• Read more about Google AdMob Beats Apple iAd to iPad Advertising SDK

Google's newly acquired AdMob has beaten Apple's iAd to market with an SDK that allows iPhone OS mobile apps developers to specifically target the iPad. AdMob's iPad SDK was released on Jun 2nd, whereas iAd SDK is not expected to be announced until Monday's WWDC 2010 keynote address by Steve Jobs.

AdMob's SDK supports two formats: (1) text and tile ads; (2) image ads. Both format types are available in three IAB (Internet Advertising Board) standard sizes: 300x250, 728x90, 468x60. Personally, I'd think that these sizes are inappropriate for the iPad and really more suited to websites and blogs. It'll be interesting to see what Apple's iAd offers.

The two companies are now competing at yet another level. AdMob has the advantage over iAd, being the largest ad network on the iPhone. However, Apple is unlikely to block the AdMob's iPad SDK, possibly because Apple is the target of an antitrust review by the U.S. Justice Dept and FTC. On the other hand, iAd has a development advantage, being able to access iPhone OS features for the iPad that may not be available in public iPhone APIs. Under the Apple App Store's current guidelines, iPhone OS apps must not use "private" iPhone APIs.

Regardless, both companies ad networks stand to gain.

Want to discuss a mobile campaigns or a native mobile app for your business or projects? Feel free to contact us to discuss your mobile platform needs.

• Read more about DIY iPad Mounting Solution: Velcro

If you don't want to shell out bucks for some of the iPad accessories available for improving viewing and user experience, there's an inexpensive option: velcro. Jesse Rosten offers video proof that velcro is an accessible, affordable solution for mounting the iPad on multiple surfaces, for multiple purposes, including: (1) on your car dashboard for a navigation system; (2) on your wall for a dynamic digital picture viewer; (3) on your stove for viewing cooking lessons; and several more.

Not sure I'd ever take the risk of trying one of the last solutions: mounting the iPad on your bedroom ceiling, above your head, for who knows what purpose. Sounds a bit too risky, but most of the other solutions seem workable. Does anyone know if velcro efficiency is affected by steam? Of course, as Rosten says, the video shows the possibilities, not necessarily practical solutions.

iPad + Velcro from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

• Read more about AT&T Gives Customers Some Leeway on iPhone/iPad Data Plans

If you were non-plussed to hear that AT&T was changing their data pricing plans for the iPhone and iPad come Jun 7th -- the very day many of us expect the announcement of the 4th-generation iPhone during the WWDC keynote address by Apple's Steve Jobs -- then you might be happy to know they're giving consumers some leeway. Some, but not much.

Looks as if AT&T doesn't want too much bad publicity. Despite of one threat of a cease and desist to a blogger who wrote to AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson [contact details] about the new iPhone/ iPad data pricing plans, they're making some concessions. If you really really want the previously promised $30/month unlimited data plan for the iPad 3G, you can still get it, but with some conditions. If you don't already have an iPad 3G, you have to order one before Jun 7th. When you get it, even if it's after Jun 7th, you'll be eligible to sign up for the original $30/mth data plan. Of course, if you already have the iPad 3G, you can get the data plan now, before Jun 7th.

So for some of us, that means we'll have to race to order an iPad 3G. No word on whether any similar concession is available for the next iPhone, other than if you upgrade a current iPhone. (For example, as mentioned previously, I have an iPhone 3GS that I intend to keep, and thus my plan will stay at the 5GB/month cap. But I can upgrade my LG VU phone in August to a new iPhone. Unfortunately, I do not believe I'll be able to get the 5GB/mth plan for that phone -- which is a disappointment since my wife's LG VU can be upgraded in October, and we were looking forward to video calling on the new iPhone. E.g., a feature that'll eat up data.

• Read more about AT&T Disappoints iPad/iPhone Power Users Yet Again

AT&T just announced new iPhone/ iPad wireless pricing plans which while costing more for future iPad power users, had some ray of hope: iPhone tethering. That meant you could now connect to the Internet from your iPad (whether from a WiFi-only model or a 3G model) using your iPhone's data plan. Or so we thought.

Techflash is reporting that an AT&T spokesperson told them via email that iPhone-to-iPad tethering won't be possible and mentioned something about the iPad not having USB ports. (AT&T are also saying it's an iPad/ iPhone issue, not their policy.) Sounds kind of unusual. The iPhone also has no USB port. How are other wireless devices to tether from the iPhone? This of course means that the iPhone will not have a "Mobile Hotspot" feature, unlike Android phones and Palm Pre Plus.

John Gruber of Daring Fireball suggested that the good outweighs the bad in AT&T's new iPhone/ iPad data pricing, but I'm really not so sure, in light of this -- at least not for a power user like myself. Let's look at some numbers. My iPhone costs me $70/mth (phone + data costs) to get online and has a 5GB/mth cap. Maybe I don't use all of that cap on my iPhone like AT&T says, but I expected to use close to 5GB or more than that on my future iPad 3G (I have a WiFi-only model right now). After the cost of the iPad 3G, I'd have to pay $25/mth for 2GB, plus $10/GB overage. So for 5GB, that's $55, but only if I use that much data.

On the other hand, my Palm Pre Plus costs me $80/m for phone and data, with a 5GB cap and free Mobile Hotspot. I can connect any 5 wireless devices to the Internet with the Mobile Hotspot feature. Yes, it's expensive in comparison, especially if I don't use my cap every month. Other "personal WiFi" options cost anywhere from $40-60/month, according to my research, with typical 5GB/month data caps -- though who knows if this will change.

For now, it does seem that non-power users are getting a better deal with AT&T's new pricing plans -- though power users (i.e., many early adopters) are being cheated out of what was promised: unlimited 3G for $30/mth. And even if AT&T says it's Apple's fault re iPhone-to-iPad tethering, I'm not sure everyone is going to view it that way. AT&T is the bearer of bad news in this case, and will be perceived as such, at least until there's more clarity as to what iPhone tethering means, what exactly you can do with it and what you can't.

• Read more about Reviewing Apple's Increased Mobile Device Market Share

Since the launch of both the WiFi-only and 3G models of the iPad, Apple has sold about 2M units in less than 2 months, and they're sold out at many of their Apple retail stores - proving that there is a market for tablet devices and thus a need for more apps. But will these sales levels be sustained past the current hype? Retrevo did a Pulse Report study [via Mashable] of over 1,000 respondents about consumer attitudes towards tablet computers and e-readers and over 50% said they're not interested in making such a purchase. Of non-iPad owners surveyed, over half said that they don't need one.

Let's look at some other stats. At an average of 1M units/month, they can easily top 8M units this year, beating out estimates of 5-7M units for 2010. The overall market for web-enabled tablet computing devices is estimated to hit over $8B by 2015, despite Retrevo's study. Such contradictions often exist, and sometimes it's a matter of creating the need or at least the desire. Apple managed it with iPods -- I remember being part of a group of people that held out. I in fact never bought an iPod but both won a Shuffle and was given an iPod as a gift. The latter ceased to function after a year of heavy use; I'd fallen in love with it. Can Apple repeat their iPod success and make people fall in love with iPads, even when they don't need them? (I believe so.)

Apple is already leading Android with  mobile devices in general. According to AdMob (which Google just purchased), iPhone OS-based devices are leading Android OS-based devices in the U.S. by more than a 2 to 1 ratio. Worldwide, the ratio is 3.5 to 1 in favor of iPhone OS. (With market advantages like this, is it any wonder that Apple stock price predictions for 2010 -- made in Dec 2009 - Jan 2010 -- suggest a $250-300 range?)

Whether Apple is maintaining any lead in the tablet market is hard to say without actually figures, given that tablet computer have existed for a while. Where Apple is lagging is with iPad-specific apps compared to iPhone-specific apps. Developers had to work with only a software simulator for the first round of apps accepted by Apple for the Apr 3, 2010, launch of the iPad. That probably hindered development significantly, and my own observation is that many such iPad-specific apps crash on occasion.

So if Apple can reboot the tablet computer market and create a demand, there'll be room for loads more iPad-specific apps and maybe even 3rd-party peripheral devices. Whether or not that means the possibility of Windows-based tools such as Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 or Silverlight Web application plug-in for developing iPad/ iPhone apps remains to be seen. For now it seems it's not the case, even with suggestions for Apple to be more open.

• Read more about AT&T: iPhone Tethering, iPad 3G Data Plan Changes

The Apple iPad is now available in nine more markets, not including the USA. Both the WiFi-only and 3G models are available, in all three memory sizes (16GB, 32GB, 64GB). This is great news for non-U.S. consumers who have been waiting for these devices. Meanwhile the USA seems to be sold out of them. Unfortunately, for American consumers who bought a 3G model in hopes of getting the AT&T unlimited data plan for $29.99, if you don't have it already, you'll be out of luck after June 7th. AT&T has decided to completely change the data plans, and depending on your intended usage, it might cost you more.

There are now two per-usage options for iPad 3G data plans through AT&T:

1. DataPlus plan, $15/month, capped at 200MB/ month. Extra data costs $15 for 200MB blocks. Not sure if this is prorated if you go over by a little bit.
2. DataPro plan, $25/month, 2GB/month cap. Extra data costs $10 for 1GB chunks.

While the DataPro plan is obviously a better deal if you're going to be a power iPad data user, it's going to end up costing a lot more. AT&T claims the majority of consumers are not using up their 5GB caps on the iPhone. That's probably because they never allowed tethering. They will now, for the next iPhone, but it'll cost you an extra $20 in addition to requiring the DataPro plan. That means $45/mth to let your iPhone be a tether so that your iPad (WiFi-only or 3G models) can share the data plan.

By comparison, Verizon's Palm Pre Plus phone has a Mobile Hotspot feature that allows tethering of WiFi devices at no extra cost over the data plan (roughly $40/month), which is capped at 5GB. What do you think is the better deal, aside from the fact that the new iPhone is expected to have a much longer battery life than before, and Palm Pre Plus' tethering drains the battery within 3 hours or less.

If you were plan to use your iPad in all the amazing online ways that Apple's commercials suggest, it's going to cost you. Forget watching video on the go, because that'll eat up your data plan in short order. AT&T claims this is a new lower-priced wireless data plan intended to make mobile Internet more affordable to more people. Unfortunately, power users get punished, but this sort of plan change has been part of the cellular industry for years.

• Read more about Are E-Readers Doomed By Tablet Computers?

There's speculation that the with the introduction of the iPad, netbook and laptop sales might be in danger. When you think about it, tablet computers have a different if overlapping purpose than netbooks and laptops. On the other hand, tablet computers can do what e-Readers such as the Nook and Kindle do, and witih more features. So if any type of device is doomed by the existence of the iPad and all the tablet computers that will follow, it's the e-Reader.

The big bookstore chains even seem to be hedging their bets by introducing iPhone OS apps intended for people who don't own their device. Barnes & Noble is the latest with their Nook app for the iPad. The app has several iPad specific features, including new fonts and customizable layout for readability, in-book search, bookmarks, cross-device syncing, ePub support. Crunchgear have published the full press release from Barnes & Noble, which says there'll be an Android version this summer as well.

Amazon isn't ready to give up yet, with plans to release a thinner Kindle reader in August. But it'll have neither a touchscreen nor a color screen. I think about the beautiful Alice in Wonderland interactive book in full color on the iPad and ask myself why I'd ever want a non-color, non-touchscreen Kindle? Sure, the iPad might cost more than some people want to spend, but there are expected to be low-cost tablet devices appearing later this year which can double as both e-readers and mobile computing devices.

So why would you want to buy an e-Reader device? Well other than ZDNet's finding that the iPad is poor for outdoor reading, and another experiment's finding that suggest the iPad might disrupt your sleep habits because of its backlit IPS screen. E-Readers that use e-Ink technology (Kindle, Nook, Sony's devices) are said to be less likely to do that.

Image: Flickr.

• Read more about Mobomo Mobisphere Roundup -- May 29, 2010

The mobile tech rumor mill suggests that Apple might open up iPhone/ iPad development to tools on the Windows PC environment, and for that reason, Microsoft's Steve Ballmer will appear at Apple's WWDC keynote next week. But Microsoft's officially Twitter channel says it's not true. What might be true, on the other hand, is that Microsoft's Bing search engine could become the default one for the iPhone OS.

Meanwhile, a U.S. Justice Dept probe is looking at how Apple does business with non-music media businesses. Apple's market capitalization just passed Microsoft's this week, and a recent complaint from Adobe has already triggered an anti-competitive practices probe.

Probes take time and in the meantime, it's pretty clear that Apple will be announcing a new iPhone some time in June -- an iPhone that'll be leaps and bounds, technologically, ahead of the last generation, in order to support all the new features that appear in iPhone OS 4.x.

Digitimes Research has a Q&A with senior analyst Ming-Chi Kuo about some of the iPhone rumors, but the existence of a new phone is not a rumor. In fact, BGR says in two-line post that AT&T has already confirmed to their employees that there is a new iPhone in June.

Unfortunately for consumers, AT&T seems to be upping the cost of ownership. While the new phone itself is possible going to cost only $18 to upgrade to from an older iPhone, AT&T's ETF (early termination fee) for all smartphones has increased from $175 to $325.

BGR also says that AT&T is launching a new iPhone insurance plan that costs a ridiculous $13.99 and launches in June. That's nearly half the cost of the data plan. There's also a deductible fee to be paid, for some claims. Are they expecting an increase in thefts and planning to capitalize? Or are they losing exclusivity and trying to come up with new revenue streams?  Or maybe both? Considering that AT&T claims that 40% of iPhone sales are to business users, businesses might in fact approve the insurance rates and write them off against profits.

Oddly enough, this insurance is supposed to be available in the Apple App Store, but you have to sign up within 30 days of purchasing or upgrading to a new iPhone. In case you don't feel like doing the math, that's nearly $170/year in premiums.

• Read more about Mobomo Mobisphere Roundup -- May 26, 2010

AT&T customers in New York City will be able to access free WiFi in and around Times Square. This is the company's temporarily solution to data congestion. This will of course be great for New Yorkers with iPad WiFi-only models. Just don't go near Yankee Stadium, as iPads are banned there since they're being classified as laptops. On the other hand, if you do go to Yankee Stadium with an iPad, you might want to put on iClothing's iTee ($44.95) or iDress ($89.95), right, both of which have a pocket which will hold an iPad. Given how heavy the iPad is, I'm assuming the stitching on these clothing items is strong. Let's just hope stadium security doesn't search your body.

Planning to travel and need worldwide Internet data plan? XCom Global is offering unlimited data in any of 21 countries, including USA, Canada, Mexico and the UK, for $14.95-17.95/day. Access is provided through either a USB broadband stick or a Novatel MiFi. Sounds expensive, but apparently Vodafone's rates, which are by the megabyte, could be considerably higher if you plan to be online a lot.

Unlocked smartphones are in enough demand that AT&T will provide unlocks for most of their handsets, with the exception of the iPhone, thanks to the pre-trial settlement of a class-action lawsuit.

The Android-powered Dell Streak 5" slate computer/ GSM phone launches in the UK in June. It has two cameras (to support video chat), amongst other features. The device, which was formerly known as the Mini 5, will make its U.S. appearance in late summer. I don't know; this former factor seems a bit large to use as a phone, unless you utilize the speaker or earbuds.

Android-based smartphones are selling at about 100K units per day, though given there are over 60 different handsets, that's not too surprising. What is surprising is that Android phones outsold iPhones in the U.S. in Q1 2010.

If you think the iPad is too costly, take note $100-150 Android-based tablets could hit the market by the second half of 2010. While I think Apple will drop the price of the iPad next year when newer models come out, I doubt they'll go as low as they devices, which will be powered chips from Via Technologies. I'll have seven, please -- one for each day of the week.

• Read more about Netbooks Still Favored Over iPads? [Updated]

Are netbooks still favored over the Apple iPad? According to a survey by Retrevo, almost a third of U.S. consumers who had planned to buy a netbook ended up with an iPad. The survey further indicates that the most desirable netbook feature is it's portability.

I'd have to agree with the portability. I gave my wife an HP netbook to supplement her older MacBook 15" and she loves it, despite that it's not a Mac. If she's on the go, she tends to favor the netbook because it slips easily into her handbag. It also has 3G Internet, whereas if she took the Mac, she'd need to find a wireless network to get online -- which makes up the bulk of the work she does on a computer.

On the other hand, I favor my iPad, despite that it's a WiFi-only model. But one is not a replacement for the other. Using an iPad is an experience that's hard to describe. You have to try it to understand; don't listen to people who put the iPad down without actually trying it. I was skeptical because its touchscreen-based computing has some limitations that a netbook does not, which is why the two types of devices are not interchangeable. What an iPad offers is a wholly different experience.

Still, despite the survey results, netbook sales are down and, in comparison, iPad production could increase from its current rate of 1-1.5M units/month to 2.5M units/m. So maybe what the survey failed to ask was how many people who intended to buy an iPad bought a netbook?

Update: After posting this, I found the Retrevo survey summary link, and it appears that they did ask people whether they were leaning towards a netbook or iPad, and nearly 80% said the latter.