April’s Here. More Friday Fun
It being April 1st, I think it’s fair to issue a BOLO (Be On the Look Out). Pranksters, there be.
April Fools’ Day has hit the Internet and, as usual, there’s no shortage of fake news stories, gag product announcements, and corny jokes. Some are funny. Some are sort of lame attempts at being funny.
Keep this in mind, and don’t get duped.
Not so fun – ny: April is – of course – tax month. Yippee.
Two weeks. To help, on the IRS site there is a page called “FreeFile”, and here you will find the “partnership links” to the free versions of 19 accepted tax prep programs — of which H&R Block’s Free File and also TurboTax are available.
To qualify, you must have an Adjusted Gross Income of $56,000 or less.
Today’s free link: FreeFile at the IRS
Note: there’s two buttons on the page; “I will choose” and “help me choose”. Though all of the programs there are accepted by the IRS, I would recommend clicking the “I will choose”, and then selecting either H&R Block or TurboTax.
News
Holy cow! (Not sure I like this…) New, today (I think): Gmail Motion (beta)
A new way to communicate
The mouse and keyboard were invented before the Internet even existed. Since then, countless technological advancements have allowed for much more efficient human computer interaction. Why then do we continue to use outdated technology? Introducing Gmail Motion — now you can control Gmail with your body.How it works
Gmail Motion uses your computer’s built-in webcam and Google’s patented spatial tracking technology to detect your movements and translate them into meaningful characters and commands. Movements are designed to be simple and intuitive for people of all skill levels.
Huh? “Patented spatial tracking technology” ? (One of those words makes me nervous..)
* * *
I am looking out my window at what appears to be our 3rd straight day of gorgeous, warm sun. I have been valiantly resisting – after weeks of rain and gray and cold – the urge to play hookie. But since it’s Friday, I think I will stop resisting and just plain do so. Give myself a three day weekend. Spring is here!
No. I will not be pulling any “pranks” this year. I must be getting old.. I cannot even remember back to wanting to do any April Fool gags .. sigh.
Do Not Try This At Home Department:
* Baseball is back: In the first game of the season, the World Champion S.F. Giants…
lost to the (arch-rivals) Dodgers. Off to a good start, 0 – 1.
[Note: my “playing hookie” does not – necessarily – mean I will not post articles, or answer my phone… but just in case, have a great weekend folks!]
Copyright 2007-2011 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.
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Everybody’s Favorite Time of Year
Yippee. It’s that time of year again.
IRS Program Lets Taxpayers Use Popular Tax Preparation Software (and e-File) For Free
I am like many Americans in that I have become somewhat reliant on my computer to help me do my taxes. It all started (years ago, now) with a CD I received in the mail — a free copy of H&R Block’s TaxCut. I tried it. And I found it just a wee bit easier to use and figure out than the 1040A user manual our government provides.
Nowadays to access the free version of TaxCut (or TurboTax), I have to first go to to the IRS website.
On the IRS site, there is a page called “FreeFile”, and here you will find the “partnership links” to the free versions of 19 accepted tax prep programs — of which H&R Block TaxCut Free File (and also TurboTax) is one.
To qualify, you must have an Adjusted Gross Income of $56,000 or less.
Today’s free link: FreeFile at the IRS
Note: there’s two buttons on the page; “I will choose” and “help me choose”. Though all of the programs there are accepted by the IRS, I would recommend clicking the “I will choose”, and then selecting either H&R Block or TurboTax.
Completely Unrelated Department: Folks, every so often, something comes along and reminds me of of what a lucky jerk I am. Today, I heard a story that broke my heart, made me feel helpless, and also made me expand my own personal (internal) dictionary’s definition of “hero”.
The story was a brief bio of a day in the life of a mother of a very sick child – a child for whom (I believe) the prognosis is .. um, well, not very rosy. Made me wish I really did have a magic wand.
There are heroes among us. Sometimes I forget that…
Copyright 2007-2011 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved.
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How To Get Free Tax-prep Programs & e-Filing
IRS Program Lets Taxpayers Use Tax Preparation Software and e-File For Free
I am like many Americans in that I have become somewhat reliant on my computer to help me do my Federal taxes. It all started with a CD I received in the mail — a free copy of H&R Block’s TaxCut. I tried it. And I found it just a wee bit easier to use and figure out than the 1040A user manual our government provides.
The following year, I received a CD, and the year after that.. and sure enough, I became “hooked” on TaxCut. (I understand that the other tax prep software player(s) did the same in other locations.)
Last year, however, H&R Block neglected to send me a free TaxCut CD.
Well, NBD, I figured. I’ll just go to the H&R Block website and download a copy.
Wrong.
On the site, H&R Block wants to sell me a copy.
By now, I was “jonesing” for my TaxCut “fix”… I almost paid. But with a little further research I found out that to access the free version of TaxCut, I had to first go to to the IRS website.
On the IRS site, there is a page called “FreeFile”, and here you will find the “partnership links” to the free versions of 19 accepted tax prep programs — of which TaxCut (and also TurboTax) is one.
To qualify, you must have an Adjusted Gross Income of $56,000 or less.
Today’s free link: FreeFile at the IRS
Note: there’s two buttons on the page; “I will choose” and “help me choose”. Though all of the programs there are accepted by the IRS, I would recommend clicking the “I will choose”, and then selecting either TaxCut or TurboTax.
Copyright 2007-2010 © Tech Paul. All Rights Reserved. 
post to jaanix.
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• About Tech Paul
I am a Retired computer & network technician. I used to think the machines were pretty cool. Now I don’t.
They’re anything but.
I regularly posted how-to’s and tricks & tips and general computing advice here starting in 2007. (Use the Search tool to find answers. But be aware, many are rather dated.) Sometimes I answered (your) specific questions in an article if I believed the answer was generally helpful to “everyone”. All the writing you see was my own, typos and all. There always is/was an implied “IMHO” in what you see here.
Note: You are responsible for using this blog and its content. I am in no way liable for any losses caused by user error, viruses and/or other malware, hardware or software failure, or any other conceivable reason.
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