It seems that Opera have come out and unveiled their planned announcement about 'reinventing the web' in the last few minutes, with a project they have called Opera Unite, something which seems very promising.So, what is Opera Unite? According to the press release, it is a new technology that consolidates any computer into both a client and server machine, which means it can "interact with and serve content" to other computers, disregarding any need for third-party servers. This is all well and good, but what benefits does this service provide? Well, apparently, for consumers it means you will be able to easily share data with any device that has a modern browser, all whilst having greater control of your private data. For the web developers, though, it means creating complex web services will be vastly simplified; Unite is based on as same standards as websites today, so now creating an advanced web service is as easy as making a standard site.
These are the current features, according to the aforementioned press release:
File Sharing:
Securely share a file from your personal computer without waiting to upload it. First select the folder from which you would like to share files. Opera Unite then generates a direct URL to that folder. By giving that link to your friends, you can share files without routing through a third-party Web service.
Web Server:
Run entire Web sites from your local computer with the Opera Unite Web Server. After selecting the folder containing your Web site, you can share and host it from the given Opera Unite URL. Opera Unite will automatically recognize index files and create the Web site as you designed it.
Media Player:
Rock out wherever you are by accessing your MP3s and playlists from any machine. After selecting the folder containing your playlist, use the Opera Unite direct link to play your tracks directly in any modern Web browser.
Photo Sharing:
Share your photos direct from your PC, without uploading them online. Once you select your photo folder, the photo-sharing service will create a thumbnail image gallery of your photos. Clicking the thumbnail will present the photo in its original resolution.
The Lounge:
The Lounge is a self-contained chat service running on your computer. Your friends can access the chat room via the direct link, which will not require them to sign into any service. Depending on your privacy settings, you need only provide the generated password to your service in order for people to log in to your chatroom.
Fridge:
Post a note on your friends' virtual refrigerators. By sharing the direct link to your refrigerator, you and your friends, family or colleagues can exchange notes securely and privately in real time.
Enough chat; how can you get your hands on this and test it out? First of all, download the latest build of Opera Unite from the labs website. After you've done that and installed it (you'll need a special version of Opera 10, available from the labs link available below), click the Unite logo in the bottom left corner of the browser and enter your Opera ID; you can use one you've previously set up, otherwise you will be asked to make one. Once you've done that, you're ready to go. Opening the Opera Unite panel of the browser, you can peruse the services available, and you can add more by going to the Unite webpage. Also, "Running a service will give you a direct Web address to the Opera Unite service on your device, for example: http://notebook.jondoe.operaunite.com/photo_sharing/, where "notebook" is the name of the local device serving content, "jondoe" is your username, and "photo_sharing" is the Web service being accessed. That link will also allow others to access the same Web service from your computer through their Web browser."
The CEO of Opera, Jon von Tetzchner, said, "Today, we are opening the full potential of the Web for everyone. Technology moves in distinct cycles. PCs decentralized computing away from large mainframes. Opera Unite now decentralizes and democratizes the cloud. With server capability in the browser, Web developers can create Web applications with profound ease. Consumers have the flexibility to choose private and efficient ways of sharing information. We believe Opera Unite is one of our most significant innovations yet, because it changes forever the fundamental fabric of the Web."
If you're unsure about anything, head to the support page for Unite, which has a wealth of content available. Additionally, there is an introduction to Opera Unite here.
Have to agree with that. Of course Opera is pretty good at covering it's own butt.
Yes, and I think their services like "The Fridge" will be OK too as they're professionals on these things. BUT... Dark cloudy skies if you configure that web server component and start using various scripting languages without knowing what you're doing, since it's all running on your computer.
It uses a server side javascript language which is sandboxed.
Yeah, already tried it, didn't another program already try this..?
I agree then Opera will whine to the EU to get to view Microsoft's Source Code
I agree then Opera will whine to the EU to get to view Microsoft's Source Code
What? You can access it from any browser.
. . not going the change the web that way . .
ROFLMFAO!
Grow up. Wake up.
Open your mind.
So true. Those creeps are going on my nerves ever more and more.
Anyway, great job on this, Opera.
As a P2P function, this could be intriguing (since the bandwidth is shared across multiple slow connections to create one fast net connection), but as my own web server?
Yawn.
No that's just the legal system keeping this stuff alive xD
No...it only works with browsers. Windows 7 E doesn't have browser...
Opera's whining that is.
and mozilla and google, but they dont count do they?
If so, u might as well just install IIS on ur PC with directory browsing, Windows Authentication, a self-signed certificate and open a port for HTTPS for security, and make a virtual directory that points to a folder you want to share on your filesystem.
Of course IIS is only available in XP pro, Server 2003/2008, Vista Business and above, and probably the equivalents on 7. And the big colourful IIS management console may be a bit daunting to new users.
Last edited by smooth_criminal1990 on 16 Jun 2009 - 11:02
If so, u might as well just install IIS on ur PC with directory browsing, Windows Authentication, a self-signed certificate and open a port for HTTPS for security, and make a virtual directory that points to a folder you want to share on your filesystem.
Of course IIS is only available in XP pro, Server 2003/2008, Vista Business and above, and probably the equivalents on 7. And the big colourful IIS management console may be a bit daunting to new users.
IIS is on Vista Home Premium as well, not sure if its a cut down version though, but it is there.
And probably gain an overall 0.01% of market share.
I guess the only main difference is that Opera has automated much of it and made it easier for end users. But all this file sharing and directory sharing has been done to death through other apps as well.
It all looks nice, but I wouldn't exactly call this groundbreaking.
those are really impressive features for a typical user, really futuristic
Great Work
those are really impressive features for a typical user, really futuristic
Great Work
Agree!
It's sandboxed. It's no more of a security issue than Firefox extensions. In fact, Unite probably has less access than extensions to your computer.
They already have widgets, and I don't think there has been a single security breach there. So they probably know what they are doing.
+1
I miss my 96 baud acoustic coupler...
You'd rather keep on using Mesh if you want to quickly share a file with someone there and then, or for example set up an ad hoc chat session with someone you discussed with on a forum?
Tsk tsk.
With Unite, all the other person needs is a browser.
And it all goes through someone else's server, and you need whoever you are communicating with to sign up to lots of services to achieve a fraction of what Unite can do.
Easily sharing data privately and securely is "a problem that really doesn't exist"?
Maybe there are plenty of free ways to set up a server, but none are as easy and streamlined as this, and you will get thousands of services to choose from, whereas setting up something on your own web server would require you to write the code yourself or at least fiddle with some other people's code.
- File Sharing -compare to-> Bittorrent, IIS, Windows Live Messenger File Sharing (P2P), Yahoo Messenger File Exchange, etc. Yawn!
- Personal Web server -> IIS, Apache, etc... Yawn!
- Media Player -> Win 7 feature allow you to access your mp3 anywhere in the world. Yawn!
- Photo sharing -> Big Yawn! Yahoo messenger instant photo sharing, Windows Live Messenger Photo Sharing.
- Lounge -> Rolling Yawn! See Skype P2P Voice & Video call, etc.
- Fridge -> Sleepy! here. Some example, Windows meeting space, IM messenger's offline message etc.
At last, I just want to say the whole point to have a server running and serving the need of the people is because you have to turn off your computer at some point. The idea of transforming every computer into personal web server will not revolute anything. It just wastes resources, electricity, and money to replace broken over used computers.
File Sharing -> Orb , Skydrive
Media Player -> Orb
Photo Sharing -> Orb ,Skydrive
Lounge-> Skype ,Any im client
Fridge->Skype, Any im client
Personal Web Server -> IIS, Apache, etc... Yawn!
If I had half the motivation I could knock up a clone of Unity using all of the microsoft/yahoo services and open source the program. Then would people see me as a hero? I could just claim that I liberated the invention that opera made and brought it to the masses, and then argue that the duplicate exists because it fulfills a purpose the same way linux is a clone of unix.
I probably starty talking out of my ass somwhere after that list but Opera saying that they reinvented the internet by taking existing techs and packaging it all in one program IN MY OPINION is disingenuous.
- File Sharing -compare to-> Bittorrent, IIS, Windows Live Messenger File Sharing (P2P), Yahoo Messenger File Exchange, etc. Yawn!
- Personal Web server -> IIS, Apache, etc... Yawn!
- Media Player -> Win 7 feature allow you to access your mp3 anywhere in the world. Yawn!
- Photo sharing -> Big Yawn! Yahoo messenger instant photo sharing, Windows Live Messenger Photo Sharing.
- Lounge -> Rolling Yawn! See Skype P2P Voice & Video call, etc.
- Fridge -> Sleepy! here. Some example, Windows meeting space, IM messenger's offline message etc.
and the time spent to set all of that up, learn the configs for apache, etc etc vs one nicely designed program to do it all...
It's the point.
I fixed it for you. What about laptops away from WiFi connections?
Then it turned out to be like this... A repackaging of all available techs. what's a big yawn!
You don't need a computer that is always on for ad hoc sharing of data, (snipped).
Last edited by GreyWolfSC on 16 Jun 2009 - 20:51
Well those apps listed above won't do much good without an internet connection either, so what's your point? ;D
Sure, not a lot of the functionality is new, but it is integrated into a neat, easy to use package in a way that Opera users have became accustomed to, and I for one am all for it
The only feature I like the sound of is the refrigerator, but most people I know put their PC into hibernate/sleep when they're not on it, so how will I leave them notes? They'll have to leave their PC on 24/7...
Wave could be implemented as a Unite service, though.
Wave could be implemented as a Unite service, though.
As does Unite. Without Opera's proxy server, Unite is useless.
It's a lab release, dude. That's like pre-beta or even pre-alpha. Lighten up.
And you have to let your PC working 24/7...
But the point is valid, ISP's don't like you serving loads of stuff, and limit upload like crazy. Download is sometimes capped as well, but the majority of ISPs don't care if you download much, it's all uploading they hate.
Yes, that was possible to do before, but not like this, and not this easily and with this flexibility.
Seriously, please enlighten us on what a security hole is since you seem to have special knowlege the rest of us don't have. In other words think before typing such a snide remark, because there are plenty of us that know what a security hole is and running a web server from a typical pc is a huge one.
Running a web server on a typical pc is not as much a problem as is running it in a user account that has access to most of the data the user cares about. A little breach here or there, and the entire system risks being compromised. Though it looks like it only supports server JS for server side scripting can add to its safety.
A bigger problem is putting so much power and responsibility in the hands of the users. Many will not be willing to properly check permissions when sharing and make the access control settings way more permissive than they should have been.
The thing is sanboxed.
Comparing this to a normal server with access to all data is crazy.
[< snipped > - Calum]
Last edited by Calum on 17 Jun 2009 - 11:51
No.
Yes
No
Bloated means any software that's packed with features that the majority of users don't use and thus go wasted. Now though, it's sorta morphed into any software that uses lots of resources for no reason.
At the end of the day though, what's bloatware or not, is up to each user.
Yet the UI is loaded up with stuff you don't use. Which does get in the way for a lot of people.
Chrome has been out for how long? Not even a year? Opera has been around for many years and Chrome already surpassed Opera in marketshare.
So by your definition that makes Opera an Epic Fail.
[< snipped > - Calum]
Last edited by Calum on 17 Jun 2009 - 11:54
Actually, it isn't. Things stay hidden until used/activated.
So by your definition that makes Opera an Epic Fail.
Chrome has been out for 9 months, and Google has spent tens of millions of dollars on massive advertising campaigns, including spamming it even on the google.com front page.
Opera still has a higher market share than Chrome:
http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-ww-dail...01-20090616-bar
Remember, Opera has only been free for 3.5 years.
Opera still has a higher market share than Chrome:
http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-ww-dail...01-20090616-bar
Remember, Opera has only been free for 3.5 years.
Yes, it's got a clearly higher market share, and if you look at Europe, it's even significantly higher:
http://gs.statcounter.com/#browser-eu-dail...01-20090616-bar
Opera: 7.46%
Safari: 2.43%
Chrome: 1.63%
Information sharing from your own computer, no need to upload anything to third-party services or host files elsewhere.
I for one am excited.
I agree. Comcast has imposed bandwidth limits. I think I'll pass on this unless Opera can persuade Comcast to drop the limitations.
This Opera Unite looks promising to me! I like it already
The point is that you don't have to use the web server service, it isn't enabled by default anyway. None of the services are, you have to enable them yourself.
You don't have to leave your computer on for YOURSELF. You can, but you don't have to. Most people will probably use it to share data with other people, people who are online at the same time anyway.
yes, but you still need opera to set up the services, so perhaps my comment should have been "..., even if you have to use opera to set up the services."
I know... but I could not resist...
I know... but I could not resist...
Yeah, Opera is going to sue MS due to the fact IIS is integrated into windows server and Opera can not compete with a business class web server......... I can see it now.....
(snipped)
Never mind the fact that Opera never even sued MS (it was just a request for the EC to look into Microsoft's business practices)(snipped)
Last edited by GreyWolfSC on 16 Jun 2009 - 20:54
Sharing with someone is as simple as sending them an URL, and it works in any browser.
It does a lot of stuff which would otherwise require expertise, lots of time, and lots of different apps.
Don't cry a river if you end up getting the plug pulled for using this particular application, it could and probably will happen.
I'll be ok unlimited bandwidth theoretically but if it got a lot of use you'd get STM'd and sent to a crawl.
The traditional web structure is big servers serving content to lots of clients.
With Unite, everyone becomes part of the web. Clients can connect directly with other clients. Again, over the web.
That's a reinvention.
Last edited by GreyWolfSC on 16 Jun 2009 - 20:55
Clients can connect directly with other clients. Again, over the web.
That's a reinvention.
Really? I'm pretty sure I've seen this before...
In any case they will probably let us know how to block it on a network.
I read a few of the developer docs about it.
Let's say you need to share something that is too important to put on a remote server controlled by other people.
Or you need to share a file quickly, syncing a file on a remote service like drop box takes a long time, first it has to sync all your stuff to the server then someone has to download it, so you have to wait for an upload and then a download.
Let's say you don't have a dropbox account, and you have 5 minutes to share something before you go somewhere, start opera, choose directory, start service.
As for the comments on energy conservation and leaving computer on all the time, when you close opera it stops working, so I see it as a fulfilling the need of a quick temporary server, for small quick jobs.
Another scenario where this is useful is let's say you need some file from a relative/friend who doesn't know very much about computers, this is not that difficult to use. The concept of dropbox actually scares people when you tell them they are putting their stuff on some computer somewhere, some people like their files to be kept personal.
As for security, its only meant for temporary servers for quick stuff or for new ways to interact with your friends when you happen to be online, not to host the entire planet 24/7.
Also it uses a proxy to serve the content by redirecting it to your account, this helps, because you don't have to explain to someone how to open ports in a router, and is much more secure.
You won't be able to serve .php files, it has it's own server side sandboxed javascript language, with a helper library with events for server requests etc and data storage.
The javascript and html files are not accessible, unless you put them in the public_html inside the unite gadget.
I for one trust the security of Opera more than downloading some freeware ftp program that someone wrote in their spare time, and if there are security holes there is a greater chance that they will be fixed.
If they allow you to store small pieces of data on opera's servers, you could probably write things like bookmarking services, or atleast test out your idea for a new type of service that requires syncing.
I don't know if it has a future, but it certainly has interesting applications, and I foresee it coming in handy for myself.
I don't know how well the widget that comes with unite for filesharing, serves large files, but it could be very good.
I read a few of the developer docs about it.
Let's say you need to share something that is too important to put on a remote server controlled by other people.
Or you need to share a file quickly, syncing a file on a remote service like drop box takes a long time, first it has to sync all your stuff to the server then someone has to download it, so you have to wait for an upload and then a download.
Live Mesh already does this as well as other services.
Except Live Mesh is nothing like Unite because the former requires you to set up and connect to a separate server, whereas the server is part of Unite itself?
Still, with an ISP like Comcast limiting bandwidth per month, it's not feasible to have Opera setup unless those restricitons are lifted.
Not necessarily. Unite does a lot more things and offers more bandwidth intensive services. Plus, am I reading correctly that it's running both up and down online, so that if it's not doing anything, it's still broadcasting? Live Mesh doesn't call upon anything unless you or someone else tells it to.
Wont "reinvent the web" though.
With Unite, everyone becomes part of the web. Clients can connect directly with other clients. Again, over the web.
That's a reinvention.
"It's only been out for an hour and a half, and I've already downloaded porn with it. I call it an instant success."
* I don't want extra services running on my machine, and I don't want my bandwidth eaten up by an app running in the background. Fail.
* If I try to use this on my laptop, I send a link to my friend and I go somewhere that doesn't have Wifi, my friend can't use the link. Fail.
* What happens if I'm playing Left 4 Dead and a friend decides to click a link to a file that I sent him 4 hours ago? Friend gets file very slowly, laggy zombies win, I don't survive...all kinds of fail.
It's much better to upload the file when I want to a remote server so I can control my limited upload bandwidth.
Reinventing the web? More like copying what everyone else is doing on the web and calling it yours...
Last edited by JonathanMarston on 16 Jun 2009 - 16:26
And yet you don't want extra services running on your machine?
Wait... So what you are saying is that you have lots of extra services running on your machine to do what Unite (one service) does?
(snipped)
And no reinvention? The traditional web structure is big servers serving content to lots of clients. With Unite, everyone becomes part of the web. Clients can connect directly with other clients. Again, over the web. That's a reinvention.
Last edited by GreyWolfSC on 16 Jun 2009 - 20:58
And yet you don't want extra services running on your machine?
Wait... So what you are saying is that you have lots of extra services running on your machine to do what Unite (one service) does?
I run Photo Gallery when I want to use it, I run Live Messenger when I want to use it, I open Facebook when I want to use it, I run Live Mesh when I want to use it.
All of these apps (aside from Live Messenger, since it's by design "instant") allow my to put stuff on the web, close them and go do something else (like, I don't know, turn my PC off? go down to my friends house who doesn't have Wifi?) and everything I've shared is still available to whomever I've shared it.
With Unite I have to always leave my computer on, connected to the Internet, with Unite running, for my friend to be able to get to the stuff I sent him a link to the day before.
Last edited by GreyWolfSC on 16 Jun 2009 - 20:58
And you run individual Unite services when you want to use them. Your point being? You still can't get away from the fact that you whined about too many services, and then you're using even more services than Unite
Which means that you had over your data to someone else. You don't have to do that with Unite. Two different approaches.
Or just send them the link while they are online.
(snipped)
Last edited by GreyWolfSC on 16 Jun 2009 - 20:59
It should be some sort of other app that's not integrated with a web browser though, but we'll see how it works out.
Last edited by HalcyonX12 on 16 Jun 2009 - 16:34
That will be swell.
chk this http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/projec...op/default.aspx
And people don't care about sharing data and connecting with other people? I see.
Oh because half of those comments are the same 3 people (d-ralphie) retorting to every non-enthusiastic reply made.
And people don't care about sharing data and connecting with other people? I see.
Whatever dude. You keep living in fantasy land and I'll just keep lookin at things realistically. It's probably more likely that Opera goes belly-up in the next few years than this thing taking off in that time. I don't think either will happen, but I'm just trying to get it through your head how non-penetrating this thing is going to be in the market.
Yes, because bandwidth was expensive and normal computers limited. Now a lot of people actually have the bandwidth to run something like Unite.
At the cost of being forced to hand over your data to strangers.
(snipped)
Last edited by GreyWolfSC on 16 Jun 2009 - 21:01
edit: this was supposed to be in reply to this.
Reinvention of the web? I think not. Just another file sharing service.
I think by far the most interesting "service" is the jukebox service. You and some # of friends are all on IM or whatever, and hop over to your Opera Unite service. You get an instant chat room for all (unlike some of the limitations of AIM group chat the last time I tried). Then you can all have a "compare my current favorite music" weekly meeting for instance - you all pick some number of songs, and you hear the same songs together over the net. I can see this being a better, more personalized and social Top 40 countdown for individual groups of friends for instance. And as you listen, you can pop in and comment for all on the chat part.
Oh, and you can do this on your netbook or smartphone while you're waiting in the shop for your car to be repaired (for instance).
Another place I can see it is (and maybe live mesh does this, but I'm still putting stuff out there on someone elses server which might bother me) : I'm working on something with my co-workers and I'm on my smartphone in the doctors waiting room, lets say, and suddenly I need to see that excel file we're talking about. It can be a simple copy/paste into this and it's there. Now, there's other ways to do this, but for quick and *easy* setup and use, this seems very far out ahead to me. Now, perhaps right now, I'd use a Wiki, and maybe in the future I'd use Google Wave, but this is indeed interesting for ready to go, across platforms, and mobile in a way lots of the suggested replacements (apache?) won't go...
Of course, I'm also only sort of imagining what can be built by 3rd parties - the internet at large seems to come up with quite suprising and interesting functionality on top of various things like this.
Hmm, lets see, most if not all cell phones and computers come with some sort of IM client or MP3 player, so no use for it there. Don't know about other people but usually when I go somewhere that may require me to open some random document, I just pull out my flash drive and open it from there, so again..no use for it there either..hmm looks like covered just about everything.
Honestly tell me who would actually do this? Or anything similar to it?
a) set up and configure windows filesharing on my home PC and try and use samba to mount that on my netbook. Haven't had much luck in the past, might just be me.
b) go find / buy a flash drive, format FAT32 (eeewww IMO... bad filesystem, but most likely to work I guess)
c) set up a new permission on my FTP server (only easy as I already am running one - how many people normally are?)
d) use something like this to easily move the file over. Now, I could use IM and I have in the past, but maybe I don't have an IM client on my netbook. Opera's hoping the users will have a browser.
As to the compare my favorite music... IDK, all my friends from highschool and college are far away now... I could see myself doing this to keep in touch with their music tastes, especially if it's easy to get going (as this aims / seems to be)... I mean, your argument is kind of like who'd actually use Facebook . . .
Also, you're judging this by what's in existance at it's alpha stage... Look at Firefox and extensions... I don't recall any interesting extensions at M18 release in 2001 timeframe... But I didn't claim that it was useless or entirely uninteresting.
I assume the "reinvention of the web" is just marketing fluff, on par with Safari's recent announcement or Microsofts playing up of their finally adding Tabs to IE7...
Oh I'm pretty sure I understand what it is. I just fail to see how its reinventing anything when things like it already exist.
The only reason I like mesh better is the absolute total unreliability of the wireless connection on my computer. With this, when my connection goes dead, with it go my files. With mesh I still have access to my stuff, regardless of whither my desktop is online or not.
(snipped)
Last edited by GreyWolfSC on 16 Jun 2009 - 21:02
What tings like it already exists? I'd like a specific example please. Yes, one single example of something which does everything Unite does.
But then Mesh is not like Unite, and Unite is not supposed to be like Mesh. If Mesh requires someone else's server to work, then it fails at what Unite is supposed to be doing. It is basically irrelevant.
Unite requires Opera's servers to work. It's how they got around having to do router set up. Mesh allows you to share files directly without it storing on their servers in case you're worried about security or don't want to use up your space in the cloud with large files...
Only to set up the connection, like a router or DNS server. The file goes directly.
And download it directly from a browser?
http://www.filesovermiles.com/
Yes, that was possible to do before, but not like this, and not this easily and with this flexibility.
(snipped)
Last edited by GreyWolfSC on 16 Jun 2009 - 21:02
Thanks, Opera, for making our lives so much better!
Europe does not get Windows 7 without a browser. That was something Microsoft tried to do of its own free will, in order to game the system. It didn't work, and now they will have to bundle a few competitors, which is the normal thing to do in such cases.
(snipped)
Last edited by GreyWolfSC on 16 Jun 2009 - 21:03
RT @DownloadSquad Note to anyone trying out Opera Unite: Your data transfers are not encrypted in any way. That is all.
...I hope so.
And I want it bundled with IE8.
I hope some people agreed...
Not sure I can take this.
Also, I think that the current ISP business model kills it a little. Most people have a fairly low upload bandwidth cap. If this catches on, it'll hopefully improve this situation. I like the direction that this is going though, and as internet speeds increase I think this is how the internet will eventually evolve.
Edit: Just noticed this, but quite a few people are criticizing Opera Unite as bundling together stuff that's already been done. While that's true, which is nice in its own way since it simplifies it for end users, it looks like there's more to it. From what I can tell the whole thing is more of a framework where you can build all sorts of different web applications. It just happens to be that the defaults are applications that would be commonly used (i.e. file server).
Last edited by Solecs on 17 Jun 2009 - 04:08
I half expected it to end with the words 'Skynet' lol
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