| Press Releases for the Week of March 2, 2009 |
|
|
|
Rockers Release New Hits for Guitar Hero Tour ROCKERS RISE AGAINST TO CREATE AND DEBUT NEW SONG EXCLUSIVELY IN GUITAR HERO® WORLD TOUR Previously Unreleased Single ”Death Blossoms” and Two of the Band’s Smash Hits To Be Released As Downloadable Content on March 12th Rise Against to Rock with Guitar Hero® Fans as Part of Latest Xbox LIVE® Game with Fame Session on March 14th SANTA MONICA, CA – March 6, 2009 – On March 12th, Rise Against will join the growing roster of artists to debut exclusively created music to Guitar Hero fans with the debut of “Death Blossoms” as downloadable content for Activision Publishing, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI) Guitar Hero® World Tour. The Guitar Hero alums, with “Prayer of the Refuge” and “Re-Education (Through Labor)” appearing in previous versions of Guitar Hero, complete the Rise Against Track Pack with “Audience of One,” the hit single off the band’s new album Appeal to Reason and “Ready to Fall,” from their 2006 album The Sufferer & The Witness. Commemorating the release of the highly anticipated Rise Against Track Pack, virtual rockstars will have the unique opportunity to join Tim McIlrath on the digital stage for performances of Rise Against smash hits. For a chance to rock with the Chicago native in the Game with Fame on March 14th from 1:00 to 3:00 PM Central (11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Pacific) in Guitar Hero World Tour on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, send a friend request to the gamertag GHRiseAgainst1. “Guitar Hero continues to be a platform for artists to deliver new music while gaining invaluable exposure,” says Tim Riley, Vice President of Music Affairs for Activision Blizzard. “We are thrilled that Rise Against was willing to compose and record ‘Death Blossoms’ exclusively for our audience offering fans an opportunity to download music heard nowhere else.” Rise Against is vocalist Tim McIlrath, bassist Joe Principe, drummer Brandon Barnes and guitarist Zach Blair. In spring 2001, the band released their debut CD “The Unraveling” on Fat Wreck Chords. After two years of solid touring, Rise Against recorded “Revolutions Per Minute” (2002), followed by “Siren Song Of The Counter-Culture” (2004). “The Sufferer & the Witness” was released in 2006 and debuted at #10 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. Rise Against released their fifth studio album, Appeal To Reason, on DGC/Interscope Records last fall and it debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart as well as spending one week at #1 on the iTunes album chart. First single, “Re-Education (Through Labor),” was a top 2 hit at modern rock radio and new single “Audience Of One” is poised to top the charts as well. Rise Against will embark on a summer headlining tour with special guest Rancid. The Rise Against Track Pack will be available March 12th on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for Xbox 360® for 440 Microsoft Points and on the PlayStation®Store for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system for $5.49. “Death Blossoms,” “Audience of One” and “Ready to Fall” will be released individually as downloadable singles for Xbox 360 for 160 Microsoft Points, PLAYSTATION 3 system for $1.99 and Wii™ for 200 Wii Points each. Guitar Hero World Tour transforms music gaming by expanding Guitar Hero’s signature guitar gameplay into a cooperative band experience that combines the most advanced wireless controllers with new revolutionary online* and offline gameplay modes including Band Career and 8-player “Battle of the Bands,” which allows two full bands to compete head-to-head online. The game features a slick newly redesigned guitar controller, drum kit controller and a wired microphone, as well as an innovative Music Studio music creator that lets players compose, record, edit and share their own rock ‘n’ roll anthems. Music creators are also able to share their recordings with their friends online through GHTunesSM where other gamers can download and play an endless supply of unique creations. Guitar Hero World Tour is now available for Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system, the Wii home video game system from Nintendo and the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system. The game is rated “T” for Teen by the ESRB. For more information on Guitar Hero World Tour, please visit worldtour.guitarhero.com. 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 maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. 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 help 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 (including next-generation hardware), 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 and related software, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, litigation against Activision Publishing, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, vendors and third-party developers, domestic and international economic, financial and political conditions and policies, foreign exchange rates, integration of recent acquisitions and the identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, Activision Blizzard’s success in integrating the operations of Activision Publishing and Vivendi Games in a timely manner, or at all, and the combined company’s ability to realize the anticipated benefits and synergies of the transaction to the extent, or in the timeframe, anticipated, and the other factors identified in 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. ### *Online gameplay is only available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™ and may require an additional subscription. Guitar Hero World Tour © 2009 Activision Publishing, Inc. Guitar Hero, Activision and RedOctane are registered trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved. “PlayStation,” “PLAYSTATION” and “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Used with Permission. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Wii and the Wii logo are trademarks of Nintendo.
O'Reilly Velocity, the Web Performance and Operations Conference, Opens Registration
Sebastopol, CA, March 5, 2009—O'Reilly Media has opened early registration for Velocity, the Web Performance and Operations Conference on June 22-24, 2009, at the Fairmont in San Jose, CA. Program chairs Jesse Robbins and Steve Souders have revealed the program for this three-day event dedicated to helping people build better infrastructures. Early registration savings of up to $300 end May 3, 2009.Velocity provides the place to learn how to build websites and services that raise the standards for fast, scalable, efficient, and reliable performance. Velocity 2009 focuses on accomplishing more with fewer resources, efficient design and scaling techniques, and the best ways to manage change. The program also highlights best practices in performance and operations that improve the user experience as well as the company's bottom line.Velocity will gather together developers, engineers, and managers from companies of all sizes; technical executives watching out for the bottom line; CTOs and CIOs seeking to streamline operations; technology evangelists and entrepreneurs pushing their enterprise boundaries; as well as reesearchers and academics. Conference goers can learn from peers, exchange ideas with experts, and share best practices and painful lessons learned. A newly added full day of tutorials enriches the schedule this year.Featured speakers and sessions will include:· Douglas Crockford of Yahoo!, "Ajax Performance"· Nicholas Zakas of Yahoo!, "Writing Efficient JavaScript"· Chris Bissell of MySpace, "Fistful of Sand: Monitoring Code Performance at MySpace.com"· John Adam of Twitter, "Fixing Twitter: Improving the Performance and Scalability of the World's Most Popular Micro-Blogging Site"· Richard Campbell of Strangeloop Networks, "Death of a Web Server: Crisis in Caching"· Stoyan Stefanov of Yahoo!, "Performance Tools"· Jeremy Zawodny of Craigslist, "MySQL Performance from Day #1"· Bill Scott of Netflix, "Event Delegation, Speeding Up the Netflix Queue"· John Allspaw of Flickr/Yahoo!, "10+ Deploys Per Day: Dev and Ops Cooperation at Flickr"· Mandi Walls of AOL, "Migrating www.aol.com from a Proprietary Web Platform to Open Source"· Luke Kanies of Reductive Labs, "Introduction to Managed Infrastructure with Puppet"· Robert Johnson of Facebook, "High Performance at Massive Scale: Lessons Learned at Facebook"· Marissa Mayer of Google, "The Future of Search"Velocity offers attendees:· Two tracks covering the key aspects of web performance and operations· Inspirational keynote presentations that clarify tough issues· The chance to share knowledge with over 600 web developers and experts in one place· An Exhibit Hall featuring dozens of the latest tools and services· Ignite, a rapid-fire showcase of amazing projects and ideas· Fun evening events, Birds of a Feather sessions, and many networking opportunitiesVelocity 2008 sponsors and exhibitors included: Akamai, Google, Hyperic, Sun Microsystems, 3Tera, Cordiant, Keynote Systems, Limelight Networks, Inc., OpSource, Amazon Web Services, BlueArc, ControlTier, DeviceAnywhere, RightScale, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Webmetrics.Early registration ends May 3, 2009.For more information on Velocity, visit: http://conferences.oreilly.com/velocity.If you have ideas about areas you'd like to see included at the conference, send a note to:
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.If you'd like to stay up to date on information relating to Velocity, sign up for the conference newsletter (login required) at: http://elists.oreilly.com#conferences.Keep an eye on the latest news about Velocity 2009 and see some of last year's coverage at: http://en.oreilly.com/velocity2009/public/content/news-coverage.View selected presentations from Velocity 2008 at: http://velocityconf.blip.tv/Download speaker presentation slides from last year's Velocity at: O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism. O'Reilly conferences bring together forward-thinking business and technology leaders, shaping ideas and influencing industries around the globe. For over 25 years, O'Reilly has facilitated the adoption of new and important technologies by the enterprise, putting emerging technologies on the map. # # #O'Reilly is a registered trademark of O'Reilly Media, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
The fun is back again with this popular arcade-style Major League Baseball game from 2K Sports New York, NY – March 5, 2009 – 2K Sports, the sports publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), announced today that The BIGS™ 2, the sequel to the hit arcade-style Major League Baseball game The BIGS™¸ will be available this summer for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, and Wii™ home video game system from Nintendo. Known for its over-the-top style of gameplay, The BIGS 2 focuses on the “big” fast-paced moments in Major League Baseball with new opportunities to go up against MLB legends, more mini-games like Home Run Pinball, and a variety of other thrilling new features. “Fans have been clamoring for a follow-up to The BIGS since it launched two years ago, so we’re excited to now deliver The BIGS 2,” said Greg Thomas, senior vice president of development, 2K Sports. “In the spirit of celebrating the most epic moments in Major League Baseball, The BIGS 2 offers a refreshingly fun and unique experience of dramatic walk-off homeruns, miraculous wall catches, acrobatic diving grabs, and many more incredible plays you’d usually see only in a highlight reel." The BIGS 2 is being developed by Blue Castle Games and published by 2K Sports and is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information, please visit www.2ksports.com.About Take-Two Interactive Software Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a global developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of interactive entertainment software games for the PC, PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Wii™ and Nintendo DS™. The Company publishes and develops products through its wholly owned labels Rockstar Games, 2K Games, 2K Sports and 2K Play; and distributes software, hardware and accessories in North America through its Jack of All Games subsidiary. Take-Two's common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at www.take2games.com.
Back to Top
Growing Software—New from No Starch Press A Practical Guide to Managing Software Engineers and Growing a Software Business San Francisco, CA, March 5, 2009—For engineers who suddenly find themselves in charge at a small growing software company, the change in responsibilities can be daunting. With dozens of new responsibilities to juggle and the never-ending pressures of building and growing software, technical managers can't take time to ease into their job—they need proven strategies fast.Growing Software (No Starch Press, March 2009, 424 pp, ISBN 9781593271831) provides practical, hands-on advice for software managers trying to juggle the challenges of running an engineering team. Drawing on his more than 20 years of successful management experience, author Louis Testa offers readers a wealth of practical guidance that readers could only replace with years of on-the-job training, with advice on how to define and sell products, build and lead an effective team, work with customers, and choose effective development tools."Engineers promoted to management are often used to coding by themselves," said No Starch Press founder William Pollock. "They've got the technical side of things down, but they don't necessarily know how to effectively manage a small team, or define processes to ensure the release of high-quality software. Growing Software is a mentor-in-a-book, guiding new managers through the tough decisions they'll invariably face."Testa combines big-picture advice, specific solutions, and real-life anecdotes to teach readers how to:
Louis Testa is Senior Engineering Manager at Galois, a small company that specializes in high-assurance software. He received his BS (with honors) in Engineering from Caltech and his MS EE from the University of California, Berkeley. He has managed engineering teams for over 20 years, and his papers have been featured at many technology conferences. He blogs at www.gspractices.com.Additional Resources Chapter 2: "Managing a Development Team" (PDF) Table of contents overview Detailed table of contents (PDF) Index (PDF) Large cover image Growing Software by Louis Testa March 2009, 424 pp ISBN 9781593271831, $39.95 USD This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it 1-800-998-9938 1-707-827-7000 Available in fine bookstores everywhere, from www.oreilly.com/nostarch, or directly from No Starch Press (http://www.nostarch.com/, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 1-800-420-7240).About No Starch Press Founded in 1994, No Starch Press is one of the few remaining independent technical book publishers. We publish the finest in geek entertainment—unique books on technology, with a focus on Open Source, security, hacking, programming, alternative operating systems, and LEGO. Our titles have personality, our authors are passionate, and our books tackle topics that people care about. See http://www.nostarch.com/ for a complete catalog. (And most No Starch Press books use RepKover, a lay-flat binding that won't snap shut.)About O'Reilly O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.# # #O'Reilly is a registered trademark of O'Reilly Media, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Markets for workstations and professional graphics both suffer in Q4'08, reports Jon Peddie Research TIBURON, Calif -- March 5, 2009 -- The markets for workstation and professional graphics couldn't avoid the pain that virtually every market on the planet felt in the fourth quarter of '08. Jon Peddie Research (JPR) analyst Alex Herrera has completed analysis of the quarter and reports that the market - like so many others, technology-based or not - took a substantial hit with respect to units, and even more so with respect to revenue. Thanks to the deep economic malaise that set in across the globe, the workstation market suffered a decline of 9.9% (year over year), with a total of 764.3 thousand workstations shipped. And with the quarter seeing deflation occur even in markets where prices ordinarily only go up, workstation ASPs - no stranger to quarterly declines - took an extra deep discount, dropping 13.4%. The nose dives of both units and ASPs conspired to paint an even poorer picture for revenue, which dropped 21.9% to $1.58 billion.
Price: Free Duration: Approximately 60 minutes To register: http://oreilly.com/go/iphoneavfoundation Questions? Please send email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it About Jonathan ZdziarskiJonathan Zdziarski is better known as the hacker "NerveGas" in the iPhone development community. His work in cracking the iPhone helped lead the effort to port the first open source applications, and his book, iPhone Open Application Development, taught developers how to write applications for the popular device long before Apple introduced its own SDK. Prior to the release of iPhone Forensics, Jonathan wrote and supported an iPhone forensics manual distributed exclusively to law enforcement. Jonathan frequently consults law enforcement agencies and assists forensic examiners in their investigations. He teaches an iPhone forensics workshop in his spare time to train forensic examiners and corporate security personnel. Jonathan is also a full-time research scientist specializing in machine learning technology to combat online fraud and spam, an effort that led him to develop networking products capable of learning how to protect customers. He is founder of the DSPAM project, a high-profile, next-generation spam filter that was acquired in 2006 by Sensory Networks, Inc. He lectures widely on the topic of spam and is a foremost researcher in the fields of machine-learning and algorithmic theory.
O'Reilly Found Opens Registration Inaugural Search Acquisition and Architecture Conference Program Revealed Sebastopol, CA, March 4, 2009 - Can your customers find you on Google? Are you ahead of your competition? O'Reilly Media has opened registration for the inaugural O'Reilly Found, the Search Acquisition and Architecture Conference scheduled for June 9-11 2009, at the San Francisco Airport Marriott in Burlingame, CA. Program chairs Nathan Buggia and Vanessa Fox have announced the program, which will provide strategies, design patterns, and case studies for increasing customer acquisition from search engines.Found will explore building search engine optimization (SEO) best practices into the development process, so search engines drive more qualified customers to your website. Developers, designers, entrepreneurs, and more will learn how website architecture can impact SEO, and hear the experiences of industry experts from companies like the New York Times, MRM World Wide, Microsoft and Google.The three-day conference offers attendees:· Trends laid out by newsworthy keynote presenters· An emphasis on case studies, research results, and real-world data· Practical applications and theories discussed in-depth in sessions and workshops· A Sponsor Gallery filled with web technology vendors showcasing the latest products and services· Face-to-face discussions of best practices, standards, and more with experts· Time to network and exchange ideas with others encountering the same challengesFeatured sessions and speakers will include:· "Technical SEO Issues" by Vanessa Fox (Nine By Blue) and Bruce Clay (Bruce Clay, Inc) · "Building SEO-Friendly Site Architecture" by Nathan Buggia (Microsoft)· "Assessing Your Site for Potential SEO Pitfalls" by Jill Whalen (HighRankings.com) · "Architecture for E-Commeerce Websites" by Ralf Schwoebel (Tradebit, Inc) and Stephan Spencer (Netconcepts)· "Building Your SEO Strategy and Analytics into Your Content Management System" by Jonah Stein (It's the ROI) and Craig Hordlow (Red Bricks Media) · "Search-Friendly AJAX and JavaScript" by Kenny Hyder (Position Technologies) and Benj Arriola (BusinessOnLine)· "Semantic Content and the Future of Search" by Scott Prevost (Microsoft Live Search/Powerset team) and Jay Batson (Acquia)· "Optimizing Video and Images" by Peter Linsley (Google) and William Leake (Apogee Search)· "Architecting On-Site Search To Increase Conversions and Better Understand Customers" by Sam Mefford (Avalon Consulting, LLC) and Todd Keup (Magnifisites) · "How Marketing and Development Can Work Together Effectively" by Greg Hartnett (Best of the Web), Natala Menezes, Fred Sadaghiani(TeachStreet), and Gahlord Dewald (Union Street Media) The first day of the conference will also offer workshops emphasizing solid foundational coding tactics and actionable data that will ensure search engines can easily crawl, index, and rank a site's content. Workshops will include:· "Architecting Search-Friendly Flash" by Duane Nickull (Adobe Systems)· "Introduction to Search Marketing for Engineers" by Rand Fishkin (SEOmoz)· "Understanding Your Customers through Keyword Research" by Jorie Waterman (MRM Worldwide)· "Harnessing User Generated Content" by Peter Berger (Suite 101.com Media Inc) and Lawrence Coburn (Sexy Widget)· "Enhancing Your Search Conversion with Yahoo! Search Monkey" by Bill Michels (Yahoo!)· "Tools for Diagnosing Root Causes of Search Optimization Issues" by Susan Moskwa (Google)While Found's content is aimed at web developers, web designers, user interface and usability professionals, product managers and anyone who works with developers on SEO-related issues will also find valuable information at the conference. Found bridges the needs of both development and marketing, helping both sides work together for better results.Early registration ends April 21, 2009.For more information on Found, visit:http://conferences.oreilly.com/found.If you have ideas about areas you'd like to see included at the conference, send a note to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .To see advance coverage of Found, visit: http://en.oreilly.com/found/public/content/news-coverageIf you'd like to stay up to date on information relating to Found, sign up for the conference newsletter (login required) at: http://elists.oreilly.com#conferencesTo read Tim O'Reilly's take on the future, go to the O'Reilly Radar at: http://radar.oreilly.com/For information about sponsorship and exhibit opportunities at Found, contact Yvonne Romaine at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (707) 827-7198For media inquiries, contact Maureen Jennings at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it If you would like to discuss forming a media or promotional partnership with O'Reilly for an upcoming event, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .More O'Reilly Conferences:· O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference in San Jose, CA, March 9-12, 2009· Web 2.0 Expo San Francisco in San Francisco March 31-April 3, 2009, co-produced with TechWeb· MySQL Conference & Expo in Santa Clara, CA, April 20-23, 2009, co-presented by O'Reilly Media and Sun Microsystems· RailsConf in Las Vegas, May 4-7, 2009, co-presented with Ruby Central, Inc.· Where 2.0 Conference in San Jose, CA, May 19-21, 2009· Found in Burlingame, CA, June 9-11, 2009Velocity in San Jose, CA, June 22-24, 2009· OSCON in San Jose, CA, in San Jose, CA, July 20-24, 2009· Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, CA, October 20-22, 2009· Web 2.0 Expo New York in New York City, Nov. 16-19, 2009For a conference overview, visit: http://conferences.oreilly.com O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism. O'Reilly conferences bring together forward-thinking business and technology leaders, shaping ideas and influencing industries around the globe. For over 25 years, O'Reilly has facilitated the adoption of new and important technologies by the enterprise, putting emerging technologies on the map. # # #O'Reilly is a registered trademark of O'Reilly Media, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Back to Top Take Control of Running Windows on a Mac How to install Windows on a Mac, and keep it secure, backed up, and working optimally. Ithaca, NY—Installing and running Windows on an Intel-based Mac has become commonplace, but doing so most effectively still requires expert knowledge. Fortunately, the new Take Control of Running Windows on a Mac, Third Edition (TidBITS, $10 USD) brings readers 167 pages of hard-won advice, helping readers determine the best installation option for their needs, install Windows easily, and keep Windows secure, properly backed up, and working optimally.Written by cross-platform guru Joe Kissell and based on innumerable hours of research, the title covers Windows XP and Windows Vista, and it gives procedures for working with virtualization programs VMware Fusion, Parallels Desktop, and VirtualBox, along with Apple's dual-boot solution, Boot Camp.For each option, Kissell provides instructions for installing the software and for installing Windows, and he goes further by explaining how to make peripherals--like mice, keyboards, and printers--behave properly, how to share files between the Mac and Windows environments, and how to integrate the Mac and Windows interfaces. Kissell also looks at software that makes it possible to run Windows programs on a Mac without installing Windows itself, and he explains methods of acquiring Windows, a topic made confusing by Microsoft's many licensing options and activation mechanism.Questions answered in the ebook include:
For more information about the book, including table of contents, index, author bios, and cover graphic, see: http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9781933671536 Take Control of Running Windows on a Mac, Third Edition Publisher: TidBITS Joe Kissell Take Control of Running Windows on a Mac, PDF format, 167 pages, free 30-page sample available PDF Price: $10.00 USD ISBN: 9781933671536 \n This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Please include your delivery address and contact information. -->About TidBITS The Take Control series is published by TidBITS Publishing Inc. TidBITS co-founders Adam and Tonya Engst have been publishing highly regarded news and editorial since 1990 when they created the online newsletter TidBITS, which covers Macintosh- and Internet-related topics. The Take Control series has helped many thousands of readers with high-quality, timely, real-world, cost-effective documentation since 2003. About O'Reilly O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.# # #O'Reilly is a registered trademark of O'Reilly Media, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. ![]() Back to Top
Integrated graphics chip market to disappear by 2012 Market shares will shift for AMD, Intel, and Nvidia - discrete
Back to Top XSEED Games Releases Official Trailer and Website for Rune Factory: Frontier Dare to Step Foot onto the Frontier? Visit www.runefactoryfrontier.com for more. Torrance, Calif., (March 3, 2009) – Videogame publishers Marvelous Entertainment USA and XSEED Games today confirm that the new official product website and trailer for Rune Factory: Frontier have just gone live. Rune Factory: Frontier is the first installment of the Rune Factory series that has been developed for a home console and will be available exclusively on Wii. In the following trailer, watch as hero Raguna ventures into the frontier in search for a missing girl. While on his mission, Raguna stumbles upon Trampoli, a mysterious town filled with magical spirits and a gigantic flying whale looming overhead. As he prepares to settle in and start a new life here, trouble soon strikes and Raguna is forced to defend his land and protect the townsfolk from the ultimate evil force lurking out in the frontier. Developed exclusively for Wii, Rune Factory: Frontier features stunning graphics and takes full advantage of the Wii’s unique controls to fully immerse players in the Rune Factory universe. Rune Factory: Frontier incorporated an open-ended structure that allows players to choose the type of game they wish to experience. Whether it’s growing crops, expanding the town, fighting (or befriending) monsters or even falling in love, the experience is unique to each player. Back to Top
MAJESCO ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES Celebrating Its 20th Anniversary, Classic Franchise Makes Triumphant Return This Fall With All New Game Play Experience "When a boy and his blob first appeared in 1989, it captured the imagination of gamers everywhere with its heartwarming storyline and unique gameplay," said Gui Karyo, Executive Vice President of Operations, Majesco Entertainment. "Twenty years later, we are proud to bring an updated - yet still charming - reimagining of this beloved title to a new generation of Wii players." In a boy and his blob, an evil emperor has seized the throne of Blobolonia, and the fate of its inhabitants lies in the hands of the blob and a young boy he encounters when he crash lands on Earth. Playing the part of the boy, gamers must work together with their new blob friend to solve puzzles, defeat monsters, and escape danger on Earth and Blobolonia. By feeding the blob jelly beans, players can activate his special abilities to transform him into helpful tools - including a ladder, trampoline, parachute, cannon, shield and many more. Every different blob form aids the boy as he navigates 40 side-scrolling levels filled with hidden treasures and unlockable bonus content on the way to the Emperor's Citadel. Classic beans such as Licorice Ladder, Apple Jack, and Tangerine Trampoline, are joined by all-new jellybeans, including Bubble Gum Bubble and Caramel Cannon to provide a brand new play experience that only Wii can provide! a boy and his blob for Wii is expected to release this fall. For additional information about Majesco's exciting line of products, please visit www.majescoentertainment.com. About Majesco Entertainment Company Majesco Entertainment Company is a provider of video games for the mass market. Building on 20 years of operating history, the company is focused on developing and publishing a wide range of casual and family oriented video games on leading console and portable systems. Product highlights include Cooking Mama™ and Cake Mania®2 for Nintendo DS,™ and Cooking Mama World Kitchen and Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 for Wii™. The company's shares are traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol: COOL. Majesco is headquartered in Edison, NJ and has an international office in Bristol, UK. More information about Majesco can be found online at www.majescoentertainment.com. Safe Harbor Certain statements contained herein are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements may be identified by reference to a future period(s) or by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as "may," "will," "intend," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate" or "continue" or the negatives thereof or other comparable terminology. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors. These factors include but are not limited to, the demand for our products; our ability to complete and release our products in a timely fashion; competitive factors in the businesses in which we compete; continued consumer acceptance of our products and the gaming platforms on which our products operate; fulfillment of orders preliminarily made by customers; adverse changes in the securities markets and the availability of and costs associated with sources of liquidity. The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to release publicly the results of any revisions that may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements.Back to Top Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch Now Available For Free From Apple's App Store
Read some on your iPhone, read some on your Kindle, customers can now synchronize their reading and enjoy over 240,000 books, including 104 of 112 New York Times Bestsellers, on the iPhone and iPod touch
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 4, 2009-- Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today introduced “Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch,” a new application available for free from Apple's App Store that lets customers enjoy over 240,000 books, including 104 of 112 New York Times Bestsellers, on the iPhone and iPod touch using Apple's Multi-Touch user interface. Amazon's new Whispersync technology saves and synchronizes a customer's bookmark across their original Kindle, Kindle 2, iPhone and iPod touch, so customers always have their reading with them and never lose their place. Kindle customers can read a few pages on their iPhone or iPod touch and pick up right where they left off on their Kindle or Kindle 2. “We are excited to bring the new Kindle application to Apple's App Store and think customers are going to love how easy and fun it is to read their Kindle books on the iPhone and iPod touch,” said Ian Freed, vice president, Amazon Kindle. “Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch is a great way for customers to catch up on their current book wherever they are, like in line at the grocery store or between meetings.” The Kindle application for iPhone and iPod touch lets customers bring their Kindle books with them wherever they go and takes full advantage of Apple's Multi-Touch user interface. With the new Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch application, customers can: * Shop for hundreds of thousands of books on their Kindle or online at http://cts.vresp.com/c/?OutCastCommunication/eee67f5f04/e83a8caa43/28ad02dd75, and wirelessly transfer the books to their iPhone or iPod touch * Access their entire library of previously purchased Kindle books stored on Amazon’s servers * Adjust the text size of books * Add bookmarks and view notes and highlights Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch is available for free from Apple’s App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/. About Amazon Kindle Kindle is Amazon’s portable reader that wirelessly downloads books, blogs, magazines and newspapers to a crisp, high-resolution electronic paper display that looks and reads like real paper. In addition to the over 240,000 books available on Kindle, including 104 of 112 New York Times Bestsellers and most New Releases that are available for $9.99 or less, Kindle customers can access newspapers, magazines, and blogs that are delivered automatically with subscription or individually. For more information on Kindle, visit www.amazon.com/kindle. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel; Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon's own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Examples of the services offered by Amazon Web Services are Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), Amazon SimpleDB, Amazon Simple Queue Service (Amazon SQS), Amazon Flexible Payments Service (Amazon FPS), Amazon Mechanical Turk and Amazon CloudFront. Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, and www.amazon.cn. As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise. Forward-Looking Statements This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, indebtedness, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings. Back to TopSONY SPOTLIGHTS LATEST CYBER-SHOT CAMERA AND OTHER NEW DIGITAL IMAGING PRODUCTS AT PMA 2009 LAS VEGAS (PMA #F171), March 2, 2009 – Sony is exhibiting an array of new digital imaging products here at the Photo Marketing Association (PMA) 2009 International Convention, including the new Cyber-shot® camera (model DSC-HX1) with “sweep panorama” technology. Cyber-shot Digital Still Cameras New Cyber-shot models being shown include cameras in the T, W, H and S series, along with new printer models and other accessory lines.The DSC-HX1 model is the company’s first Cyber-shot camera with sweep panorama technology, which captures up to 224-degree panorama shots in one easy press-and-sweep motion. The HX1 camera is also the company’s first Cyber-shot camera with exclusive 1/2.4-inch Exmor™ CMOS sensor technology. This sensor technology allows it to achieve burst speeds of up to 10 frames per second at full 9.1 megapixel resolution in the continuous burst mode. It is also the first Cyber-shot camera to include a Sony G lens and 1080p HD movie clip recording capabilities. Two new digital photo printers, two professional printers and 13 new digital imaging accessories are also on display. Accessories include underwater housing products, high-definition (HD) lenses and output cables, accessory packs for sports and outdoor enthusiasts, as well as a full line of fashionable and functional cases and camera bags for Cyber-shot cameras and Handycam® camcorders. The intelligent auto (iAuto) mode, available on the T900, T90, W290 and H20 models announced in February, helps “think” for you and detect scene conditions then adjust settings, especially in difficult lighting scenarios.a (Alpha) DSLR Cameras Sony’s full-frame α (alpha) DSLR-A900 camera (introduced last fall), is back at PMA after being presented here as a prototype last year. It is aimed at serious photo enthusiasts looking for traditional SLR performance with the added benefits of digital photography. It is designed to deliver ultra-fine picture quality with a 24.6-megapixel, 35 mm full-frame CMOS sensor and fast image processing with a new dual BIONZ® processing engine. The camera is also the first DSLR to have a body-integrated image stabilization system for a full-frame sensor with Sony’s SteadyShot® Inside anti-shake system.One look at the camera’s distinctive pentaprism and nostalgic body design will evoke its full-frame optical performance. It features a bright, clear optical viewfinder with 100 percent field of view coverage that impresses many film photography loyalists. Handycam High-Definition CamcordersSony’s strong 2009 Handycam product portfolio is also on display. This includes the top-of-the-line HDR-XR520V unit featuring a 240GB hard disk drive that holds up to 101 hours of HD video (LP mode), a back-illuminated Exmor R™ CMOS sensor, embedded GPS and improved optical image stabilization. Its back-illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor offers a refined level of optical performance. Because the wire circuitry is placed behind the sensor’s photo detectors, the HDR-XR520V camcorders provide stunning low light performance with approximately twice the sensitivity compared to Sony’s existing front-illuminated CMOS sensor at F2.0. This results in brilliant image clarity and reduced grain. Also on display is the new HDR-CX100 Flash Memory Handycam camcorder. For around $600, this model includes intelligent face detection and Smile Shutter™ technology, 8GB of embedded memory (a portion of which is used for data management) and three color options (red, black and silver) — all in a compact design. Back to Top
Back to Top
PopCap Kicks Off “Peggle™ Fever” With Pronounced Period of Peg-Popping Pervasiveness Massive New Outbreak of Cross-Over Cult Hit Begins Today on Nintendo DS; Additional Strains Coming Soon to iPhone, Micosoft’s Xbox 360 and XBLA, and More; Art Contest Launched SEATTLE, Washington – March 3, 2009 — PopCap Games, the leading developer and publisher of casual games, today announced a three-month period of pure Peggle™ pleasure, with the arrival of the company’s cult video game hit on a host of new platforms, in each case customized for the device or service. Peggle Dual Shot, the much-anticipated, platform-optimized adaptation of Peggle becomes available today for Nintendo DS (US$29.95) and later this month Peggle will arrive on iPhone and Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) service. In April, Peggle Nights will arrive on retail shelves. Peggle will also be available next month for Xbox 360 as part of PopCap® Arcade Volume 2. And in May PopCap will release Peggle for smartphones running Google’s Android© operating system. Further, PopCap announced the availability today of a new, free, online bonus level pack for Peggle Nights, and unveiled a unique Peggle-based art contest. To celebrate this ultra-extreme occasion, PopCap is holding a three-month long “Peggle Fever” celebration at PopCap.com featuring daily giveaways of games and merchandise, free access to the new bonus level pack for Peggle Nights, and more. Peggle Fever also features a first-of-its-kind Peggle art contest, with the grand prize winners receiving all-expense paid trips to PopCap’s Seattle headquarters as well as having their creations included in a future installment in the Peggle series. More details of the contest, which begins today and runs until June 3, 2009, are at www.popcap.com/promos/peggleart. Combined with Peggle’s existing availability on PC, Mac, iPod, mobile phones and the Web, the new adaptations arriving over the next 90 days will make Peggle one of the most widely available casual games ever. Not to mention one of the most “customized,” as PopCap co-founder and Chief Creative Officer Jason Kapalka explains: “Peggle is a pretty special little game, and it deserves all the attention to detail and high touch polish we’ve given it. We’ve gone beyond just porting Peggle and have really opened up new territory for the game with the iPhone’s input and control mechanisms and by partnering with Q Entertainment on the development of Peggle Dual Shot for Nintendo DS. Add to that the cool multiplayer modes in the Xbox 360 and XBLA versions, and these are really adaptations of the game designed to tap the unique aspects of each respective device and service. It’s been really cool to see how the game has evolved and expanded.” Separate press releases detailing the launch of Peggle Dual Shot and the art contest were issued today. To date, Peggle and Peggle Nights combined have been downloaded more than 45 million times – yet the games remain modest commercial successes by PopCap standards. Nevertheless, the Peggle titles are the most lauded casual game series in the last two years and have garnered nearly 100 rave reviews, with a devoted cult following that encompasses a surprisingly wide range of people. From great-grandmothers to seriously hardcore gamers including the editorial staffs of several leading video gaming magazines, Peggle has fans of every imaginable type.# # # Back to TopPopCap Launches Peggle™ Art Contest to Celebrate Peggle Fever Top Fan Submissions from U.S. and UK To Be Incorporated Into Future Peggle Installment; Prizes Include Trips to Seattle, Retail Spending Sprees, iPhones, Xbox 360s and More SEATTLE, Washington and DUBLIN, Ireland – March 3, 2009 — PopCap Games, the leading developer and publisher of casual games, today announced a first-of-its kind Peggle™ Art Contest, with the top submissions being immortalized in a future installment of the cult classic casual video game. The contest, which opens today and runs through June 3, 2009, is one element of Peggle Fever, a months-long celebration of all things Peggle. Peggle Fever will include other contests and sweepstakes while celebrating the arrival of new adaptations of Peggle for Nintendo DS (arriving today in the U.S.), Apple’s iPhone, Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and XBLA service, and more. Available to residents of the 50 United States (and District of Columbia) and the United Kingdom, the Peggle Art Contest will award more than $8,000 in prizes, including trips for the top submitters to visit PopCap’s Seattle headquarters, spending sprees at Best Buy, limited edition Peggle merchandise, and iPhones and Xbox 360s with Peggle pre-installed. Entries can involve any aspect of the game’s artistic elements, from background scenes to drawn or written descriptions of new Peggle Masters and power-ups, to level designs (peg layouts). Full details of the contest, including entry forms and rules, can be found at www.popcap.com/promos/peggleart. Entries can be submitted electronically or by mail.“We get a lot of fan mail from Peggle devotees, including lots of suggestions for background art, new Peggle characters and power-ups, and level designs, and thought an art contest would be a fun way to foster and tap into that creativity and enthusiasm for the game,” said Sukhbir Sidhu, co-creator of Peggle and studio director at PopCap. “We’re excited to see what the rabid Peggle community comes up with in the way of ideas!” Digital contest submissions must be no larger than 5 megabytes in size and analog submissions must arrive on a sheet of paper or other material no larger than 8.5 inches by 11 inches and be no thicker than 4 inches. Nearly any type of ink or paint can be used, from finger-paints or colored pencils to ballpoint pens and magic markers. Judging will be conducted by members of PopCap’s art department and development studio, who will weigh creativity and feasibility of submissions along with artistic talent. No copyrighted or trademarked imagery – other than visual elements found in the Peggle games themselves – will be accepted. A sampling of submissions from each week of the contest may be posted to the contest microsite and prizes will be awarded to the top two dozen entries (twelve per age group). Both “adult” (age 18 and over) and “youth” (13 to 17) categories are available, with twelve winners being named from each age group.# # # Back to TopPopCap Announces the Launch of Peggle™ Dual Shot for the Nintendo DS® Acclaimed Adaptation of PopCap’s Mega-Hit Comes to Nintendo’s Market-Leading Handheld SEATTLE, Washington – March 3, 2009 — PopCap Games Inc., the leading developer and publisher of casual video games, today announced the launch of Peggle™ Dual Shot for Nintendo DS®. This highly acclaimed adaptation, which just received IGN’s Editor’s Choice Award, was developed in conjunction with famed Japanese development studio Q Entertainment. Featuring 120 mind-bending levels, including ten all-new “Q”-created levels exclusive to the DS version, 90 challenges, and hundreds of hours of gameplay entertainment, Peggle Dual Shot is now available nationwide at every major retailer that carries video games for an MSRP of US$29.95. “PopCap is best known for its addictive, top-selling PC titles, but with the launch of Peggle Dual Shot for DS we’ve now cemented our position as a leading provider in the console market with a title that sets new standards for handheld video gaming,” noted Greg Canessa, VP of video game platforms. “We’ve totally optimized Peggle for the DS, and seriously packed it with an unprecedented amount of gameplay and exclusive content that appeals as much to hardcore players as it does to the traditional ‘casual’ audience. It’s a true cross-over title with nearly unlimited entertainment value.”Peggle Dual Shot is based on the highly acclaimed original version of Peggle, which combines elements of pinball and pachinko with a dash of billiards and a wealth of indescribable zaniness. In the game, players fire a metallic silver ball from the top of the screen, relying on gravity to propel the ball downwards while it ricochets off unique arrangements of orange and blue pegs. The goal is to clear all the orange pegs from the screen, while earning as many points as possible, before running out of balls. A moving bucket at the bottom of the screen offers free balls, while green power-up pegs unlock special abilities via ten unique and memorable Peggle Masters who guide players through dozens of levels of gameplay challenges. Power-ups include explosive area-clearing blasts, lobster claws that serve as pinball-like flippers and “fireballs” that cut through all pegs in their path.Within its 120 levels, 90 challenges and hundreds of hours of gameplay entertainment, Peggle Dual Shot combines classic elements of Peggle game action with a wealth of new content and unique features, including Bonus Underground and Peggle Zoom. Peggle Dual Shot additionally contains all of the game content featured in the recent PC hit, Peggle Nights as well as ten all-new levels created by Q Entertainment exclusively for the DS version. Optimized specifically for the DS, Peggle Dual Shot makes novel use of the stylus – for example, so players can zoom in to perfect their aim on any shot. They can also enjoy a special Duel Mode, where two players can compete against one another to achieve the highest score, while passing the DS back and forth between shots. Since its first introduction in March 2007, the Peggle series has been downloaded more than 45 million times on the Web, and garnered more than a dozen awards from leading industry associations and trade journals. From spin-off hit Peggle Nights to adaptations of the original Peggle for mobile phones and iPod, the franchise gained more accolades and momentum throughout 2008. Later this month, PopCap plans to extend the franchise further with the launch of Peggle iPhone and Peggle for Xbox Live Arcade. About Q Entertainment, Inc.Formed in 2003, Tokyo-based Q Entertainment, Inc. creates, produces, and consults indigital entertainment content across multiple game consoles, PC broadband and mobile units. The company is best known for its critically acclaimed music and luminary action puzzle game series Lumines, which was released worldwide for PSP in 2004/2005 and has since become a hit on mobile, Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation 2. Q Entertainment’s impressive line-up also includes the action puzzle title Meteos and the fantasy action title Ninety-Nine Nights. Founded by principal game creator and Chief Creative Officer Tetsuya Mizuguchi and industry veteran and Chief Executive Officer Shuji Utsumi (Sony Computer Entertainment America, Sega, Disney), Q Entertainment is composed of experienced designers, programmers, and producers. Q Entertainment collaborates with other creators, artists and development studios in Japan and overseas. More information can be found on the Internet at www.qentertainment.com. About PopCapPopCap Games (www.popcap.com) is the leading multi-platform provider of “casual games” — fun, easy-to-learn, captivating computer games that appeal to everyone from age 6 to 106. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000 and has a worldwide staff of over 200 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, B.C., Dublin and Shanghai. Its games have been downloaded more than 1 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship title, Bejeweled®, has sold more than 25 million units across all platforms. Constantly acclaimed by consumers and critics, PopCap’s games are played on the Web, desktop computers, myriad mobile devices (cell phones, smartphones, PDAs, Pocket PCs, iPod and more), popular game consoles (including Xbox 360, PlayStation and Nintendo DS), and in-flight entertainment systems. PopCap is the only casual games developer with leading market share across all major sales channels, including Web portals, retail stores, mobile operators and developers, and game device manufacturers. # # # Back to Top
HUGE 8 TB CAPACITY, MEDIA STREAMING AND PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT ADDED TO WD® SHARESPACE NETWORK STORAGE SYSTEMS FOR SMALL OFFICES AND DIGITAL MEDIA ENTHUSIASTS URL: http://www.westerndigital.com/8TBShareSpaceNetworkSystem LAS VEGAS – (PMA BOOTH # R260) -- March 3, 2009 - WD® (NYSE: WDC), the world’s leader in external storage solutions, today announced that WD ShareSpace™ network storage systems now offer 8 TB (terabytes) of capacity, up to 30 percent faster transfer speeds, and DLNA[1][2] media streaming capabilities. Combined with its ease-of-use and small footprint, WD ShareSpace is now a more compelling solution for small offices and digital media enthusiasts who want to store, protect and share massive amounts of content. Responding to small-business customers’ needs for increased shared storage, WD incorporated its industry-first 2 terabyte WD Caviar® Green™ drive into WD ShareSpace’s flexible four-bay design, creating a massive 8 TBs of storage in a small footprint. The included WD Anywhere Backup™ software provides automatic and continuous protection for the valuable data from every PC and Mac on the network. To speed up both backup and storage, WD improved WD ShareSpace’s read and write speeds up to 30 percent for large media files. Current WD ShareSpace owners may download the new firmware update (http://www.wdc.com/en/products/wdsharespace/) to experience these performance improvements. Twenty-six percent of broadband households worldwide find it very appealing to be able to play PC-stored content on their TV, and the majority of consumers buying network storage cite as important the ability to serve content to other devices (58 percent), according to a recent Parks Associates studies (Aug. 2008). To meet the needs of digital media enthusiasts, WD added a DLNA Certified media server to the WD ShareSpace system, making it easy to stream music, photos and videos to popular DLNA-Certified devices including Windows® Vista® PCs, Playstation®3, and Xbox 360®. The previously included iTunes® Music Server lets anyone on the network stream the music collection on WD ShareSpace to any PC or Mac running iTunes. “With its huge capacity and small footprint, WD ShareSpace has become a popular choice among small business owners. By doubling capacity and increasing transfer speeds, the new 8 TB WD ShareSpace offers more value to small business users,” said Jim Welsh, senior vice president and general manager of WD’s branded products and consumer electronics groups. “Digital media enthusiasts, on the other hand, will really appreciate the new streaming support which lets them easily stream to PCs, Macs and game consoles. With the new WD ShareSpace, we have made important improvements for all our customers.” Price and AvailabilityThe new 8 TB capacity will be available this week at WD’s online store (www.shopwd.com). WD ShareSpace network storage systems also are offered in capacities of 2 TB and 4 TB. MSRP for the WD ShareSpace storage system with 8 TB is $1,699.99 USD. FeaturesThe new high-speed network storage systems feature:
[1][2] To allow streaming for music, photos and movies to any DLNA Certified multimedia device such as Playstation®3 and Xbox 360®. [2][3] Users can select specific files or folders for backup during the set-up process. From then on changes or additions made to those files or folders will be immediately and automatically backed up on the WD ShareSpace device. [3][4] Tests based on comparison between a 1 TB dual-drive system using 7200 RPM drives and a 1 TB dual-drive system using WD’s GreenPower drives. Back to Top
NETWORKS IN MOTION STRENGTHENS ACCURACY OF TRAFFIC SERVICES ON NAVBUILDER PLATFORM WITH ACQUISITION OF TRAFFICGAUGE Acquisition Enhances Performance and Accuracy of NIM’s Location-Based Services ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Mar. 3, 2009 – Networks In Motion (NIM), the award-winning wireless navigation, hyper-local search and location-based services (LBS) company with the largest mobile phone navigation subscriber base in North America, today announced its acquisition of TrafficGauge, a leading provider of real-time traffic information. The acquisition brings the expertise of TrafficGauge’s staff into the NIM team as they develop the next generation of NIM’s Traffic Sharing System, building upon the foundation of traffic feeds that were introduced in the fourth version of the NAVBuilder platform. Through this innovative system, every driver using NIM’s navigation service helps generate “traffic sharing” information with help from data-aggregation server technology, which results in increased traffic accuracy. These advancements will be reflected in the next iteration of NIM’s NAVBuilder platform, which provides the basis for carrier-branded navigation applications. “Knowing traffic conditions such as accidents, construction delays, speeds on possible detours can make a world of difference to a driver,” said Doug Antone, president and CEO of Networks In Motion. “By acquiring TrafficGauge, NIM will be able to leverage the company’s data-aggregation server technology to further enhance the usability of NIM’s popular navigation applications. This quantum leap in traffic flow accuracy, along with superior information about conditions used when calculating detours, will better meet customer expectations on traffic avoidance.”The acquisition will enhance NIM’s existing services and does not mark a departure from the company’s focus on location-based services for mobile phones, Antone noted. NIM has no plans to enter the merchant traffic data business; the acquisition did not include TrafficGauge’s hardware devices business, customer base, service contracts or Web properties. About Networks In MotionNetworks In Motion is an award-winning wireless navigation and local search company, powering some of the most innovative location based mobile products in the marketplace. Networks In Motion powers cutting edge location based services and search for leading mobile partners around the world including Verizon Wireless, AAA, AT&T, Ericsson, Sprint, TELUS, U.S. Cellular and YellowPages.com. NIM’s NAVBuilder platform is the most widely used mobile phone navigation service in North America. Founded in 2000, the company is headquartered in Orange County, Calif., with additional offices throughout the EU, in China and Silicon Valley. More information is available at http://www.networksinmotion.com.###Back to Top
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||













