AfterDawn: News

BitTorrent strikes hardware deals

Hardware manufacturers Asus, Planex and QNap are to embed file-sharing software BitTorrent into their product ranges which include wireless routers, media servers and network storage devices.

Two of the devices made by Asus can be configured to download digital files via BitTorrent without the use of a PC, according to Cnet News.



"These are the places where people will store their media in the future," said BitTorrent's co-founder Ashwin Navin. "People don't want files to clutter their home PCs. Our technology working with these devices allows an entire family to share a jukebox."

BitTorrent is one of the most effective methods around for downloading and distributing large files online, although it has long been considered a tool for Internet music, video & software pirates. However in May, Warner Bros. Entertainment Group. became the first studio to make moves towards embracing the technology when BitTorrent announced a groundbreaking deal with the company to distribute its movies over the Web.

Numerous consumer electronics makers are looking to stake a claim to the "digital living room" territory and BitTorrent's potential for efficient media transfer within the home network may help the companies achieve this.

Source:
Cnet News

Written by: Ben Reid @ 23 Oct 2006 14:01

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• 5 comments

• thekingo7

  this is definatly a step forward.

  23.10.2006 16:07 #1

• sule8

  i spammed.
  
  i'm now immortalised here - http://sule8.justgotowned.com

  24.10.2006 19:35 #2

• arlet_o3

  I didn't really understand. So is bit torrent creating a device so you can download file on it?

  25.10.2006 11:47 #3

• Auslander

  from my understanding, this is just a move to add ease to getting files from bit torrent and a whole new functionality and ability to use them in a fresh set of ways.

  26.10.2006 09:54 #4

• Steve83

  Sounds a lot like buying a VOIP phone - internet access w/o a PC for one particular function.
  
  So now manufacturers are SUPPORTING P2P file transfer of copyrighted material over IP. In exactly what way were Napster, Kazaa, & eDonkey legally different? Given a few more months of operation, any of them might have struck a similar deal with hardware mfrs.

  28.10.2006 13:11 #5