Beaker Browser

Even though the web browser world is not exactly the liveliest of them all, it's quite interesting to see how, every now and then, the appearance of an innovative web browser raises the bar or moves the game forward.

If you can hardly remember when was the last time when a browser concept sparked your interest, then read on, since there's a good chance you'll find Beaker Browser to be quite interesting.

The thing that makes Beaker Browser special is its ability to create and host websites. That's right, this decentralized peer-to-peer browser is equipped with the necessary tools for creating and hosting web apps without requiring the help of other third-party components, without compromising day-to-day usability.

At the heart of Beaker, we can find the Chromium engine and Dat, a peer-to-peer, decentralized network capable of securely (thanks to end-to-end cryptography technologies) hosting and sharing your projects for free.

To summarize, with the help of Beaker you can create HTML/CSS/JS websites, add files, and share them via special URLs and, of course, browse the web in the typical manner you've come accustomed to. Since we're on the subject it's also worth pointing out that Beaker provides you with a useful set of Web APIs for reading, writing, and watching Dat archives from within a website, as well as for web apps that don't live on the user device and don't require remote services.

With the basics taken care of, and if you're ready to start using Beaker, you'll notice that the browser does a good job at hiding all the tools that make it stand out from the crowd, boasting a distraction-free, pragmatic user interface. Every single tool is readily accessible from the browser's typical hamburger menu, from the upper left side of the main window.

To start off, select the "New site" option and input all the necessary info. Please note that all your websites are readily accessible from the Library section of the browser, from where you can also publish your files on your website.

As mentioned before, Beaker is relatively decent when it comes to sharing files as well. You merely have to provide the recipient with a bespoke URL, and he or she can effortlessly download the files directly from your computer. Other highlights include the possibility to fork a website, native Markdown rendering, and the super-useful and self-explanatory live reloading tool.

To conclude, Beaker Browser is without a doubt one of the most interesting browser projects we've seen for quite some while now. It sports very powerful technologies all while remaining incredibly user-friendly.

It may not be the fastest, the most customizable, or the best looking browser out there, but marked on capabilities alone, this has to be one of the most versatile and well-thought-out browsers to date, and there's a good chance it will become a favorite among web developers. Even better, if you don't need o  create websites, Beaker Browser might still appeal to you thanks to its simple peer-to-peer filesharing artistry.