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Newshosting Offers Free Easynews Web Usenet Access

December 6, 2010 by

For a limited time Newshosting is including 10 GB of free Easynews web Usenet access with XL PowerPack accounts.  We confirmed that all current and new XL PowerPack subscribers have access to the free Easynews accounts.  New customers signing up can take advantage of Newshosting’s holiday offers including the triple free trial (30 GB free trial) and $15.95 XL PowerPack special.

Newshosting has partnered with Easynews to offer XL PowerPack customers a free 10 GB/mo. Easynews account.  If you’re new to Easynews or haven’t used the service in awhile read our review of the new web interface.  It makes newsgroups simple to use without a newsreader.  Download, preview and stream content from your web browser.


The Newshosting XL PowerPack special includes unlimited Usenet access, 700+ days of binary retention, 60 connections and free SSL encryption for $15.95 a month.  Plus 10 GB of free Easynews access every month!

Newshosting XL PowerPack accounts also include:
– Unlimited Usenet access
– Unlimited speed downloads
– 10 gigs free Easynews access
– 700 days binary retention
– 1,000 days text retention
– Up to 60 connections
– Free 256-bit SSL encryption
– Uncensored access to 100,000 newsgroups
– 99%+ completion rate
– US and European news servers
– Online video tutorials
– 24/7 technical support

To learn more read our Newshosting review or sign up and enjoy unlimited Usenet access plus a free Easynews account for $15.95 a month. The discount is recurring so enjoy the savings each month with free Easynews access for the life of your account.

Filed Under: Easynews, Newshosting, Usenet Providers Tagged With: , ,

Easynews Launches New Web Usenet Interface

October 28, 2010 by

Earlier this month we wrote a hands-on review of the new Easynews web interface.  At the time the new webreader was in beta.  After a few weeks of testing and tweaking the new interface is live and available to all new and existing subscribers.  Easynews is offering a 14 day free trial to new customers so if you’ve never tried the service or it’s been awhile definitely take an opportunity to check out the new features.


Read our Easynews web interface review to learn about some of the cool features in the new version.  Those new to Usenet will find it very easy to use.  Usenet veterans will also find some nice extras like audio / video previews, screenshots, article details and more.

We’ve had years of experience with a wide variety of newsreaders and the bumps and bruises to show it.  While we have our favorites the new Easynews web interface makes Usenet simple to use without installing a newsgroup reader.

Read our Easynews review or sign up for a 14 day free trial and test out the new web Usenet interface for yourself.

Filed Under: Easynews, Easynews Webreader, Newsreaders, Usenet Providers Tagged With: , ,

Review of Easynews New Web Interface : Beta Release

October 2, 2010 by

October 4th update:

Easynews is starting to offer access to the new web interface beta.  To test it out for yourself simply sign up (including a free trial for new customers) and log in at https://members-beta.easynews.com/2.0/

Share your thoughts of the new interface – feedback (at) newsgroupreviews.com

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Original post:

If you take a look at Easynews.com you’ll notice a new image in the mix.


The guys over at Easynews are getting ready to release a new web interface and were kind enough to give us some early hands-on time with the beta release.

Providers are often reluctant when it comes to reviewing beta releases.  Not in this case though.  Easynews seemed quite confident in the new interface.  After a few hours of use we understood why.  It was very easy to use and lacked the typical technical issues you come to expect from a beta.

Everyone uses terms like easy navigation, simple UI, etc. but the new Easynews interface is really well done.  You can tell a lot of effort went into this release.  It’s not just a tweak of the existing interface but a completely new experience for Easynews subscribers.  If you’re new to Usenet or prefer ease of use over installing and configuring a newsreader definitely check it out.

Easynews fans who like the existing web interface and global search have nothing to worry about.  We confirmed that Easynews is keeping the original design as-is and adding the new interface.  You will be able to easily switch back and forth at any time.

Let’s jump right in and take a look at the Easynews beta.

There are a few options at the top of the screen including Easyboost and Safe Mode.  Either can be toggled on and off.  We definitely suggest using Easyboost as the performance is greatly enhanced.

Moving on to the simplified search box:


You can choose whether to search for videos, audio files or images.  There is also a “find Groups” tab:


Here you can do a quick search for newsgroups containing certain keywords.  Searching across all groups or filtering based on content.

For those who want more options there is also an advanced search:


Use the advanced search to really narrow things down to help find just what you’re looking for with a full assortment of search, filter and display options.  For more details read our Easynews first look post from a couple weeks ago.

We decided to start our testing of the new beta with a video and chose “WoW cataclysm beta” for our search.


We had several videos returned.  As you can see from the example above there are sample images from the video along with a description of the file size, resolution, runtime, audio / video codecs, format and post details.


In case you want to see more samples before downloading Easynews offers a “Full Thumb” view.  We cropped it down to two rows but the results included five rows of images pulled from frames throughout the video.  Very cool feature!

We shared an audio result in our first look post but noticed a tweak in the interface.


Easynews has added some nice “Preview” and “Download” buttons to the interface along with all the audio file information.  The preview will give you a 15 second clip while the download will play the full audio file.

Last but not least we did an image search for Corvette:


Our Corvette search netted over 500 results.  While we’re showing a couple rows there were actually 50 thumbnail images per page.  Clicking on any picture takes you to the full screen version.

I hope you had as much fun reading our review as we did using the new Easynews web interface.  Check back as we will update the top of the post as soon as the public beta is released.  We’ve confirmed that all Easynews subscribers (existing and new) will have full access to the beta.  Those new to Easynews can sign up for a 14 day free trial to test drive the new web interface in the near future.

Filed Under: Easynews, Easynews Webreader, Newsreaders, Usenet Providers Tagged With: , ,

First Look : New Easynews Web-Based Usenet Browser

September 15, 2010 by

Easynews is developing a new web interface for their popular web-based Usenet service. Not to be confused.  This is not just a minor revision or tweak to the current browser.  The new webreader is geared toward those new to Usenet.  Along with newsgroup veterans who would prefer an easy to navigate, streamlined, in-browser Usenet experience.  While the current Easynews interface works fine, the new UI promises to integrate popular features with ease of use and a number of new enhancements.

The Easynews team has kept very busy over the last year.  Starting with major investments in infrastructure.  Followed by the release of Easyboost web accelerator.  Then came a 50% increase in retention boosting NNTP binary retention to over 600 days.  Earlier this year Easynews added free unlimited NNTP access to the Big Gig plan and made it a $9.98 add-on for other accounts.

Today though we want to give you a first look at the new webreader interface.  The in-browser UI provides a number of advantages over the current browser.  Not the least of which is easy navigation and improved usability.  Here are some of the early screenshots from the Easynews team.  Stay tuned for more details as the new web interface nears the beta testing stage.

Let’s start with the new Easynews advanced search feature:

As you can see the advanced search is packed with options.  Search for Usenet posts by keyword, subject, poster, newsgroup, filename, extension, audio or video codec.  Narrow your search by content type including archive, document, executable, audio, video, image or parity file.  We also like the option to remove duplicates and collapse file sets.  You can add a date range, file size, pixels, FPS, BPS, Hz or runtime to your search criteria.  With a final option to save your search configuration.  For those less adventurous there is always the basic search option.

Now let’s take a look at the new Easynews video search results:


Check out the thumbnails!  How much time could you save by not downloading poor quality videos.  Now you can take a sneak peak before you queue them. Along with the small images there is a link to a full set of thumbnails.  More on that in a second.

The detailed information to the right of the images will provide you with the name of the file, date and time of the post along with the newsgroup and poster.  Just below you can quickly read the file size, resolution and runtime.  Along with the video and audio codec.  No more guessing or relying on NFO files.  Easynews does the work for you.

How about the new Easynews full video thumbnail view:


You’ll notice that the full thumbnail view displays several frames from throughout the video.  Very cool feature!

Now on to the new Easynews audio search results:


The audio search results are similar to the video search above.  Starting with the post name, date and time, newsgroup and poster.  Along with relevant file information including size, runtime, audio codec and sample rate.

Last but not least – the new Easynews image search results:


While we prefer the swimsuit model images from the Easynews homepage the Great Pyramid will have to do for now.  We’ll bring you some swimsuit shots during the upcoming beta test phase.

The results are very similar to the style used by Google Images.  This particular example shows two rows of images.  While there are only 7 results for this search criteria we’ll get more in our swimsuit search.  All for a good cause.  To test the sort feature, lol.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our first look at the upcoming Easynews web interface.  Expect lots more coverage to come as the new web-based browser moves to beta testing in the weeks ahead.  In the meantime if you would like to learn more about the Usenet service read our Easynews review or sign up for a two week free trial.

Filed Under: Easynews, Easynews Webreader, Newsreaders, Usenet Providers Tagged With: , , ,

Usenet Provider Comparison : Server Ratings

July 16, 2010 by

New to Usenet?  If so visit our Usenet provider area to compare all the current options, trials, specials, etc.  The rest of this post is meant more for those who have been around newsgroups for awhile.  Perhaps have tried a few providers or been happy for years with their current service.  In either situation we want to know what features you expect in a Usenet provider and other factors that make a difference when comparing services.

When Newsgroup Reviews started out we had to decide how to rate and compare providers.  Binary retention was a clear factor at the time.  With Giganews in the lead at 120 days.  There were a few other differentiating factors between providers like Easynews web interface but for the most part the focus was on retention.

Roll forward a few years.  As storage costs went down retention skyrocketed and continues to rise.  Instead of talking about which provider’s are moving past a month or even 100 days of retention we now see services like Giganews and Astraweb around 700 days and several others between 400 and 600 days.  All of the top Usenet providers listed on NGR offer over a year of binary retention.

At what point does retention become less of a factor?  Never?  Or has it already?  We plan to ask the question soon in a new Usenet poll.  Before doing so we need your help.

The poll will present a list of Usenet provider features and ask which is most important to you.  Here are the general factors we are considering:

  • Binary Retention
  • Completion
  • Performance (speed)
  • Price
  • Reliability (uptime)
  • Support

A few providers have started offering extra features like VPN access and online storage.  We would like to know which of these features appeal to you when choosing a provider:

  • Mobile Access
  • Newsreader
  • Online Storage
  • Usenet Search
  • VPN Access
  • Web Interface

Can you think of anything we’ve missed on either list?  If so please email your suggestions to feedback (at) newsgroupreviews.com by July 23rd so we can finalize the new Usenet polls.  Then come back and cast your vote.  Thanks to everyone who has voted in our current polls and those who have shared additional feedback.

Filed Under: Astraweb, Easynews, Giganews, Usenet Providers Tagged With: , , ,

Easynews Offers Free Unlimited NNTP Usenet Access

June 30, 2010 by

Easynews just announced they are offering unlimited NNTP Usenet access with Big Gig accounts.  Confused by what unlimited NNTP means?  There are two ways to use Easynews.  Web interface and via newsreader.  Using Easynews with a newsreader is considered NNTP and if you choose a Big Gig account unlimtied NNTP is now included free of charge.  Previously it was being sold as an add-on for $10 a month.

Here is the official Easynews press release:

Phoenix, AZ – June 29, 2010 – Easynews.com, the world’s leading browser-based Usenet newsgroup provider, is pleased to announce free Unlimited NNTP access for all Big Gig subscribers starting today. The price of the popular Big Gig plan will remain the same but now all current and new subscribers will gain unlimited access to over 100,000 newsgroups, both text and binary. The Unlimited NNTP add-on features 600 days of retention, secure SSL encrypted access and an unlimited number of connections, which is unrivaled by any other Usenet provider.

As part of its commitment to provide the world’s most comprehensive Usenet access, the announcement of Free Unlimited NNTP comes just weeks after the successful launch of its new website design. Additional enhancements will continue to be introduced over the coming months to further expand the overall Easynews offering. Subscribers can look forward to developments such as app-free support for mobile devices as well as usability enhancements to the Easynews browser application.

For more information read our Easynews review or sign up for a 14 day free trial.

Filed Under: Easynews, Usenet Providers Tagged With: , , ,

Easynews Site Update : Boosts Retention to 600 Days

May 17, 2010 by

Easynews.com just got a fresh new look and updates that give visitors a view into the web Usenet service.  Oh yeah…they also increased NNTP retention 50% to 600 days!

The new site certainly appeals to a male audience.  The swimsuit models made us consider signing up and we’re already members.

Beyond the hot new look for the site, Easynews brought some additional features and a major retention upgrade.  For starters NNTP retention was upgraded from 400 days up to 600 days of binaries and two years of text posts.  The new retention is available immediately without an increase in price. Making their $9.95 unlimited NNTP accounts a bargain.

Easynews is also offering visitors a chance to sample the service directly from the home page.  We stuck with the default search of “swimsuit model” on the homepage and were impressed with the speed and quality of the results.

Looking closer brought us to several new pages including helpful information on Easynews features like pre-assembled multipart binaries, Easynews Zip manager, roll over gigs (a great feature of the service), Easyboost (increased speed), NNTP header compression and support for mobile users.  In the coming months Easynews promises app-free support for mobile devices including iPhone and iPad’s.

To learn more read our Easynews review or sign up for a 14 day free trial.

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Official press release from Easynews:

EASYNEWS.COM ANNOUNCES 600 DAYS BINARY RETENTION, NEW WEBSITE

Phoenix, AZ – May 17, 2010 – Easynews.com, the world’s leading browser-based Usenet newsgroup provider, announces 600 days of binary NNTP retention with the launch of its brand new website at http://www.easynews.com.

As part of its continued commitment to improve service quality and value for its subscribers, Easynews has increased binary retention for all Easynews NNTP users to a full 600 days, with over 2 years of text retention, at no additional cost to Easynews customers.

The new Easynews site provides visitors with an easy to use, clean layout that features more comprehensive, streamlined content and FAQs as well as improved navigation for both current members and those looking to try Easynews’ free trial.

The centerpiece of the new website is the ability to demo the Easynews application with a preview search as well as highlighting the ability for users to access over 100,000 Usenet newsgroups from work, home or any other place a browser can be used. Visitors are also able to review the features of Easynews such as our proprietary Easyboost Web Accelerator, rollover gigs, web-based Usenet browsing, pre-assembled multi-part binaries and automatically PAR’ed and uncompressed archives. In addition, all Easynews visitors can review subscriber feedback in real-time surveys and testimonials.

In the coming months, more enhancements will expand the Easynews user experience. Look forward to app-free support for mobile devices such as the iPad, even longer binary retention over the current 600 days for NNTP and usability improvements to the Easynews browser application.

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Visit Easynews for more details.

Filed Under: Easynews, Usenet Providers Tagged With: , , , ,

Add Easynews Unlimited NNTP Access for $9.95/mo.

April 12, 2010 by

Visit the Easynews site and you will notice a new unlimited NNTP account option.  New and existing customers can now add unlimited NNTP access to any Easynews account (Classic, Plus or Big Gig) for $9.95 a month.

The new unlimited NNTP accounts should hit a sweet spot for Easynews.  Now users can enjoy web Usenet access along with unlimited access using their favorite newsreader.

Here is a brief explanation for those wondering the difference between the standard Easynews plans and the new unlimited NNTP add-on account:
– Standard Easynews accounts:  Easynews Classic, Plus and Big Gig all include web Usenet access (no need for a newsreader client)
– Unlimited NNTP add-on accounts:  allow customers to download unlimited content from Easynews using a newsreader.

We like the combination of the Easynews Classic account + unlimited NNTP access.  For under $20 a month ($19.93/mo. to be exact) you can enjoy 20 GB of web Usenet access (plus loyalty and roll-over gigs) as well as unlimited NNTP newsgroup access.

For existing customers who use Easynews for web access and a second Usenet provider for unlimited NNTP access the new plan will give them the option to stick with one service.  We also noticed the unlimited NNTP account is billed separately.  We assume that means customers can cancel the unlimited plan anytime without canceling their Easynews account and losing loyalty gigs in the process.

Read our Easynews review to learn more about the service or sign up for Easynews and enjoy web Usenet access + unlimited NNTP downloads.

Filed Under: Easynews, Usenet Providers Tagged With: ,

Easynews Offers 1,000 Unlimited NNTP Accounts

April 1, 2010 by

For the first time ever Easynews is offering unlimited NNTP accounts.  Today they announced that the first 1,000 new and existing customers that upgrade their account can enjoy unlimited NNTP Usenet access for $9.95 a month.  They also announced an increase from 30 to 40 GB of web Usenet access for Easynews Plus customers.

Here are the details from the Easynews press release:

Easynews, the world’s original web-based Usenet site, announced that for the first time in Easynews history, subscribers will be able to enhance their account with an Unlimited NNTP option for $9.95 per month. This unprecedented offer is limited to the first 1000 new or existing customers that upgrade their account with Unlimited NNTP starting April 1st. Customers will not only get the benefits of unlimited NNTP downloading paired with the powerful web-based newsgroup browser they already enjoy, but they will be able to keep this unbelievable price and service for the life of the account!

The news doesn’t stop there, however. Current Easynews Plus customers will receive a permanent 10GB per month upgrade of their account for no additional fee. Easynews will now offer new customers their Plus account with 40 gigs instead of 30 for the same low price of $14.97 per month.

This special closely follows the unveiling of the all new Easynews website. Subscribers now enjoy an all new look and feel, with optimized content, tutorial videos, an improved and intuitive support section and much more! This upgrade, paired with a stream of constant enhancements, offers an unbeatable Usenet experience for Easynews subscribers—Usenet that is seamless, faster and more intuitive than ever before.

Register now to upgrade your Usenet experience with Easynews!

Visit Easynews for more details or to sign up.

Filed Under: Easynews, Usenet Providers Tagged With: , ,
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