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ABBYY PDF Transformer Review

Kyle — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 22:27:10 +0000

ABBYY PDF Transformer is a useful PDF (Portable Document Format) conversion and creation application that quickly and easily converts PDF files into editable file formats, while retaining the original layout and formatting. ABBYY is the most comprehensive solution for anyone working with PDF files including image-only PDF, text and image PDF and text under image, or searchable PDF. It can convert PDF files to Word, Excel, HTML and ASCII text and can also opens PDF files directly in Word and Excel for immediate editing.

In a very short time, you can create a PDF file directly from Microsoft Office applications. You can also combine a number of files from different directories into a single PDF file, or modify PDF files as per your needs. In addition you can add stamps and change your files into searchable as well as protected PDFs.

Key Benefits

Short file-conversion time
Support for over 180 languages
Exceptional integration with Microsoft Office
Versatile output formats
Extensive file format compatibility
Document accuracy and integrity retention
Excellent security for confidential or sensitive documents
Efficient and easy to use

PDF Transformer has the ability to analyze documents and then process them while preserving their logical organization, retaining the original text and columns, headers, fonts, footers, styles, footnotes and the numbered captions of tables and pictures. It also recognizes the fonts used in the original document and finds the most similar font from those installed on the computer.

ABBYY PDF Transformer uses a compression algorithm to produce smaller files while retaining maximum quality. You can also edit out unwanted texts or pictures before publishing a PDF document.

The file conversion process is quick and easy, giving accurate results. Its language recognition, document identification and protection functionalities, along with the ability to redact sensitive information make it one of the best PDF conversion tools. The software also has a number of features that help you combine, modify and secure your PDFs. Creating PDFs from scratch is also easy and gives impressive results but this functionality appears as a separate application on a separate user interface.

For anyone having any PDF requirements, AABBY PDF Transformer is the right software. It does a great job of converting, manipulating and creating PDFs.

ABBYY PDF Transformer is therefore a great PDF tool that is easy to use and gives great results. I would recommend it to anyone handling PDF files or anyone who wants to easily create a PDF file from scratch.

Article Contributor: Michael Gituko

Acrobat Standard vs Professional

Kyle — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 16:43:51 +0000

Standard? Professional? Super-ultra-mega-awesome edition?

Software applications often come in multiple editions, and it can be difficult to determine which version is right for you. Standard editions might be cheaper, but don’t always offer all of the necessary tools and utilities you need to get the job done right. Adobe Acrobat X is certainly one of those programs.

Acrobat is available in several different editions, each of which offer a different level of utility, from simple viewing and sharing of pdf files with Reader, all the way up to the full-service Acrobat X Suite, which includes numerous software programs (including Photoshop) that enable the widest range of PDF editing and creation capability.

Many people have difficulty in deciding which edition best meets their needs. Have no fear, this Acrobat Standard vs Professional buying guide is just the ticket to help you decide which edition is best for you.

Final Cut Pro X Released to Negative Reviews

Kyle — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 21:21:43 +0000

Yesterday, Apple launched the newest incarnation of it’s professional Non-Linear Editing System, Final Cut Pro X. The long awaited release came amid a throng of negative reviews among app store reviewers and professional video editors. According to the angry mobs, Final Cut Pro X has been over-simplified to appeal to more casual, home-video editors despite its past, mainly professional user-base.

Final Cut Pro X is currently the #1 most downloaded app on the Mac App Store, and -ironically- also one of the lowest-rated. In an interesting move by Apple, the price for the newest version of Final Cut Pro has been drastically reduced to $300, in order to appeal to more casual home-users. This price drop -which would seem a good move on the surface- has apparently been made possible by sacrificing professional utility.

One of the most common complaints among FCP users regards the “dumbing-down” of the interface to make the program more accessible to amateurs, which alienates many professional editors who require the more difficult, advanced controls necessary for pro-quality editing. Final Cut Pro X is not backward compatible, making any of your Final Cut Pro 7 projects virtually useless – only iMovie events can be imported (what?!).

Here are some excerpts of Final Cut Pro X customer reviews:

“I run my my business on FCP and my first impression of the new app is that it is horrible. This is an enhanced version of iMovie. It DOES NOT open your existing FCP files.”
“I get the impression that folks at Apple that design software don’t actually run a production environment, and don’t understand our needs at all. Finally, this dot-zero release is extremely buggy, and abnormally ended (blew up) within 20 minutes of working on a project.”
“I love the idea of 64bit editing and all of the other features, but the basics for pros are gone. Here’s what’s missing:

We here at Software News Daily like to think of ourselves as optimists, and while many FCP users are disheartened at Apple’s new release, there are quite a few improvements and promising new features present in the software. For example:

64-bit support, allowing users to utilize the power of 64-bit systems(though Apple seems to be trying to catch-up to Premiere Pro and Avid)
Utilizing the graphics processing unit to allow faster renders, exports and more powerful effects processing.
Rendering effects in the background as you work, which is a considerable time-saver, as any video editor knows.
Resolution independence, allowing for increased flexibility in video formats, from SD to 4k.
ColorSync managed color pipeline, allowing for greater color consistency between FCP, Motion, Compressor and Quicktime.
Shared render engine, which provides for more consistent render quality between FCP, Motion and Compressor.

Despite the overwhelmingly negative reaction that Final Cut Pro X has received, it is important to keep in mind that the software is in its point-zero stage, and many users hold out hope that the features and precision controls required for professional editing will be re-implemented, and that the bugs and crashes will be addressed.

There are a number of powerful, professional quality non-linear editing systems available on the market today, and choosing the best one can often be difficult. Check out our Professional Video Editing Software Guide at SoftwareMedia.com!

Buy Enfocus Instant PDF 09 For Less!

Kyle — Sat, 14 May 2011 13:00:47 +0000

Adobe created the PDF file format back in 1993. Since then, many companies have produced their own PDF creation software. One of the less well-known PDF creators, and one that promises to give Adobe and Quark a run for their money, is Enfocus Instant PDF 09. For print professionals, Instant PDF 09 has the tools needed to get the job done quickly and efficiently.

No other PDF creator, editor or converter that I have come across has ever made the creation of press-ready PDF files so simple and painless. Instant PDF 09 controls and streamlines the entire PDF creation process, automatically correcting most common errors and giving users instantaneous visual feedback. That means even novice designers will have an easy time creating stunning, ready-to-print PDF files. Say goodbye to PDF queue headaches with the Instant PDF default database, which automates all of the settings needed to create high quality prints. Compatibility with design industry standards as InDesign, QuarkXpress and Illustrator These incredible design capabilities, adds to Instant PDF 09′s ease-of-use.

You can find Enfocus Instant PDF 09, along with other great deals on software, at SoftwareMedia.

Oracle Database Standard Edition Review

Justin — Tue, 10 May 2011 14:00:33 +0000

Oracle Database Standard Edition is Oracle’s core database product. It is a full-featured data management solution ideally suited to the needs of medium-sized businesses. It is supported on either a single server supporting up to a maximum of 4 sockets, or on a clustered server environment, with a total maximum of 4 sockets in the cluster. Read on to learn about some of Oracle Database Standard’s key features.

Simplified installation and configuration

Oracle Database 11g Standard Edition provides a very quick install on both clustered and single-server environments. It is very easy to configure and manage the Standard Edition. Out of the box your database is preconfigured for production usage, complete with automated space, storage and memory management, automatic backup and recovery, and automatic optimizer statistics management. The built-in Enterprise Manager 11g Database Control console provides a web-based interface that shows at-a-glance the current status of your database and cluster environment, and allows database administration actions from any browser connected to your system.

Built-in Real Application Cluster support

Standard Edition also takes full advantage of Oracle’s own built-in clusterware solution removing the complexity of having to install and configure third-party clusterware, Also, automatic storage management capabilities efficiently stripe the data stored across the available disks, ensuring optimal performance and removing the need for third party volume managers or cluster file systems.

Suitable for all types of data and all applications

Oracle Database 11g Standard Edition supports all standard relational data types, as well as native storage of XML, Text, Documents, Images, Audio, Video and Location data. Access to data is via standard interfaces such as SQL, JDBC, SQLJ, ODBC .NET, OLE .NET and ODP .NET, SQL/XML and XQuery, and WebDAV. Stored procedures can be written in Java, PL/SQL or using .Net CLR support in the Oracle Database. Also included are built-in analytical, statistical and modeling capabilities that can be used in any SQL-based Business Intelligence environment.

Easy to Develop

Oracle Database 11g Standard Edition includes Oracle Application Express, a unique online development environment that allows developers to quickly build database applications using nothing more than a Web Browser.

It also supports Oracle SQL Developer, a free graphical tool for database development that lets developers browse database objects, run SQL statements and SQL scripts, and edit and debug PL/SQL statements. Oracle Database 11g Standard Edition is also tightly integrated with Visual Studio through Oracle Data Access Components, which enable developers to easily build Oracle-based .NET applications and web services.

Proven Performance, Reliability, Security and Scalability

Oracle Database Standard Edition uses the same proven concurrency techniques as Oracle Database Enterprise Edition, ensuring maximum throughout for all workloads. When run on a cluster, a workload is automatically balanced across the available machines, ensuring maximum hardware utilization. Clustering an environment with Real Application Clusters also protects business applications from system outages. When a machine fails, or needs maintenance, applications continue to access data uninterrupted on the other machines in the cluster. Automated data mirroring and backup and recovery capabilities protect business data from common causes of data loss, without the need for expensive storage solutions. Powerful Flashback Query capabilities allow you to view and recover older versions of data without having to perform complex and time-consuming recovery operations.

Robust support for database roles and auditing provides strong access control and accountability to address your security and privacy needs.

Oracle Database 11g Standard Edition is built from the same code base as Enterprise Edition, providing the same mission-critical reliability Oracle is renowned for. As your requirements grow, simply upgrade from Standard Edition to Enterprise Edition, protecting your initial investment now and into the future.

Standard Edition incorporates all the key Oracle database features, but excludes some premium features available only in Enterprise Edition. Oracle Database Standard Edition is a highly resilient and scalable product. For many medium and even larger applications, Standard Edition delivers all the features required at an attractive price.

It is recommended to choose Standard Edition over Enterprise Edition unless the features available in Enterprise Edition are required by your application. Standard Edition includes Oracle’s clustering technology, Real Application Clusters for resilience and scalability. Databases created under Oracle Standard Edition are fully compatible with Oracle Enterprise Edition. It is very easy to upgrade to Enterprise Edition. If you’d like to see a more detailed comparison between Database Standard and Enterprise, check out our Oracle Database Comparison Guide.

QuarkXpress 9 Released!

Kyle — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 18:35:54 +0000

QuarkXpress 9 is now available! For those unfamiliar with the greatness that is QuarkXpress 9, it’s a cutting-edge layout and design program that allows users to create print and digital publications in multiple formats. With its incredible ease of use, powerful design tools and 25-year track record of all-around awesomeness (that’s a technical term in the software industry) it is no surprise that QuarkXpress is an industry standard, rivaling -and dare I say surpassing- Adobe InDesign. Designers in the industry already respected this program (and with just cause). Version 9 promises to deliver even more design capabilities and expand its enormous user-base.

So, what makes QuarkXpress 9 so great?

Design for the Blio eReader

With the Blio eReader being one of the most widely used ebook readers, it is no surprise that QuarkXpress has been enhanced with support for the rapidly growing format. QuarkXpress 9 allows you to create rich, interactive ebooks and then quickly and easily publish them for global distribution in the worldwide ebook market. Easily add video, slideshows, HTML and even web content to your ebooks. Did we mention that you can create ebooks for any device: smartphone, tablets, computers and the like?

Export to ePub

Remember all of those short stories you’ve written but never had the chance to publish, or that novel that you’ve been working on since grad school? You can now use QuarkXPress 9 to convert your QuarkXpress layouts into ebooks for other popular reading devices like iPad, Sony Reader, Nook or Kindle, and then publish them online to immortalize your words in the hearts and minds of millions!

QuarkXpress App Studio.

The market is exploding with smartphones and tablets galore and with many software companies scrambling to catch up to this booming technology trend, Quark is at the head of the game. The App Studio allows you to easily and efficiently create your own iPhone apps using all of the powerful design capabilities of QuarkXPress and then upload them via the online App Studio portal to manage and publish all the cool apps that you have created.

Loads of Other Features and Enhancements

Support for mobile devices and ebook publishing are not the only benefits of upgrading. QuarkXpress 9 is jam-packed with tons of new features and enhancements to make digital layout and design easier and more effective. Among those improvements (of which there are far too many to name in a single article) are the enhancements in creative styling, bullets and numbering, callouts and workflows. New and improved features like the ShapeMaker, Story Editor, ImageGrid, Linkster and Cloner all contribute to the complete, exceptional design software that makes QuarkXpress 9 an industry standard in digital publication, and a must-have software product for any designer.

Buy QuarkXpress 9 and harness the amazing design power that publishers have trusted for over 25 years; alternatively, if you already own version 7 or 8 you can Upgrade to QuarkXpress 9 and save even more!

Video Game Capture Software – Show Off Your Skills

Kyle — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 21:08:10 +0000

I can’t tell you how many times I have found myself playing my favorite video games, unleashing hell in an epic fury of bullet and blade -or the occasional lightsaber- and found myself wishing that someone (anyone) was around to witness the awesome display of video game skills.

Considering the fact that I completely suck at most video games (hence why I’m terrified of PvP servers) those “awesome displays of skill” are few and far between, and I often wish for a way to document these brief moments of glory both for posterity in the immortal annals of YouTube, and to salve my often-bruised video game ego. If only there were some form of video game screen capture software that didn’t require me to download Fraps (which, at 30 fps, royally sucks). Roxio Game Capture, the aptly-named video game capture software from (you guessed it) Roxio, makes just such documentation -and the associated glory- possible.

Roxio Game Capture is a video game screen capture program that enables you to capture game footage in real time (and in full HD, which is pretty epic in our opinion) from your PC, Xbox 360 or PS3 respectively. The program includes its own editing interface along with tons of options for editing and customizing your videos. Transitions, voice-overs, overlays, picture-in-picture and other effects are all available for you to personalize your videos before you share them on YouTube, Facebook or Wegame directly from the program.

Whether you are using sword and spell to cut a swath through Dark Spawn in Dragon Age, laying a post-apocalyptic frag-fest on super mutants in Fallout , or pwning n00bs in World of Warcraft, Roxio Game Capture will allow you to record, edit and personalize your heroic (or notorious) exploits. In our humble, geeky opinion, Roxio Game Capture -with its built-in editing interface and HD capabilities- delivers a hardcore Chuck Norris roundhouse to the side of Fraps’ head, and will leave your enemies -and friends- weeping at the awesome display of your godly video game skills.

Adobe CS5 Launched, But When Can We Buy It?!

Lansia — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 04:11:53 +0000

I don’t know if you’ve heard… last week… April 12th… highly anticipated… Adobe launched their next installment of the famously popular creative suite software series, Adobe Creative Suite 5! There’s been ample hype for the new release, particularly Adobe Photoshop CS5′s new content-aware fill tool. But, let me just graze over some highlights, in case you haven’t been aware of the press that’s been going around…

Photoshop: Content-Aware Fill – remove an image element and immediately replace the missing pixels (I know, I already said it, but it’s so cool!)
Photoshop: Refine Edge — precisely detects and masks the trickiest types of edges, such as hair and foliage, while eliminating background color contamination
Photoshop: Puppet Warp — precisely reposition or warp any image element, such as straightening a bent arm in a photo or manipulating the landscape to generate a new perspective
Flash: Text Layout Framework — professional-level typography capabilities with functions like kerning, ligatures, tracking, leading, threaded text block and multiple columns, as well as advanced multilingual typographic and layout features for more than 30 languages
Flash: Code Snippets Panel — quickly inject code into projects for timeline navigation, actions, animation, audio and video
Premiere Pro: NVIDIA GPU-accelerated Adobe Mercury Playback Engine — open projects faster, refine effects-rich HD sequences in real time and play back complex projects without rendering
After Effects: Roto Brush — isolate moving foreground elements in a fraction of the normal time
Illustrator: Bristle Brush — set bristle characteristics such as size, length, thickness and stiffness, as well as brush shape, bristle density and paint opacity, for simulated life-like blending
Illustrator: Variable Width — control stroke width at any point along a path, align dashes to corners and path ends
New Program: Adobe Flash Catalyst — transform designs into interactive components without writing code

If you’re more of a visual person, there’s also a really long video at the launch site that gives an overview of the latest features in the new Adobe Creative Suite –tell me how it is, if you make it through the whole thing ! Adobe also posted a few coinciding press releases: Adobe Unveils Creative Suite 5 Product Family; Adobe Unveils Creative Suite 5 Product Family (Multimedia); Adobe Delivers Creative Suite 5 Design Premium; Adobe Announces Creative Suite 5 Web Premium; Adobe Debuts Creative Suite 5 Production Premium; Adobe Launches Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended; InDesign CS5 Powers the Transition to Digital Publishing; Adobe Introduces Flash Catalyst CS5; Adobe Releases Illustrator CS5; Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 Redefines Nonlinear Editing; Adobe Helps Prepare the 21st Century Workforce with Creative Suite 5.

For a quick, easy-on-the-eyes rundown, check out this Business Wire page.

Now, are you as excited as I am?! Well, hold that thought for just a bit longer… According to all those releases from Adobe, “Adobe Creative Suite 5 products are scheduled to ship within 30 days, with availability through Adobe Authorized Resellers, the Adobe Store and Adobe Direct Sales.” Remember, these press releases are all dated April 12th, the same day as the launch. So, are we going to see availability by May 12th!? Well, most retailers (that even have the product up) are taking pre-orders but without saying a date. Amazon has disclaimers that say June 30th on the product order pages. Could it be possible that SoftwareMedia.com have CS5 available before the online retailer giant? Hm… Mid-May perhaps? Hmm…..

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Top 10 Best Internet Security Suites

Lansia — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 17:34:05 +0000

Norton Internet Security 2010 took top spot in PCWorld’s internet security suites test. In comprehensive testing conducted by German security lab, AV-Test, PCWorld “looked not only at traditional signature-based detection but also at how well the suites cleaned infections, removed rookits, and detected malware based on behavioral analysis.” In the 13 products that were tested, in order, here are the top 10 internet security suites with their review:

Head over to PCWorld to read the full report of their findings.

Get Ready for AutoCAD LT 2011: 10 Reasons to Buy/Upgrade

Lansia — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 18:04:39 +0000

AutoCAD LT has been a staple in the world of computer-assisted design and drafting software. Actually, AutoCAD LT software is a leader in 2D drafting productivity and data reliability. And AutoCAD LT 2011 hits shelves TODAY with even more ways to take control of your drawing productivity.

Weighing your options? If not for our free shipping and satisfaction guarantee, check out this awesome showcase reel of what AutoCAD has accomplished. Proceeding the video, check out another ten reasons why you should buy or upgrade!

Improved Drafting Tools so there are… Fewer steps needed to accomplish everyday drafting tasks.
Better Communication of Design Intent giving you… Greater control over a drawing’s on-screen and plotted appearance and high-quality PDF output for more effective communication and sharing.
Windows 7 Certification so you can… Take advantage of the latest version of the popular Windows operating system.
Additional AutoCAD Functionality adding… More tools to enhance productivity.
File Format Compatibility for… Reduced risk of object incompatibilities due to file format changes.
Powerful External Reference Tools allowing… Increased control and flexibility when sharing files.
Dynamic Blocks to bring you… More efficient block libraries, featuring the advantages of regular blocks plus the flexibility of multiple shapes and sizes.
Flexible Annotation Tools to give… Easier, more intuitive dimensioning and text editing, and greater control over the display of annotations.
Better Layer Management resulting in… Faster viewing of layer properties changes and clearer drawings with fewer layers.
Streamlined User Interface and Online Help so there’s… Less time spent locating commands and switching between open drawings. Improved access to the most up-to-date help and support information.