloud. Bridge Mobile, for example, uses a private cloud server to provide access anywhere clients can connect to the Internet.

Smart phone apps enable reporters to scan business cards, or even exhibits, and store them in cloud till they need them later. Or you can use apps for keeping notes regarding the job, due dates, special requests from the attorneys, a spelling list of words that came up, and more.

And you can collaborate online. Google Docs, Office 365, and Eclipse allow reporters and editors to share and edit the same document online. And so on. The list is large and growing larger all the time. Join Michael, Wil, and Keith for three powerful webinars that help you understand the cloud and how to take advantage of it to help make your job easier and more efficient.

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In a technology-packed webinar, Wil Wilcox will be reviewing cloud tools, services and apps that will help you work more efficiently and securely. He’ll start with a preview of Windows 10, a subject that’s on everyone’s minds, especially if you are in the market for a new tablet or computer.  Should you wait for Windows 10, get windows 8.1 now, or find a computer with Windows 7 on it? He’ll answer that for you and show what’s in store for all of us with this next version of Microsoft’s Operating System.

Ask most court reporting professionals about Windows 8.1 and they’re likely to roll their eyes. After a rocky start, Microsoft’s latest Operating System is now starting to gain traction in the marketplace, but it still scares the dickens out of many within our profession. Wil Wilcox and Keith Vincent are presenting a two-part webinar that will assure you that this new version of Windows is not something to fear. In fact, it offers wonderful features that every reporter will love.

Start with the startup and shutdown times. All of us have lost years of our lives waiting for Windows to boot up or shut down. Not anymore. Depending upon the drive type and RAM memory installed, W8.1 boots in as little as 10-15 seconds and shuts down even faster. If you’ve ever had a program crash in the middle of a proceeding and had to wait what seemed like an eternity for Windows to restart, you know how big this is.

But it’s not just faster, it’s better. Windows 8.1 is actually two interfaces side by side. Most people think you have to live with the tiles you see in all the ads, but that’s not true. The venerable Windows desktop (and start button) that we’ve all worked with for years can be set as your default. So you can work with the new stuff if you have the time and the inclination (HINT: It’s probably a good idea since Microsoft isn’t going to move backwards.), but the main thing is you’ll boot into and work from the comfortable confines of the desktop you know so well.

But that desktop has been improved. You can use OneDrive from it to back up your files, set up a Microsoft account that allows you to sign into any of your W8.1 devices and have them use the same layout, apps, and settings, and you can work in up to four apps at the same time. And there’s a lot more. Join Wil and Keith as they walk you through the various elements of Windows 8.1, and show you how easy it is to use and what a powerful tool it can be.

Ask most court reporting professionals about Windows 8.1 and they’re likely to roll their eyes. After a rocky start, Microsoft’s latest Operating System is now starting to gain traction in the marketplace, but it still scares the dickens out of many within our profession. Wil Wilcox and Keith Vincent are presenting a two-part webinar that will assure you that this new version of Windows is not something to fear. Just the opposite, in fact. It offers wonderful features that every reporter will love.

Start with the startup and shutdown times. All of us have lost years of our lives waiting for Windows to boot up or close down. Not anymore. Depending upon the drive type and RAM memory installed, W8.1 boots in as little as 10-15 seconds and shuts down even faster. If you’ve ever had a program crash in the middle of a proceeding and had to wait what seemed like an eternity for Windows to restart, you know how big this is.

But it’s not just faster, it’s better. Windows 8.1 is actually two interfaces side by side. Most people think you have to live with the tiles you see in all the ads, but that’s not true. The venerable Windows desktop (and start button) that we’ve all worked with for years can be set as your default. So you can work with the new stuff if you have the time and the inclination (HINT: It’s probably a good idea since Microsoft isn’t going to move backwards.), but the main thing is you’ll boot into and work from the comfortable confines of the desktop you know so well.

But that desktop has been improved. You can use OneDrive from it to back up your files, set up a Microsoft account that allows you to sign into any of your W8.1 devices and have them use the same layout, apps, and settings, and you can work in up to four apps at the same time. And there’s a lot more. Join Wil and Keith as they walk you through the various elements of Windows 8.1, and show you how easy it is to use and what a powerful tool it can be.