Eight new ThinkPad laptops targeting professionals who require mobility, high-performance, and extended battery life

Sydney, Australia – 7 June, 2012: Lenovo today announced a new series of ThinkPad solutions tailored to suit a range of professionals including small to medium businesses (SMBs), to government, education and large enterprise.

The portfolio includes the new ultraportable X230 and X230t tablet, and the powerful ThinkPad W530 mobile workstation. Also included in this announcement are the ThinkPad T Series laptops, offering premium performance and mobility, and the ThinkPad L Series laptops that provide business customers a great choice for value mobility and lower cost of ownership with common accessories and docks across the T/X/W Series products.

Including USB 3.0, VOIP features such as face tracking and key stroke noise suppression, optional built-in 3G across the range and Zero Impact Anti-Virus, Lenovo’s new ThinkPad laptops provide the ultimate in mobility, security and performance. All of these solutions are designed to provide the highest level of reliability and portability, having been engineered to retain the world-renowned quality that the ThinkPad is famous for.

“As market leader in the PC plus space, Lenovo is committed to exceeding the needs of our business and education customers. This new range of ThinkPad notebooks have been designed with our customer’s needs front of mind and to provide them with the four features most important to what they do: high-performance, reliability, manageability and durability”, said David Heyworth, Director Product Solutions and Alliances, Lenovo Australia and New Zealand. “Lenovo is committed to meeting the demands of the market and we believe our latest innovations contain updated features and functionalities that cater to a range of professional and education needs.”

The new ThinkPad models are equipped with a platform of high-performance features including 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ processors and Lenovo Enhanced Experience 3.0 (EE 3.0) with RapidBoot technology, allowing the laptops to boot up to 40 percent faster than a typical Windows® 7 computer.1 Lenovo’s new ThinkPad Precision Keyboard features a modern and clean design with optional backlit feature and a patented key shape for a premium typing experience. For a clear and rich audio-visual experience, the laptops include Dolby audio and are available with super-bright 300 NIT HD+ panels. The ThinkPad laptop portfolio are designed to pass 8 military specification tests, providing mobile professionals with the confidence to work anywhere under almost any conditions.

On-the-Go Performance: ThinkPad X230 Ultraportable
Designed for business professionals on-the-go, the ThinkPad X230 laptop delivers high-performance and up to 24 hours of battery life packed into a compact, lightweight form factor.2 Its compact size and ergonomic design, accompanied with the optional Precision Backlit Keyboard, result in a mobile laptop that is a delight to use. Weighing only 1.5 kilograms, the ThinkPad X230 is a road warrior’s dream laptop and also features a super-bright 12.5-inch, 300 nit IPS wide-viewing display.

Flexible and Powerful: ThinkPad X230t Ultraportable Tablet
The ThinkPad X230t convertible tablet with digital pen combines the functionality and performance of a 12-inch ultraportable laptop with the mobility and flexibility of a tablet computer. In addition to the features of the X230, the X230t is available with a choice of multi-touch display or a Corning Gorilla Glass Outdoor usage pen-only screen for use in bright sunlight.

Uncompromised Power and Performance: ThinkPad T430, T430s, and T530
Lenovo’s T Series laptops offer ThinkPad’s ultimate combination of mobility, security and performance, with up to 32.5 hours of battery life and the most secure Fingerprint reader in the world. 3 The T Series laptops perform at the highest levels with features such as optional NVIDIA® discrete graphics.4 The T430s is the thinnest and lightest full-featured 14-inch business laptop available, and is 20 percent thinner and lighter than other products in its class. It offers advanced features such as docking, vPro and a built-in optical drive. The T430s is also available with optional rapid-charge batteries and with Thunderbolt in some configurations. The Series’ best-selling T430 has an extremely compact form and carbon fibre reinforced top and bottom. For users who want a larger screen size in a thin and light form factor, the T530 offers a 15.6-inch display with up to 1920 x 1080 resolution and 95 percent colour gamut.

Other performance and mobility features of the T Series laptops include a built-in SmartCard reader on many configurations, up to 16GB RAM, UL Gold Certification and Intel vPro management.

Mobile Workstation Made Easy: ThinkPad W530
The ThinkPad W530 is an independent software vendor (ISV)-certified workstation for those who require the combination of extreme performance and mobility, with up to 3rd generation Intel i7 Quad Extreme i7-3920XM processor. The W530 is also available with up to 32GB RAM, up to 2TB of disk space and the option of with RAID-0 or RAID-1 configurations.

The W530 includes NVIDIA® Quadro® mobile graphics processors with second generation Optimus™ power management technology. The full HD, 270 nit wide-viewing angle display meets intensive GPU requirements with a 95 percent colour gamut and built-in colour calibrator making the W530 ideal for designers who require a bright, clear and colourful screen with true colour consistency. Up to four additional displays can also be connected to the W530 when paired with the ThinkPad Dock, making the product ideal for high productivity environments.

Traditional ThinkPad Design and Quality: ThinkPad L430/530
Combined with the renowned design and features of the ThinkPad portfolio, the ThinkPad L430 and L530 laptops provide business users with an affordable PC option that doesn’t sacrifice high-performance. With a thinner and lighter design over its predecessor, the new L Series offers a high definition (HD) or HD+ screen – 1366 x 768 or 1600 x 900 – in either a 14-inch or 15.6-inch option and include TPM as a standard feature.

Fleet management costs can also be reduced when deploying a combination of T and L Series laptops, with both sharing ThinkPad docking solutions and common batteries. Furthermore, with 100% recyclable packaging and a high level of post consumer content (PCC or recycled plastic), Lenovo’s L Series is an ideal choice for businesses who value environmental responsibility.

Super Speed Docking: ThinkPad Series 3 Dock with USB 3.0 port
Lenovo’s new ThinkPad docking solutions support L, T, X and W Series laptops, enabling users to maximise the power of the latest ThinkPad laptops. Lenovo enhanced the ThinkPad Series 3 docking offering with a USB 3.0 port that delivers 10 times the performance of USB 2.0. With common ThinkPad docking solutions, batteries, and power supplies, IT managers can swap hardware among employees to maximise resources and minimise costs.

Updated Service and Support Model
All ThinkPad laptops include Lenovo worldwide service and support. Lenovo offers a range of solutions for large businesses that can help save IT departments time and money, including transition services, accidental damage protection service and priority support. Additionally, Lenovo is offering a new option for Onsite Technician Installation of Customer Replaceable Units (CRUs) for ThinkPad laptops, which includes memory modules, optical drive, power supply, PCI cards, fan assembly and hard disk drive. This upgraded warranty option provides an authorised repair technician to install a part onsite, and assist those without a company IT support desk.

Pricing and Availability5
The new ThinkPad models will be available through business partners and on www.lenovo.com.au from June 5, 2012. Models of the ThinkPad X230 laptop will start at a recommended price of AU$1799 inc GST. Models of the ThinkPad X230T convertible tablet will start at AU$2199 inc GST. The ThinkPad T430 laptop will start at AU$1739 inc GST, and the ThinkPad T430s laptop will start at AU$2849 inc GST. The T430s is also available in a premium configuration with i7-3520M processor, 8GB RAM, Thunderbolt, 128GB SSD and 1 Terabyte HDD/DVD Multi swappable drives for AU$3699 inc GST. The ThinkPad L430 and L530 laptop will start at AU$1149 inc GST. The ThinkPad T530 starts at AU$1879 inc GST and the W530 mobile workstation models will start at AU$4099 inc GST.

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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – June 7, 2012 – Today Ubisoft^® announced that Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier™ will be made available for Windows^® PC on June 28^th in Australia.

PC Version Key Features:

• Support DX11 (adding stunning amount of visual details on characters through displacement mapping, as well as some global illumination effects.)
• More complex materials (like parallax occlusion mapping or gloss and specular maps.)
• Improved dynamic lighting
• Volumetric lighting effects
• Soft shadows
• Improved post-processing with better HDR and motion blur
• Playable with keyboard and mouse, or with wired and wireless X360 pads
• Will be available via digital distribution
• Windows XP patch coming shortly after release 

 Join the legendary Ghosts

• In the role of Sergeant John Kozak, a new squad member, fight alongside 3 veteran operators in a character-focused 10h storyline.
• Play through the game’s campaign in a cooperative mode with up to 3 friends online. 

Thrilling & Innovative Multiplayer

• Online experience created by Red Storm, the studio behind the critically acclaimed GRAW-series MP modes.
• 4 game modes focused on objectives and cooperation.
• Up to 12 players in 6 VS 6 matches for an  intense online experience.
• Select from 3 classes (Rifleman, Engineer and Scout) and unlock new gear to battle online across 10 maps. 

Exclusive Guerrilla Mode

• 4 vs. hundreds combat mode, inspired by real-life U.S Army counter-insurgency techniques. 
• Enter, capture and protect a targeted area. Get rewarded then move to the next target.
• Play cooperatively online with up to 3 friends.
• Prove you have what it takes to survive against 50 waves of enemies and armored vehicules. 

Gunsmith: Create more than 20 million variations with authentic weapons and attachments

• The Gunsmith customization mode lets you choose from dozens of attachments and components.
• Replace triggers, barrels, stocks and much more to trick out your weapon and make it your own.
• Unlock new slots and new weapon parts by spending points earned through character progression. 

Minimum hardware requirements:

Supported Operating Systems*: Windows Vista® (with Service Pack 2)/ Windows 7® (with Service pack 1), both 32 bit & 64 bit versions.
PROCESSOR: Intel Pentium D 3.0 Ghz or AMD Athlon64 X2 4400+ 2.2Ghz
RAM: 2GB Windows Vista or Windows 7
VIDEO CARD: 512 MB DirectX–compliant, Shader 4.0–enabled video card based on nVidia GeForce 8600 GTS/AMD Radeon HD 4650
DIRECT X®: DirectX 11
DVD-ROM DRIVE: DVD-ROM speed 4x, dual-layer drive
SOUND CARD: DirectX 11 – compliant sound card
HDD space: 25 GB 

Recommended Configuration: 

CPU: Intel Core2 Quad Q9450/ AMD Phenom II X4 940 or higher
RAM: 3 GB Windows Vista® & 7®
Graphics Card: 1024 MB DirectX–compliant, Shader 4.0–enabled video card based on nVidia GeForce GTX 460 or AMD/ATi HD 5850 or better. 

Please visit www.ghostrecon.com for more information on Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. 

About Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier

In Tom Clancy™’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier™, join an elite team of highly trained, cut-throat special-ops soldiers.  Armed to the teeth with unrivalled combat technology and cutting-edge military hardware, Ghost Recon takes you to the globe’s most deadly warzones to hunt down the highest value targets.

“When you’re outnumbered…only the dead fight fair”.

Next generation gaming mouse unveiled, combining advanced sensor technology with ergonomic design 

LOS ANGELES (E3 2012) – Razer, the world leader in high performance gaming hardware, today introduced the Razer Taipan, an ambidextrous gaming mouse that sets a new standard for versatility, form and function. Over its storied history, Razer has placed itself at the forefront of the video gaming industry by combining cutting-edge technology with ergonomic research. The Razer Taipan is the latest expression of the brand’s unique approach to engineering and design, the culmination of the years of diligence and validation from the brand’s e-Sports professionals.

Razer’s ergonomic scientists collaborated with top e-Sports athletes from professional gaming teams such as Empire, Frenetic Array, Mousesports, Quantic, Rox.Kis and Type II Gaming, to pinpoint the optimal shape, weight, and balance required in an ambidextrous mouse at the highest levels of gameplay. Its symmetrical shape with narrow footprint and arched back make it comfortable for a wide variety of players. The weight distribution of the mouse has also been tweaked for the most optimal grip profile.

Powered by Razer’s new 8200 dpi 4G Dual Sensor System, the Razer Taipan slips an unfair advantage into the hand that wields it. The mouse combines laser and optical sensors that are not only responsive and precise, but also allow Z-axis tracking and liftoff cutoff customization to ensure that aim is always true.

“We have designed the Razer Taipan with the goal of offering pro gamers the best weapon to achieve victory in the competitive world of e-Sports,” said Robert ‘RazerGuy’ Krakoff, president of Razer USA.  “The Razer Taipan is engineered to deliver an astounding 8200 dpi 4G Dual Sensor System to provide gamers with the fastest mouse tracking, enhanced ambidextrous ergonomics and Razer Synapse 2.0 support. Anything is possible with the Razer Taipan.”

About the Razer Taipan Gaming Mouse:

With an all-new 8200 dpi 4G Dual Sensor System, the Razer Taipan is armed with laser and optical sensors that accurately calibrate to any surface for exceptional pinpoint tracking. Whether you are a right-hander or a south-paw, palm or fingertip-grip user, with Razer’s improved ambidextrous ergonomics, expect maximum comfort and reduced fatigue over long periods of gaming. Fight longer as your foes rage-quit in exhaustion.

The Razer Taipan, driven by Razer’s intuitive proprietary software, Synapse 2.0, the world’s first cloud-based storage software for gaming peripherals, automatically syncs users’ custom profiles and settings on a virtual server. This relinquishes the need to set up the Razer Taipan at tournaments and LANs and allows for easy porting and setting replication to a new Razer gaming mouse. Strike fear into the hearts of your foes, a triumphant victory is at-hand with the Razer Taipan.

Price: US $79.99

Availability: July 2012

Razerzone.com: July 2012

Worldwide: July 2012

Product features:

• Ambidextrous form factor
  • Nine (9) programmable Hyperesponse buttons
  • 1000 Hz  Ultrapolling/1 ms response time
  • Up to 200 in. per sec./50 g acceleration
  • 2.1 m/7 ft. braided fiber cable

• 8200 dpi 4G Dual Sensor System
• Razer Synapse 2.0 enabled

• Approximate Size : 124      mm/4.88 in. (length) x 63 mm/2.48 in. (width) x 36 mm/1.42 in. (height)
• Approximate Weight: 95 g/0.21 lb.

Razer, Piranha and Infinite Game Publishing collaborate to design a concept controller for upcoming MechWarrior Online™ 

June 5, 2012 – LOS ANGELES (E3 2012) – Razer, the world leader in high-performance gaming hardware, today announced a partnership with Piranha Games and Infinite Game Publishing for the highly anticipated next installation of the MechWarrior® franchise, MechWarrior Online™. The collaboration culminates in the Razer Artemis, a concept controller crafted to give gamers a competitive edge as they stomp and destroy their way to victory in the dog-eat-dog BattleTech® universe.

The BattleMech inspired Razer Artemis concept controller puts gamers into the cockpits of their favored hulking metal behemoths, fully immersed and focused on the dangers of the battlefield, claiming wins for their chosen Great House. With fully-programmable, fine-tuned controls, the ergonomically adjustable Razer Artemis concept controller makes piloting a Mech more efficient and lethal in combat.

“The original MechWarrior PC game franchise was a formative milestone for my gaming growing up,” said Robert “RazerGuy” Krakoff, President of Razer USA.  “When it was announced that a new MechWarrior Online was in the works, Razer was more than excited for the opportunity to collaborate with Piranha Games and Infinite Game Publishing.  We’re going to bring our own take to a concept controller that will pave the way for a new generation of robot destruction.”

Russ Bullock, President of Piranha Games said, “It is my pleasure to work with Razer in designing an exclusive MechWarrior Online gaming peripheral.  MechWarrior Online is a title that fans have been waiting a long time for, and allowing them the best peripheral options from the highest quality partners like Razer is something we’re excited to offer. Fans of MechWarrior know how important precision controls are for their Mechs and we think this is going to be a great option for them.”

Set in the year 3049 during the early stages of a massive interstellar war, MechWarrior Online puts you in command of the most powerful war machine to ever walk the field of battle, the mighty BattleMech.  Command your Mech and customize it to suit your battlefield role; upgrade systems, replace weapons, and tweak armor with endless options.

For more information on the Razer Artemis concept controller, please visit www.razerzone.com/artemis.

Portal for World of Tanks, World of Warplanes and World of Battleships to Give Gamers Instant Access to All Titles

5^th June 2012 — Wargaming.net, the award-winning online game developer and publisher, today announced that the company’s MMO war series, which includes World of Tanks, World of Warplanes, and World of Battleships, will unite under an integrated, worldwide Wargaming.net Service scheduled for release later this year.

Wargaming.net Service will be the epicenter of a battle-centric gaming universe that will gather the series under a single portal – www.wargaming.net. With the introduction of Wargaming.net Service and its renovated website, players will receive unified Wargaming.net IDs that will provide instant access to all their games and services; as well as any partner or fan websites.

The new service will inherit the Wargaming.net URL, while the corporate website will transition to Wargaming.com. The corporate site will share the company’s latest news, game updates, job opportunities and more.

Key features of the globally integrated Wargaming.net Service, will include:

• One Destination: The      portal will give gamers one-stop access to all three titles and showcase a      world at war – whether they are playing with Tanks, Warplanes or      Battleships.
• Common Economics:      The introduction of common economics for the three titles allows players      to transfer Gold and Free Experience between them.
• Single MMO Battle Realm:      Tank, Warplane, and Battleship clans will be assisting each other in their      ground, air and sea attacks for world domination.

“Wargaming always strives for excellence in generating intense and action-filled global online battles for gamers,” said Wargaming CEO Victor Kislyi. “With the introduction of Wargaming.net Service, we will deliver an advanced gaming experience that gives gamers a world stage for their preferred war scenario.”

Hot off the press from the E3 2012 Sony Computer Entertainment America press conference just held in LA, please find below a summary of the top line PlayStation announcements made:

• Wonderbook:  Book of Spells
• Beyond: Two Souls™ 
• PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale
• PlayStation Plus
• PlayStation Mobile
• Assassins Creed Liberation
• Assassins Creed III
• Far Cry 3
• God of War: Ascension
• The Last Of Us

For more details, please read the below:

• Wonderbook:  Book of Spells
  Wizardry and magic are brought to life with augmented reality technology and PlayStation Move for PlayStation 3. JK Rowling has teamed up with Sony to create brand new content for fans across the globe to give them the chance to learn spells that they know and love while transforming the world around kids to bring reading to life.

Find out more in the attached press release and watch the trailer here: http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2012/06/05/e3-2012-wonderbook-book-of-spells/ 

• Beyond: Two Souls™
  Announcing the next title from the acclaimed developers of Heavy Rain, Quantic Dream, starring Academy Award winner, Ellen Page.

Find out more and watch the trailer here: http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2012/06/05/quantic-dream-to-take-you-to-the-beyond/ 

• PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royale
  The PlayStation Vita version has been announced and two NEW characters revealed: Nathan Drake (Uncharted franchise) & Big Daddy (BioShock franchise).

Find out more and watch the trailer here: http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2012/06/05/playstation-all-stars-battle-royale-expands-ps-vita-drake-big-daddy/

• PlayStation Plus
  Starting this week, there will be an Instant Game Collection of 10 games to choose from, ready to download and play as part of the newly updated PlayStation®Plus subscription, with at least three being updated monthly. The amazing launch line-up includes the brand new Virtua Fighter 5™: Final Showdown, as well as Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD, Renegade Ops™, Chime Super Deluxe, Outland™, Darksiders and Warhammer 40,000®: Space Marine®.

For more information, please find the press release attached. 

• PlayStation Mobile (previously PlayStation Suite)

HTC announced as the first 3^rd Party PlayStation Certified manufacturer.

Further to the above, Sony Computer Entertainment and Ubisoft have jointly announced the following:

• Assassins Creed Liberation
  Confirmed for PlayStation Vita introducing the franchise’s first female assassin and including cross-goods with Assassins Creed III on PS3Find out more and watch the trailer here: http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2012/06/05/assassins-creed-iii-liberation-on-ps-vita/
  
• Assassins Creed III –  Exclusive PS3 DLC announced
  
• Far Cry 3 – Exclusive DLC announced

Finally, content is king and both acclaimed developers, Naughty Dog with The Last of Us, and Santa Monica Studios with God of War: Ascension, wowed the crowd with live gameplay demos of their highly anticipated PlayStation 3 exclusives.

For more info, visit:

God of War: Ascension: http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2012/06/05/e3-2012-god-of-war-ascension-unleashes-on-ps3-next-march/
The Last of Us: http://blog.eu.playstation.com/2012/06/05/e3-2012-paint-it-black-the-last-of-us-gameplay/

Conspiracy, descent in hell… murders and treasons, there is the menu of the new investigation of Sherlock Holmes in The Testament of Sherlock Holmes. This is what unveil this brand new video trailer we offer you to discover right now!

This beautiful video will give you a larger preview of the game, its dark ambiance, and its strong story centered around a controversial hero with obscure motives. This is a thrilling investigation that players will have to lead, playing as both Holmes and Watson in turns. Multiple bloody murders, a strange illness which started to plague the population of London… these are the cases they will have to investigate upon, all the while trying to discover the reasons behind the strange actions of Sherlock himself.

The noose tightens around the detective… discover its dark side in this new video of his latest investigation!

You are Sherlock Holmes, and this is your investigation. Unfold an incredible conspiracy on Xbox 360®, PS3 and PC in September 2012!

– Watch the video

Trailer, screens, pre-order specials, and new details galore.

From the perilous battlefields of the fourth-grade playground, a young hero will rise, destined to be South Park’s savior. From the creators of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, comes an epic quest to become… cool. Introducing South Park™: The Stick of Truth™, available on March 5, 2013 on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation 3, and Windows PC.

But that’s not all!

• Good Times With Weapons Pack

THQ is happy to offer exclusive weapons and costumes when you preorder South Park: The Stick of Truth. The Good Times With Weapons Pack, based on one of the most popular South Park episodes of all time, includes destructive items no fourth-grade martial artist should be without. With the Bulrog Chicken Attack, summon the devastating ninja powers of Bulrog and turn your feeble enemies into chickens! BLAM! “Nya-nya-nya-nya-na naa!  Now you are a chicken!”

With Cartman’s Kick-Ass Sai, the ultimate weapon of destruction, penetrate even the most evil of villains!  Harness the fiery sting of the Sai to slash and cut your way through South Park!

Rounding out the Good Times With Weapons Pack is the Samurai Costume. Show off your brute muscle with this bad-ass getup, complete with samurai headgear, a super-sweet cape, and the toughest cardboard armor this side of Takagawa.  Suit up, and prepare to unleash the ultimate pwnage!

• Mysterion Superhero Pack (Xbox 360 Exclusive)

THQ and Microsoft are proud to announce Xbox 360 exclusive pre-order items for South Park: The Stick of Truth: The Mysterion Superhero Pack. With your Superhero Costume, suit-up as the next South Park superhero!  It’s the perfect disguise for fighting your mortal enemies and keeping South Park safe!

Also, harness the elusive power of Mysterion with the Mysterion Special Attack!  South Park’s protector unleashes a deadly combination of stealth and firepower — your enemies won’t know what hit them!

Finally, slash the darkness with the diabolical switchblade, the Dagger of Cthulhu!  It’s the same weapon used to stab and kill Mysterion in the twisted classic episode “Mysterion Rises.”  And now… the fate of the Cult of Cthulhu lies in your hands!

• South Park DLC on Xbox 360 First

The first three downloadable episode packs for South Park: The Stick of Truth will be available first on Xbox 360. These episodes are standalone adventures featuring their own stories, taking you to places in South Park you’ve never been before.

• South Park: Better With Kinect™ for Xbox 360

Taunt your enemies, and launch attacks with your voice. Finally, for the first time in South Park history, you can call Cartman a “fat ass,” and he’ll respond.