Dropbox: two times more storage for the same price

Dropbox feels visibly threatened the market online storage and synchronization "cloud" where these new efforts...

The online storage market is increasingly competitive and one of its players the most, Dropbox, has announced a significant decrease in the rates charged to its pay-TV offerings. Or rather, it doubles the storage capacity proposed for unchanged rates, which is not quite the same thing, since the amount levied on bank card by the service remain, it, unchanged.

Thus, to be more competitive Drive of Google services, Microsoft SkyDrive, Hubic of OVH, Cloud Drive of Amazon and others, Dropbox offers now not 50 but 100 GB for $ 9.99 per month and 200 GB for $ 19.99 per month. And synchronization specialist was also able to launch a new offer of 500 GB of online storage space, charged $ 49.99 per month.

Despite these efforts, Dropbox is more expensive than most of its competitors. The 100 GB being charged $ 4.99 a month in Google, and $ 4.16 per month at Microsoft. But with the principle of sponsorship of Dropbox (500 MB earned by recommendation), it is possible to significantly extend the limit of 2 GB for free available up to 18 GB. Good, of course, until there is little time, Microsoft offered on SkyDrive 25 GB to a Windows Live account holders...

HDD: a price decline? Not before two years...

A study of iSupply indicates that trays hard drives prices still remain quite high and this until 2014.

According to the recent study of IHS iSupply, prices of hard drives trays should not fall before 2014! The rates indicated in the press release correspond to an average unit price, regardless of the sold disc storage space. In the third quarter of 2011, the average price of a hard disk was established around $ 51. With a bond of $ 10, it had risen to $ 61 in the fourth quarter to continue momentum and achieve $ 66 for the first quarter of this year. Between March and June, the average price is stagnating and loses $ 1 to $ 65.

For your information, the study also gives the figures for the number of units delivered worldwide for this year. In the first quarter of 2012, he was taken primarily from manufacturing plants in Thailand not less of 145 million hard drives and about 159 million for the second quarter and forecast for the third quarter about 176 million units.

The floods in Thailand are passed and plants are distributed, but prices fell so far. The study explained in part this state of affairs by the concentration of the two leading manufacturers of hard disk drives, Seagate and Western Digital, but also by the contracts in the long run to high prices when the plants had not yet fully resumed their activities. These contracts are signed at this price because OEMs fear a problem of supply for the manufacture of their products. With all these conditions, it seems difficult to quickly lower the price of hard drives trays and says iSupply, it is not close to arrange...

Intel pushes new batteries to reduce the price of the Ultrabooks

To lower the price of the Ultrabooks, savings on all components are being considered. Intel think this time in the batteries...

Yesterday, we return a series both on the issue of the cost of returns to Ultrabooks, under the prism of storage, since it is learned that the part of SSD equipped Ultrabooks would fall in the coming months. Today, Intel is the support by continuing to help builders partners to find the right solutions to lower the price of the Ultrabooks, in attacking this time in batteries. Intel therefore attempts to push two manufacturers new types of batteries, models known as the cylindrical batteries 16650 and prismatic lithium-ion batteries. However, since 16650 cylindrical batteries are produced in small quantities, prismatic Li-ion batteries are more likely to be selected. However talking about solutions that can be adopted by mass as from next year, since these models of batteries must be certified and small problems of ability to persist and must be resolved.

Left A, cylindrical batteries 16650. At right, a prismatic Li-ion battery.

16650 Cylindrical batteries have a diameter of 16 mm and can therefore a priori be used in portable computers to the design purposes. Provided exclusively by the Sanyo Japanese and Chinese BAK for the moment, they earn in interest among assemblers who worry however see this market be controlled only by two suppliers. To them, the prismatic lithium-ion batteries are more expensive to purchase but have an advantage: fineness of only 5 to 6 mm for blocks of 6 x 8 cm. Proposed by more providers, they are available in greater numbers and could receive certifications necessary for their use in the Ultrabooks more quickly.

Note that, despite everything, some manufacturers are beginning to work with these batteries on all small series. This is Acer that performs tests on its Ultrabooks with 16650 cylindrical batteries, and Lenovo IdeaPad 530 of which adopts a prismatic Li-ion battery.

Wii U and 3DS: games for download at the same price as the box

If logically a paperless game should be cheaper to purchase than a box version, Nintendo not that ear means it.

It is secret, the video game industry slide gently over the years toward digital sale in download, dematerialised games. To the great despair of those who have had the chance to know the 1980s game boxes and as complete books that interesting to read (before embarking on the adventure, always...), the video game will soon be more form and to purchase only on Steam, Xbox Live and other PlayStation Store. As such, it must be recognized that Nintendo has accumulated a certain delay in the matter, its platforms online is not be entered in the habits of players such as those of its main competitors.

Of course, the nippon consolier knows and is committed to do better in the future. This is why it has just announced that it intends to strengthen the distribution of games dematerialized for its console, the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U future. At first, only larger productions will be affected through a sale that will be on the same day in the trade box and download online. This is particularly the case for New Super Mario Bros 2.

But then the sale of games for download is an opportunity for publishers to bypass intermediaries, saving manufacturing the holder of packaging and transport costs, and thus increasing profitability, it is also often the opportunity for players to purchase games at a preferential price. In Nintendo, this is not the case.

Indeed, Nintendo has indicated that prices in her shop online in trade for box versions will be the same. A decision which will be logically criticized by players, but Satoru Iwata - CEO of Nintendo - held to explain: "We realized that the publishers on the tariff for the sale of digital versions views." Some editors believe that the dematerialised versions should be sold cheaper than others, when others want to be they sold exactly the same price (...) We have decided and chosen the latter for the time being. "What no limitation specialty stores sell download codes to preferential prices".

This will not help Nintendo to stuck his popularity while it comes to post for the first time in its history annual losses, but should reassure strings video game shops heavily threatened by the growth of paperless. As players, they would of course prefer that publishers make an effort instead of wanting to maximize their profits. Especially as Satoru Iwata may hide behind the wishes of publishers, Sony succeeded well, for its part, to sell the games PS Vita on average €5 for less on the PlayStation Store on stick memory in shops... It is certainly not great, but at least the effort is there.