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Is There Anything to Replace Email

January 10, 2017 Tips

The History of Email

The @ sign has always been the email sign, since Tomlinson invented it. It was only for a short period of time when the sign @ was intended to be replaced with the signs ! and %, but with no success. The first email was sent in 1971 by Tomlinson. At that time, email had to be printed so as to be read. Although email was basically invented in the 70-s, it took ages and even decades to become popular and used widespread. The wider usage of emails occurred when World Wide Web came to the scene. In the mid- 90s having an internet connection and being online was a trend, and everyone has started using emails.

Email was seen as a communication tool that didn’t know about different social classes and everyone could send or receive an email, regardless of age, rank and social reputation. That accessibility was the reason why inbox got so full. One day, people just lost control over their inboxes. Emails had the same destiny as snail mails- suddenly, a lot of promotional materials and flyers made the majority of emails content. Only then and now you can see a meaningful email and it often gets lost in the sea of email marketing materials.

replace email

Email Gets Less Popular

A few decades ago, if someone sent you an email you would not receive it until you log into your computer and get internet access. At the same time, text messaging via phone has become a faster way of communication. Your message gets delivered instantly.

Facebook came and then Instagram, Snapchat…With all these new applications that have arised, emails didn’t have a chance. Now people text each other via Viber, Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger. In the same way people stopped sending snail mails, they just stopped using emails. Of course, there are still occasions when email has a purpose, usually in a business world where using Viber or Facebook doesn’t seem professional. Job seekers also use emails, but Linkedin took some of its users, because now you can apply for a job directly.

What Impact Has the Rise of Mobile Had on Emails?

With the rise of the mobile industry, email became accessible to its users. Now you can receive or send an email instantly. But with all these other apps arising on the market, emails are not irreplaceable any more. Still, they are here.

There are some occasions when using emails is actually the most convenient. And don’t forget that almost every application or a service that requires registration, comes with the email address box that has to be filled in. So, at least, you can use emails to register on different sites and services, to receive educational or informational newsletters. One day, you may have time to read them all.

So, Is There Anything to Replace Email?

Many people are asking this question, especially on Quora. Well, it is safe to say that email will stay here with us for a while. It may not be used to that extent though, because there are a lot of apps that can replace some of its purposes. Yes, there are tons of apps you can use for team and project collaboration, to send business documents; there are apps you can use to store your files, documents, send images, organize your tasks and calendars. But at the same time, there are many websites that require email for registration and many of them also require email verification. There are occasions when you don’t want to give someone your Facebook profile or a phone number, because you don’t know the person quite well, and giving an email address keeps you distant enough but still makes the communication doable.

Even though people use Viber and Whatsapp to call people, they still make phone calls and send regular text messages. Even though snail mails are not popular any more, they are not completely dead. The same goes with emails. There will always be people and businesses that will use emails to communicate with their customers, business partners or to read newsletters and send personal emails.

A Comprehensive Guide to PDF Converter Ultimate

December 28, 2016 Documents, Free Tools, iOS, News, Tips, Word

With the New Year just around the corner we thought that it would be a nice opportunity to share some recent events and introduce a new mobile app to the public. In this article you will have the chance to find out more about our new mobile PDF converter that might suit the needs of some and the wishes of many! You will also find a lovely app that just might help you convert PDF to text files with little to no hassle!

pdf converter ultimate

If you have been an avid follower of the Cometdocs work, by now you have surely found that our mission to help everyday tech users focuses mostly on ordinary things, such as dealing with troublesome file formats. The latest product of our efforts to create a new converter has resulted in the creation of PDF Converter Ultimate.

The backstory

As we have previously said, this app is merely a product of a long-time effort by the development team and the brainstorming crew behind them. Firstly, there were many since file conversion apps such as PDF to Word that converted files from PDF to a different editable format. Also, we had to have them going both ways so we worked on apps to further manipulate formats and expanded our views, thus inadvertently creating a whole new line of apps such as Save as PDF. This was the first app that could convert more than a single file type.

PDF to Word and Save as PDF were game changing apps at the time of their release.

pdf to word

word to pdf

Those two apps lead the way to open a door for PDF Converter Ultimate. Playing with the features and going back and forth with in app purchases has paved the road for this new app. Not being afraid to experiment is perhaps the biggest feat humankind has achieved, and now you can also be a part of it! But for now, let’s just keep in mind those two apps as we will get a closer look to how they affected the rise of PDF Converter Ultimate.

More than a user-friendly interface

One of the more important ideas to keep in mind when making an app is that it should be as simple as possible, while doing the job it is supposed to do with utmost quality. That way you get to have an app that won’t be too confusing for older generations, while being a trusted resource once you find yourself in need of such a tool. That is why we have designed PDF Converter Ultimate to have little to no switching between screens to keep it short and sweet. Once you open the app you will be looking at the main screen, and the place where most of the action is going on at the same time. That way, you can see all the changes as well as keep track on the files you previously converted.

pdf converter

As you can see from the image above the interface closely resembles previous versions of Cometdocs apps with a few minor tweaks. The app is laid out so that you can get through the conversion as fast as possible, all the while not having to move more than a couple of fingers!

If you take a closer look at the upper part you will see that in the box marked Convert file from, there are 6 different ways to import a file to PDF Converter Ultimate. The first way is by manually selecting the file from your phone’s memory. If you tap on Phone you will see a short guide to the proper and easiest way to do so. Since iOS as a platform doesn’t have a built-in file browsing system, the app has limited ways of importing the file from the memory. However, the Android version of PDF Converter Ultimate does not have such limitations as the iOS platform due to its nature of being an open source platform. If you are an Android user, you will be glad to hear that you will be able to easily search and import all files from within the app!

State of the art PDF to Text converter

As a final freebie and last surprise, PDF Converter Ultimate introduced a free PDF to Text conversion feature. Aside from that type, you can upgrade to another 5 types of conversion:

pdf to text

Pro tip: purchase 5 types of conversion in a bundle for a lower price!

But first a few pieces of information about the text file. Who uses this file format? What is it good for? Well a few things. Since PDFs are usually not editable files, the primary function of this type of conversion is to make the original file editable. Also, PDFs are often heavily formatted, and that is why having an app that can instantly remove the formatting of the content is a must have! Who would find this useful? Well, basically anyone who works with HTML, CSS or several other programming languages. Those professionals write most of their code in Notepad++, which is a text editor and source code editor for use with Microsoft Windows. Suggesting this app to a programmer might make him fall in love with you!

How to convert PDF to .txt

If you haven’t downloaded PDF Converter Ultimate by now, this would be a great time to do so if you want to follow this guide step by step. Since it is a cross platform mobile app, you can find it on both Google Play Store and iOS AppStore. Once you download the app it should appear on your screen. This guide will be showing the proper way to do it on a iOS device, for which any iPhone 4 or newer, or any iPad will do the trick! The interface for Android devices is a bit different, but the concept is similar!

Step 1a: Locate the file which you want to convert

If you are importing the PDF file from your device’s memory, find it on your mobile device. Tap on the share button and the app will show you a selection of apps that can open that format, one of which will be PDF Converter Ultimate. After you tap on its logo, PDF Converter Ultimate will open the file in a preview. From that window, you can give the file a look and discard it, or proceed with conversion.

Step 1b: Import file from the cloud services

Importing a file from the cloud services is much easier and we strongly recommend you take advantage of this free feature. Select the cloud service which has your file stored, and put in the login information for the selected service. You can choose from 5 different services: Gmail, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive and Box. Once the app approves your profile, it will list all convertible files, with the oldest being on the bottom and newest files sitting comfortably on top of that list. Tapping on your desired file will open it in a preview window once again.

Step 2: Select PDF to .txt conversion

For free users, at the moment, this is the only free type of conversion offered by PDF Converter Ultimate. From the preview window tap on Convert To and then follow up with selecting Text. For users that have the full version this drop-down menu is where you select other types of conversion as well. The full version also converts Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Image, and AutoCAD files. Another important thing to note when selecting files to convert is that the iOS version can convert only one file at a time due to the nature of the iOS platform. Android on the other hand does have batch conversions available, which we urge you to test out since it is one of our latest additions to this and several other apps. Batch conversions send several files to the servers, however they still do get converted one at a time.

Step 3: Wait for .txt file to be converted and downloaded

Once you’ve selected the type of conversion, the PDF is sent to Cometdocs servers for conversion. Each file is deleted from the server 24 hours after the conversion is done. That way, the user privacy is still protected, and the servers don’t get over flooded with needless files. When the server recognises the file, it will show up on the main screen, as you can see below.

convert pdf to text

Ongoing conversions appear directly beneath the cloud services

Step 4: Locate your newly converted file

Once the file is converted it will be downloaded onto your device. It is important to note that it is of utmost importance to have internet connection at all times while using PDF Converter Ultimate. Since the whole conversion is done online having a good connection will speed up the process. All converted files appear on the main screen, with little icons to the left of their name, implying to the file format for easier recognition.

Step 5: Have fun with your new file

Now that the file is on your device you can decide if you want to send it out, edit it in the app of your choice or whatever you might have in plan for it! It is important to note that PDF Converter Ultimate doesn’t have an editing feature which is why we recommend having a text editing app if you find yourself in need of it.

What are your thoughts?

Since this article is the first detailed guide on one of our mobile apps we would love to hear your opinion, on the app itself, on this type of articles, and any other opinion you might have! Feel free to give PDF Converter Ultimate a go and convert a few files for yourself! We are more than happy to read your comments on the App Store and we appreciate every tip and piece of advice we can get from our users and fan base. By doing so you are directly contributing to the development process without having to pay a cent! We are immensely thankful for having such an impactful fan base and we would like you to have a lovely New Year and Christmas holidays!
Cheers!

Sandra Rodgers is our Community Manager here at Cometdocs, and she writes for the Cometdocs blog every now and then. She loves yoga, travel, photography, cooking foreign cuisine traditional meals and she’s a major tech enthusiast. Feel free to reach out to her on Twitter.

ios, ipad apps, iphone, iphone apps, pdf converter, pdf to text, pdf to word

How to Use Technology to Make Christmas Gifts

December 13, 2016 Free Tools, Images, iOS, Online Tools, Tips

Christmas gifts

Warning: This article is only for tech savvies!

Being a tech enthusiast implies having different technology skills and relying on technology in everyday life. Not only can you rely on technology to fulfil daily business tasks, but you can also use your tech skills for carrying out tasks from personal life as well. With Christmas around the corner, it’s high time you wrap up the Christmas gifts. It’s commonly known that you can purchase tech gifts, since almost every online magazine provides you with a list of Christmas gifts for tech lovers, but if you are on a tight budget, or you just want to make a present on your own, don’t forget to turn to technology for help.

So, how technology can help you make Christmas gifts?

There are various online tools and mobile apps that can help you in the process of making a Christmas gift. Most of them are free and all you need is a bit of creativity and these guidelines:

Use Prisma to print your photos in the artistic way

If you have art lovers among your friends and family and you don’t have money to buy paintings, use Prisma to turn your digital photo into a wall painting. This is a perfect example how a tech tool can help you in choosing a Christmas gift. What is more original than a photo taken by the camera and afterwards revived on paper? You just need to go through your phone gallery and pick up the best photo that will become a true art.

Create digital photo albums of smaller size

For those friends and family members who prefer to have modern photos and not paintings, maybe it is a better solution to make a photo album saved in a digital form. The file format that keeps text and images preserved is PDF. This file format is the most convenient for document printing and sharing and it keeps the text and images in its original form. However, if your photo album or a scrapbook is too large and thus hard to send via email, use PDF compress app to shrink the size of that PDF.

Make Christmas labels for your gifts

If you are a DIY enthusiast, we bet you prefer to make Christmas presents on your own. Whatever it is, you may rely on one more technology tool and give a final touch to your gift-box. There is a tool for creating custom Christmas labels with already available holiday graphics. In just a few simple steps, you can make your own label and have your Christmas present stands out from other presents.

Use Microsoft Office to make Christmas cards

There is probably no such tech savvy on this planet who doesn’t use MS Office or any of its alternatives. Apart from using MS Office programs for business purpose, you know that you can use them for personal purposes as well. So, before you put away your desktop computer and go on a digital detox, don’t forget to go through Office templates and find your best Christmas card template.

Craft personalized ebooks

Besides using technology to make photo albums and paintings, to have your personalized Christmas cards and custom-made gift labels, your top loved ones maybe deserve even more effort and time spent on gift making. If you want to give someone a unique present, consider making a personalized book. While producing a real paper book can hurt your budget, for crafting an ebook you only need time, patience and a bit of creativity. This may be an ideal present for your life-long friends. With so much adventures you’ve gone through together, there is a book material.

No matter how experienced you are with technology, hope these tech tips will help you out in making original and hand-made gifts this Christmas!

apps, tech tips, tools

The Quickest Way to Create Professional Looking Videos

November 29, 2016 iOS, Tips

Creating great video content can seem a daunting prospect for any small business owner. Abby Gowing, Marketing Executive at Kendlebell answering service recently put YouTube Director to the test to see if it delivers on its promise to make video content creation accessible for all.

YouTube Director is a free app aimed at businesses who want to make a video promoting their product or services, but possibly find the process a bit daunting. Through a range of easy to use templates, professional looking videos can be made in under 20 minutes. The app offers a variety of styles to choose from and step by step guidance to take the fear out of self-producing a video with scary technology. Videos made can then be used for promotional purposes and sponsored advertising.

Features

The app is easy to set up and use, all you need to start with is a Gmail account. Some of the features include:

Range of templates
Voice-over recording
Selection of license free background music
Editable titles and captions
Easy editing and cropping tools
Examples of published videos using the templates
Publish direct to YouTube

Here what Abby says about her experience with YouTube Director:

Testing

To see how this app worked I tried making 2 different kinds of videos in different styles. The first was a shorter ‘watch me cook’ style video where I attempted to make a lasagna. I chose the template from the ‘Overview’ range, it consisted of 8 different shots each of which had a guide of what should be included and how long it should last. However, it is easy to vary from these suggestions should you have a better idea of what you’re after. This video was a fun taster (no pun intended) to get familiar with the app’s features; however, after finishing my recordings I encountered a big problem as the video wouldn’t publish to YouTube. I tried everything from restarting my phone to reinstalling the app with no success. This was a really disappointing glitch in the app which left me with nothing to show for my work.

create videos

So I tried again, eager to see how it would look if I was presenting myself as a small business (and if another video would upload). Having recently moved to the other end of the country and making the most of the tourist hotspots available in Glasgow, I wanted to showcase these in a ‘Welcome to Scotland’ tourism way. I chose a different template from the ‘How-to’ range that meant my video would be a bit longer. See below the different shots it suggested and the timeline in which I should do them. The extended length of the video did mean that it took me significantly longer than 20 minutes to create, but the outcome is alright for just pressing a few buttons. The app decided it liked this video better and uploaded it within 10 minutes – you can view it here.

youtube director

Positives

The main positive for this app is that it is just so easy to use. The design is sleek and simple and it really does simplify the complicated process you anticipate in making a video. Businesses of any size can readily make a professional video in no time and the pointers and advice the app suggests certainly creates a solid structure to work with. There are also examples of finished videos from other businesses, so you can explore how the template transitions to reality which is a really useful feature for those inexperienced in video editing.

Negatives

Not all the videos you try to produce are eventually uploaded on YouTube. For some unknown reason, the problem encounters when you want to upload certain videos. Moreover, the captions of some videos are cut off in the corners and the end shot, so they video end rather abruptly.

Although you are able to view examples of work using the templates, you can’t fully preview the templates themselves before committing to downloading them. This means that you’re not fully sure of the amount of shots or detail required. You will probably need to check all templates until you find an appropriate one. The other annoying thing about this is that you can’t delete said templates off your feed once you’ve decided they’re not for you. In terms of technical features, once you take a shot, you couldn’t shuffle the structure around. For example, say the opening shot would have been better than the closing clip, there would be no way to do this once you hit record.

In conclusion YouTube Director is a really useful app and a great tool to make the most of – especially as it’s free! The range of different styles and templates available mean that businesses can easily make several videos to showcase each element of their company. For example, client testimonials, how-to tutorials, general overviews and product descriptions. The app is so easy to use which is great for allowing all kinds of businesses to expand into a digital world they may not have previously thought of.

This article is written by Abby. Abby is a Marketing Executive at Kendlebell. She writes on a whole host of subjects including Marketing, Customer Services, technology, apps and small business support.

video creator, youtube

Essential Thanksgiving Apps for iPhone

November 21, 2016 Free Tools, iOS, Tips

thanksgiving apps

Most people are in high spirits when it comes to holidays because of family reunions, nice atmosphere in downtown and non-working days. At the same time, holidays usually require serious preparations and great time management skills. Looking forward to the holiday can easily become a nightmare if you are a hostess and you are expecting cousins and relatives to come over your place and spend holidays in your home.

Thanksgiving is around the corner so the question arises, have you prepared everything? With all regular daily activities, it’s hard to keep track of everything and it wouldn’t hurt if you turn to some help. Luckily, there are tons of iPhone apps that are specially made for Thanksgiving and here we have listed those that cover all aspects of Thanksgiving.

Decorate your home

One more holiday thing that we all fancy are home decorations, they give a new and glamorous look to a house and you don’t need to wait for Christmas to decorate your home. Home Decoration Ideas is a brand-new app that provides you with a wide range of Thanksgiving pictures that will give you inspirations on how to embellish your home.

Meal preparation

Big Oven app will help you find all the Thanksgiving recipes you need, from starters to main dishes and Thanksgiving desserts. On the top of that, once you choose the recipe all ingredients necessary for that dish will be automatically added to your grocery list. You can easily swipe and remove the ingredients you have and save only those you need to buy. If you count on help of your family members, create a shared grocery list and ask them to help you with groceries supply.

What to drink?

You don’t need an app to decide what beer or juice you will buy, but choosing wine is a demanding task. Not all types of wine go with every food, so don’t forget to consult this little wine helper and find the most appropriate wine for your Thanksgiving dinner.

At the table

While sitting around the Thanksgiving table with your family, sipping wine and enjoying all these delicious Thanksgiving dishes, there probably will arise some family matters or provoking questions that are rather not to be answered. Use some of the Thanksgiving jokes to break the ice and change the conversation in another direction.

Send greeting cards to your friends

Be original and make your own customized card with Thanksgiving day greeting cards app. No matter how busy you are with hosting your guests, don’t forget about those who are not with you and surprise them with a greeting card.

Time to chill out

If you are bored and just not into family conversations, hide somewhere in the corner and chill out while playing Thanksgiving game on your iPhone. Select one of the four turkeys available and collect coins while running through the Thanksgiving village. It would be a matter of time when other family members will join you for a race.

If you are not staying at home

If you don’t want to spend time on cooking, home decorations and cleaning after your guests, chances are you will choose to eat out. Since working hours are often different during the holidays, make sure your favourite restaurant is opened. Whether you will spend Thanksgiving in a local restaurant or in a totally other town or country, try this app out and a get last-minute reservation instantly.

Bonus Thanksgiving app

It’s morning after and you are satisfied how Thanksgiving preparation went smoothly. Don’t forget to save Thanksgiving recipes and DIY ideas you used so next year you have even less work to do. And not just that, share the Thanksgiving ideas and tips with your friends and let them host next dinner instead of you!

ios, ipad apps, iphone apps