Internet

8 Last Minute Resources To Help You With Your Tax Return

Filing Tax ReturnsAudits, tax payments, confusing forms—just three reasons why everyone hates tax season. And though you don’t need another, you can probably think of a few more yourself.  It’s hard to feel anything but dread this time of year.

So you do what you can to make things easier and cheaper. But even that has its drawbacks. For instance, if you decide to cut out the accountant and the fees, you may have to do some major research to properly file a tax return on your own.

That being said, if you aren’t too tax savvy, finding answers to your questions will be the real challenge. Of course, there is the IRS website for official directions and answers, which should be on the top of your list. Yet if you need some clarification or insight, what sources do you turn to at the 11th hour?

Try and see if a few of the following sites can help boil down the essentials for you. They come well-stocked with helpful, easy-to-read articles and credible writers that have extensive experience and knowledge in the field.

H&R Block TaxTips

The Tax Tips section of the H&R Block blog covers some of the most common topics including filing status, tax deductions, and tax refunds. This blog makes sure that you have the answers to all the basic questions on filing.

Intuit Accountants

As you may know, Intuit has been providing small businesses, accountants and individuals with tax preparation tools like QuickBooks. Fortunately, the accountants that use the software are highly active in helping their clients and each other with tax questions on both the blog and the online Intuit Accountants community. Sift through them with a few keywords and you’re likely to find a thread or post that can point you in the right direction.

TurboTax Blog

The TurboTax blog is also another good starting point for tax tips. If you’re a TurboTax user, you might be going through this blog already.  Topics you can find posts on include deductions, 401K, incomes and investments, home, education and a few more categories that can generate some of the most commonly asked tax questions.

About.com Tax

Because instructions and policies on filing taxes can be really confusing, a good idea is to start at the beginning. The About.com Tax section is filled with basic (and intermediate) tips for individuals, articles for business professionals, and even advice for tax preparers.  There’s a good list of Tax Planning categories to explore, so you’re bound to find the answers you need.

TaxGirl.com

Unlike most of us, Kelly Pillips Erb, tax attorney and tax writer/blogger is enthusiastic about taxes—and it shows! Her blog, TaxGirl.com, and column on Forbes.com are both all about explaining and discussing tax issues as well as covering news in the industry. Her insights and articles provide a lot of perspective that can help you make well-informed tax-filing decisions.

eSmartTax.com & Liberty Tax Service

eSmartTax.com is the online division of Liberty Tax Service, a  US-based tax preparation service. The site and content are easily accessible and provide you with tax related topics, discussions and resources. The main Liberty Tax Service site itself contains a good section on tax resources and posts on their Tax Lounge blog you can go through.

AccountingWeb.com

It was hard to pick one single blog from this roster, so we give you the full list. Like the Intuit Accountants community, AccountingWeb.com  is a good starting point for those needing the perspective of an accountant. All writers have their credentials and fields of expertise listed, so you can determine which professional might have the answers you need.

Tax Policy Center

This one makes the list for its authoritative value. Made up of experts with years of experience in tax, budget, and social policy, Tax Policy Center is focused on bringing you information on the policies behind the taxes you file. With an official library of publications, a dedicated blog,  and sections devoted to Tax Facts and Tax Topics, this site is hands down a must-visit resource.

Remember that these sites only provide you with extra information, not legal financial advice on preparing your taxes. Thus, while you may feel some anxiety about filing taxes on your own, it doesn’t mean you have to go into it unprepared.

This was a very short list for such a complex topic. If we missed one which you think should be on here, let us know by adding your own go-to resources in the comments!

PDF Usability And The Web: Is The Format Still “Unfit For Human Consumption”?

Portable document format

There has always been a well-documented love-hate relationship between users and the PDF format. You either love it when things go right or hate it when it doesn’t co-operate.

Yet for better or worse, the PDF document is in our daily lives. We convert and create PDFs, always emailing and reading them no matter how much we may complain about the format.

But think about what it was like before. Back in 2003, authoritative web usability guru, Jakob Nielsen, criticized the usability of the PDF on the web in his article PDF: Unfit for Human Consumption, in which he catalogs what he calls  the format’s “usability crimes.”

If you were an early PDF adopter in the late 90’s or early 2000’s, then you could probably relate very strongly to the article.  But would you still agree with it after more than 10 years? Probably not. You can’t deny the format’s improvement since then.

Despite the misgivings we have about the PDF, we can’t do without it. Because of large scale adoption, ISO standardization, and third party tools, the PDF format is a heck of a lot easier to work with. But it’s also due in large part, to the Internet itself and how it’s been shaping our user habits.

The State Of Our Online Behavior

Today we live in a highly technological world that co-exists hand in hand with the Internet. And whether we like it or not, our compulsion to stay connected online greatly influences our need to edit and work with documents on the web, including ones that weren’t meant to be edited.

We connect and communicate online.  Blogs, social media, and forums are endlessly engaged in discussion. Social networks are highly public, yet personal.  We need to access and do things online, to create an individual work space which we can control.

Connecting With The Internet
Photo Credit: Justin Marty via photopin cc

It’s no surprise then that because of this necessity, the digital documents we use daily are following this trend.  Our files have become part of the interactive and streamlined user experience.

Developers have been giving digital documents like the PDF a lot of integrated support.  Online app services like Google Drive, for instance, allow us to upload PDF documents for viewing, commenting, and sharing, all with a simple URL.  Desktop tools are also extending document sharing to real time collaboration over the web.

We can log in from anywhere and check in with our files on-screen.  Whether a professional on a tablet or a student enrolled in an online class, we can always connect with PDF contracts and research papers.  And on top of this, we can read and download PDF e-books from the web onto our mobile devices.

Using The Internet As A PDF Tool

Let’s not forget that Google has been able to index PDF files since 2001. Since then, the popularity of PDFs online has grown to such an extent that by 2013, 80% of non-html documents posted online were PDF files.

Admittedly, web browsers back in 2003 didn’t support PDF viewing very well.  However, browsers like Chrome and Firefox have begun including native PDF viewers. Add to that the ability to create a PDF for fast web viewing and your PDF documents are easier to go through than ever.

What’s interesting to note is that this online PDF viewing and sharing has gradually changed the role of the format itself.  Before, the PDF was considered only a final print format. But thanks to online services and advanced PDF creation and editing tools, it can be manipulated at any point in the workflow.

PDF In Document Workflows

Photo Credit: Saad Faruque via photopin cc

Consider how and when you’ve used online converters and web apps, or social networks and document search engines for a PDF. What did they do to help you with the file? Given the right utilities and extensions, we can interact with PDFs in our browser or annotate, highlight, and merge them instantly.

Truth is, it isn’t as hard to work with PDF files online as it used to be. In fact, presenting PDF content online is now perhaps the most basic thing you can do.

But what do you think? Is the PDF still hard for you to consume online–viewing, handling, or otherwise? It seems that with the way the Internet and the format are developing, there’s no better time to be a PDF user than now.

5 Creative Ways To Search The Web

Web Search Tips

Searching the web on Google is always the number one go-to solution for finding help online. And although its last update (aka Hummingbird) focused on a smarter way of finding results, it is still possible (and frustrating) to go beyond the third page of your search results. Not a very valuable use of your time.

As productivity advocates, we’re always looking for more efficient ways of doing things—even searching the web.  So for this post we’ll break down some quick basic tips (some of which you may already be doing) when you’re ready to give up on Google.

1. Use Content Specific Search Engines

Helpful when….: You’re looking for a specific type of format.

Why: Google offers a number of search results based on type: news, web pages, images, and file formats. Although Google operators can produce results right down to the file format, there are search engines that can offer efficient searches.

Search Benefits: Content specific search engines will give you a highly focused collection of results in contrast to the endless pages of results from Google. Moreover, they come equipped with search filters that further narrow down your hunt.

Tools: There are a number of handy online tools that can help you search for PDF documents, PowerPoint presentations online, or archived webpages. Also, you can find search tools for photos and even third party tools for searching through Flickr.

2. Search By Finding Similar Sites

Search For Similar Images Photo Credit: therichbrooks via photopin cc

Helpful when…: You want to familiarize yourself with a new subject, genre or field.

Why: When you want to learn about something, you’re first step is to find information on the topic and then find websites that cover the subject. If you’re looking for sites on something like fitness, seeking out influential websites in the industry will give you the lay of the land, connecting you to other authoritative sources in that niche.

Search Benefits: When you search like this, your results are pared down to highly related sites instead having to sift through individual articles and web pages.

Tools: Similarsites.com and SimilarWeb.com are a couple of tools that can help you with this type of search. They’re designed to work with thousands of sites that have already been indexed and rated on relevancy by users.

3. Search For Answers By Asking Users

Helpful when….: You have specific questions or only have broad ideas.

Why: When you have a general question your first instinct is to type it out in Google and see what comes up. But when asking a question, you’re looking for general guidance first (“What can I find on this topic?”) or specific information (computer and hardware specs). A better way to finding results is in asking directly in forums, communities, and groups.

Search Benefits: Users in communities and forums can give you one-on-one advice. This beats having to refer to 5 articles on one topic. In addition, you get answers, insights, and hidden details based from personal experience which some general posts may miss.

Tools: Try communities that are active and that attract credible users. Try sites like Quora, for instance, where you get to ask professionals from different industries for their expertise. There are also Google+ communities full of users who are generous with their time and help.

4. Use Social Media, Aggregators & Real Time Search

Social Media Search

Helpful when…:  You want quick, updated information on a topic.

Why: The power of social media is hard to deny. On social media networks, everyone is sharing a link, comment, or insight on anything and everything–including posts on the topic you’re researching.

Search Benefits: Social networks are extremely powerful with their search features. Searches on popular networks like Google+, Facebook, and Twitter are easily tailored to find posts, users, or hashtags. Using these networks as your search engine, you can zero in on real time posts. In addition, you can get a contextual grasp on any given topic at the moment based on the sentiments of the posters.

Tools: Besides using the social networks themselves, social media aggregators and real time search engines can help. Tools like Alltop and PopURLS will offer you a quick bird’s eye view of current trends. Just type in your search terms and you’re off.

5. Use Websites & Blogs

Helpful when…: You need to find related resources.

Why: When you’re online, you may already have a natural compulsion to click through to other sites from an article you’re reading. Because blogs and websites link out to sites and sources that complement their own content, you can slowly build up a good resource.

Search Benefits: When you consciously practice this as a search method, it could mean that if you start with one quality web site you can find 5 other links that may be helpful. Granted, there are some spammy sites out there. But given that Google has cracked down on bad linking behaviour and has encouraged websites to link to relevant sources in their blog rolls, this type of search method should be a safe bet.

Tools: To find a good quality site to start you off, visit Technorati, the most credible blog directory online.

As an added bonus, you can combine these tips to get even better results. So while Google is the number one tool when it comes to search,  it isn’t the only one you have to resort to!

How To Download And View Wikipedia Offline

The Internet is a great resource. There are tons of ways to find the information you’re searching for. One example, the popular go-to resource: Wikipedia. When you search the Internet for anything, a Wikipedia article is probably one of the first Google results you click on.

But what if you’re in an Internet black hole and need to do some preliminary research? We’re always looking up quick details on vacation destinations, historical events, celebrities, word definitions, and perhaps even PDF conversion.

You’d be hard pressed to find a research source as accessible as Wikipedia without the Internet. Or would you?

In the past, we showed you how to create a PDF file of Wikpedia articles you could take with you. Well, we came across yet another neat solution where you can actually create your own offline version using WikiTaxi.

What is WikiTaxi?

WikiTaxi is an app that lets you download Wikipedia’s database to your computer which you can view, search, and browse offline. According to the project page, it’s a “single-file application” that “does not require a database engine or HTML browser.”

So how does WikiTaxi do it? The app uses Wikipedia’s original database dumps. Data dumps, in general, are outputs of data that are used as a backup. But it can also be used to replicate the database. This is essentially what you’ll be doing with WikiTaxi.

How To Download Your Own Wikipedia

To start getting your own offline Wikipedia, you’ll be downloading a Wikipedia database file and the WikiTaxi application from the Internet. The application has the offline Wikipedia viewer and importer you need. Then you’ll be importing the database file into a WikiTaxi database you can use.

Let’s get started.

*A word of warning: you’ll be dealing with large file sizes. So download times may be slow.

1. Download one of the Wiki backups. Some of the ones recommended on the project’s site:

You can also check the main Wikipedia database download list for yourself. It is updated on a regular basis. So you’ll want to look for the latest version, though you can choose any dated data dump you wish (we used the August 23 version for this tutorial).

It may look complicated, but don’t be intimidated. Zero in on the –pages-articles.xml.bz2 file. Download this file type only.

Wikipedia Database File Selection

2. Once that’s done, download the WikiTaxi app.  You can find the latest download in the upper left hand corner of the project page

3. Extract the WikiTaxi zipped application file to a folder of your choice

4. Once extracted, click on the WikiTaxi_Importer.exe file

5. In the XML dump file to import section, click on Browse and select the database file you downloaded in step one

6. For the WikiTaxi database file section, click on Browse and select where you want the folder installed. Type in a name for the database to be created, and click on Save

Naming your WikiTaxi Database

7. Click on Import Now!  

Importing a Wikipedia Database

8. Once the import is finished, click on the WikiTaxi.exe in the application file folder. This is your viewer. Click on Options> Open *.taxi Database…

Accessing WikiTaxi Options

Opening the WikiTaxi Database

9.  Browse for and select the database file you created (our “Wikipedia.taxi” from step 7). The application will then start at a random page, but you can easily start browsing away from it to other articles.

Viewing Wikipedia Offline

Aside from viewing Wikipedia pages, the application will also let you perform searches, find words in the page you’re viewing, select fonts for better reading, and create a desktop shortcut for quick access.

We always talk about how working on the cloud and over the internet offers a lot of convenience. But WikiTaxi just goes to show that there are ways you can make working without the internet just as convenient too!

How To Convert Word .Docx to .Doc For Free

DOCX to DOC

It’s sometimes taken for granted that the default. docx format can be used by all. Simply clicking on the Save icon, or pinky-middle fingering CTRL + S on the keyboard comes naturally and on instinct.

However, without the Office 2007 plug-in or viewer, you’re at a loss for opening, editing—or heck, even simply viewing, a .docx file on the fly. A real problem indeed if you’re at a public computer or on the go with a mobile device.

Well, no need to look any further for a solution because we’ve been hard at work and have developed a fully functional .Docx to .Doc converter.

Here’s the run down.

Just upload a .Docx file from your computer, click on convert, and once your file is done, click on the link provided to pick it up. Then simply save it to your computer.

The converter retains the quality of your original .docx file and can easily convert images included within the document. Below are some screenshots showing the converter in action.

It’s online for easy access whenever you need it. No registration or email addresses are required, and yes, it’s FREE.

So go ahead and arm yourself with a .docx file. Check it out yourself. You won’t be disappointed.