FreshBooks

Kathy Yakal — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 18:51:46 +0000

FreshBooks makes accounting make sense, beautifully

FreshBooks started as a simple invoicing program. Over the years, it has expanded in scope, adding new tools and enhancing existing ones year by year. Now a full-featured, double-entry accounting application for small to medium businesses, FreshBooks offers the best user experience of all the

People Who Went to This NFT Event Report Severe Eye Pain

Michael Kan — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 15:33:13 +0000

A number of attendees at the NFT-focused ApeFest say they're experiencing vision trouble, possibly from the powerful lights used at the venue.

After causing plenty of pain for investors last year, NFTs are starting to cause physical agony for some unlucky supporters of the digital collectibles.

This past weekend, a festival promoting NFTs of the Bored Ape Yacht Club was held …

Adobe Photoshop

Michael Muchmore — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 14:24:05 +0000

The most powerful image editor money can buy

Photoshop started the digital image manipulation revolution more than 30 years ago, and Adobe's groundbreaking application continues to be the best photo editing software money can buy (or rent, to be more precise). If you need layered image editing, typography, drawing, and a multitude …

Intuit QuickBooks Online

Kathy Yakal — Wed, 01 Nov 2023 14:29:06 +0000

An exceptional small business accounting application

QuickBooks Online, owned by Intuit, has been the best small business accounting application for many years. It's a PCMag Editors' Choice award winner again this year thanks to its depth of features, customizability, and understandable user interface. A well-integrated payroll app and …

Xero

Kathy Yakal — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 18:28:20 +0000

Comprehensive accounting for small and growing businesses

Xero is one of the best small business accounting applications. It's especially good for businesses with several employees who need to access the software because Xero allows unlimited users at no extra cost. It supports every element of financial management needed by …

DreamHost Web Hosting

Jeffrey L. Wilson, Gabriel Zamora — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 17:52:45 +0000

Excellent cloud hosting plans that won't break the bank

If you want to build a Linux-powered website, DreamHost should be one of the first places you look. The web hosting service has a rich feature set that satisfies many personal and business web hosting needs by offering shared, WordPress, virtual private server (VPS), …

Netflix

Jordan Minor, Ben Moore — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 18:00:08 +0000

The best original streaming shows

Netflix's streaming service started as a niche offshoot of the company's disc-mailing service. Of course, it has since become much more than that, with a reliable core catalog and excellent original programming. It works on virtually any device, allows offline downloads on mobile platforms, and features 4K content. And an …

IRS Will Offer Free (But Limited) Direct E-Filing Next Year

Rob Pegoraro — Tue, 17 Oct 2023 20:01:42 +0000

The move deals a blow to decades of effort by Intuit and other tax-prep software vendors to stop government e-filing efforts.

A subset of taxpayers will be able to kick Intuit and its ilk to the curb and instead file their 2023 federal taxes online at no charge via a new Direct File option the Internal Revenue Service announced …

Asana

Jill Duffy — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 18:16:09 +0000

The best tool to manage almost any work

Productivity enthusiasts love Asana for good reason. It's a collaborative tool that helps teams track work and hand off tasks from one person to another. You can manage tasks, workflows, and even some types of projects, but don't confuse it for traditional project management …

Class-Action Suit Goes After H&R Block, Google, Meta for Alleged Tax Data Sharing

Michael Kan — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 20:39:22 +0000

The class-action suit comes after a Congressional report found that tax prep companies, including H&R Block, shared data with the tech giants via online-advertising tools.

A law normally used to prosecute organized crime is being invoked to go after Facebook’s parent Meta, Google, and H&R Block for allegedly sharing and mining users' tax information.

Law firm Wisner Baum has filed a RICO class-action lawsuit against the …

The Best Project Management Software for 2023

Jill Duffy — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 18:54:33 +0000

We tested more than 25 project management apps to find the best ones to help your team keep projects on track.

What Is Project Management Software?

Project management software, sometimes called PM software, is a type of online collaboration tool. All the people who are working on a project log in and see what they're supposed to do and when. These workers also record their progress on those tasks and add relevant …

Babbel

Jill Duffy — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 15:55:57 +0000

A more challenging language-learning app, now with online classes

Babbel is an online, self-paced language-learning program. The instruction is good, and it's more challenging than most other language apps, but the exercises can be tedious. As such, Babbel is best for people already skilled at learning languages or those who already speak a language …

The Best Language Learning Apps for 2023

Jill Duffy — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 15:53:13 +0000

We test all the major apps for learning a language. Here are our top picks for studying a language no matter your budget, prior experience, or goals.

What Is the Best Language Learning Software?

The best app for learning a foreign language depends on your needs and your goals. Apps and online services let you learn at your own pace and in spaces where you're most comfortable. The trick is figuring out what you need to work on …

FTC Judge: Intuit Misled Customers With 'Free' TurboTax Ads

Emily Price — Sat, 09 Sep 2023 21:48:41 +0000

Intuit is accused of advertising free tax products many people couldn't use. Intuit says it 'will appeal this groundless and seemingly predetermined decision by the FTC to rule in its own favor.'

The FTC ruled this week that Intuit did in fact deceive customers with its ads promoting “free” tax software that wasn’t, in fact, free.

In a ruling Friday, the FTC's Chief Administrative Law Judge, D. Michael Chappell, found that Intuit “engaged in deceptive advertising in violation …

The Best Sites for Learning American Sign Language in 2023

Jill Duffy — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 18:11:02 +0000

Learning ASL is different from learning orally spoken and written languages. We've vetted the top ASL sites to help you start signing today.

Dropbox

Justin Pot — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 14:36:39 +0000

A strong cloud storage contender that charges too much

Once upon a time, Dropbox was a surprisingly simple cloud storage and file-sharing service. You'd drag files into a magic Dropbox folder, and the files would sync to the cloud and to all your other devices. Dropbox can still work this way …

IDrive

Justin Pot — Thu, 31 Aug 2023 14:32:21 +0000

The best backup deal on the market

Everyone should have some kind of backup software or service set up, or they risk losing all their data. Most people's best bet is IDrive, which offers more storage space than most users will ever need for a price lower than most of the competition. …

The Best Podcast Player Apps for 2023

Jill Duffy — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 17:44:10 +0000

Need something better than the stock podcast app on your phone? Check out the best podcast catcher apps we've tested.

HostGator Web Hosting

Jeffrey L. Wilson — Fri, 18 Aug 2023 18:12:58 +0000

The web host with the most

Every business needs a website, whether it's a fully functioning e-commerce setup or a simple blog to post daily updates. Either way, you need a web hosting service. The stacked HostGator is a top choice, as it includes feature-rich cloud, WordPress, virtual private server (VPS), …

Quicken Deluxe

Kathy Yakal — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 15:17:33 +0000

Top-notch personal finance management on your desktop

Quicken is the oldest personal finance app available today. It’s had 30-plus years to add features, which can be both good and bad. While it’s the most capable and feature-rich personal finance app you can find, that depth can be intimidating, especially to people …

IRS to Go Paperless in Coming Years to Improve Customer Service

Michael Kan — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 18:39:04 +0000

Going paperless in 2024 and 2025 should expedite Internal Revenue Service tax returns by several weeks, and help it deal with a mountain of paper-based historical documents.

The IRS is ending its reliance on paper for digital processes in an effort to improve customer service with tax filings.

Starting during next year’s tax filing season, users will have the option to go paperless when communicating with the IRS. In 2025, the agency …

Codecademy

Jordan Minor — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 16:24:16 +0000

A no-cost, high-quality code education

Codecademy has a bold mission to rethink education from the bottom up, and it's working on that through a handful of nonprofit initiatives. On the web, Codecademy offers courses to make learning to code and designing websites fun and easy. You can learn a specific language, such as JavaScript, or …

How to Pay With Cryptocurrency on Amazon Prime Day

Michael Muchmore — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 21:25:41 +0000

If you own Bitcoin, Ethereum, or other crypto coins, you can use them to shop at Amazon for Prime Day deals, but it's not easy. We show you the best ways to pay Amazon with cryptocurrency.

Sling TV

Jordan Minor — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 14:35:10 +0000

A highly customizable live TV streaming service

A video streaming service can easily replace your cable subscription—and usually for less money. Sling TV lets you watch dozens of live television channels for a moderate monthly fee, explore extensive programming options, rent movies, and fire up a completely free tier of on-demand …

The Serial Factor: Podcast Listeners Are Still Obsessed With True Crime

Eric Griffith — Mon, 26 Jun 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Pew Research quantifies the topics and sources of the most popular free audio shows in the US and finds them dominated by pop culture, politics, and outright murder.

Podcasts have been around for a couple of decades, but they didn't really go mainstream until 2014, when Serial put them on the map. As of this writing, over 3 million podcasts have been launched, according …

eharmony

Jordan Minor — Thu, 22 Jun 2023 20:32:44 +0000

Data-driven dating makes you work for love

Since 2000, eharmony has been one of the most recognized dating apps. It sets its members up for success by basing its matches on an extensive personality quiz and detailed profiles. You need to be a paid subscriber to contact other members, but eharmony doesn't …

POF (Plenty of Fish)

Jordan Minor — Wed, 21 Jun 2023 16:55:34 +0000

The dating app for talkative types

Want to chat and message with fellow singles? Plenty of Fish—or as it's commonly known, POF—bills itself as the dating app where the most conversations take place. The company is serious about connecting users; in fact, it claims a billion messages are sent on its platform each month. What's the …

Match

Jordan Minor — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 16:02:33 +0000

If you're looking for love, this is your service

Match is one of the longest-running digital dating services. Founded in 1993, it's old enough to drink and rent a car legally, and it predates most AOL email addresses. Match has had many years to bake, and there's much to like about it. The service has a finely tuned interface, …

The Best Online Payroll Services for 2023

Kathy Yakal — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 14:30:55 +0000

Paying your employees accurately and promptly is one of the most critical elements of running a business. We tested the top payroll applications to help you choose the right one.

Everyone loves payday—except payroll administrators. Paying employees and contractors is the most complex element of small business accounting. You have to produce checks and direct deposits that are 100% accurate, ensuring that the underlying calculations, such as taxes, benefits, and …

Gen Z's Love for Podcasts Is Strong—Especially With Younger Zoomers

Christopher Janaro — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 12:00:00 +0000

Among Gen Z, 47% have listened to podcasts in the last month, up 57% from five years ago.

Podcasts: They're not just for Gen X crypto bros and millennials in Brooklyn. Gen Z is increasingly tuning in, according to new stats from SXM Media and Edison Research.

Among Americans ages 13 to 24, 47% have listened to podcasts in the last …

SEC to Coinbase: You're Making Billions But Failing to Protect Investors

Michael Kan — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 16:12:51 +0000

Coinbase says it'll keep operating as usual and is demanding the US create new oversight rules for the cryptocurrency industry.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission is going after Coinbase for allegedly facilitating cryptocurrency transactions from millions of consumers while skirting federal oversight.

The SEC on Tuesday sued Coinbase over claims the cryptocurrency trading platform has been operating as a “unregistered national securities exchange, broker, and …

Federal Watchdog: Move Cash Out of CashApp, PayPal, Venmo or Risk Losing It

Marco Marcelline — Sat, 03 Jun 2023 16:56:30 +0000

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advises consumers to move money held on digital payment apps to traditional banks as the cash is uninsured by the government.

A federal consumer watchdog this week warned consumers that money held on mobile payment apps like Venmo, Cash App, or PayPal could be lost if the companies fail since the funds are not automatically insured by …

SiriusXM Internet Radio

Jeffrey L. Wilson — Mon, 22 May 2023 19:26:08 +0000

Get Sirius about radio

Sirius and XM were satellite radio's twin faces in the early 2000s, a time when the medium was still a novel and unproven concept. In 2008, the services merged into SiriusXM Internet Radio and evolved into a top streaming service that lets you listen to music, talk, and sports on …

SaneBox

Justin Pot — Wed, 17 May 2023 20:52:18 +0000

Email is sane again

How many of the emails in your inbox are actual messages from humans that need your attention? Half? A quarter? SaneBox reclaims your inbox by sorting messages before they get there. The tool works with your existing email service, so you don't even have to install any new apps or …

Adobe Lightroom Classic

Michael Muchmore — Mon, 15 May 2023 19:29:40 +0000

The best professional photo workflow software you can get

Adobe's Lightroom is unquestionably the leading professional photo-workflow software. But which Lightroom should you use? The photo software is now available in two flavors: the consumer-targeted Lightroom and the professional-targeting Lightroom Classic, reviewed here. Lightroom Classic offers professional photographers powerful ways to import, organize, and …

Watch Out, TurboTax: IRS to Test Free, Online Tax-Filing System

Michael Kan — Mon, 15 May 2023 19:03:28 +0000

The IRS will offer the prototype online tax-filing system to a small group of users next year.

UPDATE 5/16: The IRS has confirmed that it will begin a Direct File pilot project for the 2024 filing season. In a report (PDF) submitted to Congress, the agency " finds that many taxpayers are interested in using a free IRS-provided tool to prepare and file …

Binance Pulls Out of Canada Amid Tougher Crypto Regulation

Marco Marcelline — Sat, 13 May 2023 16:50:15 +0000

The move came after Canada unveiled new guidance that requires crypto trading platforms to have regulatory approval before allowing customers to buy or deposit stablecoins.

Binance, the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange, has said it is pulling out of Canada because of stricter regulation and oversight of crypto trading.

The move comes after the outfit responsible for enforcing cryptocurrency regulation in Canada, the Canadian Securities Administration (CSA) unveiled new guidance that prevented crypto trading platforms from allowing …

Microsoft OneDrive

Michael Muchmore — Tue, 09 May 2023 19:47:47 +0000

The best online storage and syncing service

OneDrive is Microsoft's answer to Apple's iCloud and Google Drive. Well, that's not entirely accurate, since OneDrive preceded those cloud storage and syncing services by at least five years. OneDrive's functionality and design have reached a point of slick usability and reliability. …

SurePayroll

Kathy Yakal — Fri, 05 May 2023 15:47:54 +0000

Comprehensive payroll processing that supports multiple vertical industries

SurePayroll, now in its 23rd year, has long been among the best payroll services for small businesses. It does a great job of creating and managing employee records, processing payroll runs, handling related taxes, and keeping small businesses abreast of their obligations so they …

OnPay

Kathy Yakal — Thu, 04 May 2023 18:03:00 +0000

Robust, flexible payroll processing for businesses large and small

Cloud-based payroll service OnPay is one of the best online payroll services, enabling managers to create comprehensive employee records, explore and assign employee benefits, work remotely, track time, and run unlimited payrolls each month. The service supplies multiple customizable (and custom) reports. It …

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