May iiNews
editor's note
Howdy all and welcome to iiNews for May, 2008.
Forgive me for the predictable opener, but it's been a huge month for us here at iiHQ. Amidst a flurry of new products and welcome additions to the Media Lounge family, we're very excited to have announced the acquisition of our industry neighbours, Westnet.
We have plenty of respect for Westnet and a whole lot in common, so while they'll still be operating as a separate business, we're really looking forward to catching up with them every now and then to swap tricks. Read more below.
Back on the homefront, the iiNews team are adding a bit of meat to this month's sandwich with the first in a series of online basics 'how-tos'. This month we're tackling webspace: how to upload content to your iiNet space online.
Keep an eye out also for our intrepid mates Chris and Clarke, setting out this week across the less-than-hospitable Victoria Island for the iiNet 1000 Hour Day Expedition. There's also a smattering of useful support tips, service updates and some recommended clicking.
Thanks again for being with us this month, as always we're keen for your feedback - questions, comments, suggestions all welcome at iinewsfeedback@iinet.net.au.
Niaal Holder
iiNews Editor
news
iiNet acquires Westnet
In case you haven't heard, we officially announced our acquisition of Westnet on 8 May 2008. It goes without saying that we're excited to be working alongside Westnet (one of our most successful local competitors in recent years) and optimistic about the opportunities to grow together.
Westnet will still continue to run as a separate business, operated and managed by Westnet staff. Working side-by-side will increase the potential of both companies - which we believe will be a win for customers, our staff and the industry overall. Customers won't see any changes to pricing plans, but some improvements to services are already on the way.
On the business front, this news cements our position as the third largest ISP in the country and our status as a serious telecommunications competitor.
Find out more with our acquisition FAQ.
3FL goes Freezone!
As one of the first collaborative efforts with our friends at Westnet, we're excited to announce that 3FL gaming and content now falls under the iiNet Freezone.
iiNet customers can now access all 3FL content, including game servers, radio streams, file downloads and Steam content mirrors without affecting their normal download quotas.
See what's on offer:
iiNet 1000 Hour Day Expedition - an invitation
This week, two intrepid explorers from Sydney are hoping that three years of planning and preparation will be enough to ensure their survival over the next 100 days.
Facing wolves, bears and herds of wild musk ox, Clark Carter and Chris Bray are setting out to cross arctic Victoria Island on foot - completing what Clark says has become "a bit of a personal mission".
In 2005, the duo was forced to abandon a similar attempt when they ran out of food 58 days into the expedition. We are proud to be sponsoring their second attempt - iiNet 1000 Hour Day Expedition - and invite you to tap into the excitement of this adventure from your desktop.
Chris and Clark will be carrying personal tracking devices to help us follow their progress from the website. They'll be responding to emails, posting blog entries every night and updating the site with amazing photographs from their trek. The site will also contain links to other materials, including educational resources put together with help from award winning school teacher, Emidio Boto.
So, keep an eye on the site over the coming months for regular updates and cool prizes we'll have up for grabs.
Cruizin' comes to Media Lounge
We're revved up about the Media Lounge premiere of Cruizin' - Australia's longest running television show for unique car buffs.
Catering to lovers of hot rods, customs, American cars, classics, muscle cars and good old fashioned street machines, Cruizin' gives you a behind the scenes pass into the world of hobby automotives. Special segments include hot rod chassis fabrication, metal working, lead wiping, motor trimming and flame painting.
Presented by fellow enthusiasts, Cruizin' talks directly with owners, builders and industry specialists for regular, in-depth knowledge straight from the source.
business news
Secure inter-office connectivity for businesses
iiNet will soon be releasing a Virtual Private Network (VPN) product to simplify the process of linking business locations. Utilising Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) infrastructure, iiNet VPN services will give businesses the ability to share information and services across a secure network.
By taking advantage of iiNet's existing national network, Business VPN will offer low setup and usage costs on high speed ADSL2+ broadband connections.
VPN gives you:
- The ability for remote workers to access office networks from home
- Cost effective networking implementation and scalability for companies experiencing growth
- Advantageous economies of scale with centralised software and server utilisation
Keep an eye on our business homepage for more information when VPN is released.
We love to solve problems...
iiNet's Computer Support is a FREE on-call phone service designed to help all business plan customers with computer-related issues.
Our Computer Support covers all phone support for non-operational matters relating to software troubles, error messages, printers, scanners, multi-function centres, digital still cameras, webcams, microphones and speakers.
For more serious issues, you can arrange for an onsite visit from one of our technicians (a technician is usually offered if we can't solve your problem within ten minutes over the phone). This will incur a charge should you accept.
So if you need iiNet Computer Support to solve your puzzle, call us on our priority Business Sales & Support line - 13 24 49. Our Support team is ready to help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week providing you with expert advice at no charge.
support & services
Improvements to volume usage tracking
Over the next couple of weeks, we'll be introducing new measures to improve the reliability and efficiency of our volume usage system, which measures your broadband account usage against your monthly usage limit.
Once these are in place, your account will be shaped and unshaped without being disconnected, and account usage information will be more current in toolbox. Traffic counting will also be updated to display all types of traffic accurately. For example, traffic between iiNet customers in the same state will now be shown correctly in Toolbox.
You can view your volume usage information by logging into toolbox, then selecting 'Volume Usage'. from the 'account tools' dropdown menu next to your broadband service. A separate window should then pop-up, detailing your volume usage for that account.
Broadband for Baby Boomers
The next installments of our Broadband for Baby Boomers series are coming up. Our popular workshops introduce participants to some of what the internet has to offer via two modules:
Module 1 - If you're brand new to the internet this workshop is for you. Topics include general information about the internet, finding information, online shopping, local entertainment, online radio, and video sites such as YouTube.
Module 2 - A continuation of Module 1, this workshop is for people wanting to find out even more about what the internet can offer. Topics include online banking, travel and booking holidays, communities and networking, online music stores such as iTunes, and internet security.
If you think this series would be helpful to you, our next dates are June 4th (Module 1) and June 11th (Module 2), both from 6pm to 8pm. Sessions are held at our Adelaide Terrace office in Perth and delivered by iiNet staff.
To register, email sponsorships@iinet.net.au with your name, contact phone number, email address and workshop preference (Module 1 only, Module 2 only, or both Module 1 and Module 2).
security watch
tech tip - phishy business
with James Hanlon
You've probably all heard about fraud and identity theft - dodgy individuals stealing personal information to do dodgy things. Over the last few years, identity thieves have been shifting their business online, taking advantage of the boom in online services (think internet banking and shopping) to help fatten their wallets.
The new phishing scams are all about tricking people into giving up personal or financial details, usually things like your account usernames and passwords. Phishers use sophisticated baits to fish out your private info for free access to your accounts - like handing over your car keys to a thief.
A common example of phishing comes with emails supposedly from your bank. These emails will usually ask you to click on a link which then lets you update your details. The page may look like your bank's website but is actually a cleverly disguised impostor. Once you've entered your details, they're sent off to the perpetrator of the phish.
In many cases, simply changing your password will deny phishers access to your account and put a halt to any cyber joy-rides they're planning. Whether or not you do this in time is another matter altogether.
We've put together a few tips below to help you avoid getting caught in any nasty phishing traps.
Watch out for phishy emails
Be wary of any unexpected emails asking you to "verify your account", "respond in 48 hours" or "click on the link below to access your account". In the real world, any legit organisation would never expect you to send personal information by an email or online.
Do a little detective work
If you receive any suspecting emails or links from a supposed bank, simply copy the link provided and paste it into Google. If it's a common scam, you'll see plenty of results indicating this is indeed the case. If you're in Australia, the Government's SCAMwatch site (www.scamwatch.gov.au) is a great resource for learning about scams and checking what's on the radar.
Go to the source
You can try going directly to the bank's (or other organisation's) website, rather than following any links in an email. Login as you normally would and, if they really do require you to update your details, you will almost always be prompted. If in doubt, ring your bank or visit your local branch to see if they know what's going on.
Phishing by any other form is still phishing
It's also handy to remember that phishing isn't always done via email. Some users get caught out clicking through everyday websites, like MySpace and job search sites. Phishers can also try to catch you off guard over the phone.
When in doubt, be sceptical. Keep an eye on the address bar at the top of your screen any time you're asked to provide your password. Play it safe. Don't panic. Ask for help if you're not sure.
Remember, iiNet will never ask you for your password in an email without correspondence being initiated by you.
feature - using your iiNet webspace
Over the next few issues of iiNews, we'll be pulling together some quick guides to making your mark on the web - from building a simple webpage and understanding HTML, to starting your own blog. This month, we're starting at grass roots - making use of your iiNet webspace.
As iiNet members, you're likely to have access to a bit of space on the web - most of our internet plans come with 30Mb to call your own.
Where is my webspace, what does 30Mb get me?
Depending on what you use it for, 30Mb can be quite handy. While you probably wouldn't store larger files in your iiNet webspace, things like webpages, images and pdfs are a perfect fit. 30Mb is plenty of space to host a small website, or share a stack of photos.
Right now, you can find your own webspace by substituting your username into this web address:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~username
If you haven't used your webspace before, there probably won't be much to see when you visit your own link. That's fine for now, you can check back on it soon once we've uploaded something.
How do I put files online?
Putting files online can be a bit of a foreign concept at first, but once you know how it works it's quite straightforward. Simply put, when you want to put something online you need to copy from your home computer (sometimes referred to as your 'local' computer) to the iiNet servers (our 'remote' web servers, where your webspace resides). When files are uploaded to iiNet servers, you can then see them online via the address mentioned above.
There are a couple of ways to access the iiNet webspace to put your files online, all of which require you to transfer via FTP (File Transfer Protocol).
An easy way to do this is through an FTP client (an FTP client is a program that lets you copy files back and forth between your computer and a web server). There are a number of decent, free FTP clients you can download, such as Filezilla, SmartFTP and for mac users, Cyberduck. For the purposes of this article, we're leaning towards Filezilla, as it offers a handy side-by-side comparison for local and online files by default.
When you open your FTP client, you'll need to feed it three bits of information: the iiNet FTP host address, your iiNet username, and your iiNet password. This will tell it where you want to copy files to online (host address) and who you are (username and password). When accessing your iiNet webspace, the host address should be entered as:
members.iinet.net.au
Filezilla and SmartFTP both give you a useful 'quick-connect' toolbar, which lets you type in these bits of information to connect right away. Alternatively, you can add a 'new site' to your FTP client (often via a 'site manager' tool) which will store your host address, username and password for easy connection in future.
When you hit 'connect', you should see your webspace file list (Filezilla users will see their desktop files on the left, online files on the right). If you're accessing your webspace for the first time, your webspace will probably have nothing in it except for a folder called 'public_html', which you can safely ignore.
You can drag files from your local list to the web server (uploading) or from the web server to your local computer (downloading). If you are using an FTP client that doesn't offer side-by-side windows, you should still be able to drag or copy from your operating system's file browser to the client, and vice versa.
Give it a shot, find a jpeg or a gif on your computer, and drag it into your iiNet webspace (the remote site). As an example, if your image is called portrait.jpg and you copy it into your webspace, you should now be able to see it at:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~username/portrait.jpg
You can also create folders inside your webspace, as you would a directory on your local computer. If you make a folder called 'images' in your iiNet webspace then put an image inside it, this is the address you'd now see it at:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~username/images/portrait.jpg
Try copying various files across to your webspace, to get a feel for how it works. Avoid large files like movies or music files for now, as they can take some time to upload. If you exceed your 30Mb limit, you won't be able to add any more files until you've cleared some space.
Summing it all up
Using your iiNet webspace is as easy as that - once you have access through your FTP client, think of it as another folder on your computer, with the extra feature of being visible on the web at your webspace address. The same process applies to space you can purchase from any other hosting provider - you'll still need to transfer files to and from their server via FTP, you'll just have a different host address, username and password (which they will provide to you).
Naturally, there are plenty of other ways to access your webspace, and this guide should only be used as a broad example. As you find your way around, you'll come across ways and means more suited to you.
competitions
Based on the classic 1960's Japanese animated series, Speed Racer chronicles the aspirations of a young race car driver as he attempts to obtain glory, with the help of the Mach 5, an advanced car created by his father. Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) was born to race cars - aggressive, instinctive and, most of all, fearless. His only real competition is the memory of the brother he idolised, whose death left behind a legacy that Speed is driven to fulfil.
When Speed turns down a lucrative and tempting offer from Royalton Industries, he not only infuriates the company's mechanical owner (Roger Allam) but uncovers a terrible secret - some of the biggest races are being fixed by a handful of ruthless moguls who manipulate the top drivers to boost profits. If Speed won't drive for Royalton, Royalton will see to it that the Mach 5 never crosses another finish line.
To celebrate the Australian release of Speed Racer, Roadshow Films have given us 50 double passes to give away.
To be in the running for a double pass, email competitions with "Speed Racer" in the subject line, and provide your username, full name and address by 5pm WST, Friday June 6, 2008, along with the answer to this question: What are the names of the two adventurers setting out on the iiNet 1000 Hour Day Expedition?
entertainment
two minute games review - Grand Theft Auto 4
GTA4 came out a couple of weeks ago, could you tell? Anyone remotely keen will no doubt have bought it, the remaining disinterested punters form a pitiful minority - it's been a huge, record-breaking release to market, with a scarily swift saturation. So saying, this all makes my review about as useful as American beer - and yet we plunge on together, foolishly.
Look I'll just 'fess up and say it now: I didn't get a huge amount out of GTA4.
I'm not saying this for any fashionable controversy; I just happen to think that beneath what I'll admit is one of the most breathtaking gaming surfaces of all time lies a game short of substance. I mean, it does so many things so well, it really does - and for your opening ten hours you'll be as hooked as I was. The voice acting, the endless interactive environments, the supreme attention to comic violence - everything is tight and polished, intricate and yet, grand.
I shouldn't be surprised though, that beyond the grade-A presentation lays a game centred around nicking cars. This is genuinely good for a laugh as the world is quite literally your showroom, and carjacking is hilarious. No matter the mission, whether you're chasing down bootleggers, collecting old debts or taking your girlfriend out for a romantic game of darts, it's going to involve a car, and likely a hefty trek from one side of town to the other.
This is also fun, the first fifty times. Soon though, the gunplay and the cars get a bit repetitive. It feels the same way World of Warcraft and Oblivion did when you realised you are nothing more than a subservient hitman and trinket thief. It's not that it gets so dull that you can't stand it, more that it lacks a 'next level' feel, a true sandbox vibe. I attribute this mainly to the restricted activity of your protagonist, and a huge lack of action involving heights. This might sound weird, but for me if I'm playing a human in a big city filled with big buildings I want to climb stuff and jump off it, I want to explore things tucked away and sit like a ninja watching everyone below.
In contrast, while GTA4 offers a bevy of horizontal action (and to be fair, a big supply of comedy ramps and the occasional comedy helicopter) it doesn't quite feel like they ever wanted you to do too much on foot, especially when it comes to climbing and leaping. Every motion attributed to the sort of 'free-running' motif you'd get out of Assassin's Creed or Crackdown (or the deliciously stunning preview for Mirror's Edge) feels discouraging and stuttery in GTA4.
Maybe I've missed the point. Maybe I picked up a driving sim thinking I was getting a true third-person, in which case I apologise. One might even argue incisively that "the game is called Grand Theft AUTO, gosh", but honestly, I'd wager the smart folk at Rockstar would be disappointed if a novelty racer was all everyone was expecting after GTA3. If I want a hilarious car game, I play Burnout.
For me, there's only so many times one can bowl over a pedestrian, shoot rockets at jumbo jets or set their own crotch on fire before there needs to be something more. If I had to sum it up, GTA4 feels like a ragdoll violence engine, made intelligent with a good story, great acting and a superb layer of polish.
By all means, play it for the brutal carnage you can wreak with everything at your disposal - it's stunning for what it does. Just be prepared for a bit of a sugar crash once you've bitten through the candy shell.
site scan
While we were doing our research for this edition's 'how-to' feature, we found ourselves swimming through a sea of helping hands keen to show and tell. Next time you're stumped and stuck for answers, try giving the following sites a go:
e-How
Ever wanted to build a computer? Clean stinks out of your car? Or learn how to brush your dog's teeth? Check out eHow for tips on 'How To Do Just about Everything'.
YouTube
Ok, so we're all used to YouTube being our one stop shop for quick laughs and music. But wait - it has more to offer! Next time you're in need of a free tutorial, hit up YouTube with a 'how-to' search.
Curbly
Home is where the heart is - and nowhere is this more apparent than Curbly, an online how-to and sharing community for home design and improvement.