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VyprVPN UK Server Available to Giganews Members

May 26, 2011 by

Giganews recently announced a new benefit for Diamond members.  As VyprVPN has added a UK VPN server.  Giganews Diamond members can now connect to the London VPN server and enjoy a UK IP address.  Giving UK natives (and everyone else) access to the Internet as if they were connected from within the UK.  Allowing them to enjoy BBC iPlayer and other UK-only content.  A nice addition for Giganews and the VyprVPN service.

Giganews Diamond members now have access to VPN servers in five locations throughout the world.  Starting in the United States with east and west coast servers.  With a European VPN server in Amsterdam and an Asian VPN server in Hong Kong.  Along with the new UK VPN server.  Giganews Diamond subscribers can connect to any server using PPTP or L2TP/IPSec protocols.  To use OpenVPN you must purchase a VyprVPN Pro account.

Here is a full list of the Giganews / VyprVPN server addresses:

  • uk1.vpn.giganews.com – Lonodon
  • us1.vpn.giganews.com – Los Angeles
  • us2.vpn.giganews.com – Washington. DC
  • eu1.vpn.giganews.com – Amsterdam
  • hk1.vpn.giganews.com – Hong Kong

Visit VPN Reviews to learn more about VyprVPN and compare all the leading Personal VPN services.

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

Giganews Outage : Why Did Giganews Go Down?

May 20, 2011 by

What happened to Giganews earlier this week?  As the Giganews website and news servers were inaccessible for a period of time Monday morning.  With members sharing their concerns and opinions on sites like DSL Reports and Nzbmatrix.  As both the giganews.com website and their newsgroup servers took an early summer vacation.  Luckily the outage didn’t last long.  Yet the “Always On, Always Available” Giganews service was down.  Many still wonder what happened as Giganews has yet to release any information on the outage.

It appears Giganews, Supernews and Power Usenet were all down for a period of time Monday morning.  Giganews heavily promotes the quality of their service and they normally do a good job of providing reliable Usenet access.  Perfection (no downtime, outages, performance issues,etc.) is nearly impossible.  Yet Giganews high price requires them to be far better than the competition.  We don’t see that much difference anymore as top Usenet providers iincluding UseNetServer, Newshosting and Astraweb offer unlimited Usenet access with 1,000+ days of binary retention and 256-bit SSL encryption for as low as $7.95 a month.

We’ve asked Giganews for any additional information they feel comfortable sharing in regards to Monday’s outage.  If the cause is given we’ll make sure to update this post.  For now we’re unable to ascertain the cause of this outage along with performance issues in Europe earlier this year.

Filed Under: Giganews, Usenet Providers Tagged With: ,

Comparing Usenet Provider’s Online Storage

April 18, 2011 by

Earlier this month we wrote about the announcement of Giganews online storage efforts.  As they plan to offer Diamond customers beta access to personal online storage in the months to come.  How will it compare to leading online storage services?  Will it include the features that others like Dropbox, Livedrive, etc. offer?  Might other Usenet provider’s decide to offer similar services?  Well actually some already have.

We’ve been covering personal online storage for a year or so now.  As a few other Usenet provider’s started offering online backup last year.  The provider’s include NewsDemon and Newsgroupdirect (StorageNinja) along with Ngroups (Livedrive).  Each partnering with an online storage service to offer more value to their members.  NewsDemon and Ngroups include online storage with unlimited Usenet for $9.99 a month.

Let’s take a closer look at both StorageNinja and Livedrive.  Along with the newsgroup services that are using each online storage service.  Looking closely at how NewsDemon, NewsgroupDirect and Ngroups have incorporated online backup for their members.  As a nice add-on benefit.

StorageNinja

Both NewsDemon and NewsgroupDirect partnered with StorageNinja to offer personal online storage for their customers.  How does it work?  Simple enough.  Each unlimited Usenet subscriber gains the benefit of 30 GB online storage through StorageNinja.  With secure online access to your files.  The service is simple to use.  It lacks some of the bells and whistles of Livedrive but does well backing up your personal files online.

NewsDemon offers 975+ days of binary retention along with 1,400 days of text posts.  Subscribers enjoy unlimited Usenet access, 256-bit SSL, 50 connections, 30 GB online storage, News Rover and 24/7 support.  Take advantage of our NewsDemon $9.99 special for 50% off unlimited Usenet.

Livedrive

Ngroups partnered with Livedrive to offer personal online storage for their customers.  Ngroups unlimited members receive unlimited online storage.  How does it work?  Livedrive allows you to backup your hard drivve (or select files) remotely.  Accessing it online from any computer.  With the ability to share files between systems.  You can also stream music and video to your iPhone / iPad through the Livedrive service.

Ngroups offers 960 days of binary retention along with 1,095 days of text posts.  Subscribers enjoy unlimited Usenet access, 256-bit SSL, 30 connections and unlimited online storage through LiveDrive Backup.  Take advantage of our Ngroups $9.99 special to save on unlimited Usenet.

Filed Under: Giganews, NewsDemon, NewsgroupDirect, Ngroups, Usenet Providers Tagged With: , , , ,

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: , ,
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