It was only going to be a matter of time before Apple turned its thoughts to generating ad revenue from the many thousands of third-party applications on the iPhone and iPad.
And sure enough, it's about to happen – with a new platform called iAd.
Developers will be allowed to create adverts that remain within applications and that don't - as at present - just redirect people to a separate site. They'll also get to keep 60% of the revenue each advert generates.
The move is almost certainly tied to Apple's recent acquisition of mobile ad company Quattro, and an attempt to outmanoeuvre Google, which is presently looking to extend its mobile advertising activities by buying AdMob - a move that may well face an anti-trust action.
It's believed that the new iAds will still be subject to vetting, but will not have to meet such stringent criteria as applications before being allowed on the iPad or iPhone.
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