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About the author Ben Cotton - Ben Cotton is a meteorologist by training and a high-performance computing engineer by trade. Ben works as a technical evangelist at Cycle Computing. He is a Fedora user and contributor, co-founded a local open source meetup group, and is a member of the Open Source Initiative and a supporter of Software Freedom Conservancy. Find him on Twitter (@FunnelFiasco) or at

We're used to hearing of software being described as "free as in freedom" and "free as in beer." But there's another kind of "free" that doesn't get talked about as much: "free as in puppy." This concept is based around the idea thatwhensomeone gives you a free puppy, that puppy isn't really free. There's a lot of work and expenses that go into its daily care. The business term is "total cost of ownership," or TCO,and it applies to anything, not just open source software and puppies.

So if the free puppy problem applies to everything, how is it important to open source software specifically? There are a few ways. First, if you're already paying for software, then you've set the expectation that it has costs. Software that's free up front but costs money later seems like a major imposition. Secondly, if it happens on an organization's first open source adoption project, it can put the organization off of adopting open source software in the future. Lastly and counterintuitively, showing that open source software has a cost may make it an easier "sell." If it's truly no cost, it seems too good to be true.

The following sections represent common areas for software costs to sneak in. This is by no means a comprehensive list.

To begin using software, you must first have the software.

Getting the software installed is the easy part. Now you have to use it.

Even with a list like this, it takes a lot of imagination to come up with all of the costs. Getting the values right requires some experience and a lot of good guessing, but just going through the process helps make it more clear. Much like with a puppy, if you know what you're getting yourself into up front, it can be a rewarding experience.

Excerpt from:
Free as in puppy: The hidden costs of free software - Opensource.com

The last thing your small business needs is more expenses, especially for the ongoing work of invoicing accounts receivable. You want an easy-to-use invoicing solution that looks professional, works without a hitch and tracks your work securely. And you certainly dont want to pay an arm and a leg for the service.

The good news is that there is some excellent invoicing software on the market right now, much of it completely free, with optional premium upgrades or small pay-as-you-go credit-card processing fees. From freelancers who send fiveor six invoices a month to larger businesses that need time tracking for multiple employees, there is a free solution for almost everyone.

Weve collected the top 10 forever free invoicing software solutions so you can start saving time and money today.

Dues cloud-based invoicing and digital wallet integrates with Basecamp project management software, QuickBooks and PayPal. Its completely free to set up and remains free forever. Due offers an incredibly easy way for clients to pay you. You can even embed invoices in your website, allowing clients to pay online. The software and services are completely free except for a 2.7% pay-as-you-go charge on credit-card transactions. (Editor's note: Due is a content partner of Entrepreneur Media.)

Related:Looking for a New Payment Company? You're 'Due' for Some Good News.

The newest and brightest invoicing company out there,Sightedoffers easy invoicing, integrated global payments, expense recording, CSV Excel downloading of all of your data and more, all using top-of-the-line security. The starter plan is free forever, and offers 20 invoices and quotes a month for a single user and 10 clients.

Small businesses will love Handdy for its pay me now feature, which sends automatic reminder emails to clients if their payment is nearly due or is overdue. The free trial is for one user, but its free forever for an unlimited amount of invoices. The only downside is that the free version comes with Handdys logo in addition to your own on the invoices.

Related:The 15 Most Popular Online Payment Solutions

Invoiceras free forever plan allows threeclients plus unlimited invoices. The upgrades Invoicera offers would work very well for small businesses, and each premium plan allows a 30-day trial period, so this software could be optimal for a growing business.

Best suited for freelancers with few invoices to send, Mr. Biller is a simple cloud-based invoicing solution that offers invoice creation without ads. On the forever free plan, Mr. Biller offers quick and easy invoice creation and sending, but with no backup of your data. If you want to see your invoices again, youll need to upgrade to the paid plan at $9.95 a month.

Integrating time tracking, invoicing and expense management, Nutcache is invoicing and project tracking software combined. This solution is perfect for small businesses, as it allows up to 20 users and offers 1GB of storage with their free plan, which includes support (though the lag time might be considerable: they have 7 days to get back to you). This software is great for centralizing complicated work and making sure youre invoicing the correct number of project hours.

Related:10 Online Invoicing Services for Small-Business Owners

This completelyfree softwaremakes invoicing a breeze. With your free account you get invoicing, instant insights and accounting software that allows you to import your banking statements to see profit and loss. Multiple users can use the software, but you can provide selective access for extra security and privacy.

Designed for non-accountants, Waves completely free tools include software for invoicing, accounting and payroll, as well as receipt scanning. They charge for credit-card processing, but the amount of organization youll have when tax time comes around will make it well worth it.

Related:25 Payment Tools for Small Businesses, Freelancers and Startups

Zoho really does it all, but if you just want invoicing they have a perfect forever free plan for those who have fewer than 5 customers to invoice. Zohos invoicing naturally integrates with their own suite of products, but it also integrates with many other applications, including Dropbox, Google Drive, PayPal, Stripe and OneDrive. Great for desktop and mobile, Zoho is an excellent place to start.

ReliaBills has an awesome free plan that allows unlimited invoices, automated email reminders and recurring invoices with no set-up fees--the only catch is that youll need to upgrade to their premium plan if you want to be able to accept online payments or add credit-card processing. There are also some fees for unique situations, but if all youre interested in is pure invoicing, this is a great option.

With software like this, available in less time than it takes to open up Excel, theres no longer any excuse for shoddy invoices or messy books. When you have the tools at your fingertips to make invoicing a breeze, youll have more money available to you more often, and your business will thrive. Happy invoicing!

Deep Patel is a young writer and entrepreneur. He is the author ofA Paperboy's Fable: The 11 Principles of Success. In the book, he interviewed 15 industry luminaries including professors, entrepreneurs, CEOs and Gene...

Originally posted here:
Top 10 Free Invoicing Software Solutions for Small Businesses - Entrepreneur

Bill Husted, Special to The Star 1:02 p.m. PT Feb. 11, 2017

Bill Husted(Photo: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

My grandfather was a long-legged man with no more than a high school education. He raised a family based on what he could earn as a gunsmith. Money was usually tight, soinstead of buying fancy gunsmithing tools, he often made his own. They werent pretty like the ones youd see in a catalog, but they worked just fine.

I remember he often said: If you cant get pork chops, chili would do. His family ate a lot of chili. But they did eat.

I am lucky. I can afford just about any computer program I want. ButId be fine if I couldnt do that. Like my grandfather, I know where to find some decent chili when pork chops are scarce. So today well talk about some of the programs I use almost every day, and then well mention free programs that would serve me just fine if the for-pay programs were out of my reach.

If you have a chili budget but are hankering for pork chops, I may be able to help. And if you are a pork chop sort of person, you can see what I prefer if you have the cash.

As youd figure, based on the fact that I do a lot of writing, a word processor is a big deal for me. I spend more time with mine than I do with Lucy the Beagle. I use Microsoft Word. Like a lot of the programs Ill talk about today, it can either be obtained as part of Microsoft Officeor you can buy it separately for about $110 directly from Microsoft at https://www.microsoftstore.com.You also may find it at retailers for a bit less or more. I really like the program.

But there are some excellent free word processors. Most are basically imitations of Office, sonot only do that contain a word processor; they throw in a bunch of other programs, too. Ive used most of these programs, and they work just fine. Most can read and write in the same format used by Word. So youll still be able to use files that others created in Word. Rather than rate each one, let me refer you to this excellent web page that reviews each at length and also furnishes links so that you can download the programs. It can be found athttp://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/best-microsoft-office-alternatives.

Email is essential for me both for work and keeping up with friends. I use another Microsoft product for that the professional version of Microsoft Outlook. Like Word, you can get it as part of some not all versions of Office. Or you can buy from the Microsoft store (same address as I mentioned for Word)for $110. You can also find it for less money at other online sites or in some retail stores. Its a great program.

But I also regularly use another free email program called Thunderbird. You can learn about it or download it here: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird.Id be just fine with this program if I didnt have Outlook. It has many of the same features. I use it every day, since I have Outlook set up for my personal email and use Thunderbird for reader email. Ive yet to have a problem with it.

At one time, I was fairly serious about photography, right down to having a pretty good home studio complete with studio lighting. I even did some professional work at times. I am not as passionate about photography now, but still use some expensive equipment and software. I do my editing with Adobe Photoshop. I have an old version, but it still works fine. Nowadays, a lot of people basically rent Photoshop from Adobe for $9.95 a month. Id recommend, however, getting Photoshops little sister, Adobe Elements 15 for $70. You can get it from adobe.com or find it in stores. Elements is just right for most people, and Photoshop may be overly expensive and complicated.

There are plenty of free replacements for a photo editing program. Here is a time when I have to do something I hate; I need to be honest with you. Unlike my other examples, Im not crazy about any of the free replacements. You can read about some of the best of them athttp://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/the-10-best-photoshop-alternatives-you-need-know.html.

But heres the deal: Ive used Photoshop so often and so long that maybe Im being stubborn. My guess is that if you experiment with some of the free versions mentioned in the article above it is easy to try several, since you dont have to pay that youll prove me wrong and find one you love.

So pick the way that fits your budget. If you can easily afford the commercial versions, then you cant go wrong. But if your appetite for pork chops doesnt fit your chili budget, youll do fine with the free versions Ive mentioned.

Bill Husted writes abouttechnology. Contact him attecbud@bellsouth.net.

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Technobuddy: Free software may fit job, budget - Ventura County Star - Ventura County Star

Guess theyll have to re-think the name Tap. Amazon today rolled out an over-the-air software update for its portable Amazon Tap that makes the voice-assistant Alexa work without having to tap a button. The new hands-free mode is enabled through the Alexa mobile app and requires the Bluetooth-equipped Tap to be connected to WiFi.

Amazon first introduced the Tap speaker last fall, on the same day it announced the Echo Dot, a smaller version of its popular Echo speaker. But the Tap speaker doesnt have the same omnidirectional microphone array as the Echo, and was built with a physical button that would wake up Alexa, leading some users to conclude that the Tap just wasnt as useful as the Echo. The Tap was also designed to be portable meaning it would eventually run out of battery life while the Echo products are plugged in and could support an always-ready virtual assistant.

Even with a new hands-free function, the Tap should get about eight hours of continuous battery life, Amazon says, and can be put into sleep mode by pressing the power button. The speaker will also support what Amazon calls echo spatial perception, which means you could have two or more Alexa-equipped devices in the same area and the speaker closest to you will respond.

A spokesperson for Amazon declined to answer whether this update could eventually impact other Alexa-equipped products that require physical interaction, which would be a significant move, given that the voice-controlled assistant loses some of its magic when it involves pushing buttons.

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Amazon Tap's new hands-free Alexa update means it's actually useful - The Verge

Photo by VidorHsu / iStock / Getty Images Plus, St. George News

PHOENIX The Internal Revenue Service hasannounced that taxpayers may now use their smart phones or tablets to electronically prepare and file their federal and state tax returns through IRS Free File.

The IRS and its private-sector partners who offer their brand-name software products for free now support a new design that allows for the use of desktops, laptops, mobile phones and tablets.

Access the products using mobile devices in two ways: (1) Use the IRS app, IRS2Go, which has a link to the Free File Software Lookup Tool or (2) Use the devices browser to go to http://www.IRS.gov/freefile and select the Free File Software Lookup Tool or Start Free File Now to find a software product. The IRS2Go app is available for Android and iOS devices.

Taxpayers with an adjusted gross income of $64,000 or less will find one or more free software options. Each of the 12 software providers set the eligibility requirements for their product, generally based on age, income or state residency. The Free File Software Lookup Tool leads the user through a few questions to determine eligibility.

Some partners offer free federal and free state tax return preparation; some charge a fee for state return preparation. Active duty military personnel whose income was $64,000 or less are exempt from any eligibility requirements and may use any Free File product they choose to file their federal return for free.

The Free File software allows for free electronic tax preparation and filing and direct deposit of refunds. Some taxpayers may need their 2015 adjusted gross income, if they filed a return, to validate their identities and complete the electronic filing process.

Also, taxpayers who are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit are reminded that, by law, the IRS must hold refunds that contain those credits until Feb. 15. The refunds likely wont arrive into taxpayers financial accounts until the week of Feb. 27.

Email: news@stgnews.com

Twitter: @STGnews

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IRS offers free software to file taxes by smartphone or tablet - St George News