Slashdot Mirror


BitTorrent Embraces Streaming Torrents, Takes uTorrent Web Out of Beta (betanews.com)

Mark Wilson shares a report from BetaNews: Acknowledging that we are now very much in the streaming age, BitTorrent has launched the first version of Torrent Web. The aim of the browser-based tool is to make torrenting as simple as possible and -- most importantly -- support torrent streaming. It remains to be seen how many people are willing to switch from a dedicated app to a browser-based torrenting experience, but the promise that you can "play while you download, no more staring at progress bars" is certainly alluring. Files are streamable near-instantly as they download, but they are also saved locally in the way you're used to. uTorrent Web is available for Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge and Opera and the release finds BitTorrent partnering with Adaware to check torrents for signs of malware, and even download torrents without having to visit websites. Warning: the installer includes (optional) bundleware in the form of Adaware Internet Security and the Opera web browser.

46 comments

  1. Beware...isn't open source by 110010001000 · · Score: 2

    It isn't open source. God knows what it is installing in your desktop and/or browser.

    1. Re:Beware...isn't open source by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Do you honestly use only non open-source software? Sounds paranoid and painful.

      Closed source can be great because you never get the support reply 'fix it yourself', as if everyone is a (life-long) coder. Things tend to work more smoothly. I can only think of a handful of open-source software that works 'as good' as the closed standard.

    2. Re:Beware...isn't open source by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

      Yes I honestly do. What closed source bittorrent client do you use? It probably contains malware.

    3. Re: Beware...isn't open source by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      Yeah the original bittorrent is not open source, it is ad supported but it's paying the actual creator. The protocol is free and specs are open, anyone can implement for free. This bitcoin corporation is not who made the protocol or original client. They do not maintain or update the protocol either. They only make uTorrent and only for profit. You can buy uTorrent or get a version full of ads.

      Just use anything but uTorrent...even Vuze(Azereus) vastly outperforms uT with all that xbmc compatibilty, web monitoring/remote control and other feature bloat. Probably because it is open source and can actually be maintained by people who care to make something usable.

    4. Re:Beware...isn't open source by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      it is actually well known what you will be installing. Possibly some miners, definitely shitty hard to uninstall adware. probably malware, certainly spyware. Anyone that uses this shit deserves what they get, this is the sort of company that gives closed source its bad name. not everything closed source sucks, but any idiot that installs something from these guys doesn't care about their safety, security or privacy.

    5. Re: Beware...isn't open source by 110010001000 · · Score: 1

      Bittorrent is a protocol. Vuze contains malware as well. You don't know what you are talking about.

    6. Re:Beware...isn't open source by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't know why you got modded badly. Yes, I only use open-source software. Even on the cellphone. I can't think of a corporation that I trust enough to blindly run their secret programs on my computers. And I never get "won't fix, buy the newer version" as a support reply.

    7. Re: Beware...isn't open source by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And yet nothing you said disagrees with me.
      I said bt is a free protocol anyone can use.
      I said Vuze, even with it's bloat, performs better than uTorrent.

      You don't know how to talk.

  2. utwebinstaller.exe by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    must install utwebinstaller.exe , it's a web version ?

  3. Trust: zero by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Warning: the installer includes (optional) bundleware in the form of Adaware Internet Security and the Opera web browser.

    Trust: Zero.

    Get in the sea.

  4. Linux & Blob by markdavis · · Score: 3, Informative

    I am not interested in this software, but:

    "Warning: the installer includes (optional) bundleware in the form of Adaware Internet Security and the Opera web browser."

    "You can download the Windows app right now, and BitTorrent promises that a Mac version is in the works."

    So it is a mystery binary blob, which is scary enough with something like this, but it is also not available for Linux. Good thing I didn't have any interest in the first place :)

    1. Re:Linux & Blob by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Haven't heard of "uTorrent Web", but the protocol "TorrentWeb" (no micro/u, and no space) is completely browser based via javascript.

      I guess it depends on the usage, but I know of one content producer that hosts their own videos that you can stream from a website with a more familiar youtube-like interface.
      (The web software is called PeerTube if you're interested)

      Though technically the viewers can aid in the torrent swarm, and probably most helpful there right after a new vid goes up, but for the most part they are the only seeds.

      One annoying downside is existing torrent clients can't use the torrentweb protocol directly.
      So no helping to seed with your usual seedbox, at least until they get updated to support it.

      uTorrent proper has been a bloated sketchy client for some time now and I think everyone's moved on to other clients by now. uTorrent Web will likely be a still birth.
      People running the heart of things behind the scene still prefer command line clients or more automated with less gui clients.

      For video streaming, the main hosting site tends to have a built in player anyway so beyond seeding long term I'm not sure windows users will need much in the way of a dedicated out-of-browser client.

  5. Project Maelstrom by Hotice919 · · Score: 1

    Sounds like this is a semi-realized version of their shuttered Maelstrom project (http://blog.bittorrent.com/tag/maelstrom/). Instead of a browser built on bittorrent, it is instead a browser with bittorrent features side-loaded in. The idea instant access to viewing the files is interesting, but I don't see the big need. I think most bittorrent clients could probably force sectional priority downloads. /Plus the bloat on top is a big turnoff.

    1. Re:Project Maelstrom by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I seem to recall that out of segment order bittorrent downloading was intentionally done to discourage leeching/encourage sharing for longer.

  6. Cute! by Bobrick · · Score: 1

    Bundleware! That's what you call it?

  7. I see what you did there! by Mr0bvious · · Score: 4, Funny

    BitTorrent is partnering with Adaware to avoid being flagged as malware.

    FTFY.

    --
    Never happened. True story.
    1. Re:I see what you did there! by bloodhawk · · Score: 1

      basically avoid anything these scumbags put out like the plague. expect to be inundated with malware/adware/miners. They lost the trust of users and have done nothing since to regain it.

  8. Is this an implementation of WebTorrent? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    There is a torrent extension that works in browser and uses WebRTC for peer connections. Disappointing summary/article/video all lacking any technical detail. Whether compatible or not, this at least deserves a mention.

  9. Re: more piracy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    On the contrary:
    It was piracy that fueled the demand for more bandwidth. Without it we would still be on dial up.

  10. Re:more piracy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Bandwidth that people are paying their ISPs for.

  11. BEWARE OF AdaAware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    "Warning: the installer includes (optional) bundleware in the form of Adaware Internet Security and the Opera web browser."

    Beware of AdAware. LavaSoft used to be very reputable but they sold out: "The company was acquired in January 2011, as Lavasoft, by the Solaria Fund, a private equity fund front for Daniel Assouline and Michael Dadoun, key people of UpClick and Interactive Brands. SC Magazine reported that Lavasoft had been acquired by the same entrepreneurs who have been accused of selling software that is available for free to unwitting users under the guise of premium support, including the free version of Lavasoft's security program prior to acquiring the company itself[citation needed]. Security consultant Dancho Danchev has documented this controversy. Additionally, Danchev has reported in 2013 that Lavasoft was used to hide hard-to-uninstall programs into third-party software to trick the users in installing them, like in the K-Lite Codec Pack, and the Lavasoft Web Companion changed your browser without given permission. Although the company shields itself behind the complete legality of bundled software and claims that their software is only used to fight malware, there are users who have branded their products as malware." http://ddanchev.blogspot.com/2008/03/cybersquatting-security-vendors-for.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavasoft https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/feb/23/newmedia.technology

    Opera silently added an option ENABLED BY DEFAULT that consents to it reporting 'trending websites back to Opera'. What exactly that means is not made clear but read the fine print. "The information we collect may include: personal data, for example your name, email, IP-address, location; and non-personal technical data, for example who manufactured your device, your screen's resolution, your mobile operator's region and code. A complete list of the data we collect and purpose of collection may vary between our products and services. You can find detailed descriptions in the product/service-related sections below. We may share your data: To government bodies and law enforcement agencies to comply with the law, for example in judicial proceedings, by court order or other legal process To third parties (including professional advisors) to enforce or defend our legal rights, including our terms and conditions To a third-party purchaser or seller (including professional advisors) in connection with a corporate event such as a merger, business acquisition or insolvency situation As described elsewhere in this statement".

    1. Re:BEWARE OF AdaAware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I run a VPN - sick of extortion artists and their henchmen. I am also aware of DNS leaks. Now I want to know if I ran Wireshark, what exactly is leaking out, and what to block - except windows10 ignores many rules. I will presume by default something is very unsavory here, since I found out zCPU shows lots of hardware serial numbers possibly enough to semi match when I am not using a VPN. What is needed is a firewall rule to mangle outgoing packets with false information. Then all will be good. Oh, an cookies and their derivatives. Now if I ran under a VM, better, only my VM also sends out spy packets. Active packet tampering is needed too - so these experts will have a false positive ratio.

      Better would be to delete or patch offending modules/dlls manually post installation, like you have to do with Adobe.

    2. Re:BEWARE OF AdaAware by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sounds like you might want Linux to run your VPN. If Win10 is an impediment in running it, it'd be one less thing if you switched.

  12. Re: more piracy by TimMD909 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I was gonna guess porn. I'd offer a citation, but I know I'd get distracted while researching the material.

  13. Re: more piracy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You aren't wrong. But it wasn't just porn. Napster was huge during the US's transition to broadband.

  14. Opera by sgunhouse · · Score: 1

    On the one hand, I'm sort of glad to see Opera getting in early. Old Opera actually had a built-in torrent client without some of the downsides of many external torrent clients (which is, some of them would share other files on your computer without asking, thus potentially leading to unintended copyright violation). Not available in the current version, though.

    New Opera is not a bad browser, and despite the misquoted fine print it doesn't share your information. But I don't accept it when other software wants to install Chrome or Firefox, so I don't like this bundling either. And I recall some negative stories about Ad-Aware (I always hyphenate it to avoid confusion with Ada-ware, which actually owns the "Adaware" name), which makes this more unfortunate.

    1. Re:Opera by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How is it misquoted? You're waving your hands around. You're not explaining yourself.

    2. Re:Opera by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Opera has a standard corporate privacy notice. Begins by telling you how much you care about your privacy and after few paragraphs after most people have stopped reading says they can do anything and everything including collecting data to target you with ads. Read it. https://www.opera.com/privacy

    3. Re:Opera by Daralantan · · Score: 1

      I miss the old Opera. So many things to customize and I tend to have a ton of tabs open - it had some nice tab navigation options. And I actually used a few of the gestures.

    4. Re:Opera by gnick · · Score: 1

      I stopped trusting Opera entirely when it was bought by the Chinese consortium "Golden Brick Capital Private Equity Fund I Limited Partnership".

      --
      He's getting rather old, but he's a good mouse.
  15. Streaming sites no longer safe by Katatsumuri · · Score: 1

    In copyright troll friendly countries like Germany, you should now think twice before using the streaming websites, too. They might well put you on some distributed download network, exposing you to 3rd party tracking and accusations of "facilitating unauthorized copying".

  16. Proceed with caution by TJHook3r · · Score: 1

    I would imagine you would only want to use streaming torrents if you live in a country where copyright infringement is legal - can't think of any countries off the top of my head!

    1. Re:Proceed with caution by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Spain, Switzerland, Romania, China to some extent...

  17. qBittorrent Download in Order by Metabolife · · Score: 1

    Browser based is fine, but I've been doing this with qBittorrent for years already. Download a file and set it to download in order, wait a few seconds and play the file as it gets written to disk.

    1. Re:qBittorrent Download in Order by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why does every "new" project have this model:

      1. Find (somewhat?) popular new-ish open source and/or free software.
      2. Rewrite (or steal) a program that does the same thing or at least replicates a specific part of the functionality so we have control with a closed license.
      3. Data slurping.
      4. Profit! ... and since these projects LOVE to promote themselves, more people may flock to the closed reimagining of the software and lose their privacy/security in droves.

      passphrase: spoils

    2. Re:qBittorrent Download in Order by DarkRookie · · Score: 1

      Because money is the only thing important.

      --
      The millennial that doesn't like most of the stuff designed for millennials.
  18. Bit Torrent Live reboot? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Does this mean the BTLive app on my phone will finally be useful again?

  19. Re:more piracy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    You're paying for whatever the ISP wants to do, within the bounds of what YOU signed.

    Otherwise I wouldn't be paying for you and your fellow casuals to clog my pipe with your huluflix, re-downloading every time you watch something. You and your fellow surfacedwellers thirsting for fail videos and the music video of the month, or whatever the current youtube phenomenon is.

    But I suck it up, so can you. I even deal with your clogging AND the market forces of your tripe gargling.

    Downstream

    https://arstechnica.com/inform...
    Netflix 34.89%
    Youtube 14.04%
    HTTP 8.62%
    BitTorrent 2.80%
    iTunes 2.77%

  20. torrent is so 90s by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    so is communism.

  21. but streaming means sequential and sequential suck by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you're streaming you'd have to download sequentially. And if you're downloading sequentially you're hurting the swarm. Which defeats the entire purpose of Bittorrent. We might as well just be doing Kazaa, BearShare older P2P protocols.

  22. uTorrent became shit anyways by DarkRookie · · Score: 1

    It really hasn't been good since they added the ads in.
    The client just kept going down hill from there.
    Use qBitTorrent now. Is better than uTorrent ever was.

    --
    The millennial that doesn't like most of the stuff designed for millennials.
  23. Re: more piracy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Not in my back yard"
    he said as of he owns the internet.
    What a tool.