November iiNews

editor's note

Finally, Naked DSL is here.

There must be people like me out there. People who can't remember their landline phone number. People who have to follow the phone cord to find the phone (to take the odd telemarketer call). People who just don't get why broadband always comes "with phone" - phone you pay line rental for, even if you never use it.

If you're like me, then you're going to like Naked DSL. Put simply, Naked DSL is high-speed ADSL2+ broadband without a landline phone service. That means no line rental. It's not hidden away in a "bundled" price, it's gone forever. And by removing your landline phone rental, you can afford a better broadband connection.

We give Naked DSL the once over in this month's feature story. We'll help you figure out if Naked DSL is right for you and showcase the new VOIP service that comes with it: iiTalk.

You might have noticed that the email version of iiNews looks a bit different this month. The new look is just a minor spit and polish to make sure iiNews displays correctly in Outlook 2007. The new look also introduces a new segment devoted to iiNet business.

Oh and lastly, I'd like to introduce a fresh new voice to iiNews: Shannon McCaughey. Next month Shannon will be officially taking over editorship of the newsletter. His focus will be on getting more reader news and views into the iiNews mix in 2008.

Thanks for reading my ramblings for the last 2 and a half years, and thanks to those who have sent me feedback along the way. I've really enjoyed sharing what I experience online each month and I hope it has been useful for some of you.

Enjoy the November edition.

Mark Welker
iiNews Editor
iinewsfeedback@iinet.net.au

inbox

"I enjoy your descriptions of new technologies in simple terms. I'd love to see a real dummies (no technical knowledge at all) guide to wi-fi, which I need to get on my next computer. Especially how it works overseas please. I have been baffled by weird descriptions from salesmen (was told I had to register with Telstra) and web discussions that talk about differing sign-on procedures, drop out problems, lack of security. From the time I turn my new computer on, how does it work (e.g. do I just click on my regular Internet icon), what do I need to do?."

- Jenifer N, ACT

Thanks Jenifer. A lot of people seem to have trouble with wireless setup so we'll pencil your wireless dummies guide in for the near future. In the mean time, check out our wireless support section at http://www.iinet.net.au/support/wireless/

"The issues I have with Facebook was privacy and the way that it keeps a historical link to past relationships. I believe there is a social evolution in moving on from friendships and relationships, letting the past be kept in the past, suddenly I had queries from people who I don't have the time to keep in contact with and some I don't want to. It seems strange that 'privacy' doesn't matter anymore.

The issues I have had with deactivating my account from Facebook has really left me wondering about their service as well. Twice I have tried to de-activate and it doesn't remove my presence from their system."

- Elliot R

"I believe that employers are too afraid to stand up to their employees in the fear of being portrayed as draconian. There is a need to provide relatively unrestricted Internet access in the workplace, however, in most cases it is not necessary to provide access to every local desktop.

I suggested to a client with approx 20 staff, that they should trial removing Internet access from everybody's PC's (minus a select few who's roles would be made more efficient with access to the web).

This had 2 major effects. IT administration costs were reduced because the security threat to desktops was now greatly diminished. By placing an Internet PC in the office where it is fully visible, other staff members could observe their workmates using the Internet. If a user is wasting too much time on the net, other staff members became peeved that they were picking up the slack to cover another's workload, deterring time wasting."

- Andrew B, VIC

Send your newsletter views, news and suggestions to iinewsfeedback@iinet.net.au

news

Open Day 2007
I swear I said the same thing last year, but nonetheless, it's that time of year again. Open Day 2007 is coming to Perth.

The 2007 Open Day is a highly-anticipated event on the calendar of any self-respecting iiNet customer. It's a day where iiNet opens its doors and invites members to experience first-hand the passion we feel for the Internet and its limitless potential. If you can't make it to Perth, don't worry, we'll be video recording all the seminars and they will be available for download soon after the day.

Head to www.iinet.net.au/about/openday/ for all the details.

iTunes refer a friend reminder
A reminder that our iTunes refer a friend promotion continues up until December 25. Spread the word about iiNet broadband and you could be downloading songs from the iTunes Australia store for free!

For each friend you refer to sign up for iiNet broadband, you and your friend both get 20 iTunes song downloads free. The more people you refer, the more songs you get! Head to www.referafriend.iinet.net.au and start referring.

Once your friend's broadband service becomes active a confirmation email will be sent to both of you with song codes and instructions on how to use them.

business news

new business products
Things are starting to get exciting across the partition in the iiNet business team. November sees the launch of some great new products including Naked DSL for business, a Multiline VOIP service and an exciting new wireless hotspot service.

In partnership with New Zealand based wi-fi distributor, Tomizone, iiNet is now deploying wi-fi hotspots across Australia. Wi-fi hotspots allows iiNet members to access high speed internet and email whenever they are in a Tomizone enabled area.

Tomizone also allows hotels, coffee shops and other small businesses to setup wi-fi hotspots quickly and easily at minimal cost. If you own a coffee shop, hotel/motel, shopping centre site or any other public facility and would like to setup wireless access for your customers, please register you interest by emailing businessteam@iinet.net.au

What does this mean for you? Soon you'll be able to access Tomizone hotspots for free using your iiNet username and password. iiNet members get their first 100MB of data free each month. Just look out for the Tomizone logo (pictured below).

For more business news as well as information on multi-line VoIP, visit the business section of the iiNet website.

November business special offers
Who you do business with is almost as important as how you run your business. This month we've got a lineup of specials from iiNet business partners AppCentral, MailRevive and Shindig:

AppCentral™ provides a virtual desktop solution that is available anywhere, anytime via the Internet. AppCentral is designed for small to medium size businesses who want to reduce their IT setup and maintenance costs, whilst preserving enterprise levels of service.

iiNet business customers receive 10% off the application cost when signing up to AppCentral until 10 December 2007. For more details see http://www.iinet.net.au/business/partners/appcentral.html

MailRevive™ provides email backup, storage and search facilities for small to medium business customers. MailRevive is a hosted messaging service that works with your existing IT network to provide automatic off-site archiving of all corporate email communication.

iiNet business customers receive 50% off the sign up cost & 10% off the monthly cost. For more details see http://www.iinet.net.au/business/partners/mailrevive.html

Shindig™ will help you to set up all your key business processes online. Shindig is a set of online tools for small businesses that helps you build your own website with functions such as a product catalogue, shopping cart or order form, email enquiry form, as well as customer registration and login. Everything is administered online so you can check your business stats wherever you are, any time of day.

iiNet business customers receive 10% off the monthly Shindig cost & no setup fees. For more details see http://www.iinet.net.au/business/partners/shindig.html

Tell us what you'd like to see in the business section of the newsletter. Email your suggestions to businessteam@iinet.net.au

support & services

christmas @ iiNet
We love Christmas and so do our staff. This year, the iiNet contact centre will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Years Day and operating on reduced hours throughout the Christmas holiday period (see below for full details).

This is a bit of a change for us as we would normally remain open 365 days a year. We hope you understand that even iistaffers like to get away from the net occasionally.

From past experience, the Christmas period is pretty quiet but if you do have any issues with your Internet service while we're trying on over-sized t-shirts from Grandma, we've built a comprehensive set of DIY tools and FAQ's available at http://www.iinet.net.au/support/

Our contact centre will be open as follows:

• Monday December 24th - 6am to 9pm
• Tuesday December 25th - Closed
• Wednesday December 26th - Closed
• Thursday December 27th - 8am to 9pm
• Friday December 28th - 8am to 9pm
• Saturday December 29th - 8am to 9pm
• Sunday December 30th - 8am to 9pm
• Monday December 31st - 8am to 9pm
• Tuesday January 1st - Closed
• Wednesday January 2nd - 24x7 support resumes at 6am

tech tip - naked dsl
With the launch of our new Naked DSL service this month, we thought it only right for this month's tech tip to deal with some of the common questions we get about this new service. Without further ado:

Do I need to have an active phone line to sign up for Naked DSL?
You don't need to have an active phone line for Naked DSL - only a copper wire laid all the way from the telephone exchange to your premises. Look for a phone socket in your house; this should indicate that a line has been installed. If you don't have a wired wall phone socket, you can still make a Naked DSL application, however you must first organise a new phone line to be wired into your home. Check the yellow pages for a cabling company to do this.

Will my backup dialup account still be available after my broadband service is disconnected during an upgrade?
Yes, you will still be able to use your backup dialup account up until the point when Naked DSL is connected at your home. Once Naked DSL is connected you will no longer have a dial tone on your line, so you won't be able to use dialup.

Will my iiNet email address still work during the Naked DSL upgrade process?
Yes, you will still be able to access your email address through our webmail service as long as you are able to access the Internet.

Do downgrade fees apply when changing to Naked DSL?
No. Because you are changing to a different product, there will be no downgrade fee applied.

Can I transfer my current iiNet VOIP number across to iiTalk on Naked DSL?
Yes. If you currently have an iiNet VOIP or iinetphone service bundled with a broadband plan, this number will be transferred across as your iiTalk number (unless you choose to transer your phone number). If you select during signup to turn your landline phone number into your iiTalk number, your current VOIP number and service will be cancelled.

For more information on Naked DSL, see this month's feature story or visit all the frequently asked questions online at http://www.iinet.net.au/support/naked/faq/

security watch

top 5 viruses reported to Sophos in October

1. Pushdo
2. Netsky
3. PDFex
4. Zafi
5. Mytob

List provided by Sophos. Remember, all iiNet plans come with industry leading Sophos email anti-virus and Ironport spam protection that is automatically kept up-to-date with the latest virus threats. However, to fully protect your system, we recommend that you use our email anti-virus in conjunction with a personal anti-virus product such as those listed on this page.

Hoax iiNet email
A fraudulent email purporting to be from iiNet support slipped through some of our spam filters earlier this week. The subject line reads "Confirm your Email Address!" and asks members to reply to the email with their iiNet password. A copy of the email text is below:

From: THE IINET TEAM <support@iinet.net.au>
Date: Sat, 17 Nov 2007 19:23:20 +1100
Subject: Confirm Your Email Address!
Reply-To: customer.domain@hotmail.com

Dear iinet Subscriber,

To complete your iinet account, you must reply to this email immediately and enter your password here (*********)

Failure to do this will immediately render your email address deactivated from our database.

You can also confirm your email address by logging into your iinet account at https://webmail.iinet.net.au/

Thank you for using IINET.NET.AU!
THE IINET TEAM

If you get this email, delete it immediately . iiNet will never ask you to confirm your password via email. If you receive an email that asks you to do so, always check with iiNet support first by calling us or emailing a copy of the email to support@iinet.net.au

If you did reply to this hoax email we recommend that you reset your password straight away by visiting your account toolbox at https://toolbox.iinet.net.au/ or by calling our support team on 13 22 58.

feature story: introducing Naked DSL

With the rise of mobile phone use over the last 10 years and the introduction of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology, the humble fixed line telephone is getting a little long in the tooth. Like many Australians, I've felt at times shackled to my landline (and line rental) because I love fast broadband and paying for both is the only way I can get it. To tell the truth, I don't even know my home phone number.

Thanks to iiNet Naked DSL, the days of wasting money on line rental are numbered.

How Naked DSL works
Traditionally, your broadband and phone service was bundled together; even if you weren't getting your phone from us, you had to get it from somewhere to get ADSL broadband.

Because we've built our own broadband network, iiNet has the ability to switch off the phone service component of this bundle, whilst retaining your regular ADSL2+ broadband service. This means on Naked DSL your broadband plugs in and works exactly as it would normally - except now you don't pay phone line rental anymore.

It's why we call it Naked. Naked DSL strips off the components of your broadband connection you no longer need.

Why Naked DSL?
Simply put, Naked DSL provides a better broadband experience because the money you put into your connection is no longer split between your broadband and phone line. You only pay for the broadband you love.

Like broadband2+, Naked DSL is exclusive to areas covered by our national broadband network (the iinetwork). While being on broadband2+ is a pretty good indication that you'll be able to get Naked, it's not a 100% guarantee.

To get an idea if you are eligible, use the number checker on our Naked DSL page or head to step 2 of the Naked signup. This is just an initial check, we always need to do a thorough check on your line once you've applied, but it will give you a good idea of what to expect.

Changing to Naked DSL is different to a regular plan upgrade. At the moment there is a 10-15 day transfer process during which you may be without a broadband connection. For more information on changing to Naked DSL from an iiNet broadband plan, check out our existing customer information page and the tech tips above.

Who is it for?
We think Naked DSL is perfect for people who aren't reliant on their landline phone and those that use their mobile to make calls at home. If you're moving house or setting up a new phone connection, then Naked DSL is definitely worth considering.

We believe that regular phone users will get a kick out of the savings they'll make by switching to iiTalk for their day-to-day phone use. We also know that Naked DSL isn't for everyone.

If you're reliant on your landline for business use or for services such as a monitored alarm, Pay TV or shared phone/fax, Naked DSL may not be for you. Services such as those I've just mentioned will be affected when you remove your landline and switch to Naked. Some may no longer work at all.

For more information on services affected by Naked DSL, see our frequently asked questions page.

Introducing iiTalk
Every iiNet Naked DSL service comes with a free iiTalk broadband phone service. iiTalk uses VoIP technology to deliver free local and national calls plus cheap rates to pretty much everywhere else.

If you're already familiar with iiNet VOIP, iiTalk works in exactly the same way; once you have your iiTalk account set up in your broadband modem, you simply plug a regular handset into the back of your modem and start calling.

If VoIP is still a strange new world to you, relax. iiTalk allows you to plug a traditional telephone into a broadband modem and use it as if you were on a traditional phone landline. iiTalk numbers can be called by anyone, anywhere plus include a range of exclusive features like the ability to send your voicemail messages to your email account. You can even use the home phone number you have now as your iiTalk number.

A fair use policy applies to free calls on iiTalk. This fair use policy allows use to offer free calls Australia-wide for people who make normal amounts of phone calls. To do this we have to restrict people who use the service excessively. If you'd like to know what an excessive user is check out the fair use policy or visit the iiTalk section for rates info.

How much does Naked DSL cost?
Plans start at just $49.95 for 4GB of quota. Check the full suite out at http://www.iinet.net.au/products/naked/plans.html

If you're on a current iiNet broadband2+ plan, you can compare broadband2+ with phone against the Naked plans online. You can also visit http://www.iinet.net.au/gonaked and plug your current phone costs into the Naked savings calculator. You may be surprised by how much you can save each year on Naked DSL.

The standard connection fee for Naked DSL is $150. However, if you opt for a 24 month contract, we waive the setup cost and any contract break fees (if you're already on a broadband contract). Selecting "no contract" simply continues your current contract period (if applicable).

Conclusion
Naked DSL is pretty new to Australia. It has never been released to the public on such a wide scale before. We've worked hard to get our upgrading process as smooth as possible, but with such a new technology there will inevitably be some hiccups as we fine tune our systems. If you get stuck, or think something's not quite right, send us your feedback or call us on 13 22 58 with any queries.

As people have been using landlines for over a hundred years, changing to Naked DSL may be a difficult decision for many. Hopefully this article will go some way to help you make the decision to stay as you are, or make the switch. Whichever way you swing, we're happy.

Got a suggestion for a future iiNews feature? Send your newsletter suggestions and comments to iinewsfeedback@iinet.net.au

iipeople

staff profile

Name: Anita Grozdanovska
Title: HR Officer

What does your current role involve?
Being a Human Resources Officer, I do everything from recruitment to performance enhancement and provide managers with timely HR advice to their queries and concerns. Some say that when I recruit I make sure they are wearing nice shoes if they are to get the job. There is yet to be any evidence to support this claim.

What did you do before you came to iiNet?
I worked for a retail fashion company in their head office. Being any girl's dream, we were constantly surrounded by all the latest clothes and had the first pick at the new collections for next season. While working there I was also a part time V8 racing car driver. It was rather a surreal experience being surrounded by women and clothes all day to driving in excess of 250km/hr with men screaming at me on weekends.

What is the best thing about working at iiNet?
Best thing for me is the experience I have gained through my two years here. Even though it might sound like a cliché, I have to say I have a great team who I can have loads of fun with. What I have learnt at iiNet is that we work hard and play even harder. The team spirit is great and I think the company does a good job at ensuring we live by this philosophy.

Your favourite website?
I love to shop and I love the 'real' football so my favourite websites would be a tie between ebay.com.au and premierleague.com

customer of the month

Name: Mathew Lane
Location: Victoria Park, WA
Account type: broadband2+ with VOIP
Customer Since: 1998

Describe your typical day of living online?
Like most people with broadband, it's just a matter of hitting the spacebar first thing in the morning (to wake the screen up) and checking e-mail and news. Choosing to study full time this semester, it has been helpful having a fast connection at hand with many assessments now completed or submitted online, rather than killing trees printing out a 10-15 page assignment.

The best thing about broadband for you?
Broadband is simply about speed. That in turn makes downloading music or video, viewing web pages with lots of content a breeze, and even seemingly boring tasks like downloading updates for software (MS in particular) can be done in seconds/minutes rather than hours on a dialup connection. I applaud iiNet on their foresight, building their own infrastructure to supply Australia's fastest broadband.

My Internet experience has only been with iiNet (for all bar 3 months), and being a reasonably early adopter of the 512 kbps broadband (around 2001), then 1.5 Mbps to now approaching 25-30Mbps - it's been quite incredible. Uploading to my web space http://www.rostrumclub15.iinet.net.au is also aided by broadband speeds. With broadband, the Internet is becoming what it ideally should be - the ability to access or share information at a moment's notice.

Your favourite site?
My favourite would have to be The Editing Room where Rod Hilton does a tongue in cheek paraphrasing of movies in script form, poking fun at plot holes or bad acting. And while it still works, Simpsonize Me is a fun site where you can upload a photo of yourself, to turn you into a Simpsons character!

Interested in being our next customer of the month? Send your details to iinewsfeedback@iinet.net.au.

competitions

entertainment

2 minute games review - Hellgate: London (PC)

November is pimping a bevy of exciting releases for today's discerning gamehead, titles that look set to be so stunning or groundbreaking we'd happily fork over the dosh just to lick the cover. Which is why I feel right cheated to be reviewing Hellgate: London this time round because quite frankly, it mings.

Game developers these days have a hard task ahead of them: to be innovative, polished or both. For innovation, think of titles like Portal , Puzzle Quest , Darwinia or Supreme Commander ... exponents of that elusive 'new layer' of gameplay. For polish, take Team Fortress 2 , Crysis , Halo 3 or Tiberium Wars , advocates of tactility and shine. Meeting both criteria will win the hearts of the industry and the public alike.

Amazingly, far more games are still being released that look and play like the developers just couldn't be bothered. Hellgate: London is such a work. I don't know if the developers were rushed, underfunded or distracted, whatever the reason, I'll be adding this to the list of games that could have been, the ones that managed to snatch 'crap' from the jaws of 'awesome'.

Hellgate is what you get when cross Tomb Raider with Diablo 2 , but forget to bring what made either of them fun to the table. In its simplest form, it's an action FPS/RPG with a 3D spin and a suite of six characters to choose from. You'll be traipsing (a lot) round the streets and subways of London, hacking and blasting your way through packs of grubby demon types.

As one of the few remaining human folk, you're quite set on fighting your way to... well... to be perfectly honest, after some solid hours of play I still can't tell you the story. It's so light on emotional investment that you'll find yourself skipping all the obnoxious dialogue to get back to the game.

Yes, the game. Once you've set out from the tube stations (ironically, the last refuge of British humanity) into the tunnels and streets, you'll find yourself enjoying a good swing and a hack at the nearest mobs. Five hundred thousand of those hacks and swings later, and you're still doing the same jolly motions on the same slightly more perverse mobs, with slightly bigger weapons.

The common objectives you're handed are standard quest-romp fare - collect 10 imp eyes or take this important note to someone on the other side of that there roomful of monsters. What makes this far less appealing is that all the maps are randomly generated, so quest objectives are not artfully or deviously placed as much as they are just dumped arbitrarily in places that often too easy to assail.

Many times I was asked to find 3 objects on a map and activate them, only to find two right next to each other in an empty room while the third was tucked safely in the broom cupboard a few extra steps away.

On top of this, the landscape is rarely anything other than long stretches of plain flat surface, an almost pre-Quake monotony. Last but not least, as of writing the title still has major, major issues with game geometry - I had to force a restart three times in one sitting, because my lad got his leg stuck in a door, wall or railing. A monster I needed to loot died in the air and wouldn't come down.

I really wanted to like this game, being a long-term devotee of Diablo 2 , but Hellgate: London fails to account for itself no matter what leg it stands on, and should probably be avoided by fans of RPG, action and FPS alike.

movie review - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Rated MA

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (AJJCRF) is a brooding depiction of the life and exploits of America's most notorious outlaw. Not your traditional gun slinging western, AJJCRF is less cowboys and Indians and more character study - taking on the stereotypes of America's most infamous outlaw and his cowardly assassin.

Based on the novel of the same name by Ron Hansen, AJJCRF explores the much popularised private lives of Jessie James and his unlikely assassin Robert Ford. The film sticks close to the days and hours leading up to the dirty deed itself, detailing the conflicting and often paranoid character of James and his relationship with the idealistic Ford (the guy who put a bullet in his back).

Driven by some inspirational performances by Brad Pitt (Jesse James) and Casey Affleck (Robert Ford), AJJCRF's careful pace is starkly different from the last film in recent memory that popularised the gun slinging exploits of Jesse James; American Outlaws .

Suspense and intrigue is built into every awkward interaction the two share up to the final moment. For a film that clocks in at just over 2.5 hours, Pitt and Affleck keep things well in order working off a solid script and delivering captivating performances.

The real beauty of the film is not found in the heroic adventures told of the Jessie's outlawed gang, but rather the intriguing ugliness of the truth behind the legend. Gunfights and train robberies aside, the parts of the film that grab you are found in the long scenes of dialogue where Ford and James rise above what could so have been cardboard cowboy cut-outs.

Rather than finishing with Jessie's death, the film adds further substance to the well know story by exploring the torment, not the glory, the assassination brings Ford.

For a film that has sat on the shelf for two years gathering bad buzz like dust, this refreshingly dark and plodding Western is compulsive viewing for lovers of the genre.

site scan - men's health

www.movember.com
Movember is always popular here at iiNet.The Republic of Movember, the official website, tracks the pogress of Australia's greatest Mo challenge all while raising money for a good cause.

Mens Health Magazine
One of Australia's most popular magazines also has a great website. The online home for Men's Health provides a daily fix of how to keep fit and healthy.

www.beyondblue.org.au
Created back in 2000, the beyondblue foundation has risen to become one of Australia's most highly regarded health organisations and one of Movember's main beneficiaries.