I’ve been using uTorrent for a long time, easily my favorite along with everyone else. I’m going to let lifehacker.com explain a little about uTorrent 2.0 and how its improved or its previous version. -Greg

uTorrent 2.0 Brings Performance Updates, Bandwidth Control, UDP Support, and More

Windows only: uTorrent is far and away the most popular BitTorrent client among Windows users, and they’ve recently pushed out a shiny new 2.0 release, bringing with it bug fixes, performance improvements, UDP support, automatic bandwidth regulation, and more.

We explained the UDP update when uTorrent 2.0 beta came out way back in August of last year, but in a nutshell it means better performance for torrent trackers and ultimately for you, the user.

We also discussed the new transfer cap when the release candidate hit the streets, but again, simply put, it allows you to set bandwidth transfer caps to limit how much your client uploads or downloads over time to help avoid going over ISP caps.

As for uTP (which is kind of like your router’s Quality of Service functionality):

uTP is an alternative communication method for BitTorrent traffic that allows the client to automatically regulate its bandwidth usage to avoid adversely impacting your internet connection. This will allow you or other users on the network to download their torrents but still allow others on the network to function with little difference. This does not require any additional setup.

In addition, uTP in this version has added its own form of STUN, a method of getting incoming connections without direct connectivity to the Internet. This allows µTorrent to punch holes through routers and firewalls to increase connectivity and improve speeds. It is even possible to connect two firewalled peers through uTP’s NAT traversal feature.

In a nutshell, uTorrent 2.0 is a download any BitTorrent lover will probably want to grab in short order.

uTorrent 2.0 is a free download for Windows. The app is available for the Mac, but this 2.0 release doesn’t apply. Note: Be sure to skip the Ask.com toolbar when you’re installing—unless of course you want it, which you don’t.

uTorrent 2.0 [via Download Squad]

Windows Live offers a service called SkyDrive, basically its online storage. They give you 25GB of free space to do with as you please, which is a pretty good size thumbdrive. Its not something I would use as a back-up solution, that is unless your running a 25GB hard drive, but its a great way to store files online that could be accessed from anywhere that has an internet connection by opening your browser and logging in with a Windows Live ID. Now, SkyDrive Explorer has come up with an application that you can install for free. It turns your 25GB SkyDrive account into a folder or virtual drive on you PC that can be accessed like any other drive or folder you have on your local hard drive. Pretty neat if you ask me, I can think of several reasons to use this and I already have it in use as we speak! -Greg

Get your FREE 25GB Windows SkyDrive here.
and
Download your FREE SkyDrive Explorer here.

Having dual monitors is great, like say watching a video in 1 screen and doing some work in another. However, if its a Flash video you can’t watch it full screen and work in another window because as soon as you click anywhere else the video restores. Well someone has figured out how to fix that. Someone that goes by d.i.z. has made some changes to a .dll file and tada, once patched you can watch a Flash video in full screen on 1 side and continue working on another screen without losing your full screen. Geek’s making the world a better place, 1 patch at a time. -Greg

You can grab the patch from the original blog:
Watch fullscreen flash while working on another screen [via MakeUseOf]

Google launched their own public DNS service yesterday. In an effort to (take over the world) speed up DNS resolution, Google created their own DNS servers for the public. I honestly had never thought much about DNS being a bottle neck for surfing the web. Today I swapped out my Open-DNS servers for Google’s DNS servers and punched up a few different sites. I did site that I have been too as well as sites I haven’t been too, I’d have to say they are loading (resolving) noticeably faster! So, maybe DNS resolution could be a real bottle neck, that personally had never crossed my mind. Google could potentially take over the world, if only by offering better services in everything. Good show Google, good show! -Greg

Here are Google’s public DNS servers:

• 8.8.8.8
• 8.8.4.4

and for those of you who may need a little more info on what the heck I’m talking about or how to put Google’s public DNS in to use on your Windows, Mac, or Linux (if your using UNIX, I’m pretty sure you know what the heck your doing) machines, point your browsers too:

Using Google Public DNS

I’ve noticed more and more that when I travel to The Pirate Bay, I get stupid pop-ups, redirects, and a bunch of crap loading that I don’t want to load. I still push through and continue my journey till I find that 100% completely legal file that I need for testing purposes. I rarely stray from TPB, but I’m starting to look at the greener grass, places that have less crap trying to force its way into my PC or browser. Lifehacker recently put out a nice little list, 10 to be exact, of alternative sites for Mininova, which closed its doors to the general, I call it my alternate list for TPB. Anyway, I wanted to share this list with all of my fellow torrent leechers, because its a great list! Make sure your only downloading legal files and seed more than you leech! -Greg

*Update – #1 Best torrent site in my opinion is Demonoid. It’s better than TorrentSpy reborn! -Greg

Here is the list:

1. Torrentzap

2. Fenopy

3. ExtraTorrent

4. KickassTorrents

5. BTjunkie

5. Monova

7. isoHunt

8. yourBitTorrent

9. The Pirate Bay

10. ShareReactor