[H]ardNews 5th Edition

Asustek To Spin Off ASUS-branded Business:

DigiTimes is reporting that Asustek plans to spin off its ASUS branded business while aiming at getting the new business listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Asustek’s own-brand operation is expected to turn into a new independent company, which will set up a headquarters in Singapore and will aim for listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in the future, according to the sources. Asustek declined to comment on the report, which contradicts previous reports stating that it would spin off it’s manufacturing arm.

Blu-ray Dogged By Cost:

According to this story, Blu-ray will be a lot more expensive than its rivals for the foreseeable future. That wouldn’t be such a big deal except Blu-ray is leading the next-gen DVD format wars. Ugh.

Blu-ray appears to have the lead, with most major movie studios saying they'll release films in the format next year. That's led to new concerns about mass production of DVDs in the new format. Since it represents a major break with past DVD and CD techniques, some worry Blu-ray will be expensive to support--at least in the short term--and could jack up prices for consumers.