While looking for some portable apps to add to my USB drive I came across really cool utility for working with PDF files. The app is called PDFTK Builder. It’s a standalone program (so you can carry it around on your USB flash drive, iPod, portable hard drive or a CD and use it on any computer, without leaving any personal information behind) that allows you to:

- Merge multiple PDF files into one
- Insert certain pages from one PDF into another
- Rearrange, delete pages, rotate pages within the PDF
- Split single PDF document into multiple files
- Password protect PDF document
- Disable Priting functionality and more

Overview

PDFTK Builder is a pdf manipulation utility for Windows with a great array of features including:

• Collate - allows you to rearrange (reorder, delete, & duplicate) pages in a single document and/or merge pages from multiple PDF documents.
• Split - allows you to separate each page of a PDF document into its own file.
• Background or Stamp - 'Background' enables you to add a background to each page in a document or just the first page. The 'background' (eg a company logo, or a 'draft' watermark) must be another PDF document (the first page of that document if it has more than one page). 'Stamp' is very similar to 'background' except that the 'stamp' is placed on top of the source document.
• Rotate - 'Rotate' enables you to rotate a range of pages in a document.
• Password Protection - The new document can be password protected (encrypted) by providing 'owner' and 'user' passwords. The 'owner' password does not stop users from reading the document, but it does restrict the actions that users can perform on that document - printing, copying, decrypting etc. Specifying a 'user' password will stop anyone without either 'user' or 'owner' passwords from opening and reading the document.
• Publisher - PortableApps.com and download here. PDFTK Builder Portable easily integrates with the PortableApps.com Suite™.

Google releases the next version of Google Desktop for windows, Google Desktop 5.8. This version of Google Desktop have improved performance, the official Google Blog says. It says that they had done the performance tests simulation a typical user's behaviour when using Google Desktop.

They have also improved the anonymous diagnostics, which, if the user is opted in, not only will send information about such events as crashes, but also detects and report situations where the product could be making the users system slow to respond.

Google claims that they found a new way to cut memory usage during start-ups, and that the system shutdowns now are five times faster than before. Also says that certain type of usage and interactions with third party software can trigger problems. This version had fixed some issues like the computer getting slowed down when certain type of files are being added to the search index and the one that makes computers unresponsive during Google Desktop start up.
Here are some of the main changes included in the new version.

• Some problem might be cerated by some of the third party Google dekstop gadgets and a sytem had been added to detect when a gadget is causing your system to perform poorly, and gives you the option to remove that gadget.
• Reduced the number of processes that google Dekstop runs and processes are recycled frequently
• Improved the coverage and increased the stability of Outlook support.

Disable Windows Indexing Service to improve performance

Windows Indexing Service creates indexes of the contents and properties of all files on local and network drives in order to increase file searching speed. But the downside is that your PC’s general performance will slow down because it has to index files continuously. So if you are not very particular about the slight increase in search speed or if you use a third party search engine like the Google Desktop Search or Copernic, then you can safely disable the indexing service. There are more than one ways of doing that.

One way is to disable it at the drive level. To disable it for a particular drive, open My Computer -> right-click on a Drive icon -> Select Properties -> Remove the checkmark from “Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching” -> Click Apply. Make sure to select “Apply changes to :\, subfolders and files.” before clicking OK in the new window.

Another way is to disable the service totally. To do that navigate to: Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services and stop the service.

If you are sure that you would not be using the Indexing Services at all, then you might consider uninstalling it from your system. To do that go to Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel. Click the Add/Remove Window Components and Uncheck Indexing Services.

Note: Indexing Service is turned on by default for all NTFS partitions.

xVideoServiceThief is an open source download manager designed specifically for just downloading videos from Youtube and alike video sharing websites. I know there are dozens if not more Youtube downloaders out there but this one is really different. Let’s quickly go over some of its features.

1. Cross Platform

The program available for Windows (both XP and Vista), Mac and Linux PCs. So it can be installed pretty much everywhere.

2. Download more than 1 video at a time

As you would expect from any other download manager it can download several files simultaneoulsy. In the below screenshot you can see that the recommended value is 4/6 videos at the same time.

3. Built-in video converter

xVideoServiceThief comes with integrated video converter which can convert downloaded videos to AVI (Windows), WMV, MPEG 1/2, MP4 (Apple iPod), 3GP (mobile phone) and MP3 formats. For more advanced users there are optional settings to control the output video resolution, audio sampling and video frame rates.
The really cool thing about it is that it can be fully automated. You simpy enter the URL of the video you want to download and xVideoServiceThief will then download, automatically convert it to selected video format and store it in the specified folder. Sweet.

4. Supports 50+ Video Websites

xVideoServiceThief can handle videos from 50+ video sharing sites. I have successfully tested it with videos from Youtube, Dailymotion, Google Video and some other popular video sharing sites. Other than a coupe of errors with Metacafe videos there were no problems whatsoever.

The full list of sites xVideoServiceThief can download videos from:
* 123video, * 5min, * aBum, * Aniboom, * Bebo, * Blip, * Boingboing TV, * Break, * Broadcaster, * Caught On Video, * Ceknito, * CinemaVIP, * Clip4e, * ClipFish, * Dailymotion, * Dumpalink, * GameSpot, * GameTrailers, * Glumbert, * Google Video, * GodTube, * LiveVideo, * Lulu TV, * Metacafe, * MySpaceTv, * MySpass, * MyVideo, * Sclipo, * Spike, * Stage6, * Tu.tv, * Tudou, * Video.ca, * VideoLeak, * Yahoo Video, * Yikers, * YourFileHost, * YouTube, * YouTubeIslam, * Zaable, * ZanyVideos, * ZappInternet, * Zedge, * ZippyVideos, * Zuuble

Other Cool Features

* Pause/resume downloads (though the pause/resume feature doesn’t work for all websites)
* Session Manager: Save/Restore your download lists
* Keeps a list of all downloaded videos (Date + Title + URL)
* Control which websites are allowed and which websites must be blocked.

Download xVideoServiceThief.

For people who love to carry software on a USB drive, here’s something you have been waiting for.

Carsten has created a portable version of Google Chrome that has all the features available in the the main browser but requires no installation - just unzip all the files and start Chroming.

This portable Google browser can run directly from the USB stick on any Windows computer and all user settings including web history, cookies, etc. will also get saved to the same folder on the stick.

To download, go to Carsten’s site (English). Portable Chrome is tested on Windows XP SP3 and Windows Vista SP1 machines.

Also see: Create Multiple Profiles in Google Chrome

Google’s Chrome Browser is not only real, it’s almost available to users for download. According to the Google Blog Chrome will become available for download tomorrow morning in more than 100 countries. The Beta launch of Chrome was announced in an official blog post called A fresh take on the browser.

Wait - Where’s the Download?
(Added by author) It’s the morning of Tuesday September 2, and the download remains unavailable. We’ll keep an eye out, but if you want to refresh like crazy, be sure to visit Google’s Chrome page (currently redirecting to Google.com) that resides under Google Gears.

An Attack on Microsoft?
As the search industry merges with the technology industry, I want to echo sentiments that Dow Jones’ Kara Swisher expressed on her blog.
I received an email from one of Kara’s colleagues, Christine Mohan, with this quote as well, who alerted me to Kara’s post:
“Sources told me definitively Google will launch the browser–which is its most blatant attack on Microsoft yet–as early as tomorrow for download by consumers.”
Christine Mohan emailed me after I posted an article earlier today called Google Chrome, Google’s Web Browser: Is it Real?

Well, yes. It is real - and in the hours since my post went live here on Search Engine Journal, a number of other media outlets ran with the story, accumulating more facts and traction along the way. A short while ago, Arnold Zafra posted on the official announcement of Chrome here on SEJ as well.

The Death of the Rumors
When I posted earlier today, Chrome was simply a pile of rumors. And, rumors are just that. Once the media outlets began running with the story, I suspect that Google felt some pressure to get their blog updated. Now, I say that half joking - because let’s face the facts… Mailing out comic books to influential technology authors is hardly an accident.

Here are some of the more prominent stories I’ve come across on the announcement of Chrome:

• The Entire Google Chrome Browser Blog Announcement
• The Chrome is out of the bag: Google’s browser arrives Tuesday
• The Official Google Blog: A fresh take on the browser
• Get Ready for Google Chrome: New Open-Source Web Browser
• Google Chrome: Google Open Source Browser
• Google to Offer its Own Browser: Chrome
• Breaking: Google Is Polishing Off Chrome, Its New Web Browser

Screenshots of Google Chrome
Techcrunch published some screenshots of Google Chrome earlier today…

What’s Next?
There will certainly be a frenzy surrounding Chrome on Tuesday morning once everyone begins their Beta downloads and users begin to experience Chrome first hand. In the meantime, stay tuned to Search Engine Journal and other media outlets for more information.

Google’s Chrome Browser: What You Need to Know | Searchenginejournal