BitTorrent Torque lets you download torrents on the browser

BitTorrent is massive and the protocol is one of the world’s most used protocol for sharing files with others. uTorrent is one of the most popular clients used around the world - it’s free and it’s also owned by BitTorrent. uTorrent was bought over by BitTorrent some 6 years ago. Now, there’s a unique new technology that’s based on Javascript called Torque being added to the mix. The Torque project allows developers to use a number of features from within the browser. There are currently two main working applications, the Oneclick Chrome plugin and the other, called Paddle Over. Oneclick Chrome plugin is a simple plugin that installs on your Chrome browser like any other extension. What it does is that it lets you download torrents directly through the browser without the need of a separate BitTorrent client. Files download like you would download any other file from a regular HTTP or FTP server using the default download manager built within Chrome.

The second application is called Paddle Over, which allows users to transfer data between computers. It can be used by accessing the site - paddleover.com. Once the browser plugin is installed, users can easily choose to upload files to other users by sending them an invite link or even simply sharing it via Twitter or Facebook. These two web applications available at launch are like demonstrations to show what is possible with the new Torque feature. BitTorrent has a queue of other similar applications lined up for release in the future. Some of the applications being slated for the future can seen see on the Torque Labs page.

Paddle Over allows sharing of media easily using a browser

Other upcoming projects include the Torrent Video Streaming feature that allows streaming of video to a browser using the Torque system. This will allow users to stream media from any of their PCs without specifically needing special streaming software and players. Some other features are related to uTorrent, which allow users to share content that friends are currently seeding.

uTorrent was also in the news earlier this year for making a possible entry to the mobile platform. A mobile version of the client was expected to hit the Android platform, but no such move has taken place. BitTorrent told Torrentfreak that they had a strong interest in the mobile front and that they were working on an app for the Android platform. Additionally, BitTorrent was also said to have been working on a Linux client, plans of which were suspended for a while, back in 2010, as the main uTorrent branch for Windows took on some major changes. Clients for iOS devices, such as the iPod Touch, iPhone and the iPad seem very unlikely, due to Apple’s unwillingness to allow file sharing related apps on their app store. 

File-sharing services have been around for a very long time, starting predominantly with Napster, which provided users with the ability to share and download music for free. A lot has changed since, and new services have come up but it appears BitTorrent, as a protocol has made the biggest impact of late. Torrent sites have cropped up everywhere and many would say, is the easiest way for illegal file sharing, which makes up for most of the traffic on the protocol. It went unnoticed for some time but things are changing now. There are major actions being by large record companies, along with the software industry to curb piracy and of late, the popularity seems to have dropped a bit.

Clearly, the move to introduce Torque should show that BitTorrent is more than just for illegal file sharing purposes.