Apple’s iAd has earned a rare distinction among mobile ad networks.

iAd has become the first major mobile ad network to be fully accredited by the Media Ratings Council.

The achievement, AdAge reports, is the result of Apple’s purported strict adherence to the standards that the Interactive Advertising Bureau and Mobile Marketing Association released in early 2013.

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Apple confirmed Thursday that the keynote address for WWDC 2013 will take place on June 10th, as the conference begins that morning at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California.

Tim Cook will commence WWDC 2013 by presenting the keynote address, sources confirm.

In past years, Apple hasn’t been forthcoming about what announcements will be made at the annual developer’s conference. But this year, it’s a different story.

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Social media’s luster got scuffed up a tad today amidst a new report from Monetate.

The company, which promotes itself as a “customer experience engine that leverages big data to create personalized online experiences,” published its latest Ecommerce Quarterly (EQ1 2013) report.

This quarter’s report takes a deep look at social commerce trends. And the news isn’t all that good for social media.

According to the report’s findings, social media is lagging as direct traffic source to eCommerce websites and for online purchases, despite brand investment.

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Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook addressed a Senate hearing on Tuesday that was largely convened to explore how Apple uses foreign subsidiaries to allegedly shelter billions of dollars in income from U.S. taxes.

Not surprisingly, Cook defended both Apple and its tax practices.

“We pay all the taxes we owe — every single dollar,” Cook told members of the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. “We not only comply with the laws but we comply with the spirit of the laws,” he said. “We don’t depend on tax gimmicks.”

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This week, Asymco analyst Horace Dediu published a new report based on research and analysis showing that Apple’s retail stores are now generating record revenue per visitor.

“In the US, on a sales per square foot basis, Apple retail continues to perform twice as well as Tiffany & Co., the second best retailer, and three times as well as lululemon athletica, the third best retailer,” Dediu revealed Monday.

With the most lucrative square footage across the global retail landscape, Apple’s retail stores now generate nearly $58 per visitor.

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After an exhaustive and protracted testing phase, the U.S. Department of Defense finally awarded security clearance to Apple’s iPhone and iPad on Friday.

In particular, the Defense Information Systems Agency confirmed the approval of the Apple iOS 6 Security Technical Implementation Guide (STIG).

Approval of the STIG means that government-issued iOS 6 mobile devices are approved for use when connecting to DOD networks within current mobility pilots or the future mobile device management framework.

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Android and iOS combined for 92.3% of all smartphone shipments during the first quarter of 2013. But the lopsided strength of Android can’t be ignored. Google’s little green robot represented a whopping 75% of this smartphone shipment duopoly, IDC finds.

iOS, on the other hand, was just 17%.

“Underpinning the worldwide smartphone market is the constantly shifting operating system landscape,” explains Ramon Llamas, research manager with IDC’s Mobile Phone team.

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