5 Best BitTorrent Search Engines

posted on March 14, 2011 by Nancy Messieh

Whether they are specialized sites searching for films, music or TV shows, or torrent results are accompanied by invaluable information including verification, each of these sites have something unique to offer. These sites don’t just make it easy to search for and find torrents, they’re a great resource for finding interesting files, movies and TV shows if you’re looking for something to keep you entertained.

TorrentButler

TorrentButler is a great torrent search engine if you’re looking for a film to watch, but don’t have a specific movie in mind. You can browse the latest, most popular, or the newest torrents from the homepage, and can limit the results to HD videos only. You can also browse films by a specific genre.

Each entry is accompanied by a plot summary, cast list, and a YouTube Trailer.

Clicking on the green Torrents button reveals the torrents available for download, accompanied by the number of seeds and file size, with two separate lists for High and Standard Definition.

If you want to see more info on each torrent, click the information button to the left and you will be taken to the torrent’s original page on The Pirate Bay.

EZTV

No list of bit torrent search engines would be complete without EZTV. If you’re looking for the latest TV shows on both British and American TV, EZTV is the go-to site to get your fix.

The home page is updated on a daily basis, with links to the latest torrents from the previous night’s TV lineup.

Searching for specific TV shows will take you to the show’s main page, where you can find the latest torrents, available from 6 mirrors including The Pirate Bay, BT-Chat and Torrage. With shows that have been on the air for several years, only the last 5 or 6 seasons are available on EZTV. Each show is additionally accompanied by a plot summary and the latest mentions in entertainment news.

f EZTV is down, as tends to happen every now and then, you can always keep up with them through their Twitter account.

Fenopy

Fenopy is a torrent search engine with eight categories of files. You can search for movies, music, TV shows, books, games, applications or anime.

Each torrent is accompanied by standard details such as file list, ratio of seeders to leechers, and file size.

Fenopy sets itself apart from other similar torrent search engines with a few special features. Where available, files are accompanied by previews, meaning you can hear a snippet of an MP3, listen to the audio from a video file or even preview a PDF before downloading the torrent.

In addition to previews, a large majority of the files are marked either as verified torrents, or alternatively as fake. With Fenopy you don’t have to waste your time downloading a file that turns out to be a dud. With Fenopy you can also choose to browse verified torrents only.

Coda.fm

For music buffs, Coda.fm is a great choice for searching for torrents. Browse the latest releases, popular artists, genres or search for the music you want to download. Like TorrentButler, Coda.fm is a good source for music if you don’t have any specific music in mind that you’re searching for.

Coda.fm makes it easy to discover new music. When searching for any given artist, it will list other similar artists that you might like. While the site does feature the latest albums, some of the artist pages do need updating to include them on the same page.

Albus are accompanied by a review, as well as torrent details such as the seeder/leecher ratio.

In addition, the entry is accompanied by a complete track list, artist bio and their other albums.

Cinema Torrents

Cinema Torrents is another solid choice for searching for films. Whether you know which film you want to download, or are looking for something interesting to watch, Cinema Torrents has you covered. The site has its own weekly picks, as well as a list of the hottest movies available for download.

The site isn’t just limited to the latest movies available, featuring films from the seventies and eighties as well. Each film is accompanied by its IMDB rating, Cinema Torrents rating, as well as other information just as rating and length, and a short plot summary.

Each film is accompanied by a list of available torrents, and at a quick glance you can also see the quality of each torrent, including DVD and cam, whether or not the torrent is verified and the seeders to leechers ratio.

Also be sure to check out the following posts:
Torrent Search Helps You Find Torrent Files Quickly & Easily
Top 6 Alternatives to Pirate Bay Downlaods
Top Torrent Search Engine for All Torrent Downloaders
What are your favourite bit torrent search engines? Let us know in the comments.

Source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-bit-torrent-search-engines/

Find That Rare Torrent Quickly & Easily With Omega Torrent Search

posted on April 5, 2011 by Steve Campbell

its alternatives have fallen by way of the courts it hasn’t been so easy to find quality torrents, especially ones that are rare to begin with.

Omega Torrent Search, or Torrent Omega, is one such way to reduce this. Before, if you were looking for a hard to find torrent file you used to have to visit every decent site you knew and search them one by one. With Torrent Omega, you save considerable time because the surfing you used to do by hand is done automatically for you using the website.

As you can see when you first head over to Torrent Omega’s website, the layout is pretty basic. You can type your query in the search box, which is the easiest way to find what you’re looking for, or you can click on the Search Cloud link to view a list of recent searches, or the Popular Torrents link to see a list of the most popular torrent queries.


When you run a search, Torrent Omega will search all of the popular torrent sites out there and display the results from each on a single page. From there you can compare, click through the link to go to a specific listing, or click the download arrow to directly download the torrent file.

There is also an advanced page where you can de-select any of the torrent engines you do not wish to search, as well as set a maximum number of results per search engine. Lastly, there is a Links page that has resources to different sites based on several categories. There’s very little there at the moment, so if you know of any interesting links that should be listed there send them some!

Another good way to search for torrents, as provided by Justin back in September, is the aptly named Torrent Search, so I invite you to check out that service as well.

How Do I Download Torrent Files?

Once you locate and download the types of torrent files you’re looking for, you’re going to need a way to open them so you can begin downloading the actual files listed inside of them. In other words, you’re going to need a torrent client.
There are a lot of great torrent clients out there but for the sake of argument I’ll just give you my favorite one: uTorrent. I recommend uTorrent because it’s lightweight, easy to use, and overall it’s the best client I’ve seen.
You can grab a copy of uTorrent here. Once you become familiar with the application, you can start doing things that are a bit more tricky, like remotely controlling uTorrent downloads from your Android. You may also be interesting in learning how to speed up torrent downloads and using RSS feeds to download torrents automatically.

Conclusion

As I feel obligated to say this, I’d like to openly state that MakeUseOf does not condone the use of torrenting for illegal purposes. That is to say, we do not support the use of these websites and applications for the downloading of copyrighted works. Having said that, there are a lot of perfectly legal torrent files out there for you to enjoy, so go ahead and see what you can find.
Do you have a website or application that you’re partial to when it comes to torrenting? Feel free to share it with us in the comments!

Source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/find-rare-torrent-quickly-easily-omega-torrent-search/

Gs & LTEs: Understanding Mobile Broadband

Gs & LTEs: Understanding Mobile Broadband [Technology Explained]

posted on July 12, 2011 by Matt Smith

Today, that’s not always the case. Mobile broadband is becoming ubiquitous in major urban centers, and usually available in towns of moderate population and near major transportation hubs. There are many different kinds of mobile broadband, however – and it’s not always clear how they work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mobile Broadband Basics

Although there are different technologies used to bring mobile broadband to you, there is one particular technology that forms the basis of them all – radio.

Your device receives signals from a nearby tower, and beams a signal back. Information is transferred in much the same way as it would be transferred between your home wireless router and a laptop computer with 802.11 WiFi, although the scale is obviously much different. Obviously, this means you’ll enjoy the prime advantage of all wireless communications standards – mobility. You can use your mobile broadband device while walking around town or visiting a friend’s house.
The disadvantages are present as well, however. Mobile broadband signals are subject to interference from obstacles and other signals. The power and frequency of the signal makes obstructions less of an issue, but it’s still there. Also, a reduction in signal quality might increase latency and will usually reduce bandwidth, so while mobile broadband may quote a certain maximum, your device’s ability to reach it will vary depending on your location.

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Learning the Language – 3G, 4G & Beyond

Radio may be the basis of all mobile broadband, but it’s rarely referenced by that antiquated term (this is the 21st century, after all!). Instead, exciting new abbreviations have been invented.
Most common among these are 3G and 4G. These terms represent new standards of wireless technology set down by the International Telecommunication Union. In the case of 3G, the standard calls for a peak data rate of at least 200 kbit/s.  According to ITU standards, 4G technology requires a 1 Gbit/s connect for devices like smartphones.
If you own a 4G device, this fact might have you scratching your head. After all, you can buy 4G capable devices right now, but they don’t offer bandwidth anywhere near 1 Gbit/s. That’s a great point, and it’s true that those devices don’t actually meet the original requirements of 4G. The service is substantially quicker than 3G, however, so the 4G label is slapped on as a marketing tool to make it easy for consumers to know the difference. The ITU has officially stated that it has no problem with this.
An acronym that’s recently become popular, and will be only more common in the future, is LTE. This stands for Long Term Evolution, and it’s used because it’s a standard that is being revised over time with the goal of meeting the 4G standard set down by the ITU (the technical name for this is 3GPP Long Term Evolution). Arguably, the term 4G LTE is a bit of an oxymoron – compliance with 4G standards is the goal of LTE, but it’s not there yet.

WiMax – The Underdog

The prevalence of the terms 3G and 4G LTE are due to their adoption by some of the world’s largest mobile networks. With hundreds of millions of smartphones already in the world, it’s no surprise that the marketing of companies like Verizon Wireless are capable of keeping these terms in the public mind.
There is another important mobile broadband technology, however, and that’s WiMax. This is a standard developed by the IEEE, the same body responsible for the 802.11 b/g/n standards and also wired communications such as FireWire. Currently, WiMax can achieve about 40 Mbit/s in optimal conditions.
WiMax has been used in various locations across the globe as a means of providing mobile broadband to laptops and even desktops. Here in Portland, Oregon, consumers can subscribe to Clear Wireless, which provides wireless broadband Internet that is intended for us both at home and around town. WiMax is also sometimes used in areas where wireless deployment is more cost effective than and nearly as reliable as wired communications, such as the American Midwest and Great Plains area.
Although quick, WiMax is not compatible with 3G/4G LTE, so it’s unlikely to become dominant. You’ll need different modems to use WiMax and 4G LTE with a mobile device. This can be a bit confusing for consumers, because WiMax provides like Clear often refer to their service as 4G as well.

Conclusion – The Remaining Constellation

Currently, 3G/4G and WiMax are the most popular forms of mobile broadband communication. However, there are other standards. Other, less common standards include iBurst, HiperMAN and WiBro. These are a viable option in some regions of the world.
Although I hope that this has provided a good introduction to mobile broadband as it exists today, I want readers to come away with one lesson – don’t be seduced by the terminology. The label slapped on a service – be it 4G LTE or WiMax – doesn’t guarantee the service’s speed. As 4G LTE itself proves, companies can and do play fast-and-loose with the standards.

Source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/gs-ltes-understanding-mobile-broadband-technology-explained/

Firefox Add-In: HTTPS Everywhere

HTTPS Everywhere: Fend Off Firesheep With Freebie from EFF and Tor Project

By Preston Gralla, PCWorld    Nov 26, 2010 3:19 PM

The Web is an insecure place and getting more insecure all the time. The latest threat, the Firesheep add-in for Firefox, is particularly dangerous because it is exceedingly simple to use. Someone with absolutely no hacking experience can grab your private login information to sites such as Facebook and Amazon, and then log in as you and do anything they want, as if they were you. The free Firefox add-in HTTPS Everywhere helps protect against that threat and other privacy invaders by effectively encrypting information when you visit certain Web sites.
The Firefox add-in HTTPS Everywhere lets you choose at which specific Web sites you want protection.
A collaboration between the Electronic Frontier Foundation and the Tor Project (which employs a network and free software to help protect people's privacy), HTTPS Everywhere ensures that when you visit certain sites, all of your communications are encrypted and secure.
To use it, all you need to do is install it. Once you do that, HTTPS Everywhere does its work invisibly. Among the sites it works on are Facebook, Twitter, Google Search, Wikipedia, Paypal, the New York Times, the Washington Post, and others. It works only when the sites themselves use the HTTPS protocol, and works only on a group of specific sites. So it won't protect you everywhere. And it won't protect you when you use other Internet services, such as an instant messaging client, or use client-based email such as Outlook.
For a more comprehensive security tool, you'll want to use a Virtual Private Network, such as the free Hotspot Shield, or the for-pay AlwaysVPN. But for quick-and-easy free protection at popular Web sites, HTTPS Everywhere is a great choice.

• See more like this:
• downloads,
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• browser security

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/211703/https_everywhere_fend_off_firesheep_with_freebie_from_eff_and_tor_project.html