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In its bid to rival Nintendo's 3DS in the handheld gaming war Sony unveils the PSP's follower, codenamed NGP (Next Generation Portable).

It features impressive specs-- a quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor, 5" OLED touchscreen (with 960 x 544 resolution), rear-mounted touchpad (directly behind the screen), accelerometer and gyroscope (the same technology as in the Playstation Move), GPS and front/rear facing cameras. Internet connections come from both wifi and 3G.

Games will come on what Sony describes as "a new game medium"-- a flash memory card (no UMD). The device is also compatible with content downloaded from Sony's Playstation Store (on the PSP) and the newly announced Playstation Suite.

Sony's Playstation Network handles social networking features, while Sony promises a new UI, dubbed LiveArea.

The announcement's real surprise? The NGP should be available this holiday season.

Go Sony NGP

Analysts are saying Apple is sitting on what they very bluntly call an "insane pile Of cash" worth around $60bn, to grow to $80-$100bn by this time next year. But unlike Uncle Scrooge, the company cannot afford to sit on such a money pile-- not before the pressure really builds up and shareholders start calling for dividends.

It's like sitting on a rocket, waiting as the pressure kicks in for take-off.  Except the trip is still being planned.

Trust us, somewhere in Apple is a group figuring out all the possible ways to spend 30 or 40 billion. That means Apple is out looking for acquisitions. That could mean a few clever start-ups... But more likely it means a strategic acquisition that creates opportunity for Apple to dominate another market.  That's right, it means Apple must spend it on something worth billions; Apple has bought before and CRN in the US gives a good history of their best purchases to date: http://www.crn.com/slide-shows/channel-programs/223300122/10-apple-acquisitions-that-made-their-mark.htm

But never before have they had this size of cash. The next deal will be a whopper: That cash means Apple can buy a telco, a Hollywood studio, a TV division... or enter the Enterprise market. Some rumours even say it could be buying a huge games property.

Here are some combinations: Apple + RIM, Apple + Sony, Apple + AT&T. Either way, like a Vegas slot machine, we bet someone will hit the jackpot by 2012.

Go Chart of the Day: Apple's Insane Pile of Cash in Context

Go Apple's Cash and Cash Equivalents for 2010

Go Apple: The Next Console War Challenger?

Sony confirms its smartphone-gaming plans-- not with the speculated "Playstation Phone" handset, but a cross-platform mobile software framework dubbed Playstation Suite.

What this means is an official Playstation store carrying PSOne titles for Android devices-- specifically those with Android 2.3.

The company describes the store as hardware neutral, making software compatible with all sorts of devices. Sony is also starting a "Playstation Certified" hardware licensing program together with a new game development environment.

The PS Suite will also be available on Sony's other big annoouncement, the NGP handheld console.

Go Sony Playstation Suite

DRAMeXchange says PC OEMs' restocking at Q1 2011 (and early Q2 2011) will result in a DRAM price rebound of 20-25%.

The price rebound will partly be the result of Sandy Bridge processors' launching, higher penetration of 64bit operating systems and low memory prices creating a new model content level of 4GB or above.

Manufacturer contract prices are at a low-- the average price for 2GB DDR3 is at $17, while the low price is $16.

Due to the continual decline in prices, module houses and retail channels maintained low inventory levels by 2010's end. DRAMeXchange expects growth in spot prices due to inventory replenshment for 2011's first quarter.

The analyst also says DRAM vendors will always increase their CAPEX (to expand capacity) as they see signs of economic recovery-- while they continue production even during a recession (as the costs of stopping production are actually greater). Thus, DRAMeXchange expects some DRAM vendors to make significant strategic planning to reshape within this year.

Go DRAMeXchange