Forget the Paris you know and prepare for a whole new adventure on Nintendo 3DS

Wednesday 31^st August 2011 – SEGA^® Europe Ltd. and SEGA^® of America, Inc. today announced Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure™ exclusively for Nintendo 3DS™. In Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure, players are immersed in the mysterious rhythmic adventure in the city of Paris, recreated in stunning 3D vision on the Nintendo’s new handheld console. Pump up the tempo in early 2012 with the most mysterious musical adventure to hit the Nintendo 3DS yet.

“Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure blends rhythm, puzzles and a compelling story set in one of the world’s most exciting cities in a way that has never been seen before,” says Gary Knight, Senior Vice President of Marketing at SEGA Europe and SEGA of America. “This unique blend makes creative use of the Nintendo 3DS’ technology, offering an engaging, challenging and most importantly fun experience throughout.”

Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure sees players enter the secret life of Raphael, infamous among Parisians as an honourable thief for stealing famous works of art only to return it days later. Dive into Raphael’s world and help him find the Wristlet of Tiamat to unmask the mystery behind his father’s disappearance. Whilst unravelling the truth players will encounter an assortment of different rhythm challenges to master. Tap the screen, swipe the Nintendo 3DS stylus and control the gyro to the beat of the music to manoeuvre Raphael through the unique streets of Paris, brought to life by stylish animations and vibrant 3D maps and landscapes.

Rhythm Thief & the Emperor’s Treasure offers a unique enjoyable single player experience, as well as toe-tapping multiplayer and uses the innovative StreetPass™ communication system. Unearth the clues hidden behind treasures scattered around Paris, call on your sense of rhythm and use all your puzzle solving skills to help Raphael get to the bottom of the mystery.

For more information, please visit the official site at www.sega.com/rhythmthief

Is your ‘reality’ different from that of those around you?  How does your brain make sense of the world? Make sense of these questions and the science behind them at Scienceworks these school holidays. 

Spring School Holiday Activities 24 September to 9 October 

Reality Check

Boggle your brain and stimulate your senses in this 20-minute live show all about the science behind magic and illusion. See our magician make sense of the impossible things that magic makes happen.

Time: 12 noon and 2pm, daily

Cost: Included with museum entry

Science Makes Sense

Why are two eyes better than one? Get hands-on in this 30-minute workshop and construct an experiment that explains how your brain makes sense of what you see.

Time: Daily

Cost: Included with museum entry

Suitable for ages 6–12 years

Puzzling Processes

Make your own optical illusion and discover how what we see and what we think we see is not always the same thing.

Time: Daily

Cost: Included with museum entry

Activities are FREE for children

Perception Deception – new exhibition

Perception Deception contains interactive exhibits that will challenge your ability to interpret information from your senses. Explore illusions; investigate perceptual tricks used by your brain to edit the information it receives and create your ‘reality’.

Cost: Included with museum entry

Also happening at Scienceworks these spring school holidays

Explore-a-saurus

Explore-a-saurus demonstrates the ways in which palaeontologists use fossil evidence to learn about how dinosaurs lived; from what they ate and how fast they ran, to what colour they were and even how they cared for their young.  Test your strength against the strength of a T-rex jaw, or see the world through the eyes of a dinosaur, all in a gallery inhabited by Scienceworks’ own animatronic dinosaurs!

Cost: Adults $18, Concession $6 and Children (3-16 years) $5. Includes general entry to Scienceworks.

Melbourne Planetarium

There is a range of Planetarium shows running daily through the school holidays, including Tycho to the Moon, Spinning Out, Our Living Climate and Escape from Andraxus.

Cost: Adults $16, Concession $5 and Children (3-16 years) $4.50. Includes general entry to Scienceworks.

Scienceworks, 2 Booker St, Spotswood. (Melway 56, B1). Open daily 10.00am – 4.30pm. For further details phone 03 9392 4800 or visit museumvictoria.com.au/scienceworks

Go back in time to Ancient Egypt and explore one of history’s most extraordinary civilisations at Melbourne Museum these spring school holidays. 

Spring School Holiday Activities 24 September to 9 October 

Mysteries of the Nile room

Immerse yourself in the wonders of Ancient Egypt and discover the mysteries of the Nile with dress-ups, books, special archaeological dig tables and activities for all ages in our special family activity room.

Time: 11am-3pm daily

Treasure of Tomb – Treasures Notebook

The English archaeologist Howard Carter kept detailed notebooks about his archaeological discoveries when he unearthed Tutankhamun’s tomb. Follow in Howard Carter’s footsteps, create your own archaeological notebook and record what you discover about Tutankhamun.

Time: 11am-3pm daily

Unwrapping the Mummy

Witness the unwrapping of our dummy mummy Bob and find out what is revealed beneath his bandaged exterior. Looking at the mummification process in reverse this live show explores the meaning behind this ancient tradition.

Time: 12 noon, 1pm and 2pm daily

Activities are FREE for children

Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs

Revel in the splendour of Ancient Egypt as you view a dazzling array of possessions unearthed from the boy king’s tomb. See Tutankhamun’s golden canopic coffinette and the crown found on his head when the tomb was discovered. Learn about the extraordinary discovery of the tomb and the belief and burial processes of ancient Egypt. View results from the latest scientific testing conducted on Tutankhamun’s mummy and what it tells researchers about his life and death. The exhibition has drawn over seven million visitors in the United States and London in the past five years.

To guarantee a ticket, you must pre-book. Visit kingtutmelbourne.com.au to buy your tickets.

Cost: Adult $29.50–$35.00, Concession $26.50–$32.00, Child $17.50–$19.50. Additional transaction fees apply.

Melbourne Museum, Nicholson Street, Carlton. Open daily 10.00am – 5.00pm (except Christmas Day) $10 Adult, children and concession FREE. For further details phone 13 11 02 or visit museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum

Grab a special adventure booklet, create a disguise, make your own detective badge and snoop your way around the Immigration Museum following clues and answering riddles in the footsteps of famous Customs Detectives. 

Spring School Holiday Activities 24 September to 9 October 

Customs Detective

Follow a special detective trail through the Immigration Museum, previously Old Customs House. By answering questions and spotting clues you can discover the amazing story of the Old Customs House. Try the Senior Customs Detective hunt and find objects hidden in each of the galleries.

Time: 10am – 5pm Daily

Disguise Kit

Customs Detective-Inspector John Christie was famous for his use of disguises to make arrests in the 1890s and 1900s. He was known as Australia’s Sherlock Holmes. Create your own disguise and go undercover as you discover the secret history of Old Customs House.

Time: 10am – 5pm Daily

Detective Badge

Design and make your own detective badge to wear just like a Customs Detective. Use it to identify yourself while hunting for objects and snooping your way through the Museum.  

Time: 10am – 5pm Daily

Storytelling

Join us twice a day to hear heart-warming stories from around the world, read by Immigration Museum staff.

Time: 11:30am and 1:30pm Monday to Friday

Also on show during these school holidays:

Belonging: Reflections on Place

A video installation by video artist Wendy Woodson and installation artist Kathy Couch (with sound design by Myles Mumford), Belonging: Reflections on Place features interviews with diverse migrants and refugees and members of their families living in Australia who reflect on their experiences of place, migration and belonging. Large scale projections of travel and migration inspire a sense of movement and transition from place to place, encouraging visitors to reflect on experiences of place and belonging across different continents and cultures.

Identity: Yours, Mine, Ours

Unlike any other exhibition in an Australia museum, Identity: Yours, Mine, Ours provides fresh and challenging insights into personal identity – who we are, how we perceive each other and what it means to belong or not belong in Australia today. Focusing on the things that make up our sense of who we are – ethnicity, ancestry, language, spirituality and citizenship – the exhibition explores the many and varied identities that make up our nation. Featuring objects, immersive multimedia displays and a range of personal stories from Australians of widely diverse backgrounds, Identity will challenge visitors to examine their own assumptions and confront everyday prejudices about Australia’s multicultural society.   

Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders Street, Melbourne. Open daily 10.00am – 5.00pm Admission: $10 Adult, children and concession FREE. For further details phone (03) 9927 2754 or museumvictoria.com.au/immigrationmuseum 

Linksys X-series works with both cable and DSL broadband connections to make it easier for consumers to make their homes wireless 

Sydney, 31^st August 2011 – Cisco today introduced the Linksys® X-series, a range of all-in-one home wireless products that help consumers to simply create a high speed wireless home network that works with both DSL and cable broadband connections. The Linksys X-series enables consumers to access the internet and enjoy reliable wireless access on all their wireless devices around the home such as laptops, tablets, smart phones, game consoles and internet ready televisions. The Linksys X-series is the ideal solution for consumers to go wireless with their fixed broadband connection and for those who want to upgrade to wireless-N. The new all-in-one solutions provide consumers with the flexibility to connect to cable and DSL broadband connections when moving to a new home or switching service providers.

“The number of Wi-Fi enabled devices in the home exceeds 1.1 billion[1] devices today and is growing by the minute,” said Scott Jackson, marketing manager at Cisco Australia and New Zealand. “Consumers need to connect more and more devices, including TVs, Blu-ray players, game consoles and set-top boxes, to their wireless networks, proving the importance of wireless connectivity for today’s home entertainment experience. Viewing a video clip or streaming music is not fun when your wireless connection drops periodically or when wireless coverage is not available at all.”

Linksys X-series models come with Cisco Connect software that installs the router in a few easy steps, enables security, and assigns a unique network name. Once the router is installed, users can also use Cisco Connect to manage their wireless network by:

• Adding multiple internet-capable devices to the network
• Setting parental controls for each computer or device
  • Giving visitors password-protected Internet access on a separate guest network
  • Customising advanced settings and changing the network name and password
  • Check their broadband connection speed with the Broadband Speed Meter
  • Check for automatic firmware and software updates

The introduction of Cisco Connect software within Cisco’s home networking products last year has greatly improved the end-user wireless experience, decreasing the need for technical support

Product availability and pricing

The new Linksys X-series will be available starting from October:

Linksys X2000 Wireless-N ADSL2+ Modem Router (RRP $149.95)

• Ideal for sharing Internet access, surfing the web, emailing, printing wirelessly and connecting to a DSL connection or cable modem.
• Includes a Wireless-N router with wireless transfer speeds up to 300 Mbps*
• Equipped with Fast Ethernet ports to connect wired devices
• Includes Cisco Connect software that helps consumers set up their wireless network in a few easy steps on a Windows or Mac computer.

Linksys X3000 Advanced Wireless-N ADSL2+ Modem Router  (RRP $199.95)

• Ideal for sharing Internet access, surfing the web, emailing, printing wirelessly and connecting to a DSL connection or cable modem.
• Equipped with Gigabit Ethernet ports to connect wired devices and transfer files or stream media at higher data rates
• Includes a Wireless-N router with wireless transfer speeds up to 300 Mbps*
• Includes Cisco Connect software that helps consumers set up their wireless network in a few easy steps on a Windows or Mac computer.
• Equipped with a StorageLink USB-port to connect and share storage devices over the network2010

Linksys RE1000 Wireless-N Range Extender and Wireless-N Adaptors offer greater flexibility and performance for home networks 

Sydney, 31^st August 2011 – Today Cisco is continuing to expand its portfolio of home networking products with the announcement of the Linksys RE1000 Wireless-N Range Extender, the Linksys AE1200 Wireless-N Adaptor and the Linksys AE2500 Dual Band Wireless-N Adaptor.

Cisco is launching the Linksys RE1000 Wireless-N Range Extender for consumers who are experiencing weaker signal strength or so called ‘dead spots’ in the home. The extender is designed to take an existing wireless signal and then repeat it throughout the home to ‘extend’ the signal.  The Linksys RE1000 Range Extender also acts as a wireless bridge – connecting a wired printer, internet enabled TV or game console to the wireless network through its integrated Ethernet port.

Scott Jackson, marketing manager at Cisco Australia and New Zealand said: “The home network is now the platform for delivery of multiple sources of content, consumed on an ever increasing number and variety of devices. The Linksys RE1000 enables consumers to keep their devices connected to their wireless network in parts of their home that may not have previously had wireless coverage.”

 Linksys Range Extender

The Linksys AE1200 Wireless-N Adaptor and Linksys AE2500 Dual Band Wireless-N Adaptors are ideal to upgrade computers to Wireless-N by simply plugging the adapter into a computer’s USB port. The Linksys AE2500 additionally offers Dual-Band Wireless-N to allow selection between the 2.4GHz band and the 5 GHz band avoid interference and maximise throughput.

Linksys Adaptors

Availability

The Linksys RE1000 Wireless-N Range Extender will be available for a recommended retail price of $119.95, Linksys AE1200 Wireless-N Adaptor for a recommended retail price of $59.95 and Linksys AE2500 Dual Band Wireless-N Adaptor for a recommended price of $69.95. New products are expected to be available from October 2011.

*The maximum performance for wireless is derived from IEEE Standard 802.11 specifications. Actual performance can vary, including lower wireless network capacity, data throughput rate, range and coverage. Performance depends on many factors, conditions and variables, including distance from the access point, volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, operating system used, mix of wireless products used, interference and other adverse conditions.

New products to set a new standard for speed, range, ease-of-use,

and sport a sophisticated European design aligned to suit the modern connected home

Sydney, 31^st August 2011 – Today Cisco is continuing its legacy of leadership in home networking with a complete refresh of its Linksys® E-Series wireless router family. With internet video consumption exploding and sales of wireless-enabled products such as smart phones, tablets and game consoles steadily growing, consumers are seeking greater performance, reliability and simplicity from their home wireless networks. The new products set a new standard for speed, range, and ease-of-use and feature the latest industrial design that combines smart looks and advanced functionality ? recently earning the Linksys E4200 the prestigious 2011 red dot product design award for design, innovation and quality.

The new lineup of five routers provides the power required for today’s connected home. Providing speeds up to 450Mbps* key features include 3×3 spatial stream configuration for improved coverage, external power amplifiers to maintain signal strength over a greater distance and reduce dead spots, and virtual USB technology to connect USB printers, storage, and other devices to the network. Also new on select E-series models is native IPv6 and 6rd support.

“The home network is now the platform for delivery of multiple sources of content, consumed on an ever increasing number and variety of devices. With more than 70 million routers sold worldwide, Linksys brings a decade of leadership and innovation to create products that consumers trust for the best wireless range and performance,” said Scott Jackson, marketing manager at Cisco Australia and New Zealand. 

All Linksys E-series models come with Cisco Connect software that installs the router in three easy steps, enables security, and assigns a unique network name. Once the router is installed, users can also use Cisco Connect to manage their wireless network by:

• Adding multiple internet-capable devices to the network
• Setting parental controls for each computer or device
  • Giving visitors password-protected Internet access on a separate guest network
  • Customising advanced settings and changing the network name and password
  • Check their broadband connection speed with the Broadband Speed Meter
  • Check for automatic firmware and software updates

Linksys E-Series Wireless-N Routers

Availability

There are five wireless routers in the Linksys E-Series lineup. The recommended retail prices for the routers range from $79.95 to $269.95. All new products are expected to be available from October 2011.

# # #

About Cisco Systems

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Cisco’s vision for the consumer is to enable people to live a connected life that is more personal, more social, and more visual. More information about Cisco and its line of consumer products can be found at www.linksys.com.au

*The maximum performance for wireless is derived from IEEE Standard 802.11 specifications. Actual performance can vary, including lower wireless network capacity, data throughput rate, range and coverage. Performance depends on many factors, conditions and variables, including distance from the access point, volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, operating system used, mix of wireless products used, interference and other adverse conditions.

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco’s trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.

In honour of the soon to be released Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection, which offers players a chance to go back to the beginning and check out the first three games in the legendary franchise, the team is releasing an all-new trailer featuring a glimpse into the downloadable title’s classic Mortal Kombat gameplay. The Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection will be available on Xbox Live and on PSN globally this week. The PC version will be coming out in September.
 
For AUD $12.95 on PSN, and 800 Microsoft Points on XBLA, the Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection offers fans the first three games in the series – the original Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 – and online play, leader boards, achievements and trophies, as well as the chance to play through the games in their original arcade state. Developed by Other Ocean in conjunction with NetherRealm Studios, this collection marks the first time all three games have been brought together in one package.

Backup tips to protect precious memories and private records  

Sydney, 31 August 2011. Today’s home computer is yesterday’s shoebox – the place where people store family photos, letters, receipts for tax time and other precious personal and financial information. Yet many households risk losing their priceless records because they do not back up their computer, leading backup specialist Acronis has warned.

The computer is now an indispensible part of most households, from housing photos, videos, music and emails, to work and school projects and personal and financial information. Common hazards that can result in people losing everything on their computer include spilling a drink on a keyboard, hardware and software failure, viruses, accidentally deleting a file, fire and theft.

“When people are asked what they would take with them if they had to evacuate their home in an emergency, family photos are always right near the top of the list. If you lose the computer, those photos and everything else stored on your computer are gone forever if you don’t have a backup,” Karl Sice, General Manager, Pacific, Acronis, said.

“If there is anything on your computer you don’t want to lose, you need a full backup to make those irreplaceable memories replaceable.

“A simple mistake, like accidentally deleting a file or knocking over a drink on a laptop, can wipe out years of work and memories. Protecting your memories and information is key, and comprehensive, local and online backup protection is no longer something only businesses can afford. There are cost-effective, simple-to-use backup solutions for consumers that can help minimise the impact of losing your data. The most important thing is to do something about it.”

Acronis backup tips to keep your personal files safe at home:  

• Cover all your bases. Make sure your backup will protect all your important files – your documents and files, photos, video and music, critical applications and email. Look for a solution that backs up the complete machine. 
• Don’t put it off to ‘tomorrow’ – in busy households, it’s easy to put off backups until ‘tomorrow’ – of course, tomorrow never comes! Look for a ‘set and forget’ backup solution that will automatically do a lot of the work for you. 
• Don’t assume, check. Don’t assume your backups are working properly.
  • Recovery test: Try testing your backup. There’s nothing worse after a disaster than discovering your backup hasn’t worked!
• Check backups automatically: Your software should automatically validate your backed up data. 
• Keep it current – back up regularly. Make sure you keep offsite copies up-to-date. The longer you leave backups, more files you risk losing. After an initial full backup of the entire system, make sure you set up automatic, incremental backups. 
• Save only what’s changed. Incremental backups save disk space by only storing what has been changed or added since your previous backup. 
• Speed it up – A full backup is much faster if you delete unnecessary information first – empty the Recycle Bin and delete temporary files if you don’t want them any more. There’s no point slowing things down by backing up things you don’t need or want. 
• Store physical backups carefully – make sure your physical backups, such as external hard drives, USBs and DVDs, are stored away properly from heat, sun, moisture and electro-magnetic fields that can damage them. Don’t store them with your laptop – if it is stolen, the thief might take your backups too. 
• Don’t put all your eggs in one basket – use a mix of local and online solutions.
  • Invest in a good external hard disk – Your backups should be stored on removable media or removable drives and kept separately. That way, your backup is safe even if your laptop or home PC is lost or stolen. Local backups are great for day-to-day recovery.
• Put your data in the cloud – double security for your precious memories and personal information by backing it up to the cloud so it can be recovered from anywhere if you ever need it. And because it’s stored online, it’s protected from physical threats, such as fire or theft. 
• Keep your options open – recover to different hardware. It’s important to have tools that can recover your backup images to dissimilar hardware. That way, if your laptop or home PC is lost or stolen and you can’t find or don’t want an identical replacement, you can put your backup image easily on any new computer you choose. 
• Backup before you install – Before you install new programs, updates or drivers, taking a full backup of the system makes sense. If anything goes wrong, you can fix it by rolling back to the full backup. 
• Smile for the camera – Because those photos will be safely backed up! 

A Solution

Acronis^® True Image^™ Home 2012 is an easy-to-use and reliable backup and recovery solution which protects consumers’ files, photos, music and other files, as well as allowing them to share their data securely between multiple PCs and laptops.

The hit Xbox LIVE® Arcade and PlayStation® Network game, Gatling Gears™, is now coming to PC with a quick and easy download. Gamers will dodge, weave and manoeuvre through an onslaught of enemy firepower as the top-down shooter becomes available today for $15.95(AU) and $18.90(NZ) at digital retailers worldwide, including Origin™, EA’s online distribution store. In Gatling Gears, gamers fight their way through 30 unique environments armed with an arsenal of deadly weapons including a gatling gun, grenades and rockets.

Players take on the role of Max Brawley and suit up in a Gatling Gears mech to set out on an epic mission to save the planet and defeat the Empire. Gamers fight together or compete against their friends in full online or offline co-op modes to achieve high scores and leaderboard prowess. Collect the gears left behind by obliterated enemies to earn point multipliers and cool mech upgrades.

Gatling Gears tests players’ ability to stay alive with Survival mode, an arena-based battle where gamers go head-to-head with enemy forces in 10 rounds of pure chaos. Complete the objective with or without a buddy by dodging thousands of bullets from enemy tanks and soldiers and maneuvering through homing missiles, flame-throwers and cluster bombs, while protecting a core natural resource.

Gatling Gears was developed by Amsterdam-based Vanguard Games in partnership with EA Partners. To learn more abofut Gatling Gears, please visit the game’s official web site at http://gatlinggears.com, follow the team on Twitter at http://twitter.com/vanguard_eg, or “like” on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/VanguardGames.