February iiNews
letter from the editor
Welcome to another edition of iiNews.
February is the perfect month to take stock of just how many New Years' resolutions we've all broken so far. My daily urban dictionary "word of the day" updates brought me up to speed on my own feeble efforts recently. I received the word "January Joiner" a week or two back - meaning someone who joins the gym in January with all the enthusiasm in the world, but no follow through.
And I've just now slipped my new gym membership card back into my pocket.
But February isn't all about failed resolutions, it's also about hot weather, balmy nights - that sort of thing. For me it's about checking out all the outdoor cinema shifts going round the country. And it's about sport, so this month we take a look at how you can keep your particular sports craving satisfied.
February also means we're getting closer to the release of our next generation telephony network. We're excited about the new network as it's our flagship release for 2006 and a big step forward for Australian phone services. You can read more about it below.
So sit down, sit back, and enjoy.
Mark Welker
iiNews Editor
general news
APRICOT conference comes to Perth
iiNet is proud to be a gold sponsor of the Asia Pacific Regional Internet Conference on Operational Technologies (APRICOT) to be held in Perth from Wednesday 22nd February to Friday 3rd March 2006.
APRICOT brings together the world's top Internet experts and 2006 will see Australia play host for the first time. The conference aims to develop and advance the skills and understanding necessary to grow a robust Internet infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region.
For iiNet, the conference is a great opportunity to further our telecommunications knowledge and gain invaluable insights into emerging technologies. iiNet's Chief Technology Officer Greg Bader will be speaking at the event.
You can find out more about the APRICOT conference by visiting the official website.
new telephony network on the horizon
Phone services in Australia are about to get a whole lot better as we rollout our Next Generation Telephony Network in 2006. The first of its kind in Australia, our new telephony network uses MSAN (Multi Service Access Node) technology to provide the telephone portion of our customers' service along side the ADSL2+ provided by our DSLAMS.
The Next Generation Telephony Network will transfer phone calls out of your telephone exchange using new switching technology from Ericsson, a world leader in this field. In simple terms this technology enables us to retain the call quality of your current phone service and offer you better value products. The new telephony network means greater choice for all Australians when selecting their phone carrier.
Watch this space for more news coming soon.
January buddy bonus winners!
Winners for the month of January are in! Congratulations
Dragan Popec
and
Branko Popec
. The two brothers are now clearing a large space in each of their living rooms for their new systems.
It's not too late to enter! We've still got four more home theatre systems to deliver. For those who didn't win this time, your entries stay in the draw until the last system is given away. How cool is that?
This competition has closed.
February winners will be announced soon.
support & services
customer service update
February sees the completion of phase 1 of the Virtual Call Centre (VCC) Project. Our Perth, Sydney and Auckland contact centres are now operating on the same infrastructure, using Cisco Call Manager as the underlying switch and the Genesys Customer Interaction Management Platform (CIM) for queue management and distribution.
What does this mean? Well, this technology gives us the ability to manage iiNet's telephone business across Australia and New Zealand. We are currently refining and distributing new rosters to all staff and developing a much more robust reporting structure to allow us to effectively manage the VCC. The new rosters will start in March and we fully expect that the benefits of the VCC will begin to flow through from that point onwards.
We are also receiving a higher than expected call volumes at present. We would like to apologise to all our customers and assure you that we a working hard to bring a speedy resolution to this problem. We are in the process of hiring more customer service staff, as well as cross training existing staff in other areas to help ease the congestion.
In the meantime, we are working on providing real time call centre stats on our webpage so customers can view the current waiting times. Once again we apologise and thank all our customers for their patience and continued support.
customer feedback
Jeffrey in WA just joined up to iiNet a week ago and sent in his feedback:
"I remember being with iiNet many many years ago. In fact, iiNet was my first ISP when dialup was around, however I got sucked in by another ISP's one-off special offer. Since then I have lost count how many ISP's I have changed to and my latest change was from cable to iiNet ADSL 2+.
I was to be on iiNet a few years back when ADSL was first introduced however my phone lines where apparently "dirty" at that time which meant that it couldn't support ADSL. Latey I had been getting fed up of my old ISP not being reliable and getting horrible speed issues so I thought of trying for ADSL again.
Thank you iiNet for accepting the same number and trying the lines again for me - this time they delivered the good news which was that my lines were able to support ADSL and the modem was on it's way.
I want to thank your sales staff for the fast activation of my line and for treating your customers like actual human beings (unlike my other ISP). It only took you 3 days to activate my line so thank you very much for your SUPER FAST service and of course SUPER FAST BROADBAND!"
Thanks Jeffrey for your feedback and I hope you enjoy your time with iiNet.
virus alert
top 5 viruses reported to sophos in january
1. W32/Sober-Z
2. W32/Netsky-P
3. W32/Zafi-B
4. W32/Nyxem-D
5. W32/Mytob-BE
List provided by Sophos.
Remember, all iiNet plans come with industry leading Sophos Brightmail email anti-virus and anti-spam protection that is automatically kept up-to-date with the latest virus threats. However, to fully protect your system, we recommended that you use our email anti-virus in conjunction with a personal anti-virus product such as those listed here.
tech knowledge
DSLAM expansion news
We now have more than 75,000 customers on the iinetwork (our DSLAM network) with more than 200 live exchanges Australia-wide. Eight new sites were recently added to the in progress construction list including Joondalup WA, Concord NSW, Northbridge NSW, Peakhurst NSW, Loganholme QLD, Spring Hill QLD, Gepps Cross SA and South Oakleigh VIC. Check the status of your exchange at http://www.iinet.net.au/dslams/updates/
tech tips
Keep your phone bill under control
Ever wanted to know the cost of calling your friends or family interstate (or overseas), before you receive your bill? Well, now you can. Our call map and rates calculator gives you a straightforward breakdown of how much you pay for national and international calls with iiphone or iinetphone.
National call costs - How does it work?
1. Go to our call map and rates calculator
2. Enter your phone number
3. Enter the number you're calling
4. Enter call duration
5. Then click on the calculate charges button
International call costs - How does it work?
1. Click on the 'International Calls' tab
2. Select the country you are calling
3. Enter call duration
4. Then click on the calculate charges button
It's that simple. So next time you want to make a long distance call and you're unsure of the cost, just go to our call map and rates calculator first!
ii people
staff profile
Name:
Laura Scougal
Title:
Customer Service Manager
How long have you been with iiNet and what roles have you had?
I have been with iiNet for 4 fun filled months now! I have been employed as a Customer Service Manager within the Perth Office.
What does your current role involve?
My role involves the coaching and development of my staff, helping with queries and assisting new staff throughout their probation. I love the customer contact side of my role as well, having the opportunity to assist customers and being able to draw on my knowledge from roles I have held within the Telecommunications industry.
What do you think has been the biggest change while you've been here?
I'd have to say Genesys, our new phone system; it's a fantastic system that is really going to help us move forward.
What does it mean to you to be a member of the iiNet family?
It's really rewarding to be working for a young, dynamic Western Australian company. It's a very supportive environment and a company I am very proud to work for.
What are you most looking forward to in the near future at iiNet?
We are in the very early stages of the VCC and it is such a positive move forward for the company and our customers. It will be exciting to see it roll out at different stages and see the great impact it will have on not just our staff, but our customers as well.
customer profile
Name:
Pete Ikin
Account Type:
broadband2+ with iiphone
Location:
Brunswick, VIC
Customer Since:
October 2005
What do you use the Internet for most?
As an IT consultant, I regularly have clients requiring something specific, whether it be an answer to a problem, or just some new hardware or software. If I don't have a knowledgeable answer at hand, I immediately resort to any one of a number of sites I've managed to either find or be told about over recent years, and invariably am able to assist with a fully qualified answer.
My wife and I also use it for banking, share tracking, what's on at the flicks, what's on TV tonight, how are the gee gee's going, who is winning the cricket, how's the tennis going, what was that recipe again, time for a new car ..... To name but a few!!
What are the best aspects of your broadband connection?
My recent changeover to iiNet has made a substantial contribution towards the cost cutting that I had hoped to achieve in doing so. I've bundled iiphone with the Internet connection as well, and that allows access to the high-speed DSLAM network, thus giving me MUCH better bandwidth. My download capacity is also extremely good.
Why did you decide to bundle with iiphone?
Well, I've gotta pay someone for the phone bill, and if I can benefit from one ISP over another, why not transfer to the better? It was this making this decision when I changed across to iiNet, which has allowed me access to the DSLAM connection and thus gives Internet speeds, for me personally, at up to just under 23mbps. Pretty damn fast!!
How do you find the iinetphone service?
I've had my VoIP service operative for about 4 weeks now. I have a number of relatives and friends interstate, in capital cities, where I can take full advantage of the "10c" calls. I have two grown children who live in Perth, and I'm in Melbourne, so when you can chat for as long as you like for just 10c, that's very impressive.
I quite often check with my dialled party to see how the quality is, and aside from an occasional volume drop, I'm told the reception is so close to a standard phone call, that the difference is barely discernable. I still surf the Net too, whilst chatting with them, but the additional network activity does not seem to bother at all.
What were your impressions of iiNet before joining and how do they compare now?
Back in early October of 2005, I was reading a brochure that had accompanied one of my monthly magazines. It was all about iiNet. I'd no sooner finished browsing through that, than I jumped online to the iiNet website to further my research. Half an hour later, and I liked what I had seen. A VERY competitive, but well-priced ISP, and with plenty of reward in both bandwidth and download quotas if you opted for the appropriate plan.
I was happy back then! I'm VERY happy right now!! I've had reason a couple of times to contact the Helpdesk, and they've done just that!! Helped fairly expediently. I guess to be a member of an ISP that can allow data to be downloaded from the net at blinding speeds, you've gotta be happy. Just the other day, a file being pulled down from Microsoft, downloaded at almost 2MB per second!! That makes it worthwhile.
sports blog
It's not long into the year and the pandemic of sporting events has already hit, with the Winter Olympics getting underway just last week. Of course, there's a lot more going on sports-wise, and the Internet is a great way you can keep in touch with your sport of choice.
The local scene
I could list a thousand sports related sites here, but I'll try and restrain myself to the major ones. For cricket you can't go past baggygreen.com.au
, for AFL check out afl.com.au
, for netball see netball.asn.au
, for all the latest soccer A-League results see footballaustralia.com.au
, and of course check out nrl.com or rugby.com.au for rugby.
The international stage
For international coverage you're mainly looking at the major American sports channels here like CNN and ESPN. The ESPN site is super informative, gives you live updates from all kinds of sports and offers great live video feeds to keep you in the game wherever you are. For soccer fanatics, you can't beat ESPN's soccernet which features coverage of every soccer league in the world.
Sporting events
It's a no-brainer that I'm going to mention the 2006 Winter Olympics here. Check out the google search results for information on the games. For the best coverage of Australian results go to Olympics.com.au where you'll get updated results every hour, weather conditions in Torino and bios of each of the Australian team members.
Commonwealth Games start in March and the Internet is the best way to keep up-to-date while the TV isn't in view. The official site isn't the prettiest site around, I much prefer the Fox Sports minisite.
And how could I forget the World Cup? The official site is fantastic, with a whole backlog of World Cup related stories and media.
The sports widget
They've been around for a while now, but lately these things have really started to get very impressive. Widgets stick to your desktop and fire off cute little updates as you work. The best thing is that you can tailor them and keep them well hidden in the background, only really visible when you want an update. You can use widgets for live score updates for all sorts of Australian and international sports, including the cricket and basketball. Check out Yahoo's Konfabulator or Google's sidebar for some great little widgets.
If you have suggestions for future editions of iiNews, let us know at iinewsfeedback@iinet.net.au.
competitions
Firewall tickets giveaway
To celebrate the release of the new Harrison Ford thriller, " Firewall
", Roadshow Films have kindly provided us with 35 in-season double passes to the film to give away to our readers.
To be in the running for this prize, please email competitions with "Firewall Competition" in the subject line, and provide your iiNet username, full name, and address by 5pm WST, February 27, 2006, along with the answer to this question: What is the best way to keep track of your day-to-day phone call costs? (hint: you'll find the answer in the tech tips section).
Winners with the correct answer will be drawn at random and prizes sent by mail.
Update your details and win!
Have you recently moved house, changed your phone number or had your credit card expire or change? Or maybe you have a new email address that you'd prefer us to contact you through? If you have, then it's possible your details on our system are out of date.
To make sure you don't miss out on any important information from us, you can easily update your contact and credit card details through our online account management tool, Toolbox.
Just follow these 3 simple steps:
1. Go to toolbox and enter your username and password. Click on 'Log In.'
2. Click on the 'Edit Contact Details' button.
3. Choose the contact you'd like to update and click 'Update Details.'
Update your details by 20 March 2006 (we'll know when you have so don't worry), and you'll go in the draw to win one of five $50 Myer gift vouchers! ( This offer is now over. )
There are heaps of other cool things you can do through Toolbox, like view your invoices, change your password and add new services.
Check it out today!
ii games
Budget Gaming Hell
With Niaal Holder
In an effort to add spice to our little gaming column, I themed this month's review on the concept of cheap gaming. The mission? Head into my local gaming retailer and look for the best value gaming experience for no more than ten paltry dollars.
Imagine my delight upon procurement of 1000 Full Version Games for $9.95, whilst shamelessly fishing around bargain bins as store clerks pretended I wasn't there. A thousand games eh? One of them's bound to be worth a tenner.
One of them. Come on. Surely.
I write this review on the assumption that any title purveying in excess of a single gaming experience more than likely has something to hide. In this case, that particular something was utter, utter tedium.
Put it this way - the cover said I would get "498 arcade titles". Great, that'll keep me busy. Unless it's almost the same game 498 times , with 498 slight changes to the same arcadey themes. Arrow keys to move, space bar to jump, in most cases. Push power to turn off. The same concept loosely applies for "158 logic titles", "281 action titles" and "44 sport titles".
Variety has left the building. Along with him he took fun, action and the sheer will to live. It's the sort of thing you'd buy for a hated nephew.
It got to the point where I only needed to look at the next full version title in the list to tell what it was and how plain it was likely to be. For example, Hedgehog and the Apples is likely to be about a Hedgehog who needs to procure apples by moving slowly back and forth. Bing! Correct. Dangerous Trains is likely going to involve some sort of danger, with trains, moving back and forth to avoid them. Bing! Correct. Similarly, titles like Hospital Training , Dog Race and Frog don't leave much room for doubt.
Okay so Dog Race was fun for a few seconds, and in spending a tenner, what more should I expect? In the past the developers behind this bad boy have churned out some decent entertainment, and a thousand games at $9.95 does equal slightly less than 1c a title...yet overall, I still feel a bit cheated. On the plus side, as 1000 Full Version Games is a two disc set, now a friend and I can place our drinks somewhere without fear of staining the varnish.
Pain shared is pain halved. Go buy this title so I know I'm not the only one who fell for the shiny.
ii flicks & tunes
album of the month
Curious George Soundtrack - Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson lends his lyrical wanderings to the travels of a voiceless monkey for the soundtrack to the upcoming animated feature
Curious George
.
Presented with early animations and a basic storyline, Johnson crafted new songs that captured the emotions of Curious George as he leaves the jungle to follow the Man with the Yellow Hat. Joined on the record by his band, Johnson also duets with three other songwriters (Ben Harper, G. Love and Matt Costa), and performs a range of original sing-a-longs and imaginative covers of classic songs.
A great addition to Jack Johnson's dreamy song-scape and a rare work of music that should appeal both to adults and children alike.
DVD of the month
Look Both Ways
- Rated M
With recent critical hits such as
Wolf Creek
and the multi-AFI award winning
Little Fish
, the Australian film industry seems to be on a bit of a high at the moment.
Look Both Ways
comes somehwere in between those two releases, and while it's definitely the lesser known sibling of the family, it's still got a lot to say.
Starring Justine Clarke and William McInnes, Look Both Ways follows the interweaving lives of a group of strangers brought together by a horrific train accident. Played out over three hot summer days, Look Both Ways is at times funny and incredibly emotional, a tale of ordinary people grappling with the rigours of everyday life. A fine example of the first of many great Australian films that we'll be seeing on DVD in 2006.
movie review
Jarhead
- Rated MA
Welcome to the suck.
Adapted from the bestselling Gulf War memoir by marine Anthony Swofford,
Jarhead
is a grunt story. It is neither pro nor anti-war, it is about the space inside the Jarhead - the empty receptacle filled during a marines training and deployment. Similar to Kubrick's
Full Metal Jacket
,
Jarhead
is about the mental rigour of preparing to face death. It's a war movie without the war.
Jarhead is a magnificent book and a difficult text to adapt. The book has many flashbacks, flash forwards, family battles and a complex monologue, elements that can over complicate a movie. But Jarhead is in good hands, director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) knows what he's doing.
I had thought that after Three Kings I knew the look of the Gulf. But Jarhead has none of the stylistic exposure effects that made Three Kings so memorable. Mende's instead uses a minimalist approach to cinematography, making Jarhead an up close and functional film, with only moments of cinematic beauty (a horizon of bleeding oil wells burns a lasting impression). Much like the Vietnam films of the 70s and 80s, Jarhead thumps along to a popular song soundtrack.
Jake Gyllenhaal ( Brokeback Mountain, Donnie Darko ) is an interesting choice for Swofford. At first his joker face didn't seem to fit the intelligent, mature and yet often distant Swofford I had in my mind. Though perhaps the child-like clumsiness and innocence in Gyllengal's version is more like the young Swofford of 1991, without the maturity of hindsight.
Despite the excellent performances of both Gyllenhaal and Jamie Foxx, Jarhead feels at times that it's trying to be too much for too many people, and it ultimately feels slightly hollow because of this. There are a dozen films within Jarhead ( Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now, Three Kings, Deer Hunter ), and it's often difficult to grasp one element and go with it. It tries to be the Das Boot of the Gulf, and partially it succeeds.
A solid film, spattered with moments of brilliance.