Microsoft has told CNET that at least 2 million Xbox Live users logged into Facebook through Xbox 360 in the week since the two services were integrated, and that half a million Last.fm accounts were created in the first 24 hours of availability.

No figures have been released on Twitter use through 360, but according to a rep, there have been “tweets from nearly every market where we have Xbox Live.”

A tenth of all Live users have accessed Facebook through 360 in a week? Amazing scenes.

British online shopping data released today highlights some of the top product battles this Christmas, as well as the top 10 technology purchases for people’s shopping lists.

The new data comes as the result of a partnership between AOL Shopping UK, http://shopping.aol.co.uk, and PriceGrabber.co.uk, which lets consumers research and compare thousands of products. AOL has more than 17 million unique visitors to its network of sites in the UK.(i)

The Nintendo Wii is currently the most popular console and is winning the battle with the PS3 and Xbox 360. The share of searches and referrals from AOL Shopping and Pricegrabber for the 3 consoles since December 1st 2008 confirms the Nintendo Wii’s substantial lead:

1. Wii - 44.09%

2. Xbox 360 - 35.65%

3. Sony PS3 - 20.24%

With Blu-ray winning the battle for high-definition DVDs, it is clearly a Blu Christmas with Blu-ray manufacturers battling for market share. Current rankings, based on product searches and referrals from AOL Shopping/PriceGrabber, show Sony is still the leading brand in this field:

1. Sony - 44.84%

2. Panasonic - 43.37%

3. Samsung - 7.26%

4. Pioneer - 3.76%

5. Sharp - 0.53%

Top 10 Blu-ray Disc Players (based on product searches and referrals) - December 2008:

1. Sony - BDPS350B Blu-ray Player - Pounds Sterling 168

2. Panasonic - DMP-BD55 Blu-ray Disc Player - Pounds Sterling 386

3. Panasonic - DMP-BD35 Blu-ray Disc Player - Pounds Sterling 201

4. Samsung - BD-P1500 Blu-ray Player - Pounds Sterling 157

5. Sony - BDP-S550 Blu-ray Player - Pounds Sterling 237

6. Sony - BDP-S300B Blu-ray/DVD Player - Pounds Sterling 160

7. Sony - BDP-S500 Blu-ray/DVD Player - Pounds Sterling 245

8. Panasonic - DMP-BD30EG-K Blu-ray Player - Pounds Sterling 215

9. Pioneer - BDPLX71A Blu-ray/DVD Player - Pounds Sterling 558

10. Pioneer - BDPLX70 Blu-ray Player - Pounds Sterling 758

Average Price of top 10 Blu-ray Disc Players (December 2008) equals Pounds Sterling 308.50(ii)

Overall, the top product searches on AOL Shopping/PriceGrabber.co.uk suggests it will be another digital Christmas for Britons:

Top 10 most popular products searched for overall:

1. Sony Bravia KDL-32V4000 32″ LCD TV

2. Acer Aspire One AOA110-Aw Notebook

3. Sony Bravia KDL-40W4500 40″ LCD TV

4. Sony KDL-40W4000 40″ LCD TV

5. Panasonic DMC-FZ28 Black Digital Camera

6. HP (Hewlett-Packard) Compaq 2133 Mini-Note Notebook

7. Samsung NC10 White Notebook

8. Asus Eee PC 901 Black Notebook

9. Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5EB-K Black Digital Camera

10. Pioneer PDP-LX5090 50″ Plasma TV

According to the new data, Monday is the most popular day for online shopping - with 8pm being the most popular time. To date, December 1st was the highest volume online shopping day as Britons started their Christmas shopping in earnest.

Russ Carroll, Business Development Director of PriceGrabber.co.uk said, “This new data offers a great insight into consumer purchasing behaviour in the run up to Christmas. It appears that once again, entertainment technology will dominate people’s Christmas wish lists.”

Sean O’Connell, Shopping Director for AOL Europe said, “Although the credit crunch continues to bite, this new data shows that demand for consumer technology at Christmas has not been dampened. Growing consumer uptake of new technology products - such as Blu-ray players - is helping drive this demand, with the public well aware that online shopping can often beat the high street on price.”