uisocialsciences.org

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke officially opened the exhibit, noting that the telecommunications industry may pull the country out of the recession, just as rural electrification helped end the Great Depression.

“I believe it’s not regulation that preserves what America is about,” he continued. “It is much more about entrepreneurialism and investment and innovation, and they occur best when we have functioning free markets.”

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts acknowledged the industry faces many uncertainties, such as how to offer content online without crippling cable television. Yet those uncertainties offer as many opportunities as dilemmas, he said.

One highlight of the Cable Show is the “broadband nation” exhibit, which shows what the near future may look like with the widespread adoption of broadband through cable.

The cable industry gained 7 million net customers in 2008 and this year will invest $14 billion in network upgrades and expansions. As its continues to adopt new technologies and develop new business models, the cable industry should attempt to ensure it is allowed to grow unfettered, McSlarrow said.

“We should tread cautiously before assuming that traditional regulatory responses apply in a
marketplace that is experimenting, growing, and changing before our eyes,” he said.

“The advent of broadband and cable and all variants of telecommunications is the next great economic development that will rival electrification of rural America,” he said. “When we think about the opportunity of broadband, I don’t think any of us really understand the full potential of this technology.”

Congressman Eric Cantor (R-Va.), who has been praised for his understanding of the tech industry, said the cable industry has showed how innovation can lead to economic growth. He said the industry should take a stand against political moves to restrain innovation.

“I don’t think we should put our head in the sand,” he said. “We should allow customers to get video wherever they want. We have to have really thoughtful conversations with our partners in content and make it a win-win outcome for customers and programmers, and I think we can do that.”

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, Clearwire Chairman Craig McCaw, Suddenlink Communications CEO Jerald Kent, Cox Communications President Patrick Esser, and former FCC Chairman Kennard talk about the cable industry at the Cable Show in Washington, D.C.

“There is consensus here in Washington (that) we have to do something to turn this economy around,” Cantor said. “Much of the discussion focuses on putting in regulations that are allegedly needed. I hope your message here can counter that.”

“The advent of broadband and cable and all variants of telecommunications is the next great economic development that will rival electrification of rural America.” –U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke

“It is impossible for any of us to think about our customers or our businesses without also thinking about today’s economic and financial backdrop,” said Kyle McSlarrow, the CEO of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, the organization that hosts the Cable Show. “Fortunately, we have every reason to believe that our industry will continue to be resilient and grow. And I would go further…and say that we have a central role to play in our economic recovery
as well.”

WASHINGTON–Many industries have come to Washington this year to repentantly seek government protection from a brutal economy. This week, though, the cable industry brought the 2009 Cable Show to the capital to defiantly show off its optimistic outlook for the future–a future, they say, best brought to bear by private sector innovation rather than government regulation.

He said Comcast has to take certain steps to ensure its future success, such as continuing to expand its DOCSIS 3.0 wideband service and offering content in different formats.

“Everything changes in an all-digital world, and if we have the fastest Internet and an unlimited appetite to take some risks, I think we’re going to have a fabulous future,” he said.

(Credit:
Stephanie Condon/ CNET Networks)

Then, YouTube members will vote on their favorite semifinalists, and winners will be announced on March 2. The prize? A trip to New York for three days of a “classical-music summit” with conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and a performance at the legendary Carnegie Hall.

YouTube has sponsored competitions before, like the “Democracy Challenge” filmmaking competition, but this is the first one open to anyone from any country, the company said.

Judges come from the London Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, and a number of other high-end orchestras–they’ll winnow the selections down to a set of semifinalists by February 14.

I hope that they at least invite Nora to watch. I’m sure she can sit still.

Musicians from around the world (legitimate ones: I’m looking at you, Modded Guitar Hero Controller Guy) are invited to audition by submitting videos of themselves performing “Internet Symphony No. 1,” an original piece written specially for YouTube by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon composer Tan Dun, in addition to a “talent video.”

Right now, the most famous classical musician on YouTube is arguably Nora the piano-playing cat. She, sorry to say, probably isn’t eligible for “YouTube Symphony Orchestra,” a new competition from the Google-owned video-sharing site.

In addition, the company said Yahoo’s former chief data officer, Usama Fayyad, has joined its board of directors, and a former executive at advertising giant WPP, Lauren Frank, has joined its advisory board.

The company also said Darin Hicks, formerly Acxiom’s general manager, is now chief operating officer.

Cheryl Kellond, formerly Yahoo’s vice president of advertiser product marketing, has taken a new post as vice president of advertising at ChoiceStream, a company that personalizes online advertisements for clients including Overstock.com, AT&T, Yahoo, Blockbuster, and Borders.

I created a fake return (without filing) to evaluate each service and found that TaxCut Online works beautifully for those who have simple returns. In a matter of seconds, I was able to work my way through wage income, interest, and basic deductions to create a return. It was quick and easy.

TaxAct comes in three versions: Free, Deluxe, and Ultimate. After you e-file your state taxes (for free), it will cost you $13.95 to file federal. The Deluxe and Ultimate versions will both run you $16.95. That’s a fair price for what you’re getting with the software.

When I prepared my basic return on TaxAct Free edition, it couldn’t have been easier. I input the wages, interest, and other data and within 30 minutes, TaxAct had my return ready to be e-filed with the government. The refund it calculated was exactly the same as the refund the other tax preparation solutions determined.

TurboTax Online is the most expensive tax preparation software, but it’s also the most capable. With a host of features that aim at substantially reducing your tax liability, the software is, without a doubt, the best on the market.

But it paid off. As I worked my way through preparation, TurboTax highlighted possible areas where I could deduct cash that the other services didn’t and when it was finally complete, the TurboTax error check found issues that the other tax preparation software packages missed. Most importantly, TurboTax performed a sweeping audit risk check and returned a tax liability that was a whopping $1,000 lower than its closest competitor, TaxCut Online.

H&R Block TaxCut Online: Powerful, but not ideal
H&R Block may offer its tax services in franchised locations across the U.S., but it also provides its software online. And although those who are less knowledgeable about tax law shouldn’t have too much trouble preparing their taxes with the company’s TaxCut Online software, there aren’t enough options to justify using it if you file a complex return.

Although TurboTax Online’s most expensive offering is $109.95, it’s not necessarily the most useful, since it’s specifically designed for corporations, partnerships, or Limited Liability Companies. Because of that, I opted to use Intuit’s Home and Business software to prepare the complicated return. That package costs $79.95 before the state e-file charge of $34.95 is factored in.

(Credit:
TaxAct Online)

TaxCut Online is free when you e-file your federal taxes, but just like every other service in this roundup, it charges you to e-file your state taxes. With TaxCut Online, that will run you $29.95. Aside from the free edition, TaxCut Online is also available in Basic for simple returns for $14.95 or Premium for those who have more complicated returns for $39.95. Neither of those fees include the state e-file charge.

As soon as I started using TurboTax Online Home and Business, I quickly realized that the software was nothing like the other tax preparation tools I had used earlier. It offered more menus, much better tax guidance, and a slew of options that allowed me to work through each phase of my taxes independently or let TurboTax guide me. I chose the latter to find every deduction I could.

For just $14.95 for the premium version and $9.95 for the classic version, TaxSlayer is an easily affordable service. And although it may not be able to provide the same level of guidance as powerhouse software from H&R Block and Intuit, it’s an ideal solution for anyone who wants to get their simple tax return filed as quickly as possible.

TaxCut Online makes the hard stuff simple.

(Credit:
TaxSlayer.com)

Is TaxAct worth the $13.95 it charges for the basic edition with state e-file? You bet. It’s simple, it’s quick, and most importantly, you can’t screw anything up. But if you have a complicated return, don’t waste your time trying to save a few bucks on TaxAct. You’ll lose more when you file your taxes.

When I started creating my basic return, I was quite pleased with the software’s ability to cut down on preparation time by asking for basic information like name, address, and social security number first, and maintaining that information throughout the process. Whenever I wanted to fill in W-2 information, most of the data was already available, making it as simple as inputting figures and moving along. Because of that, TaxSlayer had my taxes ready to be e-filed within 20 minutes. It calculated the same refund as every other tool in this roundup.

TaxAct Online isn’t nearly as powerful as TaxCut from H&R Block or TurboTax Online, but it’s not meant to be. Instead, TaxAct is aimed at the taxpayer who doesn’t want to pay an accountant $250 to prepare a relatively basic return.

Quick and easy is TaxAct's motto.

But when I started using the premium version, all that usability was eliminated and I was lost in a tool that simply couldn’t handle all the complexity I was giving it. Its deduction walk-through was nice and that helped somewhat, but when it came time to input investment and business data, TaxSlayer didn’t provide quite enough guidance or tax help to ensure I was saving every penny I could. In fact, the payment it calculated was almost $2,000 higher than the payment calculated by TurboTax Online. Much like TaxAct, it’s not really meant for power users.

April 15 is quickly approaching, which means we all need to buckle down and spend a Saturday preparing our taxes. I prepare my own taxes, and I know all too well how hard it can be to find the right program to help out. Let’s look at four online tax preparation software packages that are good places to start.

TurboTax Online: Your go-to tool for complex returns

If you’re looking to prepare a basic return, don’t waste your time with TurboTax Online. It’s too expensive and it takes too long to calculate the same refund you’ll find with basic services like TaxSlayer or TaxAct. But if you’re preparing a complicated return, TurboTax Online is the best service on the market. Sure, it might cost a little more, but if you can save as much as I did by using the package, the extra cost is a pittance compared to what you could lose in tax payments if you use another product.

If you don’t want to pay for the best tax preparation software, you might as well forget about TurboTax Online. The software’s basic version is free to e-file your federal taxes, but you’ll be forced to pay $25.95 to e-file your state taxes. Worse, it adds $34.95 to the price of its paid versions to e-file your state returns. And depending on your needs, those other versions cost between $29.95 and $109.95.

TaxAct Online: Simplicity is king

TaxSlayer, much like TaxAct, is affordable. The company’s classic version only costs $9.95, including your state return. The premium version is $14.95, which includes more menus and a deduction walk-through.

TaxSlayer makes tax prep quick.

But when I tried to create a complicated return that featured the sale of a home, self-employment income, and investment income, TaxCut Online proved to be a relatively useless tool, at least compared to TurboTax Online. It didn’t maximize my tax credits, it failed to provide me with enough control to pinpoint specific deductions like self-employment insurance, and it delivered a tax liability that was almost $1,000 higher than the figure TurboTax Online calculated. That said, its “Worry-free Audit Support” tool came in handy and its error correction feature fixed mistakes it found along the way, which certainly helps put the mind at ease.

But as good as TaxAct was on my basic return, it was equally poor on my complicated return. Inputting self-employment income and expenses was too difficult, and the software’s import feature, which attempts to find tax data from your banks and employers, was useless; it found nothing. Once I finally completed the return, it calculated a tax liability that was more than $2,500 higher than what I calculated with TurboTax Online. Suffice it to say that TaxAct Ultimate is best-suited for someone who has wage income, owns a home, and hasn’t sold any investments over the past year. Anything more than that and the software becomes difficult to use.

Inputting information in TurboTax Online Home and Business was simple, but because the software contains so many more deductions and tax considerations, it did take much longer to prepare those taxes than on other services. In fact, it took me more than three hours to finish preparing the complicated return.

TaxSlayer: Best for your simple return
Like the others, TaxSlayer is one of the chosen tax preparation software solutions advertised by the IRS for those who want to e-file their federal taxes for free. And much like TaxAct, it does the easy stuff really well.

Go it alone or let TurboTax help.

Related: The software versions of TurboTax and TaxCut 2008 compared.

But I can’t even recommend using TaxCut Online if you file a basic return. It’s too expensive. Nor do I recommend using TaxCut Online if you file more complex returns. TurboTax Online is a much better alternative.

(Credit:
Intuit)

When I first started using TaxAct, I was impressed by its simplicity. It doesn’t feature all the extras you’ll find in more capable products and it’s obviously designed for someone who wants to get their taxes filed as quickly and efficiently as possible. If you want to find obscure tax code topics, you won’t find it in TaxAct. It’s simply not that kind of preparation tool.

To calculate my basic return, I used TurboTax Online’s free version. It’s bare-bones and doesn’t feature all the extras you’ll find in more capable versions of the software, but it got the job done. Unfortunately, because TurboTax Online is more powerful than competing products, it takes more time to prepare your taxes. In fact, it took me over an hour to file my basic return with W-2 wage income, interest, and basic deductions. After all that work, it returned the same refund as the other tax preparation tools.

(Credit:
H&R Block)

The latest version of the search giant’s mobile iPhone application has been well received, but it might be impossible to duplicate or improve upon the application, unless developers are willing to break Apple’s rules for iPhone applications.

So what can we conclude?

Two, if you play by the rules of the developer program, your application won’t be able to compete against those created by developers who violate the rules and get away with it because either Apple missed the violation or because they are politically connected industry titans.

One, as we already knew, the App Store approval process doesn’t make sense: applications that don’t violate any public guidelines are rejected for nebulous reasons, while applications that violate the rules sail through.

Three, since Apple is under no obligation to support applications that make use of unpublished APIs or private frameworks, future firmware updates or operating-system releases could break those applications.

Sadun compares this to jaywalking: Sure, you might get hit by a bus, but you probably won’t, if you’re careful. And the cops aren’t exactly going to launch a three-state manhunt for you, if you make it across the street.

If Google wasn’t Google, there’s a fair chance that its new mobile application for the
iPhone wouldn’t be allowed in the App Store.

When you make a phone call on the iPhone, a proximity sensor detects when the phone is right next to your head, and it turns the screen off to prevent you from inadvertently hanging up the phone with your face.

But further research done by Sadun shows that Google is actually going beyond its use of unpublished APIs in the Google Mobile application to call on so-called “private” frameworks that are supposed to be strictly off-limits to anyone but Apple, an offense that can result in banishment from the App Store. A framework is a more general set of building blocks for an application that requires more custom development work than an API.

Apple lets developers create applications that access some parts of the iPhone–such as the accelerometer for spacial controls and GPS for navigation–but it considers other parts of the phone’s technology off-limits to anyone but Apple. Nonetheless, Sadun observes that there are tons of applications within the App Store that do what Google has done with its mobile application: take advantage of technology that is accessible, such as the proximity sensor, but go beyond the basic things you’re allowed to do with that technology by using “unpublished” APIs that exist but are not publicized by Apple.

Last week, Apple rejected an update to an application called CastCatcher that had already been approved three times, and then this week, it approved the update without requiring any substantial changes, according to the developer.

iPhone applications are streaming into Apple; CEO Steve Jobs told financial analysts last month that he’s never seen anything like it in his career. So it’s not hard to believe that Apple is simply overwhelmed and does not have the manpower to comb through each application to make sure that it is toeing the line. However, that was the main selling point for Apple’s strategy to completely control iPhone application distribution; that it would be able to prevent poorly written or insecure applications from poisoning the iPhone by vetting every single application.

Of course, Google Mobile can still be found on the App Store. A Google representative said the company had no immediate comment on the reports, and an Apple representative did not return a call seeking comment.

That’s because Google Mobile is tapping into iPhone technology that is supposed to be off-limits to third-party developers, according to research done by Daring Fireball’s John Gruber and Ars Technica’s Erica Sadun.

Google, of course, is a little different than your average iPhone developer. CEO Eric Schmidt sits on Apple’s board of directors, and the company has received favorable treatment before from Apple with regards to the iPhone, such as Apple’s decision to grant YouTube and Google Maps prominent placement on the home screen of the iPhone before the device was officially open to third-party developers.

“If regular developers are forced to play by the rules, but Google is allowed to use private APIs, just because they’re Google, the system is rigged,” Gruber wrote.

(Credit:
Apple (App Store))

Google’s application also uses the proximity sensor to detect when the phone approaches your head. That is is kosher under the iPhone application guidelines given to developers, as long as it is used solely for that on-off functionality. But Google uses it to let you search the Web with your voice, just as if you were making a phone call.

Google Mobile lets you search the Web using your voice in a way that is technically off-limits to iPhone developers, according to a report.

It seems that Apple has been rejecting applications that compete with its future plans. Might the company also be extending that courtesy to favored partners?

Based on most accounts, Google Mobile is an excellent iPhone application. But would a similar application created by an average developer have been allowed to make it onto the App Store?

Google’s application both activates the proximity sensor and delivers an audible prompt to voice your search terms, and the only way it can do this is by using an API that isn’t part of the public list Apple has put together for developers, according to Gruber. Think of an API as helpful code that an operating system shares with an application to make it easier for that application to get things done.

(Credit:
CNET News)

Google typically posts further details at its Chrome release notes page, though it’s not yet updated for the latest version.

Google is speeding up the Google Chrome beta release cycle, offering a new version 0.4.154.25 Monday night with a new bookmark manager.

Google Chrome now comes with a bookmark manager.

In addition, the built-in version of Gears, a collection of Google browser extensions for features such as offline browsing and geolocation, has been updated from 0.4.24.0 to version 0.5.4.0, and the V8 JavaScript engine has been updated from from 0.3.5.0 to 0.3.9.2, Larson said.

The bookmark manager appeared in Chrome 0.4.154.18, a less tested developer-oriented version released less than two weeks ago. Other new features include consolidated settings for privacy options, a rejiggered pop-up blocker, and security features, according to Program Manager Mark Larson in an e-mail announcement.

The decision does not seem to have been prompted by falling sales or poor performance within the group, rather a change in philosophy embraced by Brandon and Cook. But the enterprise group has never been the hot group inside Apple, famous for its consumer retail empire and led by Steve Jobs, a man who disdains much of the entrenched corporate IT mindset.

The seeds for the layoffs began last year, when Apple began de-emphasizing its direct enterprise sales force in favor of a sales strategy that embraced resellers and channel partners as ways of getting its products into the hands of businesses. That shift, believed to come directly from Apple COO Tim Cook, started when former the Apple senior vice president of enterprise sales, Al Shipp, left the company. Shipp, now the CEO of software start-up 3VR, did not return a call seeking comment.

Apple spokesman Steve Dowling, when asked Tuesday about Valleywag’s report regarding the layoffs in the sales group, declined to comment. An unnamed Apple spokesman then told Silicon Alley Insider on Wednesday that the Valleywag report was not true, the same language Dowling used on Friday in a brief interview with CNET News to describe another report that Apple had laid 50 people off in its Mac Hardware and Pro Applications groups as well as the original report involving the sales group.

Apple’s shift in its enterprise sales strategy isn’t all that remarkable, but Apple’s willingness to publicly deny that layoffs took place is another blow to its credibility, already having taken a hit this year over its handling of disclosures involving the health of its CEO, currently on a medical leave of absence until June.

John Brandon, formerly the head of Apple’s sales for the Americas resellers like Best Buy and Wal-Mart, assumed control of the group when Shipp left and began making changes. Under Brandon, Apple began to shift away from a sales strategy where representatives built personal relationships with business customers in favor of a channel business that will depend on resellers like Ingram Micro and possibly CompUSA to sell Apple products to business customers.

However, the layoffs in the sales group did happen, according to several sources who were brought into conference rooms in Austin and Cupertino last Tuesday and given white manila envelopes informing them that they had been laid off, amid plainclothes security officers. It’s still not clear whether the
Mac Hardware layoffs occurred on Friday.

Although Apple has been considered one of the more resilient companies in tech after posting strong earnings in January, the continued economic decline is believed to be affecting Mac sales and has prompted some analysts to reduce their expectations for Apple’s current quarter. Perhaps the company felt that anything that might be perceived as bad news could hurt its stock price, and since it didn’t have to report the layoffs to the Securities and Exchange Commission because they made up a small fraction of Apple’s workforce, it didn’t have to acknowledge them, period.

Sources who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal confirmed reports by Valleywag and 9to5Mac.com that roughly 50 salespeople were let go by the company for “business and economic reasons,” according to one source. An entire sales group based in Austin, Texas, was let go as well as workers in Cupertino, Calif., where Apple is headquartered. Those affected were given severance packages and the opportunity to apply for other jobs inside Apple.

Reached on Monday, Dowling declined to comment on the situation beyond the statements provided last week.

Despite public statements to the contrary, Apple did lay off around 50 enterprise salespeople last week, CNET News has learned.

Confirming that a few dozen enterprise salespeople had been laid off as part of a strategic shift–and not a downturn in business–probably would not have made that much of a ripple in the tech media, currently more interested in Apple-related topics such as Netbook rumors and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak’s debut on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” later on Monday.