Greetings All,
Here are some useful links and a brief description of each one
If this problem hasn't hit you yet... it will.
With the ever-increasing popularity of sharing home-videos, mp3 audios, and other large files online, actually transferring those files to your customers, friends, and family presents a problem.
Most email systems limit the size of the files you can send, and often completely restrict some file types, such as .exe, from passing through their email servers.
Most computer geeks say, "Just ftp it to your server and I'll download it from the Web."
Unfortunately, that solution often proves too much of a hassle, and actually rates impossible for those without ftp access to a website and the knowledge to use it.
To solve this problem, a new breed of website file transfer service has emerged to help the technically or time- challenged masses share their huge files online.
First is YouSendIt.com
I discovered this website as most people discover new sites, I saw someone else using it.
Log on to www.yousendit.com.
After you create a user name and password:
(1)Enter the recipient's email address, (2) chose the file to be sent by browsing your hard drive, (3) enter your email and type in a brief message, and (4) click the "send" button.
The service uploads the file to the web and sends the recipient an email message with a link to download the file from their website.
After downloading the file, you can click a link to delete the file from their server.
If you don't click that link, the server would automatically delete the file after 7 days.
This service allows you to send up to a 1 gigabyte file.
This enables you to send virtually anything you can think of to anyone with an email address and Internet connection.
In order to send files larger than 1 gigabyte you will have to use one of their pay plans.
Next is DropLoad.com
DropLoad.com also enables users to send large files, though they restrict file sizes to 100 MB.
However, DropLoad.com offers one extra feature lacking in YouSendIt: delivery confirmation.
Dropload enables you to know when the person you sent the file to actually clicks the link to download the file.
This cuts down on the "I never got the file" claims and acts like the Post Office making them sign for registered mail.
You can't prove they read it, but you can prove they received it.
DropLoad.com does require you to register for a username and password, but the service is free.
Overall, both services do an excellent job of solving a growing problem for a huge audience worldwide.
Also, if you sell information products customers download from the Internet, the link expiration and confirmation features can come in handy (such as giving out free samples or preview copies to potential joint venture partners).
Hopefully, many of you will find these sites helpful in your business or home needs.
Please leave your comments as to whether this info was useful or not.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
A SPECIAL ONE TIME TAX CREDIT ON YOUR 2006 TAX RETURN
This is from CNN Money.com. http://money.CNN.Com/2006/05/25/news/
telephonetax_refund/index.htm
When it comes time to prepare and file your 2006 tax return,
make sure you don't overlook the "federal excise tax refund credit."
You claim the c redit on line 71 of your form 1040.
A similar line will be available if you file the short form 1040A.
If you have family or friends who no longer file a tax return AND they
have their own land phone in their home and have been paying
a phone bill for years, make sure they know about this form 1040EZ-T.
What is this all about?
Well the federal excise tax has been charge to you on your phone bill
for years.
It is an old tax that was assessed on your toll calls based on how far
the call was being made and how much time you talked on that call.
When phone companies began to offer flat fee phone service,challenges
to the excise tax ended up in federal courts in several districts of
the country.
The challenges pointed out that flat fee/rate phone service had nothing
to do with the distance and the length of the phone call.
Therefore, the excise tax should/could not be assessed.
The IRS has now conceded this argument.
Phone companies have been given notice to stop assessing the federal
excise tax as of Aug 30, 2006.
You will most likely see the tax on your September cutoff statement,
but it should NOT be on your October bill.
But the challengers of the old law also demanded restitution.
So the IRS has announced that a one time credit will be available
when you and I file our 2006 tax return as I explained above.
However, the IRS also established limits on how BIG a credit
you can get.
Here's how it works.
If you file your return as a single person with just you as a dependent,
you get to claim a $30 credit on line 71 of your 1040.
If you file with a child or a parent as your dependent, you claim $40.
If you file your return as a married couple with no children ,
you claim $40.
If you file as married with children, you claim $50 if one child,
$60 if two children.
In all cases, the most you get to claim is $60 - UNLESS you have all
your phone bills starting AFTER Feb 28, 2003 through July 31, 2006
(do not use any bills starting Aug 1, 2006.), then you can add up
the ACTUAL TAX AS IT APPEARS ON YOUR BILLS AND CLAIM THAT FOR A CREDIT.
Now if you have your actual phone bills and come up with an
ACTUAL TAX AMOUNT, you cannot use line 71 on your tax return.
You have to complete a special form number 8913 and attach it to your
tax return.
Individuals using the special from 1040EZ-T will have to attach this
form 8913 also.
One final point - this credit is a refundable credit.
That means you get this money, no matter how your tax return works out.
If you would end up owing the IRS a balance, the refund will reduce
that balance you owe.
If you end up getting a refund, the credit will be added and you get
a bigger refund by that $30 to $60, depending on how many dependents
are on your return.
Feel free to pass this on or make copies for family and friends who
don't have computers.
telephonetax_refund/index.htm
When it comes time to prepare and file your 2006 tax return,
make sure you don't overlook the "federal excise tax refund credit."
You claim the c redit on line 71 of your form 1040.
A similar line will be available if you file the short form 1040A.
If you have family or friends who no longer file a tax return AND they
have their own land phone in their home and have been paying
a phone bill for years, make sure they know about this form 1040EZ-T.
What is this all about?
Well the federal excise tax has been charge to you on your phone bill
for years.
It is an old tax that was assessed on your toll calls based on how far
the call was being made and how much time you talked on that call.
When phone companies began to offer flat fee phone service,challenges
to the excise tax ended up in federal courts in several districts of
the country.
The challenges pointed out that flat fee/rate phone service had nothing
to do with the distance and the length of the phone call.
Therefore, the excise tax should/could not be assessed.
The IRS has now conceded this argument.
Phone companies have been given notice to stop assessing the federal
excise tax as of Aug 30, 2006.
You will most likely see the tax on your September cutoff statement,
but it should NOT be on your October bill.
But the challengers of the old law also demanded restitution.
So the IRS has announced that a one time credit will be available
when you and I file our 2006 tax return as I explained above.
However, the IRS also established limits on how BIG a credit
you can get.
Here's how it works.
If you file your return as a single person with just you as a dependent,
you get to claim a $30 credit on line 71 of your 1040.
If you file with a child or a parent as your dependent, you claim $40.
If you file your return as a married couple with no children ,
you claim $40.
If you file as married with children, you claim $50 if one child,
$60 if two children.
In all cases, the most you get to claim is $60 - UNLESS you have all
your phone bills starting AFTER Feb 28, 2003 through July 31, 2006
(do not use any bills starting Aug 1, 2006.), then you can add up
the ACTUAL TAX AS IT APPEARS ON YOUR BILLS AND CLAIM THAT FOR A CREDIT.
Now if you have your actual phone bills and come up with an
ACTUAL TAX AMOUNT, you cannot use line 71 on your tax return.
You have to complete a special form number 8913 and attach it to your
tax return.
Individuals using the special from 1040EZ-T will have to attach this
form 8913 also.
One final point - this credit is a refundable credit.
That means you get this money, no matter how your tax return works out.
If you would end up owing the IRS a balance, the refund will reduce
that balance you owe.
If you end up getting a refund, the credit will be added and you get
a bigger refund by that $30 to $60, depending on how many dependents
are on your return.
Feel free to pass this on or make copies for family and friends who
don't have computers.
http://www.blackwebportal.com/
As some of you might know, a dynamic young African-American Internet duo,
Rob and Roz Rucker have created a brand new search engine and portal site
called The BlackWebPortal.
The site is designed with African-Americans in mind. Right now their
viewership is the low thousands. They need to cross the hundreds of
thousands barrier to have any real chance of keeping this site online at all.
Some of you are thinking...why does it matter?
It matters because BlackVoices is wholly owned by the Tribune Company;
Black Families by Cox Communications; BlackPlanet.com by an Asian company;
and Soul City HBO by AOL-Times/Warner.
The BlackWebPortal is the only
site that is 100% African-American owned.
The BlackWebPortal needs all of us to start emailing our friends, relatives,
etc., all over the world to start using the resources at the BlackWebPortal.
The important thing is that they need the help getting the word out about this
site.
Let's help this site out by visiting and seeing what they have to offer.
So please tell EVERYONE about the Black Web Portal.
Don't just bookmark it for yourself. Spread the news!
This is a new millennium! We must begin truly supporting black technology
efforts in the same way we cheer on our movie and athletic stars.
If we don't, they'll end up having to do the same as other black web sites by getting assistance from elsewhere, thereby losing the original flavor they have.
PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD! BlackWebPortal
Rob and Roz Rucker have created a brand new search engine and portal site
called The BlackWebPortal.
The site is designed with African-Americans in mind. Right now their
viewership is the low thousands. They need to cross the hundreds of
thousands barrier to have any real chance of keeping this site online at all.
Some of you are thinking...why does it matter?
It matters because BlackVoices is wholly owned by the Tribune Company;
Black Families by Cox Communications; BlackPlanet.com by an Asian company;
and Soul City HBO by AOL-Times/Warner.
The BlackWebPortal is the only
site that is 100% African-American owned.
The BlackWebPortal needs all of us to start emailing our friends, relatives,
etc., all over the world to start using the resources at the BlackWebPortal.
The important thing is that they need the help getting the word out about this
site.
Let's help this site out by visiting and seeing what they have to offer.
So please tell EVERYONE about the Black Web Portal.
Don't just bookmark it for yourself. Spread the news!
This is a new millennium! We must begin truly supporting black technology
efforts in the same way we cheer on our movie and athletic stars.
If we don't, they'll end up having to do the same as other black web sites by getting assistance from elsewhere, thereby losing the original flavor they have.
PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD! BlackWebPortal
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