Mediaboss Marketing

Animal Quizzes

At our educational website, we have hundreds of free, online, learning games for kids. But anyone interested in online learning can use our site - we have so many subjects - (geography, math, animals, science, language arts, creative actibities, health) and lots of levels for all abilities - loads of games and activities for learners of any age.

Over the last year we've had over 20 million visitors and over 5 million hours of learning!

Recommended sections per level:

"I stumbled upon your fun interactive geography games from a link on the Massachusetts Geographic Alliance Website. Since then, your games have become quite a hit with my competitive colleagues!" --Candice Gomes, Education Outreach Coordinator, Boston Public Library (Sheppard Software's geography games were featured in the Boston Public Library's 2006 Exhibition on Mapping)

First, let me say I love your website! I have students with learning disabilities that need multiple way to learn math, and your site fills the bill! - Darrin, Rose Park Elementary in Billings, MT

"Let me say that you guys have an awesome website. I stumbled across your site one day, and it has been the easiest, most effective, and really the most fun method for learning geography that I've found." --David Weaver

"I am thrilled to have stumbled upon your site! As a homeschooling mom, I love to find sites that encourage brain activity and reinforce the facts I teach during learning time! The range of information is wonderful!!! Keep up the fantastic work!" -Mrs. JaNell Hancock

"Your games are AMAZING!

Your website has SO much to offer!

This site is exactly what I have been looking for! I have four children within five years of age and they can all play your games! I love that you can choose your level of difficulty. The games are colorful and simple, not cluttered like some. The instructions are easy to understand and they cover basic learning that can be neglected with other "too busy" games. I can't believe what a blessing it is to have stumbled upon this site! I looked up "kindergarten math games online." This is the first one that I actually enjoyed navigating around in and that actually kept the kids' attention without discouraging them.

This site will be a daily part of our learning! The kids were fighting over who could take the next turn at the learning game! It is reinforcing everything I am trying to teach.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!"

-Jill Grell

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Sheppard Software: Fun free online learning games and ...

To use free software is to make a political and ethical choice asserting the right to learn, and share what we learn with others. Free software has become the foundation of a learning society where we share our knowledge in a way that others can build upon and enjoy.

Currently, many people use proprietary software that denies users these freedoms and benefits. If we make a copy and give it to a friend, if we try to figure out how the program works, if we put a copy on more than one of our own computers in our own home, we could be caught and fined or put in jail. Thats whats in the fine print of the license agreement you accept when using proprietary software.

The corporations behind proprietary software will often spy on your activities and restrict you from sharing with others. And because our computers control much of our personal information and daily activities, proprietary software represents an unacceptable danger to a free society.

What if there were a worldwide group of talented ethical programmers voluntarily committed to the idea of writing and sharing software with each other and with anyone else who agreed to share alike? What if anyone could be a part of and benefit from this community even without being a computer expert or knowing anything about programming? We wouldnt have to worry about getting caught copying a useful program for our friendsbecause we wouldnt be doing anything wrong.

In fact, such a movement exists, and you can be part of it. The free software movement was started in 1983 by computer scientist Richard M. Stallman, when he launched a project called GNU, which stands for GNU is Not UNIX, to provide a replacement for the UNIX operating systema replacement that would respect the freedoms of those using it. Then in 1985, Stallman started the Free Software Foundation, a nonprofit with the mission of advocating and educating on behalf of computer users around the world.

There are now many variants or 'distributions' of this GNU operating system using the kernel Linux. We recommend those GNU/Linux distributions that are 100% free software; in other words, entirely freedom-respecting.

Today, free software is available for just about any task you can imagine. From complete operating systems like GNU, to over 5,000 individual programs and tools listed in the FSF/UNESCO free software directory. Millions of people around the worldincluding entire governmentsare now using free software on their computers.

The FSF also provides other important resources to the community.

Link:
What is free software and why is it so important for society ...

There are times when you can get something that's really good for free.

PC Magazine recently rated a whole bunch of free security software and they found a number of products that did a really good job of protecting against all kinds of malicious software.

The editors top picks are Avast Free Antivirus and AVG AntiVirus Free. Both scored four and a half out of five stars and are free for personal use. They earned very good scores from both independent labs and PC Mags own tests.

In its review, PC Magazine says Avast provides great antivirus protection and comes with a surprisingly extensive collection of bonus features, like password manager and network security scanner.

AVG AntiVirus Free has a new look and some new technology but the editors say it's just as reliable an ever.

Bottom line: While these are good programs, PC Magazine says the best paid antivirus software does tend to offer "more and better protection."

By the way, the magazine did not include Microsoft Windows Defender Security Center on its best list for 2017. They editors said thats because it only rated 2.5 stars

More Info: The Best Free Antivirus Protection of 2017

More here:
Free security software that's top-rated - KOMO News

Credit: TaxAct

After conducting a thorough review of online tax software, we recommend TaxAct as the best free tax software for small businesses. We chose TaxAct from dozens of online tax software options. To understand how we chose TaxAct, you can look at our methodology and a list of online tax software vendors on our best picks page.

TaxAct's free edition is excellent for filers with simple federal and state returns. The software supports forms 1040A and 1040EZ, which essentially means personal tax filers with incomes below $100,000 can use TaxAct for free to fulfill their tax requirements. While TaxAct offers the best free online tax software we reviewed, filers with more complex needs will either have to upgrade or use a different service.

Free state filing is included with the free version, and for $10, users can import the previous year's information not just from TaxAct, but also from TurboTax and H&R Block (two of our other best picks.)

As far as free products go, TaxAct offered a complete and accurate platform that didn't feel like it was skimping on the product. While not as fluid or guided as leading paid products, TaxAct does a great job of making filing straightforward and hassle free. Additionally, the availability of tax-time resources and assistance, regardless of subscription level, means even free filers don't have to go it alone.

We chose TaxAct as our best pick, because unlike many free online tax applications, TaxAct offers a product that is professional and comprehensive. Although access to more complex forms is limited, TaxAct free still inspires trust with the quality of its free features.

TaxAct's user interface is less user friendly than that of some paid software we reviewed. It lacks the guided step-by-step feel of our other best picks, but it still isn't difficult to navigate. Rather than respond to prompts, TaxAct users navigate through a series of tabs to manually fill out fields and follow checklists. While all of the needed information is immediately accessible, it takes more focus on the user's end to ensure everything is properly filled out.

While TaxAct's features are limited compared to our other best picks, its offerings are more plentiful compared to other free filing software.

If TaxAct seems like the solution for you, but you require more than the 1040A or 1040EZ forms, upgrading is still relatively cheaper than other leading solutions on the market.

These plans are more basic and straightforward than some competitors, but the price is lower for a tax preparation program that still delivers a quality experience and accurate service. While we chose TaxAct as our best free online tax software application, the paid versions are also solid choices for those preparing more complicated returns on a budget.

When we called TaxAct posing as a small business in need of simple tax filing solutions, we were met with a short wait time. It wasn't long before we were connected with a representative who explained what the free version does and does not include.

We felt much better acquainted with the software's capabilities and limitations, despite our prior research, after we spoke with customer service. We didn't get the feeling that we were being urged to choose TaxAct when we said it was just a preliminary discussion; however, we were explicitly asking about the free edition. It's unclear if this same level of acceptance would have been shown were we interested in premium versions of TaxAct's product. Overall, our customer service experience was exceptional.

TaxAct's service and support includes a slew of tax-time resources like how to file extensions, new IRS forms, W-2 assistance and how to contact the IRS. TaxAct also includes a resource center for audit assistance, which guides users through navigating an IRS audit.

TaxAct's phone number is difficult to locate on the website, but it does maintain a support center via phone and email. Business hours for the company are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT from April 19 through early January. During tax season, they expand their hours to include Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. CT as well as Saturdays (8 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT) and Sundays (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT). Every version, including the free edition, comes with unlimited support.

TaxAct's free edition isn't going to measure up to top-tier paid programs, but it does a great job of offering personal income tax services at no cost. Still, if your business requires more complicated filings for instance, companies that aren't structured as a pass-through entity you're going to require a paid service to ensure accuracy and access to all of the necessary forms.

However, for straightforward tax situations, like those involving LLCs, TaxAct's free version should cover your needs and go above and beyond other free software.

Already prepared to choose an online tax software? Here's a breakdown of the rest of our coverage:

Here is the original post:
Best Free Online Tax Software: TaxAct - Business News Daily

As a response to significant gaps in the health monitoring of the 3.5 million emergency workers in the United States, The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has released a free software product.

The ERHMS Info Manager was developed to implement the Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance (ERHMS) framework into emergency responder organizations.

The nation depends on more than 3 million emergency response workers who are trained and prepared to respond to disasters and other emergencies where they often face hazardous conditions, said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D in a statement. ERHMS Info Manager streamlines the important task of response worker health monitoring and surveillance saving organizations time while ensuring the health and safety of emergency responders.

The software platform allows organizations to track and monitor emergency response and recovery worker activities during all phases of emergency response following a natural disaster or other public health emergency.

It can be used by anyone involved in the deployment and protection of emergency responders, including: incident command staff, response organization leadership, health, safety and medical personnel and emergency responders, according to NIOSH.

By being able to easily collect, analyze, and report health data, ERHMS Info Manager decreases the time required to identify exposures and signs and symptoms illness throughout an emergency response to ensure workers are not harmed and can respond effectively, said NIOSH ERHMS Coordinator Jill Shugart, MSPH in a statement. Data collected before, during, and after a response also helps identify which responders would benefit from medical referral and possible enrollment in a long-term health surveillance program.

ERHMS Info Manager uses CDCs publically-accessible data management and informatics tool,Epi Info for creating forms, capturing data and analyzing data specific to emergency response situations. The platform allows users to:

NIOSH, along with partner federal agencies, developed the ERHMS framework following the collapse of the World Trade Center when the subsequent health problems experienced by responders illustrated an urgent need for improved health monitoring and surveillance of emergency responders.

Additional resources as well as the ERHMS Info Manager can be found onNIOSH's website.

See the rest here:
NIOSH Develops Software for Emergency Responder Health and Safety - EHS Today