With a flat-screen TV this big, friends will be queuing up for a seat in your living room! Actually this isn’t my house. It’s  a photo by Arnd Wiegmann taken at a Berlin bar during last year’s soccer World Cup.

Last year I splashed out and bought myself a flat-screen TV — the incentive? Well don’t tell my missus, but it was nothing to do with cosying up on the sofa and watching a soppy movie.  It was the big year of cricket and rugby union — World Cup time!

So, I wonder if manufacturers are rubbing their collective hands with glee this year? With the price of flat-screen teles falling to a price that even I could afford, are they poised to make a killing in ‘08?  Our correspondent in Seoul, Rhee So-eui, this week wrote an interesting piece on this subject titled “Asia techs hope for Chinese Olympics splurge”.

Another interesting story appearing on the Reuters wire this week looked at the impact of the Beijing Games on the markets. We’d love to hear your thoughts on Wei Gu’s column titled: “The Beijing Olympics: a market blessing or curse?”