The first beta of the next generation of the uTorrent client is available and contains some useful upgrades that address how torrenting has changed in the past few years.
uTorrent 2's bandwidth cap options panel.
(Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)A transfer cap feature has been added, which will allow users who have cap-limited bandwidth to throttle down their torrenting habits and stay away from overage charges or having their service shut off. The feature offers graphs and can show your upload and download usage by megabyte. Most importantly, you'll be able to set it to shut down uTorrent once your limit has been hit. It's also configurable, so you can set it to turn off uTorrent by either upload limit, download limit, or both.
uTorrent also supports UDP trackers, which are a new kind of protocol for tracker communication that uses noticeably less processing power. As more trackers use UDP, it will allow them to continue to function on lower-end machines, which should result in faster transfers as the client itself won't be slowing down the torrent.
Another back-end change for version 2 is support for uTP, an alternative communication method for torrent traffic that allows the client to automatically regulate bandwidth usage so that your local network isn't adversely affected. Unlike the bandwidth cap, which is a cutoff point, uTP will make sure that other locally-running programs can still use your Internet connection without taking forever to resolve sites.
The full list of changes can be read here.
Open-source and cross-platform media jukebox Miro upgrades to version 2.5, and the improvements bring drastic changes to performance and useful tweaks to the interface. Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, Miro 2.5 introduces a database overhaul so intensive that users with large collections of video and music might face a delay of more than 10 minutes when they first launch the new version. However, Miro states that the delay should be a one-time event.
Miro's new Audio interface.
(Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)Once you've installed the update and launched it once, subsequent restarts should find program launch speeds of two to four times faster than before, says Miro.
Along with the database refresh, torrent fans should find better support for those file types and keyboard shortcuts have been redone to make it easier to navigate the program. Developers will appreciate the new documentation for hacking the database, while podcast junkies finally get direct support for audio podcasts.
Interface enhancements include a new library UI, categorized by the simple Video, Audio, and Other labels. Downloading from YouTube has been made easier, too, with a new button to facilitate that feature when you add YouTube as a sidebar site. Audio playback has received some surface tweaks as well, making it easier to navigate.
The full list of changes and bug fixes can be read here.
Top file-sharing news site TorrentFreak is reporting that The Pirate Bay has launched a new "add to Facebook" link to torrent files on its site. The idea is that people can use the popular social-networking site to share their favorite downloads with friends.
Obviously, copyright bodies aren't thrilled about the whole thing, and Facebook is staying mum on the subject. Hardly surprising, as we're pretty sure there isn't a great deal that can be done to prevent things like this. The problem is, no one is sure how to make it illegal to post links to things, although they're trying their best.
We've suggested before that if pushed too hard, sites such as The Pirate Bay and Mininova might decide to shut their public Web sites and use other methods to distribute their torrent files. Could this be the first step in such a protective measure? Certainly, taking down ThePirateBay.com isn't going to stop the vision behind it.
Facebook is just one possible avenue for things like this, but we can see sites such as Twitter being called into the service of file-sharing communities too. Imagine using the chirpy microblogging service as a wonderful new torrent-distribution system. You follow The Pirate Bay and every new torrent gets a tweet. Of course, you still need to run a tracker and host your torrent files somewhere, but that's hardly difficult.
However you look at it, there's not much chance legal fights with The Pirate Bay are going to result in less illegal downloading. In the meantime, the movie industry is wasting millions of dollars while we hang around waiting for a plausible and legal way to download movies. Technology can land a man on the frickin' moon, but selling us a 1080p movie download is beyond possibility?
We wonder what will happen to people who actually post links to pirated material on their Facebook profile. That's linking after all--and linking is a crime, apparently, so there are sure to be legal repercussions. Who wants to try it first...?
(Via Crave UK)
Back in July 2008, torrent tracker The Pirate Bay announced plans to encrypt the Internet. That hasn't happened yet, but they plan to offer a VPN tunneling service to the public starting April 1.
Dubbing the service IPREDator after the controversial Swedish Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Directive (IPRED) that takes effect the same day. IPRED's main goal is to make it easier for copyright holders to acquire the personal data of suspected illegal file sharers.
By offering a VPN service that doesn't log its traffic, IPREDator is simultaneously setting itself apart from other Web-based VPN services and offering what looks like a way to legally evade IPRED. Without logs, users will be able to exchange data without worrying about a subpoena revealing to whom the data packets were going, or what their contents were.
Other details about the new VPN service are thin, except that users will be asked to pay a small premium, approximately $6.77 or 5 euros, for the service. It's also not clear if the service will be compatible with other non-file sharing uses, or if it will try to compete with other encrypted tunneling services like LogMeIn or GoToMyPC.
The current beta is free and can be signed up for at the IPREDator site, although it's taking only 500 testers. If anybody does get a chance to use the beta service, please post about it below.
Vuze 4.2 offers users a drag-and-drop video conversion option.
(Credit: Vuze)Continuing to stake out a different approach to torrents, the latest version of Vuze integrates an auto-conversion feature for both portable screens and your television. Available for Windows and Mac, Vuze 4.2 offers a device drag-and-drop feature that automatically converts a video torrent from its native format to an appropriate one for iTunes, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, and then pushes it to your device.
Still in beta, the new Devices tab on the left nav will ask you to install a transcoder and a plug-in. Devices then detects iTunes or any of the devices when they're connected to your computer. When you choose iTunes, Vuze will push the video without user input. From there, you can sync the video to your iPod or iPhone. Xbox and PlayStation users will see the video streamed directly from their PC or Mac to their game console.
Two weeks ago, when Vuze asked in a poll on its Web site which devices users most wanted this feature for, the iPhone and iPod won by a long shot. With more than 25,000 respondents, the only major system that wasn't included in this update was the Wii--so you shouldn't be surprised if Wii support is in the works. There's no word on automatic support for other popular portable video players.
The conversion process is not particularly speedy, so if you're more concerned with speed than convenience you might not find the update useful. However, Vuze is certainly giving users who are looking for something between the basic uTorrent and the robust Miro an interesting and feature-rich third option.
Amidst the crowd of peer-to-peer file-sharing options comes an attempt to return file-sharing to its utilitarian roots and away from legal quagmires by emphasizing file-publishing. Free and open-source, LittleShoot is the brainchild of Adam Fisk, a LimeWire developer who wants LittleShoot to be "like Google for files instead of Web pages."
LittleShoot manages torrents as well as scouring the Web for most major file formats.
(Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)Where most P2P programs are standalone clients, LittleShoot is a browser plug-in like QuickTime or Shockwave that should work with all major browsers. It utilizes an AJAX-based interface at LittleShoot.org to search, publish, and download files. Once you've downloaded and installed the plug-in, it will take you to the LittleShoot.org search page unless you opt out. From there, entering any search term will return results with hits from YouTube, IsoHunt, Flickr, Yahoo, and LimeWire. A SafeSearch option attempts to restrict inappropriate content.
The most recent version introduces torrent-handling abilities. Check out any torrent site, download the torrent, and LittleShoot will automatically start downloading it. LittleShoot lacks advanced features like throttling, but for a basic set-it-and-forget-it torrent client, it's not too shabby. Helpful links on the side make it easy to Twitter or Facebook the torrent, and a drop-down menu gives you access to dozens more sharing options.
Non-torrent files found by LittleShoot will open in a new window, but can't be downloaded directly.
Unfortunately, the publishing option wasn't working when I tested it. When you click "Browse," you can search your hard drive for files to share. Once you've chosen a file, you can tag it--however, the JPG and WMV files I tried to upload didn't work. Even with these drawbacks, LittleShoot looks like an interesting attempt to demystify file-sharing by making it more accessible than it's been so far.
When open-source video jukebox Miro was in beta and known as the Democracy Player, the biggest problem it had was stability. Graduating from beta fixed most of the problems, but not even a name change could erase the feeling that this Webware 100 winning program wasn't firing on all cylinders.
Miro's new interface is based on a faster-running foundation.
(Credit: CNET Networks)In version 2.0 for Windows and Mac, all that's changed. At the top of the list of changes is a serious attempt to improve the usability. At least on my Windows XP machine, with 2GB of RAM, those modifications have paid off. The program flies now, where it used to struggle with takeoff. Using it all day, shutting it down, and restarting it intentionally, has produced no crashes or hiccups--it's as smooth as a CRT screen.
Miro 2.0 sports a pop-out button to watch videos while you browse.
(Credit: CNET Networks)The interface overhaul streamlines the design while keeping button controls in the same place, basing it all on widgets. It's not readily apparent what this means for the average user, because the workflow is practically identical to previous versions. Search for a video or channel, add it to the sidebar or subscribe to it if you want all content from that producer, and Miro begins to download the video. It defaults to delete videos after five days, but a button on the UI toggles a "save" switch.
Besides the interface, the other major change is that you can now pop out your playback screen from the main player. A button located near the controls at the bottom right of the window does the deed, so you can now continue watching videos--or at least playing them--while you surf in Miro for more even more vids.
Miro also defaults to grab HD content whenever available, including from YouTube. It also supports streaming Web sites, such as Hulu, and there's new support for audio podcasts as well. If you're familiar with previous versions, this one will be instantly recognizable, but if you're not you should still be able to use it without looking up instructions. If you're new to Miro, it does manage the all-important torrent. The new torrent engine is based on libtorrent, a faster delivery system than before.
The pop-out window offers a compromise between full screen and in-player playback.
(Credit: CNET Networks)The flaws left in Miro are minor. There's a lack of mouse-over labels, which would take the edge off the learning curve for new users or those who just can't be bothered memorizing what each button does. There are two search boxes, one on the sidebar and one at the top right of the main window. They both seem to do the same thing, so it'd be good if the designers could either label how they're different or get rid of one.
The new Miro is faster and easier to use, and worth checking out if you've dismissed it before.
Today we have a new president to lead a new American path through what will be a tumultuous time. But President Obama won't be able to do it alone. He and his administration need to work together, and communicate with one another and the country, to ensure everything is running well.
That's why I've compiled a "cheat sheet" for the Obama administration, listing five services it should use in the White House. Sadly, it probably won't. Record-keeping laws and security concerns will ensure that none of my suggestions take effect.
AIM for White House staff
Why shouldn't the White House staff be able to communicate with one another over AIM? I'm sure many of them use it in their daily lives and bringing it to the White House to communicate quickly is, in my estimation, a pretty good idea.
Instead of forcing his staff to walk back and forth between wings and offices, what if President Obama was able to instant message his staff from the Oval Office. I can see it now: PrezObama312: "Where's the dossier on the Russian spy we've been tracking?" WHStaffer35: "IDK. BRB." PrezObama312: "K. G2G. L8r."
Wouldn't that be great?
BitTorrent for distributing government documents
I know BitTorrent has been the target of the RIAA and MPAA over the past few years due to its huge supply of copyrighted material, but why shouldn't the government embrace the technology and use BitTorrent to distribute information to the public?
Sure, there's always that issue of "pirates" running the service, but I don't see what all the fuss is about. Who will they tell? President Obama should look to BitTorrent as an ideal way to get the word out. The distributed network reduces the cost of running data centers by allowing all the network's users to share the load.
It makes sense to me.
Present.ly for internal microblogging in groups based on level
Aside from AIM, I think the Obama administration should use enterprise microblogging service Present.ly to allow White House staff and the president to communicate.
The real beauty of Present.ly is its ability to allow users to create groups. A top-level aide can put the president, vice president, and cabinet in one group so they can discuss world affairs in a Twitter-like format, and the rest of the staff can have their own group to take care of their own work.
Sure, someone might be able to hack their way into the president's Present.ly group ("Michelle10" is an easy password to crack, Mr. President), but it still would help the staff communicate far more effectively than walking back and forth between desks.
Did you see 24 Monday night? That's all they do.
Stickam for White House room streams
I don't know about you, but I'm not always convinced that White House staff is really working. I'm not even sure President Obama would ever really know if his staff is working. How could he? He's busy.
That's why he needs to install cameras throughout the White House and use Stickam to monitor his employees. At any given time, he can log in to Stickam, find the White House channel, and start viewing all the different rooms in the house.
I'll bet that would get everyone working.
Ustream with moderated chat for country-wide town hall meetings
Ustream is a fine video-streaming service that makes connecting with others simple and fun. It's also ideal for a White House town hall meeting where President Obama would be on camera and citizens from across the U.S. would have the opportunity to ask him questions in a moderated chat room.
I don't see any reason why the president shouldn't exploit Ustream in this way. He has shown time and again that he has a real desire to use technology to connect with the populace and capitalizing on Ustream to give citizens a voice would be just another example of him doing just that.
I realize that allowing citizens from across the U.S. to comment on the president's policies could be troublesome, considering millions would probably want to join in, but if the room had a cap on the number of people who could join, or an effective team that could moderate comments, I doubt it would be a problem.
I'd certainly like to join in on that chat.
Check out Don's Digital Home podcast, Twitter feed, and FriendFeed.
Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
The journey is over for Pirates of the Amazon, a new Firefox extension that let users illegally download movies, games, TV shows, and MP3s for free by cross referencing Amazon.com's product pages with torrent files from the Pirate Bay.
On Thursday, a day after Webware reported on the plug-in, lawyers for Amazon.com took action. They served the Internet service provider of the two students who released the extension with a take-down notice--and the students complied and removed the tool, according to The New York Times.
However, on their Web site, the students now say the plug-in was meant as an artistic parody, part of their research for a media design course at the Piet Zwart Institute of the Willem de Kooning Academy Hogeschool in Rotterdam Holland. "It was a practical experiment on interface design, information access, and currently debated issues in media culture," the students say.
And while that might seem like a convenient story concocted by the students to stay out of trouble, the NYT reports that they have backup from their teacher, Florian Cramer, who defended them on an Internet mailing list called Nettime.
Cramer said a majority of commentators failed to see the artistic nature of the experiment, and expressed concern that his students were being censored.
"With the take-down notice from Amazon.com, our students have been scared away from pursuing their art, research and learning in our institute," Cramer wrote. "We do not want a culture in which students have to preemptively censor their study because their work confronts culture with controversial and challenging issues."
While the extension was working, it showed up as a "Download 4 Free" link on the top of the Amazon product page if the content could be found on the Pirate Bay's search index. This linked directly to the hosted .torrent tracker file, letting the user avoid having to make a purchase from Amazon in place of acquiring it illegally via BitTorrent.
If you're up on your pirate lore, or perhaps have your Pirates of the Caribbean plot flow-chart handy, you'll know that sea-faring criminals are no friends of Johnny Depp-devouring monsters. As it goes on the high CGI seas, so follow the stormy waters of the Firefox add-on world. Yesterday's Pirates of the Amazon plug-in, which adds torrent links to songs and movies in the Amazon.com store, is met today by The Kraken, a plug-in that adds Amazon.com links to torrent Web sites.
The Kraken adds Amazon results to MiniNova and The Pirate Bay searches.
(Credit: CNET Networks)The Kraken is extremely simple and there's no configuration required. When you visit popular torrent Web sites The Pirate Bay or MiniNova and search, Kraken will insert its own results box at the top of the site's search engine results that links back to Amazon.com. Kraken did not work with ISOHunt, Torrentz, or TorrentReactor when I checked them.
The plug-in defaults to showing only one result during your first search. To see more hits, click on the Show Top 10 Items for a longer list, or click on the Show All link at the bottom of the list to jump to the relevant Amazon.com page. Share opens a window to quickly e-mail off your Kraken results.
The Kraken obviously isn't going to change anybody's mind about torrenting copyrighted media, but it's encouraging to see that at least somebody out there has a sense of humor instead of firing off threatening and specious letters that probably cost more in attorney's fees than in recovering theoretically lost earnings.
