Opera Unite is an intriguing concept that aims to turn any computer or mobile device running Opera into a web server. This means you can easily share files or photos with other people without having to upload them first. There's more to it than that, though. Friends can leave messages for you on a virtual fridge and chat with you in your 'lounge', and you can even stream your music collection over the internet. The Unite download includes the Opera 10 browser. if you already have Opera installed, you'll be given the opportunity of upgrading to the new version.
To use Unite, you'll need an Opera account. Go to Tools, Opera Unite Server, Enable Opera Unite and fill in the requested details. Once that's done and you've validated your account, you're all set.
Opera will now display what looks like a web page but it actually being hosted on your computer. You can add a personal message here and active the various services you want to run. Each service, whether it's the fridge or photo sharing, has its own address that you can pass on to your friends and, best of all, they don't need to be running Opera to access your pages or content.
Obviously, you don't want just anyone being able to help themselves to your shared files or leave you messages, so Unite lets you choose a level of privacy and set passwords. It's early days for the technology but it certainly shows promise. The services on offer are simple but they give you an idea of Unite's potential.
Google has promised to consider improvements to the security of a number of its services including Google Mail following criticism from US security experts.
The group of 38 computer scientists called on Google to use a standard encryption protocol, known as HTTPS, which is commonly used in online banking services to protect data while in transit. Google offers HTTPS, which stands for Hypertext Tranfer Protocol Secure, as an option in Google Mail, but is disable by default.
"Google customers face a very real risk of data theft and snooping, even by unsophisticated attackers," the group wrote in an open letter to Eric Schmidt, Google's chief executive.
Responding to concerns, Alma Whitten, a software engineer for Google, said that the web giant is "currently looking into whether it would make sense to turn on HTTPS as the default for all Gmail users".
The Mozilla Firefox development team is currently releasing the latest public build of the upcoming Firefox 3.5. The first release candidate of Firefox 3.5 has already been transferred to all mirror servers. Users who already work with a Firefox 3.5x version can perform an update check right in the web browser in the Help > Check for updates menu to download and install Firefox 3.5 RC1 automatically. The version has not been made available for public download yet but major download portals such as Betanews are already providing users with the download of the latest version.
This version of Firefox seems to contain bugfixes which will be also included in the final release of Firefox 3.5. according to a post on the Mozilla Developer News blog. This update does fix the incompatibilities with the Wordpress blogging platform that were introduced with Firefox 3.5b99.
You may want to check the useful article about 40+ Add-Ons for Managing Firefox Tabs
The release notes that have been written for the RC release of Firefox 3.5. also contain a download link which users can use to download and install the latest browser version. They do not reveal many information about this particular release though but concentrate on Firefox 3.5 Release Candidate information.
Firefox 3.5 RC1 should be definitely installed by users of previous versions of Firefox 3.5 especially those who have been stuck with 3.5b4 because of the bugs introduced in 3.5b99.
A few years from now, we'll look back at today's hardware for watching Internet video on TV, and we'll laugh. That's not to say that the current technology isn't sophisticated it is. The problem is that in order to view Web based content in our living rooms (as opposed to on a PC monitor), we have to jump through far too many hoops. And that's why the Web over TV movement is still more of a minor uprising than a full scale revolution.
The best Internet video to TV options such as Apple TV, Roku, and Vudu are separate, dedicated boxes. For true mass market adoption to occur, providers must offer home appliance style functionality: plug in, turn on, and tune in.
The More Things Change...
This assigment evoked a strong feeling of déjà vu for the author. Today, though, we have plentiful bandwidth, great networking, mega HDTVs, and unlimited storage. So how come on one (aside from hard-core techies) has made the transition yet?
In a word, business. The entertainment industry simply isn't comfortable with having the Internet on TV. The networks like the fat checks that conventional television advertising provides; the cable companies like the cash we fork over cach month in subcriptions; and Hollywood likes the revenue that cable and TV send in for all that juicy, exclusive content. The cash cow could expire if consumers take the backdoor route and acquire content via broadband. That's why Web on TV content libraries are still very limited. The cable folks are keeping the good stuff--news, sports, premium movies for themselves.
If it were forward looking, the cable industry would have a tremendous competitive advantage in bringing the Internet into the living room. Consumers already have a cable hookup and a cable box plugged into their TV. With flick of the switch, that connection could expose a universe of online content, without costumers' having to patch in additional devices or mess around with a home network.
Sure, opening the floodgates might be a risky business move for cable providers, especially since the margins on Internet video are much lower that those from traditional broadcasting. But playing ostrich is far riskier. At some point, all of us will be getting our TV over the Internet. If the barons of cable can't figure out how to carve themselves a slice of the pie, they'll be out of business. Just look at the withering newspaper industry, which was similarly slow to embrace the Web as a delivery mechanism.
Ultimately, the consumer will win when accessing broadband based video and a full slate of programming, takes minimal effort. First up is Yahoo's soon to be released Connected TV platform, which will deliver a broad range of content directly to Yahoo enabled sets, including a model of Samsung that should be available shortly. Equally promising, Comcast is prepping a Hulu competitor and has already inked deals with television manufacturers LG, Samsung, Sony and Vizio. The future of broadband based TV, it seems, just might rest in the living room set itself.
And this time, we won't need to wait 12 years to get the TV we want.
The music industry has finally wised up and changed tactics in its quixotic legal campaign against peer-to-peer file sharing. Rather than continue to sue consumers who illegally download music, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) will get Internet service providers to send warning letters. If you ignore the letters, you may find your bandwidth reduced or your service eliminated altogether.
Between 2003 and 2008, the RIAA sued 35,000 consumers, although most of these cases didn’t make it into court. Instead, the would-be plaintiff usually demanded a sum of money $5,000 or so and dropped the suit. In cases that did enter a courtroom, the copyright law permitted the RIAA to demand statutory damages of up to $100,000 per song. The most flagrant downloaders we’re talking 5,000 tracks a month may still be sued, but the RIAA will no longer pursue small fry in court.
The new strategy will require the RIAA to work closely with ISPs, sometimes with the support of state authorities. At least one small ISP in Louisiana says cooperating with the RIAA will cost it time and money, and it’s demanding payment. Internet filtering is not part of the plan, although detection of illegal downloading will be.
