BBC Technology is using DVD to emulate interactive features of Walking With Beasts documentary series that makes TV debut today. Broadcaster’s DVD authoring staff said DVD-Video could replicate TV experience of navigating interactive video and audio content that’s broadcast alongside regular program. BBC said it used customized software to automate repetitive programming tasks for interactive DVD. Job would have required 9,000 manual programming operations and taken 5 weeks, but custom software enabled disc to be authored in 3 days.

High-volume DVD brand Apex Digital will expand product line to TVs, home theater components and others in wake of agreement with giant Chinese CE maker Sichuan Changhong Electric, we have learned.

Director’s cut of Apocalypse Now Redux makes DVD debut Tues. from Paramount ($29.99). Restored movie appeared in theaters in summer with 49 min. added to 1979 original by director Francis Ford Coppola. On Nov. 27, Fox will release DVD of Willow ($26.98), Ron Howard-George Lucas collaboration. Fantasy adventure was among top 10 most requested DVDs on DVD Web sites, Fox said.

LCD prices are rising sharply as market heads toward shortage that’s forecast to be around 5% by mid-2002, industry officials said. Panel prices have been rising $5 per month since Aug., but are expected to stabilize by early 2002, they said.

DVD of Woody Allen-Helen Hunt crime-comedy The Curse of Jade Scorpion will be released Jan. 29, DreamWorks Home Entertainment said. Promotional campaign for DVD will include “online viral marketing program,” studio said.

THQ announced public offering of 2.75 million shares of common stock at $53.50 per share Wed. Offering was first disclosed in SEC filing in Aug., when company originally planned to offer only 2.5 million shares.

Online consumer spending is expected to reach $10.7 billion in 4th quarter, which would be best-ever quarter for e-commerce and 20.2% increase over last year, eMarketer forecast in report. Numbers shopping online will increase 14 million, with 4.9 million buying online for first time, study said. It estimated that 58.7 million U.S. residents would buy online in 4th quarter, each spending average of $182.25. However, study said slow economy also would have effect on online spending. “Unlike previous years where online spending rode the roller coaster straight up, regardless of overall retail activity, this year e- commerce will be more closely aligned with general patterns of consumer spending,” eMarkter CEO Geoff Ramsey said. But retail growth should be better online than in stores, study said. Additional shoppers should spur growth that would outpace 2.2% rise in overall U.S. retail sales predicted by National Retail Federation, report said.

Internet continues to globalize and become culturally diverse, according to State of the Internet study by U.S. Internet Council (USIC) and International Technology & Trade Assoc. Internet surpassed half-billion online users in 2001, study said, with native English speakers losing dominance, now representing 45% of Internet users. N. America, Europe and Japan continue to dominate online world, report said, but other areas such as China, India and S. Korea are beginning to play larger roles. Architecture of Internet is changing to reflect those changes, with many new multilingual domain names being introduced along with new top-level domain names, report said. Growth is showing need to upgrade Internet’s architecture to higher IP protocol and explore new online security tools, report said. While many online businesses failed, e-commerce, e-marketplaces, content and service providers, application service providers, peer-to-peer networks, customer relationship management services and e-learning services all have established viable online business spaces, report said. English-speaking and Scandinavian nations have proved to be most e-business ready environments, although France, Hungary, Japan, Mexico and S. Korea have high levels of information technology investments and attract e- business cultures, report said. Some of most mature e-govts. include Canada, Finland, Singapore, U.K., U.S. USIC concluded with 4 principles for policymakers: (1) Internet services for free and developed nations will continue to bring more benefits than problems. (2) Best approach to Internet policy allows freest flow of information and the unfettered access for all people. (3) Internet will mirror same cultural, economic, social and political fault lines that underlie all international relations, like other mass media that have transcended geographic boundaries. (4) More study is needed on how to manage Internet to accommodate cultures that feel threatened by outside influences while still remaining true to principle of free speech.

NVidia is working to develop graphics chip technology for handheld PCs, although implementation may be 2 years away, Mktg. Vp Daniel Vivoli said. Such chip would require that manufacturing process be reduced to 0.10 microns, he said. NnVidia’s graphics chips, including those deployed in Microsoft’s xBox videogame console, are produced by Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg.Co. using 0.15-micron process that’s expected to transition to 0.13-micron by mid-2002, Vivoli said. Advent of graphics chips in handheld PC and cellular phone applications comes as latter readies 3G technology designed to handle video. NVidia gave hint of handheld PC plans as it unveiled new version of notebook PC chip that’s expected to debut in Toshiba model in Feb. NV17M, which replaces GeForce2 introduced year ago, boosts memory speed to 250 MHz from 143 MHz, has 8 GB memory bandwidth vs. 2.6 GB in previous model and can process 400 million pixels per sec., against 286 million. With introduction of NV17M, nVidia will seek to boost share of graphics chip market in notebook PCs to 15% by year-end 2002, from current 6%, Vivoli said. ATI Technologies is market share leader at around 50%.

Bam Entertainment said it had begun shipping its first PlayStation 2 title, Driven, based on recent theatrical film starring Sylvester Stallone. Title ($49.99), which offers 2- player multiplayer racing action, was developed by company’s London-based studio.