They flutter into our mailboxes around this time of the year: W-2s, bank interest documents, 401(k) statements.

So it bears repeating: to keep them all in one place, take a large manila envelope, mark it with the words "2009 TAXES" and plop it wherever the mail is dropped in your house. Train everyone to insert all tax-related hard copies into that envelope, otherwise no soup for them.

If you have a simple federal tax return, you might check out TurboTax, which is offering free Web-based preparation, e-filing and printing.

Some new items to watch for this year, courtesy of the Internal Revenue Service:

• Certain cash contributions for Haiti relief effort can be deducted on your 2009 tax return.
• Pay cuts and a lower-paying job may have made you eligible for earned income credits. Check to see if you qualify. Larger families can especially benefit from the changes.
• Most workers got or will get bigger paychecks in 2009 and 2010 because of changes made to the federal income tax withholding tables. But some may find that less in taxes were or are being withheld than they planned, affecting their refunds. Read more here.
• Several credits were increased, including first-time homebuyer credits.
• The American opportunity tax credit, formerly named the Hope credit, can now be claimed for college expenses for the first four years of post-secondary education. It could be worth as much as $2,500 for qualified tuition and expenses paid in 2009.

Actually, let's admit it: we really weren't that close. Even when I hauled you with 10 tons of techno junk to L.A., I knew in my heart that we wouldn't bond. I didn't spend any significant time with you. So, really, it's not you, it's me.

Well, okay, it is about you. The truth is your monochromatic screen and lack of pictures really bothered me. I remained silent about these glaring flaws because I could magically buy books out of thin air, and who wouldn't be smittened by that.

I know appearances aren't everything, but the world is changing; black on white just isn't cutting it anymore.

There's a new kid on the block  -- the iPad -- and it has been deemed the Kindle killer. I'm not too thrilled with the name, either, but it did make for a funny trending topic on Twitter.

Kindle, the blunt truth is: I have to kill you. Sorry, about that. But you are a liability. Don't worry. I intend to do this in the most painless way possible.

Readers: help me with this. How do I put away a device once useful and now rendered obsolete by the resolute march of progress?

http://www.engadget.com

http://mashable.com

http://technologizer.com

Drop in here with your own observances and tech lust.

The Apple tablet — iSlate, iPad, iThing — can't come soon enough because all this media hyperventilating is making me light-headed.

I'm a self-confessed Apple fangirl, but I'm having major brow-wrinkling over how this tablet fits into the space between iPhones and MacBooks.

If the hype is to be believed, the Apple device will be about 10 inches wide, bigger than the Kindle, smaller than a magazine. It will have an LCD screen, or maybe OLED on the high end.

You'll be able to connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi (everyone hopes this will include Verizon and not just AT&T). And while there's been a lot of speculation around Apple's entry into the e-reader market and deals with The New York Times and major book publishers, the tablet will likely be far from a single-use device.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has already declared that the win goes to products that are general purpose. Who wants to return to the dark days of carrying a camera, cell phone, vidcam, and personal digital assistant? Got a smart phone? It's all you need.

So speculation around the tablet is that it will be a combined multimedia player, e-reader, gaming platform, and photo viewer. It may or may not have a Web cam.

Price: recent reports range from $699 to $1,000.

But is this all the tablet is, and do I really need one? So far, the answer is no — unless there's something else.

I'm with David Pogue of The New York Times who suspects Apple has something else up its black sweater sleeve. Jobs regularly introduces game-changing Apple products with his famous line: "Oh, and one more thing." In previous announcements, the "one more thing" turned out to be the iPod and the MacBook Pro.

It just wouldn't be the same if, come Wednesday, Jobs said: "That's it. Beat it."

My wild guess, based on no inside knowledge whatsoever, is that the tablet will go beyond iTunes integration, multi-touch, thin aluminum casing and all the obvious features to integrate 3D or augmented reality. It could be mobile gaming taken to another level or watching "Avatar" on the beach with snowflakes falling on you.

I really don't know it that's the "wow" feature to be announced; if so, the tablet would be pretty cool. I'm certainly not the only one who has blue-skyed about this. I just know whatever the "it" is, it better be good at that price.

What's your guess? You have three days to fantasize about what's to come. Drop your comments here and follow me @sandybeach on Wednesday around 8 a.m. Hawaii time as I tweet about the announcement.

I don't usually write entries about food, only because other bloggers are much better at describing high-caloric desserts than I. But we spent one of our last dinners in California at King's Hawaiian Bakery & Restaurant in Torrance and it's worth veering away from tech for one moment to wax about this L.A. landmark.

King's a haven for anyone from Hawaii hankering for the ono, heart-clogging food that we know and love. There is a certain satisfaction downing chicken katsu smothered in sauce that nothing can quite match. King's — which moved its bake goods production plant to Torrance but remains nostalgic for Hawaii — serves up beef stew, oxtail soup, somen salad and more, charging L.A. prices that we dearly miss now that we're home.

It helped with the tip that they post Advertiser newspaper stories on a bulletin board for those who can't live without the best news source in the islands. I get paid to say stuff like that.

After dinner, we took a drive through a nearby neighborhood that for several blocks decorates with eye-popping holiday lights and displays. Residents with an entrepreneurial bent sell hot chocolate and warm popcorn to the hordes that descend on their streets. This community is rather like Hawaii Kai on Honolulu Marathon Day. The traffic through their streets is so thick, they are prisoners in their homes for the season. Most seem to accept this fate and others are clear holdouts with darkened homes and not a porch light turned on.

If you are in Torrance during the holidays, take a ride to Sleepy Hollow Lane and enjoy the madness.

Cars and pedestrians stream by a Balloon Santa holiday display, one of dozens put up at homes in this Torrance neighborhood.

This revelation came to me a couple of years ago when I disclosed the location of my secret parking space during the annual holiday shopping roller derby that is Ala Moana Center. Getting in and out has not been the same since. Hope you appreciate my sacrifice.

So why am I again ignoring the inevitable consequences of revealing my top sites for geek gifts? Because I feel honor bound to pass on information that will make your life easier. In return, send me your favorite sites of absurdly techy gifts. By this late hour, you'll need to rush ship, wrap an IOU, or print or e-mail gift cards.

Here we go:

• ThinkGeek — A perennial favorite among the technorati. Among the goodies here: a USB pet rock, Zilla multi-tool, plush sushi, marshmallow shooter.

• Minoco — USB thumb drives with character -- and little winter coats.

• CNET — Holiday gift guide for the filthy rich and the rest of us.

• Gift cards — Major grocery stores have stands of gift cards for such sought-after items as iTunes purchases.

• Print/e-mail gift cards — Tip of the hat to CNET for this idea. Amazon, Netflix and iTunes are among the vendors offering this last-minute option.

Alright, go to it.

The days of haphazard holiday shopping are long gone. The economy and technology have made it necessary and relatively easy to save on each purchase. There's really no excuse for buying at the listed retail price, unless you are Donald Trump.

Your first stop should be the sites that post the Black Friday sale ads in advance and provide info on online discounts. I've got my old standby Black Friday sites that are listed below. But I know you've got your favorites, too, so please share the joy.

Standard disclaimer: check the Hawaii prices since they may differ from what's posted on these national sites:

• bfads.net - Bfads has posted Black Friday ads for stores like Walmart and Macy's, among others. It also has info on pre-Black Friday sales and links to deals like a $80 Guitar Hero 5 bundle.

• BlackFriday.info - As with other sites, you can sign up for alerts when new Black Friday ads are posted. Sports Authority's ad is posted here, including the doorbusters.

•  blackfriday.fm - This site has posted the Best Buy Black Friday specials. We're in the market for a HDTV, so this flyer will be closely scrutinized.

• dealnews.com -  Target's and Costco's ads are posted here. This site also has  a list of stores that are willing to match their competitors' Black Friday prices. Great if you are braving the malls.

• bradsdeals.com - Not a true Black Friday site, but a good spot to find recommended deals at discount.

• Black Friday 2009 - Companion site to bradsdeals, the site has the KMart and Sears ads posted and the opening hours for the stores.

* blackfriday.gottadeal.com - A recommendation from reader Eric. The Toys R Us and Radio Shack ads are available here. A rising sun icon alerts you to the early-bird specials.

Foursquare has been getting a lot of tech press lately as pundits promote it as the next Twitter. I can see why people might say this, although predictions about the next big thing on the Web miss more than they land.

Foursquare is a social media service that geographically locates your circle of friends. Beyond that, it has a built-in game that rewards you badges whenever you go to a location. Enough visits to your favorite Starbucks and you get to be its mayor. No campaign staff to hire, no groveling for donations.

The service is rather like Brightkite, but the addicting aspect of Foursquare is its appeal to your inner politician to rule and dominate.

You can leave tips and bits of advice for your friends for these locations, such as: "Don't order the lasagna; it sucks" and "The bartender's a cutie." Hey, old but not dead.

Foursquare has a close alignment with Twitter; you can login with your Twitter credentials and tie in your entries with your tweets. Foursquare also released an API this week, according to Mashable's Peter Cashmore, a move that can speed its growth and acceptance.

Mobile apps are available for the iPhone and Android and a Blackberry app is in development.

Try it and let me know your experience. And tell us: which do you like better — Brightkite or Foursquare?

Now that Oahu and Maui have been added to the popular Google Maps feature, exploring the islands in this way can occupy hours and hours of leisure or work time as you check out the houses you used to live in and guess at the prices of your old squeeze's current abode.

What are all these people frozen in time to do when their friends call them up to ask: "Hey, Edwin, what you doing crossing the street near the strip joint on Keeaumoku?"

I have a particular interest in the girl in the pink dress on our roadway who appears to be struggling to get into a car. Who the hell is she and what is she doing on MY street?

Beyond this rather rude curiosity, the Google Street View feature is a practical way to drive to a new destination so that you don't get lost when you do it in real life. It doesn't show all of the Oahu and Maui streets, only those that Google shot with its special 360-degree camera hoisted on top of a Googlemobile. So unless the street is outlined in blue in street level view, you will run into the dreaded message informing you there is no photo available.

For the most part, however, the major streets are shown and landmarks are available — so it is perfect for the visitors who want to plot out their vacations. For the rest of us? I would brace for the discomfort to come when the Internet stalker you can't shake smiles and says: "Nice house."

Now, back to these Hawaii people frozen in Google Street View: do you know any of these folks? Where and what were they doing when they were captured? Let us know. We'd like to celebrate their immortality.

Just waking up in the morning gotta thank God
I don't know but today seems kinda odd
No barking from the dog, no smog
And momma cooked the breakfast with no hog

Ok, so it wasn't quite like how Ice Cube rapped it, but "today was like one of those fly dreams" and definitely "A Good Day".

Why you axe? Welp, this morning, the much anticipated Motorola Droid was released to the public through Verizon Wireless, and, like every other nerd out there, I found myself standing in line, waiting to get mine.

Billed as the iPhone killer (watch iDont commercial here), this smartphone attacks and addresses all of the iPhone's shortcomings. Being a non-AT&T Wireless sub and a Google and open source fiend, I literally NEEDED it. It's running the newest Android 2.0 OS (the first phone with it) and has neat features like seamless Gmail and Facebook integration as well as free navigation via Google maps. I literally just got it, so I didn't have much time to play with it yet, but here are a few quick tips/things I learned in this short time. Perhaps it'll help some of y'all out.

Ed's Tips/Notes:

* Not sure how crowded the other stores are, but the Pearl Highlands one I went to was not too bad. They opened at 7AM, and when I got there at about 6:30, there were only 4 people ahead of me. The woman at the front of the line said she got there at 5:15 with the next guy coming at 6:15. Before the doors opened, there were just about 15-20 of us (including couples). From what I heard, Verizon had 200 in stock, so if you get down there now, you should be ok.

The line outside Verizon Wireless at about 6:45AM

* The phone itself is $199 ($299 with a $100 mail-in rebate). With the Snap-On Gel Cover ($16.99), expect to pay over $300 out the door.

* With this phone, you must upgrade to a $29.99 data plan (if you didn't already have it). I was coming from an enV Touch with a $15 VZW Mobile Web plan/package, so it was about double. It made me think about it for a split second, but for the extra goodies and the Wi-Fi action, I think it's worth it.

* If you're used to slim (narrow) phones, this one's pretty wide. Compared to my Touch, it's a beast. Gonna be interesting to see how it fits/feels in my pocket.

The Motorola Droid next to the LG enV Touch

* To keep the phone as slim (flat) as possible, the QWERTY keypad was built pretty flat. If you have big hands (like me), it may take some getting used to.

Closeup of the Droid's QWERTY keyboard. Like how I focused on E-D?

* The Snap-On Gel Cover may also feel like it's getting in the way sometimes, so using it would be up to personal preference.

The Motorola Droid with slider open

* The camera's a bit tricky to get used to (accessing, saving, sharing, etc.), but once you get the hang of it, the 5 megapixel camera takes pretty good shots. Here's a pic my friend/co-worker Maribel using the Droid in artificial light.

(resized) 5 Megapixel photo with from the Droid. Click here for the full version.

* Even though you have VZW backup enabled, you must still manually import your contacts into your Droid (via Gmail). You actually download the CSV file from verizonwireless.com/backupassistant, and then import it into your contact list in Gmail. If you have tons of contacts in your Gmail account and tons of numbers in your addressbook (from your old phone), it could get a little messy. I still have yet to check what it did to my dupes (it said it merged them). Yikes!

Check out the step by step shots (for downloading and uploading your contacts) below.

The Verizon Wireless Backup Assistant login page

Your list of contacts in Backup Assistant

Gmail Contacts page

Import Contacts screen in Gmail Contacts page

Importing CSV into Gmail Contacts

Import complete!

Big ups to Tara Reyna from the Pearl Highlands Verizon Wireless store. She's really helpful and smart, so go see her a-ight? For more information on the Droid, go to DroidDoes.com or visit Motorola's consumer page here.

All in all, it was mos def, A Good Day...

Any questions or comments? Post 'em below...