Adobe releases Flash Player 10.1 and AIR betas

Adobe Labs on Monday released test versions of two closely related foundations for Net-based applications, Flash Player 10.1 and AIR (Adobe Integrated Runtime) 2.

Flash is widely used to bring streaming video, interactive graphics, and games to browsers; AIR, with Flash built in, is a foundation for other desktop applications. Both are instrumental to Adobe's effort to stay ahead of the gradually broadening feature set of HTML and related Web standards.

Notable Flash Player 10.1 is support for not just Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux computers, but also a variety of smartphones, though that support isn't yet built in. What is available is hardware-based decoding of the popular H.264 video format, which Adobe said improves performance and saves battery life. It also supports HTTP streaming linked with Adobe's content protection technology.
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No WM6.5 update for Xperia X1

Users of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 who have been wondering if their smartphone will be upgraded to Windows Mobile (WM) 6.5 can finally stop obsessing over it. Putting the matter to rest, a Sony Ericsson spokesperson told Crave Asia that there will not be an official update.

There has been speculation regarding the availability of WM6.5 for the X1. This stemmed from an Xda-developers discussion in September started by a user who had gotten hold of a 6.5 ROM for the device, prompting rumors that Sony Ericsson was working on an update.

In any case, we don't think this is big loss. Aside from some interface tweaks, some of the most important features like the My Phone backup service and Windows Marketplace for downloading third-party apps are available for WM6.1, too. But if you insist on having WM6.5 for your X1, it's still possible to install a cooked ROM from Xda-developers. The procedure isn't exactly idiot-proof, so don't dive in flippantly as you may risk spoiling your phone. Click here for our roundup of devices that come with WM6.5 officially.

The litl is a Netbook with a twist

The real story behind the litl Netbook is not its hardware. Granted this minilaptop has one of the most unique designs to date, with a screen that flips over such that it resembles a digital photo frame not to mention a control wheel on the bezel for rotating between images. Even its keyboard has a special look which is artistic yet not impractical. There is even an HDMI port for hooking up to large screens, a feature rarely seen in Netbooks.
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PS3 the new crime-busting tool

The PlayStation 3 has been used for a variety of altruistic tasks following its launch in 2006. Perhaps the most high-profile of these ventures is the Folding@home project, which uses spare processing power from idling, networked PS3s to undertake the arduous task of simulating protein folding in order to study the causes of various diseases.

The latest effort to harness the PS3's processing power for good comes from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Cyber Crimes Center. As reported by Axcess News, the Cyber Crimes Center (C3) is using networked PS3s to capture sexual predators by cracking passwords on computers suspected of containing child pornography.

The report notes that while law enforcement agents can execute a warrant to secure the physical computers, the Fourth Amendment protects suspected predators from surrendering passwords and other encryption material. As such, the agency attempts to crack the passwords by using a program that tries all possible key combinations. The report notes that a six-digit password has nearly 282 trillion possible permutations, and the networked PS3 can attempt 4 million guesses per second.
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Dell Adamo XPS makes it in time for Christmas in the US

Just barely making it under the line for the holiday season in the US, Dell's eagerly awaited Adamo XPS laptop is now available to configure and preorder on the Dell Web site. The estimated ship date given to prospective buyers--December 22.
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