How to Beat the Center for Copyright Information (and BitTorrent snooping, etc.)

If you haven't heard already, there's a new sheriff in town.  The CCI are set to police EVERYONE on the internet for "copyright infringement".  CCI have partnered with all the major ISP's are being put in position to essentially enable logging of P2P and BT traffic.  The plan?  Watch it, document it, and start identifying offenders.  Throttle that traffic, eventually cut it off, and fine them. 

Yup, and you thought "the blackout" had made a difference.  LOL.  Epic.fail.


So you, like a million other people, seeing this news...are wondering, "Well WTF do I do now?"

You're now aware that the BitTorrent downloads and uploads are totally visible.  And now, there's someone there watching, logging, and putting a bureaucracy around it.  This probably isn't going to end well for you, if you continue.

CCI and it's methods (straight out of the MPAA/RIAA handbook), are, put simply, RETARDED.  

So, how then should we beat the Center for Copyright Information?

How about a cyberlocker, or basically cloud storage.  Yup, that's an easy way to beat CCI.  All of that HTTPS will do the trick.  Of course, this isn't really BT friendly.

How about a "BT anonymizer".  Yup, that's an easy way to beat CCI.  But that's limited to BT only.

Those are both good options.  One is obviously a change in the pattern, totally different.  The other is tailored specifically to the BT task at-hand.  Both will prevent BitTorrent snooping.  Both will easily defeat CCI.

A better option, is to find a hybrid.  Find something that will cover the most, and take care of the task at hand.

Beat CCI with VPN.

Connecting to a VPN while using BT, or using the internet in general, will beat CCI and anyone else that attempts to employ the same lame type of policing on internet traffic.

We mentioned earlier the great speeds available on HideMyAss.  That's definitely an option right there.

What you're really looking for, out of a VPN service (especially if you intend to pay) is quality and security.  Go for L2TP and OpenVPN where possible.  Steer clear of PPTP only.  Providers with servers in the NL and in Sweden are good.  Logging will be less of a worry.  If you just use US or UK VPN, you're asking for trouble with BT/P2P useage.

For good VPN software and high speeds check out HideMyAss.

For the best deal on Usenet + VPN, go with Giganews + VyprVPN.

For a VPN focused on no logging and providing a lot of SE servers, go with VPNTunnel.SE.

For a provider using multihop VPN for added security, try iVPN.net.

For a new up and coming provider with a lot of servers and cheap prices see IPVanish.

For a little south-of-the-border flavor with your VPN, CactusVPN is cheap and easy.

For anyone who knows what "shell" means, you should check out Shells.net.

Ok so if that's not enough options for beating CCI, check back later.  I'm sure we will have thought of something else.  Probably while we were on the can.

Usenet is going crazy with the retention upgrades

For my first post since returning from my "walkabout" I am going to talk about the retention insanity going on with usenet right now.

And when I say insanity, I mean crazy-cat-lady insanity.  Usenet service providers, like Giganews, are BLOWING UP their binary retention.  Massive improvements.

Now, for those not in the know about usenet, I'll offer you 3 quick primers:

1. Check out my previous posts on the subject
2. Get your learn on here (don't worry, it's an easy read)
3. There is no number three. 

Some of you are all, "whatever man, what's retention? why the hell do I care?"  Well, put simply.  Retention is how long a usenet service provider stores posts.  Period.  Retention is measured in days.  It's broken into 2 primary categories:  text and binaries.  Unless you hang out in sci.space.science like, um, nobody I know (ha)...all you care about is binary retention.  The larger the retention (in days) the more posts (i.e. stuff) available for you to sift through.  More stuff (i.e. information) equals more fun.  You care because this insanity of improvement has moved binary retention to within striking distance of 3 calendar years.   

Unless you're really dense, or in a total fog (totally understandable, I just popped out of mine), you should be thinking to yourself...."Hmmm, 3 years of content - HORRY SHIET!!"

In celebration of this insanity, Giganews is running a promotion.  Plus they have a great new signup discount as well.  Now is the time to check out usenet if you haven't done so already.  In addition to what's going on over at Giganews, you have Easynews, Newshosting, and UsenetServer all pulling the same shenanigans.  Massively improving their retention for customers.  Right now Giganews is in the lead, which is per the usual - they tend to keep the best retention in the business.  If you're interested in seeing some comparison between the providers, head here:  vpnandusenetreviews.com   

At this point it's a day for day uptick on the retention numbers.  Every one calendar day that passes, adds one day retention.  In other words, they've expanded their storage space so much they are comfortable letting retention grow every day.  I assume once they get uncomfortable this day for day uptick will stop.  Let's hope that's not before we hit 1,095 days (365x3=1095).

BTW, this shit has been in the news and all over the web lately on the usenet sites, review sites, and the like.  (just a friendly note on Slyck.com - decent content, but don't trust the recommendations.  Anyone that recommends Binverse does not have your best interests in heart...do your research)

Question: Are you using either Usenet or VPN Services?

Do you use either Usenet or VPN services currently?

Hey Readers,

I'm curious - are you using either a Usenet newsgroup provider, or a VPN service provider?  If so, which provider are you using for the service?

Giganews, VyprVPN, StrongVPN, Easynews, NewsDemon, TuVPN - another service provider?...

Thou shalt secure thine connection before traveling

Doesn't really matter if it's a pay or free provider, of either service.  

All pimps wear this hat

I'm trying to figure out what is actually in use out there.  I can look it up all I want, but I figure asking you readers is just as effective.

Is this how you get security on the net?

Please let me know in the comments!  Yes/No (to either service), and who is the provider...THANKS!

**bonus - if you're willing to comment on how the service is, in your opinion, that would be AWESOME!**

Free Internet TV - How to Watch TV for Free (with Sports!)

This post will cover how to watch TV for free over the internet, including your favorite sports!

More and more people are watching multimedia content online.  It's only natural that content traditionally found on "TV" finds its way to the internet.

However, for the most part, the television industry is fighting this expansion.  Large cable providers do not want to lose subscribers to the internet.  Studios and content owners don't want their shows and material available free via 3rd party.  Advertisers are concerned that they aren't getting enough exposure due to these losses.  What's all this add up to?  It's really not that easy to find TV for free on the internet.

I'll try to fix that for you now.  

First off, some basic software you should be aware of:

Hulu - This is probably the best known and most popular way of getting TV over the web.  Hulu recently added a paid subscription tier to it's service.  This highlights my above comments, studios want money for their shows being played online.  Hulu had to institute a paid service tier in order to continue operating, and to be able to continue serving "premium" content (i.e. new shows).  Some people may or may not know that Hulu Desktop software exists and works quite well.  Try it!  You can even use your TV remote control.  (I'll cover that setup in another post later on)

Hulu Desktop Software

XBMC - This software has been around since the first XBOX.  This is a great way to organize and play all of your existing TV content on your TV.  Simply hookup your TV to your computer, install XBMC, and it will auto-create a library of movies and TV that you have on your computer.   This software really shines for anyone who already has an existing library of movies, tv, pictures, and/or music.  Myself, I have over 4TB of content that XBMC serves up nicely on my plasma tv.  You can't go wrong with XBMC.

XBMC TV Library Screenshot

Boxee - This software is an offshoot of XBMC, but it has a more "friendly" feel.  Boxee also contains what I like to call a "TV Scraper".  It has a library of all the available TV online.  You can watch TV from Hulu, Comedy Central, USA, etc.  If it's available from the provider online, it gets scraped up and added to Boxee's library.  So instead of just being able to watch what Hulu has available, you can also watch, say Comedy Central, via one easy to use interface.  Boxee, much like XBMC will also organize and play any existing content you already have saved as well.  Boxee also recently released a set-top box.

Boxee TV Library Screenshot

Now for some free websites that show TV online, including sports!

MyPremiumTV - This website has limited channels and plays a lot of overseas/international.  However, you can almost always find big sporting events in the US on one of the channels.  This could include NFL, MLB, NBA, etc.  For example, most Sundays, some NFL games will be shown.  The website is very friendly and does not do a lot of crazy pop-up advertisements.  You can also go full screen, and the quality of the video is pretty good.

HackedCableTV - This website is somewhat more difficult to navigate, but it has a lot of channels.  It also plays sports as well, in addition to movies, and regular channels such as TNT, TBS, Syfy, etc.  There is international programming available too.  This site tends to take a "scraper" approach, which means if there is more than one source for a particular feed/channel, it will list them (source #1, source #2, etc.). 

FromSport  - This website focuses exclusively on sports.  It covers all kinds of sports as well, not just north american.  In addition to american football and baseball, you can also find cricket, rugby, and other sports available to watch.  Many times HackedCableTV will actually be linking to FromSport.  Overall quality and speed is very good, however you may find that some sources are better than others. 

That's it for now!  Do you have any other free TV sources online that you would like to share?  Post 'em in the comments and I'll add them to this post!  Also, what are your thoughts on bogarting TV via online sources?  Piracy?  Doing what has to be done?  Saving $100's every month on the cable bill?  Trying to teach the industry that most of us don't want to pay for channels we don't need?  Making the set-top box obsolete?
 
reader submitted:
Justin.TV - This is a good site, and good suggestion!  Other users, around the world, host TV stations for anyone to watch.  The TV stations can be regular "TV", or even a webcam show.  You can find all kinds of good content on here, on a pretty regular basis.  Quality tends to vary, as each user controls what they host.  I have used this a little bit myself, but I often find good sports games (like NFL) get turned off fairly quickly. (thanks to Planet Ben and MarcABlax for this submission!)

Filmon - Another great reader submission!  This is a site I hadn't tried before, but I was immediately impressed with the ease of use and quality of the channels.  You can find major networks like KTLA (that's local Los Angeles), NBC HD, CBS, Bloomberg, and even a few international channels.  All told there are about 30 channels or so (including 2 XXX channels!), which is pretty good for a single site.  I would definitely recommend taking a look at this site for it's quality, ease of use, and fast load times.  It looks like it used to be a pay service, but once they were sued in US court they decided to go all FREE! Their bread and butter seems to be the re-broadcast of free HD-OTA (over-the-air) channels, hence KTLA, KCAL, KTTV, etc.  (thanks to Telia Tuli for this submission! note: he mentions the pending court case)

HackedCableTV - Alright, we got the site owner reading and commenting! Very glad to see that.  Thank you for your support!  He mentions an important note that should be passed along:  a lot of these sites, like Hulu, Filmon, etc will tailor their offering to the country you live in.  For example, without a US ip address, Hulu is a no-go.  Filmon has both UK and US feeds, and tailors them based on ip.  So try changing your ip address!  Also, definitely head over to HackedCableTV.com, it's a great site, and it does a damn fine job of putting together all the tv available on the web.  A great one-stop-shop for internet tv.  

Fancast - This is an offering from Comcast that was launched earlier in 2008.  This was submitted to me by a friend who, like me, does not have regular CableTV.  You do not have to be a Comcast customer to watch TV and movies offered by Fancast, however some of the content is locked and available only for current Comcast customers.  For example, HBO content is offered, but only for customers with HBO subscription.  Also, mainstream shows are offered like Lopez Tonight, but only for comcast customers with existing cable subscriptions.  So, it just depends on whether the free tv is enough for you.  Quality is as good as Hulu, and the programming is as you would expect (new shows like Burn Notice, Bones, etc.).  

ATDHE.net - Another reader submission! Woohoo!  This is also a new one for me, and appears to be primarily sports, which is pretty cool.  I see sports listed from all over the world, including the major North American sports like NBA, Hockey, etc.  They also have the NFL Network! Big plus there.  In addition to the sports channels they have about 12-15 "regular" channels.  These include show driven channels, like The Simpsons, South Park, and Frasier.  This site also has what looks to be some PPV action, with UFC and WWE channels.  All in all, a pretty good site.  Quality of the channels varies, but overall it is pretty good.  Load times are quick, and pop-ups/advertisements are limited.  (thanks to DDX for this submission!)

MyP2P.eu - And the reader submissions just keep on coming!  MyP2P advertises on the banner for MyPremium, and this is one I have tried before.  However, I am not a "huge" fan due to the software requirements needed to watch some of the programming.  Without getting too much into detail, this site is really not bad, and plays both Live TV as well as Live Sports from around the globe.  You can search by country, or by sport.  There are music, entertainment, and kids channels as well.  Overall, MyP2P has one of the largest channel listings of all the internet TV sites.  It is fairly easy to navigate as well.  Just be careful of the software like sopcast, etc etc that may be needed.  You may also end up with problems steaming to Win Media Player too...Personally, I think it's easiest when they just use Flash, but YMMV.  Still, this is a good site, with tons of good content - both TV and sports.  Definitely check it out and decide for yourself.  (thanks to DDX for this great submission as well!)



note:  I am not necessarily endorsing stealing TV via online sources.  I am not a lawyer.  Some of these sources may be more legitamate than others.  As for me, I don't have cable TV and catch all my NFL (as well as the recent MLB World Series) via these sources. YMMV. 

hint:  try these websites out on your PHONE!  3G is typically decent enough, though obviously wifi or 4G is better.  also, make sure your phone supports Flash (sorry walled gardeners...) you can even go fullscreen on the phone!

hint:  for those of you outside the US, you will need to change/disguise your IP address in order to access site likes Hulu.  yes, this even includes the canadians.  here is an excellent list of proxies by country, enjoy!

NEWZBIN IS BACK UP!!

Title says it all!  The uber site NEWZBIN is back up and online!!

According to their news bulletin, there is still a lot of work to do, but here are the basics:

• it's up and online, some folks were waiting on dns...also check your cache if you're having problems.  it's been online for a day or two now.
• supposedly accounts and credits are getting transferred (according to their news bulletin) but I was unable to login with old credentials...YMMV
• no payments or credits are being accepted currently
• search and nzb download appear to be fully functional!

In summary, go get your FREAK ON over at NEWZBIN

I've always firmly believed in "getting, while the getting is good." 

Recall the legal story leading to shutdown, the liquidation, the heist of the source code...this is just one of those stories that keeps getting better, and better.

Top Free HTPC Applications

I dropped CableTV quite awhile ago, but honestly, with a HTPC (Home Theatre PC) I don't miss a thing.

Now that all the major content providers are pushing their TV on the web its much easier for folks to walk away from the CableTV bill, and still get "TV".  Nevermind HD OTA (High Definition Over-the-Air) antennas...I'm talking just web here.  There's a truckload of content out there right now.  Free.

If you have an HTPC, and/or have dropped cable and own a computer with an internet connection (preferably high speed), you should be familiar with some basic apps:

1. XBMC
2. Boxee
3. Eventghost
4. ImgBurn / DVD Decrypter

XBMC is probably one of the oldest and well known apps for HTPC it would be ashame if this were the first time you were hearing of it.  Free, open source, and it'll play just about anything.  Great UI for use with a TV, including old TV's, or new TV's.  Playing HD, SD and just about everything.  File formats galore.

Boxee is newer, but is actually based largely on XBMC (check the credits).  The key difference, I think, between Boxee and XBMC lies in the additional Boxee Apps and "social networking aspect".  Boxee is an excellent app to use for free TV.  Boxee can scrape together all the free content out there (Hulu, CBS, Fox, Comedy Central, etc) and display in one easy UI.  Very user friendly.  Very easy.  Try it.

Eventghost is small app that makes it easy to drop the keyboard and stick with a typical "TV remote".  Especially if you own a learning remote, programmable remote, or Logitech-Harmony-style remote.  With Eventghost you can basically push a button on your remote, have Eventghost "ghost" that input and perform any number of different actions on the PC.  Translated:  Hit button on remote, turn on XBMC.  Hit button on remote, turn PC on/off, etc.

ImgBurn and DVD Decrypter are probably some of the easiest and most reliable ways to rip any existing content owned on disc to the hard drive.  Add this to your library, and suddently a gigantic DVD/HDDVD/BluRay shelf full of discs becomes one neat little library of 1's and 0's on your HTPC hard drive.  Imagine your entire movie library at your fingers...






So that's it, basic 4 apps for HTPC.  And you drop CableTV.  Do it!