I Built 5 Browser-Only Privacy Tools With Zero Dependencies

#webdev #javascript #privacy #opensource

Every tool I build follows one rule: your data never leaves your browser.

No server uploads. No accounts. No tracking. Just HTML + JavaScript + the Canvas API.

Here's what I built and why.

1. QuickShrink — Image Compressor

Most "free" image compressors upload your photo to their server. QuickShrink uses canvas.toBlob() to compress entirely client-side.

How it works:

Browser reads file into memory
Canvas renders at native resolution
Re-encodes at your chosen quality (80% default)
You download from browser memory

Total network traffic: zero bytes.

→ quickshrink.orthogonal.info

2. PixelStrip — EXIF Metadata Remover

Every smartphone photo embeds GPS coordinates, camera model, and timestamps. PixelStrip parses the JPEG binary structure in JS, shows you what's hidden, and strips it all.

→ pixelstrip.orthogonal.info

3. TypeFast — Text Snippet Manager

A searchable clipboard with categories. Save code snippets, email templates, canned responses. One-click copy. Stores in localStorage — no server, no sync.

→ typefast.orthogonal.info

Why Single-File HTML?

Each tool is literally one HTML file. No React, no build step, no node_modules. Benefits:

< 200ms first paint
Works offline (PWA with service worker)
Zero dependencies = zero supply chain risk
Deployable anywhere (even file://)

The Tech Stack

HTML5 + CSS (inline) + JavaScript (inline)
├── Canvas API (image compression)
├── DataView (EXIF binary parsing)
├── localStorage (data persistence)
├── Clipboard API (one-click copy)
└── Service Worker (offline PWA)