Sunday, December 26, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Beginner’s Bittorent Guide
Beginner’s Bittorent Guide
utorrent.png
Despite the fact that BitTorrent has been around for a good 6 years now, the lightning fast file sharing protocol hasn’t completely taken off in the mainstream. Since we post a decent amount about BitTorrent around here, we figured it was just time we put out a beginner’s guide to BitTorrent. This is the guide you can send to your friend next time he gets that glassy look in his eyes when you mention BitTorrent and how quick and easy it makes downloading albums educational, public domain videos and other large files.Without going into too much detail, here’s a crash course in the file sharing protocol that is BitTorrent (feel free to skip to the How to find and download a file with BitTorrent section if you’re not all that interested in the details).
What is it
BitTorrent is not a program. [1] It’s a method of downloading files using a distributed peer-to-peer file sharing system. The programs that you use to download files via the BitTorrent protocol are called BitTorrent clients.BitTorrent is not like Limewire/Kazaa/Napster/other P2P programs you’ve used in the past. This is often the biggest source of confusion for people new to BitTorrent. It’s not difficult to use, it’s just different. As soon as you forget about your old file-sharing program (and you will once you start using BT), the easier it will be to start using BitTorrent.
How does it work
how-bittorrent-works.pngWhat makes the BitTorrent protocol unique is that it distributes the sharing of files across all users who have downloaded or are in the process of downloading a file. Because BitTorrent breaks up and distributes files in hundreds of small chunks, you don’t even need to have downloaded the whole file before you start sharing. As soon as you have even a piece of the file, you can start sharing that piece with other users. That’s what makes BitTorrent so fast; your BitTorrent client starts sharing as soon as it downloads one chunk of the file (instead of waiting until the entire download has been completed).In order to download a file like the educational public domain video we mentioned above, you have to find and download a torrent file (which uses the .torrent file extension) and then open it with your BitTorrent client. The torrent file does not contain your files. Instead, it contains information which tells your BitTorrent client where it can find peers who are also sharing and downloading the file.
How to find and download a file with BitTorrent
Now that you’ve got a better idea of the terminology and process behind BitTorrent, let’s jump right into using BitTorrent.First you need to download a BitTorrent client (the program that manages your BitTorrent downloads). I’d recommend:
* uTorrent for Windows
* Transmission for Mac
*
Azureus or KTorrent for Linux (Actually, Azureus is cross platform, meaning it will work on Windows and Mac, but on those platforms it’s not nearly as lightweight as the alternatives listed above.)
Search for a good torrent. There are a handful of really good web sites for downloading torrents (that’s right, you search for torrents on the internet). The sites I’d recommend (in no particular order) are:
mininova.png
* Mininova
* The Pirate Bay
* isoHunt
* TorrentSpy
* btjunkie
*
Demonoid (Demonoid is sort of a members only site, but if you can get yourself a membership, it’s one of my favorites [and a great place to find more esoteric downloads].)
seeders-health-files.pngTry out whichever one you like. One might fit your tastes better than another, but I’ve had good experiences with all of these. From this point, search the site using their search box like you’re using Google—just type in the name of what you’re looking for. You’ll likely get several results, but you want to choose the torrent with the highest number of seeders (indicated in most BitTorrent search results under a field labeled ‘S’). Seeders are people who have already downloaded and are sharing the entire file. The more seeders, the faster your download will be. Some sites also provide you with a health meter, which is generally a measure of seeders vs. active downloaders.
open-with-client.pngDownload the torrent. Once you’ve found a good and healthy torrent, find the download link and download the torrent. Your browser will ask you what you want to do with the file, so be sure to tell it to open the torrent in the BitTorrent client you downloaded above.
save-as.pngYour BitTorrent client will open and (possibly) ask you where you want to save the file(s). Pick your save location, hit OK, and that’s it; your file will begin downloading. If you’re not impressed with the speed at first, be patient. It can sometimes take a minute or two before the download ramps up to full speed. If you’re still not happy, try searching for another torrent with more seeders.
That’s it?
Yep, that’s it. That, in a nutshell, is how to download files using BitTorrent. There can be more to it, of course, if you want to dive in a bit deeper. For example, you can run through the Speed Guide in uTorrent to improve your download speeds (the guide is fairly self explanatory—just go to Options -> Speed Guide to get started), download select files from the torrent rather than every file, throttle your bandwidth, and so on, but this basic guide should get you started.ratio.pngAlso, to ensure you stay in good standing in the BitTorrent community (and aren’t labeled a leecher), you should always try to upload as much as you download. Most BitTorrent clients keep track of your upload/download ratio, and you should generally continue sharing a file until your ratio reaches 1, after which you can feel free to remove it from your client (the file will remain on your computer—you just stop sharing it).
If you’re ready to move on to even more advanced BitTorrent business or you want to try out alternate methods of downloading files via BitTorrent, check out the following posts:
* Tips for speeding up your torrents
* Remote control your torrents with uTorrent’s WebUI
* Automatically download, convert and sync videos to your iPod
* Control BitTorrent downloads from your mobile phone with uTorrent mUI
* Remotely download torrents to your Mac
* Hack Attack: Get your TV season pass with Democracy
* Hack Attack: Automatically download your favorite TV shows
* Using BitTorrent to send files
* Download BitTorrent files directly in your browser with Opera 9
Since I’m sure many of our readers are experienced with BitTorrent from way back, I’d love to hear your suggestions for BitTorrent newbs in the comments. Also, if you’re new to BitTorrent and you have any questions, let’s hear ‘em.
[1] Well, there is a BitTorrent client specifically called BitTorrent, but we’re talking about the BitTorrent protocol. Most of the time you hear someone talking about BitTorrent, they’re talking about the protocol and not the program. [back up]
|+| original post: Lifehacker
utorrent.png
Despite the fact that BitTorrent has been around for a good 6 years now, the lightning fast file sharing protocol hasn’t completely taken off in the mainstream. Since we post a decent amount about BitTorrent around here, we figured it was just time we put out a beginner’s guide to BitTorrent. This is the guide you can send to your friend next time he gets that glassy look in his eyes when you mention BitTorrent and how quick and easy it makes downloading albums educational, public domain videos and other large files.Without going into too much detail, here’s a crash course in the file sharing protocol that is BitTorrent (feel free to skip to the How to find and download a file with BitTorrent section if you’re not all that interested in the details).
What is it
BitTorrent is not a program. [1] It’s a method of downloading files using a distributed peer-to-peer file sharing system. The programs that you use to download files via the BitTorrent protocol are called BitTorrent clients.BitTorrent is not like Limewire/Kazaa/Napster/other P2P programs you’ve used in the past. This is often the biggest source of confusion for people new to BitTorrent. It’s not difficult to use, it’s just different. As soon as you forget about your old file-sharing program (and you will once you start using BT), the easier it will be to start using BitTorrent.
How does it work
how-bittorrent-works.pngWhat makes the BitTorrent protocol unique is that it distributes the sharing of files across all users who have downloaded or are in the process of downloading a file. Because BitTorrent breaks up and distributes files in hundreds of small chunks, you don’t even need to have downloaded the whole file before you start sharing. As soon as you have even a piece of the file, you can start sharing that piece with other users. That’s what makes BitTorrent so fast; your BitTorrent client starts sharing as soon as it downloads one chunk of the file (instead of waiting until the entire download has been completed).In order to download a file like the educational public domain video we mentioned above, you have to find and download a torrent file (which uses the .torrent file extension) and then open it with your BitTorrent client. The torrent file does not contain your files. Instead, it contains information which tells your BitTorrent client where it can find peers who are also sharing and downloading the file.
How to find and download a file with BitTorrent
Now that you’ve got a better idea of the terminology and process behind BitTorrent, let’s jump right into using BitTorrent.First you need to download a BitTorrent client (the program that manages your BitTorrent downloads). I’d recommend:
* uTorrent for Windows
* Transmission for Mac
*
Azureus or KTorrent for Linux (Actually, Azureus is cross platform, meaning it will work on Windows and Mac, but on those platforms it’s not nearly as lightweight as the alternatives listed above.)
Search for a good torrent. There are a handful of really good web sites for downloading torrents (that’s right, you search for torrents on the internet). The sites I’d recommend (in no particular order) are:
mininova.png
* Mininova
* The Pirate Bay
* isoHunt
* TorrentSpy
* btjunkie
*
Demonoid (Demonoid is sort of a members only site, but if you can get yourself a membership, it’s one of my favorites [and a great place to find more esoteric downloads].)
seeders-health-files.pngTry out whichever one you like. One might fit your tastes better than another, but I’ve had good experiences with all of these. From this point, search the site using their search box like you’re using Google—just type in the name of what you’re looking for. You’ll likely get several results, but you want to choose the torrent with the highest number of seeders (indicated in most BitTorrent search results under a field labeled ‘S’). Seeders are people who have already downloaded and are sharing the entire file. The more seeders, the faster your download will be. Some sites also provide you with a health meter, which is generally a measure of seeders vs. active downloaders.
open-with-client.pngDownload the torrent. Once you’ve found a good and healthy torrent, find the download link and download the torrent. Your browser will ask you what you want to do with the file, so be sure to tell it to open the torrent in the BitTorrent client you downloaded above.
save-as.pngYour BitTorrent client will open and (possibly) ask you where you want to save the file(s). Pick your save location, hit OK, and that’s it; your file will begin downloading. If you’re not impressed with the speed at first, be patient. It can sometimes take a minute or two before the download ramps up to full speed. If you’re still not happy, try searching for another torrent with more seeders.
That’s it?
Yep, that’s it. That, in a nutshell, is how to download files using BitTorrent. There can be more to it, of course, if you want to dive in a bit deeper. For example, you can run through the Speed Guide in uTorrent to improve your download speeds (the guide is fairly self explanatory—just go to Options -> Speed Guide to get started), download select files from the torrent rather than every file, throttle your bandwidth, and so on, but this basic guide should get you started.ratio.pngAlso, to ensure you stay in good standing in the BitTorrent community (and aren’t labeled a leecher), you should always try to upload as much as you download. Most BitTorrent clients keep track of your upload/download ratio, and you should generally continue sharing a file until your ratio reaches 1, after which you can feel free to remove it from your client (the file will remain on your computer—you just stop sharing it).
If you’re ready to move on to even more advanced BitTorrent business or you want to try out alternate methods of downloading files via BitTorrent, check out the following posts:
* Tips for speeding up your torrents
* Remote control your torrents with uTorrent’s WebUI
* Automatically download, convert and sync videos to your iPod
* Control BitTorrent downloads from your mobile phone with uTorrent mUI
* Remotely download torrents to your Mac
* Hack Attack: Get your TV season pass with Democracy
* Hack Attack: Automatically download your favorite TV shows
* Using BitTorrent to send files
* Download BitTorrent files directly in your browser with Opera 9
Since I’m sure many of our readers are experienced with BitTorrent from way back, I’d love to hear your suggestions for BitTorrent newbs in the comments. Also, if you’re new to BitTorrent and you have any questions, let’s hear ‘em.
[1] Well, there is a BitTorrent client specifically called BitTorrent, but we’re talking about the BitTorrent protocol. Most of the time you hear someone talking about BitTorrent, they’re talking about the protocol and not the program. [back up]
|+| original post: Lifehacker
High defintiton (HD) movie torrents links
(1) http://isohunt.com/torrents/?ihq=+BRRip+H264+AAC-SecretMyth+%28Kingdom-Release%29
(2)http://www.torrentz.com/search?q=CBGB++
(2)http://www.torrentz.com/search?q=CBGB++
Friday, October 16, 2009
Gadget Review Website you’ll Ever Need
(1) www.testfreaks.com
TestFreaks is an excellent cross-check review website for gadget freaks. It aggregates both expert and amateur reviews from all over the web (both from US and non-US websites) and nicely presents them in an easy-to-digest manner. There are thousands of gadgets here, including MP3 players, digital cameras, cell phones, HiFi speakers, keyboards, headsets, memory cards and so on. For each you can see a quick overview, manufacturer description, product specs, expert and user reviews, related forum threads, image gallery, video gallery and more.
I know we have mentioned a number of cool gadget review sites before, these are ExpoTV (video reviews), Swotti (quick opinions), and ReviewGist but so far TestFreaks is my favorite. Not only does it combine the features offered by other websites but also does this quite well so you won’t get overwhelmed. Definitely a website to bookmark.
TestFreaks is an excellent cross-check review website for gadget freaks. It aggregates both expert and amateur reviews from all over the web (both from US and non-US websites) and nicely presents them in an easy-to-digest manner. There are thousands of gadgets here, including MP3 players, digital cameras, cell phones, HiFi speakers, keyboards, headsets, memory cards and so on. For each you can see a quick overview, manufacturer description, product specs, expert and user reviews, related forum threads, image gallery, video gallery and more.
I know we have mentioned a number of cool gadget review sites before, these are ExpoTV (video reviews), Swotti (quick opinions), and ReviewGist but so far TestFreaks is my favorite. Not only does it combine the features offered by other websites but also does this quite well so you won’t get overwhelmed. Definitely a website to bookmark.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
20 Really Cool Websites To Help Cure Boredom
The Internet has become big business, and with business comes a lot of seriousness. But there's nothing serious about these cool websites. If you need to cure boredom, then you need an injection of an old-fashioned remedy: web surfing.
So, let this list serve as a guide to websites to cure boredom and kill time. Some are old, some are new, but all of them contain a good portion of fun.
(1)http://www.theonion.com/
Description: An oldie but a goody, The Onion is still going strong and remains one of the hippest places to hang out on the web. Known for satirical news and irreverent treatment of popular issues, The Onion might just be the funniest destination on the web. For this, it tops the list of cool websites.
(2)http://www.ning.com/
Description: Social networking is all the rage, and Ning takes it to the next level by letting you create your very own social network. Design your own profile questionnaire, decide what modules to include, and choose a template for your social network. Ning is a great website for organizing a group of people.
(3)http://www.pandora.com/
Description: Created by the Music Genome Project, Pandora offers a unique Internet radio service by playing related songs not based on the likes and dislikes of other people, but based on how close together the songs are musically. This cool website is great for putting music on in the background while you surf or work.
(4)http://www.widgetbox.com/
Description: Whether you want to put some glitz on your blog or some bling on your MySpace profile, web widgets are where its at. And Widgetbox has all the widgets you could want.
(5)http://www.woot.com/
Description: The perfect website for those that like to shop but don't have a lot of time to browse through a slew of merchandise, the daily woot features only one product, so you can save time and still do your thing.
(6)http://www.flixster.com/
Description: This really cool website should come with a warning label that reads, "Do not enter if you are short on time." For anyone that likes movies, this site is simply addicting. Watch out for the never-ending trivia game -- it never ends!
(7)http://www.flixster.com/
Description: The most Web 2.0 of the personalized start pages, this cool website is perfect for anyone that really likes podcasts or is looking to put some personality into their custom home page.
(8)http://www.stumbleupon.com/
Description: StumbleUpon is like having a remote control for the web where you can flip through website after website. A word of caution, though, stumbling can be addictive and can lead to a sore pointer finger from repetitive clicking.
(9)http://lifehacker.com/
Description: A great blog for anyone looking to streamline their life, Lifehacker provides tricks and tips for getting stuff done. Whether you need tips to help with time management or a shortcut to completing a certain task, Lifehacker is a great site save to your favorites.
(10)http://www.weatherbonk.com/
Description: Have you ever wanted to be a weather forecaster? Skip the years at Meteorologist School, save thousands of dollars and just go to Weatherbonk. This neat website not only gives you a visual map of the weather, but you can also see how traffic looks.
(11)http://www.dogster.com/
Description: Don't you go around thinking that social networking is just for us humans! Fido wants to network too. Dogster is a really cool website for dog-lovers that lets you register your dog with the network and make friends with other dog-lovers.
(12)http://www.zimbio.com/
Description: Become the editor and lead writer of your very own magazine at Zimbio. Social news with a twist, Zimbio allows you to create your own e-zine. You can also register your blog's web feed to enable it to be included as a source of articles.
(13)http://www.homestarrunner.com/
Description: Homestar Runner has been around for a while, but it is still one of the funniest web destinations with a whole host of games and flash cartoons to keep you entertained. While you are there, be sure to watch the origins of Trogdor the Burninator.
(14)http://www.gamehuddle.com/
Description: If you like games, then this is your website. GameHuddle is gaming social network that allows you to share your gamer ids, show off your game collection, review games, read game articles, and find other gamers. A great way to hook up with people to play Call of Duty IV Modern Warfare or talk about the good old days of playing Everquest.
(15)http://uncyclopedia.com
Description: Ever wonder what Wikipedia would look like in one of those alternate universes where everything is completely the opposite? The best way to describe the Uncyclopedia is that it is the anti-wiki bringing people together for the sake of falsehood.
(16)http://www.kinset.com/
Description: Have you ever thought that going to the mall would be great if you didn't actually have to go to the mall? Skip the frustration of finding a parking spot and visit Kinset's virtual shopping mall. A 3D experience, Kinset lets you browse from one shop to the next like you are really there.
(17)http://www.coolestgizmo.com/
Description: If cool gadgets are your idea of what makes a website cool, then this is the blog for you. CoolestGizmo explore the wonderful world of technology and brings back the coolest gadgets.
(18)http://www.worldgolftour.com/
Description: Move over Tiger Woods Golf, there is a new king of golf games now! Well, okay, maybe World Golf Tour won't cause sales of Tiger Woods' golf game to to plummet, but it's still pretty fun to play.
(19)http://www.googlefight.com/
Description: Ever want to know who would win in a fight between David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson? You can find out at Googlefight where keyword phrases duke it out to find out who has the most links from Google.
(20)http://www.coolsiteoftheday.com/frmindex.html
Description: What better way to end the list of coolest websites than with a website about cool websites? Find more neat websites like the ones on this list with the blog that uncovers one cool website each day.
So, let this list serve as a guide to websites to cure boredom and kill time. Some are old, some are new, but all of them contain a good portion of fun.
(1)http://www.theonion.com/
Description: An oldie but a goody, The Onion is still going strong and remains one of the hippest places to hang out on the web. Known for satirical news and irreverent treatment of popular issues, The Onion might just be the funniest destination on the web. For this, it tops the list of cool websites.
(2)http://www.ning.com/
Description: Social networking is all the rage, and Ning takes it to the next level by letting you create your very own social network. Design your own profile questionnaire, decide what modules to include, and choose a template for your social network. Ning is a great website for organizing a group of people.
(3)http://www.pandora.com/
Description: Created by the Music Genome Project, Pandora offers a unique Internet radio service by playing related songs not based on the likes and dislikes of other people, but based on how close together the songs are musically. This cool website is great for putting music on in the background while you surf or work.
(4)http://www.widgetbox.com/
Description: Whether you want to put some glitz on your blog or some bling on your MySpace profile, web widgets are where its at. And Widgetbox has all the widgets you could want.
(5)http://www.woot.com/
Description: The perfect website for those that like to shop but don't have a lot of time to browse through a slew of merchandise, the daily woot features only one product, so you can save time and still do your thing.
(6)http://www.flixster.com/
Description: This really cool website should come with a warning label that reads, "Do not enter if you are short on time." For anyone that likes movies, this site is simply addicting. Watch out for the never-ending trivia game -- it never ends!
(7)http://www.flixster.com/
Description: The most Web 2.0 of the personalized start pages, this cool website is perfect for anyone that really likes podcasts or is looking to put some personality into their custom home page.
(8)http://www.stumbleupon.com/
Description: StumbleUpon is like having a remote control for the web where you can flip through website after website. A word of caution, though, stumbling can be addictive and can lead to a sore pointer finger from repetitive clicking.
(9)http://lifehacker.com/
Description: A great blog for anyone looking to streamline their life, Lifehacker provides tricks and tips for getting stuff done. Whether you need tips to help with time management or a shortcut to completing a certain task, Lifehacker is a great site save to your favorites.
(10)http://www.weatherbonk.com/
Description: Have you ever wanted to be a weather forecaster? Skip the years at Meteorologist School, save thousands of dollars and just go to Weatherbonk. This neat website not only gives you a visual map of the weather, but you can also see how traffic looks.
(11)http://www.dogster.com/
Description: Don't you go around thinking that social networking is just for us humans! Fido wants to network too. Dogster is a really cool website for dog-lovers that lets you register your dog with the network and make friends with other dog-lovers.
(12)http://www.zimbio.com/
Description: Become the editor and lead writer of your very own magazine at Zimbio. Social news with a twist, Zimbio allows you to create your own e-zine. You can also register your blog's web feed to enable it to be included as a source of articles.
(13)http://www.homestarrunner.com/
Description: Homestar Runner has been around for a while, but it is still one of the funniest web destinations with a whole host of games and flash cartoons to keep you entertained. While you are there, be sure to watch the origins of Trogdor the Burninator.
(14)http://www.gamehuddle.com/
Description: If you like games, then this is your website. GameHuddle is gaming social network that allows you to share your gamer ids, show off your game collection, review games, read game articles, and find other gamers. A great way to hook up with people to play Call of Duty IV Modern Warfare or talk about the good old days of playing Everquest.
(15)http://uncyclopedia.com
Description: Ever wonder what Wikipedia would look like in one of those alternate universes where everything is completely the opposite? The best way to describe the Uncyclopedia is that it is the anti-wiki bringing people together for the sake of falsehood.
(16)http://www.kinset.com/
Description: Have you ever thought that going to the mall would be great if you didn't actually have to go to the mall? Skip the frustration of finding a parking spot and visit Kinset's virtual shopping mall. A 3D experience, Kinset lets you browse from one shop to the next like you are really there.
(17)http://www.coolestgizmo.com/
Description: If cool gadgets are your idea of what makes a website cool, then this is the blog for you. CoolestGizmo explore the wonderful world of technology and brings back the coolest gadgets.
(18)http://www.worldgolftour.com/
Description: Move over Tiger Woods Golf, there is a new king of golf games now! Well, okay, maybe World Golf Tour won't cause sales of Tiger Woods' golf game to to plummet, but it's still pretty fun to play.
(19)http://www.googlefight.com/
Description: Ever want to know who would win in a fight between David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson? You can find out at Googlefight where keyword phrases duke it out to find out who has the most links from Google.
(20)http://www.coolsiteoftheday.com/frmindex.html
Description: What better way to end the list of coolest websites than with a website about cool websites? Find more neat websites like the ones on this list with the blog that uncovers one cool website each day.
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