In its newly released "December MobileSTAT," Jumptap (www.jumptap.com), which specializes in targeted mobile advertising, reports that mobile gaming traffic continues to surge across its network and individual verticals. With the advent of bigger, faster and more affordable smart devices, mobile gaming has become the most popular activity for smartphone and tablet users. This popularity is reflected in the growth of Jumptap’s Gaming Channel, a premium collection of addictive apps including Words with Friends and Angry Birds. "Mobile gamers are not just teenagers, but busy professionals, moms and dads, and grandparents," says Matt Duffy, vice president of Marketing, Jumptap. "As gaming traffic grows on our network, advertisers gain scalable ways to reach specific audience segments of any age or demographic." The Jumptap MobileSTAT reports mine large quantities of network data to identify targeting and audience trends. Jumptap uses proprietary algorithms to analyze and normalize this...

Here are the latest updates for Mac OS X apps: Vjoon (www.vjoon.com) is set to release a new version of vjoon K4. Version 6.5 will ship to the company's integration partners before Christmas and will be available to all customers at the beginning of the new year. The update comes with new features that make the cross-media publishing platform even easier to work with. Ergonis Software (www.ergonis.com) has announced Typinator 5.4, an improved new version of their text expander. The new version offers versatile import and export of text snippets in various formats. Fidelity Media (www.megaseg.com) has delivered version 5.8.7 of MegaSega, its DJ mixing and pro radio automation software. The upgrade adds compatibility with iTunes 11, support for Apple Media Keys and multimedia remotes, and improvements to the playlist browser and automatic volume control features. Telestream (www.telestream.net) has rolled out ScreenFlow 4.0.2, an update of its screencasting software package. Holding...

Apple has posted iOS 6.0.2 for the iPhone 5 and iPad mini. It's available for download under the Software Update option in the iOS Settings app. "This update contains improvements and bug fixes, including fixes a bug that could impact Wi-Fi," says Apple. For information on the security content of this update, please go to http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222 .

Epson America's US$10 Mobilink P60 thermal printers are now available with Bluetooth connectivity for the iOS mobile operating system. Available in both receipt and label versions, the new Mobilink devices allow retail and hospitality customers to take advantage of wireless printing from all handheld iDevices via the Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR wireless networking standard. Bluetooth’s open standard wireless communications protocol creates a stable connection and is a cost effective option for short-range transactions of up to 30 feet, according to Gregg Brunnick, director of Marketing for Epson’s Business Systems Division. The Mobilink is available with belt clip and shoulder strap options; both receipt and label versions are now available through Epson’s reseller and distribution channels. For more information, visit http://pos.epson.com/mobile .

SMART Technologies (www.smarttech.com) has released a new SMART Board software development kit (SDK) that allows developers to build web applications that sense user actions on a SMART Board interactive display. The applications have embedded intelligence to recognize if the user is touching the interactive display to move an object, sketch with a pen or to perform other physical interactions with the large screen device. The SDK is now available to all SMART Ecosystem Network members. Currently, over 2,000 software development, publishing and design organizations are members of the SMART Ecosystem Network. Membership in the network is available at no cost. To register to be a part of the Ecosystem Network, visit smarttech.com/ecosystem . Developers can leverage the SMART Board SDK to enhance applications designed for Mac, Windows, and Linux operating platforms and web applications. The applications can sense interactive whiteboard activity, such as interaction with the SMART Pen...

Samsung says it will drop its injunction applications against Apple in five European countries, "in a major U-turn in a long-running patents war between the electronics giants," reports the "Wall Street Journal" (http://macte.ch/WLVTX). The South Korean company will drop injunction applications in Germany, France, the U.K., Italy and the Netherlands, a senior executive told the "WSJ." However, it will continue to pursue lawsuits in Europe, where it alleges infringements on its products, it said. This is all part of the ongoing, global legal battle. Apple and Samsung have filed more than 30 lawsuits against each other across four continents. For example, Apple alleges that Samsung copied the slide-to-unlock technology of its iPhone and iPad devices.

Apple has released EFI updates for the new iMac and 13-inch Retina Display MacBook Pro -- iMac EFI Update 2.0 and MacBook Pro EFI Retina EFI Update 1.1, respectively. According go Apple, the updates address Thunderbolt and Wi-Fi issues, along with sleep-related problems. They also include general performance fixes. You can learn more about iMac EFI Update 2.0 at http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1618?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US . You can learn more about MacBook Pro Retina EFI Update 1.1 at http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1619 . Both require OS X  10.8.1 or higher.

Jeff Huber, senior vice president of Commerce & Local at Google, announced on his Google+ account (https://plus.google.com/+JeffHuber/posts/CfXMJ76Nfwk) that the relaunched Google Maps for iOS has seen over 10 million downloads in the first 48 hours after its release. "We're excited for the positive reception of Google Maps for iPhone around the world," he writes. "Congratulations to the Maps Team on the recognition for the passion and hard work they poured into it, for this release and over the last 7+ years. If you're an iPhone user and haven't downloaded the Maps app yet, get it on the App Store or visit: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id585027354?mt=8 . If you already have it -- thank you, and please tell a friend.  Any feedback you have is welcomed, here in G+ or in the app (just shake it)."

Unscrupulous folks have developed a new Mac OS X-specific Trojan that mimics the behavior of a legitimate software installer, reports "The Register." Trojan-SMSSend-3666 poses as an application for listening to music on a Russian social networking site and tries to trick you into handing over your mobile number to activate the radio app. You're asked to enter your phone number into an appropriate field and then specify the code sent to the mobile in an SMS. Victims are charged for a premium-rate text message and sign themselves up for regular debits, notes to "The Register." In return, they get nothing beyond an application that can be downloaded for free from elsewhere on the net, at best, the article adds. 
Read more at http://macte.ch/yS7yb .

6Wunderkinder has announced Wunderlist 2. Available for free on Mac OS X, iOS, Windows and the Android OS, it's a cross platform, cloud based productivity app with such features as Cloud Sync, Reminders and more. Wunderlist 2 has now been rebuilt in an all new native apps on all major devices. The switch to native apps guarantees you will experience a lightning fast and a seriously stable performance no matter what and how many different devices you are using throughout the day, according to says Christian Reber, founder and CEO, 6Wunderkinder. It also allows the development team to accurately scale and roll out updates on a regular basis, he adds. Along with the added new features the user interface of Wunderlist 2 has been completely reworked to be even simpler, yet more intelligent. To create your own Wunderlist 2 account go to www.6Wunderkinder.com .

Apple has sold over two million of its new iPhone 5 in China, just three days after its launch on Dec. 14. iPhone 5 will be available in more than 100 countries by the end of December, making it the fastest iPhone rollout ever. "Customer response to iPhone 5 in China has been incredible, setting a new record with the best first weekend sales ever in China," says Apple CEO Tim Cook. "China is a very important market for us and customers there cannot wait to get their hands on Apple products."

A U.S. International Trade Commission has ruled in favor of Apple, Intel and HP in a case involved processor patent technology infringement claimed by X2Y Attenuators.. "The Wall Street Journal" (http://macte.ch/O5Emf) reports that In his ruling, ITC Administrative Law Judge David Shaw not only cleared the three companies of any wrongdoing, but determined the patents asserted by X2Y to be invalid. The patent infringement lawsuit involved, among other things, the iMac and its use of Intel processors. The lawsuit was filed in June 2011 by X2Y Attenuators. The company claims Apple's 27-inch iMac, utilizing a 3.2Ghz Intel Core i3 processor, is in violation of five patents it has registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, as is HP's TouchSmart 610 Series PC. X2Y Attenuators (http://www.x2y.com/) describes itself as an "Intellectual Property Company that develops advanced passive component solutions for the electronics industry. Founded in June 1996, the company is headquartered...

Digital Heaven has announced DH_SubtitleX, a new FxPlug generator plug-in for Final Cut Pro X and Motion 5 on Mac OS X 10.0.6 or higher. It provides a way to add "burned-in" boxed subtitles to a video production. This plugin automatically creates the background box according to the text entered and offers consistent vertical positioning. DH_SubtitleX uses a fixed list of standard fonts thath are installed by default with OS X 10.6, 10.7 and 10.8. Custom installed fonts will not be usable by DH_SubtitleX. DH_SubtitleX is priced at US$29.99 and available for immediate purchase from the Digital Heaven online store. For the first 30 hours after release, customers can get a 30% discount on the plug-in by using the coupon code shown on the Digital Heaven website (http://www.digital-heaven.co.uk). A watermarked trial version is also available for download.

The iPhone 5 is now available in China and 32 other countries. The other countries are Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Ecuador, Grenada, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Kuwait, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldova, Montenegro, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. The next gen smartphone is now available in 42 countries.

Drobo (www.droboworks.com) has released the Drobo 5N. It's a Mac and Windows compatible,network-attached storage (NAS) device with pricing starting at US$599. It employs BeyondRAID technology, which automates data protection and capacity expansion operations. In addition, the Drobo 5N utilizes Drobo's Data-Aware Tiering capability that uses high-performance flash (SSD) technology to accelerate performance of the storage array. What's more, Drobo extends its data protection in the Drobo 5N with a new feature that protects user data in the event of an unforeseen power failure or interruption. The new data protection feature is fully automated.

Mammoth Interactive has released an online training course, Xcode Fundamentals, online at Udemy. Xcode is Apple's set of developer tools for Mac OS X. In "Xcode Fundamentals," students learn how to design apps right in Xcode. The course consists of a series of 155 video lectures organized into 11 course sections, each typically just a few minutes long and full of dynamic graphical content. The course shows students how to design mobile applications and equally importantly, it teaches them about designing a mobile experience, says CEO John Bura. " The course shows students how to design mobile applications, and equally importantly, it teaches them about designing a mobile experience, he adds. In "Xcode Fundamentals, students learn how to design apps right in Xcode." . The Xcode Fundamentals course is hosted on Udemy online at http://www.udemy.com/xcode-fundamentals-designing-a-user-experience-for-... .

The Z has released the Z5 Mobile for iOS. It's available at the Apple App Store; Mac, PC and Android versions are in the works. The app is designed to make it easier for deaf and hard of hearing people to communicate with friends, family and business contacts -- hearing or deaf -- while on the go, says the Z CEO Sean Balanger. Some features involve improved management of customers’ contacts. An integrated address book gives users to access phone numbers stored locally on their iOS device, as well as those in their online Z profile account. With the new "Favorites" feature, callers can designate contacts they use most, similar to using speed dial. Customers can also set up avatars (icons or pictures) for contacts for further customization. Favorite features like Video Mail, Digital Whiteboard, VCO Plus and HolaVRS continue to be available, not to mention access to the industry’s best interpreters. The free app will allow deaf and hard of hearing people to make and receive point-to-...

As noted by "TNW" (http://macte.ch/6P4lr), Apple has launched a new status page for its iCloud, store and general services that provides more detail about status and uptimes of its various cloud and backend components. The page offers detailed breakdowns of each service, categorized by section including Services, Stores and iCloud. Each section is then broken down by the product that could be affected by service disruption.

Apple has released its "Best of 2012" listings for the iTunes Store. The annual list was previously dubbed iTunes Rewind. The list includes what Apple has determined are the best music, movies, TV shows, books, podcasts and apps. You can find the list by going to the iTunes Store and looking for the "Best of 2012" graphic in the scrolling carousel at the top of the screen.

SQLabs has released SQLiteManager for both Mac OS X (10.6 and higher) and Windows -- a database management system for sqlite databases. SQLiteManager lets you work with a range of sqlite 3 databases, including plain databases, in-memory databases, AES 128/256/RC4 encrypted databases and also with cubeSQL server databases. A SQLiteManager single license is costs US$49. Company and multi-platform licenses are also available. For more information go to http://www.sqlabs.com/ .

Frosthaus (http://frosthaus.com/sequence/) has released Sequence 1.0 for Mac OS X (10.8 or later). It's available for US$19.99 at the Mac App Store in the Photography category. With Sequence, timelapse photographers and video makers can import photos in most image formats supported on the Mac, including RAW, and preview the timelapse using a imeline-based interface. The deflickering engine in Sequence can remove brightness flicker from the source photos before rendering to video in industry standard formats, such as H.264 and Apple ProRes and so much more. The timeline also renders a graph of any brightness flicker commonly caused by shutter or aperture variations in the DSLR source camera. According to Johan Srensen, the app makes full use of multiple CPUs and rendering on the graphics card, along with full 64-bit support. This ensures Sequence will be able to handle both large and small timelapse sequences with ease, he adds.

Samsung Electronics, Sony Mobile Communications, LG Electronics, Huawei Device and ZTE are expected to follow HTC and Sharp to roll out smartphones with 5-inch Full HD displays in the first half of 2013, according to "DigiTimes," quoting unnamed "industry sources." While Samsung and LG will produce Full HD panels in-house, Sony Mobile will be able access supplies from JDI, in which it holds a stake, the article adds. Taiwan- and China-based smartphone vendors can purchase Full HD panels from JDI, Sharp or LG, per "DigiTimes."

European Union regulators ended an antitrust probe into e-book prices on Thursday, accepting an offer by Apple and four publishers to ease pricing restrictions on Amazon and other retailers. The decision "hands online retailer Amazon a victory in its attempt to sell e-books cheaper than rivals in a fast-growing market publishers hope will boost revenue and customer numbers," according to "Reuters" (http://macte.ch/zBZ4v). The European Commission said the concessions from Apple and the publishers soothed concerns that their pricing deals curbed competition. Apple has been sued in Europe, the U.S. and Canada for collaborating with publishers to "fix" ebook prices. The brouhaha centers on Apple's move to change the way that publishers charged for e-books as it prepared to introduce its first iPad in 2010. Traditionally, publishers sold books to retailers for roughly half of the recommended cover price. Under that "wholesale model," booksellers were then free to offer those books to...

Here are the latest updates for Mac OS X apps: Smile (www.smilesoftware.com) has released TextExpander 4.0.4, an update to its typing shortcut tool. The update adds Cut, Copy, and Paste support for items in the snippet list. There is also a new popover window to handle snippet abbreviation conflicts. Gilder (www.macqim.com/wordpress/) has revved GridUp, a tool that allows you to resize and position your windows with keyboard shortcut, to version 1.1. It's a maintenance upgrade. Emanuele T. has announced eMaps 2.9.9.1 (sites.google.com/site/emanuelet/emaps), an update of the app that gives you access to Google Maps. Due to a recent update in the Google Maps API [application programming interface] some functions in eMaps no longer work correctly. This update loads the previous stable version of Google Maps API to fix the problem. Devawriter Pro (http://andregarzia.on-rev.com/richmond/dwriterpro.html), a tool for teaching Devanagari or self-study, has been updated to version 1.0.8. It's...