November iiNews
letter from the editor
Welcome to November iiNews.
The last half of October turned up some interesting firsts - first time we've hit 50,000 customers on our DSLAM infrastructure, first time we turned 12, first time I interviewed a celebrity...
Ok, so I'm stretching my intro. But we did turn 12 and celebrated river cruise-style to mark the occasion. We've come a long way from our humble origins in a suburban Padbury garage, and for those of you who want to hear more about our past, present and future, this December we're giving you the chance to join us at the 2005 iiNet Open Day.
The Open Day will feature technology seminars throughout the day, giveaways, and of course the once-a-year opportunity to check out what we all look like. Please make sure your camera lens is insured before you come. Check out the news section for full details.
October also held a special first for me as I dropped in on Kestie Morassi - star of the new Australian horror film Wolf Creek - and talked shop about fake blood, the big scream and the experience of shooting a low budget horror movie in the Australian outback. You can check out the full interview (complete with witty remarks from me) in the flicks and tunes section.
It's really been a busy month across the company (I know I say this every month) and you may have noticed an extended wait when calling our contact centres. We apologise for this and appreciate your patience while we deal with the problem. Soon all things should be back to normal. See the customer service update for more information.
Lastly, if you're stuck for holiday gift ideas, or just like dreaming of presents, this month we take a look at some of my top picks for the upcoming festive season.
Hope you enjoy.
Mark Welker
iiNews Editor
general news
2005 open day
iiNet is opening its doors for the fifth annual Open Day on Friday, 2nd December 2005, from 10am to 5pm. Come along and check out what goes on behind the scenes at our head office in Perth, attend some of our information seminars and meet the staff.
Throughout the day we will be running seminars covering topics including Internet basics, DSLAMs and the iiNet National Network, customer service and the Virtual Call Centre, online gaming, iiNet telephony solutions today and tomorrow, as well as Triple Play and the iiNet group.
We'll also have tours guided by our staff running throughout the day. You can see how we operate on a day-to-day basis, visit the network operations centre, the contact centre and see how all the departments interact to deliver our products.
Just by coming along on the day and filling in a quick feedback form, you'll be in the running to win a $100 gift voucher. We'll also have spot prizes to give out during the day. Plus, the first 400 who register and attend will receive an iiNet merchandise pack.
Register your interest in attending the day here. Visit the Open Day website for more info.
Don't live in Perth? Check out the competitions below for details on how you can win a trip for two to Perth to attend the Open Day.
european tech tour
Members of our executive team recently returned from a working tour in Europe, meeting with several of the world's key Telecommunications and Internet Service Providers.
The objective of the tour was to gain a greater understanding of the international market and to source new technology and service ideas for our Australian and NZ customers. The intensive tour took in Sweden, The UK, France and Italy but sadly included only half a day of sightseeing!
The visit was a highly educational opportunity for the team. By meeting with key personnel at some of the top telco firms in Europe, they got a rare inside feel for the current EU markets, products and service trends that may soon reach Australia, and the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.
For our customers, the trip paves the way for better products and better ways to connect in the future.
support & services
customer service update
October and November have been extremely busy months for our contact centres due to the transfer of our OzEmail customers onto the iiNet systems. This integration process is necessary to give all our customers the same level of quality service and support.
Whilst we have tried our best to minimise the impact of the integration on our day-to-day operations, recently customers have experienced some extended waiting times when calling our Contact Centres.
Unfortunately, the number of calls we are currently receiving is far more than our expected forecasts. We spent a lot of time planning for the customer transfer, however, unforeseen challenges have occurred and created a heavier than usual demand on all our Contact Centres.
Firstly, we apologise for any inconvenience to our customers. We know that everybody's time is valuable and we are working hard to rectify the situation. We are currently hiring one of our biggest intakes of new staff with 65 recruits earmarked for the Perth Contact Centre alone.
The majority of the integration is now complete and we believe we are now over the big humps. We expect to have the integration completed by the end of November and be back to business as usual. Once again we apologise and thank all our customers for their patience and continued support.
customer feedback
This month we heard back from computer novice Sally in Victoria:
"David was excellent at guiding me through a series of very complicated procedures. I am a complete computer/internet novice Thanks David for making life simpler again."
Tim from WA had this to say about his support experience:
"Glen was very helpful and solved the problem quickly. Also, the waiting time to speak to support was very impressive! I was happy with that."
Thanks for your feedback guys. Rememeber, if you have any comments or suggestions for iiNews, shoot them through on iinewsfeedback@iinet.net.au
virus alert
top 5 viruses reported to sophos in october
1.
W32/Netsky-P
2.
W32/Mytob-GH
3.
W32/Mytob-EX
4.
W32/Mytob-AS
5.
W32/Mytob-BE
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 iiNet's email anti-virus in conjunction with a personal anti-virus product such as those here.
tech knowledge
DSLAM expansion news
We're in the process of redesigning our DSLAM rollout schedule to provide customers with more accurate activation and migration forecasts, as well as answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we get in regard to DSLAMs. Check out the section below for a sample of the new FAQs that will be appearing on the site very soon.
In DSLAM news, we hit 50,000 customers on iiNet DSLAMs in October - a massive achievement for us and a great boon for our customers. We're continuing to migrate our exisitng customers over to our infrastructure, with migrations scheduled for November including Castle Hill NSW, Randwick NSW, Paddington QLD, Clayton VIC, Greenmount WA and Tuart Hill WA.
For an up-to-date look at our DSLAM infrastructure rollout, check out the DSLAM Rollout Page.
DSLAM faq
What does DSLAM mean?
Digitial Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer is the ADSL modem in the exchange that you connect to.
What are these DSL ports you're talking about?
A DSL port is basically a connection, or a "place" reserved on an iiNet DSLAM.
How many broadband DSL ports are available on our DSLAMs?
DSL port availability is dependant upon how many DSLAMs we can install and how much room there is to expand in your exchange. Currently, we install ports in multiples of 288 and cater for both current and future projected demand.
If a port becomes free on an iiNet DSLAM, is this allocated to the next new customer or is there a queue of customers?
The process of connecting customers to an iiNet DSLAM means that the very next new customer will go onto the DSLAM, providing their telephone line is compatible with the DSLAM. There are no queued ports when applying for broadband2. They are allocated to customers upon signup and spare ports are made available during the application process.
Do you reserve ports for migrating existing compatible customers over?
Yes. We always make sure we reserve ports for migrating existing customers over and these are allocated prior to making the ports available to new customers. Customers are notified at the time we migrate services via email to let them know they are being changed over from a third party network provider to an iiNet DSLAM port.
If an exchange is at full capacity, why don't you just expand it?
Exchanges at full capacity are scheduled for an expansion during what we call our "Growth" project. This process requires a substantial investment of time, money and co-operation with external contractors. Some exchanges need additional infrastructure built (such as TEBA space, MDF positions) to allow expansion and can take many months in the planning phase.
This kind of work must be scheduled through external contractors and the length of time taken to build varies from exchange to exchange. We'd love to expand every time we fill up our ports - the more people wanting to get on to our equipment the better - unfortunately, it's never as simple as that.
tech tips
Thanks go to Eric in Customer Service and Hendo in Networks Services for this month's tips:
"Windows error 691" is the most common error experienced by dialup account users. It is often an indication that your logon username or password is incorrect or that your account has run out of credit. For a quick fix, try retyping your password and username even if you haven't changed it recently.
Did you know you can check your itemised phone bill whenever you like online via toolbox? Keep track of your monthly phone charges by monitoring your bill as you go and adjusting your usage to fit.
ii people
staff profile
Name:
Carrie Burgoyne
Title:
Finance Officer
How long have you been with iiNet and what roles have you had?
I've been with iiNet for 17months and have had the same role since I started.
What does your current role involve?
At the moment most of my role is involved in financial administration; in particular liaising with the contact centre staff with client refunds (this is when a customer has over paid their account or is unsatisfied with the service we provided them). I also handle the distribution of invoices for six of iiNet's companies, primarily making sure they are properly authorised and accountable.
What's been your most memorable or satisfying experience at iiNet?
Hmmm...My most memorable experience would probably be the launch of the new logo and brand. It was an exciting time for iiNet, entering a new phase under the ii brand. I thought the whole presentation was fantastic! I enjoyed the animation of the logo evolving into the connect better brand we have now and especially the after party dinks at Box Deli.....
Where do you see iinet in 5 years?
The industry moves so fast it's hard to tell. It would be interesting to see mobile phone services playing a part though.
customer profile
Name: Juan Rojas
Account type: broadband2 medium bundled with iiphone
Customer since: 2004
Location: Randwick, NSW
What do you use the Internet for most?
I use the internet to keep up to date with the daily news as well as contacting family in Uruguay, Chile and Canada. I also play some games with my wife using MSN and talk to friends in Spain.
What are the best aspects of your broadband connection?
Speed, definitely speed.
Why did you decide to bundle with iiphone?
Mainly because of price, but my personal opinion is: iiNet is a top company so why not take the advantage of all the facilities you offer.
How do you find the iinetphone service?
iinetphone is the telephone of the future. Call rates are cheap to most of the countries we call, sound is almost perfect with no interference at all.
What types of calls do you make using iinetphone?
I use it for local and international calls, with regular calls to countries like Spain, Canada and occasionally to Chile. Unfortunately Uruguay is still too expensive, due to the telephone monopoly in that country.
Are there any upcoming Internet technologies that you are looking forward to?
I'm really waiting for VoIP to become more accessible to everyone around the world as we use it to call our family almost everyday. As I'm against monopolies, I'm really looking forward to seeing VoIP open up more opportunities for the general public.
holiday gift guide
This month we take a look at some of the top gifts for the upcoming holiday season.
ipod - $449
For sheer sexiness, ease of use and functionality, you can't go past an Apple ipod for the ultimate Christmas gift. It's not a case anymore of who wants one, just try and find someone who doesn't.
Playstation Portable - $399
Got kids (even big ones)? Want PSP. The Playstation Portable is the newest portable games player to hit the Australian market. With support for movie playback via a special UMD disc, music and photo storage and of course its own games library, the PSP can't be beat.
King Kong - Peter Jackson Production Diaries (2 Disc Box Set) - $33
You just can't stop the Jackson! Following on from the exhaustingly spectacular Lord of the Rings series comes Jackson's next larger than life escapade: King Kong...or kind of. This is actually the "making of" documentary. Released, intriguingly, before the actual movie hits cinema screens.
The Sims 2 Holiday Edition - $81
Can a trillion people be wrong? Well, maybe not a trillion, but the original The Sims was the biggest selling game of all time. Why? Well there's obviously something infinitely enjoyable about washing, feeding, cleaning up after and generally manipulating your own digital family. For boys and girls - the new meaning of addiction.
Sony DSC-T7 Black - $699
This 9.8mm thick cybershot is more stylish than a room full of Swiss architects. Featuring a 5.1 Megapixel image capture, a Carl Zeiss lens with 3X optical zoom and a full-sized 2.5" Hybrid LCD monitor - it's sometimes more about the camera than the photo it takes. Nice.
Good Weekends Away - $29.95
The "Good Weekends Away' book is jam packed with enticing reviews of regions and properties just perfect for relaxing away from the city. With over 100 destinations for the passionate traveller, the guide includes photographs, maps, and all the vital information you need to plan your voyage this holiday season.
Wireless setup (Card plus wireless Modem) - $329
There is no better way to surf the Internet than from your comfy couch. This setup including the new Belkin ADSL2+ 4 Port wirless Modem + Notebook wireless card, will get you online in no time. Finally, true multi-tasking - watching TV and surfing the web at the same time.
The Rotolog Watch - $300
Whichever way you look at this thing of horrendous beauty, it is undeniably cool. Nixon watches have an entire range of similar time keeping monstrosities (including The Tron, The Player and The Dork) that are perfect for accentuating your uniqueness.
competitions
grimm tickets giveaway!
To celebrate the imminent release of Terry Gilliam's new twisted adventure, "The Brothers Grimm", Roadshow Films have kindly provided us with 20 in-season double passes to the film to give away to our readers.
To be in the running for this prize, please email competitions with "Grimm Competition" in the subject line, and provide your iiNet username, full name, and address by 5pm WST, November 27, 2005, along with the answer to this question: In which suburb was the garage that iiNet started in 12 years ago? (hint: you'll find the answer in the letter to the editor).
Winners with the correct answer will be drawn at random and prizes sent by mail.
win a trip to attend the iiNet open day!
Don't live in Perth? You still have a chance to join us for the Open Day. We're giving away two trips for two people to Perth departing on 1 December 2005 and returning on 4 December 2005. The prize includes return flights from your nearest capital city, three nights' accommodation and airport transfers for two people.
The competition is open to all customers outside the Perth area.
To enter, just tell us in 50 words or less why we should fly you to Perth for the Open Day. Email your entries to openday@iinet.net.au with the subject line 'Win a Trip to Perth'. Include your full name, address, contact telephone number and username.
You must be available to travel on those dates and the prize is not transferable. Entries are open now and close at 11:59pm on 20 November 2005.
The winners will be announced on 21 November and be contacted by phone or email. The winners will also be featured in future editions of iiNews. Please refer to our terms & conditions for further details.
ii games
two minute review -
F.E.A.R.
for PC
with Niaal Holder
We all make mistakes. As a child, I used to do stupid things like putting biscuits in the cassette player. However, my most recent mistake forms the basis of this review - the long awaited first person shooter,
F.E.A.R.
- which I rather foolishly decided to install and play late on a very quiet, solitary Monday evening. It should have been obvious, really. I mean, the game isn't called H.I.L.A.R.I.T.Y. or G.L.E.E.
F.E.A.R. is, to put it bluntly, a little bit on the extremely creepy side. When you fire it up and get into it, you'll be downloading brownware trouserwards in no time. How so? Doom3 was scary too, non? Well, sort of. Doom3 was more or less an "if it moves, kill it, before it takes my face off OH MY GOD ITS ON MY FACE AGAIN HOORAY" affair. In contrast, F.E.A.R. serves up an absolute pantload of subtle chills, with a more gritty, urban realism and a knack for catching you just as you've changed undies.
You play the part of a new recruit to the First Encounter Assault Recon (hence F.E.A.R. ) team, a specially formed tactical unit geared for taking on the paranormal. Your first mission kicks off the story, leading you into drab residential surroundings in pursuit of a human target, but rapidly exposing you to things of a much darker strain as you progress.
Picture this: You walk into a bland, empty room, there's no enemies, nothing anyone could jump out of, no surprises. Probably a good time to reload, take stock but oh, hang on...who was that burnt, dusty guy - where has he gone? Why is the room knee-deep with blood now, why is there a dead man's face on my screen and what is that little girl doing running round on the ceiling?
Overall, the FPS side of things is standard fare, so experienced shooters will get to grips quickly. There are notable exceptions, however: inventive new weaponry, an array of melee attacks and command of Max Payne -esque bullet time. Suffice to say, there's nothing quite like leaping over a wall in slow mo, kicking a geezer upside the head and stapling him to the ceiling. It's hilariously addictive combat.
The game looks and feels quite similar to Half Life 2 , and with the addition of some uncomfortably intrusive and graphic visuals, things get exciting quickly. The downright hallmark of this game though has to be the most formidable computer AI I've seen to date. Not since Halo 2 have enemies whupped my bad self so hard; in F.E.A.R. you'll find opponents moving swiftly and aggressively, in unforgiving numbers, to the constant detriment of your protagonist. I've seen computer opponents pop their head over things to let me know they're there, then when I go round to introduce myself, I find they've crept through the frigging hole in the fence, belly crawled behind me and pointed a gun at my back. Campers should also beware: the computer won't tolerate your antics and you'll likely pay for them swiftly.
Get excited lads and ladies, this title is a real treat. And while it aint for everyone (it carries a deserved 15+ rating) it's certainly for me.
ii flicks & tunes
album of the month
Alex Lloyd - Alex Lloyd
Alex Lloyd, one of Australia's most successful singer/songwriters, returns to the fold with his fourth album, the simply named 'Alex Lloyd'. Heavily influenced by his own personal journey surrounding the making of his last album "Distant Light", the new album is defined by diverse guitar textures and classic pop ballads.
He proves once again his superb song writing talents and a gift for experimenting across several musical styles. Features the current single 'Never Meant To Fail'.
movie of the month
The Brothers Grimm - Rated M
From the director of "12 Monkeys" and "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen", comes Terry Gilliam's next foray into his twisted imagination with "The Brothers Grimm." Set in early 18th century French-occupied Germany, The Brothers Grimm stars Matt Damon as Will Grimm and Heath Ledger as Jake Grimm, travelling salesmen selling spook cures to unsuspecting village folk. When things go bad and the jig is up, they're catapulted into a fantasy of their own - sent to the tiny village of Marbaden to solve the mysterious disappearance of a number of young girls.
Drawing from classic Grimm tales such as Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella, Rapunzel and the Frog Prince, The Brothers Grimm is another twist in Gillam's warped sense of reality.
See the competitions section above on how you can win passes to see the movie.
movie review
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - Rated MA
There's been a real absence of decent comedies at my DVD store of late. The shelves are stacked full of bland romantic "comedies" and derivative "buddy" pics. It seems a comedy these days doesn't need an interesting storyline or engaging characters anymore; just a clapped out vehicle crammed with gross out jokes.
Not so with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
Released just last week, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (KKBB) is freaking cool - by that I mean it is fresh, energetic, innovative and hilarious. It's a hardboiled crime comedy with all the staples of a great action movie - fast talking characters, gun fights, beautiful women and lots of cash - mixed with a healthy dose of black comedy and some clever editing.
When thief, actor and out of practice magician, Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jnr) teams up for some detective lessons with private eye Gay Perry (Val Kilmer) both get more than they bargained for. Harry comes home to find a corpse in his shower and more people than normal want to shoot him. The sister of his childhood sweetheart (Michelle Monaghan) turns up dead and Harry and Gay are suddenly playing detective for real.
From here, the plot spirals into a twisted crime/comedy thriller with your standard prescritption of mobsters, movie stars, masked gun men, car chases and witty one liners. But what makes KKBB so clever is how it's all pulled off.
Harry's narration of events really sets the film apart. Often he remarks on the relevance of a particular scene or pokes fun at the contrived nature of the film's plot devices. Speaking directly to the audience Harry will often physically stop the film as he remembers important plot points or character back stories that he should have mentioned. It's a great effect, and compliments the hard-boiled crime nature of the storyline perfectly.
KKBB made me laugh almost as much as Team America, but afterwards I was left with the afterglow of an intelligent and slick movie experience - something very rare these days for a comedy.
A comedy with substance - who would have thought...
wolf creek interview
This month I caught up with Kestie Morassi, star of the new Australian horror film Wolf Creek
, for a chat about her role in what's been touted "Australia's answer to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre".
Mark: Wolf Creek has now been to Sundance and to Cannes, what's been your most memorable experience of the publicity tour so far?
Kestie: Ummm, it would have to be,...that's a good question. I don't know, there's so many, Sundance was very cool. That was like, 10 days in this tiny little town with a normal population of 1000 people and around 40,000 people going through during the festival. That was the first time I'd seen the movie and seen an audiences' reaction. Everybody in the cinema was an avid filmgoer and they reacted amazingly to it. That was a huge buzz for me - to see something that I had done and everyone had worked so hard on, up on screen looking so great and sounding so great.
M: And how many times have you seen the film since?
K: I've seen it six times at all the different festivals. I'm not going to watch it again.
M: After all those times seeing it does it still have the same effect on you?
K: It changes. The first time I watch a film I'm in it's all about your performance. Second time I was a little less obsessed with my performance and it was more about what an amazing film it was and how well it was made. Then the third time you start to notice other things like the cinematography and the sound.
The last time I watched it was the first time I saw it with friends. I wasn't going to watch it, but I did. That time I felt kind of ill afterwards. It was the first time I said "eww that's really gross" - in a good way of course. I was able to forget all the technical stuff and just watch it as a film. But eww.
M: Yeah, it has that effect on some people.
K: It's draining to watch. But I love that. When I go and see a film I want to be affected. I want to feel exhausted or elated.
M: Your character Kristy, goes through what's probably the most harrowing experience of the three main characters. How do you prepare yourself mentally for those kind of scenes?
K: You don't. Well, I didn't really. Umm...you can't rehearse things like that. You kind of just have to hope and pray that you do it right and that it works. That's the fun thing about acting - the fear thing. Can I really do this? Can I fool everyone into thinking I know what I'm doing? I was also surrounded by all these wonderful people, great actors and the incredible makeup. After two hours of sitting in the makeup chair you feel like screaming, you feel like you could kill someone.
M: Do you take the blood off at the end of the day?
K: Oh my god yes. You have to match the makeup everyday, but there was always this one thick glob of it on the side of my head. So at the end of each day I'd spend hours trying to get this bloody great blood clot out of my head.
M: Your character's relationship with John Jarratt's character, Mick, is particularly cruel. How do your characters' interactions affect your own interactions on set?
K: Well John didn't really want to get to know me as a person in the beginning. He wanted to see me, as he so delicately put it, as "veal". Like the whole fresh meat thing. So for him to get into that mindset he didn't want to get to know me as the lovely sweet person I am. So, he kind of kept his distance a little, and I from him. It wasn't a conscious decision to do so by me, it just happened naturally. Acting is instinctual for me. We'd exchange looks that said "yeah I don't wanna get to know you just yet, not now, we'll do all our crazy stuff first."
M: And how many times did you have to spit on him during your torture scene?
K: It was really funny, because we played that scene out probably about seven times, from all the different angles. In one of the takes I spat on him and it was great, I got him right in the eye, but the camera wasn't on me at that point because you never knew when the camera was gonna be on you. Greg comes up to me and goes "That spitting thing was really good. Can you do it again?" So what you see in the movie is me trying to spit on him but having no saliva left on the next take. So I spit on him, then I spit again and still nothing comes out. But it still seems to work in the film, looks much more desperate somehow.
M: What next for you?
K: Umm, in terms of film work, nothing. I did Wolf Creek and then I travelled, then went to Sundance and I've been promoting the film ever since. From here we're going to go to America to promote the film there, and then I'm gonna stay on and see if I can score an American movie, make some money, go back to Melbourne and buy a house...I don't know. Haven't really thought about what's next really. That's part of the fun.
Wolf Creek is in cinemas now across Australia. Rated R.
site scan
www.crossculturalsolutions.org
Got a cross cultural volunteering itch that you just can't stop scratching? At Cross-Cultural Solutions you'll find a wealth of international volunteering options to get you in touch with the wider world.
www.strawberrynet.com
Touted as the world's largest provider of discount skin care, Strawberrynet means nothing to me. But if you're into brands like Dermalogica, Anna Sui and Chanel, then maybe you'll go crazy over this.
www.hpieurope.com
My god, I didn't know there was so much support for remote controlled cars. The HPI Europe site is like a minature mechanic's dream, with parts purchasing, videos and ready to go car kits. Good for a nostlagic day dream.
www.bluesnews.com
Don't have time to trawl through the sea of gaming websites for the latest news? Bluesnews collects IT and gaming news from across the web and presents it all in the one place.
