by Graham Ricks

There are many things that begin to happen this time of year. Soon animals will begin to come out of their warm homes from the cold winter. Flowers will begin to sprout and bloom. While nature begins to prepare serenely for the year, humans are trying to keep from ripping our hair out! Why you might ask? Its tax season, that’s why!

With the stress of an improperly prepared tax return landing you a fine or at minimum the hassle of having to redo your taxes, what are college students to do? Since the average college student does not have the money to have their taxes prepared by an accountant or the time to wait in line at H&R Block, many are looking towards e-filing.

The government is trying to make it easier on tax payers by offering online tax filing. With the online filing option you still have to fill out all of the old tax forms, but you are just doing it online. If you need some help with your taxes, look to one of the online tax services for help. There are 3 major online tax services that work well for the average college student: H&R Block TaxCut, TaxAct Online, and TaxSlayer. All three offer State and Federal filing for around $15, and have easy-to-use interfaces. While any of the three work fine for simple tax returns, they each have their bonuses.

H&R Block TaxCut offers “Worry-free Audit Support” which basically means it actively searches out errors in your return and fixes them; they even offer the ability to have a real-life professional check over your return. http://www.hrblock.com/

TaxAct Online offers a much simpler interface and even offers support for your College Student Financial Aid Report (FAFSA). http://www.taxact.com/

TaxSlayer gives users the quickest way to file their tax returns. Their basic version is perfect for a simple return, while their premium version offers a deduction finder and audit support. http://www.taxslayer.com/

When April 15th arrives and you realize you should not have put off your taxes this long, you might just want to check out one of these three online tax services and make sure your taxes make it in on time.

by Graham Ricks

The step our nation has taken to move towards a wireless future has finally spun off a hit: Wi-Fi Theft. Stealing wireless Internet is quickly becoming one of the most committed crimes in the United States, and yes it is a crime… a felony, actually. Accessing a wireless network that is unsecured is called Unauthorized Access to a Computer Network, a 3rd degree felony in most states.

You might say big deal… I don’t steal wireless Internet. That doesn’t mean you’re out of the woods yet though. If you have an unsecured wireless network and someone uses it for malicious purposes you may be held accountable. The FBI Cybercrime Division has stated that a homeowner that does not secure their wireless network is guilty of negligence.

So what are your options?

You could pay someone to secure your home or office network, or try to do it yourself. But why do that when you can just run down to Home Depot and get a can of security that cannot be bypassed?

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a household paint that blocks Wi-Fi signals. The one thing that separates this paint from all others is the addition of aluminum iron oxide, which has been found to resonate at the same frequency as Wi-Fi. This allows the paint to absorb and dissipate any wireless signal, allowing you to set up a physical wall around your wireless instead of depending on wireless security alone.

Currently the paint is not available on the commercial market, but when they release
Wi-Fi paint in colors like Citrus Orange or Avid Avocado I am not sure I will be able to resist.

by Lindsey Brown

More often than not, when my cell phone is out in the open, I always receive comments about it. Things like “That’s a really nice phone” or “That phone is huge.” I am the owner of the Motorola Q, one of the many smartphones on the market. Many of you may own a smartphone, have a friend that owns one, or see them being played with variously throughout campus. Some see them as a cell phone that does too much and some cannot live without them. Various models exist on many networks; some are even exclusives. The most recent releases, and some of you may be owners, are the BlackBerry Bold for AT&T and BlackBerry Storm for Verizon Wireless.

There are several features that distinguish a smartphone from the ordinary cell phone. More often than not, they feature a full keyboard, known as a QWERTY keyboard, tiny processors and around 64MB of RAM, Windows Mobile, Symbian, or BlackBerry’s software, sync ability and software for your PC or Mac, a HTML internet browser, and the capability to receive corporate email, such as email through a Microsoft Exchange server. An extra that many of these phones have is a very simplified version of Microsoft Office, featuring Outlook, Word, Powerpoint and Excel, including the ability to view PDF files. Features like this make it highly productive in 3G areas, which another thing several are not clear on. 3G networks are faster than the now classic EDGE network, which operate as a 2.75G network. 3G networks offer faster browsing speeds, higher bandwidth for viewing videos through the wireless provider or YouTube, and downloading music directly from the wireless provider.

These phones were originally designed with the corporate worker in mind, but as years have passed and text messaging has become the way many of us communicate throughout our day, they leaked into the average consumer market. If you are in the market for a new phone, reviews on the latest BlackBerry, the Moto Q and Samsung’s Epix and BlackjackII are all available at www.cnet.com.

By. Morgan Abney

Just recently the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) started, which displayed to the public this year’s hottest new products and prototypes in consumer technology. If you’re someone who has trouble choosing which TV or cell phone to buy, then the gadgets presented during this expo will be very beneficial. The show included tons of electronics from MP3 players to home theaters to GPS’s. Two of my favorite gadgets displayed at the CES were the Samsung OLED HDTV and the Powermat.

The Samsung OLED HDTV is a 50 inch TV, compared to the Sony 11 inch OLED HDTV for sale right now. Plus, since it uses LED’s the television is extremely thin even compared to LCD’s. The bad news is it is only a prototype.

The Powermat is a charger that allows you place multiple items like a cell phone or MP3 player on a small mat that plugs into the wall, which will charge them without connecting any wires. However, you will have to buy a powermat battery to go along with the device you would like to charge.

CES is a great place to get up to date on new technology or learn about certain products so you can make an informed decision about them before you buy. You can look up many of the products presented at the CES on such sites as www.cnet.com, or www.cesweb.org before you make your next electronic purchase. Also, the CES is only shown once a year, so the next one is in 2010 on January 7-10.

Graham Ricks
Technical Trainer

The web these days has become a powerful tool, and to some a source of addiction. The introduction of the internet essentially provided people with access to nearly any information they could ever want. This “Web 1.0” was a powerful tool, allowing users to speak across oceans; the internet was basically a never-ending library. But with the new millennium came the beginning of a new internet; the new Web 2.0.

Web 2.0 is a term that you will be hearing more and more of. It basically describes the change in direction of the internet. Instead of now using the internet as a resource, the internet is becoming a place to live instead of just visiting. Web 2.0 basically describes the way the internet is now connecting people and ideas, and how people can interact with the internet. The new Web is now considered by many to be an actual computer platform, like Windows Vista/XP or Mac OSX. This is because the internet now plays host to its own online office suites, games and other software. Previously if you wanted to use Microsoft Word or PowerPoint you had to install it on your computer, now all you have to do is visit Zoho.com and you can use the same products entirely online.

Web 2.0 has also been applied to the new look of the internet. Web pages have moved to a more streamlined look with bolder colors, special animations and rounded corners. With the shift to Web 2.0 you will begin to see websites with more central layouts that have a much bolder look. This is also being followed by companies such as Microsoft that have incorporated the Web 2.0 look into their software, as you can see in Word 2007.
Moving from the passive internet of the past the more aggressive Web 2.0, users can expect to be drawn into the internet. You never know, when Web 3.0 comes along the internet may reach through the monitor and pull you in.

by Jen Fife

You may have visions of iPods dancing in your head as the holidays quickly approach. But what about those people on your list who just aren’t hip to all of the gadgets offered by the information age? Take a brief trip through some of America’s best and worst decades as you see gifts for people stuck in any era!

For fans of what the early 20th Century had to offer (don’t forget this was the time of the Roaring Twenties!), great options include:

* Betty Boop alarm clock
* Gone With the Wind Paraphernalia (watch, DVD, or even the book)
* Retro soda vending machine or old time cart popcorn maker
* Anniversary Editions or other favorite DVDs of John Wayne or other early 20th century favorites

For fans of the 40’s:
* Once again, you can’t go wrong with a classic DVD set
* A die cast model of a favorite car from the era

And the 50’s:
* An Elvis album
* Collector’s Edition DVD box set of The Diamond Collection (Marilyn Monroe)
* Retro Milkshake Maker
* Vintage candy dispenser
* Lucy & Ethel Musical Globe

For those on your list with fond memories of their hippie days or other events of the 1960’s:
* Star Trek DVD set (or even a Phaser if it’s their favorite show)
* A Greatest Hits collection of The Beatles
* Auto Lava Lamp (read: for the car)!

And for everyone stuck in the 70’s:
* Rocky Horror Tribute Show DVD
* Music of Sonny & Cher or DVD of The Sonny & Cher Show
* Bobble head of a favorite Star Wars character (not exactly technological, but very amusing)
* Table Top Disco Ball

Finally, the last era anyone is still allowed to be stuck in is the 80’s:
* Leg Lamp from the Movie A Christmas Story
* Darth Vader USB Hub
* Dancing Gizmo Plush Figure
* Name that Tune DVD Board Game

These items will surely convert anyone who is still convinced that technology isn’t a great thing. For more era-specific ideas, visit Betty’s Attic at www.bettysattic.com.

Happy Holidays!

by Ashley Johnson

Are you looking for inventive ways to jazz up your PC this year? Well now you can. Creating your own PC modifications (case mod) is a fun and relatively inexpensive way to dress up your tired PC. You don’t have to know a lot about computers to create a case mod. You can find easy “How To” guides everywhere.

Case mods are often conducted on the lights and fans of the system, however; you can go as far as renovating the majority of the computer’s components including its exterior.

Case mods are not limited to computers. Some extreme console users often enjoy creating mods for their systems. One mod I recently found online was a Clerks mod for a PS3.

Computer enthusiasts in the past have created some of the strangest PC modifications ever. The following is a list of awesome mods I recently located online.

10. The Microwave PC-as strange as it sounds in order to create this machine the internal components of a microwave oven were taken out and replaced with computing equipment.

9. The Wall Crawler-built into a wall cabinet, made for a user that wants to alternate between hard drives on a daily basis.

8. The WMD-weapon of mass destruction was built with the intention of looking like an atomic bomb.

7. R2D2 PC-the PC is for Stars Wars fans who want to do more than just watch the movie. They want to keep a portion of the film with them forever.

6. The Lego MAC-is a PC mod created out of thousands of Lego blocks. This one will really take you back to your childhood.

5. The Cyber Pumpkin-speaks for itself.

4. The Y2K Bug-Its outward appearance takes on the look of a random insect but this mod took several months to build.

3. The Gingerbread House-Just in time for the holiday season. This particular mode looks almost eatable.

2. The Toilet PC-This mod is my favorite. The Toilet PC comes complete with its own biohazard sign and painted on excrement as well as a flusher used as a power switch.

1. Miss Kanna PC-For all of you Manga fans out there this PC is for you. This design was actually created for a magazine in 2004. It’s structure is made out of piping and clay.

(Information taken from http://gadgets.fosfor.se/the-top-10-weirdest-case-mods/)

Other interesting case mods include: Leela Futurama case mode, DOOM 3, and Battlestar Galactica case mods.

Computer Moding equipment can be found at some of the following locations:

www.FrozenCPU.com

www.Xoxide.com

www.ArticMod.com

by Graham Ricks

Now that we have officially moved into the holiday season many people have begun the search for the perfect holiday gift. The only thing harder than finding a gift for the person who has everything is finding some technology for a demanding geek. Here is a list that will hopefully shorten your search for gifts and make your techie happy they know you.

1. Kingston DataTraveler 150 32GB Flash Drive – $46.99 on Newegg.com – This product can be found all over the internet for around $50 but newegg.com also offers free and very fast shipping.
Newegg.com
Search: DataTraveler 150 32GB

2. Canon Powershot A1000 IS 10MP Camera – $142.95 on B&H Photo –
A very popular point and shoot camera by one of the leaders in the digital photography market. This 10 Megapixel image stabilized digital camera comes in a variety of colors and is perfect for your holiday photos.
Bhphotovideo.com
Search: A1000 IS

3. Garmin Nuvi 205W GPS – $149.99 on tigerdirect.com – A 4.3 inch touch screen with turn by turn voice directions for $150? What more can you ask for?
Tigerdirect.com
Search: Nuvi 205W

4. Panasonic Blu-ray Disc Player – $249.99 at CirtcuitCity.com – A speedy Blu-ray player that supports BD-Live, the latest industry Blu-ray standard, and it even comes with free shipping for the holidays.
Circuitcity.com
Search: DMPBD35K

5. The Dark Knight on Blu-ray – Pre-order $23.99 on Amazon.com – The only choice for your first Blu-ray movie to go with your new Panasonic Blu-Ray Player, available with a digital copy for your computer and the latest format Blu-ray disc.
Amazon.com
Search: Dark Knight Blu-ray

With the internet and this list along side, you no longer have to fight long lines and search empty shelves for the perfect tech gift.

by Jen Fife

The end of the semester always carries with it the dread of projects, papers, and finals. Another tidbit that creeps up on students to accompany the end of the Fall semester is the Holiday season. How will you make the holidays work when coupled with so much stress and so little time and money? A few clicks around the cyber universe will help you do Holidays on a budget, and below are a few to help you get started.

http://www.edgetechcorp.com/holiday/ This site offers tech gifts organized by price range--starting as low as under $10--interest, or person. The site also boasts a “you choose” category for such things as camera memory and flash drives, and an “EDGE picks” category with a Top 10 list. It is perfect for one stop shopping, even if you’re on a tight budget.

http://collegeuniversity.suite101.com/a ... ving_guide This site provides tips on cheap holiday gifts for a student’s friends, parents, roommates and professors.
http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/ ... free_gifts Oprah’s website offers ideas for gifts that are very cheap or even free.

A simple Google search will provide many more ideas for Holiday gifts. Remember, lots of money is unnecessary to give a gift someone will love. Put your time and energy into doing well on your final projects, papers, and exams.

Happy Holidays!

by Jen Fife

Thanksgiving will come and go on Thursday, and everyone knows what that signifies: the beginning of the holiday shopping season! Sure, you could wake up before dawn on Black Friday and wander through huge crowds hunting for bargains, but there is a better way: let the internet help you.

2008 Black Friday Ads maintains an up-to-date list of Black Friday ads as well as a strategy guide for truly devoted shoppers.

SlickDeals.net provides up-to-date information about bargains and also offers coupons for electronic items.

Forbes offers a list of the top 15 Black Friday bargains.

PriceProtectr sends email alerts if the price of an item you purchase drops within 30 days of your original purchase. If the store where you bought the item has a price match guarantee, you may be able to take the receipt and proof of the lower price to the store and be refunded the difference.

These sites should prove to be helpful tools for your holiday shopping.

Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving!