November iiNews

editor's note

Welcome to November.

I'm sure I'm neither the first nor the last person that is going to say this, but we're officially in the "lead up" to Christmas.

Whether you celebrate it or loath it, the silly season is impossible to ignore. For me, it's the glory of a tech-Christmas that sucks me in. With everyone scampering around trying to find that perfect gift, games retailers are sitting back, quietly confident that my dollars are already destined for their pockets.

Yes it's going to be a wallet onslaught with two big months of releases including Nintendo's new marvel "Wii" on December 7, the big new game releases like Gears of War (Xbox 360), Neverwinter Nights 2 (PC), Call of Duty 3 (all platforms) and Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii).

I could go on...but back to the job at hand. This month we introduce some new elements to the iiNews mix. First say goodbye to the "monthly theme" and hello to our new monthly "feature story" (read more about that below). We have 2 new sections "inbox" and "security watch" for your enjoyment and returning from the digital dead is "site scan" which now looks at some great themed websites month to month.

After recently buying a second hand car I now realise how much there is to consider and how easy it is to choose a lemon. This month's site scan will hopefully help others avoid the common pitfalls.

For those on dialup we've also got a great free connection free modem deal going so you might want to check that out in product spotlight, and EMI music come on board in our competitions section with a great CD giveaway.

There's lots more in there of course, hope you enjoy.

Mark Welker
iiNews Editor

 

inbox

I just wanted to say great work on your article about becoming carbon neutral. There were some fantastic websites listed and it is about time that we made environmental issues the centre of our daily lives and not a controversial topic only talked about by a few. Keep up the great work and I hope to see many more articles on environmental issues in your coming newsletters.
- Cindy R, QLD

I really must object to your suggestion that planting trees is a meaningful way of reducing the amount of carbon dioxide that we emit. If a tree absorbs one ton of CO2 in a life time of say 100 years, ie 0.01 ton/year and a car travels 20000 km/year at 280 g / km (ie 5.6 tons CO2/year) you will need to plant 560 trees just for the car. Of course after 100 years the tree will fall over and rot, giving up its CO2 to the atmosphere unless you figure out how to turn it into coal.
- Rudi T, TAS

It's nice to see iiNet getting behind the global warming / "carbon neutral" movement - talk about an important issue! The company I work for - Stratton Finance - is doing its bit as well. We specialise in car finance, and have just launched a self-funded program whereby all cars we finance are automatically enrolled in a carbon emissions offset program run by Greenfleet (see http://www.greenfleet.com.au ).
- Mathew K, VIC

"I just wanted to say well done on the spam filtering. I have personal spam filtering software on my computer and have had iiNet anti-spam set to 'tag' only. iiNet identifies virtually all of the spam I receive while my software identifies only about 20% even when set to above average protection. I now have a lot of confidence in iiNet anti-spam and I have changed my settings to 'delete' knowing I will not be bothered with these annoying time wasters any more. Well done.

- John W, VIC

Send your newsletter feedback to iinewsfeedback@iinet.net.au

news

new webmail system on the horizon
Do you use iiNet webmail? The 2006 iiNews Reader Survey showed around 17% of iiNet members use webmail as their primary way of sending and receiving emails. While a desktop email client like Microsoft Outlook remains the preferred method, the mobility of an email client that allows you to check mail from anywhere in the world is unbeatable.

So how do you improve that system? Well, our development team is putting the final touches on a shiny new and improved webmail system that should provide you with a more user friendly and familiar (to many) email experience.

The new webmail system (pictured below - click on the images) includes many of the features you might find in Microsoft Outlook - like an easy to use address book, visual folder system and preview pane for quick browsing. Visually, the system looks a lot like your typical desktop email client which should make it much easier to find what you are looking for.

We've also gone to work on the nuts and bolts of the system to make it faster and more responsive to your day to day emailing tasks.

Before launching the new system we'll be conducting a public trial to ensure it's working well for all our regular webmail users. If you would like to participate in the trial simply visit http://webmail.iinet.net.au/ and follow the instructions on the page. You can email your feedback to webmail_feedback@iinet.net.au. Hope you like it!

 

support & services

product spotlight - broadband
If you're an existing dialup customer of course, you may have been thinking of making the switch to broadband. Well, now is the best time, as until 30 November, we're taking $188 off the setup costs with a free modem and free connection deal when you upgrade from dialup to broadband on a 24 month agreement.

Not convinced? Here's three reasons to switch to iiNet broadband:

• Broadband gives you your phone back: you can surf the net while still being able to make or take phone calls
• Broadband is faster: iiNet broadband can be 5 to 400 times FASTER than a dialup connection. That means viewing web pages, receiving emails and sharing holiday snaps takes moments, not minutes.
• Broadband can save you money: broadband is always on so many people find they save money as you no longer pay for a local call each time you connect to the Internet.

tech tip - changing the phone line owner
Ok, so you and a friend are sharing a house and your iiNet home phone service is currently in your friend's name (let's call them Bob). The only problem is Bob is moving out soon and you're staying in the house. You're going to want to change the phone line over so it's in your name.

This process is known as a "change of lessee". To do this, first get Bob to give us a call on 13 22 58 and confirm his ID by a security check (usually the username and password of their broadband or dialup account, and their date of birth). Our support staff will confirm with Bob that he's happy to change the lessee (owner) of the phone line to you.

Next get Bob to hand over the phone to you so we can confirm you're happy with the change. You may also want to change your account billing details with us at the same time.

That's it. Pretty painless really, but knowing the process before hand will save you a great deal of time. Our support team will submit a request to our wholesale phone provider to make the change which usually takes 24-48 hours to complete. As the phone is changing owners, you may experience a brief interruption to your broadband access (if you have broadband that is).

frequently asked questions - broadband speeds
What sort of speeds can I expect on broadband2+?
If you're on our ADSL2+ network (broadband2+) and select an unbundled broadband plan, you still get great speeds of up to 3,000kbps. If you choose to bundle your broadband account we can offer ADSL2+ speeds as fast as your line can go, up to 24,000kbps.

The exact speed you get will depend on:

• the distance you are from your exchange;
• the quality of your line;
• signal strength;
• the number of joins in your line; and
• factors within your home such as unfiltered devices and lengthy phone cords.

In addition, you may require new ADSL2+ compatible hardware to access speeds up to 24,000kbps. iiNet members can purchase new ADSL2+ hardware through toolbox.

Do I need special equipment or hardware to get speeds up to 24,000kbps?
An ADSL 2+ compatible modem or router is required to access speeds up to 24,000kbps (ADSL2+ speeds) on our DSLAMs. You can purchase ADSL 2+ compatible hardware supported by iiNet at any time through toolbox. If you require assistance determining whether or not your hardware is compatible, call us or email us at support@iinet.net.au

security watch

top 5 viruses reported to Sophos in October

1. W32/Netsky-P
2. W32/Mytob-AS
3. W32/Stratio-Zip
4. W32/Bagle-Zip
5. W32/Netsky-D

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 on this page.

managing your passwords
I'm not sure whether I would be an "average" net user, but I have at least eight passwords making the rounds at any one time. I have my online banking password, my online shopping password, a bunch of passwords for different online memberships and subscriptions, I also have two office computer passwords, a telephone banking password, my iiNet account password...

According to security firm Symantec, most home computer users too often forego security for convenience. Users come up with "weak passwords that are easy to guess. We store passwords unprotected on our desktops. We write them down and tape them to our computer screens" (guilty as charged). So here's some advice for creating your next password:

• Use a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, symbols, and numbers.
• Make sure your passwords are at least eight characters long. The more characters your passwords contain, the more difficult they are to guess.
• Use different passwords for each account.
• Change your passwords regularly. Set up a routine, changing your passwords the first of each month or every other payday and if possible, never write your passwords down.

And some things you shouldn't do:

• Don't use names or numbers associated with you, such as a birth date, nickname, the name of a family member, or the name of a pet.
• Avoid using easily-obtained personal information. This includes license plate numbers, telephone numbers, social security numbers, your automobile's make or model, your street address, etc.
• Don't answer yes when prompted to save your password to a particular computer. Instead, rely on a strong password committed to memory or stored in a dependable password management program.

feature story: taking control of your inbox

The average office worker receives between 30-40 emails during their working day. If each email is on average 50 words, and the response is around the same, then many of us write over 2000 words every day. That's 520,000 emailed words a year - the equivalent of around 3.7 best selling novels. And that's not including your personal emails.

In roughly 20 years, email has turned millions of office workers, teenagers and parents into information authors, bashing out dozens of the greatest stories never told. But what good is it if you don't have time to read it?

As the first chapter in our feature story series, this month we take a look at how this strange communication influx crept into our lives, how it's grown since and how we can manage it effectively for the future.

in the beginning there was @
The @ symbol has been traced all the way back to 14th century Italy where it was inscribed as a measure of weight. Ever since, it's been used extensively in entirely off-net ways as a commercial symbol ie "5 apples @ $1". It wasn't until the 1970s that the @ symbol hit its eternal 15 seconds of fame when it was used absently by self proclaimed @ symbol founder Ray Tomlinson in order to send a file between two computers sitting side by side.

free-mail
The explosion of email into everyday use took off when the application jumped from the office to the home with the launch of HoTMaiL on July 4, 1995.

Founded by Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith, HoTMaiL launched as a free web email service allowing people from all walks of life to send and receive emails from any computer in the world. In 2005, Hotmail was reported to have over 200 million subscribers, supporting 17 languages and with customers in virtually every country on earth.

With all those free email accounts orbiting the globe it was only natural that people were going to start sending mail, lots of it.

the floodgate opens
12.4 billion spam emails sent everyday. In the last years of the 20th century email put in action a strange reversal in the burden of written communication. Previously, it took enough work to physically send a letter that there was a natural deterrent to at-home spammers. Now it takes seconds to send even the most trivial communication, and the reader, having received two dozen messages just like yours already, now carries the burden.

So to help you manage your reading load (and the load of friends, family and co-workers) we've put together the 7 habits of highly effective emailers:

1. Email etiquette: The best way to control the amount of email you're sorting through is to go straight to the source. Whether you own a small business or you're employed in a big once, you should have in place an email etiquette policy. Common email etiquette guidelines cover correct use of the To: and CC: fields and precautions for the dreaded "Reply to All" button.
   
2. Check your email less: Email is an "asynchronous communication", that is emails come and go, but don't require an instantaneous response. In general, the quicker you respond to emails the more people will email you more often. This might at first seem counter productive, but once others in the office realise that you are not offering a 5 second turnaround anymore, they'll take more time to construct their emails, provide you with less of them, and maybe they'll pick up the phone every now and then.
   
3. Folders: Create email folders for specific clients, projects, or subject areas, rather than leaving them in your inbox forever. Most email clients allow you to drag and drop emails into each folder so you know exactly where to find them again.
   
4. Rules: If you use an email client like Microsoft outlook check out the "rules" section usually under "tools". You can use rules to perform all number of magical things to your incoming email like setting up alerts for when certain people email you, moving emails with specific keywords in the subject line to a designated folder, and flagging emails from a particular person for automatic follow up.
   
5. Turn off your mail icon: It's amazing how liberating it is to be able to work independent of that little mail icon in the bottom right hand corner of your screen. Turning off your mail indicator means you don't even know you've got mail until you want to know.
   
6. Use a spam filter: This is an easy one as all iiNet accounts come with world-class email spam protection powered by Ironport. This is switched on by default when you join us, but you can change settings at anytime through toolbox.
   
7. Manage your inbox: Discover the four D's of email management: Do it Now, Do it Later, Delegate or Delete. The idea is that you work towards an empty inbox by processing emails as they come in. If you know that you're not going to respond to an email or "deal" with it, delete it. It's a special zen moment when you get to the end of the day and you're staring at a blank inbox at the end of the day.

the e-future
The thing that I love about the Internet is the way it pushes technology towards the things people want. We want to communicate more and so email is borne, and while spam is a problem now, through the participation of many, the Internet will evolve to solve it. Of course, as I sit here typing this, I can see the future blinking on my desktop horizon as Office Communicator alerts me to a new conversation. That's four alerts in 5 minutes. But that's another story....

related links
History of @ - http://www.thestandard.com/article/0,1902,24139,00.html
Email statistics - http://spam-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/spam-statistics.html
Email Etiquette - http://www.emailreplies.com/ , http://www.iwillfollow.com/email.htm
iiNet email spam protection - http://www.iinet.net.au/products/extras/email_protection.html

next month: Better ways to manage your life online.

 

iipeople

staff profile

Name: Sarah Kneafsey
Title: Business Analyst

What does your current role involve?
I have worked at iiNet for 2 years as a business analyst, but have recently moved into the marketing department. My new role involves providing analytical support for the team, plus the evaluation of new and exciting products.

What did you do before you came to iiNet?
Prior to joining iiNet I worked for a bank for 2 years. I was part of the marketing team where I was the Customer Database Manager. Joining iiNet was a big change but definitely worth the move.

What is the best thing about working at iiNet?
The people! I work with a great team who make coming to work fun. It's a young and fast moving organisation which isn't afraid to be innovative.

customer of the month

Name: Craig Hyde
Location: Atwell, WA
Account type: broadband2+ with phone
Customer Since: March 2005

Describe your typical day of living online?
I spend a lot of my time searching for alternative music, especially unsigned bands. I'm also teaching myself web design and corporate design. My wife feels that the net takes up too much of my life, but hey, when you've got a great product like ADSL2+ it's pretty hard not to spend a lot of time enjoying it.

What's the best thing about your iiNet broadband?
Speed. Also, the reliability is great, as well as the assistance that comes with being with iiNet. The great thing is that if there ever is problem (my fault or iiNet's) the tech guys don't get annoyed or sick and tired of helping you out.

Your favourite site?
Myspace.com is probably one of my most visited. I enjoy listening to unsigned and independents. To be honest I love just surfing to where ever it takes me.

What technology/website are you looking forward to most?
I am looking forward to finally finishing my race team's web site. I do the PR job for a drag racing team here in Western Australia, which has a close affiliation with the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children Foundation. We have aligned ourselves with the head injuries aspect of the foundation and in the last three years have raised in excess of $20,000.

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

 

 

competitions

30 Seconds to Mars CD giveaway
After blitzing the alternative charts in the US last year, rockers 30 Seconds to Mars (30STM) are touching down in Australia with their new album "A Beautiful Lie".

The band's front man is none other than Jared Leto most known for his roles in "Requiem For Dream," "Panic Room," and "Fight Club." Leto describes the new album as "a raw emotional journey. A story of life, love, death, pain, joy, and passion. Of what it is to be human."

"A Beautiful Lie" is out now in CD stores Australia-wide and features the current single "The Kill" (winner of best music clip at the 2006 MTV awards).

To celebrate the album's release, EMI and Musichead have passed on to us 10 copies of "A Beautiful Lie" to give away to iiNews readers. To be in the running to win, email competitions with "30STM Competition" in the subject line, and provide your username, full name, and address by 5pm WST, December 1, 2006, along with the answer to this question: what do you get free during November when you upgrade from dialup to broadband ( hint: you'll find the answer in "support and services")

Winners will be contacted by email and prizes sent by mail.

Visit the official 30STM website at http://www.30secondstomars.com

Nanotomic webcam giveaway
Take instant messaging with friends and family to a new level of sight and sound with the new Microsoft Lifecam. This little baby is a digital camera,videocam, voice recorder and communicator rolled into one. Featuring a 1.3 megapixel camera, 30 frames per second video recording, a built-in microphone and automatic face tracking (to keep you in the picture), the lifecam is what we like to see attached to our monitors or sitting comfortably on the desk.

Best of all, online retailer of all things shiny and electronic, Nanotomic , have reserved 3 of these babies for some lucky iiNews readers homes. To be in the running to win, email competitions with "Lifecam Competition" in the subject line, and provide your username, full name, and address by 5pm WST, December 1, 2006, along with the answer to this question: in 25 words or less, name one way the Internet has changed your everyday life?

Winners will be contacted via email and prizes sent by mail.

Check out what Nanotomic has to offer at www.nanotomic.com.au or view their current specials here.

Tenacious D tickets giveaway !
Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny , tells the story of how the greatest band of all time came about, namely "Tenacious D". The film is an epic comedy journey of musical discovery featuring Tenacious D members Jack Black and Kyle Gass along with cameos from FooFighters frontman Dave Grohl, Meatloaf and many others. If you liked School of Rock , or you love Jack Black, then The Pick of Destiny is sure to delight.

To celebrate the release of Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny on January 11, Roadshow Films have kindly passed on to us 50 double passes to giveaway to iiNews readers.

To be in the running for this prize, please email competitions with "Tenacious D Competition" in the subject line, and provide your username, full name and address by 5pm WST, December 1, 2006, along with the answer to this question: Name one new feature in the soon to be released iiNet webmail system? ( hint: you'll find the answer in the "news")

Winners will be contacted by email and prizes sent by mail.

 

entertainment

2 minute games review - Dark Messiah: Might and Magic (PC)
with Niaal Holder

This month's gaming autopsy features Dark Messiah , a title noisily pimped as the next big thing in first-person role play. It's an RPG, an FPS, a total immersion action hack'n'slash built on Valve's Source engine, it has online deathmatch, and the depth and license of the Might and Magic universe. This should be the one eh?

Non! Instead, I'm left angry, upset, hurt, wanting. It's the bitterly uninspiring cheeseburger you buy at 3am, despite the menu picture showing a perkier, more voluptuous joie de vivre - a burger that says SUCCESS, you got this one, lifeless patty sagging to one side as it stares back at you in self-loathing.

Stick with me. Dark Messiah attempts to do a lot of things right. The first thing you'll notice is the pervasive reliance on physics - predominantly gravity and what heavy objects do to heads when dropped from height. You can grab and throw anything not bolted down; you can kick people into things and set things on fire. It's all very slapstick and admittedly fun to enact, but after your thirtieth 'barrel shower' triggered from a broken bit of shelving above your opponents head, you get suspicious about why these lads stand directly under rickety old woodwork with a regularity you could set your watch to.

Such overwhelming placement of 'natural perils' (including beds of spikes frequently laid upright, roaring open fires, and oh so many barrels) almost makes the RPG part of the game null and void. Why would I bother investing all my skill points into the combat tree if this almighty 'kick' button is going to end all my fights so quickly?

Combat itself, if you decide against the barrel option for the 100th time, is at once exhilarating and tedious. The animations and rigid first person perspective ensure it looks like tasty action, however delayed movement and limited attack/defend options mean the fights get dull quickly.

The title's one saving grace is online multiplayer, considerably more rewarding and enjoyable (and notably lacking in almighty kick button tomfoolery). To my mind, far more involving and character progressive, the deathmatch aspect of Dark Messiah is, ping pending, enough to keep it from a swift and bin-shaped death.

All round though, this title feels premature. It's like a great title sent to market two months before it was ready. I say this because the instruction manual is as informative as a drinks coaster and the general gaming interface feels tacky and rushed. I say this because a gaming engine of such promise gives me little reason to want to come back and play it again.

iiNews games kindly provided by

November new releases:

Medieval 2: Total War (PC)
Neverwinter Nights 2 (PC)
Guitar Hero 2 (PS2)
Need for Speed Carbon (Xbox 360)
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 4: Double Agent (Xbox 360)

 

movie review - Children of Men - Rated MA

The year is 2027 and the youngest person on the planet has just died at age 18. The world is facing extinction. For reasons unknown, no child has been born for 18 years and with no hope of a next generation, the world's greatest cities have descended into moral depravity. Rumours of a "human project" exist, but deep in the now locked down totalitarian state of England, hope has little breathing space.

Based on the book of the same name, Children of Men (COM) paints a pretty bleak picture of the future. Hope seems a foregone conclusion until disenchanted government worker Theodore Faron ( Clive Owen ) reunites with his activist past to pull off one final play for the future - to deliver and protect a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary where her child's birth may help scientists to save the future of mankind.

COM has a fantastic premise; the notion of a world running out of lifespan is instantly intriguing. The year 2027 is not too dissimilar from 2006; questions of immigration and terrorism are top of mind and the London of the future is painted with grey streaks of pollution and poverty. Leave your full length spandex space suit at the door.

As Faron and his delicate cargo shift through forest hideaways, abandoned schools and finally arrive at massive refugee "camp" (read: ghetto) the stage is set for an exhilarating final set piece. I won't spoil it here, but the last half hour of the film is "hold your breath" territory with some of the most original and best war scenes I have ever seen.

Much of the camera work in COM is delivered by hand, giving the viewer a kind of embedded journalist view. You roam behind characters, dodging bullets, fleeing from tanks in long continuous shots of sometimes 5 minutes or more - an effect that pushes you further and further inside Faron's journey. With the sheer number of explosions and special effects flying about, the rehearsal needed for some sequences shots would have been incredible, but definitely worth it.

The understated acting from Clive Owen fits perfectly with the setting and Michael Cain offers some much needed light heartedness with his cameo as a dope smuggler. The only role I didn't get was that of Faron's former wife (played by Julianne Moore ). As the only American in a British production, Moore's jarring accent and smarmy manner seems very out of place. Her abrupt departure, although critical to the plot, makes me wonder whether her name was simply attached to the film for publicity purposes.

COM shows that there is hope for the future of sci-fi genre. For some it will throw up some confronting questions, and when the final credits flash up, many of these are left for the audience to answer.

The bleakness of it won't be for everyone, but those after a bit of cinema brain exercise will come out chuffed.

 

site scan

www.nrma.com.au
Check out NRMA's extensive guides on how to buy a used and new car.

www.carsales.com.au
Australia's so called number 1 Auto Website, featuring car reviews and extensive classifieds.

www.redbook.com.au
How much should you be paying? Redbook gives you used car price recommendations from almost 50 years of research.