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INTRODUCING THE AEROSKULL THE NEW ICONIC SPEAKER FROM JARRE TECHNOLOGIE

Jarre Technologies, founded by the musical legend, Jean Michel Jarre has unveiled its latest speaker  system, the Aeroskull. Uniquely designed to arouse fascination and curiosity, the Aeroskull is a monument  to design, power and precision.

Optimal sound quality goes hand in hand with design at Jarre Technologies.

The Aeroskull features two 15 Watt speakers hidden behind sunglasses with an impressive 40 Watt Sub  Woofer covering the whole of the back of the skull as well as 1% THD (Total Harmonic Distortion), to deliver  an uncompromising listening experience.

Jean Michel Jarre first used the image of the skull in 1976 on the cover of his world renowned album,  Oxygene which sold over 15 million copies. He says, “For me, the skull symbolises the perfect acoustic  instrument – it is the sound box for word, song and music.”

The Aeroskull is compatible with all generations of iPhones and iPods and a jack cable can also connect to  any Mp3 player, computer or CD/DVD player.

Bluetooth simplifies connection to any smartphone and the listening experience is optimised by the APTX  codecs.

Available in 11 striking colours, there is a choice to suit every taste and interior.

Website: www.jarre.com

 
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WWE ’13 MIKE TYSON EXTENDED INTERVIEW

 
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THQ ANNOUNCES WWE® ’13 “BE ON THE COVER” FACEBOOK APPLICATION

October 25, 2012 – THQ Inc. today announced consumers will have a unique opportunity to “live the revolution” with WWE® 13, the forthcoming release from the revolutionary WWE flagship videogame franchise, through release of the “Be on the Cover” Facebook application.  Inspired by WWE ’13 cover Superstar CM Punk®, the Promethium Marketing-designed application, available at facebook.com/WWEgames, will invite consumers to create and print their own WWE ’13 cover artwork, as well as share their designs on Facebook with others from around the world.

The WWE ’13 “Be on the Cover” creation process entails the following simple user steps:

  • Step 1:      Import a photo from a personal Facebook gallery or take an instant photo      using a webcam.
  • Step 2:      Position the photo in the provided frame, which includes the WWE ’13 logo.
  • Step 3:      Edit the image as desired using eraser and brush tools.
  • Step 4:      Select a platform preference – Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system or Wii
  • Step 5:      Choose how to show off the created cover artwork:
    • Share       the image with friends on Facebook
    • Create       a unique Facebook timeline cover photo and profile photo
    • Save       and print the image file – then insert into a WWE ’13 game cover       for a whole new look

WWE ’13 is currently in development for the Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™ system from Nintendo, with a scheduled release date of 1st November in Australia and 2nd November in New Zealand.  For more information, please visit wwe.thq.com, facebook.com/WWEgames and twitter.com/WWEgames.

About WWE ’13

Positioned to offer the most authentic, extensive and fervent experience to date, WWE ’13 will transform gameplay through WWE Live™, a brand-new audio and presentation system designed to produce the most authentic and vibrant commentary, sound effects and crowd participation levels ever heard in a WWE videogame.  In addition, players will experience the atmosphere, spectacle and fervor of a WWE live event through attention-grabbing Spectacular Moments, including ring breaks and barricade crashes.

WWE ’13 will also debut a franchise-first single player campaign based on an unparalleled and groundbreaking period in WWE history: the “Attitude Era.”  Set during a time of pure raucousness, grandiose personalities and colossal revolution, players will focus on eight purveyors of attitude during the famed television “Monday Night Wars,” including WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin®.

 

Predator Technology™ 2.0, driven by new animations, transitions and modified controls, will return to deliver intelligent, fluid and engaging WWE action, resulting in a smoother gameplay experience than its predecessors.  As well, the popular career-style mode, WWE Universe, will dynamically introduce matches, alliances, rivalries and unpredictable moments based on player decisions along the path toward becoming a WWE champion.

 

WWE ’13 will feature the franchise’s industry-defining Creation Suite, enabling players to develop and customize Superstars, entrances, arenas, finishing moves, storylines, highlight reels and more, as well as share and download creations with others from around the world.  Furthermore, they will compete with a vast array of WWE Superstars and “Attitude Era” luminaries from the largest roster in franchise history, including cover Superstar CM Punk, Stone Cold Steve Austin, John Cena®, Sheamus®, Undertaker®, Mankind®, Chris Jericho®, Big Show®, Mark Henry®, The Miz®and Mike Tyson (the latter available via pre-order through participating retailers while supplies last).  Along with to-be-announced features, a comprehensive roster reveal, downloadable content and big surprises, WWE ’13 is poised to live a revolution all its own.

 
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SIMCITY RELEASE DATE CONFIRMED FOR MARCH 7TH IN AUSTRALIA AND MARCH 8TH IN NEW ZEALAND

Today, EA confirmed that SimCity will be available in stores on March 7th, 2013 in Australia and March 8th in New Zealand. SimCity is the ultimate city building simulation game, offering both veteran fans and new players a fun, dynamic experience, underpinned by GlassBox, the most complex simulation engine in its class.

SimCity will be available on PC and MAC.

To stay up-to-date on the latest regarding SimCity, and to pre-order now, please visit www.SimCity.com. Press assets for SimCity are available at www.ea-anz-press.com

 
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Blackhole Exploit Toolkit 2.0 and mobile banking malware are top trends in AVG’s Q3 Threat Report

MELBOURNE and AMSTERDAM -25 October 2012 – AVG Technologies (NYSE: AVG), the provider of Internet and mobile security to 128 million active users, today released its Q3 2012 Community Powered Threat Report. This quarter’s report investigates a number of malicious software developments including the newly launched 2.0 version of the Blackhole Exploit Toolkit, the evolution in malware targeting mobile banking services, a surge in malicious ads targeting social network users and a trick to hide malware inside image files.

Blackhole Exploit Toolkit 2.0

‘Commercial’ toolkit, Blackhole, continues to lead with 63 percent malware market share and almost 76 percent share of the toolkits’ market. With the ‘release’ of the Blackhole Exploit Toolkit 2.0 in September, it has increased its threat capabilities significantly and is set to grow its market share and impact even further. We can expect to see an upsurge in large scale attacks that will likely be more aggressive as a result of the new evasion techniques introduced in this latest version.

Prior to this in August, AVG Threat Labs identified an explosion of Blackhole attacks that targeted key social networks including Facebook and left users unable to log-on to their accounts or access any games or apps. Cybercriminals coordinated the attacks from multiple external advertising servers, which generated an exceptional increase from 250,000 attacks initially to over 1.6m recorded events within an eight hour period.

“Blackhole is a sophisticated and powerful exploit kit, mainly because it is polymorphic and its code is heavily obfuscated to evade detection by antivirus solutions. The rapid update capabilities of the kit have also made it challenging for traditional antivirus vendors to track, which are the main reasons it has a high success rate,” said Yuval Ben-Itzhak, Chief Technology Officer at AVG Technologies. “Through our multi-layered security approach with real-time analysis at the endpoint, AVG has been detecting a much higher rate of Blackhole Toolkit-based attacks than other toolkits, as Blackhole’s creator seeks to stay ahead of their competition.”

Mobile banking attacks engineered with Zeus-in-the-Mobile

With the continued rapid uptake of mobile devices, mobile banking services come under the spotlight this quarter as an increasingly lucrative target for cybercriminals. ‘Traditional’ mobile monetisation methods help criminals steal small amounts per victim to stay unnoticed. With these more advanced malware, which circumvent the two-factor authentication process some banks use, criminals can empty a victim’s bank account in one go. A 2012 PriceWaterhouseCoopers’ report projected that digital banking would become the norm globally by 2015, so these attacks can only be expected to become increasingly advanced and more prevalent.

Hiding malware in image files

Image files are typically considered safe as they aren’t executed. However, AVG has tracked a new attack looking at how a compromised webserver can be made to execute image files. Innocent looking image files can then be used to deliver malicious payload to unsuspecting visitors to the compromised website.

About the report

The AVG Community Protection Network is an online neighbourhood watch, where community members work to protect each other. Information about the latest threats is collected from customers who participate in the product improvement program and shared with the community to make sure everyone receives the best possible protection.

The AVG Community Powered Threat Report is based on the Community Protection Network traffic and data collected from participating AVG users over a three-month period, followed by analysis by AVG. It provides an overview of web, mobile devices, spam risks and threats. All statistics referenced are obtained from the AVG Community Protection Network.

AVG has focused on building communities that help millions of online participants support each other on computer security issues and actively contribute to AVG’s research efforts.

 

To download the full Q3 2012 Community Powered Threat Report, please visit:http://mediacenter.avg.com/en/press-tools/avg-threat-reports/avg-community-powered-threat-report-q3-2012.html

 
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Grand Theft Auto V Artwork: Pest Control

Lots of info coming next month. Get ready.

For now, enjoy this first official artwork release from Grand Theft Auto V.
 
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‘DARK SOULS™: ARTORIAS OF THE ABYSS’ DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT AVAILABLE TODAY

‘DARK SOULS™: PREPARE TO DIE™ EDITION’ NOW AVAILABLE AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND TODAY  

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – 25th October 2012 – NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe today announced that Dark SoulsTM: Artorias of the Abyss downloadable content (DLC) is available for purchase via digital download on both the PlayStation®Network and Xbox LIVE® today. Dark SoulsTM: Prepare to Die™ Edition will be available for Xbox 360® and PlayStation®3 across Australia and New Zealand today.

Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss and Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition include sprawling new maps and environments, new boss characters, enemies, non-player characters (NPCs), an arsenal of new weapons and armor and additional challenging content for unrelenting heroes to face as they return to the deadly world of Lordran. Darkness born in the forests of Oolacile is expanding and engulfing the kingdom and all of its people. Only the strongest players will be able to stop the encroaching darkness. Dark Souls: Artorias of the Abyss includes an online match-making feature allowing console gamers to showcase their skills against other Dark Souls players around the world.

With tense dungeon crawling and fearsome enemy encounters, the seamlessly intertwined world of Dark SoulsTM is full of extreme battles, rewarding challenges, nuanced weaponry and magic, and the flexibility to customize each character to suit any desired play style.  The innovative online component allows gamers to draw from the collective experience of the Dark Souls community as they either help or sabotage each other on the journey through the world of Lordran to save the land from darkness. With a massive, seamless open world design, Dark souls encourages deep exploration and an adaptable gameplay experience.

Dark SoulsTM: Artorias of the Abyss is available throughout Europe and Australasia today. Dark Souls™: Prepare to Die Edition will be available for Xbox 360® and PlayStation®3 in Europe and Australasia this week. For more information on the game please visit www.facebook.com/DarkSouls, www.PrepareToDie.com.

 
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IT’S FORMULA ONE™ DRIVERS VS. TRUCKASAURUS! DEBUT F1 RACE STARS™ GAMEPLAY TRAILER OUT NOW

Watch FORMULA ONE go over the top in first F1 RACE STARS gameplay video today at www.F1RaceStars.com

Thursday, October 25th 2012– Today Codemasters® launched the first gameplay trailer for F1 RACE STARS, the fast-to-the-fun arcade racing game featuring official FORMULA ONE cars, teams and circuits as they’ve never been seen before. Set to arrive in Australasia on November 15th and available for pre-order now, the first trailer video is now playing at www.F1RaceStars.com.

In the gameplay video, the cast of F1 RACE STARS speed through loop-the-loops, soar through the sky making huge jumps and charge through tunnels whilst collecting and using a range of fun power-ups to boost ahead or slow down their rivals.

From battling for position beneath a neon-lit Ferris wheel in Singapore and dodging a Truckasaurus in the USA, the video reveals how each circuit in the game turns into a fantastical stage of FORMULA ONE fun. Packed with audacious overtaking moves, cheeky taunts and speedy boosts, see the F1 RACE STARS speed for the through castles, forests and more.

On every straight, hairpin and barrel roll, players will experience F1 RACE STARS’ unique brand of superfast FORMULA ONE racing as they go wheel-to-wheel with all the official FORMULA ONE drivers, transformed into heroic caricatures bursting with personality. In the sprint for the chequered flag, gamers can pick and choose from a range of fantasy and FORMULA ONE themed power-ups, from calling in Wet Weather to slow the pack, deploying DRS to speed past rivals and using a range of sneaky bubbles to trap other drivers!  If their car takes damage, gamers can race through the pit lane to get back up to speed, whilst a variety of different routes, boost pads and shortcuts will all slingshot players ahead.

An extensive career mode features three tiers of difficulty and includes both traditional GRAND PRIXTM competitions and a range of objective game modes, including races against the clock, gate challenges and more. Gamers can also dive into free play for a quick blast around their favourite circuit or enter Time Trial for the ultimate test of pace.

Designed to share the fun with friends and family, F1 RACE STARS includes 4 player split-screen racing, which can be combined online for 12 player multiplayer gaming. Gamers can also enter a range of on and offline races in teams to join together in competition. Extending the fun further, F1 RACE STARS will integrate with Codemasters’ RaceNet, the free online extension for Codemasters Racing games, where players can track their races, rivals and rewards and join in regular F1 RACE STARS community events.

Coming November 16th for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Windows PC, F1 RACE STARS is in production at Codemasters Racing Studios in Birmingham, UK, the home of the BAFTA award-winning series of Official FORMULA ONE video games, and is being created under exclusive worldwide agreement with Formula One World Championship Limited.

Fans can see the trailer and keep up to with all the latest news about F1 RACE STARS by visiting www.F1racestars.com, liking the game at www.facebook.com/f1racestars or following the team on twitter at www.twitter.com/f1racestars

 
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KONAMI unveils Halloween PlayStation(R)Network sale

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has unveiled special Halloween 50% off deals for three of its horror-themed PlayStation(R)Network titles. 

Sydney, Australia, Oct 25 – From 24th October, users will be able to buy Castlevania: Harmony of Despair and Zombie Apocalypse: Never Die Alone plus their add-ons, and all DLC for KONAMI’s acclaimed Castlevania: Lords of Shadow for half normal price.

The two week deal covers all relevant DLC for the trio, including Zombie Apocalypse’s: Never Die Alone’s ‘Pure Pwnage Pack’, and the four additional Castlevania: Harmony of Despair levels, including ‘Legend of Fuma’ and ‘Origins’, plus all four additional character packs. Similarly, the two Castlevania: Lords of Shadow packs – Resurrection and Reverie – are also available.

 
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Symantec Reports Second Quarter Fiscal 2013 Results; Delivering Record September Revenue, EPS and Deferred Revenue

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – October 24, 2012 – Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today reported the results of its second quarter of fiscal year 2013, ended Sept. 28, 2012. GAAP revenue for the fiscal second quarter was $1.7 billion, up 1 percent year-over-year and up 5 percent after adjusting for currency.

“I am pleased with the team’s results and progress made this quarter. We delivered solid results during the first quarter of a significant transition for the company,” said Steve Bennett, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Symantec. “After travelling the world speaking to employees, customers and shareholders, there is a strong sense of excitement about our future success. While focused on running the company, the team is also hard at work building a strategy and operational plan to deliver greater than 5 percent organic growth and 30 percent operating margins on a sustainable basis within the next two-to-three years.”

“We delivered better than expected results with record September revenue and deferred revenue, in addition to strong net income and EPS as we continue to make improvements to the performance of our businesses,” said James Beer, executive vice president and chief financial officer, Symantec. “We saw strength in enterprise security and backup as well as growth in consumer security.”

GAAP Results for second quarter of fiscal year 2013

  • GAAP      operating margin was 18.0 percent compared with 17.0 percent for the same      quarter last year, up 6 percent year-over-year.
  • GAAP      net income was $193 million compared with net income of $182 million for      the year-ago period, up 6 percent year-over-year.
  • GAAP      diluted earnings per share were $0.27 compared with $0.24 for the year ago      quarter, up 13 percent year-over-year.
  • GAAP      deferred revenue was $3.619 billion compared with $3.452 billion for the      year ago quarter, up 5 percent year-over-year on an actual and      currency-adjusted basis.
  • Cash      flow from operating activities was $178 million compared with $308 million      for the year ago period due to higher tax, restructuring and transition      payments, foreign currency movements as well as lower September quarter      cash collections.
  • Symantec      ended the quarter with cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments      of $4.0 billion. During the quarter, Symantec repurchased 12 million      shares for $200 million at an average price of $16.48. Symantec has $483      million remaining in the current board authorized stock repurchase plan.


Non-GAAP Results for second quarter of fiscal year 2013

  • Non-GAAP      operating margin was 27.5 percent compared with 25.5 percent for the same      quarter last year, up 200 basis points year-over-year (up 250 basis points      after adjusting for currency) driven by stronger revenue and lower costs.
  • Non-GAAP      net income was $322 million, compared to $295 million for the same quarter      last year, up 9 percent year-over-year.
  • Non-GAAP      diluted earnings per share were $0.45 compared with earnings per share of      $0.39 for the year-ago quarter, up 15 percent year-over-year.

Business Segment Highlights for the Quarter

  • The      Consumer segment represented 31 percent of total revenue and decreased 1      percent year-over-year (increased 3 percent after adjusting for currency).
  • The      Security and Compliance segment represented 30 percent of total revenue      and increased 6 percent year-over-year (increased 9 percent after      adjusting for currency).
  • The      Storage and Server Management segment represented 35 percent of total      revenue and decreased 2 percent year-over-year (increased 2 percent after      adjusting for currency).
  • Services      represented 4 percent of total revenue and increased 2 percent      year-over-year (increased 7 percent after adjusting for currency).


Geographic Highlights for the Quarter

  • International      revenue represented 51 percent of total revenue and increased 1 percent      year-over-year (increased 7 percent after adjusting for currency).
  • The      Europe, Middle East and Africa region represented 26 percent of total      revenue and decreased 4 percent year-over-year (increased 7 percent after      adjusting for currency).
  • Asia      Pacific/Japan revenue represented 20 percent of total revenue and      increased 6 percent year-over-year (increased 8 percent after adjusting      for currency).
  • The      Americas, including the United States, Latin America and Canada,      represented 54 percent of total revenue and increased 2 percent      year-over-year on an actual and currency-adjusted basis.

Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2013 Guidance
Guidance assumes an exchange rate of $1.30 per Euro for the December 2012 quarter versus the actual weighted average rate of $1.35 and an end of period rate of $1.30 per Euro for the December 2011 quarter.  Our guidance assumes an effective tax rate of 28.5 percent and a common stock equivalents total for the quarter of approximately 700 million shares.

For the third quarter of fiscal 2013, Symantec expects:

  • GAAP      revenue of $1.72 billion to $1.75 billion, up 0 to 2 percent as reported      and up 1 to 3 percent in constant currency.
  • GAAP      diluted earnings per share between $0.17 and $0.19 as compared to $0.32 in      the year ago period.
  • Non-GAAP      diluted earnings per share between $0.36 and $0.38 as compared to $0.42 in      the year ago period, due to investments to better serve customers.
  • GAAP      deferred revenue is estimated to be between $3.765 billion and $3.825      billion, up 3 to 4 percent on an actual and currency-adjusted basis.

Conference Call
Symantec has scheduled a conference call for 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT today to discuss the results from the fiscal 2013 second quarter, ended Sept. 28, 2012, and to review guidance. Interested parties may access the conference call on the Internet at http://www.symantec.com/invest. To listen to the live call, please go to the Web site at least 15 minutes early to register, download and install any necessary audio software. A replay and script of our officers’ remarks will be available on the investor relations’ home page shortly after the call is completed.

About Symantec
Symantec protects the world’s information, and is the global leader in security, backup and availability solutions. Our innovative products and services protect people and information in any environment – from the smallest mobile device, to the enterprise data center, to cloud-based systems. Our industry-leading expertise in protecting data, identities and interactions gives our customers confidence in a connected world. More information is available at www.symantec.com or by connecting with Symantec at: go.symantec.com/socialmedia.

 
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