pdf

Foxit PhantomPDF is a blazing-fast PDF creator and editor that gets the job done. It comes in three different editions--Express, Standard, and Business--all of which are easy to use and significantly less expensive than Adobe Acrobat.

Foxit PhantomPDF's interface has the look and feel common to most document and word-processing software: a menu bar, customizable, icon-based toolbars, and a main display. In addition, the program features a distinctive, ultrathin navigation panel on the far left that allows quick access to documents via bookmarks or thumbnails as well as attachments, signatures, and layers. Hovering the cursor over the subtly colored … Read more

Foxit PhantomPDF is a blazing-fast PDF creator and editor that gets the job done. It comes in three different editions--Express, Standard, and Business--all of which are easy to use and significantly less expensive than Adobe Acrobat.

Foxit PhantomPDF's interface has the look and feel common to most document and word-processing software: a menu bar, customizable, icon-based toolbars, and a main display. In addition, the program features a distinctive, ultrathin navigation panel on the far left that allows quick access to documents via bookmarks or thumbnails as well as attachments, signatures, and layers. Hovering the cursor over the subtly colored … Read more

In order to hang onto those articles you want to read but might forget about later, you need to keep some sort of list. Magazinify offers the ability to keep tabs on the things you want to read, and even send them to your e-mail inbox all in one PDF. With this service, you can read content in your browser, on your PC, or even transfer it to an eReader. Best of all, it'll be in magazine format, but only feature stories you actually want to read! Here's how to get started:

Step 1: Head to&… Read more

If you've ever given up on trying to read a PDF until you get back to the office, you may want to check out Papercrop. It's a great Google app for Windows and Linux that lets you rebuild PDFs for easier mobile reading. It requires some prep work and can't (yet) be done on the fly, but if you have time to run a quick app on your laptop first, you can make many PDFs much easier to read on mobile devices. Here's how it works: 

We often come across programs that convert text-based files to PDFs, but if you don't have a PDF reader or you want to view the PDF on the Web, converting it to a JPEG is a great way to go. Reezaa PDF to JPG Converter handles just such a conversion, and it does so with ease.

Reezaa PDF to JPG Converter's user interface is clean and as basic as it gets, which isn't a bad thing. You'll find large, colorful buttons at the top of the window for managing the file conversions. There are even Getting … Read more

Readdle makes several highly rated "productivity" iOS apps, including Readdle Docs, Scanner Pro, Printer Pro, and PDF Expert. They tend to run a little pricier than your typical 99-cent game, ranging in price from about $4.99 to $9.99, which is why we thought it worth pointing out that Readdle is having a 48-hour sale to celebrate its 4th birthday (it rarely puts its apps on sale).

The developer is also behind the free Shakespeare app that gives you access to the complete works of William Shakespeare. A Pro version that adds features such as a glossary, … Read more

The fact that PDFs aren't easy to edit is both a blessing and a curse; they can protect content from unauthorized changes, but they can also be a pain when you have a legitimate need to edit something. Sure, you can copy and paste text from a PDF, but your formatting will pay the price. Walker Free PDF to Word Converter makes it easy to convert PDF files into easily edited Word documents, and for the most part it keeps your formatting intact as well.

The program's interface isn't going to win any beauty contests, but it'… Read more

Wolfram today rolled out its Computable Document Format, which is designed to turn documents into interactive applications.

The goal is to turn "lifeless documents" into ones that bring data to life, show the data behind assumptions and illustrate concepts. Conrad Wolfram, strategic director of Wolfram, said the CDF effort has now reached the point where the company can open it up to developers, publishers, and other interested parties.

Wolfram is still working out the business model behind CDF, but publishers have reportedly shown "great interest." For now, CDF is delivered via a free player that can bring infographics, journals, and math lessons to life. It's not a stretch to see how a magazine like Popular Science could publish in the CDF format.

The rub is that Wolfram needs adoption and there's already a dominant document format in Adobe's PDF. One big challenge would be figuring out the interplay between CDF and PDF. Would someone want to embed a CDF document into a PDF? Conrad Wolfram said that "the CDF format will be open" with the goal of becoming a public standard.

For now, Wolfram needs developers on board. CDF has reached the point where a developer with the know-how to author an XML document can bring publications to life. Indeed, the use cases for CDF revolve around journal articles, knowledge apps, textbooks, infographics, and presentations and reports.

This story originally appeared on ZDNet's Between the Lines.… Read more

It's a cliche to say it, but sometimes less really is more. That's definitely the case with Sumatra PDF Viewer. This lightweight program lets you view PDFs without a lot of extra features that slow things down. It has all the basics you need and none of the fluff that you don't. If you're frustrated by the clunkiness of some of the big-name PDF viewers, this could be exactly what you've been looking for.

The program has a plain, intuitive interface, with a few menus and a toolbar across the top. The basic PDF viewer … Read more