Legit Reviews

June 16, 2009 - Oslo, Norway -

Opera today unveiled Opera Unite, a new technology that shakes up the old
client-server computing model of the Web. Opera Unite turns any computer
into both a client and a server, allowing it to interact with and serve
content to other computers directly across the Web, without the need for
third-party servers.

Opera Unite makes serving data as simple and easy as browsing the Web.
For consumers, Opera Unite services give greater control of private data
and make it easy to share data with any device equipped with a modern Web
browser.

For Web developers, Opera Unite services are based on the same open Web
standards as Web sites today. This dramatically simplifies the complexity
of authoring cutting-edge Web services. With Opera Unite, creating a full
Web service is now as easy as coding a Web page.

Opera Unite is available in a special version of the Opera 10 desktop
browser from http://labs.opera.com/. Opera Unite services run directly in
the browser.

It is easy to use Opera Unite:

1. Download the Opera Unite build from http://labs.opera.com/.

2. To start Opera Unite, click the Opera Unite logo in the lower
left-hand corner of the browser and log in with your existing Opera ID -
the same Opera ID used for other Opera services such as My Opera and Opera
Link. Opera Unite will prompt you to register an Opera ID if you do not
have one.

3. Now you are ready to use Opera Unite. Simply access your Opera Unite
services from the Opera Unite panel of the browser. New services can be
installed from http://unite.opera.com/.

4. Running a service will give you a direct Web address to the Opera Unite
service on your device, for example:
http://notebook.jondoe.operaunite.com/photo_sharing/, where "notebook" is
the name of the local device serving content, "jondoe" is your username,
and "photo_sharing" is the Web service being accessed. That link will also
allow others to access the same Web service from your computer through
their Web browser.

5. You may also see which friends are using Opera Unite services on your
My Opera Unite home page.

Current Opera Unite services are as follows:

- File Sharing: Securely share a file from your personal computer without
waiting to upload it. First select the folder from which you would like to
share files. Opera Unite then generates a direct URL to that folder. By
giving that link to your friends, you can share files without routing
through a third-party Web service.

- Web Server: Run entire Web sites from your local computer with the
Opera Unite Web Server. After selecting the folder containing your Web
site, you can share and host it from the given Opera Unite URL. Opera
Unite will automatically recognize index files and create the Web site as
you designed it.

- Media Player: Rock out wherever you are by accessing your MP3s and
playlists from any machine. After selecting the folder containing your
playlist, use the Opera Unite direct link to play your tracks directly in
any modern Web browser.

- Photo Sharing: Share your photos direct from your PC, without uploading
them online. Once you select your photo folder, the photo-sharing service
will create a thumbnail image gallery of your photos. Clicking the
thumbnail will present the photo in its original resolution.

- The Lounge: The Lounge is a self-contained chat service running on your
computer. Your friends can access the chat room via the direct link, which
will not require them to sign into any service. Depending on your privacy
settings, you need only provide the generated password to your service in
order for people to log in to your chatroom.

- The Fridge: Post a note on your friends' virtual refrigerators. By
sharing the direct link to your refrigerator, you and your friends, family
or colleagues can exchange notes securely and privately in real time.

These six services represent the beginning of what is possible. Web
developers can unleash their creativity to design unique Web services and,
in doing so, unlock the full potential of Opera Unite.

What our CEO says:

"Today, we are opening the full potential of the Web for everyone," said
Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera. "Technology moves in distinct cycles. PCs
decentralized computing away from large mainframes. Opera Unite now
decentralizes and democratizes the cloud. With server capability in the
browser, Web developers can create Web applications with profound ease.
Consumers have the flexibility to choose private and efficient ways of
sharing information. We believe Opera Unite is one of our most significant
innovations yet, because it changes forever the fundamental fabric of the
Web."

One Web developer to another:

"What interests me about Opera Unite is how current technology and the
social world are now interconnected," said Molly E. Holzschlag, Web
evangelist, Opera. "Using open standards including HTML, CSS and
JavaScript, developers and even enthusiasts with a little standards savvy
can make their own Opera Unite service. Opera Unite allows people the
ability to be imaginative with their skills and create a wide range of
technical and social applications using the same open standards used
today."

Make your own Opera Unite service:

An introduction to Opera Unite:
http://dev.opera.com/articles/view/an-i ... era-unite/

Opera Unite developer's primer:
http://dev.opera.com/articles/view/oper ... er-primer/

Markuper - The Opera Unite service template library:
http://dev.opera.com/articles/view/mark ... e-library/

When you have finished your new Opera Unite service, just upload it to
http://unite.opera.com/ and share it with the world.

Resources:

Video
Watch our "Getting started with Opera Unite" video at
http://unite.opera.com/support/.

Future
Find out more about some interesting ways of using Opera Unite at
http://labs.opera.com/.*

Screenshots
The screenshots are available at the press resources page. http://www.opera.com/press/resources/

Find Opera on the Web
Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/opera/.
Help us share Opera with the world: http://www.chooseopera.com/.
Become an Opera fan on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Opera-Browser/7317379972/.
Watch our videos on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/operasoftware/.

About Opera Software ASA

Opera Software ASA has redefined Web browsing for PCs, mobile phones and
other networked devices. Opera's cross-platform Web browser technology is
renowned for its performance, standards compliance and small size, while
giving users a faster, safer and more dynamic online experience. Opera
Software is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with offices around the world.
The company is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol
OPERA. Learn more about Opera at http://www.opera.com/.