NewsLeecher Offers Client Software for Free

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.

NewsLeecher client

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.

NewsLeecher v7.0 Beta 7 Release

Earlier this month NewsLeecher rolled out a new beta.  They released version 7.0 Beta 7.  It’s great to see new features being added to popular newsreaders like NewsLeecher, Newsbin Pro, and Newshosting’s Usenet client.  NewsLeecher subscribers can download the latest beta on their site.  Those new to the client can download a 14 day free trial.  Visit NewsLeecher.com to download the latest v7.0 beta 7 release.

NewsLeecher

Here are the release notes from NL v7.0 Beta 7:

#: This version of NewsLeecher uses an improved file cache format,
so it is recommended to backup NewsLeecher settings / data
before installing, in case a downgrade to an earlier release of
NewsLeecher is wanted later on.
NewsLeecher will automatically upgrade existing cache files
to the new format when loading groups, download queue, etc.
+: Full Unicode support. Articles containing UTF-8 encoded
subjects / poster names are now correctly displayed in
NewsLeecher. This mostly affect articles originating from
Asian countries. ( If parts of NewsLeecher are still found
to be non-compliant with Unicode, please let us know )
+: Selected files in the download queue, can now be moved up /
down of the queue, using the keyboard shortcuts Alt+Up and
Alt+Down.
+: Selected files in the download queue, can now be moved to top /
bottom of the queue, using the keyboard shortcuts Alt+Shift+Up
and Alt+Shift+Down.
+: The ‘expanded’ states for sets in the Repair & Extract listview
are now saved between sessions.
*: An increasing number of article subjects exceed the previously
set maximum length in NewsLeecher of 250 bytes. Mostly due to
Unicode encoding. The maximum length has been bumped and is now
much higher.
*: The download queue ( together with other NewsLeecher settings )
is now automatically backed up once every 15 minutes.
*: Many smaller improvements ( listview hints are not cut-off
anymore, speed optimized drawing routines, up-to-date SSL
libraries, etc. )
*: Further improved the performance of the NewsLeecher download
queue loading and saving code.
!: Fixed bug that sometimes triggered an exception when adding
lots of PAR2 files to the Repair & Extract listview as the
same time.
!: Fixed bug where NewsLeecher would trigger a bug when updating
groups, if two unassociated articles shared the same CRC value.
!: Many smaller bugfixes ( “Explorer” listview font bug fixed,
etc. )

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.

Fast Usenet Search and Auto Download

It’s been an interesting time for Usenet the last few months.  With large NZB sites like Newzbin and NZBMatrix calling it quits last December.  Prompting an influx of new sites to help fill the void.  Even so there had to be a way to find Usenet content fast and download it automatically.  You can’t be there all the time.  A few leading Usenet clients stepped up and are starting to address the need with auto-search and download features.

What do we mean by fast?  We’re not talking about the performance of a website like Binsearch.  They are very fast at returning search results but you still have to go there are query the search engine.  We’re talking about auto-search features.  Configure your newsreader to watch for the latest episode of your favorite podcast and automatically download it.  Set it and forget it.  Let the client do the work while you enjoy other activities.

In the last few weeks we’ve seen updates from three of our favorite newsreaders.  All addressing the same need.  Helping users automatically find and download content soon after its posted to Usenet.  Newshosting, Newsbin and Newsleecher all released new features.  They are also working on more enhancements.  We suggest you try all three clients and see which new search feature best meets your needs.

Newshosting Client Auto-Search

Newshosting Automatic Search

We’ll start with the new auto-search feature in the Newshosting client.  You’ll need to be a member of Newshosting to use their newsreader.  We use them and would highly recommend the service.  They are currently offering unlimited Usenet for just $9.99 a month or $99 a year.  The service includes free access to the client and search engine.  With the new auto-search feature and access to all future software updates.

With the new automatic search feature, Newshosting members can set up queries to run on a regular basis.  As you can see we configured an auto-search to look for the latest Ubuntu packages.  Rather than get just anything related to Ubuntu we wanted to look for the latest distros of the operating system.  To help we set a size limitation of between 800 MB and 1000 MB.  The same logic could apply to any search query.

Once you’ve set up your automatic search queries and perferences the client will do the rest of the work.  We set our search to only show results.  We could have just as easily set it to automatically download the content.  The Newshosting client would go out and check for the latest matches on a regular basis.  Then it would grab anything that matched our search query.  Without the normal delay of finding content manually.

Newsbin Watch Feature

Newsbin Watch Feature

If you’re going to pay for a premium newsreader then Newsbin is an excellent choice.  Their team is constantly adding new features and responds quickly to support requests.  New users can download a free trial of the newsgroup browser.  After that the client costs $30 a year with their popular Usenet search engine built-in.  You’ll still need a reliable Usenet provider to download content. See our awards post for recommendations.

The newly released Newsbin Pro watch feature will help you find and download content faster.  The first version is meant to help you automatically filter out results while downloading headers.  Which in turn will help you find the matching results much faster than manually reviewing headers.  Dealing with headers is time consuming.  We like where Newsbin is headed as they work to incorporate the watch feature into the search engine.

NewsLeecher SuperLeech

NewsLeecher SuperLeech

The latest addition to the premium clients came from NewsLeecher.  They have a popular search feature called SuperSearch.  They are now adding more functionality with SuperLeech.  The only downside is the price.  You’ll pay $3.99 a month for access to the reader and search function.  You’ll still need a reliable Usenet provider to download the content.  You can use their service or view our awards post for suggestions.

The new SuperLeech feature is currently in alpha testing so you might expect to run into some issues.  That’s the case with the new features in all three clients.  They are kindly rolling them out to help users but there will likely be some growing pains.  The new SuperLeech feature will help find and automatically download content through their SuperSearch engine.  They are asking for feedback and suggestions for future updates.

NewsLeecher SuperLeech Alpha Test

NewsLeecher is alpha testing a new add-on for SuperSearch.  The new feature is called SuperLeech.  It looks similar to the Newshosting auto-search feature we wrote about earlier this week and Newsbin’s new watch feature.  NewsLeecher members with an active SuperSearch license can alpha test the new SuperLeech feature.  We’re not sure whether or not the NL team is going to charge extra for the add-on in the future.

NewsLeecher SuperLeech

We look forward to testing out the new SuperLeech add-on this weekend.  Rather than wait until next week we wanted to share the news with you first.  That way you can check it out as well.  Here’s some additional information from the alpha test forum post to get you started using the new feature:

Currently, SuperLeech implements 3 different service modes :

————————
1. “Leech [ All ] ” Mode
————————
This is the most basic mode. Using this mode, SuperLeech will
leech *everything* matching the specified search query. This
mode should only be used, if you search for very specific
subjects, or you will end up having the SuperLeech service
leeching way too many articles.

————————-
2. “Leech [ Once ] ” Mode
————————-
Using this mode, SuperLeech will leech the first matching
article ( or article collection ), that gets posted to the
Usenet, after the SuperLeech entry has been activated.
When a match has occurred, the SuperLeech service will make
sure that no further articles are matched.

—————————–
3. “Leech [ Episodes ] ” Mode
—————————–
This mode has been implemented for users, who are interested
in series episodes. It can be used to automatically download
new episodes for wanted series, almost as soon as they get
posted to the Usenet.

Say you are interested in a podcast series called “My favorite
podcast series”. To automatically download new episodes of the
series, when they become available, simply setup a SuperLeech
entry with the search query set to “My favorite podcast series”
(wo. quotes) and the search method set to “Leech [ Episodes ]”.

You can read the full forum post for additional details.  Next week we’ll recap all the new auto-search features released recently.  In the meantime test out the new SuperLeech feature and let them know what you think.

NewsLeecher v5.0 Final Release

Earlier this month NewsLeecher had a double release.  They released both v 5.0 Final and v5.1 Beta 1.  In addition they’re already working on new features to be included in NewsLeecher version 6.  Upcoming features include automated SuperSearch searching and downloading.  Along with scripting support to allow for more flexibility in the client.  Visit NewsLeecher.com to download either the latest v5.0 Final or v5.1 Beta release.

NewsLeecher v5 Final

Here are the release notes from NL v5.0 Final:

#: NewsLeecher V5.0 Final Release.
#: Since V5.0 is now final and has been released, we have begun
   to work on the NewsLeecher V6 series.
   NewsLeecher V6 will support automatic SuperSearch searching and
   downloading, based on user specified search queries. V6 will
   also implement fast and efficient scripting support, to make
   NewsLeecher much more flexible. Scripting will, for example,
   allow fully flexible and automatic download management,
   Repair & Extract management, etc..
#: For a complete list of changes since NewsLeecher V4 Final,
   check this page:
   https://www.newsleecher.com/version-history/
*: Only very minor changes since most recent beta (beta 19).

Along with the release notes for NL v5.1 Beta:

*: It is now possible to cancel ongoing cleaning of subscribed
   Usenet groups. This is sometimes wanted, as cleaning can take a
   long time for larger groups.
*: Smaller visual improvements.
!: When cleaning of subscribed Usenet groups was initiated, the
   NewsLeecher interface would freeze until the procedure had
   finished. This has been fixed, so the interface is also
   responsive while cleaning is in progress.
#: Note that we are working on improvement the performance of the
   group cleaning procedure for an upcoming release.

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.

Can Your ISP Track Usenet?

Are you concerned that your ISP is tracking Usenet?  If so you’re not alone.  We’re not advocating copyright infringement but we’d like to set the record straight.   Tracking by your ISP or anyone else is a massive invasion of privacy.  One that you can help avoid.  First of all if you don’t want your ISP tracking then don’t use any Usenet service provided by them.  You can also enable SSL in your newsreader to help ensure your Usenet privacy.

As long as you enable SSL for each server in your newsreader your Usenet downloads will be encrypted.  The reason is that by turning on SSL you are encrypting the data transfer between your system and the Usenet provider’s news servers.  By relying on the same technology used by financial institutions you can help ensure your privacy.  The process is simple.  We’ll show you how to enable SSL in several newsreaders.

Newshosting Client SSL Setup & Port

Newshosting SSL

Newshosting offers their members a free Usenet client.  You can use it to search for content and download directly from their news servers privately.  To enable SSL you’ll want to open the newsreader, click on OptionsSettings.  Now come down the left hand side of the Settings window and click on the Connection tab.  From there check the box next to “Prefer SSL connections if available“.  You can also change the SSL port.  We prefer port 443.  The same SSL port used by HTTPS connections. This will also help you avoid ISP throttling.

Newsbin Pro SSL Setup & Port

Newsbin Pro SSL

Newsbin Pro is easy to configure.  To enable SSL simply fire up the client and click on OptionsServers.  Choose the server you’d like to enable SSL on.  You may have more than one server account listed if you use multiple Usenet providers or connect to more than one server location.  If so just make sure to turn on SSL for each server individually.  The process is the same each time.  Once you’ve selected a server check the box next to “Use SSL – Encrypted Connections“.  Once again you can specify a custom port.

NewsLeecher SSL Setup & Port

NewsLeecher SSL

NewsLeecher can by configured to encrypt your connections and allows for alternate ports.  Bring up the client and click on the Manager tab.  From there select the servers you’d like to setup SSL on.  Just like Newsbin you’ll want to do this multiple times if you connect to more than one provider or server location.  Once you have the Usenet server setup page open check the “Use Encrypted Server Connections (SSL)” box.  You can check “Show Advanced Settings” if you’d like to change the default port number (563).

That’s all there is to it.  You don’t need a VPN or proxy to help ensure your Usenet privacy.  Enabling SSL is enough.  For web browsing and other applications we highly recommend a good VPN service.

Best Usenet Clients

For those new to Usenet the task of finding the right newsreader can be challenging.  Especially if you’re not sure where to look and what features are the most important.  Today we’re going to honor our 2013 Editors Choice Award winners and recommend some excellent Usenet browsers.  Some are free to download and use while others offer free trials.  We’ll make it clear whether the clients are free or premium.  Along with highlighting some of the key features that helped each newsreader, web client or mobile Usenet app make our list.

2013 NGR Editors Choice : Best Usenet Clients

Similar to our Best Usenet Provider awards we recognize more than one winner.  As there are way too many great newsgroup services and Usenet clients on the market.  In the case of newsreaders we could easily list ten or more clients.  For the purpose of our awards we have chosen six winners.  Along with a top 10 list.

Without further delay we’d like to congratulate each of our 2013 NGR Editor’s Choice winners.  The list includes the Newshosting Client, Easynews Web Interface, Newsbin ProSABnzbd, NewsLeecher and Binreader.  Round out our list of the Top 10 Usenet clients were GrabIt, Unison, News Rover and EZ Global Search.

Let’s take a closer look at our 2013 NGR Editor’s Choice winners for “Best Usenet Clients“:

Newshosting Usenet Client : 2014 NGR Editors Choice Award

Newshosting

Newshosting continues to innovate their popular Usenet client.  With all the features you’d expect from a leading newsreader and then some.  The client is free for Newshosting members and is available for Windows, Mac and Linux.  With a Usenet search engine, video previews, auto-repair and auto-unRAR functions the client takes care of everything.  All you do is choose what to download and let the Newshosting client do the rest.

Newshosting offers 2,100+ days of binary retention along with 1,400 days of text posts.  Subscribers enjoy unlimited Usenet access, Newshosting Usenet client, 256-bit SSL, uncapped speed and 24/7 support.  Take advantage of the Newshosting $9.99/mo. and $99.99/yr. unlimited Usenet specials.

Easynews Web Interface : 2014 NGR Editors Choice Award

Who says you need a software client to access newsgroups?  Most people assume that to be the case but it isn’t as Easynews offers an excellent web Usenet interface.  With the ability to search for content, preview files, stream content and download from Usenet.  The Easynews web interface is free to members.  In fact you can try Easynews free for 14 days.  There are also some really cool iPhone, iPad and Android apps.

Newsbin Pro Usenet Client : 2014 NGR Editors Choice Award

Newsbin Pro

Newsbin Pro has been an NGR editor favorite for years now and they continue to innovate and make the popular Usenet client even better.  Newsbin offers an excellent user interface with support for compressed header downloads and NZB files.  Newsbin will even help you organize downloads.  The client costs $30 and includes a year of search.  With an optional Usenet search feature.  New users can download a 10 day free trial.

SABnzbd Usenet Client : 2014 NGR Editors Choice Award

SABnzbd hardly needs an introduction for Usenet fans.  The free, open-source Usenet browser has been downloaded over 5 million times (Windows, Mac and Linux).  SABnzbd+ turns your web browser into a Usenet client.  It lacks features for those who want to download headers or enjoy text groups.  Yet for binary seekers SABnzbd is very cool.  Drop in an NZB file and SABnzbd will download, verify, repair and extract the contents.

NewsLeecher Usenet Client – 2014 NGR Editors Choice Award

NewsLeecher is another premium client that we’ve enjoyed using over the years.  Especially their SuperSearch feature which is great for easily finding Usenet content.  The user interface is clean and the client presents some nice advanced features.  With lots of bells and whistles to configure for enhancing your Usenet experience.  The client costs $3.99 a month for NewsLeecher + SuperSearch.

Binreader Usenet Client – 2014 NGR Editors Choice Award

We enjoy Binreader for a number of reasons.  First of all its free and available for Windows, Mac and Linux.  Secondly they offer a portable version that you can run from a thumb drive.  With Binreader you can search for content through Binsearch.info and let the client do the rest.  From downloading to PAR2 repair and RAR extraction.  You can download the latest version directly from the Binreader site free of charge.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our 2013 Editor’s Choice Awards for the best Usenet clients.  Please help us recognize and congratulate the winners for their efforts.  You might also want to check out our Editor’s Choice Awards for “Best Usenet Providers“, “Best Usenet Deals” and “Best Free Usenet Trials” as each is updated frequently.

NewsLeecher Version 5 Beta 17

NewsLeecher recently rolled out the latest beta release of their popular Usenet client.  The latest version 5.0 beta 17 has a number of changes and additions.  Customers can download the new release directly from the NewsLeecher download page.  While those new to the newsreader can test out their free trial.  NewsLeecher has also launched their own Usenet service which is sold along side the client and SuperSearch.

NewsLeecher version 5 beta 17 Here’s a closer look at the additions and updates in NewsLeecher version 5.0 beta 17:

#: Note that this release requires that you re-register the
   NewsLeecher application, via the registration dialog inside
   NewsLeecher. So be sure to have your NewsLeecher members area
   access data ready, before installing.
+: Hooked up SuperSearch cache cleanup code that will periodically
   delete outdated SuperSearch cache files (*.ssr) from the disk.
+: It is now possible to change the max width setting for the tabs
   located on the NewsLeecher main window, from :
   Settings -> Adv. Nerdy Tweaks -> GUI Tabs Max Width
   Note that the tab order has been reset in this release.
*: For easier backup possibilities, the personal NewsLeecher
   license key, is now saved to a disk file instead of the Windows
   registry. The license key file is saved to this location :
   "%appData%\NewsLeecher\newsleecher.keyfile.v5.dat".
   We are working on making it possible to save the key file to
   the same location at the NewsLeecher executable, to make it
   easier to run NewsLeecher in registered mode, from portable
   storage devices.
*: Improved a lot of the code associated with the SuperSearch
   bookmark manager, to make the management of the bookmarks
   easier to understand and more flexible.
*: It is now possible to change the personal email address
   associated with the NewsLeecher members area, and still be able
   to use SuperSearch, without having to update the NewsLeecher
   license key first.
*: Changed the max width of the NewsLeecher main window tabs and
   renamed the caption on the "Repair & Extract" tab to "Extract".
*: The 'Article Grouping' code now detects, and groups, a couple
   of new article subject formats.
   Formats : *.#" and *.##" where # represents a digit.
* : Visual theme improvements and other smaller improvements.
 : Smaller bug fixes.

The NewsLeecher team made it easier to backup NL by placing the license in a file.  As shown in the details above.  They are working to move the file to the NL directory to make backups even easier.  For now you can just navigate to the current path and save the .dat license file.

Note that this version requires you to re-register the client so you’ll need your license ID available.  You can get your license number by logging into the members area.  The ID is displayed on the right hand side of the page.  Just above personal payment information.

Visit Newsgroup Reviews to compare newsreaders and follow us @NewsgroupRevs for the latest promotions.

NewsLeecher Price Increase

December 2, 2012 update – NewsLeecher has decided to honor the old pricing for those with a license prior to November 14, 2012.  That’s the day the new pricing was released.  I’m sure their decision to grandfather in existing members is appreciated by many long time NL fans.  I know I’ll be extending my subscription.  According to their forum post existing members can contact them through the support form on their site to continue the old $19.99 a year (client only) or $29.99 a year (client + SuperSearch) pricing plans.  New members still face higher prices.  It will be interesting to see if NewsLeecher rolls out a yearly option for the new plans.

——————————

Earlier this month we shared some exciting news from the NewsLeecher team.  As they had just launched their NewsLeecher Usenet service along with some new pricing plans.  What we didn’t realize at the time was that NewsLeecher also increased the price current members pay for the client + SuperSearch feature by 60%.  Instead of paying $30 a year members now have to pay $3.99 a month.  Which works out to around $48 a year.

Did the NewsLeecher team think raising prices on new and existing customers would persuade them to try the new Usenet service?  If so the decision could go well or it could drive customers elsewhere.  There are several other quality newsreaders on the market including Newshosting (free for members), Newsbin Pro ($20 for a lifetime client license or $30 a year with search), SABnzbd (free but doesn’t include search) and more.

Let’s take a look at the old pricing plans along with the new accounts:

Old pricing:

  • Client license – $19.99 a year
  • Client + SuperSearch – $29.99 a year
  • Client + SuperSearch – $2.99 a month

New pricing:

  • Client license – $2.99 a month
  • Client + SuperSearch – $3.99 a month
  • Usenet only (no NL) – $9.49 a month
  • Usenet + client + SS – $12.49 a month

So to sign up or renew, subscribers will pay $3.99 a month for their NewsLeecher with SuperSearch functionality.  Existing members could previously pay $29.99 a year but now they’ll end up paying $47.88 over the next 12 months.  We really hope the NewsLeecher team will reconsider pricing.  Perhaps grandfather in those who signed up before the price increase.  Along with allowing discounts for annual payments.

As a NewsLeecher annual subscriber I’ve been happy to pay $30 a year to use NL + SS and support the project.  If I was considering NewsLeecher and SuperSearch for the first time I can’t say whether or not I’d be willing to pay $3.99 a month.  The Usenet client and search feature are very good but there are also some quality alternatives.  It will be interesting to see what happens to NewsLeecher’s pricing moving forward.

Visit Newsgroup Reviews to learn more about Usenet.  Follow us @NewsgroupRevs for news and deals.

NewsLeecher Version 5 Beta 16

NewsLeecher released version 5.0 beta 16 of their client.  The latest version takes care of a Windows 8 install issue along with some new options and bug fixes.  NewsLeecher subscribers can download the latest version directly from newsleecher.com.  While those new to the Usenet client can download a free trial.  The NewsLeecher team is also working on a new website along with some other surprises so stay tuned.

Let’s take a look at the changes in NewsLeecher version 5.0 beta 16:

+: This release should be 100% compatible with Windows 8. If you
   still experience Windows 8 related problems with this
   beta version, please report it to the NewsLeecher support team.
+: For peformance reasons, an option to turn off screen logging
   when the crossposter filter is triggered during a group update,
   has been added. The option can be accessed from:
   Setup -> Group Browsing -> Filters : Crosspost
*: Improved file handling to better prevent NewsLeecher settings
   files corruptions.
!: Fixed bug "kdjakldja". Bug was triggered by turning off the
   SuperSearch result highlight setting.

Remember if you install a clean version of Windows 8 or upgrade to download NewsLeecher v5 beta 16.  Otherwise you’ll get an error during the install.  The latest version of NL is fully compatible with Windows 8.

Visit Newsgroup Reviews to compare Usenet clients and follow us @NewsgroupRevs for the latest news.