PlayStation® and SingStar support Australia’s largest and longest running youth performing arts and health program

Sydney, 22 July 2009 – In celebration and support of a true national institution, Sony Computer Entertainment Australia is proud to announce its association through SingStar®, with 09 Rock Eisteddfod Challenge. Rock Eisteddfod Challenge is the largest and longest running youth performing arts and health promotion event in Australia, this year celebrating its 30th year. 

The Challenge is a national iconic event and a firm family favourite, promoting positive messages for the youth of Australia and empowering some astonishingly creative performances from around 25,000 students across the country. SingStar celebrates this empowerment and joins the spirit of Rock Eisteddfod Challenge to encourage people to get out there, choose their favourite song, perform and have fun with friends and family.

From the 22nd July, starting at the Canberra Theatre for the city’s regional final, right up to the Premier Grand Final at the Hisense Arena, Melbourne on the 18th September, you’ll find SingStar experiences at a total of twelve Rock Eisteddfod Challenge events. Don’t be afraid to pick up a mic, browse the wide selection of songs available with SingStar, compete against friends, sing and perform your heart out like the thousands of colourful and inspiring school students you’ll see showcasing their talent on stage during the 09 Challenge.

Allows users to store and carry an entire digital library in a small mobile device

Sydney, Australia – July 22, 2009 –Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced the launch of the world’s first 256GB USB flash drive, the Kingston Technology DataTraveler 300. The Kingston DataTraveler 300 allows users to carry around a whole digital world, from thousands of image files to a whole database of documents. Users will also benefit from quick transfer rates and the option to password protects their data.

The Kingston DataTraveler 300 is ideal for netbook users who want to extend the limited capacity of their machines; it can also be used by business consumers who work with large databases, or even designers who need to transfer large design files from one place to another.

“Having the ability to carry over 51,000 images* or a paper tower 1346 metres** tall in such a small format, demonstrates how far flash technology has developed,” said said Vaughan Nankivell, Regional Manager- Australia and New Zealand for Kingston Technology. “Users can also safeguard their data by initializing the Password Traveler software which will allow business users and consumers to password protect their data in a privacy zone without the need of administrator rights.”

The Kingston DataTraveler 300 features a sleek cap-less design that will protect the USB connector when it is not in use and is enhanced for Windows ReadyBoost. The Kingston DataTraveler 300 is available only in 256GB and is backed by a five-year warranty and free Tech Support. For more information, visit www.kingston.com/anz.

DataTraveler 300 Product Features and Specifications:
•Capacity***— 256 GB
•Speed****— Data transfer rates of up to 20 MB/sec. read and 10 MB/sec. write
•Safeguarded — Includes Password Traveler security software for Windows
•Convenient — Does not require Administrator rights to access the Privacy Zone
•Dimensions — 2.78” x 0.67” x 0.87” (70.68 mm x 16.90 mm x 21.99 mm)
•Operating Temperature — 32° to 140° F (0° to 60° C)
•Storage Temperature — -4° to 185° F (-20° to 85° C)
•Simple — Just plug into a USB port
•Practical — Durable, capless design
•Guaranteed — Five-year warranty
•Enhanced — For Windows ReadyBoost on Vista-based systems*****
Product Summary
Manufacturer: Kingston Technology
Product Name : Kingston Technology DataTraveler 300 256GB
RRP for DT300 256GB: A$1,299.00, NZ$1,679.00
Website: www.kingston.com/anz
Australian Distributors: Avnet Australia Pty Ltd, Ingram Micro, Simms International Pty Ltd., Synnex Australia PTY Ltd.
New Zealand Distributors: Ingram Micro NZ, Synnex NZ
Availability: Built by Request

Compatibility Table

Operating System File Transfer Password Traveler
Windows Vista** (SP1) Yes
 Yes
 
Windows ReadyBoost Yes
 No
 
Windows XP (SP1, SP2, SP3) Yes
 Yes
 
Windows 2000 (SP4) Yes
 Yes
 
Mac OS X v.10.3.x + Yes
 No
 
Linux v.2.6.x + Yes
 No
 
Kingston Technology DataTraveler 300 USB Flash Drive   
Part Number
 Capacity and Features
 
DT300/256GB
 DataTraveler 300 256GB
 

For more detailed information, please visit the Kingston web site at www.kingston.com/anz. To discuss this product on Kingston Blog, please go to www.kingston-blog.com. To find out if your Kingston product is genuine, Kingston also provides an online verification site: www.kingston.com/asia/verify.

How well do you know about Kingston? Please try the game “Challenge Your Memory” at: www.kingston-blog.com/challenge_your_memory/en/. Are you a good sleuth? Please try the game “Search for Genuine Kingston” at www.anti-counterfeit.kingston-blog.com.

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, Malaysia and sales representatives in the United States, Taiwan, China, India, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Europe, Russia, Turkey, and Latin America. For more information, please visit www.kingston.com/anz.

Wednesday July 22 2009, MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA. On a cold and wintery day, Impulse Gamer was invited to the office of “Atari” in order to preview some of their upcoming releases. Thanks to Ross Purdy, a PR Executive from Atari, now known as Namco Bandai, he flew down from Sydney for the event as a handful of media representatives were treated to a hands on experience of the following titles;

• Dirt 2

• Mini Ninjas

• Batman Arkham Asylum

• Ashes Cricket 09

• Katamari Forever

• Tekken 6

Mini Ninjas

Paying homage to those classic Japanese martial arts movies of yesteryear, gamers play Hiro, a 114cm tall Ninja who has been given the task, just like the other Mini Ninjas to save the world. Unfortunately for Hiro, the evil Samurai Warlord stands in his way but just because he’s small, that’s not going to stop our little hero.

I was quite impressed by the review code for Mini Ninjas which boasted a great interactive gaming environment and even though the gaming world was a little Spartan, it suited the title perfectly. Although Hiro has access to a variety of weapons from swords to shurikens, when you do fight the enemy, you actually don’t kill them but rather turn them into animals which is really cool.

Mini Ninjas had some great atmosphere for an arcade “platformer” and hopefully this is the game to break the drought of this sometimes stale genre. This is definitely one title to watch out for!

Colin McRae Dirt 2

The late and great Colin McRae would be mightily impressed with the latest rally racing game by Codemasters and being a fan of the series, it’s great to see the franchise as strong as ever and it only feels like yesterday seeing those 2-dimensional crowds and that famous English accent telling us to turn left, right in order to prevent us from crashing. Of course those days are long gone and thankfully it has been replaced with state of the art gameplay and some impressive graphics.

Graphically, this was one visually “good looking” racing title that you could easily be forgiven in thinking that you are watching a rally race on TV due to the attention to detail and stunning texture details.

Ashes Cricket 09

Developed by Australia’s very own Transmission Games, Ashes Cricket 09 may be THE game for cricketers. Although I’ve played my fair share of cricket games in the past, something has always been missing from these games, whether it was the “panache” of EA Sports, the gameplay or how it came together, they’ve been fun, however not that memorable.

Fortunately from the opening sequence of Ashes Cricket ‘9 plus that memorable “cricket” music of yesterday, you immediately know that you are in for a treat as the game starts. The game boasts the official line-up for Australia and England, however other countries have pseudo players which is unfortunate but you can create your own teams which may make up for this.

Batman Arkham Asylum

Hmmm… what can I say without being biased? The game rocks, it’s that damn simple. Written by comic scribe Paul Dini, the story involves an elaborate plot by The Joker to lure Batman into Arkham Asylum and best of all, the tale is oozing with Batman mythology.

Not just a fighting game but rather a game that compliments the origins of Batman as the world’s greatest Detective, it’s got all the best elements from gaming from mystery to intrigue to action and even a touch of romance.

With pre-rendered and in-game cinemas that merge flawlessly, the gamer controls one of the greatest comic book characters of all time, The Batman as he fights, uses batarangs and glides around the giant asylum of Arkham.

We tested this on the PS3 and needless to say, it was extremely sturdy and considering that we were not even playing the final code, Impulse Gamer certainly has high hopes for this game.

Although we couldn’t stay for the entire Press Day, Atari… err… Namco Bandai have some mighty impressive games coming out and it’s definitely going to be hard to knock them off their perch. With games such as Katamari Forever and Tekken 6 on the way, it’s going to be a good year for Namco Bandai! Scratch that, it’s going to be a good year to be a gamer!

Check out the following screenshots and set your alarms for some great gaming goodness!

KODAK SDHC Video Memory Card allows consumers to shoot and share high quality footage with ease 

Multimedia Elements:

• Kodak Image Gallery
• KODAK SDHC Video Memory Card
• Lexar Media’s YouTube page
• Lexar Media’s facebook page

Sydney, Australia, 21^st July 2009 – Lexar Media, a leading global provider of memory products for digital media, in conjunction with Kodak, today introduced the new KODAK SDHC Video Memory Card. This advanced compact memory card provides users of flash-based digital camcorders, point-and-shoot cameras and any SDHC-compatible devices with a high-performance, high-capacity solution for High Definition video capture.

Available in 4GB, 8GB, and 16GB capacities with the ability to record up to 90 minutes, 3 hours, and 6 hours of HD video content, respectively, the KODAK SDHC Video Memory Card provides a high-capacity solution for capturing HD-quality video using SDHC-compatible digital cameras and other devices, which have been increasingly popular for use with video-sharing sites.

Thanks to these large-capacity storage options, consumers no longer have to lug around a pocketful of cards in order to avoid sacrificing either the amount of video footage they wish to capture or its image quality. The SDHC Video Memory Card from Kodak offers the freedom and flexibility to capture and store more high-quality video content on a single card.

The KODAK SDHC Video Memory Card was designed to address the increasing demands of today’s advanced mixed-media devices. “Today’s value-conscious consumers are looking for ways to affordably increase the memory capacity of their existing digital devices,” said Richard Clarke, National Sales Manager A/NZ, Lexar Media. “The real benefit of the KODAK SDHC Video Memory Card is that it allows users to shoot more HD video clips of friends and family, giving them the opportunity to capture and store more of life’s important moments. Additionally, the card makes it easy to share video content through the popular KODAK Gallery or other video-sharing websites.”

Kodak Adaptability with Video Versatility

The KODAK SDHC Video Memory Card lets consumers maximise the storage capabilities of a wide range of digital devices and is ideal for use with Flash-based digital compact camcorders, digital point-and-shoot cameras, other SDHC-compatible digital devices and Video Cameras such as the Zi6 HD Pocket Video Camera. Compatible with both digital camcorders and cameras, the cards provide users with a convenient, affordable way to increase onboard memory and capacity for HD video capture, storage and archiving.

Lexar Media Capacity and Performance

Consumers will be pleased by the various high-capacity options available. The KODAK SDHC Video Memory Card has a Class 4 rating, offering high-speed video transfer from the card to a computer, making this an excellent solution for storing large quantities of HD video on a single card.

Availability and Pricing

The KODAK SDHC Video Memory Cards include a 5-year limited warranty and are available now.

The suggested local retail prices are:

–       KODAK SDHC Video Memory Card 4GB AU$25.60

–       KODAK SDHC Video Memory Card 8GB AU$58.35

–       KODAK SDHC Video Memory Card 16GB AU$75.70

The Australian distributor of KODAK branded Lexar Media products include: Australian Photo Supplies Pty Ltd – Ph: 1800 619 319 E-mail: info@apspl.com.au Web: www.apspl.com.au;

Join the Las Vegas CSI Team and Become A Skilled Forensic Expert 

Sydney, Australia – July 21st, 2009 – Today Ubisoft and CBS Consumer Products announced an all-new video game based on the world’s number one television franchise CSI: Crime Scene Investigation®. In CSI: Crime Scene Investigation™: Deadly Intent, players help solve Las Vegas’ most gruesome crimes with the brand new characters and cast from the latest season of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. The video game features five shocking cases written with CSI: Crime Scene Investigation television writers and the game will be available end 2009 for the Wii™ system from Nintendo, Nintendo DS™ system, the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PC.

Exclusive features to CSI: Deadly Intent – The Hidden Cases for the Nintendo DS system let players solve additional bizarre cases through an enhanced questioning system and game mechanics with unique touch gameplay. Players will feel like a real CSI character with heart-pounding interrogations, stylish visuals and a unique story structure that unveils the shocking truth when all the cases are linked together.

“Ubisoft is pleased to give CSI fans an authentic crime-solving video game with CSI: Deadly Intent,” said Tony Key, U.S. senior vice president of sales and marketing at Ubisoft. “CSI: Deadly Intent’s intriguing cases, realistic graphics, enhanced character acting and precise lip sync with the voices of the actors from the show will provide fans the lifelike experience they are looking for in a video game based on a television show.”

Developed by Telltale Games, CSI: Deadly Intent will continue the crime-solving experience of Ubisoft’s CSI video game series for Wii, Xbox 360 and PC. CSI: Deadly Intent – The Hidden Cases for the Nintendo DS system is developed by Other Ocean Interactive.

Game Features:

JOIN THE NEW CSI FAMILY… and partner with the cast of the CSI Season 9, including new characters such as Ray Langston (Laurence Fishburne) and Riley Adams (Lauren Lee Smith). Be prepared to work with your partner as a real team, working together on the crime scene or helping each other during tough suspect interrogations.

PUT YOUR EXPERTISE TO THE TEST… as you play one of the most skillful forensic experts to join the Las Vegas CSI team. For the first time ever in the CSI video game series, help other detectives in their investigations and gain their respect through your actions and teamwork.

PERFORM THE TASKS OF A CSI DETECTIVE…collect evidence at the crime scene, search for items that might be related to the case and unveil hidden evidence through observation. Interview witnesses and suspects with an improved interrogation system for more realistic character interaction.

ANALYSE THE EVIDENCE WITH THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY… use DNA and microscopic analysis and much more.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is the world’s number one television franchise and America’s Most Watched Primetime Franchise averaging 48 million weekly viewers and 137 million total viewers. The CSI: Crime Scene Investigation video game franchise is the world’s number one interactive crime solving series with 5.5 million video games sold.

To view the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rbs1J4swZRw

Targus will launch a Hardsided Slimline Laptop Case for netbooks in September 2009, offering superior protection and portability. The compact case features a protective hard shell, is lightweight and features internal compartments for all your business tools.

The new case – which will fit netbooks up to 11.1 inches and weighs just 0.64 kg – is an extension of Targus’ popular Hardsided Slimline Laptop Case range which is currently available in two sizes: 13.4 inches and 15.6 inches.

Featuring a racing stripe in red and silver, the compact and stylish case is designed to suit people on the move. The hard shell EVA casing offers extra protection, providing peace of mind for commuting professionals juggling public transport, busy streets and bustling cafes. Precious hardware will be better protected from the rigours of everyday life, but also hidden from prying eyes.

Another attribute of the case is the range of efficient organisational compartments inside that neatly store CDs, as well as business cards and pens. There is also a file section to keep documents intact.

The new 11.1 inch Hardsided Slimline Laptop Case is priced from $59.95. The 13.4 inch case retails from $64.95 and the larger 15.6 inch case is priced at $69.95.

Targus offers a lifetime warranty on the range which is available through most major retailers in Australia.

The Rabbids Invade the Nintendo Handhelds with a New Puzzle-Adventure Experience 

Sydney, Australia – July 21, 2009 – Today Ubisoft announced a Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo DSi™ video game system instalment for its upcoming comedy-adventure, Rabbids Go Home. The Nintendo handheld version features the same zany storyline as its Wii™ counterpart, but will feature a different gameplay experience unique to DS. Players will solve a variety of puzzles and brain teasers in an effort to collect as much stuff as they can to build a giant pile all the way to the moon. The game will also feature an intuitive Level Editor, allowing players to create their own puzzles and share them with other gamers for more Rabbids adventures. Nintendo DSi owners will be able to use the Nintendo DSi Camera to take pictures and customize them with funny Rabbid animations. Rabbids Go Home for Nintendo DS is scheduled to release Holiday 2009.

About the Game:

The Rabbids first comedy-adventure will take them to the moon or bust!  Those crazy Rabbids have an infallible plan: collect all the human stuff they can find, heap it onto a giant pile and literally climb home to the moon. But not so fast! The Humans revolt, unleashing the Verminators whose only objective is to exterminate the Rabbids. Rabbids Go Home game features include:

·         The Rabbids First Puzzle-Adventure Game: The Raving Rabbids, using a shopping cart, will have to solve the puzzle of each level and collect as much stuff as they can to build a giant pile to their home… the moon!

·         Same storyline as the Wii version, different gameplay: The game features a true story mode, including hours of puzzle-based gameplay.

·         Stir up funny chain reactions in 150 brain teasers based on physics and funny Rabbids characters. The goal is to lead a shopping cart to the Toilets, collecting as many maximum resources as possible on the way.

·         15 tricky levels to actually build a huge pile to the moon: Test your reflexes and your skills with the stylus!

·         Challenge mode: Four delirious challenge modes of 20 levels each, apart from the story mode and with different rules and objectives. Create hilarious situations by getting rid of those Raving Rabbids or making them fly! But be careful to not miss the TV show.

·         Unique art direction: Encounter a cast of colorful, oddball characters (humans, Verminators, dogs, etc.) and explore a remarkable parody of the modern world!

·         Exclusive level editor: Create your own puzzles and share them with your friends and the whole RGH community! Also, download other peoples puzzles for hours of additional gameplay.

·         My Rabbids (only on Nintendo DSi): Use the camera to take a picture, and customize it with funny Rabbid animations to make your friends laugh!

For more information about Rabbids Go Home, visit the official website: http://www.rabbids.com

Sydney, Australia – July 21, 2009 – Reinforcements are scheduled to arrive for one of the most-played online multiplayer games, as Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) and developer Treyarch, confirmed plans today to deliver Call of Duty: World at War Map Pack 3 in August. Map Pack 3 will feature three multiplayer maps (“Battery,” “Revolution,” and “Breach”), co-developed with partner Certain Affinity, and one new Zombie map (“Der Riese”), for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system. Visit www.CoDWaW.com for more details.

Call of Duty: World at War Map Pack 3 follows the enormous success of its first two predecessors, which to date have sold more than four million copies on both Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network (combined) for a Call of Duty® game that has sold more than 11 million units to date across all platforms, according to The NPD Group, Charttrack and Gfk.

Call of Duty: World at War is rated MA 15+ (Strong violence and coarse language, Gaming experience may change online) by the Classification Board.  For more information and exclusive updates about Call of Duty: World at War, visit www.CoDWaW.com.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands and Australia. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Activision Publishing generally uses words such as “outlook,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “might,” “remains,” “to be,” “plans,” “believes,” “may,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “estimate,” future,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “project,” “remain,” “scheduled,” “set to,” “subject to,” “upcoming” and similar expressions to help identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Activision Publishing’s titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Activision Publishing’s ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms (including next-generation hardware), declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision Publishing’s products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware and related software, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, litigation against Activision Publishing, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, vendors and third-party developers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates, integration of recent acquisitions and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, Activision Blizzard’s success in integrating the operations of Activision Publishing and Vivendi Games in a timely manner, or at all, and the combined company’s ability to realize the anticipated benefits and synergies of the transaction to the extent, or in the timeframe, anticipated, and the other factors identified in Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

Experience all the explosive action and shocking twists as Heroes: Season 3  comes to DVD and Blu-ray this September!

Rediscover the phenomenon in this six-disc set that includes all 25 suspenseful episodes of the two volumes that redefined the series: Villains and Fugitives.
Returning in Heroes: Season 3 are many of the original ensemble cast including: cheerleader, Claire Bennet (Hayden Panettiere), time-bender, Hiro (Masi Oka), the good doctor Mohinder Suresh (Sendhil Ramamurthy), mind reader, Matt Parkman (Greg Grunberg), perpetual hero, Peter Petrelli (Milo Ventimiglia) and the purely evil, Sylar (Zachary Quinto).

Join our heroes as they continue their plight to understand their powers, the world around them and their place in it – and the world they must ultimately work together to save.
Heroes: Season 3 is packed with hours of exclusive and revealing bonus features; behind the scenes access with the show’s writers, stars and artists. A must have DVD for proud members of the Heroes cult and new fans of the Series, Heroes: Season 3 is available to own on DVD and Blu-ray from September 2nd.
HEROES: SEASON 3 STANDARD DVD BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE:
– Deleted Scenes

– Audio Commentaries

– The Super Powers of Heroes

– Completing The Scene

– The Prop Box

– Alternate Stories

– Genetics of a Scene

– The Writer’s Forum

– Tim Sale – Galleries of Screen Art
HEROES: SEASON 3 BLU-RAY BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE:
All standard DVD features, plus:

– Picture-in-picture – Audio commentaries

– Heroes Connections – Bios and character profiles

– U-Control

– BD-Live

– Building Coyote Sands

HEROES: SEASON 3 DVD
Cast:

Masi Oka Greg Grunberg

Milo Ventimiglia Hayden Panettiere

Ali Larter Zacary Quinto

Creator:

Tim Kring
Price:
 

Standard DVD (6 disc) – $89.95

Blu-ray (5 disc) – $99.95

Season 1-3 Box Set (17 disc) – $159.95

Season 1-3 Blu-ray Box Set (14 disc) – $279.95

Classification:

MA 15+

Genre:

Drama/Sci-Fi