Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Monday, September 29, 2008

Convert PDF Files to HTML Web Pages with Quick PDF - For Windows Only

Source: http://www.labnol.org/software/convert-pdf-to-html-web-pages-with-quickpdf/4668/

If you like to read PDF documents on a mobile device or some e-book reader that doesn’t include native support for PDF format, the "Convert PDF to HTML" (yes, that’s the full name) utility from Quick PDF will come handy.

To download this $50 Windows-only freebie, quickly jump to GOTD.com as the giveaway will end in another hour or so.

Convert PDF to HTML Dialog Box - No Batch Support

There are tons of other options for converting PDF documents online but this software may be useful if you like to perform the conversion offline – much faster and you don’t have to upload or download any files.

In case you miss the deadline check this guide on how to convert PDF to HTML with Gmail. The difference is that Gmail will only convert PDF to Text while the above utility will extract both text and images from the PDF.

Convert PDF Files to HTML Web Pages with Quick PDF - For Windows Only - Digital Inspiration

The Best Photo Sites on the Web for News in Pictures

Source: http://www.labnol.org/internet/best-photo-sites-for-news-pictures/4680/

Here are some of the best photos blogs and websites where you can view pictures related to current events captured by professional photo journalists. Not all news sites in this list provide photo feeds so make sure you bookmark them.

soldiers The Big Picture – This is a photo blog of Boston Globe that highlights current events and lesser-known news stories through some awesome high-resolution pictures that are sourced from AP, Reuters Pictures, Getty Images, NASA, and others private photographers.

Check some breathtaking pictures from Ramadan, India, Soldiers in Afghanistan or the Brazilian tribes that were discovered by the outside world only recently.

Time Photo Essays – Each photo essay includes a collection of 10-12 pictures that narrate (in text and sometimes audio) a story related to current news events. The pictures are also published in the TIME magazine.

Check these photo essays about floods in India, Olympic Games, Georgia conflict or learn how to make your own photo essay.

Getty Images – This is the best place if you are looking for live-coverage photos of news, sports and entertainment related events around the world.

You can legally embed Getty Images in your site without paying any license fee via PicApp.com.

BBC News – The BBC news website has a full section dedicated to news photographs including a popular "Day in pictures" segment that is a slideshow to top news stories of the day in pictures.

BBC In Pictures site also highlights photos that are submitted by citizen journalists. And if you work for a UK based publication, register at BBC Pictures and you’ll get access to BBC images for editorial purposes.

reuters Reuters Slideshows – Wired news agency Reuters uses picture slide shows to narrate news stories and offbeat events.

Like Getty, Reuters too has separate photo galleries for showcasing pictures that are related to the top news events of the day, Entertainment, Sports and even Technology related events.

yahoo-news Yahoo! Photos – This is part of the Yahoo! News website and features an extensive collection of news pictures and slideshows that are sourced from news agencies like The Associated Press, Reuters, etc.

The best part about Yahoo! News photos is that they are available via Feeds but have a short shelf life just like Google News.

National Geographic – This is the place to go if you need a daily dose of photos from the world of science, nature or the animal kingdom.

US Defense – Look no further if you are interested in photographs from the United States Military. This is an official Pentagon site and often includes pictures from areas that are inaccessible to most people.

070703-N-6403R-006 There’s a large collection of photo essays as well on the US Defense site. You may search for all images hosted on the US Government sites via this Google AJAX API powered image search tool.

The Best Photo Sites on the Web for News in Pictures - Digital Inspiration

Completely Test Your BlackBerry Phone for any Problems with this Secret Shortcut

Source: http://www.labnol.org/gadgets/completely-test-blackberry-phone-for-problems/4690/

If you own a BlackBerry mobile phone (or plan to buy one), here’s a very useful shortcut (or can we say Easter Egg) that enables you to perform a complete health checkup of your BlackBerry hardware.

You will be able to test the keys of your BlackBerry keyboard, trackball movements, audio volume, Bluetooth connection, handset, speakers, LED, LCD screen pixels, etc.

blackberry-test To begin the test, click "Options" icon on the home screen of your BlackBerry and then select "Status."

On the status screen, type the wor d "test" without quotes and from the menu on the Device Self Test Application screen, select Start.

If you have a BlackBerry Pearl or another model that supports SureType, use the multi-tap input method to type "test".

As you may have seen in the test report, it says "Fail" for the Keypad Backlight Test on my BlackBerry Curve – that looks like a false positive to me.

Thanks Crackberry and BBNews.

Completely Test Your BlackBerry Phone for any Problems with this Secret Shortcut - Digital Inspiration

1Gbps Fiber-Optic Service Arrives in Japan on October 1 [Intertubes]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/405505333/1gbps-fiber+optic-service-arrives-in-japan-on-october-1

Near-instantaneous porn downloads will soon be possible in Japan thanks to a speedy new, widely available, fiber-optic service from ISP KDDI. The service will offer upload and download speeds (each way) of up to one gigabit per second. The service goes online October 1 for single family homes and low-rise apartment buildings for about $56 a month, and will be considerably higher than the current 100 megabits per second norm most Japanese citizens already enjoy today. If the outcome of the 2008 election doesn't get me to move to another country, these currently untouchable download speeds just might. [Japan Today]

Apple Patent Filing Hints at Distance-Based Bluetooth Pairing [Bluetooth]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/405669478/apple-patent-filing-hints-at-distance+based-bluetooth-pairing

Like two dogs meeting for the first time, it may soon be the case that Apple wireless devices need only catch a whiff of each others' rear ends before they know everything they need to know about the other. All joking aside, Apple really did file a pair of patents recently that would let users pair wireless devices simply by bringing them together. A second patent would allow users to fill in missing address book data simply by making a request through e-mail.

As AppleInsider explains, when using Bluetooth devices together, the process often involves a PIN to prevent those awkward "accidental pairings" or unwanted rogue devices from getting on the peripheral network. PINs, as you may know, are difficult if the item is tiny, as is the case with headsets.

So, Apple proposes in the filing that they would solve this issue "by determining the range of the wireless link between the new device and its host." If the devices get, say, within a foot of each other and are looking for a new link, they'll automatically pair up and possibly exchange data, sans romantic music of any kind. If the devices broke their one-foot or so link, the data transfer would cease.

Bluetooth-o-philes will note that this arrangement is very similar to the 2.1 spec, aka Near Field Communications. With the Apple attempt, however, any standard capable of pairing would work with the device. Apple also introduces a few other new ideas, including a wireless dock or in-car adapter for connecting a cell to a PMP or equivalent.

And in other Apple-related news, the App Store changed its review policy so that only owners of each app could give it a revi! ew. Make s sense! [Apple Insider, Matt Legend]