Online tools 2

Updated 08 Feb 2013 26 Aug 2013

WE USE various tools and webapps that seem to produce the desired results with the least amount of time, money and effort.

Arranged alphabetically by name of the app:—

• File format conversion online
• Fun
• PDF editing online
• PDF conversion online
• Text to speech

We welcome suggestions for inclusion.

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File format conversion online

Everyone has their own favourite media format. But when you have to send others a computer file, you’ve got to go through the chore of converting it to their pet format.  Oldskool types download tons of programs, each handling a specific task. Nuskool uses something lazy.

Tell your recipients to convert things themselves with these two free online services.

ConvertFiles.com

http://www.convertfiles.com | Free

This website converts your files from format to format for free. Supports more than 330 combinations of input/output file formats. Maximum 250 MB file size for processing. After conversion, you get a unique download URL via email for the output file.

Source file auto-deletes after use. Output file stays on servers for 24 hours and then auto-deletes, but users may click the “Delete output file” for instant removal.

Supports HTTP, HTTPS and FTP links (provided that the target is directly accessible at the given URL) — useful for handling downloads from video-sharing sites (MetaCafe, YouTube) — see their list of supported sites.

Online-convert.com

http://www.online-convert.com | Free and Premium

This website does the same job as above (multiformat file conversion) but with a nicer interface. Handles hundreds of input/output file format combinations. Usefully, it has a hash generator. Premium service available.

After conversion, you get a unique, non-guessable download URL via email for the output file. The download URL comes with a QR-Code (helpful for smartphones).

Uploaded and output files are auto-deleted after 24 hours or after 10 downloads (whichever comes first). Users may delete the files manually.

The website owners don’t monitor file contents: “A manual review of all files is not possible anyway due to the high amount of files we process each day.”

(That doesn’t mean the U.S. National ‘Insecurity’ Agency hasn’t intercepted your stupid files between your local computer and the website through backbone interceptions though…)

Video Toolbox > New! <

http://www.videotoolbox.com | Free | Sign up

Video Toolbox is billed as “the world’s most advanced online video editor. We have created a web application that beats the feature set of many commercial products and just like ConvertFiles.com, it is available for free.” It can process files up to 600 MB (vs. ConvertFile.com’s 250 MB). For that privilege, users must sign up.

Other functions offered are watermark adding, video cropping, merging multiple files into a single video track, demux, among others. Its ‘Advance File Manager’ features video previewing as thumbnail sequence.

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Fun

JigsawPuzz.com

http://www.jigsawpuzz.com | Free | Safe for work

One of the best place to kill some time playing jigsaw puzzle games.

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PDF editing online

Many online PDF editors or form-fillers allow PDF editing but only lets you save non-printable PDFs. The non-printable PDFs are made printable only after online payment. Below are two that don’t do things like:—

PDFescape

http://www.pdfescape.com | Free

PDFescape is a free online PDF reader, editor, form-filler and form designer. Won’t handle files over 2 MB or 50 pages. The final PDF document is printable and have no watermarks. Registered user option available.

PDFfiller

http://www.pdffiller.com | Free

PDFfiller is another online form-filler that can handle some editing work. Results printable. It’s rather versatile because it accepts input (uploads) in PDF, Word, PowerPoint and Notepad (.txt) file formats. Upload from your local computer or from any URL (website). Free and premium services available.

PDFzen

http://pdfzen.com | Free

Another free, versatile and the only mobile-friendly online PDF editor — accepts uploads in PDF, Word, Excel, OpenDoc and Rich Text formats (.pdf, .doc, docx, .xls, .xlx, .odt and .rtf). No account registration necessary.

For the time being, HTML5 PDF editing means PDFzen works right from your iPhone or iPad browser. Android compatibility still being developed.

CrackMyPDF > New! <

http://www.crackmypdf.com | Free

This is an online PDF unlocker. CrackMyPDF can remove PDF restrictions to allow copying, editing and extracting. It can unlock standard password protections, RC4 encryption (40-bit), RC4 decryption (128-bit) and AES decryption (128-bit). Supports all version up to Adobe Acrobat 9. No software installation or sign-up; everything is done online.

It cannot remove or find the user/open password automatically, nor other protections such as DRM or third-party plugin. It cannot enable Acrobat Reader to save forms and data locally, add comments or add digital signatures.

Tip:— Ignore the “PDF Converter” download on the right-hand side of the website; it’s actually an advertisement.

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PDF conversion online

Online PDF Converter

http://online2pdf.com | Free

This does the job of the above online editors and a bit more — create, edit and merge PDFs, and unlock and remove protection. Maximum upload size is 50 MB. Maximum 20 files for merging into one single PDF file.

Will convert the file formats below to PDF:—

Documents — .oxps, .pdf, .ps, .rtf, .txt, .xps
Images — .bmp, .gif, .jpg, .png, .tif
MS Office 2003 and older — .doc, .pps, .ppt, .pub, .xls
MS Office 2007/2010 — .docx, .pptx, .ppsx, .pub, .xlsx
OpenDocument — .odc, .odf, .odg, .odi, .odm, .odp, .ods, .odt

Possible conversion from PDF to .doc, .docx, .xlsx, .pptx, .rtf.

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Text to speech

From Text To Speech > New! <

http://www.fromtexttospeech.com | Free

This website is a free online Text To Speech (TTS) service with natural-sounding voices. Convert any English text into MP3 audio file and play it on your PC or iPod.

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© Learn English or Starve, 2010–2013.

CHANGELOG (B12418):
Released 23 Nov 2012
Updated 24 Nov 2012 (link fixes, new links, amendments)
Updated 08 Feb 2013 (reformatting software section)
Updated 20 Aug 2013 (new entries, reset as standalone page)
Updated 21 Aug 2013 (reset as separate page)
Updated 26 Aug 2013 (new entries)