The PortableApps Suite is a storehouse and management system for "portable" versions of some of the most popular freeware around. That collection used to be limited only to open-source programs. But on Wednesday it started making portable versions of closed-source freeware to users. The first batch of portable freeware includes Web browser Google Chrome, VoIP client Skype, BitTorrent client uTorrent, antispyware tool SpyDLLRemover, and three others at the time of writing. The new portable versions of these programs work both independently and in tandem with the PortableApps suite.
In a statement published on its Web site, PortableApps.com founder and CEO John Haller said that PortableApps "remains committed" to open-source software, but that closed-source freeware publishers would find other venues for USB stick-friendly versions of their programs if PortableApps didn't open its doors to them. For users that want to support only open-source programs, he said that the PortableApps directory will soon be filterable.
PortableApps is also planning to accept portable versions of commercial software, although it hasn't announced a timeline yet. Readers can check on the latest updates to the PortableApps catalog at their Web site, although we do host most of them at Download.com as well.
The first beta of the next generation of the uTorrent client is available and contains some useful upgrades that address how torrenting has changed in the past few years.
uTorrent 2's bandwidth cap options panel.
(Credit: Screenshot by Seth Rosenblatt/CNET)A transfer cap feature has been added, which will allow users who have cap-limited bandwidth to throttle down their torrenting habits and stay away from overage charges or having their service shut off. The feature offers graphs and can show your upload and download usage by megabyte. Most importantly, you'll be able to set it to shut down uTorrent once your limit has been hit. It's also configurable, so you can set it to turn off uTorrent by either upload limit, download limit, or both.
uTorrent also supports UDP trackers, which are a new kind of protocol for tracker communication that uses noticeably less processing power. As more trackers use UDP, it will allow them to continue to function on lower-end machines, which should result in faster transfers as the client itself won't be slowing down the torrent.
Another back-end change for version 2 is support for uTP, an alternative communication method for torrent traffic that allows the client to automatically regulate bandwidth usage so that your local network isn't adversely affected. Unlike the bandwidth cap, which is a cutoff point, uTP will make sure that other locally-running programs can still use your Internet connection without taking forever to resolve sites.
The full list of changes can be read here.
A pre-release alpha version of a Mac version of uTorrent, the popular BitTorrent client for Windows, has been leaked to the public.
The details window of uTorrent's Mac client, now confirmed to be in alpha.
(Credit: TorrentFreak)Available from the Swedish torrent Web site The Pirate Bay, the Cocoa-based client has been expected since 2006 when BitTorrent bought uTorrent and promised to develop a Mac version. There was little said since then, until this past August when uTorrent developer Greg Hazel announced that a Mac version would be ready ''in a few weeks,'' according to the torrent news Web site TorrentFreak.
Simon Morris, BitTorrent's vice president of product evelopment, responded to the leak by saying that the version currently in the wild was not supposed to get out and is not recommended for use, although he hopes that people now believe him when he says that there is a Mac uTorrent client in the works. There is an official notification list for eager users available at the uTorrent site. http://mac.utorrent.com/
Certain key features don't work yet, such as searching. Comments about the app on The Pirate Bay confirm its bugginess. So far it only seems to work on Intel-based Macs, and only those running OS X 10.5 or higher. Because this is an extremely early build of the client, it's not clear at this point how it will stand up to established Mac torrent clients such as Transmission, how it compares to its Windows sibling, or even if this means that a BitTorrent-branded Mac client is in the works.
Ironically, you'll need a torrent client to download this torrent client, since it's only available from a torrent Web site.
[Via TorrentFreak]
Hard to pronounce but easy to use, µTorrent is a renowned torrent client. Factor in its robust feature set and that it can run on an old USB key, and you've got yourself a must-have program. And now, with Morrent, µTorrent can be monitored from within Facebook.
Still not convinced? Watch this First Look video to learn more.
This torrent utility is simultaneously one of the easiest to use but also one of the most robust. The uTorrent executable adds a directory and some option information to your PC, but it is still small enough to run off an old USB key. It leaves a minuscule memory footprint, barely touching system resources. What it does hog is your Internet pipeline, but that's easy enough to adjust to your needs with built-in throttling features.
Included are both a torrent search bar that links to MiniNova and a handy RSS feed download function. Subscribe to select feeds, and uTorrent automatically downloads files as they publish. Adding, starting, pausing, and listing torrents takes merely a click or two each. A speed guide helps you test your ports and adjust system settings for optimal performance, and the advanced features make this one of the most customizable torrent clients in terms of both user experience and torrent handling.
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