Opera Unite - A Browser-based Web Service

Whoa, so this thingey is brand new as of this morning.

Cutting to the chase...Download Opera Unite.

Opera Unite is a feature of the just-released build of the Opera 10 web browser that provides a web server for sharing local data on your computer with others without having to upload anything.

Simple concept, but fairly cool. Imagine this scenario:

I'm working on a project, and I have a video I'd like to send to my friend. Normally, I'd do this by uploading it to YouTube, sending an e-mail, or uploading it to my own web server. There are problems with these approaches:

1. All three of these approaches require me to transfer my video, which could be pretty large, to another web server in some form before I'm able to pass it on to my friend. The transfer will probably take a considerable amount of time.
2. Depending on my proficiency or level of access with my web server or web service, I may not be able to easily restrict access to this file.
3. With YouTube, I'd have to wait for the site to convert the video into the correct video format.
4. With e-mail, my e-mail server may prohibit me from sending such a large file.

Enter Opera Unite: I can launch the Opera web browser, select a file or folder to share, set some access permissions, and voilà, I send my friend a link to something like http://my_computer_name.my_username.operaunite.com/, and they're able to instantly view my video. The browser runs a local web server that gives me a way to host and share content through the Internet without uploading anything. Opera Unite has a few different preset sharing modes that let you easily share files, media, and photos. Unite also consists of two handy social features - a live chat feature called "The Lounge," and "The Fridge," a place to leave a note "on" someone's computer.

I've set up Opera Unite on my machine, so feel free to give it a try: Joe's Opera Unite Page
Use "panthertr1ck" as the password when requested.

Now, there are a few caveats, the main one being that Opera Unite won't work if Opera isn't running on your local machine. For example, you won't be able to do much with the above link if my laptop isn't running.

It doesn't seem like Opera Unite was meant to replace a full-fledged web server, however. Opera Unite look more like a solution for sending large files or otherwise sharing files quickly with others at a given moment. I do this all the time, so I'm really excited by this service's potential.

I also like / don't mind the Opera web browser itself...Opera Software has always shown a strong commitment to web standards and openness, so while the Opera web browser may not see nearly as much use as Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer, its unique features and overall quality give it a special place in my Applications folder. If you haven't given Opera a try, I'd encourage you to do so, especially now that Unite is part of the equation.