Q: I created a hidden folder on my desktop to prevent others from seeing it when using my computer or accessing my computer across the network. I did this by right-clicking on the folder and selecting Properties then, under the General tab, checking Hidden. While this did hide my folder,
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TOPICS
Information management and technology assurance
Smart Question
Q: I just purchased a new smartphone, and I understand that there are more than 100,000 applications that I can download. Can you tell me some of the better smartphone applications that I should be using? A: It would take the entire JofA to describe all the useful smartphone
Semiblock Your Facebook Wall
Q: How can I keep my professional friends from seeing the personal stuff I post on my Facebook Wall? A: To block your Facebook Wall from selected friends, start by creating a Block List, as follows. From the left column of your Facebook home page, hover over the LISTS options
XBRL
FASB issued the proposed 2012 U.S. GAAP Financial Reporting Taxonomy for public review and comment. Comments are due Oct. 31. The 2012 U.S. GAAP Financial Reporting Taxonomy is expected to be finalized and published in early 2012. The taxonomy is a list of computer-readable financial reporting labels coded in extensible
What’s Your Fraud IQ?
Much attention is given to safeguarding financial and physical assets from fraud, but proprietary information can also be a target for theft. How much do you know about protecting personal and corporate information from would-be fraudsters? Take this Fraud IQ quiz to find out. 1. Ferdinand’s personal financial information recently
Mobile Technologies: Tablets and Smartphones
With 2012 just around the corner, the JofA gathered the three technology keynote speakers from the AICPA’s 2011 Practitioners Symposium/TECH+ Conference to talk about tech trends heading into the new year. The nearly 90-minute conversation covered a wide range of technical issues critical to all CPAs. Participating in the call
Cloud Computing
With 2012 just around the corner, the JofA gathered the three technology keynote speakers from the AICPA’s 2011 Practitioners Symposium/TECH+ Conference to talk about tech trends heading into the new year. The nearly 90-minute conversation covered a wide range of technical issues critical to all CPAs. Participating in the call
CPA Horizons 2025: A Road Map for the Future
The AICPA on Wednesday released the findings from a yearlong initiative to examine what’s on the horizon for CPAs and the accounting profession. CPA Horizons 2025 leveraged insights from more than 75,000 comments from CPAs in all segments of the accounting profession, regulators, thought leaders and futurists to highlight key trends
CPA2Biz to Launch “CPA.com” Email Service
CPA2Biz plans to offer a CPA-branded email service for AICPA members beginning this fall. Eligible members of the AICPA will be able to get an email account in their own name ending in the cpa.com domain. John Smith, for example, could get the address john.smith@cpa.com. Members with common names can
TIGTA Finds Problems With IRS Purchase Cards, Network Security
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) released a pair of reports on Tuesday finding problems with the security of the IRS Windows environment and a lack of control over IRS purchase cards (TIGTA Reports 2011-20-111 and 2011-10-075, respectively). Purchase Cards In Report 2011-10-075, TIGTA states that between Sept.
Favorite New Technology
With 2012 just around the corner, the JofA gathered the three technology keynote speakers from the AICPA’s 2011 Practitioners Symposium/TECH+ Conference to talk about tech trends heading into the new year. The nearly 90-minute conversation covered a wide range of technical issues critical to all CPAs. Participating in the call
Key Technology Issues for 2012
With 2012 just around the corner, the JofA gathered the three technology keynote speakers from the AICPA’s 2011 Practitioners Symposium/TECH+ Conference to talk about tech trends heading into the new year. The nearly 90-minute conversation covered a wide range of technical issues critical to all CPAs. Participating in the call
Low-Cost Tech Options Help Small Firms Stay Competitive
In the April 2011 issue, the article about emerging technology trends (“Survey Highlights Emerging Tools for Firms of All Sizes,” page 28) was encouraging to me, as I came to realize that the local firm at which I am employed utilizes many of the tools highlighted, such as multiple screens
2011 Tax Research Service Survey
CPA tax preparers’ attitudes toward their tax research services in some respects reflect a universal quandary of the Information Age: They’re pleased to have so much material at their fingertips, but despite modern aids such as keyword searching, are still often frustrated in tracking down a particular desired bit of
The iPad Decision
Ask one CPA, the managing partner of a 160-employee firm, what he thinks of using the iPad in his work, and he tells you “there’s no other way to practice right now.” Ask another, the IT head of a 400-employee firm, and he tells you that his iPad is no
Make a Difference With PivotTables
Q: For many years we have created PivotTables in Excel, but it is frustrating because there doesn’t seem to be a way to add, subtract or divide columns. We want to subtract our actual columns from our budget columns to produce the difference and difference percentages. If there is a
Tablets: A Quick Look
Editor’s note: Also read “The iPad Decision” in the October 2011 issue of the JofA. To access a chart with details on more than 50 iPad applications and information on browser-based applications from major accounting-software publishers, click here. The following are profiles of some of the top tablets on the market. Please
A Sky-High Solution
Q: I am scheduled to manage a large project with people located in several countries, and our goal is to produce a detailed Excel workbook and report. Accordingly, we will all need shared access to these documents for editing and review purposes. To further complicate matters, this group has a
Eight Ways to Expand Your Mentoring Network
Mentoring relationships are critical for success in the accounting profession, yet many CPAs overlook the benefits of a mentor/protégé connection. A mentor can provide guidance on tackling challenging assignments or insights into managing time commitments. In addition, mentors can recommend protégés for important and highly visible projects, sponsor protégés in
Control Your Accent
Q: When reviewing Excel workbooks that contain hundreds of formulas, I often find the review process time-consuming and frustrating. Can you provide suggestions that would make this process easier? A: An obvious solution for making the workbook review process easier is to ensure that all data and formulas are well
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