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Chrome polish

Google is polishing its Chrome browser with the help of open-source extensions similar to the add-ons that have made Mozilla's Firefox the Web browser to beat when it comes to versatility and options. Lex1's AdBlock+ Element Hiding Helper is a good example. As the name suggests, it blocks various kinds of animated elements, typically advertising, in Google's Chrome. If you haven't tried Chrome yet, here's your chance, and you can do worse than to make AdBlock+ one of your first extensions.

AdBlock+ is easy to use, with a few simple keystroke combinations controlling all the … Read more

Is ad blocking the problem?

Ars Technica's Ken Fisher recently wrote an impassioned plea to turn off ad-blocking software like AdBlock Plus to save the online publishing industry. His attempt to turn back the clock on digitization, however, would likely accomplish the opposite.

Fisher has a good point: ad-blocking software almost certainly does hurt sites like CNET by denying them revenue. As he points out, "[m]ost [large] sites...are paid on a per view basis," not a click-through basis, which means that ad-blocking software very literally takes money out of the pockets of publishers, leading consumers to "devastat[e]...the … Read more

Gone in a Flash

Flash technology has been both a blessing and a curse for Internet users. It's brought us wonderful Web sites like YouTube, but it's also been responsible for annoying, slow-loading advertisements, cumbersome Web site splash pages, and those much-despised autoplaying videos. Fortunately for all of us, there's FlashBlock. This simple Chrome extension lets users control how they interact with Flash elements online.

FlashBlock installs easily and performs its magic with little user input. Once it's installed, anything that's Flash-based--ads, videos, whatever--will be replaced by a circular button with the Flash logo on it. If you decide … Read more

Ken Block presents his extreme snowcar

All of my friends back east are jumping for joy, as it appears to be finally warming up a little and melting the pounds of snow they've been hit with for the past month. And since it seems that the snow will soon be drained into our great country's sewer systems, I thought we'd send the snow off with this video blog post about the most badass snowcar I've ever seen. Check it out.

Rally team driver and Chief Brand Officer of DC Shoes, Ken Block, apparently took a Subaru Impreza WRX STI and transformed it … Read more

Taxes 2009: TurboTax vs. H&R Block vs. TaxAct

We know, tax time is the pits, but if it makes you feel better, we did ours six times while researching the pros and cons of TurboTax (Windows|Mac|Online), Tax Act (Windows|Online), and H&R Block At Home (Windows|Mac|Online), formerly called H&R Block Tax Cut. So we know a thing or three about taxes. (And we hate them six times more than you do.)

Obligatory disclaimer: We tested both the online and desktop versions of the Deluxe version of TaxAct, TurboTax, and H&R Block At Home (called Ultimate Bundle in TaxAct, since it includes the State return). We prepared our Federal and California state taxes online and on a Windows 7 computer, using our real W-2s and tax forms, so our experience may not reflect your personal situation.

What you need to know about tax prep software

Which one?: Most software comes in four levels of guidance covering simple returns (the 1040 EZ form) to the complex. Most people go with Deluxe, which walks you through deductions for things like home owners and renters, investment income, dependents, and charitable donations. Premier or Premium adds on home ownership, rental property, and more complicated investments and deductions; Business keeps an eye on small-business owners after going through personal investments and deductions. E-filing versus printing: E-filing can net you a refund in as few as 8 days, whereas refunds on tax forms you print and mail can take up to 6 weeks. Most programs include at least one free Federal e-file for one tax return, but additional e-filing costs rack up after that. Many packages charge extra to e-file State returns or returns for additional family members. Online and desktop: All three programs offer online and desktop versions. H&R Block At Home and TurboTax support Windows and Mac; TaxAct is Windows-only. Online versions mostly mirror desktop versions, but with minor differences. Desktop software is typically licensed for up to five free Federal e-files (you can print off as many as you'd like), while online tax prep usually includes one free Federal e-file. Online tax returns are encrypted and stored on the provider's Web servers. Desktop returns are stored locally on your computer.

TurboTax vs. TaxAct, vs. H&R Block At Home: What's the difference?

When it comes down to it, the actual content of the tax interview--the questions and sections that the tax apps guide you through--is nearly identical in these competing programs, including the online and desktop variations. Clarity in language, extra tools, and help and support features are key differentiators, not to mention the price. We sum these up below. See more pricing charts here. Read full reviews on TurboTax, TaxAct, and H&R Block At Home.

Big on service

Don't bother looking for H&R Block's TaxCut to prepare your 2009 taxes. You won't find it. Sixteen years after Snapping up TaxCut from Kiplingers, H&R Block is girding its own brand by doing away with TaxCut and renaming the product H&R Block At Home.

As with the rest of its desktop cohort, H&R Block At Home takes a few good minutes to install, scan for updates, and download those too before you can get going on the desktop version. You'll need to only wait for a secure connection … Read more

Big on service

Don't bother looking for H&R Block's TaxCut to prepare your 2009 taxes. You won't find it. Sixteen years after Snapping up TaxCut from Kiplinger, H&R Block is girding its own brand by doing away with TaxCut and renaming the product H&R Block At Home.

Big on service

Don't bother looking for H&R Block's TaxCut to prepare your 2009 taxes. You won't find it. Sixteen years after Snapping up TaxCut from Kiplinger's, H&R Block is girding its own brand by doing away with TaxCut and renaming the product H&R Block At Home.

One Block Off the Grid: Bulk solar, tell your friends

Corrections made at 8:20 a.m. PT to number of Twitter followers and number or regions it works in.

Just like you need an accountant to navigate the tax code, you need an agent to get a good deal on solar panels, according to One Block Off the Grid.

The San Francisco-based start-up on Thursday announced that it has secured a series A funding round of $5 million from New Enterprise Associations to expand its operations. It follows angel funding it raised a little over one year ago.

One Block Off the Grid seeks to make it cheaper and … Read more

Slide the blocks to unblock

Unblock Me Free is the free version of Unblock Me, a simple but stylishly made puzzle game in which you solve spatial challenges involving rectangular wooden blocks.

The gameplay and interface are fittingly simple: you use your touch screen to slide blocks back and forth inside a tight grid (only left and right, or up and down, depending on the block's placement), maneuvering them around in sequence so that you can slide a red block out of the grid. This setup is the same on every level, but each time you have to move a different set of blocks … Read more