Archive for the ‘Free Software’ Category

This free software converts drone videos into 2D maps in minutes! – DroneDJ

One-click drone reality capture specialist SkyeBrowsehas launched a new, completely free rapid 2D aerial mapping software. The service allows you to generate 2D maps from drone videos in minutes!

SkyeBrowse is a public safety-focused platform popular for its innovations. More than 300 organizations across the US use it to create 3D models from DJI or Autel drone videos. But this time, the company is utilizing its proprietary videogrammetry technology to helps users generate free 2D maps from any drone video.

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As founder Bobby Ouyang explains, acquiring a quality 2D map has typically been a complex and costly process, requiring expensive subscription services and steep learning curves associated with intricate software. The map generation itself can take hours or sometimes even days. Therefore, high-level aerial mapping analytics has long been restricted to well-funded and technologically equipped players.

SkyeBrowses new software shatters these barriers, offering a streamlined, cost-free alternative, says Bobby. The service is tailored for inclusivity, allowing small business owners, hobbyists, NGOs, and educators to benefit from the same advanced aerial data analytics that have been exclusive to industry heavyweights.

Heres how you can convert your drone video into a 2D map:

Your video will process in minutes and youll get an email with a link to your 2D map.

SkyeBrowse says 1080p WideBrowse videos work best with its free 2D mapping software. These can be obtained using the SkyeBrowse flight app, which is available to download on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

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This free software converts drone videos into 2D maps in minutes! - DroneDJ

How ‘Hour of Code’ Will Teach Students About Issues with AI – Slashdot

Started in 2013, "Hour of Code" is an annual tradition started by the education non-profit Code.org (which provides free coding lessons to schools). Its FAQ describes the December event for K-12 students as "a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science, starting with 1-hour coding activities," and over 100 million schoolkids have participated over the years.

This year's theme will be "Creativity With AI," and the "computer vision" lesson includes a short video (less than 7 minutes) featuring a Tesla Autopilot product manager from its computer vision team. "I build self-driving cars," they say in the video. "Any place where there can be resources used more efficiently I think is a place where technology can play a role. But of course one of the best, impactful ways of AI, I hope, is through self-driving cars." (The video then goes on to explain how lots of training data ultimately generates a statistical model, "which is just a fancy way of saying, a guessing machine.")

The 7-minute video is part of a larger lesson plan (with a total estimated time of 45 minutes) in which students tackle a fun story problem. If a sports arena's scoreboard is showing digital numbers, what series of patterns would a machine-vision system have to recognize to identify each digit. (Students are asked to collaborate in groups.) And it's just one of seven 45-minute lessons, each one accompanied by a short video. (The longest video is 7 minutes and 28 seconds, and all seven videos, if watched back-to-back, would run for about 31 minutes.)

Not all the lessons involve actual coding, but the goal seems to be familiarizing students (starting at the 6th grade level) with artificial intelligence of today, and the issues it raises. The second-to-last lesson is titled "Algorithmic Bias" with a video including interviews with an ethicist at Open AI and professor focused on AI from both MIT and Stanford. And the last lesson "Our AI Code of Ethics" challenges students to assemble documents and videos on AI-related "ethical pitfalls," and then pool their discoveries into an educational resource "for AI creators and legislators everywhere."

This year's installment is being billed as "the largest learning event in history." And it's scheduled for the week of December 4 so it coincides with "Computer Science Education Week" (a CS-education event launched in 2009 by the Association for Computing Machinery, with help from partners including Intel, Microsoft, Google, and the National Science Foundation).

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How 'Hour of Code' Will Teach Students About Issues with AI - Slashdot

Nothing is Bringing iMessage To Its Android Phone – Slashdot

Nothing Phone 2 owners get blue bubbles now. The company shared it has added iMessage to its newest phone through a new "Nothing Chats" app powered by the messaging platform Sunbird. From a report: The feature will be available to users in North America, the EU, and other European countries starting this Friday, November 17th. Nothing writes on its page that it's doing this because "messaging services are dividing phone users," and it wants "to break those barriers down." But doing so here requires you to trust Sunbird. Nothing's FAQ says Sunbird's "architecture provides a system to deliver a message from one user to another without ever storing it at any point in its journey," and that messages aren't stored on its servers.

Marques Brownlee has also had a preview of Nothing Chats. He confirmed with Nothing that, similar to how other iMessage-to-Android bridge services have worked before, "...it's literally signing in on some Mac Mini in a server farm somewhere, and that Mac Mini will then do all of the routing for you to make this happen." Nothing's US head of PR, Jane Nho, told The Verge in an email that Sunbird stores user iCloud credentials as a token "in an encrypted database" and associated with one of its Mac Minis in the US or Europe, depending on the user's location, that then act as a relay for iMessages sent via the app. She added that, after two weeks of inactivity, Sunbird deletes the account information.

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Nothing is Bringing iMessage To Its Android Phone - Slashdot

How To Build A WordPress Website In 9 Steps – Forbes

Last, but not least, you should plan to market your website. The reason is, websites are not necessarily a build it and they will come-type of thing. Instead, businesses that get found online are those that have invested in a variety of website marketing strategies to help their site gain visibility online, which will help drive visitors to your site.

Here are a few of the most effective ways to market your site:

Submit your URL to Google Search Console to help it rank more quickly.

Create social media accounts for your website and include links in your posts (e.g., a Facebook Business Page, an Instagram account or a Pinterest business account).

Submit your website to relevant online directories (i.e., Yellow Pages, TripAdvisor, Yelp).

Create a Google My Business account to get found in local search.

Add your business to the Better Business Bureau.

Add your websites URL to your email signature, business cards, or any other marketing materials you may use.

The best way to market a website is to use a variety of these strategies, giving your site maximum exposure and the best chances of getting found online.

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How To Build A WordPress Website In 9 Steps - Forbes

Best Adobe Acrobat free alternatives – PC Guide – For The Latest PC Hardware & Tech News

Last Updated on October 26, 2023

In the search for the best Adobe Acrobat free alternatives, PDF files stand as a universal constant in our digital lives. Adobe Acrobat has long been the go-to software for creating, editing, and managingPDF files. However, its cost and subscription-based model may not be a fit for everyones budget. Thats why weve curated this comprehensive guide to offer you robust and affordable options.

Well delve into our top picks, highlighting their compatibility across various platforms and devices, ease of downloading, and overall excellence. Whether youre a Mac user or someone who prioritizes top-notch PDF editing capabilities, this article has got you covered.

In the quest for the best Adobe Acrobat alternative, we embarked on an exhaustive exploration of numerousPDF editorsthat promise a similar functionality to Adobe Acrobat. Our mission was to unveil the best free alternatives that excel not just in functionality but in ease of use, affordability, and features that cater to a diverse user base. After a thorough examination, we narrowed down to five outstanding Adobe Acrobat alternatives that stand out from the crowd. Heres a closer look at the criteria that steered our selection:

A user-friendly interface is the cornerstone of an excellent user experience. We paid close attention to the user interface, ensuring its intuitive, easy to navigate, and doesnt steepen the learning curve for new users. The best Adobe Acrobat alternative should simplify the process of editing, viewing, and managing PDF documents, making these tasks a breeze even for the less tech-savvy individuals.

Markup tools are indispensable for annotating, commenting, and editing PDF documents. We sought alternatives equipped with a robust set of markup tools that allow for seamless text highlighting, underlining, and the ability to add notes and comments. These features foster collaborative work on documents, making it easy to review and provide feedback.

Accessibility across different platforms is key in todays digital age. We considered alternatives that offer both a desktop version and web browser access, ensuring that you can work on your documents anytime, anywhere. This cross-platform accessibility enhances flexibility and ensures that youre not tethered to a single device.

Efficiency was a top priority, and the ability to batch process multiple documents simultaneously stood out as a valuable feature. Whether its converting, compressing, or merging PDF files, batch processing saves time and accelerates workflow, which is why we considered this feature crucial in our selection.

Controlling the distribution and usage of your documents is vital. We explored how each alternative handles watermarking and permissions. Being able to add watermarks protects your documents from unauthorized use, while permission settings allow you to control who can view, edit, or share your documents.

The license under which the software is provided was another critical consideration. We searched for alternatives that offer a flexible licensing model, ensuring that individuals and businesses can find a suitable option that aligns with their needs and budget constraints.

Now, as we delve into the highlights of the five selected Adobe Acrobat alternatives, youll find a detailed analysis of how each one fares in the above criteria, providing a clear picture of what to expect.

With a balanced blend of essential features and user-friendly interfaces, these alternatives are poised to cater to a wide array of PDF editing and management needs without breaking the bank.

Nitro PDF Pro is a top contender when it comes to finding an alternative to Adobe Acrobat. With its impressive features and seamless user experience, Nitro PDF Pro offers a compelling solution for all your PDF editing needs.

One of the standout features of Nitro PDF Pro is its intuitive interface, making it easy for users to navigate and utilize the softwares extensive toolkit. From creating andediting PDF documentsto performing OCR and converting files to and from PDFs, Nitro PDF Pro covers all the essential PDF editing tasks with precision.

While Nitro PDF Pro excels in most areas, the only slight drawback is the editing of existing PDF content, which could be more seamless. However, this minor inconvenience is overshadowed by the softwares robust features, including a reliable OCR tool and impressive conversion capabilities.

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If youre looking for a powerful free alternative to Adobe Acrobat, PDF Reader Pro is an excellent choice. This streamlined PDF creator and editor offers a range of powerful features while being lightweight and fast. PDF Reader Pro is compatible with low-end PCs, making it accessible to users with various system specifications.

With PDF Reader Pro, you can easily create, compress, merge, and convert PDF files. The software also includes OCR and eSign features, allowing for efficient document management. The clean and fresh interface of PDF Reader Pro enhances productivity, ensuring that you can quickly find the tools you need to work with PDFs effectively.

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SmallPDF is a versatile online PDF tool that offers a wide range of features for creating, editing, converting, and compressingPDFfiles. Whether you need to merge multiple PDFs, convert files to different formats, or compress large PDFs, SmallPDF has got you covered.

One of the standout features of SmallPDF is its integration with popular cloud storage services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and Gmail. This allows for seamless access to your PDF files and simplifies the workflow of managing and sharing documents.

While SmallPDF offers a free version with limited functionality, its premium plans unlock additional features and remove restrictions. With its intuitive interface and extensive capabilities, SmallPDF proves to be a powerful alternative to Adobe Acrobat.

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PDF24 Creator is a free software that provides a streamlined PDF creation and editing experience. It offers a comprehensive set of features for managing PDF files, making it a popular choice among users seeking a free alternative to Adobe Acrobat.

With PDF24 Creator, you can easily combine, split, and merge PDF pages. The software also includes tools for compressing, converting, and editing PDF files. Despite being free software, PDF24 Creator offers powerful features that go above and beyond basic PDF editing tools.

The interface of PDF24 Creator is clean and user-friendly, allowing for a seamless workflow. Whether youre a beginner or an advanced user, PDF24 Creator provides the necessary tools to handle your PDF documents efficiently.

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Sejda is an onlinePDFeditor that offers a convincing set of features for editing, signing, and sharing PDF files. With its user-friendly interface and intuitive workflow, Sejda provides a seamless experience for both casual users and professionals.

One of the standout features of Sejda is its robust security process. All files uploaded to the server are automatically deleted after two hours, ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of your documents. This makes Sejda an ideal choice for businesses that prioritize data protection and compliance.

While the free version of Sejda has certain limitations, such as a restricted number of tasks per day and file size limitations, its affordable premium plans unlock unlimited access to all features. From editing text and images to adding annotations and signatures, Sejda offers a comprehensive set of tools for PDF manipulation.

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In a domain where Adobe Acrobat has long been revered, discovering the best Adobe Acrobat free alternatives opens up new vistas of possibilities. The range of free alternatives highlighted in this article not only stand their ground against Adobe Acrobat but offer a blend of robust features paired with user-friendly interfaces.

Be it editing a singular PDF file, merging an array of PDF documents, or compressing a hefty PDF file to a manageable size, theres a befitting free Adobe Acrobat alternative awaiting your exploration.

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Best Adobe Acrobat free alternatives - PC Guide - For The Latest PC Hardware & Tech News