If you’re bored to death with articles and spotlight pieces that sum up the past year, here’s an  interesting and fun way of doing it yourself: Google Trends.  Ever check it out?

Google Trends is a Google Labs project aimed at keeping in track with the latest in user search trends according to time frame, region and sub-region. You can find out visually how many times a certain topic was searched for.

 In addition, it’ll provide you with a news-reference-volume graph, which shows you how many times your search subject occurred in Google News and major headlines that went hand-in-hand with that search trend.

(*Disclaimer: Because this is still a Google Labs project still being developed, results are not always accurate nor are they the definitive word on user habits. However, according to the Google Team, they are “updating the information provided by Google Trends daily”.)

 Just typing in a few search terms, like “Iraq”, “Britney Spears”, “mountain climbing” will generate interesting results.

So what does a “PDF” search trend for 2007 look like? Take a look.

Take a look at the news reference volume graph as it hits a peak with the news of the PDF submission for ISO certification. It’s search popularity hits a plateau. A natural occurrence with headlines being posted everywhere?

Moreover, Google Trends lets you keep “up to date” with the past as well with an option for viewing older search trends—a good way to compare and contrast the past and the present.  And why not with the PDF?

Here’s a look at 2006—the year of the Microsoft-XPS kerfuffle.

The search volume is pretty much up there consistently, until June when it started to dip a bit with the announcement that MS was going to pull out the PDF support from Office 2007.  Search trends that reflect the climax and resolution of the conflict?

By the way, in case you couldn’t tell, I am NOT a statistics analyst by any means. However,  I think you can get a sense of how the “trendiness” of our beloved format comes about in relation to news events.

You can see PDF search popularity dipping and climbing accordingly—and that’s just with the term “PDF” alone.   Try out "PDF" variations (PDF documents, PDF converters, PDF software, PDF. . . .) and see what comes up.

 

So was 2007 a better, hotter, trendier PDF year than 2006? What’s your verdict?

 

Happy New Year’s from Investintech.com!

 

 

From the looks of it, it seems that this year had everything for Adobe: ISO standardization, marketing innovations, and product launches.  

Yet, Adobe’s enormous successes were all but equaled by the controversies and technical vulnerabilities that sprang up. In short, it turned out to be the best of times and the worst of times for Adobe. 

In the annual tradition of looking back over the past year, here are some Adobe highlights from 2007—the good, the bad and the ugly. 

 

PDFs ISO Certification

(January)

Having PDF 1.7 as an ISO standard should make life easier for organizations that need to comply with government-mandated strategies to use the format.

Indeed, Adobe and Microsoft were racing to see who could make it easiest in 2007 as the Adobe/Microsoft competition got even closer with the PDF spec submission to ISO, the OOXML fast track submission, and the release of MS Vista with its PDF/XPS creation functionality. 2008 will definitely see more of this with the race for online applications that’s already begun.

 

Adobe CS3

(April)

A customer-inspired release, Adobe Creative Suite 3 presents an unprecedented variety of integrated configurations and stand-alone products, with comprehensive support for the most cutting-edge workflows for any design discipline.

2007 was the year for graphic designing products, and it was backed by a whopping product release known as Adobe Creative Suite 3.   Taking image editing applications to a designing level especially catered to the user, Adobe indirectly took the PDF to another level as well by integrating streamlined PDF support.

 

Adobe Acrobat and PDF Conference 2007

(May)

I’m still processing all the things that went on during the conference, but this year’s conference struck me as an evolution in process. The conference itself was broader than last year, as it included all of the creative aspects – in fact, it was marketed as the CRE8 Conference.

2007 was also a great year for Investintech.com.  We not only participated in conferences dedicated to pushing PDF innovation, but also did some innovating of our own with the Able2Extract product line: we added image conversion and PDF form creation.

 

LiveCycle Enterprise Suite

(June)

By transforming processes such as account enrollment, claims processing or guided self service into engaging applications, businesses and governments can improve customer service, decrease costly cycle times, and manage information faster and more accurately.

The release of LiveCycle ES further enhanced workflows that efficiently process interactive PDF forms. Yet, with all its benefits, how could this service/software not enhance more than just PDF workflows? Adobe PDF technology is always aimed at doing more than just what’s required for the PDF; it does what the user requires.

 

Digital Editions

(June)

The public beta of Adobe Digital Editions generated more than 300,000 downloads in less than six months.

This is a 2007 product release that will no doubt further promote the PDF and PDF e-book as a digital commodity in 2008.  In essence, it’s a super Reader being the ubiquitous software it was meant to be.

 

PDF Spam

(July)

As PDF usage continues its ubiquitous growth, unfortunately so does the spammers creative use of it to engage readers to buy into bogus offerings.

PDF spam campaigns happened more than once this year with July being one of those times. This PDF pump-and-dump spamming period put all PDF users at odds with their own files—not a good time for the format’s popularity, or its reputation as a trusted format.

 

Kinko’s Fedex Controversy

 (August)

I was hoping that Adobe would take real advantage of the hubbub and create a new, more platform-oriented feature. The timely burial of “The Kinko’s Edition” could be converted to a significant opportunity.

The outcome of this innovation didn’t turn out as expected.  As a consequence of singling out Kinko’s Fedex, a major controversy between Adobe and print publishers ensued, leading to the removal of the functionality altogether. A lesson for future endeavors in 2008? Or, as Duff Johnson puts it, “a significant opportunity”? It’s always hard to tell at the moment.

 

XSS and PDF backdoors

(September)

I am closing the season with the following HIGH Risk vulnerability: Adobe Acrobat/Reader PDF documents can be used to compromise your Windows box. Completely!!! Invisibly and unwillingly!!! All it takes is to open a PDF document or stumble across a page which embeds one.

When it seemed like it couldn’t get worse, more format vulnerabilities popped up.  Unlike the PDF spamming campaign, this PDF setback also involved other software application vulnerabilities.  The event underscored a digital irony for PDF users: what was once used to protect their data was now used to exploit it.

 

Bruce Chizen Announces His Retirement

(November)

"Bruce Chizen's vision has helped transform Adobe from a company that was known mainly for its popular design products into one of the largest and most diversified software companies in the world," Chuck Geschke and John Warnock, Adobe's board chairmen and the company's co-founders, said in a joint statement.

With more than 10 years invested in the company, Chizen announced his retirement. It was a major shocker of the year that will significantly shape the company’s future. In short—the vision is shifting, the company is metamorphosing.

 

Yahoo! Ads

(November)

The service could hold great promise for PDF publishers, which are trying to find new revenue streams for their content and are tired of running ads by selling ad space and linking to the ad.

This marketing innovation leaves 2007 on a cliffhanger: How will it turn out for Adobe? Controversy or success? Will 2008 be any different? Or will it contain a bit  more drama?

 

 Thus, Adobe’s  25^th year ends. 

 

Outfitting your computer with the latest software can be expensive. Time and money aren’t things to be wasted. With sky rocketing prices for desktop applications, you need to arm yourself with the right alternatives.

Fortunately, there is a great alternative out there: the Internet. As hard as it is to believe, just by surfing around online, you can access most of the desktop app functionalities you need without shelling out a cent.

To prove it, here’s a list of 25 online alternatives for the most popular desktop applications that you use, want and simply must have when working online.

Application	Online Alternative	Description
Microsoft Office 2007	Google Docs	Google Docs includes the same creation applications for creating word documents, spreadsheets and presentations as MS Office.
Adobe Photoshop CS3	Splashup	Splashup is an online photo image editing app that contains similar photo editing tools found in Photoshop CS3 and can integrate seamlessly with popular photo sharing services.
Microsoft Visio 2007	Gliffy	Gliffy has the basic functionalities to create and share quality flow charts, complex diagrams or technical drawings.
Adobe Acrobat 8.1	iConv	Create PDFs from a variety of formats by simply uploading your file. No registration, installation or cost required.
Apple 1 Password Manager and Form Filler 2.5.7	clipperz	With clipperz, you create direct log in links for your online accounts. Just log in once to clipperz to access them.
Apple Aperture 1.5	Flickr	A popular online photo management and sharing site. With a free basic Flickr account, you can upload photos via email or the upload webpage.
Microsoft Office Outlook 2007	Gmail	Gmail accounts have tons of space, instant messaging, built in search technology, no banner ads, and available in 40 languages.
Vista	YouOS	YouOS is a virtual OS that you can customize without the hefty price or desktop trappings. A combination of OS functionality and web access, it still has the same look and feel of a desktop.
Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 Adobe Flash CS3 Professional	app2you	This neat web service allows you to create your own simple web application without any coding or web designing experience whatsoever!
Desktop calculators	InstaCalc	InstaCalc is an advanced web based calculator. Send a link of your calculations to others or embed a calculator into your own website. Other features include unit conversions and programming commands.
MS Outlook HP fax machine Printing paper	FaxZERO	With this internet faxing service, you can send digital documents within Canada and US for free. Just upload the document and you’re set.
SharpReader (Windows) NetNew Wire (Mac OS X) Straw (Linux)	Netvibes	Netvibes is a nifty RSS reader and web home page. Stay connected to everything online at all times--catch up on blogs, facebook, to-do lists, news and weather.
Website Analysis Software	Google Analytics	This online tool allows you to keep track of your website and how it’s being accessed. Track content views or the amount of time spent on the site.
MSN Messenger Google Talk ICQ AIM Jabber Yahoo!	meebo	A web portal for instant messaging, meebo lets you have the same online chats, but without the download. Access Google talk, msn, Yahoo!, jabber, ICQ and AIM from any computer.
All desktop tools	Sosius	Sosius has all the essential desktop tools online: calendar, file management, rss feeds, projects, file management, databases, and collaboration and messaging tools.
Desktop Task Lists	Ta-da List	This is an online to-do list that you can easily access and share with others while online. You can even check your lists on an iPhone when you’re on the go.
Desktop Task Lists	Backpack	Like Ta-da List, Backpack is a to-do list web tool, but more dynamic and complex. Create pages of to-do lists with images, set up text message alerts or even share your pages with others.
Microsoft OneNote 2007	Stikkit	Stikkit is a simple online alternative that creates "little yellow notes that think". The notes are sharable and accessible anywhere.
Apple MindManager 7.0 Mac	Bubbl.us	This web application allows you to brainstorm online when you need to map out projects or make long term business plans.
Microsoft Money Plus Premium	Wesabe	Part financial application and part user community, Wesabe combines both to provide you with communal tips and forums so you can keep track of your spending habits.
MS Excel 2007	chartAll	chartAll.com is a free online web service where you can create, store and publish simple charts from your own data sources. Charts can be customized with colors, themes, and fonts.
MS PowerPoint	Preezo	As the website says, “Preezo is an Ajax web application that gives you the power to create and share professional quality presentations over the web without software or plugins. Goodbye, PowerPoint. Hello, Preezo!”
Adobe LiveCycle ES	Wufoo	From job applications to customer surveys, Wufoo lets you create forms quickly and easily with an HTML interface.
Excel spreadsheets Invoices Financial software	PayPal	PayPal acts as the go-between that connects you and online recipients. An online must-have when making business purchases.
USB storage devices Hard drive storage space	DivShare	Simply upload and share your media and document files online to free up storage space on your computer.

Who says saving money is hard? Just by looking at the desktop applications you can do away with, you can save a bundle. Most desktop applications can range anywhere from $100 to $1, 000. Compare that to the price of using online applications: $ 0.

So the next time you think of buying another desktop app, think twice—think “online”. Because the more you ditch the desktop, the more you save!

Bonus Tip: For heavy users of PDF who don’t want to keep their data in PDF, Investintech offers PDF to Word Converter solutions in its products such as Able2Extract and Able2Doc.  The PDF to Word focused solution is a robust one that performs conversions quickly, easily and above all, accurately.

While you're all excited about the upcoming holidays and can't think of anything else but that gift list to get through, you can add one more thing to get excited about.

The de facto standard of information interchange, aka the PDF, just got one step closer to being adopted as a standardized format. Last week, the PDF 1.7 specification gained the approval votes it needed from ISO committee voting members as it reached the Enquiry “Close of voting” stage in the standardization process.

Before this certification happens though, the comments included with the votes need to be addressed before the format gets its official ISO standard tag—ISO 32000 (lovely name, no?). Even with those last few hurdles, the PDF’s standardization process is looking good.

Jim King, PDF architect and Senior Principle Scientist at Adobe Systems Inc. will serve as technical editor for the international working group meeting in January where the submitted 205 comments will be resolved.

On his blog he states, "If the group can address all the comments to the satisfaction of all countries, especially the ones voting negatively, it is possible to finish at that meeting and publish the revised document".

So Is It Still An Adobe-Microsoft Showdown?


In the face of impending success, you can't help but wonder about OOXML and where its standardization is headed.

OOXML was also submitted and fast tracked for an official ISO standard, but rejected in September. Alongside that rejection was the controversy over Microsoft's active influence over committee members and their votes. The OOXML proposal then went back to the drawing board for revisions to take the negative votes and comments into account.


Now, three months later, as its Ballot Resolution Meeting (BRM) draws near in February, OOXML's standardization is still up in the air as its interoperability, the OOXML hot topic of the day, will be a major factor in the decision to approve it as such.


Making it even harder is that OOXML is constantly held up against ODF, the poster child of open source solutions. It'll be interesting to see how "open" and how much "interoperability" a Microsoft format can possess in general.

While that issue unfolds, the PDF will more than likely get the ISO standardization without much drama. Has Adobe won this round already without even trying?

These are exciting times for the PDF format indeed.

If anything, Adobe’s latest move in the desktop to web app trend has us thinking of what desktop applications aren’t online. And likewise it has us asking ourselves, which desktop applications should be online applications? The most versatile? The most expensive? Perhaps one that serves all your entertainment fixes and work needs?

While support for certain features and the speed of sending and receiving files pose a problem in shifting completely from desktop to online applications, there are desktop applications everybody is itching to have online--without the trappings of a desktop product.

So to get ahead of the digital trends of the times, we’ve compiled a list of 11 desktop applications that should be online applications.

1. Adobe Acrobat Professional 8.1-- This is one desktop application that does everything you'll ever need to do when it comes to the PDF. In addition to being a versatile PDF creation application, its latest document sharing and collaboration features make it an ideal choice for accessing and working with PDFs online.

2. iWork '08--While there are web based creation applications already online, you sometimes need the productivity suite that you're used to using—unlimited in function. iWork ’08’s interface, export features, layout templates, access to media, and graphic tools make this suite a good online addition not only for Mac users, but online users as well.

3. Able2Extract Professional 5.0-- With the growing amount of PDF content on the web, getting full desktop converters online, such as Able2Extract Pro 5.0, is now a must. Its advanced conversion features to document and image formats along with its simple GUI would make this desktop app a powerful easy-to-use online converter.

4. iTunes 7.5—A media application that organizes and plays all your MP3s, movies and files. Although the amount of data is always a negative when it comes to online accessing, you sometimes need personal file collections at your finger tips. Shifted to the web, this application would work well as a personal media storage space that would be as accessible as your email.

5. Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2-- Digital cameras and photo publishing have made this versatile desktop application another online must have. Its support for over 50 formats, tabbed interfaces, auto compression, integrated email function, and its Express Lab mode, give it huge potential for online usage for digital photo sharing and simple usage without the huge price.

6. Flash Player -- Applications built on the Flash platform are nearly everywhere online. Less than 1 MB in size, its vector-based display makes it ideal for scaling and delivering media experiences with a small bandwidth.

7. Privacy Guardian 4.1-- Supporting the widely used Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera and Mozilla Firefox browsers, Privacy Guardian 4.1 gives you privacy on a shared computer by permanently deleting your Internet activity--the data cookies, browser history and cache. It’s functions and small size make it perfect for one time online purposes.

8. VLC Media Player 0.8.6d—While multimedia demanding desktop apps are a long way from acquiring the necessary bandwidth to play quality media, turning those entertainment habits into online user experiences is inevitable. This video media player supports a wide range of various audio and video formats, and its support for DivX, MP2, MP3, MP4, and DVD formats would make it a great working web app for moving all your movie entertainment online.

9. Adobe Dreamweaver CS3--A powerhouse web design desktop application that allows you to work with popular HTML, XHTML, CSS, JavaScript, Ajax, and PHP web technologies in either a visual layout interface or streamline coding environment. And in addition to workspaces and advanced features, Dreamweaver’s ability to integrate with other Adobe design software make it worthy for online usage.

10. IrfanView 4.10--This graphic viewer would work well as an online Swiss army knife for all the simple manipulations you might have to perform on different file formats. Supporting a wide range of media to image formats, IrfanView 4.10 lets you view, edit, play, and convert a number of formats you can find online—BMP, JPG, GIF,TIFF, PSD, EPS, PNG, AVI, MOV, PSP, SWF. It even offers a number of plug ins for other format functionalities.

11. Audacity 1.2.6—With this sound editor and recorder that supports WAV, AIFF and MP3, you can create, edit, mix tracks, add effects and bass boost to MP3, WAV and AIFF audio files, select different types of track displays, and export into different audio formats. Audacity’s multiple editing features would make it a flexible online application for audio editing.



With all your hankerings for desktop application features in digital design, editing, document conversion and publishing, what does your list look like?