Lenovo Generates Higher Standards in Energy Efficiency for Mobile Workstations

Meets Energy Star 5.0 Criteria Ahead of Schedule with ThinkPad W700/W700ds 

Sydney, Australia – February 13, 2009: Lenovo today announced that the ThinkPad W700 and W700ds mobile workstations meet or exceed criteria for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star 5.0 program for computers, which takes effect in July. This brings Lenovo’s portfolio of Energy Star 5.0 offerings to more than 25 PC products, including laptops, desktops, workstations and monitors.

“With rising energy costs and continued cost cutting, customers are expecting their PCs to efficiently manage the energy they use,” said Nigel Gore, Business Development Manager, Notebooks and Netbooks Lenovo. “We’re finding new ways to raise the bar on efficiency, from squeezing out even higher efficiency with existing technologies like batteries, LED displays and solid state drives, to looking at new power sources to building in power management technologies. All of this has helped us turn traditionally power guzzling machines like mobile workstations into energy sipping PCs that meet or exceed Energy Star 5.0 criteria.”

Mobile workstations are designed to handle the most data and graphics-intensive tasks from users in fields such as digital content creation, digital photography and oil and gas. The ThinkPad W700 and W700ds mobile workstations are the peak of Lenovo’s mobile performance. They come with choices of Intel mobile quad core processors, NVIDIA Quadro FX graphics, up to two hard drives, 8 GB of high speed DDR3 memory as well as an optional Blu-Ray DVD burner. They can also be configured with a high brightness WUXGA LED display and a host of connectivity options including WiMax, Bluetooth and WiFi. To keep the mobile workstations running coolly and efficiently, Lenovo designed them with a dual thermal solution with one fan to cool the CPU and the other to cool the GPU. The ThinkPad W700 mobile workstation also brings users new levels of innovation with an optional built-in digitizer and colour calibrator, and the ThinkPad W700ds mobile workstation goes even further with an optional second display for extra screen real estate.

Lenovo PC products that already meet or exceed the Energy Star 5.0 criteria include these models:

Laptops: ThinkPad X200, X200s, X200 Tablet, X301, T400, T500, R400, R500, SL300, SL400, SL500, IdeaPad U330, Y430

Desktops: ThinkCentre M58/58p small form and eco ultra small form factor

Workstations: ThinkPad W700, W700ds

The following products meet or exceed the proposed criteria for monitors which will be final in March. 

Monitors: ThinkVision L174, L1700p, L1900, L1900p, L197 Wide, L1940 Wide, L1940p Wide, L2240p Wide, L2440p Wide, L2440x Wide

Technical specifications of Energy Star 5.0 criteria are found at www.energystar.gov.

Lenovo will continue to introduce products that meet or exceed Energy Star 5.0 criteria in 2009. For more information on individual PC energy usage, customers can access online calculators at www.lenovo.com/environment to help them compare configurations to determine annual cost savings and avoided CO2 emissions. Additionally, Lenovo has more than 58 products that are rated EPEAT Gold for their environmental attributes, including energy efficiency, materials use and recycling options.

About Lenovo

Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is dedicated to building exceptionally engineered personal computers. Lenovo’s business model is built on innovation, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction as well as a focus on investment in emerging markets. Formed by Lenovo Group’s acquisition of the former IBM Personal Computing Division, the company develops, manufactures and markets reliable, high-quality, secure and easy-to-use technology products and services worldwide. Lenovo has major research centres in Yamato, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, China; and Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information see www.lenovo.com.au

February 13, 2009

Get your “Lips” around Valentine’s Day this year with a song for every kind of love bird

 “Lips” has the music to serenade everyone from the loved up to the happily single this weekend

Love is in the air! Whether you’re spending time with that special someone, chasing a new love interest, or loving single life, “Lips” is a great way to add some fun and romance to your Valentine’s Day.

To celebrate, three new love songs will become available on Saturday, February 14th for 160 Microsoft points each via the “Lips” in-game Get Music Store and Xbox LIVE Game Add-Ons. From the sweet notes of Olivia Newton-John’s “Magic” to the laments of Avril Lavigne’s “My Happy Ending” to the sultry sounds of The Pussycat Dolls featuring Snoop Dogg on “Buttons,” these songs make the perfect soundtrack to whatever you have planned for the most romantic day of the year.

February 14

1.       Olivia Newton John – “Magic”

2.       Avril Lavigne – “My Happy Ending”

3.       The Pussycat Dolls featuring Snoop Dogg – “Buttons”

In addition to the new love-inspired tracks joining the “Lips” song list, you can also sing your heart out to these love ballads, already available via the “Lips” in-game Get Music Store and Xbox LIVE Game Add-Ons.

Sweet Sounds:

Vanessa Carlton – “A Thousand Miles”
Bobby Brown – “Every Little Step”
Robbie Williams and Nicole Kidman – “Somethin’ Stupid”
 

Sour Notes:

Jet – “Look at What You’ve Done”
Estelle – “No Substitute Love”
Righteous Brothers – “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin'”
 

Sexy Jams:

Rihanna featuring Ne-Yo – “Hate That I Love You”
Maroon 5 – “Sunday Morning”
The Cardigans – “Erase/Rewind”
 

“Lips” is the newest singing party game from Microsoft and iNiS exclusively for Xbox 360, including two wireless motion-sensitive microphones and more than 70 tracks available on the game and via Xbox LIVE Game Add-Ons.

An awesome new Street Fighter site has just gone live where you can upload images of people’s faces to the bodies of Street Fighter IV characters and watch them fight it out! 

Check out this as a quick example (Drewzilla vs Hoops): http://www.becomestreetfighter.com/index.php?inst_id=39581 

The possibilities are endless:  

Imagine John Howard (as Ken Masters) getting all Utra on Kevin Rudd (as Crimson Viper)!

Or Anybody (as Sagat) kicking the stuffing out of Kyle Sandilands (as Rufus)!

Or, for those who like a bit of cosplay, maybe Yourself (as Chun-Li) wiping the floor with Your Boss (the militant Guile)  

The main site is located at www.youarestreetfighter.com and when you get there click on the Australian flag.

The clips you create can not only be emailed to friends, but there’s the capacity to embed the video in a web page and in social apps such as FaceBook, Blogger, Live Journal, MySpace and more…

BioWare’s Spiritual Successor to Baldur’s Gate Weaves an Epic Tale that Begins in One of Six Different Ways 

Sydney, Australia (February 13, 2009) – Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today the highly anticipated details of all six Origin Stories featured in the upcoming dark, heroic fantasy Dragon Age™: Origins. Each Origin Story starts the player off with a unique series of locations, characters and events that establish their motivations and lay the groundwork for the adventure to come.

With each Origin Story boasting several hours of unique game play, as well as challenging strategic combat and exploration, these 6 distinct preludes make Dragon Age: Origins the first BioWare game to offer not only multiple endings, but also multiple beginnings. Players will start their adventure in one of the following roles:

Dalish Elf

As one of the last “true elves”, you were content to spend your life wandering with your clan… until a chance encounter with a relic of your people’s past threatens to tear you away from everything you’ve known.

City Elf

You have always lived under the heavy thumb of your human overlords, but when a local lord claiming his “privilege” with the bride shatters your wedding day, the simmering racial tensions explode in a rain of vengeance.

Dwarf Commoner

Born casteless in a land where rank is everything, bound as the lackey and thug of a local crime lord, you have spent your life invisible… until chance thrusts you into the spotlight, where you can finally prove whether you will be defined by your actions or your birth.

Dwarf Noble

The favored child of the dwarven king, you proudly take up your first military command… only to learn that the deadly intrigues of dwarven politics pose an even greater danger than that faced on the battlefield.

Mage

Gifted with a power considered a dangerous curse by most, you have spent most of your life secluded in the remote tower of the Circle of Magi to be trained and watched closely by the dreaded templars. Now your final test is upon you — succeed and prove your strength, fail and you will perish.

Human Noble

Born to wealth and power second only to royalty, you find your training in both diplomacy and war put to the test when your father’s castle is betrayed from within on the very night your elder brother is to lead the family’s forces to war.

The player’s choice of Origin Story lays the foundation for a profound journey based on the character’s past experiences, establishing how they perceive the world and how the world perceives them.  The choices you made during an Origin Story will influence the way the game unfolds, including different story elements, dialogue options and even plot branches, providing a wealth of replayability.

Dragon Age: Origins offers an immersive, beautiful and often threatening world in which the player will live out a fantasy of epic proportions.  With six unique paths to choose from, the choice of Origin Story will be the first of many important decisions players will face in Dragon Age: Origins.

For more information, visit www.dragonage.com.

Glam yourselves up and make some noise this Autumn: Miley’s back, and ready to share the crazy adventures of Season Two with audiences in Hannah Montana Season 2 – Part 1, available to own as a double-disc release from Disney DVD on 1 April 2009!

Own the first 15 hilarious episodes of the second season that follow the chaos of Miley’s life, as she balances schoolwork, crushing on cute boys and trying to fit into the social scene in trendy Malibu by day, and rocking the house as pop star Hannah Montana by night!

Hilarity ensues when Miley and best friend Lilly (EMILY OSMONT) find themselves handcuffed together with no key in sight, Miley and brother Jackson end up grounded for bickering, and there’s even a visit from Miley’s mum (BROOKE SHIELDS) to assure her everything will be alright when she awakes on the morning of a big concert, with nothing but a croak for a voice!

Hannah Montana Season 2 – Part 1 is also jam-packed with romance! Know what it means to experience an ‘achy breaky’ heart with Miley as she adopts the role of super-sleuth to catch out Lilly’s cheating boyfriend, is asked out on a date by one of her backup dancers, and is then faced with the return of former flame, Jake Ryan! (CODY LINLEY)

Own all of Miley’s amazing adventures through love, laughs and friendship, and then rock out to the bonus features included on Hannah Montana Season 2 – Part 1, including music videos for Hannah’s smash hits ‘One in a Million’, ‘True Friend’ and ‘Ready, Set, Don’t Go’, as well as your very own backstage pass to experience the secrets of Hannah Montana!

Stay tuned for the second half of season 2 in Hannah Montana Season 2 – Part 2 out later this year!

Anticipation around the upcoming release of “Halo Wars” is mounting. The demo, which was released on Xbox LIVE on February 6th, quickly set the day-one record for the most demo downloads on the service, and in just its first five days, has been downloaded by more than 2 million Xbox LIVE Gold members around the world.

The “Halo Wars” demo introduces players to the game’s groundbreaking control scheme through two tutorials, gives a taste of the epic story with the first two campaign missions, and allows people to experience the intense, competitive action offered via one of the game’s 14 Skirmish maps. The demo is now available to Xbox LIVE Silver members.

New “Halo Wars” content doesn’t stop there, as the third video documentary in an exciting seven-part video series, titled “Strategy on Xbox” is available today. The team behind “Halo Wars” invites you to see how the game was conceived and how they “cracked” strategy games for the console. This latest episode also provides insider tips so players can fully realise the devastating potential of the UNSC and Covenant units at their command. Just released today, the newest episode of the “Halo Wars” video documentary series is available for download on Xbox LIVE Marketplace or can be viewed at www.xbox.com/en-AU/games/h/halowars/ or HaloWars.com.

“Halo Wars” is rated PG and will be available starting February 26th in Australia. For more information, visit www.xbox.com/en-AU/games/h/halowars/ or HaloWars.com.

Leading software distributor and publisher, Manaccom, has partnered with portable technology company, Mint Wireless, to launch the MiniMint portable payment solution (PPS) for small business.

MiniMint is a retail software package that allows businesses to process on-the-spot credit card payments, record cheque and cash payments, and generate electronic receipts from a mobile phone. All transactions can then be tracked and imported into popular accounting packages.

Administered directly through smartphones such as Nokia, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile enabled devices, MiniMint provides businesses with the tools to process payments on the go and track all sales.

Mint Wireless’ CEO, Alex Teoh said that MiniMint will provide smaller businesses with the benefits of a paperless payment and invoicing solution at a lower entry cost point.

“Given current economic conditions, businesses are continuing to focus on critical issues such as cash flow and reducing bad debt, and MiniMint is a cost-effective solution that will assist businesses to offset both the effect of extending payment terms and lags in customer payment,” Mr. Teoh said.

“We are very pleased to be working with the market leaders in software publishing and distribution, Manaccom, to launch MiniMint. The partnership will provide MiniMint with a wide market reach, including all of the major IT retailers.”

Manaccom Pty Limited’s Managing Director, Ian Mackay, said the MiniMint system is perfect for Australian businesses who want to cut administration overheads and paperwork whilst boosting productivity and efficiency.

“MiniMint is also secure software that works with a standard bank’s credit card merchant account, and even gives the option of setting a transaction fee to recover these costs from customers,” Mr. Mackay said.

“Further, MiniMint provides unprecedented insight into sales transactions and you can have from one to hundreds of users all reporting to the same back end system.”

MiniMint also comes with training video and locally-based technical support to get you started. MiniMint is priced at $199.95 and it is a subscription-based product with an annual renewal fee of $199 and $0.99 for every credit card transaction. Included in the initial pricing is a 12 month licence, as well as 20 bonus transactions.

MiniMint is available through major national IT and mobile phone retailers.

Be the Don and Build Your Crime Family on April 9, 2009

Sydney, Australia – February 11, 2009 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and Paramount Digital Entertainment today announced that The Godfather® II videogame will now be available in stores on April 9th in Australia. 
 

“The Godfather II is taking the open-world genre in an entirely new direction by combining the furious combat of acting like a mobster, with the strategic gameplay of thinking like a Don,” says Hunter Smith, Executive Producer for The Godfather II. “As game makers, when we looked at what lies at the heart of the Godfather universe, we discovered a game focused around organized crime. The Corleones and all the other families schemed and fought to gain access and control of different territories, so that they could control the flow of money in those areas. This underlying battle cloaked secrecy is what The Godfather II and mafia life is all about, and we wanted players to be in control as a Don and make those strategic decisions to lead their family’s to success.”

As a Don in the Corleone family, The Godfather II allows players to carve out their own story of deception, betrayal, and conquest in a 1960’s organized crime world. Interacting closely with major characters, your story will interweave with many of the key events from the film, such as the meeting of the Don’s in Cuba, blackmailing Senator Geary, and the Senate investigation of organized crime. Players will have to invest in their family, manage their business, and reach out to corrupt officials – all of which is done through the revolutionary Don’s View. The Don’s View is a 3D representation of the player’s criminal empire; it allows them to coordinate their strategy, plan hits on rival made men, attack enemy rackets, and much more. By letting players call the shots, The Godfather II delivers the ultimate organized crime experience.

Developed at the EA Redwood Stores studio, The Godfather II will be coming to the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, and PC. Players who pre-order The Godfather II at participating retailers worldwide will receive an exclusive crew member, named Tommy Cipolla, to hire into their family. The Godfather II has been rated MA15+ by the OFLC. 

For more information about The Godfather franchise, please visit http://godfather2.ea.com and/or the EA press website at http://info.ea.com.

G.I. JOE Set to Invade All Major Video Game Platforms in Winter 2009

Sydney, Australia – February 12, 2009 – Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced that development is underway to bring Hasbro’s legendary G.I. JOE® brand to all major console and handheld gaming platforms in summer 2009 to coincide with the theatrical release of the G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA live-action movie from Paramount Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment, in association with Hasbro, which opens in theaters August 7, 2009.  EA will unveil a “first look” of the G.I. JOE® video game at Hasbro’s Showroom at Toy Fair on February 15-17, 2009 in New York City.  

“As Hasbro and Paramount Pictures reignite the G.I. JOE® property this year with an all-new toy line and film, EA is excited to play a major role in bringing this icon of pop culture history to a new generation of enthusiasts through interactive gaming,” said Chip Lange, General Manager and Vice President of EA Hasbro.  “G.I. JOE® offers exceptionally rich storylines and a cast of characters that lends itself incredibly well to creating an over-the-top action adventure video game that will thrill gamers as well as G.I. JOE® fans.”

For  fans of all ages, 2009 is gearing up to become another watershed milestone in the timeless franchise by introducing even more new ways to engage, immerse and play within the G.I. JOE® universe.   The G.I. JOE® video game will feature an exclusive storyline that picks up where the live-action movie leaves off, allowing players to re-create and re-live the greatest moments from the film, cartoon series and action figure toy line.  The game will feature 12 G.I. JOE® characters, each with unique abilities and weapons.  Adding to the adrenaline rush will be an intense single-screen co-op mode allowing two players to easily unite as a team in a classic struggle between good and evil as they work together to defeat the powers of the COBRA organization.  The G.I. JOE® video game is under development for Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system, Wii™, PlayStation®2, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), Nintendo DS™, and mobile devices.

“G.I. JOE® has been an icon of action for 45 years,” said Mark Blecher, General Manager of Digital Gaming and Media at Hasbro.  “EA has tapped the legacy of the G.I. JOE vs. COBRA saga to create an amazing interactive experience inspired by the movie, comic books, animated series and iconography that we hope will resonate with millions of fans.”     

For more than four decades, G.I. JOE® has been one of the premiere brands in the history of boys’ toys.  Originating the term “action figure” in 1964, Hasbro’s G.I. JOE® brand ushered in a new play pattern that forever changed the scope of the toy industry.  The G.I. JOE® brand made another revolutionary introduction in 1984 with the release of the G.I. JOE vs. COBRA toy line, which introduced a generation of boys to the heroic G.I. JOE® forces, led by Duke, and their epic struggle to defeat the evil COBRA organization.  The G.I. JOE vs. COBRA saga featured a diverse cast of characters – both good and evil – that became a part of pop culture through Hasbro’s toy line, an animated television series and best-selling comic book franchise.

For more information about the G.I. JOE® video game and to sign up for updates, visit gijoe.ea.com

The smartcookie gang Is Ready To Play

Kids get ready to dance, have a dinky-di time and sing-along with Australia’s newest
DVD range, “smartcookiekids”, available from early 2009.

With vibrant colours, song interaction and non-stop entertainment, “smartcookiekids” is
Australian made and produced. Kids are introduced to their newest friends, the
smartcookie gang. The DVDs also feature vivid animation plus live action with lots of
singing and dancing to well known nursery rhymes and simple original music in eight by
30 minute episodes.

Consisting of four unique DVD titles, “smartcookiekids” starts with the lovable
smartcookie gang – a group of truly delightful Aussie animal puppets who, sing, dance,
chat and develop your child’s awareness of our native wildlife. This friendly gang is
made up of Flossy the Emu, JJ the Kangaroo, Squeak the Echinda and Ted the Koala.
With distinct relatable personalities and effervescent energy, the smartcookie gang will
become your child’s best friends as they introduce and sing a new song each segment.

The DVDs also feature “kiddie karaoke” designed to stimulate familiarity and encourage
your child to use their memory. Every Australian child will connect with the entertaining
segments set in city, country and at home scenarios.

“smartcookiekids is a wonderfully engaging series using repetition and an appropriate
pace for young children. It is bright and cheery – a sensory feast for young children”
said Dr Shane Langsford, BPsych BEd (Hons) PhD – a leading Western Australian child
psychologist.

The DVD range includes the following four exciting titles:

Animal Adventures

Enjoy the hilarious antics of the smartcookie gang and sing along with timeless nursery
rhymes including Old McDonald had a Farm, Never smile at a crocodile, Mary had a little
lamb and Little Miss Muffet.

Body Jiggles

Kids and parents will love the new songs on this DVD including Brush your teeth, Wash
your hands, Bath time and Going to bed. The songs and activities on this DVD focus on
different body parts to encourage children to become familiar with everyday hygiene and
behaviour routines in a fun filled smartcookie gang environment.

Favourite Rhymes

Children will delight in singing and dancing along with the smartcookie gang to some of
their favourite nursery rhymes – Row, row, row your boat, I can sing a rainbow, Baa Baa
Black Sheep and Twinkle twinkle little star – they are all here on this DVD. With
recognisable tunes, the smartcookie gang encourage parents to sing along.

Fun and Games

Get set for lots of fun and games with this DVD as the smartcookie gang dance and sing
along to well known and loved nursery rhymes including Incy wincy spider, Humpty
Dumpty and two original songs, Brush your teeth and smartcookie Boogie.

“As a mother of two young children, I am thrilled to have developed the smartcookiekids
DVD range in collaboration with my husband, Michael and sister, Chrissy Bray. It is
important for young Aussie kids to be entertained using Australian accents, themes and
characters. We have created a truly unique Australian DVD range that will engage and
entertain both children and their parents”, said Kerry Tudori, Executive Producer,
smartcookiekids.

The smartcookiekids DVD range is available at www.smartcookiekids.com, selected DVD
and kids retailers from early 2009 for suggested retail price: $19.95 each.