Increasing Accessibility by Scraping Information From PDF

You may have heard about data scraping which is a method that is being used by computer programs in extracting data from an output that comes from another program. To put it simply, this is a process which involves the automatic sorting of information that can be found on different resources including the internet which is inside an html file, PDF or any other documents. In addition to that, there is the collection of pertinent information. These pieces of information will be contained into the databases or spreadsheets so that the users can retrieve them later.

Most of the websites today have text that can be accessed and written easily in the source code. However, there are now other businesses nowadays that choose to make use of Adobe PDF files or Portable Document Format. This is a type of file that can be viewed by simply using the free software known as the Adobe Acrobat. Almost any operating system supports the said software. There are many advantages when you choose to utilize PDF files. Among them is that the document that you have looks exactly the same even if you put it in another computer so that you can view it. Therefore, this makes it ideal for business documents or even specification sheets. Of course there are disadvantages as well. One of which is that the text that is contained in the file is converted into an image. In this case, it is often that you may have problems with this when it comes to the copying and pasting.

This is why there are some that start scraping information from PDF. This is often called PDF scraping in which this is the process that is just like data scraping only that you will be getting information that is contained in your PDF files. In order for you to begin scraping information from PDF, you must choose and exploit a tool that is specifically designed for this process. However, you will find that it is not easy to locate the right tool that will enable you to perform PDF scraping effectively. This is because most of the tools today have problems in obtaining exactly the same data that you want without personalizing them.

Nevertheless, if you search well enough, you will be able to encounter the program that you are looking for. There is no need for you to have programming language knowledge in order for you to use them. You can easily specify your own preferences and the software will do the rest of the work for you. There are also companies out there that you can contact and they will perform the task since they have the right tools that they can use. If you choose to do things manually, you will find that this is indeed tedious and complicated whereas if you compare this to having professionals do the job for you, they will be able to finish it in no time at all. Scraping information from PDF is a process where you collect the information that can be found on the internet and this does not infringe copyright laws.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Increasing-Accessibility-by-Scraping-Information-From-PDF&id=4593863

Connotate's Intelligent Web Scraping Technology Powers Investigative Reports

Data collected by Connotate, the leader in intelligent web scraping, has generated six news stories in major media outlets over the past two weeks, the company announced today.  Stories ranged from a deep look into Airbnb's practices to predicting if the Superbowl would be a commercial bust to determining the best New York neighborhoods for a last-minute Valentine's Day dinner.

"The use of web-sourced data in investigative journalism is a great example of its potential and power," said Keith Cooper, CEO of Connotate.  "And it's just one way – out of hundreds – that web data can be used. In fact, today our customers are using Connotate-sourced web data to improve everything from competitive and market intelligence to lead generation and contact management and far beyond."

Connotate employs sophisticated machine learning science to automate many previously manual data extraction tasks, and to ensure that processes are persistent – that is, don't break down if a website's content and design change.  Connotate provided to reporters the structured, organized data sourced from public websites that allowed them to arrive at fresh, fact-based insights.

Skift reporter Jason Klampet turned to Connotate to supply him with web-scraped data to determine whether the New York State Attorney General's office had a case against new apartment-sharing company Airbnb and claims of New York City lodging and tax regulation violations. Using automated Agents to pull specific data, , Connotate intelligent agents delivered a full month's set of listings for New York City, including inventory, availability, unit management, super-hosts and more. On February 13, Skift released two news items: "Airbnb in NYC: The Real Numbers Behind the Sharing Story" and "The 10 Airbnb Super-Hosts That Rule New York City."

CNET picked up the story and came out with its own, "Study finds 66 percent of NY's Airbnb listings may be illegal – A dive into Airbnb's listings reveals an interesting breakdown of the dwelling types available on the site, according to data-crunching firm Connotate."

Caryn Ganeles of the Village Voice used Connotate's data and infographic addressing 3,000 Manhattan restaurants to report the good news – the romantic West Village had the most seats available – and bad news – procrastinators had little chance of gaining entry into high-end restaurants for peak-hour meals. The story, "What's the Prime New York Neighborhood for Valentine's Day?" ran on February 14.

Just before the Super Bowl hit New Jersey, dropping ticket prices and an increasing number of hotel vacancies made spectators wonder whether the big game was turning into a big bust. Connotate's automated Web agents tracked the costs among tickets and hotel and determined patterns that gave the media the necessary insights to understand the situation. USA Today provided its coverage in "Super Bowl sales might be a sign of challenges ahead." The New York Daily News published "Owners of hotels nervous about vacancies days before Super Bowl."

About Connotate

Connotate puts the power of Web data monitoring and collection into the hands of the business user. Connotate delivers the scalability, reliability and resiliency necessary to drive strategic value from dynamic Web sources. Connotate's growing customer list includes global businesses such as McGraw-Hill, Associated Press and Thomson Reuters.

Source:http://www.sacbee.com/2014/02/27/6194335/connotates-intelligent-web-scraping.html

Google Places and Your Business Success

Google Places is now a crucial element to your business's online success, but did you know it? Have you even heard of this significant marketing website? Many new and even existing business owners have not heard of it, and they are losing out on a lot of potential profit because of it. If you want to get your business to the top of the search engine results and get more customers, then you need this service.

Google Places is a free business listing service run by Google. All you have to do to use it is type the name into Google, fill out the form, and submit your listing. This site will also provide you with free tips on how to make your listing work more for you.

This website was launched in 2009 by Google. It allows business owners to create a business profile, which can have as much contact information as you choose. You can also include pictures, videos, business hours, and even include a mark for your business's physical location on Google Maps. You can use this service even if you don't have a website, and your business can soar to the top of the Google search results with a listing alone. Once people find your listing, they will know what your business is, what it does, and how to contact you. What could be better?

Not only is Google Places a great listing service, it is also interactive. Users can leave reviews of your business for other people to see. This will help people decide if you are a business they can trust, and the more reviews you get, the closer to the top of the search engine results your listing will be. In order to encourage customers to leave a review, simply send them an email asking them to do so. You can use an auto responder to do this automatically for new customers.

You'll also want to make sure the contact information you list in other business directories online is accurate, as Google Places scrapes information from these other sites. You don't want inaccurate information appearing in your listing! Finally, be sure to use the proper keywords to describe your business in your listing. Think of what words potential customers may type into Google when searching for your particular product or service, then use those words in your business description. It will help you get closer to the top of the search engine listings and allow your customers to find you more easily.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Google-Places-and-Your-Business-Success&id=5781751