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Internet Tips: Protect Yourself--Clear Your Cookies and History

Scott Spanbauer

Stream a Little Stream

With streaming Internet radio under attack by the recording industry, it may be time to take matters into your own hands. Since I last wrote about Internet radio, in August 2002 ("Listen to a World of Radio Stations on the Internet"), many stations have shut down due to high royalty rates. Into the fray rides PeerCast.org's free streaming client and server. PeerCast lets you set up anonymous streaming broadcasts using the same Gnutella peer-to-peer protocol that powers the Morpheus and Kazaa file-sharing systems. In addition to shielding your identity, PeerCast reduces the bandwidth required to broadcast. Because each listener's PC can also be a replicating server, you may reach thousands of listeners using only a 56-kbps modem connection.

Right now, PeerCast is beta software, and though it usually works fine, you'll need to read the broadcast configuration instructions carefully. For just listening to PeerCast broadcasts, download and install the software from peercast.org, and then pick your station from the PeerCast system tray icon's menu.

Send your questions and tips to nettips@spanbauer.com. We pay $50 for published items. Click here for more Internet Tips. Scott Spanbauer is a contributing editor for PC World.
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