Omega Reporting

Omega Reporting | Memphis Court Reporters

Schedule Now

Phone: 901.827.8671
info@omegareporting.com

 

  • Home
  • About Us
    • The Omega Difference
    • Client Feedback
    • About Lynette Mueller
      • Lynette Mueller Biography
      • Lynette Mueller Published Articles
      • Lynette Mueller Named as Fellow
    • About Meah Bennett
      • Meah Bennett Biography
    • Professional Memberships
    • Memphis Conference Facilities
    • Our Code of Ethics
    • Ethics and Gift Giving
    • Community News
  • Client Center
    • Client Center
    • Transcript Order Form
    • Pay Your Invoice Online Now
    • Online Transcript Repository
    • Hotels & Restaurants in Memphis, Tennessee
    • Recommended iPad Apps
  • Client Services
    • Client Services
    • Realtime Court Reporters
    • Green Transcripts
    • Videography
    • Videoconferencing
    • Skype Depositions
  • Contact Us
  • Lynette’s Blog
  • Reporters
    • Reporter Job Information and Billing

Court Reporting & Captioning Week 2019

February 9, 2019 By Lynette Mueller Leave a Comment

Court Reporting & Captioning WeekIt’s Court Reporting & Captioning Week!  Each year the National Court Reporting Association honors the unique professions of court reporting and captioning by showcasing to the public the large impact court reporters have had, and do have, on capturing history for posterity, as well as the wonderful services captioners make available to help better the lives for millions of Americans who are deaf and hard of hearing by providing captioning in realtime for live sporting and theater events, church services, movie houses, and many other venues.

To kick off the beginning of this seventh annual event, I would like to announce that I will be participating in another A to Z Program in March. This program is designed to give prospective new court reporters a glimpse into the field of court reporting without any financial risks of purchasing equipment.

Prospective students looking for a new career and considering court reporting will have a ringside seat to all the action! We are called court reporters, stenographers, captions, speed-texters, realtime communication specialists, and more. Whatever one calls us, we are Technology!

A to Z Programs will be held in the Memphis area, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga. March 19th is the first day of this introductory eight-week course. You may contact me for more information by email or by calling 901.827.8671.

Happy Court Reporting & Captioning Week!

Filed Under: Lynette's Blog, Uncategorized Tagged With: captioning, continuing education, court reporters, court reporting, NCRA

Top Gadgets of 2018 for Court Reporters

December 2, 2018 By Lynette Mueller 3 Comments

The holidays are upon us! These awesome must-have gadgets may be just what you’re looking for this year for your favorite court reporter or legal professional. These are my latest and greatest picks this year and just a click away for that favorite person on your list! Whether you’re on the naughty list or the nice list, remember to pick up a little something for yourself while you’re at it.

Some of the following made my list last year, but they’re just so darn awesome that they landed on the list again this year.  So, hold on for “deer” life as I “present” to you my favorite gadgets of 2018.  I hope “yule” love them as much as I do.  Enjoy!

  1. Automatic Pro Connected Car Adapter: This handy gadget has realtime location data about who’s driving your car.  I’ve been using this device for over a year now and am absolutely loving it!  I am using an app called IFTTT to automatically generate a Google spreadsheet to keep track of my work miles. No more mileage logs for me where I have to handwrite all the data.  This adapter plugs into almost any car to provide unlimited monitoring with zero fees.  You may even connect your car to your Echo, your smart thermostat, or any other part of your digital life.  This product works only in the United States.
  2. DYMO LabelWriter:  This labeler is my all-time favorite gadget.  Just upload your company logo, add your contact information, and print a professional-looking label for every transcript that heads out the door.  My labeler is connected to a dedicated computer.  But I have no worries about keeping my contacts up to date, because I utilize Apple’s iCloud.  When I effect a change or update in my address book on one computer, it then syncs on all computers, so my contacts are always up to date and available no matter which computer or device I happen to be using.  I also have created a customized exhibit sticker with my logo.  No more worrying about ordering exhibit stickers because I create them on-the-go.  The product features of the DYMO labeler are many: create and print address, shipping, file, folder, and barcode labels; print USPS approved DYMO stamps postage directly from your desktop, uses thermal printing technology — no expensive ink or toner needed.
  3. Tile: I’ve been using the Tile for a few years now to keep track of my most important items. Think your writer, wallet, keys — you get the idea. Quickly find items that you seem to always misplace with Tile.  I have given these as gifts before, and they’ve been a huge hit!  Can’t find your car keys?  Not sure where you placed your phone?  Or what if my equipment gets stolen?  Quickly find your lost items using Tile’s Bluetooth tracking device.  If your Tile is within the 100-foot Bluetooth range, it will play a loud tune until you find it. Keep the app running in the background, and Tile will automatically remember the last time and place you last had your item so you know where to start looking.  Tile is available for both Android and Apple devices! The New Pro & Mate now come with replaceable batteries.
  4. Peerless TrackR Quartz Blue Ballpoint Pen:  This gadget is on my list this year. I think it would be a great addition to my gadget collection. Please tell Santa this is a must-have! The Cross Peerless TrackR was designed for those who want to enjoy the luxury of a Cross pen without the worry of it getting lost, left behind, or stolen. Within it is a tracking device that lets you keep tabs on your pen’s whereabouts through a suite of tracking features. It also comes with a lifetime mechanical guarantee!
  5. Anker 10W Wireless Charger, Qi-Certified Wireless Charging Pad: This is one of the best gadgets ever! No more cords for me when I need to charge my iPhone X. Fast charge mode enables wireless charging up to two times faster. (Metal attachments or credit cards will interfere with charging.) Some of its unique features are as follows: LED indicators, non-slip pad, temperature control, surge protection, and more!
  6. iRobot Roomba 780:  Be productive at home and do other things you’d rather be doing than vacuuming! We fondly call our Roomba “Alice,” like the housekeeper from The Brady Bunch. Now if only we had a real Alice! The features of the Roomba: iAdapt multi-room navigation uses a full suite of sensors to navigate and adapt to your changing home; room-to-room cleaning with the included Virtual Wall Lighthouse beacons; three-stage cleaning system agitates, brushes, and suctions floors; conveniently scheduled up to seven times per week or just press Clean on the robot; automatically docks and recharges.
  7. AirFly: Wish you could listen to in-flight TV with your AirPods? Want to hear the gym cardio machine’s TV audio with your wireless headphones? Now you can, thanks to AirFly – a tiny device that connects wireless headphones to wired-audio jacks on planes, in fitness center, and anywhere else wired headphones were previously required. Just pair your wireless headphones with AirFly, plug it into the headphone jack, and you’re ready. It’s just that easy! AirFly stays charged for eight hours and includes a USB charging cable and travel pouch. The built-in battery lasts up to eight hours and recharges via USB.
  8. Apple AirPods: I love to do away with cords when I can. The Apple AirPods made it into my gadget collection this past summer. I was looking for a good option to monitor live audio during a job without a cord hanging from my ear. I used the AirFly to connect to my writer, which it did fine. Unfortunately, at this time they are unusable for this purpose because of audio feedback.  That being said, the AirPods are an amazing product and hopefully one day the technology can work for monitoring of audio during the deposition. These earbuds can be used for when I want to edit over the lunch hour or on breaks and I wish to spot-check my audio.  They are slim and quite unobtrusive. No one can even tell I have them in! They can be used with all your devices. After a one-tap setup, the AirPods are automatically on and always connected. You will get up to five hours of listening time on one charge.
  9. HGM-2 Microphone: This handy little microphone is packed with lots of features and has extreme pickup range and quality in addition to a built-in battery tester. The court reporter who has this mic can be assured you will have a worry-free day of crystal clear audio.  The HGM-2 utilizes a high-power battery that lasts 600 hours and allows the microphone to actually track voices up to 75 feet away while filtering out background noise. I use this microphone attached to my Luminex so that I can monitor audio live for those low-talking witnesses and attorneys!
  10. Amazon Echo Dot: I received the Echo Dot last year. It truly has a wide variety of uses and can be used throughout your office or home. Echo Dot is a hands-free, voice-controlled device that uses Alexa to play music, control smart home devices, make calls, send and receive messages, provide information, read the news, set alarms, read audiobooks from Audible, control Amazon Video on Fire TV, and more. When editing my transcripts, I ask Alexa to verify spellings for me so that I don’t have to take my hands off the keyboard; thus, making me much more productive. If a court reporter can keep their hands on the keyboard, it saves time and effort for sure. Other uses for the Echo Dot are as follows: Connects to speakers or headphones through Bluetooth or 3.5 mm stereo cable to play music from Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn. Apple Music is coming mid-December! Play music simultaneously across Echo devices and speakers connected via cable with multi-room music. There are many skills available for Alexa. If you want to find out if you or your children are on Santa’s Naughty or Nice list, enable the skill on Alexa and find out quickly!
  11. Peeps: This gadget is another one that is on my Wish List! It’s gotten rave reviews online. It’s a revolutionary and patented invisible carbon formula that safely and easily cleans your glasses, leaving your lenses as clean as the day you got them. This gadget is compact, lightweight, and pocket-sized, which makes it a perfect companion for travel! Unlike disposable chemical-filled wipes, the carbon technology is all natural.

There you have it — my Top Gadgets for the Holidays 2018.  Happy gifting! Oh, and remember to pick up a little something for yourself while you’re shopping.

Filed Under: Gadgets, Lynette's Blog Tagged With: apps, backup, certified court reporters, court reporters, court reporting, exhibits, gadgets, Google, iPad, legal professionals, Memphis court reporters, Omega Reporting, productivity, smartphone, technology, USB

NCRA Webinar Scheduled: There’s an app for that!

October 26, 2018 By Lynette Mueller Leave a Comment

A mere eight years ago, we were always asking, “Is there an app for that?” Today, though, apps are an integral part of our work life and we now ask, “Which apps are best?”

NCRA has invited me to share with our members a 60-minute presentation on the best apps for court reporters. Mark your calendars for December 3rd and plan to attend! Look for details from NCRA soon.

My top five reasons to use apps:

  1. Productivity
  2. Solve Problem/Issue
  3. Embrace technology = client retention and look like a rock star
  4. Great customer service by providing thing clients come to expect
  5. Mobile society – keep going no matter where you are

A sneak peek of some of my favorites:

Deliveries
Google Maps
Dropbox
Voice Recorder

And many more . . .

Finally, I want to encourage everyone who loves The Voice to download their app and follow all the vocalists. It’s an awesome program. This year it’s even more cool for me because there’s a young lady named Reagan Strange (14 years old) who has made it through to the Knockouts and she’s on Adam Levine’s team! My husband and I have known Reagan since she was seven years old. She arrived at our home to have her headshot taken by my photographer husband. After the photo shoot, I remember so vividly that she came down the back staircase of our home and asked me if I would like to hear her sing. Man, I was blown away!

Please follow Reagan Strange with me on this next phase of her musical journey. You won’t be disappointed!

The Voice App for iOS

The Voice App for Android

Follow Reagan on social media and let’s get her amazing personality and voice to go viral:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

Filed Under: Lynette's Blog Tagged With: apps, continuing education, court reporting, Memphis court reporters, productivity, technology

What’s Your Super Power, Court Reporters?

September 20, 2018 By Lynette Mueller Leave a Comment

This summer is drawing quickly to a close. How time flies, it seems! Our focus and attention is now looking forward to autumn and all the activities associated with the kiddos headed back to school.

I, for one, am not quite ready to let summer go. For me, one of the most fun things to do during the scorching Memphis summers is go to the movies. And what a movie blockbuster season it’s been! At times it seems as though we are inundated with tons of action flicks and there’s critics in the press with a bit of negativity about the superhero films. My response? “Who cares!! The more action, the better.”

Top of my “best of” lists this summer?

  • Black Panther
  • Avengers: Infinity War
  • Solo: A Star Wars Story
  • Ant-Man and the Wasp
  • Mission: Impossible – Fallout
  • Incredibles 2

My absolute favorite, by far, is Incredibles 2. Animated films are not strictly for children at all. I had no hesitation, qualms, or embarrassment in the least attending this summer movie. The adult humor scattered throughout the film is wasted on the young ones! This movie was much anticipated by Yours Truly and was a long time coming — 14 years, to be exact. This movie is brilliant and it has many lessons to be learned for court reporters.

1. Teamwork:

Helen and Bob Parr a/k/a The Incredibles, work hard side by side to make the family dynamics successful. The working mom (Elastigirl) has the confidence to head to the job each day knowing her husband is staying at home with their three kids and performing “heroically” with the day-to-day mundane activities of meal prep, school, and homework.

As a freelance court reporter, it is sometimes easy to forget about the importance of teamwork — especially in today’s ever-changing technology-driven environment. Our profession has become (and viewed by many)  a cottage industry (by definition, working at home with your own equipment).  Sure, we go to the job and do our magic on that “little machine,” but rarely interact much with the participants.

When I started my company several years ago, I associated myself with a local videography firm to handle videotaped deposition requests.  Nearly 50% of the depositions I handle are videotaped.

The roles of the court reporter and videographer are intertwined, and there’s significant synergy and teamwork between myself and my videographer from start to finish!

Our teamwork begins by the videographer arriving approximately an hour prior to start time. This enables him to set up his equipment and do any necessary testing prior to my arrival, which is 30 minutes before the deposition is scheduled to begin. My arrival after the videographer allows him the opportunity to set up at his leisure and no worries about anyone hovering. It’s then my turn to set up. Setup is quick and easy for the court reporter: boot up the computer, attach your tripod to your machine. The videographer then provides a direct audio feed to my computer and we’re ready to go!

Once all the parties, attorneys, and witness are situated and before we go on the record, I always make a quick check to ensure that everyone has their microphone clipped on their lapels. A quick acknowledgement by myself to the videographer lets him know that we’re ready to go on the record. Our teamwork is like a well-oiled machine and the process works smoothly throughout the day.

Once the deposition is concluded, our teamwork continues through the production phase. At times video-text synchronization is requested. Video-text synchronization captures the witness’ testimony via videography along with the certified court reporter’s transcript.  A trial-ready CD or DVD allows you to show the witness’ words appearing on screen as they are being spoken.  Adding a video component to the deposition process brings the written words “alive”! Video depositions capture the witness’ facial expressions, pauses, change in tone, demeanor, and mannerisms that will never be captured with the written word alone.

In an effort to aid the videographer in his production role, as the court reporter, I can provide him with a timestamped transcript for the process of syncing and/or editing of the deposition. The videographer and court reporter, doing two different functions or tasks, working in cooperation with each other, can create an excellent multimedia tool for later use in the courtroom.

2. Make a Professional Fashion Statement:

My favorite character in the Incredibles films is definitely Edna Mode. Edna knows how to make a fashion statement: the iconic all-black suit and gigantic eyeglasses! During the first Incredibles movie, when Bob made the suggestion that perhaps a cape could be in order for his updated supersuit, Edna responded emphatically with the line, “No capes!” Again, wise Edna knew the importance of appropriate attire for Bob’s specific job.

For court reporters, our professional appearance should be top of mind too. When I started court reporting so many years ago, my first employer stressed to me about dressing professionally. Her uniform always consisted of a blazer and either a skirt or pants.

Reasons to dress for success:

  • builds confidence, composure, and self-respect
  • vital to communicating who you are (a valuable participant in the judicial process)
  • you only get one first impression

More often than not when I arrive at a law firm, the receptionist will assume that I’m an attorney – a great thing! After all, we are respected partners and equals in the deposition and judicial arena, working side by side with the attorneys on their important cases.

3. Success Takes Time:

Prior to the start of the Incredibles 2 at the theater, some of the voice actors for the characters shared how they were so thrilled to be in the second movie. The work, time, and effort to produce an animated film is intense. As I said at the beginning of this post, it took 14 years between the original movie and the sequel.

Every court reporter should strive to become realtime-proficient. It takes time to do so, and you cannot become an overnight success. Hard work and determination are the key factors in becoming realtime-proficient.

Be familiar with your CAT software capabilities and let your software work for you. My software has options to power define entries from the writer. Whenever you can keep your hands on the writer and add entries, it gives you just that extra bit of time to do things quickly and make your feed even more clean on the fly. The prep work is essential to maintain or exceed that goal. My writing is constantly evolving. Writing short is paramount to the success of my translation rate, for keeping up with the fast talkers and, also, being kind to my body — specifically my back and hands.

4. New Ways Can Be Intimidating:

When Mr. Incredible took over the duties of the stay-at-home parent, he struggled with helping Dash with the math homework. It was a frustration because he didn’t know how to complete the homework in the desired and expected way.

Change is intimidating for court reporters sometimes as well. There are so many technological advancements in our profession each day, and it seems such a daunting task to keep up with it all.  It should be noted that there are some fantastic tools available to assist court reporters to be more productive, efficient, and valuable to attorney clients and legal professionals. Court reporters should keep in mind that in order to be effective and stay relevant, we must keep abreast of technology, embrace it, and never be skeptical of the newest innovations.

One final Edna-ism from the first Incredibles movie:

I never look back, darling. It distracts from the now.

We all look at the past and reflect on everything we’ve done in our personal and professional lives. Sometimes we  spend far too much time worrying about things we should have done or could have done differently.

  • “Why didn’t I start realtime sooner?”
  • “I should have upgraded to that new laptop before my old one crashed.”
  • “I wish I knew more about my CAT software.”
  • “I wish I had passed that next level of NCRA certification right after graduation.”

Again, while it’s good to think about the past, it’s best to move forward and set goals on how to move forward in a positive way and focus on the present. Concentrate on making a positive impact today and find your Super Power!

Filed Under: Lynette's Blog Tagged With: CAT software, certified court reporters, court reporters, court reporting, legal professionals, Professionalism, realtime, teamwork, technology, video-text synchronization, videographer, videotaped depositions

What NCRA Means to Me

September 18, 2018 By Lynette Mueller 1 Comment

I love gathering inspiration from others and notable quotes from strong individuals. When I was asked to provide my insight for an article about membership, the following quote from Colin Powell sprung to mind and resonated with me:

“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.”

Now, you may ask: What does that famous quote have to do with membership?

My court reporting career has spanned over 35 years — a long one, for sure. My path has seen many obstacles and wins throughout that time. Providing realtime reporting was my number-one goal in my professional life, and it’s definitely taken a lot of “sweat, determination, and hard work.” One of the major influences and constants over the last 35 years has, and always will be, membership in my professional association — the National Court Reporters Association!

Were it not for NCRA and the many benefits it offers, I would not be the court reporting professional I am today. As we all know, court reporters can sometimes lead a solitary path at times, because a lot of us work from our home-based office. Sure, we have interaction with legal professionals and witnesses. But, for the most part, it is definitely a solitary environment, as the bulk of our transcript production is done at home.

NCRA offers many additional benefits to its members. Some of the most important reasons, in my opinion, for maintaining membership in our organization are the following:

Networking

While most may think of networking as a means of garnering future business, I look at it a little bit differently. I view “networking” with my fellow NCRA members as an excellent resource to gain advice, information, and guidance about many subjects that we face on a daily basis as court reporters. This guidance has helped me greatly to be the successful reporter I am today.

Professional Development

My national certifications are very important to me, and I’ve worked hard to earn them! Those “three little letters” behind my name are a conversation starter with potential new clients. It’s my opportunity to tout my skills and professionalism and to educate the public about court reporters. The testing for certifications has helped me validate my skill as a court reporter and carries clout in our profession.

Updates on Industry Information

NCRA does a fantastic job with recruiting volunteers (myself included) to serve on committees and bring the membership relevant and up-to-date information on technology and other industry standards. It’s so refreshing to be able to have a go-to source for current information. The NCRA.org website, JCR print, and TheJCR.com are fantastic sources of information!

Continuing Education Opportunities

NCRA brings the best and brightest professionals in our industry to share their knowledge and expertise at their Annual Convention, live webinars, and online webinars. NCRA is my go-to source. I chose my profession when I was a sophomore in high school — best decision ever! I urge every court reporter to choose membership in our professional association, the NCRA. Choose your organization wisely. It can further your career in ways beyond your expectations and give you the tools and resources to set you up for future success and gain the leg up over the competition!

Filed Under: Lynette's Blog Tagged With: certified court reporters, court reporters, court reporting, inspiration, JCR, Journal of Court Reporting, NCRA, networking, Professionalism, realtime

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • …
  • 5
  • Next Page »

Schedule Now

Phone: 901.827.8671
E: Info@OmegaReporting.com

Contact Us

T: 901.827.8671 and 901.310.5531

E: Info@OmegaReporting.com

Conference Facilities:
6465 North Quail Hollow Road
Suite 200
Memphis, TN 38120

Conference Room Complimentary
(with transcript order)

Ask Us About Conference Rooms Downtown

Download Lynette Mueller's vCard
Download Meah Bennett's vCard

About Us

The Omega Difference - Why Our Clients Love Us The Ultimate in Professional Reporting . . . The need for speed and accuracy is great in today's ever-changing world of technology.  Omega Reporting is here and available to help our clients with their court reporting and transcription needs.  Our team strives to provide the ultimate experience for each of our clients.  The Omega Difference and … READ MORE

Connect With Us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Schedule Now

Copyright @ 2010-2019. Omega Reporting. All rights reserved.

Site Designed by Lynette L. Mueller, RDR, CRR, FAPR