The Newsbin team is constantly working to add features and refine their popular Usenet client. With the busy season kicking in they’ve been rolling out a number of new versions. We’d like to share some of the latest features and bug fixes in the Newsbin 6.50 releases. They are up to beta 18 and have released 4 new betas since September. Members can visit the Newsbin beta page anytime to download the latest version.
Fixed issue with installer where start menu links were not getting created.
Fixed issue where downloads were not getting cleanly deleted when doing it from within Newsbin.
Installer now allows you to change the Newsbin Data Folder. It is the user responsibility to also move any data files.
Installer now allows user to select a different GUI arrangement for V4, V5, or V6 look.
Now has better support for rar files that are password protected. Supply a list of passwords and Newsbin will cycle through trying them. Go under Options/RAR Passwords to add passwords to the list of passwords Newsbin will use.
Improved encrypted file detection. Catches more cases of encrypted files.
Fixed issue where deleting a header download was not stopping the download, it just removed the download progress from the download list.
Adjusted balance between server failures and lookahead so the good servers still get polled.
Optimized header import when there are a ton of GZ files. It’ll process up to 10 before it looks for additional files.
Header testing now requires a valid CRC to help avoid false positive detections of encrypted files.
Removed the GB/MB tag for post counts in the Groups list.
Fixed problem with header download count when it went over 4 billion posts.
Fixed issue where single file downloads weren’t showing chunks.
Now prevents sort on status from being persistent because it was slowing down reloading of groups.
We also like the new look and feel of the Newsbin website. Those who aren’t using the client can test it out for free. Newsbin is offering a 15 day free trial that includes access to their Usenet search engine. You can buy the client with a year of standard search for $30. The license is good for up to 3 computers. All future releases are also included. Grab all the full commercial releases and beta versions. Making Newsbin a great value.
The Newshosting team announced a new release of their popular newsreader software. Newshosting client v1.5 includes a number of enhancements, updates and bug fixes. The one that immediately caught our eye was the addition of dynamic PAR downloads. The client will download only the PAR files necessary for repair. Saving you time and bandwidth. Sign up for a 14 day free trial to test the client or enjoy one of their specials.
If you are currently using the Newshosting client the update will happen automatically. Otherwise you can log into the account control panel and download the latest release for Windows, Mac or Linux.
We’ve been looking forward to an Android client for Newsbin Pro and are excited to see the new NBRemote Android app is ready for alpha testing. You’ll find all the setup information and APK download on the Newsbin forum. Here’s a review we did of the NBRemote iPhone app for comparison. It will also help explain how to set up the app with the client. Though we suggest following their forum instructions and help with feedback.
As the name suggests you can use NRemote to remotely control your Newsbin client. They released an iOS version in December 2011 and are now rolling out a version for Android users. Since moving over a a Note II this year I’m excited to test out the new app. First I wanted to share the news so you can join in the alpha testing. In the weeks to come we’ll update this post with a full review and configuration guide.
Get started by visiting the related Newsbin forum post. There you’ll find the .apk file and instructions.
Our friends over at Newsbin are cranking it up this summer. They’ve always offered a good free trial but now their adding search as well. You can sign up for a 15 day free trial and enjoy full access to their Newsbin Internet search. Simply visit the Newsbin sign up page and choose the trial key option. Then after you enjoy the 15 day free trial you can convert to a lifetime key by signing up for any tier of their search service.
Having the search inside your newsreader is an added convenience. There are three clients that really do a good job of integrating search. Our favorites are Newsbin, Newshosting and NewsLeecher. While there are alternatives these three make it simple to find content and download from Usenet. Newsbin has been innovating their client for a long time and the results show. There latest beta was released last week.
Once you’ve had a chance to test the reader and search I think you’ll be pleased and want to register the software. From there you’ll have a lifetime key to Newsbin. The only thing that costs extra is the search feature in future years. Otherwise you can always run the latest version of Newsbin without renewing the license. Even better you have full access to their beta releases. So sign up for the Newsbin free trial and enjoy!
CouchPotato recently released a new version of their popular PVR (personal video recorder) app. The new CouchPotato v2.1.0 is available through their site or GitHub. If you’re new to the app we suggest you visit the SABnzbd forum. They have a CoutchPotato thread that started a couple years ago and tracks the project. The program is open source. You can download it free for either Windows, Mac OS / X or Linux.
New – Suggested movies on dashboard!
You can check out the CoutchPotato Server release page on GitHub for more details on previous versions.
Newsbin Pro recently rolled out version 6.50 beta 11. Those who have been keeping current with the betas will want to go ahead and download the latest release. It fixes some bugs in the beta 10 release. If you haven’t been keeping up with Newsbin updates then you’ll be impressed by the new features. We especially like the new watch feature. Along with the new server priority settings. Visit the Nesbin beta page for the download.
New Watch feature. Configure Newsbin to pull out items of interest during header downloads.
New Priority scheme for configuring multiple news servers.
Ability to open multiple Search tabs. Hit the Search icon in the toolbar to open a new tab.
Ability to launch post unrar processing scripts.
Provides the ability to download parts of a post to one drive and have them assembled to another. Useful if you want to minimize I/O bottlenecks by downloading to a fast internal drive then save the assembled files on larger external media like a NAS.
If you have two unique Regular Expressions with a space between them, it’ll AND the results.
Intermediate NB2 files are no longer used.
New logic to verify all downloaded files even without pars so it won’t download dup files ever.
Startup checking is much faster, like if you exit with large sets in the download list.
Unnecessary files in the data folder gets purged on startup now.
Now supports SMTP authentication for email notifications.
New toolbar icons, should be prettier.
Server priority can now be seen and set from the Servers tab. Set from the right-click menu.
Fixed issue where having a single server configured wasn’t working correctly.
Performed tweaks to obtain more consisten download speeds.
Fixed case where a bad filename could have been used, now extracts filename from subject instead.
Newsbin members can download version 6.50 Beta 11 from their beta page. All full releases and betas are free of charge for users with a software license. New users can download a 10 day free trial to test the client.
We started our Usenet guide series by covering the basics of finding a good provider. Then we looked at how to configure popular Usenet clients. Followed by tips for using search engines and NZB sites to find content. Today we’re going to finish up with a topic that is growing in popularity. The use of mobile apps to access newsgroups. We’ll cover iPhone, iPad and Android apps that help you access Usenet from anywhere.
When it comes to mobile Usenet access you have a few options. You can use a third party app to connect to Easynews, NBRemote for Newsbin, or a remote desktop app like Splashtop to access other newsreaders.
Are you an Easynews member? If not check out their service. Those new to Usenet will be especially happy with their web interface. It gives you access to search and download content from newsgroups without installing a newsreader. Members can also use their third party mobile apps for iOS and Android. Including EZ Global Search, EZ Usenet and EasyBrowser. See their mobile apps page for more details.
Our favorite Easynews mobile app is EZ Global Search. They offer a free lite version and a full version for $2.99. The app is available for iPhone and iPad. We’ve used it on an iPhone 5, iPhone 4 and iPad. It’s nice to be able to access Easynews from your phone or tablet. View our related posts to learn more.
Newsbin is one of the best Usenet clients around. They offer a great Windows client but were lacking mobile apps. Then along came NBRemote for iOS devices. With an Android version in the works. As the name suggests, you can use NBRemote to remotely access Newsbin Pro. They offer both a free lite version and full version for $2.99. Use either version on iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. With an Android app coming soon.
Before Easynews and Newsbin released mobile apps we were without a means of connecting to our favorite Usenet clients while traveling. Whether on vacation or just playing cards at a friends house we wanted to be able to search Usenet and queue up content while away from home. That meant finding a more creative solution. In researching we found a nice remote desktop app called Splashtop for iPhone and iPad.
I believe the price has increased since our first use of Splashtop. They now have a version 2 that is available from the app store for $2.99 (iPhone) or $6.99 (iPad). We used the original version to access our desktop while away. Allowing control of favorite Usenet clients like Newshosting, Newsbin Pro and Newsleecher. The app has it’s quirks but is the best we’ve found for accessing a wide assortment of newsreaders.
The downside is that you will need access to your system. It let’s you tunnel in and remotely control programs.
Last week we started our series of Usenet guides with the basics. Looking at providers that offer either a web interface or custom Usenet clients. Now we’re going to dive into some of the best premium newsreaders on the market. Including Newsbin Pro and NewsLeecher. In this guide we’ll walk you through setting up a client to connect to multiple Usenet providers (primary and fill) and show you how to configure alternate ports.
Newsbin has been one of our favorite Usenet browsers longer than NewsgroupReviews has been around. They are constantly adding new features and tweaking the UI to enhance the experience. We use Newsbin with a UseNetServer account ($10 a month unlimited) plus an Astraweb block (180 GB for $25) for fills. This combination has worked well over the years. Let’s take a look at how to set up connections to both providers.
We did a couple things for this demo. First the username shows NewsgroupReviews. That’s not our real account. We also zeroed out the usage stats. In hindsight I wish we hadn’t. It would show that we’ve used lots of UNS and very little Astraweb. The Astraweb block is just for fills. When needed its great to have but that isn’t often. To get started click on the Add or Edit Servers icon at the top of the Newsbin screen.
You’ll now see a screen similar to ours above. Except you won’t have any servers listed yet. Go ahead and click on New Server at the bottom. From there give the server a name. We went with UNS. Now enter in the servers address. If you’re not sure of the news server address it should be in your welcome email. Next enter your username and password. We suggest you enable SSL and change to port 443.
An important note on the SSL and port set up. First you don’t have to enable SSL but we strongly suggest encryption for all online activities. The port is also optional and dependent on your provider. The default ports are 563 for SSL and 119 for standard connections. A lot of the major providers allow you to set alternate port numbers. This can help if your ISP throttles. We use port 443. The same port used for secure websites.
Again you’ll want to click on New Server at the bottom. Then give the server a name. We chose Astra to signify Astraweb. Next you’ll enter the news server address. Note that sometimes the server address depends on whether or not you are connecting using SSL. This is a common mistake users make. If you choose incorrectly just take a close look at the addresses available and choose the appropriate one. Along with port number.
Other than news server address, username and password the only difference between our UNS and Astraweb setup is one check box. You’ll want to check the box beside Fill Server for your secondary block. This will tell Newsbin only to use the account if no other server in your list has the post. In our case is UseNetServer is missing a post then Newsbin will try to pick it up from Astraweb. Not necessary but it can help.
We’ve also seen users set up the multiple servers for the same provider. We’ve done it. For example Astraweb use to experience the occasional slow downs on the weekends. It didn’t always apply to both their server farms. So users would configure multiple servers. One connecting to their server farm in the United States and a second to connect to their server farm in Europe. You can get creative when setting up multiple servers.
NewsLeecher has a similar features called server priority. Here’s a guide on setting it up for the same results. I hope our tutorial will help you enjoy Usenet to it’s fullest. Whether you use newsgroups for work or play we know they can be confusing to set up. Next week we’ll look at some of the best methods for finding content.
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.
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.
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.
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.