So there are wrist-watch devices and other nifty technology toys that were displayed this year at the Consumer Electronics Show. And this week's Big Show of the National Retail Federation was loaded with touch screen products. For a significant minority of accounting firms and small businesses, the big issue for the year is likely to be old technology, in particular the Windows XP operating system and Office 2003 suite which will not be supported after April.

Somewhere after everyone stops talking about healthcare, there is a tax season coming in which the major purpose is still preparing tax returns. And in the rapidly approaching season, there is a great deal of emphasis by publishers of tax software on improved performance and an unusual number of problems that afflicted tax software during the last season is only part of the reason why.

H&R Block is conducting a test of selling health insurance in its stores in the Phoenix, Ariz. The test is part of a wide ranging set of healthcare services discussed earlier this month when executives of the tax preparation chain held an investor's day that covered the company's plans for 2014.