Sydney, Australia – December 21, 2011 – To celebrate this Lunar New Year, Kingston, the independent world leader in memory products, today announces the launch of the new Fortune Dragon Drive for the APAC region including Australia. After the lucky Bunny Drive, this special edition Dragon Drive is another exciting addition to the Kingston DataTraveler Chinese Zodiac USB drive lineup. It can be expected that the Fortune Dragon Drive will create a collection craze in 2012.

Targeted specially at those born in the Year of the Dragon and those who have an interest in collector’s items, this extremely charming USB drive comes in a unique package and box. The product is compatible with all operating systems and boasts of Kingston’s solid 5 year warranty and free technical support service. For more information, please visit http://www.kingston.com/anz

On the occasion of this prestigious Special Edition Fortune Dragon Drive launch, Nathan Su – Flash Memory Sales Director of APAC region, said, “Kingston’s DataTraveler Chinese Zodiac series USB drives have been very popular among collectors over the years. The drive is a Collector’s Item and have a lot of appeal with its vivid, delightful color scheme of red and yellow. I am sure this will resonate well with consumers of all ages.”

In the Chinese Zodiac, the Dragon is the fifth sign in the 12 Chinese Horoscopes that represent each year of the lunar calendar. In addition to signifying luck, dragon is a creature of myth and legend and is a symbol of good fortune and sign of intense power. The year of dragon is an important and lucky year in the Chinese community

Pricing and Availability
Manufacturer: Kingston Technology
Product Name: Fortune Dragon Drive 
RRP: 8GB AUD$ 11.00, NZ$ 18.00
Website: www.kingston.com
Warranty: Kingston DataTraveler products are backed by a five-year warranty and free technical support.
Australian Distributors: Express Online, Synnex Australia PTY Ltd, Ingram Micro AU, Avnet AU.
New Zealand Distributors: Ingram Micro NZ, Synnex NZ, Simms NZ

Listed below are some of the key product features.
Compatibility Table

Specifications

*Please note: Some of the listed capacity on a Flash storage device is used for formatting and other functions and is thus 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.

Kingston can be found on:
Blog: http://www.kingston-blog.com/en
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KingstonBlogFansClub.en
Twitter: http://twitter.com/KingstonFEPR
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/KingstonAPAC

*Please note: Some of the listed capacity on a Flash storage device is used for formatting and other functions and is thus 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.

About Kingston Technology Company, Inc.
Kingston Technology Company, Inc. is the world’s largest independent manufacturer of memory products. Kingston designs, manufactures and distributes memory products for desktops, laptops, servers, printers, and Flash memory products for PDAs, mobile phones, digital cameras, and MP3 players. Through its global network of subsidiaries and affiliates, Kingston has manufacturing facilities in California, Taiwan, China, and sales representatives in the United States, Taiwan, China, India, Australia, Vietnam, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and Latin America. For more information, please visit www.kingston.com/anz.

The free Heroes & Heralds mode DLC for Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is available for download this week on PS3 and X360 (from Wednesday evening onwards, once PSN and the Xbox Live Marketplace have updated). 

In addition, Capcom is pleased to confirm that the Heroes & Heralds mode will be included standard in the upcoming PlayStation Vita version of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. 

Heroes & Heralds is a separate mode that adds new and customizable features to online and offline gameplay.  Players will choose between two factions – Heroes or Heralds– and will engage in a series of battles with the opposing side to help save the world or take it over. Gameplay in the Heroes & Heralds mode will be altered through the acquisition of Ability cards that range from basic alterations (speed boost) to game-changing, combo enhancing powers (invisibility or ability to pass through projectiles).  Cards can be used in online and offline versions of the Heroes & Heralds modes as well as the training mode. Ability cards are based on classic Marvel and Capcom characters. 

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 takes the epic battle to all new heights with 12 new characters from the Marvel and Capcom universes, a refined fighting system, eight new stages and new modes. The PS Vita edition of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 will feature online and local multiplayer, touchscreen functionality, NEAR and everything you would find in the PS3 version. In addition, the PS Vita version includes a Spectator Mode and Replay function that allows players to watch or share exciting matches over wi-fi. PS Vita exclusive Gold Herald color options are also available for the characters. As an integrated option, gamers can use the PS Vita as the “Ultimate Controller” to play the PS3 version of the game. 

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is available now in Australia and New Zealand on PS3 and X360. As a launch title for the PlayStation Vita system the Vita version will be available on February 23, 2012.

Kids Fest: All Aboard!

All aboard for a festival packed with performances, activities and adventure trails celebrating leaving, journeys and arrivals. Navigate your way around the Museum, take part in travel craft activities, get your face painted, enjoy roving performers and learn about travel superstitions and traditions from other countries. Travel to journey’s end and create a huge city of dreams with artists Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan.
Date: 11am to 4pm, 21 and 22 January 2012 

Sweets: tastes and traditions from many cultures

Discover the delicious ways in which Victorian communities use sweet food and drink in their cultures. Explore the history and cultural significance of sweet food and find out how sweetness is important to everyone. Different cultures use sweets for many reasons and purposes – to mark important rituals, celebrations and life events. Discover special sweet foods from each of the Indian, Italian, Japanese, Mauritian and Turkish cultures, the ways in which many of them are made and the significance they hold. Featuring fascinating objects, lively photographs and multimedia, Sweets will reveal unique perspectives on a very common and popular food.

Part of the 2012 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival

Date: 18 March 2012 to 7 April 2013 

Sweets Festival

Celebrate our shared sweet tooth at this delectable one-day festival of food and culture, collaboratively developed with sweet-loving Victorian communities. Explore fascinating shared and unique traditions, rituals and contemporary practices surrounding sweet cuisines and refreshments. Enjoy a feast of toothsome food stalls, cooking demonstrations, films, workshops and displays.
Part of the 2012 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival
Date: 11am to 4pm, Sunday 18 March 2012

Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders Street, Melbourne.  Open daily 10.00am to 5.00pm except Good Friday and Christmas Day. Admission: Adult $10, child/concession FREE. More info 13 11 02 or museumvictoria.com.au/immigrationmuseum

Strategic Agreement Including Extensive Supply and Cross-Licensing Arrangements Now Fully Operational

Sydney – December 20, 2011 –Seagate Technology plc (NASDAQ: STX), a world leader in hard disk drives and storage solutions, today announced the closing of the transaction to acquire the hard disk drive (HDD) business of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a world leader in digital consumer electronics and information technology. 
 
Under the terms of the transaction, Seagate has gained select elements of Samsung’s HDD business, including assets, infrastructure and employees that enable Seagate to drive scale and innovation. These assets include Samsung’s leading M8 product line of high-capacity, 2.5-inch HDDs. Samsung employees joining Seagate include a number of senior managers and design-engineering employees from Samsung’s Koreafacility, who will focus on development of small form-factor products for the mobile compute market. N.Y. Park, senior vice president and general manager, will oversee Seagate’s product development activities in Korea and serve as country manager of the Korea design center, reporting to Bob Whitmore, Seagate’s executive vice president and CTO.
 
“Together, Seagate and Samsung have aligned our current and future product development efforts and roadmaps in order to accelerate time-to-market efficiency for new products and position us to better address the increasing demands for storage,” said Steve Luczo, Seagate chairman, president and CEO. “It is an exciting time in the industry with rapidly evolving opportunities in many markets including mobile computing, cloud computing, and solid state storage.” 
 
This transaction was announced in April 2011 along with a series of other agreements between Seagate and Samsung. Seagate is supplying disk drives to Samsung for PCs, notebooks and consumer electronics devices. Samsung is supplying its market-leading semiconductor products for use in Seagate’s enterprise solid state drives (SSDs), solid-state hybrid drives and other products. The companies have also extended and enhanced their existing patent cross-license agreement and have expanded cooperation to co-develop enterprise storage solutions. 
 
“The strategic relationship will open new opportunities for the two companies by mutually complementing each other’s creative technology solutions for a broad diversity of IT applications,” said Oh-Hyun Kwon, vice chairmanof Device Solutionsof Samsung Electronics.
 
The transactions and agreements substantially expand Seagate’s customer access in China, Southeast Asia, Brazil, Germany and the Russian Federation. Seagate and Samsung also have been working together to ensure that customers continue to receive a high level of service, support and innovation, including activities to align the two companies’ supply bases and delivery infrastructure. To ease the transition of products and technologies, Seagate will retain certain Samsung HDD products under the Samsung brand name for 12 months, and maintain or establish a number of independent operations including sales staff, key production lines and R&D. Customers can find more information at www.seagate.com/samsung.
 
The combined value of these transactions and agreements is approximately US $1.4billion, consisting of 45,239,490 Seagate Ordinary Shares and the remaining balance settled in cash.  In addition, Samsung will designate a nominee to join Seagate’s Board of Directors.
 
Seagate does not presently expect significant restructuring costs and expects to achieve considerable reductions in overall operating expenses for the combined business while minimizing the integration costs. As previously stated, Seagate expects that the transactions and agreements will be meaningfully accretive to non-GAAP diluted earnings per share and cash flow in the first full year following the closing.  Seagate will provide additional financial information for the combined company on its fiscal second quarter conference call in late January.

Update 7.0 Released, 7.1 on the Way

London, UK, Paris, FR and San Francisco, CA (20^th December, 2011) — Wargaming.net, the award-winning videogame publisher and developer, announced today the release of the highly anticipated Update 7.0 for their free-to-play action MMO World of Tanks.

World of Tanks’ most anticipated update includes numerous camouflages visible to all players. Tankers will be able to ride their roaring monsters across new maps – Fjords and Swamp. In addition to the scenery of the new battle arenas, updated special effects including salvos and explosions will add realism to the gameplay.

Tank Company mode has also been improved to fit players’ requirements and abilities. Tankmen can now choose the division of battles with different tier caps: Junior (tier 4), Medium (tier 6), Champion (tier 8), and Absolute (tier 10).

The company also announced the upcoming release of Update 7.1 featuring the French tech tree. 18 new vehicles will introduce the first three branches of the French nation; light, medium, and heavy steel chariots will enrich the combat and bring all-new tactics into the game. These will later be followed by SPGs and tank destroyers.

“7.0 is a huge-scale update that includes many of the long-expected features, including camo and new visual effects,” said Victor Kislyi, CEO of Wargaming.net. “Also, we are very excited to introduce the forthcoming French tanks. They are fast and deadly due to their special reloading system, and we believe they will dictate completely new battle strategies.”

World of Tanks is the first and only team-based massively multiplayer online action game dedicated to armored warfare. Throw yourself into the epic tank battles of World War II with other steel cowboys all over the world. Your arsenal includes more than 150 armored vehicles from America, Germany, and the Soviet Union, carefully detailed with historical accuracy.

A flexible system of authentic vehicle upgrade and development allows you to try any of the vehicles and weapons in the game. Whether you prefer to exhaust your foes with fast and maneuverable light tanks, make deep breaches in enemy lines with all-purpose medium tanks, use the force of giant tanks to eliminate opposing armored forces, or become a heavy sniper with long-range howitzers, each unit type has its own advantages and can be extremely effective when operated by a true tank ace.

But being a great tank commander alone isn’t enough to win! In World of Tanks, it’s all about teamwork. Victory is achieved by combining your combat skills with those of the other members of your team, each playing their own role on the battlefield. Just add your favorite strategy to build your own steel empire and manifest the indisputable authority of the tank power!

Join World of Tanks:

• http://worldoftanks.eu/registration/ (Europe)
• http://worldoftanks.com/registration/ (North America)

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Entertainment today announced two new DLC packs, as well as a free Batman Inc. Batsuit Skins for Batman: Arkham City are available now in the Xbox LIVE® Marketplace and Games for Windows Marketplace and coming shortly for the PlayStation®Network. 

The Arkham Bundle brings together the Nightwing Bundle Pack, Robin Bundle Pack and the Arkham City Skins Pack for 1,200 Microsoft Points, $19.95 on the Games for Windows Marketplace and available soon for $23.95 on PSN. 

Also available for download today is the Challenge Map Pack, which includes The Joker’s Carnival Challenge Map, the Iceberg Lounge Challenge Map, and a brand new invisible predator challenge map, The Batcave.  The Challenge Map Pack is available for 240 Microsoft Points or $4.95 on PSN.

Fans of the game will be treated to the new Batman Inc. Batsuit Skin at no cost.  This skin can be worn in the story campaign upon completion of the main story and in the challenge maps.

Melbourne Australia, Dec 21 2011 – EA’s Syndicate game has been refused classification in Australia which once again proves how backward the Australian government is with the video game market.

This is EA’s statement;

“It’s regrettable that government policy in Australia is denying adults the right to play Syndicate. The game will be not be available in Australia despite its enthusiastic response from fans. We were encouraged by the government’s recent agreement to adopt an 18+ age rating for games. However, delays continue to force an arcane censorship on games – cuts that would never be imposed on books or movies. We urge policy makers to take swift action to implement an updated policy that reflects today’s market and gives its millions of adult consumers the right to make their own content choices.”

“The Nightmare Before Christmas” Downloadable Content Now Available Exclusively for Xbox LIVE® and the PlayStation®Network 

Melbourne, VIC – December 21, 2011 – Gamers will be “Making Christmas” with the release of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” level downloadable content pack, available today for Disney Universe. The new content is currently available for the PlayStation®Network and Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network. 

Inspired by Tim Burton’s iconic film about the residents of a spooky dream land and their quest for a bit of holiday spirit, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” level in Disney Universe allows players to experience Halloween Town firsthand. Gamers will be able suit up as Jack Skellington, Sally, Oogie Boogie, Doctor Finklestein and the Mayor of Halloween Town as they journey through various spooky settings, lighting the way with special pumpkin lanterns, avoiding enemy attacks from Christmas crackers and transforming tombstones into Christmas presents. They’ll also use potions from Christmas vials to finish missions while keeping clear of hazardous fog, all in an effort to defeat the evil Oogie Boogie. 

Trailer can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6-dAC1j7MM 

Please visit www.disneyunierse.com.au for more information.

ARE YOU READY FOR THE REVELATIONS AHEAD?

Find out when Resident Evil: Revelations & the Circle Pad Pro accessory launches for Nintendo 3DS

20th December 2011, Australia and New Zealand

Prepare for a survival horror experience when Resident Evil™: Revelations launches exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS™ system in Australia and New Zealand on 2 February 2012. Developed by Capcom® specifically to take advantage of the Nintendo 3DS features, Resident Evil: Revelations will be available to players as a standalone game, but can also be played with the new Circle Pad Pro, also available 2 February 2012. The Circle Pad Pro is a second analogue stick with two more shoulder buttons, enabling you to interact with the environments in Resident Evil: Revelations in new ways.

Set in 2005, Resident Evil: Revelations uncovers truths from the Resident Evil storyline between Resident Evil™ 4 and Resident Evil™ 5 and is packed with terrifying moments that deliver a constant fear of the unknown through an intense storyline which is full of depth.

Intertwining story themes work together to build a brand new narrative with new locations and characters bringing intrigue and suspense around every corner. Series favourite characters from previous Resident Evil™ games return including Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield plus new BSAA members and head of the BSAA Clive R. O’Brian and mysterious agent Raymond Vester.

Jill Valentine and BSAA partner Parker Luciani have been sent to search for Chris Redfield, whose last known GPS data positions him as being onboard a supposedly abandoned cruise ship. Danger hides around every corner as you explore the confined space of the ship and face menacing new enemies and a virus; the T-Abyss.

Resident Evil: Revelations heralds the return of classic Resident Evil game play. In Campaign Mode you can investigate a range of different locations including the dark cramped spaces of a cruise ship and some treacherous snow covered mountains. With limited ammo and weapons, you fight off the infected enemies that lurk around every corner.
The brand new Raid Mode offers a different kind of Resident Evil gameplay experience, separate to the main campaign story, in either solo or co-op play. Compete in single player or two player co-op as Jill Valentine and Chris Redfield on a variety of missions to defeat enemies. Earn points for the enemies you attack and select from a range of upgrades to improve your weapon’s performance as well as levelling up your character. Both Campaign Mode and Raid Mode will provide players with a rich experience full of depth that will keep players continually engrossed in the game.

Built from the ground up specifically to make the best use of the Nintendo 3DS capabilities, players can now add a fourth control scheme to their Nintendo 3DS gameplay experience with the new Circle Pad Pro accessory which attaches to the Nintendo 3DS system. Use specific button combinations for more effective or expert play, or as a traditional “twin-stick shooter”. You can also make use of the Touch Screen to solve puzzles, switch between weapons more easily and check out the labyrinthine map.

Experience this intense survival horror which is only available on your Nintendo 3DS system.

Resident Evil: Revelations, a true return to classic Resident Evil survival horror gameplay.

Resident Evil: Revelations SRP AU $69.95* and Circle Pad Pro SRP AU $24.95*.

For more information, please visit: www.nintendo.com.au

*All prices quoted are Suggested Retail Price (SRP) in Australian dollars. For New Zealand price, please check with your local retailers