PdfMeNot converts PDF to Flash

Author: Gareth Halfacree
Published: 13th February 2008

The new service is currently in limited beta, but will officially launch on Thursday.

The latest update to Adobe's ubiquitous Reader software has highlighted major shortcomings in the security of the Portable Document Format used all-too-often by web masters to ensure a magazine-like look to distributed materials.

While keeping your software up-to-date is important, the team behind the infamous BugMeNot compulsory registration bypass system has pre-announced a way to read PDF files without ever opening them on your computer.

Called PdfMeNot–and there's a surprise–the software is designed to offer a Flash-based PDF reader right in your browser. All the work is done on PdfMeNot's servers, so you don't run the risk of having your system exploited just because you downloaded the latest spec sheet for that new motherboard.

Although sites like Google have been offering a PDF-to-HTML conversion system for a long time, PdfMeNot is one of the very few that doesn't miss the point of using PDF in the first place: rich text and graphics that match the print equivalent as closely as is possible.

Due for official launch on Thursday, you can try out PdfMeNot early using the username stateless and password systems.

A nice idea addition to the browser toolbelt, or are the fears over PDF security unfounded? Give us your opinion on the new service over in the forums.