:00:15. > :00:23.Nintendo's new device goes on sale around the world but can it convince
:00:24. > :00:30.Plus the gadgets Google wants every home to have.
:00:31. > :00:35.We hear from the company's new hardware boss.
:00:36. > :00:41.In a minute we'll talk about the currency that's become
:00:42. > :00:49.We start in Japan on a huge day for computer
:00:50. > :00:55.It starts selling its latest device - the Switch.
:00:56. > :00:57.It's kind of hybrid machine - combining a home console
:00:58. > :01:04.And it's safe it say it is a massive gamble for Nintendo,
:01:05. > :01:07.which is trying to recapture its glory days as a games company
:01:08. > :01:14.Some are even calling it "make or break".
:01:15. > :01:20.Gaming is very big business and growing fast.
:01:21. > :01:25.According to consultants newzoo sales will top $100 billion
:01:26. > :01:35.Gaming on mobile devices - mostly smartphones -
:01:36. > :01:38.will take the biggest share this year, with estimated sales
:01:39. > :01:44.That will put it ahead of home consoles and PCs for the first time.
:01:45. > :01:47.It's something Nintendo knows only too well.
:01:48. > :01:53.Ten years ago its Wii console took the world by storm.
:01:54. > :01:56.We bought 100 million of them Nintendo tried to repeat the success
:01:57. > :02:01.with the Wii U in 2012 but it has been a complete flop.
:02:02. > :02:08.Now compare that to big craze of last year, the mobile phone game
:02:09. > :02:14.Half a billion people downloaded it and sales hit almost a $1 billion
:02:15. > :02:16.To add insult to injury, most of the profits went
:02:17. > :02:19.to the game's developers, who licensed the characters from
:02:20. > :02:24.So is the Switch the answer to Nintendo's problems?
:02:25. > :02:33.The machine's a bit complicated - here's how the company explains it.
:02:34. > :02:45.The Switch is a videogame system for the home. You can attach it to the
:02:46. > :02:55.TV to play games. When you want to play away from the TV, you remove
:02:56. > :02:59.the switch from the dock. When you attach the left and right
:03:00. > :03:07.controllers, you can continue playing anywhere. Nintendo switch
:03:08. > :03:09.has been designed to be a home console system which gives you the
:03:10. > :03:15.freedom to change your play style.. Jon Porter is the Home Technology
:03:16. > :03:28.Writer for the website Tech Radar. You have brought one in, I gather
:03:29. > :03:37.you have a play with it. What did you make of it? I think it would be
:03:38. > :03:45.a mistake to say this is another Wii. It was a very good mainstream
:03:46. > :03:51.consumer device. This is a very competent gaming machine. If you are
:03:52. > :03:57.already in the games, this is a very solid launch but I do not think it
:03:58. > :04:04.will reach the same appeal as the Wii. Are they trying to do too much
:04:05. > :04:13.by combining the mobile and home console? Historically, Nintendo has
:04:14. > :04:23.always had its home consoles, it's GameCube is, and then it's hand-held
:04:24. > :04:29.devices. What this does is bring those two does Barrett sides of its
:04:30. > :04:36.business into one so hopefully you imagine the company wants to focus
:04:37. > :04:41.its energy on one piece of hardware and it is a much easier sell to
:04:42. > :04:49.people because you are not selling them to pieces of electronics. There
:04:50. > :05:00.is a lot riding on this because after the success of Wii, the Wii U
:05:01. > :05:06.sold only 13 million which was a big drop off. It suffered from an
:05:07. > :05:13.unusual form factor. Nintendo always try something new and it is true
:05:14. > :05:17.here as well. The second screen was very difficult for developers to get
:05:18. > :05:25.their heads around. You needed another consul. With the Nintendo
:05:26. > :05:30.Switch, it has a much more traditional controller method and
:05:31. > :05:34.that is going to encourage more developers to bring their titles to
:05:35. > :05:44.this machine because there is not a lot of work to do to fit it. Will it
:05:45. > :05:51.work? I think it is a solid start. Over the next couple of years it
:05:52. > :05:54.will come down to the games and that support they get from the community.
:05:55. > :05:57.If games aren't your thing, how about a gadget that can
:05:58. > :05:58.play your music, answer your questions,
:05:59. > :06:02.Google's Home is a voice activated digital assistant
:06:03. > :06:06.that the company hopes will become a central hub for all the technology
:06:07. > :06:09.It's currently only available in the US
:06:10. > :06:12.but it will be available here and in other countries
:06:13. > :06:23.Google's head of hardware has been speaking to the BBC's
:06:24. > :06:25.Rory Cellan Jones about the importance of the gadget
:06:26. > :06:40.We have been building consumer electronics for many years but over
:06:41. > :06:47.the past year we decided to focus our efforts we could build cutting
:06:48. > :06:54.edge technology for home use. It is somewhat behind Amazon with its
:06:55. > :07:03.echo, wind will Google Home be a hit? We have a huge hit the lead in
:07:04. > :07:12.the knowledge it, Google Home brings these great technology to users. The
:07:13. > :07:16.strength of Google has been getting answers for our consumers. That all
:07:17. > :07:25.comes together with Google Home you could get really good answers. He
:07:26. > :07:31.got into smart phones as well. What is the strategy there? It is a
:07:32. > :07:37.mature business but it was time for us to enter and push the edge on
:07:38. > :07:44.innovation. They are all about collecting data. How worried should
:07:45. > :07:50.users be about their privacy? We make sure we protect users and data
:07:51. > :07:55.and some of this information is used to make products are better but
:07:56. > :08:03.first it is all was an important balance that uses trust us. We are
:08:04. > :08:07.here at the world Congress with manufacturers from around the world
:08:08. > :08:14.exhibiting. Is that the future for Google? We will dissipate in focus
:08:15. > :08:20.Waze in the Schumer electronics. We are not out to have a very large
:08:21. > :08:27.hardware product portfolio but places where there is a need for an
:08:28. > :08:30.important innovation, we will definitely develop products and that
:08:31. > :08:37.is the case in the smartphone business and in Google home product
:08:38. > :08:39.where we felt it was important to build both our system capability and
:08:40. > :08:43.hardware at the same time.. Let's stay with the world
:08:44. > :08:45.of technology - because there's something of a milestone today
:08:46. > :08:48.for the virtual currency Bitcoin. The price of one bitcoin has
:08:49. > :09:09.overtaken the price of an ounce The answer lies in Asia. What is
:09:10. > :09:15.going on? He would have thought that a crypto currency, one that is
:09:16. > :09:21.regulated by any government in the world would exceed the price of an
:09:22. > :09:25.ounce of gold. That's right, gold has was being seen as a safe haven
:09:26. > :09:36.of choice, it is now got company and it is Bitcoin which is trading at
:09:37. > :09:41.$1270 while an ounce of gold is going for $1230. The price of
:09:42. > :09:46.Bitcoin has been rising of the last couple of weeks. Investors are
:09:47. > :09:54.looking to edge against potential global uncertainties related to a
:09:55. > :10:00.certain policies by Donald Trump and Brexit. The Trump administration
:10:01. > :10:05.might potentially relax regulations governing the digital currency. That
:10:06. > :10:11.is what a lot of analysts are saying. Currently does not regulated
:10:12. > :10:16.by any government. It is being used by consumers worldwide to try to
:10:17. > :10:22.shield assets from inflation all political upheaval. This is a 360
:10:23. > :10:29.degrees turn around when the value of Bitcoins slumped so badly three
:10:30. > :10:35.years ago and it was written off as a failed experiment.
:10:36. > :10:38.Asian equity markets fell on Friday after a broad global rally,
:10:39. > :10:40.but the dollar strengthened against most other currencies
:10:41. > :10:42.as traders become increasingly confident the Federal Reserve
:10:43. > :10:48.will hike interest rates this month.
:10:49. > :10:59.Worth mentioning, snapped shares on their debut shed 44% but it wasn't
:11:00. > :11:02.enough to keep the main indices on Wall Street in positive territory.
:11:03. > :11:12.CSN. -- see you soon. Counting the ballots
:11:13. > :11:14.of Northern Ireland's snap election Polls closed last night with final
:11:15. > :11:20.results not expected to be confirmed