acrobat

The default options for viewing PDF documents in OS X are Apple's built-in rendering technologies available in Safari and Preview; however, there are times when some documents will not display properly in these programs. In these instances, you can use Adobe Reader and its accompanying Web plug-in to usually view these documents with success.

For those who use Adobe's Reader and Acrobat programs, Adobe has issued an update that fixes a couple of security holes in the program that could cause the program to crash and allow arbitrary execution of code. While this reasoning has been regularly issued … Read more

It's not surprising that Adobe's Acrobat and Reader are the top PDF tools, since Adobe invented PDFs, but if there's a factor driving the market for third-party PDF tools (other than cost, since Reader is free) it's the time it takes Adobe's big programs to load. What if Acrobat or Reader could load as fast as the lightweights? That's where PDF SpeedUp enters the race. It makes Acrobat and Reader load faster by disabling plug-ins, updates, splash screens, and other startup slowdowns. You can allow the plug-ins and features you want or enable them … Read more

In early December, Adobe issued a security bulletin regarding new zero-day PDF-based attacks that took advantage of flaws in its Reader and Acrobat programs, allowing a hacker to crash the program and take control of the system.

The flaw was initially found to be in Reader and Acrobat versions 9.4.6 and X (10.1.1) on all supported platforms, with a similar flaw later being found in Adobe's Flash Player, though in its security bulletin Adobe claims this is not the same issue as those in Reader and Acrobat.

Despite it being present in multiple platforms and … Read more

Soda PDF, the popular Adobe Acrobat alternative, jumped to version 2012 today.

All three editions--Standard, Professional, and Pro + OCR--have been outfitted with a redesigned user interface and improved PDF editing features. Now, users can split PDF documents or extract specific pages in just one click. Also, simple operations like selecting text and rearranging elements should be a bit easier.

But the biggest addition to the product is Soda's new 3D View. This patent-pending technology presents PDF files like a book, allowing you to grab and manipulate a page just as you might in the physical world. While it's … Read more

Yesterday Adobe released a security bulletin that discusses a new attack which is targeting a flaw in its Acrobat and Reader programs.

The flaw affects both version 9.4.6 and 10.1.1 of its Reader and Acrobat programs, on all supported platforms, which include both Windows and Macintosh PCs.

Described only as a "U3D memory corruption" vulnerability, if the attacker takes advantage of it by releasing a compromised PDF document that when opened causes the target system to crash, it allows the attacker to take control of the system. Adobe does not go into any additional … Read more

Hackers are exploiting a previously unknown flaw in Reader to attack computers running Windows, Adobe said today.

A patch for the critical vulnerability in Reader and Acrobat is expected by next week, the company said in a blog post.

The vulnerability, which is being exploited in "limited, targeted attacks in the wild against Adobe Reader 9.x on Windows," could allow an attacker to take control of the system, Adobe said.

Adobe is finalizing a fix and expects to release an update for Reader and Acrobat 9.x for Windows no later than the week of December 12, … Read more

Foxit PhantomPDF is a blazing-fast PDF creator and editor that gets the job done. It comes in three different editions--Express, Standard, and Business--all of which are easy to use and significantly less expensive than Adobe Acrobat.

Foxit PhantomPDF's interface has the look and feel common to most document and word-processing software: a menu bar, customizable, icon-based toolbars, and a main display. In addition, the program features a distinctive, ultrathin navigation panel on the far left that allows quick access to documents via bookmarks or thumbnails as well as attachments, signatures, and layers. Hovering the cursor over the subtly colored … Read more

Foxit PhantomPDF is a blazing-fast PDF creator and editor that gets the job done. It comes in three different editions--Express, Standard, and Business--all of which are easy to use and significantly less expensive than Adobe Acrobat.

Foxit PhantomPDF's interface has the look and feel common to most document and word-processing software: a menu bar, customizable, icon-based toolbars, and a main display. In addition, the program features a distinctive, ultrathin navigation panel on the far left that allows quick access to documents via bookmarks or thumbnails as well as attachments, signatures, and layers. Hovering the cursor over the subtly colored … Read more

Phishers use all kinds of come-ons to lure their victims. But one persistent piece of spam tries to trick people by offering an upgrade to Adobe Acrobat.

Detailed by security provider Cloudmark in a blog posted yesterday, this type of advertising spam e-mails users a notice to upgrade to the new Adobe Acrobat Reader. Those who click on the link are directed to a Web site touting the benefits of the software.

The Web site domain name contains the word "adobe," says Cloudmark, as an attempt to give it some kind of legitimacy. But of course, it's … Read more