macOS New App Release – PDF2ID

Product Announcements – Recosoft Corporation of Osaka, Japan, the developers of workflow automation plug-ins for Adobe(R) Creative Cloud(R) and creators of PDF conversion software, has shipped PDF2ID 2019 the newest version of its PDF-to-InDesign plug-in for Adobe InDesign(R) CC 2019 for both the macOS and Windows platforms. Additionally, PDF2ID 2019 now recovers interactive form-objects in a PDF file placing these into a separate forms-layer within the resulting InDesign CC document. Finally, PDF2ID 2019 includes a completely modernized table processing and formation technology resulting in even more complex tables being recognized.

“PDF2ID 2019 is the culmination of the numerous feedback we have received from Creative Professionals over the years; we are excited that our latest PDF-to-InDesign technology has been engineered to support Adobe InDesign CC 2019” stated Paramjit Chadha, MD, Recosoft Corporation.

PDF2ID converts PDF and Windows XPS files into fully editable InDesign files allowing PDF and XPS file content recovery and reuse within InDesign. PDF2ID is the de-facto PDF conversion plug-in for InDesign, allowing anyone to open, convert and edit PDF and XPS documents in InDesign; eliminating the need to acquire additional PDF and XPS conversion tools. Key new features include:

• Support for InDesign CC 2019 – PDF2ID 2019 now supports and integrates with InDesign CC 2019. InDesign CC through CC 2018 are supported as well.
• Interactive form field recovery – PDF2ID 2019 now recovers interactive form field objects such as text-fields, buttons, lists and signature fields with the properties and creates a separate layer that contains the form objects (available in PDF2ID Professional only).
• Modernized Table Recognition and Processing – The table recognition and processing of PDF2ID 2019 contains a new and modernized engine based on an advanced technology infrastructure that allows identifying and recovering even more tables and creating a table graphics layer for table related vector graphics and images.
• Layout processing and Font mapping enhancements – Layout processing and Font mapping enhancements have been made further reducing styles sheets created and improving accuracy in many instances.

System Requirements

• macOS 10.10.x or higher
• Intel based Mac
• Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1 or Windows 10
• Minimum Pentium III computer
• InDesign CC, CC 2014, CC 2015, CC 2017, CC 2018 or CC 2019

PDF2ID 2019 is available immediately in the following configurations from the Recosoft web store (per license):

PDF2ID Standard 2019 US$199.00
PDF2ID Professional 2019 US$299.00
PDF2ID Standard 2019 Upgrade US$99.00
PDF2ID Professional 2019 Upgrade US$149.00

Have You Heard of “Morning Brew”

You would think from the name “Morning Brew” that I was talking about coffee again. Not so this time.

Morning Brew is a free service that provides you with a daily dose of news and information by email. Per their website Morning Brew is:

the most informative (and wittiest) daily business newsletter around.

Here’s how it works: We’ll send all the need-to-know and some of the fun-to-know business news straight to you every morning. We’ll learn, we’ll laugh, and we’ll do our best to keep up with Elon Musk.

What we’re all about: We’re here to convene the best and the brightest interested in business (that’s you…or it will be after a little time with us) and form a community—both online and off.

I have been a subscriber for a few days now and I have to say that I am enjoying their morning email. You only get the one message per day so it won’t be flooding your inbox. This is something that you might want to try. If you decide to subscribe, I would appreciate your using my referral link: morningbrew.com/emtech/?kid=21c1bb

macOS New App Release – Canvas Draw 5

Product Announcements – Canvas GFX, Inc. of Victoria, Canada has released the latest edition of the graphics software, Canvas Draw 5 for Mac. Canvas Draw 5 is stacked with an array of vector and raster image editing tools, built-in templates, and over 2000 symbols. Built with business professionals and creatives in mind, Canvas Draw 5 proves to be a diverse content creation tool with the power to generate projects, from precise technical drawings to metrics, from architectural design to logo design.

New Features:

• Table tool – Allows for quick table generation, direct typing, and customizable cell borders, backgrounds, sizes, and look and feel.
• Dynamic Effects – Shadows, Reflections, Glow, and Soft Edge. Move and resize effects with the objects they are applied to.
• Smart Snaps – Visual aids to align and size objects relative to each other or to their place on the page are added.
• SVGZ export – Now supported to create a single, compressed file for export.
• Touch Bar support – Swipe, tap, and slide to control many commonly-used functions in Canvas Draw, including sliders, opacity, and rotation.
• Styles tab – Added to the Type palette for creating character or paragraph styles and saving them for future use, as well as sharing them with other Canvas Draw users.

For a complete list of features and improvements, please see the Canvas Draw 5 for Mac release notes web page.

Availability and Pricing
Canvas Draw 5 for Mac is available for a 1-month free trial at the Canvas Draw 5 for Mac website, where you can also find system requirements and additional information. Canvas Draw 5 for Mac is available for $249 USD, a subscription of US $99 USD/year, and upgrade pricing for existing Canvas Draw owners for $125 USD.

Book Review: “The Last Saturday of October”

Book Reviews – “The Last Saturday of October” eBook was published in 2018 and was written by Douglas Gilbert. This is Mr. Gilbert’s first publication.

I received a copy of this novel from the author in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘G’. The story is dramatized non-fiction.

This is an inside look at how close the US and Russia came to nuclear war during the Cuban Missle Crisis. In 1962 the US had discovered Soviet nuclear missile sites in Cuba. The US set a fleet to stop shipping headed into Cuba that might be carrying nuclear weapons.

Captain Vasili Arkhipov is given the mission to take his submarine brigade to Cuba. They are carrying nuclear-tipped torpedoes. He had already survived a nuclear disaster at sea on another submarine and was suffering from what we now know as PTSD. His vessel and crew were being chased by a large antisubmarine force of the US. He was being pushed ever closer to having to use his nuclear weapons.

I enjoyed the 6 hours I spent reading this 238-page non-fiction book that reads like a thriller. I think that Gilbert did a good job of taking history and making it readable and exciting. I like the chosen cover art. I give this book a 4 out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

My NaNoWriMo 2018 Effort is Over

I have had an interest in trying to write for some time. This year, I decided to make a commitment and try my hand during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writers Month). Some 58,000 words later I have wrapped up my very rough first draft.

This has been a fun adventure for me. Now all I have to do is spend some time, a lot of time, editing and polishing what I have written. In the meantime, I can get back to posting more and getting out and exploring more of Singapore.

Mac Software Sale – TunesKit Apps

Product Announcements – TunesKit Software of Shenzhen, Guangdong, a leading provider of DRM removal solution, has officially announced its Thanksgiving promotion, including its new iOS data recovery software and saleable DRM removal tools. In thankfulness of the customers’ long-standing attention and support, TunesKit offers up to 80% off discount for customers worldwide to celebrate 2018 Thanksgiving holiday including Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

In this special event, users can get its newly-released utility – iPhone Data Recovery, at a price of $9.95 (only for Thanksgiving) instead of the original price of $49.95 to recover any lost or deleted contacts, messages, photos, videos, calendars, and more from iPhone iTunes and iCloud backup, saving your $40 in total. This 80% OFF special offer requires users to share the promotion page to their Facebook or Twitter, and then they are able to buy the product at the lowest price ever.

As for other discounts on this Thanksgiving sales, TunesKit offers a 20% to 45% discount on different DRM video and audio solutions for Windows and Mac, including DRM M4V Converter, DRM Audio Converter, Music Converter for Spotify, Audio Capture and Video Cutter as well as other special DRM removal tool packages. These single items and exclusive bundles are available without any restrictions, allowing users to buy at discount price directly so movie lovers who use iTunes can get these perfect DRM removals to convert different types of DRM-protected files with little money.

“TunesKit is very pleased to offer big sales at this special festival for dear customers supported our products for a long time,” said Andres, global marketing director of TunesKit. “Bless all customers for a happy Thanksgiving! If you are interested in any products of our brand, please enjoy the discounts and don’t miss this big offer.”

This Thanksgiving event is now open for all users without any restrictions, but it is time-limited and will expire on Dec. 06, 2018. Do not miss the great opportunity to purchase these fantastic tools and save money now! For more info, please visit its Thanksgiving sale page.

Mac Software Sale – LivePhoto Converter, iPhone Data Recovery, Media Cutter, HEIC Converter, Screen Recorder and Video Converter

Product Announcements – To express its sincere gratitude to new and old customers, Joyoshare of Hong Kong, China, a professional multimedia software developer, officially rolls out its Thanksgiving & Black Friday big sales, with free software of Joyoshare LivePhoto Converter offered and up to 70% off discount for its hot products like iPhone Data Recovery, Media Cutter, HEIC Converter, Screen Recorder, and Video Converter, etc. This special offer is time-limited, valid from November 19, 2018, to December 05, 2018.

The newest Live Photo converter is available for free to any participant during the event. What customers have to do is just tap and share Joyoshare Thanksgiving Specials to Facebook or Twitter. Once get it, all Live Photos from iOS and Android devices can be converted right away. Based on personal preference, Live Photos can be previewed and edited flexibly, such as playing the imported file in real time, revising its name and extracting designated frames. Plus, quality and resolution are also allowed to set and adjust. Users can even convert Live Photos to GIFs or still images, like JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, etc. singly or in batch.

Interestingly, almost all best-selling Joyoshare items come with heavy discount ranging from 30% to 70% off. Explicitly, customers have a chance to get Joyoshare iPhone Data Recovery to recover lost Thanksgiving pictures, messages and more from iPhone/iPad/iPod touch, or from iTunes & iCloud backups at super-fast speed. It’s also accessible to use Joyoshare Media Cutter to cut Thanksgiving song and make unique ringtone for yourself. Or let Joyoshare Screen Recorder do a good job to capture streaming Thanksgiving movies for offline entertainment.

In addition to the single-item discount, this Thanksgiving event also delivers bundled offers, at up to 50% off saving, to customers, which are well displayed with both Windows and Mac version to be compatible with different platforms. For more detailed info, please visit the Joyoshare official Thanksgiving 2018 promotion page.

“Enjoy this Happy Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday! Joyoshare puts all flagship products on sale in this promotion in order to express gratitude to all Joyoshare new and existing customers,” said Dave, the marketing director of Joyoshare, “Joyoshare specially launches giveaway event for current brand-new software, Joyoshare LivePhoto Converter, and special offer for core product, Joyoshare iPhone Data Recovery, with up to 70% biggest discount, to thank all users for their long-term support and appreciation.”

Book Review: “Dark Winter”

Book Reviews – “Dark Winter” eBook was published in 2018 and was written by Anthony J. Tata (https://www.ajtata.com). Mr. Tata has published nine novels. This is the fifth in his “Jake Mahegan Thriller” series.

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as mostly ‘PG’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The story is set in the contemporary US, Russia, North Korea, and Iran.

Foreign-based hackers penetrate the US military and cause havoc with the various weapons systems. Nothing works as it should leaving the US defenseless. The US power grid is disrupted plunging many into darkness. Russians invade Europe. Iran invades Iraq. North Korea attacks the south and Japan. A new form of warfare, ComWar, is underway.

The only way to stop the ComWar is to destroy the control centers. But that won’t be easy with them located in Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Mahegan’s trained team must split up and take on all the control centers at the same time. If the control of ComWar cannot be disrupted, the world is headed for World War III.

I thought the 8+ hours spent reading this 464-page thriller was interesting. Interesting take on technology. While I have read the previous two novels in this series and liked them, I did not think this one was as good. This novel reads well on its own even with the prior novels in the series. I give this novel a 3.4 (rounded down to a 3) out of 5.

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).

Mac Software Sale – Sidify Music Converter Spotify Converter, Sidify Apple Music Converter, M4VGear iTunes DRM Media Converter

Product Announcements – To celebrate the upcoming Black Friday holiday season, Sidify of HONGKONG, CN is hosting a 10-day promotion campaign, starting from November 20, 2018, through November 29, 2018. This Black Friday sales week offers shoppers up to 20% off discount to get Sidify best deals, including Spotify Music Converter and Apple Music Converter. Whether customers are going to purchase the products for pursuing a free and convenient music experience or send to friends and family members as a holiday gift, Sidify Music Converts are the best options.

This sales party also provides customers with an effective solution for iTunes DRM-ed video conversion. That is M4VGear DRM Media Converter from Sidify’s partner.

Get the Best Black Friday Week Deals: Customers can shop Sidify Black Friday deals across the embedded campaign page on the official website. The deals included below will be available from November 20 to November 29.

1. Sidify Music Converter Spotify Converter

Available for Windows and Mac Version: Was $39.95, Now $32.95

Sidify Music Converter for Spotify is the best Spotify music converter which has millions of happy users all around the world. It is specially designed to convert Spotify music, playlist or podcast to editable digital audio formats including MP3, AAC, WAV and FLAC at fast speed. For better organize the music library, all the ID3 tags and metadata will be preserved after conversion. Then, there is no worry about the playback on multiple music players and portable devices.

2. Sidify Apple Music Converter

Available for Windows and Mac Version: Was $39.95, Now $35.95

Wanna keep Apple Music songs playable after canceling the subscription, or import Apple Music songs to other programs for editing for personal use? Sidify Apple Music Converter will definitely make these happen. It is capable of removing DRM protection for Apple Music songs, iTunes M4P music and iTunes, Audible Audiobooks and converting them losslessly to plain audio formats including MP3, AAC, WAV, and FLAC.

3. M4VGear iTunes DRM Media Converter

Available for Windows and Mac Version: Was $49.95, Now $39.95

M4VGear iTunes DRM Media Converter is dedicated to providing the best solutions for converting iTunes purchased or rental movies, TV shows, iTunes Extras, music videos to lossless MP4, MOV, AVI formats with 5.1 audio, all subtitles and audio tracks retained. With this powerful iTunes M4V converter, customers can watch the videos on home TV consoles, or portable device like iPhone, iPad or Android phones more freely!

Short Story Review: “Sufficient Unto the Day”

Short Stories – Reviews – As I sat down to have lunch today I decided to read one of the many on-line short stories I have been accumulating. This one, “Sufficient Unto the Day“, was written by Tim Powers (http://www.theworksoftimpowers.com/) and posted on the Baen Books website.

As it turns out this short story is a tale of Thanksgiving dinner with a very dysfunctional and magical family. If you have had ‘issues’ with your family this past Thanksgiving, read this short story and you will begin to look back at your Thanksgiving dinner more fondly.

The Coldharp/Hoffman family was preparing for their annual Thanksgiving celebration. A few folks were coming from out of town, while others were making an appearance from the ‘other side’. It started out well, but things began to fall apart. You know how it is – plates flying apart, silverware flying and bending, and kids being sucked into a cartoon program on TV.

I thoroughly enjoyed the 32 minutes I spent reading this seasonally appropriate fantasy short story. I give this novel a 4 out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/. 

My book reviews are also published on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31181778-john-purvis).