**UPDATE #2** The µChat beta app has been restored and may now be installed in your UT 3.0 “Find Content” panel. Give it a test run? Thanks again…

**UPDATE** We’ve temporarily removed the µChat beta app for a quick bug fix. We expect it to be re-posted in a few hours. Thank you very much for your patience.

Today we released an exciting new beta app for µTorrent and BitTorrent Chrysalis users called µChat. µChat enables real-time chat with other BitTorrent users around the world, directly within your software.

µChat is an optional app, available for installation at a user’s convenience in the App Studio or in the client under Find Content. It’s based on new patent-pending technology/methodology with a completely distributed architecture, meaning no servers are required. Both chat sessions and friend lists/connections are distributed, offering users a new way to communicate in a dedicated environment.

µChat leverages BitTorrent technology, which means user IP addresses will be visible to other chat participants. The feature is ideal for new users looking for tips on how to use the software, for enthusiasts to share advanced tips with one another, for community tech support, or for users to recommend/discuss independent artists featured in Find Content.

Also, µChat may pose an interesting marketing/social engagement opportunity for artists and creators to directly communicate with their fans. For example, the creators of the viral film The Tunnel, which released last month on BitTorrent, could set up a dedicated chat room to share new scenes, pictures, or join the conversations with fans who have seen the movie.

µChat offers:

-General chat rooms…users may create persistent or occasional rooms by broad topic with larger numbers of chat members.

-Private conversations…users may create a dedicated room with an invited friend or someone whom they met in a general room.

-Buddy list…no registration required.

-Quick Share…within µChat, you may select one of your torrents, generate a magnet link and send it to your chat friends.

For the beta, we will maintain an overload protection server here at BT HQ to prevent people from joining rooms with too many people. This will enable the company to test scalability in advance of the stable launch later this summer.

Thank you in advance for giving this a test run during the beta, and as always your feedback is welcome!

Patrick