There is no need to smooth talk your boss in to buying you one for testing. iPad Peek is a nice web based emulator that allows you to experience how the website would render on an iPad.

The tool allows to switch between Landscape and Portrait modes, though the virtual keyboard and the classy buttons in the interface are just for the looks. The refresh/reload works though with a javascript function.

The website rendered in this tool does not give the exact iPad experience however. The interface uses jQuery and CSS3 and plays Flash which is not supported in iPad. To get a true emulation, you need to disable the Flash plug-in for your browser.

Overall, a handy tool for web designers or website owners to check how the Apple iPad renders their website. Go ahead and try it out by visiting http://ipadpeek.com.

Many of us know where to draw a line between our personal and professional life but that is not easy to do when we go online. Data – both personal and professional is collected by many websites while we surf them. Data is captured by businesses running the websites when one set’s up an online account, makes a purchase online, registers for a contest or takes part in an online survey, downloads software or even surf’s the web. Personal details may be also online because one may have added their own information in resumes, chats, pages on social sites like Facebook, or comments in discussion groups or on Twitter.

So why should one care about the information that is online? The answer is cybercrime. Cyber thieves hunt for data to sell it or use it to tarnish reputation, harass, steal an identity, damage a credit record or even jeopardize the physical safety of an individual. These thieves push online scams, such as phishing which collects confidential information over fake sites or emails. Criminals also offer gifts, credit repair solutions, virus protection offers or other enticements in exchange for personal data or money.

Finding What Is Online
Here are some way’s to find out what information is available on the public domain:

• Go to a search engine like Google, Bing or Yahoo and begin by typing your first and last name to see in which websites are you mentioned and in what context. To get more precise results, put quotation marks around your name. This tells the search engine to read your name as a phrase and not as two or more unrelated words that just happen to appear in the text.
• If you have ever used a different name or used your middle name or initial, if you use a nickname, or if your name is frequently misspelled, search all variations to make sure you don’t miss anything important.
• Use similar techniques to search for your telephone numbers, home address, email addresses and personal website domain names.
• Check online phone directories, genealogy sites, alumni sites, the websites of organizations to which you belong or donate time or money and other sites that compile personal, professional, or contact information about people.
• If any of your friends, family members, or coworkers have blogs or personal webpages on social networking sites, check them out to see if they are writing about you or posting pictures of you.
• Use the feature of Google Alerts that automatically notifies you of any new mention of your name or other personal information over email.

Protection Measures
These tips can help you manage and protect your online reputation:

• A basic strategy to avoid identity theft and online fraud is to keep your personal information private when you go online. Be equally careful about sharing information offline and be sure you know how organizations will use your information before you give it to them.
• Most social networking and photo-sharing sites allow you to determine who can access and respond to your content. If you’re using a site that doesn’t offer privacy settings, find another site.
• Don’t mix your public and private lives online. Use different email addresses for different online activities to help keep your public and private lives separate.
• Choose your photos thoughtfully. Whether you’re a child or an adult, make sure potential colleges or employers can’t search the web and find photos that make you look irresponsible.
• Watch your language and content. You should always assume that anyone can read anything you’ve written online.
• If you find information about yourself online that is unflattering, embarrassing, or untrue, contact the website owner or administrator and ask them to remove it. Most sites have policies to deal with such requests.

Route Map

Trip Days: 5 | Distance Traveled: 1680 Km

Places Enroute: Viramgam, Halvad, Anjar, Mundra, Mandavi, Naliya, Narayan Sarovar, Koteshwar, Lakhpat, Mata No Madh, Bhuj, Rudramata Dam Reservoir, Hodaka Village, Shaam-e-Sharhad Village Resort, Dhorodo – White Rann of Kutch, Kalo Dungar, Khavda, Bhujodi, Wankaner Palace

Route Breakup

• Day 1: Ahmedabad to Mandavi. Night stay in Mandavi at hotel Sea View. 375 Km | 6 hours 35 min.
• Day 2: Mandavi to Narayan Sarovar. Night stay in Dharamshala. 145 Km | 2 hours 30 min.
• Day 3: Narayan Sarovar to Bhuj. Night stay in hotel Ilark. 170 Km | 3 hours
• Day 4: Bhuj to Dhordo (Rann Utsav, Kutch). Night stay in desert tents. 94 Km | 1 hour 45 min.
• Day 5: Dhordo to Ahmedabad. 495 Km | 8 hours 30 min.

Day 1 – Tuesday, 27^th December, 2011

The trip started at 6:00 A.M. from Satellite area of Ahmedabad and we took the route via Viramgam to Mandavi, Kutch. The travel distance is about 375 Km and we had a target of reaching the destination by around 1:00 P.M. including the halts for meals and refreshments. Our first stop was at Viramgam where we stopped to enjoy some ‘bhajiyas and methi na gota’ for breakfast – a delicacy savored in Gujarat.

We reached Mandavi at around 2:00 P.M. and checked in to Sea View Hotel. Since time was running short, we took time to refresh and immediately started off for a visit to Shyamji Krishna Varma Memorial – Kranti Teerth.

'Kranti Teerth' - memorial of Shyamji Krishna Varma at Mandavi

After finishing a tour of the memorial we proceeded to view the sunset at Mandavi beach (Wind Farm).

Day 2 – Wednesday, 28^th December, 2011

It was an early start and we woke up at 5:30 A.M. so that we could enjoy the sunrise at the beach. This is worth experiencing and so we hurriedly changed in to warm clothes and moved on to the Mandavi beach (Wind Farm). Before the sun could peep out of the horizon, we were there at the sea shore. While returning back to the hotel, we stopped at a tea vendor and sipped the hot brew to ward away the chill that we had experienced on the beach.

Sunrise at Mandavi Beach. An experience not to be missed.

It was a quick bath for everyone and within an hour and a half we started off to check out the ship building yard which is right opposite to the hotel. On the banks of the Rukmavati River, craftsmen manufacture and assemble ships out of wood and while talking to a contractor of one such ship that was being built, we came to know that each boat takes about 3-4 years to complete and the costs range from around 5 crores to 8 crores rupees.

Each ship is built without use of any modern machinery

The ships are then towed mainly to Dubai where they are fitted with engines and then used for transporting cargo. The ship that we checked out was being built since 3 years and it would still take them 6 months of hard work before it was completed. The weight estimated was 1600 tonnes without engines.

The next place to visit was the Vijay Villas Palace on the outskirts of Mandavi. The place is currently the home of Rao Pragmalji and was designed by a British engineer Col. Wilkins (some say they were Italians).

Vijay Villas Palace, Mandavi

The palace has been a part of Lagan and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (Bollywood Films) and I think that is mainly why this has now become a popular tourist destination. Honking is banned so that the animal and bird life that it houses is not disturbed. Take care!

Just outside of the main gate there is a right turn (be careful as you can easily miss this one) which leads towards the private beach resort. More secluded than the Wind Farm Beach, the Vijay Villas Beach (The Beach At Mandavi Palace) has nice white sand, lovely places to swim and accommodation available in air-conditioned tents along the shore. Charges are roughly Rs.7,000/- per tent for a day.

Not far away from the hotel is Koday which has Jain temple complex of 72 different shrines. By the time we finished with the palace tour it was about 1:30 P.M. and time for lunch. One interesting place that my brother had scanned out from travel logs goes by the name of “Zorba The Buddha” which is located in the market area and serves Gujarati Thali. The food was good but what fascinated me was the way they treated people by greeting them as “Bhagwan”. As per Hindu culture, a guest at your place is no lesser than God himself – “Athithi Devo Bhava” – if versed in Sanskrit; and all those who were enjoying the delicacies at the food joint were all Athithi for the staff there.

After a hearty meal it was time to check out of the hotel and move on towards our next destination – Narayan Sarovar and Koteshwar. On way is Naliya which is famous for Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary. Naliya also has an Indian Air Force station, which was built here in view of the town’s proximity to Pakistan. A good place to stop over for a cup of tea while watching the MIGs.

Narayan Sarovar is about 145 Km from Mandavi and is one of the five holy lakes of Hindus with Mansarovar in Tibet, Pampa in Karnataka, Bhuvaneshwar in Orissa and Pushkar in Rajasthan in the list.

Narayan Sarovar

It is believed that during the drought days in ancient times, the sages and saints prayed for days and there appeared Narayan (avatar of Vishnu) who by touching the land with His toes created the lake.

Since accommodation is a problem here due to lack of proper hotels we had to stay in a Dharamshala but it was very hygienic and clean. The prices are very reasonable but lack any facilities for food or beverages. We had to depend on the tea stall right outside the Dharamshala. Once checked in by 4:00 P.M. we moved on to visit the Koteshwar temple.

Koteshwar Temple near Narayan Sarovar, Koteshwar

It is believed that the Shiva Linga with immense spiritual power which was gifted to Ravana by Shiva and he accidently dropped it here. In order to punish Ravana for this mistake, identical Lingas were formed in numbers of thousands. Unable to identify the original, Ravana picked up the wrong one and left the original here around which the temple was built.

There is also a checkpoint of BSF here at Koteshwar with a jetty built at the end of the land mass which is closed for civilians. We talked to the BSF jawans guarding the checkpoint and learnt about the hardship that they go through by staying at guard even in freezing temperature and chilling winds. They were very happy to talk with us and they shared one interesting fact – the lights that people believe are that of Karachi, Pakistan are actually shipping boats of our country. Pakistan is about 70 Km far from Koteshwar and Kori Creek and Sir Creek are easily seen from here on a clear day. We saw some boats on the beach which were captured fishing boats of Pakistani fishermen who had drifted to the Indian waters while deep sea fishing.

We went back to the Dharamshala and had our food which we had packed from home. Shops close by around 7:30 so plan accordingly if you need any water bottles or soft drinks. You will not need to worry about keeping them cold as the low temperature will do that job for you.

While on the way to Koteshwar I had identified a nice spot far away from the light pollution from where we could enjoy the night sky. This spot is just outside the arch gate on way to Koteshwar and it was a wonderful sight to gaze at the cluster of stars which you cannot get to see in the light polluted cities. At around 11:30 P.M. we headed back to the rooms in Dharamshala and slept like logs – tired and exhausted.

Day 3 – Thursday, 29^th December, 2011

It was an early morning call that woke us up. We had a chance of visiting the BSF camp and talk to the officers there. I cannot name people here or describe this experience in detail as there are promises to keep. We learnt a lot about their living conditions and the duties they performed while sipping hot tea made by a jawan. It was for the first time in my life that I had the privilege of shaking hands with a jawan who was from Gujarat and a Gujarati. While leaving the place, I saluted the Indian flag and thought of all those who had sacrificed their lives to keep it soaring in the blue sky with such majesty, pride and independence. With a heavy heart I bid goodbye to the officers and jawans and thanked them from the bottom of my heart for their unconditional sacrifices.

We collected our luggage from the Dharamshala and checked out to move onwards to Lakhpat at around 10:00 A.M. It is about 35 Km from Narayan Sarovar and about 60 min. drive as the road is a single track and you cannot speed up here. The road runs parallel to Kori Creek facing North across the Great Rann of Kutch towards Pakistan. Lakhpat was once a great port city mainly for export of rice but is now abandoned since around 200 years as a major earthquake in 1819 changed the course of Indus River further towards West thus drying up the Rann of Kutch and also Lakhpat.

Lakhpat fort with it's massive walls

The 7 km fort walls, erected in 1801 by Jamadar Fateh Muhammed, are still nearly intact and offer tremendous views out over the Great Rann. Once again we came across a BSF check post in one of the fort corners guarded by two jawans. It was again a pleasure talking to them and we gifted some sweets to which they said, “Aap jaise bahut kaam log aate hai aur hamse baat karte hai varna civilian to military wardi dekh ke door baghte hai. Aap se bate karke hame bahut acha laga.” (People like you are very rare to find here as most of the time civilians after seeing a man in military uniform are afraid to come closer. It was really good to talk to you.)

Upon asking about the infiliators, the jawan got a bit emotional about the politics that our politicians play and how within a matter of seconds for their own goodwill the politicians dishonor the hard work of the jawans that it cannot be described here. One should simply hear it from the horse’s mouth to experience the feeling.

We visited the Gurudwara in Lakhpat where it is believed that Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, reportedly camped here on his journey to Mecca and it also houses some of his possessions that he had left behind. The Gurudwara has bagged the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Conservation Award for the year 2004. We also walked in to a Ghost house which was abandoned before we said goodbye to Lakhpat and moved onwards to our next destination Bhuj via Mata No Madh. For those who plan to stay overnight at Narayan Sarovar or Lakhpat (inside the Gurudwara) can plan to visit the Siyot Caves which reflect the Buddhist footprints in Gujarat.

Mata no Madh – popularly known as “Mata Jo Madh” in Kachhi language is where the famous temple of Ashapura Mata, the head deity of Kutch resides. The original temple was built in 14th century and now there are two temples, the original old temple above the hill, which lies abandoned after the earthquake of 1819 and a new temple below the hill, which now houses the deity and is in use ever since. On way to Mata No Madh we saw the mines of Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation Ltd (GMDC), a Government of Gujarat undertaking where three of the coals, Gypsum, Kutch Bauxite and Lignite are being mined. At about 5:00 P.M. in the evening we were through with our visit and ready to move onwards to Bhuj where we had planned our night stay.

On reaching Bhuj we checked in to Hotel Ilark which is on station road and considered one of the best hotels in Bhuj. The tariff is around Rs.3,500/- for a double occupancy room per day but it was worth checking in here as all of us needed a good and comfortable sleep. We dined in the restaurant of the hotel and retired to bed early as the next day was once again an onward journey to the much awaited Rann Utsav in the white desert of the Great Rann of Kutch.

Day 4 – Friday, 30^th December, 2011

We checked out of the hotel at around 10:00 A.M. with a “no rush” attitude as the White Rann of Kutch is just about 95 Km from Bhuj. On way we had to still acquire the permit to entire the White Rann of Kutch from the Tourist Facilitation Center. The hotel manager at Ilark had already handed us forms which we needed to submit for acquiring the permit but when we actually reached the spot, the forms were rejected by the officials and we had to fill in a new form. Finally we had our permits ready after paying the fees of Rs.100/- per person and Rs.100/- per car and we moved on towards Dhordo where the Rann Utsav camps were setup. We reached there around 12:00 P.M. and checked in to Kutch Safari Camps.

Kutch Safari Camp tents in Rann Utsav

Since we had time before the lunch was to be served, we moved on to check out the White desert for which we all were very anxious. The drive from the Rann Utsav camps to the White Desert is full of adventure as the sand is very tricky and if you are not careful while driving, the car can easily get stuck which then needs to be pulled out by a tractor. Thanks to my SUV – Tata Safari – we never had to take that assistance.

The white rann is a marshy layer of salt deposited on a huge area of desert and we had heard that it is almost heavenly to see the white desert turn into silver and then blue on a full moon night. At that very moment we decided to come back in the evening to watch the sun set against the white land and again early in the morning to view the sun rise. With our anxiety satisfied we headed back to the tents for our lunch.

At around 2:00 P.M. we started to visit Hodka Village which is about 15 Km from the camp site. The Hodka Village is famous for the traditional Kutchi motifs, leather craft and the exquisite Kutchi embroidery styles practiced by women. While talking to a villager he said, “While the men of the village are away grazing the cattle, the women spend about 16-18 hours of work daily.” He also invited me in to his house made of mud or matti which is popularly known as Bhunga (circular hut). The kids in the village kept on following me as I roamed about carrying my camera and shooting pictures. There was a sweet girl who pulled mildly on my shirt and kept on repeating – “Photo…Rupees…Photo…Rupees?”.

The girl on right followed me everywhere in the village

I pulled out couple of greens and handed it over to her. I then asked my wife to fetch some sweets from the car and distribute them. Unfortunately we had exhausted the stock of the same and so we were left with no choice but to distribute the Chikkis that we had.

Kids enjoying the chikki we distributed

We headed back to the camp site at around 5:00 P.M. with a plan to be in the desert at 6:00 P.M. to witness the magnificent sunset. We had a quick round of tea and snacks and headed back for the desert.

Sunset in White Rann of Kutch

The sunset was an amazing experience and we decided to stay back till it was a complete night fall to enjoy the clear night sky and photograph some star trails that I always wanted to do. Do remember to carry lots of woolens with you as it gets very cold in the desert at nights.

We came back from the desert at around 8:00 P.M. and went to check out the various exhibits and shops setup at the Rann Utsav. Back in the tents at 9:30 we had our dinner and tucked in the beds by 10:30 with a plan to get up at 5:30 A.M. to photograph the sunrise in the desert.

Day 5- Saturday, 31^st December, 2011

Even before the rooster could wake up, we were out of bed and wrapped in heavy woolens. The temperature was 4^o C and the chilly winds from the desert made it worse. The hues in the sky before the sunrise were an amazing experience and while shivering I managed to click some great photographs of the sunrise.

It was 7:30 A.M. when we headed back to the tents for a nice warm bath but to our surprise and shock there was no warm water. Before the warm water could make it to buckets from the central heating system, it got cold in the metal pipes and we had to skip a regular bath and do with a French bath instead.

We had our breakfast and checked out of the Kutch Safari camp to visit Kalo Dungar. We had to reach there before 12:00 P.M. as we had heard about a tradition where the locals used to feed Jackals before they cooked their own food and ate it. Interesting it sounded but we were sure it would be more fun checking it out. On way to Kalo Dungar we stopped at Khavda as there were lot of migratory birds – Flamingos, Siberian Cranes, Pelicans as well as Mallards, Ducks, Steppe Eagles, Hawks and more. Due to the tight schedule we decided to check out the place in more detail on the way back.

The Black Hills or Kalo Dungar is the highest point in Kutch at 462 meters above sea level. From here, the entire northern horizon vanishes into the Great Rann, the desert and sky often becoming indistinguishable. The hill is also the site of a 400-year-old temple to Dattatreya, the three-headed incarnation of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva in the same body. We did a quick round of the scenic viewpoints and headed straight to the place where they rang bells at 12:00 P.M. to call upon the jackals and invite them for food. The bells rang, the local placed the food on a platform and within minutes a jackal sprung on to the platform and started gobbling up the sweet rice.

Jackal feeding on sweet rice at Kalo Dungar

The show was over and it was time for us to head back to the main highway and visit India Bridge.

India Bridge is one of the places where a civilian can get close to the Pakistan border beyond which only military personnel are allowed. Special permission is required from BSF Headquarters at Bhuj to cross India Bridge and visit the Indo – Pak border. We had none!

We requested the BSF jawan and he asked for permission from his captain who was sitting in a check point across the bridge. The answer was a “YES” and we were delighted. The gate was opened and we drove down across the bridge to be greeted by the BSF officer. Once again it was a long talk and he explained what lies ahead across this cordoned area and how this bridge is the only connecting motor-able medium. He added that the last observation point of BSF is 70 Km further inside from India Bridge. Since photography is strictly prohibited I adhered to the same and kept my promise to the officer by not stealing any pictures of the bridge.

We had plans to visit Dholavira but due to heavy rains this season, the road from the Little Rann was closed and so we dropped the idea. We moved on to Khavda and stopped over the spot where we had spotted the migratory birds.

Greater flamingos near India Bridge

It was time to take out the camera and indulge in to some photography before moving on to our next destination – Bhujodi.

Bhujodi is a small town just 8 Km of Bhuj and is a major textile center of Kutch.  There is a place called “Shrujan” which is a local non-profit set up 40 years ago to allow women to market their work better and earn a better living from it. The Shrujan campus is an interesting place to visit, with embroidery exhibits, a production center and excellent examples of local architecture with environmental awareness in mind. By the time we had finished checking out this place, it was 4:30 P.M.

It was a long drive back and by the time we reached Ahmedabad it was 1:00 A.M. Exhausted and having driven almost 1680 Km in the entire trip, I hit the bed with the memories of the trip bringing a smile on my face while I was sleeping.

 When it comes to serious photography, photographers from around the world either prefer a Canon or a Nikon. But the question is: which one is the better of the two?

To answer in one word: “Depends”.

In more elaborated sense: “Both Canon and Nikon make cameras and lenses that are so good and so reliable that it is impossible to make a statement of which manufacturer makes better cameras or lenses.”

From my perspective: “I’m a Canon fan.”

Keeping aside the emotional factors, let’s examine some facts:

• Canon was established in August 10, 1937 while Nikon was established in July 25, 1910
• Canon’s first camera was christened ‘Hansa Canon’ in 1934 while Nikon launched Nikon I in 1948
• Both companies have their headquarters in Tokyo, Japan
• Nikon and Canon are both imaging and optical product manufacturing companies
• Most Nikon camera and lenses made since 1959 are compatible with each other
• Canon’s EOS range goes back to 1987 and Nikon’s F mount range of lenses go all the way back until 1959
• All of the EOS lenses from Canon will autofocus, but only the Nikon AF-S lenses will autofocus with Nikon
• Canon came out with a full frame sensor much earlier and it is only recently that Nikon has come out with one and at a much higher price
• Canon has IS- Image stabilization, which is called VR- Vibration Reduction in Nikon
• Automatic sensor cleaning was introduced for the first time in canon and much later followed by Nikon
• Nikon is very convenient to use with every button at the right place while Canon has started getting it right few years back
• Flash and exposure systems of Nikon is very good compared to that of Canon
• At some point, Canon cameras used the optical lenses manufactured by Nikon, but Canon was the first to make and market Japan’s first 35 mm camera, with a focal plane shutter and rangefinder, in 1934
• It was Nikon that created the first DSLR
• You can use Nikon lenses on Canon but not vice versa
• Canon has a larger global market share compared to Nikon as a company

It is almost a seesaw battle between the two giants, with one product matching the other. Check out this interesting infographic that I scooped up while Gooooogling.

Buying your first DSLR is very challenging and choosing between Canon or Nikon is even tougher. It’s like choosing between Coke and Pepsi or being a Mac or a PC fan.

The choice is not an easy one to make. The best thing to do is before buying one is to actually go out to the shop, hold the cameras, do some trial shots and see what you are comfortable with. A good photographer with the correct exposure settings can make wonders with even a phone camera.

While having a casual talk over a cup of coffee, one renowned IAS officer and an avid photographer quoted, “Choosing between Canon and Nikon is as difficult as choosing a life partner – once you are married, you have to live with it the entire life.”

But did you know that data can still be retrieved from a formatted hard disk or storage media? Imagine if the data falls in the wrong hands of a Scammer and then that data can be used to learn about your browsing habits, your personal information, banking data and more. Scary isn’t it?

I know it is scary, but with the right kind of tools you can save yourself this fright. But before we take a peep in to some of my favourite tools, let’s understand a bit about how data is stored and what happens when you delete or format a disk.

Tossing files into the computers Recycle Bin and then emptying the trash deletes the record of the file, but not the actual data the file points to. Think of it as removing the labels from folders in a file cabinet. The folders and information in them still exist, even if retrieving the data takes more time and effort. When you delete a file from your computer, it’s not really gone until the areas of the disk it used are overwritten by new information. If you use the normal Windows delete function, the “deleted” file is sent to the Recycle Bin until the space it uses is required by other files. If you use Shift-Delete to bypass the Recycle Bin, the space occupied by the file is marked as available for other files. However, the file could be recovered days or even weeks later with third-party data recovery software. As long as the operating system does not reuse the space occupied by a file with another file, the “deleted” file can be recovered.

The same is true if you format a hard drive. It is still possible for someone with the right tools to retrieve data on the drive. Yikes!

The same goes with formatting a hard drive. The kind of formatting that we do normally is high level formatting. What high level formatting does is set up the file system from scratch and in the process the information where files were stored is removed. In short, high level formatting is the process of writing the file system structures on the disk that let the disk to be used for storing programs and data. Formatting a disk this way removes all information about the pointers in the File Allocation Table (FAT) which point to the location of a file on the disk. This means that old data still remains loaming in the dark.

Low level formatting on the other hand re-initializes the disk and resets the values of each and every one bit, to zero. Remember, data is stored in digital format as 1 & 0? Low level formatting is the process of outlining the positions of the tracks and sectors on the hard disk and writing the control structures that define where the tracks and sectors are. This is often called a “true” formatting operation because it really creates the physical format that defines where the data is stored on the disk.

Here are some tools that would help you to safely and securely wipe out the slate clean before you sell it or recycle it.

Darik’s Boot and Nuke: Darik’s Boot and Nuke (“DBAN”) is a self-contained boot disk that securely wipes the hard disks of most computers. DBAN will automatically and completely delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect, which makes it an appropriate utility for bulk or emergency data destruction.

DBAN is a means of ensuring due diligence in computer recycling, a way of preventing identity theft if you want to sell a computer and a good way to totally clean a Microsoft Windows installation of viruses and spyware. DBAN prevents or thoroughly hinders all known techniques of hard disk forensic analysis.

DBAN is a free software product that can be used at home or in a business at zero cost.

URL: http://www.dban.org/

SDelete: Good old Microsoft with their free command line utility called SDelete. SDelete is a command line utility that takes a number of options. SDelete (Secure Delete) implements the Department of Defense clearing and sanitizing standard DOD 5220.22-M, to give you confidence that once deleted with SDelete, your file data is gone forever.

URL: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897443.aspx

Eraser: Eraser is a freeware and open source security tool to completely remove data from your hard drive. Eraser is an advanced security tool for Windows which allows you to completely remove sensitive data from your hard drive by overwriting it several times with carefully selected patterns.

URL: http://www.heidi.ie/eraser/

Evidence Nuker: This piece of software allows you to choose which items would you like to erase such as Address Bar History, Browser Cache, Cookies, Documents History and much more. Evidence Nuker features several shredding methods, including 5220.22-M, the military standard set by the Department of Defense.

URL: http://www.evidencenuker.com/

The next time you think of selling your laptop, desktop or dump your USB Pen drive, make sure that the data on the storage medium is properly erased and not just deleted.

Remember, protecting data sometimes means erasing it.

If you know of any more tools that you think will benefit the computing community, do share them as part of the comment. Many will surely benefit from it.