SBS SWEEPS THE INAUGURAL AACTA AWARDS NOMINATIONS.
MELBOURNE, Wednesday, 7 December 2011: The nominees for the inaugural Australian Academy Cinema Television Arts Awards (Samsung AACTA Awards – formerly the AFI Awards) have been announced, revealing a haul of nods for SBS programs available now on DVD – EAST WEST 101, ROCKWIZ and IMMIGRATION NATION – as well as THE TALL MAN, coming to DVD, 8 February, 2012 ($29.95srp).
In the feature length documentary category, THE TALL MAN has taken out 4 nominations, including Best Feature Length Documentary. Based on Chloe Hooper’s award winning book, and from the makers of FIRST AUSTRALIANS, THE TALL MAN is the story of Cameron Doomadgee, a resident of the tropical paradise of Palm Island who swore at a police officer one morning and lay dead in a prison cell forty minutes later. It is also the story of that policeman – the tall, enigmatic Christopher Hurley and the struggle to bring him to trial.
THE TALL MAN was also recently awarded the prestigious Walkley Award for Excellence in Documentary. The Walkley Foundation introduced this new award category for Australia’s most highly regarded media accolades in 2011, as a part of the celebrations in the centenary of Australian journalism.
SBS’ in-depth exploration of our untold immigration story and the dramatic saga of how modern Australia came to be, IMMIGRATION NATION: THE SECRET HISTORY OF US, has also picked up a nomination in the Best Documentary series category.
In the television category, the third series of the riveting Sydney-based crime drama, EAST WEST 101, has received 4 nominations in total, including Best Television Drama Series and Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama. EAST WEST 101 has taken out numerous AFI Awards in the past. Meanwhile, Australia’s longest-running music trivia series, and also previous AFI Award winner, ROCKWIZ, takes out a nomination in the Best Light Entertainment Television Series.
The winners will be announced at the newly established Samsung AACTA Awards red carpet ceremony, to be held in Sydney and broadcast on the Nine Network on Tuesday, 31st January, 2012.
MilMo® is the first 3D Action Adventure MMO in Your Web Browser.
Enjoy fantastic 3D graphics in your web browser. Create a unique hero and join your friends in an amazing island world of action and high adventure!
• No big download!
• Stunning console quality 3D graphics in your web browser
• Exciting action gameplay with crazy monsters and mega-cool bosses
• Design your own hero avatar with tons of cool clothes, armors, haircuts, accessories and limitless color combos
• Explore, run, jump and fight your way through an amazing and ever unfolding island world
• Uncover a deep, intricate storyline filled with epic quests and amazing secrets
• Roam through sweet 3D platform levels filled with challenging structures and puzzles
• Find hidden exploration tokens to assemble powerful new items and weapons
• Unlock impressive titles and rewards by earning hundreds of medals for exploring, fighting, questing and more
MilMo is avalibel on Facebook, Aeria Games and Orkut.+
RECORD YOUR PRECIOUS MOMENTS WHEN 3D VIDEO RECORDING COMES TO NINTENDO 3DS
7th December 2011 – Lights, Camera, Action… Nintendo 3DS™ owners will be able to capture 3D video, embark on new StreetPass™ Quests and transfer content from console to console as part of the latest Nintendo 3DS System Update, which takes place today.
The Nintendo 3DS System Update gives Nintendo 3DS owners access to a range of new features and enhancements. This includes 3D video capture, which will allow you to record up to 10 minutes of 3D video in the palm of your hands, so you can shoot your own mini blockbuster or simply capture your special family moments, all in stunning 3D.
The Nintendo 3DS video function also features some special filming options for the more creative enthusiast! Just some of the interesting options include: the Interval Shot feature, which allows you to record image after image in short timed intervals, producing a piece of time lapse footage. You could, for instance, demonstrate an icicle melting or a flower blooming. There’s also the Frame Pick feature, which can be used to take many still images and join them together to create stop motion footage, in the same way an animation is created!
New features will become available in the StreetPass Mii Plaza, including new panels to swap and collect for Puzzle Swap. You will also have the option to embark on a new StreetPass Quest, with new tools to help beat your enemies, in addition to new hats to discover and collect.
Nintendo 3DS owners will be able to transfer content between their Nintendo 3DS systems*. Software purchased from the Nintendo eShop, Nintendo eShop account funds, and save data including photographs and audio can now all be easily transferred between your Nintendo 3DS consoles.
The Nintendo eShop will also receive an upgrade. Users will have the option to play demo versions of select Nintendo 3DS releases**, enabling players to try a game before making a purchase decision. There is also the option to conduct downloads whilst the system is in Sleep Mode, allowing multiple downloads to conveniently occur the next time users are not actively using their Nintendo 3DS.
For more information on this System Update and your Nintendo 3DS, including recent announcements visit: www.nintendo.com.au
Jade Dynasty: Legacy Announced
Expansion to Popular MMO Features New Classes and Character Visuals
(Foster City, CA) December 5, 2011 — Perfect World Entertainment Inc., a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Perfect World Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: PWRD), today announced a new expansion to its free-to-play martial-arts MMORPG, Jade Dynasty .
In Jade Dynasty: Legacy, players explore the secretive Incense Valley while fighting through the massive multi-staged instance, which is larger than any other dungeon currently available in this game.
“We couldn’t be more excited to publish a new chapter in the Jade Dynasty series,” said Dean Sakurai, Product Manager, Perfect World Entertainment. “Jade Dynasty: Legacy is our biggest update since ‘Vengeance (August 2010)’ and features two new classes, enhanced character visuals, new instances and numerous other content updates. With Jade Dynasty: Legacy we add tremendously to a gaming experience already shared by millions.”
Key features include:
• Two New Classes: Players can now choose between the powerful, fire-wielding Incense Valley Mages and the crippling, melee-astute Forta.
• New Instance: The Crimson Peaks Voidland is the largest instance in Jade Dynasty, designed for groups of 10-25 players to face its many dangers and claim its secreted rewards.
• Character Visuals: Character creation has been reworked, providing new visual examples of each faction, new starter fashions and even the ability to preview high-level armor sets.
• Balance and Enhancement: Several facets of gear and combat have been reworked, from rebalanced factions skills to stronger Ethereal and Celestial gear.
• Content Updates: New wedding and seasonal events, more items available for exchange with new Jade types, and more easily attainable Treasure Boxes are but a few of the many other changes.
For more information about Jade Dynasty: Legacy, or to join the Jade Dynasty: Legacy community and play the beta, please visit: http://jd.perfectworld.com/
Online Safety for Your Children Over the Christmas Holidays
AVG (AU/NZ) offers advice to parents for online safety awareness
MELBOURNE, 6 December 2011 —AVG (AU/NZ) Pty Ltd apologises to Australia’s parents for bringing to their attention that the long summer school holidays are within sight. But the holidays mean your children will soon be spending vast amounts of time tracking their friends on Facebook and trawling the Internet for entertainment. So it’s timely to remind parents to update their online safety awareness.
The cyber world that children inhabit continues to shift and evolve. The sites children are using today won’t be the ones they’re addicted to next week. AVG (AU/NZ) offers advice to help parents keep their children safe while enjoying their online holiday time.
Michael McKinnon, Security Advisor at AVG (AU/NZ), said: “Learn, protect, report – these headings don’t make for an interesting acronym but will encourage parents to be vigilant of their family’s online activities.”
Learn
Take an interest in the online safety instruction your child is receiving at school and reinforce those messages. You can’t always be watching over them so education as to the risks and self-awareness ideas for protection are vital.
Cybersmart is part of the Australian Government’s cybersafety program and provides activities, resources and practical advice to help kids, teens and parents safely enjoy the online world. It includes a page for parents with the latest ‘Tagged’ updates on subjects such as how to encourage young people to reflect on the real life consequences caused by cyber bullying, sexting.
ThinkUKnow is an Internet safety program delivering interactive training to parents, carers and teachers. Created by the UK Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre, ThinkUKnow Australia has been developed by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Microsoft Australia. Users will need to subscribe to the site to gain access to its tools and resources.
Stay Smart Online is a one stop shop providing information for Australian Internet users on the simple steps they can take to protect their personal and financial information online. The site has informative videos, quizzes and a free Alert Service that provides information on the latest threats and vulnerabilities.
Protect
The Internet is a place where kids will eventually learn how to responsibly connect with others, but it’s also a place to explore and learn. The problem with today’s most popular search engines is they can surprise the user with shocking images and other content that are unexpectedly associated with the search string.
Popular search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo provide easily configurable options that allow the blocking of most explicit images and results from appearing, or alternatively there are services like Kids.Net.Au providing kids with their own safe search experience.
Ensuring the home computer is protected with an Internet Security solution that includes link scanning technology, such as the AVG LinkScanner is another important tool to consider. When trouble is just a click away, AVG helps parents protect their kids by ensuring their Internet experiences are positive ones.
Before you turn on the TV or take your kids to the movies, the US site Common Sense Media helps parents determine what movies, games, websites, music and more might be the most appropriate for their impressionable young ones before they’re already exposed. The site also posts helpful suggestions for parents struggling with how much TV is too much TV and similar family issues.
Report
Always report any cyber bullying to your child’s school or the police. Never ignore it.
If you have found any material online that you believe is prohibited or inappropriate you can contact the Australian Communications and Media Authority. This site also has a range of online safety resources for parents and caregivers.
The Government’s SCAMwatch site provides a reporting facility to assist with the policing of cyber crime and alerting others to fraudulent Internet activity.
You and your children need to be alert to the potential dangers when enjoying the Internet and know what to do should anything untoward happen. That way your family can continue to benefit from the world of information and opportunity as safely as is possible.
Keep in touch with AVG (AU/NZ)
- For breaking news, follow AVG (AU/NZ) on Twitter at twitter.com/avgaunz
- Join our Facebook community at www.facebook.com/avgaunz
- For security trends, analysis, follow the AVG (AU/NZ) blog at resources.avg.com.au
High-Powered Firepower: A Max Payne 3 Weapons Screenshots Gallery
From the mobsters and dregs of the streets of New York, to the vicious gang members and powerful criminal underworld of São Paulo – Max Payne’s line of work demands a serious arsenal of weaponry.
Expect Max Payne 3 to be stocked with plenty of the appropriate tools of the trade.
Today, check out just a sampling of the weapons selection you’ll be wielding for yourself come March. The four brand new screens below can also be seen in high def at www.rockstargames.com/maxpayne3 – and expect lots more on the weapons and gunplay of Max Payne 3 in the weeks and months ahead.
Max fires his Micro 9MM at a nearby thug.
One of the many new weapon options in Max Payne 3, the G6 Commando assault rifle packs a punch.
Max’s signature dual-wielding returns in Max Payne 3.
Brandishing his trusty 1911 pistol.
BATTLEFIELD 3 TAKES THE FIGHT BACK TO KARKAND
First Expansion Pack for EA’s Award-Winning Shooter Coming December 7thto PlayStation 3, December 14thto Xbox 360 and PC
SYDNEY, Australia. – December 6, 2011 – DICE, an Electronic Arts Inc. studio (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced that Battlefield 3™: Back to Karkand, the first digital expansion pack for the critically acclaimed Battlefield 3, will be available December 7th for download on the PlayStation®Network and December 14th on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace and the PC. Building on the biggest launch in EA history, Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand is a full-feature digital expansion pack giving gamers more of the explosive multiplayer that Joystiq.com called “mesmerizing,” and gameplay that has won over 60 industry awards and continues to delight gamers across the globe in what Seth Schiesel of The New York Times declares, “the most visually realistic shooter on the market.”
TEAM NORTON TAKES THE TITLE!
| TEAM NORTON TAKES THE TITLE! |
| 5 December 2011 |
| Norton-sponsored Triple Eight Race Engineering’s Jamie Whincup is the 2011 V8 Supercar champion after an eventful weekend at the Sydney 500.
The championship went down to the final race with Jamie and Norton-sponsored team mate Craig Lowndes the only drivers left in contention.
Jamie merely needed to keep out of trouble and finish in the top five on Saturday to clinch the title, however fate was to deal another hand. The brutal Homebush ripple strips struck when the front right-side damper broke, sending him into the turn five wall at around 200km/h. Able to limp back to the pits, the team repaired the car and Jamie eventually finished 20th, six laps down.
“It’s like someone writes a script and we’re all just puppets playing it out!” said Jamie after his eventful race. “I’ve been saying it all week – motorsport is a crazy thing. You can be so fast, but you can have a little incident go wrong, which is what happened to me today. We’ll keep our heads up and fight back tomorrow.”
After a disastrous qualifying result saw him start 10th off the grid, Craig had a stellar race – which many pundits are calling his best-ever drive – racing through the field to win the race and take the championship decision to Sunday’s final. Triple Eight gambled on Craig’s fuel strategy, with only two stops for fuel. It worked, but could have ended very badly – there was less than half a litre of fuel left in the tank at the end of the race!
“We always said coming into this weekend that anything was possible, and the possible has happened,” said Craig after his race one win. “I needed Jamie to make a mistake or have something go wrong, which it did today, for me to have a chance of getting back into the competition. “But I know that tomorrow will be a vastly different day to today.”
Sunday’s proceedings looked a little traditional, aside from some heavy downpours across the day creating havoc for car set-ups. Jamie qualified second on the grid, and Craig fourth – both at the pointy end of the field where they needed to be. Partially wet conditions saw a bizarre start, with half of the field electing to pit on the warm-up lap for slick tyres.
Jamie and Craig both started on the grooved wet rubber, but pitted within a dozen laps for slick tyres as the track dried out. This put them both out of sequence, and down the order – Lowndes 10th and Whincup 18th – from where they had to fight for the rest of the day. After the final stops Craig was eighth and Jamie 18th – due to T8 stacking the cars in the pits – and they both moved through the field to finish second and eighth respectively.
Jamie only needed to finish in the top 12 to end the title race, while Craig needed to win to stand any chance. The result saw Jamie take out the championship on 3168 points, with Craig only 35 points behind on 3133. The championship is Jamie’s third, putting him on par with Craig and Touring Car legend Peter Brock.
“The whole year swings on one moment, and it’s such a big thing. At the end of the day it’s a team effort, and we’re one and two,” said Jamie on Sunday. “I feel bad for Lowndesy, but he’s a part of the bigger team and we share each others’ results. We’re 1-2 this year, and hopefully we can both celebrate that,” Jamie concluded. “We gave it our best shot but it just wasn’t to be … it’s been a great season, we’ve won lots of races and had some fantastic drives. I’ve got to thank everyone at Team Vodafone for a great year,” Craig said.
“Congratulations to Jamie, he’s done a terrific job all year, and has just been too consistent for me. “And congratulations to Team Vodafone for a 1-2; it’s an awesome performance. We’ll be back to try again next year.” |
ASUS Adds Ultrabook Powered by Intel Core i3 to its ZENBOOK™ Range
ASUS UX21E with Intel Core i3 processor now available from leading Australian retailers
Sydney, Australia (December 6, 2011) – ASUS Australia today announced local availability of an Intel Core i3 powered ZENBOOK™, which is now available from major Australian retailers. The ZENBOOK is ASUS’ answer to the new category of thin and powerful notebook computers, inspired by Intel®.
Vivian Hung, ASUS’ Regional Head, System Business Group, said, “The ZENBOOK with Intel Core i3 processor rounds out the ZENBOOK range, which now includes i3, i5 and i7 options for consumers. Now, no matter how you use your computer – whether you spend most of your time browsing websites, watching videos or creating documents, or require advanced multi-tasking, extreme gaming or video editing capabilities – there is an ASUS ZENBOOK to suit you.”
With an RRP of $AU1099, the i3 ZENBOOK is now available in Australia from leading retailers and channel dealers including JB HiFi, The Good Guys, Harvey Norman, MSY Technology, MLN and Computer Alliance. A full list of retailers and resellers is included later in this release.
Local Specifications
| ZENBOOK | UX21E – KX007V |
| RRP | AU$1099 |
| CPU | Intel® Core i3 2367M 1.4Ghz/4M (BGA) |
| Operating system | Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium – 64bit |
| Display | 11.6″ LED HD (1366 x 768) 450nits ZBD |
| Memory | 4GB DDR3 |
| Camera | Digital 0.3M Pixel |
| Battery Life – Estimate | Up to 5 hours |
| Audio | Bang and Olfusen ICEpower® and ASUS SonicMasterTechnology HD Audio |
| Interface | 1x Headphone-out & Audio-in Combo Jack;1x micro HDMI;1x mini VGA |
| Dimensions / Weight | 29.9(W) x 19.6(D) x 0.30 ~ 1.70 (H) cm, 1.1KG |
| Accessories | ASUS Sleeve, VGA adaptor and LAN adaptor |
Retailers and resellers
| State | Where to buy | |
| Retail | Nationwide | JB HiFi |
| Nationwide | The Good Guys | |
| Nationwide | Harvey Norman | |
| Channel | VIC | MLN |
| VIC | MSY Technology | |
| VIC | Geek Central | |
| NSW | Online Centre | |
| QLD | Computer Alliance | |
| WA | Austin Computers | |
| TAS | Principal Computers | |
| VIC | Express Office Systems |
About the ASUS ZENBOOK
Pure Design – The silver exterior panel of the ASUS ZENBOOK features a concentric circle design that refracts a halo of light. With a thickness of 0.28 cm at the front and 0.89cm at the rear, the ZENBOOK’s exterior lines are sleek, making it the thinnest Ultrabook on the market and perfect for users constantly on-the-go or in the classroom.
Unrivalled Performance – The ZENBOOK is designed with an instant-on feature that resumes the system in about two seconds* and features incredible standby time of up to two weeks*, which is four times more than the industry standard. The svelte and sleek ZENBOOK features an impressive list of technological breakthroughs. It uses the latest Intel® 2nd generation Core™ processors (optimised for mobile use), SATA Revision 3.0 solid state storage (SSD), Bluetooth™ V4.0 and USB 3.0. ASUS has also added USB Charger+ technology, which uses the powered USB 3.0 port to recharge portable devices in a fraction of the time it would normally take. To accommodate all of these technologies, ASUS engineers designed custom cooling technology using a V-shaped channel with a unique copper fin design for improved airflow and cooling. When battery life dips below five per cent, the ZENBOOK will automatically save files in progress to prevent data loss.
Incredibly Green – The ZENBOOK provides its users with peace of mind in knowing they are consuming less energy. It utilises ASUS’ patented Super Hybrid Engine II technology, which intelligently conserves battery life and allows the ZENBOOK to have up to 25 per cent more battery life* than other Ultrabook designs.
Transcending Audio – Recognising that an Ultrabook is a tool for entertainment as well as work, the ZENBOOK is equipped with ASUS SonicMaster technology, an optimised fusion of hardware and software developed by the ASUS Golden Ear team and Bang & Olufsen ICEpower®. SonicMaster provides a wide sonic spectrum surround sound that can fill a room with smooth jazz or the tranquil sound of a mountain stream.
*Product test results, specifications and features may change without prior notice. Check zenbook.asus.com for further details.