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The Usenet Retention Race Is Too Close to Call

April 14, 2011 By

We’ve been covering the binary retention race for a long time now.  Long enough to write retention update posts in our sleep.  Early on Giganews was the clear leader.  Now we’re nearing 1,000 days and several top Usenet providers are within 10 days of each other.  Hard to believe that after 2+ years the binary retention race might very well end in a draw.  Bringing Usenet fans the benefit of years of binary newsgroup posts for less than they use to pay for a few weeks of retention.  In fact Newsgroup Reviews visitors can enjoy $10 unlimited Usenet access from leading providers including UseNetServer, Newshosting, NewsDemon and Astraweb.

Earlier today UseNetServer, Newshosting and Easynews announced retention increases.  The number is very notable.  As all three Usenet providers are now at 972 days of binary retention and growing.  Why is the 972 number notable?  Because it’s one day higher than Astraweb who is currently at 971 days.  It is also only 8 days behind Giganews who is at 980 days.  UseNetServer and Newshosting both offer $10 unlimited accounts versus the $25-$35 for Giganews.  Given the difference in price and latest retention updates we expect Newshosting and UseNetServer will be home to a lot of new members in the months to come.

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

Giganews Personal Online Storage Service

April 7, 2011 By

Earlier today Giganews announced their next innovation.  As they are in the midst of developing a personal storage service for their members.  The related blog post mentions that Giganews Diamond members will be brought into the process to share ideas and ultimately beta test the new online backup service.

It will be interesting to see what the Giganews development team comes up with for the new personal storage offering.  We have experience with a couple other Usenet providers who offer online storage through 3rd party vendors.  Including Ngroups (LiveDrive) and NewsDemon (StorageNinja).  It will be interesting to see how the finished product compares to the competition.  Especially LiveDrive as they also have a very nice iPhone / iPad app that let’s you stream audio and video.  One thing is for sure.  The Giganews development team has kept busy with the recent Mimo updates and partnership with Golden Frog to bring VyprVPN to Giganews Diamond members.  Now that they’ve turned the focus toward online storage we’ll keep you updated on the progress.

Filed Under: Giganews, Usenet Providers Tagged With: ,

Giganews Increases Diamond Price to $34.99

April 2, 2011 By

Last year Giganews announced pricing updates.  Including an increase in price for new Diamond members.  With the $29.99 price increasing to $34.99 a month.  The new pricing was put on hold in January.  Giving Giganews time to make improvements to their Mimo Usenet client and add L2TP VPN access.  On April 1st Giganews increased the price of Diamond access to $34.99 a month.  A price we feel most NGR visitors won’t be willing to pay.  In response we will be shifting focus to other leading Usenet providers.

Here is a breakdown of the Giganews offerings.  Note that other pricing changes were initiated last Fall.  The only change that came on April 1st was an increase for new Diamond members.

Here are the details of the changes currently in effect:
- Diamond – unlimited Usenet + 50 connections + VyprVPN + Mimo – $34.99
- Platinum – unlimited Usenet + SSL + 20 connections – $24.99
- Silver – 50 GB a month + SSL + 20 connections – $14.99
- Bronze – 10 GB a month + SSL + 20 connections – $9.99
- Pearl – 5 GB a month + SSL + 20 connections – $4.99

For those willing to accept the $35 price tag we’ll say that Giganews service is exceptional.  We’re just not confident it’s worth the $35 price in comparison to other leading services like UseNetServer and NewsDemon that offer unlimited Usenet with extra features for $10-11 a month.

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

Giganews Countdown to 1,000 Days Giveaway

March 22, 2011 By

Giganews just announced a giveaway to celebrate their countdown to 1,000 days of binary retention.  Prizes include a Drobo FS-5TB, iPad 2, Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and 25 Giganews T-shirts.  Visit the Gignaews Giveaway page find more details.  The contest winners will be announced May 2nd.  The same day Giganews hits 1,000 days of binaries.  They are currently at 957 days and climbing daily toward the 1,000 mark.

Giganews is offering a number of ways to enter the 1,000 Day Giveaway contest.  Just being a Giganews customer automatically enters you to win.  Those who aren’t members can also enter to win.  Additional opportunities to win are offered for those with Facebook and Twitter accounts.

To learn more about Giganews read our hands-on review.  New members are can sign up for a 14 day free trial.  Don’t forget that Diamond members can lock in a discounted price by signing up prior to March 31st.  For those new to Giganews, Diamond accounts offer more than just great Usenet access.  They include unlimited PPTP / L2TP VyprVPN access and the exclusive Mimo newsreader with built-in Usenet search engine.

Filed Under: Giganews, Usenet Providers Tagged With: ,

Last Chance to Save on Giganews Usenet Access

March 6, 2011 By

If you’ve been considering a Giganews Diamond account for accessing Usenet we suggest you make the choice soon.  As Giganews will be increasing the price of new Diamond memberships to $34.99 on April 1st.  By signing up for the Diamond plan by March 31st you lock in the current $29.99 price for as long as you remain a member.  Giganews Diamond members receive a number of extras over Platinum and limited plans.  Starting with 50 connections, free VyprVPN for greater privacy and access to the new edition of Mimo Usenet Browser.

Here is an overview of Giganews Diamond account:

Diamond memberships are the pinnacle of Giganews Usenet offerings.  As the current $29.99 price and future increase to $34.99 suggests it is a premium account .  Diamond members enjoy unlimited Usenet downloads with close to 950 days of binary retention, 50 connections and 256-bit SSL.  Connect to news servers in the U.S., Europe and Asia for the best performance.  Reliability and support are excellent.  The same could be said for other Giganews accounts.  The difference being that Diamond members receive free unlimited VyprVPN access (PPTP and L2TP/IPSec) and the latest release of Mimo Usenet browser with Golden Frog Usenet search.

Read our Giganews review to learn more about the service or sign up for a free 14 day trial + 50% off your first month of Diamond access.  Remember to lock in the $29.99 price you must sign up by March 31st.

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

VyprVPN Discount for Giganews Members

March 4, 2011 By

VyprVPN is now available to all Giganews members at a discounted price.  Diamond members already have PPTP and L2TP/IPSec access.  Now they can also add support for OpenVPN and NAT Firewall protection.

Here is a breakdown of the new VyprVPN offering available to all Giganews members along with the special prices for each account:

For Giganews Diamond members:

  • PPTP and L2TP/IPSec – Free
  • OpenVPN – $5 a month
  • NAT Firewall – $5 a month

For all other Giganews customers:

  • PPTP + L2TP/IPSec – $10 a month
  • PPTP + L2TP/IPSec + OpenVPN – $15 a month
  • NAT Firewall – $5 a month (in addition to VPN account)

Read our Giganews review to learn more about their Usenet offerings.  In addition to a hands-on VyprVPN review.  New Giganews members can sign up for a 14 day free trial.

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

Giganews Releases Mimo Usenet Browser 0.2.0

February 16, 2011 By

Giganews, in partnership with Golden Frog just released Mimo Usenet Browser version 0.2.0.  With several new enhancements and updates.  In fact the core architecture has been rewritten.  Promising faster speeds, better management of downloads and fewer lockups.  Those who are new to Giganews Usenet services can sign up for a two week free trial.  Including unlimited access to Mimo newsreader.


Here is the official announcement from Giganews:

Giganews and Golden Frog are proud to release Mimo Usenet Browser v0.2.0. This update completely overhauls Mimo’s core downloading engine, resulting in faster speeds, fewer lockups, and better download management.

If you’ve tried Mimo in the past but put it aside because of download problems, you should try this release. Many customer bug reports have been addressed with this release.

Here’s an overview:

  • Mimo will now download the highest priority item in your queue first. When you have multiple items in your download queue, you’ll get your first item sooner.
  • Try out “PAR in Parallel” with this update. PAR verification now runs in parallel as each file is downloading without pausing the download. We’ve seen resulting download speeds increase by 100%!
  • Mimo will now pause and resume downloads properly.
  • Pending downloads will now resume when you restart Mimo.
  • New Feature: You can now change the priority on download jobs. Right-click on a job in the Downloads tab, and select one of the “move” options. You can also pause jobs and the next download will begin automatically.

Beyond Mimo v0.2.0 Beta: What’s Next?

This release sets the stage for continued improvements and new features. The next major change will be a complete user interface overhaul. Mimo currently resembles other Usenet clients available on the market – raw and unpolished. With the core download engine improved, Golden Frog is ready to focus its attention on the user interface and user experience.

Please remember that Mimo is still in Beta, so Golden Frog continues to need your feedback. Please submit bugs, request new features and receive updates from the Golden Frog Dev team in our newsgroup at giganews.mimo.

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

Giganews Adds VyprVPN L2TP/IPSec VPN Access

February 10, 2011 By

Giganews Diamond customer now have free unlimited VPN access using VyprVPN L2TP/IPSec.  Previously Diamond memberships included PPTP connections but L2TP and OpenVPN were part of Golden Frog’s VyprVPN Pro account ($20 a month).  Now Giganews subscribers enjoy the extra protection of L2TP/IPSec at no additional cost.  L2TP/IPSec supports PC, Mac, iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) and Android mobile devices.

Giganews Diamond members still have access to PPTP VPN connections and now the additional L2TP / IPSec VPN connections.  Each has it’s advantages.

PPTP – expanded support for Linux and DD-WRT routers.  Also more suitable for older devices.  Low CPU usage and very simple setup.

L2TP/IPSec – more secure (256-bit encryption), more likely to be compatible with corporate firewalls, helps ensure data integrity, protects against “man in the middle” attacks.

If you’ve been considering a Giganews Diamond account now is the time to sign up.  Not only for the new L2TP option but also to lock in $29.99 pricing before the accounts increase to $34.99 on April 1st.

Read our Giganews Diamond review to learn more or sign up for a 14 day free trial.

Filed Under: Giganews, Usenet Providers Tagged With: ,

Giganews Review : 2011 Editors Choice

January 29, 2011 By

Congratulations to Giganews for taking home a NewsgroupReviews (NGR) 2011 Editors Choice award.  Not a big surprise to most Usenet fans as Giganews has been one of the best Usenet providers for years now.  The last couple years have seen the industry competing on price.  With the exception of a couple special offers Giganews has gone another direction.  With a focus on innovation.  Continuing to offer the best quality of service along with free unlimited VyprVPN access and Mimo Usenet browser for Diamond members.  New customers can enjoy a 14 day free Giganews trial and 50% off the first month of Diamond access.

The Giganews brand is synonymous with quality, reliability and world class support.  Giganews latest innovations include VyprVPN and Mimo newsreader.  VyprVPN offers Diamond members free VPN to help secure their online privacy.  Mimo Usenet Browser is also free for Diamond subscribers and includes a Usenet search feature.  Giganews continues to lead the industry in retention.  With speed, reliability and support to match their premium Usenet offerings.

Giganews offers 900 days of binary retention along with 2,760 days of text posts.  Diamond members enjoy unlimited Usenet access, 256-bit SSL, 50 connections, speeds in excess of 1000 Mbps, unlimited VyprVPN,  Mimo Usenet Browser and 24/7 technical support.  New customers can also take advantage of their 14 day free trial and 50% off the first month of Diamond service.

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

Giganews Climbs to 900 Days Binary Retention

January 24, 2011 By

900 days of binary retention going once, going twice, sold to the guy in the front row with the Giganews sign.  On Monday January 24th, 2011 Giganews reached 900 days of binary retention.


As the image says Giganews offers the world’s longest and most complete Usenet archive.  With 900 days of binary retention and near perfect completion Giganews has a lot to cheer about.

Congratulations to Giganews for passing another milestone at 900 days of binaries.  Only 12 days short of two and a half years!  Mark your calendars for February 5th as Giganews continues spooling retention.

Let’s look at some of the Giganews retention milestones along the road to 900 days:
- December 30, 2003 – 30 days binary retention
- August 8, 2005 – 50 days binary retention
- December 7, 2005 – 70 days binary retention
- April 3, 2006 – 1,000 days text retention
- September 19, 2006 – 90 days binary retention
- February 1, 2007 – 100 days binary retention
- April 12, 2007 – 120 days binary retention
- July 12, 2007 – 200 days binary retention
- September 19, 2008 – 240 days binary retention
- May 9, 2009 – 275 days binary retention
- June 3, 2009 – 300 days binary retention
- August 7, 2009 – 365 days binary retention
- September 11, 2009 – 400 days binary retention
- March 30, 2010 – 600 days binary retention
- July 7, 2010 – 700 days binary retention
- October 15th, 2010 – 800 days binary retention
* click any link above to read the associated post on the Giganews blog.

Read our Giganews review to learn more about the service or sign up for a 14 day free trial and enjoy 900 days of binary retention.

Filed Under: Giganews, Usenet Providers Tagged With: ,
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