uTorrent Gets Apps, a Labs Section

uTorrent is the most popular BitTorrent client out there and for good reason. It’s very small and fast, yet it manages to be one of the most complete, in terms of features. The development team is not resting on its laurels, though, it’s working on several new technologies that now have a home in the new uTorrent Labs section. One of the most interesting projects in Labs is Griffin, basically an extensions platform that allows users to bolt on functionality.

“The Griffin project introduces a web-based extensions framework for µTorrent to allow for easy extensibility by 3rd party developers through a simple API, without compromising the renowned ‘lightness’ of the client,” the Project Griffin page reads. “What we came up with is a web-based extensions framework where ‘Apps’ which consist only of HTML and Javascript can be added to the client and displayed using an embedded browser window.”

You will need a uTorrent build that supports the new ‘apps,’ which, at the moment, is labeled as uTorrent 2.2 build 19640. The latest stable version is uTorrent 2.0.2 and the 2.1 builds are still labeled ‘alpha.’ However, Project Griffin won’t necessarily become uTorrent 2.2, for now it is a separate branch that will be developed in parallel until the feature is mature enough.

Right now, four apps are made available, all free, a virus scanner, µGadget, which enables users to control their BitTorrent downloads from a browser, the VODO platform app and a Games app. The apps won’t ‘live’ inside uTorrent, but will use the existing browser on the computer.

This approach has several benefits. For one, it saves the developers the trouble of having to code an actual platform and it saves would-be app makers the trouble of learning a complicated, new API. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it means that uTorrent won’t become bloated with new features or extensions. The next step is releasing an SDK for those wanting to experiment with Project Griffin.

Regular uTorrent builds are available for download here on Softpedia.