Engadget has posted new pics of the upcoming LG 'Star' smartphone, the new flagship in the company's Android Optimus line.

The device will run at least Android 2.2 out of the gate, and be the first smartphone to run on a powerful Nvidia Tegra 2 processor.

Additionally it will feature an 8MP camera with 1080p video recording, and a front-facing camera.

With a January release date planned, the smartphone will be the first to use a dual-core processor.

Furthermore, the site says it hears the Android will be "vanilla," with no extra interface layers.

Earlier in the day, LG said they sold 1 million Optimus smartphones around the world in just 40 days.

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Google CEO Eric Schmidt has explained what will differentiate their Android OS from their upcoming Chrome OS, saying mainly that Chrome OS was created for devices that have full keyboards, whereas Android is better for touchscreen devices.

Chrome OS will soon be available on PCs, notebooks and netbooks, which will always include full keyboards, even if they have touchscreen interfaces.

Android, on the other hand, is best suited for smartphones and (eventually) tablets, which may sometimes have keyboards, but will always have a touchscreen.

When asked about Android fragmentation, Schmidt noted that he wants to make sure that in the future, the same apps can be run on all Android devices, no matter what version or what device.

Android 2.3 Gingerbread is expected in the coming weeks while Chrome OS is expected by January.

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Major U.S. carriers T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T have announced today the launch of Isis, a joint venture that will give customers a chance to pay for services and products via their phones.

The payment network will use Discover Financial Services (DFS).

"This is an unprecedented partnership, one that's necessary," says Michael Abbott, who will run the venture.

The initiative is open and Abbot says that Barclays' Barclaycard will be the first issuer.

"Barclaycard will have the first mover advantage as an issuer of multiple mobile payment products. It gives us great access to [the telcos'] 200 million customer base," added Amer Sajed, CEO of Barclaycard US.

Visa and Mastercard are not expected to sign up for the venture, however, as both are starting their own systems.

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Samsung Electronics has said today that the company is planning on introducing HDTVs with Google TV at the CES event in January.

The company is the world's largest TV maker.

Yoon Boo Keun, head of Samsung's TV business, did not leave any other details except to say it was "open to using" new chips made by Intel for its TVs.

Last month, Sony began selling the first HDTVs with Google TV and sales have met expectations.

Fans of Google TV, however, have been disappointed as all the major broadcasters have blocked their signals from use through the service.

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Lenovo has said today it will launch its LePad Android tablet in the U.S. next year, looking to compete in the ever-growing market for fast, portable, touchscreen gadgets running mobile operating systems.

CEO Yan Yuanqing confirmed the device which was first spoken about over the summer.

The American tablet market has grown exponentially since Apple launched the iPad in April. Dell, HP, RIMM, Samsung, Toshiba and LG have all released or promised to release tablets within the next quarter.

Lenovo did not put a price on the tablet just yet but did note it will launch in China early next year, as well.

The company is also heavily investing in a "program to support developers of mobile Internet applications and services as the firm looks to expand its application download store, which will work with the LePad," says the WSJ.

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In what is certainly the most notable movie leak in some time, the first 36 minutes of the latest Harry Potter film are now widely available on the Internet.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, will debut in the U.S. on Friday.

The "extended clip," which is tagged as a DVD-Screener, has a large Warner Bros. watermark but is otherwise intact.

In 2007, a PDF of the book was leaked the week before the title was set for release.

The question now remains as to why the screener is only 36 minutes long, but the consensus is that Warner Bros. was so scared of a leak that they cut down the amount shown in the screeners they sent out.

It could also be that Warner just leaked the clip themselves to add to the hype, not that the Harry Potter series, especially this film, needs any more.

Regardless, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 will make over $100 million at the Box Office this weekend.

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Apple has officially announced today that iTunes will begin offering tracks from the Beatles, marking the first time a digital platform has been given access to the catalog.

The Beatles had long kept to selling their re-mastered tracks on CDs and records.

All 13 re-mastered Beatles albums are now available via iTunes, with each individual track costing $1.29.

Albums sell for either $13 or $20, depending on the length.

If you are an avid fan, Apple is also offering the "Beatles Box Set" for $150. The set includes film of their "Live at the Washington Coliseum, 1964" concert. The concert was the band's first in the U.S.

With the Beatles now checked off the list, remaining notable major artists that do sell on iTunes include AC/DC, Kid Rock and Black Sabbath.

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