October iiNews
editor's note
We're on the home straight now! With the Halloween hurdle almost cleared, it's right into Movember and then the silly season. If you haven't jumped on board the Movember train just yet, get bushy and join the cause. It's going to be a hairy few weeks ahead in our iiNet offices.
This month's been another busy one. On Friday 23 October, we celebrated iiNet's sweet 16th. In the media spotlight, the official AFACT trial kicked off earlier in the month. While on the industry stage, we've had another awesome month watching our awards tally climb even higher. We've walked away with a swag of CSIA titles, were named in the Top 20 'Most admired customer service companies' list, while our very own Michael Malone picked up a couple of CEO of the Year titles. Read about these wins and more from our iiNet Awards page.
Moving into the present, it's time again for our annual iiNews Readers' Survey. We've got a pretty decent idea of what we'd like to do to improve our monthly newsletter, but it's your feedback that will really drive change. As an added bonus, share some time and your thoughts, and you'll go in the draw to win your very own BoB™.
Thanks for stopping in for another month!
Swee Au-Yong
iiNews Editor
iinewsfeedback@iinet.net.au
iiNet news
AFACT Update
If you've been keeping up with the news recently, it's likely that you'll have seen iiNet's name in the headlines. It's been almost a year since the Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) filed Federal Court action against iiNet, alleging that iiNet authorises customers to download illegal content in breach of copyright laws.
Those keeping tabs on the copyright case will know the official trial is already underway, having started on October 6, 2009. We're about halfway through the trial at this stage and if you haven't been keeping track, you can do so by reading our iiNet copyright case updates.
For anyone wanting to play catch-up, you can also trawl through our recent media releases.
iinet.mobi - support & status info on the go
It's been a year since we first launched our iiNet mobile site and to celebrate, we've added a couple of practical new features. Take a look at what's new:
iiHelp Support
Dig into our iiNet knowledgebase. You'll have handy access to links and articles to answer straightforward support questions.
Network Status
Keep tabs on unexpected faults, outages and planned upgrades from here.
Try accessing our new mobile-friendly support by visiting http://iinet.mobi with your web-enabled smart phone. It's quick and easy to use over your phone's 3G or WAP connection - especially handy to remember if you're having trouble getting online the traditional way.
At our iiNet Labs, we like to think of iinet.mobi as being a constant work in progress. Your feedback and suggestions are always welcome at mobilefeedback@iinet.net.au.
iiNet customer website - tweaked & improved
You asked for it, we delivered! We've done some tinkering and delivered some changes to improve your iiNet website experience. Here's a look at what's new.
Personalisation
Eagle eyed folks would have noticed we introduced a new 'customise' feature to the iiNet customer homepage at the start of the month. You can now customise the news you see on the iiNet website. Plus we've also added a Facebook feature.
Top line news alerts
You'll find we've slotted in a 'news alerts' bar across the top which will deliver hot topics to you, without getting in the way.
Smarter site search
Our site search has received a makeover with best-practise recommended changes for better usability and design.
Slicked up style
We've cleaned up the site header and footer - an evolution of iiNet's award-winning website style.
Thank you to everyone who wrote in since we launched our new look site in December last year. We hope you like the new improvements.
iiNet Photo Centre - 40% off photo books
Thanks to our partnership with Snapfish, our iiNet Photo Centre's offering customers 40% off photo books.
There's not long to go now. Before you know it, we'll be cruising supermarket aisles to the cheery jingle of bells and fussing over Christmas pressies. Stay on top of the upcoming silly season and plan ahead with some crafty gifts. Head into iiNet's Photo Centre to find out more about creating personalised photo books, of all shapes and sizes.
To make sure your photo book arrives in time for the holiday season, you'll need to place your order soon. Don't forget, you'll need to also enter the following code iiNETPBKAU9 at the checkout to take advantage of our 40% discount.
*Offer ends on 16 November 2009. Discount code cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion, but can be used multiple times. Offer is valid in Australia only. Post and packing or handling fee applies.
Open Day 2009
Another 365 days (give or take) have rolled around. It's time for Open Day again and we're opening our doors this year on Monday 16 November, 2009.
Open Day is a once-a-year opportunity to take a look at what goes on within our iiNet walls. We'll be presenting seminars on a broad range of topics, running workshops and staff-guided tours through our new Subiaco operations.
If you're keen to find out more, visit our Open Day website and read up about the lineup. If you'll be in Perth on this date, you'll need to book in soon. Bookings snap up fast and we'd hate for you to miss out.
Don't live in Perth? Can't make it in on the day? No need to feel left out. We'll be posting all the presentation materials and seminar footage from the day on to the web after the event.
If you've got any more questions, email openday@iinet.net.au and we'll be happy to help.
business news
This month, we thought we'd sit down with West Print Management’s Director to find out their story and how iiNet's super-fast broadband and phone solutions are helping their business to grow.
A few words from West Print Management…
My name is Neil Clark, Director of West Print Management and we’ve been with iiNet since they started out - that’s over 15 years!
Over the years our business has grown alongside iiNet, and today, the success of our business depends on being online and accessible via the web. Our entire service is delivered online giving our clients access to their individual online catalogues, ordering, templates, tracking and reporting.
Communication with our clients has to be 24/7. It’s imperative for our business to deliver access to live streaming reporting to track job progress and historical job information, cost centre spending and all reports anytime of the day, via the web.
Our customers now access everything they need through their secure online access, anywhere in the world. They can access all their reports, ordering systems and catalogues as well as being able to browse 35,000 merchandising products for ideas, and view their print-ready proofs online.
Solid internet access, good support and competitive pricing have been consistent aspects to our relationship with iiNet over the years. Without a reliable internet provider I doubt we’d have been able to achieve the success we now enjoy.
support & services
Geek Speak
Geek Speak is here to help turn technical internet jargon into plain and simple English. We understand not everyone is a net nerd, so each month iiNews publishes a Geek Speak topic to give you a hand. This month, let's take a look at image files.
jpg, gif, png. What's the difference between image files?
With so many file formats to choose from, it can be a little confusing working out the difference between them. Here's a breakdown of the most commonly used picture file formats to help decide the best way to save your photos or images:
JPG, jpeg or Joint Photographic Experts Group is the most common format for photos and high quality images. The letters at the end of your file will help you determine that your image is a JPG as it will appear as imagename.jpg. Most modern digital cameras will automatically transfer photos to your computer in JPG format.
GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format and is best used for saving graphics - flat shapes with solid blocks of colour. Because of the way a GIF file is constructed, simple graphics get saved in maximum quality with minimum file size. GIFs have a limited colour range, but they support animation - so you can make moving pictures.
PNG stands for Portable Networks Graphics. Unofficially, they're called "PNGs, Not GIFs". Think of a PNG as a grown-up GIF - they accommodate a wider range of colours and save graphics with a smaller file size, but don't support animation. PNG images are widely supported, but aren't as common as JPGs and GIFs, which have been around for longer.
That's if for another installment of Geek Speak. If you have any feedback or would like to suggest a new topic just email us at geekspeak@iinet.net.au.
feature - Microsoft Windows 7 reviewed with Michael Bertrand
Microsoft's next iteration of the worlds most popular operating system is upon us. Many advanced users have been using Windows 7 since it was released as a free Beta on January 9 earlier this year. Since then, we've seen several updated versions.
While it feels like an extension of Vista, Windows 7 is the operating system that Vista always wanted to be, with the difference being much more than a service pack. As operating systems go, Windows 7 comes across as a smoother, more user friendly Vista and comes light years ahead of XP.
First impressions of an operating system (for a system builder) come during the initial installation process. You know what they say about first impressions! And, boy does W7 leave a distinct one. After booting from your disc or bootable drive, the installer loads much faster than Windows XP or Vista. The first few prompts are no brainers like 'install now' and choosing your language; and after selecting the appropriate hard drive, automation takes over and the system does it's own thing. The PC reboots once or twice and you quickly find yourself naming the PC and setting a password. Then, after assessing your PC's performance, you're thrown right on to a ready-to-go desktop.
Now this is the part that really surprised me - my LCD panel was in native resolution (even on a multiple monitor setup) and audio worked straight off the bat. Not only that, but for NVIDIA and ATI graphics users, drivers come pre-installed too. For some people, it may not even be necessary to install drivers whatsoever.
A gripe I did have with Windows Vista was UAC (User Account Control), which for people who don't know, is super annoying. Thankfully in Windows 7 UAC is a breeze to disable and doesn't even require you to reboot your machine; in fact it's a handy to access slider that you can change on the fly. Not only is UAC easier to find and shut off, so are all the other irritating notifications and other Microsoft security centre settings you'll probably want to tweak. You'll find most of these on the security centre splash screen and are but one click away from them never bugging you again - a godsend.
The taskbar is an area of some change in Windows 7, with traditional 'tabs' changed by default to stackable icons making for a very space efficient task bar. This efficiency isn't for everyone but it's simple to revert back to a traditional tab setup. You can also pin application icons to your taskbar.
Networking is mostly the same as Vista except for the apparently useless Homegroup feature that appears to be ordinary file-sharing but only works with other W7 computers. Also the new libraries allow files in multiple locations to be viewed in one window. Window's Aero has also been overhauled so you can drag windows to maximize. You can now also hover over the 'show desktop' button to 'peek' at your desktop gadgets; which no longer require the ram guzzling side bar from Vista but are built into the desktop itself.
New on the plate, we have DirextX 11 which means more realistic and intense gaming graphics. W7 is boasting more optimisation when it comes to using a GPU, improved performance on multi core CPU's and Kernel improvements. Windows 7 even boots faster and uses less RAM while it's running.
It can be hard to measure exactly how many improvements Window's has made to their latest OS, so I suggest trying it yourself. Systems are already being sold with OEM versions of 7 pre-installed, and I'd expect Vista sales to turn almost non-existent after 7's release.
competitions
The In Sound From Way Out - Music giveaway
We've pulled together another eclectic mix of music this month! Thanks to our friends from The In Sound From Way Out we're giving away 10 CD prize packs featuring Robbie Williams, Norah Jones and rock legends Queen.
To put yourself in the running to win a CD prize pack, email competitions with 'October The In Sound Competition' in the subject line. Don't forget to include your username, full name and address, with the answer to this question: Name one of the two new additions to iinet.mobi? Entries need to make it in before 5pm (WST) Friday 13 November, 2009.
Robbie Williams
Reality Killed the Video Star
Robbie's back and if the unabashed flogging of his single 'Bodies' is anything to go by, we'll be hearing a lot more of his glorified pop sound, blaring from commercial airwaves.
Norah Jones
The Fall
Jones' fourth studio album sees the songbird perform with musos from across the spectrum - Joey Waronker (Beck, R.E.M), James Poyser (Erykah Badu, Al Green), Marc Ribot (Elvis Costello) and Smokey Hormel (Johnny Cash).
Queen
Absolute Greatest
Charting over 21 years of iconic rock and pop, Absolute Greatest reminds us why Queen will remain as one of the greatest bands of all time. We Will Rock You. Bohemian Rhapsody. We Are The Champions. Need we say more?
Get 8 free DVD rentals PLUS a copy of Angels & Demons
Thanks to our partnership with Quickflix, iiNet customers can enjoy a free 30-day trial with Australia's leading independent online movie rental company. To sweeten the deal even more, the first 50 people to sign up for the free trial will receive a copy of Angels & Demons to keep!
Renting with Quickflix is easy. Step 1 - choose your DVDs online. Step 2 - they get delivered to your door. Step 3 - breakout the popcorn and enjoy the film. Step 4 - return the DVD in the reply paid envelope. And, the best part? No due dates and no late fees!
Find out more and win with Quickflix.
VIP WASO passes to Rhapsody in Blue with WASO
To celebrate the closing of another symphonic season, our good friends from the West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO) are offering up two VIP double passes to Rhapsody in Blue.
If you're planning on being in Perth on Friday 4 December and you'd fancy a night of Strauss, Gershwin or Bernstein, you should probably enter this competition.
Simply email competitions with 'October WASO Competition' in the subject line. Don't forget to include your username, full name, address and the answer to this question: What does GIF stand for? by 5pm (WST) Friday 13 November, 2009.
For everyone outside of Perth, there's no need to feel left out. Thanks to our special relationship with WASO, we'll be streaming Rhapsody in Blue's performance live on Saturday 5 December through our iiNet Freezone.
Win a BoB™ & take him home - winner
We've had loads of folks write in to see if they'd be taking BoB™ home. Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter last month's 'Win a BoB™' competition. It took us a while to get through the hundreds of entries we received but we're chuffed to finally be able to congratulate Matthew Benter of Inglewood, WA, for his winning 25 words.
“Replacing my modem, router, phone and analogue adaptor with one sexy, sleek BoB will make my blood pressure lower and my beautiful wife happier. Hallelujah.”
We're boxing up a brand new BoB™ for you Matthew - he'll be on his way over soon.
games reviews
Thanks to our friends from Games Warehouse we've Schumacher'd our way through another Forza franchise. We've also got another $100 Games Warehouse voucher to giveaway. To put yourself in the mix to win, email competitions with 'October Games Warehouse Competition' in the subject line. You'll need to include your username, full name and address, along with the answer to this question: Which new Microsoft operating system launched this month? Get your entries in before 5pm (WST) Friday 13 November, 2009. Let's race!
Gamer's 2 minute review - Forza Motorsport 3
Car racing games have never fully rung my excitement bell. Raised on racers like Wipeout 2097 and Rollcage, today's generation of simulation racers always feel to me a bit limited; so grounded. Pan across now to hero shot of Forza 3 and my 'how wrong I was' face.
Now this is a racing game.
As the 360's answer to Gran Turismo 5: Real Soon Now, Forza 3 presents a formidable alternative to the genre's long-standing grand champion - featuring 400 fully customisable cars, 100 international tracks, a plethora of online multiplayer options and the ever-so-addictive paint & decal scene, Forza 3 takes the concept of console racing and makes it entirely accessible to both serious motorheads and occasional boy racers like myself.
From the outset, the interface upgrade since Forza 2 makes between-round navigation and car-swapping a far simpler and cleaner affair. To kick things off you'll be gifted a junior car (think Fiesta or Yaris) to tweak and boot around in. From there into the race season & events mode, the choice to keep tricking up your little helmet car or save for a sweeter ride is entirely yours. Aside from a couple of standouts, all the cars are ready to buy straight away - you just need to front the cash for them with your race winnings.
Into the races themselves and the choices keep on coming. For newcomers, Forza 3 is happy to play out with brake and traction assists, a full suggested race line and a quickfire 'prang rewind' button. Those looking for a bit more reality to their challenge can turn off the drive tweaks and try their hand au naturale - it'll be the same race on the same track, with a little bonus money on the side as a quiet thankyou for you being so damned hard. As well as this, players can fine-tune their car to complement their racing style. My Gutsy Datsun 510 was all over the shop to begin, with a few upgrades and tweaks to the springs and spoiler, it has fast become my ride of choice.
Beyond the vast scope of vehicular mods lies the wonderful world of car design. As you can see above, I spent a number of loving hours detailing my little yellow terrier. Each car canvas starts out blank, but with a little imagination and a bit of time to work with the Forza decal catalogue, there's a heck of a lot to style. Stepping into a Forza 3 online game it's now not only important to impress with skill and performance, but also the bravado in your car stylings. The best designs actually sell on the in-game auction house, a fantastic alternative to racing if, like me, you're generally pants at racing.
Lastly, it's worth mentioning the presentation of the races themselves. The cars, tracks, surrounds and even the sky are richly detailed and for some of the 'long lap' tracks like Fujimi Kaido, the views are a fantastic accompaniment while you're piling your Datsun in to another barrier.
If there's a negative, it has to be the loading times - upwards of 10-15 seconds pre-loading per race, but the pain melts away once you're in-game. There's always something, I guess. All said and done, do not hesitate to grab this one if racing is at all on your agenda.
site scan
Photography part 2 with Sandy Lim
If you've been up to much since our previous photography feature, you'll have plenty of ammo for this issue's set of sites. There's a free image editor, a stock image marketplace for busy photographers, and an online art community.
Picnik
http://www.picnik.com
A simple photo editor right in your web browser - use Picnik for quickly cleaning up the quality of your photos; fix exposure, intensify colours, and even get rid of red eye. The best part is being able to import pictures directly from Facebook, Flickr, Picasa and MySpace, and export them back again.
iStockphoto
http://www.istockphoto.com
You can join iStockphoto as a contributor in just three easy steps. From there, you get paid for any of your work that gets purchased in iStock's busy royalty-free image marketplace. The site also boasts an archive of articles, tips and good advice on how to hold your own in the industry.
RedBubble
http://www.redbubble.com
RedBubble is a bustling community of creative types - photographers, artists and designers - passionate about art, and ready to help each other improve. The site doubles as an online art gallery, where you can sell your masterpieces as framed prints, t-shirts, cards and calendars.
For something a little closer to home, get stuck into the iiNet Photo Centre, where you can store, share and print your digital memories. Get 50 free photo prints when you sign up, plus a 40% discount on photo books while the promotion lasts.
