Opera Software today unveiled Opera 9,
an update marked by “widgets” and the inclusion of the controversial
BitTorrent file distribution system.
Despite attracting the wrath of entertainment trade groups, such as
the RIAA and MPAA, which are angry over distribution of copyrighted material via
BitTorrent, Opera became the first browser company to license the
technology.
Opera said the decision to include BitTorrent, which is integrated into the browser’s search field and will handle file transfers, came as “a result of positive user feedback and further testing.”
Among the widgets available to
Opera users include the time, weather and live soccer
scores.
Other browser features include a security toolbar as a defense against
“phishing” attacks.
Internet Explorer and Firefox are also set for upgrades.
Flock, one of the newest browsers, last week announced plans to
target the growing number of users to social networking sites, such as MySpace.com, Flickr or other online destinations.