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Internet radio will have a new competitor early next year if Apple successfully negotiates a deal with record labels. Talks are in progress according to Bloomberg and could be concluded by the middle of November. Apple is seeking to take on Pandora, the current online radio leader.

Apple's radio service would differ somewhat from Pandora's model, with a customized app making it possible to purchase songs as streaming files and re-listen to music in automatically generated playlists on iOS devices. Access to both services will be free, with iAds providing revenue for Apple's service.

For those iPhone owners who aren't the biggest fans of Apple's home grown Maps application, take heart. The company has explicitly stated during its earnings call today that work continues on improving Maps. Apple made the decision to replace Google Maps with the launch of iOS 6.

The announcement came directly from CFO Peter Oppenheimer, who stated that Apple has "made a number of improvements to Maps over the past month and will work nonstop until Maps lives up to our incredibly high standards." No doubt Apple has Google in their sights and does not want to be considered the inferior solution.

If you weren't into the illuminated Lightning cable with dock previously offered by iPhone5mod, they now have more official looking products in the works. The first third-party Lightning cable manufacturer will be launching its version of the Lightning USB cable and adapters at a discount price on November 3.

This will be a relief for iPhone 5 users who aren't interested in paying full price for an Apple cable. The basic connector cable starts at $9.90, undercutting the Apple Store by almost $10. Of course, shipping is not included and could add up quickly. Still, iPhone5mod offers several other products, including an iPhone 5 docking station.

Coming off the big Angry Birds Star Wars announcement, Rovio has issued a Halloween-themed update to its Angry Birds Seasons game. The update brings 30-levels of haunted pig action, and a new character called Frankenswine.

Players must brave a haunted house with new ghost bricks and ghouls to save their eggs. The update is free for users who've already purchased the iPhone or iPad version of the game.

A round of bug fixes and improvements is on the way for iOS 6 users across the globe. Apple is reportedly testing iOS 6.0.1 firmware and will release the update in the coming weeks. An inside source also told BGR that a further update to iOS 6.1 will not be ready for release until after the new year. Apple has just started testing this version, which looks unlikely to ship on the iPad mini.

When it comes to iOS 6.0.1, issues that will be addressed include two of the top five iPhone 5 bugs, problems and complaints that have been making headlines and filling user support forums. Scott Forstall is said to have personally emailed one iOS 6 user verifying the iPhone keyboard glitch is a software bug that will be fixed.