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Text and bitmapped images are two different kinds of animals. Text can be typed, edited, copied, pasted, deleted, and processed. Images, however, are a bunch of pixels in a grid that combine in the right way to convey some sort of information: they resemble a photo, an illustration, or rendered text. So where can the two meet?

Optical-character recognition (OCR) was the name we gave to extracting text from images. But the term has gone out of favor as software increasingly and automatically tries to identify text in an image and make it searchable and, often, available for copying.

If you are trying to access text in images you have, whether documents, photos, or forms, you have many options available. These types also include PDFs with scanned images that have no text layer already inserted or extracted. You may already have a free account or paid subscription to one of the services below or own the software.

Here are several ways to extract text and a few that also allow searching. For a quick test, I compared the same legible typeset magazine copy from a 1920sPopular Mechanicsarticle about comic-strip production and found vastly different results. You can see the figures below with each app or service noted. PDFpen and macOS Montereys Live Text performed extremely accurately. OneNote, once Microsoft had performed its delayed recognition, was quite close to those two as well. Evernote shows matches within the text as you type and appeared to rival Monterey and PDFpen. All four were overwhelmingly better than Acrobat and Google Docs, which had embarrassingly poor results.

In the upcoming release of macOS 12 Monterey (as well as in iOS 15 and iPadOS 15), Safari automatically recognizes text in images on a web page and in the Photos app when youre viewing an image. You can select and copy that text. The feature requires Apples neural engine, available in M1 Apple silicon Macs and mobiles with anA12 Bionic chipor later, which appeared starting in some iPhones in 2018 and some iPads in 2019. You can test this outusing the public beta. It does an excellent job.

Opening a PDF within Acrobat Pro DC typically automatically starts text recognition. When complete, you can select any ranges of text to copy. OCR within Acrobat is part of a full Creative Cloud subscription ($52.59 to $79.49 per month), and Adobe offers Acrobat-specific plans as well (from $14.99 to $24.99 per month). The results, however, arent good.

Evernote performs OCR on any image or PDF with embedded images imported into the service or captured via a mobile devices camera. This makes the text fully searchable, but it bafflinglydoesnt let you copy recognized text. (An exported PDF will require the text layer added, however.) The free tier allows searching text in images; the paid tier ($7.99 per month) is required for searching with PDFs, whether they include text or the text is extracted by OCR.

Available at free tiers and paid ones, you upload the PDF or image to Google Drive, either via Google Drive on your desktop or in a web browser. Then open the file in Google Docs. This action imports the image or PDF and pastes the extracted text with some formatted below. As you can see, the service didnt perform well at all.

OneNote automatically checks any image pasted into a OneNote page for text. Control-click the image and select Copy Text from Picture. However,Microsoft notes, The OCR Text recognition process is a very complex one that uses Microsoft online services and therefore can take a few minutes for simple pictures and up to hours for complex ones before the Copy Text from Picture command is available when you Control-click the picture. Given that Apple, Google, and third-party apps can perform OCR instantly, perhaps OneNote is lagging, though the results are very good. OneNote is part of Microsoft 365 subscriptions.

PDFpen is an excellent app for working with PDFs. To covert text in PDFpen, chooseEdit > OCR Pageor hold down Option and chooseEdit > OCR Document. If there are existing OCR text layers, you have to clear them first viaEdit > Clear OCR Layer in Page/Document. PDFpen comes in regular ($79.95) and Pro ($129.95) versions. The job it did on my test was impressive.

Weve compiled a list of the questions we get asked most frequently, along with answers and links to columns:read our super FAQto see if your question is covered. If not, were always looking for new problems to solve! Email yours tomac911@macworld.com, including screen captures as appropriate and whether you want your full name used. Not every question will be answered, we dont reply to email, and we cannot provide direct troubleshooting advice.

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Live Text in macOS Monterey destroys these paid text extraction apps - Macworld

Youll probably want to consider couple different VPNs before committing to one. In order to make your search easier, weve compared HotSpot Shield with two of its competitors, ProtonVPN and CyberGhost.

HotSpot is by far the most expensive option, but it does come with some features that could potentially make it worth it, depending on what your priorities are. Hotspot Shield comes with a password manager and a spam blocker as part of its plan. This includes a platform to manage your passwords, generate unique ones and notifications when your account or passwords have been compromised. The spam blocker will block calls that are spam but also allow you to look up numbers to verify whether or not they are spam. If these two tools are ones you plan to use, or are already paying for, it may factor into the total cost of the service.

Hotspot Shield also offers a free version, which many VPN services do not offer. The free version allows you to connect one device and has limited data of up to 500 MB per day. However, if you havent used a VPN before, or want to get a sense of Hotspot Shields user interface, it could be a good option to start with.

Hotspot Shield allows you to connect up to five devices for its standard paid plan. With the premium family planwhich costs $11.99 per month or $143.88 annuallyyoull be able to share the VPN with up to five members, and each member will be able to use up to five devices. The company outshines the competition with its money-back guarantee policy of 45 days, while the industry standard is 30 days or less.

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Hotspot Shield VPN Review: A Pricey But Reliable VPN With Added Security Features - Forbes

Review OnePlus has been under fire in recent weeks over benchmark tests that appeared to throttle real-world performance of the OnePlus 9 series, dividing fans who think a fullbore Snapdragon 888 might be overegging the pudding for most use cases and others who like to run a hotter handset.

Throughout its lifetime, OnePlus has tried to figure out where it stands within the increasingly crowded mobile market. The company first targeted the burgeoning enthusiast segment, which was otherwise ignored amid a sea of mass-market blowers. Since then, it would be fair to say that it has swung between aspirational and affordable mid-rangers.

The OnePlus 9 Pro is an example of the former. It doesn't exactly push any boundaries, and sacrifices novelty on the altar of sophistication, but it's not damaged by it. Benchmark disputes notwithstanding, it's a well-rounded phone, delivering on performance, screen quality, and imaging.

The display measures 6.7 inches and uses an AMOLED panel, with a QHD (1,440x3,216) resolution. Colour fidelity was top-notch, and the OnePlus 9 Pro delivered a welcome degree of realism, particularly when it comes to the darker hues that can appear washed out on cheaper panels. Brightness was above par, with the company claiming the device can hit 1,300 nits at its peak. In practice, this means content is easily readable, even in the sunniest of outdoor conditions.

Speaking of running hot, while the display can run at up to 120Hz, in practice you may want to crank that down to a more reasonable 90Hz to conserve battery, while also getting the benefit of judder-free animations and scrolling.

Underneath the hardy Gorilla Glass 5 lurks a highly responsive fingerprint reader, and although The Reg typically prefers a physical rear-mounted one, this works OK.

On the RAM front, the OnePlus 9 Pro is offered in both 8GB and 12GB variations. Storage comes in two flavours: 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.1. OnePlus provided The Register with the 12GB/256GB model, which retails at a cool 929. The base 8GB/128GB model is 100 cheaper, but those with a tendency to hoard apps and content should probably pay the difference as there's no MicroSD slot to be found.

The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 platform, with support for 5G baked in. This gives a fluid experience, with zero lag to be found when opening apps, and webpages rendering almost immediately. More challenging tasks, like a few sessions of PUBG Mobile, were similarly smooth.

Moving on to the battery, you get a 4,500mAh cell, which delivers a full day's worth of life with moderate use. In practice, that means cranking the refresh rate to 90Hz, using Wi-Fi over 5G, and limiting your consumption of games and video.

There is support for 65W wired USB-C charging, and 50W wireless charging. OnePlus claims this can fully replenish the battery from empty in just 29 minutes and 43 minutes respectively, and its estimates were not far from the mark.

As you'd expect, the OnePlus 9 Pro comes with the latest (for now) Android 11, which comes skinned in the company's own OxygenOS. This reviewer generally has a bit of trepidation when it comes to custom experiences, but OxygenOS was conservative and intuitive, building on the best bits of stock Android.

Photography has been OnePlus's weakness, allowing rival manufacturers, notably Samsung and Huawei, to overtake it.

This time around, the company has partnered with optics outfit Hasselblad. While partnerships of this flavour aren't a guarantee of quality (as is the case with Nokia's long-standing engagement with Zeiss), it's hard to fault the snaps produced on the OnePlus 9 Pro.

It comes with four cameras. The primary one uses a 48MP sensor, attached to a wide-angle lens. This delivered great shots, with faithful colour reproduction and oodles of detail. The inclusion of optical image stabilisation (OIS) minimises blur when capturing photos in environments where you are liable to be jolted and nudged, such as when on a busy street, and its autofocus was extremely fast.

Another nice touch although expected given the price is the inclusion of a telephoto lens. Although this doesn't have the longest range we've ever seen (3.3x) and is attached to an 8MP sensor, it nonetheless produces sharp and vibrant images.

There's also a 50MP ultra-wide and a 2MP monochrome lurking within the bulbous camera module. Meanwhile, on the front of the device, you'll spot a 16MP wide-angle selfie camera, which lends itself to video calling with multiple participants in the frame.

The first OnePlus phone was introduced in 2013. Since then, the Android market has changed dramatically, with those fighting in the middle tiers increasingly squeezed. By contrast, the higher end of the market feels comparatively sparse, with the only real competitor Samsung (particularly given the decline of Huawei).

In recent years, OnePlus has reoriented itself to this tier, culminating in the OnePlus 9 Pro.

As for this model, the camera is exceptional. Performance is solid, although that 12GB of RAM is overkill. While it may be a touch too big for some people, the display is gorgeous. This reviewer falls in the camp that likes the revamped OxygenOS - although some have criticised recent iterations for bloatware - and we're reassured by OnePlus's recent commitment to provide three OS updates and four years of security updates.

It's probably not the best value when compared to other mid-rangers we've seen recently, like the ZTE Axon 30 Ultra. And it is attached to a steep asking price: it retails for 899.00 or 829 for the 8GB version (999and 929 for 12GB) and across the pond, $1,069.

For a touch over 800, it does feel like a genuine flagship. But while it has many of the finer touches and is a worthy successor to the OnePlus 8T, which we reviewed last year, you can't help but wonder if it can muster a flagship target market with deep pockets where the buyers of cut-price Android on steroids once were.

Did we mention the benchmarks?

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We clock what you're trying to do here: El Reg strokes a claw across the OnePlus 9 Pro - The Register

Pics The Hubble Space Telescope is back in action doing what it does best capturing stunning images of the universe after more than 50 NASA engineers worked hundreds of hours to get the instrument working again.

After activating redundant components within the orbiting observatory on Friday to clear a hardware glitch, the telescope has been able to use its sensors again. NASA released two photos of oddball galaxies Hubble snapped over the weekend: one depicting two galaxies intersecting each other, and the other showing a large spiral galaxy with three arms.

Left: ARP-MADORE2115-273 is a picture of two galaxies colliding in the southern hemisphere. Right: ARP-MADORE0002-503 is a large spiral galaxy with three arms ... Click to enlarge. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, STScI, Julianne Dalcanton (UW), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

About a month ago, Hubble's onboard payload computer, which controls its instruments, mysteriously froze, forcing the main computer to put the observatory's sensors into an inactive safe mode. It was feared by some that ol Hubble was a goner after attempts to revive the machine failed.

NASA had to dig up 30 to 40-year-old documents to investigate the hardware lock-up, and engineers were even called out of retirement for advice. By switching to backup power supply electronics as well as a backup payload computer, the US space agency was finally able to bring Hubble back online.

Now it's all systems go and now hopefully the Hubble controller's biggest headache will be dealing with the backlog of requested observations.

Im thrilled to see that Hubble has its eye back on the universe, once again capturing the kind of images that have intrigued and inspired us for decades, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement.

This is a moment to celebrate the success of a team truly dedicated to the mission. Through their efforts, Hubble will continue its 32nd year of discovery, and we will continue to learn from the observatorys transformational vision.

At first, NASA thought the problem was down to a faulty memory module that had degraded over time from absorbing too much cosmic radiation. But utilizing an alternative onboard module didnt fix the issue. Further analysis suggested the glitch had something to do with an iffy power control unit. When the team switched to a backup unit to power the backup payload computer, Hubble came roaring back to life.

The switch required 15 hours of spacecraft commanding from the ground, said Jim Jeletic, deputy project manager of the Hubble Space Telescope working at NASAs Goddard Space Center.

The main computer had to be turned off, and a backup safe mode computer temporarily took over the spacecraft. Several boxes also had to be powered on that were never turned on before in space, and other hardware needed their interfaces switched.

This isn't Hubble's first outage. In 2008, its Science Instrument and Command & Data Handling unit failed and a four-person crew of astronauts repaired the machine in orbit in 2009. Backup components in that replacement hardware was booted up 12 years later to deal with this crisis.

The telescope was launched in 1990, and was designed to last 15 years. Over 30 years later, however, its still toiling away and observing the heavens.

Hubble is in good hands, said Kenneth Sembach, director of the Space Telescope Science Institute, which helps conduct Hubble science operations. The Hubble team has once again shown its resiliency and prowess in addressing the inevitable anomalies that arise from operating the worlds most famous telescope in the harshness of space.

I am impressed by the teams dedication and common purpose over the past month to return Hubble to service. Now that Hubble is once again providing unprecedented views of the universe, I fully expect it will continue to astound us with many more scientific discoveries ahead.

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Not only is Hubble back online after outage, it's already taking photos of the cosmos - The Register

Next billion-dollar enterprise software companies will be born outside the US.

Ive written frequently about how the next wave of developer-focused software companies will fuel a $1 trillion enterprise software market, driven by trends such as free open source platforms and flexible API building blocks. The market fundamentals that underpin this trillion-dollar software sector are clear: as every company transforms into a software companya transformation only accelerated by the pandemicdevelopers are in the drivers seat. They want to choose their own tools, technologies and platforms, not products foisted on them by their employers. Thus, enterprise software companies that understand and cater to developer needs stand to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue in the years to come.

But what sets this next trillion-dollar enterprise software wave apart, distinct from the earlier waves of SaaS software and public cloud, is that the next billion-dollar enterprise companies could be born in any country. Most large software companies today are headquartered in the US, but in the next few years, we will see several billion-dollar enterprise leaders emerge in Europe, Asia, Israel, and Latin America. Thats because the very nature of developer-driven softwareglobal, distributed, bottoms-up, collaborativeprovides a fertile ground for developer-focused entrepreneurs to build their companies anywhere. Developers dont care if great open source code or APIs got their start in Boston, Bangalore or Buenos Aires, they just want to use the best platforms available. And theyre accustomed to collaborating with developers all over the world, sharing ideas on forums, writing code for global open source projects, and reading articles written by their peers working on similar projects.

Already, were seeing developer-focused software companies spring up around the world that have attained, or are set to attain, multi-billion-dollar valuations. For example, JFrog, an Israel-born software company that went public in September 2020 is now worth more than $4 billion. Postman, a US/Bangalore company building a collaboration platform for API development announced a $150 million Series C round at a $2 billion valuation in the middle of the pandemic and BrowserStack, an Indian cloud web and mobile testing platform completed a $200 million round at a $4 billion valuation in June of this year.

A wide range of earlier-stage developer-driven software companies born outside the US that are also on track to be billion-dollar businesses include Stream, a leader in API-driven chat messaging and activity feed solutions founded in Amsterdam; Rasa, developers of open source conversational AI tools founded in Berlin; Evervault, a provider of encryption tools for developers based in Dublin; Nozomi Networks, an IoT security leader founded in Switzerland; Supabase, an early-stage open source database company based in Singapore; and Jina, an open source AI company based in Berlin with development teams in China. All of these companies have developers using their products all over the globe, and they sell to enterprise customers worldwide.

Venture Capital Investment in Enterprise Companies by Country

Venture capital investors have traditionally focused on funding US-based enterprise software firms, but now that the focus has shifted to developer-driven software, opportunity is everywhere. Investment trends show a shift toward global investment in enterprise software companies. Analyzing Pitchbook data showing the total venture capital dollars invested in enterprise software companies globally between 2017 and 2021 (with numbers projected through the end of the year), we found that investors are increasingly backing companies outside the US, albeit at a stop-and-go pace of change. In 2017, the US captured 69% of total venture dollars invested in enterprise software companies, falling to 49% in 2018 when deals in China and Singapore surged, then climbing back to 61% by 2020. For 2021, its projected that the US will account for 59% of the total venture investment in enterprise companies. During the last five years, companies that continued to gain investment dollars include Germany, the UK, and Spain, while Israel, France, and Brazil largely held steady.

If the pandemic has proven anything, its that countries around the world are deeply connected, but software developers have known that for years already. Whether a developer lives in Bangalore or Budapest, they want the best tools for the job, no matter where they were first created. And they collaborate with one another through forums, Github, shared projects, and open source communities. Enterprise software companies that build tools and platforms for the global developer community, and truly understand the needs and mindset of this diverse group, are well positioned to become billion-dollar brands, no matter where they get started.

My firm, GGV Capital, is an investor in Nozomi Networks, Stream, and Jina, all mentioned in this article.

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Why The Next Billion-Dollar Enterprise Software Companies Will Be Born Outside The US - Forbes