Tails 0.7: The Amnesic Incognito Live System

April 13th, 2011 (Seattle/USA)

The Tails Project (http://tails.boum.org/) is happy to announce
the release of Tails 0.7, The Amnesic Incognito Live System.

Built upon many years of work and thorough review, Tails is the
spiritual successor of the well-known Incognito Live System and is
developed with the support of the Tor Project
(https://www.torproject.org/projects). With human rights workers and
freedom activists in mind, Tails is a GNU/Linux operating system based
on Debian Live (http://live.debian.net/) that runs directly from CD
and/or USB flash memory and provides a secure environment for work and
communications.

As no installation or configuration is required, Tails turns virtually
every PC(*) into a secure workstation in a matter of seconds. The Tails
operating system, all software and all hardware drivers shipped with it
operate independently of the PC's operating system and leave no trace
after use.

Tails does not store any data permanently and channels all Internet
connections through the Tor anonymization network (the I2P network is
available, too). Tails offers carefully preconfigured, security-enhanced
Free and Open Source Software, including the Firefox/Iceweasel web
browser, the Pidgin Instant Messenger with the Off-The-Record encryption
plugin and built-in support for GoogleTalk, Jabber/XMMP, AIM, Yahoo and
others, the OpenOffice suite, GIMP, Inkscape, the Scribus desktop
publishing software, the Claws mail client with OpenPGP mail encryption,
Cryptkeeper and many other programs (see http://tails.boum.org/features/
for details).

Tails is easy to use, designed for average computer users and is
available for free download at http://tails.boum.org/. Once downloaded,
the hybrid image can be written to CD/DVD or USB thumb drive and is
immediately ready for use. From image scanners and printers through WiFi
to audio and graphics cards, Tails comes equipped with preinstalled and
preconfigured drivers for virtually all common devices and automatically
loads the right ones for your hardware.

The Tails operating system also offers a language selection menu at
boot, where the user can select between English (default), Arabic,
Chinese, French, Italian, German, Portuguese and Spanish.

"There are many professional tools to enhance privacy and protect
sensitive data and communication", a Tails developer said in a recent
chat session. "Human rights workers and freedom activists usually are
not aware of all these tools and most recent developments in computer
science, and they don't know all the switches and buttons to configure
the programs correctly. On the one hand the tools waiting to be used,
and on the other hand the users do not know about those tools and how to
use them", he added. "This is where the Tails Project comes in and
carefully selects, reviews, configures and refines the best tools for
the job into a free Operating System package that can be downloaded and
used right off the shelf".

On this occasion, another member of the Tails Project described its
purpose in three sentences: "Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Press
consist of both free thoughts to be spoken and a voice to actually speak
them. As they can't suppress the thought, oppressive regimes suppress
the voice. With Tails, we provide a tongue and a pen protected by
state-of-the-art cryptography to guarantee these basic human rights and
allow journalists worldwide to work and communicate freely and without
fear of reprisal."

As you are aware, the Web plays a vital role in the current struggles
for freedom and justice and will most likely continue to do so in the
future. From all over the world, human rights workers and organizations
like Reporters Without Borders, Greenpeace and Amnesty International ?
not to mention the countless local organizations and human-rights
workers whose names most of us have never heard - are in need of secure
communications that can only be provided by a trusted computing platform
at their workplace.

A notification about or review of Tails in your magazine will not only
offer a unique and highly interesting insight into state-of-the-art
privacy systems to your readers, but also is a comfortable opportunity
for you to provide for a better future: helping human rights workers and
activists all over the world by making them aware of Tails and the
possibilities it offers.

We look forward to read from you and will answer questions over email.

Sincerely,
-- 
The Tails Project team - amnesia@boum.org

* Minimum System Recommendations:
  - 800 MHz x86 processor or better
  - 512MB of system memory (RAM) or more
  - Monitor capable of 800 by 600 or better
  - CD/DVD Drive or a USB port
  - Rule of Thumb: If your Computer can run Microsoft Windows XP
    or newer, it can run Tails as well.


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