I always carry a flash drive wherever I go. It’s especially useful for all those school writeups and assignments that I have to do and of course for carrying source codes so I can work on any computer I can grab. There are however two great applications that you can put in your flash drive. I found these while looking for solutions to my problems and needs:
EssentialPIM Portable
Your very own personal information manager (organizer). It was selected as pricelessware for 2007. Its features include a schedule manager, to do list, notes, and contacts manager among many other things. I primarily use it to keep track of my schedule and to-dos since I’ve become really forgetful these days. I use the notes manager for random things like tips and tricks I found on the web or my favorite links. There’s also a list of my receivables and payables Another useful feature is password protection for your data, so you don’t have to worry about other people sniffing in in case they get a hold of your flash drive. What I like most about this piece of software is the ease of use. No hassle whatsoever. You can get everywhere fast. The creators have done a really good job on this one. I tried other similar software but they were just too hard to learn and use, not to mention there are way too many features. I like the simplicity of EssentialPIM. There are two versions of EssentialPIM, what you’ll most probably want is the free and portable version. The Pro version has many additional features but it’s not free. The official website is located here.
KeePass
I used to use EssentialPIM for saving my long list of user names and passwords (for e-mails, website memberships, etc..). It turned out well but I needed more security for the passwords which is just what KeePass offers. KeePass, as described from the official website is a free, open-source, light-weight and easy-to-use password manager. The software has gathered many awards which proves its usefulness. The features include username-password advanced info entry, master password (for all your passwords), grouping of entries, random password generation, and many more. Like EssentialPIM, it is very easy to use and learn. You don’t even have to read the documentation to start using it.
Update 2010-10-30: There is now a better KeePass called KeePassX which works for MacOS, Linux, and Windows.
Installation
The installation steps are very easy. I’d recommend downloading the zip versions of the installers. Extract the contents of the zip file to your flash drive and just run the corresponding executable and you’re all set.