Apple has taken a much-anticipated step toward social media with its purchase of Topsy, opening the door to more relevant user experiences that could help it sell more ads.

Calvin Klein, Twentieth Century Fox and Turner Broadcasting are a few of the launch brands that are testing a new mobile ad format from Tumblr that inserts a piece of ad content within popular and trending posts.

Registration is open for the 3rd annual Mobile FirstLook: Strategy 2014 conference Jan. 15-16 featuring speakers from Macy's, eBay, Coca-Cola, Office Depot, Lowe's, Amazon's Zappos, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Rue La La, Citi, REI, Campbell Soup, Omni Hotels, Forrester, Yahoo, NYT, USA Today and Cumberland Farms. Must-attend event for brands, retailers, agencies and publishers.

Please register for the free annual webinar at 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, Dec. 5: "Mobile Outlook 2014: Up, Down or Flat?" Panelists include execs from BIA/Kelsey and Hipcricket.

Urban Outfitters has added a news feed to its mobile application to encourage repeat visits and help consumers stay up to date with the retailer's happenings.

Great Call, Power 20 and eight other medical and healthcare application developers' apps are the first in the United States to meet new health certification standards.

Today in mobile marketing - Applebee's to serve tablets at every table; Windows smartphones starting to specifically undermine iPhone demand; The tablet market will close out the year with a huge fourth quarter, and grow 74pc in 2013; ThirdLove's techie take on bra shopping debuts gift card.

Mobile Commerce Daily today - Amazon misses the mark with unoptimized Black Friday email; KFC's mobile commerce plans grow with streamlined payments.

Luxury Daily today - Céline sparks look book interest with bright New York Times mobile ad; Marc Jacobs fetes Playboy magazine's anniversary to show edginess.

Mobile Marketer is inviting nominations for the Mobile Marketer Awards, the most prestigious recognition honoring outstanding mobile advertising, marketing and media work in 2013 by brands, retailers, marketers, agencies and publishers.

By Melinda Krueger

Stop looking for data to defend or dismiss one channel over another. Do not accept the silos and turf battles as inevitable.