Apple released its third update for OS X Mountain Lion, bringing the software to version 10.8.3 after more than three months of development.

The new version brings a number of bug fixes for several issues users were experiencing with version 10.8.2 and earlier, and it also adds a couple of new features.

The update brings, among other things, the ability to redeem iTunes gift cards in the Mac App Store using the Mac's iSight built-in camera. In other words, users can now take a snapshot of the card in the Mac App Store and have the system identify its number and redeem it rather than having to manually type the numbers. It may not be a huge update, but it's convenient and it saves time — and some headaches for those who didn't type the numbers correctly from the first try.

The update to OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.3 also addresses a couple of previous limitations with Boot Camp, which now supports Windows 8 and drives over 3TB in size. The update also includes a fix for the File:/// URL bug that caused applications to crash. Other bug fixes include patches for more app-specific bugs such as the Logic bug that caused unresponsive behavior. In addition, this update should also address the issue of shuttering audio on some 2011 Mac models, particularly the iMac series.

Besides the OS X update, Apple also issued an SMC firmware update for its MacBooks Pro with Retina display. This firmware update should fix a problem that caused slow frame rates for users playing graphics-intensive games. The Boot ROM in the system will be version 2.3f35 after this update — users can check it out using the System Information utility.

OS X Mountain Lion users should be able to find these updates through Apple's Software Update service in the Apple menu. The updates should also be available as standalone updates on Apple's Support website.

Users will need to restart their systems for the updates to kick in and it is recommended to perform a full system backup before applying any updates. Users can fully back up their system using Time Machine or a cloning utility.