With MWC drawing ever closer, new handset leaks are hitting the wires hard and fast. Today alone we’ve seen the Galaxy Mini 2 break cover and new images of the LG Miracle Windows Phone emerge, and now HTC’s latest LTE-friendly Android phone has been caught on film.

As PhoneArena notes, this mysterious handset sports the same sort of curvaceous back that gave devices like Verizon’s HTC Incredible and Rezound a bit of extra visual flair. That, coupled with the appearance of Verizon’s own 4G LTE logo and what looks like the Verizon Wave wallpaper means that we could be looking at an early version of a Big Red-bound Incredible 3.

With the announcement of their renewed focus on “hero” devices still fresh in my mind, I can’t help but think that this handset doesn’t seem like much of a standout. Ice Cream Sandwich and the Sense 4.0 UI notwithstanding, the device’s 1.2 GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, and 8-megapixel camera aren’t much of a bump over previous Incredible models. Audiophiles — or at least, audiophiles who don’t mind listening to compressed mp3s on their smartphone — may also be tickled by the inclusion of Beats Audio support, and it’s a safe bet that the Beats headphones should ship with it.

Strangely,HTC opted to go for four hardware buttons rather than the three on-screen keys that are baked into Ice Cream Sandwich. A leaked demo video of the forthcoming HTC Ville clearly shows that the Taiwanese company has adopted the three key layout, though The Verge points out the possibility of this device launching with Gingerbread first before receiving the 4.0 update. Considering that HTC plans to push ICS to certain devices as early as this March though, the thought of HTC launching a handset without the latest software is more than a little puzzling.

It’s been nearly a month since Verizon officially spilled the beans on the QWERTY-packing, LTE-sporting Motorola Droid 4, and now we finally have a release date to go with it. According to the nation’s largest wireless provider, the oft-delayed Droid 4 is due to hit sales channels on February 10 complete with a $199 price tag.

Though its slimmer brethren have enjoyed most of the limelight lately, the Droid 4 is still a welcome addition to the Verizon lineup as their second LTE device with a full physical keyboard.

While it doesn’t yet run Ice Cream Sandwich, the rest of its feature list — 1.2 GHZ dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, 8-megapixel rear camera, and 4-inch qHD display — make for an attractive little package. Additional features like government-grade encryption, a sprinkling of enterprise-friendly apps, and support for Motorola’s Lapdock 500 only sweeten the deal, especially if you’re looking to dump that work BlackBerry for something a bit more robust.

To celebrate the release of the Droid 4 (and a buy-one-get-one promotion on the Droid RAZR family), Verizon is also reviving their double-data promotion, so penny-pinching phone shoppers may want to jump on the deal before it disappears again. Of course, if Verizon keeps doing what they’re doing, there’s a real chance we’ll see that double data promo rear its head once another noteworthy LTE smartphone comes down the pipeline.

Ladies and gentlemen, it looks like the mysterious Project Zoetrope will soon be seeing the light of day. Verizon and Redbox owner Coinstar have just taken to the wires today to announce their new joint venture in video entertainment, with their subscription services poised to launch in the second half of this year.

Details are still light at the moment (though a 9:30 AM conference call should shed some light on things) but the new service certainly has Netflix in its sights.

What we do know so far is that Verizon looks to combine a “video on demand streaming and download service” with Redbox’s physical media rentals from their 35,000+ kiosks nationwide. If the information given to us from an inside source holds true though, expect to see the yet-unnamed video service hit a host of platforms — think iOS, Android, Xbox, and the like.

I probably don’t need to remind you that Verizon is a major player in both the home entertainment and mobile space, and it’s exactly that breadth that they and Redbox want to built off of for their new service. The two companies are apparently in pursuit of what they call the “borderless lifestyle,” where the entertainment content consumers want will be available on the device (or media format) of their choosing.

It has the potential to be a far more attractive option than Netflix for some customers, if only because using Netflix’s mail order service requires a little bit of forethought. Spur-of-the-moment types will likely appreciate the ability to swing by the local drugstore and pick up a few DVDs for the night when their new movie of choice hasn’t yet appeared in their Verizon/Redbox streaming account yet. That question of content is what will ultimately make or break this new service, and hopefully they have some aces up their collective sleeves, as the new joint venture and Netflix will likely compete head-to-head on new DVD and Blu-ray releases.

In all likelihood, Netflix will have Verizon/Redbox beat when it comes to the size of their physical media catalog, so Verizon/Redbox may look to play up their “borderless” streaming side of things. Even that could be a risky move, as Netflix’s anemic margins on streaming video content show that it’s a tough model to run with.

Update: Well shucks, the conference call lasted all of four minutes and didn’t shed any new light on the situation.

Looks like that flubbed product page turned out to be right after all — Verizon Wireless has just announced that the ever-so-slightly-tweaked Droid RAZR MAXX will indeed be hitting store shelves on January 26.

One of the big issues Jordan noted in our original Droid RAZR review was that the battery could leave some heavy users in the lurch, but that (hopefully) won’t be the case with the RAZR MAXX. Despite sporting near-identical specs to its slimmer brother, the MAXX also packs a fairly ridiculous 3300 mAh battery without sacrificing too much of its alluring profile.

The MAXX also features 32GB of onboard storage, a considerable bump up from the original’s 16GB allotment. If you can live with just a little extra heft (the MAXX comes in at 8.99mm thick, compared to the original’s 7.1mm waist line), this is looking like the Droid RAZR to beat.

With the RAZR MAXX preparing to take its place in Verizon’s top-tier smartphone pantheon, you can expect the price tag to match its status. It’ll cost $299 out of the gate with a two-year contract, though the penny-pinchers among you should know that the original model (sans SD card) has recently dropped down to a more reasonable $199.

Ever since the AT&T/T-Mobile saga came to a grinding halt, you’d think that Verizon would be enjoying its reign in peace. But it would seem that the company has posted a net loss of $2.02 billion in the fourth quarter of 2011. At the same time a year earlier, Verizon was seeing a profit of $2.64 billion.

According to Bloomberg, the loss can be attributed to a pension charge and higher subsidy costs for rising iPhone sales. But there have been gains, as well. Verizon lured in 1.2 million new subscribers — probably thanks in large part to the iPhone — and hopes that the high subsidy costs will eventually be paid off by consumers as they spend on calling and data.

Bloomberg enlisted the help of James Ratcliffe, an analyst at Barclays Capital in New York, who said that “the average smartphone customer will spend about $2,000 over the two-year contract. If the subsidy is $400, you’re still getting $1,600, and that’s very cash-flow positive.” It would appear that smartphones are, indeed, where it’s at for Verizon, as the company reported that 44 percent of its customer base is now using a smartphone.

The carrier announced a total revenue of $18.3 billion for the quarter, representing a 13 percent year-over-year increase. Not surprisingly, data played a major role in bringing in the big bucks for ol’ Big Red.

In fact, 42 percent of all revenue for the quarter was made up of the $6.3 billion in data revenue, up 19.2 percent from the same time last year.

While AT&T may be hitting a roadblock on their path to 4G LTE expansion, Verizon LTE seems to be spreading like wildfire. It feels like just yesterday that Verizon rolled out 4G LTE service to its first batch of U.S. markets, and now over a year later 200 million Americans are enjoying higher speeds.

In fact, tomorrow Verizon will expand its high-speed network into five new markets, and expand coverage in three existing markets. New cities to receive coverage include Glens Falls, NY; Utica, NY; Lawton, OK; Brownsville, TX; and McAllen, TX. If you live in Atlanta, Houston or Spokane, chances are your 4G LTE service will reach right on into the suburbs come tomorrow, as Verizon is expanding its coverage in those markets.

Verizon’s LTE network is great, and the roll-out has been quick and mostly problem-free. However, the network itself seems to have had a few hiccups (that felt more like sweaty, drunk man belches) around the holiday season, but hopefully that’s all in the past.

[via MobileBurn]

We’re no strangers to Novatel Wireless — their aircards have been saving us on a regular basis this week — and now they’ve swung by our part of the ShowStoppers stage to show off their new Jetpack mobile hotspot for Verizon.

The Verizon Jetpack sports an OLED display and support for Verizon’s 4G LTE network but perhaps more importantly, it also has full support for global roaming. Trying to surf the web in Venice? Go for it! Need a solid data connection outside the Louvre? Not a problem.

Of course, you’ll have to shell out quite a bit for that privilege, but hopefully you’ve got a corporate checkbook picking up that tab. No word yet on availability, but hopefully it arrives before summer rolls around and all you tourists start travelling en masse.

It seems like December just can’t end soon enough for the folks at Verizon — we’re getting reports that Verizon’s data network is once again on the fritz.

Like both other times this month, not everyone is affected, but I can safely say my little part of New Jersey is without data. Users on Verizon’s support forums have reported similar issues in parts of Georgia, Michigan, Oregon, Pennsylvania, California, Virginia, Washington, Texas, and Maryland.

Interestingly, the outage only seems to be affecting 4G devices, as Droid-Life reports that 3G only handsets seem to work just fine. 4G handsets on the other hand can’t seem to pick up either 3G or 4G service, so hopefully you’re not using your Galaxy Nexus for anything too critical.

Each outage becomes harder and harder to swallow, if only because Verizon has never revealed the cause of these issues. It’s especially frustrating because Verizon’s big 4G promotional push was intended to get as many customers up and running on their LTE network as soon as possible. They wanted to preserve the quality of service for customers with 3G-only devices, but I can’t help but wonder if Verizon’s plan was a bit too successful. I’ve reached out to Verizon for a comment, but haven’t heard anything yet at time of writing — we’ll keep you posted on the situation.

Update 1: a Verizon Wireless spokesperson reached out with the following statement.

We are investigating reports of some customers experiencing trouble accessing the 4GLTE network. The network itself continues to operate and all customers continue to be able to make calls, send text messages and utilize data services. 3G devices are operating normally.

Update 2: Verizon has confirmed via Twitter that the outage was fixed overnight.

Verizon will be rolling out a new Media Server product for its FiOS customers later next year, which will be a single hardware device that will eventually eliminate the need for a set-top box altogether. The server will be capable of streaming HD TV to all devices in the home, including the TV, of course, but also gaming systems, mobile devices and tablets like the iPad. Although the company has not officially announced details, timeframe or pricing, we were recently given a sneak peek into the company’s plans.

You can see the Media Server in this promotional video discussing Verizon’s focus on the energy efficiency of its products. Here, Tushar Saxena, Director of Technology at Verizon, talks about the upgrades Verizon’s set-top boxes have seen in recent months. He shows a big box that’s an example of outdated tech (hey, that’s my box!) and a more compact, 30% more energy efficient model. Saxena then shows off new set-top boxes, yet to be released, which are even smaller, and will soon be small enough to “velcro behind your TV,” he says.

But what’s interesting is that these tiny set-top boxes are meant for the additional TVs in the house – your main TV will be attached a larger Media Server, also shown in the video, underneath the stack of set-top boxes. The server will stream media to other Internet-connected devices, including laptops, Xboxes, PlayStations, tablets and mobile devices like the iPhone, the video explains. Saxena says that the plan is to eventually eliminate the set-top box altogether by providing applications to all the IP-connected devices, including TVs, that can directly communicate with the server over Wi-Fi. This transition should occur in a “few year’s time,” he notes.

Getting rid of set-top boxes means increased energy efficiency of course, which was the point of the video. But a Verizon spokesperson tells us that the Media Server itself will be released in late 2012.

Verizon is also running tests involving streaming 3D HD TV over Wi-Fi, using the same media server technology. Routers in Verizon’s test labs have successfully transmitted a 3D HD FiOS signals (40 Mbps) over 200 feet, through sheetrock and steel walls, without the loss of video quality. There’s a demo of that in action here using routers with multiple antenna arrays streaming over the 802.11n standard in conjunction with the media server hardware.

During a time when everyone is thinking of cutting the cable, so to speak, it’s interesting to watch developments like this which are more correctly envisioning TV as a service that should be available on any screen in the home.

Now here’s hoping Verizon’s pricing hits the mark, too.

Update: Motorola wants you all to know that the Media Server is actually, an “advanced set-top gateway — a nextgen, smarter set-top that can now communicate to multiple devices in the home,” according to a company spokesperson, “…when people read the set-top is going away, they automatically (and mistakenly) assume our business is doomed.”

Is there an emoticon for an eyeroll?

Just two weeks after Verizon’s 4G data network most recently went on the fritz, it looks like customers are once again being forced to live their lives without data. Scores of Verizon users across the country will be waking up without without so much as a 3G connection in sight until a fix is in place.

A quick look at Verizon’s support forums illustrates the extent of the data outage: the data outage has struck New York, California, Illinois, Washington D.C., New Jersey, Florida, North Carolina, and Ohio (among others).

Now the outage doesn’t seem to be affecting everyone (much like last time), and some users are reporting that their data service has been restored. I’d take those reports with a grain of salt for the time being: my Verizon Galaxy Nexus manages to pick up a 1X or 3G connection sporadically, but it never lasts for long. That said, anyone who has an LTE smartphone may want to switch into the CDMA-only mode, as that’s where I’ve had most of my (limited) success with data.

While I’m sure that it won’t be too long before Verizon sorts out this mess, it may not be the most comforting situation for customers looking to re-up their contracts with Big Red. They’ve had pretty consistent 4G service for the year that the network has been live, but now customers have had to deal with two major data snafus in one month. C’mon Verizon, I expect these sorts of data issues from RIM, not you.

Verizon has yet to acknowledge the issue via a release, although their @VZWSupport Twitter account has just started fielding customer complaints about the outage. We’ll keep you posted on any further developments.

UPDATE: It’s all over, folks. Back to web surfing and tweeting as usual.

Data service restored for all 4G customers after issue in AM. 3G devices were unaffected. Voice, text worked for all customers throughout.—
Verizon Wireless (@VZWnews) December 21, 2011

Because the name “Verizon DROID RAZR by Motorola” seemingly isn’t long enough, it looks like Verizon’s already planning another RAZR with even more words in the name. I kid, of course (does the name even matter? Everyone outside of the tech scene just calls every Android phone “the Droid” anyway), but I pick on the name because it’s pretty much the only thing we know at this point.

Spotted lurking in VZW’s inventory system by the guys at Droid-Life, it looks like the next handset in the DROID RAZR series will be the DROID RAZR MAXX.

Motorola just launched a phone (the HD XT928) in China last week that could pass as the RAZR’s twin, save for two big differences: it has a 720p screen (1280×720, while the original DROID RAZR comes in at 960×540), and a 13 megapixel camera (vs 8.) The current thought is that the HD XT928 and the Droid Razr Maxx are one in the same, though it’s all conjecture at this point.

Keep an eye out and let us know if you spot anything, won’t you?

The Galaxy Nexus has been on sale here in the U.S. for mere hours, and it’s already getting its first refresh. But reports are bound to come in over the next week or so, but it looks as though Google had a few things that still needed fixing upon release.

In Android 4.0.2 build ICL53F, you’ll see improvements to your 3G/4G connection, your Wifi connection (including automatic reconnection to already-saved networks) and mobile hotspot enhancements.

The lock screen will also get some “visual improvements,” along with some special effect enhancements for the front-facing shooter. If you already own a Galaxy Nexus, you may have seen this error message: “data was disconnected due to roaming”. That was a mistake, and will no longer appear once the update is complete. And if you were having trouble opening up certain mail attachments, that issue is done for, as well.

You may have also noticed that the G-Nex supports DivX. This latest update will remove support for DivX, though Verizon promises that support will come back in a future update. Verizon also mentions improved volume during Google Navigation’s turn-by-turn directions.

If the update hasn’t already been pushed straight to your device, it’s worth hitting up the Settings tab and checking for updates manually.

Here’s the full scoop on everything included in the update, and happy Galaxy Nexus day, everyone!

[via Droid-Life]

When Verizon officially revealed the Galaxy Nexus last night, some of you were surprised to see it sport such a high price tag. Thanks to Verizon’s apparent change in pricing policy, all of their new flagship 4G phones are hovering at around $299. Now if you absolutely have to have a Galaxy Nexus today (something I’m currently debating myself), Verizon stores are likely to be your first thought, but chances are you won’t be alone in your quest.

However, there are bargains to be found if you’re willing to dig a little, and are a few that may make buying a Nexus easier to swallow.

Fry’s Electronics: East Coast Galaxy fans need not apply, but you can snag a Galaxy Nexus from Fry’s for $219 with a new contract, and $249 for an upgrade/contract extension. Not shabby at all, and assuming you live near one, you may be able to enjoy a taste of Ice Cream Sandwich today.

Wirefly: These guys sport the same deal as Fry’s (not a surprise since their online wireless storefronts are powered by the same company), but the units themselves will apparently ship in a few days. Not a bad choice if you live in the middle of nowhere.

AmazonWireless: They’re offering a pretty solid discount on the Nexus for new customers looking to ink a Verizon contract – the device itself will set you back $199. Upgraders will need to shell out an extra $50, but the addition of free two-day shipping should offset the pain a bit. The Nexii are currently backordered, but with any luck that’ll clear up soon.

Let’s Talk: If you’re willing to head off the beaten path, these guys have the Galaxy Nexus for $229 with a new contract and $249 with an upgrade. However, Vlad at The Verge points out that there’s an additional $75 coupon code that can be thrown into the mix, bringing prices down to $154 and $174, respectively. The code (which is “$75VZN” by the way) combined with free overnight shipping makes this the deal to beat.

Once you’ve nabbed your Nexus (and hopefully saved a little money in the process) you can finally play with Ice Cream Sandwich proper — and by that, I mean sing Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” with attractive women.

Well it’s about time — after months of breathless waiting, Verizon has finally confirmed that the LTE-capable Galaxy Nexus will indeed launch on December 15 (i.e. tomorrow). The word comes courtesy of 9to5Google, who received a release from Big Red themselves celebrating the device’s long-awaited release.

As expected the device sticks to Verizon’s new standard pricing model for top-tier 4G smartphones, and people looking to nab at Nexus at the $299 price point will have to sign up for (or extend) a two-year contract. If the thought of slogging to a Verizon store or third-party retailer tomorrow fills you with dread, you’ll also have a shot a snagging one when the online sales begin at 1AM EST.

Interestingly, Verizon has yet to put an end to their double data promotion, so potential Galaxy Nexus buyers should also be able to lock in a 4GB monthly data plan instead of the 2GB plan for $29 — not a bad bonus when you’re buying one of the most-anticipated smartphones of the year.

There isn’t much else to say at this point: we’ve reported tirelessly about the device’s specs, and we’ve taken in-depth looks at Ice Cream Sandwich’s features over the past few months, so really all that’s left is to breathe a sigh of relief as we wait for sales channels to open.

Oh, and here’s the full release, in case you were planning to celebrate the occasion by poring over every word:

Developing…

It seems as though Verizon and Google have really screwed the pooch when it comes to the Galaxy Nexus launch. As of this very moment, we’re on our eighth rumored release date: tomorrow, December 15. The first was all the way back on November 3. In fact, these delays and the vague availability information provided by Verizon has led some to create a site entirely dedicated to whether or not Verizon has released the Galaxy Nexus.

It’s ridiculous.

But will all these delays make a huge difference in the popularity of the device? After a chat with Forrester Research’s Charles Golvin, I’m comfortable saying probably not. But even with the blogosphere’s extensive coverage of the device, it probably won’t be a blow-out success, either.

Here’s why:

To start, the Nexus line has never made a huge splash upon launch. The Nexus One, released on January 5, 2010, only sold about 20,000 units in its first week of availability. For some perspective, the iPhone 3GS sold more than 1 million units in its first three days on the market after launching on June 19, 2009.

The Nexus S did better, though official sales numbers are hard to find (not really a great sign). Based on Android 2.3 Gingerbread market share statistics, some speculate that as of February 2, 2010 (about 6 weeks after launch), the Nexus S had sold around 500,000 units. On June 24, 2010, Apple released the iPhone 4 which sold 1.7 million units in its first weekend.

While half a million units sold in the first few weeks shouldn’t be considered a flop, the Nexus S wasn’t a runaway success by any means. And many of the users most excited about it, Nexus One owners, seemed disappointed by the new features in Gingerbread.

If we learn from history, and common sense, the Nexus line is for geeks, not a mainstream audience.

Let me put it this way. Since I work with phones every day, I often ask people what phone they own. About half the time they tell me their carrier: “Oh, I have a T-Mobile.” If I’m lucky, they know the brand. In fact, I’d venture to say that 98 percent of the people I come into contact with (who don’t own an iPhone or work in my industry) don’t know the name of their phone. Trying to talk about the OS version is a waste of time.

Which brings me to my next point: Most of the world doesn’t give a damn about Ice Cream Sandwich. To the blogosphere, current Nexus owners, and all-around gadget geeks, Ice Cream Sandwich is one of the most exciting things to happen since… well, Gingerbread. But the rest of the human race doesn’t care. In other words, the Galaxy Nexus will appeal to the same market that was excited about Android 2.3, but the excitement won’t extend beyond that in terms of pulling in new customers.

But there were some core features that might have made a dent in consumer enthusiasm. Even though NFC ubiquity is still months (if not years) away, Google Wallet is still a feature that in-store shoppers would at least want to learn more about. But now it looks like Google and Verizon are duking it out over whether or not Google Wallet functionality will even be included in the device.

Golvin chimed in on this matter, explaining that Google Wallet isn’t a deal-making feature. “Consumers don’t have trouble paying today. [Google] isn’t satisfying some unmet need of the consumer,” he said. “How often does it happen where you think what a pain in the butt it is that you have to pull out your wallet? Payment isn’t a problem for anyone today.”

Then, of course, there’s the issue of carrier support. Golvin explained that typically there is only one (sometimes two) devices that get a primary slot from operators to support their launch. According to Golvin, Verizon is betting heavily on the HTC Rezound. This is because, like I mentioned before, the Galaxy Nexus is a niche device. Phone geeks will learn about the phone they want from us, or other various tech sites, whereas the mainstream consumer will decide on a phone based on TV commercials and massive ad campaigns. Right now, the Galaxy Nexus is lacking in that department.

But it goes further than that, with regards to the carrier. Operators invest heavy marketing dollars into devices like, say the HTC Rezound, because they want differentiations that drive their own experience. Google products are not led by the carrier. “By definition, [Google phones] are intended to be the sine qua non of what the Android platform can do at that particular moment,” explains Golvin. In that way, Verizon (or any other carrier) doesn’t have reason to put a ton of money behind the Nexus launch.

“Anything that is more Google-centric than it is Verizon-centric in that device is somewhat problematic,” said Golvin.

And even if Verizon were 100 percent committed to the Galaxy Nexus launch, the whole thing has been a complete mess. We’ve gone through seven launch dates thus far, and I assume that tomorrow’s rumored launch won’t become a reality either. I put it to Golvin to see whether or not repeated delays on a phone dwindle consumer interest, bringing the Droid Bionic and the iPhone 4S in as examples.

The iPhone 4S was expected this summer, but didn’t make its way to shelves until October 14. Still, Apple managed to break records topping 1 million pre-orders in the first day. The Bionic, on the other hand, took nine months to make its way from the podium to shelves and certainly didn’t make the splash everyone originally expected. I asked Golvin whether or not pushing back the Galaxy Nexus (over and over again) would have the iPhone effect, or the Bionic effect.

According to Golvin the Nexus won’t do either. The Bionic was exciting to people because it was supposed to be one of the first LTE-capable handsets on the market. It got beat by the Thunderbolt, and subsequently launched as the first dual-core LTE handset on Verizon’s network. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to get the ball rolling. The Galaxy Nexus will still be the first phone with Ice Cream Sandwich, and thus, not run into the same trouble that plagued the Bionic.

“All these geeks and phone watchers out there who are eagerly anticipating this first Ice Cream Sandwich device will buy it,” said Golvin. “People who would’ve bought it six weeks ago will buy it. If it comes out in January and is still the first ICS device, those people will buy it.”

He went on to say that the Galaxy Nexus will “lose sales it might have picked up with late shoppers looking for Christmas gifts, but I don’t think it was going to be that big of a hit beyond that early geek crowd anyways.”

“It won’t be a competitor to a Samsung Galaxy S II or the iPhone.”

Verizon really can’t catch a break in this ActiveVideo case. After a jury determined that they had infringed upon a handful of ActiveVideo’s patents, Verizon fought to have the court stay their monthly royalty payments. That motion was just recently shot down, and Verizon must start shelling out a few million dollars to ActiveVideo every month beginning on December 16.

What’s that? The case doesn’t ring any bells? Here’s a quick recap: ActiveVideo filed suit against Verizon in May 2010 citing the infringement of a handful of their television service-related patents. ActiveVideo licenses their CloudTV platform (which encompasses said patents) to partners like Cablevision, with whom Verizon competes in markets like New York.

In addition to being liable for millions of dollars in damages, Verizon has been ordered to pay ActiveVideo $2.74 for each one of their FiOS television subscribers, which means a total monthly payout as high as $11 million. There’s a timeline attached to these payments, too: Verizon will have to shell out those royalty payments until either one of two things happens.

Scenario A: Verizon figures out a way to retool their FiOS service in a way that doesn’t use ActiveVideo’s patents. Once they do that (and can prove it in court), there won’t be any need to pay royalties anymore.

Scenario B: In the unlikely case that Verizon can’t make things work, either technologically or in court, they continue to pay ActiveVideo until May of next year. At that point, Verizon will have to shut down their FiOS Video-on-Demand service entirely.

While Verizon’s top brass has probably whipped out the corporate checkbook already, the bigger question is how much work will it take to rid the FiOS service of ActiveVideo’s influence. Verizon’s got a few months to get cracking on the problem, but only time will tell if the new (and hopefully improved) FiOS can stand up to some intense legal scrutiny.

Verizon is awash in solid tablet options right now, but their current LTE-capable lineup may leave you wanting for something a little less unwieldy. If the thought of manhandling a 10-inch tablet is too much to bear, then take note: Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 7.7 will be coming to Big Red in due course with support for the company’s 4G network in tow.

Droid-Life reports that entries for the 7.7-inch tablet have begun to trickle into Verizon’s employee-facing support systems. Despite being the runt of the Galaxy Tab litter, the pint-sized tab is no slouch: it features a 1.4 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, a 1280×800 Super AMOLED Plus display, and a 5100 mAh battery. Hopefully the battery will be able to provide enough juice to accomodate the Tab’s LTE radio, which could be a make-it-or-break-it factor when it comes to usability.

It’ll certainly be a great choice for people looking to lighten their load, but as of yet there’s no word on when Verizon will push it out the door. Pricing details are nonexistant too, but hopefully Verizon cuts us consumers a break: they recently launched the Motorola XYBOARDs with a pretty hefty contracted price, so maybe Verizon can afford to dial the price gouging down a bit.

The Galaxy Nexus, while something we’ve been super excited about, is turning out to be a real pain. Why? Because we can’t seem to figure out when the bleep this thing is supposed to launch. We heard it was supposed to be around today, and then we heard it wasn’t, and then we heard so many different dates it started to get stupid.

Now, however, Droid-Life is claiming to have found the needle in this incredibly annoying haystack. Apparently a “dozen” different sources have said that Verizon is finally letting its employees in on the launch date: December 15. Now, Verizon does enjoy a nice Thursday launch, if we’re to learn anything from history.

Still, this is the Galaxy Nexus we’re talking about, so you can never really be sure about when you’ll see it until we get some sort of official word. Even then, things are looking a little murky.

Yesterday, it was reported that Verizon was planning a Netflix competitor and in talks with various content producers to provide the streams and downloads. TechCrunch has obtained additional information on this story that makes the concept a bit more realistic and should alleviate some of the concerns noted by critics and consumers yesterday.

Our source says that Verizon is in fact planning a major partnership with RedBox, whose fast-growing business of $1 (now $1.20) DVD-rental kiosks has made it a major player in the content distribution game. They aim to debut a TV and movie streaming and download service this coming May.

The service is called Project Zoetrope internally, and will be a subscription, streaming, and downloading service for TV and movies that will be available on a broad variety of platforms: they plan support for iOS, Android, Google TV, Xbox, Roku and other streaming boxes, and browsers. “Set-top boxes,” by which they mean more traditional digital cable boxes, are not supported; this is an internet service, not a broadcast service.

It will stream in SD or HD to all of these devices, and local storage of video will be enabled for mobile devices and tablets. It is still in talks with content providers and will be following their lead on blackouts and release timing; this won’t be a quick-release channel for new movies or live TV, for instance.

Launch is planned for May 28th, with a beta starting in late April. Pricing is expected to be monthly and credit-based, e.g. $5.95 per month for 6 credits, which could be used to rent X movies or Y shows. There will be several tiers and some will include physical disc rentals, and of course there will be ways to purchase more shows if necessary.

For those who were skeptical of yesterday’s rumors, this should come as some kind of reassurance. Verizon has little to no branding in the on-demand movies and TV world, while RedBox is immediately recognizable and synonymous with simplicity and value. Redbox, however, has little in the way of TV shows, so Verizon is probably doing much of the heavy lifting on that side, and of course on the delivery infrastructure front.

Just in time to throw a wrench into people’s wireless shopping plans, Verizon has announced that their much-vaunted 4G LTE network is experiencing a few hiccups. And by hiccups, I mean that their 4G network is currently undergoing a widespread outage that’s affecting customers across the country.

According to a recent release, “Verizon Wireless engineers have been working to resolve an issue with 4G LTE service that is affecting some customers’ 4G devices,” and that “3G data and voice devices are unaffected.” However, that doesn’t exactly seem to be the case for everyone affected: reports are floating around on blogs and Verizon’s customer forums that some people are without so much as a 3G or 1X connection. Stranger still, some customers are completely fine with everything working as it should.

Verizon’s 4G flakiness seemed to begin last night when some 4G devices (like the Droid RAZR in particular) began to exhibit SIM card authorization errors. Those issues apparently continue to plague Verizon certain customers today, and one of my retail sources tells me that some new Verizon 4G devices can’t be activated because of the network outage, which is the last thing Verizon needs going into holiday crunch time.

At present, Verizon has no comment on when to expect service to be restored, but we’ll keep you posted as the situation develops.