ConsumerIT - For Europe's High Volume PC Retailers, Distributors & Builders

WD is still working on restoring operations in flood-stricken Thailand-- managing to re-start HDD production in its Bang-Pa-in building one week ahead of internal schedules.

The company estimates HDD shipments for the industry in general will reach approximately 120M units due to the flooding-- in a quarter where demand reaches estimates of 170-180M units. Such HDD supply constraints should continue until at Q2 2012, if not beyond.

In other words, expect hiking prices next year.

In the meantime, work continues at other WD Thailand facilities, currently still under over 50cm of water. It will also start production at a new slider fab location in Penang, Malaysia in Q3 2012.

Earlier in November IHS iSuppli predicted WD will fall from being top HDD shipper in Q4 2011, while shortages should also cause average HDD prices to rise by 10% Q-o-Q and a temporary slowdown to notebook PC shipments.

Go WD Updates Outlook, Reports on Recovery Effort in Thailand

Go How Will the Thai Floods Impact the PC Industry?

Wired magazine opens a pop up store in Times Square for the holiday season-- a temporary space for both vendors to show off the latest in CE and customers to have fun with the latest gadgets.

It is the 7th year for the Wired store, now something of a Christmas tradition in the Big Apple.

The store carries a wide variety of offerings-- from toy robots to a deluxe 24-carat gold plated Atari console and even giant Lego sculptures. It also has interactive features, such as a Tissot augmented reality screen. After trying out, customers can order their choices by scanning bar codes with their mobile device.

Wired uses the SONAR mobile app to provide personalised product recommendations-- and suggests similar pop up arrangements can prove to be an extra retail opportunity, encouraging customer spending.

Watch The Wired Pop Up Store 2011

Go Wired Store 2011

The latest In-Stat research might be pointing out your next retail opportunity-- living room video calling systems. According to the analyst, global video calling will surpass 380M active users by 2015.

The number of video calling users for 2010 totals 63M.

In-Stat says that while PC video calling will "account for the majority of video calling minutes," it also expects "significant developments" in the living room segment as more vendors enter the market.

Skype remains the market leading solution across all screen types-- PC, mobile and TV. Solutions offering integration with social networking will also be "significant" market drivers.

One can find Skype embedded in a number of devices (including HDTVs and Blu-ray players), while Google TV also offers TV calling features via Google Chat.

Go Video Calling Across Screen Types (In-Stat)

RIM is suffering from being unable to sell PlayBook inventory-- so it does like HP and slashes prices by around $300 per model.

The price reductions follow Q3 2011 PlayBook sales reach 150000-- down from 25000 in Q2 and 500000 in Q1.

Still, RIM is not giving up on the tablet market... yet. Together with hopes of price slashing boosting consumer adoption (as it usually does, at least on the short-term), RIM promises the long-awaited 2.0 upgrade to the PlayBook OS will be available on February 2012.

HP not only shifted remaining TouchPad inventory through heavily reduced prices, it even produced one last run of the now-abandoned tablet to "meet unfulfilled demand."

Meanwhile, RIM has even more troubles-- unruly employees. A pair of RIM employees forced a non-stop Air Canada flight from Toronto to Beijing to stop in Vancouver (disrupting travel plans for over 300 people) after downing a drink too many. The result? A pair of fines worth $35878 each and a suspension from the company.

Go RIM 3rd Quarter Provision Related to PlayBook Inventory

Go Arise From the Grave: The TouchPad is (sort of) Back

Go Drunk RIM Employees Disrupt Beijing-Bound Flight