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Showing posts with label Software. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Software. Show all posts

PDF,PDF and more PDFs

There are innumerable online PDF Utilities .....All you have to do is Google!
You may consider to use them as if the content is not confidential.
Here is a list of most common challenges while working with PDFs and their solutions.
  • Compress a PDF  :  Try Small PDF  and PDFCompress
  • Split PDF into 2 or more PDFs : Small PDF 
  • Merge 2 or More PDFs into One File : Small PDF 
  • Conversions : Small PDF 
  • To Unlock Restrictions in a PDF : Try PDF Unlock
  • To Protect your  PDF : Try PDF Protect
  • Most of the Utilities are with FoxyUtils 
    • FoxyUtils is the swiss army knife for PDF
  • PDF to Excel : A very useful tool that can reduce hours of work into minutes  : 
  • Create Fillable PDFs from existing PDF Forms :  try PDF Escape
  • Portable PDF tools on your Machine ( Install with-out Admin Rights) 
  • Install on Computer :  PDFill PDF Tools  : FREE PDF functions to merge, split, reorder, delete, encrypt, decrypt, rotate, crop and reformat PDF pages,  to add information, header, footer and watermark, to convert images to PDF, PDF to images or PostScript to PDF, to delete, flatten and list form fields, to scan to pdf, to create transparent image, and more.
  • Remove Password  from a PDF file: 
    • Simply, Drag and Drop it into Chrome browser.
    • Give your Password and through Chrome Browser's Menu and Print the file.
    • This Print command allows you to save the file as another PDF now.
    • Change the file name and save it as another PDF file.
    • This new file will be created without the password.
    • This simple method works for most of the files.

How to print a webpage without all the Junk and Ads?

Want to save a Webpage? want to print a webpage?
Most of the web pages contain numerous ads and unnecessary images. Printing the webpage as is wastes a lot of Ink and Paper...
The simplest way to do so is to use a website called Print Friendly.

All you need to do is copy and paste the URL ( the web page address) and click Print Preview.
Bingo...you a get a clean, neat printable format without all the junk.
You can remove images if you want and make it only text.
Well, you can also increase or decrease the text size ( font size ) !
You can also send the print-friendly version as an email or save it as PDF and of course, you can also print!

Read about it in their own words....
PrintFriendly cleans and formats web pages for a perfect print experience. PrintFriendly removes Ads, Navigation and web page junk, so you save paper and ink when you print. It's free and easy to use. Perfect to use at home, the office, or whenever you need to print a web page

Here is how the page looks like.
Now, take a look at the Original web page and Print-friendly outcome.
This is before Print-friendly - shown as is with ads and Junk
Here is with print friently. Feel the difference :-)

Open Office : Best ever free Office Site

Compatible with other major office suites, Apache OpenOffice is free to download, use, and distribute. Download it now, and get:

  • Writer a word processor you can use for anything from writing a quick letter to producing an entire book.
  • Calc a powerful spreadsheet with all the tools you need to calculate, analyze, and present your data in numerical reports or sizzling graphics.
  • Impress the fastest, most powerful way to create effective multimedia presentations.
  • Draw lets you produce everything from simple diagrams to dynamic 3D illustrations.
  • Base lets you manipulate databases seamlessly. Create and modify tables, forms, queries, and reports, all from within Apache OpenOffice.
  • Math lets you create mathematical equations with a graphic user interface or by directly typing your formulas into the equation editor.

Merge , Split , Reorder and more with PDF files. Absolutely free!

Most often we get or download magazines in PDF from the Internet and they contain lots of Ads. The size is big and you want to save just a couple of articles and discard the rest and the ads or you may want to convert PDF to images. This is where PDFill can be of great use...
PDFill is absolutely free software that enables you accomplishes many tasks with ease.
You can use it to Create PDF files from any printable file, You can create images from PDF files, You can split-merge, Order-Reorder, Rotate, Crop, add header- footer, add watermark, and even Encrypt and Decrypt a PDF file.
One more Secret...You can print a PDF file that is "Print Disabled" all that you need to do is recreate PDF using PDFill!
It's a valuable tool. This is what you can do with PDFill.
Download the same here. PDFill Download




Five Point Summary : Box and Whisker Plots

One evening, when you were reading a newspaper and your ten-year-old son came to you and announced that he scored 90 marks in Mathematics and scored 80 in English and rushed to play cricket. 
You were Happy and Sad at the same time. If 90 makes you Happy and 80 makes you sad, Think again!
Well, the next day when visited his class, you received new information.
In Mathematics, everyone in the class got more than 90 marks and the class average is 95. In English, everyone is below your son. He is the topper! You are Happy and Sad again!
Well, that means more information, more clarity.
More the information does not mean all marks of all the children in all the subjects. 
So, you need a summary.  The best summary that can describe data is the 5 Point Summary.
What are those five points? ( The simple definitions are  from wiki.paranormalcop.org)
   1.Minimum - the value above which there is 100% data
   2.First Quartile - the value above which there is 75% data
   3.Median (second quartile) - the value which divides the data set into two equal halves, 50% above and       50% below
  4.Third Quartile - the value above which there is 25% data
  5.Maximum - the value above which there is no data.
These five points can be represented in a graph that is called Box and Whiskers plot.

Creating Box plots in Excel are quite tricky as excel does not offer a straightforward chart type for the same.
Here is a Box and Whiskers Plot template created for you.
You can create up to 10 plots. 
Download the excel from @Downloads .
This is a Do ..Co..Mo stuff: Download, Copy and Modify at your will.
Few Ideas to get started.
1. Plot employee performance scores before and after training. You may be able to find out the training impact!
2. Plot employees Incentive earnings of last 2 years… You may understand the truth of employee earning!

Here is a wonderful article named  Visual Presentation of Data by Means of Box Plots 
by D.L. Massart,a J. Smeyers-Verbeke,a X. Caprona and Karin Schlesierb

Here is another great resource for special excel charts.



Easy Scatter Plot with 5 Dimensions..

This is a Scatter plot 
Scatter plots are very useful graphs to display two variables. They help to identify and measure correlations between variables.
It is customary to plot Dependent variable on Y-Axis or vertical axis and  Independent variable on X-Axis or horizontal axis.
Adding Labels to data points on a scatter plot in excel is a difficult task and is similar to creating and labelling bubble charts.
You need to add each variable and name (label) as a series... It's purely manual work...Here is a tool to make your job easy.
This is a tool created by  Mathis from Clear Lines Consulting.
With a click of a button, you can create scatter plot with Two variables Plotted, with Labels, different Colors and different Markers.
( 2 Variables(X and Y) + Data Point shape for the category as another dimension + Color of the data point as one dimension and the Name of the data point as another. Totalling five dimensions)
You can also download the Excel workbook from Mathis’ post "Excel-ScatterPlot-with-labels-colors-and-markers".
This is a very useful tool! Thanks to Mathis...
Credits: Power Scatter Plot Excel sheet: Copyright © 2009, Clear Lines Consulting, LLC
http://www.clear-lines.com
Licensed under a Ms-PL license (http://www.opensource.org/licenses/ms-pl.html) : feel free to use and modify, but leave the © in if you distribute.

 Alternatively, you can use a add-in to show labels on the graph.
An excel add-in called Labeler, created by Rob Bovey can be downloaded from here.
It is free. Try It!
Excel Add-In Credits:

Multiple same name Contacts or Duplicate Contacts on android

The Simplest Way to manage multiple same name contacts is using Google Contacts.
First, sync all contacts with Google Contacts. Consider Google contacts as a single point of storage.
Go to your Google Account,  and in  Two simple steps merge all the duplicates as shown below...
Here is the path
Contacts >> More >> Find & Merge Duplicates.
Sync Back to Mobile!
Bingo!

Create Stunning Timelines in a Jiffy on PPT


Show timelines in presentations with a Style! 
Bring in the WOW factor.
Here is an Office add-in you can use to create stunning and great looking timelines. 
The add-in is absolutely free and can be downloaded here. It has an easy to use interface and wizard that helps you create timelines in a jiffy! Download Office Timeline add-in here

With a Free edition, you can create an unlimited number of timelines, Change, Edit them on the fly.
It's absolutely free, easy to use, creates stunning timelines on a PowerPoint. I recommend It.


Watch the Timelines in Action here

Tree Maps

Have you ever heard of Tree Maps? In fact, a Tree map is a Big Brother of both Bar Charts and Pie Charts.
Tree-maps are a complex but powerful information visualization technique.
They were introduced in Shneiderman, 1992. Tree Maps are used to visualize hierarchical data as a set of nested rectangles.
As mentioned, the concept of tree-maps is basically from Ben Shneiderman an American computer scientist from University of Maryland as a solution to his problem of understanding and visualizing who is using how much of disk space ( It was 80 MB  of disk space shared by 14 people in those days ! )
You can read a wonderful article by Ben Sheneiderman titled " Discovering Business Intelligence Using Tree-map Visualizations.
Tree maps can show relatives size of each component in the hierarchy and also use color coding to show another attribute. Here is an example of a simple tree-map .
This picture is taken from Wikipedia
The size of Rectangle denotes the waiting time for patients in NHS Primary care Trust in UK.
There is  another variant of Tree maps that uses circles instead of rectangles. Someone called it as pebbles. Here is an example of a pebbles Chart.
This shows GDP Per capita of countries in PPP Terms in $ International
This is the same data in a Tree chart
Creating Tree-maps is a Complex work and need considerable skills . Here I provide you two easiest ways to create Tree maps.
      1. Use Microsoft Excel
      2. Use ManyEyes, an IBM Initiative to create and share data visualizations on Web
Visit my earlier Post on Many Eyes : Text Visualization-Many Eyes
Microsoft  Research Provides a Free excel Add-in, that makes the job of creating Interactive Tree Maps in Excel easy.
Here is the link to download Excel Add-in
1.Tree Maps Free Excel add in - Link 1

2.Tree Maps Free Excel Add in - Alternative Link from Microsoft Store.
for more advanced users who can handle xmls , Here is a site to download a Java based Tree visualization Programme. Here is the Link
http://www.randelshofer.ch/treeviz/
According to the web site,
The project currently consists of a file browser demo, which visualizes the file system with the following tree diagrams:
  • Hyperbolic Tree
  • Circular Tree-map
  • Rectangular Tree-map
  • Sunburst Tree
  • Icicle Tree
  • Sunray Tree
  • Iceray Tree
Try few Tree maps now....

Free MS Project Viewer : MOOS

The new buzz in the corporate world is “Projectization”.
That means you will receive more and more project plans in the most widely used format “MS-Project”. As MS-Project is not a part of Routine MS Office, You would need a project viewer to view contents. Unfortunately, Microsoft does not offer a free MS Project viewer.
You need an alternative that can show the contents of MS-Project formats like. mpp, . mpx etc.

Here is one such free tool to view the files. The lite version can be downloaded from here or you can view the contents in a free online viewer web browser. You can download it from its Website here
MOOS Project Viewer : Light Version

Using applications without admin rights! Yet, respecting Admin!

Most of the Computers/Laptops given by corporates to their employees have restricted administrative privileges. However, the users need to accomplish some routine tests and may need software other than the ones provided by corporates.
A simple example is the use of Chrome browser instead of Internet explorer.
But, the employee is not allowed to install Chrome!
What do you do?
That's where Portable applications come in very handy!
Portable applications are small programmes of the original, that are independent of the operating system and can be run from a USB drive or a CD drive without installing them on the computer!
Here is the list of portable applications you can rely on...
You have a choice of downloading each of them separately or you can download a suit.
All of them absolutely free!
Remember- You can carry these applications in a Pendrive where ever you go and you have a spectrum of applications to work where ever you are!
PortableApps.com Suite and PortableApps.com Platform
Here are Individual programmes. Download them and use them respecting the organizational restrictions!


No time to backup your data? Sync with a click!

We all know how important backup is.. each one of us must have suffered the loss of data because of a system crash. Despite such experiences, we dare to avoid regular backups.
It's not laziness in most cases. It's because it takes time – Yes! It takes time.
Why it takes time? Because you do not know what to back up! That’s the truth.
You do not want to search through all files you created since the last backup.
That’s where SyncToy helps. It does a backup and synchronizes the files created from the last backup. As it does backup of only the new files, Time taken is less!
Bingo!

You can download Sync Toy, a free PowerToy for Microsoft Windows. It's Free!
It can synchronize files from different computers -  Computer to external storage etc.
Read what Microsoft says about this SyncToy.

SyncToy, a free PowerToy for Microsoft Windows, is an easy to use, highly customizable program that helps users to do the heavy lifting involved with the copying, moving, and synchronization of different directories. Most common operations can be performed with just a few clicks of the mouse, and additional customization is available without additional complexity. SyncToy can manage multiple sets of folders at the same time; it can combine files from two folders in one case, and mimic renames and deletes in another case. Unlike other applications, SyncToy actually keeps track of renames to files and will make sure those changes get carried over to the synchronized folder. 

Download SyncToy here

Google Translate! Goof up!

Google Translate can be funny at times.. Watch this....

Absolutely free software

You need various software and tools to accomplish multiple tasks on the go.
Sometimes you may need software for your home computer. 
Thanks to Open source, you have a plethora of options to choose from.
Most of the free tools can compete in their completeness and functionality with any well-known brand in its software category.
With cloud computing catching up, you will find many players offering online tools. 
Most of them free of cost! The best example is free Office 2010 - on the cloud!
Sometimes you may not be able to load them due to security and administrative restrictions on official computers/ laptops. The best way is to respect the restrictions and use Portable applications that would directly work from a USB drive. If USB drives are restricted, Online tools come in handy!
Learning and using free tools is learning to do more with less!
Here is a list of tools available freely on the net for you to download and use! Go and get them!
I have given clickable links to the software in the presentation. Click the software to download them.
Alternatively, you can go to Download.cnet.com and download them.

Slideshare - Present yourself

Need some one to appreciate your presentation ?
Do you wish to share your knowledge with the world ?
Want to Showoff your Knowledge and skills to your professional peers ? 
You can link it to your Linkedin account ! Post It on Facebook and Twitter!
Wish to reach your customers in an innovative way ? Tell your story and track leads?
Slide share is a great site to present yourself to the world.
Approximately 10 visitors to the site every second!
Here is a presentation . Why should you use slideshare ?
This is what slide share says....
Some of the things you can do on SlideShare

    • Embed slideshows into your own blog or website.
    • Share slideshows publicly or privately. There are several ways to share privately.
    • Synch audio to your slides.
    • Market your own event on slideshare.
    • Join groups to connect with SlideShare members who share your interests.
    • Download the original file
http://www.slideshare.net/

Which half of the ad spend?

This post is for those brand managers and Market research professionals who want to explore…
Everyone in marketing knows the famous quote from John Wanamaker -
“ I know that half of my advertising dollars are wasted … I just don’t know which half ”
Probably you can try some tools which can either reduce the wastage or improve the effectiveness but still,you will not be able to find out which half!
One such tool is Tobii .
The whole tool is a combo of Hardware and Software.
The hardware captures the moment of eyeballs and the software analyzes it!
So , the result is that you will get the six honest serving-men - Viz. Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.
At the end, you can understand Who will see What and Where they see and When they see, How long they see ... Propably tells to Why they see what they see and Why not?
Not understood? Confusing?
Downlod the white paper on An introduction to eye tracking and Tobii Eye Trackers on the Home page of Tobii.
When you have the next ad ready for your brand , you can test in the near real world scenario, understand the customers better and make changes as per the results of the research!
Watch the Videos to see the demo.
I know it does not cost a bomb. So you can try……I tried it!


Optimize performance of your computer with Glary Utilities

Do feel the computer is slow ?
You know that some cleaning is required but you do not know how to do it yourself !
You have deleted a important file and want to undelete !
Do you often feel stuck and have to use the irrefutable solution  Ctrl+ALT+DEL ?

Rely on a tool Kit called Glary Utilities. Its is a  Must-have Utilities and one of the most downloaded Windows Utility.Millions have use it!
Rely on that!
You can down load it here.

Glary Utilities

With this software  You can clean the junk, maintain and optimize your computer for a better performance. I recommend It!
For those who are not very comfortable exploring the menu of Glary Utilities,
There is a one click maintainance. Try this and It does magic and your computer. Your comp  will be back to track and as fast as ever!cs who may not have admin rights on their computers can also use a portable version of Glary Utilities.
In case you need, watch the Video

Data in. Brilliance Out. Tableau.

That’s the promise of Tableau…and indeed it lives up to its promise….
Tableau Public puts all spreadsheets to shame with its brilliant capabilities…
If you are in to serious analytics … Tableau public is a must!
Watch the Video….
Download the PowerPoint…Click the links….
Watch the Videos….
Learn… Get amazed …..and amaze others…..
It’s truly….
Data in. Brilliance Out.


Word Web

Need a Free Dictionary and Thesaurus? Here is one calles WordWeb. Read what they say...
WordWeb is a one-click English thesaurus and dictionary for Windows that can look up words in almost any program. It works off-line, but can also look up words in web references such as the Wikipedia encyclopedia. Features of the free version include:
  • Definitions and synonyms
  • Related words
  • 5,000 audio pronunciations
  • 65,000 text pronunciations
  • 150,000 root words
  • 120,000 synonym sets
Look up words in almost any program.Millions of people from all over the world use this top-rated software.
....and they are true.Its Free! Go for it... Here are the links...Word Web 
Here is the download Link. Click the link to Download. Download Word Web

Data calisthenics with Motion Chart

Have you seen Hans Rosling’s presentation on TED? This was my earlier post!
If you missed it… watch it…
You may consider watching a 5 Minute video 

 

After recovering from the awe-inspiring presentation, the immediate question that strikes the mind of a data geek is ....can I use my own data for similar data calisthenics? 

The answer is Yes! 
Hans Rosling uses software called Gapminder conceptualized by him. This was bought by Google. It is available as free desktop download that can be used even without Internet connection.
http://www.gapminder.org/desktop/

 This original Gap Minder has fixed data sets and these cannot be edited.

So what’s the alternative ?
Google showed the alternative…called Motion Chart!
In addition ,there is another free Option…
So, now we have two free Options
  • Motion Chart by Google (it’s a Google Gadget for Google Docs)
  • Trend Compass by Epic Systems.
  • now a day you can use Tableau Public also
Other Options include the use of crystal Xcelsius or even Excel. However, both these options need skills of high order!
For the time being let’s limit ourselves with free and easy options.
Before trying to use the software, it’s worth while to read the one page basics and play around with the outcome.
One page basics and Guide
http://www.gapminder.org/GapminderMedia/wp-uploads/tutorial/Gapminder_World_Guide.pdf

Here is a video to watch
Here is the Motion chart I have created with GDP and Population of BRIC-TM countries.

 Play with the data to understand the use of motion Chart.
If the motion Chart does not open on the website,Click the link Motion Chart Link to go to the Google doc and open "Gadget1"on the left bottom of your screen.
Now that you know basics of Gap Minder, use the alternative free option from Google.
Follow the steps given below
  • Go to Google docs and open a spreadsheet (You need to log in with a Google account)
  • The most vital part of Motion chart is preparation of spreadsheet
  • Create the spreadsheet with your data
  • The data you want to show as a bubble should be in the first column (e.g.: Countries, States, Territories Etc.)
  • The year should be in the second column
  • The data to compare should be in next columns
  • Once the data is in place, go to insert and add gadget
  • Select Motion chart Gadget
  • Bang! your Motion chart is ready!
  • Play!
  • You can publish your work by copying the HTML code for your blog or company site…or else have an Internet connection while presenting the data
Here below is a sample Sheet and Link

For more details click and visit the link
http://docs.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=91610
The other Option is Epic System’s Trend Compass
Here is the link.
http://epicsyst.com/trendcompass/TrendCompass.aspx?home=1
All the best… Happy exploration…