Presented by the University of Melbourne, the Public Lecture Program complements the Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibition, providing public lectures at Melbourne Museum and the University of Melbourne, as well as in regional areas.

Who Was Tutankhamun?
When the tomb was discovered little was known about the king buried within, who ruled Egypt for ten years only. In this talk the events of the king’s reign will be discussed in light of new discoveries, including the examination of his mummy, and it will also discuss members of his family: his possible father, Akhenaten, his mother, his wife and grandparents, Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye, Tiye’s parents, Yuya and Tuyu.

Presented by: Dr Colin Hope
Date and time: 6.30pm, Tuesday 31 May

Egypt after Tutankhamun
When Tutankhamun died the throne passed to a series of men from the army. One of these was Aye, who may have been a brother of the king’s grandmother, Queen Tiye; another was Horemheb who had led the army for Tutankhamun. This talk will examine the century following Tutankhamun when Egypt struggled to maintain its supremacy in the Near East.

Presented by: Dr Colin Hope
Date and time: 6.30pm, Tuesday 14 June

Venue: Melbourne Museum
Tickets: Adults $20, Concessions $15, MV Teachers $15, MV Members and the University of Melbourne Alumni and staff $10, MV Members concession and the University of Melbourne Alumni concessions and students $7.50.
Bookings: Tel: 13 11 02

About Dr Colin Hope
Dr Colin A. Hope is an Associate Professor at Monash University and director of the Centre for Archaeology and Ancient History. Dr Hope has worked extensively in the Middle East, focusing chiefly on Egyptian archaeology, and now directs excavations at two major sites.

AUSCERT, Gold Coast 18 May 2011 – Imperva, the leader in data security, today confirmed that it had won the ‘Product or Service of the Year’ category for its SecureSphere Web Application Firewall at the annual SC Magazine Awards.

“We are delighted to be the 2011 winner of the SC Magazine ‘Product or Service of the Year’,” outlined Stree Naidu, Vice President, Asia Pacific and Japan for Imperva. “This is a direct acknowledgement of our commitment to solution strategy, product development and success with our clients here in Australia. This was a stringent judging process and we are thrilled to not only be nominated, but to be the winner of the category”.

Naidu continued: “We also congratulate all of the nominees and winners of the respective award categories.”

Imperva received its award at the AUSCERT 2011 Gala Dinner held on Tuesday 17 May.

The award winning Imperva SecureSphere is the only solution that delivers full activity monitoring from the database to the accountable application user. It protects sensitive data from hackers and malicious insiders, provides a fast and cost-effective route to regulatory compliance and establishes a repeatable process for data risk management.

SecureSphere includes centralized management and reporting framework, physical and virtual appliance delivery options, and server agent software that extends data security to host systems. With its flexible deployment options and administration capabilities, SecureSphere provides organizations the scalability, adaptability, and management needed to deploy state of the art data security solutions.

Global reference clients include Agilent, TechSoup Global, Fiserv, Apple, TDAmeritrade, Wells Fargo, BetFair, and O2.

Imperva was Highly Commended in the Vendor of the Year Category in the SC Magazine Awards in 2010.

“EA Reporters” Contest for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Videogame Kicks Off

The EA Play Label today announced the official kick-off of the “EA Reporters” competition, in which select fans will win a trip to EA’s UK-based Bright LightTM Studio to meet the development team behind the Harry PotterTM video games, as well as actor Tom Felton (who plays Draco Malfoy in the films)! Fans need only create a short, original video, highlighting both their love of the Harry Potter franchise and the video games, and then submit online. Finalists will be selected by an EATM internal panel, and winners (as voted by the community) will receive the once-in-a-lifetime trip to get a behind the scenes look at their favorite franchise, as well as report on the development of the upcoming game. Originality and creativity are absolutely critical to success.

Details of the competition can be found at www.harrypotter.ea.com/facebook, along with submission instructions.

Based on the upcoming Warner Bros. Pictures film, and featuring the most epic battles to date, the Harry Potter and the Deathly HallowsTM – Part 2 an unforgettableinteractive finale. Players will step into the shoes of Harry Potter as he and his friends embark on a dangerous, and urgent, quest to locate and destroy the remaining Horcruxes, and with them, VoldemortTM. Experience iconic locations like never before in this harrowing showdown between good and evil — the fate of the wizarding world rests in the balance in this final battle of Hogwarts.videogamepromises

BlackBerry® Travel™, a new app that provides BlackBerry® smartphone users with an all-in-one integrated tool to plan, book, manage and share travel activities quickly and easily, is now available in Australia.

The BlackBerry Travel app offers convenient push notifications and seamless integration of travel itineraries and flight status updates into the familiar BlackBerry Calendar. When a new booking confirmation or itinerary arrives in the user’s email inbox, the BlackBerry Travel app is automatically updated with the relevant itinerary details, which makes travel planning and management easier than ever. With the BlackBerry push technology, the BlackBerry Travel app can keep users informed and in control of their itineraries by monitoring flight statuses and promptly providing notifications about changes to their flight information. The app can even identify potential omissions or scheduling concerns with the itineraries, such as missing accommodation or timing conflicts, and provide users with suggestions.

The BlackBerry Travel app also brings together tools that travellers need while planning on the go, including:

Hotel booking
Currency converters
Weather forecasts
Local search functionality
In addition, BlackBerry smartphone users can share their travel information with colleagues, friends and family over email or through LinkedIn®, directly from the BlackBerry Travel app. The LinkedIn integration allows users to search for people in their network who will be in the same city, send messages to contacts and update their status.

The BlackBerry Travel app also features a web component that allows users to book flights and car rentals, as well as print and edit itineraries, from their computer.

The BlackBerry Travel app was built in collaboration with WorldMate, a leader in mobile travel platforms. WorldMate and RIM are working together with leaders in the travel industries such as Continental Airlines, Expedia Affiliate Network, Hilton Worldwide, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, and United Airlines to provide BlackBerry Travel app users with an amazing mobile experience.

The BlackBerry Travel app will be available as a beta download today from the Test Centre category on BlackBerry App World™ (www.blackberry.com/appworld). The app is free and works on select BlackBerry smartphones running the BlackBerry® 5 OS (Device Software) or higher.* For more information please visit www.blackberry.com/au/travel

* BlackBerry Travel is available at launch for the BlackBerry® Bold™, BlackBerry® Curve™, BlackBerry® Storm™ and BlackBerry® Torch™ series of smartphones.

Beginning today, gamers can strap into their Nanosuits and return to the streets of New York in Crysis 2 with the brand new map pack, Retaliation. Retaliation features four maps that introduce new iconic locations to the fun, addictive and fast-paced multiplayer campaign that helped make Crysis 2 a critical and commercial success. New maps in Retaliation include “Park Avenue”, “Transit”, “Shipyard” and “Compound”.

One of the most critically-acclaimed first person shooters of 2011, Crysis 2 is rated 90% or more by over 50 outlets, including “4 stars out of 4 stars” from the Associated Press. Crysis 2 catapults players into Crytek’s stunning recreation of New York City in 2023. With the city on the brink of annihilation from a terrifying alien threat, players will use the powers of the Nanosuit 2 to be fast, be strong and be invisible, in an attempt to save humanity.

Retaliation is available for download today on the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PC for 800 Microsoft points or $15.95(AU) and $18.90(NZ). For more instructions on PC download availability, please visit http://crysis.ea.com. The map pack will be made available on PlayStation®Network at a later date.

For more information on Crysis 2 and the Retaliation map pack, please visit the official game website at www.ea.com/au/crysis-2 the official Crysis community web site at http://mycrysis.com, follow the development team on Twitter at http://twitter.com/crysis or on Facebook at http://facebook.com/crysis.

Public test period for security software designed for Android mobile devices

SYDNEY, Australia – May 18 2011 – BitDefender®, a provider of internet security solutions, today launched the public BETA of BitDefender Mobile Security, its antivirus software for Android devices. As efficient as it is light on resources, the new product uses BitDefender cloud scanning technology to keep Android devices safe from the latest e-threats without putting a strain on the battery.

Keeping users safe and informed are the most important benefits of BitDefender Mobile Security. It uses new in-the-cloud antivirus services to efficiently scan the device and prevent malicious applications from being installed. The scanning process is only initiated when needed, reducing battery consumption to a minimum.

Key features include an Application Audit to keep track of each application’s permission requirements and actions, as well as both on-install and on-demand scanning, which can be run at any time to ensure that all the applications installed are legitimate and safe.

“The Android system is wonderfully open to developers and we’ve certainly reaped the benefits when we built Mobile Security. However, the same openness spells easy pickings for malicious hackers, and Trojan malware has been detected even in the Android Market. These have been removed since, but the option to install un-signed applications is still there and it creates security issues which Mobile Security is built to address” declared Bogdan Dumitru, BitDefender CTO.

BitDefender Mobile Security BETA can be installed directly from the Android Market or downloaded from the BitDefender website, here. Bugs and general feedback can be sent to the dev team using http://bdmobilesecurity.betaeasy.com/.

About BitDefender®
BitDefender is the creator of one of the industry’s fastest and most effective lines of internationally certified security software. Since its inception in 2001, BitDefender has continued to raise the bar and set new standards in proactive threat prevention. Every day, BitDefender protects tens of millions of home and corporate users across the globe – giving them the peace of mind of knowing that their digital experiences will be secure. BitDefender security solutions are distributed by a global network of value-added distribution and reseller partners in more than 100 countries worldwide. More information about BitDefender and its products are available at the company’s security solutions press room.

Additionally, BitDefender’s Malware City provides background and the latest updates on security threats helping users stay informed in the everyday battle against malware.

New York, NY – May 17, 2011 – Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), and Team Bondi Pty. Ltd., are proud to announce that L.A. Noire is now available at retail stores across North America for the PlayStation(r)3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360(r) video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

“Team Bondi worked hard to stay true to the noir genre,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “L.A. Noire blends realistic performances with gritty action and real detective work, throwing players headfirst into the dark heart of Los Angeles.”

L.A. Noire is a crime thriller that is the story of Cole Phelps, a decorated World War II veteran and newly-minted detective in the LAPD. Set amidst the boom of Hollywood’s Golden Age, players must search for clues, interrogate suspects and chase down criminals to solve a series of cases based on real world incidents. As he rises through the ranks of
the LAPD, Phelps comes face-to-face with the corrupt heart of Los Angeles: from fallen starlets to double-dealing police officers and the vast reaches of the criminal underworld – and finally, the darkness of his own personal demons.

L.A. Noire features MotionScan, a groundbreaking technology which captures every nuance of a real actor’s facial performance, delivering the most lifelike characters ever seen in a video game and creating brand new gameplay out of the art of interrogation.

In a world first, L.A. Noire was honored as an Official Selection by the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival for its uniquely cinematic approach to gameplay and rich, deep narrative.

Critical reviews for L.A. Noire have been outstanding. Following is a short list of the initial accolades:

* “No one makes the real world virtual like Rockstar…We’ve seen it with the Grand Theft Auto series, and we saw it with last year’s Red Dead Redemption. Rockstar has turned out its most pointed, and poignant, statement with L.A. Noire.” – Seth Schiesel, The New York Times

* “Ever since it first worked out how to assemble pixels so that they resembled something more recognisable than aliens, the games industry has dreamed of creating one thing above all else – a game that is indistinguishable from a film, except that you can control the lead character. With L.A. Noire, it just might, finally, have found the embodiment of that particular holy grail.” – The Guardian * “L.A. Noire is not only something totally new for the modern gamer, it’s one of the first cerebral titles that will force people to rethink the potential of video games.” – CNET

* “L.A. Noire is a testament to the possibility of bringing dark, adult, mature games to the mainstream market… truly mature, with the kind of narrative you’d only expect to see in a major TV drama series or crime movie. No game released this generation has tackled the subject matter found in L.A. Noire with the same degree of intelligence and respect, and no game has so seamlessly blended gameplay from various genres together so seamlessly, in a way that delivers something far more unique in experience than the sum of its parts.” – Destructoid

* “All the things I’ve only read about in Dashiell Hammett novels, or seen in film classics like Double Indemnity, have all come to interactive life in L.A. Noire… L.A. Noire had me more involved in its first thirty minutes than some other games do in their entirety.” – 1UP

* “L.A. Noire is a bold release, because it defies the expectations not just for the type of game Rockstar usually releases, but also for the type of game that receives this degree of care and proficiency in its execution.” – Giant Bomb

* “L.A. Noire is a unique game with a terrific sense of period atmosphere, absorbing investigation mechanics, and a haunting tale with plenty of moments that would be right at home in a classic film noir.”- GameSpot

* “L.A. Noire transcends genre and the expectations of what a game can be and casts a spell that I have yet to shake.” – G4TV

L.A. Noire for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 is rated M for Mature by the ESRB, and is currently available in North America for the suggested retail price of $59.99. L.A. Noire will release internationally on May 20, 2011.

For more information, log onto www.rockstargames.com/lanoire.

Sydney, 18 May 2011: AR.Race is a racing game downloadable for free on the App StoreSM from 7 June 2011 that allows up to four pilots to challenge each other on the same circuit. Two inflatable pylons with a finishing line and an inflatable donut are suggested extras to add excitement to the race.

After activating the iDevice Bluetooth, each player connects their AR.Drone via Wi-Fi to launch the AR.Race application. Once the number of pilots is set, they decide on one of five available levels, with or without the use of the inflatable items.

Players can choose to activate the piloting assistance option, enabling the AR.Drone to make high speed turns.

5 types of circuit
Without inflatable items
– Rookies Race: the pilot creates their own circuit and defines the number of laps to be completed (from one to three). A double tap on the hull of the AR.Drone marks the end of a laps and enables the player to record the time of the race.

With the pylons and finishing line
-Champions Race: the pilot creates their circuit (in one to three laps) with the objective of crossing the finishing line as fast as possible. The vertical camera of the AR.Drone identifies the finishing line and the time is automatically recorded.

With the donut
– Masters Race: the pilot creates their circuit (in one to three laps), with the challenge to go through the donut. The vertical camera of the AR.Drone identifies a line inside the donut and the time is automatically recorded.

With the 2 pylons, the finishing line and the donut
– Elite Race: the pilot has to go through the donut before crossing the finishing line (in one to three laps). The vertical camera of the AR.Drone identifies the finishing line and the time is automatically recorded.
– Heroes Race: the pilot has to go through the donut twice before crossing the finishing line (in one to three laps). The vertical camera of the AR.Drone identifies the finishing line and the time is automatically recorded.

Note: The finishing line being independent from the two pylons, players can create as many circuits as they like, such as creating slaloms with the pylons or more complicated circuits using the natural environment (e.g. trees).

Challenge your friends on your own AR.Race circuits for air supremacy!

§ The application will be available to download for FREE from the App StoreSM on 7 June
§ Pack of 2 pylons and 1 finishing line: AUD$79.95
§ 1 Donut: AUD$64.95
Accessories (donuts and pylons) are available on www.parrotshopping.com