Study:
Most won't file taxes online this year
Tax season is upon us, and the Internal Revenue Service is
encouraging citizens to file online. But not everyone’s listening.
Receiving and processing returns online is faster and cheaper than dealing
with fussy papers sent through the postal service at the last minute.
Although filing on the internet is a more painless option, nearly 57
percent of households that have internet access still intend to file their
returns in hard copy, according to research by the Conference Board. The
latest Consumer Internet Barometer released by the board shows that just
28 percent of households plan to file their taxes online, and another 15
percent can’t make up their minds which option is best. The main reason
that households refrain from filing online is that they are having a pro
do it for them. The second-ranking reason is that filers don’t want to
release such personal information over the internet.
Revlon
films star-studded mini-movie for net
Four
of Hollywood’s brightest will star in a Scott Hicks-directed movie, and
it’s only two minutes long. Halle Berry, Julianne Moore, Jaime King and
Eva Mendes will appear in the mini-flick for Revlon cosmetics that’s set
to debut online soon. The beautiful spokeswomen each have their own
narrative, which intertwine at the end of the unconventional ad. Although
the individual plots are intriguing, Revlon ups the sell factor by
slipping products in here, there and everywhere. Tubes of lip gloss spill
out of Moore’s bag as she tries to get a book on a shelf, King checks
herself out in a compact while at a café and Revlon’s signature red
makes cameos on Moore’s umbrella and Mendes’ bike. The mini-movie will
make its New York debut at the end of the week.
Microsoft
suspends sports game releases
Microsoft announced this week that it will not release new
versions of its sports video games this fall. Since the introduction of
its Xbox game console in 2001, Microsoft has been fighting against losing
odds to gain share in the highly competitive sports video games market.
Industry leader Electronic Arts Inc. has shunned Xbox Live, Microsoft’s
online gaming service, over concerns about its financial model. One reason
for the shutdown was to focus on closing the quality gap between
Microsoft’s sports line-up and that of competitors. Microsoft said it
would hold onto its “XSN Sports” brand, which was launched last May to
unify and promote its sports properties.
Nifty
new gadget puts washers & dryers online
Do you need better communication with your washer and
dryer? Carnegie Mellon University is testing new technology designed to
improve relations with your laundry. USA Technologies of Malvern has
developed a web-based system that sends email to students when their
laundry is clean and allows them to navigate a site to check the status of
machines. The e-Suds system is being used in three dorms this spring, and
the university expects nearly 4,000 students who live on campus will be
able to use the technology by the fall semester. For these students, the
system could eliminate the tedious wait for a machine to become available,
or even worse, the horror of seeing one’s clothes piled on top of a
machine by an impatient peer. After conquering college campuses, e-Suds
will make the move to apartment complexes.
On April Fool's, a WMD
goof courtesy of Google
The folks at Google.com
have their sense of humor working overtime this April Fool’s. Try the
following trick that’s making its way around the net for a laugh: 1) Go
to Google.com. 2) Type in (but don't hit enter): "weapons of mass
destruction,” including quotation marks. 3) Hit the
"I'm feeling lucky" button, instead of the normal "Google
search" button. 4) READ CAREFULLY what appears to be a normal ERROR
message. Make sure you read the whole error message.
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