Opera Unite rediscovers the Web

Cloud computing and web applications are no longer the same

June 16, Norway, Oslo - Opera Software today officially unveiled Opera Unite, a new technology that changes the understanding of the Internet as a client-server model for exchanging information. Opera Unite can make any computer not only a client device, but also a server. This enables users to contact friends and acquaintances computers directly and share information without using online services and applications.

Using Opera Unite, exchanging data between computers becomes as simple as working with web resources. This technology allows the end user to better control the use of his private data in the public domain. In addition, he can remotely work with information stored on his computer using any other device equipped with a modern web browser.

It's important for developers to know that Opera Unite services are based on the same open web standards as websites. This greatly simplifies the creation of new applications based on Opera Unite - developing them is no more difficult than creating web pages.

Opera Unite technology is available in a special version of Opera 10, which can be downloaded for free at labs.opera.com .

Using Opera Unite
1.Download and open the browser assembly with Opera Unite from labs.opera.com
2.Click on the Opera Unite logo in the lower left corner of the browser window and enter the username and password that you use to access other Opera resources, such as My Opera and Opera Link. If you don’t have an account, Opera Unite will offer to create it
3. Access to Opera Unite is carried out from the sidebar of the browser, and new services can be downloaded from the unite.opera.com section 4.
Starting the service will form a direct link to the Opera Unite application, for example, notebook .jondoe.operaunite.com / photo_sharing. In this link: “notebook” is the name of the local device with the contents (files), “jondoe” is the name of the user, “photo_sharing” is the name of the Opera Unite service to which you open access from the outside. By following this link, friends and acquaintances will have access to the contents that are open for them on your computer’s hard drive via a regular web browser
5. You can see which of your friends use Opera Unite services on your My Opera Unite home page.

Opera Unite services work directly in the browser. Currently, the following services are available to users for free:

Access to files (File Sharing): using this application, you can provide access to files on your computer to other users. In this case, you do not need to pre-upload these files to specialized online services. Just select the folder on your local drive that you want to provide access to. Opera Unite will generate a direct link to this folder. It can be sent to friends with whom you want to share files.
Web server (web server): this service allows you to run a full website from a computer. It is enough to select a folder with website files on the local drive and allow access to it from the outside. All the content will remain on your computer, which will act simultaneously as a repository of information. Opera Unite automatically recognizes and runs index files, so that your website will be displayed in the form in which it was developed.
Media Player : Access your music wherever you are and from any computer. To do this, select the folder with the music collection in MP3 format and allow access to it, and then use the direct link Opera Unite, opening it in any browser and starting to listen to songs using the built-in Opera media player.
Access to photos (Photo Sharing) : now you can share photos with friends and relatives directly from your computer, without sending files to online services. To do this, just select the folder with photos on the local disk of the computer, and the application will form a gallery of their thumbnails. Full-size photo is loaded by clicking on the thumbnail.
Living Room (The Lounge) : this service allows you to organize a chat with friends directly on your computer. Your friends can join the conversation by clicking on the direct link, without the need to register in any online services. Depending on the settings, you just need to tell them the password to enter the chat.
The Fridge: Stick notes to your friends' virtual refrigerators. Now you can exchange messages with them in safe mode and in real time. Do not forget to tell them the direct link to your “refrigerator”.

Six services already available in Opera Unite are designed to demonstrate the capabilities of the new technology. Web developers can give free rein to their imagination and create applications on their own, fully utilizing the potential of Opera Unite.

Why did we release Opera Unite?
Every day on the Internet there is more and more data and more services for their processing and storage. “Cloud” technologies allowed sharing information anytime, anywhere, with any user. However, such freedom of access is associated with the transfer of private data to a third party - web application servers. This significantly limits the control over the use of personal files.

We hope that cloud computing will continue to change our ideas about web applications for the better. But we also believe in another way of sharing private information - without losing control of it. It was this idea that formed the basis of Opera Unite technology, and it is in it that we see the future of the Web.

“Today, we are unlocking the true potential of the Internet for all users,” said Jon von Tetzchner, Chief Executive Officer of Opera. - Technology is developing in a spiral. Once the advent of personal computers led to the distribution of computing previously focused on mainframes. In turn, Opera Unite is designed to make "cloud" technologies more democratic. A browser with a built-in web server will give developers the opportunity to quickly and easily create web applications, and end users will receive a flexible tool with a powerful system for controlling access to private data and advanced information sharing functionality. We believe that Opera Unite is our most significant innovation ever presented,

From developer to developer
“The ability to combine social services and modern technology is exactly what interested me in Opera Unite,” said Molly E. Holzschlag, Opera’s web evangelist. - The use of open standards, such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript, allows you to create Opera Unite services not only to venerable web developers, but also to amateurs. "Opera Unite gives people the opportunity to realize their ideas by creating technological and social applications based on the currently widespread and generally accessible open standards."

Additional Information
Introduction to Opera Unite: dev.opera.com/articles/view/an-introduction-to-opera-unite
Opera Unite - ABC for developers:dev.opera.com/articles/view/opera-unite-developer-primer
Yusef - Opera Unite service structure: dev.opera.com/articles/view/yusef-the-opera-unite-service-framework
Markuper - Opera template library Unite: dev.opera.com/articles/view/markuper-unite-template-library
Download the Opera Unite apps you developed: unite.opera.com
Video - getting started with Opera Unite: unite.opera.com/support
Opera Screenshots Unite www.opera.com/press/resources

About Opera Software ASA
Opera Software ASA is the industry leader in developing web browsers for desktop computers, mobile phones and other devices. The Opera browser has received worldwide recognition from users and manufacturers due to its speed, compactness and greater proximity to standards than other browsers. Opera Software is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with regional offices in several countries around the world. The company's shares are traded on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker OPERA. More information about the company: www.opera.com .

Useful links The
Russian-speaking community and the official Opera blog: my.opera.com/russian Opera 's
blog on Habrahabr.ru: habrahabr.ru/company/opera
Opera community on VKontakte.ru vkontakte.ru/club15122
Let's make the web better. Choose Opera blog [EN]: www.chooseopera.com
Opera on Twitter [EN]: www.twitter.com/opera

Opera Unite for questions and answers

Warning! We also recommend visiting the unite.opera.com/support resource , which contains answers to the most frequently asked questions about Opera Unite, as well as visiting unite.opera.com/support/userguide for a more detailed introduction to the basics of using this technology.

What is Opera Unite?
Opera Unite is an interaction technology that allows one user to access private information, such as files, photos, music, located on another user's computer. This technology uses a small web server located in the Opera desktop browser and allowing access to data and services

. What software platforms does Opera Unite work on?
Opera Unite works on all platforms that support the Opera browser, including Windows, Unix, and Mac.

Does Opera Unite only work with Opera?
In order to activate Opera Unite on your computer and provide access to its contents, the user must use the Opera browser. But in order to access this content, any modern browser is enough.

What is the essence of Opera Unite services?
Opera Unite services allow you to expand the capabilities of the browser - from the functionality of social networks and chats to the ability to open files, music or photos for safe access to other users. Now it can be done quickly and simply, without the need to upload files to online "cloud" services.

What services are available now?
The laboratory release of Opera Unite will come with seven services: Profile, Profile, File Sharing, Fridge, Photo Sharing, Media Player, Web Server ( Web Server) and The Lounge. Other services will be created by third-party developers and published in the Opera Unite section on the company's website.

Who develops Opera Unite services?
Anyone can create services, we hope to attract the interest of developers from all over the world to them. Some services are created by the Opera team.

What technologies are used to create Opera Unite services?
Opera Unite services are created in compliance with all generally accepted and open standards, such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, SVG, AJAX.

What do I need to give friends access to files on my hard drive?
For this, the laboratory release of Opera Unite, which is available at unite.opera.com , and an account on the social network My Opera , are enough .

What can you say about security?
The actions of the Opera Unite services are limited to the safe area of ​​the hard disk created for them, only within its framework do the services gain access to the selected files, folders and subsections. The user will be able to give others access to only that information to which he wants to provide access. In addition, we recommend that users download Opera Unite services only from the unite.opera.com section . This ensures the security of all installed services that are checked and tested by Opera engineers.

What happens if someone finds out my username and my password to log in to My Opera?
If someone knows your username and password on My Opera, they can only view the files and folders that you have shared with others using Opera Unite. In this case, third parties will not get access to other files and folders on your hard drive. However, if you think that someone knows the details of your account, please let My Opera support team know about it.

Where exactly does Opera Unite technology work?
Logically, Opera Unite is located in the Opera browser, and no data of yours is stored on external servers you do not control. However, in cases where the UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) service is not available for some reason, Opera servers can help restore communication between user computers.

Can I save music files that I listen to using Opera Unite Media Player?
Yes, the Media Player service allows you to save files to your hard drive (via the right-click menu “Save contents as ...”).

What happens if I turn off my laptop while someone is listening to music from it in streaming mode?
Streaming will stop.

What music formats does Opera Unite Media Player support?
Media player supports MP3 format (MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3)

Is there a limited number of files that can be accessed from my hard drive or their size?
No, there are no such restrictions.

I can share MP3 files with my friends. Is it legal?
In this case, the user himself bears legal responsibility in front of copyright holders in accordance with the legislation of his country. Opera does not encourage or condone the illegal copying and distribution of copyrighted material.

Can I adjust the speed of downloading files from my computer?
Not yet.

Can I make a list of music files to play from different computers?
Not. But with the Opera Unite Toolkit API, developers can create their own media players with this capability.

How many levels of access control for my files is provided in Opera Unite?
Opera Unite now has three access levels for services:
Open (public): Everyone who has a direct link to a file or service can access it.
By password: Access to files and services will only be available to users to whom you will transmit a specially generated password.
Private: Files are available only to the user of this computer.

Is it possible to preview the data to which I open access?
Currently, in all Opera Unite services, under administrative rights, a preview is possible by clicking the "preview as visitor" button in the upper right corner of the page. With this option, you can see how the content will look for external users.

Can I open photo albums with different access levels for external users?
Yes, you can install several Photo Sharing services. In each of them, you can provide access at different levels and to different files.

How to install services?
Go to unite.opera.com/services , find the service you want to install, then click on the “Install Service” link. One and the same service can be installed several times, with different names, and “attach” different content to them.

How to update services?
Currently, go to unite.opera.com/services and click on the Install Service link. Then in the option “Update installed Opera Unite service” (“Upgrade existing Opera Unite service”) click “OK”.

Can I selectively suspend Opera Unite services?
Yes, for this, in the Opera Unite Services panel, you need to select the necessary service and click the “Stop” button at the top of the panel. You can also right-click on a service and then select “Stop Service” from the menu.

Can I disable Opera Unite?
Yes, left-click on the icon in the sidebar and select “Configure”. Then select "Disable Opera Unite" ("Disable Opera Unite").