HTC Bass aka HTC Runnymede leaks on video

It’s someone in the UK that gets the credit (or the blame?) here, folks, for a video that shows off the soon to be revealed (or revealed again, if you count the multiple leaks across the internet) HTC Runnymede aka HTC Bass. You should know that this is going to be one of the first HTC devices to work with Dr. Dre’s Beats audio integration, one we expect to come packed with branding galore, a gigantic 4.7-inch display, and a lovely white front and back. Have a look at this video and let us know what you think.

It was all the way back in August that we first saw the HTC Runnymede appear, not two days later seeing what appeared very much to be the HTC Runnymede 2 – a second before there was a first. We saw it again halfway through the month and got a full specs sheet the day after that. It was if we were DRINKING the mede and getting fully drunk on it. Next we saw that the Runnymede was going to be called the HTC Bass and that was basically the last we heard of it.
Now we’ve got a video!

And notice the following – it’s got a vodafone UK carrier name on it, which means it’ll likely come out over the sea before dropping here in the states. Also note that it’s got the big Beats logo on the back which means that Chris Davies description of Beats integration on the Sensation XE will likely be true here as well:

The big change, beyond the CPU, is the audio. Beats Audio has had three main parts to play in the Sensation XE: the bundled headphones, the DSP and the audio profiles. Gone is the janky, throwaway hands-free kit you’d normally find packed in a new cellphone box, replaced by a tangle-free rubberized Beats set in eye-catching red, with an in-line remote – for answering calls as well as controlling media playback – and comfortable earbuds with a selection of three different sized tips. They’re a welcome change from what would normally be included, certainly, with plenty of bass and solid mids and trebles.

All that sound pretty alright to you?

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Motorola Atrix 2 Press Shots and Lapdock leaked

We’ve seen plenty of the Motorola Atrix 2 this week especially the hands-on yesterday, but today even more details as well as the full press images have leaked to the interwebs. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen the Atrix 2, but we now know that will be the official name — not the Atrix HD.

The successor to the original Atrix was also spotted way back in August and was being rumored to have both an HD 720p display, and AT&T 4G LTE but these newest leaks and details have confirmed the specs. Headed soon to AT&T all of the signs are pointing to no 4G LTE. It will use 4G HSPA+ but not the new 4G LTE network that was just rolled out. This is a big mistake if you ask me, but we’ll see as the launch gets closer. Codenamed the “Edison” the specs are officially confirmed as a 4.3″ qHD 960 x 540 resolution Display, dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage (2GB micro-SD included). Featuring an 8MP camera on the rear (no hump like the Bionic) 2MP front facing video chat camera. Powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread and the same Moto Blur UI we’ve seen plenty of lately.

Also leaked was some pictures of the Atrix 2′s new Motorola Lapdock. From the initial picture it seems to be huge but we could be wrong. Looking much fatter than the Bionic Lapdock seen here. No specific details or specs were given at this time but it’s said to be 10.1″ which is smaller than the previous version, so it should be lighter and a bit more portable. There also seems to be a cable attaching to the phone for the connection rather than docking the smartphone, hopefully Motorola will streamline the design and the same dock will work with all phones in the future unlike the previous models.
This is just hitting the wires so we’ll continue to look for more information regarding both the Atrix 2 and the Lapdock.
[via Thisismynext]

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You Can Now Rent Movies In Canada On The Android Market

Back in May, Google announced that users are able to rent movies through the Android Market. Started as a U.S. only offering, the option is now available for users in Canada.

If you are living in Canada, you are now able to rent HD movies through the Android Market for $3.99 - $4.99. From here, all the other rules apply, including a 48 hour window for watching the rented movies and the 30-day "Rental Grant Period". There are reportedly also Canadian titles included. Please note that your device has to run at least Android 2.2 Froyo in order to take advantage of the offering.

Source: MobileSyrup

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Samsung Holding Unpacked Event At Next Month's CTIA

Samsung has already unveiled the Galaxy Note at the beginning of this month in Berlin, with the occasion of IFA but the company is preparing for another Unpacked event, this time at October's CTIA Enterprise and Applications show in San Diego.

What could Samsung unveil at the event? Well, it could be an American launch for the Galaxy Note or Samsung might as well uncover the Nexus Prime (or Galaxy Nexus as it is being often referred to). It also could be an official unveiling of the Focus S and/or the Focus Flash Windows Phones but we'll make sure to let you know more as we find out.

Source: PhanDroid

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Verizon takes Samsung's side in case against Apple

Verizon Wireless has asked the U.S. court presiding over Apple's case against Samsung to deny an injunction against Samsung's products in the U.S. The carrier states that an injunction would be against the public's interest, and that it would slow the adoption and expansion of Verizon's next-generation, 4G LTE network.
Verizon tells the court that an injunction against Samsung's products in the U.S. "would hinder Verizon Wireless in developing and deploying its next generation high-speed LTE [fourth-generation] network, the job growth dependant on that network, and will undercut key public policy goals, including expansion of American's [sic] access to broadband networks and faster communication with emergency personnel."
Apple's case against Samsung requests an injunction against a number of Samsung's smartphones and tablets, including the DROID Charge and Galaxy Tab 10.1, both of which are LTE devices available from Verizon Wireless. An injunction would block the sale and import of the devices in the U.S., much like what has occurred in Germany and Australia already.
Verizon's message to the court only cites one of the four patents that Apple takes issue with against Samsung. The carrier only points to US Patent No. 7,469,381, which covers "list scrolling and document translation, scaling, and rotation on a touch-screen display." The other three patents, which are related to hardware design, are not mentioned in Verizon's note to the court. "Verizon Wireless takes no position on whether a preliminary injunction should be granted if the Court finds a likelihood of success on the infringement of Apple's design patents," says the carrier with regards to the design patents, but it does note that "an injunction may cripple the free flow of goods to Verizon Wireless, businesses and consumers."
Verizon Wireless concludes its argument against the injunction by claiming that "the proposed injunction would disproportionally affect the very devices that are most critical to adoption and expansion of Verizon Wireless's next-generation network." Whether or not Verizon's complaint will be admitted to the case by the court remains to be seen, but it would need to happen before the hearing on the matter that has been scheduled for October 13. [via FOSS Patents]

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Motorola Droid Bionic 4G comes with laptop functionality and price has already dropped after huge demand

The Motorola Droid Bionic Android smartphone has finally arrived, amid a firestorm of media advertising on all media. Arriving as a high performance Android smartphone with tons of multimedia capability, one thing that hasn’t been discussed too much is the ability of the Motorola Droid Bionic to access the Motorola Atrix 4G optional docks. If you recall, the Motorola Atrix 4G was the first phone to successfully offer entry-level notebook functionality via their laptop dock. They also released an automobile GPS windshield or dashboard mount GPS dock which allows for hands-free GPS turn by turn Google voice functioning and Google voice search of the web. Also, a multimedia dock was offered which adds several USB ports and HDMI access to the Motorola Atrix 4G. The Motorola Droid Bionic was smartly designed to access all three of these optional devices. Buy the Motorola Droid Bionic for as little as $149 for brand new Verizon customers or $249 for existing upgrades.
The laptop dock, which Motorola has dubbed the Lapdock, transforms the Droid Bionic Android smartphone into an 11.6 inch screen with standard PC QWERTY keyboard and track pad. This optional accessory also delivers up to eight hours of extra run time on a single battery charge. The multimedia dock, dubbed the Motorola HD Station, allows you to connect to a big screen HDTV via the HDMI port, and even connect peripherals such as an optical mouse or keyboard via the multiple USB ports.
The Motorola Droid Bionic is the first handset to deliver a dual core processor smartphone to the Verizon 4G LTE wireless broadband network. The Droid Bionic 4G offers 540 x 960 pixel resolution on a 4.3 inch capacitive touchscreen that supports 16 million colors and multi-gestures. Protected by an anti-scratch layer of Corning Gorilla Glass, a light sensor and proximity sensor are also built into the display.
The dual core 1.0 GHz processor is supported by 1.0 GB of RAM memory and the Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system is on board. A rear facing 8 megapixel video camera records in 1080P high definition at up to 30 frames per second, and has autofocus, touch to focus, panorama and face detection features. The Motorola Droid Bionic is offered by Verizon starting at $149 with a two-year activation for new customers, and $249 for existing individual upgrades.

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AT&T, T-Mobile Antitrust Suit Spurs FCC to Restart Special Access Inquiry

The Federal Communications Commission announced that the agency was asking for new data on the pricing and the competitive environment around the Special Access market.

Special Access has come to the surface because of its inclusion as a major point in the antitrust complaints by Sprint and Cellular South in the AT&T–T-Mobile antitrust lawsuit. However, Special Access goes far beyond the needs of wireless companies.

While Special Access is getting a lot of attention right now because wireless companies use the DS1, DS3 and Ethernet lines that make up the Special Access infrastructure for their backhaul from cell towers. But in reality, virtually every company that uses any kind of external network access is using Special Access in one way or another. This means the pricing and competitive information that the FCC gathers, and uses for any subsequent ruling, can directly affect the bottom line of your business.

The timing of the announcement coincides with the antitrust action by the Department of Justice, but that wasn’t intentional. In fact, left to its own devices, the FCC probably would never have moved. It required a Writ of Mandamus filed by the Ad Hoc Telecommunications Users Committeeand several other public interest groups to force the FCC to move forward. The Ad Hoc group has already asked the FCC to take action to force the transparency and competition it thinks is necessary.

According to Maura Corbett, executive director of NoChokePoint, the two largest carriers, AT&T and Verizon, are overcharging on the order of $10 billion per year for Special Access. “We are very anxious to get the data and have the commission rule appropriately based on their data,” Corbett said. “This has been open since 2005. We’re still waiting.” Both groups have filed petitions to deny the transfer of licenses in connection with the AT&T–T-Mobile merger. NoChokePoint is an advocacy group focused on Special Access.
“We would like to get to the point where it’s acknowledged that the market has collapsed,” Corbett said, “and we want to see competition and openness.” Corbett noted that it was clear that there was no competition when the FCC deregulated Special Access, and the prices immediately went up.

Colleen Boothby, the attorney who represents the Ad Hoc Telecom Users Committee also studied the effects of deregulation. “We noticed that whenever the Commission deregulated Special Access, the price went up. When they broke out earnings, they (the carriers) were making up to 135 percent profit,” Boothby said. “In a competitive market you can’t get earnings like that.”

Boothby’s organization is comprised of Fortune 500 companies that use Special Access in their telecommunications environment. The membership list is kept secret because in the past, the two major carriers, AT&T and Verizon, took retaliatory action against them, Boothby said.

But the fact is that telecom charges are a major cost factor for nearly every business, and with profit margins of up to 135 percent, greater control over costs through competition or regulation would dramatically reduce the overhead for most businesses. The problem right now is that the two major carriers won’t tell you what their profit margin is because the FCC removed that requirement eight years ago. Prior to that, there was customer pressure to keep the margins within reason.

What’s interesting is that the docket item at the FCC was originally opened at the request of Jim Cicconi, who is AT&T’s chief lobbyist, and who is now fighting the FCC action. But at the time of the request, AT&T hadn’t merged and was forced to buy Special Access services. Now that AT&T and Verizon are providing the Special Access lines, the two companies have formed an effective duopoly in that business. Small operators are complaining that they are frozen out of the business by predatory practices.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the same argument Sprint is making regarding the merger of AT&T and T-Mobile. Sprint may have a point, It’s already dealing with an effective duopoly in its backhaul and in its complaint is claiming that the costs associated with the backhaul charges are anti-competitive.

Of course, AT&T and Verizon have to pay Special Access charges when they cross over into each other’s territory. The difference is that they’re paying each other for the same services and this effectively cancels out any charges. of course, neither company is willing to say how much it pays the other for Special Access, so they can set the price to the other as high or low as they wish. But in effect Special Access is free for them.

The Special Access market provides a good look at the future of the wireless market if the merger with T-Mobile goes through. You’ll have a duopoly that can charge whatever they want, provide whatever services and products they want because customers don’t really have an alternative. There will still be a few small players in the wireless market just as there are a few small providers now in the Special Access market, all of which are slowly being marginalized. Not a pretty picture, but that’s what’s happened in Special Access, and it could be the future for Wireless as well.

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Motorola Spyder revealed with Super AMOLED qHD screen, dual-core, and LTE

How about a new powerhouse Android smartphone to start our weekend? What has just been revealed is apparently codenamed the Motorola Spyder but sources are calling this the DROID RAZR. I’m not sure if I’m more excited to see the name RAZR be revived, or the fact it has a qHD 960 x 540 Super AMOLED display. More details and images after the break.

Featuring a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor (unknown at this point), 1GB of RAM, 8MP rear camera with dual LED flash and then what they are calling an HD front facing camera too. Initial leaks are pegging this to be quite similar to the DROID Bionic and I’d have to agree.

Now for the exciting part. They mention this Motorola Spyder will come with a Super AMOLED qHD display. Taking both the high resolution 960 x 540 from the qHD line and blending it with the amazing and vivid colors and contrast from an AMOLED display. I don’t know about you guys but that just sounds awesome. Some may remember the DROID HD that was leaked back in August and it appears to be the same smartphone.
I like the fact they may revive the once iconic and hugely popular RAZR brand as it had a great run back in the days. Looking over the leaked images below it appears to be very similar to both the Bionic and the Droid X — having a similar small volume rocker, and maybe even the slight curve around back as we’ve seen so many times. We can expect a wide array of docks, web tops, and accessories just like previously launched Motorola smartphones with the DROID RAZR too. Take note the micro-USB and micro-HDMI appear to have a cover or door to conceal them if the photo renders below are what we’ll see come launch.
Interesting leak for this early Saturday that is for sure. We should hear and see more and hopefully this amazing looking phone doesn’t get delayed too many times like our friend the Bionic.
[via Thisismynext]

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Samsung Galaxy S2 vs LG Optimus Q2

We watch as Samsung's Galaxy S2 defends its title against LG's new Optimus Q2

We see how LG’s latest Android phone, the Optimus Q2, compares to Samsung’s well-established Galaxy S2.

Form:
Samsung Galaxy S2 - 125.3x66.1x8.5mm, 116g
LG Optimus Q2 - 123x65x12.3mm,147g
Samsung might not make waves by producing bombastic designs like Nokia and Sony Ericsson, but what the company does well is elegant understatement.
There’s nothing in-your-face about the Galaxy S2, instead its opting for simple, clean lines and eye-pleasing proportions. It’s very squared-off with its stark rectangular silhouette and sharp corners but we think this lends it a premium appearance.
What is slightly less premium is the build quality. It’s not exactly going to fall apart any time soon. But in order to get that wafer thin profile and feather-like weight Samsung has opted for plastic over the aluminium we’re more used to seeing on high-end handsets.
The back panel has a nice, modern-looking ‘carbon fibre’ texture to it to add a bit of panache but it’s not a distracting visual feature by any means.
LG is also well-established as a company which, in the main, makes some very attractive devices – although it has produced a few stinkers of late.
The Q2 has also gone for a minimalist aesthetic but we feel LG has perhaps been a bit overzealous in this regard, crossing the border from unobtrusive chic and into outright bland territory.
The corners are extremely rounded giving an overly soft feel to the phone’s looks.
Where Samsung has kept the details small and discreet, LG has removed them entirely, creating a completely flat and uninterrupted surface.
Winner – Samsung Galaxy S2

Display:
Samsung is well known for producing some pretty spectacular smartphone displays and the Galaxy S2’s is no exception thanks to a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus capacitive touchscreen.
The pixel density is a respectable 217 pixels-per-inch thanks to an 800x480 pixel resolution.
Gorilla Glass has been used for the screen so you don’t have to worry about it taking a bit of a beating.
Built-in accelerometer and gyroscope sensors sort out screen orientation, along with Samsung’s TouchWiz 4.0 user interface (UI) which is overlaid on the Android operating system. The S2’s display supports multi-touch input and features touch-sensitive capacitive buttons under the glass.
LG’s Q2 uses an IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, it’s slightly smaller than the Samsung’s at 4-inches, but with the same resolution this gives a higher pixel density at 233ppi.
Just like its opponent the Q2 packs both accelerometer and gyro sensors and it also similarly features multi-touch and capacitive controls.
It seems LG has beaten Samsung at it’s own game here. The higher pixel density of the Q2 means you’ll get a much sharper picture.
Samsung’s Super Amoled Plus technology goes some way to compensating for its lower pixel density and it’s still a fine display, but even so, on raw numbers we think the difference is significant enough to grant LG the victory.
Winner – LG Optimus Q2

Storage:
The Galaxy S2 is something of a heavyweight contender when it comes to storage with options for both 16GB and 32GB of internal capacity.
By comparison the Q2 has 8GB onboard, which is nothing to sneeze at of course, but it’s not anywhere near approaching even the lower end Galaxy’s space.
The rest of the storage specs are quite similar between the two, each has 1GB of RAM to support their respective processors and both also feature microSD slots allowing for a further 32GB of external memory.
This is quite an easy victory for the Galaxy’s sledgehammer approach to memory, but that’s not to say the Q2 is exactly lacking, it’s simply dwarfed by the exceptionally generous amount of space on the Samsung.
Winner – Samsung Galaxy S2

Processor:
Both phones are dual core powered devices. Samsung’s baby runs an ARM Cortex-A9 processor clocked at 1.2GHz. It runs the Exynos chipset and packs a powerful Mali-400MP graphics processing unit (GPU) into the bargain.
The LG is on the same level power-wise at an identical 1.2GHz clock speed, however, it’s running NVidia-made hardware on the Tegra 2 chipset.
They’re equally high-powered handsets and you might be hard pushed to discern a performance difference between the two.
Winner - Draw

Operating System:
Each of these handsets is running Google’s Android operating system, the same version too, Android Gingerbread.
As a result, there’s nothing to compare the two here.
Winner - Draw

Camera:
LG has opted for a 5-megapixel primary camera in the Optimus Q2. The resolution comes in at 2592х1944 pixels and there’s also a secondary VGA camera with video calling support.
Autofocus, LED flash and geo-tagging keep the features short but sweet.
Exact information on the video capture quality hasn’t been forthcoming, although we’ve seen plenty of suggestion for 1080p HD, which isn’t too much of a stretch really. We’d say at the very least we’d expect 720p capture from this setup.
The Samsung goes the extra mile though with an 8-megapixel primary at 3264x2448 pixels, boasting 1080p HD video capture, video calling and a video light.
Other features include geo-tagging, touch focus, panoramic capture, face and smile detection, image stabilisation, autofocus and an LED flash. Lastly, the secondary camera is rated at 2-megapixels.
Another easy win for the Samsung with it’s strong-arm approach to in-built cameras.
Winner – Samsung Galaxy S2

Final Thoughts:
This has actually been a pretty tough contest. In some key areas the Q2 has shown itself to be the Galaxy S2’s equal, with an evenly matched processor and sporting the same operating system.
The most surprising result was a win for the LG on display, an area usually dominated by Samsung phones.
Apart from this, however, the Samsung is still as potent as ever with a superior camera, a much greater storage capability and killer looks.
We doubt if many people would find themselves dissatisfied if they get their hands on an LG Optimus Q2 and they’d be getting the better end of the bargain as far as display is concerned.
In many other ways though, the Samsung Galaxy S2 is still top dog, the Q2 proves it’s not so secure on its pedestal, but LG is not quite able to topple it just yet.

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