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Beats co-founders lose $25 million royalty lawsuit
The long-running feud between Beats and claimed co-founder Steven Lamar appears to be winding to a close. A jury has told Beats luminaries Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine to pay Lamar $25.2 million in royalties for breaching a contract. Lamar contended that he played a key role at the company and deserved $130 million for working on a dozen headphones. Beats recognized Lamar's early involvement, but insisted that he was only supposed to get money for the original Beats Studio (which, of course, had already been paid).
Netflix will stream HBO’s ‘The Defiant Ones’ outside of the US
Netflix might make headlines for securing its latest show, but its documentaries have been powerhouses in their own right; Last year, The White Helmets won the streaming service its first Academy Award. But the company is just as open to securing non-fiction content from other providers. On March 23rd, Netflix subscribers outside the US and Canada can watch The Defiant Ones, the HBO documentary miniseries chronicling Dr. Dre's and Jimmy Iovine's decades-long partnership.
Dr. Dre will reportedly star in Apple's first original TV series
Rumors have swirled about Apple building its own TV service for untold months now -- and the company has also been rumored to be creating its own original content, ala Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and basically every other streaming service worth its salt. Now, The Hollywood Reporter says it has details about the first Apple original series. Vital Signs is reportedly a six-episode series starring Apple employee Dr. Dre in a dark, "semi-autobiographical" role.
Dr. Dre's 'Compton' makes its way to Google Music, Rdio and others
Apple Music's exclusive grip on Dr. Dre's new album lasted two weeks. Compton: A Soundtrack by Dr. Dre is now streaming from the likes of Google Play, Deezer, Tidal, Rdio and Rhapsody based on our quick look through music services. It's still absent from Spotify, though, perhaps due to its free tier that many artists aren't too thrilled about. If you didn't sign up for Cupertino's free trial, you can now give it a spin from the aforementioned repositories -- just in time for the weekend. We're curious to see if the Apple Music exclusive period in the future remains at 14 days or if it changes with each release.
Dr. Dre's 'Compton' is an Apple Music exclusive
If you want to listen to Compton: A Soundtrack by Dr. Dre before it arrives on Friday, Apple Music has you covered. Cupertino's streaming service will offer an "exclusive" stream of Dr. Dre's new album starting Thursday at 9 PM ET and running to 12 AM ET when it's officially released. Compton was inspired by Dre's work on the N.W.A. film Straight Outta Compton that hits theaters August 14th. When it arrives on August 7th, the album will be an iTunes/Apple Music exclusive, making it one of the first high-profile releases for Tim Cook & Co. Of course, since Dr. Dre officially works for Apple now, having a show on Beats1 and all, it's no surprise that his new project would only be available through the service.
Dr. Dre will debut a Beats 1 radio show on Apple Music tomorrow night
Days after Apple Music launched to the public, it's becoming clearer where Dr. Dre fits. The hip-hop mogul, who joined Apple after the company bought up Beats, announced today that he's about to launch a regular radio program exclusive to Apple Music. The hour-long show, called "The Pharmacy," airs its first show tomorrow night on Apple's live Beats 1 radio station, and will focus on "West Coast music," according to the Associated Press. Tune in at 6pm ET if you're curious, and thereafter you can catch it every other week. [Image credit: Andy Kropa /Invision/AP]
Monster sues Beats and HTC for fraud over their headphone deal
The rivalry between Beats and its former ally Monster just got particularly bitter. Monster is suing Beats, its founders (Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine) and HTC for allegedly tricking it into giving up one of its best-known headphone lineups. According to the lawsuit, Beats committed fraud when it acquired the Dr. Dre audio range through HTC's investment. It supposedly repurchased enough stock after the HTC deal that it could sever its ties with Monster due to an ownership clause, leaving the latter high and dry with no real warning. Monster also believes that its ex-partner was misleading when it claimed in September 2013 that there was no "liquidity event" (that is, a major transaction) coming within one to two years -- Apple's acquisition of Beats clearly involved a lot of money trading hands. If Monster chief Noel Lee had known that the Apple buyout was looming, the lawsuit reads, he wouldn't have reduced his stake in Beats and missed out on the resulting windfall.
Get an additional week of free tunes if you sign up for Beats Music soon (update: two weeks!)
With just how popular Beats headphones are, we can't say we're surprised that Dr. Dre's similarly named music service has had a hard time coping with a flood of users during launch. As such, Beats Music isn't accepting any new subscribers until the kinks are worked out, but there is a silver lining. So long as you download the app and reserve your username this week, you'll get an additional seven days to trial the service. Once the issues are worked out, you should get an email giving you the all clear -- hopefully that's before its Windows Phone launch in a few days. It's not like you have to live your life in silence until then, though. Last we checked, Rdio, Spotify, Music Unlimited and Xbox Music were all working just fine. Update: CEO Ian Rogers has put out a blog post indicating the issues should be resolved, and that better yet, anyone who signs up before Saturday evening will get two weeks free trial.
WSJ: Beats Electronics looking to end HTC partnership
Whatever you feel about Beats' audio, you can't help but think that the company's partnership with HTC hasn't really worked out. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Dr. Dre and Co. are planning to buy back the phone maker's remaining 25 percent stake in the business -- just a year after HTC reduced its stake by half. Either way, we're hoping that this potential separation helps HTC get back to winning ways and frees up Dr. Dre to resume prescribing those pills he's now so fond of.
Beats unveils refreshed Studio headphones with 20-hour battery, improved comfort
You haven't forgotten about Dre, have you? His Beats Studio headphones -- the ones that started the whole celebrity-endorsed portable-audio craze in 2008 -- are finally getting a full-on revamp. Well into its post-Monster life, Beats Electronics has addressed the chief complaints of the original. An extension of a modernized silhouette, the new Studio is 13 grams lighter (263g), with improved padding and ergonomics to provide better comfort. Better yet, these over-ear cans pack a headband that won't snap so easily during extreme bends. Updated noise-cancellation tech enables the Studio to automatically adjust depending on your surroundings -- it even intensifies the effect for further noise reduction when the cable (which naturally features an in-line remote and mic) isn't plugged in. The days of needing to carry an extra pack of Duracells are gone too; the Li-Ion battery promises 20 hours of music playback. Meanwhile, five LEDs display juice levels and an automatic power control keeps the cells from draining if you forget to turn 'em off. The company's new DSP, Beats Acoustic Engine (BAE), aims for a voicing of "balance, accuracy and emotion," and the cans apparently leak out less sound to those around you. So, is it more than just a new take on the bass-heavy S-curve that's managed to "Keep Their Heads Ringin'" for five years? You can find out this August for the admission price of $300, in your choice of black, white or red.
Beats is either 'in talks' with Apple over new music-streaming service, or it's just very good at marketing
Excuse us, but we find it hard to swallow some of the hype that swirls around the Beats brand. That sounds harsh, maybe, but it's borne out of experience. Anyway, we do trust Reuters, and that outlet claims to have it on good authority that Beats is "in talks" with Apple over a partnership involving the forthcoming Daisy music-streaming service that was formerly MOG. The word is that Tim Cook attended an "informational" meeting with Beats CEO Jimmy Iovine and "expressed interest" in his business model -- whatever that is -- and that Apple's head of Internet products, Eddy Cue, was also present. In news that is very much related, Beats has also revealed that it's managed to generate enough buzz around the $12 million acquisition of MOG to raise a further $60 million in investment to help it to launch the rebranded and hopefully expanded service as a separate entity later this year. It'll be interesting to see how the newcomer plans to tackle the already-entrenched competition, possibly with curated playlists and other MySpace-style ideas, and we're fully prepared to eat our skeptics' hats if it succeeds.
Beats Pill Bluetooth speaker spotted at FCC and HMV: take one and call Dr. Dre in the morning
The Beats by Dr. Dre badge has usually been attached to headphones and the occasional laptop or smartphone. We've never really seen it attached to dedicated speakers, however, and that's where both an FCC filing and a sighting at UK retailer HMV's online store raise a few eyebrows. The House that Dre Built appears on the edge of launching the Beats Pill, a Bluetooth wireless speaker with four drivers and a shape that more than explains the medicinal name. While we don't know just how much of that signature Beats thump we'll get, we do know from the FCC that the Pill can serve as a speakerphone, carries an aux-in jack and will last for a typical 8.5 hours on its USB-rechargeable lithium-ion battery. There's also signs of a red version of Beats' Mixr headphones coming at the same time. HMV has publicly scoured its pages of any trace of a ship date or price for the Pill, but cached copies point to a £170 ($276) price and a release around September 28th -- not necessarily trustworthy figures, but they may be in the ballpark. Our only question is whether or not we'll get a dose of the Pill in the US. [Thanks, Germaine]
Beats increases its share ownership to 75%, lets HTC keep 'commercial exclusivity in mobile'
Although HTC and Beats are just shy of the one-year anniversary of their 300 million dollar partnership, it looks like the two are again growing apart. In a letter to shareholders today, it's been announced that the original owners of Beats plan to buy back 25 percent of its own shares, for a total ownership stake of 75 percent. That said, HTC will still retain nearly 25 percent of the remaining shares for itself, ensuring that it remains the largest external shareholder. As the release puts it, this new setup "provides Beats with more flexibility for global expansion while maintaining HTC's major stake and commercial exclusivity in mobile." All in all, it seems like this is more about shifting priorities given recent news like Beats' MOG acquisition, but it wouldn't make eventual breakup all the more unsurprising given the partnership's mixed results.
HTC moves aside CFO who oversaw $300 million Beats Audio deal (update)
HTC's CFO Winston Yung has been shunted into a 'corporate development' role after barely a year on the job. He orchestrated some pretty controversial deals during his tenure, including the $300 million purchase of the Beats Audio brand from Dr. Dre -- an acquisition that has so far shown little value except as a marketing device. Yung also occupied the hot seat while HTC's balance sheet suddenly flipped from brilliant to bad and then worse, and was outspoken in his views of what went wrong. HTC has provided no reason for the job shift, leaving analysts to guess at how the company's strategy will change to capitalize on its new One smartphones and battle against Sammy's imminent contender. The new CFO is Chia-Lin Chang, a former Goldman Sachs partner and Motorola engineer who hopefully knows how to handle pressure. Update: HTC's own CEO Peter Chou has taken time to respond to analyst reports. His quote follows: On Monday, HTC announced the appointment of Chia-Lin Chang as Chief Financial Officer withWinston Yung, his predecessor, transitioning to a corporate development role. "Media speculation that ties this announcement to HTC's partnership and investment in Beats By Dre is categorically inaccurate," said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. "HTC and Beats have made impressive progress in innovation and brand awareness and the integration of the Beats brand and technology in the new HTC One series is a clear indication of our commitment to this partnership."
Tupac hologram performs at Coachella, keeps all eyez on him
Have you been getting a kick out of Coachella's jams and arts in Indio, California? Or, did you decide to peacefully enjoy it from home via YouTube's site? Either way, you may have heard Tupac made an on-stage holographic appearance over the weekend, performing Hail Mary and 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted alongside Snoop Dogg. Tupac's hologram was made possible by AV Concepts in partnership with Dr. Dre's production company and Digital Domain, after reportedly working on the project for a few months. The outfits used a display technology dubbed "Eyeliner" that, with the help of a custom rig and a mechanical solution, was able to shoot out a life-sized, 3D illusion of Mr. Shakur onto the Coachella platform. Don't believe us? Hit 'em up at the source below, though we feel compelled to tell you language isn't exactly for all ages.
HTC updates Beats Audio, makes it work with any third-party app
Let's just say we were underwhelmed by the first iteration of HTC Beats on the Sensation XE. But now it looks like the technology has been revamped for the latest One handsets, so -- once we've tasted the pudding -- we might just have to revise that opinion. The new Beats is claimed to make music sound more "authentic," and whereas the previous version could only be activated inside HTC's stock music player, this time it'll work with YouTube, Pandora, Spotify and any other third-party Android app. What exactly will it do with those apps? And will it move beyond its current gimmicky bass-boost status? We'll just have to wait and listen.
Monster and Beats Electronics discontinue partnership, audiophiles rejoice
Color us surprised, but word on the street is that Monster and Beats By Dr. Dre are soon going to be a thing of the past. After years of pumping out fashion-forward, bass and treble pumping headphones that (debatably) changed the landscape of personal audio products -- and spawned a slew of imitators -- both companies have reportedly decided not to renew their five-year contract. Businessweek notes that two sources have confirmed that disagreements over "revenue share" and "who deserved the most credit for the line's success" stemmed the decision between the companies -- not surprisingly, Beats Electronics wanted more of both. In the followup, Monster will pump out eight new headphone lineups this year independently. Monster is noted to have brought in 60% of its own revenue from Beats by Dre, and now plans to shift its focus on older demographics, such as executive types, which the brand never exactly catered to. Notably, Businessweek also states that Beats Electronics will retain the rights to the headphone's iconic design, sound-signature and branding. Considering Beats' partnerships reign far with companies like HP and HTC, things probably won't be all doom and gloom for the company -- but the amount of time left to pick up your very own JustBeats likely just got very slim.
HP refreshes the Pavilion dm4 with a subwoofer, unveils requisite Beats Edition
It's shaping up to be a wild day for HP: in addition to revamping its Envy laptops and announcing its first Ultrabook, the outfit went and refreshed the mid-range Pavilion dm4. While it has the same metal-heavy design that bowled us over in our review, it trades Altec Lansing audio for Beats and gains a subwoofer. Otherwise, its entry-level specs -- a Core i3 CPU, 6GB of RAM and a 640GB 5,400RPM hard drive -- closely match the starting config available today. And, while the company was at it, HP also announced a red-and-black-spangled Beats Edition. An inevitable move, if you ask us: HP has been pushing its partnership with Dr. Dre so heavily that it went so far as to redesign its Envy laptops with a prominent Beats dial. Then again, this is the first time HP's given the Beats special edition treatment to anything other than a top-shelf machine. In any case, you better be pretty sweet on that red backlit keyboard -- the gussied-up, Dre-approved version starts at $900 (headphones not included). Then again, at least you get beefier specs for the money: a Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive. If nine hundred bucks isn't what you had in mind, the classic dm4 starts at $630. Both will be available December 18th. If you're curious, find the full PR after the break, along with some rubbernecking hands-on shots below. %Gallery-137823% %Gallery-137824%
HTC Rezound review
The Motorola RAZR and Samsung Galaxy Nexus seem to be the two Verizon LTE juggernauts enjoying the lion's share of the spotlight, with the HTC Rezound sandwiched smack dab between the two of them. But that doesn't mean the device has any less to offer -- you might even say it's entitled to some bragging rights. It's not the thinnest phone, nor does it have Ice Cream Sandwich (yet), but being the first carrier-branded handset in the US boasting a 720p HD display should carry a lot of weight. The Rezound -- as you might have gathered from the name -- is also the first HTC gizmo in the States to integrate Beats Audio. So does it fare well against its LTE competition? Is it enough to take your mind off of the Nexus? Read on below to find out. %Gallery-139234%
HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio review
We had some hands-on time with HTC's new European Android flagship a short while back, but it wasn't nearly enough to answer all our questions about how the 4.3-inch, 1.5GHz dual-core XE compares to the original 1.2GHz Sensation, or whether the implementation of Beats Audio was anything more than a cunning scheme cooked up between the manufacturer's marketeers and Dr. Dre's agent. Now, though, this phone has been our closest companion for long enough to reveal its true colors. They're red, primarily, but there's a whole rainbow of detail right after the break. %Gallery-135086%
