AndroidGuys has posted some photos this weekend of HTC's alleged "world phone," one that runs both GSM and CDMA bands.

The pictured prototype is for Verizon, and the site says they don't expect the phone to be released until 2011.

Showing off its dual-network capabilities, the smartphone had a Vodaphone SIM card, as well.

The other specs are up for interpretation but it appears to have a 4-inch mulitouch display, a 4-row QWERTY keypad and a 1.2 Ghz processor.

Furthermore, the device is expected to launch with at least Android 2.2.

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Yoko Ono, the widow of the late John Lennon has said this week that negotiations between Apple and The Beatles are still at a standstill, so don't expect the popular catalog to hit iTunes or other MP3 stores anytime soon.

The band remains one of the few to not go legally digital, instead selling physical CDs like they did last year, with the catalog remastered.

Apple Corps (not to be confused with iTunes owner Apple), the group's holding company still cannot come to terms with the EMI Group, the label which licenses the Beatles' recordings.

Says Ono: "[Apple CEO] Steve Jobs has his own idea and he's a brilliant guy. There's just an element that we're not very happy about, as people. We are holding out. "Don't hold your breath ... for anything."

Apple Corps is jointly owned by Ono, Paul McCartney, Ringo Star and Olivia Harrison, widow of former member George Harrison.

While the company may seem closed off to new digital ideas, the band's music was reissued on CD last year, is available via the "Beatles: Rock Band" video game and through the Cirque du Soleil "Love" stage show.

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Billboard is reporting this week that UMG (Universal Music Group) has pulled its artist's music videos from MTV.com, due to a breakdown in negotiations over licensing fees.

UMG has long licensed music directly to MTV but it now does all its direct licensing through Vevo, the joint venture site which includes Sony Music, YouTube and AT&T as stakeholders.

MTV's deal with UMG has now expired and Vevo was in negotiations with MTV before the talks broke down. The deal is only for online properties and also includes the sites for VH1 and CMT.

The popular TV network had this to say on the matter:

"For almost 30 years, we have enjoyed long and colorful partnerships with all the music labels, including UMG and their talented roster of artists on MTV, VH1 and CMT. As the industry evolves, we continue to seek out new and innovative ways to connect artists with their fans that are mutually beneficial to everyone. However, during our recent discussions with Vevo, we were unable to reach a fair and equitable agreement for rights to stream UMG artists' music video content. As a result, UMG has elected to pull their music videos from our web sites. We are disappointed by this move and sincerely hope that UMG will work with us toward a fair resolution and allow their artists to once again connect with the millions of music fans who visit MTV.com, VH1.com and CMT.com every month."

UMG struck back with the following:

"MTVN has been unwilling to negotiate a fair syndication deal with Vevo to carry our artists' videos and consequently our videos will not be shown on their online properties. We believe that using Vevo as our online music video syndication platform is the best way to maximize revenue for our artists, our songwriters and ourselves, while bringing our videos to the widest possible audience. In less than 8 months since its launch, Vevo has already become the web's #1 rated video network with over 49 million unique visitors monthly, dramatically eclipsing those on MTV's online properties, while attracting scores of major advertisers and tens of millions in advertising dollars. As a result, our artists are enjoying tremendous exposure on Vevo on YouTube and Vevo.com, and will enjoy even more as Vevo continues to complete syndication deals supplementing the existing arrangements with leading destinations as AOL and CBS Interactive."

The talks are ongoing.

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Over the past few months, the Chinese Ministry of Culture has identified 185 sites that infringe on copyrights, adding that the sites violate regulations and do not have licenses to distribute music.

Since April, 23 of those sites have shut down, and the Ministry is still actively investigating the others.

The IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) has applauded the recent actions:

"It is good news that the authorities are taking action against some infringing websites, but there are many more illegal music services that continue to operate with impunity," says Leong Mayseey, IFPI regional director for Asia, (via Billboard).

"Only 23 of the original 185 websites identified by the Ministry of Culture have been taken down and it is not clear what penalties, if any, their operators face. If China wants its creative sector to punch its weight globally, it must do more to create a widespread climate of respect for intellectual property."

Continuing, the director says: "We hope to see the authorities following this welcome development with further action against services that illegally build their businesses by abusing other people's rights."

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Apple has updated the iPad App Store this week, allowing tablet owners to use Genius recommendations when looking for apps.

Opening the App Store on your tablet will give you the option to "Genius" (right next to "Updates"). After enabling it, users are given a list of apps they may want to try out, based on their past choices and downloads.

The iPhone/Touch App Store has had the option for a couple of years now, but now iPad tablet owners have the same ability.

Apple's Genius recommendations for the iPad work exactly like the iPhone/Touch version, giving an option to upgrade from free apps to their paid counterparts, as well. If you are completely uninterested in an app, tick "not interested" to ensure the same app will not show up again.

The company recently debuted "Try Before You Buy" for the App Store, as well, which gives users a chance to demo paid apps before buying it.

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The IFPI has claimed the largest ever piracy raid in Bulgaria this week, shutting down four sites that illegally distribute music, movies, video games and software.

The Bulgarian Police's Cyber Crime Unit, in conjunction with the IFPI, have shut down nanoset.net, rapidadd.com, 4storing.com and afasta.com.

Bulgarian Association of Music Producers (BAMP) claimed the sites were run by organized crime members and filed the original complaints against each of the sites.

Nanoset was a P2P service but the other three were file-hosting and storing sites, each of which also offered streaming capabilities of unauthorized movies, many of which were still in theaters or had yet to hit theaters in the nation.

Police added that they believe users paid €2.5 million to access the content, and the sites also raised money through advertising.

Site operators were arrested and computer systems were seized, noted the authorities. Bulgarian ISPs hosting the websites were also discovered to have 120 terabytes of unauthorized content.

Bulgaria is known to have one of the highest piracy rates in the world, at about 99.5 percent, with three of the country's top five most visited domestic sites being warez sites.

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In May we reported that Foxconn was raising worker salaries up to 70 percent amidst a flood of worker suicides at their Chinese factory.

The company, probably best known for manufacturing the Apple iPhone among tons of other electronics we use daily, has been massively criticized for its working conditions, and low wages.

This week, the company has confirmed a new death at its Chinese plants, a 22-year old assembly worker.

The company says the woman "fell from a dormitory at a plant" in mainland China.

Police are still looking into the incident.

Foxconn, and parent Hon Hai have been under intense scrutiny all year following the eleven suicides at its plants in China. Worker's families were compensated ten times the worker's annual salary after each suicide, leading many to believe that the deaths were intentional to pass on money to family members.

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TorrentReactor, one of the most popular torrent trackers on the Web, has purchased a small town in Russia and renamed it "TorrentReactor."

The site purchased the small town of Gar for $148,000 USD (4.5 million rubles).

TorrentReactor founder Alex confirmed the purchase to TF.

Gar was founded in 1958 by Russian Orthodox Church zealots and currently only has 215 inhabitants. Most are farmers.

Thanks to the purchase by the torrent site, the people of Gar will now get Internet, although there are only three computers in the whole town, with one connected to the Internet via dial-up.

"Most of it will be split among villagers and the rest will be used to re-equip the local school, repair roads, purchase agricultural equipment and machinery. Also torrentreactor.net company decided to pay for broadband Internet connection in the settlement which will result in about 900,000 rubles ($30,000) because there are no networks nearby," says Alex of TorrentReactor.

The move may seem like a marketing campaign for the site, but Alex says the TR team is trying to be humanitarians: "We realize it's just a drop in the ocean comparing to the amount of money needed to help thousands of other villages. But we at least do something to support complete strangers. We are proud that we are able to do so and hope we will be proud of this in the future."

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According to a new report from the Brazilian tech site MacMagazine, Apple may be ready to unveil its most updated iPod Touch, one with two cameras, on August 16th, earlier than its expected September launch date.

The site cites a "a reliable source within Apple," who says the company could unveil the device as early as on the 14th, but being a Saturday that does not seem as likely.

Since 2007 Apple has held its iPod press events in September, and most believe the new iPods will be unveiled this September, as well.

However, before 2007, the company released iPod models in any month from March until October.

The new iPod Touch will (rumored) have a front-facing and a standard camera, allowing for FaceTime video conferencing. Additionally, it will include a gyroscope.

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