Customize PDFs online with these tools

Portable Document Formats (PDFs) are one of those file formats that can cause quite a headache. Sometimes, you want to convert them to a Word file. Other times, you want to convert the Word file to a PDF. But doing so isn't always easy.

Luckily for you, there are a variety of online tools that can modify PDF files quickly and easily. Here are some of my favorites that work right in your browser:

Create Adobe PDF Online does a number of things well. It can convert a variety of file formats to PDF including applications and Web pages. It can also combine multiple PDFs into a single file. When you choose to convert a file, you have the option of getting it e-mailed to you in an attachment, or simply have it load up in your browser. In either case, it takes a couple of minutes for it to deliver the finished product, making it a little slower than some of the other tools in this roundup. If you can wait though, it works quite well.

Webware -- in PDF -- thanks to Create Adobe PDF Online.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Document Converter eXPress from Neevia is a feature-packed app that lets you convert files from any number of formats into a PDF. You can choose from image files like JPEG, PNG, TIFF, and BMP. You're also able to roll back the file's compatibility to be able to work with previous versions of Adobe Acrobat, dating back to version 3.0. There's also a tool to add encryption and a watermark.

Document eXPress lets you go back in time with Acrobat.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Loop PDF is one of the simplest PDF conversion tools in this roundup. You have to create an account to use it, but after you do, the free tool lets you add PDFs from your computer or URLs, and combine them into a single document. You can also convert other file types into PDFs. Loop PDF easily converted files in just a few seconds for me.

Loop PDF makes it quick and easy to upload files.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

PDF Hammer lets you edit PDF files right in your browser. Once you pick the file you want to edit, you can upload it to PDF Hammer. The tool then allows you to perform your edits and save the revised file back on your computer. You can also merge multiple PDF files into one, add a password to the file, and update its metadata. See our write-up of PDF Hammer.

PDF Hammer gives you all the directions you need to get the job done.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

PDF-o-matic PDF-o-matic converts a Web page to PDF. It's not the prettiest site in this roundup, but it makes it dead simple to convert entire Web pages into PDFs. Simply input the URL of the site you want to convert in the box placed prominently in the middle of the page and PDF-o-matic will do the rest. It's quick and easy.

PDF-o-matic turns CBSNews.com into a PDF.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

PDF Online is actually three tools in one. It converts Word documents to PDF, PDF files to Word documents, or Web sites to PDF. When you pick which operation you want to perform, it takes just a couple minutes to get the right file format. Once you choose the file you want to convert, you'll need to assign it a name and provide your e-mail address. It then uploads your file and sends you the finished product as an attachment in an e-mail. In my experience, it took no more than a minute to get the file back.

PDF Online sends you an e-mail with your attachment.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

PDF to Word does what you might expect: it converts PDF files to Microsoft Word and rich text formatted documents. It's a simple tool that is one of the more convenient resources in this roundup. Simply find the PDF file you want to upload, pick .Doc or .Rtf, and input your e-mail address. In just a few minutes, you'll receive an e-mail from the service with your new file.

PDF to Word gives you step-by-step instructions.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

Zamzar makes it easy to upload files and have them converted to a variety of file types, including PDF, Ogg, and many more. Whether it's a file or a Web site, Zamzar can convert anything you want into practically every file type under the sun. And since it's free, it's even more attractive. I would have liked its load times to be a little faster, but with so many supported file types, it's not such a big deal.

Ogg in Zamzar? You better believe it.

(Credit: Screenshot by Don Reisinger/CNET)

My top 3

If you want to convert PDF files as soon as possible, make sure you use these sites first.

1. Create Adobe PDF Online: There's something to be said for trusting a reputable company.

2. Zamzar: With all those file formats, how can you go wrong?

3. Loop PDF: Speed and a great design make Loop PDF a winner.

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Microsoft offers unworkable solution to Bing porn

As I pointed out in an earlier post, searching for certain terms on Microsoft's new Bing.com search engine brings up videos that display hardcore porn within the Web site and because the porn is playing within Bing instead of the site where it's hosted, the videos are not necessarily blocked by parental control filters. And monitoring programs designed to tell parents where their kids have been are likely to simply report Bing.com instead of the site that actually hosts the video.

As Tom Krazit pointed out, Microsoft has responded to the issue in a blog post Thursday. That post is defensive--"we think our current search safety settings are solid"--but it does acknowledge "we also are listening to customers, and some have told us they want more control and they want it now."

The company says that it has a "short term workaround" but not only do I find the description of the workaround incomprehensible, I couldn't get it to work even while on the phone with a Microsoft executive. If you can figure out how to implement these instructions, please let me know:

So for right now, we wanted to let people know that you can add "adlt=strict" to the end of a query and no matter what the settings are for that session, it will return results as if safe search was set to strict. The query would look like this: http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=adulttermgoeshere&adlt=strict (yes it is case sensitive)."

Screenshots: Searching with Microsoft's Bing

But even if this can be made to work, it might help companies prevent employees from viewing porn but doesn't even begin to address the concerns of parents who don't want their kids playing porn movies from within the search engine of the world's largest software company.

To its credit Microsoft does have a "SafeSearch" option that does not bring up porn. In fact, it's the default setting. The problem is that if someone searches for an adult term with the setting on strict or moderate, they immediately get an invitation to "change your SafeSearch setting" right there on the screen. I love things that are user-friendly but, for kids, that may be a bit too user-friendly. At the very least, Microsoft would be better off following Google's example by requiring the user to manually go into the preference area to change the settings. It wouldn't stop a cybersavvy teen from finding porn, but it would at least slow them down a bit. And it probably would stop younger users from finding it. Another solution would be to have a family version of Bing with a different URL. The best solution is probably simply not to let porn videos play within Bing.

I'm not suggesting there is a silver bullet to this problem and I understand that Microsoft may have been caught by surprise over this, but it strikes me that a solution can be found and quickly implemented.

In the meantime I did get an e-mail today from Microsoft's Chuck Cosson telling me, "today we provided filtering companies as well as network administrators with a simple solution for restricting Bing to filtered searches." And he added, "while we give some further thought to Bing, I think it's also still our thinking that safe search settings on a single search engine can't substitute for a complete parental control offering--one reason to work with the filtering companies for example, but also that will inform how we respond here over time."

I agree. I don't think it's appropriate to demand that Microsoft make its search engine entirely kid-friendly. Porn may be inappropriate for kids and distasteful to some, but the type of porn you find on Bing is legal material and adults should have a right to search for it. I think parents do have the responsibility to set and enforce rules for their kids and, in some cases, monitor what their kids are doing online. But I also think Microsoft needs to put a bit more thought into how it can better empower parents to shield their kids from inappropriate material without censoring search results for adults. This may not be easy it is possible.

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CNET News Daily Podcast: Tetris reaches the quarter-century mark

This weekend iconic video game Tetris will celebrate its 25th birthday. We got the chance to speak with the inventor, Alexey Pajitnov, by phone about what the game means to him and to others today.

Also on today's podcast: Sprint says Verizon's claim that it will get the Palm Pre in six months is untrue, Apple's WWDC kicks off Monday, new details surrounding the Windows 7 debut, and a brief history of downloadable video games.

Listen now:Download today's podcast

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Palm Pre: The smartphone addict's latest fix

Let me quickly walk you through my obsession with smartphones. Dating back to 2006, I've used a Palm Treo, two iPhones (a first-gen and the 3G), a BlackBerry Storm, and a BlackBerry Bold.

The Palm Pre comes out Saturday. I must have it.

(Credit: CBS Interactive)

I first owned the Palm Treo. But when the first-generation iPhone was released, I had to have it, so I decided to enter into an AT&T contract and carry two phones. After a few months, I ditched the Treo and stuck with the iPhone. Then Apple released the iPhone 3G. I bought it the day it was released.

When Research In Motion announced the BlackBerry Storm, the company sent it to me to try out. I had it for about a month. It was a poor experience, so I happily sent it back and stuck with my iPhone 3G.

A couple of months ago, I announced on these pages that I decided to ditch my iPhone in favor of the BlackBerry Bold. I reasoned that the Bold was better for what I needed. And as great as Apple's App Store is, it wasn't enough for me to want to keep the iPhone.

So since April, I've been the proud owner of a BlackBerry Bold. It's a well-designed device that has enhanced my ability to communicate, and I like it more than the iPhone 3G (and every other smartphone I've used).

I thought it was over. I believed that for the next year I'd be able to stop myself from buying another smartphone.

And then I started to feel the Palm Pre itch. I researched it. I wrote about it. I did everything I could to see whether it was something I would want. CNET posted its review of the Palm Pre this week and, well, that ended the debate: I'm buying a Palm Pre. I'll be carrying two smartphones around once again.

I'm working hard at reducing my obsession with tech. Stopping myself from buying this smartphone would have helped me in that endeavor. But the Palm Pre's features are too engaging. The design is too appealing. I can't help myself.

Why I want the Pre

It's about the multitasking
As CNET's Bonnie Cha said in her review, "the Palm Pre's multitasking capabilities and notifications system are unparalleled." That's enough for me to want it.

One of my biggest issues with the iPhone (and other smartphones I've owned) is its inability to adequately provide me with the multitasking I need. It's a cool device, but I'm somewhat of a power user. Not being able to easily switch between apps is a real pain.

But Palm's device changes all that. The Pre lets you launch another app without exiting the program you're currently running. I think it's a major advancement. You shouldn't be forced to lose your place just to open another application. And in today's smartphone space, you will. But with the help of a few swipes of your finger on the Pre, you'll be able to open multiple apps without losing any progress. It adds a new level of usability that we haven't seen in this space.

Beauty matters
One of the biggest issues I have with my BlackBerry Bold is its display. It's small and not nearly as vibrant as I would like. Smartphones are becoming more advanced, and I want a display that will follow suit. According to Cha, the Palm Pre will.

She said in her review that the "Pre's display is one of the main highlights of the phone." It's slightly smaller than the iPhone's screen, but it's a 24-bit color HVGA display with a 320 x 480 resolution. Cha said it's "on par with, if not slightly crisper-looking than, the iPhone's screen." That's what I'm looking for.

Better typing
Although Cha took issue with the Palm Pre's keyboard (she said it's "cramped"), I'm excited for the physical keyboard.

One of my biggest complaints with the iPhone is that virtual keyboard. It's difficult to type on. I never liked it.

That's why I'm so excited about the Pre. It offers the touch screen I came to enjoy with the iPhone, but it gives me a physical keyboard that I've grown to love in my BlackBerry. Once again, it takes the appeal of multiple devices and combines them.

And that's precisely why I'm buying a Palm Pre on Saturday. I've never used it. I don't know if it will be as appealing to me as the iPhone once was or as the BlackBerry Bold is now. But on paper, it looks as if it could transform my experience with smartphones.

Is it perfect? Of course not. As Bonnie Cha points out, the battery life is poor, and there are a limited number of applications. According to recent reports, there's a chance that the Pre won't be available Saturday, when I try to buy it, thanks to stock shortages. There's also a new iPhone software version coming soon and, according to rumors, a new iPhone. But all those aren't enough to make me not buy the Pre. It's a device I think I need right now. And for $200, it won't break the bank.

Are other compulsive smartphone switchers--you know who you are--with me? Let us know in the comments below.

Check out Don's Digital Home podcast, Twitter stream, and FriendFeed.

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Apple prepares to reset the bar in the mobile app market

Apple's plan to allow developers to add in-app payments to applications sold through its iPhone App Store could be the next game-changing step the company takes as it charges ahead in the mobile market.

Apple announced the new feature at the iPhone OS 3.0 preview event in March. And next week at theWorldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco the company is expected to announce the release dates for the software upgrade.

While in-app commerce is only one of several new enhancements to Apple's iPhone operating system, it may be the most significant. The reason is very simple. By allowing transactions to be completed within applications, Apple is changing the economics of the mobile application market and providing developers more opportunity to make money from their applications.

And if executed well, Apple could leave its smartphone competitors in the dust.

"My sense is that this will lead to Apple increasing their lead in the market even more," said Bart Decrem, CEO of Tapulous, a small developer that creates applications exclusively for the iPhone. "It will be a tremendous challenge for Apple's competitors that are trying to build their own application stores to get traction with developers, because we're in no rush to work on other platforms."

There's no question that the App Store has been a huge success. Apple announced its billionth application download only nine months after the store launched. But for developers the financial rewards have been mixed. There have been some paid applications that have sold well and generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue, but most developers have barely broken even.

Today most of the applications downloaded from the App Store are free. And of the ones that are actually sold, the majority sell for 99 cents a pop.

"The challenge is that it's hard to sell stuff for more than a dollar," Decrem said. "And it's really hard to make a lot of money that way, especially when the majority of the downloads from the App Store are offered for free."

The ability to add in-app purchasing should provide a greater opportunity for developers to generate some cash. As a result, developers may be likely to spend more time, money, and effort developing applications for the iPhone rather than other smartphones, such as the Android devices or Windows Mobile devices.

Electronic Arts, one of the biggest game publishers in the world, also sees big opportunities as result of the in-app commerce function. EA sells many of its games for the iPhone at premium prices around $9.99 and higher. And Adam Sussman, vice president of worldwide publishing for the game developer, said the company is already making plenty of money from the App Store. But the new in-app commerce capability could allow the company to lower the entry price of a game to expand its audience by allowing it to monetize more elements of the game.

For example, in the game Command & Conquer, EA could sell additional maps to play the game for 99 cents. Or it could offer character enhancements in role-playing games or a more sophisticated weapon to help players advance more quickly to the next level of the game. Another possibility is offering digital goods. For example, within the Sims game, players could pay 99 cents or more for clothing or other items to decorate their virtual home.

"Our belief is that the paid apps in the App Store will move away from a single download model," said Adam Sussman, vice president of worldwide publishing for EA. "The new model will involve these micro-transactions that can broaden the installed base of users and can extend the life of a particular game or application."

Software sells
One lesson that has been very clear as a result of the runaway success of the App Store is that software and applications matter just as much as sleek design and cool hardware.

Apple's smartphone competitors appear to have caught onto this lesson as evidenced by the copycat application storefronts from companies, such as Research In Motion, Nokia, Google, and Microsoft.

"Our belief is that the paid apps in the App Store will move away from a single download model. The new model will involve these micro-transactions that can broaden the installed base of users and can extend the life of a particular game or application."

-- Adam Sussman, vice president, Electronic Arts

Apple was not the first company to offer downloadable applications for cell phones. But it was the first company to make discovering, downloading, and paying for applications easy for consumers. These were things that previous "storefronts" from mobile carriers or other third-party sources of applications were lacking.

As a result, the market for mobile applications never fully lived up to developers' expectations.

"Discoverability has always been really tough on traditional cell phones," Sussman said. "It hasn't been consumer friendly."

Apple has changed this. The App Store uses a well-established ecommerce platform, iTunes, to bill customers, which has helped make downloading and paying for applications as easy as purchasing and downloading a song. By contrast, Apple's competitors have had to build their own mechanism for discovering and paying for new applications from scratch. And as a result, virtual storefronts, such as Google's Android marketplace, have been slow to get off the ground.

"With the Android market, I think we are still waiting for the market to arrive," Sussman said. "While the platform has been released, there isn't a lot of momentum yet."

Newer application market places, such as the one Palm is developing for the Pre, haven't even made it out of beta yet. The Pre, which goes on sale on Sprint Nextel's network on Saturday, will launch with only about a dozen applications. Sprint CEO Dan Hesse said this is to be expected considering that the phone is just now launching. And he said he expects developers to ramp up work on new applications after the launch.

But given the established customer base of the iPhone, the fact that Apple will likely introduce new products into the iPhone family, and the added opportunities to make more money through the in-app commerce capability, it may be difficult to convince developers to spend resources on the platforms such as the Pre.

"We've told our investors that we are open to developing applications for other smartphones," Tapulous CEO Decrem said. "But right now I don't see any reason to move beyond developing for the App Store. In fact, I see us increasingly putting all their eggs in the App Store basket."

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