Monday, April 23, 2012


Plex for Roku

Plex for Roku can play a wide range of video, audio, and photo formats as well as content from online sources using myPlex and the Plex Media Server.
Roku2

Access all your local media through your Plex Media Server

Plex for Roku gives you access to all your local media by connecting to your Plex Media Server. Install Plex Media Server on your computer and configure it to point to all your local videos, music, and photos. Then the Plex channel on your Roku can connect to your Plex Media Server so you can enjoy that media on your big screen.
And it's not just the Roku. Once you have your Plex Media Server set up you can enjoy your media on all sorts of devices with Plex clients, including Mac and Windows computers, iOS, Android, and Google TV (just to name a few). Check out the wiki for more information on Plex in general, starting with this guide.

myPlex

You can also access all your myPlex content on your Roku. myPlex lets you queue videos from various websites to watch later on your Roku, as well as share Plex Media Server sections with other people.
Getting started with local Plex Media Server content

Using Plex Media Server, you can get access to media that's on your computer through your Roku. You simply tell PMS about your media (movies, TV shows, music, pictures), and then link it up to the Plex channel on your Roku, and enjoy. This assumes that your Roku and your computer are on the same network.

  • Download and install Plex Media Server from http://plexapp.com/getplex/. It's available for OS X, Windows, and some flavors of Linux.
  • Use the Media Manager to tell Plex Media Server where the media is on your computer. For example, maybe you have movies in C:\Movies and photos in C:\Pictures
  • Install the Plex channel on your Roku. It's available in the Roku Channel Store, or you can click here.
  • Configure the Plex channel on your Roku to know about your Plex Media Server. When you start the Plex channel on your Roku, it will try to discover your Plex Media Server(s) automatically. Unfortunately, discovery may not work, depending on your network. That's ok, you can always add the server manually by going to Preferences -> Plex Media Servers -> Add Server Manually. On that screen, enter the IP address of the Plex Media Server. Verify that the server is running and you have the right IP address by opening a browser and going to http://_the_ip_address_:32400/. If it's working, it'll show some XML. If you get an error message from your browser (e.g. server not responding), then either your Plex Media Server isn't running, or you have the wrong IP address. Once it's working, enter that IP address into your Roku. (And if it's not working but you have the right IP, there might be something on your computer blocking connections to the PMS, like a firewall, antivirus, or VPN client.)


If you run into problems, there's more info about Plex Media Server on the wiki and in the forums. You're probably better off in the Plex Media Server forum for your particular operating system than in the Roku forum, but we'll try to help out regardless.


Getting started with myPlex

Using myPlex, you can watch queued content on your Roku, access sections that other users have shared with you, and access your own servers on a remote network.


  • Sign up for a myPlex account at https://my.plexapp.com/
  • Connect your myPlex account on the Roku. Preferences -> Connect myPlex account. It'll show you a pin and tell you to enter it at https://my.plexapp.com/pin
  • Go back to the main screen of the Plex channel on your Roku and enjoy!


You can learn more about the queue, and install the Plex It! bookmarklet, at https://my.plexapp.com/queue/help 

Sunday, April 22, 2012


QuestionWhat's the difference between "JDK" and "JRE"?



JRE is Java Run Time Environment. The java programming language adds the portability by converting the source code to byte code version which can be interpreted by the JRE and gets converted to the platform specific executable ones. Thus for different platforms one has corresponding implementation of JRE. But JRE has to meet the specification JVM (Java Virtual Machine) Concept that serves as a link between the Java libraries and the platform specific implementation of JRE. Thus JVM helps in the abstraction of inner implementation from the programmers who make use of libraries for their programmes.
     The JDK(Java Developmental Tool kit) comes along with java libraries and JVM embedded in it. Apart from these it comes along with the utility tools for byte code compilation "javac", Executing the byte codes through java programmes through "java" and many more utilities found in the binary directory of java. Speaking practically JDK is essential for developers, which comes along with library packages to develop Software programmes. While JRE is minimal set of programmes which executes the java class files developed by the software developers.

Extend or Reset Trial Period of Trial Demo Software

A lot of software and applications are released as a shareware, also known as demoware (demo) or trialware (trial version), where users can download the trial version shareware fromthe Internet or get the apps from distributed magazine cover-disks, and use it for a stipulated period of time (trial period), free or charge without any payment. The plan is sort of “try before you buy”, where if users satisfy with the software after trying it, they should buy the program by paying a license fee to the developer. After passing the trial expiry date and time (expiry of trial period), the software will either stop working, or continue working with limited or restricted features, or displays a reminder message about expired trial demo license.
A lot of software and applications are released as a shareware, also known as demoware (demo) or trialware (trial version), where users can download the trial version shareware fromthe Internet or get the apps from distributed magazine cover-disks, and use it for a stipulated period of time (trial period), free or charge without any payment. The plan is sort of “try before you buy”, where if users satisfy with the software after trying it, they should buy the program by paying a license fee to the developer. After passing the trial expiry date and time (expiry of trial period), the software will either stop working, or continue working with limited or restricted features, or displays a reminder message about expired trial demo license. 

So what if you want to extend the duration of the trial period of the demo apps to fully evaluate it? Or you have installed the demo software or shareware, but suddenly busy with works or something else, and when finally free, the trial valid date has passed? Or you may be decided that the shareware is not worth to pay? The solution or workaround is to extend or reset the trial apps expiry date and time, or its trial period, so that users can continue to using the trial shareware without crack or hack.
How to extend or reset the trial period of shareware, trial-ware, demo-ware or trial software?
Method 1
Reinstall the program. This is the easiest method, but highly likely that it won’t work mostly on current modern software, as the expiry check algorithm getting sophisticated by keeping the expiry information on started using date and days allowed for try use plus days left in the trial in the registry or in a randomly named file.
Method 2
Adjusting the clock (date and time) of your computer system before starting installation of trial software to future data, or adjusting the clock to past date after expired trial period. Again, this method most likely won’t work.
Method 3
Use a application installation monitoring software or uninstaller software such as Norton Cleansweep,Your Uninstaller! 2006 and Advanced Uninstaller PRO 2006 to keep track and monitor every changes to the system during installation, and then uninstall and revert the shareware completely to remove all traces of trial expiry data.
Method 4
Backup the registry before installation of software, and restore the registry after trial period passed. Only works on those shareware that store protection information in registry, and you will lose some important registry changes by Windows or other applications. Alternatively, use Regmon to monitor registry activity in real-time to identify possible candidates for trial expiry reg keys, and then delete those keys.
Method 5
Reinstall windows, and you can be sure that you can use all trial demo shareware again, as all dummy registry entries and dummy files that store trial information are wiped off.
Method 6
Find a crack, with the help of cracks search engine such as Astalavista. But this is not extending the trial period of software.
Method 7
Search with various search engines such as Google and Yahoo! for application-specific known workarounds.

Sunday, April 15, 2012


New Born Baby Tax Deductions

Updated for Tax Year: 2011
The birth of a child is not just a blessed event; it?s the beginning of a whole new set of tax breaks for your family. Learn how the newest addition to your family can help trim your tax bill, and how to save for your child's future in the most tax-efficient manner.
Get a Social Security number
Your key to tax benefits is a Social Security number. You'll need one to claim your child as a dependent on your tax return. Failing to report the number for each dependent can trigger a $50 fine and tie up your refund until things are straightened out.
You can request a Social Security card for your newborn at the hospital at the same time you apply for a birth certificate. If you don't, it can be a real hassle. You'll need to file a Form SS-5 with the Social Security Administration, and provide proof of the child's age, identity and U.S. citizenship.
If registering newborns strikes you as silly, keep in mind that the aim is to prevent taxpayers from claiming dependents they don't deserve (think parakeets and puppies). Apparently, it's working. In the first year the government required Social Security numbers, 7 million fewer dependents were claimed than the year before.
Dependency exemption
Claiming your son or daughter as a dependent will shelter $3,700 of your income from tax in 2011, saving you a quick $925 if you're in the 25 percent bracket. You get the full-year's exemption no matter when during the year the child was born or adopted.
$1,000 child tax credit
For 2011, a new baby also delivers a tax credit of up $1,000, even if the child was born late in the year. Unlike a deduction that reduces the amount of income the government gets to tax, a credit reduces your tax bill dollar-for-dollar.
The credit is phased out at higher income levels, and begins to disappear as income rises above $110,000 on joint returns, and above $75,000 on single and head of household returns. For some lower-income taxpayers, the credit is "refundable," meaning that if it exceeds your income tax liability for the year, the IRS will issue a refund check for the difference. Don’t assume you can’t qualify for the refundable credit just because you didn’t qualify in prior years.
Fix your withholding at work
Since claiming an extra dependent will cut your tax bill, it also means you can cut back on tax withholding from your paycheck. File a new W-4 form with your employer to claim an additional withholding "allowance."
For a new parent in the 25 percent bracket, that will cut withholding—and boost take-home pay—by about $75 a month.
Filing status
If you are married, having a child will not affect your filing status. But if you're single, having a child may allow you to file as a head of household rather than using the single filing status.
That would give you a bigger standard deduction and more advantageous tax brackets. To qualify as a head of household, you must pay more than half the cost of providing a home for a qualifying person—and your new son or daughter qualifies.
Earned income credit
For a couple without children, the chance to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) disappears when income on a joint return exceeds $18,740 in 2011. (For single filers the 2011 limit is $13,660.) The table below shows the income limits to qualify for the credit for joint and single filers, based on how many qualifying children you have.

2011 EIC Income LimitJoint-FilersSingle-Filers
 No children $18,740 $13,660
 1 child $41,132 $36,052
 2 children $46,044 $40,964
 3 or more children $49,078
 $43,998

Child care credit
If you pay for child care to allow you to work—and earn income for the IRS to tax—you can earn a credit worth between $600 and $1,050 if you're paying for the care of one child under age 13, or between $1,200 and $2,100 if you're paying for the care of two or more children under 13. The size of your credit depends on your income and how much you pay for care (you can count up to $3,000 for the care of one child and up to $6,000 for the care of two or more).
Lower income workers with an Adjusted Gross Income of $15,000 or less can claim a credit of up to 35 percent of qualifying costs; the percentage gradually drops to a floor of 20 percent for taxpayers reporting AGI over $43,000.
Child care reimbursement account
You may have an even more tax-friendly way to pay your child care bills than the child care credit: a child care reimbursement account at work. These accounts, often called Flex Plans, let you divert up to $5,000 a year of your salary into a special tax-advantaged account that you can then tap to pay child care bills
Money you run through the account avoids both federal and state income taxes as well as Social Security and Medicare taxes, so it could easily save you more than the value of the credit. You can't double dip by using both the reimbursement account and the credit. But note that while the limit for Flex accounts is $5,000, the credit can be claimed against up to $6,000 of eligible expenses if you have two or more children. So even if you run $5,000 through a Flex account, you could qualify to claim the 20 percent to 35 percent credit on up to $1,000 more.
Although you generally can only sign up for a Flex account during "open enrollment" in the fall, most companies allow you to make mid-year changes in response to certain "life events," including the birth of a child.
Adoption credit
There's also a tax credit to help offset the cost of adopting a child. For 2011, the credit is worth as much as $13,360. If you adopt a "special needs" child, you can claim the full credit amount even if your actual adoption costs are less. For 2011, this credit phases out as Adjusted Gross Income, rises from $185,210 to $225,210.
Save for college
It's never too early to start saving for those college bills. And it's no surprise the Congress has included some tax goodies to help parents save. One option is a Section 529  Education Savings Plan. Contributions to these plans are not deductible on your federal taxes, but earnings grow tax-free and payouts are tax-free, too, if the money is used to pay qualifying college bills. (Some states give residents a state tax deduction if they invest in their state's own 529 Plan. Visit your state's official website for details.) There are no income restrictions on 529 Plan contributions.

You may also want to fund a Coverdell Education Savings Account (ESA) for your newborn. Up to $2,000 a year can go into an ESA for each child. Again, there is no deduction for deposits, but earnings are tax-free if used to pay qualified education expenses. ESA money can pay for elementary and high school expenses (even a computer used for school and educational software), as well as for college costs. The right to contribute to an ESA phases out as income rises from $95,000 to $110,000 on single returns, and from $190,000 to $220,000 on joint returns.
 
Kid IRAs
You may have heard about Kid IRAs and the fact that relatively small investments when a child is young can grow to eye-popping balances over many decades. It's true, but there's a catch. You can't just open an IRA for your newborn and start shoveling in the cash.
A person must have earned income from a job or self-employment in order to have an IRA. Gifts and investment income don't count. So you probably can't open an IRA for your newborn (unless, perhaps, he or she gets paid for being an infant model). But as soon as your youngster starts earning some money—babysitting or delivering papers, for example, or helping out in the family business—he or she can open an IRA. The phenomenal power of long-term compounding makes it a great idea.
A Roth IRA is an ideal choice for most kids who are in a low tax bracket, where a tax deduction is of little value. With a Roth IRA there’s no up-front tax break, but their savings will benefit from years of tax-free growth, and withdrawals in retirement are tax-free.
Kiddie Tax
So far, this article has had nothing but good news. But the Kiddie Tax unfortunately is not good news. Here is what you need to know:
The graduated nature of our federal income tax rates—with higher tax rates on higher incomes—creates opportunities for savings if you can shift income to someone (such as a child) in a lower tax bracket. But don't try to pull any punches. For example, let's say Dad has $1 million invested in bonds which pay $50,000 of taxable interest each year. As a resident of the 35 percent tax bracket, that extra income hikes his tax bill by $17,500. But if he could divvy up the money among his five children, each of whom earned $10,000, the money would be taxed in the 10 percent bracket and the family could save $12,500 in taxes, right? Nice try—but it won’t work.
To prevent such schemes, Congress created the Kiddie Tax to tax most investment income earned by a dependent child at the parents' top tax rate. For  2011, the first $950 of a child's "unearned" income (that's income that's not earned from a job or self- employment) is tax-free (thanks to the child’s standard deduction) and the next $950 is taxed at the child's own rate (probably 10 percent). Any additional investment income is taxed at the parents' rate—as high as 35 percent. Under current rules, the kiddie tax applies until the year a child turns 19 (or 24 if he or she is a dependent full-time student.)
Nanny Tax
The Nanny Tax is also not good news, but it's fair. If you lawfully hire someone to come into your home to help care for your new child, you could become an employer in the eyes of the IRS—and face a whole new set of tax rules. If you hire your nanny or caregiver through an agency, the agency may be the employer and have to take care of all the paperwork. But if you're the employer—and you pay more than $1,700 in 2011—you're responsible for paying Social Security, Medicare and unemployment taxes for your caregiver, and reporting the wages to the caregiver and to the IRS on Form W-2.

TurboTax Deluxe has the information you need to maximize your child-related deductions and handle any additional tax filing responsibilities.