Developers of the Bittorrent file-sharing process have opened an experimental data-synchronising tool up to the public.
Bittorrent Sync uses peer-to-peer technology to send information between users’ PCs.
Bittorrent have download for
- Windows XP sp3+,
- Mac 10.6+
and a host of Linux OS’s
- Linux ARM, Linux PowerPC, Linux i386, Linux x64, Linux_i386 (glibc 2.3), Linux_x64 (glibc 2.3) Linux PPC QorIQ
It eliminates the need to upload data to a third party’s computer servers, as is the case with services such as Box, Dropbox, Google Drive and SkyDrive.
But one analyst said businesses were unlikely to be tempted by the idea.
Davies Murphy Group’s Chris Green said companies would worry about their lack of control over the new process even though it did not rely on a third-party’s data centre to update what might be sensitive files.
But he said it might appeal to some members of the public for private use.
Although the technology has become associated with media piracy due to its use by some media-sharing sites, BitTorrent itself is a legal company that makes money by licensing its technology and brands to business customers.
It began testing the new tool at the start of the year. The facility is categorised as alpha – signalling it is still being tested and may be unstable – but the firm announced on its blog that it was now ready to invite the public to try it out.
suggested users might find it quicker and more private than the alternatives.
“Since Sync is based on P2P [peer-to-peer technology] and doesn’t require a pit-stop in the cloud, you can transfer files at the maximum speed supported by your network,” it said.
“Your information is never stored on a server in the cloud; your data is protected by encrypted keys. Your files belong to you, and stay on the devices of your choice.”
To prevent unauthorised access to shared data, the software generates a private key for each synched folder on the original device.
This is made up of at least 32 characters and must be entered into all the other devices to which the information is sent to in order for the files to be accessible.
One of the benefits of synching software is that it allows a user to ensure any changes made to a document on one machine are copied to all their other devices.
In its current state, BitTorrent Sync achieves this by noting the change and then copying the whole updated file to other computers, replacing any earlier version.
Source: Bittorrent Lab
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Dave Thornton
Been involved in technology for many years, more than I care to remember. Live in Dundee, Scotland. I like Android, Windows Phone OS, BlackBerry OS and iOS, and love writing about all things techie. Currently have a Honor 6+, Elephone P6000, Nexus 5, Chrombook C720, HTC One M7, Nokia Lumina 625, Microsoft Lumia 435, Blackberry Q10, HTC Hero and iPad mini
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