BitTorrent, one of the more useful file-sharing mediums out there is not without its complications. Software applications have come a long way, but there are still times when you want one less application running on your machine or simply want to grab a file without having to install anything.
Torrent Relay's got the same thing on its mind, with a browser-based BitTorrent downloader. Like Bitlet, which I checked out last year, Torrent Relay lets you plug in a download URL from any tracker site or a link from a friend, and it will convert it into a link you can simply click on to begin downloading it using your browser's download manager. This means the tool works on nonsoftware-friendly platforms too, such as game consoles (Wii and PS3) and mobile devices like the iPhone.
If a torrent file has multiple files in it, the tool will split them up. You can then click on the ones you want and download them one at a time. This works especially well for music albums where you might only want to grab a track or two (note: You could also just stream the music using this tool). One thing to note however, is that any single file is capped at 400MB, meaning you're going to have to rely on a software-based tool for those giant files.
[via TorrentFreak and Lifehacker]
Grab files from BitTorrent packages one at a time, like this Ubuntu installer ISO image.
(Credit: CNET Networks)
Not to be confused with UStream, a new technology put together by the folks at BitLet (coverage) called Westream lets you listen to music files that are being distributed via Bittorrent. Up until now there hasn't been an easy way to listen to Bittorrent files without downloading the entire file, or group of files. In the case of Bitlet's system, all you have to do is drop in the URL link to a Bittorrent file, and the system will pull up the tracks, complete with a player that lets you pause, skip songs, and increase and decrease the volume. The one caveat is that the tracks must be in the MP3 or the somewhat less mainstream Ogg Vorbis format; in other words AAC and WMV files need not apply.
One of Bittorrent's strengths is that it goes out and collects pieces of a file as well as it can, while giving some of the smaller, less available chunks the limelight in order to ensure as much of the file is available to seeders as possible. It's a built-in system of self-preservation to make sure the file can continue to be shared even if the amount of people available to share it begin to drop off.
To that end, Westream strikes somewhere in the middle of Bittorrent's file-sharing etiquette, and traditional streaming, simply seeking out the pieces it needs to play the song immediately, while not taking what it doesn't need. While most would consider this a glorified form of leeching, the folks at Bitlet claim otherwise, noting that it "should behave as most torrent clients." The client also uploads whatever it's downloaded into its cache for others, as long as you've got the browser window open.
Dropping a download link to a torrent file gets Bitlet's music player going as long as it's a MP3 or Ogg file.
(Credit: CNET Networks)I managed to get the service to work just fine on several test torrent files, and the music started playing pretty quickly even on torrent files with just a handful of seeders. Your mileage on a home cable or DSL modem may vary, though (we're on a pretty speedy line here at CNET). There were a few hiccups here and there, but it's impressively easy, and requires absolutely no software besides your browser and a recent version of Java.
What really gets me excited about this, beyond the music player is the potential for video. If you're a Web publisher with a video that's got an exceptional amount of people sharing it, this technology takes Bittorrent from being something limited to the tech savvy to anyone who can click a link.
To give the service a spin, check out this (legal) sample torrent running through Bitlet.
[via ReadWriteWeb and TorrentFreak]
BitLet is a handy service for downloading BitTorrent files without the client. Just copy and paste the URL of the torrent you'd like to get, and BitLet will fire up a Java-based downloader that lets you choose where on your machine you'd like to save the file. The whole experience requires no software besides your browser and the latest version of Java.
If you feel like sharing something to friends using BitTorrent, you can use BitLet to generate a link that will start up using the service. This means whoever gets it will be able to download the file without any need for a BitTorrent client, or instructions on what to do.
The only hitch? It's nowhere near as full-featured as even the most lightweight BitTorrent clients. There's no way to adjust things like ports, bandwidth allocation, and block lists. You also can't see whether or not you're seeding, and if so, how much you've contributed. That being said, the service is young, and a fantastic solution for grabbing small to medium-size BitTorrent files in schools, libraries, or other public computers.
[via TorrentFreak]
Torrent files download right in your browser, without the need for a BitTorrent client installed on your Mac, PC, or Linux box.
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