Julie Kuehl

Opera Software, makers of the web browser, released its first State of Mobile Advertising report Friday. The company found that iOS leads in effective cost per thousand impressions, followed by Android, and then in a very distant third place is Windows Phone.

The Clueful app  is no longer available on the App Store. Bitdefender’s app that scanned other installed iOS apps for their use of permissions and personal data had a brief two month run before being pulled off the virtual shelves.

HTC responded to a lawsuit by Apple by countersuing and adding in a couple of new patents of its own. HTC had been looking for patents to use in the ongoing “patent wars” when it acquired these from HP last December.

Apple is under fire again for its AppleCare warranty practices in the EU. The Portuguese Association for Consumer Protection (DECO) says it will sue Apple for misleading consumers into purchasing Apple Care extended warranty plans.

Apple has tried several methods to block both a hacker that last week announced a scheme that allows users to get in-app content without paying for it. So far, however, Apple has not yet succeeded in taking it down completely.

A new Food & Drink category is now available in the iTunes App Store. The category is meant for apps that “help users cook and bake, mix drinks, manage recipes, find new restaurants and bars, and learn what their friends like to eat and drink,” according to Apple.

The European Union has proposed changes in licensing rules for digital music that would allow music to be sold across all 27 EU countries. This would allow Internet music services such as iTunes to have one European store rather than a separate store in each of the 27 individual countries.

Amazon announced the introduction of GameCircle services for the Kindle Fire on Tuesday. Taking cues from Apple’s iOS (and soon to be Mac) Game Center, it tracks achievements, leaderboards, and allows for the syncing of games.

Apple was granted 22 new patents this week, three of which relate to iOS and are of some interest to end users. Those three involve prioritizing mobile media player files, song flow methodology in random playback, and a graphical user interface for viewing multiple application windows.

On July 10, AT&T will begin blocking phones that have been reported to a customer service representative as stolen. This will prevent the phone from being able to access data, text, or voice services but it does leave the account open rather than blocking the SIM entirely.