2.1

Sony Ericsson is launching the Android 2.1 "Eclair" upgrade to Xperia X10 devices running on the AT&T network in the U.S., the handset maker announced today.

Owners of the device, which boasts a 4-inch touch screen, a 1GHz processor, and an 8-megapixel camera, will be able to access the upgrade today. With the upgrade, the phone records video in 720p, offers multitouch support, gets facial detection in video capture, and increases the number of available home screens from three to five.

In order to update the Xperia X10, users will need to download a PC Companion application to get the process started. From there, they'll need to plug their devices into their computers and start the update. According to the company's Web site, the update will take about 30 minutes to complete.

The addition of Android 2.1 to the Xperia X10 comes rather late. Many other devices are already running the newer Android 2.2 (Froyo). There are even some running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).… Read more

While the casual movie fan might be content to keep her or his movie collection on a shelf and pay little attention to it, true film buffs tend to be a bit more proactive when it comes to organization. GrieeX Movie Archive Program is a database that lets people keep track of the movies they own and import a variety of related information from the Internet, too. We like the premise of the program, but in practice, it leaves a lot to be desired.

The program's interface is plain and fairly easy to navigate, although some of its features … Read more

Comma separated value (CSV) files store tabular data as text files. Lots of programs use them, including spreadsheets, e-mail clients, and databases. CSVed is freeware that can manipulate any CSV file with any separator. It can add, delete, edit, and insert items; import and export data; remove duplicates; join and split columns; add, delete, and rearrange columns; search and sort; and more.

CSVed has a full-featured interface with a four-in-one toolbar, a navigation/clipboard sidebar, and a main document view above a handy editing panel that is tabbed with all the program's major functions. There's a Font manager, … Read more

Last week, Google unleashed Android@Home, inviting developers to have at the code and get going on creating a whole new generation of home automation and interaction. But if you just can't wait for the garage tinkerers of the world to build the gadgets that will finally usher in the Jetsons age, one Korean company is already ahead of the game.

South Korea's Conspin is already offering the Smart Touch URC Andi-One (PDF), which is basically the world's ultimate universal remote, but it also runs on Android 2.1, fulfills much of the promise of Android@Home, … Read more

FileSeek from Binary Fortress is a compact, fast, flexible, and free desktop search tool that can match Regular Expressions, Full Strings, and Any or All Words, including wild cards; search subdirectories; and include and exclude items from queries. It integrates with context menus in Windows, and it doesn't use indexing so it leaves nothing behind when you close it.

FileSeek's plain but efficient interface includes Search, Options, and file list sections in the main view. Searches start by specifying a Path, either by entering it directly or using the Browse or Browse and Append buttons. We selected our … Read more

Sometimes we come across programs that are kind of goofy and pointless that we like anyway. Hot Spot Studio is such a program. We can't say that we ever wished for a program that did what Hot Spot Studio does, yet we can't resist playing with it.

It's really a pretty simple piece of software. Using either a solid background or a specific background image, you place circles of whatever size and color you'd like on the canvas. Click the Render Picture button and the program transforms the colored circles into glowing orbs of light on … Read more

Alarm clocks are a standard feature on most cell phones, but computer clocks typically don't do much but display the time. Free Alarm Clock adds alarm functionality to your computer, letting you create multiple alerts that can wake you up or remind you when it's time to do something.

The program's interface is plain and attractive, and we had no trouble figuring out how to use it. Attractive buttons across the top of the interface let users add, edit, and delete alarms. Each alarm can be set to go off only on certain days of the week, … Read more

It's iPhone 4 day for Verizon customers, and CNET TV was there to capture the somewhat underwhelming turnout. Apparently there's one thing that will keep die-hard Apple fanboys at bay, and that's subfreezing winter temperatures.

On today's episode of Loaded, we'll also give a rundown on HP's WebOS event from yesterday, which debuted the company's iPad competitor, the HP TouchPad. WebOS will also make its way to two new mobile devices, all of which we'll detail on today's show.

Although an iOS 4.2.1 jailbreak has been around for a couple months, it came with a catch: if you ever had to reboot your device, you'd have to connect (i.e. tether) it to your computer in order to start using it again.

That's a semi-major inconvenience; if your battery died while you were on the go, you wouldn't be able to use your iPhone, iPod, or iPad again (even if recharged) until you got back to your PC.

Needless to say, people have been itching to get their hands on an "untethered" … Read more