Here's a cool development I wasn't aware of until just now: Metalinks. Metalinks makes complex download pages obsolete by replacing long lists of download mirrors and BitTorrent trackers with a single .metalink file. As you might have already guessed, a .metalink file is a file that tells a download manager all the different ways it can download a file. The file itself takes the form of an open XML standard that can list an unlimited number of HTTP and FTP sources as well as BitTorrent trackers and ed2k and magnet links. Currently Metalink is supported by four download managers: GetRight 6 for Windows, Speed Download (beta) for Mac OS X, aria2 for *nix, and the cross-platform wxDownload Fast. OpenOffice.org recently began offering Metalinks for downloading the open source office suite. In addition to simplifying the download process, another advantage of this sort of distribution is that a smart download manager could download from several sources simultaneously, making for stable downloads even if one or more mirrors go down. I'm really hoping Metalinks catch on and we see them supported by many more download managers, P2P programs, and web browsers. If you want to start using Metalinks to distribute your own software, media, or whatever, the Metalink web site has a handy Metalink Creator that will build a .metalink file for you without you having to learn any of that pesky XML.

[Via Torrentfreak]