New site converts torrent files into PNG image files

Hid.im, a new online site, allows users to convert torrent files into PNG images, as a way to allow the uncensored, hidden upload of torrent files to image hosting services such as Photobucket.

According to Michael Nutt, founder of the site, via TorrentFreak the site is "an attempt to make torrents more resilient. The difference is that you no longer need an indexing site to host your torrent file. Many forums will allow uploading images but not other types of files.�

To make it work, simply select the torrent file and submit it to the site, which will do all the dirty work. Hid.im does require that the file be under 250KB however.

Those trying to decode the message will need either a Firefox extension or through the site's bookmarklet.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 15 Jul 2009 12:27

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13 comments

Mik3h

Nice! Can only hope torrent sites begin to use something like this.

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15.7.2009 12:37 #1

hape

Originally posted by Mik3h: Nice! Can only hope torrent sites begin to use something like this.Why should torrent sites begin to use this?

15.7.2009 14:58 #2

nintenut

So it's like the .JPEG files that you can open in WINRAR? This kicks ass.

15.7.2009 17:13 #3

shummyr

Originally posted by nintenut: So it's like the .JPEG files that you can open in WINRAR? This kicks ass.

Got that right

15.7.2009 19:21 #4

Hopium

Quote:Originally posted by Mik3h: Nice! Can only hope torrent sites begin to use something like this.Why should torrent sites begin to use this? so web crawlers looking for .torrent files and brainless riaa lawyers have to work all the harder. good idea but if you use private trackers then there really is no need for this. maybe some of the big guys can feature this but not being able to index the peers makes this pretty much useless and just a novelty.

15.7.2009 20:45 #5

Mik3h

Quote:Originally posted by Mik3h: Nice! Can only hope torrent sites begin to use something like this.Why should torrent sites begin to use this?Because now torrent sites are basically unstoppable. We can see troopers like the RIAA/MPAA storming torrent sites for their .torrent files, but can you imagine the hassle of having to look around for an image file, decoding it, and being able to prove something like that in court?

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15.7.2009 21:51 #6

veyron

Seems like the point is not to revamp the torrent community. But, rather to offer a safer alternative to sharing links. As an alternative to upping files for friends/forum members etc. to sites like rapidshare. This way the files could be transfered for free much quicker(assuming all had broadband).

16.7.2009 00:08 #7

patrick_

the idea of converting something to a PNG image isn't bad, but I just don't get it why you would like to do that with torrents.

If you're going to convert entire movies or songs, things become different. Now that would be usefull. Think about all those "unlimited bandwidth" hosts that you can get for little money (usually they only care about CPU and RAM usage, and that shouldn't be a problem). They often don't allow video files, but all of them allow PNG images.
Also, there lot's of places where you can upload for free PNG images.

BTW If anyone's interested in an off-line program (free) that can convert any file to PNG, just drop me a line.

16.7.2009 16:48 #8

tron4200

i remember something similar to this back in the heyday of napster instead of pngs it was mp3. you had to set your search paramters a certain way then you found them, then used a program call unwrapper if i recall

16.7.2009 18:10 #9

Gradical

Really nobody gets this??, this is brilliant!, but you would have to clarify a couple of things first.

1. A torrent file is not the movie or whatever you are downloading, it is solely the information as to the tracker that is coordinating the peers, and the general info of the file, this is how m1n1nova works, they store only the .torrent files.

2. Converting the torrent into a picture means that you can post it anywhere, like imageshack or whatever you use, facebook, hi5 whatever, and they can't know what you're doing unless somebody reports you. therefore you make the torrent publication available in places where you couldnt think of before.

16.7.2009 21:34 #10

senator29

they will eventually just look for image files like this and delete or refuse them.

and if the file is believed to be of said content, and is labeled as such, while in this encrypted form, they will eventually just start deleting png files matching this criteria.

it will be a short lived scenario. but i still like it. this could spawn further creative ways around corp a$$ munchers.

17.7.2009 14:21 #11

loubat

You still have to be able to find the .png files, thus you still need a tracker. Finding tracker sites is pretty easy, so where's the improvement in this? I must be missing something.

19.7.2009 21:19 #12

Gradical

Originally posted by loubat: You still have to be able to find the .png files, thus you still need a tracker. Finding tracker sites is pretty easy, so where's the improvement in this? I must be missing something.It makes it easier for storing the torrent files without paying for webhosting nor traffic for very popular files.

20.7.2009 11:12 #13

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