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Installing Ajenti Linux Server Management Software on Ubuntu

by Greg Johnson, posted in Software, Tech Tips

Enter this command in Terminal to install the Agenti Linux server management software:

wget -O- https://raw.github.com/Eugeny/ajenti/master/scripts/install-ubuntu.sh | sudo sh

The above command may appear to be wrapped from one line to the next, but it should be pasted in as one complete command.

More comprehensive instructions can be found on the Ajenti installation instructions page.

After installing, go to this address in your browser https://localhost:8000/ and then when warned about the connection not being private (if using Google Chrome), then click the Advanced link. Then click Proceed to local host (unsafe). The reason for the alert is that you don’t have an SSL certificate on your local computer.

Installation Process

Below is an example of what you’ll see during installation. The text in bold is what you type.

username@computername:~$ wget -O- https://raw.github.com/Eugeny/ajenti/master/scripts/install-ubuntu.sh | sudo sh
–2014-11-30 19:22:38– https://raw.github.com/Eugeny/ajenti/master/scripts/install-ubuntu.sh
Resolving raw.github.com (raw.github.com)… [sudo] password for username: 199.27.76.133
Connecting to raw.github.com (raw.github.com)|199.27.76.133|:443… connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response… 301 Moved Permanently
Location: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Eugeny/ajenti/master/scripts/install-ubuntu.sh [following]
–2014-11-30 19:22:39– https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Eugeny/ajenti/master/scripts/install-ubuntu.sh
Resolving raw.githubusercontent.com (raw.githubusercontent.com)… 23.235.40.133
Connecting to raw.githubusercontent.com (raw.githubusercontent.com)|23.235.40.133|:443… connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response… 200 OK
Length: 472 [text/plain]
Saving to: ‘STDOUT’

100%[======================================>] 472 –.-K/s in 0s

2014-11-30 19:22:39 (78.9 MB/s) – written to stdout [472/472]

(If the installation gets stuck at this point, you may need to press Enter).

Sorry, try again.
[sudo] password for username:
:: Installing repo key
–2014-11-30 19:23:23– http://repo.ajenti.org/debian/key
Resolving repo.ajenti.org (repo.ajenti.org)… 198.232.124.224
Connecting to repo.ajenti.org (repo.ajenti.org)|198.232.124.224|:80… connected.
HTTP request sent, awaiting response… 200 OK
Length: 1716 (1.7K) [application/octet-stream]
Saving to: ‘STDOUT’

100%[======================================>] 1,716 –.-K/s in 0s

2014-11-30 19:23:23 (3.48 MB/s) – written to stdout [1716/1716]

OK
:: Adding repo entry
:: Updating lists
Get:1 http://repo.ajenti.org main InRelease [11.7 kB]
Get:2 http://repo.ajenti.org main/main amd64 Packages [6,494 B]
Get:3 http://repo.ajenti.org main/ubuntu amd64 Packages [3,534 B]
Ign http://dl.google.com stable InRelease
Ign http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security InRelease
Get:4 http://repo.ajenti.org main/main i386 Packages [6,493 B]
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty InRelease
Get:5 http://repo.ajenti.org main/ubuntu i386 Packages [3,534 B]
Hit http://dl.google.com stable Release.gpg
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security Release.gpg
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates InRelease
Hit http://dl.google.com stable Release
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security Release
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports InRelease
Hit http://dl.google.com stable/main amd64 Packages
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com trusty InRelease
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/main Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty Release.gpg
Hit http://dl.google.com stable/main i386 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/restricted Sources
Get:6 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates Release.gpg [933 B]
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/universe Sources
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com trusty Release.gpg
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports Release.gpg
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/multiverse Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty Release
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/main amd64 Packages
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com trusty Release
Get:7 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates Release [62.0 kB]
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/restricted amd64 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/universe amd64 Packages
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com trusty/main Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/multiverse amd64 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/main i386 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports Release
Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main Translation-en_US
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/restricted i386 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty/main Sources
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com trusty/main amd64 Packages
Ign http://dl.google.com stable/main Translation-en
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/universe i386 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty/restricted Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/multiverse i386 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty/universe Sources
Hit http://extras.ubuntu.com trusty/main i386 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/main Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty/multiverse Sources
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/multiverse Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty/main amd64 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/restricted Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty/restricted amd64 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty/universe amd64 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty/multiverse amd64 Packages
Hit http://security.ubuntu.com trusty-security/universe Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty/main i386 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty/restricted i386 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty/universe i386 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty/multiverse i386 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty/main Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty/multiverse Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty/restricted Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty/universe Translation-en
Get:8 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/main Sources [143 kB]
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com trusty/main Translation-en_US
Get:9 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/restricted Sources [1,408 B]
Get:10 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/universe Sources [92.0 kB]
Ign http://extras.ubuntu.com trusty/main Translation-en
Get:11 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/multiverse Sources [3,534 B]
Get:12 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/main amd64 Packages [369 kB]
Get:13 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/restricted amd64 Packages [5,820 B]
Get:14 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/universe amd64 Packages [221 kB]
Get:15 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/multiverse amd64 Packages [9,359 B]
Get:16 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/main i386 Packages [361 kB]
Get:17 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/restricted i386 Packages [5,820 B]
Get:18 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/universe i386 Packages [221 kB]
Get:19 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/multiverse i386 Packages [9,567 B]
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/main Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/multiverse Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/restricted Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-updates/universe Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/main Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/restricted Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/universe Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/multiverse Sources
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/main amd64 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/restricted amd64 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/universe amd64 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/multiverse amd64 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/main i386 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/restricted i386 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/universe i386 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/multiverse i386 Packages
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/main Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/multiverse Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/restricted Translation-en
Hit http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty-backports/universe Translation-en
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty/multiverse Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty/restricted Translation-en_US
Ign http://us.archive.ubuntu.com trusty/universe Translation-en_US
Ign http://repo.ajenti.org main/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://repo.ajenti.org main/main Translation-en
Ign http://repo.ajenti.org main/ubuntu Translation-en_US
Ign http://repo.ajenti.org main/ubuntu Translation-en
Fetched 1,537 kB in 5s (284 kB/s)
Reading package lists… Done
:: Installing package
Reading package lists… Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information… Done
The following packages were automatically installed and are no longer required:
libatk-bridge2.0-0:i386 libatspi2.0-0:i386 libcairo-gobject2:i386
libcolord1:i386 libdbusmenu-gtk3-4:i386 libgtk-3-0:i386 liblcms2-2:i386
libwayland-client0:i386 libwayland-cursor0:i386 libxkbcommon0:i386
linux-image-3.13.0-32-generic linux-image-extra-3.13.0-32-generic
Use ‘apt-get autoremove’ to remove them.
The following extra packages will be installed:
apt-show-versions python-catcher python-daemon python-exconsole
python-gevent python-gevent-socketio python-gevent-websocket python-greenlet
python-ldap python-mako python-markupsafe python-passlib python-psutil
python-reconfigure python-requests python-support python-urllib3
Suggested packages:
python-gevent-doc python-gevent-dbg python-greenlet-doc python-greenlet-dev
python-greenlet-dbg python-ldap-doc python-pyasn1 python-beaker
python-mako-doc
The following NEW packages will be installed:
ajenti apt-show-versions python-catcher python-daemon python-exconsole
python-gevent python-gevent-socketio python-gevent-websocket python-greenlet
python-ldap python-mako python-markupsafe python-passlib python-psutil
python-reconfigure python-requests python-support python-urllib3
0 upgraded, 18 newly installed, 0 to remove and 3 not upgraded.
Need to get 1,873 kB of archives.
After this operation, 8,717 kB of additional disk space will be used.
Get:1 http://repo.ajenti.org/debian/ main/main python-gevent-socketio all 0.3.6-1 [27.4 kB]
Get:2 http://repo.ajenti.org/debian/ main/main python-reconfigure all 0.1.64 [29.8 kB]
Get:3 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/universe python-support all 1.0.15 [26.7 kB]
Get:4 http://repo.ajenti.org/debian/ main/ubuntu python-passlib all 1.5.3-2 [156 kB]
Get:5 http://repo.ajenti.org/debian/ main/main python-catcher all 0.1.7 [5,338 B]
Get:6 http://repo.ajenti.org/debian/ main/main python-exconsole all 0.1.5 [3,638 B]
Get:7 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main python-greenlet amd64 0.4.2-1build1 [16.7 kB]
Get:8 http://repo.ajenti.org/debian/ main/main ajenti all 1.2.22.16 [1,056 kB]
Get:9 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main python-gevent amd64 1.0-1ubuntu1 [215 kB]
Get:10 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/universe python-gevent-websocket all 0.9.3-1 [15.3 kB]
Get:11 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main python-psutil amd64 1.2.1-1ubuntu2 [50.2 kB]
Get:12 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/universe python-daemon all 1.5.5-1ubuntu1 [17.5 kB]
Get:13 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main python-urllib3 all 1.7.1-1build1 [38.9 kB]
Get:14 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty-updates/main python-requests all 2.2.1-1ubuntu0.1 [42.9 kB]
Get:15 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/universe apt-show-versions all 0.22.3 [33.9 kB]
Get:16 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main python-markupsafe amd64 0.18-1build2 [14.3 kB]
Get:17 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main python-mako all 0.9.1-1 [59.6 kB]
Get:18 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main python-ldap amd64 2.4.10-1build1 [63.9 kB]
Fetched 1,873 kB in 0s (2,320 kB/s)
Selecting previously unselected package python-support.
(Reading database … 226577 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack …/python-support_1.0.15_all.deb …
Unpacking python-support (1.0.15) …
Selecting previously unselected package python-greenlet.
Preparing to unpack …/python-greenlet_0.4.2-1build1_amd64.deb …
Unpacking python-greenlet (0.4.2-1build1) …
Selecting previously unselected package python-gevent.
Preparing to unpack …/python-gevent_1.0-1ubuntu1_amd64.deb …
Unpacking python-gevent (1.0-1ubuntu1) …
Selecting previously unselected package python-gevent-websocket.
Preparing to unpack …/python-gevent-websocket_0.9.3-1_all.deb …
Unpacking python-gevent-websocket (0.9.3-1) …
Selecting previously unselected package python-gevent-socketio.
Preparing to unpack …/python-gevent-socketio_0.3.6-1_all.deb …
Unpacking python-gevent-socketio (0.3.6-1) …
Selecting previously unselected package python-psutil.
Preparing to unpack …/python-psutil_1.2.1-1ubuntu2_amd64.deb …
Unpacking python-psutil (1.2.1-1ubuntu2) …
Selecting previously unselected package python-reconfigure.
Preparing to unpack …/python-reconfigure_0.1.64_all.deb …
Unpacking python-reconfigure (0.1.64) …
Selecting previously unselected package python-daemon.
Preparing to unpack …/python-daemon_1.5.5-1ubuntu1_all.deb …
Unpacking python-daemon (1.5.5-1ubuntu1) …
Selecting previously unselected package python-passlib.
Preparing to unpack …/python-passlib_1.5.3-2_all.deb …
Unpacking python-passlib (1.5.3-2) …
Selecting previously unselected package python-urllib3.
Preparing to unpack …/python-urllib3_1.7.1-1build1_all.deb …
Unpacking python-urllib3 (1.7.1-1build1) …
Selecting previously unselected package python-requests.
Preparing to unpack …/python-requests_2.2.1-1ubuntu0.1_all.deb …
Unpacking python-requests (2.2.1-1ubuntu0.1) …
Selecting previously unselected package apt-show-versions.
Preparing to unpack …/apt-show-versions_0.22.3_all.deb …
Unpacking apt-show-versions (0.22.3) …
Selecting previously unselected package python-markupsafe.
Preparing to unpack …/python-markupsafe_0.18-1build2_amd64.deb …
Unpacking python-markupsafe (0.18-1build2) …
Selecting previously unselected package python-mako.
Preparing to unpack …/python-mako_0.9.1-1_all.deb …
Unpacking python-mako (0.9.1-1) …
Selecting previously unselected package python-catcher.
Preparing to unpack …/python-catcher_0.1.7_all.deb …
Unpacking python-catcher (0.1.7) …
Selecting previously unselected package python-exconsole.
Preparing to unpack …/python-exconsole_0.1.5_all.deb …
Unpacking python-exconsole (0.1.5) …
Selecting previously unselected package python-ldap.
Preparing to unpack …/python-ldap_2.4.10-1build1_amd64.deb …
Unpacking python-ldap (2.4.10-1build1) …
Selecting previously unselected package ajenti.
Preparing to unpack …/ajenti_1.2.22.16_all.deb …
Unpacking ajenti (1.2.22.16) …
Processing triggers for man-db (2.6.7.1-1ubuntu1) …
Processing triggers for ureadahead (0.100.0-16) …
ureadahead will be reprofiled on next reboot
Setting up python-support (1.0.15) …
Setting up python-greenlet (0.4.2-1build1) …
Setting up python-gevent (1.0-1ubuntu1) …
Setting up python-gevent-websocket (0.9.3-1) …
Setting up python-gevent-socketio (0.3.6-1) …
Setting up python-psutil (1.2.1-1ubuntu2) …
Setting up python-reconfigure (0.1.64) …
Setting up python-daemon (1.5.5-1ubuntu1) …
Setting up python-passlib (1.5.3-2) …
Setting up python-urllib3 (1.7.1-1build1) …
Setting up python-requests (2.2.1-1ubuntu0.1) …
Setting up apt-show-versions (0.22.3) …
** initializing cache. This may take a while **
Setting up python-markupsafe (0.18-1build2) …
Setting up python-mako (0.9.1-1) …
Setting up python-catcher (0.1.7) …
Setting up python-exconsole (0.1.5) …
Setting up python-ldap (2.4.10-1build1) …
Setting up ajenti (1.2.22.16) …

:: Generating key

Generating RSA private key, 2048 bit long modulus
……………………………………..+++
………………………………………………..+++
e is 65537 (0x10001)

:: Generating certificate request
:: Removing passphrase

writing RSA key

:: Generating certificate

Signature ok
subject=/C=US/ST=NA/L=Nowhere/O=Acme Inc/OU=IT/CN=GregLinux
Getting Private key
:: SSL configured!
————————————————
Now start Ajenti with ‘service ajenti restart’
Ajenti will listen on HTTPS port 8000 by default

Default username : root
Default password : admin
————————————————
Processing triggers for python-support (1.0.15) …
Processing triggers for ureadahead (0.100.0-16) …
:: Done! Open https://<address&gt;:8000 in browser
username@computername:~$

Motorola Moto X for $140 off on Cyber Monday

by Greg Johnson, posted in Mobile Devices, Technology Devices

On Monday, December 1, at 11:00 a.m. CT sign up to receive a promo code for your discount.

Click here to register for the $140 discount promo code.

With your promo code, you’ll save $140 on a no-contract Moto X or get an on-contract Moto X with Verizon for only a penny. Plus you’ll get 30% off all accessories with your Moto X purchase. Questions? Read our FAQs.

Registration ends on Cyber Monday at 5:00 p.m. CT or while supplies last.

While you’re waiting, visit Motorola.com to shop around. “Like” Motorola on Facebook for giveaways and more #MotoCheer all season long.

20141129sa-moto-x-coupon-code-140-off

__________

Note: The above message is not a paid ad or promotion. We simply thought the product and savings were worth sharing.

Q&A with InvestInTech.com Makers of Able2Extract PDF Converter

by Greg Johnson, posted in Software, Tech Tips, Tech Tools

Getting to Know Investintech.com: Helpful PDF Resources, Tutorials and Tools

Q: You’ve developed some great online technology tutorials. What topics are available and which ones seem to be the most popular?

MS Office for iPad Tips is one of our newer projects that we started working on as soon as Microsoft launched the apps for iPad. We knew that there’d be a huge interest in the apps, but as is the case with many great projects and tools out there, people don’t have much time to learn how to use them. We realized it would be extremely helpful to develop easy-to-read, straightforward tutorials with screenshots and images that clearly show what a Microsoft user needs to do in order to start using MS Office on their iPad.

With this goal in mind, we created a handful of quick guides to using Word, Excel and PowerPoint on iPad. We even included some general tips and advice on how to make the most of MS Office apps for iPad with a free Microsoft account. Basically, you can find out everything important about Microsoft for iPad in these tutorials, from learning how to print in Office for iPad and how to access MS documents saved on our PC from the iPad, to discovering how to make charts in Word and PowerPoint and how to freeze columns and rows in MS Excel.

We took the time to find out what it is about MS Office for iPad that creates the most headache to users, and we tried to answer their most common questions in these articles. We’ll constantly be updating the user guide with new tips.

Q: The Adobe PDF format has increasingly become a standard for stand-alone documents as well as content delivered through the Internet (as an alternative to HTML pages) when formatting/layout standardization across multiple platforms is desired. However, Adobe Acrobat Pro is very expensive, and not very user friendly. What does your PDF product offer? What is the cost compared to Adobe Acrobat Pro? Are there features your product has that Adobe Acrobat Pro doesn’t have?

One of the advantages of Investintech’s PDF solutions over Adobe’s is that they are very affordable. Also, at almost the fourth of Adobe Acrobat Pro’s price, users can enjoy high quality conversions that Investintech’s flagship PDF software, Able2Extract, provides.

Adobe Acrobat Pro costs $499 and Able2Extract Professional can be purchased for $139. Both the standard and professional version of Able2Extract can be used on all three major platforms, Windows, Mac and Linux, while Adobe Acrobat Pro is not available to Linux users.

It is not only the matter of price that makes Investintech’s product more appealing. Able2Extract’s conversion features are quite impressive. While Adobe Acrobat Pro can only convert to Excel, Word and PowerPoint, Able2Extract includes the following high-quality conversion options: PDF to Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, HTML, AutoCAD, OpenOffice, Images and it can also convert Text files to Excel, Word and PDF. Able2Extract PDF Converter’s major strength is its custom PDF to Excel option that allows users to manually tweak their output prior to conversion, and everyone who’s dealt with MS Excel recognizes this feature as a serious advantage.

Finally, Able2Extract’s intuitive, user-friendly GUI is high on the list of features that users like about our product. It makes the tool really easy to use, allowing users of any computer skill level to make quick conversions to different file formats.

Clearly, the range of options that Able2Extract offers, in combination with the tool’s price, is a much more attractive package to business professionals looking for powerful PDF conversion solutions.

Q: What makes your company unique?

Investintech.com is the most widely known for top quality PDF conversions for Excel users. Though its flagship product, Able2Extract, is created to cater to the needs of many different types of business professionals, from designers and architects who use AutoCAD to MS Office and OpenOffice users, we focused the most on Excel.

Our PDF solutions are widely used by accountants, auditors, finance analysts, bankers, and other finance and data scientists who use MS Excel spreadsheets for data processing and analysis. Since in the past many people complained about PDF to Excel conversion tools on the market at the time, especially the fact that the formatting and layout of Excel files are often lost after the conversion, Investintech developers put much of their efforts into creating an advanced, custom PDF to Excel creation feature that Able2Extract is now praised for. This feature allows users to tweak their Excel columns and rows structure prior to conversion, so that the formatting is exactly as it should be after the conversion.

Another feature of Able2Extract that brought Investintech a lot of recognition is the tool’s cross-platform operability, which enables users of the three major platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux) to use the software. It’s worth noting that Able2Extract was the first PDF converter on the market that introduced the cross-platform feature.

Q: What else does your company offer to its users?

Though Able2Extract is developed for and mostly used by business and individual professionals, we recognize the fact that not everyone around the globe can afford robust PDF software with a wide range of PDF conversion options. That is why we are working on developing some simple, quick and free online PDF conversion tools that people can find helpful.

We’ve already developed mobile apps for iOS and Android devices that help users smoothly convert and create PDFs for free. We also offer a range of other free tools for converting .docx to .doc, PDF to HTML and some inspirational templates for creating PowerPoint presentations and website designs.

We believe that the Internet’s potential for free and easy transfer of knowledge and information should really be used to the fullest. That is why we put a lot of energy into informing and teaching our readers about topics of interest to them, via our website, the company blog and our social media channels. Here they can find many articles, entertaining tips, helpful tutorials, must-have software lists, and some funny tech updates as well. Our wish is to spread the word about the usefulness of our PDF solutions, but also to help people manage their documents and files in the most productive and efficient way.

__________

A Note from Greg Johnson

I had an opportunity recently to connect with the friendly people at InvestInTech.com — the developers of the Able2Extract PDF converter software.

Being a writer of support documentation, I was really impressed with the free online support documentation they developed for the iPad version of Microsoft Office.

After learning a little more about their company, and the PDF product they offer, I thought it would be nice to offer the above Q&A to introduce them to my website visitors and subscribers. I wrote up the questions and they graciously provided the answers.

Equipment and Setup for Online Collaboration

by Greg Johnson, posted in Enterprise Technology, Reference, Technology Devices

There are a variety of services and technologies available for online collaboration. For example, Skype offers the ability to have video chat with a group, and also share your screen. Services like Zoom.us, Adobe Connect, BlackBoard Collaborate, and Microsoft Lync have additional tools useful for online conferencing and education. Most of these services perform fairly well with a fast computer and fast internet connection. Here are some suggestions for creating the best experience for an online session using audio and/or video with additional features like screen sharing and multi-user participation.

  1. Network Speed. Regardless of the service used, if the Internet speed is slow, the quality will suffer. With most Internet usage, we receive content (such as watching videos or listening to streaming music), but are not uploading content as frequently. With video conferencing, it’s important that your Internet upload speed (bandwidth) be sufficient.
    • It may be necessary to purchase an Internet service package with more download speed than you feel you need in order to get enough upload speed. Usually, for a typical Internet service package, the upload speed is about 5% to 10% of the download speed. If you have a 50Mbps plan, the upload speed might be 5Mbps.
    • Both people at each end of a one-to-one session will need to have this faster Internet service.
    • With conferences that have many people remotely viewing, such video delivery (one to many) is usually handled by a server so you only need sufficient bandwidth for your own connection.
    • Most services can work with slower connections, but the quality may suffer.
    • The best way to check the quality of your connection is to run a test ahead of time.
  2. Headset. People sometimes use the speakers and built-in microphone on their computer for conferencing. This can result in poor audio. The computer can only do so much to alleviate feedback and background noise. So, the instructor / presenter and individual participants should definitely consider a headset. Or, in a one-to-one session both people should have a headset for the best audio quality.
  3. Group Microphone. For groups sharing a camera, getting the best quality microphone is essential. Having a separate high quality USB microphone can ensure that all participants are properly heard at the other end. Using a USB extension cable is important to ensure that the microphone can be placed in the best location.
  4. Camera Person. From the presenter / instructor perspective, looking at an entire group of people in a room and interacting with them sometimes isn’t that ideal. From a distance it’s hard to tell who is talking. Having a volunteer to work the camera helps. Or, alternatively, if people who are speaking can move forward closer to the camera.
  5. Multi-Camera. For larger groups, a multi-cam session might be helpful. This would require two computers be signed into the session simultaneously where the group is. In large auditoriums, sometimes there will be two microphones where people with questions can stand. This is where you’d want the web cams for a remote participant to see the questioners better. If there are breakout sessions at a conference, a remote participant or leader could engage with different groups.
  6. Fast Computer. While usually the Internet is the bottleneck for video communications, it can really help to have a fast computer.
  7. Quality Camera. Using a 720p or higher resolution webcam can be nice. Some systems may be constrained to using 4:3 image size and lower resolution video image anyway, but if the system supports it, the 16:9 viewing angle can get more people in the shot. If your Internet connection is fast enough, it’s possible to have 720p or higher resolution video.
  8. Independent Camera. Laptop computers, and some all-in-one desktops, have a video camera and microphone built-in. These usually work okay. However, separate components sometimes yield better quality results. Having a separate camera and microphone (rather than a single combined unit) can be nice because sometimes the optimal placement of the microphone will be different than the optimal placement of the camera. The camera may be set back a ways to show an entire group, but the microphone should be closer.
  9. Tech Support. Juggling the above variables requires experience and it’s often a good idea to have a technical support person available to help with setup.
  10. Preliminary Testing. It’s essential to test everything out ahead of time so you can make the adjustments needed for the best quality experience. This sometimes means buying additional equipment.

Evernote 6.0.1 Features

by Greg Johnson, posted in Software

There have been some important updates in the 6.0.1 version of Evernote, including (for Apple users) a new design inspired by OS X Yosemite and the ability to share notes and chat with others about collaborative projects.

Below are all the updates for 6.0.1 as well as previous versions. If it’s been a while since you updated, and perhaps you didn’t take time to read these update notes along the way, it’s nice to refer back to them and discover new features you might have overlooked.

__________

Version 6.0.2

The following enhancements were made since the release of 6.0.1. These are in the 6.0.2 version.

  • Improved design on Mavericks and older versions of Mac OS.
  • Improved legibility in card and snippet view.
  • Fixed searching within PDFs.
  • Resolved various crashing issues.
  • Improved Work Chat contact search and display in drop down.

Version 6.0.1

New features:

  • Sleek new design inspired by OS X Yosemite
  • Work Chat: a new way to share and collaborate in Evernote
    • Share notes and notebooks in-app
    • Give view or edit permission when you share a single note
    • Chat with individuals or groups about things you’re working on
    • See when others are viewing or editing notes in your account and start chats with them
    • Filter chats to find the information you need

Bug and stability fixes:

  • Improve handling of long URLs
  • Enable Rename PDF menu item
  • Fixed a crash on launch issue

Version 5.7.2 – Various bug and stability fixes

Version 5.7.1 – Various bug and stability fixes

Version 5.7.0

Premium feature: Context

  • Context displays notes, articles, and people related to what you’re working on
  • View related articles from The Wall Street Journal and other sources and related people from LinkedIn and your business

Presentation Mode has been improved with a fresh look and new features

  • Use the layout panel to navigate your presentation and add dividers
  • Images are now presented from screen-edge to screen-edge
  • Beautifully styled tables make your information stand out

Other improvements:

  • Send messages to share notes and discuss things you’re working on without leaving Evernote
  • Bug and stability fixes

Version 5.6.2

At Evernote, we believe that speed and stability are essential for productivity. That’s why we’ve completely rewritten Evernote for Mac. It may look familiar but it’s significantly faster, more reliable and consumes less energy than ever before. We’ve also snuck in some new features!

Speed:

  • Sync is more than 3x faster. Users with lots of shared notebooks and Evernote Business users will see the biggest improvements.
  • New notes sync instantly so they’re immediately accessible on your other devices.
  • Share notes without waiting for a sync to complete.
  • Launch and quit times have been reduced dramatically.
  • New keyboard shortcuts have been added to jump to the note list for easy navigation (CMD + |) and you can now tab between the search field, the note list, current note title and note body.
  • Energy consumption when the app is idle has been significantly reduced.

New features:

  • Tables can now be resized, and have configurable background colors and border styles.
  • Images can be resized right in the note editor. Just click an image and drag the handle in the bottom right corner.
  • Search results are now ordered by relevance.
  • Faster notebook selector at the top of the note list remembers your recently used notebooks.
  • Redesigned checkboxes in the note editor are easier to click.
  • Evernote will now stay logged in by default.
  • Search your notes with Spotlight.

Stability:

  • We’ve closed over 500 bugs including more than 150 types of crashes.
  • Our crash reporting system has been completely rebuilt.
  • Removed repeated offline alerts
  • In list view, the relevance column can now be hidden from search results
  • Resolved an issue that caused note conflicts when sharing new notes
  • Squashed bugs related to migration from the Mac App Store version

Version 5.5.2 (07/02/2014) build 402634

  • Various bug and stability fixes

Version 5.5.1 (03/25/2014) build 402628

  • Various bug and stability fixes:
    • Improvements to Descriptive Search
    • Note you are working on stays in focus during sync
    • Improved searching through large documents

Version 5.5 (02/04/2014) build 402491

Version 5.5 (02/04/2014) build 402489

  • New Feature: Descriptive Search
    • Find what you want in the most natural way ever. Search your notes by place (“Tokyo”), file contents (“Documents” or “Images”), date ranges and more.
    • Searches to try:
      • “notes with PDFs”
      • “notes from Paris”
      • “recipes created last week”
    • This feature is currently available in English only.
  • Various bug and stability fixes:
    • Fixed: Screenshots including Quick Note Helper window
    • Fixed: Evernote window issues
    • Business card scanning improvements
    • Fixed: sync issues which may have caused crashing

Version 5.4.5 (01/04/2014) build 402372

  • Bug fixes

Version 5.4.5 (01/04/2014) build 402367

  • Bug fixes

Version 5.4.4 (12/04/2013) build 402282

Stability improvements and bug fixes

Bug fixes:

  • Fixed: Content scrolls when dragging window
  • Fixed: Issues attaching documents in OS X 10.6
  • Fixed: Large notes showing blank spots

Known issue: Spotlight does not index notes created on OS X 10.9. We are working on a fix.

Version 5.4.3 (11/15/2013) build 402231

Improved support for OS X 10.9

New Markup Features

  • Rotate or delete pages from a PDF
  • Add a markup summary page to annotated PDFs
  • Easily clear all markup
  • Flip or rotate images

Other Fixes

  • Improved support for dragging images from web browsers
  • Various bug and crash fixes

Known issue: Spotlight does not index notes created on OS X 10.9. We are working on a fix.

Version 5.4.1 (10/09/2013) build 402013

Bug fixes Version 5.4.0 (10/03/2013) build 401989

Introducing Evernote Business 2.0

  • Business Home makes your company smarter than ever
    • Get to know your members of your business and learn about their recent activity by browsing their profiles
    • Discover notebooks and notes published by your coworkers, find popular notebooks and top contributors
    • Search and browse notes in every Business Notebook you have access to and preview notes before you join notebooks
  • Expertise Discovery: searching your notes also displays related people and provides access to shared notes in your business
  • Convert personal notebooks to business notebooks

Other New Features

  • Mark up images, PDFs and whole notes from within Evernote

Bug fixes Version 5.3.0 (09/18/2013) build 401872

New Premium Feature: Presentation Mode

  • Present your notes in a beautifully laid out, full-screen view with one click
  • Dual screen support: Present on one screen while taking notes on the other
  • Display images, documents and attachments in the presentation
  • Use the laser pointer feature to help everyone follow along

Improved Premium Feature: Related Notes

  • See up to five Related Notes at the bottom of the Note Editor

New Evernote Business Feature

  • Easily convert personal notebooks into Business notebooks

Other enhancements

  • Redesigned search highlighting
  • Evernote Food notes are now editable
  • Right-click on a note to convert it to a PDF

Version 5.1.1 (05/21/2013) build 401255

  • New Features
    • Reminders: Never forget important and in-progress notes
      • Adding a reminder pins the note to the top of your note list
      • Add a due date to receive in-app and email notifications
      • Mark notes as Done when you complete them
      • See reminders and get notifications for notes in shared notebooks
    • Enhanced security with XAuth
      • View all applications that access your account from Evernote Web Settings
    • Redesigned vertical list view shows more notes on-screen
    • New text styles: Superscript (CMD Ctrl +) and Subscript (CMD Ctrl -)
    • Edit your Saved Searches
  • Other improvements
    • Copy/paste improvements
    • Numerous stability improvements
    • Various search improvements

Version 5.0.7 (03/12/2013) build 400995

  • This update addresses a security issue that requires you to reset your password. Details on blog.evernote.com
  • Re-designed menu bar Helper called Quick Note: Create a note any time by clicking the helper or CMD+CTRL+N
  • Various bug and localization fixes

Version 5.0.5 (01/24/2013) build 400808

  • New Features
    • Shortcuts are synced with your Evernote account
    • Searches can be scoped to “My Notes” which excludes shared Notes
    • Business users can scope searches to “Personal Notes” or “Business Notes”
    • Notes clipped using Evernote Clearly are beautifully styled
    • AppleScript can create checkboxes in ENML
    • In Expanded Card View, pressing Return opens Notes
    • New button to jump to a Note’s Notebook from the Note Editor
    • Command-click to multi-select Tags in the Sidebar
  • Other improvements
    • Large accounts sync much more reliably
    • Tags from Joined Notebooks now appear correctly
    • Corrected image and link pasting issues
    • PDF printing is more reliable
    • Fixed Snow Leopard Sidebar visual glitches
    • Fixed crash when taking screenshots
    • Korean image indexing is greatly improved
    • Reduced CPU/memory usage
    • Fixes to Saved Searches
    • Various fixes for Evernote Business
    • Improved handling of Tags in AppleScript

Version 5.0.4 (12/12/2012) build 400704

Stability enhancements

Version 5.0.3 (12/06/2012) build 400675

  • Bug Fixes

Version 5.0.2 (12/03/2012) build 400649

New Features

  • New Premium feature: Related Notes in the note editor
  • Drag-and-drop Notes onto Notebooks and Tags in the Sidebar
  • Added an option to show Note counts in the Sidebar
  • Added a Trash button to the Note Editor

Other Improvements

  • Nested tags stay visible
  • Fixed Atlas for Portuguese users
  • Fixed Local Notebook creation
  • Fixed “notebook:” and “tag:” searching
  • Better high-DPI image handling in the Note Editor
  • Reduced CPU/memory usage
  • Various bug and localization fixes

Version 5.0.1 (11/27/2012) build 400591

New Features

  • Drag-and-drop Notes onto Notebooks and Tags in the Sidebar
  • Added an option to show Note counts in the Sidebar
  • Added a Trash button to the Note Editor

Other Improvements

  • Fixed Local Notebook creation
  • Fixed “notebook:” and “tag:” searching
  • Better high-DPI image handling in the Note Editor
  • Reduced CPU/memory usage
  • Various bug and localization fixes

Version 5.0.0 (11/15/2012) build 400539

Evernote 5 has been redesigned with over 100 new features including:

Left Sidebar

  • Shortcuts: Drag notebooks, notes, and tags to the left pane for quick access
  • Recent notes: Lets you quickly get back to notes from anywhere in Evernote
  • Notebooks and Tags view: Organize your Evernote more efficiently

Browsing and Creating Notes

  • Atlas: Browse your notes visually by geographic location
  • Card and Snippet views: A better way to browse notes
  • Scalable note editor: A more elegant way to create notes, both big and small
  • Full-screen single note view: Excellent for composing notes without distractions
  • Change a note’s location: Type a place manually or click the compass arrow in note info
  • Lots of keyboard shortcuts: Learn more on our What’s New page
  • Shared banner: Indicates how many people have access to content in shared notebooks
  • Better simple and plain text handling: Simplify notes to remove complex formatting or convert them to plain text
  • Indent text: Evernote for Mac now supports text indentation
  • Notes created on the Mac are now tagged with location information for Atlas

Smarter Search

  • Type ahead search: Completes your thoughts with suggestions from your account
  • Search Personal and Joined notebooks: Search your entire account from one place
  • Search options: Powerful new feature that lets you easily filter your search

Collaboration

  • Better sharing: Notebooks and shared notebooks are all in one place
  • Mountain Lion notifications: See Evernote activity in Notification Center
  • Joined notebooks can be added to stacks

Other Improvements

  • Lots of stability improvements
  • Sync improvements: Faster, more reliable sync
  • Explore Evernote: First launch experience that helps you get the most out of Evernote

Motorola Moto G Back Cover Removal

by Greg Johnson, posted in Mobile Devices, Tech Tips, Tech Tools

Back Cover Design

The back cover of the Moto G has some exceptional benefits. Along the top and long edges of the phone, where the back cover snaps on, there’s a very tight seal that you’ll have a hard time inserting a fingernail or anything else in. This smooth tight design makes the phone feel smooth in your hand and it keeps out dust and debris.

Back Cover Case Removal

On the bottom of the phone, where the Micro USB connector jack is, it’s possible to insert a small object to twist and separate the back cover from the phone. An ideal object would be something like a wooden clothespin (the side you press with your fingers). This fits in the Micro USB opening and is soft enough not to damage or mar the phone.  You don’t want to jam anything all the way into the Micro USB port. Just twisting 1/16th of an inch inside that opening is enough to open the back cover. Then, using a fingernail, you can carefully pry the rest of the cover off.

20141114fr-motorola-motog-microsd-sim-back-open-case-cover-IMG_0179

MicroSD and SIM Cards

The SIM card is spring loaded. When inserting it, you’ll feel resistance until it’s all the way in, and then as you let go, it will come back and lock in place. To remove it, simply press in with your fingernail to release the lock mechanism and it will come out.

The MicroSD card is held in by friction only. To remove it, use your fingernail to grab the top ridge and pull it directly out.

So, in summary, pull to remove the MicroSD card, but push in to remove the SIM card.

Moto G – MicroSD and SIM Card Installation and Removal

by Greg Johnson, posted in Tech Tips, Tech Tools

Summary

The Motorola Moto G (Second Generation) smartphone allows for the installation of a SIM card as well as a MicroSD memory storage card in the back of the unit — accessible once the back cover has been removed.

Removing the Back Cover

The back cover of the Moto G has some exceptional benefits. Along the top and long edges of the phone, where the back cover snaps on, there’s a very tight seal that you’ll have a hard time inserting a fingernail or anything else in. This smooth tight design makes the phone feel smooth in your hand and it keeps out dust and debris.

On the bottom of the phone, where the Micro USB connector jack is, it’s possible to insert a small object to twist and separate the back cover from the phone. An ideal object would be something like a wooden clothespin (the side you press with your fingers). This fits in the Micro USB opening and is soft enough not to damage or mar the phone.  You don’t want to jam anything all the way into the Micro USB port. Just twisting 1/16th of an inch inside that opening is enough to open the back cover. Then, using a fingernail, you can carefully pry the rest of the cover off.

20141114fr-motorola-motog-microsd-sim-back-open-case-cover-IMG_0179

MicroSD and SIM Cards

The SIM card is spring loaded. When inserting it, you’ll feel resistance until it’s all the way in, and then as you let go, it will come back and lock in place. To remove it, simply press in with your fingernail to release the lock mechanism and it will come out.

The MicroSD card is held in by friction only. To remove it, use your fingernail to grab the top ridge and pull it directly out.

So, in summary, pull to remove the MicroSD card, but push in to remove the SIM card.

Ubuntu Unity Program Launcher Desktop Dock Gone Missing

by Greg Johnson, posted in Computer Support, Tech Tips

If you startup Ubuntu and find that the program icons are missing from the Launcher, and the Launcher itself is also gone, as well as the top-of-screen menu options, this means that something has gone wrong with the Ubuntu Unity desktop. Follow the instructions below to fix the problem. These steps have been tested with Ubuntu 14.04, but should also work with earlier versions.

  1. Press CTRL+ALT+F1, then enter your username and password to go to the command prompt.
  2. Enter this command:
    • sudo apt-get install unity
  3. Enter this command:
    • unity –reset
  4. Press CTRL+ALT+Delete to reset the computer.

You should now see the familiar program icons and menu bar at the top of the screen.

Turbo.264 HD Version 1.2.3

by Greg Johnson, posted in Software, Tech Tips, Tech Tools

If you’re using Turbo.264 HD version 1.2.2 you’ll want to update to the 1.2.3 version.

What’s new in this release?

  • resolved an issue where the Turbo component was not installed
  • resolved an issue with EyeTV integration that resulted in the Turbo hardware not being used for exports
  • improved file support
  • improved YouTube support
  • improved audio sync on export
  • improved performance and stability
  • improved support for OS X 10.10 (Yosemite)

Installation

After updating to the new version of Turbo.264 HD, please quit and reopen all programs that may have been using Turbo.264 HD, such as EyeTV.

System Requirements

  • a Macintosh computer with an Intel Core processor
  • 512 MB of RAM
  • a built-in USB 2.0 port
  • Mac OS X 10.6.8 or later, Mac OS 10.10 recommended (with all software and security updates installed)
  • QuickTime 7.6 (or later)

Google International Calling Rates Per Minute

by Greg Johnson, posted in Tech Tips

Google has some excellent international long-distance calling rates for those using Google Voice. It’s fairly easy to setup Google Voice from your Android smartphone. Some rates are shown below.

20141110mo-google-phone-rates-long-distance-international-calling-cost-per-minute