It’s February already? I swear the months go by faster every year.

Perhaps I’ve been caught up in all the sports action of summer and the weeks got away from me. There was a load of cricket, basketball and golf, plus the Australian Open tennis recently drew to a close – so this summer’s been a non-stop sports smorgasbord!

February’s Newsletter delivers even more joy for sports fans, with news we’ve again teamed up with our pals at FOX SPORTS to stream heaps of the 2010 Investec Bank Super 14 Season via Freezone. Find out how you can catch every Aussie scrum, tackle and try – absolutely quota-free.

To couple this exciting news, we take a closer look at streaming and the ways you can hear and see online content on demand. We’ll also highlight the stack of streaming goodness available quota-free via Freezone.

This month we also discover how e-Books are growing in popularity as a new, convenient alternative for budding readers – but are they any match for the good old paperback?

We take a sneak peek into our exciting new Member Referral competition, plus we’ve got passes to see three great movie releases – so make sure you get your name in the draw to win.

Take a closer look for yourself and enjoy February’s Westnet Newsletter.

With news Westnet will be streaming coverage of Aussie games in the 2010 Invested Bank Super 14 Season, now’s the perfect time for a closer look at streaming and the loads of quota-free content streamed via Freezone.

Steaming is simply a way of viewing or listening to things on the internet that avoids having to wait for the file to fully download before you can see or hear it. So if you hate waiting around for things to load on your computer, you’ll be a big fan of streaming them instead.

You can stream heaps of different files such as video clips (like YouTube) and radio (think the Freezone stations), but if you stream a lot of content you’ll need to be aware of your internet plan’s download quota limits. Heavy amounts of internet streaming will chew through your download quota, so try to keep it under control keep an eye on how much quota you’ve used by logging into MyAccount.

But Westnet broadband Members needn’t worry – Freezone is bursting with heaps of great content that won’t eat up your monthly download quota.  On top of the 2010 Investec Bank Super 14 Season, sports fans will enjoy Barclays Premier League soccer streamed directly to your computer quota-free.

You can also catch up on your favourite television shows with ABC iView – featuring best of ABC TV, on-demand and immediately after it broadcasts. Then there’s Freezone Kids, our safe online entertainment playground designed especially for young ones!

All this quota-free viewing is a feast for the eyes, but Freezone offers something for your listening pleasure, too. Freezone Radio features heaps of popular stations from all over the country, streamed quota-free for your listening pleasure. Plus your music downloads are quota-free when you purchase them through iTunes.

The beauty of Freezone is you’re free to stream loads great online entertainment without sacrificing your monthly download quota.  So while it’s a good idea to keep your streaming outside of Freezone to a minimum, we’re pleased to offer a guilt-free streaming experience!

Calling all Westnet Members! Spread the good news about Westnet and you could go into the running for some fantastic prizes as part of our Member Referral competition.

If you love being a Westnet member, we’d love you to tell your friends! Voted PC Authority magazine’s Best Broadband ISP for 2009, we’re proud to offer the very best internet products and award winning customer service. We think it’s only fair your friends get the chance to experience Westnet’s premium internet and unbeatable customer service.

The Westnet Member Referral competition kicks off  soon, so keep an eye out for more information in next month’s Westnet Newsletter.

There’s nothing quite like curling up with a book and getting carried away in a good story, then passing it on to a friend or family member so they can enjoy the for themselves. But as more and more daily activities become accessible online, it comes as no surprise that new and (sometimes) improved ways of reading a good book are emerging.

Twenty years ago it would have been hard to believe that newsletters, newspapers, magazines and books would be readily available online and on demand. But with websites now dedicated to delivering around the clock news coverage, as it happens and with by-the-minute updates, technology is moving at a roaring pace.

Those with a soft spot for gadgets would probably be aware of a number of devices offering nifty alternatives to printed publications. For example, smartphone technology now allows iPhone owners to read newspapers or entire books via their mobile, flicking a finger over the screen to ‘turn’ the pages. (Keep this in mind the next time you’re on the bus or train and the person across from you can’t take their eyes off their phone – they just might be in the middle of a good story!)

And so sees the swift rise in the popularity of e-Books – publications sold and read completely online – and the products necessary to view them, known as e-Readers.

Amazon.com – one of the largest online book retailers – currently manufactures one of the world’s most popular e-Readers – the Kindle. It’s a hand held device that connects to the company’s website, offering loads of ‘paperless books’ to budding readers around the world.

Just like an iPod stores entire CD collections in pocket-sized hardware, the Kindle can deliver an entire library (up to 1,500 books) in the one handy device. The Kindle’s 15cm screen incorporates special lighting technology to create an appearance similar to paper which is easy on the eye. Its lightweight design (a touch over 300g and just 18mm thick) also means it fits snugly into a handbag or backpack for ease of travel.

Don’t be deceived, the Kindle is not a mobile computer; but it does use similar technology. Free wireless connection with Amazon.com, for instance, means users can browse online shelves, purchase a title at a reasonable price and have it on their Kindle screen in around 60 seconds. While the look and feel of a traditional book is unfortunately sacrificed, other features – such as increasing text size for a squint-free read and super-sharp display – prove winners.

It’s interesting to learn of the alternatives out there for people looking for a complete, on-the-go reading solution. While the convenience of a bookshelf at your fingertips is no doubt behind the success of the Kindle, technology will be hard pressed to beat the feeling of being immersed in a good old-fashioned paperback – a real page-turner.

Westnet and Sony Pictures are pleased to present The Men Who Stare at Goats – the story of a mission you’ll have to see to believe.

In a comedic look at real life events that are almost too bizarre to believe, The Men Who Stare at Goats follows a reporter who discovers a top-secret wing of the U.S. military when he accompanies an enigmatic Special Forces operator on a mind-boggling mission.

The film was inspired by Jon Ronson’s non-fiction bestseller of the same name, an eye-opening and often hilarious exploration of the government’s attempts to harness paranormal abilities to combat its enemies and stars George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Ewan McGregor, Kevin Spacey and Robert Patrick.

For your chance to win one of 25 in-season double passes to The Men Who Stare at Goats, yet to be classified and in cinemas March 4^th, simply click the ‘Enter’ button in the Westnet Newsletter in your inbox. Entries are limited to one per Westnet username. The competition closes at 12.01am (WST) on Thursday March 4^th, 2010.

Westnet and Village Roadshow are pleased to present Dear John – what would you do with a letter that changed everything?

The complexities of love are explored as the strength of a young couple’s relationship and their devotion to one another is tested by forces beyond their control in the dramatic romance DEAR JOHN.

John Tyree (Channing Tatum) is a handsome, soft-spoken Special Forces soldier visiting his father in South Carolina while on leave.  Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried) is a beautiful, idealistic college student from a wealthy Southern family, home for spring break. Their meeting turns into a whirlwind two-week courtship, and their feelings quickly deepen into an all-consuming, passionate love.  When John is forced to return to his deployment and Savannah heads back to college, the couple promises to write one another.  Through a continuous stream of letters, their love continues to blossom and a deeply romantic love story unfolds.

For your chance to win one of 16 in-season double passes to Dear John, yet to be classified and in cinemas March 4^th, simply click the ‘Enter’ button in the Westnet Newsletter in your inbox. Entries are limited to one per Westnet username. The competition closes at 12.01am (WST) on Thursday March 4^th, 2010

Westnet and Paramount Pictures are pleased to present Shutter Island – someone’s gone missing in body and mind.

From Oscar®-winning director Martin Scorsese, Shutter Island is the story of two U.S. marshals, Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), who are summoned to a remote and barren island off the coast of Massachusetts to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a murderess from the island’s fortress-like hospital for the criminally insane.

For your chance to win one of 20 in-season double passes to Shutter Island, rated MA and in cinemas February 18^th, simply click the ‘Enter’ button in the Westnet Newsletter in your inbox. Entries are limited to one per Westnet username. The competition closes at 12.01am (WST) on Monday, February 18^th, 2010.