Microsoft has begun offering Windows 7 Service Pack 1 via Windows Update today, as promised earlier in the month.

The 32-bit version of SP1 is around 755MB and the 64-bit edition comes in at around 1GB.

Says Microsoft:

Starting today, Windows 7 Service Pack 1 will be available to everyone via the Microsoft Download Center and [will] start rolling out via Windows Update.

If you prefer to have a disc, you can get one sent to you for $6 from Microsoft, including shipping.

The public beta of the SP was released in July 2010, and Microsoft launched the release candidate in October. The SP1 brings no new features, but is instead a collection of security patches and nonsecurity fixes already available through Windows Update.

You can check the SP1 page here: Microsoft Windows 7 SP1

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Adobe has blogged this week that Flash will be hitting tablets running Android 3.0 Honeycomb within weeks, great news for any early adopters of the Motorola Xoom, the first device to use the mobile operating system.

Honeycomb is the first version of the Android operating system that is optimized for tablets, and the mobile OS features a complete overhaul from previous versions, all of which were created for smartphones.

Says Adobe:

Adobe will offer Flash Player 10.2 pre-installed on some tablets and as an OTA download on others within a few weeks of Android 3 (Honeycomb) devices becoming available, the first of which is expected to be the Motorola Xoom.We are excited about the progress we've made optimizing Flash for tablets, alongside partners including Motorola, and expect our momentum to continue.

As we announced last week, over 20 million smartphones were shipped or upgraded with Flash Player in 2010 and over 150,000 consumers on the Android Market are rating it 4.5 out of 5 stars. We have raised our estimates for 2011 and expect to see Flash installed on over 132 million devices by the end of this year. Consumers are clearly asking for Flash support on tablet devices and the good news is that they won't have to wait long. We are aware of over 50 tablets that will ship in 2011 supporting a full web experience (including Flash support) and Xoom users will be among the first to enjoy this benefit.

Would-be Xoom owners were outraged when earlier in the week a Verizon ad said Flash would be available on the tablet "in spring 2011." Such a time frame implied Flash could be coming very soon, or as late as May.

The Motorola Xoom launches next week with a price tag of $800.

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Over the last month, a number of gaming industry analysts have predicted that the Sony PlayStation 3 will "soon pass" the Microsoft Xbox 360 in global sales, and hold that place for good.

Sony, on the other hand, doesn't seem to care too much about passing its rival in sales, and cares more about the profitability of its console.

PlayStation software senior brand manager Scott McCarthy spoke to BI:

We obviously are very bullish on our platform. We do feel like we have a great message with Move... and we feel we have the strongest lineup we've ever had coming this year. PS3 has superior technology inside the box, and this is going to be the year where we make a lot of noise based on the exclusive titles you're going to be able to play.

Those things together will give us a voice. We gained a lot of momentum with the 'It Only Does Everything' message, and that was a great hardware message, but this year we're going to follow it up with another punch that is an 'Only on PlayStation' message. You know, LittleBigPlanet 2 led us off; then we've got Killzone 3, SOCOM, Infamous 2, Twisted Metal, Uncharted, Resistance... the list goes on. And that's excluding Move specific software. For the gamer there's a lot to look forward to, and for the Move consumer there's also a lot to look forward to.

When asked specifically whether he thought the PS3 would surpass the 360 in global sales this year, McCarthy seemed indifferent:

So do we pass Xbox 360? At the moment, I think we're trying to just keep up with inventory and trying to move as many units as we can through the channel. It's also one of those things where, do we notice what Microsoft is doing? Obviously, they are our competition. But is it like we surpass Microsoft or we fail? No. Our goal is to be profitable and we're going to achieve that this year and do even better next year.

That's been Nintendo's position for years. We have a very aggressive plan this year. And when we're profitable we're happy. If we happen to close the gap with Microsoft in the meantime, then that's good too.

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Lenovo has unveiled six new Intel Sandy Bridge ThinkPad notebooks this week, some of which feature an incredible 30 hours of battery life, along with Dolby Home Theater v4, Nvidia Optimus graphic switching, and 'Instant Resume' for continuous wireless connectivity, says Beta.

The six models are the high-end T420 and T520, the mid-range L420 and L520, the ultrathin T420S, and the portable workstation for graphics-intensive applications, the W520.

All of the models will include a dual-mode videoconferencing microphone and 'Lenovo Turbo Boost' for faster PC performance.

Instant Resume was unveiled today along with the devices, a feature that will keep the Wi-Fi connection on for 99 minutes when the laptop is sleeping. The feature is meant for office users who want to move from an office to, say, a conference room, without losing their Wi-Fi connection after closing their notebook.

The T420, T520 and T420S each come with 9-cell batteries and additional 9-cell snap-on batteries, which together combine for 30 hours of battery life without the need for recharging.

Each of the T and W series models also include Nvidia Optimus for extra battery boost.

Most of the models will be available starting next month, with price tags ranging from $900-$1500.

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Confirming previously unconfirmed lists, Nintendo has revealed all 18 launch titles for the upcoming 3DS handheld.

The device hits Japan this week and the U.S. on March 27th.

Says Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime:

Seeing 3D visuals without the need for special glasses is just one aspect of Nintendo 3DS. The real test of any system is whether the games and applications draw you in and keep you engaged. Through the launch window and beyond, Nintendo 3DS delivers.

The device will sell for $250 in Cosmos Black and Aqua Blue bundles that include a free charging dock and a 2GB SD card. Each 3DS comes with the games Face Raiders and AR Games pre-installed.

Three of the titles will be Nintendo-published, and all titles have an MSRP of $39.99:

- Pilotwings Resort
- Steel Diver
- nintendogs + cats

And third party published:

- Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition from CAPCOM
- The Sims 3 from EA
- Madden NFL Football from EA SPORTS
- Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D from Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.
- LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars from LucasArts
- RIDGE RACER 3D from NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.
- Super Monkey Ball 3D from SEGA
- BUST-A-MOVE UNIVERSE from Square-Enix, Inc.
- SAMURAI WARRIORS: Chronicles from TECMO KOEI AMERICA Corp.
- Asphalt 3D from UBISOFT
- Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D from UBISOFT
- Rayman 3D from UBISOFT
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Shadow Wars from UBISOFT

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Netflix and CBS have signed a non-exclusive, two-year licensing agreement that will give Netflix subscribers a chance to view older and some newer CBS content via the Watch Instantly streaming service.

For the "classic" library, CBS is making Frasier, Family Ties, Star Trek, the original Hawaii Five-O, Twin Peaks and The Twilight Zone available.

In the current content, Medium and Flashpoint are now available to Netflix users.

Says Scott Koondel, president of distribution, CBS Television Distribution (via THR):

We are very pleased that the titles offered through this deal will now also be made available to a whole new community through the terrific and convenient service that Netflix offers. We will continue to pursue additional non-exclusive distribution partners that are additive to our overall business.

Adds Netflix chief content office Ted Sarandos:

Netflix is now the only online premium subscription service with shows featured on all four broadcast networks and dozens of cable TV's biggest brands.

Earlier in the day, Amazon started their own rival streaming platform, which is free to all Amazon Prime members and has 5000 titles right at launch.

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Despite a rumor circulating this week that the iPad 2 will be delayed until June, new sources say Apple will actually launch the updated tablet next week, March 2nd.

Following their release of the original iPad in April 2010, the iPad 2 will hit stores around the same time this year.

Apple will hold a special event on the 2nd to show off the new device, adds the source.

The initial rumor of a delay came via Taiwan, where a brokerage firm said manufacturer Hon Hai was facing production bottlenecks.

2010 was the year of the iPad, with the tablet crushing all sales estimates on route to 15 million units sold. Apple is expected to sell 40 million iPad/iPad 2 units this year even as it faces increased competition from Android, WebOS and BlackBerry tablets, all of which will make their true debuts this year.

The rumored iPad 2 will include dual-cameras, a dual-core processor, better resolution, and have a slimmer form factor.

Apple and Hon Hai have declined comment on iPad 2 production.

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Apple, Amazon and other digital music retailers are currently in talks with the major record labels in an effort to improve the audio quality of music files they sell via iTunes, Amazon MP3 and other similar stores.

Current offerings are 16-bit files, downgraded from the 24-bit high-fidelity formats they original come in as pressed CDs.

After that, the audio is compressed even further, into MP3 or AAC at 256kbps (usually), in an effort to minimize download time and the amount of space a track will take up on an end user's hard drive.

Jimmy Iovine, the chairman of Universal Music Group's Interscope-Geffen-A&M record label, seemed very gung-ho about the change back to high quality audio (via CNN):

We've gone back now at Universal, and we're changing our pipes to 24 bit. And Apple has been great. We're working with them and other digital services -- download services -- to change to 24 bit. And some of their electronic devices are going to be changed as well. So we have a long road ahead of us.

The road may indeed be long, as most portable devices (smartphones, media players) lack the ability to play 24-bit audio. Most computers, and iTunes, do have the 24-bit support, however. Apple and other companies would have to upgrade future models of their devices to include support for the higher-quality audio.

If the higher-quality files were to hit digital retailers, they will likely come with a premium, speculates CNN, although any exact figure is still very unclear.

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Amazon has rolled out their much-anticipated streaming movie/TV platform today, taking direct aim at rival Netflix.

The service is free to any Amazon Prime member, a service which costs $79 per year (or free for students) and gets you free two-day shipping or highly discounted one-day shipping.

As of launch, the service has 5000 TV shows and movies, and can be streamed through the computer or one of 200 Internet-connected media devices, like Roku.

Netflix seemed unmoved by Amazon's service (via Yahoo):

We've have said for a long time that we expect someone to compete with Netflix. When you have a big growing category it attracts competition.

Amazon's service differentiates itself from Netflix in the fact that you can also purchase or rent episodes and movies a la carte, via their popular Instant Video platform. Instant Video has 90,000 movies and TV shows, including all brand new releases, which both streaming services notably lack.

Netflix, which has just over 20 million subscribers, recently bumped their library to over 20,000 movies and TV shows, and has slowly but surely moved their focus away from physical DVDs and towards streaming, even creating a streaming-only plan which is cheaper than mixed media plans which start as low as $9 per month.

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