The News

DigiTimes Bits+Chips:

With Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 (PS3) new-generation game consoles priced below their component costs, the game console vendors are aggressively preparing to migrate chief components to 65nm production in order to help shrink the gap between retail prices and costs.

DigiTimes Bits + Chips:

Hynix Semiconductor pulled off a double upset in the DRAM market with a remarkable increase in shipments causing it to rise to the second rank for both the fourth quarter and for all of 2006, up from third previously, according to iSuppli.

EETimesUK Online:

Chip market growth in 2007 will be 7 percent according to Bruce Diesen, an analyst with Terra Securities ASA, who made his prediction after seeing relatively weak numbers for December from the Semiconductor Industry Association. There is a general consensus among analysts that the first half 0f 2007 will be weaker than normal seasonality would suggest and that growth is set to occur predominantly the second half. The timing of the turnaround from a mild dose of inventory burn-off is likely to have major effect on the growth numbers for 2007.

Ars Technica:

Sony's games division may have taken its hard knocks lately in the press and in sales figures, but the company is determined to turn things around. To that end, the company is planning a two-pronged attack: price cuts on the Playstation 3 console and a marketing surge promoting the Playstation Portable's Internet features.

HT Pinehurst Joe