*** ANSWERMAN INTERNET EXTRA *** For the week of February 24, 1997 This is the free weekly newsletter for the community of Internet users on America Online. This week, AnswerMan focuses on Internet sites for that taxing time of the year, and also takes a look at the new RealVideo software. =*=*= IN THIS ISSUE =*=*= AnswerMan's Update -- RealVideo Eagle's Exploits -- Feeling Taxed? Upcoming Weekly Focus & Chats -- What's coming up in March The End -- How to contact us or unsubscribe =*=*= WHAT YOU CAN DO THIS WEEK WITH ANSWERMAN =*=*= Go to keyword: For: AM FOCUS Pointers to great tax sites, lots more ANSWERMAN Member web sites, daily tips, message boards NET HELP Get quick help for your Internet questions NET TUTORIAL Clueless about the Internet? Start here! AM CHAT Read transcripts of Internet chats that you missed AM GLOSSARY RTFM to decrypt that Internet jargon Here are direct links for AOL 3.0 users: Go to keyword AnswerMan AnswerMan Focus Net Tutorial =*=*= ANSWERMAN'S UPDATE -- RealVideo =*=*= This week's Focus is tax sites on the Internet. CJ Eagle is back, and she explores several tax sites in her column below. And I've added several more -- you can find them all collected at keyword AM FOCUS. Part of my job as AnswerMan is to play with all the cool new Internet toys that I find and share with you the ones that are actually worth playing with. (Other parts of my job include making Jello for the CJs and sorting he colored items from the fine washables.) So when my insider sources told me that Progressive Networks, the folks who created RealAudio, had released a beta version of something called RealVideo, I dropped my Jello in a flash and got to work. Armed with my AOL 3.0 client, I rushed to the scene (http://www.real.com) and downloaded the Real player. I'm happy to report that RealVideo is a lot of fun, and it works well through AOL. After you download and install the software, whenever you click on a RealAudio or RealVideo link, the Real "helper application" automatically pops up and starts to play the clip. The video quality is good, although the video window is only about the size of a couple of postage stamps. The number of frames per second will vary depending on the speed of your modem. Color video demands a lot of bandwidth, and the RealVideo player does a decent job considering that it works with a 14.4 or 28.8 modem. Video is synchronized with audio, and the software does a great job of playing the sound without annoying pauses or drop-outs. The RealVideo site offers several demonstration video clips and links to other sites with video content, but with just a smattering of video sites, RealVideo is currently more of a fascinating toy than a useful tool. More video content will certainly be available in the coming weeks. Keep in mind that the Real player is still beta software, and although it worked dandy for me, it may not work perfectly every time. If you're the type who likes to experiment with the newest software, its worth giving RealVideo a try. To get the software, go to http://www.real.com and download the free version of the RealVideo player. (There's a "plus" version that costs more. You're certainly welcome to pay to download it, but I recommend experimenting first with the free version.) You'll then need to tell your AOL web browser that there's a new helper application in town. I just went over the process of adding a helper app in the January 27 newsletter -- please refer back to it if you need to review the gory details. Here are direct links for AOL 3.0 users: AnswerMan Focus RealVideo Jan. 27 newsletter =*=*= EAGLE'S EXPLOITS -- Feeling Taxed? =*=*= by Aminie D. Elsberry (CJ Eagle) It's tax time, that time of the year when accountants and tax preparers do a booming business. There are plenty of Internet sites that can help you help yourself during this financially (and emotionally) taxing time. Our first stop is on newsgroups. The misc.taxes newsgroup deals with taxes (no kidding!) and is mostly focused on US Federal taxes. The group includes tax questions and answers and also includes discussions of proposed tax schemes (flat tax, value added tax, etc.) and tax protest issues. The misc.taxes.moderated newsgroup is for the discussion of taxes which includes proposed and existing laws, regulations and procedures with professional tax practitioners. Since this is a moderated group it might be best for you to "lurk" before you leap into the conversation. Subjects on misc.taxes range from "Doing taxes by computer" to "Unequal Distribution of Wealth". And over at the misc.taxes.moderated group, the posts range from "1996/1997 confusion with 1099" to "IRS: can they garnish without a trial?" misc.taxes.moderated seems to be more "tame" and related to answering questions about taxes than the posts on the intricacies of the tax code that you'll find on the misc.taxes newsgroup. (To get those newsgroups, use keyword NEWSGROUPS, click on Add Newsgroups then select Misc then misc.taxes. From here you can add either or both newsgroups to your newsgroup list and read the messages posted in the group. You can find information on using newsgroups at keyword AM FOCUS.) The misc.taxes FAQ located at http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/taxes-faq/part1/faq.html -- this site provides the rules-of-the-road on participation in the misc.taxes and misc.taxes.moderated newsgroups, as well as links to other tax resources on the Web. Our next stop is the INE Tax Center located at http://nestegg.iddis.com/nestegg/articles/taxctr.html. This site is very well organized and easy to navigate. Information includes retirement, insurance, real estate, college savings, and other tax articles. There are also downloadable tax forms (to view the tax forms you will have to download and install the Adobe Acrobat reader.) They've thought of everything. This site is not overloaded with information but the presentation is clear and the information is easy to find. The last site on my list, http://www.1040.com/, calls itself "Your one-stop source for tax information, forms and much more." And I think I agree. Here you will be able to check out what's new, any late breaking tax news, research information about a particular tax subject, connect with the IRS Bulletin board, look in the Tax Preparers Database, find federal tax forms, instructions and publications, state tax forms, instructions and publications, state tax links, and you can even file your return here at this site. (Online filing is available only to those filing a 1040EZ. 1040A filing is coming soon). I hope these sites provide you with information and resources to make your taxing life a liitle easier. If you can reduce your tax obligation armed with this info, even better! =*=*= THE WEEKLY FOCUS & CHAT =*=*= Every Sunday, AnswerMan hosts a live chat to close out that week's Focus topic. Here's what's coming this Sunday, March 2, 6PM ET: April 15 -- tax day -- is creeping up faster than you think. This hour, AnswerMan will show you how you can use the Internet to make tax time less stressful and more profitable. You'll learn where to get expert tax tips, how to download every IRS form known to man, and more during this informative session. Every week, AnswerMan focuses on a particular facet of using the Internet. Here are the Weekly Focus topics we'll be covering in the near future: March 3 - March 9: Tools for searching the Net March 10 - March 16: Audio e-mail March 17 - March 23: Finding People with the Net March 24 - March 30: Chatting on the Web March 31 - April 6: Privacy & the Internet Here is a direct link for AOL 3.0 users: AnswerMan Chat and Transcripts =*=*= THE END =*=*= That's all for this week. Got comments about this newsletter? We want to hear them! Send 'em to AnswerMan. The e-mail address is AnswerMan@aol.com. We would hate to see you go, but if you must leave, there are two easy ways to unsubscribe yourself from this newsletter. You can use either. #1: Send an e-mail message -- To: LISTSERV@LISTSERV.AOL.COM Subject: UNSUBSCRIBE Body: UNSUBSCRIBE ANSWERMAN #2: For AOL 3.0 users only: Click here then press "Unsubscribe". If you log in from home, I'll tax your house. If you use the web, I'll tax your mouse. Cuz I'm the tax man. Hey, I'm the tax man. Copyright 1997 by America Online. All rights reserved.