Edible Apple

Apple will take center stage yet again tomorrow afternoon when it showcases its upcoming iPhone OS 4 to developers and members of the media. Expected announcements include support for third party multitasking and perhaps new gesture support for the iPhone and iPad.

Also on the agenda, according to sources familiar with Apple’s plans, will be an announcement concerning Apple’s upcoming iAd network, a service which will presumably allow developers to integrate mobile ads into their apps via the SDK. A few weeks ago, the WSJ noted that Steve Jobs had called Apple’s upcoming mobile ad initiative, which was most likely built with the technology and know-how from Apple’s acquisition of Quattro,  “revolutionary” and Apple’s “next big thing.”

Developers, though, won’t be the only ones excited by Apple’s foray into mobile advertising. Google also has a keen interest in Apple’s success in the advertising sphere. Why, you ask? Well, Google recently purchased AdMob for $750 million, a move that piqued the interest of the FTC because of Google’s already dominant position in advertising. If Apple becomes a player in the advertising space, Google can then point to Apple as an example of a bona fide competitor, thereby greasing the wheels for the feds to put their stamp of approval on Google’s nearly $1 billion purchase.

via MediaMemo