Ngroups recently added free unlimited online storage and file backup for their subscribers in addition to the NGR special – $9.99 unlimited Usenet. In testing we found the new storage service to be quite useful. We were able to download from Usenet, sync to Livedrive and stream the content. All done remotely via iPhone.
The new Ngroups unlimited storage option is far more feature-rich than we anticipated. By partnering with Livedrive they are able to offer all the Livedrive Backup account options free as part of their Usenet subscription. A value of $6.95 a month compared to subscribing to Livedrive directly. In addition those who wish to upgrade can enjoy the Backup and Briefcase account for a third of the regular price.
We started our testing by downloading the Livedrive application and setting up a folder to automatically sync. Easy enough. As with any online storage solution you will be constrained by your ISP’s upload speed. None the less our files were synced at a reasonable pace.
Next came the real fun. In looking closer at Livedrive we found an option for streaming audio and video to mobile devices – iPhone, Blackberry, iPad, etc. So what if we wanted to queue up a Usenet download and then stream it directly to an iPhone without leaving the couch? That was our goal.
We used SABnzbd with the myNZB iPhone add-on to queue and download the content directly to a folder that was setup to sync in Livedrive. It took some time since SABnzbd had to fetch the files and then Livedrive had to sync the content. Once completed we used the Livedrive iPhone app to connect to our account and stream the content. The test was flawless. We didn’t have any issues downloading, syncing or steaming. The combination of Ngroups and the free Livedrive online storage + streaming was a pleasure to test. We look forward to more newsgroup usage on the go in the near future.
Read our Ngroups review to learn more or sign up for the NewsgroupReviews $9.99 special and enjoy unlimited Usenet + online backup / steaming via Livedrive.
