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TECH SUPPORT IT services. Many other, equally knotty issues specifi c to, or particularly compli- cated in, IT transactions can trip up the untutored: limitation of liability, exclu- sion of liability provisions, indemnity, service level agreements, and so on. But there are also "well-established in- dustry norms, approaches, and strategies to how you negotiate these issues," says Card. His point is knowledge of these norms and approaches is very often dangerously lacking in non-specialists. Many have come to recognize that fact, he says. "I think that especially since Y2K, lawyers, including non-specialist outside counsel, are a lot more careful about what they take on and what they don't take on in this highly specialized area. The trend is toward a very high level of respect for the IT bar." The clear implication, though, is that some don't get it. Or perhaps they fear losing business to specialists like Card. Which is no doubt why he is careful to make the point that he and other practi- tioners are more than willing to come in as consultants or outsourced negotiators on a one-off basis and always keep lead counsel in the loop. For myself, an observer of the IT mar- ketplace and not a lawyer, Card's cau- tions about this increasingly tangled area of the law sound like more than just FUD. It seems clear there are real risks for non-specialists going the do-it-your- self route. Need help with a big IT deal? Card suggests sources that can help you fi nd a competent specialist. One is the Cana- dian IT Law Association (www.it-can. ca), of which he is a member. There are also listings in various directories of top lawyers in the area that can be helpful in your search. Gerry Blackwell is a technology writer. He can be reached at gerryblackwell@ rogers.com TRAVELLING LIGHT T wo nifty gadgets this month to help you travel lighter and/or more productively: the iGo everywhere85, a 70-watt universal mobile power adapter, and the Voyager 855 Bluetooth headset, a wireless mobile phone headset that also lets you listen to music. The iGo everywhere85 ($150), iGo everywhere85 from Mobility Electronics Inc., features one relatively small and light power brick — 122 x 69 x 23 mm, 227 grams — capable of charging two devices at the same time. You can plug it into AC or auto or air power and charge a laptop and one other lower-power device such as a phone or MP3 player — and leave their power adapters at home. The product includes tips for most laptops and some other devices. The one downside: you pay more ($13 each) for extra tips. Lightweight Bluetooth wireless phone headsets are a glut on the market these days, but the Voyager 855 ($160) from Plantronics Inc., is the only one we've seen with an extra earbud for stereo music listening. The fit is very flexible. The Voyager 855 comes with an ear-loop "stabilizer" for your phone ear, three sizes of ear buds, and two loop sizes. You can switch from listening to music to answering a call with one touch, or simply by extending the microphone boom. With some but not all phones, you can control music — play, skip, stop, etc. — using the headset controls and leave the phone in your pocket. In our tests, connecting to the phone with Bluetooth was a snap. But despite noise "reduction" technology, the sound for music was not the greatest. Voyager 855 headset www. C ANADIAN exco_CL_Mar_08.indd 1 PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE Tel.: (514) 393-1400 Fax: (514) 393-1868 1-800-349-7371 www.dexco.com mag.com APRIL 2008 37 2/12/08 10:31:39 AM Gadget Watch