Take Back the Tech Portable Apps v.09

What is a Portable App?

A Portable App is a computer program that you can store and carry around with you using a USB flash drive. These are basically small portable devices to store data, and are plugged into computers through a USB port. You can also use a portable hard drive or your iPod. Portable Apps allows you to have your software and personal data everywhere you go. All you need with a USB flash drive that has Portable Apps is a Windows computer. Simply click the Portable App you need and start using it.

What's more, once you unplug your USB drive, none of your personal data is left behind.

Just think of it as having your own computer with you all the time - except in the form of a flash drive - even when you use public or other people's computers.

Why Use Portable Apps?

Portable Apps is perfect for people who:

• use Internet cafes to get online
• need to be mobile
• share computers with other people
• want to keep their online activities secure

What's in the Take Back the Tech Portable Apps v.09?

The Take Back the Tech Portable Apps is customised to make your computer and online experience safer. As such, we've included secure Open Source web browsers, email clients and other security and encryption software.

1) Basic Productivity Tools

• Open Office Portable: This is the open source alternative to Microsoft Office. Create and edit documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
• Notepad: Light and simple text editor.
• Toaster: This is the Firefox browser bundled with TOR. TOR is a security tool that anonymises your web browsing. Think of it as being able to surf the web with no one being able to track where you go and where you're going.
• Thunderbird: This is an open source email client. Download and view your emails straight from your USB Flash Drive. This version of Thunderbird is bundled with Enigmail and PGP, which allows you to encrypt the email messages you send out and lets you view encrypted emails.
• Sumatra: a light & simple PDF reader
• 7Zip: This allows you to extract zipped files and folders

2) Graphics and Video

• GIMP: The GNU Image Manipulator Program (GIMP) lets you to create and edit images.
• Video Lan Card (VLC): This is an open source video viewer. Compatible with most video file formats.
• virtualdub: This allows you to capture and edit videos.

3) Security Tools

• ClamWin AV: This a anti-virus software. Run it on your USB flash drive and the computer you're using to ensure a virus-free session.
• Eraser: Remove all traces of your computer use and delete your files completely!
• TrueCript: This allows you to encrypt directories (folders) in your USB flash drive and your computer. This ensures that no one but you can view your selected directories.
• Keypass: Store all your password in one place and secure them with a master password.
• Toucan: This allows you to back up and encrypt your files and folders

4) Accessibility

• On-screen Keyboard: Places a keyboard on your screen. Great for people who have a hard time using computer keyboards.
• Virtual Magnifying Glass: Make fonts on the screen bigger.

5) Utilities

• Filezilla: File Transfer Protocol (FTP) client. Upload files to remote servers. For example, when you update a website, which means transferring files from your computer to a server that hosts your website.
• Win SCP: Encrypt your files as they are transferred via FTP using SSH - Secure Shell network protocol. In other words, secure FTP.
• PuTTY: x11 terminal application. Interact with remote machines securely.
• Toucan:This allows you to back up and encrypt your files and folders
• Win MD 5 Sum Portable:Do your MD 5 checksum to verify the files you send and receive. Most files that you can download from the internet has a sort of 'check digit'. If the check digit of the file that you download is equal to this MD5 file, then the file is authentic. This means that someone or something probably has not meddled or inserted anything into that file. Basically, it's to verify that the file you're downloading is what it says it is.

How to use the Take Back the Tech Portable Apps v.09?

You will need (at least) a 1 gigabyte USB flash drive. Or a portable hard drive.

First check, download and install the Win MD5 Sum software. This will help you to verify the authenticity & integrity of the Take Back the Tech Portable Apps zipped file :)

1. 1. Click here to download the Take Back the Tech Portable Apps zipped file (tbtt_portable_apps_ver-0.9.zip).
2. 2. Open the Win MD5 Sum application. Select the Take Back the Tech Portable Apps zipped file for verification.
3. 3. Extract the zipped file to your USB flash drive (this might take a while).
4. 4. Connect your USB flash drive to a computer.
5. 5. Click on the Portable App you need to use.

That's it. You can now bring your USB flash drive anywhere with you and plug it into any computer that you're using. All your data will be securely in your flash drive.

Don't worry if you don't (yet) know what most of these programmes do. Experimentation and play is one of the best ways to find out about communicating and interacting through the medium of technology!