Month: February 2015

Tax season is here and while many dread doing their taxes, it’s not so bad with the right software. Many people assume you have to pay for expensive software to file your taxes but in reality, there are excellent free options which I will be exploring here.

As a reminder, taxes are due April 15th.

The IRS website lists every available free tax prep software. To apply, you’ll have to have a gross income of less than $60,000 per year. If you make more than that, you can manually fill out IRS forms for free, but you’ll probably want to pay for tax software to make things easier.

For the purposes of this list, I will focus on software that works in all 50 states and only on free filing for federal returns. Filing state tax returns usually have a fee and will differ with each software solution.

One thing to note is that free tax preparation software is mainly for those with simple financial situations. If you own multiple properties or your own business, you’ll probably want to pay for premium software or hire a certified public accountant.

TurboTax Federal Free Edition

TurboTax is one of the biggest names in tax prep software and for good reason. Even in this free edition, TurboTax is extremely well thought-out and easy to use. Everything is laid out in simple pages so you’re not overwhelmed and it boasts a detailed explanations if you ever find yourself confused.

Just about every tax form is supported, even in this free version. For a full list of supported forms, check out TurboTax’s comparison chart.

One of the things I like most about TurboTax is how many steps it saves. TurboTax has a partner program where employers can sign up to allow the software to auto-import your W-2. You can also import information from last year’s tax return but you will have to pay. This is annoying since TurboTax already has all your information but won’t fill it out for you unless you pay.

For those who want to file on the go, there are TurboTax apps on just about every platform from Android to iOS. These apps make filing a bit easier, letting you import your W-2 by taking a photo.

Get started with TurboTax Federal Free Edition

H&R Block Free Edition

You can’t mention TurboTax without also mentioning its main rival, H&R Block. That’s because the two share many similar features so it’s a tossup between the two. H&R Block also includes an auto W-2 import and a very easy to use interface.

H&R block supports basically every tax form. For a full list of supported forms, check out their PDF.

There are H&R Block apps but they’re not very good. User reviews are pretty terrible and the software doesn’t look to be useful for free users. I would stick with using  H&R Block Free in your browser.

Like TurboTax, H&R Block saves time by importing last year’s tax return so you don’t have to manually fill out basic information. H&R Block supports importing from TurboTax, TaxACT and of course your previous year’s H&R block return. This gives H&R Block an advantage over TurboTax, which requires you to pay to import  your old information.

Everything is well laid out and will walk you through confusing questions. If you’re still confused, you can visit one of the many H&R Block offices for help, something TurboTax doesn’t offer.

Get started with H&R Block Free Edition

TaxACT Free Federal Edition

Although not as popular as H&R Block or TurboTax, TaxACT is actually very good. It includes many of the features included with the other two like auto import of last year’s return. You can import via a PDF of last year’s return, even from TurboTax and H&R Block.

TaxACT stands behind its product with free user support. There’s also a great Tax Glossary to help you work through tough terminology. The company also offers audit protection by comparing your tax return to last year’s, looking for inconsistencies. It’s a nice perk but isn’t going to be as helpful as having in-person audit support that’s offered by some of the bigger competitors’ paid products.

Using TaxACT is simple. Its interface is logically laid out and like other software, it doesn’t overwhelm you with a huge list of options to choose from. Life events are broken down into easy to comprehend icons and everything is conducted like an interview. You also get a live update on the side of how much money you will be getting back with your return.

TaxACT also has apps for Android and iOS for you to file on the go. Like other mobile tax software, your work is synced so you can pick up where you left off on the web or on your tablet.

Get started with TaxACT Free Federal Edition

eSmart Tax

eSmart Tax makes saving time easy. It also imports last year’s tax return but it also can import returns completed with competing software via PDF. This is great if you’re unhappy with the tax software you used last year and want to try eSmart Tax instead.

The interface isn’t as intuitive as some of its other competitors but it’s not bad. On the web, there’s a ton of empty space that could have been better used instead of spreading out text.

In terms of support, eSmart Tax offers live chat on its website, though its clunky and slow. If you want to speak with a human being, eSmart Tax offers in-person tax preparation using Liberty Tax Service.

Get started with eSmart Tax

TaxSlayer Free Federal Edition

I really like TaxSlayer’s interface. Everything is laid out in big, easy to read buttons and text fields. It also provides first time users with an in-depth tutorial, highlighting all of the different features of the software.

However, TaxSlayer Free does have a big downside: it doesn’t import your previous year’s tax return. You’ll have to step up to a paid version of TaxSlayer for the feature, which is disappointing since some competitors include it for free.

In terms of support, TaxSlayer offers free email and phone support, but no online chat. You’ll also have to call in during available hours because 24/7 phone support isn’t available. TaxSlayer will also make sure to check for errors and inconsistencies in your tax return before submitting it.

Get started with TaxSlayer Free Federal Edition

TaxSimple

TaxSimple is my least favorite in this list but it still works well. The main issue I have with TaxSimple is how slow it is. Every action is greeted by a loading screen, which takes a few more unnecessary seconds than it should.

If you can get over its slightly laggy performance, you’ll be treated with a live return status on the sidebar and easy survey-like interface. There’s also live chat if you’re ever confused about something.

TaxSimple also guarantees to pay any IRS fines for inaccurate reporting, which is a nice peace of mind.

Get started with TaxSimple

Wrap-up

As you can see, the tax software included in this list are all extremely similar. The main differentiators between them are their support, accuracy guarantees, and audit protection. The Affordable Care Act will add something new to this year’s return but all of the software covered in this list include sections for the ACA.

If you have a simple financial situation, any of these free tax prep software will work well for you but my favorite is H&R Block. I like H&R Block the best for its ability to import your previous return and its easy to use interface. You’ll also get great support online, over the phone, or in person at one of their many locations. Although H&R Block’s mobile applications aren’t very good, its core website is excellent.

There’s no need to purchase the premium versions as you won’t take advantage of the additional features. But if you have more complicated tax needs, you’re better off paying for premium versions of these apps or hiring an accountant.

Header image credit: Ken Teegardin

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Welcome back to Softonic’s Five Apps to Try This Weekend, the show where we offer up a handful of apps to keep you distracted on your days off.

This week we have cheated a little, as we have included the “Do” series of apps from IFTTT – Do Button, Do Note, and Do Camera (iOS, Android) – as a single choice. These convenient tools let you set up command shortcuts for everyday tasks, such as creating a single button that lets you take a photo and post it directly to Facebook with a single press.

brightcove.createExperiences();

We also have two very different games for you to check out. Bus Simulator 2015 (iOS, Android) lets you live your live long dream of being a bus driver on your mobile phone. However, if for some reason this isn’t your ambition, you may want to try out Resident Evil Revelations 2 – the latest installment in the popular zombie slaying franchise.

Looking for something a little more relaxing? You can try out Kodi. The fantastic, open-source media manager that packages all of your media and entertainment services together in one place. And for all you parents with young kids out there, we have YouTube Kids (iOS, Android) to keep the little ones happy while you chilling out with your own choice of movie.

Be sure to check back next week for a special Mobile World Congress episode of Five Apps to Try This Weekend.

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With our headquarters located in the beautiful city of Barcelona, here at Softonic we’re perfectly positioned to help make your Mobile World Congress (MWC) experience easier and more enjoyable. Whether you just want to know how to get to the Fira and back (we suspect not), or if you want to eat, drink, and enjoy some Gaudi, we have the apps for you. Just don’t blame us if you fall in love with the city and decide to stay a little (or a lot) longer. It happens.

mytaxi

First things first, we assume you will want to visit MWC 2015 at some point during your stay in the city, so you might need some help to get around. While Uber may no longer be able to offer you a taxi service in Barcelona, help is at hand in the form of mytaxi. This completely legal app allows you to pre order a vehicle up to four days in advance; calculate your fare before ordering; select your favorite driver (if you have one and they are available); see the driver’s photo, phone number, license plate, ratings and estimated arrival time; and pay for the taxi ride with the app.

Download mytaxi for Android | iOS

Moovit

If you’ve decided to ditch the taxi and go for a walk or use public transport, then Moovit will be right up your street. It’s a transport app that has a distinctly social flavor, as it pulls data from its users to update and improve its routes, as well as providing alerts if there is a delay and disruption on your planned journey. It works similarly to Google Maps by allowing you to plan your journey from A to B using public transport, providing options for fastest routes while allowing you to save your favorite journeys. You can also download both city and metro maps, which will stop you eating into data.

Download Moovit for Android | iOS

Evernote Scannable

Once you’ve got there, we imagine you might do a bit of networking, make some new contacts, that kind of thing. So you’ll need a way to keep track of all the business cards people will be handing out like sweets. Evernote Scannable is a super easy and fast way of scanning business cards by taking a photo with your camera. It has two advantages over other scanning apps: integration with LinkedIn means you can turn a business card into a contact, and the ability to add the contact directly into Evernote lists.

Download Evernote Scannable for iOS

UberEATS

MWC can be an exhausting event so if you want to order in food and relax at the end of the day then Uber just the app for you. The company hasn’t had the easier of rides in Barcelona, but that hasn’t stopped it launching a food delivery service in the city ahead of MWC 2015. Los Angeles residents will know the service already under the name of UberFRESH, but the company is launching it in Barcelona as UberEATS. If you’ve already downloaded the Uber app, all you need to do is tap the UberEATS icon, enter your location, select your dinner, and your food will soon be with you.

Download Uber for Android | iOS | Windows Phone

Minube

We know that it’s unlikely to be all work and no play when you’re in Barcelona so you’ll need some recommendations about what to see, do and eat. A lot of people might go to TripAdvisor as the default, but Minube is a far more visual and social way of finding inspiration. Once you’ve picked Barcelona as your destination you’re presented with picture squares of “the best”, “to do”, “to east”, and “to sleep” categories. Each entry has a picture and text review from a real-life member of the community, which you can save to your list for future use, as well as check out the website or leave a tip of your own. Then when you’re back home and feeling sad because you had to leave, you can relive your trip by creating a photo album automatically tagged with dates and locations.

Download Minube for Android | iOS

Camera360 Ultimate

If you’re going to create these memories, you’ll need a camera app to take the all-important photos. Camera360 Ultimate not only improves the basic photos you take through its “Easy Cam” setting, you can also choose a huge variety of other “cams” to create unique and interesting pictures automatically. There are also plenty of post-shot editing effects if you don’t get it right first time.

Download Camera360 Ultimate for Android | iOS | Windows Phone

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Welcome to my weekly column in which I  make use of diet and fitness apps to try and get (back) in shape. Each week will alternate between a diet and an exercise app, and you can follow my progress on Twitter @DoFuss. Also, please keep in mind that I have previously had a high fitness level, if you are just starting out please take it slowly and see a doctor before making any major changes.

I have always struggled with my weight. Even as a baby, I was big. It never really bothered me until I turned 15 and my mum joined a popular weight loss club, at which point I decided that I wasn’t going to let her be thinner than me. As a young male the weight melted off, and before long I was playing rugby, weightlifting, and rowing in a body none would have guessed had once been XXXL.

But time and lifestyle changes have taken their toll (who would have though a life in tech journalism would be bad for one’s health). For a time this seemed okay, as my general well being seemed to hold strong thanks to my previously active lifestyle. Now, at 35, life has caught up with me. The health credit I built up when I was young has all been spent, and I am starting to feel it – even when I’m only climbing the six floors to my apartment.

And so my mind turns to apps, the solution to (and often cause of) many of my life’s problems. There are hundreds of programs out there that provide advice and help track your eating and activity habits. I intend to cycle through these to find the best, and get myself back in shape.

My first two apps are Mango – Calories Counter & Diet Tracker (iOS), and Daily Yoga – Lose Weight, Get Relief (Android and iOS) – 8 fit (Android and iOS).

Mango is designed to track calorie consumption, and could well be an app that I stick with across all of my subsequent diet apps. As a starter for the first week, this seemed like the ideal way to see just how far I have strayed.

Daily Yoga is quite self-explanatory, but I have chosen it because it provides low impact daily exercises that will ease me back into the more rigorous regime I hope to eventually return to. I will give this two weeks before I revisit it.

Check back next week to see how scared Mango has made me.

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A report published by GFI Software, a security software developer, revealed which operating systems have the most vulnerabilities. Shockingly, Apple’s OS X and iOS topped the list of the least secure operating systems with Windows handily beating them. But are OS X and iOS really more vulnerable than Windows?

Let’s dive into the data.

What the report says

The study is based on data from the National Vulnerability Database (NVD), which is a government run repository for security compliance and vulnerability data. GFI used data from the NVD reports and compiled some interesting data. Here’s what we learned from GFI’s report:

– There is a steady increase in the number of vulnerabilities spotted year over year. Between 2013 and 2014, the number of vulnerabilities increased by 2,244, a 47% increase in just one year.

– Third party apps account for over 80% of the reported vulnerabilities. This is significant as the study doesn’t point to the inherent security risks inside an operating system. Only 13% of vulnerabilities were attributed to the OS.

– OS X and iOS both topped the charts with the most vulnerabilities and the most vulnerabilities labeled as high risk.

– Linux is more vulnerable than Windows. GFI cites recent security issues like Heartbleed for this outcome.

– Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is the lease secure browser, followed by Chrome and Firefox.

An incomplete picture

While these figures are shocking, it paints an incomplete picture of the current security landscape. “Basically it’s like staring at a bunch of garden walls to see how many footballs come flying over the top – it doesn’t say much about the height or quality of a given wall, but maybe something about how many people are on the other side and what kind of games they’re playing,” Virus Bulletin Chief of Operations John Hawes.

Image credit: Christopher Park

It’s tempting to simply agree with GFI’s findings as Apple just had a record breaking quarter selling 74.5 million iPhones, making the iPhone a prime target for attackers. Studies show that iPhone users are also more likely to pay for apps than Android users, making iOS users a more lucrative target for hackers.

The story is much the same for Mac users. They are more likely to spend money on applications and are usually wealthier individuals who don’t mind paying a premium for Apple’s design and easy to use software. Exploiting Mac users could also mean more lucrative returns for hackers. Still, OS X only makes up 7% of the desktop OS market share as of January 2015 according to Net Applications.

“Basically it’s like staring at a bunch of garden walls to see how many footballs come flying over the top.”

“Nowadays Macs are booming,” says Hawes. “The same of course goes for iPhones and iPads, which have built up a reputation for being well-secured as well as a huge and largely well-off user base, again making them a top target for attack by both bad actors and those who see the act of penetrating the impenetrable as a great challenge.”

Hawes also notes that the data provided by the NVD only accounts for vulnerabilities that have been disclosed. Hackers or even the federal government often don’t disclose discovered vulnerabilities in order to use them later or to assist companies in patching them before making the vulnerability public.

The data provided by GFI is also strangely presented. While Windows is broken down into sections for different versions, OS X and iOS are bundled as one homogeneous operating system. Android is also strangely absent from the list, which historically has been a major source of vulnerabilities.

There also seems to be a little contradiction in the data. Windows beats OS X in the number of vulnerabilities but Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is far and beyond the most insecure browser according to the study. Since Internet Explorer only runs on Windows, doesn’t that make Windows more vulnerable by default? Interestingly, Safari isn’t even listed in GFI’s data.

The takeaway

What we can take away from GFI’s report is that we need more data. It’s easy to just point fingers and laugh at OS X and iOS users but doing so would be flippant.

I’d like to see more data about user behavior and how quickly vulnerabilities are patched. For example, Mac users may be so used to not running any security software that their behaviors are riskier than Windows users.

The terminology of the study also poses some issues. While I don’t doubt the number of vulnerabilities reported by NVD, it doesn’t tell me if these vulnerabilities have been exploited. It’s one thing to find a supposed vulnerability but another thing to actually exploit it.

With so many high profile security attacks in the last year, it’s no surprise people are interested in security data to see which platform will help protect them the best. Truth of the matter is that no operating system can fully protect you. While companies have to step up their security efforts, you’ll also need to step up yours. Know what to look for in a phishing email and download software only from trusted sources. Never reuse the same passwords and just exercise common sense when browsing the web.

For more security tips, check out our stories below.

Source: GFI Software

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