ThunderNews Blog
Facebook Tops Search According to USENET
December 22nd, 2011
The social network topped the search charts in the US, accounting for just over three per cent of all searches, which was a 46 per cent rise on the year according to USENET newsgroup posts.
The newsgroup post credits online measurement company, Experian Hitwise, who compiled the data, which also showed that four variations of the term Facebook were among the top 10 searched for words in the US on the web during 2011.
Facebook was also the most-visited Web site, followed by Google, YouTube, Yahoo Mail, Yahoo, Bing, Yahoo Search, Gmail, Microsoft’s Live.com, and MSN.com.
The habit of typing in favourite websites, rather than entering them in the address bar, is partly driven by ‘predictive search’, where Google or other search engines ‘fill in’ search terms as you type. It’s just easier to search rather than type in a web address that might not work.
Most of us simply can’t be bothered to move the cursor up the screen to type in a fiddly address when Google or other search engines will fill it in for us.
It’s also much easier on mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets, where typing and navigating can be difficult.
The full list looks like this:
1. facebook
2. youtube
3. facebook login
4. craigslist
5. facebook.com
6. yahoo
7. ebay
8. www.facebook.com
9. mapquest
10. yahoo.com
This is the third year in a row that “facebook” has topped the list. Searches for that one-word term were up 46% this year from 2010. Multiple-term searches including “facebook” were up 24% from last year.
The most frequently searched-for public figures were Justin Bieber at No. 1 and Casey Anthony at No. 2.
In the movies category, “Star Wars” — surprisingly — came in at No. 1, followed by “Transformers 3″ and the “Breaking Dawn” installment of the “Twilight” series.
Top 25 Bad Passwords for USENET Newsgroups
November 28th, 2011
These days there are so many sites and accounts you need to log into that it is hard to think of new, unique passwords. So often, when it comes down to creating a new password people either use the same password over and over again or create easy to remember passwords (or both).
USENET newsgroups have recently posted an article from SplashData, which annually compiles the list of the worst and weakest passwords that people are still using despite the frequent warnings and advice from authorities and others, has released 2011′s top 25 worst passwords. Although the list was compiled after millions of stolen passwords published by hackers and others were combed through, many suggest that a significant fraction of these passwords is a result of laziness rather than a lack of creativity or the availability of 30 good seconds.
The full list is posted below:
- password
- 123456
- 12345678
- qwerty
- abc123
- monkey
- 1234567
- letmein
- trustno1
- dragon
- baseball
- 111111
- iloveyou
- master
- sunshine
- ashley
- bailey
- passw0rd
- shadow
- 123123
- 654321
- superman
- qazwsx
- michael
- football
Combining letters and numbers is a good tactic for selecting strong passwords, but not when it’s “abc123,” “passw0rd” or “trustno1.” Attackers can easily brute-force their way into accounts by repeatedly trying common passwords, said Morgan Slain, CEO of SplashData. While some sites lock out users after too many incorrect attempts, some, such as Amazon, don’t, giving attackers all the time they need.
If developing a good, random password is proving difficult for you, check out the following URL: http://www.strongpasswordgenerator.com. This site will generate a secure password and provide a mnemonic to help you remember the complex sequence of characters, numbers and symbols
A study conducted in 2007 by Microsoft found that each person has around 25 different passwords and codes, and uses about eight of these on a daily basis.
Estimates are that this number has increased the past four years with the increased need of consumers to access secure sites.
Some Tips for Choosing a Usenet Provider
November 7th, 2011
For more than 30 years Usenet has been a resource for people all over the globe to share ideas, debates, and files. It preceded the Internet, and some even consider it a precursor to social media.
Premium providers such as ThunderNews.com offers completely uncensored access to Usenet, control over which belongs to no one entity. Make sure that you do your homework when selecting a premium provider so you choose what’s right for you. First, though, the following are some helpful tips when searching for your provider.
You need a Newsreader. A newsreader is a software program that allows you to browse and search through the thousands of newsgroups available on Usenet. A newsgroup is a group dedicated to a specific topic. NewsRover is an example of a feature-rich, easy to use newsreader.
Newsreaders that offer a search feature can make finding newsgroups you’re looking to subscribe to on Usenet much easier. Providers such as ThunderNews provides all-in-one access allow for easy searching and discovering, making the Usenet experience a more pleasant one.
Choose a premium provider with uncapped speeds. Make sure that you choose a premium provider that does not cap your speed. Providers should allow you to download at high speeds. ThunderNews does not throttle accounts.
The data on Usenet is stored on a network of servers around the world. The provider allows you to access the servers. Data is transferred from the server to your computer when you access it. With other services, you might be forced to share connection speeds with others, or the service might restrict download speed. Usenet, on the other hand, allows you to download at whatever speed is allowable by your ISP.
Look at providers’ retention. Don’t overlook the retention rate offered by the premium provider, either. This is the length of time that files are kept on the server. Higher retention rates mean a higher storage time. ThunderNews , for instance, offers retention of over 1,145 days for binary files. It offers over 720 days of text retention.
With technology improving every day, greater amounts of data may be stored on the server. The retention rates of premium providers increase constantly, but make sure you check them out when searching for a provider. If you have any other questions, you can contact our 24/7 support department at ThunderNews.com USENET.
Fight Over Net Neutrality Continues
October 7th, 2011
The on-going fight over the new net neutrality rules continue as it was announced that the Washington DC Circuit Court will hear the challenges to the rules. The net neutrality rules prevent internet providers from slowing or interfering with their customers’ traffic. Basically, it punishes providers that allow bigger websites better traffic than smaller sites.
Verizon tried to file suit before the net neutrality rules were published, but the lawsuit was thrown out for being filed too early. Verizon recently refilled the suit after the new rules were published. Meanwhile, the FCC has filed a motion to try to stop Verizon from appealing the new rules.
Verizon’s complaint was consolidated with six others, who filed suit in other cities around the country from New York to San Francisco.
Last year the same court will hear the case ruled against the FCC when it attempted to punish Comcast for allegedly slowing traffic of certain networks a couple of years earlier. The ruling said that the FCC did not have the authority to do so.
As the battle over net neutrality continues, Usenet continues as an open community of users who share ideas, debates, files, etc. with others around the country. With most premium providers such as ThunderNews, connection speeds with Usenet are determined by speeds allowed by internet service providers. Faster speeds generally means faster downloads and a more enjoyable experience sharing in the over 100,000 newsgroups available on Usenet.
Windows 8 Offers a Developer Preview For USENET Subscribers
September 16th, 2011
If you’re curious what Windows 8 will be all about, Microsoft has announced on USENET newsgroups that it is now offering a Developer Preview of the operating system at its current stage of development. It’s a pre-beta version and while it is designed for developers, it’s available for anybody to download without registering.
It’s available in three packages. Choose from a 64-bit version with developer tools, a 64-bit version of only the OS, and a 32-bit version of the OS. They come as ISO files, and as each package is a few gigabytes, you’ll want to use a DVD if you’re looking to burn them to a disc.
As for the OS itself, it’s said to re-imagine what Windows is. “Things are a lot different than they were three years ago in computing,” said Steven Sinofsky, who heads Windows and Windows Live. “And they’re a lot, lot different than they were in, say, 1995, the last time Windows went through a pretty significant and bold overhaul.”
Windows 8 was designed as a touch-first system and Sinofsky expects that touch screen PCs will become more popular when the new OS is released and grows more popular. “I promise you,” Sinofsky said, “the minute you use a touch device with Windows 8, the moment you go back to your laptop or desktop, you’ll have fingerprints all over your screen.”
Other key features of the new Windows OS include the use of less memory than Windows 7, but the continued support of Windows 7. It also features full USB 3.0 support. The user interface will use hardware-accelerated graphics, too.
As Windows goes through another overhaul and is ‘re-imagined’ in the latest release, Usenet continues to be a useful tool for those wishing to share information, ideas and announce new innovations and projects among the tech savvy. Providers like Thundernews, who offer fast connections, high rates of retention and a large number of connections, continue to provide excellent, premium service as Usenet stays strong through waves and waves of technological advances. Usenet preceded the internet and has seen operating systems come and go, and remains a useful tool for discussing different topics in the vast array of newsgroups.
New Technology Allows Authorities to View Online History
September 11th, 2011
Launched at the Black Hat 211 security conference and released on Usenet, Offline Windows Analysis and Data Extraction (OWADE) is capable of unlocking files indicating the web history of computers that are operating on Windows.
Elie Bursztein’s team at Stanford University developed the software, which he says will allow authorities working cases involving pedophiles to better track their online and social media activities, allowing them to match a certain suspect to an online identity or alias. Police have access to hard drives, but previously were unable to match online aliases to certain suspects and were unable to access their accounts. “Now, law enforcement organizations can extract information from websites like Facebook to find out,” Bursztein said. “We’ve built a tool that can reconstruct where the user has been online, and what identity they used.”
The technology works by unlocking Microsoft’s encryption, as a great deal of data such as browsing history, site logins and passwords are protected using an algorithm that generates an encryption key. Bursztein and his team figured out how the system works last year, leading to their being the only team in the world able to decrypt this data. They have now decided to make this public.
Of course, with the information made public, those with ill intents may use the information to hide their activity. “If somebody knows what they’re doing with their data, they will try and hide it and work around [solutions like this] as much as they can,” said John Haggerty of the University of Salford, UK according to NewScientist.com.
Usenet has been a platform that many innovators have used to announce their projects and breakthroughs. Through technology newsgroups, many technologically savvy individuals continue to share ideas and information to this day, just as they have for decades on Usenet, which preceded the World Wide Web and was an early way for people to communicate.
Google Groups Promises Fix for Lag in Updates
August 14th, 2011
Google Groups stopped updating posts from Usenet newsgroups not long ago, outraging many users who found they could continue to brose previous posts, but were not being provided access to newer posts. The updating seems to have stopped on August 2 with posts after that date nowhere to be found.
Google noted that messages that were posted to Usenet were delayed in appearing in the Google Groups feature, although it seems as though no posts appeared in Google Groups since August 2. Google said that the issue had been identified and they were fixing it.
With Google taking so long to respond to the indexing problem, many Usenet users are wondering whether Google is as dedicated to keeping Usenet posts updated as they are to some of its other many features and services.
ThunderNews is a premium Usenet service offering consistent indexing with over 1,090 days of binary retention and years of text retention. It’s dedicated to keeping Usenet a popular and convenient way to share and discuss with others across the globe.
Avoid Exceeding Data Caps and Monitor Usenet Usage
July 29th, 2011
Don’t find yourself having exceeding your online data cap. Make sure that you monitor your online usage, including those from USENET so you’re not hit with those nasty overage charges. You could lose access entirely, so make sure that you know where you are in terms of usage.
First, you could try installing DD-WRT on your router, which will monitor your internet usage automatically. This can be quite convenient as all that’s required is that you check your router’s IP address and click ‘Status’ and then ‘WAN’. A graph should appear at the bottom of the page where you’ll see the bandwidth used each day. You can even get more specific by placing your mouse over the graph for more details.
You can also monitor internet usage on your Mac, Windows or Linux computer by making a few downloads.
Ntop: This may be run on any platform, although its binaries are geared specifically toward Windows and UNIX. You’ll find a detailed overview of the network usage.
SurplusMeter: This may be used for the Mac. It allows you to set a daily cap and you may accumulate surplus usage.
Comcast users may log into their account through the Comcast website to monitor their internet usage. However, some users have not been pleased with its effectiveness.
So to recap, the DD-WRT is the simplest way to go about monitoring your internet usage, although there are other ways to go about it as well. Whatever method you choose, keep up with your internet usage so you don’t run into overage charges or so you’re not cut off from the internet completely.
What Are Private Newsgroups?
July 11th, 2011
Private newsgroups may contain text and binary messages. With Thundernews.com, you’ll receive access to many private newsgroups so that you may discuss various topics with people from all over the world. Choose from newsgroups like alt.*, games.*, humor.* or music.* with ThunderNews.com so that you’re able to find what you’re looking for. These private newsgroups are great forums for participating in unique discussions and debates with other users.
Users may also use these private newsgroups to ask questions about topics they’re interested in or hobbies they’re pursuing, or even for research that they’re conducting. Who knows, you may even end up making a new friend or meeting a community of other users who share your same interests. In a lot of ways, that’s what Usenet is all about. You’ll be able to connect with other users who share different points of views or experiences that may shape their ideas or opinions on certain subject matter.
A private newsgroup may be a good forum for sharing binaries or files with others around the world. You may find video, audio or pictures in these binary newsgroups, which can be a good way to gain access to the content you’re interested in. Discussions may also arise from the sharing of these binary files in a group dedicated to discussion of the binary group. You may find people discussing the file being shared or other similar videos, music, etc.
Usenet is very user-driven, so these private newsgroups are what the users make of them. After signing up with Maximum Usenet, you may access the private newsgroups in a couple of ways. You may access the private newsgroup using your internet browser or through a newsreader. ThunderNews.com even offers a free newsreader to make things easier for our users so they’re able to access Usenet. So stop waiting and give ThunderNews.com a try now!
Top 10 Tips & Tricks For Google+ Guide
July 8th, 2011
With the similarities that Google+ Possesses to USENET newsgroups are many, we decided to provide a handy 10 tip guide on using what is to be the next big thing in online communication. We acquired some of the most popular tips and tricks from various newsgroups and picked out the best ones.
Mute Annoying Posts
A post you commented on could quickly become popular and suddenly you find responses to it are spiraling out of control. Fear not, Google+ has a “Mute” function. To stop receiving updates from a post and remove it from your stream, click the arrow at the top of the post, then select “Mute this post.” To unmute it, follow the same steps and select “Undo mute.”
Prevent anyone from sending you an email
By default, anyone viewing your Google+ profile can send you an email. Although your email address is not actually shown, this could open up the potential for lots of unwanted spam.
Just head to your Google+ settings and navigate to the Profile and privacy tab in the left column. From there, click on the Edit visibility on profile button in the Google Profiles section, adjacent to Public profile information. Next, click the Send an email button under your profile picture. You can choose to disable the email option completely by unchecking the option that allows people to email you from a link to your profile. Otherwise, you can selectively choose who can email you, such as only people in your Circles.
How to Claim a Vanity URL
Unlike Facebook Google+ does not yet offer vanity URLs, or a shorter URL that you can use to point others to your profile. Enter gplus.to: a service that shortens your Google+ URL into something more simple.
Visit the site, choose a shorter username then copy and paste the string of numbers identifying your Google+ page. This will create your vanity URL: gplus.to/yourusername.
Double-Check With Whom You’re Sharing
Sometimes it’s easy to forget who you’ve put into which Circles. If you ever have doubts when posting an update or sharing a link on Google+, click on the “Limited” link at the top. You’ll see photo icons for each of the people who will be able to view and share your post with their connections
Tag Someone in a Post
Facebook uses the “@” symbol followed by someone’s name to tag a person in a stats update. To tag a person in an update on Google+, type the “+” symbol, followed by their username. As you type, Google+ will autofill possible options.
Share to Google+ From Gmail
When you’re logged into your Gmail account, you’ll notice a gray bar between your username and the Settings gear icon that says “Share…” This lets you post to your Google+ account without leaving Gmail.
Click on the Share button and the same status toolbar from the Google+ interface will pop out, letting you post a picture, video, link or update.
Copy one circle into another
One of Google+’s most highly touted features is Circles, which lets you organize people in your life into different groups. To copy one circle into another, first visit Circles. Then, click on the circle you want to copy. Next, select View circle in tab. In the top right corner, click on More actions and then the Select all link. This highlights all members of your circle. Now, simply drag and drop the selected members into another circle.
Drag and Drop from Your Desktop
There are two ways you can add photos, videos and links to an update in Google+. First, you can click the camera, video or paperclip icons, then search your desktop and folders, and upload it. Or, an easier method: Simply drag and drop the picture, video or link from your desktop directly into the share box.
Disable Google+
If Google+ just isn’t for you and you want to leave the service, here’s how to do it. Click your full name or email address in the Google+ bar, then click “Account settings” and choose “Account overview.” From here, click “Delete profile and remove associated features.”
This will delete your profile and remove your Google+ posts, circles and other content. You will still be able to access Gmail and most other Google services.
Trick to Invite anyone to Google+ even if you don’t have invites
Make a post, Share it with that person using his email address. Then ask him to click Learn more about Google+ in the received email. On opening it, he would be able to Join Google+.
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