I hope they fixed the bug where all indexed e-mails get reindexed and disappear from the top pane.
Lanikai is the first semi-stable release of Thunderbird to use Gecko 1.9.2, which is the same engine that Firefox 3.6 uses. The changes made from Thunderbird 3 to the 3.1 beta test version include Mac OS X 10.6 upgrade path from Thunderbird 2 improvements, fixes for autocomplete, tabs, activity manager, minor interface improvements and corrections, and a spate of stability and memory corrections.
via Thunderbird beta ‘Lanikai’ released | The Download Blog – Download.com.
“Streamlining doesn’t work because it relies on the same old broken model of relying on merchants collecting it,” said state Rep. Kevin Ambler, R-Tampa, who has filed legislation that would allow Florida to hire credit card processing companies to collect Internet sales tax on the state's behalf.
Here’s how it would work: When you make an Internet purchase, the company that processes your credit card transaction would automatically calculate and charge sales tax using software developed by a company hired by the state.
The state would recoup the cost of the contracts through the tax collections they yield, said Ambler, adding that specific costs would be determined during the contracting process.
The idea to collect use tax (sales tax for out of state purchases) to cover the state revenue gap is not a new one. The idea of having your credit card processor collect the tax is interesting, but do I have my reservations. If you charge use tax from the credit card level, do you have the necessary pieces of data to collect the right amount of use tax? I feel credit card processor is tpp high up on the transaction chain. It really needs to be on the retailer level where information such as billing, shipping, and line item data is required. Is shipping and handling taxed in your state? What line items are taxable and which line items are taxable? Use tax collection needs to happen on the retail level not merchant processor level.
Ambler, who has been researching the idea for several years, said the computer program would be able to make such distinctions. Those complex “algorithms,” he said, are part of what will make the software attractive for use by other states.
You don’t need a special algorithm, you just need the right pieces of data to collect the right amount of tax. You have sales tax software companies like Avalara that can calculate the right tax based on the ship to address. The use tax the buyer is asked to pay must be transparent. Before a sale is finalized, buyer should know there is use tax involved. I would think a Brick & Mortar (B&M) will agree this is a good idea since it levels the playing field.
Of course, nothing is 100% accurate. Whenever a shopping cart submits the address to Avalara for a tax rate, Avalara will either return the correct tax rate or with an error. If it errors out, use backup methods such as zip code or city name. If everything fails, just charge the base state tax. Avalara could then audit that address for future accuracy.
That’s the first step.
The second step is to split the use tax with the state and tax district. The shopping cart can pass along more data to the merchant processor: 1) total tax collected, 2) state tax collected, 3) district tax collected. For example, on a $100 out of state purchase shipped to Los Angeles the tax is $9.75. $9.75 is the total tax. $8.25 is the CA state tax. $1.50 is the LA district tax.
To reduce burden on internet merchants, the merchant processor (e.g. AuthorizeNet) stores all this information for us. When we have to file use tax, we can run a report on AuthorizeNet that breaks down all the use tax owed to states and districts. By coding each transaction with the state and district within the state, Authorize.Net will know who needs to get paid and how much. All the states and tax jurisdictions need to do is give AuthorizeNet their checking account numbers. The state and tax districts get their money less a processing fee from AuthorizeNet. AuthorizeNet would reimburse merchants 3% for the credit card processing fees we pay on the use tax. This way, the merchant forward only the use tax owed and gives a credit card processing company incentive to cooperate since they are making more money on larger order totals. Finally, any small business that has less than $5 million gross sales per year would be exempt from having to collect out-of-state use tax during checkout.
I am glad to see there are government agencies that are actually creating jobs with stimulus dollars and not just the construction industries. So many small businesses need help on a day to day basis or could use extra labor to get neglected projects finished. Hopefully, some of the recent hires will stay on — which I think is the idea. Even f they are let go, at least these individuals got paid directly.
A 100 Percent Hiring Subsidy
San Francisco is using federal stimulus funds to give immediate aid to small-business owners. Its $25 million program reimburses owners for 100 percent of the wages for certain new hires. So far, restaurants, cafes, delivery services and even law firms have hired nearly 1,800 people through the program, called Jobs Now.
Employers do have to pay for Social Security and unemployment insurance, and the program requires those hired to have been unemployed for 30 days or longer. More than 800 businesses have signed up for the program, and the city is pushing to extend it beyond its September expiration.
At first, said Steven B. Falk, chief executive of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, “businesses had to warm up to the idea of turning to the government for hiring. Now, small businesses are telling me this is the motivation that pushed them to hire.”
via What States and Cities Do to Help Small Businesses – NYTimes.com.
Netflix should buy Hulu and complement their streaming DVD with TV content. Netflix already offers a subscription for $8.99 a month for unlimited streaming. Add TV shows to the mix and you got a service people will love to use every day. Plus I think Netflix has the better recommendation engine which will help guide viewers into watching other TV shows that are relevant. As for short clips, get rid of them! Just provide full TV shows but if you want to cite clips, do what YouTube does and provide a way to start and end the stream at specific points in the video.
A fee-based Hulu could come with better content. Currently, Hulu carries TV shows that air for free on the broadcast networks, as well as some cable shows, older movies, clips and movie trailers. But if Hulu starts to charge, newer movies could hit the site.
However, the paid-video market is already crowded with rivals such as Apple Inc.'s iTunes, Amazon.com Inc.'s Unbox and Netflix Inc.'s online delivery of movies.
Hulu has to be different – and that's not an easy task.
via AP News: Charging fees for Hulu comes with its own problems.
This is why when we ship international, we have to pack with more packing materials.
While most baggage handlers are no doubt scrupulous and careful with luggage, every group has its bad apples. Here are some of the worst offenders, making us mutter to ourselves, “Remind me again why we pay to check luggage!”
via Videos: bad baggage handlers (or, Remind me again why we pay to check luggage!) | Gadling.com.
Continue to modernize customer access by providing services at locations that are more convenient to customers, such as grocery stores, pharmacies, retail centers, and office supply stores. Increase and enhance customer access through partnerships, self-service kiosks and a world-class Website.
via USPS Postal News: Postal Service Outlines 10-Year Plan to Address Declining Revenue, Volume.
What are the advantages of working from home? The easy commute, for starters, followed by the flexibility and the informal dress code. There also are tax write-offs: As long as you use a portion of your home exclusively and regularly for business, you can deduct a percentage of your rent or mortgage interest, utility bills, repairs and other costs.
Yet there are some distinct disadvantages, too. Most frequently cited is the lack of social interaction. For others, the home is one giant distraction. A pile of dirty dishes, a screaming child or even a sunny patio might compete for attention. Often, friends and family who don't understand you are truly working might call or stop by.
via For More Workers, Home Is Where the Office Is – WSJ.com.
Nese: My father had already turned over operations over to me. And I'm going, “If we're going to go broke, might as well go broke being happy and doing something that I like.”
via Why the mom and pop shop is surviving | Marketplace From American Public Media.
It seems UPS is targeting certain account holders and offering weekly discount coupons. We have primarily switched from UPS to USPS for most packages two pounds and under. After the fuel surcharge, residential charge, and rural charge — the cost for UPS can be much higher than USPS. While UPS does offer actual tracking of packages, one can not justify the extra cost after you think about the thousands of packages that get shipped in a year. The discount coupons are nice, but its not necessarily going to make a big difference in the long-term.
Warning: do not try to use the coupons as you need the expiration date and account number. Submitting it without this information will mean a failed attempt and unnecessary work for UPS.
Wow talk about a marketer’s wet dream for how successful their commercials were during the Super Bowl!
Every day millions of people interact with Twitter to share and discover what's happening now. Major events like the Super Bowl focus people around a few common topics. There is real value in being able to measure the reach and influence of those topics in real time, and we in the analytics team are looking forward to a lot more where this came from. On to the Winter Olympics…
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