After its huge success on Nintendo DS last year, TrackMania, the fun-filled car racing game played by millions of players worldwide, is back on Nintendo’s™ handheld system with an even more complete, more spectacular and more fun-filled edition! Drive racing cars at incredible speeds on spectacular tracks full of ramps, loops, turbo boosts, and other crazy track-blocks.

TrackMania DS’s track editor is back allowing you to create an infinite number of new tracks which you can share with your friends worldwide thanks to the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection!

The Multiplayer and Hotseat modes are back allowing many players to play on a single console, the One Card and local Multi-Card modes, but most of all, the awaited online mode using the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection!

With more content and more fun to offer, new TrackMania on DS™ has everything it needs to become the most complete racing game on Nintendo’s portable system.

Stay tuned for more features details and assets…

Visit the official website of TrackMania

Sydney, 13 May 2010 – With the much anticipated Apple iPad hitting shelves at the end of this month, Targus has launched a new collection of cases created specifically to style and protect the new portable tablet computer. Available in a variety of designs, the cases are extensions of Targus’ most popular product lines including the Hughes, Crave, A7 and Unofficial. Targus’ iPad collection incorporates a wide range of protective materials that offer the superior hardware protection that the Targus brand is renowned for. Whether you are a chic urbanite or business sophisticate, there’s a case to complement your needs, style and personality.

Available in black and brown, the Hughes Leather Portfolio Slipcase for iPad (RRP: $99.95) is the ultimate accessory for the savvy and stylish tech lover. Constructed of durable oil-tanned leather, the slipcase features a soft twill inner lining that protects against scratches and a secure magnetic closure.

Inspired by outdoor apparel, the Crave Slipcase for iPad (RRP: $39.95) is made of durable weather-resistant material which has been abrasion tested for durability. Stain-guard coated for longevity, the slipcase offers stow-away top handles and an external pocket for additional accessories. With just enough room to carry your iPad and a few other essentials, this multifunctional slipcase can be used alone or inside another case for added protection.

Available in a spectrum of colours, including black, blue and plum, the A7 Neoprene Sleeves for iPad (RRP: $39.95) suit a variety of personal styles. Each sleeve is built with a Tri-Cell Cushion System™, which integrates layers of foam, neoprene and air-ventilating mesh fabric to protect against bumps.

The Unofficial Laptop Messenger for Mac (RRP: $79.95) comfortably accommodates 13-inch Macbook computers along with a removable custom built sleeve for iPads. The front messenger flap features magnetic snap lock closures while the front zippered compartment provides easy access to daily essentials such as a wallet or mobile phone. The case offers a soft lining to protect against scratches while in transit, as well as a document pocket, pen loops and accessory storage.

Targus’ existing collection of netbook bags is also a great accompaniment for the iPad, perfect for users who enjoy the flexibility of having a bag that accommodates both netbooks and iPads. The netbook collection includes numerous styles from the A7, Crave, Generation-T, Unofficial and Phobos ranges.

Arriving in stores from late May, the Targus iPad range will be available from leading retailers. For further information, please visit www.targus.com.au or call customer service on 1800 641 645.

AOC Introduces the V27m 27-inch Widescreen LCD Monitor
AOC’s largest LCD monitor to date

 
Sydney, Australia: 13 May 2010 – AOC, one of the top global players in the best value display technology, is launching its biggest LCD monitor to date. The V27m is the perfect offering for users who like to view multiple windows at once and those who simply enjoy using their PC as an entertainment centre. The V27m, with its large screen, is also an ideal monitor for people with reduced vision.

The attractive piano-gloss cabinet resembles a TV more than a conventional desktop monitor adding style and sophistication. Indeed, Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, multiple input connections – HDMI, D-Sub, YPbPr, SVBS and CVBS – and integrated 3W stereo speakers, give the V27m everything it needs for versatile presentation of multimedia sources besides the PC.

Like all current AOC monitors, the specifications for Brightness, Dynamic Contrast and Response Time are consistent with the lastest multimedia applications.
The slim line cabinet tapers to a mere 28mm and has a transparent decorative outer frame that further imparts a light and airy look, despite the expansive display area.

Product and Pricing Summary
Vendor: AOC
Product Name: V27m
RRP: $ 499
Website: http://www.aocmonitor-anz.com/
Availability: Now

About AOC
AOC is a leader of display technology for TVs, Monitors and Multimedia Displays backed by over 60 years of design and manufacturing experience. AOC has earned a reputation for selling user-friendly, technologically advanced displays, with every aspect of AOC’s business focusing on the development of products that fit seamlessly into consumers’ digital lifestyles.

For more information about AOC and its products, please visit www.aoc.com

AVG warns you need to logout of Facebook if you want to maintain your privacy 

Melbourne, 13 May 2010. AVG (AU/NZ) recommends that everyone consider the advice from AVG Technologies’ Chief Research Officer, Roger Thompson, and actively LOG OUT of Facebook every session in order to prevent their privacy being compromised if they don’t. As Thompson revealed today…

Pssst… You want to see something reeeeeaaaally scary?

Here it is…

On 29th April 2010, I surfed to CNN.com to check out the news… something I do quite often… I happily read about the oil spill and the asteroids, and then noticed the bit I have circled in red. It’s a bit hard to read, but it says “Log in | sign up”, and then “Friends’ activity”, followed by “View more friends’ activity”!

Not ‘View friends’ activity’, but ‘more’ friends’ activity. I’m not logged in, but CNN knows who my friends are on Facebook! And just to prove it, the next line shows a post by one of my friends, recommending a video.

Given that Facebook has 400 million users, the odds make it unlikely that they just ‘happened’ to grab one of my friends. 

I thought to myself, “They knew who I am! Dang! I wonder how many other web sites know that?”

And then, a couple of weeks later, I noticed that CNN.com had changed.

Now it says, “Hi! Log in or sign up to personalise”, followed by “Log in with Facebook to see your friends activity”, followed by some generic Facebook messages.

So I’m thinking, “What’s going on? Is CNN no longer getting the information, or is CNN no longer disclosing that they have it?”

The answer is neither of those.

As is often the case, it turns out there’s a more prosaic, but still alarming explanation. 

One of my AVG colleagues, Jas Dhaliwal, knew what was going on. He explained…

“CNN and over 100,000 other web sites are using Facebook’s new social plugins that were announced at their F8 Developers conference a few weeks ago.

“The ‘social plugins’ are designed to show which of your friends are voting ‘“like’ on a site’s specific news stories. If none of your Facebook friends are clicking the ‘Like’ button, then Facebook aggregates the popular stories that are ‘liked’ on the site as a whole.

“The social plugins take the step of Facebook Connect, one step further. Connect was designed to be a ‘Single Sign-On’ for the web. In other words, you log into Facebook once, and when you visit other sites around the web, it would log you on to their site, using the Facebook credentials already provided.

“At the recent F8 conference, Facebook announced that they were going to remove the Connect button. So, if you’ve logged in once, it will remember your login. The social plugin caches that login data and uses a custom API to show which of your friends (i.e. your social graph) are visiting the same site.

“Why? Because, I’m likely to stay longer at a site, if I know my friends have been there… so says the psychological theory. Facebook have done a very, very bad job at explaining this. For most people, when they see CNN’s Facebook plugin they are surprised, because as a user, you haven’t given CNN or Facebook explicit permission to connect to your social graph/friends list.”

Jas Dhaliwal concludes, “If you want to stop this type of behaviour, and thus do not want to see the stories that your friends are interested in as they visit the web, simply click “Log Out” of Facebook. This is something nearly no one does. Simply, closing a Facebook tab or window DOES NOT log you out of Facebook. I think the user community needs to be educated specifically on this.”

Folks… you need to LOG OUT of Facebook once you finish reading posts. You just don’t know what information could be leaking.
Just today, CNN was talking about the so-called Bling-Ring, where some LA kids made a point of robbing celeb’s homes. They would use Google earth to survey the homes, and find ways in. Paris Hilton lived in a gated community, but the kids found via Google Earth that there was a gully that went under a fence, and when they went and looked, found they could easily walk right in.

Then they simply watched Twitter until Paris announced that she was going out, and walked right up to her house.

And what about the social platforms that have location information? Telling your friends “I’m at the coffee shop” is fine for those interested in joining you for coffee, but there will be bad guys out there with larceny in their hearts.

Privacy, folks…. it’s a serious issue.

About AVG (AU/NZ) Pty Ltd — www.avg.com.au

Based in Melbourne, AVG (AU/NZ) Pty Ltd distributes the AVG range of Anti-Virus and Internet Security products in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. AVG software solutions provide complete real-time protection against the malware, viruses, spam, spyware, adware, worms, Trojans, phishing and exploits used by cyber-criminals, hackers, scammers and identity thieves. AVG protects everything important and personal inside computers — documents, account details and passwords, music, photos and more — all while allowing users to work, bank, shop and play games online in safety. AVG provides outstanding technical solutions and exceptional value for consumers, small to medium business and enterprise clients. AVG delivers always-on, always up-to-date protection across desktop, and notebook PCs, plus file and e-mail servers in the home and at work in SMBs, corporations, government agencies and educational institutions.

AVG products actively protect over 110 million users worldwide, including more than 4.6 million users in Australia and New Zealand.

AVG (AU/NZ) has more than 3300 resellers across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Sydney, Australia – Thursday May 13^th, 2010 – Available on Ubisoft’s official Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands website and Facebook page for immediate play is a new Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands flash game.

Ubisoft Montreal and Explosive Barrel, a multi-hit flash game developer, have teamed up to create a flash adaptation of the upcoming Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands. Going back to the roots, the flash game is reminiscent of the original 1987 Prince of Persia 2D platformer. It also provides an exciting play that is representative of the vision of Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, including fights against the main epic bosses, the Prince’s four new powers and his legendary rewind move from the Sands of Time, and original music. In addition, players can unlock an exclusive playable Malik skin for the Xbox 360^® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation^®3 computer entertainment system, and Windows PC versions.

The Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands game is available at the following sites:

• http://prince-of-persia.uk.ubi.com/games/game-01.php   
• www.facebook.com/princeofpersia

A new video featuring the Acrobatic Powers of the Prince is also now available: 

• To View: http://videos.uk.ubi.com/index.php?video=pl1sgty6 

For more information on Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands please visit: http://prince-of-persia.uk.ubi.com/

Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition

Journey back to 1912 and experience the Titanic’s maiden voyage. Explore detailed reconstructions of the ship’s interior including the Grand Staircase and first and third class cabins. Discover how the ‘unsinkable’ ship met its fate and connect with the personal stories of people onboard as you view artefacts recovered from the ocean floor. See treasures never before presented in Australia in this Melbourne-only showing. Tickets go on sale on 15 April 2010.

Date: From 14 May until 17 October 2010 (open until 9pm Thursdays)

Cost: Adult $24, Concession $18, Child $16, Family $66 (includes entry into Melbourne Museum)

Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition is presented by Melbourne Museum and Frontier Touring Co in association with RMS Titanic, Inc

600 Million Years: Victoria evolves

The newest exhibition in the redevelopment of the Science and Life Gallery, 600 Million Years: Victoria evolves explores the big question: how did life on Earth come to be the way it is? Taking you on a journey through time, 600 Million Years brings the story of Victoria’s evolution to life through animation, animatronics, models and multimedia interactives. Over millions of years Victoria has moved from the tropics to the Antarctic circle and now to temperate zone. It has been shaped by periods of volcanic activity and major climate shifts. Featuring fascinating fossils, gold, coal, dinosaurs and whales, the exhibition highlights the processes that make Victoria the special place it is today.

Date: Opens 26 June 2010

Winter School Holidays

Journey back to 1912 and experience the Titanic‘s maiden voyage at Melbourne Museum’s Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition. Visit The Engine Room play space and build your own ocean liner or learn about the behaviour of icebergs. Discover some of the stories behind the people who set sail on the Titanic in a special story time.

Date: 11am – 3pm 26 June to 11 July 2010

Top Designs

In 2010, Top Designs celebrates its tenth birthday at Melbourne Museum with the theme ‘then, now and beyond’. Since 2001, more than 1,000 students have exhibited outstanding work in Top Designs and it has proven to be an important stepping stone for their future careers in design. The exhibition is a major component of the VCE Season of Excellence, managed by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. Top Designs features exemplary student design in a range of VCE studies: Design and Technology, Food and Technology, Systems Engineering, Media, VET Multimedia and Visual Communication and Design.

Date: Until 27 June 2010

Lotjpa: Speaking to

This exhibition explores the connection between Victorian Aboriginal teenagers and youth and Indigenous community members and Elders in the Shepparton region. Featuring photographs taken by Koorie youth complemented by community and Elder’s stories and a series of videos, the exhibition reveals the importance of oral history in Victorian Aboriginal culture.

Date: Until 27 June 2010

Glenn Murcutt: Architecture for Place

Glenn Murcutt is one of Australia’s most internationally recognised architects. Murcutt’s works are at the forefront of contemporary architecture, focusing on the sustainability of the natural environment. Glenn Murcutt: Architecture for Place explores a selection of his buildings through his drawings and working methods. Photographs by Anthony Browell capture the harmony between building and nature that resonates through Murcutt’s designs. The exhibition offers visitor a chance to discover many of Murcutt’s houses, private residences that are not open to visitors.

Date: 15 July until 3 October 2010

Presented by Architecture Foundation Australia with the support of Visions of Australia

Melbourne Museum, Nicholson Street, Carlton. Open daily 10.00am – 5.00pm. Admission: Adult $8, children and concession FREE. For further details phone 13 11 02 or visit museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum

– The Newest and Truest Dragon Ball Action Fighter is in Training to Blast its Way onto PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360® – 

BARCELONA, SPAIN – 12 May 2010 – At its LEVEL UP event in Barcelona today, NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S. unholstered its world famous Kamehameha battle cry for the announcement that Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 is in development and heading to PlayStation^®3 and Xbox 360^® across Europe this coming Spring 2010.  With the manga, anime TV series, films and video games enjoying consistent hit status around the globe, the latest airborne energy attack-infused game in the blockbuster series continues to push the limits of Dragon Ball video games with more and better of everything the fans love.

The development team at Spike Co. Ltd. in Japan has been listening to its vast worldwide community of fans for this second game in the Raging Blast series, and is implementing a raft of improvements and new features. Pushing themselves harder than ever to deliver the most authentic and advanced experience, Spike has reworked everything from the camera to the controls to create an accessible game with more than enough tactical depth to satisfy even the most battle-hardened Dragon Ball fan.

Eschewing the traditional style of story-telling with cut-scenes, Dragon Ball: Raging Blast 2 tells the story as the action unfolds, keeping the player locked into the world at every moment and bringing the experience closer than ever to the anime.

The game will feature more than 90 of the most popular characters, over 20 of whom are new to the Raging Blast series.  All the battle stages have been improved, with the addition of some brand new ones. The destructibility of the environments now has an even more profound effect on the battles immersing players in an ultra-realistic Dragon Ball universe.

Running at 60fps, the game produces faster and smoother animations than ever before, further enhanced by countless new visually stunning special effects.  With seven game modes, original Japanese voices, loads of incredible unlockable treats, fully optimised 5.1 sound, ultra-realistic HD visuals, dazzling never-before-seen visual and camera effects, and a new combo system, the latest chapter in the irrepressible saga will be an unmissable treat for fans.

For more information about NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe and its entire line up, please visit www.namcobandaigames.eu.

About NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe 

NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe S.A.S. is a leading software publisher producing a broad catalogue of high quality  interactive entertainment for console and PC gaming platforms and online which is marketed and sold in 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australasia.  The company is a part of the NAMCO BANDAI group of companies known for creating and publishing many of the industry's top video game franchises including Tekken™, Dragon Ball®, Naruto™, SOULCALIBUR™, One Piece™, RidgeRacer™, Ace Combat™ and Tamagotchi™. 

© Bird Studio/Shueisha, Toei Animation

Game © 2010 NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc.

Published by NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe SAS

“PlayStation”, the “PS” Family logo and “PSP” are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Memory Stick Duo™ may be required (sold separately).

Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox Live are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Former Creative Director of Disney Imagineering, Jesse Schell has been named as one of the top speakers for the 2010 GameHorizon Conference taking place at The Sage, Gateshead over June 29th – 30th. Schell, one of the masterminds behind child-friendly virtual world Toontown Online, joins gaming canons: Nils Holger Henning, COO of browsed-based behemoth, Bigpoint; self-publicist and Britsoft games industry legend, Peter Molyneux; and P!NK’s drummer, Mark Schulman. All will bang the drum about the exhilarating future of the industry and offer something unique to a conference program bursting with unmissable characters and touch-points.

Schell is an engaging speaker with genuinely thought-provoking ideas about where the games industry is going and how games will enrich and change our everyday lives. Shcell is also a cracking games designer and author of “The Art of Game Design: A book of lenses”. Schell’s talk, “Roadmap to the Gamepocalypse”, will delve into the details of how games and reality are likely to mix in the near future, and what that means for designers.

Carri Cunliffe, GameHorizon Conference Director said, “After seeing the footage of Jesse Schell speaking at the D.I.C.E Summit in Las Vegas earlier in the year, myself and the GameHorizon advisory board are psyched that Jesse will be speaking! We are really looking forward to his session at the 3rd GameHorizon conference, and he promises his talk will be new and different”.

Schell will be joined on stage by a host of world class speakers, including: Joseph Olin, President of Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS); Ian Baverstock, CEO of UK independent, Kuju; Mark Rein, energetic front man of Epic Games; Alice Taylor, Commissioner at Channel 4; “Great Scott” Foe, a revered games industry Producer; and master negotiator, Darren Jobling, Director of Business Development at North East-based Eutechnyx.

Eidos Life President and award winning host, Iain Livingstone (OBE), and GameHorizon invite you to join your peers over June 29th – 30th for a cerebral massaging experience, which promises thought-provoking debate, first-class networking and genuine local hospitality.

The conference will also capture the euphoria of the 2010 World Cup, with South African flavoured cocktails and live screening of a last 16 knock-out match. Half-time refreshments will be provided by Pizza Hut. Put those wrists to action with a foosball table and best foot forward for a penalty shoot out. A poker tournament will also run in conjunction to the evening’s celebration of football.

Tickets are still available, priced at a competitive £325 for the 2-day conference. Visit the official site to book your place at the spectacle of the summer: www.gamehorizonconference.com

Look for the debut of the full-length Official Launch Trailer tomorrow.  The last official video before the game’s release next week on Tuesday, May 18th in North America and Friday, May 21st worldwide.

Today, Rockstar Games is thrilled to announce the Social Club features for Red Dead Redemption, which will be available on the game’s May 21^st launch. Red Dead Redemption will feature a robust set of challenges and perks exclusively for Social Club members that will be seamlessly integrated into the game itself. Registry for the Social Club is easily accessed through in-game menus and has the ability to automatically link to an existing Xbox Live or PlayStation Network account. Once registration is complete, members can unlock seven exclusive cheats, which import automatically into the game. Social Club members will have access to:

Social Club Challenges – Members who complete a series of special challenges will have the ability to access an exclusive collection of cheats. To unlock Pike’s Basin Challenge, the first of many challenges to come, beat the “Justice in Pike’s Basin” mission, and complete the Pike’s Basin gang hideout by helping rancher Errol Hewitt defeat a gang of bloodthirsty cattle rustlers. Completing the unlocked challenge will post your best time and medals garnered to a special Social Club Challenges leaderboard, and unlock the “Guns Blazing” cheat, allowing you to fire flaming bullets that can set enemies on fire. More challenges will be revealed after the game’s release.

Rockstar Challenges – Awaken your team spirit and work with other players to cumulatively complete a challenge and unlock a surprise reward. Available in late May, “The Strike It Rich! Rockstar Challenge” spurs players to grab as much money in the world as possible to reach the grand bank total and unlock the mystery prize. The Social Club site allows you to keep track of the community’s progress, as well as access helpful tips and tricks to reach the goal.

The Blackwater Ledger – A dynamic community edition of the in-game newspaper keeps Social Club members updated on all the news that’s fit to print. Reporting daily from New Austin, Nuevo Pariaso, and West Elizabeth, the Ledger records who’s earned the highest bounties, what the most popular products purchased at local merchants are, how many people have cheated in poker that day, and much, much more.

My Stats – Keep meticulous records of your in-game progress and earn those bragging rights. My Stats allows you keep track of a variety of information, from how well you performed in single-player missions to extensive multiplayer performance statistics. The features also allows you to compare stats with your Social Club friends.

Multiplayer Leaderboards – The leaderboard tracks players across a variety of categories for both competitive and the upcoming co-op multiplayer modes. The easy-to-use global leaderboard allows you to view how your skills stack up against the world, or you can make it more personal by viewing a friends-only leaderboard.

Achievements & Trophies – Keep track of each and every Achievement or Trophy earned and compare with Social Club friends.

The 100% Checklist – Completionists on a quest for 100% in Red Dead Redemption can use a detailed guide to keep track of what’s unlocked, as well as what’s left. Tips and a map legend will help wrap up any loose ends.

Official Red Dead Redemption Social Club Multiplayer Events – The highly-anticipated debut of Red Dead Redemption Social Club Multiplayer Events begin Friday, May 21 on the PlayStation Network from 4-7PM EST, and Saturday, May 22 on Xbox LIVE from 1-4PM EST. Celebrate the release of Red Dead Redemption and play with, or against, Rockstar employees worldwide, including members of Rockstar San Diego. Live chat at the events page and a live stream will be available exclusively to Social Club members.

All of the Red Dead Redemption Social Club features will be available on launch day, May 18th.  For more information, head to http://www.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption/features/socialclub.

Get a head start and register for Social Club in advance at  https://socialclub.rockstargames.com/profile/signup.html.