MacRumors

Over the weekend, Apple informed developers that the company has now increased iAd payouts from 60% to 70% of revenue.

We have made the following changes to the Developer Advertising Services Agreement for the iAd Network, effective immediately.

- The revenue share for the iAd Network is now 70% to the Developer.

This move had been previously predicted in mid-February by AdAge and confirmed by Apple the following day, but went into effect as of April 1. While the 10% increase is expected to further entice developers to use the iAd service, AdAge reports it is also to compensate developers for decreasing ad revenue.

The extra money will compensate for lower ad rates and serve as added incentive for developers to build businesses on Apple devices, even though they may grab a bigger audience or more ad revenue creating apps for Google's Android devices, which now outnumber Apple smartphones in the U.S.

Apple has repeatedly cut the minimum advertising expenditure for iAds, and most recently has removed the per-click fees from ads, now relying on impressions alone, according to the original report.

Variety reports that actor Ashton Kutcher will be playing Steve Jobs in an upcoming independent movie called Jobs.

The film will chronicle Steve Jobs from wayward hippie to co-founder of Apple, where he became one of the most revered creative entrepreneurs of our time.

The movie is set to start production in May while Kutcher's CBS sitcom Two and Half Men is in between seasons.

Ashton Kutcher was first known for his role as Michael Kelso in the sitcom That '70s Show but has since seen success in movies and other TV series. Kutcher has also been recently involved in Silicon Valley startups and technology investing.

Despite the timing of the news on April Fools, the author notes that they discussed holding the story until Monday, but were worried about losing the scoop. The story is presently on the front page of Variety's website.

The Hollywood Reporter also reports on the news and provides the comparison shot above between Kutcher and Steve Jobs from 1977. It should be noted that this is a separate project from the Sony project that had acquired the rights to the Walter Isaacson authorized biography.

It's April 1st again -- also known as April Fools' Day. Today also represents Apple's 36th anniversary, having been founded on this day in 1976 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak.

Here are a couple of the more ambitious pranks floating around the internet today:

Hungry Hungry Hippos for iPad

ThinkGeek has introduced a modernized version of the classic Hungry Hungry Hippos game for the iPad, but now with "capacitive-padded heads."

Electronic Hungry Hungry Hippos iPad Game is everything you remember about HHH. All four hippos are present and hungry, except this time, the hippos fit over your iPad and the game board is an app!

Readers will remember that ThinkGeek first introduced the iCade as an April Fools prank that later became a shipping product.

Google Maps for NES

Google has created an 8-bit version of Google Maps for the NES platform - a cartridge based game console from the 1980s.

You can explore it yourself on Google's maps site.

Earlier this month, we reported on word from the U.S. Department of Justice that regulators were looking at filing suit against Apple and e-book publishers over the "agency model" of pricing championed by Apple leading up to the launch of its iBookstore. Under the model, retail book prices are set by publishers, with retailers receiving a cut of the proceeds.

Of most concern to regulators, Apple's agreements with the publishers included "most favored nation" clauses that prevented publishers from selling their books through any other retailers at lower prices than offered through Apple's iBookstore. Reuters now reports that the parties involved in the dispute are continuing to move toward a settlement in order to ward off a lawsuit, and that the settlement is likely to see the removal of these clauses. As a result, the publishing industry will likely in some form return to the previous wholesale model in which retailers set their own prices for books.

While negotiations are still fluid, the settlement is expected to eliminate Apple's so-called "most favored nation" status, which had prevented the publishers from selling lower-priced e-books through rival retailers such as Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) or Barnes & Noble Inc (BKS.N), the people said.

The deal could also force a shift, at least temporarily, in pricing control from publishers to retailers, one of the people said.

Such a move to a "wholesale model" would not only benefit consumers but also Amazon, which had been the leading bargain e-book retailer with its Kindle reader.

Under the wholesale model, Amazon priced e-books at or even below cost in many cases in order to draw in customers who would then purchase other items from its online store. But the practice generated concern among publishers that their works were being devalued, and many were happy to sign on with Apple's agency model in order to create more price stability.

Analysts estimate that a return to the wholesale model could add $1 billion to Amazon's revenues this year given its commanding 65% share of the e-book market and the impact of discounted pricing on sales of other items in its store. Book sales make up only a small portion of Apple's revenue, with estimates pegging iBookstore sales at roughly $50 million annually, and the company is expected to see little impact from any pricing changes in the book market.

Apple has updated its marketing for the new iPad in Australia after regulators in that country criticized the company over "misleading" marketing claims related to the iPad's 4G capabilities. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced on Tuesday that it would pursue injunctions, fines and other remedies.

Apple responded by offering full refunds to Australian customers who felt misled about Apple's 4G advertising.

Apple has seen similar complaints over the iPad's 4G marketing in other countries including Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Currently, the iPad only works on 4G LTE networks in the United States and Canada. The Norwegian complaint is more significant than those in the other countries. Like Australia, Norway has actually instructed Apple to change the wording of its marketing materials.

The Norwegian Forbrukerombudet, or Consumer Ombudsman, has expressed particular concern over the heavy focus on the new iPad's 4G LTE support and the description of the product as "designed with next-generation wireless technology".

Because the iPad's LTE support is incompatible with Norwegian wireless networks, the fact that the iPad supports LTE makes no difference to potential buyers in Norway and is thus "misleading". The Ombudsman has given Apple until April 10, 2012 to make the necessary changes.

Earlier this week, we noted that Apple had offered royalty-free licensing of its proposed design for next-generation "nano-SIM" cards for use in devices connecting to cellular networks, on the condition that its design be selected and that other rights holders offer similar licenses to encourage adoption.

But as reported by FOSS Patents, the European Telecommunications Standards Institutes (ETSI) has postponed any vote on selecting a standard as the various companies proposing designs continue to squabble over the issue.

According to the report, the participating companies have failed to reach an agreement and decided not to hold the envisioned vote. In accordance with ETSI rules, the vote will now have to be postponed by a minimum of 30 days.

It appears that Nokia's overt unwillingness to license its potentially essential patents in the event that Apple's nano-SIM proposal is adopted and Sandisk's resistance to Nokia's proposal have resulted in an impasse. Sandisk, too, holds patents that may be essential to a new SIM card standard.

Apple is also coming under fire from the other participants in the negotiations, with Research in Motion accusing Apple of hiding its efforts to stack the voting panel by having at least three of its employees re-register for voting purposes as representatives of various carriers.

The RIM letter, which was submitted Wednesday, states that RIM over last few days has observed a number of people from one company changing their affiliation and registering to the meeting representing a completely different company. But voting by proxy during a technical body meeting is not allowed, according to RIM.

The letter highlights four examples, including three supposed Apple employees who have registered for Bell Mobility, KT Corp. and SK Telekom. Since voting by proxy isn't allowed, they should not be allowed to take part in the proceedings, according to RIM.

Apple's proposal is supported by most of the carriers, although it is unclear exactly what Apple's justification is for changing the registered affiliations of its representatives ahead of the previously-planned voting.

In the wake of yesterday's announcement from the Fair Labor Association that it had reached an agreement with Foxconn to reduce the maximum number of working hours for its employees at its Apple production facilities, Reuters reports that Foxconn workers are concerned about the move's impact on their salaries. The concerns come despite assurances that Foxconn will augment its compensation packages to offset the loss of working hours.

"We are here to work and not to play, so our income is very important," said Chen Yamei, 25, a Foxconn worker from Hunan who said she had worked at the factory for four years.

"We have just been told that we can only work a maximum of 36 hours a month of overtime. I tell you, a lot of us are unhappy with this. We think that 60 hours of overtime a month would be reasonable and that 36 hours would be too little," she added. Chen said she now earned a bit over 4,000 yuan a month ($634).

Even as many outside observers have criticized Foxconn's working hours over the past several years amid increasing publicity, others have noted that rather than excessive overtime being required by the company, many workers are requesting as much overtime as they can get. For many workers who have moved far from their homes to work at Foxconn, their goal is to earn as much money as possible as quickly as possible so that they can return home.

Aside from issues of working hours and compensation, the Fair Labor Association's audits of three Foxconn facilities where Apple products are assembled uncovered a number of other issues, including those related to health and safety and worker representation. The organization notes that in each case Foxconn either addressed issues on the spot or has agreed to make changes in its policies that will improve working conditions. The Fair Labor Association will continue to monitor Foxconn's facilities and issue periodic reports on its findings.

Late last year, Apple was fined $1.2 million by Italian regulators over its marketing of AppleCare extended warranty services for its products. The regulators ruled that Apple was not adequately disclosing standard two-year consumer protection coverage available under European Union laws. Apple last week lost its appeal of the ruling, although another follow-up hearing is scheduled for early May.

In an effort to inform consumers about the differences between Apple's standard warranty coverage, AppleCare, and EU consumer protection laws, Apple has posted information pages on many of its localized sites for customers in European Union countries. Among the differences between Apple's standard warranty and the EU's statutory warranty requirements:

- Apple's warranty is good for one year, while EU protection lasts for two years.

- Apple's warranty covers defects that arise at any time during the warranty period. EU protection laws generally require consumers to prove that a given defect was present at the time of product delivery.

- Apple's warranty coverage applies only to Apple products. EU protection laws require sellers to support any products they sell, so the EU coverage would apply to both Apple-branded products and third-party products sold by Apple.

Apple's document also provides a number of links and clarifications to help consumers understand exactly what is covered by each warranty layer, enabling them to better determine whether AppleCare extended warranties might be a desirable addition to their purchases.

Last week Overhaul Games announced that Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition would be making its way to the iPad later this summer. Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition is a recently announced remake of the original 1998 game and Tales of the Sword Coast expansion pack. The original game was well received and sold over two million copies worldwide.

The company has now announced that the game will also be available for the Mac in summer 2012 in the Mac App Store.

Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition™ runs on an upgraded and improved version of the Infinity Engine. It includes the entire Baldur’s Gate adventure, the Tales of the Sword Coast expansion pack, and never before seen content including a new adventure and a new party member.

The company reports that there will be a variety of Mac OS X specific features "including widescreen and iCloud support".

Following an audit of Foxconn's facilities where the company assembles Apple products, the Fair Labor Association (FLA) today announced that it has reached an agreement with Foxconn that will result in stricter controls over working hours and an examination of salaries paid to workers at the facilities.

Foxconn has committed to bring its factories into full compliance with Chinese legal limits and FLA standards on working hours by July 2013, according to its remediation plan in FLA's report. The supplier will bring working hours in line with the legal limit of 49 hours per week, including overtime. This means a reduction in monthly overtime hours from 80 to 36, and would be a significant improvement given that most of the technology sector is struggling to address excessive overtime.

More importantly, while employees will work fewer hours, Foxconn has agreed to develop a compensation package that protects workers from losing income due to reduced overtime. In order to maintain capacity while reducing workers' hours, Foxconn committed to increase its workforce significantly as it builds additional housing and canteen capacity.

During its audits, the Fair Labor Association found numerous violations of both Chinese labor laws and FLA standards when it comes to working hours, with average workload coming in at over 60 hours per week during peak times. Instances of unfair overtime pay were also uncovered, with overtime payments only being made in 30-minute increments. Consequently, workers received no pay for overtime work of up to 29 minutes, while workers putting in 30-59 minutes of work received pay for only 30 minutes' worth of work.

The FLA found several other issues in its audits, ranging from health and safety to lack of worker union representation. Full details on the results of the FLA's audits are available through the organization's website. The FLA will continue to monitor Apple's and Foxconn's efforts at compliance, and will post follow-up reports on its investigations.

Bloomberg Businessweek publishes a cover story on the ongoing patent war between Apple and Android, outlining the history of the disputes between Apple and Android manufacturers such as HTC, Samsung and Motorola.

The report notes that Apple has actually experienced only limited success in its legal efforts, suggesting that Steve Jobs' vow to wage "thermonuclear war" against Android may be backfiring somewhat with Apple's soaring legal costs and retaliatory actions from its targets subjecting the company to risk while the benefits remain meager.

Corroborating claims from earlier this month regarding Apple's willingness to settle with the Android device manufacturers it has filed suit against, Bloomberg Businessweek reports that Apple and Samsung have "communicated lately" about settlement possibilities. The report suggests that settlement has become a more feasible option now that Apple is led by Tim Cook.

People familiar with the situation, however, note that top-level executives at both Apple and Samsung have communicated lately about potential settlement options. Apple CEO Tim Cook does not seem to share his predecessor’s passion about laying all foes to waste. Cook appears to view litigation as a necessary evil, not a vehicle of cosmic revenge.

Stanford University law professor Mark Lemley notes that the patent war has cost Apple and its opponents over $400 million over the past few years, and it is unclear just what benefits they have received for that massive sum of money. Lemley predicts that there will eventually be a major cross-licensing deal to bring the majority of the legal disputes to an end, but in the meantime the war continues to escalate as all sides continue to file new suits.

The latest data from Nielsen suggests that between the two of them, Android and Apple's iOS have relegated other smartphone operating systems to sub-single digit market share. The closest competitor -- RIM's Blackberry -- counted only 5% of U.S. smartphone purchases in the past three months. Other operating systems, including Windows Phone, Symbian, HP/Palm's WebOS and others, added up to only 4% share combined.

Overall, Android continues to lead the smartphone market in the U.S., with 48 percent of smartphone owners saying they owned an Android OS device. Nearly a third (32.1%) of smartphone users have an Apple iPhone, and Blackberry owners represented another 11.6 percent of the smartphone market. Among recent acquirers who got their smartphone within the last three months, 48 percent of those surveyed in February said they chose an Android and 43 percent bought an iPhone.

Android's performance is pretty constant, with 48% of existing smartphone owners and 48% of new smartphone purchasers choosing Android phones.

Apple's iPhone has been more popular of late, with the recent release of the iPhone 4S. The iPhone is the device of choice for 32% of current smartphone owners, but has made up 43% of recent smartphone purchases -- entirely at the expense of BlackBerry and the other small-share operating systems.