Opera has unveiled Opera Unite which, the organization claims, turns any computer into both a client and a server, allowing it to interact with and serve content to other computers directly across the Web, without the need for third-party servers.

For consumers, Opera Unite services give greater control of private data and make it easy to share data with any device equipped with a modern Web browser. For Web developers, Opera Unite services are based on the same open Web standards as Web sites today. This simplifies the complexity of authoring cutting-edge Web services. With Opera Unite, creating a full Web service is as easy as coding a Web page.

Opera Unite is available in a special version of the Opera 10 desktop browser at http://labs.opera.com/. Opera Unite services run directly in the browser.

Current Opera Unite services include:

• File Sharing lets users securely share a file from their PC without waiting to upload it..
• Web Server runs entire Web sites from a local computer with the Opera Unite Web Server.
• Media Player lets users access MP3s and playlists from any machine.
• Photo Sharing lets users share photos direct from their PC, without uploading them online
• The Lounge is a self-contained chat service running on your computer.
• The Fridge lets users post a note on a friends' virtual refrigerators.

"Today, we are opening the full potential of the Web for everyone," says Jon von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera. "Technology moves in distinct cycles. Pcs decentralized computing away from large mainframes. Opera Unite now decentralizes and democratizes the cloud. With server capability in the browser, Web developers can create Web applications with profound ease. Consumers have the flexibility to choose private and efficient ways of sharing information. We believe Opera Unite is one of our most significant innovations yet, because it changes forever the fundamental fabric of the Web."