Online shopping might not be tax free much longer.
I'm Bridget Carey and this is your CNET Update.
Soon you could be paying more taxes when you shop online depending if a new internet tax bill is passed.
The senate approved a controversial bill that would require businesses to charge customers tax based on a state they live in.
So, when online retailer needs to be able to charge a customer from taxes their tax rate,
and a customer in Florida a different rate.
It's something big companies like Amazon and Walmart can handle easier than a small business because businesses could be dealing with more paperwork and possible audits and legal battles from every state that collects sales tax.
The way it works now, if an online shop is based in the state you live in, you pay the sales tax but you don't have to if you lived in a different state from the business.
The bill still needs approval from the House Representatives to pass and President Obama said he supports this change.
If passed, it would impact
about 7500 businesses, its any business that has a total annual sales of at least $1 million outside of the state they have a physical presence in.
In other words, if you're buying something from a crafter and see that crafter won't be forced to deal wit states taxes.
In honor of Password Day, McAfee has posted some tips on creating a secure password.
Yeah, I didn't know there was a Password either but let's just roll with it.
Don't use the same password for important accounts.
Make a different for your bank account, your e-mail and social network
because if your e-mail gets hacked, they'll try that password in all sorts of sites to see what unlocks.
And a password doesn't have to be complexed to be strong.
It should be long like a phrase which might be easier for you to remember.
The longer the password, the longer it takes to hack.
There's been reports that the next Xbox console will require a constant internet connection but perhaps that's not true.
A new internal e-mail to the Xbox team, which was leaked to the blog, Ars Technica, suggest that the Xbox won't need internet connection for some basic
functions like playing a Blu-ray disc, watching live TV and playing a single player game.
And if that e-mail is real, it also confirms that the system will play Blu-rays and serves a cable box.
Today's featured app is one that will release your inner gangsta.
It's the Snoopify App.
Yes, as in Snoop Dogg or Snoop Lion as he goes by now.
It's a photo app that lets you address up a picture with added cartoon drawings of snoop approve things like gold chains, big chicken hats, grape soda and lots of cash.
It's free for Android and iPhone but you can pay a box fro extra sticker packs, say it you want some rasta inspire stickers, expect more apps to jump into this trend of making money of silly stickers.
Snoop is ahead of the pack on this for [unk].
That's your tech news update, you could find more details at cnet.com/update.
From our studios in New York, I'm Bridget Carey.
