UK/Prague based peer to peer file sharing startup AllPeers has launched a sneak peek of their latest release candidate (0.7) just for TechCrunch readers (available here), which includes a fully functional BitTorrent client. AllPeers is a Firefox plugin that lets you easily share files amongst your contacts, using BitTorrent to speed their progress.
Although AllPeers started out as a peer to peer file sharing FireFox plugin for friends and family, they have recently broadened their horizons under the pressure of new entrants. The recent versions have come with some useful updates. AllPeer has opened their torrent network beyond your buddy list to any torrent file for some time, but has now enabled unregistered use and social torrent sharing.
Advanced torrenting users may be put off by the lack of fine grained control, but the system is meant to be accessible for people who don’t already use BitTorrent. To that end, it adds much of the simplicity and transparency offered from other torrent downloaders like Wyzo and FoxTorrent, but with an added social layer (if you register).
When you start downloading a torrent, you can share any or all of the files with users on your AllPeers buddy list. When a contact starts downloading the file, they download it from the public torrent network as well as your own system – given the nature of BitTorrent, this will have the effect of speeding up the file download for everyone. Tying into this social layer, AllPeers has also included an auto-download feature that automatically downloads files as your friends share them.
