Free open-source folder locking/encryption software

When my system crashed in the last month, I sent it to the servicing center for repair and when I returned the next day to collect the system, servicing people were watching the movie, which was stored on my hard drive.  It also contained all my bank account details, e-books I purchased, lot of important documents, and approximately 50 usernames and passwords stored in Firefox using “Remember Password” option.  I was lucky that it was a small service center with less-educated technicians who are just interested in copying music and movies, rather than looking at what others files the system has.  But, just imagine, if it has gone into the hands of a smart tech guy who can just copy all the information and use for illegal things.

These are the steps I have taken to protect the data:

• I have been saving all the software, e-books, and important documents on an external hard drive, so that if something happens to my system, I can just disconnect the external hard drive and send the system for repair.
• Using “Use Master Password” in Firefox options.  Without entering the master password while starting the Firefox, it will not show the usernames and passwords automatically. Also, taking regular backups of Firefox using FEBE.

But what about the important files that I use regularly.  I cannot keep the external hard drive connected all the day.  So, just wanted to create a folder that is password protected so that when I need, I just enter password and use. There are number of commercial softwares available to lock folders using passwords.

As an open-source lover, I just searched the net and found this interesting application, which does exactly the commercial folder locking or encrypting softwares do.

TrueCrypt, free open-source application for encrypting the folders or drives available for Windows, Linux, and Mac flavors.  Using TrueCrypt, you can have a virtual folder or drive created using complex encryption algorithms, which is almost hack-free.  Without knowing the password, no one can decrypt it and open the files.

TrueCrypt Main Menu

The virtually created folders are of cross platform and can be accessed on any operating system. You can use this software to encrypt the entire USB too.

Install the software and open it.  Click the “Create Volume” button.  Select the drive name to assign, choose volume type, hidden or normal, volume location, algorithm, volume size, and password.  That’s all, a secured folder is ready.  Whenever you need to open that folder, just open the file using “Select File” option from TrueCrypt and click “Mount.”  You will see a new drive appears with the drive letter you selected while creating the volume.  Do your work and when you work is complete, just close the application by right clicking and choosing “Exit” on the TrueCrypt button in system tray.  You can also set the option of dismounting the folder automatically at a given time in “Preferences.”

Opening Encrypted Folder

TrueCrypt System Tray Options

Get the TrueCrypt here: http://www.truecrypt.org/

TrueCrypt FAQ: http://www.truecrypt.org/faq.php

TrueCrypt Documentation: http://www.truecrypt.org/docs/

Making fun out of Annoying Telemarketing Calls

If you are carrying a mobile, you might have already experienced the annoying calls from the telemarketers. If you are a credit card user or if you have taken a loan, then the number of calls you receive will increase and sometimes you will become mad. Some of the telemarketers even don’t ask if it is the correct time to call and go on explaining about the product they are selling. If you say “not interested,” still they ask you to listen what they are telling, which is really annoying. Sometimes, we even get repeated calls though we asked them not to call again.

I have two friends who are really good at making fun out of these calls. They enjoy those calls with funny answers to their questions and at the end of the call, the telemarketer will feel that their sales pitching is a waste of time.

One of my colleagues, Ashok, is one of those two guys. We cry out of laugh listening to the conversation he will have with these telemarketers. Recently, a guy called offering personal loan and Ashok put him into conversation for half an hour asking for 1 lakh loan. The guy explained everything without asking about the Ashok’s profession, salary, and savings. He explained all the document requirements, monthly EMI, etc. and at the end he asked how much salary Ashok is drawing. Ashok told him that he is drawing around Rs. 4000 after all cuttings (just to make himself not eligible to apply for the 1 lakh loan). The loan guy hanged up the phone and eventually disconnected listening to the salary figure. He occasionally records the conversation in his Nokia mobile, which has the call recording facility

For your information, Ashok is a young guy who is just recently married and is a medical transcriptionist.

Recently, a lady called Ashok from Country Club pitching for membership sale, which is priced at Rs. 1.5 lac, which only high-income people can afford. I don’t know how these people gather the mobile numbers. They should get the phone number of high-income group and not every Tom, Dick, and Harry. Telemarketers should politely ask about the profession first to make sure that they are pitching the right person to whom they can sell the product. If they find that the customer is not worth of pitching, they should delete the number, so that another associate would not waste calling the same customer again. The same lady called him two times and the conversation was hilarious. Below are those two conversations. Listen and enjoy!

Call #1: Ashok tells the telemarketing lady that he owns a rice mill and has two grown children. He even tries to sell rice to the lady. At the end, he asks the lady to call when he is not busy in the shop and when the lady asks how she will know that he is not busy, Ashok tells her to call to know if he is busy or not. She says okay.  Listen to the hilarious conversation.

Call #2: The same lady calls again. This times the lady offers a discount and asks in which profession Ashok is. He tells her that he runs cycle puncture shop. The lady asks whether he can afford to buy a membership at Rs. 36,000. He says that he is interested and he can sell the land he owns to buy the membership. At the end, he tell the lady that he will ask his wife and let her know because if he is not taking her permission, she will yell at him. Enjoy the funny definitions he has given to club, family entertainment, massage parlor, and restaurant & bar.

Call #3 & #4: This is a telemarketer call pitching for insurance product.  He tells the lady that he is a roadside balloon vendor.  As soon as he tells that he sells balloons, the lady says “Thank you…have a nice day” and tries to cut the phone.  He tries to continue the call…but she tells that she will call again with full details.  Her senior calls and carries on the conversation.  Again, he tells that he sells balloons and asks about the benefits of taking an LIC policy.  He tells her that he is investing the money in Chits and asks her to tell the benefits he gets if he invests in LIC.  She thinks that he is really a balloon vendor, so tells him to invest in chits and cuts the phone deciding that she can’t sell the product to him at any cost.  Enjoy the conversation in two clips.