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New Giganews VyprVPN Server Locations

April 18, 2013 by

April has been a very busy time for Giganews and their partner VyprVPN.  So far this month VyprVPN has added servers in Sweden on April 2nd, Denmark on April 9th and Switzerland on April 16th.  With two weeks still left in the month we’ll see if the trend continues.  With the latest network expansion, Giganews Diamond members now have access to VPN servers in 10 countries.  Which country will they bring up next?

VyprVPN Switzerland

We don’t currently use VyprVPN so we can’t speak to the quality or speed of the new servers.  If the past is any indication we would expect the servers are well suited to meet their users needs.  Let’s take a look at the VyprVPN server locations that Giganews Diamond members can now access:

  • United States – Austin, Los Angeles, Washington DC
  • United Kingdom – London
  • Canada – Toronto
  • Asia – Hong Kong
  • Frnace – Paris
  • Germany – Frankfurt
  • Netherlands – Amsterdam
  • Denmark – Copenhagen
  • Sweden – Stolkholm
  • Switzerland – Zurich

If you need access to servers in other countries then check out our VPN review site.  On VPNSP.com we compare over 300 providers along with reviews, guides, free trials and the best deals.  It’s a lot like NGR.

Congratulations to the Giganews team in Austin and everyone else there.  If you haven’t already heard Austin has been selected as the next location for Google’s fiber Internet access.  Now that’s some fast Usenet!

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

Party with Giganews at SXSW Interactive

February 27, 2013 by

The Giganews team is based in Austin, Texas.  Which is also home to the much anticipated annual SXSW Interactive festival.  This year Giganews and Golden Frog are inviting SXSW Interactive attendees to join them for a “Take Back Your Internet” party.  Visit Golden Frog at booth #513 for your ticket to the party.

Giganews SXSW Party

Some of you might be wondering who Golden Frog is.  If you’re using some of Giganews premium features like Mimo, Dump Truck or VyprVPN then you know them better than you think.  They develop some of the innovative tools and services enjoyed by Giganews members.

Here’s some additional information we received regarding the party:

Join us at the Take Back Your Internet Party presented by Golden Frog and Giganews. Come mingle with members of the Giganews and Golden Frog teams and help spread the word that the Internet should remain open and free! VyprVPN and Dump Truck swag will also be available.

If you want to attend the party, you need a TICKET! Please stop by the Golden Frog booth at the SXSW Interactive tradeshow to get your ticket to the party.

What: Take Back Your Internet Party presented by Golden Frog and Giganews
When: March 11th, 6-10 PM
Where: The Hangar Lounge – 318 Colorado St. Austin, TX 78701
Music: Eagle Eye Williamson
Drinks: Open Bar
Cost: No cost to you – must have a ticket!
Party Ticket: Available at the Golden Frog booth #513 at SXSW Interactive tradeshow

Have a great time at SXSW Interactive and don’t forget to visit the Golden Frog booth for your ticket to the party.

Filed Under: Giganews, Usenet Providers Tagged With: ,

New Giganews Dump Truck Apps

December 18, 2012 by

Giganews continues to work closely with the developers at Golden Frog to enhance the Dump Truck secure online storage for their users.  They first announced the service last year and have since completely redesigned the web app.  Along with adding desktop and mobile apps to the mix.  Covering Windows, Mac, iOS (pending approval) and Android apps.  All Giganews members receive at least 5 GB of Dump Truck storage.

As mentioned above Giganews offers their members free online storage to compliment their Usenet service.  Diamond members receive 30 GB of storage while other plans include 5 GB of secure backup space.  Need more than 5 GB?  Here are the options for adding additional storage space to your account:

  • 50 GB – $4.99 a month
  • 100 GB – $9.99 a month
  • 200 GB – $19.99 a month
  • 500 GB – $49.99 a month
  • 1 TB – $99.99 a month

We’ve tested a few backup services and all the big names (Google, Microsoft, Apple, Dropbox, Mozy, etc.) have their own advantages and limitations.  We’re not going to make comparisons since you’re not likely shopping for storage service but rather utilizing your Giganews account to it’s fullest.  With that said Dump Truck is definitely a worthwhile offering.  They store multiple copies of your files securely and allow you to share access with friends and family at your discretion.  The service isn’t perfect but it will definitely get the job done.

You can visit the Giganews Dump Truck page to download the Windows or Mac software.  Log into your Giganews account through their site to access the web app.  The iPhone / iPad (iOS) app will be available soon.  Pending Apple’s approval.  The Android app is available for free now from Google Play.

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

Filed Under: Giganews, Usenet Providers Tagged With: ,

Usenet Providers Pass 1,500 Days of Binary Retention

September 21, 2012 by

Several Usenet providers will be celebrating a new milestone this week.  As UseNetServer, Newshosting, NewsDemon, Astraweb, ThunderNews and more pass 1,500 days of binary retention.  We join other Usenet fans in celebrating the industry leaders that continue to grow retention and innovate their services.  Remember that not so long ago we were discussing retention in terms of days.  Now we’re over four years of binary retention and growing.  You can enjoy unlimited Usenet access with free extras for just $10 a month.

We now have access to over four years years of binary Usenet posts.  At 1,500 days you can access newsgroup posts from over 4 years ago.  As 1,500 days ago was August of 2008.  Back then the highest retention to be found was 240 days, which works out to around 8 months.  Now we can all explore over 49 months of Usenet posts for a fraction of the 2008 price of new server access.

The quality offered by leading Usenet providers has also progressed since 2008.  Back then providers offered unlimited Usenet for $20-$30 a month.  Fast forward to 2012 and the price is half that much.  Not only has the cost dropped significantly.  The services have brought many innovations.  Including better performance and additional features like newsreaders, search engines and online storage.  All for under $10 a month.

We look forward to celebrating again in 100 days as Usenet hits 1,600 days of binary retention.  That mark will be surpassed around the end of the year.  Until then continue enjoying the best Usenet has to offer.  Visit Newsgroup Reviews to learn more about Usenet.  Follow us @NewsgroupRevs for the latest offers.

Filed Under: Astraweb, Giganews, Newshosting, Usenet Providers, UseNetServer Tagged With:

Giganews iPhone / iPad Control Panel App

May 23, 2012 by

Last week we wrote about Giganews Android app.  Since then they’ve released an iOS version.  The two releases came within a couple days of each other.  Allowing Giganews members with iPhone, iPad or Android devices to view control panel stats and disconnect VyprVPN connections.  You can head on over to the Giganews control panel app page to learn more about the app or download it free from the iTunes store.

The Giganews app is mainly an informational tool.  For Diamond users the app allows you to disconnect from VyprVPN remotely.  While members on metered accounts (Pearl, Bronze, Silver) can use it to track their usage stats.  The same as you would see by logging into the control panel and viewing usage.

We’re interested in what direction Giganews takes in the future.  As many of us rely more and more on iPad / Android tablets and mobile phones.  Having an app that allows you to download from Usenet (like EZ Global Search) would be a cool addition to an already feature rich Giganews service.

What might Giganews do next to enhance the service for mobile users?  There are lots of opportunities.  Including apps for some of their current features – VyprVPN and Dump Truck.  At the core though we’re interested to see if they bring Usenet downloads to mobile users.  Mimo mobile perhaps?

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

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

Giganews Offer and Control Panel Android App

May 16, 2012 by

Giganews recently launched a new promotion on their top account.  Giving those who haven’t tried the service recently a chance to make full use of their Diamond plan for $17.49 a month for the first three months.  After that the cost goes back to the normal $34.99 retail price.  You can visit Giganews.com for more details.

While we prefer lower priced accounts, the Giganews Diamond plan includes more than just Usenet access.  Diamond members get unlimited newsgroup downloads along with their Usenet browser (Mimo), personal VPN (VyprVPN) and 30 GB of online storage (Dump Truck).  Giganews supports 1,380 days of binary retention along with 50 connections and 256-bit SSL encryption.  Along with a Usenet search engine inside Mimo.

In addition Giganews recently released a Control Panel App for Android.  Those with Android devices can download the new app free.  With it you can view your current and past usage and disconnect VyprVPN connections remotely.  A pretty cool feature.  The app will also help you stay informed on the latest news and contact support if needed.  You can download the new app directly from the Giganews control panel app page.

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

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

Giganews Dump Truck Online Storage Review

January 4, 2012 by

We’ve been waiting for WebDAV support to test Giganews new online storage service – Dump Truck.  Giganews partnered with Golden Frog to offer members Dump Truck online storage.  Golden Frog also developed their Mimo Usenet client and VyprVPN service.  They had a strong end of the year releasing a VPN client for VyprVPN along with Dump Truck access for all Giganews members and most recently adding WebDAV support.

Before jumping into our hands-on review of Dump Truck we’d like to first share some of the features we observed along with future updates and the base storage offered with each Giganews account type.

Dump Truck Features

Here are some of the features we noticed while testing the Dump Truck service:

  • Simple web user interface
  • Easy to create folders and navigate
  • Drag and drop files (under 200 MB)
  • HTML uploader for files over 200 MB
  • SSL file transfer plus AES encryption
  • We tested Dump Truck with Air Sharing WebDAV app via iPad
  • For a full list of features visit the Giganews Dump Truck page

Giganews also mentions the following features to come:

  • iOS and Android Apps (WebDAV apps already available)
  • Windows and Mac clients
  • Public and private sharing
  • Personal encryption keys

The sharing features along with personal encryption key will add a new dimension to the service.

Dump Truck Storage Pricing

Here is a list of Giganews base storage and add-on storage prices:

  • Diamond members – 30 GB free
  • All other members – 5 GB free
  • 50 GB extra – $9.99 a month
  • 100 GB extra – $19.99 a month
  • 500 GB extra – $69.99 a month
  • 1 TB extra – $99.99 a month

Hands-On Dump Truck Review

We started by testing the Giganews Dump Truck online storage service via Firefox on a Windows 7 system.  First uploading an Umphrey’s McGee concert (nugs.net purchase) which amounted to 282 MB.  The upload took about 14 minutes to complete.  Here’s a screenshot of the music being uploaded to Dump Truck.

As you can see there is a progress bar at the bottom that shows how far along you are in the current upload.  Along with a usage bar to the left showing how much storage you have used along with how much free storage is still available.  You might also notice up top that we created an Umphreys folder for the songs.

The first test went well.  It took some time to upload but everything worked just fine.  Next we tried to upload a Ubuntu distro of 712 MB.  We tried via drag and drop but received a message that files larger than 200 MB needed to be uploaded through their HTML uploader.  Here’s the HTML upload screen:

After browsing out to the Ubuntu file we set it to upload.  The status showed uploading with the file name at the bottom of the screen but the progress bar never budged.  We gave up after two and a half hours and cancelled the Ubuntu upload.  The files up to 30 MB in size uploaded well but the 712 MB file appeared to hang.

Dump Truck WebDAV Testing

We were especially interested in testing the new WebDAV support for iPhone and iPad.  Since the Air Sharing iOS apps are sold separately (iPhone vs iPad) we decided to test on the iPad for the larger screen.  The Air Sharing app was easy to download ($3.99) and setup was a breeze using Giganews Air Sharing guide.

After downloading the app and adding the Dump Truck storage as a new server we were able to access our Umphrey’s tunes on the iPad.  We tested playing a song which quickly downloaded and started playing on the iPad.  The process of setting up and using the iPad for Dump Truck to play our music was seamless.

Dump Truck Review – Conclusion

We enjoyed testing the Dump Truck service and look forward to the future updates.  Especially the Windows / Mac apps and file sharing options.  The only issue we had was trying to upload the 712 MB Ubuntu file.  Something we’ll test again once the Windows client is released.  All in all though we were impressed by the service.  It’s simply a place to store files for now along with the WebDAV support.  Soon though the service will take on a new life with the public / private file sharing features.  Stay tuned for more Dump Truck coverage.

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

Filed Under: Dump Truck, Giganews, Usenet Providers, Xtra Tagged With: ,

November Marks 1,200 Days of Retention and Growing!

November 21, 2011 by

November marks a new milestone for leading Usenet providers.  As services like Newshosting, UseNetServer, Astraweb and more pass 1,200 days of binary retention.  Some users have come to expect the continued growth in Usenet retention as many large providers spool daily.  Yet the achievement is no less impressive.  As Usenet fans or perhaps fanatics we tip our glass to those continuously improving the experience.  Both in terms of retention growth and overall value (cost, reliability, performance and new, innovative features).

It’s hard to believe we have access to over three years of binary retention.  At 1,200 days you can access newsgroup posts from 3 years and 3 months ago.  As 1,200 days ago was August of 2008.  In comparison Giganews was the clear leader in retention at that time.  Completing their upgrade to 240 days (eight months) of binary retention in September of 2008.  Times have certainly changed since then as a number of leading Usenet providers are within 10 days of each other now.  All with nearly 40 months of binary retention and growing.

The value offered by Usenet providers has also changed quite a bit since 2008.  With services offering unlimited Usenet for $10 or less a month rather than $20-$30 a month.  Not only has the cost dropped significantly.  The services themselves are much improved.  Including SSL encryption, better reliability / performance and extra features like newsreaders, Usenet search, online storage and VPN access.  All for under $10 a month.

We’ll see you right here in 100 days as we all help celebrate 1,300 days of binary retention.  Then in 9 months we’ll happily help celebrate 4 years of retention.  Until then continue to enjoy all the advantages of Usenet.  Visit Newsgroup Reviews to learn more about Usenet retention.  Follow us @NewsgroupRevs for the latest offers.

Filed Under: Astraweb, Giganews, Newshosting, Usenet Providers, UseNetServer Tagged With: , , , ,

Giganews Dump Truck Opens Early Access

October 20, 2011 by

Back in July Giganews announced they were partnering with Golden Frog to bring Diamond members a new online storage feature called Dump Truck.  Since then they have taken registration requests for early access to Dump Truck.  Today the first round of early adopters received emails inviting them to test the new service.  Giganews will be sending out more invitations in the weeks to come so members still have time to register.

According to today’s Giganews announcement the Dump Truck service currently features:

  • Intuitive web interface with drag and drop upload
  • Simple and secure file structure
  • 256-bit SSL encryption for uploads and downloads
  • Files are encrypted on-disk with 256-bit AES encryption
  • Access to your files anywhere in the world

With these additional features coming soon:

  • iPad, iPhone, and Android online storage apps – Storage while on the go
  • Windows and Mac desktop application – Access your files just like any other drive
  • Public and private sharing – Share with the world or simply your friends
  • Password Protection – Control the access to your data
  • WebDAV Support -Access Dump Truck using DAV clients and apps

Giganews offers Diamond subscribers premium features including VyprVPN PPTP / L2TP VPN access and Mimo Usenet browser with Golden Frog search.  Dump Truck will be the latest addition to the Usenet bundle.

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

Filed Under: Dump Truck, Giganews Tagged With: ,
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