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VPN Setup Guide: VyprVPN

Jared Moya — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:20:09 +0000

A quick guide to setting up Giganews' VyprVPN and protecting your traffic from the prying eyes of hackers and govts, and thwarting geographic content restrictions and Internet filtering regimes.

The Internet always has and always will be plagued by challenges to content access and data security, and one of the of the easiest solutions is a VPN connection. A VPN is a virtual private network with “virtual” encrypted connections routed through the Internet to remote servers. The data traveling between you and those servers is encrypted, and the IP address that will appear while surfing or downloading content from the Internet will be that of the server and not your own. VPNs are a vital tool, in conjunction with proxies and other methods, to avoid DNS filtering and other Internet censorship plans like SOPA and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) that are being formulated by US authorities at the behest of overzealous copyright holders. We may have managed to delay the "Stop Online Piracy Act" (SOPA) for now, but it still points to a disturbing new trend - filtering the Internet - and we need to be prepared. Another trend, though not new, is geographic content restrictions. Entertainment companies like CBS block certain YouTube videos to users outside the US, for example. Users are greeted to "The uploader has not made this video available in your country." That's why a VPN server in a country where that video is available is sometimes necessary. There's also the prying eyes of malicious third parties like hackers and identity thieves looking to glean sensitive information. A VPN encrypts all your traffic: web, email, IM, P2P, BitTorrent, and Newsgroups. Now there are some free VPN services out there, but I think you'll quickly find that they suffer from issues like bandwidth caps, few server options, and reliability. Like anything else you get what you pay for (or don't). Giganews, the popular Usenet newsgroup service provider, added a free VPN to its service a few years ago. Dubbed VyprVPN, it's one of the better VPN services around. Another great thing about VyprVPN is that you can configure it to run on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Android mobile devices. Setup is quite easy and takes but a few minutes of your time. Here's how you get VyprVPN up and running on your desktop computer.

1. Download and Install VyprVPN

2. Open VyprVPN for Giganews

3. Enter Your Username and Password

4. Choose a Server to Connect To

Current options include:

Los Angeles, CA
Washington, DC
Amsterdam
Hong Kong
London
Paris (new)
Frankfurt (new)

5. Choose a Type of VPN Protocol

There are three different protocols, and there's a table that lists the differences between them here. OpenVPN is the one I recommend using since it has the highest level of security and privacy for your data. There's two types of OpenVPN protocols: 160-bit (faster) and 256-bit (more secure, but requires more CPU). OpenVPN costs an additional $5 p/mo so if that's out of your price range then L2TP is just fine. It too offers 256-bit encryption, but unlike OpenVPN it supports mobile devices and tablets.

6. Select "Save and Connect"

7. Verify Your VPN Connection

If you right-click the VyprVPn icon in the Windows icon tray you'll see that status of your connection, your new IP address, server location, and VPN protocol. You can double-check your IP address by simply typing "what is my IP" into Google search. It's that easy. Giganews is currently offering a free 14-day trial and a reduced subscription price of $24.99 p/mo for the first 3 months (it's $34.99 afterwards). With it you get Usenet service with 1269 days retention, and unlimited monthly data transfer, 30GB of free online data storage and the Mimo Usenet Browser. I'll be going over more VPN services in the near future so stay tuned. jared@zeropaid.com | @jaredmoya

Hollywood Wins Court Case – ISP Ordered to Block NewzBin2

Drew Wilson — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 22:47:29 +0000

While major entertainment corporations are working hard at censoring the internet in the United States through the PROTECT IP Act, it corporate sponsored censorship has already become a reality in the UK thanks to what some have referred to as a landmark court case.

Legally speaking, the internet got a little more censored recently. The Telegraph is reporting that Hollywood has won a major court case in which they are now, for now, able to compel ISPs to block access to, really, any website they pick and choose in the name of combating copyright infringement. At stake was general access to a website known as NewzBin2. NewzBin2 is a website that offers an index of NZB files. NZB indexing sites are generally simply a list of small files that are merely metadata. The NZB files points to a file made available on one of the oldest known file-sharing networks that is still used quite a lot - UseNet. The file is a bit like a .torrent file, only the file is on a server - or maybe several servers - instead of on other people's computers. The actual downloading typically doesn't happen on the NZB indexing site nor is the NZB indexing site keeping track of any data flowing to and from the user. An NZB file may be convenient, but it simply isn't necessary for downloading anything on UseNet (access to UseNet providers, sure, but not the NZB file) So, knowing this, the only thing the court ruling really does is enable Hollywood to censor the internet in the UK. Blocking NewzBin2 will amount to nothing in the end except maybe a temporary minor inconvenience for some people. Many already point to the fact that an encrypted connection will circumvent whatever the ISP throws down against its own users - and if you're using UseNet regularly, there's a good chance you'd know about how to hide your connection from ISP level censorship anyway, I think. What is a little disconcerting is what the judge said in his ruling. From the report:

“In my judgment it follows that BT has actual knowledge of other persons using its service to infringe copyright: it knows that the users and operators of Newbin2 infringe copyright on a large scale, and in particular infringe the copyrights of the Studios in large numbers of their films and television programmes," said Justice Arnold. In opposing the order, BT had argued that Newzbin2 also links to lawful content, but the court said it was far outweighed by pirated material and that "BT’s best shot was to point to a reference to the 1891 Lancashire census".

If the judge is suggesting that ISPs know what everyone on their network is doing, then isn't that like saying that the operators of a major subway network know exactly where everyone in the network is going? Sure, whoever is controlling the network might be able to track a handful of individuals, but trying to track every person is way too demanding as the amount of man hours to make sure it knows the movements of every user is simply impractical. Even scarier is the suggestion that lawful content is no excuse to stop the blocking of a website. It's very difficult to really know where to begin with that. How much content has to be infringing in order for the website to be blocked? Will it have to be more than 50% infringing content? 25% infringing content? One song that happens to have three notes that are similar to another song? Where's the bar set here? That point is not reflected in the report and if the judgement doesn't specify what the level is, it's not completely illogical to suggest that Hollywood can really block every website in existence. How many websites have at least a reference to copyrighted material (i.e. a message on a forum saying "Listening to Kiss right now.")? The amusing part is the fact that the censorship of NewzBin2 will be put in place in the Fall. No doubt this will give NewzBin2 plenty of time to figure out how to bi-pass this measure for it's UK users. Even better is the fact that this only affects BT currently and similar motions will be brought to other ISPs. I don't see how NewzBin2 simply changing it's website to another name for its British users won't defeat this in any way. Call the site "Fuzzybunniesjumpinginthefield.com" and allow access to the NewzBin2 services. If you plan on finding ways to circumvent British censorship in order to download the entire Adbobe Suites in the future, you only have until the end of the Summer holidays to figure it out! In the end, this will do little more than damage the internet infrastructure as more methods to circumvent censorship measures will be developed. Activities like this will probably have an affect on users wanting to use the internet for legitimate purposes, but it's unlikely that this will even come close to putting a dent on file-sharing. Have a tip? Want to contact the author? You can do so by sending a PM via the forums or via e-mail at drew@zeropaid.com.

BREIN Shutters 11 “Illegal” Usenet Forums

Jared Moya — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 08:25:32 +0000

Uses earlier ruling that ordered Usenet forum FTD to remove links to copyrighted files to press other Usenet forums to remove them as well.

After having successfully convinced a Dutch court to order the Usenet forum FTD to remove links to .NZB files or face a fine, Dutch anti-P2P group BREIN has been going after other Usenet forums and so far 11 have gone offline. The Court of Haarlem ruled that FTD must remove all links to copyrighted files represented by BREIN within one month or pay a fine of 15,000 euros per day up to a maximum of 300,000 euros. It found "that FTD structurally and systematically operates an Internet forum that facilitates and encourages the illegal uploading and that she herself receives income but that the owners affiliated with BREIN serious damage to property. FTD thus acted unlawfully. " BREIN took the ruling and began notifying similar Usenet forums to cease and desist or face a similar fate in court. So far 11, with well over 900,000 users, have opted to go offline instead. "You see that downloaders of illegal content to the search for alternatives," says BREIN director Tim Kuik. "The idea is that they go to legal services, but there is a hardcore [element] who loudly insist they will not pay. Even if a service [like] Spotify with 20 hours per month of free music streaming is not good enough for them. Illegal services are seen by them as a hero, even if they do not pay any money to the owners of the product." Kuik uses the same argument about site operators unfairly profiting from the ads on the site, but doesn't seem to consider the fact that the sites cost money to run, and it has to come from somewhere. He also says that it hinders the ability of new legal alternatives to appear. "The growth and development of legal services is severely hampered by this illegal competition," he adds. Is that really the case? When it comes to TV shows and movies content creators have largely refused to create viable legal alternatives, mainly because of the fear of undermining current content distribution systems like DVDs or cable TV providers. Moreover, shutting down Usenet forums won't create any new customers so long as copyright holders aren't willing to provide them the services they really want. Stay tuned. jared@zeropaid.com

The End of Music Piracy? O RLY?

Bruce Lidl — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 17:59:08 +0000

A provocative headline can generate a lot of readers and a lively debate, but it can also do a poor job of indicating what an article is actually about. A recent example is Paul Boutin’s quite inflammatory article in the December edition of Wired, now available online, entitled rather ambitiously, “The Age of Music Piracy Is Officially Over.” Based on the headline alone, a reader could assume that Boutin was making an interesting but factually incorrect observation about the state of file-trading online today. A quick glance at the comment section on the Wired site would indicate many people took exactly that viewpoint to blast Boutin. However, that is not at all what the article actually argues. According to Boutin, we all need to “Mark down the date: The age of stealing music via the Internet is officially over. It’s time for everybody to go legit. The reason: We won.” In other words, Boutin contends that if one looks back at what music file-sharers have said publicly to justify their actions, going all the way back to the Napster days of 1999/2000, such as high prices, DRM, poor audio quality, record label exploitation, lack of deep catalogues, etc., that those rationales no longer exist. iTunes and Amazon sell high-bitrate DRM-free tracks at relatively low cost, have massive catalogues, and even allow more of the purchase price to go to the artists themselves. Ultimately, Boutin wants file-sharers to just admit that they have gotten everything they claimed to have wanted, and that the only reason left for pirating music is an indefensible one, that “You’re cheap.” While the article did generate a lot of angry comments and some more thoughtful responses, I think both Boutin and his vocal readers have missed some larger issues that go much deeper into the on-going dynamic of online music sharing, and explain why any declarations of its eminent demise are wishful thinking at best. To start, I don’t think anyone should pay attention to what was said by Napster users, or by file-sharers in general about why they download music. Tens (maybe hundreds) of millions of people have downloaded an .mp3 at some point over the last decade, from every country on Earth with a connection to the internet. Why do they do it? Ultimately, unless one insists on seeing the phenomenon in purely moral terms, I don’t think it really matters what people say publicly about why they refuse to purchase digital music. The fact is, millions of music fans choose to use Bittorrent, digital lockers, Usenet, etc. to get their music. And by their actions, they have created an economic dynamic that is much more important, and has far more long term implications, than endless debates about 128 kbps .mp3’s versus FLAC’s or how exploitative the recording industry is. In the course of the post-Napster decade, we have come to recognize the profound economic implications of digital media interacting with the internet, and not just in simple notions of “digitial distribution” or the “long tail.” Instead, we now understand that because every single DRM scheme is inherently doomed to failure, and that the marginal cost of copying a digital media file is and will always be essentially zero, then we can only speak of digital media in a context of infinite supply. I am not a trained economist, but it is patently clear that an infinite good, available to anybody with a modem, will trend very quickly to a price of zero, no matter what the proponents of strict intellectual property regimes would prefer. While there is clearly a large number of people that purchase .mp3’s (or AAC’s) from iTunes and Amazon, they remain a distinct minority in a global online world that simply does not accept the notion of exchanging money for digital music. I would even say that iTunes customers most likely value the convenience and technical simplicity the shopping experience provided by Apple far more than any true sense of the specific “value” of the files they purchase. In fact, it is precisely this dynamic of infinite versus scarce goods that points to the future of digital media online. As Mike Masnick of Techdirt has so powerfully demonstrated, once content creators understand the problematics of trying to charge for infinite goods, they can truly embrace the countless possibilities of creating tangible goods, that cannot be copied and can be sold for real money. It is almost a cliche now to speak of how musicians can rely on live performances to substitute for sales of recordings, but that is merely the tip of the iceberg of what content creators can do, by creating non-replicable experiences that allow their fans to connect with the art and artists in ways that are truly worth treasuring. Streaming services like Spotify also indicate how music can remain a revenue generator in a world of infinite goods, by providing a service and convenience that is of true value even to customers not used to paying for the music they download. Just as Netflix does not have a single film or TV show that is not available online for download for free, but can still build a massive customer base by recommending and presenting video content in a manner that their users love and happily pay for. So, music pirates are in fact “cheap” according to Boutin’s perspective, which judges music downloading as immoral because it ignores the desires of content creators to charge for digital copies of their work. But outside of this moral framework, examined from a purely economic viewpoint, music file sharers are rational actors that pay for the things they consider of tangible value (iPods, laptops, Internet access, concert tickets, band t-shirts, streaming subscriptions, etc., etc.) and do not pay for the infinitely copyable. And unless the content industries and their government representatives somehow do the impossible, and turn the Internet into something it currently is not, then the future will continue overwhelmingly in that direction.

10 Alternatives to LimeWire

Jared Moya — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:30:49 +0000

Now that LimeWire is gone for good, I've taken the time to compile a list of 10 alternative P2P programs that are available.

With U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood having recently issued an injunction ordering LimeWire to disable the “the searching, downloading, uploading, file trading and/or file distribution functionality, and/or all functionality” of the famed file-sharing program many former users have been searching for a viable alternative. LimeWire still says it plans to to return as a subscription-based “ecosystem” that will give subscribers “complete and instant access to their entire [music] library and catalog across their desktop, devices, and in the cloud,” but it's likely not to have much appeal for those who used LimeWire to download music, movies, TV shows, etc.. With this in mind I've taken the time to compile a list of 10 alternative P2P programs that are available. (UPDATED AUGUST 18th, 2011)

1. LimeWire Pirate Edition

The easiest alternative of all. Right after LimeWire was shut down a secret team of developers made some modifications to LimeWire 5.6 beta. They stripped it of all the spyware and adware, activated all of the PRO features, cut its dependency on LimeWire LLC’s servers, and released it back into the wild as LimeWire Pirate edition. So where can you find it? Right HERE.

2. BitTorrent

The personal favorite of many a file-sharer, BitTorrent breaks files down into smaller packets so that thousands of people can share the same file simultaneously. This scheme is particularly useful for trading large video files. With BitTorrent, high demand can actually increase throughput as more bandwidth and additional “seeds” of the file become available to the group. In contrast to other file-transfer protocols, BitTorrent is designed to work better as the number of people interested in a certain file increases. BitTorrent can support about a thousand times as many downloads as HTTP.

3. Usenet

Usenet is one of the oldest, and arguably safest, computer network communications still in use, having been first conceived way back in 1979 by a pair of Duke University graduate students to basically post messages as a sort of public bulletin board system. Users download content from Newsgroups, the better ones of which require a nominal monthly subscription fee. The benefit is that it offers relatively fast download speeds while simultaneously offering a great degree of safety and security.

4.

FrostWire uses both the Gnutella and BitTorrent protocols to download content. It's been around since 2004 and enjoys a loyal following. FrostWire includes much of the functionality of LimeWire's free version, as well as a few of LimeWire Pro's payment based upgrades.

5. MP3 Rocket beta

I include this one because I mentioned it yesterday and it holds promise for a new wave of clients that take advantage of the large volume of content that already exists legally on the web. MP3Rocket beta is a "time-shifting tool" that so far harnesses the music selection of YouTube to deliver “even faster” MP3 downloads. It has an easy to use user interface that lets you search through existing videos for conversion to an MP3 download. MP3 Rocket beta offers live on-demand streams for more than 3,000 movies and TV shows, a Live Radio feature offering more than 1,000 live radio stations, and a Game Player providing access to more than 1,000 games.

6. WinMX

Then there is WinMX. Yes, after all these years, there is still an active community of WinMXworld. Typically, users can connect to WinMX via the help of WinMXWorld where patches can be retrieved to get the client and network working again.

7. KaZaA Lite

KaZaA Lite is a hacked version of the original KaZaA Media Desktop that was created by users who were angered by the network's inclusion of secretly embedded spyware and adware in the software. It provides access to the same FastTrack network as the P2P program Kazaa Media Desktop, but does not require users to install any third-party software or view any banner ads.

8. Shareaza

Shareaza offers connections to the Gnutella2, Gnutella, eDonkey, and BitTorrent networks. It's easy to use and users should have no trouble quickly figuring out how to search, check our network status, and customize the interface through a healthy choice of skins. Shareaza also has a decent built-in media player for common audio and video formats. Other features include a chat client and the ability to schedule transfers.

9. Ares

Ares is a free open source file sharing program that lets you search and download just about any file shared by other users. With Ares you can also join chat rooms or host your channel and meet new friends. Latest versions support BitTorrent and lets you preview audio and video files downloads in progress.

10. eMule

eMule is a file-sharing client based on the eDonkey2000 network, but offers more features than the standard eDonkey client. This client also now include a new serverless network based on Kademlia. The client is also open source but under the restrictions of the GPL License. eMule is one of the biggest and most reliable P2P file-sharing clients around the world.

The Limewire Loss, Where to From Here? (Alternatives to Limewire)

Drew Wilson — Mon, 24 May 2010 17:05:37 +0000

With the loss of Limewire in court earlier this month, many are reflecting what was Limewire and the developer behind it. The next question is, where do we go from here should Limewire fall under the waves of time?

Limewire was an "old school" app for a lot of people. It's rise to popularity can be traced clear back when Kazaa started to fail as a premier app for file-sharing. When Kazaa more or less fell to the way side, many users turned to several other apps. It may be one of the bigger moments that the file-sharing community was split in several directions. Users went to either Limewire or other Gnutella applications, eMule or eDonkey2000 on the eDonkey2000 network, WinMX, Shareaza which is connectible to the Gnutella2 network or the earliest of stages of BitTorrent via the mainline BitTorrent client if users were lucky enough to hear about it at the time. If you believe some sources, the recent loss in courts spells the end of an application that many chose as their main app for file-sharing for years. It's hard not to see this as the end with the developer facing a multi-million dollar fine at this point. According to an article on CNET, Mark Gorton was working on getting a deal with record labels to turn Limewire in to a legitimate service. Unfortunately, the RIAA views him as the next Bernie Madoff ripping people off. How one views Gorton may depend on how much of each side of the debate you believe. One can't help but remember how Napster could have been an amazing business model if a deal were simply worked out - how similar is that to Limewire's case today? Rather than finding ways to work with technology, the copyright industry is merely stamping out any signs of change to offshore sources where it is significantly harder to get at. How many people are willing to believe that once the RIAA has killed off all the file-sharing, that it'll then magically make an overwhelmingly attractive business model online given the experience of DRM and the majors ability to covertly slit the throats of the competition thanks to an overwhelming monopoly rather than the ability to produce a decent product? Given past experience with file-sharers, it's very easy to see how this huge loss for Limewire will ultimately mean very little to file-sharers in terms of being able to share files. It's then easy to see that the only thing this lawsuit solves is quite possibly ruining a few people's lives - those who were close to the development of Limewire. It's important to remember that Limewire merely connected to a network. It's not as though killing the app means killing the community. The difficulty is in trying to figure out where displaced file-sharers will go after. Some will merely find the latest Limewire client and continue file-sharing anyway. Others could easily just switch to Frostwire so as to keep to the familiar, but still know that development is happening to keep the app prestine. Some file-sharers might take a bit of a leap and jump on to eMule. Since the eDonkey2000 application is now defunct in terms of development. In fact, one might suggest that a similar situation happened with the war between the two major apps that connected to the ED2K network. One was open source (eMule) and the other was closed source (eDonkey2000), but both connected to the same network. eDonkey2000 (the app) was forced to shut down, but eMule is still around with an active community of developers working on mods of the eMule application. Some suggest that eMule being open source has been the reason it's stayed alive for so long. Just remember that if you have to connect to the ED2K network (since eMule connects to the Kad network as well which is serverless), then get your servers from a trusted source - though it is a good way to get connected in to Kad. Then there is WinMX. Yes, after all these years, there is still an active community of WinMXworld. Typically, users can connect to WinMX via the help of WinMXWorld where patches can be retrieved to get the client and network working again. There is also Shareaza. It's a client that can connect to multiple networks at once. While not really recommended for connecting to ED2K servers, there's still both the Gnutella and Gnutella2 networks which is active with users. Since there was a domain issue, potential Shareaza users are better off going to the Sourceforge page instead to get their client. With a strong hashing system, it's really hard to pollute files as seen on the FastTrack (Kazaa) network. If BitTorrent users are screaming "BitTorrent! BitTorrent! Will someone please think of the BitTorrent! As an alternative of course!" at this point, yes, BitTorrent is theoretically an alternative, though not as compatible of an alternative to the other P2P apps simply because of the structure of the networks. Many users either use Vuze or uTorrent. The question is, what sites to use? If some like to work on getting access to their files, then there's always a plethora of private sites. Unfortunately, public sites have been increasingly hard to get. There's ThePirateBay where, after multiple attempts to shut the site down, the site continues to live. There is also the ISOHunt search engine that recently seems to be legally forced to block US residents these days *cough*proxie*cough*. Let's not forget the fight club of file-sharing, UseNet. Oops, I talked about UseNet. What about IRC file-sharing clients? It's unclear where Limewire users will go if they do choose to go elsewhere. Still, after going through so many alternatives, once can't help but be reminded at just how unwinnable the war on file-sharing really is. Have a tip? Want to contact the author? You can do so by sending a PM via the forums or via e-mail at drew@zeropaid.com.

Cox to Drop Free Usenet Service June 30th

Jared Moya — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 16:09:33 +0000

Cites "declining newsgroup usage" as the reason it will become the latest ISP to discontinue free Usenet service, though partners with Giganews to offer customers who switch over 50% off the first two months, and a 10% lifetime discount.

Cox has become the latest ISP to discontinue free Usenet access, citing reduced demand and the need to "focus" its resources on "other priorities." If customers wish to retain the service it says it's worked out a deal with Giganews, arguably the most popular Usenet service around, to get them a special deal. An email to customers reads:

Effective June 30, 2010, Cox Communications will discontinue Usenet service to our subscribers. Declining newsgroup usage in recent years has highlighted the need to focus our resources on other priorities, such as increasing our Internet speeds and providing new services, including Cox Media Store and Share. We understand that our newsgroup subscribers may want to continue accessing Usenet. Therefore, we have worked with leading newsgroup service provider Giganews to offer special pricing for Cox subscribers.

So it's not too much of a loss. Many regular Usenet users are already Giganews customers and could wind up getting a discount on their monthly service. Those that aren't may not like having to pony up for a new monthly fee, but considering Giganews' 600 day and counting data retention rate and free VPN service (VyprVPN) it's well worth the extra cash. The discount, according to a Giganews rep, is as follows:

Diamond accounts: 2 months 50% off (best otherwise is 1 month, 50% off)
All other accounts: 1 month, 50% off (no specials otherwise)
All accounts: 10% lifetime discount (never offered before)

He also says "you'll get the discount as long as the account stays active ("lifetime"). It's limited time offer however, that will last up until at least a "few months after" Cox drops free Usenet access on June 30th. Last September Verizon joined the ranks of AT&T, Time Warner Cable, and Sprint in eliminating free Usenet access, though in each of those latter cases it was to specifically target the alt.bin and alt.bain newsgroup hierarchies, the ones that provide actual data files, in order to fight child pornography. “While we will continue to provide access to newsgroups as part of our Internet Service Offerings, we will no longer include alt.bin nor alt.bain hierarchies because of the possibility of child pornography in those particular groups and the difficulty in ensuring that no child porn reappears in them," said AT&T when it dropped its Usenet service last July. Verizon, on the other hand, said it was dropping free Usenet access because of the "reduced demand" and the fact that "most users have switched to more exciting ways of getting and sharing information via the Web." At the very least Cox seems to have followed in the more rational footsteps of Verizon, and has even made an effort to try and get its customers a discount on a rather good third-party vendor. Say what you will, but Cox, at least in this case, seems to be doing things on the up and up. Stay tuned. jared@zeropaid.com ALSO READ: How to Download From Newsgroups

Giganews VPN Service Leaves Beta

Jared Moya — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:55:13 +0000

VyprVPN now included free with Giganews Diamond Accounts for the lifetime of the account!

Last December I mentioned how the popular Giganews Usenet service had begun offering customers who subscribe to the Giganews‘ “Diamond” package a FREE VPN service called VyprVPN. Since Giganews initially rolled out the VyprVPN beta, many connection and speed bugs have apparently been fixed. The beauty of it all is that VyprVPN brings the same privacy, security, and speed that you expect from the Giganews Usenet service to the rest of your Internet experience - a $14.99 value free with every Giganews Diamond Account. That's the best part - anonymity - especially these days with a number of countries contemplating "three-strikes" legislation. Users will be able to encrypt their true IP address and protect themselves from the prying eyes of identity thieves, hackers, or especially irate copyright holders. Many of you, myself included, are subscribers of a Usenet newsgroup service provider of one name or another. However, Giganews is usually the one most choose due to its lengthy data retention period that now clocks in at an amazing 575 days.

VyprVPN works by:

Replacing your IP address with a VyprVPN IP from one of our many worldwide VPN Clusters
Encrypting all of your Internet traffic (including web, e-mail, instant message, and newsgroup traffic) between your computer and the VyprVPN Cluster

VyprVPN encrypted tunneling provides you with:

Private web browsing, e-mail, instant messaging, newsgroup reading, and more — totally secure from ISP, wireless or neighborhood eavesdropping
The ability to choose a US or European online identity
Protection from data snooping and identity theft on public Wi-Fi hotspots, iPhones, PDAs, and cable Internet
The same access to all of your favorite applications you enjoy today

It’s really not a bad deal if you’re already a Giganews subscriber or are looking for a reason to jump ship. Stay tuned. jared@zeropaid.com

Giganews Adds FREE VPN to Usenet Service

Jared Moya — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:14:38 +0000

For a limited time customers who subscribe to the “Diamond” package ($30p/mo) will be able to encrypt their true IP address and protect themselves from the prying eyes of identity thieves, hackers, or especially irate copyright holders.

Many of you, myself included, are subscribers of a Usenet newsgroup service provider of one name or another. However, Giganews is usually the one most choose due to its lengthy data retention period of some 500 days.

If that wasn’t enough, for a limited time only Giganews‘ “Diamond” package includes an additional FREE VPN service.

Called VyprVPN, the service is part of a collaboration with Golden Frog, a “new global software developer from the creators of Giganews.”

Users will be able to encrypt their true IP address and protect themselves from the prying eyes of identity thieves, hackers, or especially irate copyright holders.

VyprVPN works by:

Replacing your IP address with a VyprVPN IP from one of our many worldwide VPN Clusters
Encrypting all of your Internet traffic (including web, e-mail, instant message, and newsgroup traffic) between your computer and the VyprVPN Cluster

VyprVPN encrypted tunneling provides you with:

Private web browsing, e-mail, instant messaging, newsgroup reading, and more — totally secure from ISP, wireless or neighborhood eavesdropping
The ability to choose a US or European online identity
Protection from data snooping and identity theft on public Wi-Fi hotspots, iPhones, PDAs, and cable Internet
The same access to all of your favorite applications you enjoy today

It’s really not a bad deal if you’re already a Giganews subscriber or are looking for a reason to jump ship.

Stay tuned.

jared@zeropaid.com

ALSO READ: How to Download From Newsgroups

*Post Updated 1/1/10: Retention time changed from 400 to 500 days.

Dutch Anti-Piracy Group Trying to Ban Usenet Discussions

Jared Moya — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:09:04 +0000

BREIN says what Usenet community Fill Threads Database (FTD) does is “simply criminal” even though it doesn’t provide hyperlinks, torrents, NZB-files or any other way to download content.

The Usenet community Fill Threads Database (FTD), the Netherlands’ largest, first sued Dutch anti-piracy group BREIN back in May of this year over inflammatory accusations made by BREIN president Tim Kuik to a Dutch newspaper

“Although they [FTD] are not carrying illegal content on their servers, what FTD does is simply criminal,” he said.

FTD responded by suing for a retraction of the libelous statement by Kuik and demanding that the courts declare their activities legal.

Not be outdone, BREIN countersued, arguing that FTD is a “criminal operation” that “organizes and promotes” (mostly) illegal Usenet content, and that unless it closes it wants a penalty of 50,000 euros ($70,000) per day imposed until it does.

“With terms like ‘Access Key’ and ‘directions’ BREIN tries to cover up what really matters: ordinary Dutch people reporting what they see on Usenet, so that others (legally, for own use) to download,” now says FTD’s attorney Arnoud Engelfriet. “There is no providing hyperlinks, torrents, NZB-files or other technical possibilities to download works. BREIN basically says that it should be forbidden to talk about downloading material.”

FTD is rightly angry that BREIN is going to such great lengths to stifle mere discussions of possibly downloading copyrighted material, and so should us all.

Imagine if simple bulletin boards and discussion sites, or even the forums here at ZP for that matter, were found to be complicit for mentioning where to find copyrighted material as is currently the case when people mention their favorite BitTorrent tracker sites, etc..

It’s scary to say the least.

Stay tuned

For a guide on Usenet check out my guide “How to Download from Newsgroups.“

jared@zeropaid.com

ZeroPaid.com » usenet

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Dutch Anti-Piracy Group Trying to Ban Usenet Discussions

BREIN says what Usenet community Fill Threads Database (FTD) does is “simply criminal” even though it doesn’t provide hyperlinks, torrents, NZB-files or any other way to download content.

For a guide on Usenet check out my guide “How to Download from Newsgroups.“

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