Nintendo and NTT: Wii Web access

Video game maker Nintendo Co Ltd and telecoms operator NTT's regional units said they will cooperate in Japan in promoting the broadband Web access of Nintendo's hot-selling Wii game console.

Driving Wii's Internet connection is important for Nintendo since the company next March plans to launch a new service called WiiWare, which allows users of the Wii to purchase new game software titles via the Internet.

source: reuters

BMC releases IT analytics software

BMC Software Inc. on Tuesday released ProactiveNet Analytics, the first product stemming from its acquisition of ProactiveNet Inc. earlier this year.
The software pulls data from hardware and applications across a company's environment, and issues IT workers warnings about upcoming performance problems.
Much like its competitor, Netuitive Inc., BMC touts the software's ability to "learn" how a customer's IT environment changes and adapt its own performance accordingly. It will integrate with both third-party products and its own IT management portfolio, which includes BMC Event Manager and BMC Performance Manager.

source: computerworld

DRAM prices continue to drop

Site DRAM Exchange said prices of contract memory in December will continue to drop with a 512Mbit DDR2 chip costing a piffling 80 cents.

Downward pressure will take those prices even lower, predicted the site, as a result of poor demand.

A 1GB DDR2 667 module currently costs $20 and that is likely to fall too, as nothing in the spot or the OEM market looks like spurring extra sales.

This of course means that if you need to upgrade your own PC, things have never been cheaper. DRAM's been down the whole of the year and the Dramurai must be getting somewhat desperate by now

source: inquirer

Lenovo confirms plans for PC unit in Poland

The facility will support regional EMEA customer requirements including product assembly and configuration, distribution services and logistics along with additional value-added services.

The new Poland facility, which will be located in Legnica Special Economic Zone at Lower Silesia region, is expected to become operational in the third quarter of 2008. The total investment value is estimated at over $20 million USD.

The 30,000 square meter facility in Poland is scheduled to begin operations in August 2008 with an initial production capacity of up to five million PCs per year. Lenovo will employ approximately 1,000 people when the plant is fully operational.

Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD - 1:0 in Europe

High-definition movie DVDs in the Blu-ray format have outsold the rival HD-DVD standard in Europe this year, breaking the 1 million barrier and constituting 73% of all HD movie discs sold.

Citing industry sales data, the Blu-ray Disc Association said in a statement today Blu-ray movie disc sales had topped 1 million units and when counting Blu-ray gaming discs, the total number produced for sale in Europe exceeded 21 million units.

Of the HD movie discs bought by consumers so far this year in Europe, 73% were in the Blu-ray Disc format and 27% were HD DVD, according to sales data provided by Media Control Gfk International.

Source: Computerworld