·        New SSDNow V300 Solid-state Drive Provides Consumers with High-performance, Cost-efficient Upgrade Solution
·        Customised LSI SandForce Flash Storage Processor Solution

Sydney Australia – November 15, 2012— Kingston, the independent world leader in memory products, today announced it is shipping the next generation of its most cost-effective SSDNow V Series solid-state drive. The Kingston SSDNow V300 is a powerful upgrade solution for cost-conscious consumers looking to upgrade their existing desktop or notebook PC.

The new SSDNow V300 is 10x faster than a 7200RPM hard-disk drive^†. It is powered by an LSI SandForce Flash Storage Processor (FSP) solution customised for Kingston, and optimised for industry-leading 19nm NAND Flash memory to deliver sequential read and write speeds of up to 450MB/s. Using best-in-class components, SSDNow V300 combines quality, performance and affordability from two leading SSD brands that are affordable for first-time SSD users or anyone looking to upgrade an existing system.

“LSI worked together with Kingston to deliver a customised high-performing solid-state drive solution for their cost-effective SSDNow V Series,” said Kent Smith, senior director of product marketing, Flash Components Division, LSI., LSI SandForce. “Our award-winning SF-2281 Client FSPs provide Kingston’s customers with enterprise-class features and an enhanced everyday computing user experience, especially for first time SSD users.”

“Kingston is committed to delivering SSDs at the best price to performance ratio as possible. We achieve this again with our next-generation SSDNow V300,” said Nathan Su, Flash Memory Sales Director, APAC Region, Kingston. “The SSDNow V300 is the best cost-efficient upgrade for users who want their existing systems to perform faster. They will experience faster boot up and shutdown times, and will also see much better system performance when multiple applications are open.”

The SSDNow V300 is available as a stand-alone drive or as an upgrade kit containing cloning software and other accessories for a desktop and/or notebook system. SSDNow V300 is backed by a three-year warranty, free technical support and legendary Kingston reliability.

Kingston is celebrating 25 years in the memory industry. The company was founded on October 17, 1987, and has grown to become the largest third-party memory manufacturer in the world. The 25th anniversary video can be found at here as well as more information including a timeline of Kingston’s history. In addition, HyperX memory is celebrating its 10^th anniversary. The first HyperX high-performance memory module was released in November 2002.

^† Based on PCMark Vantage, Advanced Edition HDD Test Suite. Test system: Dell XPS 8500, Intel H77 Chipset, Intel^® Core™ i7-3770 CPU, 8GB System Memory. SSD tested as primary drive with results based on “out-of-box” performance. This SSD is designed for use in desktop and notebook computer workloads, and is not intended for Server environments.

Kingston SSDNow V300 Features and Specifications:
·        Form factor: 2.5″
·        Interface: SATA Rev. 3.0 (6Gb/s) – with backwards compatibility to SATA Rev. 2.0
·        Capacities¹: 60GB, 120GB, 240GB
·        Sequential Reads²:
SATA Rev. 3.0 — up to 450MB/s
·        Sequential Writes²:
SATA Rev. 3.0 — up to 450MB/s
·        Maximum Random 4k Read/Write³
60GB — up to 85,000/up to 60,000 IOPS
120GB — up to 85,000/up to 55,000 IOPS
240GB — up to 85,000/up to 43,000 IOPS
·        PCMark^® Vantage HDD Suite Score
60GB — 39,000
120GB — 49,000
240GB — 57,000
·        Power Consumption:
0.640W (MAX) Idle / 1.423W (MAX) Read / 2.052W (MAX) Write
·        Storage temperatures: -40°C ~ 85°C
·        Operating temperatures: 0°C ~ 70°C
·        Dimensions: 69.8mm x 100.1mm x 7mm
·        Weight: 86g
·        Vibration operating: 2.17G Peak (7–800Hz)
·        Vibration non-operating: 20G Peak (10–2000Hz)
·        Life expectancy: 1 million hours MTBF
·        Warranty/support: three-year warranty with free technical support
·        Total Bytes Written (TBW)⁴
60GB — 32TB
120GB — 64TB
240GB — 128TB

¹ Please note: Some of the listed capacity on a Flash storage device is used for formatting and other functions and thus is not available for data storage. As such, the actual available capacity for data storage is less than what is listed on the products. For more information, go to Kingston’s Flash memory Guide at kingston.com/flash_memory_guide.
² Based on “out-of-box performance” with ATTO Disk Benchmark 2.41. Speed may vary due to host hardware, software, and usage.
³ Based on “out-of-box performance” with IOMeter.
⁴ Total Bytes Written (TBW) refers to how much total data can be written to an SSD for a given workload before the drive reaches its endurance limits.

^††Please check your favorite Kingston e-tailer or reseller for pricing.

Kingston can be found on:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KingstonBlogFansClub.en
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/KingstonAPAC

A powerful smartphone that aims to spark everyone’s creative inspirations 

AUSTRALIA, Sydney – November 14, 2012  – Samsung Electronics Australia, today announced the launch of the Samsung GALAXY Note II in Australia, a whole new level of innovation for the GALAXY Note category. The new GALAXY Note II enables personalised experiences and expressive content creation, making it an exceptional smartphone for on-the-go creativity. The GALAXY Note II will be available through Vodafone, Optus and Telstra from next week and can also be pre-ordered from the Samsung Experience Store. The GALAXY Note II 4G¹ will also be available on the Optus and Telstra networks.

Samsung GALAXY Note II aims to unleash users’ inner creative spark, by allowing consumers to discover information quickly, capture ideas, and express them efficiently. This is easily achieved using the new S Pen, which provides a precise and natural writing experience that feels like writing with a pen and paper. For people who want to be creative, different and unique, Samsung GALAXY Note II will be the ideal device.

“With the GALAXY Note, Samsung created a different category and we continue to define it with the launch of the GALAXY Note II,” said Tyler McGee, Vice President of Telecommunications, Samsung Electronics Australia. “We have slightly reconfigured the size and we have combined all the intelligent features of the original GALAXY Note with an additional series of specifications that make the GALAXY Note II one of the most impressive and powerful smartphones in the marketplace. The GALAXY Note II offers a truly unique user experience that goes beyond passive content consumption to a different world of productivity, active creation and personalised communications.”

Great viewing experience

The GALAXY Note II features a 5.5” (141mm) HD Super AMOLED Plus display providing brilliant visual clarity. Its 16:9 screen ratio helps ensure an immersive and enriched video viewing experience. Its large screen allows users to see content clearly and vividly, which helps enhance readability. In addition to the rich content consumption experiences, users will also be able to perform tasks efficiently and create content freely, while on-the-go, as the GALAXY Note II comes with a thinner, lighter, yet bigger screen as compared to its predecessor.

Sophisticated S Pen & S Note usage

Everyday tasks on the Samsung GALAXY Note II are made easy and intuitive using S Pen enabled features. Air View allows you to hover with the S Pen over an email, S Note, S Planner, image galleries, or videos to preview the content without having to open it. This gives you quick access to search and view information in detail without screen transitions; and the new gesture pad feature called Quick Command lets you use the S Pen to access shortcuts.

The S Pen’s intuitive features also provide capabilities to capture ideas and inspirations or to combine handwriting with digital content directly on the screen. By simply pressing the dedicated S Pen button, it can recognise that you want to clip or edit the selected content on the screen. This action allows you to instantly crop the screen or its contents in virtually any shape required – ready to save, share or paste – you can also edit Web or digital images with colouring, shading, or your own personal handwriting.

Simple multitasking

Whether you’re watching a video, texting a friend or simply sketching an idea, GALAXY Note II helps make multitasking seamless and intuitive with three new features:

• Popup Note lets you open an S Note instantly as a pop-up window anywhere on the screen². For example, you can take notes on S Note while your friend gives you directions over the phone, or even sketch the directions as a map during the conversation. Whatever the task, GALAXY Note II has the tools to keep you active while on-the-go.

• Popup Web³ is another new multitasking feature. You can now open a web browser anywhere on the screen and open a web link without having to switch between screens.

• Popup Video extends the concept of ‘Pop up play’ thanks to the breadth of GALAXY Note II’s amazing viewing experience. While watching a video, with the touch of a button, the video will become a floating window on your display. The video will continue to play and it can be repositioned to any part of the GALAXY Note II’s screen. This versatility means you are free to load other applications beneath it to browse online, connect with friends or plan your day.

Powerful Performance

Beyond content creation, sharing and multitasking, the GALAXY Note II provides the performance GALAXY users have expected from Samsung’s latest smartphone offering. A mighty 1.6GHz Quad-Core processor, HSPA Plus and 4G¹ connectivity to deliver easy multitasking, fast screen transitions and browsing performance, as well as app start-ups with minimal lag times. GALAXY Note II will launch with Android™ 4.1, JellyBean. This will bring stunning graphical capabilities and a Google Now service including features such as contextual search to GALAXY Note II. The internal memory is 16GB with expandable micro SD memory slot (micro SD sold separately). Additionally, the 3,100mAh battery means users can enjoy multimedia content and be productive on the go, whilst capturing ideas virtually whenever and wherever.

The GALAXY Note II comes with an 8 Megapixel rear-facing camera supporting HD video recording and a 1.9 megapixel front-facing camera. The camera has great features like Buddy Photo Share, Burst Shot and Best Photo, which were previously introduced on GALAXY S III. In addition to that, GALAXY Note II features a unique camera function called Best Faces. Best Faces allows users to choose the most preferred face or pose of each person from group portrait photos.

Smart Stay, which was first introduced on the GALAXY S III, uses the camera in the GALAXY Note II to help prevent the device from going into standby mode when it detects a user in front of the camera. Finally, with AllShare® Play⁴, users can share content with a large group in real-time by connecting the GALAXY Note II to compatible Samsung HD TVs, phones, mobile tablets, laptops, and other compatible consumer electronic devices on the same network.

Additional Standout Features

The Samsung GALAXY Note II also comes with NFC (Near Field Communication), the fast-growing short-range communication technology that enables a variety of features and services ranging from contactless payments and data exchange to user-customised “smart tags”.

With Samsung’s NFC-powered solution TecTiles™, consumers can create their own “action tags” that help make their everyday lives fun and productive. These TecTiles™ tags can automatically change your phone’s settings, launch applications or even update your status on social networks with just a single tap.³

The Samsung TecTiles™ mobile application for Samsung GALAXY S III and NOTE II is now available from the Samsung Apps store⁵, and TecTiles™ NFC tags will be sold as an accessory from early December 2012 starting at the Samsung Experience Store.

Exciting Australian Content

The GALAXY Note II is an impressive device to experience the diverse range of apps exclusive to Samsung Electronics Australia. For example, the Note II comes preloaded with Navigon, a turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation app. Ideal to use on the 5.5” screen, no data charges apply for using navigation, and FREE map updates are available every 3 months for two years.⁶

The Samsung Learning Hub⁵ is an interactive educational solution that allows you to learn with the Samsung GALAXY Note 2 from practically anywhere. From students to adults, anyone can find learning materials customised for the mobile device and delivered virtually on demand. Use the S-Pen to write notes on pages, create memos and highlight important text. Create book marks, listen to audio clips and search key words. Samsung Learning Hub’s cloud database allows you to review study notes, book marks, manage your study schedule and learn on multiple compatible devices. Samsung is partnering with leading Australian education publishers to deliver digital text books and study solutions. The Samsung Learning Hub can also be downloaded from the Samsung Apps store for other compatible GALAXY tablets and smartphones.

Core Capabilities for Enterprise Mobility

As employees become more mobile and the use of technology is more pervasive at the workplace, there is a strong demand and need for enterprises to adopt Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) policies to help drive productivity. To help address the need, Samsung has bolstered its Enterprise Mobility solutions suite in collaboration with industry-leading organisations including MobileIron, Juniper, Citrix, Microsoft, Cisco and Fingi.

The launch of the GALAXY Note II adds to Samsung’s comprehensive portfolio of enterprise mobility devices including the GALAXY Note 10.1, GALAXY S III, GALAXY Tab 2 10.1 and GALAXY Tab 2 7.0 for businesses today. Together with its global partnerships, Samsung is now providing powerful mobile security solutions on the Android platform which are easily interoperable with leading suppliers of mobile device management (MDM), VPN security and other mobile security technologies, enabling enterprises to deliver an outstanding user experience while helping to keep corporate data assets secure.

Pricing and Availability

The GALAXY Note II will be available in two fantastic colours – marble white and titanium grey from $899 RRP (for 16GB) from next week. Pricing and plans for the Samsung GALAXY Note II are available through Optus, Vodafone and Telstra. Consumers can also pre-order the Samsung GALAXY Note II from the Samsung Experience Store at 450 George Street, Sydney.

Note to Editors:

Disclaimers:

1. 4G is only available on certain networks and in selected coverage areas. If 4G is unavailable, the device will default to 3G. Data speed and coverage may vary depending on location, device configuration, and geographical features. 

2. The Popup Note feature must be activated through the S Pen settings.

3. Internet connection required. Data charges may apply.

4. To use AllShare Play cloud storage requires separate registration with a third-party storage provider. Usage is subject to service provider agreements. Internet connection required. Data download and subscription charges may apply. Samsung’s features are intended for private and domestic use. Samsung does not authorise any use of its features that infringes copyright.

5. Internet connection required. Data download and subscription charges may apply.

6. Navigon comes with preloaded maps. Service availability and operation may depend on GPS satellite coverage and may also vary by geographical region. Map updates are offered free of charge upon activation of the Navigon FreshMaps package and guaranteed for a 2 year period; after this time a fee may apply for further map updates. Data charges may apply for map updates.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2011 consolidated sales of US$143.1 billion. Employing approximately 222,000 people in 205 offices across 71 countries, the company operates two separate organizations to coordinate its nine independent business units: Digital Media & Communications, comprising Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, and Digital Imaging; and Device Solutions, consisting of Memory, System LSI and LCD. Recognized for its industry-leading performance across a range of economic, environmental and social criteria, Samsung Electronics was named the world’s most sustainable technology company in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

Sydney, Australia (13th November, 2012) — ASUS today advises that a 32GB Nexus 7 tablet is now available in Australian retail stores, offering even more storage options for the popular 7inch, quad-core tablet featuring Google’s Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Nexus 7 is designed to go wherever you go – and now with up to 32GB of storage, the Nexus 7 can take users even further. The new 32GB model will be available for purchase for a recommended price of AUD$319; the 16GB model will continue to be sold in Australia for AUD$269.

Nexus 7 is available for purchase from the Google Play store and selected retailers, including Harvey Norman, JB HiFi, Dick Smith Electronics, The Good Guys, Bing Lee, Radio Rentals, Office Works, EB Games, BSR and authorised ASUS channel resellers. The new model will be distributed by Synnex and Dicker Data.

About the Nexus 7

Nexus 7 is built by ASUS in partnership with Google, and comes with a NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 quad-core processor so everything is faster – pages load quickly, gameplay is smooth and responsive, and running multiple apps is a breeze. Patented 4-PLUS-1™ design gives users processing power when needed, and battery saving efficiency when they don’t. It comes with Android 4.1, the latest version of the world’s most popular mobile platform – featuring an improved keyboard that helps users say and do more, new actionable notifications, updates to Google Now and much more.

Nexus 7 was made for Google Play, putting entertainment users love right in their hand: the world’s largest collection of eBooks, millions of songs, thousands of movies and TV shows, and the latest magazines – plus over 675,000 apps and games. Nexus 7 comes with all the favourite Google Apps – like Gmail, Chrome, Google+ and YouTube – putting the best of Google in the palm of the hand.

Technical Specifications

* Processor: NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 T30L Quad-Core @ 1.2GHz

* Display: 7” WXGA (1280 x 800) high-definition LED backlit IPS panel with 178-degree viewing angles, scratch-resistant Corning® Fit Glass, 10 finger multi-touch, 400nits, ASUS TruVivid technology for improved clarity and brightness

* Operating System: Android 4.1, Jelly Bean Camera: 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera

* Sensor: G-Sensor, light sensor, gyroscope, e-compass, GPS, NFC, hall effect sensor

* Battery: 4325mAh, 16Wh Li-polymer (Movie playback: 8hrs; book reading: 10hrs; web browsing: 10hrs; audio playback: 50hrs; standby: 300hrs)

* Google Mobile services: Google Play, Gmail, Google Earth™, YouTube, Movie Studio, Google Maps, syncing with Google Calendar, Google+

* Connectivity: 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi direct

* Memory: RAM 1GB, ROM 8/16/32GB

* Size and weight: 198.5 x 120 x 10.45mm; 340g

* Audio and interface: 2-in-1 audio jack (head-out/MIC), 1x micro-USB, 2x digital microphone, 2x high quality speakers, 1x docking pin

NEW YORK, New York — November 12, 2012 — Seagate Technology plc (NASDAQ: STX) today announced that the company has been named an International CES Innovations 2013 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree for the Seagate^® Backup Plus family of external storage. Products entered in this prestigious program are judged by a preeminent panel of independent industrial designers, engineers and members of the media to honor outstanding design and engineering in cutting edge consumer electronics products across 29 product categories.

First introduced in June of 2012, the Seagate^® Backup Plus family of hard drives are newly designed external storage devices, which work interchangeably with both Windows^® and Apple^® computers. These new drives deliver new features to protect, share and save nearly every aspect of one’s digital life. Backup Plus drives come with a hassle-free Seagate Dashboard software for one-click local backup making it easier than ever to eliminate excuses about backing up one’s most valuable digital content. Additionally, Seagate Backup Plus products are the world’s first external hard drives to provide backup for content on social networks, such as Facebook and Flickr. Storing a local duplicate copy of photos from social networks is now as easy as backing up files on your computer. Seagate Backup Plus will provide the peace of mind that nearly every aspect of one’s digital life is safe from loss.

“Seagate is thrilled to have been recognized by the Consumer Electronics Association for our latest offering of external storage, Backup Plus hard drives,” said Scott Horn, vice president of Marketing at Seagate. “This prestigious award helps underscore the important role storage plays in everything that people do today. Backup Plus storage illustrates that simplicity in design and function to address consumer needs is a true example of innovation.”

The prestigious Innovations Design and Engineering Awards are sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)^®, the producer of the International CES, the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow, and have been recognizing achievements in product design and engineering since 1976.

Seagate Backup Plus portable and Seagate Backup Plus desktop will be on display in The Venetian at the 2013 International CES, which runs January 8-11, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Honorees will also be displayed at CES Unveiled: The Official Press Event of the International CES from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday, January 6 in the South Seas Ballroom C at Mandalay Bay.

The Innovations entries are judged based on the following criteria:

• Engineering qualities, based on      technical specs and materials used
• Aesthetic and design qualities,      using photos provided
• The product’s intended      use/function and user value
• Unique/novel features that      consumers would find attractive
• How the design and innovation      of the product compares to other products in the marketplace

Products chosen as an Innovations honoree reflect innovative design and engineering of the entries. Examples may include the first time various technologies are combined in a single product or dramatic enhancements to previous product designs.

Innovations 2013 Design and Engineering honoree products are featured on the 2013 International CES website, which lists product categories, as well as each product name, manufacturer information, designer, description, photo and URL.