Re @MorboAalst Excellent choice!

Rothmus :

Mars will be called the New World, just as America was in past centuries. Such an inspiring adventure!Black Hole:Stunning Martian landscape from Gale Crater by Curiosity rover.NASA

Elves have been a staple of the folklore and mythology of many cultures for centuries. Over time, they developed into the version that audiences are familiar with today. As a staple in fantasy video games, elves show up a lot in many video game franchises, and often with different types of elves within the same video game world, such as high elves and wood elves. The Elder Scrolls is no different in this respect, but it takes this a step further and has far more kinds of elves than most other franchises.

Red Dead Redemption 2 has many things that make it a masterpiece. The game is entertaining and full of complex elements, such as bounty hunting, animal hunting, bank robberies, and much more. Set at the end of the 19th century, right in the middle of the American Wild West, this title leaves nothing to be desired, which is why its so beloved by players.

The best gaming keyboards can make you feel in total control while sweating through an online shooter and more comfortable while taking in a 100-hour RPG. They may not always feel as luxurious for typing as a custom mechanical keyboard, but theyve become increasingly sophisticated with new features to improve your play, and the best of them are still huge upgrades over your everyday membrane board. If youre looking to buy one, Ive spent way too much time researching gaming keyboards over the past couple of years, testing dozens of well-reviewed and boutique models along the way. Whether you want something small, wireless or just plain cheap, here are the ones that have stood out the most. What to look for in a gaming keyboard To be clear, any keyboard can be a gaming keyboard. If you play lots of video games today and have never sighed to yourself, man, this keyboard is holding me back, congratulations, you probably dont need to pay extra for a new one. Self-proclaimed gaming keyboards often come at a premium, and while the best offer high-quality designs, snazzy RGB lighting and a few genuinely worthwhile features, none of them will give you god-like skill, nor will they suddenly turn bad games into good ones. Mechanical vs non-mechanical Now that weve touched grass, I did prioritize some features while researching this guide. First, I mostly stuck to mechanical keyboards, not laptop-style membrane models. They can be loud, but theyre more durable, customizable and broadly satisfying to press all positive traits for a product you may use for hours-long gaming sessions. Size Next, I preferred tenkeyless (TKL) or smaller layouts. Its totally fine to use a full-size board if you really want a number pad, but a compact model gives you more space to flick your mouse around. It also lets you keep your mouse closer to your body, which can reduce the tension placed on your arms and shoulders. From top to bottom: A 96 percent keyboard, an 80 percent (or tenkeyless) keyboard and a 60 percent keyboard. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Switches, keycaps and build quality Linear switches, which are often branded as red, are generally favored by gamers. These give keystrokes a smooth feel from top to bottom, with no tactile bump that could make fast, repeated presses less consistent. They usually require little force to actuate, and they tend to be quiet. However, if you prefer the feel and/or sound of a more tactile or clicky switch, get one of those instead. You might lose some speed in esports-style games, but nothing is more important than your comfort. Some gaming keyboards are based on different mechanisms entirely. Optical switches, for instance, use a beam of light to register keystrokes, while Hall effect switches use magnets. These often feel linear, but they allow for a more versatile set of gaming-friendly features, such as the ability to set custom actuation points, assign multiple commands to one key and repeat key presses faster. In general, theyre faster and more durable too. The Wooting 60HE+ is one gaming keyboard that has helped popularize the use of magnetic Hall effect switches. Jeff Dunn for Engadget This analog-style functionality has become the big trend in the gaming keyboard market over the last few years. Most of the major keyboard brands now sell at least one model with Hall effect switches and, based on my testing, its easy to see why: Many of their customizations really can give you a more granular (yet still fair) sense of control, especially in more competitive games. Consequently, many of our picks below are built around the tech. Keyboards with these kind of features usually arent cheap, however, and theyre far from essential for those who mainly play single-player games. Some of their tricks have also stirred up controversy: One known as SOCD (Simultaneous Opposing Cardinal Directions) cleaning allows you to activate two different directional keys at the same time, making it possible to, among other things, achieve impossibly perfect strafing in shooting games. A few games such as Counter-Strike 2 have banned the feature as a result, though it can still be a fun thing to play around with in games that dont involve other people. SOCD isnt limited to magnetic switches either; some mechanical keyboards support it too. A few recent keyboards have introduced inductive switches, which promise the adjustable actuation features of Hall effect keyboards but with better battery efficiency. I havent been able to test one of these just yet, but well look to do so in a future update. A handful of dye-sub PBT keycaps. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Keycaps and build quality Regardless of switch type, you want a frame that doesnt flex under pressure, keys that dont wobble and stabilizers that dont rattle when you hit larger keys like the spacebar. I prefer double-shot PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) keycaps over those that use cheaper ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) plastic, as they wont develop a greasy shine over time and their icons wont fade. A hot-swappable PCB (printed circuit board) that makes it easy to change switches if the mood arises is ideal, as are dedicated media keys. For the sake of simplicity, I only considered prebuilt gaming keyboards for this guide, though many of the picks below allow for customization down the line. If you (and your bank account) really want to go wild, check out our guide to building a custom keyboard. Software, connectivity and RGB If a keyboard has companion software, it should let you program macros and custom key bindings for games without frustration. For convenience, a wired keyboard should connect through a detachable USB-C cable. A good wireless keyboard wont add serious lag, but only if it uses a USB receiver, not Bluetooth. (Itll probably cost more as well.) Some gaming keyboards advertise super-high polling rates i.e., the speed at which a keyboard reports to a computer to reduce latency, but unless your monitor has an especially fast refresh rate, the usual standard of 1,000Hz should be fine. And while nobody needs RGB lighting, its fun. Consumer tech could use more of that, so the cleaner and more customizable the RGB is, the better. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget How we tested The best way to evaluate a keyboard is to just use it, so thats what I did. To cover a variety of use cases and design styles, Ive researched dozens of keyboards over the past several months thatve broadly received high marks from professional reviewers and users alike. Ive then used each model Ive brought in as my daily driver for numerous days. Since I write for a living, this gave me enough time to get a strong sense of each keyboards typing experience. For gaming, I give special focus to each keyboards responsiveness in fast, reaction-based online shooters such as Halo Infinite, Counter-Strike 2, Apex Legends, Valorant, Overwatch 2 and XDefiant, as many would-be gaming keyboard buyers get one in the hopes that itll help with that genre in particular. I made sure each keyboard felt comfortable with other types of games, though, such as Baldurs Gate 3 (a turn-based RPG), Hi-Fi Rush (an action game with an emphasis on timing and rhythm) and Forza Horizon 5 (an arcade racing game). I used the latter to better evaluate the pressure-sensitive features of the analog keyboards I tested. If a keyboard could be configured with multiple switch types, I got the linear model. Upon receiving each keyboard, I removed several keycaps to ensure none were chipped or broken. I noted whether any keys felt wobbly, whether the case flexes under pressure, whether the texture and finish of the keycaps changes after use and whether larger keys like the spacebar felt particularly rattly or hollow. I typed on each keyboard in quick succession in a quiet room to get a sense of where they ranked in terms of noise. For wireless models, I checked whether the battery drain at 50 percent RGB brightness aligned with a manufacturers estimate. I looked to results from sites like Rtings to ensure nothing was out of order with latency. I did my own testing on a 144Hz monitor with my personal rig, which includes a 10th-gen Core i9 CPU and an RTX 3080 GPU. This helped me ensure each keyboard met a baseline of overall quality, but to reiterate, so much of this process is subjective. I can tell you if a keyboard is loud based on how I slam my keys, for instance, but you may have a lighter touch. What my tastes find comfortable, pleasing, or even useful, you may dislike. As Ive written before, keyboards are like food or art in that way. So, keep an open mind. Other gaming keyboards we tested The Wooting 60HE. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Note: The following is a selection of noteworthy gaming keyboards weve put through their paces, not a comprehensive list of everything weve ever tried. Wooting 60HE+ You can consider the Wooting 60HE+ our 1A pick, as its essentially a more compact version of the 80HE with a 60 percent layout. It supports the same analog gaming features, has the same four-year warranty and still uses the great Wootility software. Its also $25 cheaper. If you prefer a smaller design and dont need arrow keys, you can buy it with confidence. However, more people will find the 80HEs larger layout easier to use on a day-to-day basis. Its gasket mount, updated switches and extra sound-dampening material make it more pleasant-sounding and comfier for typing out of the box. Plus, while the 60HE+ can only rest at one fixed angle, the 80HE comes with a few sets of removable feet. Logitech G Pro X TKL Rapid The Logitech G Pro X TKL Rapid is a good magnetic-switch alternative to the Wooting 80HE if you must buy from one of the major keyboard brands. Its wired-only, but it looks good, with clear RGB lighting, a built-in volume roller, dedicated media keys and a sturdy metal top plate. The expected rapid trigger and adjustable actuation tricks all work fine, and Logitechs G Hub software is easier to get around than most apps from the big-name manufacturers. It can recognize when youve launched certain games, for instance, then apply any custom profiles youve made for them automatically. All of it costs $30 less than the 80HE as well. Where it falls short is the typing experience: The default switches are pretty noisy, and bottoming out the keys feels stiffer here compared to our top picks. If you want those Wooting-style features and prefer a clackier sound, however, its a decent buy. Logitech G Pro X TKL and G Pro X 60 The wireless Logitech G Pro X TKL and G Pro X 60, which use more traditional mechanical switches, arent as hot. Theyre built well, but theyre too pricey to not be hot-swappable or lack the analog features of the 80HE. There isnt much sound-dampening foam in either models, too, so neither sounds great. We like that both come with a carrying case, though. The Logitech G Pro X TKL Rapid. Jeff Dunn for Engadget Keychron C3 Pro The tenkeyless Keychron C3 Pro is the top budget pick in our mechanical keyboard guide, and it remains a great stand-in for the G.Skill KM250 RGB if you want to stay under $50. With its gasket mount design, internal foam and pre-lubed switches, it feels and sounds fuller to press. The base version we tested lacks hot-swappable switches and only has a red backlight, but Keychron recently released revised models that address that and add full RGB. That said, their ABS keycaps feel cheaper and can develop a shine over time, plus theres no volume knob. Some may find KM250s smaller size more convenient for gaming, too. Keychron Q1 HE The Keychron Q1 HE is sort of an older version of the Lemokey P1 HE with the same magnetic switches and a similarly excellent aluminum chassis. Its double-gasket design, pre-lubed switches and layers of foam make it a joy for typing. Its gaming features rely on the same iffy software, though, while the stock keycaps are sculpted in a way that makes them trickier to access quickly. Those keycaps arent shine-through either, and the whole thing costs $50 more, so there isnt much reason to buy it over the P1 HE. The Keychron Q1 HE. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Razer Huntsman V2 TKL We previously recommended the Razer Huntsman V2 TKL as a mid-priced pick thanks to its light optical switches, crisp PBT keycaps and impressively muffled tone (with the linear-switch model, at least). Its lack of analog features make it a harder sell these days, though, and its keys wobble more than those on the Keychron V3 Max. Its not hot-swappable, either. Beyond that, Razer is only selling the version with clicky switches as of our most recent update, but we found those to sound uncomfortably sharp. Razer Huntsman V3 Pro The Razer Huntsman V3 Pro is a line of wired analog keyboards that comes in 60 percent, TKL and full-size options. They have just about all the features we like on the Wooting 80HE, but their optical switches are noisier and more hollow-feeling. The Razer Huntsman V2 TKL. Jeff Dunn for Engadget Razer BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% The BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% is Razers top-end wireless keyboard. Its fully hot-swappable, with heavily textured PBT keycaps, a robust aluminum top case and a nifty OLED display. The tactile Razer Orange switches in our test unit consistently feel tight, the larger keys dont really rattle and the RGB backlight shines through beautifully. Its a good keyboard its just not luxurious enough to warrant its $300 price tag, especially since it lacks any sort of analog-style functionality. The stock switches are a little too sharp-sounding for our liking as well. Razer Huntsman Mini The Razer Huntsman Mini is a fine choice if you want a 60 percent keyboard and dont need Wooting-style software tricks, with textured PBT keycaps, a sturdy aluminum top plate and the same fast optical switches we praised with the Huntsman V2 TKL. The 60HE+ is much more versatile, though, while the KM250 RGB is a more appealing value. The Razer BlackWidow V4 75%. Jeff Dunn for Engadget ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless The ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless (phew) is a strong alternative to the Apex Pro TKL if you want to go wireless. Its a joy to type on, with superb sound dampening, pre-lubed ROG NX switches, an impressively sturdy case and stable, PBT-coated keys. Its hot-swappable, its battery life rating is much higher than the Apex Pro TKL Wireless (90 hours with RGB on) and it has a multi-function key that puts volume, media and RGB controls in one place. At $180, its also $90 cheaper than our SteelSeries pick. However, it doesnt have the rapid trigger or custom actuation tricks of Hall effect keyboards like the Apex Pro TKL Wireless or Lemokey P1 HE, and ASUSs Armoury Crate software is a bit of a mess. The Lemokey P1 HE's all-metal design feels higher-end, too. But if you care about typing experience more than extra gaming-friendly features, this one is still worth looking into. ASUS ROG Azoth The ASUS ROG Azoth is like a smaller version of the ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless with a few more enthusiast touches, such as a gasket-mounted design which gives keystrokes a softer feel a programmable OLED display and a toolkit for lubing switches in the box. Its exceptionally well-made by any standard, not just for a gaming keyboard. But its feature set still isnt as flexible as the Wooting 80HE or SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless, which makes its $250 list price a tough ask. The ASUS ROG Azoth. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard The 75 percent Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard is much better than its bland name suggests, with high-quality PBT keycaps, smooth linear switches (which are hot-swappable), wonderfully clean RGB lighting, a steady wireless connection and a rigid yet lightweight design. But it's fairly loud, and at $200 there isnt much reason to take it over the Lemokey P1 HE, which has a higher-quality design and more capable magnetic switches, or the ASUS Strix Scope II 96 Wireless, which offers a similarly pleasing typing experience at a slightly lower price. Its worth considering if you see it on sale, though. NZXT Function 2 and Function 2 MiniTKL The full-size NZXT Function 2 and tenkeyless Function 2 MiniTKL are totally solid midrange options with fast optical switches and the ability to swap between two universal actuation points, but theyre let down by mediocre stabilizers on the larger keys. The Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard. Jeff Dunn for Engadget NuPhy Air75 V2 The NuPhy Air75 V2 is a stylish wireless keyboard with a low-profile design. We recommend in our mechanical keyboard buying guide, and it remains an excellent choice if if you want something that blends the flatter, compact shape of a laptop keyboard with the more tactile feel of mechanical switches. The design isnt entirely ideal for gaming, though, as the wide keys can make it a little too easy to fat-finger inputs by accident and the stock keycaps arent shine-through. NuPhy recently released a new model with Hall effect switches, which well aim to test for a future update. Corsair K70 Max The Corsair K70 Max is another one with magnetic switches, but trying to program its more advanced features through Corsairs iCue software was a pain. The NuPhy Air75 V2. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Corsair K70 RGB TKL The Corsair K70 RGB TKL is a decent if basic midrange model, but its also on the noisy side compared to our top picks and its saddled with middling software. Logitech G515 Lightspeed TKL The Logitech G515 Lightspeed TKL is another low-profile model that generally feels comfortable and well-built, even if it's entirely made of plastic. Its a decent alternative to the NuPhy Air75 V2, as its much quieter with its GL Tactile switches and comes with shine-through keycaps by default. However, those switches arent hot-swappable, and the board cant connect to multiple devices simultaneously over Bluetooth. The low-profile shape still isnt the best for gaming either, plus the stock keycaps arent quite as grippy as other PBT options weve used. Logitech G915 TKL The Logitech G915 TKL is an older wireless low-profile keyboard with a metal frame, but its thin ABS keycaps feel too cheap for something thats usually priced around $180. The NuPhy Air75 V2 is a superior value. Logitech released an upgraded model with PBT keycaps and a USB-C port last year; we plan to test that one for our next update, but its still pretty expensive at $200. The Logitech G515 Lightspeed TKL. Jeff Dunn for Engadget Recent updates February 2025: We've overhauled this guide with new picks: The Wooting 80HE is now our top recommendation overall, the SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless (Gen 3) is our new "best wireless" option and the Lemokey P1 HE slots in as an honorable mention. We've also added notes on several more gaming keyboards we've tested since our last update, including Logitech's G Pro X TKL Rapid and G515 Lightspeed TKL, Razer's BlackWidow V4 Pro 75% and Alienware's Pro Wireless Gaming Keyboard. Finally, we've made a few minor updates to our "What to look for in a gaming keyboard" section. June 2024: We updated this guide with a new traditional mechanical keyboard pick, the Keychron V3 Max, plus a couple new honorable mentions and more notes on other gaming keyboards weve tried. Note that weve tested and will continue to test several other keyboards that arent explicitly marketed toward gaming, but well direct you to our general mechanical keyboard buying guide for more info on those.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/best-gaming-keyboard-140019954.html?src=rss

After much anticipation, Apple finally announced the iPhone 16e yesterday. Looking at its position in the company's lineup, the 16e is a headscratcher. My colleague Ian Carlos Campbell already wrote about how strange it is that the phone is missing MagSafe, a feature universally loved by Apple users. However, the omission that stands out the most to me is that the iPhone 16e doesn't come with more than a single rear camera, and no, 2x telephoto cropping doesn't count.Sure, if you put the 16e against its predecessor, the 2022 iPhone SE, its not a surprising omission but when you consider today's broader smartphone market, it's a glaring weakness. At $599, the 16e is $100 more than the Pixel 8a, a device with two amazing rear cameras and an AI-capable processor (more on that in a moment). The 8a is also frequently on sale for as little as $399. Some people hate the Pixel comparison, so I'll give you another one. Last spring, Nothing released the $349 Phone 2a. Like the 8a, it has two rear cameras. Oh, and a fresh design that's not borrowed from 2020. At almost $200 more than the phone it replaces, the 16e is very much not a midrange device.I know what you're thinking: what's wrong with one camera, as long as that camera is great? In the case of the 16e, I think the problem is that Apple is misreading the market and what people want from their next phone. All consumer devices are a compromise in some way. Those become more pronounced as you move down the market.For most people, their phone is their primary camera and how they document their lives and memories. Think about what was the first thing you tested when you upgraded to your current phone. I bet it was the cameras. In that context, more are better, because they make it easier to capture moments that are important to you.For a device some outlets are describing as "low-end," the iPhone 16e features a state-of-the-art chip. It might be cut down with one less GPU core, but the 16e's A18 is still a 3nm chip with 8GB of RAM to support the processor. Apple clearly felt the A18 was necessary to get its AI suite running on the 16e. But that means the rest of the phone had to suffer as a result, starting with the camera package.I don't know about you, but if I were in the market for a new phone, I would want the most bang for my buck. The SE line had its share of drawbacks, including a dated design and a lackluster screen, but at $429, they made sense. For all its faults, the SE still felt like a bargain in 2022 because you were getting a modern chip, access to iOS and all the great apps that come with it and Apple's excellent track record of software support. With the iPhone 16e, you're not saving nearly as much off the price of a regular iPhone. Yes, everything I said about the SE's strengths is still true of the 16e and it even builds on that phone with additions like a better battery and an OLED screen, but the smartphone market has evolved so much in the last three years.Again, I know people hate the Pixel comparison, but the 8a makes far fewer compromises. Not only does it feature a more versatile camera system, but it also comes with a high refresh rate OLED. The 8a's Tensor G3 chip is also fully capable of running Google's latest AI features.I know offering the best hardware features for the price has never been Apple's approach, but that approach only made sense when the company had the best software experience. We can all agree Apple Intelligence has not met its usual quality standards. Just look at notification summaries, one of the main selling points of Apple Intelligence. Apple recently paused all news and entertainment alerts generated by the system to address their poor quality.Right now, Apple Intelligence is not a compelling reason to buy a new iPhone, and its inclusion on the 16e at the expense of other features feels, at best, a cynical attempt to boost adoption numbers. If the 16e was $100 cheaper, maybe I would be less critical, but right now it feels like Apple missed the mark.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/great-cameras-not-apple-intelligence-is-what-people-want-from-an-iphone-16e-130041307.html?src=rss

Morse Micros MM-HL1-EXT router delivers 10-mile Wi-Fi HaLow connectivity with low power consumption for IoT and industrial applications.

Ahead of the handset going on sale next week, we've got a few more details about the iPhone 16e.

Somewhere between 25% and 35% of working Americans are gig workerseither as a supplement to their primary income or as their full-time job. And for many gig economy workers, cash apps and marketplaces offer a simple and convenient way to receive payments. Enter the IRS form 1099-K.Third-party payment apps have to issue a 1099-K form to taxpayers who make more than a certain earnings thresholda threshold which the IRS significantly lowered for the 2024 tax year. The IRS anticipates that millions of Americans will receive a 1099-K form for the first time this year because of that reduced earnings threshold.If youve been wondering why you received a 1099-K form this year, heres what you need to know.1099-K historyPrior to the introduction of third-party payment apps and online marketplaces, the IRS typically received reporting about your income from either a W-2 form (for traditional employees) or 1099-MISC form (for contractors, freelancers, or other nonstandard employment).The introduction of third-party payment apps like PayPal changed the landscape for taxable income. Even though freelancers who collect payments via third-party apps must claim every penny of income (just as employees must track and claim their tips), taxpayers seriously underreported their income from third-party payment apps when the technology was new. Uncle Sam estimates that taxpayers underreported $450 billion in 2006, which equated to a 17% noncompliance rate.Recognizing that modern problems require modern solutions (or at least a new tax form), the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 instituted a requirement that banks and credit card merchants report payments to the IRS via the new form 1099-K. The first 1099-K forms were issued in 2012 for the 2011 tax year.Who issues 1099-K forms?There are several different types of organizations, apps, sites, marketplaces, and platforms that may be required to issue a 1099-K form. These may include:Auction sites (such as eBay)Ridesharing platforms (like Uber or Lyft)Crafting marketplaces (such as Etsy)Crowdfunding platforms (like Kickstarter)Freelance marketplaces (like Fiverr)Online marketplaces (such as Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace)Peer-to-peer payment platforms (like Venmo, PayPal, or Cash App)Ticket exchange sites (such as StubHub or TicketSwap)If you have earned money through any of these kinds of platforms, you may receive a 1099-K form this yearif you have taken in more than the minimum earning threshold (see below).The one commonly used app that will not issue 1099-K forms is Zelle. Thats because Zelle directly transfers money from one bank account to another, rather than holding your funds in an account for you, the way PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App do. But just because Zelle will not issue a 1099-K doesnt mean youre off the hook for reporting any earned income you receive via Zelle. You will have to report income Zelled to your account on Schedule C of your tax return.1099-K minimumsUntil the 2024 tax year, the 1099-K form was only issued to taxpayers with more than 200 transactions on third-party payment apps who earned $20,000 or more in income. This meant only the individuals who were seriously committed to making a living via gig work received a 1099-K form.That is now changing. For the 2024 tax year, if you made $5,000 on a payment app, you will receive a 1099-K, no matter how many transactions you cleared. This means hobbyists and side hustlers are much more likely to receive a 1099-K this yearand the likelihood will keep going up. Thats because the minimum income threshold for the 2025 tax year is $2,500, and it will dip to $600 thereafterand there is no minimum number of transactions to trigger a 1099-K filing.2023 Tax Year2024 Tax Year2025 Tax Year2026 Tax Year and BeyondEarnings threshold$20,000$5,000$2,500$600Minimum transaction requirement200NoneNoneNoneThis means your aunt Esther who has an Etsy storefront that sells five or six risque needlepoint projects per month will be as likely to receive a 1099-K form as a professional eBay seller with thousands of transactions per week.Fixing 1099-K errorsNot all transactions on third-party financial apps are taxable. When your sister Venmos you $75 to pay for her half of your mothers birthday gift, that money is not taxable. But if you receive Venmo payments for your side gig as a photographer, that money is taxable. This means anyone who only has a single payment app for personal and professional payments may see errors on their 1099-K form.To help ensure youre not charged tax on nontaxable payments from friends and family, the IRS has added a space at the top of the 2024 Schedule 1 form to report any money that was included on your 1099-K in error.The spot on the Schedule 1 form also allows you to report 1099-K money related to personal items you sold at a loss. For example, if you resold courtside basketball tickets for $5,000 and accepted payment via Venmo, that would trigger a 1099-K form. But if you purchased those tickets for $6,000 and sold them at a loss, the $5,000 you received is not taxable. You can include that $5,000 in the new space on the Schedule 1 form, and you will not owe taxes on it.The future of 1099-K filingThe IRS wasnt quite done tinkering with the 1099-K rules when it lowered the earnings threshold and minimum transaction requirement. As of the 2025 tax year, third-party payment apps may request your taxpayer identification numberwhich for most people is their Social Security number. If a third-party payment platform does not have your valid tax ID number, the platform has to withhold 24% of your payment for taxes.This is similar to how your taxes may be withheld from a traditional paycheck, but it can come as an unpleasant surprise to aunt Esther when she sells the $100 Kirk/Spock needlepoint to an enthusiast and only receives $76. While the withheld amount can be credited to the tax you owe when you file your taxes, or it may be refunded if you do not owe any taxes, many taxpayers will prefer to simply provide their Social Security number to avoid the withholding altogether.File responsiblyWith more ways to get paid, there are more opportunities to underreport earned income. To combat taxpayer forgetfulness (both genuine and feigned), the IRS introduced the 1099-K form, which requires third-party payment apps to report earnings over a certain dollar amount.As of the 2024 tax year, anyone earning $5,000 or more via payment apps or platforms will receive a 1099-K form. In 2023 and earlier, only taxpayers who earned over $20,000 and had 200 or more transactions got such a form. The minimum earnings threshold will go down to $2,500 for the 2025 tax year, and to $600 thereafter and there is no minimum transaction requirement.Getting more tax forms may feel like a crappy reward for all the hard work you have put into your side gigbut the new 1099-K filing requirements will ultimately make it easier for you to correctly file your taxes. And correct tax filing keeps the auditor away.