Adobe releases Flash Player 10.1 for Android 2.2

Apple iPhone users may have received iOS 4 yesterday, but today Android fans have something to cheer about too as well: Adobe has released the final version of Flash Player 10.1 for Google's mobile operating system. Those with smartphones running Android 2.2 (codenamed "Froyo") will be able to download the ubiquitous plug-in from Google's Android Marketplace, and over the coming months Flash 10.1 will spread to many other mobile operating systems.

In its announcement Adobe specifically mentioned Palm's WebOS, Symbian, MeeGo, Blackberry, LiMo and even Windows Phone -- though it didn't offer a specific release date for those platforms. The company supplied the necessary code to partners hoping that they'll make it available via over-the-air downloads or pre-installed on future smartphones.

Flash 10.1 includes a number of features specially designed for mobile users, including accelerometer support to automatically adjust Flash content to landscape or portrait mode, optimized power consumption to extend battery life, multi-touch compatibility, "smart rendering" so content that's not on the screen won't use up resources, and the ability to pause if the user switches to another application
. Adobe also says it has worked with hardware and software makers to optimize for specific platforms.

Nintendo 3DS to launch by March 2011, design not final

Nintendo's new 3DS gaming handheld was one of the biggest hits of last week's E3 show. Though we have yet to see it in person, many of those that have came out impressed with the hardware, claiming it ends all doubts surrounding the possibility of creating 3D effects without the need for glasses. But for all the praise it received, what Nintendo failed to reveal at E3 was an actual release date and pricing details for its next-generation gaming device.

Today Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime killed all hopes for a holiday debut, though. Speaking in an interview with IndustryGamers, the executive confirmed the Nintendo 3DS is coming by March 2011 to major markets. He didn't specify who will get the device first and how much it will cost, other than it is still "making individual market decisions in terms of what's happening in Japan, what's happening in the Americas [and] what's happening in Europe."

The new handheld reportedly took two years to develop and has already won widespread support from Electronic Arts, Konami, Activision Blizzard and other major game publishers. During the interview, Fils-Aime also said that one of the reasons for showing off the 3DS last week was to gauge the public's reaction to everything in the device, from the button placement to the depth slider and analog-type stick. The design of the device seen at E3 is not final, though, so Nintendo could still tweak a thing or two by the time the final product hits stores.

Acer launches space-saving Aspire X3, M3 desktops

Acer has announced that its "space-saving" Aspire X3 and M3 series desktops are now are now available in the U.S. market, with prices starting at $450. Both are pitched as "great all-around workhorses" featuring small footprints, affordable hardware and a handful of media-friendly characteristics.

The Aspire X3 is a small form-factor desktop combining 4GB of memory, up to 1TB of storage and your choice from a variety of CPUs -- AMD Athlon II, Phenom II, Intel Core i3, or Intel Pentium E6600 are all available. Graphics are handled by an NVidia GeForce 9200 or Intel's integrated GMA HD chipset, depending on configuration, while on the connectivity front you'll get an HDMI output, a PCI Express ×1 and ×16 slot for expansion, and a whopping 11 USB ports.

The Aspire M3 gives you a little more room for future upgrades with a micro tower case. Customers can choose between an AMD Athlon II or AMD Phenom II processor and either ATI HD 5450 or NVIDIA GeForce 9200 graphics. Acer didn't disclose the available memory on the M3 but said the system offers up to a 640GB hard drive, two available PCI Express x1 slots, 10 USB 2.0 ports, 5.1-channel audio support, and bays for an extra optical drive and hard drive.