Some pictures really do speak a thousand words.
Clandestine stuff has always fascinated me, but here’s something that slipped beneath my radar: You now can conceal text inside any digital picture file, saved in commonly used JPG and BMP formats.
Using special software on both ends, the sender attaches a text message to a picture, and the recipient — presumably via e-mail or IM service — extracts the text by merely reversing the process.
I had to check it out, and a quick Google search found at least a half-dozen software titles to try, such as TiPi and Concealar. I settled on one that triggered the most hits: Encrypt Text in Picture from Seattle-based Ace Zip Soft. A visit to the company’s Web site — www.acezip.net — revealed this and a host of other intriguing titles, all available as freeware.
Using the product couldn’t be easier. On the left side of the interface window, browse for the picture you wish to use. On the right side, type or paste text you wish you embed, from a few words to a lengthy letter. Then click a button to embed the text and another button to save the picture. It’s a good idea to save it as a copy rather than overwrite the original file.
Once completed, you can send the picture to someone else, who loads it up in their copy of the program. Click the “Read Text” button, and the message is revealed in a separate text window. You can change the text and save the picture again or clear all text from the picture.
Using Ace Zip’s software, the embedded file size is always 241KB, and the picture is a maximum 271-by-303 resolution. If the original picture is larger, the application simply uses a 271-by-303 swatch, regardless of how it looks. In this case, the…