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December 2011 iiNews

editor's note

It may be the festive season, but that doesn't mean things slow down around here.

If anything it has been busier than usual with Mobile Broadband plan upgrades, a new webmail platform and lower fetchtv prices making headlines. This month we also want you to send in your geekiest photo to be part of a jumbo mural on the outside of our Subiaco office in the lead up to TopGeek 2.0 in 2012.

They say at this time of year it's better to give than to receive, so we're giving iiNet Phone and Netphone customers the chance to call friends or family in our 19 most popular countries on Christmas Day and we'll pick up the tab. No catch, just our Christmas gift to you – but make sure you register.

You might have heard we’ll be setting an extra place at the Christmas table this year, with Internode joining the iiNet family recently. Exciting times ahead!

In rounding off a big year, check out the special message from our CEO Michael Malone if you haven't seen it already. There's been plenty of highlights throughout 2011, with more hoped for the New Year.

Thanks for spending another year with us and from everyone at iiNet, Happy Christmas.

Josh Signature

Josh Nicholson
iiNews Editor
iinewsfeedback@iinet.net.au

iiNet news

Christmas calls on us

Christmas is all about connecting with loved ones, so if you’ve got a grandma in Germany, a sister Switzerland or a friend in France – we’ve got some sweet news for you.

As a special Christmas treat, iiNet customers with a Phone or Netphone service can register to be credited back for the cost of any calls made to 19 of our most popular destinations on Christmas Day. Yep, deliver Yuletide greetings to friends and loved ones abroad and we’ll cover the call costs so you’re not out of pocket.

If you’re a Phone or Netphone customer, you’ll need to register your account to have your Christmas calls credited back. No catch – just a special gift from us this Christmas. Keep your eyes peeled for an email landing soon (if it hasn’t already) with all the details.

Have a happy Christmas and tell your loved ones overseas we said “hi”.

Mobile Broadband Upgrades

We've just finished brightening up our Mobile Broadband plans in time for the festive season, with a new-look offering now available. We haven't held back either, increasing quotas on all iiNet and Westnet Residential and Business customers across the board – even lowering costs on most plans.

If you're an existing customer on a Mobile Broadband 1-3 plan you would have received your quota boost already, with new prices kicking in at the start of your next billing cycle. On a Mobile Broadband 4 plan? You can leave things as they are if you like, or upgrade to the new Mobile Broadband 4 plan for an extra $5/month. Go to Toolbox to make the change.

Visit our Mobile Broadband page for more info on our spiffy plan upgrades.

TopGeek 2.0 – be part of our geek mural

Get ready to get your geek on. Again.

TopGeek 2.0 is coming in January 2012, when we’ll again be asking geeks of all types to stake their claim as Australia’s sheik of geek. We’re making big plans for TopGeek 2.0, with a new-and-improved competition structure to really put contestants through their paces.

In the lead up, we’re asking Aussie geeks to get snap-happy for the chance feature on a mega-mural going up on the outside of our Subiaco headquarters. Show some geeky pride by submitting a photo of their best ‘geek moment’ and we’ll include our favourites in our wall-sized tribute to geekdom.

Can you quote every Harry Potter film word for word? Have you unlocked all 71 achievements in Call of Duty: Black Ops? Like collecting old cameras? Whatever your geek-type, we want to put it on display. If having your face on a public piece of art wasn’t enough, you could also feature on our TopGeek 2.0 site and share your newfound fame on your Facebook and Twitter profile.

Get your geek on and email your best geeky photo through to ndixon@staff.iinet.net.au (we suggest a high quality snap at least 1024px x 608px) and keep an eye on our TopGeek 2.0 homepage for updates.

iiNet's new webmail platform

If you've checked your iiNet emails lately, you might have noticed a new-look webmail interface. We've recently flicked the switch on an improved webmail platform with help from our friends from Atmail, now delivering a cleaner and more user-friendly email interface for iiNet customers.

If you're yet to view the improved platform, log in to see changes and discover a whole stack of other improvements designed to make your time online simple and hassle-free. We chose the upgraded Atmail service because it delivers a complete email suite for accessing mailboxes, plus some handy inbuilt web-based calendar and address book features to help you stay organised and more.

Explore your new webmail service to see the improvements today, or browse our Webmail User Guide for all the need-to-know bits about making the most of your webmail experience.

iiNet NBN page

We’ve had plenty of traffic moving through our new iiNet National Broadband Network webpage, with plenty of browsing for up-to-date news, developments and info on all things NBN.

You’d probably know the NBN rollout has begun with lucky folks around the country already getting their hands on super-fast fibre broadband. If you’re eagerly awaiting news of upgrades in your area, our handy coverage tables detail when and where the NBN will roll out, with detailed maps showing exactly which streets are getting connected. Check in for updates when you can or sign up to be one of the first to know when the NBN train is rolling your way.

If you’re kind of new to the whole NBN thing, we’ve put together FAQs, info on our plan offering and NBN-related newsfeed to bring you up to speed. More of a picture-person? There’s also links to short NBN videos explaining how the project will redefine the way we use the ‘net.

We’ve set up our NBN page to keep you up to date on all the progress, but if you’ve got any other hairy questions feel free to flick an email to our experts at nbn@iinet.net.au.

Fetchtv Fix

Fetchtv makes TV better and now it's cheaper. We recently dropped the price on both our fetchtv packages, making it easier than ever to free your TV and enjoy loads more channels and blockbuster movies on command.

We've been working on some great new product enhancements including expanded content, a new interface and the new launched iPhone and iPad app. The fetchtv ‘Starter’ and ‘Entertainment’ packages offer outstanding value with more movies than ever, more content and a huge terabyte of storage for all your holiday recordings.

Take a look at our iiNet Blog interview with Content Manager Robert Buckler for more info on the price changes. If you’re thinking about opening up your lounge room to better TV with fetchtv, head to our website for more information.

Freezone Focus

WASO – Symphony in the City
Principal Conductor Paul Daniel leads the West Australian Symphony Orchestra in a spectacular farewell to the Perth Esplanade, performing favourites such as Beethoven's Fifth, Carmina Burana: O Fortuna and the music from Star Wars. Don't miss Tchaikovsky's explosive 1812 Overture with the Swan Bells and the 7th Field Battery of the Australian Army Reserve Artillery.

Tom Hoad Cup IX
The Tom Hoad Cup IX again brings International Water Polo Tournament to the banks of the Swan River from December 27-30. iiNet will be there too, streaming all of the action live and direct to Freezone.

Perth Heat
We've teamed up with the Perth Heat to bring you all the action (on and off the field) as they defend their Australian Baseball League (ABL) title.  With players from Major League Baseball, the Nippon Professional Baseball League and the Korean Baseball Organisation right here in the ABL, some of the world's best talent is right on our doorstep.

support & services

Ask The BoBsquad™ - coming in 2012

This year saw The BoBsquad™ expand to Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, so for 2012 we’re introducing an ‘Ask the BoBsquad™’ section in iiNews. Our resident techies will be on hand to answer readers’ questions on everything from Internet connections and gadgets to wireless networks and more. Get your questions in early and we’ll answer one in each edition of iiNews going forward.

Christmas Closing Times – Reminder

Just a reminder that we'll be closing our Customer Service Centres on Christmas Day and operating on reduced hours throughout the holiday period. Here's a look at dates and support times over the silly season:

  • Saturday, December 24th – midnight to 10:00 pm
  • Sunday, December 25th - CLOSED
  • Monday, December 26th - 6.30am to 9.30pm
  • Tuesday, December 27th - 6.30am to 9.30pm
  • Wednesday, December 28th - 24/7 support
  • Thursday, December 29th - 24/7 support
  • Friday, December 30th - 24/7 support
  • Saturday, December  31st - 6.30am to 10:00 pm
  • Sunday, January 1st - 6.30am to midnight
  • Monday, January 2nd - 6.30pm to 9.30pm
  • Tuesday, January 3rd - 24/7 support resumes from 1:00am

Our Service Delivery (Provisioning and faults) team will operate within normal hours apart from:

  • 26th and 27th December (CLOSED)
  • 2nd January (CLOSED)

(All times are in WST)

Security Watch – PayPal Phishing Scam

An email claiming to be from PayPal is hitting inboxes, claiming the recipient's credit card has been removed from the PayPal account and that he or she should follow a link to rectify the issue.

According to this email, which purports to be from online payment service PayPal and sports a seemingly legitimate PayPal logo, the recipient's credit card has been removed from their PayPal account. The email links to a fake "PayPal" website carefully designed to mirror the genuine PayPal website.

A web form is displayed asking for the victim's name, address, contact details, and driver's licence details as well as his or her credit card information:

However, the email is not from PayPal. The claim that credit card details have been removed from the account is a lie designed to fool users into divulging information to cybercriminals. PayPal has released information on how to recognise scams like this one.

Our Online Safety Series has more information on how you can steer clear of phishing scams, or head to any of the following sites:

entertainment & competitions

December Movie Giveaway – SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS

Robert Downey Jr. reprises his role as the world’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes, and Jude Law returns as his formidable colleague, Dr. Watson, in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows.

Sherlock Holmes has always been the smartest man in the room… until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large, Professor Moriarty, and not only is he Holmes’ intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may actually give him an advantage over the renowned detective.

When the Crown Prince of Austria is found dead, the evidence, as construed by Inspector Lestrade, points to suicide. But Sherlock Holmes deduces that the prince has been the victim of murder – a murder that is only one piece of a larger and much more portentous puzzle, designed by one Professor Moriarty.

Thanks to Village Roadshow Pictures and Warner Bros Pictures, you could WIN one of 50 in-season double movie passes to see Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, in cinemas January 5. If you'd like to go into the draw, email competitions with the answer to this question: What’s the new, reduced monthly price for the ‘fetchtv Starter’ package?

Remember, we'll also need to know your username, full name and address too. Send your answer through with ‘December Sherlock Holmes Competition' in your email subject line by 5pm (WST) Monday January 2, 2012.

December Movie Giveaway – War Horse

Steven Spielberg’s War Horse is a tale of loyalty, hope and tenacity set against a sweeping canvas of rural England and Europe during the First World War.

War Horse begins with the remarkable friendship between a horse named Joey and a young man called Albert, who tames and trains him. When they are forcefully parted, the film follows the extraordinary journey of the horse as he moves through the war, changing and inspiring the lives of all he meets—British cavalry, German soldiers, and a French farmer and his granddaughter—before the story reaches its emotional climax in the heart of No Man’s Land.

Thanks to DreamWorks Pictures you could WIN one of 50 in-season double movie passes to see Steven Spielberg’s epic adventure War Horse, in cinemas Boxing Day. If you'd like to go into the draw, email competitions with the answer to this question: iiNet’s TopGeek 2.0 kicks off during which month in 2012?

Remember, we'll also need to know your username, full name and address too. Send your answer through with ‘December War Horse Competition' in your email subject line by 5pm (WST) Monday January 2, 2012.

You can also view the War Horse trailer quota-free in the Freezone.

Win tickets to iiNet NBL

Nearing the halfway mark of the 2011/2012 iiNet NBL season and there’s already been plenty of great basketball on show. iiNet’s excited to be on board in our second year as major sponsor, with plenty of highlights from the season so far.

If you’ve had the chance to come along to one of the games this season you would have seen the iiNet Quick Shot at quarter time, when an audience member has the chance to score $5,000 if they can nail a long-range shot from half court. One lucky Perth spectator did just that earlier this month and walked away a whole lot richer!

Of course, being the NBL’s major sponsor comes with some pretty sweet perks – like tickets to give away for lucky iiNet customers right around the country. If you’d like get along to a game on us in early 2012, we’ve got three double passes up for grabs to each of the following games:

Round 17
Sat 28th January – Perth v Townsville @ Challenge Stadium (7pm tipoff)

Round 18
Fri 3rd Feb – Melbourne v Adelaide @ State Netball Hockey Centre (7:30pm tipoff)

Round 19
Fri 10th Feb – Sydney v Gold Coast @ Sydney Entertainment Centre (7:30pm tipoff)
Sat 11th Feb – Wollongong v New Zealand @ Wollongong Entertainment Centre (7:30pm tipoff)
Sun 12th Feb – Adelaide v Townsville @ Adelaide Arena (7:30pm tipoff)

Round 20
Fri 17th Feb – Townsville v Cairns @ Townsville Entertainment Centre (7:30pm tipoff)
Sat 18th Feb – Cairns v Melbourne @ Cairns Convention Centre (7:30pm tipoff)
Sun 19th Feb – Gold Coast v Townsville @ Brisbane Convention Centre (6:30pm tipoff)

To be in the running to win a double pass to a game in your area, simply email competitions with the answer to this question: Where does a spectator shoot the ball from as part of the iiNet Quick Shot competition?

Remember, we'll also need to know your username, full name, address and the game you’d like to attend. Send your answer through with ‘December iiNet NBL Competition' in your email subject line by 5pm (WST) Monday January 9, 2012.

Learn more about iiNet’s NBL sponsorship our NBL webpage or head to the official NBL site for more on all the actions from the 2011/12 iiNet NBL season.

Top Blog – The NBN and your phone line

There's plenty to take in when it comes to the NBN. You might be wondering if you'll still have your landline phone after the NBN is rolled out in your suburb. Fear not, you can continue to keep your phone using the existing copper connection for the time being. Read more in the iiNet Blog.

site scan

Summer in the mini garden

Gardening is a great way to enjoy the summer. This month, we've found you three creative, space saving and water-wise projects to stick your green thumb into.

How to create a dish garden
Succulents don't require much water, making them easy garden ornaments for the dry season. This About.com guide offers step-by-step instructions for creating a succulent & cacti dish garden. If you've got the time to get hardcore, check out MrBrownThumb's Instructable on growing your own succulent supplies.

How to make your very own terrarium
Search for 'terrarium' in Google and you'll be inundated with almost 2 million quaint and beautiful examples of artistic houseplant setups. My Green Australia promises that a homemade terrarium is super easy to make and even tells you how to go about it.

Build a square foot garden
The square foot garden provides space-starved urban hobby farmers with a way to cultivate homegrown produce. The concept is simple – in a raised garden bed, each type of plant gets one square foot of space at 1, 4, 9 or 16 plants per square depending on what you're growing.