(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) -- Designed to shake up the web's "old client-server computing model," Opera (www.opera.com) has released "Opera Unite," a browser-based sharing and collaboration service, which has been the subject of a number of security concerns, as well as resistance from businesses seeking to maintain control over copyrighted content.
A beta version of Opera Unite became available this week for Windows, Mac, and Linux users. It essentially turns any computer into both a client and a server, letting it interact with and serve content to other computers directly across the Internet, without the need for third-party servers, letting users share files and developers host applications directly from the browser.
"For Web developers, Opera Unite services are based on the same open Web standards as Web sites today. This dramatically simplifies the complexity of authoring cutting-edge Web services. With Opera Unite, creating a full Web service is now as easy as coding a Web page."
Typical applications for Opera Unite, however, are largely personal. There are six services currently included in Opera Unite: file sharing, photo sharing, a streaming music server, a chat service, a web server, and a "fridge" application for posting shared sticky notes.
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
Opera executives did not show a service for streaming video.
While the load of PCs acting as web servers will have a huge impact on the traffic load on corporate networks, even greater, security experts say, its the impact of malicious code, which poses a great threat when users set files permission levels to "completely open."
An Opera spokesperson told ZDNet UK that Opera Unite features no encryption, leading it to be vulnerable to hacking attempts to access personal data on a host's PC.
PCmag.com columnist Lance Ulanoff notes that, while Opera may think this feature makes it cutting edge, it may be losing the trust of its users.
"Opera has a good browser," Ulanoff wrote. "I've used it quite a bit, though I treat it like the crazy cousin whom I can only stand to be around for a few days. Now, though, Opera's about to turn into the dangerous relative whom I never want to see. Please Opera, keep file sharing where it belongs, out of my laptop and off my business PCs.
"Did I mention I think this is all a really bad idea?"
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