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How To View PDF Files In Mozilla Firefox

With over 80% of non-HTML documents on the web consisting of PDF documents, viewing PDFs in browsers has become a common user behavior among web surfers. You can come across anything in the PDF format: manuals, quick start guides, white papers, ebooks—the list goes on.

So it’s not surprising that browsers are trying to fill that need with built-in PDF viewing features. We’ve already covered Chrome’s native PDF viewer when it first came out. And other browsers, like Mozilla Firefox, have since followed suit.

Thus, it’s high time we took a look at how you can use Firefox’s PDF viewing feature that was added in the latest version of Mozilla Firefox.

Getting Started

The convenience of these built-in PDF viewers like Firefox’s is that it allows users to open and view PDF files online without a plug-in. The viewer is on by default, so you don’t have to worry about enabling it. All you have to do is click on the link of the PDF file. And just like that, you can view PDFs directly within the browser.

Viewing PDF In Firefox

Overall, the interface is sleek and simple, and the minimalist approach offers a clean PDF viewing experience. Although Firefox PDF viewer worked well with the PDFs tested, it gave us a warning that “this PDF document might not be displayed correctly” and offers up a quick click solution to use a different viewer.

Firefox PDF viewer warning

Depending on the complexity of the PDF you’re trying to view, you might want to take advantage of this. Otherwise, you can close this pop-up and continue to view your PDF.

PDF Viewing And Functionality

Once you have a PDF opened in Firefox, you can accomplish the most common tasks with the file from the toolbar.

Thumbnails: Navigate through the PDF with the built-in viewer’s sidebar navigation. You can toggle between a thumbnail or outline view

Page Up/Down: In addition to scrolling, you can manually go page by page through your PDF

Page Navigation: Jump to and from a specific page in the file

Zooming: For zooming in and out on your PDF content. Click on the drop down box and you can specify the page size and display

And like most PDF viewers, you get features to help you take that file offline or view it more easily:

Firefox PDF File Options

Full Screen Mode: View your PDF document in full screen mode
Printing: Print a copy of the PDF. From the Print dialog you can select the printer drive, the range of pages and the number of copies you want
Downloading: Download and save the PDF to your computer
Copy Current View: Allows you to open the current view in another tab or window

Dealing With PDF Viewing Issues

Considering this feature is only a few months old, you may experience some bugs, slow rendering, or even blank PDF pages. As such, you may want to use Firefox’s built-in PDF viewer sparingly or only on more simple PDF files.

You can also disable the viewer and resort to using your regular PDF plugins or PDF viewers to open PDF files. To do this, follow these steps:

1. In the Tools menu, select Options

2. In the Options dialog, go into the Applications tab

3. Search for and select Portable Document Format (PDF) in the Content Type list

4. In the Action list, click on the drop-down arrow. Here you can specify how you want Firefox to handle PDF files.

Adjusting Firefox Viewing Options

To try Firefox’s PDF viewer yourself, head over to the Mozilla.org site to download the latest version.

AccountingToday.com Awards Able2Extract 8 An Honourable Mention As One Of 2013’s Top New Products

We have some great news for this month.

Major online tax and accounting website, AccountingToday.com, released their annual review of noteworthy accounting software tools, The 2013 Top New Products, and our very own Able2Extract 8 made the list!

Covering industry news, offering expert analysis, and reviewing a select database of professional resources and services, AccountingToday.com is a leading authority for the tax and accounting industry.

Able2Extract 8 was counted among the other highly regarded accounting and tax software tools reviewed in The 2013 Top New Products. It was featured and noted by editors in the Spreadsheet Tools Category for enabling PDF-to-spreadsheet conversion and aiding auditor control.

We’re extremely grateful to have Able2Extract 8 reviewed and given an honourable mention. This recognition is a great stepping stone for us as their leading tech review experts “are confident that this year’s list is a good representation of what is truly worthy of attention.”

Thank you to Seth Fineberg and AccountingToday.com for their support!

4 Cool Ways To View 3D Content In Your Browser

From reviewing to editing, projects with 3D CAD models require a lot of collaboration. Whether you’re dealing with engineering designs, architectural layouts, or manufacturing plans, you’ll need advanced applications, like AutoCAD, to generate and fully interact with 3D content.

Moreover, like PDF documents, files with advanced 3D content need special viewers. However, most CAD applications offer built-in viewers directly within their software. So what if you or your clients don’t have immediate access to the necessary software?

That’s where these resources fit in. These browser apps allow you to view and share 3D files without the original design software, making a bit of the CAD process easily accessible from anywhere and to anyone with an Internet connection and a browser.

Although these viewers don’t contain the heavy hitting features of full version CAD tools, each one of these has a couple of unique features for practical 3D image viewing online.

* Note that you’ll need a WebGL (Web Graphics Library) enabled browser, one that supports the JavaScript API that renders 3D graphics without a plug-in. These include Chrome 9.0+ , Firefox 4.0+ , Opera 11, and Safari 5.1+ (disabled by default). (For more details, read Which Web browsers Can Run 3D CAD? by Ralph Grabowski).

GrabCAD

Here’s one viewer that was just recently launched by GrabCAD, a community made up of a wide range of engineers with their own expertise. Their 3D viewer is perfect for sharing uploaded content with others who don’t have a CAD application to view it in.

Anyone can view a model by selecting it and clicking on the “View in 3D” button below it. Once the model is opened in the viewer, you can annotate, zoom, rotate and translate the model. To boot, there are some great public 3D models on this site which you can check out without having to download.

GrabCAD members who upload their work have profiles and contact information available, which makes it perfect if you need to get in touch with them or get a quick sample of other work they’ve done.

Online 3D Viewer

Online 3D Viewer is another great viewer that made the list. It allows you to quickly upload your files and view your local 3D models online. You can open files by clicking on the icon or simply drag and drop them. Supported formats are 3DS, OBJ, STL and more.

Sketchfab

Sketchfab is a website for publishing, sharing and discovering 3D and VR content. There are a lot of handy features that come with this tool.

It allows you to easily display 3D models on the web and view them on any browser, mobile, desktop, or a Virtual Reality headset. You can upload the unlimited number of models from your software or your browser and embed them directly on Facebook, blogs, forums or any other site.

Online 3D Content Publisher

The main product of Sketchfab is a 3D and VR model viewer that enables you to move freely around or inside the 3D scene. In addition to static 3D models, the viewer is able to play and control 3D animations and make those models viewable in headsets. The tool relies on the WebGL JavaScript API to display 3D on web pages in all modern web browsers.

P3D.in

P3D.in is an online service for importing, viewing and sharing your 3D models. Although you can opt in for a paid account with extended features, this tool is completely free to use.

Features include: support for Wavefront Obj. files, unique sharing URL generation for uploaded models, privacy options for viewing, navigation settings, model manipulation functions, viewing control options, embeddable HTML code, and 50 MB of storage space when you sign up. Visit their FAQ page for full details.

How to Translate PDF Documents Without Learning Another Language

Translating PDF files in different languages

It isn’t uncommon to come across PDF files in different languages. In fact, with the large global and international nature of the Internet, it’s hard not to come across one.

Whether it’s an online information brochure or an offline manual for a digital camera, a PDF file can come in all different types of languages. However, one major issue is that, in most cases, you won’t be able to read in every different language fluently. So what do you?

Luckily, if you come across a PDF file in a different language, you don’t have to stress yourself out to learn a new language with a translation dictionary or database. Here are some quick, easily accessible ways that can quickly get your PDF content into a language you can understand.

Google Translate

You may already know that Google can translate web pages, text, and phrases to and from 65 different languages. It’s as simple as adjusting your browser settings to auto-translate web pages or copying and pasting text to translate in the main Google Translate interface.

Google Translate PDF Translation

Well, translating PDF content with Google is just as simple. Once you’re on the main Google Translate page, click on the translate a document hypertext link under the main text field. You’ll get the above interface where you can click on Choose File to upload your PDF and select your target language.

However, one thing to note is that this tool is geared only towards translating the textual content; formatting and images aren’t preserved. Thus, you can expect this to work best when you need to translate and interpret large sections of text. When the translation process is done, your converted text will be available in a new tab in your browser.

Google Docs

While the above method doesn’t require a Google account, it’s quite possible that you already have one. If you do, and are already an avid user of Google Docs, then you can easily take advantage of its Translate Document functionality and use it on your uploaded PDFs.

Provided that your PDF was imported into Google Docs by selecting all the Upload settings to convert it to the Google Docs format (displayed when you upload a document), you should be able to open your PDF in the main editing interface with the main menu and formatting toolbars.

How to translate PDF file

With your PDF open in Google Docs, click on Tools and select Translate Document. You can then choose your desired language and click on Translate. The results will be generated in a new PDF file with both the original and translated versions included.

DocTranslator

Though the many ads on the site and interface may put you off, DocTranslator has a solid database, using the Google Translate service to process your textual content and containing translation support for more than 50 languages. To boot, the site offers translation for a handful of popular formats without file size restrictions, including the PDF format.

Keep in mind that this tool should only be used for translating PDF content that isn’t sensitive, confidential, or in need of any sort of security at all (files such as manuals, brochures, fliers, etc.). The fine print on their privacy statement mentions that it doesn’t include PDF files. So you’ll have to use your own discretion on which PDF content you want translated.

Doc Translator PDF

To access the PDF translation app, click and select the PDF option on the homepage, and you’ll be able to upload your PDF and choose your target language. In contrast to Google Translate, DocTranslator works towards retaining the formatting and layout of the file, though your results may vary.

Top 5 Alternative Search Engines For Discovering Great Images On Flickr

If you’ve ever surfed online for images, then you’ve undoubtedly heard of Flickr.com–the major online photo management site where you can upload, discover, and share your photos. Flickr is a great place to find some of the best images and photos on the web.

However, because there are so many uploaded images, Flickr becomes a bottomless resource that can be hard to search. Flickr does, indeed, allow you to tailor a search on the site. You can search for photos added by tags, place, sets, and galleries. You can also search by date–images recently added, added by month, or the most interesting uploads in the past 7 days. Flickr even lets you search for photos taken by a specific camera!

Although those search options are readily available, they can become a bit limited or inefficient at times when you can’t find what you’re looking for.

Ever spend hours trying to find the perfect image? Combing through the same tags over and over again? Clicking on each image for related leads? It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Fortunately, there are a few alternative search tools that can make for a more efficient search. So if Flickr’s usual search filters don’t cut it, try a few of these to get an image search that works for you.

1. Flickriver

Flickriver is a web-based viewer with one major difference from the original Flicker — it allows quick viewing of thousands of photos with a ‘river of photos’ option. This means you never have to click ‘next’ to load the upcoming, new page.

Since Flickriver is a part of Flicker, it allows viewing photos from Flickr members, taken by many different photographers, including both amateurs and professionals. You can click on any photo and get the official Flickr page where you can contact the photographer and see how you can use their images.

It’s probably the fastest photo viewing tool and because of its unusual and convenient viewing experience, Flickriver allows people to easily discover more relevant photographers and photos!

2. TinEye

TinEye is an image search and recognition company with its mission to make their images easily searchable and accessible to everyone. Their focus is on reverse image search, making it possible to find where your images appear online. Simply upload an image, search it by URL, or drag and drop your pictures to start your search. After a few seconds you will get instant results.

3. Picsearch

Picsearch helps you to search images more easily as it connects users to the wide visual resources of the internet. It uses a unique design technology to crawl the web and create a searchable index of discovered images.

How does it work? A user searches for an image after which a query is sent to Picsearch. The result is a set of thumbnail images that are as relevant as possible. If the user clicks on a thumbnail, the original website is opened where you can find where that image is placed.

With its 3 main features, Picsearch image tool stands apart from the rest of its competitors. It has a patent-pending indexing algorithm, as well as several family-friendly features that allow children to surf in safety. Any material that is not suitable for kids is separated by an advanced filtering systems. Last, but not the least, the site is user-friendly and perfect for fun and games, but also for serious business users.

4. Compfight

With Compfight you can get that visual inspiration you need to finish any project you are working on! It’s an image search engine, specifically designed to locate images for blogs.

The core of the Compfight experience lies in its various filters and amazing options. Combine that with a smart and easy-to-use tool and you will quickly discover all the images you need in the most efficient way possible.

5. Imgur

Imgur is a perfect place if you wish to share your images online and enjoy some of the most popular and awesome pictures you can find online. It’s being used by millions of people, every single day. You can get those amazing pictures and be entertained and motivated by funny, inspiring and helpful images and stories from all over the world in no time.

Imgur is currently ranked one of the top 50 worldwide websites where each month its images are viewed billions of times.

Regardless of which images you’re looking for, it’s always a good idea to have a few tricks up your sleeve when it comes to searching Flickr.com. If you can get creative with these search tools, you can quickly tailor down your search and navigate around Flickr’s databases even more efficiently in no time.