Google Making Shedloads of Cash Shocker

Google continue to taunt pretty much the rest of the globe by making a frankly unnecessary amount of cash, reporting fourth quarter revenues from 2009 of $6.67 billion (at this point I’d usually translate this into euro but I think it’s fairly safe to assume we all get it… they’re doing very well).

Google execs roll into work this morning.

Anyway, this figure is up 17% on the same period in 2008 with the company’s profits from the last part of 2009 coming in a whopping 400% above the previous year at $1.97 billion. “This was a very strong quarter for Google, an extraordinary end to a roller-coaster year by any measure,” said Google Chief Executive, Eric Schmidt in a call with (presumably champagne-swilling) investors.

Star Wars to go 3D

It seems that James Cameron’s Avatar has spurred George Lucas tentative plans to see a Star Wars release in 3D.

Pleasedon'truinit, pleasedon'truinit, pleasedon'truinit

According to TechRadar, Lucas has had a 3D Star Wars project on hold for quite some time, but was so wowed by Cameron’s Avatar that he has decided to proceed with the plan, saying that, “I’m happy it’s so successful, and worked very well in 3D.” Indeed, Lucas wasn’t just impressed by the fact that Avatar has had such long-running success, but with the implementation of technology involved, saying that,

Nvidia CEO Says PC has Lost its Magic

Nvidia’s CEO stated in a recent interview that he feels the PC has “lost its magic” as the platform has matured, with newer hardware no longer offering the same massive shifts it once did.

In the recent BBC interview, Nvidia’s CEO, Jen-Hsun Huang, was fairly frank and forthright about the state not only of the industry, but also the way we relate to PCs on an individual level and how Nvidia got to where it is today. It’s certainly an interesting look into the mind of a man with a lot of influence over the shape of the industry today. He talks openly about some of Nvidia’s darker days, saying that,

Acer Founder Predicts Death of US PCs

Acer’s founder and former chairman, Stan Shih has made the fairly inflammatory comment than he firmly believes US-based PC makers could die out over the next twenty years.

According to the Inquirer, the former Acer chairman made the comments when discussing the current trend towards low-cost PCs, one that he feels north American PC manufacturers can’t hope to ignore. Indeed, Shih’s belief is that the demand for low-cost PCs will continue, and that anyone not serving that market will be left in a very difficult position indeed.

PC Game Sales ‘All Digital by 2011′?

It seems that the plight of those forced to go to the back corner of most gaming stores to find some decent PC titles has been recognised by those in industry at last. In response to this problem, 1C Company – the leading publisher and distributor of computer games in Eastern and Central Europe – has predicted that by early next year, “PC games will be sold completely via digital”.

Will all PC titles – such as Alien Shooter – be sold via digital this time next year?

Making the noise for 1C was their international publishing director, Darryl Still, and he lays the blame for this course of action at the feet of retailers whose handling of PC games have been more than a little disappointing for those in the industry. “Retail,” he said, “is forcing PC games out.”

Analysts Predict Rising PC Prices

The general rule on hardware is that it gets cheaper as you go, and for the last six years or so, that’s always been the case. Now though, new research indicates that we could see PC prices rise again this year.

Rising disk prices could drive PC prices higher still

According to research from Gartner, one of the biggest reasons for this will be the rising cost of memory. Due to increased demand for flash memory in mobile devices (let’s not forget the vast and quickly growing smartphone market), memory has been something that’s already seen price hikes in recent months, and that’s a trend that looks set to continue if the folks at Gartner are to be believed.

3D TVs to Save Industry?

It seems that 3D displays are being hailed as a possible saviour for those manufacturers who’ve been hit hardest by the current recession, though some are more sceptical than others.

According to the BBC, industry experts are optimistic about the new technology, which they predict could take off in a big way over the course of the next year. Indeed, the figure that they’re expecting to sell comes it at around the 3.4 million mark, which would put manufacturers very well placed indeed to take advantage of the burgeoning 3D market. What is perhaps most surprising is the honesty with which manufacturers have discussed their current positions.

Modern Warfare DLC to Hit Xbox First

Word has arrived from this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) that Microsoft has managed to get downloadable content for Modern Warfare 2 before other platforms.

According to the report from gaming blog Destructoid, the by now inevitable downloadable content for the record breaking latest entry to the Call of Duty series, Modern Warfare 2, will appear on Microsoft’s Xbox 360 before being made available on either of the other two platforms on which people are playing the game, the PC and Sony’s PlayStation 3.

Google Discusses “Openness”

Google has attempted to tackle the question of what it means to be open by asking some of its employees just that it means, for them, to be “open.” Then, Google posted the responses to its official blog.

Google might well trade very well indeed on the fact that its operating system, Chrome OS, and its browser, Chrome, are both “open source” but over the last few of months on the fact it’s come under some fairy significant fire for that claim, which some have labelled as more than a little dubious. It seems that there are some who take serious issue with the closed parts of Google’s open projects, and now Google has responded to them.

DRM Issue Plagues Avatar Screenings

An issue with the digital rights management arrangement put in place for early screenings of James Cameron’s latest movie, Avatar. Apparently, the issues with DRM stopped some of the 3D screenings altogether, forcing the film to be displayed in 2D instead.

Avatar has been hotly anticipated, not only for the fact that it’s James Cameron, whose reputation probably doesn’t need to be discussed, and also for the fact that it’s been filmed using some particularly interesting techniques that essentially allow the director to see what the CG imagery will look like during shooting, allowing changes to be made on the spot that otherwise would have precipitated massive expense.