Chapter 5: InfoPaks

This section describes the different types of InfoPaks available, and which InfoPak parameters you can control. It also explains how to play, view, save, delete and interact with an InfoPak.

Interacting with Active InfoPaks

What is an InfoPak?

InfoPaks are the various media items through which the channel you’ve selected communicates to you new information. InfoPaks usually consist of files containing InfoFlash, sound, text and graphic components for entertainment, informational, or marketing purposes.

The BackWeb agent residing in your local computer organizes and displays these InfoPaks on an intelligent and context-sensitive basis. Through the BackWeb window, you can control the displays.

When an InfoPak is being displayed, you can interact with it by clicking on different areas inside the display. Interaction is intended to reveal more information, or to link directly to the content provider’s Web page or related Web sites.

InfoPak Types

InfoPaks are defined as one of the following:

InfoFlashes.

Screen savers.

Background wallpapers.

Audio messages.

InfoFlashes

InfoFlashes are animated content InfoPaks that appear periodically on the screen at idle time or are played manually by the user. Typically they are in the form of news flashes where a headline or graphic is towed onto the screen.

Clicking on the InfoPak usually displays additional information on the InfoPak with an option to load the Web browser which opens on the relevant page in the content provider’s Web site.

Screen Savers

Screen savers are displayed on your screen when the computer is idle, in accordance with your Windows configuration. Screen savers are dynamic pictures or simple InfoFlashes that are used to prevent pixel burn out on traditional monitors. They can also help secure your PC against unauthorized use if you setup a screen saver password. Most commonly, they are a source of entertainment. Normal screen savers stop and disappear when you enter any keyboard input or move or click your mouse.

The BackWeb screen savers, however, can be set up to allow interacting with the screen saver InfoPaks by clicking on them.

Background Wallpaper

A desktop wallpaper is a picture that appears on the user’s screen. All desktop icons and application windows are placed on top of this picture. In Windows 3.11 you have the option of displaying the wallpaper pattern in the center of the screen or tiling the pattern across the entire screen. For BackWeb wallpapers, the channel determines whether the wallpaper pattern is tiled or centered.

Audio Messages

Audio messages are audio files, played according to the same schedule as InfoFlashes.

Playing an InfoPak

While you are working, InfoPaks will occasionally display on your screen in accordance with your configuration.

In addition, you can manually display a specific InfoPak:

1. Select the InfoPak you want to play from the InfoPak pane.

2. Click the play button in the toolbar, or select Play from the InfoPak menu.

Replaying the Last InfoPak Viewed

To replay the last InfoFlash or audio message (if applicable), select Replay [last InfoFlash] from the InfoPak menu, where [last InfoFlash] is the name of the last InfoFlash displayed.

Viewing Information on InfoPaks

Information such as the size of an InfoPak and its content provider’s Internet address can be viewed using the BackWeb window.

To view the properties of an InfoPak:

1. Select the InfoPak in the InfoPak pane of the BackWeb Window.

2. Select Properties from the InfoPak menu.

1. Right click on the InfoPak

2. Select Properties from the pop-up menu.

The following types of information categories are available:

General information

Author information

General Information

General information available for an InfoPak includes:

InfoPak name.

InfoPak type (InfoFlash, audio message, screen saver or wallpaper).

Channel name.

Date received.

InfoPak size.

Starts at date and time. If there is a date and time specified before which the InfoPak should not be auto-played then it is displayed here.

Expiry date and time. If there is an expiration time, the InfoPak will not be auto-played after this time and will be deleted from the database shortly after.

Number of times the InfoPak has been played.

Last play date and time.

Author Information

Author information on the InfoPak includes:

Content provider name.

Web site address.

Content provider’s e-mail address, telephone and fax number.

In addition, you may access the Web site by pressing the Open Web Page button. This loads the Web browser which opens on the relevant page in the content provider’s Web site (refer to Chapter 7 for more information on accessing Web sites).

Additional author information may appear at the bottom of this dialog box, if available.

Interacting with Active InfoPaks

You can interact with an active InfoPak (i.e., the InfoFlash currently displaying on your screen) to get more information.

The interaction may reveal hidden additional information, or may provide a direct link to the content provider’s Web page or to other Web sites of interest, such as product review, discussion groups, FAQ lists, etc.

To interact with an active InfoFlash, click on the InfoFlash in any of the areas designated for referencing more information.

To interact with a screen saver: If the “Interact with the screen saver” option is enabled in setup, and a screen saver password is not enabled in the control panel, you can interact with the screen saver by clicking on it while it is running. Otherwise, press F1 to stop the screen saver without terminating the InfoPak, and then click on the InfoPak.

Viewing Additional Information

To view more information, when available, than is displayed by an InfoPak, click the designated area(s) of the InfoPak.

Viewing Web Sites

Depending on the InfoPak author, you may access related Web site(s). To view the Web sites offered by the InfoPak, position your cursor on the InfoPak being played and click the right mouse button. Look for the Access Web Site item in the menu displayed.

To access a channel’s Web page:

1. Open the BackWeb Window.

2. Select a Channel.

3. Select Open Web Page from the Channel menu.

Muting an InfoFlash

To turn off the sound of an InfoFlash:

1. Position your cursor on the InfoFlash.

2. Click the right mouse button.

3. Select Mute from the pop-up menu.

This will not affect the InfoFlash visually, but works as a toggle for the sound accompanying the InfoFlash. Only the selected InfoFlash will be mute. If you do not want InfoFlashes to have sound at all, use the InfoFlashes and Audio folder on BackWeb’s setup dialog box to disable sound in all InfoFlashes.

Pausing an InfoFlash

An InfoFlash may be paused during the time it is being displayed on your computer. This option may be used to give you additional time to view the InfoFlash and its various options or to enable you to finish what you are doing without disturbance.

To pause an InfoFlash:

1. Position your cursor on the InfoFlash.

2. Click the right mouse button.

3. Select Pause InfoFlash from the pop-up menu.

To resume the InfoFlash:

1. Position your cursor on the InfoFlash.

2. Click the right mouse button.

3. Select Resume InfoFlash from the pop-up menu.

Terminating an InfoFlash

If you would like to terminate the InfoFlash before it has run its natural course, select Stop from the InfoPak menu or press the icon on the toolbar. In this case, you can use Play Last InfoFlash from the BackWeb menu to view an InfoFlash once it has been “ended”.

You can also click the right mouse button on the InfoFlash and select End InfoFlash.

In addition, from the pop-up menu displayed by clicking the right mouse button on the BackWeb agent icon, you can select the InfoPak currently being displayed and select Stop to terminate the InfoFlash.

Removing the Current Wallpaper

If you would like to remove the current wallpaper which BackWeb has displayed on your screen, select the Remove Current Wallpaper item in the InfoPak menu or click the Remove Current Wallpaper icon on the toolbar.

Deleting an InfoPak

InfoPaks will normally be deleted and replaced by fresh InfoPaks automatically as the space on your hard disk reserved for BackWeb fills up. However, you can manually delete InfoPaks.

To delete a particular InfoPak:

1. Select the InfoPak from the InfoPak pane of the BackWeb Window.

2. Select Delete from the InfoPak menu.

3. Confirm the deletion.

Keeping an InfoPak

BackWeb replaces old InfoPaks with new ones on a regular basis. BackWeb, however, enables you to save InfoPaks.

To keep an InfoPak:

1. Select the InfoPak in the InfoPaks pane.

2. Select Keep from the InfoPak menu.

Once an InfoPak is saved, this setting overrides any parameters set by the channel operator for limiting the life span of the InfoPak. The InfoPak will remain on your disk until explicitly deleted or until the channel is deleted.

	InfoFlashes.
	Screen savers.
	Background wallpapers.
	Audio messages.

1.	Select the InfoPak you want to play from the InfoPak pane.
2.	Click the play button in the toolbar, or select Play from the InfoPak menu.

1.	Select the InfoPak in the InfoPak pane of the BackWeb Window.
2.	Select Properties from the InfoPak menu.

1.	Right click on the InfoPak
2.	Select Properties from the pop-up menu.

	InfoPak name.
	InfoPak type (InfoFlash, audio message, screen saver or wallpaper).
	Channel name.
	Date received.
	InfoPak size.
	Starts at date and time. If there is a date and time specified before which the InfoPak should not be auto-played then it is displayed here.
	Expiry date and time. If there is an expiration time, the InfoPak will not be auto-played after this time and will be deleted from the database shortly after.
	Number of times the InfoPak has been played.
	Last play date and time.

	Content provider name.
	Web site address.
	Content provider’s e-mail address, telephone and fax number.

	To interact with an active InfoFlash, click on the InfoFlash in any of the areas designated for referencing more information.
	To interact with a screen saver: If the “Interact with the screen saver” option is enabled in setup, and a screen saver password is not enabled in the control panel, you can interact with the screen saver by clicking on it while it is running. Otherwise, press F1 to stop the screen saver without terminating the InfoPak, and then click on the InfoPak.

1.	Open the BackWeb Window.
2.	Select a Channel.
3.	Select Open Web Page from the Channel menu.

1.	Position your cursor on the InfoFlash.
2.	Click the right mouse button.
3.	Select Mute from the pop-up menu.

	To pause an InfoFlash:
	1. Position your cursor on the InfoFlash.
	2. Click the right mouse button.
	3. Select Pause InfoFlash from the pop-up menu.
	To resume the InfoFlash:
	1. Position your cursor on the InfoFlash.
	2. Click the right mouse button.
	3. Select Resume InfoFlash from the pop-up menu.

1.	Select the InfoPak from the InfoPak pane of the BackWeb Window.
2.	Select Delete from the InfoPak menu.
3.	Confirm the deletion.

1.	Select the InfoPak in the InfoPaks pane.
2.	Select Keep from the InfoPak menu.