USB Flash Drives aren’t really like floppy discs of days gone by; with a floppy disc you were limited to the amount of data you could possibly lose if you misplaced it. A modern day 32GB drive would equate to the equivalent of almost 23,000 floppy discs worth of information precariously stored on a keyring sized device; this represents a huge amount of data which could easily end up in the wrong hands.

The need for encryption doesn’t stop with flash pens; those that hold particularly sensitive information on their computers may like to encrypt a particular file or drive, so that if the machine is stolen the data contained within will be rendered essentially useless.

As a result of these valid concerns I have been testing encryption software with the intention that I could recommend a suitable application for Click readers in order that they can protect any confidential data. I settled on TrueCrypt which is an open source application that can be obtained via a tiny 2.5MB download free of charge from www.truecrypt.org.

Whilst TrueCrypt is incredibly easy to install, I found that things quickly start to get a little trickier once you actually start using the application and as such I would recommend skimming over the rather thick user guide before getting started. The application has been designed by people passionate about security and this is evident in the fact that you are actually given options as to the way you would like things encrypted and the strength of the cipher.

Some other applications that I tried didn’t get you as involved in the process but as a result they also didn’t give you such a high level of control. I personally quite enjoyed the ‘Plausible Deniability’ feature which allows you to set up a dummy password which would unlock the drive but give a false indication that there was in fact nothing stored on it. The idea behind this is that should you be held at gunpoint (!) or possibly more dangerously, forced by the wife, to reveal your secrets then you could easily get yourself off the hook.

You have several choices as to how you encrypt your data. You can of course completely encrypt the drive so that you have to supply a password to access any of your files but additionally you are able to create a smaller encrypted virtual partition. Setting up an encrypted partition means you can use the drive normally for files that you don’t need protecting but then store any confidential information in the smaller, encrypted partition.

When working with Flash Drives you have the option of installing a small decrypting application so that you can then read the files on any other machine; you simply insert the flash drive in to the machine, enter your password and your files are then visible and ready to be worked on.

As a word of warning, there is no workaround should you happen to lose your password; once your files are encrypted they are going to stay that way until the correct password is used to unlock them. You could attempt to circumvent the password by setting an application in motion to brute force crack the encryption but this could take hundreds, thousands or even millions of years depending on the level of protection employed. Don’t say you haven’t been warned!

Last year I reviewed Google SketchUp for Click and thought that I’d give it another spin before decided it was possibly a little bit too complicated for the relatively simple room designs that I wanted to create. I was looking for something more along the line of the basic CAD (Computer Aided Design) applications that members of the public are allowed to use in stores such as IKEA. After a little searching I stumbled across a free of charge, open source application called ‘Sweet Home 3D’ which seemed to fit the bill perfectly.

There are several different versions of the software available, including those for Linux and Mac Operating Systems however most users will probably be interested in the 25mb Windows version which can be downloaded free of charge from http://sweethome3d.sourceforge.net. Interestingly there is also a Java version which runs directly from any Java compatible Internet browser therefore removing the need for an initial download and installation.

As the name suggests, this program is primarily aimed towards those looking to do an element of interior home design; it isn’t a fully blown CAD package. What makes it so easy to use is that you simply give it the dimensions of your room(s) so you can get the walls in the right places, then it is just a case of dropping in objects such as bathtubs, beds and kitchen units. All your furniture is separated in to different categories such as ‘kitchen’, ‘bathroom’ and ‘bedroom’ which makes selecting the correct item incredibly easy. Over fifty pieces of furniture come in the initial installation but there are literally hundreds of additional 3D models can be downloaded free of charge which range from a telephone point to a spiral staircase.

The size and colour of the items are easily adapted so whilst you may not be able to find something that closely matches the sofa on page 5 of the DFS catalogue you should get a fair approximation. When you’re happy with your 2D design you are then able to switch to a 3D view in order that you can get an idea as to how it will look in real life.

Whilst Sweet Home 3D isn’t at all comprehensive when compared to other CAD packages, this is also what makes it special. Unlike an application such as AutoCAD, it should take literally minutes to get to grips with rather than taking you three months to learn and costing you hundreds. Those looking for something advanced will probably be disappointed but those looking to quickly knock up a room design or a floor plan should find this application ideal.