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Tax season is in full swing now. Many people who are getting refunds have already filed their taxes, while those of us who will have to pay are reluctantly getting our paperwork together in anticipation of slogging through the tax preparation process.

Recently I had the opportunity to review H&R Block At Home. When I use tax preparation software, I want it to be clear, thorough, and guaranteed. Does H&R Block stand up to my expectations? Let’s find out!

H&R Block At Home Options

H&R Block at Home has 4 online options: Free, Deluxe, Premium, and Best of Both.

Free. If you have a very simple tax return, this is the best option. It doesn’t cost anything for federal e-filing, but each state will cost you $29.95.

Deluxe. If you own a home or have complicated stock transactions, this is an economical choice.  It costs $29.95 to for federal e-filing, and each state is $29.95 in addition to the base price.

Premium. If you have a complicated tax return, this is a great option for you. It covers self-employment and rental income, and it also provides you with a tax advice session with an H&R Block tax professional. The base price is $49.95 for federal e-filing, and again, each state will cost you $29.95 more.

Best of Both. This is a great option if you have a complicated tax situation, and you’re on the fence as to whether you want to save money by doing your own taxes, or spend the money on an accountant. You receive unlimited assistance from a tax professional, and after you have prepared your return, that tax professional will review it and e-file for you. The cost is $99.95 for federal e-file, and each state is an additional $29.95.

Preparing Your Taxes with H&R Block At Home

It’s been a few years since I’ve used H&R Block, but preparing a tax return with H&R Block At Home is as simple as I remember it being with their former program, Tax Cut.

H&R Block At Home guides you through a series of questions, making sure that you enter all the necessary information and get the biggest refund (or tax break) possible.

For fun, I started my return with the Free Edition, even though I know I’ll need to use the Premium or Best of Both edition. Sure enough, when it came time to state what kind of income I needed to enter, H&R Block clearly stated that I’d need to upgrade to enter self-employment income, and then the software gave me the chance to upgrade on the spot.

I like that feature, because if you don’t know what level of H&R Block At Home you need to use, you can start at the lowest level and only upgrade if necessary.

Along the way, H&R Block gives you links to “Learn More” if you don’t understand what they’re asking for. This is useful when you have deductions, but don’t know how to categorize them.

All in all, I was impressed with how clear and easy it was to work my way through my somewhat complicated return.

I also like the fact that you don’t have to pay, until you actually file your return. If you start your return and decide the software isn’t for you, you’re not out any money.

H&R Block At Home Guarantees

Accurate Calculations Guarantee. This is available for all levels of H&R Block At Home, including the free edition. If the software causes a wrong calculation, resulting in you having to pay penalties and interest, H&R Block will reimburse those charges. (limits apply)

Worry Free Audit Support. Available to Deluxe and Premium users, Worry Free Audit Support will provide you with an enrolled agent to represent you, in the event you are audited. This isn’t legal representation, but someone to come alongside you to prepare for your audit and attend the audit with you. The agent will also help you in all communications with the IRS.

Maximum Refund Guarantee. This guarantee is also available to Deluxe, Premium, and Best of Both users. H&R Block guarantees that they will provide you with the maximum refund (or least liability) to which you are entitled. If you find that another tax program gives you a bigger refund (or lower liability), using the same data, H&R Block will refund the fees you paid them to prepare your return.

H&R Block Guarantee. If you are a Best of Both user and elect to have a tax professional look over your return before filing, you are covered by this guarantee. If an error is made on your return, H&R Block will pay for the resulting penalties and interest. And if you’re audited, they will explain your audit notice and let you know what documentation you’ll need to provide the IRS.

If you are a Best of Both user and opt to e-file your return without having a tax professional look over your return first, you will be covered by the Accurate Calculations, Worry-Free Audit Support, and Maximum Refund guarantees, instead of the H&R Block Guarantee.

My Opinion of H&R Block At Home

H&R Block At Home provides is a great value in tax preparation software! The price is low, compared to other programs, and H&R Block’s guarantees assure you that your tax return will be accurate.

As for my expectations of clear, thorough, and guaranteed, H&R Block definitely meets them all.

Even though I’ve been a long term Turbo Tax user, I may just use H&R Block this year. It’s less expensive, has a great guarantee, and provides everything I need.

article provided by :

http://beingfrugal.net/2010/02/09/hr-block-at-home-review-giveaway/

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My husband does not enjoy shopping, and especially does not like big malls. However, he often needs new work shoes, and the bigger malls have more selection. Even though my husband already has a shoe in mind (brown Rockports), we often have to search store by store trying to find who sells his shoe and who has his size. It can be quite time consuming, especially if his shoes are the only thing we need to be shopping for that day – it’s a long and tedious process, for just 1 pair of shoes.

Since my husband only wears Rockports, he knows how they fit, and more importantly what he likes. Since he does not need to try them on, we took to shopping on-line at times when he needs a new pair of work shoes.

How We Found Shoes.com

We participate in a program called Upromise, which contributes money to our 2 year old son’s college account. Many on-line stores participate in a “kickback” – a bonus sent to the consumer’s college account in return for buying merchandise from their site. Shoes.com was one of the sites participating, and also at the time they were offering low shipping costs (we paid under $5 to ship his shoes). We had previously not heard of Shoes.com, though it seems to be an obvious name for a store selling shoes.

Using The Site

The site was super easy to navigate- after all, it only had shoes! There are shoes for Men, Women, and Children – and for all seasons – boots, sandals, tennis shoes, pumps, etc. We have been very impressed with the site’s layout – I don’t know how much business it gets, but it is always up to date on latest trends, shipping offers, newer brands, etc. Top rated shoes are listed there, as well as easy links to many major brand names. Additionally there is a drop down box to search for the brand that you might need.

Ordering was no different from any other major site we’ve ordered from (I’d compare it to Barnes & Noble and Amazon). A cart is created as you click on the particular shoe you want to purchase, and check out happens in the same typical process (register to the site, supply shipping information, supply payment information – in our case, paying by credit card, and shipping information and final status information).

We receive immediate email confirmation that our purchase was noted by their company. Within 24 hours we had received another notice from them notating that the shoes were shipped. So far we were very impressed.

My husband’s shoes came 4 days later (we live in Virigina) in a sturdy box, and looking just like shoes you would have found at a typical brick and mortor shoe store. The fit and look was just as described and depicted on the site – we were more than pleased.

There is no sales tax (except in CA and MO), and shoes can be returned for free! Shoes.com also offers related Accessories such as Socks, Insoles, Backpacks, and the like. Should you not know your shoe size, this site offers a free, printable shoe sizing chart to help! There seems to be sales on particular brands at least monthly, and we always receive timely updates via email.

Go Visit The Site

If you want shoes, if you know what you like, if you feel like these are items you can purchase without trying on, this is the shoe site for you – Shoes.com. We have been very pleased with this site and plan to use it often.

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I love Autopartswarehouse Adam M.

I’ve been a customer of Autopartswarehouse.com for three years now and I’ve never had any problems with them. In my entire business with them, I could say that they are really doing a great job. Customer assistance is remarkable. The agents are friendly and they respond efficiently to your concerns. The delivery is fast. They will never let you wait for weeks. It’s the best car parts online shop

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Autopartswarehouse is really good Andrew R.

My first impression of autopartswarehouse.com is that it is a good for nothing site. But then, through the convincing powers of a friend, I decided to try and buy some Jeep accessories here. I thought I was gonna regret doing business with them. I was wrong. Delivery is so fast and the prices are really affordable. There are no extra charges and even the shipping is free. From then on, autopartswarehouse.com has become my favorite online shop.

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Get your money’s worth Michelle B.

Autopartswarehouse is definitely one of my favorite sites, and what I love most about it is how it makes my online shopping experience so painless. It provides a wide variety of items on sale. The layout is absolutely user-friendly which helps me find the parts I need in a snap. Great deals, quality auto parts, free shipping, on time delivery, not to mention the discounts they offer from time to time. I just hope all websites could give a service the way autopartswarehouse does.. You’ll definitely get your money’s worth in Autopartswarehouse!

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trend micro Internet Security has made significant gains since last year, although most are under the hood. trend micro Internet Security 2009 is a bare-bones, just the essentials, basic Internet Security suite offering antivirus, antispam, antiphishing, and a two-way firewall. Parental Controls are built-in, not optional. In terms of performance, trend micro Internet Security 2009 is lighter than last year and more than holds its own against competing products, coming in equal to or better than norton Internet Security 2009 in CNET Labs tests. In terms of effectiveness, trend micro ranks well, although not at the top of the list. Like Symantec, trend micro offers free telephone technical support. Our only complaint is that the product could be a bit more feature rich. For more bells and whistles, you’ll need to purchase the trend micro Internet Security Pro 2009 edition. Still, if you’re looking for a very basic and easy-to-use Internet Security suite, we recommend you try trend micro Internet Security 2009.

Setup
trend micro Internet Security 2009 is available for Windows XP and Vista users and can be used on up to three computers within one household. It supports Internet Explorer and Firefox browsers, and MSN Messenger 7.5 and Windows Live Messenger 8.0 instant-messaging programs. A free, full-function trial is available. This is one of two Internet Security products; trend micro Internet Security Pro 2009 includes home networking and mobile features for about $20 more.

Our installation occurred without incident or a reboot. After activation, we were allowed to update the signature database as well as any program updates.

There is an uninstall option, should you decide to remove trend micro Internet Security 2009. And we found few traces of the product upon reboot.

Interface
The interface is a refinement of last year’s, removing some of the line boxes. Across the top are two tabs, one for the Internet Security suite and a second for home networking. Down the left side are Overview, Virus and Spyware Controls, Personal Firewall Controls, Internet and E-Mail Controls, and Other Settings. Clicking these will open a more detailed view in the right windowpane. In trend micro Internet Security Pro 2009, there are additional features that appear in the form of a pop-up dialogue, including protection for mobile phones, system utilities, and onscreen keyboard. Prominent across the bottom are buttons for Scan Now and Update Now. The whole page is color coded and uses the now-standard red for alert, yellow for warning, and green for good.

Features
trend micro Internet Security 2009 covers the basics, providing antivirus, antispyware, antiphishing, antispam, Web identity theft protection, two-way firewall, and, unlike other Internet Security suites, includes Parental Controls.

The Home Network feature scans the local network and lets you control the security settings on two additional computers.

The antiphishing feature blocks suspicious sites using a combination of heuristics and white lists. The Pro version includes the “First Visitor” feature that actively scans for malicious code on live Web pages, so that if you are the first one to visit the site after a compromise attack, you’ll be protected.

Performance
In CNET Labs’ performance tests, trend micro Internet Security 2009, in general, scored even with norton Internet Security 2009 this year. In one third-party independent antivirus test, trend micro Internet Security 2008 scored well, in the upper-middle rank. On the CNET iTunes test, trend micro Internet Security 2009 came in at a respectable 271 seconds, 3 seconds longer than our test system. On the CNET Microsoft Office test, trend micro Internet Security 2009 finished last at 1,415 seconds, better than some standalone antivirus products. In a test scanning a single folder with compressed and media files, trend micro Internet Security 2009 had very respectable results, completing this test in 229 seconds, only a few seconds more than norton. In terms of boot speed, trend micro Internet Security 2009, at 30.45 seconds, was much faster than norton Internet Security 2009, at 33 seconds.

To find out how we test antivirus software, see CNET Labs’ How we test: Antivirus software page.

In terms of whether trend micro Internet Security 2009 will protect your PC, we cite results from two leading independent antivirus testing organizations. From AVtest.org, trend micro Internet Security 2008 found 91 percent of the malicious software and 88 percent of the adware in the September 2008 test. Despite stumbling on the On Demand antispyware portion, trend micro Internet Security 2008 scored average or better in the other individual tests performed. AV-Comparatives.org has not included trend micro in recent tests and so no past test results are available.

Support
Like Symantec, trend micro offers free technical support. Users are first directed to an Answer Guide. If you can’t find a solution in the FAQ, then you can search the knowledge base, submit a question via e-mail, conduct an online chat (1 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends), or call a representative (5 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays only).

Online there is PDF-file documentation. There is also a video tutorial (which other vendors should supply but don’t), an interactive learning guide to the product’s features, and a Getting Started manual that covers the basics.

Conclusion
For a good, basic Internet Security suite, we recommend trend micro Internet Security 2009. You can’t beat the price. However, for better protection, it’s worth the additional $20 to get the Pro version.

Article From Cnet.com

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I am always asked … were do you buy your video games ?   To some people this is a long drawn out answer,  ” i get some from here” “i get some from there”.  To me this answer is very simple ….   Gamezone.com is the correct answer.

They have the best customer service, the most games, the newest releases , and the best prices.  Not including all the reivews , cheats and information they provide about each game.

So the short and sweet answer is gamezone.com for all your games needs.

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VMware Fusion is a virtualization program that lets you run Windows applications on any Intel-based Mac–and quickly switch back and forth between Windows and Mac apps. This app’s Unity feature alone makes it worth trying VMware Fusion’s 30-day trial. With Unity, Windows apps appear right alongside Mac apps as windows in your Mac OS, as well as in the Dock and Exposé. You can also get to your Windows apps directly from the Apple Menu bar, even when VMware Fusion isn’t running. You can also set your preferences so that your Mac and Windows apps use the same user data (your Documents, Music, Pictures, etc.), and it interacts well with most printers and multiple monitors.

This version has made great strides at boosting speed and performance, with faster start-up and launch times, and it brings full support for Snow Leopard and Windows 7. This update also lets you take better advantage of both multiple processors and greater Windows graphical power, with support for Windows Aero and Flip 3D animations, and it’s easier than ever to migrate a physical PC (or a Boot Camp partition or other virtualization app) to a virtual machine on your Mac. You can also use VMware Fusion to run Ubuntu or over 140 other supported operating systems. Still just under $80–with a free year of McAfee anti-virus and a year and a half of e-mail support–this is one of the cheapest ways to “buy” an easy-to-use Windows box. (And all without cluttering up your desk with ugly, non-Apple hardware.)

Publisher’s description

From VMware :

VMware Fusion is the most seamless way to run Windows applications on your Mac. VMware Fusion combines a clean and intuitive Cocoa-native interface that Mac users expect with a virtual platform trusted by millions of users today. VMware Fusion allows you to launch your Windows applications from the Dock and switch between Windows and Mac applications using Expose. With the industry’s most advanced virtualization technology VMware Fusion lets you leverage all the hardware available on your Mac to simultaneously run 32- and 64-bit operating systems, use two processor cores at the same time, run select 3D games and utilize USB 2.0 devices.

What’s new in this version:

VMware Fusion 3 includes more than 50 new features and enhancements, delivering a better-than-ever Windows on Mac experience. Key highlights include:

• Performance, Finely Tuned. Support for 4-way SMP to maximize performance on the latest iMac and Mac Pro. Lower overhead and up to 2X faster resume time for a suspended virtual machine.

Article from :

http://download.cnet.com/VMware-Fusion/3000-2094_4-144576.html

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Just came across this and thought i would pass it on to everyone.

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For those of you who are not using kaspersky here is a review of the 2010 version:

Kaspersky is known for making one of the best anti-virus on the market. The new version, Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010, provides new and improved features. Read this review to find what KAV 2010 has to offer.

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Allposters.com

I love decorating my room with different posters to show off my favourite bands, films and even a periodic table (I like Chemistry) However I have began to get bored of my current posters as they reflected my ‘younger’ self. So I really wanted to get some new posters which I could love and not get bored of.
===Finding the Site===
I wanted to find a site that is reliable and I could use again and again. I first thought Ebay but I went off it when I saw the postage prices of the posters. So I used my very trusty google and typed in ‘poster’ and the first result that came up was AllPosters.com. It has a yellow stripe across meaning it is recommended by google and has it’s trust. I liked the name so tried it out and was taken to the site. It can be easily found and has a familyar good name which is memorable.

===Starting Up On The Site===

I was taken to a very clear, nicely organised site. It comes up with the quote saying it is offering over 500,000 posters and prints. Great this is exactly what I have been looking for and was immediately taken in by that slogan. Great! On the left side it was sorted into categories so I could easily find a certain poster I would like. My first impressions of the site were very good and I was very happy with the look. But I now haveto see what posters they have on offer and the prices.

===Selection Of Posters===
Wow there not half right when they say there is a big selection of posters. I am really into movies and was keen to find posters that reflect my favourite movies. So I clicked on Movies and was amazed at how many came up. The latest posters looked really good of Batman: The Dark Knight, Mama Mia, The New James Bond movie, Madagasgar 2 etc. But they definately have the best and newest selection of posters around.
They have so many different genres ranging from Fine Art prints, vintage posters (Propaganda, Thinking etc), Cute animals, films, music, travels and so much more. If you want a poster in particular, take a place for example. You only have to enter it into the search engine. I typed in Edinburgh and got lots of lovely nice prints and posters of the city. There really is so much to choose from and I can guarentee there is something for everyone. Very impressed by the huge selection of products avaliable.

===My Experience Of Searching===
It was great to try and find my favourite movies, but I couldn’t think of the ones I wanted. I already had a Harry Potter one I got from HMV so I wanted something a bit different. My favourite movie is of Braveheart so it only seems right to get that. So I used the search engine and simply typed in ‘Braveheart’ and it came up 2 posters, one framed. It was huge more than a metre long, but I really loved it and added it to my basket. Next I thought of another film I loved. I am a huge fan of Batman so searched that and got an amazing looking poster from Batman Begins Movie. Was exceptionally pleased with this one it was exactly what I was wanting. I wanted one more but I didn’t fancy getting a film one, trying something different. So I typed in funny and was amazed at all the funny, yet some rude. I was really taken by an old War propaganda poster saying ‘We Need You.’ So after more browsing decided to get that one.
===Prices===
This is where I have to get a bit annoyed with the site. The prices are more than I was willing to pay however this does include Postage And Packaging. My Braveheart poster (at over 1m 10cm in heigh)t cost £9.99 which I have to admit is a lot of money. However I was quite prepared to pay that as Ebay and other sites were actually asking more! Depending on the size of your poster, the bigger you go the more expensive it will be. Common sense really. Overall I am prepared to pay the prices for quality but it isn’t as cheap as it maybe could be.

===Extras===
For almost every poster/print you choose they will actually laminate it for you (at a charge) and/or frame it with a choice of frames. This is quite expensive at an extra £10.99 but they looked nice. They do offer these as extras which is good as they don’t just want to sell you a poster, they want to sell it how you want it. Your actually able to see what it looks like laminated and framed which is an excellent feature. It will give a you a picture and you can get an exact idea of what it will look like.
If there is particular film, artist or musician you love and would love a good looking t-shirt to show your support then they do them. Having a look at them, they look excellent ranging from really funny Borat tops to Betty Boop to The Terminator. The music ones are excellent, in fact after browsing they all look excellent! They do mens and womens t-shirts in a variety of different sizes.
Other items they do, but tend to be less popular are tapestries (of vintage art and beautiful asian tapestries.) Of course these are expensive at over £100 (I even saw one for over £200) but they really are so beautiful. The other thing they do is decals. These are wall stickers which look fantastic. They tend to be more for children however there is some stunning adult ones. There really is an excellent selection of extra products other than posters that the site can offer.
===Paying===
After I had chosen my posters and had a really good browse, I decided to pay. My basket added up to £19.98 which was roughly what I was prepared to pay for 3 posters. I had picked a big one as well, so was happy eventually with the price overall. I was clicked on my cart and then went to the Checkout. This was exactly the same layout as other popular sites when paying which was handy. It asked for your name, address and email. This I guess was just to confirm your address was correct. You were then asked how you wanted to pay, so I used my debit card and entered my details. It of course had the padlock sign on the side of my browser which tells me i’m in a secure website.
After doing that it asked me to confirm what I was buying, which I was happy with and then I clicked pay. I was then thanked for my order and got a code so I could track my order. Really happy at how easy it was.

===Delivery===
I was emailed to say my order had been dispatched on the monday, it then arrived on the Wednesday. I knew exactly what it was as I was a long tube. The tops were on really securely so had to do a bit of hacking to get in but I guess this meant my purchases had extra protection. After opening the top I could see them all nicely wrapped up. I slid them out and they really did smell very new, like freshly printed. They were all rolled toghether, seperated by a cusion of thin foam. I unrolled them all and I could see they were in excellent condition. I was so pleased with them and the delivery
Overall

I am extremely happy with the website. In the tube I found my invoice and they had given me a 20% voucher for my next purchase. I thought that was really nice and I would probably buy from them again. After having a poster trauma with Amazon, I will avoid them and recommend this company to everyone. Was exceptionally pleased with the service and choice I was offered. The prices, looking back are maybe slightly overpriced but the posters were beautifully packaged and nothing at all was wrong with them. If you ever need a reliable company to buy prints and posters from I would choose them everytime

Visit allposters.com today.

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