No stimulus check yet? How to track it through the mail from your computer or phone

You can get an idea when the IRS plans to send your stimulus money.


Angela Lang/CNET
For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO website.

If the IRS Get My Payment app isn’t helping you track the status of your payment, the US Postal Service might be able to lend a hand. Informed Delivery is a free service that can help you see the status of your check by sending you a picture of your mail when it’s processed through the post office. Of course, that includes your coronavirus check, too. Signing up for the service also lets you keep tabs on the letter’s progress through notifications on your phone or computer.

Informed Delivery doesn’t apply just to stimulus checks. The post office scanning tool documents all your mail, which of course includes your money from the government. There are some limitations to the system, but the service does verify that the USPS processed your check and sent it to you. You can cancel anytime.

Keep in mind that the post office can’t tell you why you don’t have stimulus payment yet and it doesn’t replace

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Tribit StormBox Micro speaker review: A pocket-size Bluetooth speaker with surprisingly big sound

Over the years Tribit has made some of the better budget portable Bluetooth headphones and speakers, starting with its XFree Tune and XSound Go, respectively. The latter speaker is still around and delivers surprisingly good sound for less than $30. The larger MaxSound Plus ($60) gives you more bass and volume and the StormBox ($52) is Tribit’s more affordable take on such popular speakers as the UE Boom and JBL Flip 5. Now it’s doing a budget version of Bose’s excellent SoundLink Micro speaker. The new model is called the StormBox Micro and it’s one of the best-sounding pocket-size speakers I’ve heard.   

Like

  • Very compact (pocket-friendly)
  • More bass and volume than most speakers this small
  • Waterproof and dustproof (IP67)
  • Integrated strap
  • Can be linked to another StormBox Micro for stereo mode
  • USB-C charging
  • 8 hours of battery life

Don’t Like

  • Not as durable as Bose SoundLink Micro
  • Distorts slightly at higher volumes with certain tracks

Read more: Best Bluetooth speakers of 2020

Measuring 3.87 by 3.87 by 1.37 inches (7.3 by 7.3 by 3.5 cm) and weighing 9.9 ounces (280 grams), the StormBox Micro has a slightly larger footprint than the Bose, which weighs 10.2 ounces (290

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Apple to reopen 100 more US stores this week

Many of the stores are offering curbside or storefront service only, while several will allow customers inside, albeit with face masks on and social distancing rules in effect.

Apple is reopening more than 100 additional stores in the US this week following temporary closures in response to coronavirus quarantining. The store re-openings will occur across 21 states from Arizona to Wisconsin, with a little less than half fully accessible to customers and the rest providing curbside or storefront service only.

SEE: Life after lockdown: Your office job will never be the same–here’s what to expect (cover story PDF) (TechRepublic)

“This week we’ll return to serving customers in many US locations,” Apple said in a statement released on Tuesday. “For customer safety and convenience, most stores will offer curbside or storefront service only, where we provide online order pick-up and Genius Bar appointments.”

The new re-openings include six stores in Arizona, 29 in California, 11 in Florida, six in Georgia, one in Indiana, one in Kansas, two in Kentucky, five in Michigan, three in Missouri, three in Nevada, one in New Mexico, one in New York, seven in Ohio, one in Oregon, one in Pennsylvania, one in South Carolina, one

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9 reasons why your stimulus check isn’t here: Dead ends, form issues, more

The IRS has been sending stimulus checks for over a month. Where’s yours? 


Angela Lang/CNET
For the most up-to-date news and information about the coronavirus pandemic, visit the WHO website.

If you’re not among the tens of millions of Americans who’ve already received their coronavirus stimulus payments, you’re probably asking what’s causing a delay with your check. After all, the federal government authorized the money as part of a package intended to help offset the pandemic’s worsening economic effects and you’d like to spend it. We’ve found some possible barriers that may be holding up your payment with the IRS. 

If and when your 2020 relief check does come from the IRS, it’ll arrive either through direct deposit to your bank account (if you set that up before the May 13 deadline) or in the mail (you’ll get a paper check or a mailed prepaid debit card). It’ll be your money to spend, free and clear. The IRS said it’ll step up its payment schedule through the end of June and has already sent more than 150 million checks so far. In addition, a bill for a second round of stimulus checks for up

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macOS: Know the difference between launch agents and daemons, and use them to automate processes

Mac admins can leverage system processes called daemons to automate the execution of tasks, like scripts, used in the management of computers running macOS.

System administrators will tell you any process or task that needs to be run on the systems they manage is usually performed in some form of automated manner. Whether it’s scripted, enforced through policies, or handled via third-party management server, it is far simpler to execute and report back data on properly configured automated tasks than it is to leave it to the happenstance of performing these tasks across the entire fleet with little to no confirmation that it was completed correctly.

SEE: Cheat sheet: Apple macOS Catalina (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

A benefit of automating tasks beyond the obvious is that automated tasks run exactly as designed and intended. Meaning, if a script is written to check for system updates upon restart, then it will check system updates every time the device is restarted. It won’t cancel the process because now is not the opportune moment or because it simply needs to log in and print a document quickly, for example.

Specific tasks or data executed the same way each time. This allows for a system

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2020 Volkswagen Golf review: Supremely practical, somewhat sleepy

The Golf’s styling is a little drowsy, but this car’s looks should age well.


Craig Cole/Roadshow

It’s not going to win any accolades for groundbreaking design, and nobody will confuse it with some souped-up sports car, but what the Volkswagen Golf lacks in emotional appeal, it more than makes up for in other areas. This machine is simple and honest, a real salt-of-the-earth hatchback that’s not only versatile but unexpectedly satisfying.

Like

  • Slick-shifting manual transmission
  • Incredible real-world efficiency
  • Potent midrange torque
  • Versatile cargo hold

Don’t Like

  • Odd rev-hang at higher rpm
  • Engine can feel flatfooted
  • Lacks some driver aids

The Golf has been around since the mid-1970s, which means VW has had decades to perfect its build. Hatchback versions of the Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla are strong competition for this VW, but the folks in Wolfsburg have done their homework. The Golf has more backseat legroom and passenger volume than either the Mazda3 or Corolla, its exterior design is almost certain to age better than the Civic’s, and it’s got significantly more torque than that Elantra GT.

Making things easy, the 2020 Golf is available in just one trim level. Standard equipment is

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