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Pain & Gain | New clip featuring Rebel Wilson

Check out the new Pain & Gain Clip featuring Australia’s very own Rebel Wilson …

Also… don’t forget to check out our Pain & Game Competition at – http://www.impulsegamer.com/winpainandgain.html to win Double Passes to the movie!

 
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MADMAN ACQUIRES ATTACK ON TITAN

NEW EPISODES STREAMING WEEKLY on THE MADMAN SCREENING ROOM 

One of the most highly anticipated releases of the year, Madman is proud to announce the local premiere of Attack on Titan – now streaming Mondays on www.madman.com.au/screeningroom.

Several hundred years ago, humanity was very nearly wiped from the Earth as they were hunted down by giant creatures known as Titans – beasts several stories tall who devour human beings for pleasure. The humans erected giant walls around their cities, which kept them safe until a colossal Titan – larger than any they’ve seen before – appears out of thin air and destroys their defences. When this destruction leads to the death of his mother, Eren Jaeger swears vengeance and an undying vow to hunt down and kill all Titans.

With its blistering action, relentless pacing and unpredictable storyline, the 25-episode post-apocalyptic series – which is animated by newcomers Wit Studio and helmed by the director of Death Note and High School of the Dead – has become THE hottest anime property across the globe.

Episodes 1-4 are available to view for free now on www.madman.com.au/screeningroom – with new double episodes being added each Monday.

Attack on Titan will release to home and digital formats in 2014.

Madman will also premiere a slate of brand new series’ on The Madman Screening Room, beginning Tuesday, July 30, including:

Psycho Pass: A series based in the near future, where it is possible to instantaneously measure and quantify a person’s state of mind, personality and probability of committing crimes through a device installed on each citizen’s body called a Psycho Pass.  When a person’s “Crime Coefficient” index is too high the enforcement officers of the Public Safety Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Division are called in to pursue and apprehend the person in question, with lethal force if necessary. Genre: Sci-Fi, Thriller / new episodes Wednesdays.

Sankarea: Hachiman Jikigaya is an antisocial high school student with no friends, no girlfriend, and as a result, a somewhat bitter and distorted view on life. When he sees his classmates talking excitedly about their adolescent lives he thinks they’re all “a bunch of liars”. And when pressed about his future dreams he replies simply with “not working.” However things start to change when a teacher forces him into the volunteer ‘service club’ and he encounters the school’s prettiest girl, Yukino Yukinoshita. Genre: Comedy, Romance / new episodes Thursdays.

Code:Breaker: Riding the bus one day, Sakurakouji Sakura looks out the window to see people being burned alive with a blue fire, save for one boy her age, who remains unharmed. When she goes back to the site the next day, there are no corpses or evidence of any kind of murder, just a small fire. When Sakura goes to class, she discovers the new transfer student is the same boy she saw the day before. Sakura soon learns that he is Ogami Rei, the sixth ‘Code: Breaker’, a special type of assassin with a strange ability and also a member of a secret organization that serves the government Genre: Supernatural Action, Adventure / new episodes Tuesdays.

Fate/Zero: Taking place 10 years before the events of Fate/Stay Night, this series chronicles the events of the Fourth Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City. The War of the Holy Grail is a contest in which seven mages summon seven Heroic Spirits to compete to obtain the power of the “Holy Grail,” which grants a miracle to each member of the winning duo. After three inconclusive wars for the elusive Holy Grail, the Fourth War commences. Genre: Fantasy / new episodes Fridays from August 9.

ALSO SCREENING: Sword Art Online, My Teen Romantic Comedy Snafu, MAGI: The Labyrinth of Magic, Eureka 7 AO and many more.

For more details, visit www.madman.com.au/screeningroom.

 
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Desinty Gameplay Trailer (July 2013)

Bungie revealed Destiny gameplay live for the first time at E3 2013.

 
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505 GAMES DELAYS ASHES CRICKET 2013 TO NOVEMBER 2013 TO COINCIDE WITH THE SECOND ASHES SERIES

Sydney, Australia – July 29, 2013 – 505 Games, a global publisher of video games, today announced the delay of the heavily anticipated Ashes Cricket 2013 video game. Originally scheduled for release on PC and home console systems to coincide with the 1st Ashes series of 2013 in the United Kingdom, the release has been delayed to November 2013 when the return series starts in Australia. 

Tim Woodley, Senior Vice President Global Brand & Marketing for 505 Games said: “It is hugely disappointing that 505 Games has had to make this announcement today. We all had high hopes of bringing out a stellar cricket game during the first leg of this unprecedented Ashes year.  But the fact of the matter is, we took a long hard look at the game as it stands and decided it simply wasn’t good enough in its current state. It was simply not worthy of the Ashes name.”

“Unforeseen issues which developer Trickstar faced in latter stages of development have meant that they have been unable to do the requisite amount of polishing and fine-tuning which any game needs. We owe it to ourselves, to our licensors, the ECB and Cricket Australia, but most of all to the dedicated cricket fans and gamers to put our best foot forward.”

“It is small compensation that we have the benefit of a second Ashes series in this unique cricketing year which affords us further time to work on the game and get it right for the return leg. We are confident that the time between now and the second Ashes series will be enough to add the final polish we believe the game needs. We are committed, as we always have been, to releasing a great game and we are doing everything in our power to ensure this is the case.”

 
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EA SPORTS UNVEILS OFFICIAL NBA LIVE 14 COVER FEATURING KYRIE IRVING

Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Point Guard Ushers in Next Generation for Franchise

Sydney, Australia. – July 29, 2013 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) announced that Kyrie Irving will be the official cover athlete of NBA LIVE 14 when the game launches this spring on the Xbox One® console, and the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system. The first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Irving was named the 2011-12 NBA Rookie of the Year and was a unanimous choice to the 2012 NBA All-Rookie First Team. He was also named an NBA All-Star in 2013 and is the reigning Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout champion.

 
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You may not end up with square eyes, but what impact is the computer age having on our vision?

An increasing reliance on digital technology has given rise to a new and emerging health condition called CVS, or Computer Vision Syndrome, which is effecting countless Australians of all ages and having a significant impact on productivity and general wellbeing.

CVS encompasses a group of eye and vision related problems that result from prolonged computer use.  While they’re not thought to be permanent, symptoms of CVS are generally unpleasant and cause discomfort.  The level of discomfort naturally increases with ongoing and continued use of the computer.

The most common symptoms are eyestrain, blurred vision and dry, itchy or burning eyes, which will often culminate in a headache or migraine.  But of greater consequence, CVS is also thought to be having an impact on the incidence of Myopia (short-sightedness) with a study conducted by the National Eye Institute in the USA reporting the prevalence of near-sightedness increasing by around 66% over the past thirty years in America.

“Whether for work or pleasure many of us subject our eyes to the constant glare and flicker of a digital screen for a large portion of our day.  The dramatic rise in ownership of smartphones and tablets, which coupled with modern day work practices involving extended use of PCs in the office environment, are causing our eye muscles to work harder and for longer periods,” said Optometrist, Dr Jim Kokkinakis from The Eye Practice.

CVS is similar to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome or any of the repetitive stress injuries that occur when carrying out the same motion over and over again,” continued Dr Kokkinakis.

“Working at a computer requires the eyes to continually focus and refocus, for instance when you’ve looked away from the screen to view paperwork on the desk and then back at the screen.  The repetitive nature of this process requires quite a lot of effort from the eye muscles and they are likely to fatigue over an extended period, leading to CVS.

“Reading from a screen is more challenging to the eyes than reading from a document or a book, because a when viewing a screen, the eyes need to adjust to contrast, flicker and glare.  But we all do it.  Staring at a computer screen, hour upon hour, has become part of the modern work day,” he continued.

Working adults aren’t the only ones vulnerable to CVS.  Today, kids rely heavily on computers as part of their everyday learning experiences at school and within the home.  Compounding their educational computer usage is their love of video games.

“Kids also experience eye problems related to computer use, and this is of greater significance as young eyes are not properly developed and are ill-equipped to handle the stress that long term exposure to computer screens can cause to their visual system,” said Dr Kokkinakis.  “Many paediatric optometrists now believe that heavy computer use puts children at risk for early Myopia, which later in life can be associated with development of glaucoma and retinal detachment.  If this trend continues the incidence of potentially blinding eye diseases may also increase.  What seems to be clear is that children brought up in less developed rural environments with plenty of outdoor activity and lower reading demands seem to have less Myopia,” he said.

The American Optometric Association (AOA) reports that a survey of optometrists found that approximately 10 million eye examinations are performed annually in the United States due to vision problems related to computer use.  According to Dr Jim Kokkinakis, we could conclude that computer related eye strain is as much an epidemic in Australia, as it is in the USA.

Said Dr Kokkinakis, “Anyone spending more than two continuous hours working on a computer every day is at greater risk for developing CVS.  Tired eyes make mistakes and are responsible for lost productivity, so it’s not just a health epidemic, it has financial consequences, impacting the bottom line in the corporate world also.

Combating CVS:

“To reduce the incidence of CVS involves taking steps to control flicker, lighting and glare on the computer screen, in addition to establishing better working practices to minimise the negative effect the computer is having on our eyes,” explained Dr Kokkinakis.

Manufacturers of computer monitors are investing in finding solutions to downgrade the impact their technology is having on eye health.  Leading the charge is BenQ, who have launched their first in a series of new Flicker-free monitors designed to be easier on the eyes, minimising the likelihood of CVS.

While not detectible to the human eye, computer screens flicker continually.  ‘Flicker’ is the fading between cycles displayed through video.  It can be detected when you view a conventional monitor through a digital camera lens or smartphone set to record video.  You will see the screen strobe – this flicker, coupled with the screen brightness and contrast, is largely responsible for causing the eyes to fatigue.

BenQ have incorporated a new technology into their monitors which eliminates the flicker and minimises glare to better protect the eyes.  BenQ’s Flicker-free Technology will soon be a standard inclusion across a range of business, home and gaming monitors.  Pricing will remain consistent, so choosing to upgrade your monitor for the benefit of your eyes won’t affect your hip pocket.

“Between patient consultations and running my business I spend at least 10 hours focussing on a computer screen every day.  Computer Vision Syndrome is a real epidemic born from the computer age which not only affects a significant percentage of my patients but it’s a condition that I also subject myself to.  Using a BenQ Flicker Free screen now for the last few months has perceptibly reduced eye strain for me,” said Dr Kokkinakis.

For further information contact BenQ on 1300 130 336 or visit www.BenQ.com.au

 
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Bitdefender Launches Free Safepay Standalone to Protect eBanking, Shopping

Safepay foils hackers, packet sniffing, Trojans, keyloggers and more 

BITDEFENDER HQ, July 25, 2013 – Bitdefender, the creator of innovative global antivirus solutions, has launched Safepay, the acclaimed technology that shields online transactions from growing criminal threats, as a free desktop app to help bring back confidence to online surfing and shopping.

Bitdefender SafepayTM, a hacker-proof hardened browser, protects sensitive data from the full array of threats posed to sensitive banking and financial data, including hackers, phishing, packet sniffing, man-in-the-browser attacks, man-in-the-middle attack, Trojans, tampering and more.

Safepay shields e-shopping and online banking transactions from any spying, detects and blocks ID theft, prevents hostile screenshots of data, bars criminals from tracking keystrokes, detects fraudulent web sites and scans web traffic to foil stealth attacks before they even reach the browser.

“As millions more internet users turn to the convenience and versatility of online banking, cyber-criminals have been hitting them hard with an array of tricks, scams and malware that can be bewildering,” said Bitdefender Chief Security Strategist Catalin Cosoi. “So we designed a product to change all that. Safepay protects ebankers and shoppers from all types of online threats, all the time.”

Safepay, which has performed to success as part of Bitdefender’s latest-generation products and won praise from PC Mag and other expert sites, is also available in a premium version, which features Hotspot Protection, creating a barrier of privacy even on public WiFi hotspots.

 
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F1™ 2013 SET TO RACE INTO STORES ON OCTOBER 3RD

AHEAD OF THE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX™ THIS WEEKEND, SEE AN IN-GAME HOT LAP AROUND THE HUNGARORING AT http://www.formula1-game.com

Monday July 29th   – Codemasters® today announced that F1™ 2013, the latest entry in the award-winning series of officially licensed FORMULA 1™ videogames, will launch on October 3rd in Australia and New Zealand for the Xbox 360® video games and entertainment system from Microsoft®, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Windows® PC.

To mark the release date announcement, Codemasters has released a hot lap video using work-in-progress in-game footage featuring the Hungaroring circuit which is set to stage the FORMULA 1 MAGYAR NAGYDÍJ 2013 this weekend. The video shows Toro RossoFerrari’s Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo taking on the famous circuit and is narrated by Anthony Davidson, former FORMULA ONE™ driver and Technical Consultant on F1 2013, who describes how drivers should attack each corner and carry as much speed as possible through the tight and twisty track in the battle for points this weekend.

F1 2013 will feature a new gameplay mode called F1 Classics giving fans the chance to race classic cars on iconic circuits against legendary drivers for the first time in Codemasters’ award-winning series. Introduced by legendary broadcaster Murray Walker, F1 Classics features a new fictional racing series allowing players to race cars, drivers and circuits from the 1980s. Classic content is also available in a range of other game modes, including split-screen and online multiplayer modes.

Further content will be available in a premium edition of the game, F1 2013: CLASSIC EDITION, featuring 1990s Content and Classic Tracks. These two packs will be made available for purchase as optional DLC for players of F1 2013.

F1 2013 will also feature all the cars and stars from the 2013 season, allowing gamers to race as Lewis Hamilton in his Mercedes and Segio Perez in the McLaren-Mercedes for the first time, and includes all of the rule changes, tyre changes and remodelled handling to authentically reflect the challenge and exhilaration of racing 2013’s stunning roster of cars. A range of enhancements, improvements, split-screen and online multiplayer, plus new and returning game modes deliver the most complete simulation of a FORMULA ONE season in videogame history, with more detail to be revealed.

To get all the latest F1 2013 news straight from the studio, race over to www.facebook.com/formula1game or follow the team on twitter at www.twitter.com/formula1game.

 
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Wolf Creek 2 to debut at the Venice Film Festival

Wolf Creek 2 has been invited to premiere at the 2013 Venice Film Festival for an out of competition midnight screening.

“I’m absolutely thrilled that Wolf Creek 2 has been selected to screen at one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world” said Director, Greg Mclean.

”Presenting our film to an international audience ahead of the Australian release will not only be a great honour, but also a great way to experience how this very Australian movie plays to a global audience. My hope is it will be embraced for being every bit as entertaining, controversial and compelling as the first movie.”

Actor, John Jarratt who once again steps out as the hauntingly sadistic Mick Taylor said “It’s very rare for a film festival to accept a sequel, unless it’s exceptionally high quality. This is a wonderful endorsement of our great film.”

The Venice Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world and takes place annually on the island of the Lido, Venice.

Wolf Creek 2 will be released in Australia on the 20th of February 2014 by Roadshow Films. International sales are being handled by Arclight Films.

 
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The Counselor – New Images and Teaser Trailer

THE COUNSELOR

Release: 7 November 2013

Directed by: Ridley Scott

Written by: Cormac McCarthy

Cast: Michael Fassbender, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem, Brad Pitt

Genre: Thriller

Synopsis:

Legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott and Pulitzer Prize winning author Cormac McCarthy (No Country for Old Men) have joined forces in the motion picture thriller THE COUNSELOR, starring Michael Fassbender, Javier Bardem, Brad Pitt, Penélope Cruz, and Cameron Diaz. McCarthy, making his screenwriting debut and Scott interweave the author’s characteristic wit and dark humor with a nightmarish scenario, in which a respected lawyer’s dalliance with an illegal business deal spirals out of control.