AMD receives DOJ subpoena ... PlayStation 3 sales drop sharply

HIGHLIGHTS
News: AMD receives DOJ subpoena over graphics processing
News: Business Objects acquires SaaS firm Nsite
News: Storage spending jumps 10 percent in the third quarter
News: PlayStation 3 sales drop sharply on low supply
Opinion: All good things come to those who wait, even Vista and Office 2007
Podcast: Today's IT news audio update
ITwhirled: Most delicious beta test ever


NEWS UPDATES

AMD receives DOJ subpoena over graphics processing
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has subpoenaed Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) as part of an antitrust investigation into the market for graphics processors and graphics cards, AMD said Thursday.

Business Objects acquires SaaS firm Nsite
Business Objects SA will acquire Nsite Software Inc., which develops a software-as-a-service delivery platform, in a move to offer more of its own products over the Internet, the companies announced.

Storage spending jumps 10 percent in the third quarter
Worldwide revenue for external disk storage systems rose to $4.3 billion in the third quarter of 2006, a 9.9 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to the research firm IDC.

PlayStation 3 sales drop sharply on low supply
Sales of the PlayStation 3 console during its first full week of availability in Japan were sharply lower than those during the two days immediately following its launch, according to estimates published this week.

Gates Foundation expands digital divide initiative
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Thursday announced a new, US$328 million plan to provide computer and Internet services through public libraries in developing nations.

Alcatel-Lucent deal closes
Alcatel-Lucent, a global communications giant with combined annual revenue of more than €18 billion ($24 billion), will debut Friday after a sometimes rocky engagement between Alcatel SA and Lucent Technologies Inc.


OPINION

All good things come to those who wait, even Vista and Office 2007
By Joel Shore, ITworld

With Windows Vista and Office 2007 now released, what are your customers' expectations, and are you moving to lower them?

One thing we've learned over the years is that businesses are slow to upgrade client operating systems and applications. That happens for a variety of reasons: the software is unproven and risky, acquisition and deployment costs are prohibitive, training dazed and confused end-users is an enormous undertaking, help desk personnel lack intimate familiarity and expertise, or maybe new versions simply aren't needed.


PODCAST

Daily IT News Audio Update
Microsoft launches Vista ... Ken Kutaragi steps aside at SCEI ... AMD readies quad-core Opteron chip


ITWHIRLED

Most delicious beta test ever
Yes, you can participate in the beta testing of some innovative new chip designs -- even if you have no background in electrical engineering! That's because the "chips" in question are deep-fried potato slices dusted with a number of intriguing flavors. Web 2.0 comes to the snack aisle!