From the home of video game cricket comes the official game of this year’s sporting battle – it’s Australia versus England in Ashes Cricket 2009.
– Monday, 11th May 2009- The Ashes, the most exciting and thrilling confrontation in international cricket, will be brought to game screens this July as Codemasters in partnership with Atari Australia, today announced it will publish Ashes Cricket 2009 as the official game of this year’s tournament for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft® and PC; a Nintendo Wii version will be released later in the year.

Providing gamers with the most authentic Ashes experience possible without having to don their whites, Ashes Cricket 2009 is fully licensed by Cricket Australia, the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) and the MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club, the world’s most famous cricket club and owner of the Ashes urn), providing the game with all the official players, kit, stadia – including Lords and The Brit Oval – and equipment from this year’s Ashes Series.

Coming from the home of video game cricket, Ashes Cricket 2009 is set to build on the heritage that Codemasters has enjoyed with its best-selling Ricky Ponting series and will continue to lead the field with great batting, bowling and fielding gameplay and authenticity that made the series a huge hit with cricket fans the world over. The title is being produced by Codemasters and in development at Transmission Games (Ricky Ponting 2007 Pressure Play (PSP)).

Delivering all the exciting, athletic, skilful and technical elements of the sport, the game’s comprehensive ‘Ashes’ mode will feature all five Tests played out at carefully detailed recreations of each authentic venue. In addition, gamers will also be able to play Test matches, One Day Internationals, 20 over games and a series of challenge modes. The high definition current generation versions will feature full online multiplayer as well as support for local multiplayer games.

 
“The Ashes is set to be the sporting event of the European summer and it’s great to be producing the official game of the series,” commented Jamie Firth, Producer, Codemasters. “In partnering with the development team at Transmission Games, Ashes Cricket 2009 is a cricket title with an unprecedented heritage that comes from two companies that know and love the sport. Codemasters’ cricket titles became the number one cricket gaming brand for over ten years and it’s a reputation that we fully intend to continue with Ashes Cricket 2009.”

Prepare to step up to the crease and help Australia retain the trophy in Ashes Cricket 2009, coming soon for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION®3 and PC.

For more information on Atari’s entire product line up visit www.atari.com.au and log on to the Atari Trade Site for all box shots, demos, trailers and online screenshots.

MELBOURNE – Monday 11 May, 2009 – Time’s running out for any Australian or New Zealand based game developers wanting to enter their new games titles in the 2009 EnhanceTV ATOM awards ‘Interactive / Video Games’ category.

“The ATOM Awards are all about recognising and celebrating excellence in productions that are created for the screen – be it the movie, television, PC, games console or even mobile phone screen. Last year we introduced categories to recognise excellence in interactive video games and were thrilled with the response from game developers and students alike,” commented Amber Nelson, ATOM Awards Spokesperson.

“Games have become such a fantastic part of the creative outlet that we call ‘media’, that we really wanted to celebrate games technology as part of the ATOM Awards program.”

“So, we’re putting out the call to all those fabulous games developers we have out there to enter their productions in the 2009 EnhanceTV ATOM Awards. After all, you’ve got to be in it, to win it,” she added.

There are two key interactive video games categories in the ATOM Awards program – ‘Best Interactive Video Game’, which is open to both game developers and students and ‘Best Tertiary Interactive Video Game’, which is only open to tertiary student created works.

“The ATOM Awards program is designed to acknowledge the work that our current and future talent is contributing to the big screen, across a wide range of media and we are looking forward to another mind-blowing display of creativity again this year,” Ms Nelson concluded.

Entries for the 2009 EnhanceTV ATOM Awards will close at 12pm on Monday 15 June, 2009.

Awards will be presented to the most outstanding entrants at the 2009 EnhanceTV ATOM Awards Gala Presentation, held in the Plaza Ballroom at the Regent Theatre on Friday 23 October, 2009.

The judging panels for the 2009 Enhance TV ATOM Awards will include a number of film and multimedia industry specialists as well as a number of judges representing a ‘sample’ of the target audience in certain sections – for example teachers and children in the Best Children’s Television Series and Primary School categories.

For more information or to enter the 2009 Enhance TV ATOM Awards please visit www.atomawards.org

A study sponsored by Sims Lifecycle Services and carried out by the forensic computer laboratory of Glamorgah in Wales and Edith Cowan University in Wales and Edith Cowan University in Australia has revealed 34% of discarded hard drives still contain confidential data.

•        A disk bought on eBay revealed details of test launch procedures for the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defence) ground to air missile defence system, including security policies, blueprints of facilities and personal information on employees.

Kumar Radhakrishnan of Sims Recycling Solutions, who provide secure data destruction as part of their global electronic asset recovery business said:  “it is clear from the sensitive information revealed by this study that a wide range of organisations, businesses and individuals all over the world are failing in their duty to properly manage sensitive data when their IT equipment passes outside of their control.

It is vital to realise that residual data can still be accessed years after the equipment has been discarded and in the wrong hands could have not only financial consequences but potential implications for national security.

At ACE Team we’re happy to announce the release of our first free DLC: The Zeno Clash model pack for Garry’s Mod. The pack includes 70 models with characters and creatures from the game to be used with Garry’s Mod. This is a great addition to the existing library of assets and we really hope the fans will enjoy the content and start developing their own Zeno Clash inspired videos, screens or machinima.  

ACE Team will continue to support Zeno Clash with free DLC and updates. Stay tuned for future updates.

Watch the Game-play trailer here for Modern Warfare 2 in anticipation of the May 24^th world premiere.

Sydney, 12 May 2009 – Specialist supplier of premium IT products and services, Simms International, has been awarded exclusive Australian distribution rights for the award-winning Powertraveller range of charging devices, offering technology users a new level of portability and flexibility.  

If you’re on the move and need your mobile gadgets to go the distance, Powertraveller has the answer with its primate range of portable power solutions that offer mains, battery, USB and even solar power to recharge most popular mobile phones, cameras, GPS units, games consoles and iPods/MP3/MP4 players, and two products will also charge laptops/netbooks, so you only need to carry one recharger for all your mobile equipment.
 

With names like motormonkey and powergorilla, one could be forgiven for thinking Powertraveller was just monkeying around, but its award-winning, high-performance solutions set new standards for portable power products. Most recently Powertraveller won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category for 2009.
 

Simms International’s Managing Director, Danny Moore, said the Powertraveller range makes an exciting addition to the company’s extensive line-up of products, giving customers greater flexibility to make the most of their mobile technology.
 

“Powertraveller has it all – quality, reliable technology that’s been ruggedised for life on the move with outstanding energy capture and management capabilities to deliver power where and when you need it – no exceptions,” he said.
 

“We’re delighted to bring this outstanding range to Australian customers and introduce a new dimension of experience to mobile technology users.”
 

Free Power from the Sun

Power is literally as free as sunlight with Powertraveller’s solarmonkey, a lightweight and portable solar charging kit which also includes the solarnut storage unit to reserve redundant energy for use at night or when the clouds roll in. And Powertraveller has incorporated its award-winning solar technology into powermonkey-eXplorer and solargorilla so you never need run out of power again when you’re away from the office.
 

Powertraveller’s solar products are especially well suited to the Australian market, and have the potential to save people money as they can use these products to recharge their mobile devices instead of plugging into a power outlet. With the sheer number of mobile gadgets people now own, this could amount to a considerable saving.
 

Powertraveller Range

All products in the versatile Powertraveller range come with adapters and “monkey nuts” for most brands of mobile phones, digital cameras, GPS systems, MP3/MMP4 players and games consoles, while two products also include adapters for lapbooks, so you only need take the one charger to over 150 countries.
 

Product Range

motormonkey – the world’s smallest, lightest in-car charger that plugs straight into the car cigarette lighter. RRP inc GST: A$39.99
 

powerchimp – a pocket-sized rechargeable batteries charger (charges via USB) that also features a built-in torch. RRP inc GST: A$49.99

solarmonkey – a lightweight, portable charger, with the solarnut to reserve redundant energy. Solarnut can be used as a standalone emergency charger giving you up to 15 minutes talk time on your mobile phone. RRP inc GST: $84.99
 

powermonkey-classic – a versatile charger that delivers up to 96 hours standby on your mobile phone, 40 hours on your iPod, six hours on your Sony PSP, two full charges on your PDA plus its original charge, and up to 1600 pictures on your digital camera!  Charge via mains or USB. The Powermonkey will even hold its charge without leakage for up to six months. RRP inc GST: A$74.99
 

powermonkey-eXplorer – a ruggedised charger for when you’re on the move, the powermonkey-eXplorer delivers everything that powermonkey provides, plus it includes solarmonkey, so you can recharge no matter where you are. Power options include mains, USB and solar panels. RRP inc GST: A$149.99

solargorilla – harnessing the sun’s rays to power your laptop or other digital device anywhere from the top of a mountain to a desert island, Solargorilla’s 20 volt and 5 volt USB socket make it the ultimate renewable power station. It uses two photovoltaic solar panels. RRP inc GST: A$324.99

powergorilla – the ultimate emergency charger for your laptop, powergorilla delivers up to 2.5 hours of additional power, depending on the laptop model, or up to 20 hours for other digital devices. RRP inc GST: A$374.99.
 
 

Stockists

Powertraveller chargers can be bought directly from www.powertraveller.com.au.
 

About Powertraveller

Powertraveller Ltd is dedicated to manufacturing and supplying essential travel accessories, so that those of you who are lucky enough to go gallivanting off on holidays, trips, journeys and adventures of a lifetime can use our clever little gadgets to make your life even easier!

Because we’re passionate about the products we sell, Powertraveller designs, develops and tests to destruction our products to ensure consumers get the best deal on the market and for the right price.
 

Powertraveller won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category for 2009.
 

For more information about the Powertraveller range, visit www.powertraveller.com.au.
 

About Simms International

Simms International is a leading supplier of IT products and accessories to the corporate, Apple, and retail channels for vendors such as Apple, Kingston, Linksys by Cisco, Bose, Elgato, Fuji, STM, VMware, Filemaker, Roxio, Western Digital, Quark and Tuccano.
 

Established in 1995 in Sydney, Simms International is also represented in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Simms’ absolute focus on a small, select group of vendors is what sets it apart. Simms sees itself as an extension of its vendors, constantly seeking innovative ways to develop the market and create more opportunities for its channel partners. Simms’ commitment to quality is supported by its accreditation to the quality standard ISO 9001:2000. In April 2003, Simms achieved the Investor in People accreditation – the first such accreditation by an IT company in Australia. For more information visit www.simms.com.au.

12 May 2009, Sydney – Quark Pacific today announced the launch of the Quark Education Program which will see the Company invest in the education of design and print students in Australia and New Zealand. 

The Education Program was created following extensive consultation with educational institutions and the design and printing industry.  Key features of the Program include unlimited use of QuarkXPress 8 within the educational institution; and a full version of QuarkXPress 8 for each student enrolled in a design/graphic technology course. In addition to the unlimited licensing, Quark will also provide training for both teachers and enrolled students, as well as sharing QuarkXPress 8 educational material to assist the teachers with the preparation of their teaching syllabus.

The program is considered to be one of the most aggressive educational offerings, with all licensing and training being provided for a single annual fee.

The International Centre of Graphic Technology (ICGT), part of RMIT University’s School of Design (TAFE), is the first Australian Educational Institute to sign-up to the program.  The ICGT is the primary provider of formal education and training in graphic technologies in Victoria, including graphic pre-press, printing, print finishing and multimedia.  It has a broad range of courses; from entry-level Certificate II courses, through to advanced diplomas and associate degree.

Commenting on the partnership, John Magnik, Programs Director for the ICGT, said: “The Education Program is a fantastic opportunity for the ICGT to cost-effectively broaden Quark training programs and deliver further value to students. 

“However, the attractiveness of the Program was not the primary reason for the ICGT’s participation.  The two key elements regarding our decision to be involved with the program were the quality of the product and the new-found responsiveness and attitude of Quark.

“QuarkXPress 8 is a very impressive product and I am getting positive feedback from the teachers regarding the design control and usability of the product. Additionally, some of the new functionality such as the ability to re-purpose print designs to the web will complement our Graphic Technology teaching, and will provide new creative options for our students,” continued Mr Magnik. 

“As teachers, we are keen to ensure our students have the skills they need to enter the global workforce.  The ICGT believes that by increasing our commitment to Quark training, our graduates will be at the forefront of the Graphic Technology industry,” Mr Magnik concluded.

Quark Regional Business Director Alex Nemeth said the Company is committed to a collaborative and long-term partnership with educational institutions in Australia and New Zealand.

“The Education Program represents a true partnership between Quark and leading educational institutions.  We listened to what the educators told us and then developed a program to meet these needs.  The fact that the Program requires a significant investment from Quark is evidence of our commitment to building a strong foundation for the future. 

“We look forward to working with RMIT ICGT and other Program partners to educate and inspire a new generation of QuarkXPress users,” said Mr Nemeth.

The Education Program is open to Universities, TAFE’s and Private Colleges, as well as artistic and creative high schools.

ENDS

About Quark

Two decades ago, Quark Inc.(www.quark.com) helped spark the first revolution in publishing by developing software that moved publishing from proprietary typesetting systems to the desktop computer.  The company’s flagship product — QuarkXPress — changed the way people publish around the world.  Now, more than three million QuarkXPress users work in 30+ languages and 160 countries around the globe.

Today, Quark is revolutionizing publishing again by changing the way businesses communicate with their customers. With Quark Dynamic Publishing Solution, Quark is taking bold new steps to make accurate, relevant, and attractive communications across multiple types of media; creating the new gold standard in publishing for decades to come.

From its headquarters in the United States, its sales and support locations in major cities around the world, and its extensive network of partners, Quark provides a global perspective that is a key element to supporting the diverse needs of its customers.

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has released the first in-game image of its forthcoming PES 2010 title, demonstrating the stunning new level of detail and graphical refinement the new game enjoys. 

The work in progress image shows cover star Lionel Messi in action in the new game, and showcase a massive advance in aesthetic detail. Crucial to the new game’s look are all-new dynamic lighting effects, where the position of the sun or the illumination from the floodlights is reflected in real time within the shadows cast both on the pitch, stadium, the ball and players.

The newly-expanded Tokyo-based PES Productions team has also worked hard to create the most vivid player recreations to date. Player expressions are now fully implemented, while the level of detail has been extended to individual skin textures and different weaves for the various kits to mimic the breathable material so many manufacturers now use.

Further details will be released in the coming weeks.

Sydney Australia, May 12 2009 – AOC, the brand owned by the world’s largest display manufacturer, unveils the F19 and F22 LCD monitor series, a stunning new monitor design that will seamlessly blend into any modern living environment. With it’s gloss piano black front, and a sculptured back casing, AOC continues to challenge monitor design combining a photo frame inspirations into a large 18.5 inch (F19) and 21.5 inch (F22) display sizes. Perfect for the busy, design conscious office or SOHO environment, the FOVI series monitor is sure to impress

Design and practicality
With design cues taken from a photo frame, the AOC F19 and F22 series features uninterrupted lines finished piano black gloss. The encased rear boasts designs never seen before finished in pearl white for the F22 contrasts stunningly to the pearl white rear encasing while the F19 boasts solid black encasing. AOC’s patent-pending single-post stand provides angle adjustment without a conventional base, contributing to an ultra-stylish and lightweight appearance. It is sure to satisfy even the fussiest home stylist, fashion designer or style trend setter, within an affordable budget.  AOC’s patented Twist & Tilt stand completes the designers dream. It is ergonomic and simple. Users can spin the tail to lengthen or shorten the stand to customise to their own specification. AOC has considered and met all design options.

HD at your fingertips
The AOC F19 and F22 series 16.9 inch widescreen display enables true full screen HD, removing distortion or annoying black bars that are common in lower quality screens. Placing control back into the hands of the viewer, AOC has also redesigned the Navi ring and multi colour menus, creating a new graphically appealing on-screen menu display (OSD) combined with a more user-friendly interface. The menu now displays clear colour icons giving the viewer ultimate power to navigate between the various display functions.

Colour is everything
Live life in colour, now the AOC FOVI series F19, F22 Super High Dynamic Contrast Ratio (DCR) technology allows viewers to enjoy the ultimate home entertainment experience increasing the contrast between black and white over 30000:1. The AOC FOVI series F19, F22 DCB, Dynamic colour boost technology provides users with 5 colour enhancement settings: 1. Full enhance 2. Natural skin 3. Green field 4. Sky blue 5. Auto detect designed to literally inject vivid colour enhancements into the movie, DVD, TV show or game of choice.

Environmental winner
AOC understands how important it is to become more aware about the environment, how to conserve energy and minimise waste. In understanding
this, the AOC F19 and F22 series was designed to meet today’s demand for greener and more environmentally friendly products. The eco mode function allows for 5 display settings:1. Text 2. Internet 3. Game 4.Movie 5. Sport, to meet the users different viewing conditions. The FOVI series, has also recently been awarded the EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) Silver Award.

Summary of Features:
– Elegant photo frame monitor design
– Navi ring and multi colour menus, new user friendly design
– Super-High Dynamic Contrast Ratio (DCR), increases the contrast between black and white over 30000:1 (F22 model)
– Innovative tilt structure, AOC’s patented Twist & Tilt stand is ergonomic and simple
– 16:9 widescreen, true full screen HD, view full screen HD media without distortion or black bars
– Green monitor, the FOVI series has received the EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) Silver Award
– Dynamic colour booster, 5 colour enhancement settings
– Picture Boost,  enable user to high-light a window anywhere as desires and can adjust color in the highlighted zone
– HDCP ready, watch digital content legally and display high definition image without distortion (F22 model)
– Eco mode, 5 display settings (Text, Internet, Game, Movie, & Sport)
– FRC 8-bit Panel, can display 0.5 million more colours than the typical TN 6-bit panel
– Windows Vista certification

Product and Pricing Summary
Vendor: AOC
Model: F19 and F22 LCD monitors
RRP for F19: AUS$209
RRP for F22: AUS $259
Website: http://www.aocmonitor-anz.com/
Australian Distributors: Compucon and TodayTech
Availability: Now

High Resolution Images
F22 Front Shot
F22 Rear Shot
F22 Side Shot
F19 Front Shot
F19 Rear Shot
About AOC
AOC is owned by the world’s largest display manufacturer TPV Technology Limited (TPV). TPV sold over 47.6 million units computer monitors in 2008, which represents 28.5% global market share of computer monitors. With dedicated research and development, AOC today offers a wide range of top performing monitors and displays. In 2008 alone, AOC shipped 8.4 million units of PC monitor and TV products, representing an annual growth of 20.8%. AOC achieved impressive sales performance in Asia Pacific & South America. AOC market share increased 2.1% from 12.2% in Y2007 to 14.3% in Y2008, which IDC AP ranked AOC second in volume in Asia Pacific (ex. Japan) (Source: IDC AP non-bundled PC Monitor Tracker Q4 2008).

 A reveal trailer has been released which can be viewed here

Jedi and Clone Trooper Action Along With All-New Gameplay Bring the Adventure of the Hit TV Series Home 

Sydney, Australia – May 12, 2009 – Fans of the popular Star Wars: The Clone Wars™ TV series can continue the battle for galactic peace this September in an all-new videogame from LucasArts and Krome Studios. Based on the Cartoon Network series and utilising materials straight from Lucasfilm Animation, Star Wars® The Clone Wars™: Republic Heroes™ allows players to take up arms on beh

alf of the noble Galactic Republic, while pursuing the mysterious bounty hunter Cad Bane and combating the all-new Skakoan super villain Kul Teska.

Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes allows players to fight as both Jedi Knights and clone troopers through over 30 unique missions, all created from shared visual assets from the TV series. Featuring a brand-new storyline, players will get the chance to take part in the key events that lead directly into the highly anticipated second season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Jedi characters can slice and dice their way through countless enemies, commandeer droids and show off their combat prowess on foot and in a variety of vehicles. Clone troopers fire things up with a heavy weapons armament that includes rocket launchers, thermal detonators and even jet packs in levels built specifically to take run-and-gun gameplay to exciting levels.

Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes supports two-player online and offline cooperative play with seamless drop-in and drop-out multiplayer on the Xbox 360 video game system and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment systems.

In addition, the LucasArts Singapore team – in conjunction with The Clone Wars experts at Lucasfilm Animation – is developing an experience on Nintendo DS™ that takes full advantage of the platform’s touch-screen technology. That version will include an expanded storyline that offers players the chance to take part in key events and battles from season one while also featuring intuitive touch-screen controls for movement, attacks and puzzle solving.

“The Clone Wars franchise has struck a chord with viewers and gamers around the world with its action-packed storyline and memorable heroes,” said Darrell Rodriguez, president of LucasArts. “With its Jedi and clone trooper gameplay and all-new storyline, Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes takes the franchise into a truly exciting and interactive direction.”

Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes will release this September for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Wii™, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Nintendo DS™ and PC.

More information about the game can be found at the official website,

http://www.clonewarsgame.com

About LucasArts

LucasArts, a Lucasfilm Ltd. company, is a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software worldwide for video game console systems, computers and the Internet. Based in San Francisco, Calif., as well as on the Internet at www.lucasarts.com, LucasArts was created in 1982 by George Lucas to provide an interactive element to his vision of a state-of-the-art, multifaceted entertainment company.

About Krome Studios

Krome Studios® is Australia’s largest video game developer and a leading independent development studio in the worldwide game development community. Krome’s vision is to cultivate technological and artistic achievement, creating proprietary technologies that facilitate superior game development for both original and licensed properties. The company has proven expertise in developing games for the current gen platforms and is already engaged in working on next gen as well as all handheld platforms.

LucasArts and the LucasArts logo are trademarks of Lucasfilm Ltd. © Lucasfilm Entertainment Company

Ltd. or Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM as indicated. All rights reserved.

STAR WARS™ and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners. Nintendo DS is a trademark of Nintendo. “PlayStation”, “PLAYSTATION”, “PS” Family logo and “PSP” are registered trademarks of Sony

Computer Entertainment Inc. PSP(R) system – Memory Stick Duo(TM) may be required (sold separately). Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox Live are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.