MacRumors

We've received word that Apple has begun to deploy iAd availability on a worldwide basis, with developers reporting that they are beginning to see ad impressions rolling in from locations around the globe. Previously, developers had seen ad requests from those countries go unfilled as Apple limited the program to North America and the United Kingdom.

The change opens up additional revenue streams for developers and new audiences for advertisers as the company prepares to extend the iAd service to the iPad with the release of iOS 4.2 sometime this month. With Apple having released the golden master version of iOS 4.2 to developers earlier this week, a public release could occur at any time.

Just as rumors of Intel pushing forward on its Light Peak connectivity standard surface, LaCie has announced support for USB 3.0 on Mac OS X with the release of a free driver to support the company's USB 3.0 hard drives.

LaCie announced today a major breakthrough, introducing industry-leading performance to Mac users with the availability of a USB 3.0 driver for Mac OS. The driver brings the fast speeds of LaCie's USB 3.0 hard drives to Mac computers and laptops - delivering transfer rates that are more than two times faster than FireWire 800!

With Apple yet to support USB 3.0 hardware and CEO Steve Jobs suggesting that such support is not likely to appear anytime soon, users will need to purchase either a PCI Express Card ($49.99) or ExpressCard/34 ($59.99) to add two USB 3.0 ports to their Mac. Consequently, LaCie's USB 3.0 solutions are only compatible with Mac Pros offering a PCI Express slot and MacBook Pros offering an ExpressCard/34 slot.

USB 3.0 offers a theoretical maximum of 5 Gb/s, topping the 3 Gb/s available through eSATA. Real world burst performance on LaCie USB 3.0 hard drives is on the order of 130 MB/s for single hard drives and 220 MB/s for dual hard drives.

Update: For clarification purposes, LaCie is not the first manufacturer to deliver USB 3.0 drivers to Mac, as CalDigit released a Mac-compatible SuperSpeed PCI Express Card and SuperSpeed ExpressCard, to support the company's line of AV Drive external hard drives, in early September.

CNET reports that Intel is preparing to launch its Light Peak high-speed computer connection standard as soon as early next year, paving the way for 10 Gbps connections.

Light Peak is now on track to appear in products in the first half of 2011--and likely earlier in the year than later, according to an industry source familiar with the progress of the technology. Light Peak is significantly faster than even USB 3.0, carrying data at 10 gigabits per second in both directions simultaneously.

Apple is expected to be an important participant in the deployment of Light Peak, as the company was said to have played a key role in the development of the technology.

. . .Apple is expected to back Light Peak, if past comments from Intel still hold. Shortly after its annual developer conference in 2009, Intel said that it had showed the technology to third parties, got feedback, then incorporated the feedback into the next design, adding, at that time, that "Apple is an innovating force in the industry." (Apple has reportedly claimed that it conceived the idea for Light Peak.)

If Apple implements Light Peak, it would be a safe bet that the company will have a lot to say about the technology--maybe with a catchy name in tow. And it would probably not be wild speculation to say that Apple would want to be the first to use it.

The apparently-imminent release of Light Peak technology could explain the reluctance of Intel to adopt support for USB 3.0 in its chipsets and Apple CEO Steve Jobs' recent claims that the company doesn't see USB 3.0 "taking off". With the two companies reportedly collaborating on the even faster Light Peak standard envisioned as a replacement for USB, FireWire and various display connector standards, they may simply have decided to bypass USB 3.0 entirely.

Popular VoIP and video calling firm Skype today announced the release of a beta version of Skype 5.0 for Mac, bringing a single-window design, group video calling, Address Book integration, and a number of other new and improved features to the company's software.

It was worth the wait - the new Skype 5.0 is now available for Mac today in beta, introducing a revamped look and feel that simplifies navigation and provides a more Mac-like experience. For example, the Skype app has been brought together in one window for ease-of-use, and the Mac address book has been integrated, making it possible for you to call, IM and SMS your contacts when they are online or offline.

According to Macworld, group video calling will be free for users during the beta period but will require a paid plan once the feature officially launches. There is no word yet on what Skype plans to charge for the feature.

Skype 5.0 Beta for Mac is a free download available from Skype's website.

Earlier this week, we noted increasing reports of video distortion and other issues being experienced by users of Apple's new MacBook Air. According to BGR's new tipster with access to Apple's internal support documentation, the company is aware of the issue and will address it in a forthcoming software update.

According to the support documents captured by the tipster, Apple has identified both "horizontal flickering" and "fading dark to light colors" as symptoms users may experience.

Until the software update is rolled out, support staff are advised to force a display power cycle on the customer's computer by closing the display and allowing the computer to sleep for ten seconds in an effort to address the issue.

Have the customer put the computer to sleep by closing the lid, wait 10 seconds, then open the lid to wake the computer. This should force a display power cycle, and the display should return to normal. Do not process an EFFA capture if the issue is resolved after this sleep and wake cycle.

The issue has been isolated and will be fixed in an upcoming software update.

No timeframe for the release of the software update is known at this time.

Apple has started accepting Mac Apps for their upcoming Mac App Store. The Mac App Store was announced in October as part of Mac OS X Lion's feature set. Apple quickly revealed that the Mac App Store would also be coming to existing Mac OS X Snow Leopard users as well and would launch in 90 days from the time of the announcement.

The Mac App Store mirrors many of the submission guidelines and policies as the iOS App Store. The Mac App developer program is $99/year just like the iOS App developer program.

BGR has received a screenshot of a purported internal Apple support document outlining the company's policies regarding bad pixels on the displays of its products.

According to the document, Apple allows for repair or replacement with as little as one light or dark pixel on the company's iPhone and iPod touch, moving up to as many 16 required as a minimum for repair or replacement on displays 22 inches and larger.

Notably, Apple's policies do allow for some leeway to permit its support staff to offer customers repair or replacement with fewer anomalies than that listed as required. The customer is to be made aware, however, that his or her replacement device could have more anomalies than the product they are returning, and if the new product does not meet the documented threshold for replacement, a second exchange will not be permitted.

At a media event held today, Facebook announced a new push into mobile, bringing updates to the company's Android and iOS applications and rolling out a new single sign on service that will allow users logged into the company's applications to also access other applications such as Flixster, Groupon, and Loopt. Single sign on is currently available on a handful of Android applications, with support for iPhone apps coming soon.

On the iOS front, Facebook announced an update to its application for the iPhone and iPod touch, bringing support for the enhanced "Groups" functionality rolled out recently and new features for the "Places" functionality, including the ability to find deals and a new option to "star" friends in the Places list to make it easier to check in with them.

Using Places on the iPhone already lets you share where you are and find nearby friends. Now with the iPhone 3.3 application, you can also find nearby deals from your favorite businesses--from restaurants down the block to major retailers. Deals are only available from Places in the U.S, for now, and we'll be expanding them to more merchants over time.

The updated Facebook application should be available in the App Store later today, although the the application currently appears to be entirely unavailable.

When asked about Facebook's plans for an iPad application, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that the company does not consider the iPad to be a mobile device. When pressed on the issue, Facebook executives noted that they are still trying to understand the best approach to take for tablet devices like the iPad.

The real hint to Facebook's iPad plans, though, is that Tseng focused on the form factor and not iOS. This could mean that Facebook's looking to build an HTML5 version of its website optimized for tablets. At the very least, Facebook seems intent on keeping a consistent experience across all tablet devices.

In the meantime though, Tseng points out that Facebook is accessible via the iPad through the official website (which is pretty darn functional) and through touch.facebook.com.

Zuckerberg then clarified that Facebook was attempting to keep the focus of the event on mobile, and the company simply doesn't see the iPad as being in the same class as "mobile" devices like the iPhone and Android.

Update: The new version of Facebook has now gone live [App Store] as Version 3.3.1.

Yesterday, we noted that Skyfire would be bringing its Flash conversion browser to the App Store later this week. While the release was scheduled for tomorrow, Skyfire Web Browser [App Store, $2.99] has just gone live in the App Store.

Skyfire Web Browser allows users to access Flash video content on iOS devices by sending the Flash content to the company's servers for conversion to HTML5. Not all Flash video is supported, however, with one notable exception being Hulu, which has not permitted Skyfire to convert its content.

FEATURES:
- Play millions of Flash videos - everyday, with no limits!
- All-new 'Skybar' toolbar gives one-click access to video and related content
- Be social: Share via Facebook and Twitter.
- Stay in touch: Unique Facebook 'Quickview' allows you to see your wall and feeds with one click.
- Standard browser elements: Tabs, search, sharing, bookmarks, history, etc.
- Video search, with safe search option helps you quickly find videos about your favorite topic
- 'Desktop' option loads pages as on a desktop browser, giving a greater selection of video (vs. mobile sites)
- Private Browsing option: Browse with no history and cookies left behind
- Click the 'Explore' button for related videos, news trends, photos and tweets!

NOTES:
- Flash VIDEO content is supported, but Flash Games and Apps are NOT supported (aren't there enough games on iPhone already?)
- Hulu NOT supported (they don't allow it), but scores of other premium sites available
- List of supported sites grows daily (request new sites via Settings >> Feedback menu)
- It may take 15-25 seconds for videos to load: Preparing goodness takes time...

Skyfire Web Browser is currently offered at an introductory price of $2.99, although it is unclear for how long the offer will be available and what the regular price of the application will be. The application requires iOS 3.0 and is compatible with the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, although no iPad-specific version is available.

Update: Due to overwhelming demand, Skyfire has pulled Skyfire Web Browser from the App Store until it can beef up capacity to support the demand.

The user experience was performing well for the first few hours, but as the surge continued, the peak load on our servers and bandwidth caused the video experience to degrade.

Thus we are effectively 'sold out' and will temporarily not accept new purchases from the App Store. We are working really hard to increase capacity and will be accepting new purchases from the App Store as soon as we can support it.

In another sign that the release of iOS 4.2 is imminent, 9 to 5 Mac notes that Apple has begun approving applications with support for Game Center functionality on the iPad. Big Bad Sudoku Book is one early example of a universal App Store application that is now compatible with Game Center on the iPad, which requires iOS 4.2. Multitasking support for the iPad version is also included in the application update.

What's new

- Full support for iOS4.2 including Game Center and background tasking on the iPad.
- Now supports/allows background audio - play internet radio apps, soma fm via safari, or ipod music while playing the game.

iOS 4.2 is set to bring a number of new features to the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, with the iPad seeing its first implementation of iOS 4 and features such as multitasking and home screen folders that debuted on the smaller devices earlier this year.

Apple today posted a new support document acknowledging the daylight saving time bug being experienced by iPhone and iPod touch users on iOS 4.1 in a number of countries.

In some regions, shortly before or after the daylight saving time (DST) change, repeating alarms created in the Clock app may work incorrectly.

Apple's recommended workaround is for users to manually set their alarms each day for the next few days, suggesting that the issue will be resolved once the U.S. and Canada end daylight saving time this Sunday.

To resolve this behavior for existing alarms, set the repeat interval to Never. You will need to reset these alarms for each day you need them.

After November 7th, 2010, you can set your alarms to repeat again.

Apple Australia had previously stated that the bug would be addressed in an "upcoming software update", and Apple has since confirmed that iOS 4.2 will carry the fix.

Apple has announced that iOS 4.2 will be released sometime this month, but the company's seeding of the golden master version to developers earlier this week indicates that the release is likely right around the corner.

Billboard reports that Apple has hired Elliott Peters, a senior vice president and head of digital legal affairs at Warner Music Group, to manage the company's legal team overseeing iTunes and MobileMe services in Europe.

According to an internal memo obtained by Billboard, Peters is taking on the role of corporate attorney director for iTunes Europe and Internet services, based in Luxembourg, where he will manage the European legal team for iTunes and MobileMe services. He's been with WMG since 2000.

According to the memo, Peters has "had a hand in almost every major WMG digital deal" since his appointment as the company's first digital lawyer in 2003.

Apple will almost certainly be able to draw on Peters' experience and connections as it reportedly continues to work toward a cloud-based iTunes, allowing users the ability to store their iTunes libraries on Apple's servers and stream them to a variety of Internet-connected devices. Major music labels have reportedly balked at Apple's plans, arguing that such a use is not permitted under current licensing deals and maintaining the position that cloud-based music hosting should come with an increase in the compensation they receive from Apple for iTunes Store sales.

Nokia and Apple, which have been involved in a patent dispute for over a year that has seen both parties file lawsuits and U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) complaints against each other, are finally headed to a courtroom after ITC staff issued a memo supporting Nokia in its defense against Apple's claims, Bloomberg reports.

"The evidence will not establish a violation" of Apple patent rights, the staff, which acts on behalf of the public as a third party in the case, said in a pre-hearing memo released yesterday. Apple is asking the ITC to block imports of Nokia phones into the U.S., claiming they are infringing four patents.

In their examination of the case, ITC staff determined that certain aspects of Apple's patents cited in the lawsuit should be found invalid, while other patents have not been infringed by Nokia's devices.

A decision from ITC Administrative Law Judge Charles Bullock is due in February, and while he is not required to follow the advice of ITC staff, their findings will clearly carry significant weight in the case.

The ITC has yet to take a position in Nokia's suit against Apple, which is scheduled to go to trial at the end of this month.

Related federal court cases covering the patent dispute have been on hold since March of this year pending the outcome of these ITC lawsuits.

According to Symphonic Distribution, Apple has informed music labels that it is preparing to extend the length of iTunes Store song previews in the United States to 90 seconds for songs that are at least 2 minutes and 30 seconds long. Shorter songs will continue to offer the current 30-second samples.

We are pleased to let you know that we are preparing to increase the length of music previews from 30 seconds to 90 seconds on the iTunes Store in the United States. We believe that giving potential customers more time to listen to your music will lead to more purchases.

Apple's email notes that by continuing to offer their music on the iTunes Store, labels are indicating their acceptance of the new terms. Consequently, any labels who do not wish to agree with the terms must withdraw their music from the iTunes Store.

CNET had reported just two days before Apple's music-focused media event on September 1st that such a change was coming, but it failed to materialize at the event. In a follow-up article, CNET later discovered that the change had been held up by licensing issues, which appear to have now been resolved.

ifoAppleStore reports that Apple has quietly discontinued its "Personal Shopping" service that had enabled customers to make appointments at Apple retail stores for one-on-one assistance with testing out and purchasing Apple products.

All references to the service have been erased from the company's Web site, and the Personal Shopping link now re-directs surfers to the main Retail page. Individual stores pages and the Apple Store app have also been updated. According to sources, the change became effective yesterday and stems from the belief that every customer should receive the same attention and amount of service.

Introduced in mid-2007 as part of a broader revamp of its retail store support, training, and purchasing programs, Personal Shopping had allowed customers to schedule appointments up to 14 days in advance and ensure the attention of a retail store Specialist to assist them in a no-commitment arrangement.

Update: As of this writing, Apple's Personal Shopping service remains a snippet link in Google search results for "Apple retail store", despite the fact that the link now simply redirects to the main retail page. This should change as Google re-crawls the site and discovers the revised link structure.

One of the features missing on the new Apple TV launched in September has been support for iTunes Extras and iTunes LPs, two sets of enhanced content available on select iTunes Store purchases.

When you purchase an album with iTunes LP, you receive the songs from the album, plus special features such as lyrics, photos, videos, credits, and more. When you buy a film with iTunes Extras, you'll receive the featured movie and chapter selection along with special features such as movie stills, deleted scenes, exclusive interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage.

Introduced with iTunes 9 in September 2009, iTunes Extras and iTunes LPs made their way to the original Apple TV with the Apple TV 3.0 software update the following month. But with a move to iOS for the new Apple TV, that compatibility has gone missing.

One MacRumors reader, Conor Winders of Redwind Software, recently emailed Apple CEO Steve Jobs to ask about the future of iTunes Extras and iTunes LP on the new Apple TV, and Jobs offered a customarily-brief reply:

Q: I've been a massive fan of the original Apple TV since it launched, in fact I have 2 of my own and have bought a fair few as gifts over the years. So as soon as the new Apple TV was released I bought one. Overall it's a fantastic update for me as I always stream from my Mac mini anyway. But here's the kicker - Where are iTunes Extras and iTunes LP gone? I've purposely been buying content with those features just for my Apple TVs. And now the features are unusable on my new box?! Is there an update coming to fix this?

A: Coming.

Sent from my iPhone.

It is unclear when we might be able to expect support for iTunes Extras and iTunes LP to come to the new Apple TV, but an update for the device is expected alongside the imminent iOS 4.2 update for other iOS devices in order to support AirPlay streaming functionality.

If iTunes Extras and iTunes LPs do make the transition to the new iOS-based Apple TV, it seems natural that they could also make their way to other iOS devices such as the iPad at some point. The iPad was seen as a strong opportunity for Apple to promote iTunes LPs in particular, offering users the ability to experience the enhanced content on a tablet-sized screen right in their hands, but iTunes LPs remain unsupported on the iPad and limited to only iTunes on Mac and PC.