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Bitdefender, creator of world’s best 2012 antivirus software, launches 2013 Beta testing

Test the power of Safepay and other innovations of the new generation; reap the rewards 

SYDNEY & AUCKLAND May 9, 2012 – After a year of praise, innovation and awards for its 2012 anti-virus software, Bitdefender is opening up its much-anticipated 2013 generation for public beta testing.

The cutting edge security company is offering beta testers the chance to further raise the bar for the global computer security industry by helping make the top award-winning software even better. Prizes for the best beta testers of the world’s best antivirus software include a tablet, a laptop, a Windows phone and 100 Bitdefender 2013 licenses.

“The 2012 version became the antivirus software to beat for the entire industry – the ultimate measure of quality,” said consumer line Product Manager Catalina Albisteanu. “Now, with the 2013 version, we are facing the toughest competition of all – ourselves. So we’re looking for elite beta testers for an elite product.”

In Bitdefender 2013, the Safepay secured browser seals online transactions and home banking in a tamper-proof vault, Safebox offers the convenience of online storage secured by the Bitdefender name and Autopilot offers a mature, reliable technology that needs no babysitter. Parental Control, Anti-Theft and more tie a secure knot over the 2013 package.

The past year could be called “The Year of Bitdefender” – a year in which the company pulled easily ahead of the rest of the AV industry. The stunning innovation of Bitdefender’s 2012 products won the world’s top awards and placed the company further into the lead of its industry worldwide.

Bitdefender 2012 products won the coveted Best Protection 2011 Award for home users by AV-TEST after coming out as No. 1 in five straight industry-wide tests throughout the year and even reconfirmed its leading position this year. Bitdefender also won the Editor’s Choice award by leading technology portal CNet, the year’s Top Rated award by independent tester AV Comparatives, a security Product of the Year award by CRN, and more.

Learn more about Bitdefender 2013 at http://beta2013.bitdefender.com/.

 
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Symantec Fosters Secure Mobile Productivity with Enterprise Mobility Enhancements

SYDNEY – May 8, 2012 – Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced enterprise mobile enhancements to help organisations improve operational efficiencies and better meet the challenges of the “Bring Your Own Device” trend. Key highlights of Symantec’s new capabilities to help CIOs, CISOs, IT managers and app developers secure mobile devices, applications and data include:

  • Mobile      Application Management
  • Symantec      Data Loss Prevention for Mobile
  • Symantec      Certificate Intelligence Center for Mobile
  • Symantec      Code Signing for Android

“The ‘Bring Your Own Device’ movement and unprecedented adoption of mobile devices and apps have organisations looking for help in effectively protecting and managing the native apps, data and environment of these devices,” said Chirantan “CJ” Desai, senior vice president, Endpoint and Mobility Group, Symantec. “By providing essential mobile security and management capabilities, like app management and data loss prevention, we are helping organisations take full advantage of this technological shift. Offering customers the most comprehensive portfolio for securing and managing mobile devices, apps and data, provides them with the tools needed to leverage mobility to improve their business’ IT operations.”

Read more detailed blog post:

Mobile Application Management
With the acquisition of Nukona, Symantec now offers CIOs the cross-platform mobile application management needed to help organisations containerise corporate applications and protect sensitive data. The app and data protection capabilities from Nukona are now available from Symantec in both SaaS and on-prem models. This innovative approach helps enterprises seamlessly distribute, secure and control applications and data without requiring them to manage the complete devices. With the ability to natively protect and control  iOS, Android and HTML5 apps, Symantec addresses the core problem of corporate and personal data separation without limiting the end-user experience or application adoption.

Symantec Data Loss Prevention for Mobile
Formerly known as Symantec Data Loss Prevention (DLP) for Tablets, Symantec Data Loss Prevention for Mobile will include added support for the iPhone. The solution will help CISOs monitor and control the transmission of confidential data from mobile devices without restricting users’ access to applications. Combined with the recent release of Symantec Mobile Management, Data Loss Prevention for Mobile will provide the industry’s most comprehensive solution to enable organisations to support business productivity and personal use concurrently. By adding  iPhone support to existing support for iPad, Symantec will provide comprehensive DLP for one of the most widely deployed enterprise mobile operating systems. Data Loss Prevention for Mobile is scheduled to be generally available in the second half of 2012.

Symantec Certificate Intelligence Center for Mobile
Symantec Certificate Intelligence Center (CIC) for Mobile, an extension of Symantec Certificate Intelligence Center, provides additional capabilities to solving the challenges of managing SSL certificates across large and complex  networks. With CIC for Mobile, IT managers and stakeholders can easily monitor and manage their SSL certificate inventory anytime, anywhere.  Detailed and real-time intelligence into SSL certificate usage on their network environment helps administrators maintain business continuity and strengthen network security.   CIC for Mobile will be available on the iPad by the end of May 2012.

Symantec Code Signing for Android
Now available to both individual developers and larger organisations, Symantec Code Signing for Android provides a tool for developers to digitally sign their .APK files for the Android platform.  In addition to signing applications for the popular mobile platform, this cloud-based service allows developers to securely manage their certificate keys and store their signed applications, all from a single intuitive cloud-based console. Symantec Code Signing for Android also has the first ever dedicated Android Root certificate from a security vendor.

“The growing use of mobile devices for personal and business use has increased the challenge for organisations and individuals to gain a comfortable level of control,” said Stephen Drake, Program Vice President, IDC Mobility & Telecom. “As the number of mobile devices continues to rise and demands on IT continue to increase, the need for organisations to secure and manage these devices and the information on them is significantly elevated.”

In  addition to the new mobile enhancements, Symantec announced it has joined the Microsoft System Center Alliance (SCA), a partner ecosystem that helps facilitate integrated solutions. As a part of SCA, Symantec will work with Microsoft to develop and promote its offerings, including Symantec Mobile Management, that support the full System Center product family.

Resources

Connect with Symantec

About Symantec
Symantec is a global leader in providing security, storage and systems management solutions to help consumers and organisations secure and manage their information-driven world.  Our software and services protect against more risks at more points, more completely and efficiently, enabling confidence wherever information is used or stored. More information is available at www.symantec.com.

 
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The Razer Naga has just levelled up!

The award-winning Razer Naga MMO gaming mouse receives an update to its ergonomics. 

Sydney, Australia, 9 May 2012 – Razer, the world leader in high-performance gaming hardware, today announced the return of the award-winning Razer Naga MMO gaming mouse.  It has been updated for a new generation of win with an anti-slip, anti-fingerprint matte finish and three interchangeable side panels for a more ergonomic gaming experience.  It still retains its most important feature, a 12-button thumb grid built to deliver cataclysmic destruction on all enemies when you bind spells, items, and macros to the buttons for quick access.

“When we released the Razer Naga three years ago, we knew its twelve-button thumb grid was an amazing, revolutionary interface that was going to change the way gamers enjoy MMO action,” said Robert ‘RazerGuy’ Krakoff, President, Razer USA.  “Three years on and the number of gamers armed with the Razer Naga continues to grow.  We want to keep updating the Razer Naga with the best features, and keep arming gamers with the best MMO gaming mouse in the world.”

The Razer Naga has been enhanced to provide a more comfortable and ergonomic gaming experience.  Its anti-slip, anti-fingerprint matte finish ensures you have the best grip over your very special gaming weapon no matter how intensively you swipe.  The buttons over the top of the gaming mouse have also been repositioned for much easier actuation. Three interchangeable side panels have been provided to let you personally customise the shape of the Razer Naga to fit your hand and play-style. Whether you’re a claw- or palm-grip, the Razer Naga has got you covered and gaming just the way you want to.

For more information on the new Razer Naga, please visit www.razerzone.com/getimba

About the Razer Naga MMO gaming mouse

The best-selling MMO gaming mouse of all-time, the Razer Naga, is evolving to take the MMO games of the next generation head-on.  Engineered for improved comfort and control, the all-new Razer Naga has a redesigned anti-slip, anti-fingerprint matte finish, re-optimised button placement, and three interchangeable side grips to suit your personal grip style.

Price:  $79.99 

Availability:

RazerStore – Available Now

Worldwide – Q2 2012  

Features

  • 17 MMO-optimised buttons      (including 12-button thumb grid)
  • 3 interchangeable side      panels
  • Razer Synapse 2.0      enabled
  • 5600dpi Razer Precision      3.5G Laser Sensor
  • 1000Hz Ultrapolling™ /      1ms response time
  • 200 inches per second      max tracking speed
  • Zero-acoustic      Ultraslick™ mouse feet 

For more information on the new Razer Naga, please visit www.razerzone.com/getimba

 
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Hitman Hope News Times

May 7th 2012 – IO Interactive A/S, a Square Enix studio, is pleased to reveal another set of screenshots along with the most revealing “HOPE NEWS TIMES” edition yet. Find out about the truth behind the mysterious shocking death of Gavin LeBlond.

The local newspaper for Hope, South Dakota, HOPE NEWS TIMES is a weekly publication reporting the latest news from the town, and revealing a brand new chapter in HITMAN: ABSOLUTION.

To catch the latest edition of the HOPE NEWS TIMES, please visit:

www.facebook.com/Hitman

www.barcode-society.com

 
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Media Alert: Final push for Jane Jensen’s Kickstarter — game news, Gabriel Knight goodies, and funding goal met

Over the weekend, adventure game legend Jane Jensen’s Kickstarter campaign hit its $300k goal! With eleven days left, every extra dollar raised will go into making Pinkerton Road’s first game, Moebius, even better. This campaign has had many cool additions since it started, and we want to make sure gamers have all the details before the clock runs out. Here are the highlights:

1) Not one, but TWO adventure games in the works!

All Kickstarter funds will go toward development of Moebius, the paranormal thriller backers selected as Pinkerton Road’s first game. On Friday, Jane revealed that Pinkerton Road will also make a second adventure game with outside funding — and Kickstarter backers will get that, too! Anyone who pledges $50+ will get both Moebius and the as-yet-unrevealed “Mystery Game X.” (Backers at the lower tiers can choose one or the other, when more info about each game is available.)

For more details, see this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Di0bQJuMLHA 

2) Exclusive Gabriel Knight goodies!

Jane Jensen is best known for her Gabriel Knight adventure series, and she’s beefed up the Kickstarter rewards with goodies that GK fans won’t want to miss. The $50 tier now includes ebook versions of the two (out of print) Gabriel Knight novels. For $200+ you can get Jane’s “design bibles,” comprehensive design documents used in the Gabriel Knight games’ development. And for $500 you can snag a one-of-a-kind Sins of the Fathers production sketch, signed by Jane and former Sierra artist John Shroades.

For more details, visit the Kickstarter page: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1005365109/jane-jensens-pinkerton-road-2012-2013-csg

(Make sure to read the text on the page; the tiers in the right sidebar can’t be edited, so some are out of date.) 

3) Behind-the-scenes videos!

Pinkerton Road plans to give backers a behind-the-scenes look at their games’ development, and the fun has already started with a series of Kickstarter video updates. In recent videos, Robert Holmes talks about composing the music for Gabriel Knight and Gray Matter, Jane introduces the development team who will work on Pinkerton Road’s first game, and actor Dean Erickson (who portrayed Gabriel Knight in the FMV game The Beast Within) delivers a special message to Pinkerton Road’s backers.

Robert Holmes discusses music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW78q6aNvtw

Meet Signus Labs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEFlPfI5g0k

Scene design process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DsfPpxKjVw

Special message from Dean Erickson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJkF8IXUMyE

4) Spend the weekend with Gabriel Knight!

To celebrate the last stretch of the campaign, dedicated fan LauraKat will embark on a 24-hour live playthrough of the Gabriel Knight trilogy. Starting at 19:00 GMT on Friday, May 11, watch on Twitch.tv as she plows through the Shadow Hunter’s storied history and pop into the chat room to share your GK memories. Donations collected during the playthrough will be split between the Kickstarter campaign and Jane’s favorite charity, the ASPCA.

This monumental event will be followed on Sunday, May 13 by a Reddit “Ask Me Anything” session with Pinkerton Road Studio founders Jane Jensen and Robert Holmes (also starting at 19:00 GMT). Ask about Jane’s game inspirations, the couple’s Sierra memories, the funny noises their bulldogs make when they snore… whatever floats your boat. [19:00 GMT is 3:00pm in the Eastern time zone. Translate it into your time zone here: http://www.timezoneconverter.com]

The 24-hour Gabriel Knight playthrough will be held at: http://www.twitch.tv/laurakat07

More details about the live playthrough and Reddit AMA be posted this week on the Kickstarter page.

 
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A POPE AND A KILLER – TV ON DVD THIS JUNE

The Borgias and the brand new season of Dexter (6)
comes to DVD.

  
THE BORGIAS (SEASON 1)The Borgias is a complex, unvarnished portrait of one of history’s most intriguing families. Oscar®-winner Jeremy Irons stars as Rodrigo Borgia, the cunning, manipulative patriarch of the Borgia family who ascends to the highest circles of power within Renaissance-era Italy. The series begins as Rodrigo (Irons), becomes Pope Alexander VI, propelling him, his two Machiavellian sons Cesare and Juan, and his scandalously beautiful daughter, Lucrezia, to become the most powerful and influential family of the Italian Renaissance.

Nominated for six Emmy Awards and winner of two, The Borgias’ ensemble cast includes Francois Arnaud, Holliday Grainger, Lotte Verbeek and was created by Neil Jordan, the writer of Michael Collins, The Crying Game and The End of The Affair.

The Borgias Season 1 will be available on DVD from the 20th of June. Technical details available attached.

DEXTER  (SEASON 6)

Your friendly neighbourhood serial killer, Dexter Morgan, is back for more as Season 6 comes to DVD and Blu-ray. This season, as Dexter’s sister Debra is finding that her promotion is only leading to politics, Dexter himself is busy. Another series of killings has come to Miami and this time is seems that the perpetrator is trying to bring about the end of the world with a set of murders inspired by Revelations.

Dexter, a series noted for the exceptional performances by its guest stars, Jimmy Smits in season 3 and John Lithgow in season 4, Julia Styles in season 5, gets three more from this season’s guest appearances: Edward J Olmos, Colin Hanks and Mos Def.

Dexter Season 6 will be available on DVD and Blu-ray from the 20th of June. Technical details available attached

 
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All Interactive Entertainment to Distribute Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion in Australia and New Zealand

Sydney, Australia – May 8, 2012 – Leading interactive entertainment specialists All Interactive Entertainment (AIE) are pleased to announce that they are the official distributor for Stardock Entertainment’s Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion is the upcoming stand-alone expansion to the award-winning 2008 hit real-time strategy game, Sins of a Solar Empire. Developed by Ironclad and published by Stardock, this is space-strategy gaming at its finest.

In Sins of a Solar Empire, you are the leader of a civilisation embroiled in a galactic war, fighting for the survival of your entire race against relentless foes. Your success will depend entirely on your ability to manage your empire and command your vast fleets of starships to victory.

Sins of a Solar Empire is a “RT4X” game, blending the epic strategy and empire management of the 4X genre with the fast-paced and tactical elements of real-time strategy.

Sins of a Solar Empire will be released on June 14, 2012, in Australia and New Zealand on PC.

For more information please visit: http://www.sinsofasolarempire.com

 
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COMPANY OF HEROES(r) 2 INVADES THE EASTERN FRONT

Melbourne, VIC. May 8, 2012 – THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) today announced that a sequel to its critically acclaimed strategy game Company of Heroes® is scheduled to be taking gamers to the frozen frontlines of war in Russia in early 2013.

As a true sequel, this game moves the battle away from the common Western Front focus of World War II and refocuses on some of history’s most brutal and devastating conflicts on the Eastern Front, challenging players to take command of the iconic Red Army and repel the Nazi invaders from the very gates of Moscow.

Company of Heroes 2 utilizes Relic® Entertainment’s state of the art proprietary Essence 3.0 EngineTM to bring new technological advancements to the strategy genre in the form of innovative Dynamic Battle Tactics, increased graphical fidelity and new environmental destruction, ultimately putting the player in control with new Commander Abilities.

Greg Wilson, Producer at Relic Entertainment commented, “Company of Heroes 2 is a true successor, introducing a new front, new protagonists and new technology while retaining the unique mix of strategic gameplay and competitive multiplayer that made the original Company of Heroes such a success.”

Danny Bilson, Executive Vice President of Core Games commented, “We are excited to announce a sequel to one of THQ’s best loved properties. Company of Heroes 2 will deliver an amazing strategy experience along with a strong post-launch digital content plan that enhances and expands the product’s lifecycle.”

The original Company of Heroes was released in 2006 to critical acclaim and is currently the highest rated strategy title on Gamerankings.com (with more than five reviews) with an average of 93.82% based on 56 reviews. The game features similar acclaim on Metacritic.com with a Metascore of 93% based on 55 reviews.

Company of Heroes 2 is scheduled to be available for PC in early 2013. For more information check www.companyofheroes.com .

About Company of Heroes 2

It is 1941 and the beginning of what will become the most brutal conflict of World War II, as Germany launches a full-scale invasion of the frozen tundra of the Soviet Union which would result in over 14 million military casualties.  Take command of the iconic Soviet Red Army in brutal frontline warfare to free Mother Russia from the invading Nazis. Your strategic skills and tactical expertise hold the power to tip the very balance of this conflict in the sequel to the critically acclaimed and multi award-winning Company of Heroes. Engage in visceral tactical combat that will define you as a military leader and challenge you to wield the might of the Soviet Empire as you smash your way to Berlin.

 
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TRAILER: Assassin’s Creed III – Unite to Unlock the World Gameplay Premiere

 
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Prepare for Diablo III, plus StarCraft II Developer Update

LAUNCH DAY PREPARATION GUIDE

As we near Diablo III’s long-awaited May 15 launch date, we have some additional details to share on what to expect, how to prepare, and when you’ll be able to begin installing and playing. You can check out the full  guide on our Diablo III community site that includes info on a number of topics including creating a BattleTag.

DEVELOPER UPDATE WITH PRODUCTION DIRECTOR CHRIS SIGATY

StarCraft II Production Director Chris Sigaty has posted an update on our StarCraft II community site on planned features as development for the Heart of the Swarm expansion continues.