NGR, Author at Newsgroup Reviews Blog

IPVanish Cyber Monday VPN Sale

November 30, 2015 by NGR

Have you been considering VPN access to help protect your online privacy or avoid geographic restrictions? If so Cyber Monday is bringing you the best prices of the year. IPVanish is offering new members unlimited VPN access from just $3.90 a month. That’s over 60% off the retail price. Monthly sign ups receive a second month free. With deep discounts on quarterly and annual plans. Visit IPVanish.com during Cyber Monday to sign up.

Since we know some will be wondering whether or not VPN is necessary for Usenet the answer is no. Yet it compliments it well. While most Usenet providers offer SSL encryption to secure your connection that doesn’t extend beyond your newsreader. With a VPN connection you can feel secure while performing other activities online. Not just web browsing either since VPN protects all your applications. An advantage over proxies.

There are literally hundreds of VPN services out there and IPVanish is the only one we’ll be mentioning today. That’s not to downplay others but we’ve seen the best performance from IPVanish. Since most our readers want and expect high speed connections we think IPVanish is a great fit. They offer free VPN clients for both Windows and Mac. Along with support for Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android, DD-WRT routers and more.

For our tech savvy readers IPVanish supports all three major VPN protocols including OpenVPN, PPTP and L2TP. We use OpenVPN in their client while relying on L2TP or PPTP on mobile devices. Gamers will appreciate the ability to choose between TCP and UDP connections. You can switch between servers anytime. With over 225 servers in 63 countries to choose from. You can even connect two devices at the same time.

We could continue pouring on the praise for IPVanish but I think you get the picture. It’s a favorite of ours and we use their VPN service on a regular basis. You can read our IPVanish review to learn more. Don’t delay too long though. Remember to visit IPVanish.com before midnight PST on Cyber Monday to take advantage of the sale.

Filed Under: Personal VPN Tagged With: IPVniash Cyber Monday sale

NewsLeecher Offers Client Software for Free

November 16, 2015 by NGR

NewsLeecher announced a few weeks ago that they are changing their business model. In the past users would pay a monthly fee of $2.99 for access to their client software or $3.99 with SuperSearch. That’s changing with the release of NewsLeecher v7.0. The software will be free to download and use. The NewsLeecher team is hopeful that users will support their efforts by signing up for their Usenet service and SuperSerch feature. Both are very good services. If you’re new to NewsLeecher I suggest you download their latest v7.0 beta 8.

Here are the release notes from NewsLeecher v7.0 Beta 8:

*: Optimized and simplified the Repair & Extract code.
!: Fixed bug that would sometimes trigger when leeching incomplete
   articles fetched through SuperSearch.
!: Fixed bug where NewsLeecher would sometimes open files with
   the default text file (*.txt) viewer, even though the files
   were associated with other applications.
!: Fixed bug where queued articles with missing parts, would not
   always finalize downloading if they were imported into the
   queue from NZB files.
!: Fixed bug where Repair & Extract would cancel on-going RAR
   archive extracts, if PAR2 files were added to the Repair &
   Extract view at the same time.
!: The "Show Article Header" feature didn't work in the previous
   betas. Fixed.

Rather than continue with their software subscription model, NewsLeecher is hoping that client users will sign up for their Usenet service. They offer a pure Usenet account which gives users unlimited newsgroup access for $9.49 a month. They also offer a Ready to Go plan that includes unlimited access to their SuperSearch and SuperLeeche services. That plan costs $11.99 a month after an introductory three month period of $8.49 a month. That keeps NewsLeecher priced in the same range as leading providers.

Visit Newsgroup Reviews to learn more about Usenet. Including newsreader reviews, Usenet providers reviews, guides, free trials and special offers. Follow us @NewsgroupRevs for the latest Usenet news.

Filed Under: Newsleecher, Newsreaders

theCubeNet Go Long and Save Event

October 2, 2015 by NGR

It’s great to have college and NFL football on the weekends. Actually now a days there are games on just about every day. To celebrate, theCubeNet is running a “Go Long and Save Event” with discounts on both Usenet and VPN accounts. You can sign up for a year of Usenet access for $77.99 and a year of VPN for $29.99. The sale is set to run through October 6th so you have the weekend to sign up. Visit theCubeNet.com to save.

As you can see theCubeNet is discounting both Usenet and VPN accounts. Which one is the best deal? It really depends on your needs. If you plan to download from Usenet often then we recommend their $77.99/yr. unlimited deal. If you just need a backup Usenet account then their 250 GB block is a good value. Anyone seeking some additional privacy outside of Usenet will benefit from VPN. It’s also great for unblocking channels in other countries. Watch live events and popular streaming services in other areas of the world.

Let’s take a quick look at theCubeNet Go Long and Save Event pricing:

Unlimited Usenet – $77.99 a year
Unlimited Usenet – $41.99 for 6 months
250 GB block – $19.99 one-time
Unlimited VPN – $5.99/mo. or $29.99/yr.

What can you expect from theCubeNet Usenet service?

Whether you purchase an unlimited account or a block from theCubeNet you can expect reliable service. They offer 50 connections and free SSL with all plans. If you don’t already have a favorite Usenet client they’ll take care of that with a free licensed copy of News Rover. They offer a large pool of retention at over 2,600 days and growing. Along with news servers in the United States and Europe for the best performance.

What can you expect from their VPN service?

theCubeNet has partnered with OctaneVPN to bring you reliable VPN service at a very low price. With the account you can connect on up to two devices using OpenVPN, PPTP or L2TP protocols. They offer a free VPN client and support iOS and Android mobile devices. You can connect to any of their servers in over 30 countries. The plan is unlimited so you can switch between locations and use unlimited bandwidth.

Read our review of theCubeNet to learn more and then visit their Go Long and Save page today to join.

Filed Under: theCubeNet, Usenet Providers

UsenetBucket Spin to Win Promo

September 29, 2015 by NGR

UsenetBucket is currently offering a special that will run through October 2nd. The Wheel of Fortune promotion gives customers of UsenetBucket a chance to win a number of prizes ranging from 25% to 30% off your next purchase. They are also giving away free usage on your most valued bucket. One lucky winner could even walk away with a lifetime ultimate bucket account. Visit UsenetBucket.com for your chance to win.

The UsenetBucket Wheel of Fortune promotion started last week and will run through Friday. So you have a few days to spin and claim your prize. Here’s a list of the prizes they are giving away:

5% discount on your next order.
10% discount on your next order.
15% discount on your next order.
20% discount on your next order.
25% discount on your next order.
30% discount on your next order.

For those unfamiliar with UsenetBucket they are located in the Netherlands. They are one of our top 5 Dutch Usenet providers. UsenetBucket offers unlimited access to newsgroups. They structure their plans based on download speed. With accounts ranging from 10 Mbit up to 400 Mbit. Here’s a look at their pricing plans:

Basic Bucket – 10 Mbit, 25 connections – €2,95 a month
Comfort Bucket – 40 Mbit, 25 connections – €4,95 a month
Ultimate Bucket – 400 Mbit, 50 connections – €12,95 a month

All the buckets come with unlimited access to 1,100 days of binary retention along with free support for SSL connections. The binary retention is right in range with most European Usenet providers. If you need more retention I suggest you take a look at Eweka which has over 2,600 days of retention and growing. Otherwise UsenetBucket is a solid choice. Remember the Spin and Always Win promotion will end October 2nd.

Visit Newsgroup Reviews to learn more about Usenet. Follow us @NewsgroupRevs for the latest deals.

Filed Under: Usenet Providers, UsenetBucket

NewsDemon 1 Day Star Wars Sale

September 4, 2015 by NGR

The team at NewsDemon is celebrating today’s Star Wars releases with a special. For 1 day only they are offering 50% off all plans. That includes unlimited, metered, and block Usenet accounts. To take advantage of the offer simply visit newsdemon.com and enter coupon code FORCEFRIDAY to save 50% off. Once again the sale is for 1 day only so if you want to take advantage of the discount you will need to do so before midnight.

We’ve been using NewsDemon for years and highly recommend their Usenet service. You’ll be hard pressed to find a faster, more reliable network than the one used by NewsDemon. Their Unlimited Usenet account comes with access to 2,500+ days of binary retention along with a free copy of News Rover newsreader, and 50 connections.

If you need privacy protection NewsDemon also offers a plan with VPN access. NewsDemon has partnered with SlickVPN to offer members full access to their network of VPN servers around the world. They have a custom Windows client to help you connect to any server location. SlickVPN supports OpenVPN, PPTP and L2TP protocols.

Remember that regardless of which plan you choose the FORCEFRIDAY will save you 50% off. The sale is for 1 day only and ends at midnight.

Filed Under: NewsDemon, Usenet Providers

Newsbin 6.60 Supports Usenet Automation Tools

July 16, 2015 by NGR

Fans of popular NZB automation tools like CouchPotato, SickBeard, SickRage, and Sonaar will want to check out the latest Newsbin 6.60 release. The Newsbin team has added support for all the Usenet automation tools in the new version of their newsreader. As always registered users have full access to all new and beta versions. You can visit the Nesbin download page to grab the new version 6.60 release.

Newsbin 6.60

Newsbin Pro 6.60 includes the following new features:

New Watch list interface.
Watch Lists can now be configured to make use of our Usenet Index through the Usenet Search interface. Requires a subscription to our Internet Search service.
All SSL connections are now TLS 1.0 instead of SSLv3. Drops back to SSL if the news server doesn’t support TLS
Now supports SickBeard/SickRage and Sonarr. Go under the Options menu and look for “Remote NZB Source Settings”.
Improved AutoPAR functionality, better repair capabilities.
- A second retry will trigger a PAR to download to keep things going.
- If 98% of files have downloaded, and PAR2 files exist, the first retry will trigger assembly.
- If Newsbin retries with less than 98% of files already downloaded, it will continue retrying until 90% of files are downloaded.
Simplified Filter Configuration Screen.
Download List and Files List now perform a paged loading. It does not load the entire list from the DB, only what is needed to display.

Newsbin users can download version 6.60 from their downloads page. All full releases and betas are free of charge for users with a software license. New users can download a 15 day free trial to test the client.

Visit Newsgroup Reviews to compare Usenet clients and providers. Join us on Twitter @NewsgroupRevs.

Filed Under: Newsbin Pro, Newsreaders

UseNetServer Innovation Challenge

June 19, 2015 by NGR

The UseNetServer Innovation Challenge is a competition that is being held to honor the release of the Raspberry Pi 2. This challenge comes in the form of a question,”What can you do with a Raspberry Pi 2?” Prizes for the competition include a Raspberry Pi 2, $100 Visa gift card, and 1 month of free Usenet access.

Creativity is key to the UNS Innovation Challenge. The contest will be judged based on four criteria, each of which will be worth 25% of your overall score. We are excited to be helping UNS judge the event this summer and look forward to checking out your project. Make sure to include the UNS service in your creation.

Here’s the criteria in which contestants will be judged:

Creativity – As consumers, almost everything that we need when it comes to living, working and playing already exists. But how can we transform modern inventions in order to change the status quo? Allow your creative juices to flow when thinking of your innovation.
Originality – Is your idea unique and unlike anything else this world has ever seen? When drafting your invention, consider whether it’s one of a kind, or if something like it already exists.
Feasibility – How realistic is your idea? Is it too complex to come to life? When thinking of your invention, ensure that it’s feasible for others to make.
Inclusion of Service – Does your invention include the UsenetServer service? Think of a way that the Raspberry Pi 2 can be integrated into the native downloader, search tool, or any other feature included with UsenetServer.

Here is a list of dates of the contest.

June 17th – July 17th – Accepting Submissions
July 20th – August 3rd – Judging of Entries
August 7th – Announce Innovation Challenge Winner

For those that are unfamiliar with a Raspberry Pi, it was started as a group of credit card-sized, single board computers developed in the UK and used as a way to teach basic computer science in schools. Because it runs on a Linux kernel and is open source, there have been many uses for it outside of the original application including being an inexpensive solution for web surfing. The Raspberry Pi 2 is the current version and has a 900 MHz quad-core ARMv7 Cortex-A7 CPU, and has 1 GB of RAM. It is also fully backwards compatible with the original Raspberry Pi.

What can you do with a Raspberry Pi 2? Only you know the answer to that. The possibilities are endless. Be sure to get your submissions in no later then July 17th for a chance to win one of the great prizes including a Raspberry Pi 2, $100 Visa gift card, and a free month of Usenet service. Feel free to get out there and give it a go. You’ll never know what innovations you are capable of unless you try.

Filed Under: Usenet Providers, UseNetServer

Newshosting Newsreader Update

June 9, 2015 by NGR

One of our favorite Usenet clients just got even better. Newshosting released a new version of their popular newsreader. It includes some nice new features along with bug fixes. Members can download the latest version from the control panel. The software will auto update so if you already have the client installed you’re all set. Newshosting offers unlimited Usenet and full access to their newsreader for $9.99 a month or $99 a year.

Newshosting Newsreader

Here’s a quick look at the new features and bug fixes:

New Features and Improvements

Import of multiple NZBs, extracts them from ZIP or RAR files if necessary.
Improved implementation of PAR2. It’s a bit faster and fixes a few smaller bugs that could affect larger downloads on Windows 64bit.
New queue storage mechanism which improves performance for large queues.
Full support for Retina displays on OS X as well as DPI scaling on Windows 8 and 10 for Ultra HD displays.
Automatic VLC player installation from within the software, also on OS X now.
Upgraded to latest version of UnRAR.
Lots of smaller bug fixes and improvements (typos, formatting etc.)

That’s just the latest in a long list of features for the newsreader. You can use the client to search for content, preview and download. It takes care of everything including UnRAR and processing PAR2 files. We’re especially fond of he automatic search and dynamic PAR download features. If you’re new to Newshosting and would like to test out the client they offer a 14 day free trial with up to 30 GB of downloads. That’s more than enough to test the service and software. Newshosting offers over 2,490 days of binary retention along with 30 SSL connections. Connect to servers in the United States or Europe for the best download speeds.

Filed Under: Newshosting Client, Newsreaders

NewsDemon Summer Special

June 1, 2015 by NGR

Summer is the slow season for Usenet as users enjoy more time outdoors. It’s also a great time to find deals from leading Usenet providers. We’re excited to share a Summer special from the team at NewsDemon. They are offering three months of unlimited Usenet access for $14. This is a limited-time offer. You can think of the account like you would a block. After the three month term the account will expire. This is perfect for those who want to enjoy Usenet during the Summer months.

We’ve been using NewsDemon for years and highly recommend their Usenet service. You’ll be hard pressed to find a faster, more reliable network than the one used by NewsDemon. Their Unlimited Usenet special account comes with access to 2,400+ days of binary retention along with a free copy of News Rover newsreader, and 50 connections for just $14 for 3 months.

Here’s a look at the Summer Special pricing compared to the retail price:

Unlimited Usenet with 50 connection for $14 for 3 months (retail price is $12 a month)

A big thank you to the NewsDemon team for offering our readers the special Summer promotion. Cheers to a great, safe Summer ahead!

Filed Under: NewsDemon, Usenet Providers

Newshosting Birthday Giveaway

May 4, 2015 by NGR

Remember the 90’s? On April 28, 1999 the Newshosting team launched their Usenet service. The company has sure come a long way since then. When the service started no one could even image years of retention. Back then you could count retention on your fingers. Now you would need quite a few fingers as Newshosting has well over six years of binary retention and counting. To celebrate their Sweet 16 the team at Newshosting is giving away a Google Nexus 7 tablet. Visit their birthday celebration page to enter for a chance to win.

It’s hard to remember Usenet back in the 90’s but I’m an old timer so I can. I remember using a combination of Newshosting and Newsguy back in the day. Just for comparison I used the Internet Archives to take a trip down memory lane. They didn’t have much on the site back in 1999. By 2002 I grabbed a few nuggets of information. For example, the service cost $10 a month for 8 GB of usage. That was plenty for most people back then. Now a days you could blow through 8 GB pretty quick. Luckily they now offer an unlimited account.

Rather than cover their progress through the years let’s flash forward to 2015. Newshosting is perhaps the most popular Usenet service in the world. They have customers from across the globe that use their client software to connect to year of binaries on their news servers in the US and Europe. They can also use their VPN service to protect their online privacy and unblock content in other countries. That’s a far cry from 8 GB of newsgroup access a month. Cheers to the Newshosting team as they celebrate 16 years of service. We look forward to many more celebrations to come. If you haven’t had a chance to try Newshosting you can sign up through our site and enjoy unlimited Usenet with access to their VPN network from just $8.32 a month.

The Newshosting birthday celebration is already underway. Enter to win a Google Nexus 7 tablet thru May 28th.

Filed Under: Newshosting, Usenet Providers