5 Free PDF Editor Websites to Create, Fill, Annotate or Alter PDF Files

PDF is the default file format for important documents. Whether it’s a form you need to fill or something you need others to read, these web apps will help you get everything done with a PDF, without ever installing any software.

You probably interact with PDFs many times a week, or even every day. Since these files look the same on any device, we still rely on PDFs heavily. There are a few tasks you typically want to do with them:

• Fill or edit a PDF
• Create a PDF form or document
• Reduce file size (since PDFs can be much larger than a Word document)
• Annotate a PDF or add notes that others can see
• Split a PDF file
• Merge multiple PDF files
• Unlock a password protected PDF file

There is much more too, but these are the most common tasks. And the good news is that you don’t need to download any special software for that. These are free

Paperjet (Web): Fill PDF Forms and Sign Them

The most common task you need to do with a PDF is to fill it. The best PDF readers on Windows, macOS, Linux, or Chrome OS don’t let you change anything in a PDF. The quickest and simplest way is to use Paperjet.

You’ll have to sign up to Paperjet to use the service. Upload your PDF document and it smartly adds text boxes for fields in the document. If a textbox isn’t available where you want to write, you can add one yourself. The font, size, and color are customizable. You can also attach pictures, in case it’s a form that needs your passport photo.

Paperjet is free for 10 PDF files in a month, but you’ll have to pay $5 per month for anything more. It’s well worth it if you use a lot of PDF files for your work, but you might want to look at other ways to edit PDF files online for free.

Jotform (Web): Create PDFs for Common Forms and Documents

While most online PDF editors are all about editing a form you already have, very few tools give you the option to create a PDF form yourself, such as when you want to create a contract. Jotform is a fantastic free web app to create PDFs for common forms and documents from templates.

The collection of templates is what sets Jotform ahead of everyone else. The templates are neatly divided into categories, such as a certificate, consent agreement, contract, employee records, event planning, invitation, invoice, job application, lease agreement, medical history, performance evaluation, scholarship application, ticket, and voucher. Each category has several different types, and you can search Jotform too.

Once you’ve found the form you want to work with, open it in the Jotform editor. Now you can edit any part of the form, whether it’s text, alignment of boxes and fields, or anything else. The only thing you can’t remove is the Jotform watermark, which requires a premium plan.

Shrink PDF (Web): Reduce the File Size of Multiple PDFs

PDF files generally tend to be much larger in size than a document. And a lot of sites where you need to submit a PDF will restrict the file size. Head over to Shrink PDF (especially if you have many files) to compress without any major loss.

You can upload up to 20 PDF files at a time to Shrink PDF. You can’t change any settings, the app has its own methods to reduce size. Once it is done compressing, you will see how much it reduced the file size in percentage. You can download all those files individually, or download them all as a group in a Zip archive.

There are plenty of other ways to compress and reduce the size of a PDF file, including web apps, but we love Shrink PDF’s no-nonsense, no-fuss approach.

Sumnotes (Web): Collect and Export Notes and Annotations on a PDF

A PDF file can’t be easily edited, but you can add notes and annotations for others to see. In fact, you can annotate a PDF file with built-in tools on Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or macOS Preview. Sumnotes collects and exports these annotations.

Upload a PDF to Sumnotes and in a few seconds, it will show you all the annotations in that file. Seeing them in a list is actually quite helpful as you can go from one to the next quickly. You can copy-paste any note, or even export all annotations in a DOC or TXT file. And of course, you can delete any annotation you don’t want.

It’s a simple, useful tool that ensures you don’t miss any annotation or note made by someone else.

PDF Candy (Web): All-In-One App for Various PDF Tools

There are several free online PDF tools to save you work, but why go to different places for all those tasks when PDF Candy has them in one place. It’s a fantastic web app that aggregates the most common PDF editing tasks.

Here’s a brief list of what you can do at PDF Candy:

• Convert PDF to Word, JPG, DOCX, RTF, TIFF, BMP, PNG
• Convert Word, JPG, DOCX, HTML, EPUB, MOBI, FB2, PNG, TIFF, BMP, RTF, ODT, XLS, PPT to PDF
• Rotate PDF
• Resize pages
• Crop PDF
• Compress PDF
• Merge multiple PDFs
• Split PDF into separate pages
• Delete pages
• Rearrange pages
• Unlock or password-protect PDF
• Add watermark
• Extract images or text
• Add page numbers
• Edit metadata

All of these functions are completely free and don’t even need you to sign into PDF Candy. This is as easy as it gets.

For More Heavy-Duty PDF Needs

These free apps perform the most common tasks any person requires with PDFs. And since they are all online, you don’t need to install anything. But when you’re working with PDFs regularly, you might need offline apps, or something more robust.

If you’re a heavy user, you should check out these free tools to edit PDF files. From creating PDF booklets to a powerful PDF editor, you can get everything for free even offline.

Read the full article: 5 Free PDF Editor Websites to Create, Fill, Annotate or Alter PDF Files

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10 Fun Phone Texting Games to Play With Your Friends

Limiting social media use reduced loneliness and depression in new experiment

The idea that social media can be harmful to our mental and emotional well-being is not a new one, but little has been done by researchers to directly measure the effect; surveys and correlative studies are at best suggestive. A new experimental study out of Penn State, however, directly links more social media use to worse emotional states, and less use to better.

To be clear on the terminology here, a simple survey might ask people to self-report that using Instagram makes them feel bad. A correlative study would, for example, find that people who report more social media use are more likely to also experience depression. An experimental study compares the results from an experimental group with their behavior systematically modified, and a control group that’s allowed to do whatever they want.

This study, led by Melissa Hunt at Penn State’s psychology department, is the latter — which despite intense interest in this field and phenomenon is quite rare. The researchers only identified two other experimental studies, both of which only addressed Facebook use.

Phone-addicted teens aren’t as happy as those who play sports and hang out IRL, new study suggests

143 students from the school were monitored for three weeks after being assigned to either limit their social media use to about ten minutes per app (Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram) per day or continue using it as they normally would. They were monitored for a baseline before the experimental period and assessed weekly on a variety of standard tests for depression, social support, and so on. Social media usage was monitored via the iOS battery use screen, which shows app use.

The results are clear. As the paper, published in the latest Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, puts it:

The limited use group showed significant reductions in loneliness and depression over three weeks compared to the control group. Both groups showed significant decreases in anxiety and fear of missing out over baseline, suggesting a benefit of increased self-monitoring.

Our findings strongly suggest that limiting social media use to approximately 30 minutes per day may lead to significant improvement in well-being.

It’s not the final word in this, however. Some scores did not see improvement, such as self-esteem and social support. And later follow-ups to see if feelings reverted or habit changes were less than temporary were limited because most of the subjects couldn’t be compelled to return. (Psychology, often summarized as “the study of undergraduates,” relies on student volunteers who have no reason to take part except for course credit, and once that’s given, they’re out.)

That said, it’s a straightforward causal link between limiting social media use and improving some aspects of emotional and social health. The exact nature of the link, however, is something at which Hunt could only speculate:

Some of the existing literature on social media suggests there’s an enormous amount of social comparison that happens. When you look at other people’s lives, particularly on Instagram, it’s easy to conclude that everyone else’s life is cooler or better than yours.

When you’re not busy getting sucked into clickbait social media, you’re actually spending more time on things that are more likely to make you feel better about your life.

The researchers acknowledge the limited nature of their study and suggest numerous directions for colleagues in the field to take it from here. A more diverse population, for instance, or including more social media platforms. Longer experimental times and comprehensive follow-ups well after the experiment would help as well.

The 30 minute limit was chosen as a conveniently measurable one but the team does not intend to say that it is by any means the “correct” amount. Perhaps half or twice as much time would yield similar or even better results, they suggest: “It may be that there is an optimal level of use (similar to a dose response curve) that could be determined.”

Until then, we can use common sense, Hunt suggested: “In general, I would say, put your phone down and be with the people in your life.”

Read Full Article

Limiting social media use reduced loneliness and depression in new experiment

The idea that social media can be harmful to our mental and emotional well-being is not a new one, but little has been done by researchers to directly measure the effect; surveys and correlative studies are at best suggestive. A new experimental study out of Penn State, however, directly links more social media use to worse emotional states, and less use to better.

To be clear on the terminology here, a simple survey might ask people to self-report that using Instagram makes them feel bad. A correlative study would, for example, find that people who report more social media use are more likely to also experience depression. An experimental study compares the results from an experimental group with their behavior systematically modified, and a control group that’s allowed to do whatever they want.

This study, led by Melissa Hunt at Penn State’s psychology department, is the latter — which despite intense interest in this field and phenomenon is quite rare. The researchers only identified two other experimental studies, both of which only addressed Facebook use.

Phone-addicted teens aren’t as happy as those who play sports and hang out IRL, new study suggests

143 students from the school were monitored for three weeks after being assigned to either limit their social media use to about ten minutes per app (Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram) per day or continue using it as they normally would. They were monitored for a baseline before the experimental period and assessed weekly on a variety of standard tests for depression, social support, and so on. Social media usage was monitored via the iOS battery use screen, which shows app use.

The results are clear. As the paper, published in the latest Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, puts it:

The limited use group showed significant reductions in loneliness and depression over three weeks compared to the control group. Both groups showed significant decreases in anxiety and fear of missing out over baseline, suggesting a benefit of increased self-monitoring.

Our findings strongly suggest that limiting social media use to approximately 30 minutes per day may lead to significant improvement in well-being.

It’s not the final word in this, however. Some scores did not see improvement, such as self-esteem and social support. And later follow-ups to see if feelings reverted or habit changes were less than temporary were limited because most of the subjects couldn’t be compelled to return. (Psychology, often summarized as “the study of undergraduates,” relies on student volunteers who have no reason to take part except for course credit, and once that’s given, they’re out.)

That said, it’s a straightforward causal link between limiting social media use and improving some aspects of emotional and social health. The exact nature of the link, however, is something at which Hunt could only speculate:

Some of the existing literature on social media suggests there’s an enormous amount of social comparison that happens. When you look at other people’s lives, particularly on Instagram, it’s easy to conclude that everyone else’s life is cooler or better than yours.

When you’re not busy getting sucked into clickbait social media, you’re actually spending more time on things that are more likely to make you feel better about your life.

The researchers acknowledge the limited nature of their study and suggest numerous directions for colleagues in the field to take it from here. A more diverse population, for instance, or including more social media platforms. Longer experimental times and comprehensive follow-ups well after the experiment would help as well.

The 30 minute limit was chosen as a conveniently measurable one but the team does not intend to say that it is by any means the “correct” amount. Perhaps half or twice as much time would yield similar or even better results, they suggest: “It may be that there is an optimal level of use (similar to a dose response curve) that could be determined.”

Until then, we can use common sense, Hunt suggested: “In general, I would say, put your phone down and be with the people in your life.”

Read Full Article

Facebook launches Lasso, its music and video TikTok clone

Done cloning Snapchat, Facebook is now chasing Chinese short-form video sensation TikTok with the launch of its knock-off Lasso. Available now for iOS and Android, Lasso is Facebook’s answer to the zany mobile lipsyncing playground that’s gained ground with young users, both in China and in the West.

The release confirms TechCrunch’s scoop from last month that the company was building an app called Lasso to let people share short videos with soundtracks. With TikTok looking like the next big thing, it’s not surprising to see Facebook playing chase, much like it did, successfully, when Snapchat posed an existential threat.

A Facebook spokesperson confirmed that the launch of Lasso on iOS and Android is in the U.S. only for now, telling us “Lasso is a new standalone app for short-form, entertaining videos — from comedy to beauty to fitness and more. We’re excited about the potential here, and we’ll be gathering feedback from people and creators.” While Lasso was released under the Facebook umbrella, the company launched it informally and with relatively little fanfare via a tweet from a product manager on the team.

Facebook is building Lasso, a video music app to steal TikTok’s teens

Lasso lets you shoot up to 15-second long videos (no uploads allowed) and overlay popular songs. The app centers around an algorithmic feed of recommended videos, but also lets you tap through hashtags or a Browse page of themed collections.

Lasso app

The original slate of videos seeded by Lasso’s beta users look pretty good, making use of the millions of songs in its soundtrack catalog. There are no augmented reality effects or crazy filters like you’ll find in TikTok, but users are already taking advantage of the slo-mo and fast-forward recording features to make fun clips. Overall the app feels well constructed, and has that colorful and playful teen vibe.

Surprisingly, Facebook is releasing Lasso under its own name rather than trying to obscure the connection to its social network that younger users have largely abandoned. You can log in with Facebook or Instagram to get instant personalization, with the option to syndicate your Lassos to Facebook Stories with that option for Instagram is coming soon. Notably, all content and profiles on Lasso are public, which could cause some concern about older users leering at dancing teens.

Musical.ly had its own big problems with inappropriate underage content. Its leaderboard of top videos often included scantly clad pre-teens dancing to racy pop songs, seemingly flaunting the U.S. COPPA child protection laws. Lasso includes a report button, but it’s unclear where Facebook will draw the line on what’s allowed.

The big question is whether Lasso is too late. Musical.ly rose to over 200 million registered users before being acquired by Chinese tech giant ByteDance and rolled into its similar app TikTok. That app has been on an epic rise over the past few months, turning into a global phenomenon that surpassed Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube in downloads during October.

While Instagram and Facebook were massively successful at cloning Snapchat’s Stories, they had the advantage of building the feature into their already-popular apps. Lasso will have to start from scratch as a standalone app, and Facebook’s previous teen-focused standalones like Slingshot and Poke failed spectacularly with the same strategy. Facebook will have to hope its initial cadre of content creators will prove so compelling as to convince people to download a whole new app, which could be an uphill battle — even for Facebook.

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Trig Identities

Trig Identities

Listen to the music of a Martian sunrise

Two researchers, Dr. Domenico Vicinanza of Anglia Ruskin University and Dr. Genevieve Williams, have “sonified” a video of the 5,000th Martian sunrise captured by the Mars rover, Opportunity. The music is a representation of the experience of seeing the sun rise over the red dunes as light pierces the planet’s atmosphere.

It’s beautiful.

From the release:

Researchers created the piece of music by scanning a picture from left to right, pixel by pixel, and looking at brightness and colour information and combining them with terrain elevation. They used algorithms to assign each element a specific pitch and melody.

The quiet, slow harmonies are a consequence of the dark background and the brighter, higher pitched sounds towards the middle of the piece are created by the sonification of the bright sun disk.

Given that you are literally watching the sun rise over the sands of Mars thanks to the efforts of a little multi-wheeled robot and you can now hear the musical equivalent of this amazing breakthrough, it’s pretty hard to feel that humanity is heading toward a dark place. The next breakthrough, I suspect, will happen when we’re able to send human orchestra up there to recreate it with real instruments.

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