The GT Academy 2010 Time Trial is live on PlayStation®Network until Sunday 24 January and Australia has been working hard at maintaining a top five ranking. Racing fast for the number one global position, it has frequently been France vs Australia in the battle of fastest individual times.

Over one million downloads of the GT Academy Time Trial have already been recorded in the three weeks since it went live on 17

December, 2009. That’s because the ultimate racing prize is at stake – the opportunity to be a real world race car driver. Visit www.facebook.com/GTAcademy to follow the updates and support Australian racers. And if you haven’t already, download the Gran Turismo time trial from PlayStation®Store via PlayStation®Network and get racing. You’ve got to be in it to win it!

Early 2010 MAG PlayStation 3
Heavy Rain PlayStation 3
White Knight Chronicles PlayStation 3
SOCOM Fireteam Bravo 3 PSP/PSPgo
God of War III PlayStation 3
Eye of Judgement Legends PSP/PSPgo
Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake PSP/PSPgo

Release schedule summary – ModNation Racers – Public Beta Confirmed

12 January 2010: On 22nd January, 100,000 PS3 owners across European markets, including Australia, will be able to get their hands on the ModNation Public Beta. Once downloaded from PlayStation Store, you can jump, boost and drift your way around tricky racetracks, picking up weapons with every twist and turn in a battle to the finish line, then have a go creating your own courses and challenge the world to race on them.

The ModNation Racers Beta is free, so simply log on to PSN store on Thursday 21st (evening time in Australia) and download the trial. It will then be live from Friday 22 January until Sunday 14 February. It provides the opportunity to race on four premade tracks; two of which are exclusive to the European beta. You can also enter the Creation Station and design your very own character, kart and alpine themed race track, ready to share with other Beta Trial
testers.

Great content lined up for launch of Digital Comics for PSP® 17 December 2009: Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE Aust.) has confirmed another major addition to the content line-up for the launch of Digital Comics. Alongside the extensive line up of content available, including comics from publishers such as Marvel, IDW and Rebellion, is the arrival of Disney, offering comics for the younger PSP owner.

Available now, Digital Comics is a revolutionary new service that brings the brightness and excitement of your favourite comics to the screen of PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) or PSP® (PlayStation® Portable)go. Now including favourites from the Disney stable, Digital Comics lets PSP users download their choice of hundreds of classic and new comics from PlayStation®Store to PSP to read page by page or frame by frame – wherever they are. PSP owners can
now take a huge collection of comics to enjoy on the move, and pick up their favourite edition from any Wi-Fi hotspot, offering a brandnew way to use PSP for entertainment on the go.

Cars, Planes & even a Giant Egg can be found racing stunning looking tracks in Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing!
Friday 15th January 2010 – SEGA is proud to announce that Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing will have some of the most varied and visually rich racing tracks you will ever see in a racing game! Speed around Shibuya Downtown on a track from Jet Set Radio Future, or samba your way round Amigo’s home track on the carnival inspired Samba levels. Check out the latest trailer to get a glimpse of some of the tracks featured in the game, along with some of the unique vehicles created for each character in Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing. Specific to each character you can chose motorbikes, cars and bi planes or spaceships, egg mobiles and trucks in a bid to cross the finish line first!

For more information about the game, please visit http://www.houseofthedeadoverkill.com/ www.sega.com.

SYDNEY– 14th January, 2010 – NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe SAS, today announced that players can expect to download the free TEKKEN® 6 online co-op update on January 18th for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system. Now for the first time in the TEKKEN series, players can join a friend online and fight side-by-side for some serious iron fist brawling.

Previously playable only as an offline single player mode with an AI companion, TEKKEN 6’s Scenario Campaign mode is now available for two players to come together online and power their way through numerous stages. Use voice chat to work together strategically and beat down vicious opponents and their legions of minions. To keep the fires of competition in the forefront, a co-op leader board will be implemented so players can size up their skills against the best in the world.

This update will also include the following refinement:
– Improved Mokujin AI – In online versus mode, Mokujin’s fighting style changes with every round

TEKKEN 6 for PlayStation®3, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) and Xbox 360® is available now, For more TEKKEN 6 information visit www.tekken.com.

“Transformers: War for Cybertron is an origins story, taking players on a gripping, adrenaline-fuelled journey that precedes the TRANSFORMERS characters’ arrival on Earth,” said Rob Kostich, vice president of global brand management, Activision Publishing, Inc. “The game transports players to a living, metallic planet where they will battle as giant converting robots in single player, online co-op or head-to-head multiplayer matches that are fully immersive from start to finish.”

“For the first time, Hasbro is working with Activision to drive the TRANSFORMERS fiction forward into new story arcs, demonstrating pivotal moments in Transformers history that defined who they are,” said Aaron Archer, Senior Design Director, Hasbro.  “This remarkable video game helps us to tell a critical event in TRANSFORMERS lore that will be used as canon for future storylines in a way we could have only dreamed of a few years ago.  It is a testament to the success of the TRANSFORMERS brand and a key element to the story we look forward to telling in 2010 and beyond.”

Transformers: War for Cybertron features two distinct storylines: the AUTOBOT campaign tells a story of heroism to save their home planet against overwhelming odds, and the DECEPTICON campaign tells a story of an unquenchable thirst for power to control the universe.  For the first time in a TRANSFORMERS title, fans will be able to play the game with their friends through team-based online co-op, or go head to head in a variety of intense, online multiplayer game modes.  The game features a sci-fi art style that introduces to fans the entire living, metallic world of CYBERTRON, as well as all-new visualisations of the iconic TRANSFORMERS characters in their original Cybertronian forms.

Transformers: War for Cybertron is in development for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Windows® PC, Wii™ and Nintendo DS^™, and is not yet rated by the Australian Classification Board.

For more information and to receive exclusive updates about the Transformers: War for Cybertron video game, visit www.TransformersGame.com

About HASBRO

Hasbro, Inc. (NYSE:HAS) is a worldwide leader in children’s and family leisure time products and services with a rich portfolio of brands and entertainment properties that provides some of the highest quality and most recognisable play and recreational experiences in the world. As a brand-driven, consumer-focused global company, Hasbro brings to market a range of toys, games and licensed products, from traditional to high-tech and digital, under such powerful brand names as TRANSFORMERS, PLAYSKOOL, TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, CRANIUM and WIZARDS OF THE COAST. Come see how we inspire play through our brands at http://www.hasbro.com. © 2009 Hasbro, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision Publishing maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Russia, Japan, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision Publishing’s expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Activision Publishing generally uses words such as “outlook,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “might,” “remains,” “to be,” “plans,” “believes,” “may,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “estimate,” future,” “plan,” “positioned,” “potential,” “project,” “remain,” “scheduled,” “set to,” “subject to,” “upcoming” and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Activision Publishing’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, but are not limited to, sales levels of Activision Publishing’s titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the impact of the current macroeconomic environment, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Activision Publishing’s ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms, declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision Publishing’s products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware (including peripherals) and related software, industry competition, rapid changes in technology, industry standards and consumer preferences, protection of proprietary rights, litigation against Activision Publishing, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, licensees, licensors, vendors and third-party developers, counterparty risks relating to customers, licensees, licensors and manufacturers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates and tax rates, integration of recent acquisitions and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, and the other factors identified in the risk factors section of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision Publishing and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Activision Publishing nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Activision Publishing or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

Kingston Technology Launches 24GB HyperX Kits - Largest Ever
24GB Triple-Channel Memory Kits for Intel Core i7; 16GB Kits for Core i5

Sydney, Australia –  January 14, 2010:  Kingston Technology Company, Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced it is shipping the largest HyperX DDR3 memory kits to date. Users of the Intel Core i7 and X58 platforms can now take their systems to the memory extreme with Kingston’s 1600MHz 24GB HyperX kit made up of six 4GB modules. For Core i5, P55 chipset enthusiasts, Kingston has released a 1600MHz kit 16GB kit of four 4GB modules to take full advantage of dual-channel performance.

“We are pleased to make available the largest HyperX memory kits ever for the prosumers, multimedia pro or super enthusiast who wants everything,” said Vaughan Nankivell, Regional Manager, Australia and New Zealand for Kingston Technology. “Users working with the latest operating systems like Windows 7 64-bit can keep multiple programs open, run memory intensive video or photo applications, or run numerous virtual machines using 24GB or 16GB of DDR3 HyperX memory and create more efficiency and performance gains than ever before.”

The 1600MHz triple- and dual-channel kits are intended for use on the best motherboards on the market from top makers such as Asus and Gigabyte. A video of the 24GB HyperX kit in action can be found at www.kingston-blog.com/en/bbs_thread.php?gid=1&aid=574.

Product and Pricing Summary:
Vendor: Kingston Technology
Product name : Kingston HyperX DDR3 24GB or 16GB Kits
RRP: A TBC, NZ TBC
Website: www.kingston.com/anz
Australian Distributors:  Avnet Australia Pty Ltd, Ingram Micro, Simms International Pty Ltd., Synnex Australia PTY Ltd.
New Zealand Distributors: Ingram Micro NZ, Synnex NZKingston memory is backed by a lifetime warranty and free technical support.
Availability: Shipping now

Kingston HyperX DDR3 Kit Specifications 
Part Number Capacity and Features:
 - KHX1600C9D3K6/24GX 24GB 1600MHz (CL9-9-9-27 @ 1.65v)
kit of six optimized for Core i7 XMP
 - KHX1600C9D3K4/16GX 16GB 1600MHz (CL9-9-9-27 @ 1.65v)
kit of 4 optimized for Core i5 XMP

Kingston HyperX memory is backed by a lifetime warranty and free technical support. For detailed information please visit the Kingston Web site at www.kingston.com/anz.

To discuss this product on Kingston Blog, please go to www.kingston-blog.com. To try the game “Challenge Your Memory”, please go to
www.kingston-blog.com/challenge_your_memory/en/. To get the freshest information on Kingston, please go to http://twitter.com/KingstonFEPR.

To find out if your Kingston product is genuine, Kingston also provides an online verification site: www.kingston.com/asia/verify. To try the game “Search for Genuine Kingston”, please go to http://anti-counterfeit.kingston-blog.com/.

To experience the animation of ‘The Adventures of Rex’, please visit: www.theadventuresofrex.com

About Kingston Technology Company, Inc.
Kingston Technology Company, Inc. is the world’s largest independent manufacturer of memory products. Kingston designs, manufactures and distributes memory products for desktops, laptops, servers, printers, and Flash memory products for PDAs, mobile phones, digital cameras, and MP3 players. Through its global network of subsidiaries and affiliates, Kingston has manufacturing facilities in California, Taiwan, China, Malaysia and sales representatives in the United States, Taiwan, China, India, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Europe, Russia, Turkey, and Latin America. For more information, please visit www.kingston.com/anz.

AVG (AU/NZ) Warns Against Growing Threat of Cyber Crime at Home

Melbourne, 14 January 2010: According to the FBI, cyber attacks are potentially more dangerous than a nuclear attack and weapons of mass destruction. In our society, where everything of importance is controlled by computers, should these fall prey to cyber criminals, it could result in ‘cybergeddon’. 

While we have yet to experience anything on this scale, we are still under constant threat from cyber crime. 

With PCs now containing up to 200 million lines of code of which 2 million could include bugs, and with homes full of mobile phones, games consoles and PDAs, the potential for falling prey to hackers and identity theft is a real and growing threat, according to leading distributor of anti-virus and internet security software, AVG (AU/NZ) Pty Ltd.

Lloyd Borrett, Marketing Manager of AVG (AU/NZ), said: “We expect our workplace computers and data to be protected to the highest level but people are failing to fully protect their personal information. With cyber criminals becoming ever more sophisticated, it is crucial to be protected at home.” 

“Each line of code in your PC could include bugs that are easily infiltrated by hackers. A virus in your computer may only be an inconvenience but identity theft is a very real concern,” he said.

Reports from the UK suggest that theft from online bank accounts is growing at a staggering rate of 50% per year.

“While government security services worldwide are doing as much as they can to protect us from broader ‘cybergeddon’, it’s up to each individual to protect their own equipment and data,” Borrett said.

AVG offers comprehensive real-time protection for home and small to medium businesses to guard against all threats from viruses, spam, spyware, adware, worms, Trojans, phishing and exploits to hackers, scammers and identity thieves.

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 provides comprehensive real-time protection against everything from viruses, spam, spyware, adware, worms, Trojans, phishing and exploits to cyber-criminals, hackers, scammers and identity thieves. AVG provides outstanding technical solutions and exceptional value for home, small to medium business and enterprise clients. AVG delivers always-on, always up-to-date protection across desktops, servers and e-mail in the home plus corporations, government agencies, utilities and educational institutions.

AVG products actively protect more than 80 million users worldwide, including more than 3.3 million users in Australia and New Zealand.

AVG (AU/NZ) has more than 2600 resellers across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Sam the Koala goes on view at Melbourne Museum

From today, visitors to Melbourne Museum will be able to see Sam the Koala, a powerful and internationally recognised symbol of the tragedy of Victoria’s bushfires.

Sam became the most famous koala in the world when images of her were seen by millions of people around the globe following Victoria’s devastating bushfires in February 2009.

“The images of Sam and her rescuers came to define the wonderful spirit of community and friendship that is now helping Victoria rebuild – and I commend the people who worked so hard to care for her,” said The Hon Lynne Kosky, Minister for the Arts.

“It is fitting that Sam will have a permanent home in the Melbourne Museum where children and families will be able to visit her and learn about her story.”

 “For millions of people here in Australia and overseas, Sam the Koala represents the tragic impact of the summer 2009 bushfires on people’s lives,” said Dr J Patrick Greene, CEO, Museum Victoria.

“Sam became a symbol of the enormous loss felt by so many in the aftermath of last year’s terrible bushfires, and for this reason I believe it’s important that visitors from Victoria, across Australia and from overseas can see Sam and be reminded of her story and the events of Black Saturday.”

He added, “At the Museum, Sam will help visitors of all ages to reflect on events, such as natural disasters, that shape our lives.”

Sam’s public story started a week before Black Saturday when she was filmed drinking from a firefighter’s water bottle after being caught in a controlled back-burning operation. On February 6, Sam was located on Samson Road, Mirboo North, by Wildlife Rescue and Protection (WRAP) volunteers and taken to the Southern Ash Wildlife Shelter (SAWS), a shelter specialising in the treatment of burns. Sam was among more than 100 fire-injured koalas cared for at SAWS following the bushfires.

The publication of Sam’s image became headline news around the world, when she became a symbol of hope and resilience amidst the loss and trauma of Australia’s worst bushfires on record. Her story also involves the thousands of people in the community, many of them volunteers, who play a vital role in responding to bushfires and their aftermath.

Sam recovered from her burns but sadly was later euthanized due to Chlamydiosis, a disease which is widespread in koalas and is exacerbated by loss of habitat. Sam’s display at Melbourne Museum will help educate visitors about how environmental change – including climate change – is affecting Australia’s native flora and fauna, particularly through drought and bushfire.

Visitors to Melbourne Museum can see Sam the Koala in the main foyer of Melbourne Museum. Admission to the main foyer is free. In late March Sam will move to the Victorian environment section of Wild: Amazing animals in a changing world, the Museum’s latest exhibition. Sam will be part of a display teaching visitors about biodiversity and issues such as climate change and population growth.    

- ENDS - 

Sam the Koala goes on view at Melbourne Museum

From today, visitors to Melbourne Museum will be able to see Sam the Koala, a powerful and internationally recognised symbol of the tragedy of Victoria’s bushfires.

Sam became the most famous koala in the world when images of her were seen by millions of people around the globe following Victoria’s devastating bushfires in February 2009.

“The images of Sam and her rescuers came to define the wonderful spirit of community and friendship that is now helping Victoria rebuild – and I commend the people who worked so hard to care for her,” said The Hon Lynne Kosky, Minister for the Arts.

“It is fitting that Sam will have a permanent home in the Melbourne Museum where children and families will be able to visit her and learn about her story.”

 “For millions of people here in Australia and overseas, Sam the Koala represents the tragic impact of the summer 2009 bushfires on people’s lives,” said Dr J Patrick Greene, CEO, Museum Victoria.

“Sam became a symbol of the enormous loss felt by so many in the aftermath of last year’s terrible bushfires, and for this reason I believe it’s important that visitors from Victoria, across Australia and from overseas can see Sam and be reminded of her story and the events of Black Saturday.”

He added, “At the Museum, Sam will help visitors of all ages to reflect on events, such as natural disasters, that shape our lives.”

Sam’s public story started a week before Black Saturday when she was filmed drinking from a firefighter’s water bottle after being caught in a controlled back-burning operation. On February 6, Sam was located on Samson Road, Mirboo North, by Wildlife Rescue and Protection (WRAP) volunteers and taken to the Southern Ash Wildlife Shelter (SAWS), a shelter specialising in the treatment of burns. Sam was among more than 100 fire-injured koalas cared for at SAWS following the bushfires.

The publication of Sam’s image became headline news around the world, when she became a symbol of hope and resilience amidst the loss and trauma of Australia’s worst bushfires on record. Her story also involves the thousands of people in the community, many of them volunteers, who play a vital role in responding to bushfires and their aftermath.

Sam recovered from her burns but sadly was later euthanized due to Chlamydiosis, a disease which is widespread in koalas and is exacerbated by loss of habitat. Sam’s display at Melbourne Museum will help educate visitors about how environmental change – including climate change – is affecting Australia’s native flora and fauna, particularly through drought and bushfire.

Visitors to Melbourne Museum can see Sam the Koala in the main foyer of Melbourne Museum. Admission to the main foyer is free. In late March Sam will move to the Victorian environment section of Wild: Amazing animals in a changing world, the Museum’s latest exhibition. Sam will be part of a display teaching visitors about biodiversity and issues such as climate change and population growth.    

- ENDS -

Sports Island heads to DS!

Hudson Soft’s classic sports series comes to DS with 10 all-new events

Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH is to bring Hudson Soft’s popular Sports Island series to Nintendo DS in May 2010, with a special edition featuring 10 all-new events specifically designed for the handheld.

Sports Island DS uses a combination of the touch screen capabilities of the hardware and button use to give the player total control within its 10 events. Players can try their hand at Rugby, Table Tennis, Sepak Takraw (a version of Volleyball wherein players kick the ball as opposed to punching it), Arm Wrestling, Bobsled, Climbing, Sky-Diving, Clay Pigeon Shooting, Golf, and Cheerleading.

Hudson Soft has worked tirelessly to ensure each sport boasts a unique control system, with players steering their on-screen Sky-Diver into position, for instance, or chasing and flicking towards the target on the screen to shoot Clay Pigeons. This adds an incredible amount of variety to the game, with Rugby fans given control over every pass, try and run, while timing and precision play a greater part in the likes of Bobsled, Table Tennis or Arm Wrestling.

Sports Island DS can be played alone or with six players working together – Climbing as a team, for instance – or against each other using just one copy of the game. Players can also set up leagues to keep track of the best performers in each event, while bespoke teams can be created and giving individual names to personalise them. Likewise, the avatars used in-game can also be edited, allowing players to actually put themselves and their friends in the game.

About KONAMI CORPORATION

KONAMI CORPORATION was established in 1973, and became a holding company on March 31, 2006. KONAMI CORPORATION covers the fields of “Digital Entertainment Business”, “Health & Fitness Business” and “Gaming & System Business”. KONAMI CORPORATION went public on Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1988, the London Stock Exchange in 1999, and the New York Stock Exchange in 2002. Home Page URL: www.konami.co.jp. Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH is a wholly-owned subsidiary, responsible for popular franchises like Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill and Pro Evolution Soccer amongst other top sellers. For more information concerning Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH and its products, please visit www.konami-europe.com/games.

About HUDSON SOFT COMPANY, LIMITED

HUDSON SOFT CO. LTD., was established in 1973, and creates and provides various own brand games for home-use video game consoles, as well as aggressively promoting digital download content. Additionally HUDSON conducts wide range of other businesses, including provision of mobile contents, PC games, music, visuals and e-commerce. For more information, please visit:  http://www.hudson.co.jp/index_e.html

Lenovo Pushes ThinkPad Brand to the Edge

Lenovo Introduces First ThinkPad Laptops Featuring VISION Pro Technology from AMD

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA– January 14, 2010: Lenovo today announced a new ThinkPad laptop series designed to push ThinkPad design and innovation to the edge. Simply called “ThinkPad Edge,” the 13, 14 and 15 inch models are designed specifically for small to medium sized business (SMB) customers. The 13 inch model represents one of the first ThinkPad laptops to offer AMD’s VISION Pro Technology. In addition to performance, the new laptops are designed with style and affordability in mind for today’s budget-conscious customers. For example, they include new rich and vibrant colour choices and a new contemporary keyboard.

“Small to medium business customers tell us they want PCs with bold yet professional designs, uncompromising durability and reliability with the latest technologies that meet their budgets,” said Chris Kelly, Product and Marketing Director, Lenovo, Australia and New Zealand. “Our answer is the new ThinkPad Edge family of laptops. They deliver stunning technology and powerful performance at unprecedented value.”

Click here to watch a video introduction to the ThinkPad Edge laptops.

Sophisticated and Simple Design

The ThinkPad Edge Series laptops reflect a new progressive and strikingly clean appearance while retaining ThinkPad durability and reliability. For example, the laptops include spill-resistant keyboards and value-added ThinkVantage Technologies like the Active Protection System and Rescue and Recovery.

However, the new laptops blend expressive design and ease of use in several new ways:

• Contemporary Keyboard – A new contemporary keyboard gives the laptop a clean and inviting look. Uniform black keys and removal of the embedded number pad also help create a modern design. The Function keys have even been re-designed so that users only need to use one finger to access multimedia functions and more. Other rarely used keys like System Request have been removed. Additionally, select models of the ThinkPad Edge 14 and 15 inch versions will come with illuminated keyboards for visibility in low light conditions while adding a touch of elegance to the keyboard.
• Expanded Touchpad – A large multitouch touchpad provides an oversized landing pad for fingers to pinch, zoom and scroll.
• Expressive, Colourful Palette – Midnight glossy or midnight soft black remain the traditional colour for business, but for those who want to make a statement, ThinkPad Edge laptops come in heatwave red too. Additionally, a sleek silver band frames the exterior of the laptop.

SMB Performance Gets New Edge

Lenovo designed the ThinkPad Edge Series to give SMB customers stylish and eye-catching designs with high performance, reliability and the latest technologies including:

• Great performance with choices of AMD Athlon Neo dual core processors or Intel Core 2 Duo ultra low voltage processors¹
• Optimised for Windows 7 under Lenovo’s Enhanced Experience program
• Long battery life of up to eight hours²
• Wireless connectivity technologies including WiFi and optional Bluetooth and  3G
• Crisp and clear voice over Internet protocol with Skype™ software, high definition speakers, low light sensitivity cameras and microphone and camera mute keys
• Commitment to green technology. The laptops meet Energy Star 5.0 criteria. The Edge laptops contain no foam and use many materials which are derived from 100 percent recycled content, such as thermoplastic, sugarcane or sorghum

“AMD energy efficient desktop PCs have proven successful for Lenovo in Australia. Now our partnership extends to a new level with AMD VISION Pro Technology in the Lenovo ThinkPad notebook range. These new products represent a great opportunity for both of our companies, especially with SMB, Education, and Government customers,” said Caleb Leung, Country Manager, AMD Australia. “By basing these laptops on VISION Pro Technology, Lenovo is enabling customers to gain a competitive advantage with performance you can see on today’s collaboration and visual productivity applications, unbeatable value at every price point and a means of eliminating IT headaches through open standards manageability and security features.”

Total Service and Support

Lenovo also offers a full suite of flexible service and support solutions for the new ThinkPad Edge Series.  Lenovo-branded services give customers and business partners a single source solution that helps minimise risks and increases protection and productivity.

These services include:

• ThinkPad Protection to protect from unexpected repair costs in case of accidents or spills
• Priority Support for 24/7 tech-to-tech support
• Hard Disk Drive Retention that lets customers keep their failed or damaged hard drive to ensure data remains safely in their hands

Pricing and Availability³

The ThinkPad Edge 13 inch version will be available now with models starting at approximately $999.00 through Lenovo Business Partners and www.lenovo.com.au.  The 14 and 15 inch versions will be available starting in mid April. All prices quoted include GST.

For the latest Lenovo news, subscribe to Lenovo RSS feeds or follow Lenovo on Twitter and Facebook.

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.

¹Available on 13 inch ThinkPad Edge models.

²Select models including the ThinkPad Edge 13 inch with Intel SU7300 and 6-cell battery and ThinkPad Edge 14 and 15 inch with 9-cell battery.

³Prices do not include shipping and are subject to change without notice and is tied to specific terms and conditions. Reseller prices may vary. Price does not include all advertised features. All offers subject to availability. Lenovo reserves the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without notice.

VISION Pro Technology from AMD Gives Businesses the Competitive Advantage of Powerful and Responsive Visual Computing
AMD Expands VISION Pro Business Notebook Offerings with Lenovo 

Sydney, Australia: Jan. 14, 2010— AMD today announced VISION Pro Technology, a commercial PC platform brand that delivers a superior visual computing experience to help businesses increase productivity and gain competitive advantage by enabling visually stunning communications, marketing and sales materials.  Together with Lenovo, the company unveiled the 13” ThinkPad Edge and ThinkPad X100e, aimed at the ever important SMB and education markets in Australia. The two products are the result of the two company’s first collaboration to offer AMD processors on ThinkPad laptops and to be offered on AMD’s VISION Pro Technology.

Following on from the September 2009 launch that introduced VISION Technology from AMD, VISION Pro Technology will focus on real-world usage, not just technical specifications. VISION Pro Technology aims to help SMBs, enterprise, government, and education PC users to better understand the benefits and value of AMD platform technology.

“VISION Pro Technology from AMD is an ideal foundation for the business-class entry ultraportable ThinkPad X100e and our full-featured ThinkPad Edge laptops designed especially for small to medium businesses,” said Sam Dusi, vice president, ThinkPad Product Marketing, Lenovo. “These laptops offer features like great visual computing performance, manageability and security that give businesses an edge, and they come at prices customers will find attractive in this tough economic environment.”

“At virtually every price point, commercial PCs based on VISION Pro Technology from AMD offer incredible value and the balanced platform performance needed to leverage today’s visually oriented business applications,” said Nigel Dessau, Chief Marketing Officer of AMD. “With support for the latest in open standards-based security features, as well as the performance headroom needed for standard productivity applications, VISION Pro Technology has been designed to provide businesses with PC systems that generate, propagate and display world-class business materials.”

VISION Pro and Graphics for Business
Graphics matter more than ever in business communication and innovative companies are demanding balanced PC platform technology to generate and view rich visual presentations including videos and 3D graphics to communicate winning ideas. Studies show that more than 80 percent of human comprehension is gained visually and that the use of visual aids with oral presentations improves content retention as much as 6.5 times greater than using words alone.1 

Furthermore, the increased viewing area provided by multiple monitors helps improve worker productivity by as much as 40 percent.2 Commercial PCs based on VISION Pro Technology from AMD offer out-of-the-box support for multiple monitors, seamless viewing of videos, use of video conferencing software, and the performance necessary to create and view rich presentations with embedded video and 3D graphics.

Industry Support for VISION Pro
“Business customers have told us that they want to use their PCs for business applications, as well as the full set of consumer scenarios in Windows 7,” said Mike Nash, corporate vice president of Windows Platform Strategy at Microsoft Corp.  “To respond to these needs, Windows 7 Professional and Vision Pro technology from AMD deliver the manageability required by businesses without compromising the performance and functionality end users demand.”

Security and Virtualization
Security features supported by VISION Pro Technology include the Trusted Platform Module (TPM), AMD’s Enhanced Virus Protection (EVP), and key Windows® 7 Professional features.3 AMD client virtualization technology [AMD Virtualization™ (AMD-V™) technology] provides the full, chip-level optimization needed to support legacy applications under Windows XP Mode.3

Additional Resources
 - Get more information on what’s in store for AMD at CES.
 - For more details on VISION Pro Technology from AMD, click here.
 - Find out more about Lenovo and their new ThinkPad Edge and ThinkPad X100e notebooks featuring VISION Pro technology from AMD.
 - Learn more about all Desktop platforms and Notebook platforms that feature AMD technology.
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About AMD
Advanced Micro Devices is an innovative technology company dedicated to collaborating with customers and technology partners to ignite the next generation of computing and graphics solutions at work, home and play. For more information, visit http://www.amd.com.