uTorrent Apps Arrive, Plus Free Movies and Privacy Features

Ernesto
November 10, 2010
107
BitTorrent apps,
utorrent,
utorrent apps
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The uTorrent team has rolled out the stable release of uTorrent 2.2 today. The highly anticipated release is the first to open up BitTorrent’s App Studio to uTorrent’s 65 million users and introduces optimized proxy privacy settings. To emphasize the collaboration with independent artists, the launch of uTorrent 2.2 coincides with a promotion of the free-to-download film ‘Four Eyed Monsters’.

utorrent apps BitTorrent Inc. has been very active with the development of uTorrent this year. Among other things, the company pushed out two experimental clients (codenamed Falcon and Griffin) from where new features were tested in public. One of the most discussed features has been uTorrent’s support for Apps.

BitTorrent Apps is a web-based extensions framework to add new functionality without compromising the lightness of the core BitTorrent client. Similar to other apps, addons and extensions in today’s web browsers and phones, the Javascript-based Apps allow 3rd party developers to create applications that will integrate seamlessly with the client. They can be added to the client with a single click and are displayed using an embedded browser window.

Initially the Apps were only been available to a relatively small group of uTorrent users who downloaded the experimental ‘Griffin‘ client. In September this test audience was expanded to the users of BitTorrent Inc’s Mainline client, and today the “Apps Studio” is made available to all uTorrent users, 65 million in total. The release of uTorrent 2.2 includes the Apps Studio and comes with a handful of Apps that are approved by BitTorrent, but users can also install unofficial Apps such as the EZTV one we featured previously.

One of the official Apps that are included is that of VODO, a platform where independent filmmakers share their work for free. To celebrate the fact that Apps are now bundled with uTorrent, VODO is releasing two new films today – ‘Four Eyed Monsters’ and ‘Snowblind‘. For the producers of these films, BitTorrent provides an opportunity to have their works seen by millions of people without having to worry about distribution problems.

“The barriers to filmmaking have fallen, but the gates around distribution through traditional TV, theatrical and video-on-demand remain locked,” says Arin Crumley, creator and star of ‘>Four Eyed Monsters’. “With a user base of over 80 million [Mainline included], BitTorrent is exposing our film to an audience larger than many television networks and fostering a direct connection between audiences and filmmakers.”

“The creators who embrace this modern approach will encourage a new culture of audiences who support the production of movies they want to see and help distribute the ones in which they fall in love,” Crumley added.

Aside from the ‘Apps Studio’ and the release of the films through VODO, uTorrent 2.2 has several other features and enhancements in store. The skinning format which allows users to change the look of the client has been renewed, the client is now able to move files if you change the download location of a file, and there is now an add torrent dialog for magnet links.

On the privacy side there are also several much needed and demanded improvements. First of all, there was a huge security leak for the users of some proxy services. uTorrent users broadcasted their real IP-address instead of the secure one when they were connected to an UDP tracker (most proxy operators warned their users about this). This has now been fixed in the latest stable release. In addition, the latest release makes it easier for users of proxies to configure their client so they are indeed anonymous.

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reacto

First and this is an awesome artical!
UK Gov’t response to Andrew Heaney, TT Petition

Government response
It is clear that online copyright infringement inflicts considerable damage on the UK’s creative economy including music, TV and film, games, sports and software. Industry estimates place this harm at £400m pa.

The Digital Economy Act includes a number of measures to tackle the problem and we expect these to be successful in significantly reducing online copyright infringement. However this is an area of rapid technological change and developing consumer behaviour. The Act therefore includes a reserve power to introduce further “technical” measures if the initial measures do not succeed. These technical measures would limit or restrict an infringers’ access to the internet. They do not include disconnection
blackjesus@1337x.org

hmm seems like utorrent is going to become “bloatware” i hope im wrong
FFS!

WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH THE NEW UGLY DESIGN? AND THE ICON? FFS! THIS IS THE DEATH OF UTORRENT!
German

No bloatware. Utorrent has a long way to go before it becomes azure/vuze. It’s still very lean.
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hmm

Some people are morons! Bloatware?? Its you who chooses if you install loads of apps. Its there to enhance, not bloat
Update

Why does it say there’s no new version on the update check?
layerbakes

these aren’t hard coded into it, you can choose if you want to install different, don’t worry about it if you don’t want it don’t use the apps. UTorrent is just adding a feature for people who want to use it. :)
Vuze-user

Vuze is not bloatware. I love the ability to customize the settings completely to my preference. Although I have to admit that the UI has become slower on me with the last major update :(.
johnson

@ #2
i read the response to that petition as well. i wonder how many people will want to pay for a ‘fast internet connection’ if the speed is lowered to dial-up speed (bet that’s what would happen!), simply because they have been accused of ‘illegal file sharing’. i know i wouldn’t, even though ‘disconnection isn’t included’. i also doubt that anyone accused will be able to get away with canceling a contract or obtaining a ‘mac’ key to migrate to another ISP. the UK government, like in so many other countries, are pandering to the industries simply because they want to. it’s just another way of keeping control of the people/internet. they know full well that the figures are drastically exaggerated and also know that they will not get any where near £400,000,000 worth of extra tax (approx £80,000,000)!
kermidfrog

installed the zulutv app and it looks sweet but only seem to be able to download 720p versions of episodes. does anyone know how to change this?
anon

this is what we need a decent torrent client with useful apps… good article.
wangdangdoodle

@2

Look. I’m going to be frank with you.

This is how the world works. There are a few smart people, maybe 25% of the world. There are average/common people, mostly just guilty of ignorance, around 50%. Then there are stupid people and they make up the remaining 25%.

Some of the smart people, about 5%, believe that the stupid people are their ticket to controlling the world’s wealth and resources. for thousands of years, this system has been enforced by religion and war.

Now the internet is alive, and the remaining smart people, with the aid of most of the common people, are going to fight back.

Now, we don’t believe that stealing music or movies is right, but paying 20 dollars for a movie, or 1 dollar per song, is stealing from the public, and robbing it of art.

You ask us to play nice without reciprocating the intention first.
Let me be the first to say, FUCK OFF.
wangdangdoodle

@2

Look. I’m going to be forthright with you.

This is how the world works. There are a few smart people, maybe 25% of the world. There are average/common people, mostly just guilty of ignorance, around 50%. Then there are profoundly stupid people and they make up the remaining 25%.

During the birth of civilization, portions of the smart people, about 5%, decided to use their intelligence to be conniving. They believed that the stupid people were their ticket to controlling the world’s wealth and resources. & for thousands of years, this system has been enforced by religion and war.

Now the internet is alive, education is rampant, and the remaining smart people, with the aid of most of the common people, are fighting back.

Now, we don’t believe that stealing music or movies is right, but paying 20 dollars for a movie, or 1 dollar per song, is stealing from the public, and robbing it of art.

You ask us to play nice without reciprocating the intention first.
Let me be the first to say, F**K OFF.
ahem

The only real weak link left to torrents, and this applies to downloading in general, is anonymity and privacy. Would be nice to see utorrent exclusively offer this feature somehow.
Hiding your ip address is still the #1 concern and average downloaders still dont have a fix for this. Even vpn’s are not 100% guaranteed – remember that it all relies on the service not keeping logs or not complying with a court order – which leaves them in contempt. Can you Really trust them to do that? When journalists are served with a warrant to force them into spilling the beans as to how they obtained their source, not every one of them defies it. Its a big roll of the dice. Even hushmail told the police what they knew, they used to be known for 100% anonymity.
For the most part, its probably safe to use something like a vpn, but you never know – the internet is a very big place and some people will sell out anybody to get off without a jail sentence. I’d like to use the old “No honor among criminals”, but its getting better over time at separating downloading with criminal behavior. It sure isn’t the taboo it used to be, but there’s always someone out there trying to make himself look good at catching people.
wangdangdoodle

And the scary thing for your side sir, is that the small tiff you seem to think this is, is the beginning of an intellectual war. I assure you, your superiors in the top wealth class understand this.

The one thing you fail to comprehend:
Our side is composed largely of an army of independently minded people willing to do what is right- even if it means their life.
Anonymous

I dunno, I like my bittyrant app and when if finally ceases to work which will be when bittorrent ceases to exist, I will switch. Thanks anyway though.
kazoid

@12

You are being generous with the last 50% and 25% proportions… 75% stupids seems more accurate
Anon

@13 Ahem

The solution to the IP problem is actually very simple..

Detach yourself from your IP. Now I know a neighbors wireless isnt a end all solution, but public wifi of sorts is.

You don’t need to hide your IP if your IP leads nowhere.
anonymous

@12
LOVE IT
Couldn’t have said it better myself. And yes this is very much a war were in. This IS a cyber insurgency. This war is no different than any other revolution really. Sure you probably won’t be shot (unless there’s a BART cop around…), and the entrance fee is cheaper than ever before, but this is the same thing as every other revolt. Good news though: we already won. Sure our enemies won’t give up anytime soon, why should they, they make money from this. But we have already won. So go about doing whatever you want online people, because if we stop sharing information the terrorists, I mean ‘big content’ wins. :) meh, who are we kidding, the blackmail letters are DEFINITELY terrorism.
wangdangdoodle

@17

Ignorance is defined by a lack of knowledge available to an individual.

This can be accomplished through brainwashing and propaganda, but doesn’t actually reflect poor intelligence.

Stupidity however, is the inability to render a reasonable understanding or select the important portions of information.

I see it like this:
25% of America thinks GW did a good job. 50% of America either doesn’t vote, or doesn’t understand the sides of opposing parties, and the intellectual, college educated 25% of America votes liberal. A perfect dissection of this, and part of why people love it so much, is South Park’s employment of 4 childhood characters representing the statistical characteristics of Americans (who are no different than any other European Nation, but are subject to a poor education and more propaganda).
tank

four eyed monsters? how about the bearded clam?
Truther

As I promised, once they released the App version into stable, I would switch to uTorrent from Vuze.
neostyles

“Enhanced privacy features.” Hmm.. I wonder what it would be that people are hiding?
X

Would still like to see a peer-proxy system to allow there to be optional anonymity inherent in the application/network.

But of course, it means a sacrifice of bandwidth/speeds for all those that wish to be a part of that.
Anonymous

@21, why would you switch because they made apps available? It’s not like you’re forced to install any of them.

I’ve been running the 2.2 beta for a while and it’s as fast as any 1.x version I’ve used.
Jigsy

Why do I get the feeling that the MPAA/RIAA/et al will *love* the uMap app?
Sean

@24 Jigsy

The RIAA/etc wouldnt benefit. The uMap just takes info that’s already in your torrent client(Peer IP’s) and puts it on a map.
Wilson Andrew Bolton

@19
I can easily consider myself in the 25% smart group (119 IQ), and though I agree with most liberals that there does need to be some rather extreme reforms, I’m generally conservative (not part of a party. If you are part of a Political party because of being “born into it”, then you are an idiot), though it does depend on the situation.
No

@23

They said they’re switching from Vuze to uTorrent, learn to read.

Anyway, great update to a great torrent program.
Anonymous

@12: “Stealing”??

It’s called sharing.
Go open a dictionary and learn the difference before you start lecturing about stupid and smart k?

moron.
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meh

do these apps have access to what your downloading?
Im Poor

@2 400m a year? Whos losing that for Tv i thought thats what the licence fee was for? For sports well it must be sky sports and the rupert murdoch empire. I remember when football was free now it costs 80quid a month and footballers earn a fortune. Im sorry but i cant afford to pay those kind of fees or are the not so well off not allowed to watch sport its only for the well off is it?
Im Poor

Also im curious to know how you came up with the 400m figure was it using the same proceedure as talked about in this article?

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/351331/how-uk-government-spun-136-people-into-7m-illegal-file-sharers

lol

The people will only take so much, you seen what the students did, well just keep pushing us mate
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uuuuhhh

@ #26, 119 IQ puts you in the “smart” group??? now that’s some ignorant shit right there
Meh

Just curious, is current uTorrent safe to use? I kept hearing after 1.6 it was no longer safe, is that all crap? I’ve been wanting to upgrade for a while now.
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SupremeGeneral

@36 Meh

Guess what? It’s probably safer to use after 1.6 then to use before it. That’s what updates are for. The updates are built and tested for either security, privacy or reliability. Other than upgrades, updates are also to fix bugs and loopholes. Many ignorant people insulted or even complain of bugs and problems but never update to receive the fix.

However, the ‘unsafe’ review is based only on certain users. Any version up to 1.6 is made solely by uTorrent. After 1.6, uTorrent collaborates with Bittorrent Inc. So, many presume collaborations had a bad side such as bloating, or backdoor. Therefore, it’s advised to keep a copy, not to use it still.

Hoped that answered your questions or doubts.
momoola

@13 (wangdangdoodle)

“Now, we don’t believe that stealing music or movies is right”

Your first mistake is the use of the word “stealing.” There is no occurrence of theft when you copy data. No one is deprived of anything. Right? Well, it’s certainly not wrong, because no one is hurt in the process.

Your other mistake is that you said that only 25% of the human population consists of idiots and indoctrinated drones, but I’d be willing to bet that it’s more around 90%.
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Crap

Damn those apps are buggy. Sux big time. Glad i could uninstall.
Jay

New design is horrible. Can’t stand it.
MoreApps

Heads up guys I found a new App to control uTorrent from iPhone in Cydia.
ech

Sigh, TorrentFreak, here you go again with your incessant µT fanboyism.

Report on it, fine enough, but when was the last time you looked at any other software out there?
wangdangdoodle

They should offer an edit tool for posts.

Also, Torrent Freak. I worry about this supposed fanboyism as well. I’m not sure if you are simply picking favorites at times, or what. The shear lack of data you use to back up your opinions concerning privacy tools, such as vpns, disappoints me.
I’ve become accustomed to expecting more, not due to greed or taking this site for granted, but because all of your prior work has shown that level of depth.
Anonymous

Where is the Linux version?! …
Nix

There wont be any linux version.
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Meh

@37 SupremeGeneral

I was under the impression that utorrent was bought by some anti-piracy group who were claiming it was sending data to them, I can’t remember where I heard it, but a lot of people were saying don’t upgrade. That’s why I’ve been suspicious, so then I guess it’s at least safe enough?
Meh

@42 Many other places besides TF believe uTorrent is the best client, not just TF. Just because you don’t want to use it or don’t like it, doesn’t mean it’s bad.

I’ve used plenty of others, and I always came back to uTorrent.
neostyles

It’s called sharing.
Go open a dictionary and learn the difference before you start lecturing about stupid and smart k?

Have you ever looked up the definition of sharing? You can’t share what doesn’t belong to you. You can’t open up your neighbors mailbox and start handing out copies of their financial stuff.

Sharing also involves some sort of sacrafice on your part. If you have a physical copy of a DVD, you can share it with your friends because you will no longer be able to watch it. You have depleted your q
ech

Meh, yep, µT is a great client and its popularity speaks for that (I have 2 instances of it running right now on this machine, which burn 24/7), but there are a lot of other clients out there worth mentioning too, but this site never does.

I’ve been reading here for years and I can’t remember a single time they’ve ever looked at any other clients. It’s always µT. µT. µT. µT. …

It gets tiring.

Don’t you think a site supposedly dedicated to everything BitTorrent would cover a little more than the goings on of a single client now and again? They should broaden their horizons a little bit, if only to help promote the efforts of all the other BT devs out there. One would think there’s only actually one client in existance out there based on the reportings of this site. Look at the archive…
Anonymous

For those who don’t like the new skin:

*If you prefer the old 2.0.4 icons, download the µTorrent 2.0.4 skin. Simply download and double click, or drag and drop onto µTorrent’s window.

http://download.utorrent.com/utorrent.2.0.4-v2.btskin
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Taker

With every new version the symbols get uglier and uglier. They look like importet from paint of windows 3.1
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Anonymous

if you want the old icons just install the new Skins app and hey presto – back to 2.04 icons in one click!
Nix

Well! Don’t want to install plugins.

Guess i’ll uninstall and install the old version again.
PlayBoyMan

Downloaded and installed it this morning. I’m loving it !!!!
Noway

Damn this is ugly. Will NOT update.
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Ninja

That’s a freakin brilliant way of letting the users add the functionality they want and keeping the main thing clean and lean.

Plain awesome! Epic! <3 uTorrent
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Anonymous

#45, they said they were working on a Linux version… I would not be surprised if it’s bullshit.
siljaline

@ # 3
No bloat unless you enable the apps feature. The new UI leaves something to be desired but then you can skin it.

Generally happy with the release, so far.
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Weee

Im still using version 1.6

Maybe its time to update to version 1.7 ;) No, will stay with v 1.6
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cheery44

.
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Indy

1. I like the new utorrent. The apps have promise, and really the only thing I care about is that an app doesn’t bloat beyond its original goals. This app has the option to expand, or you can keep it the same if you wish.

2. This movie was very well done. Unlike the previous movie released free in which the acting was so bad I had to close the window, this movie is something I can identify with, is well produced, and I will recommend it to my friends.

3. I’m sharing it from my 20 Mbit work connection, hope this helps the community.

Good work!
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Yatti420

I enjoyed the movies.. Download them.
Kaptain Krunch

Every time you use an app, your data is recorded. These apps capture your IP address and use tracking cookies to make a record of your downloads, the time of your sessions, and the ratings you share. Then that information is transferred and stored in a giant database along with your Facebook profile, Twitter profile, and Windows Live profile to name a few.

Your profile reveals a shocking amount of personal information about you, such as your interests, family circumstances, political leanings, medical conditions, and more. The MAFIAA are going to love it when you use uTorrent.
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Anonymous

@48
It’s not stealing.
They don’t lose money because if i could not watch it for free i would never watch it…
And their original is still in their hands…
If it is worth watching ill go watch it in the cinema anyway because i want the full experience. Same goes for music. If i like the new music i discovered because it was easy to find for free for me… I will go to a concert. If i can buy straight from the artists site without paying the people that are suing us (mpaa, riaa) i will.
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