This is just a heads up to developers who are looking to get their hands dirty with iAds as you can now do so by joining the iAd Network and downloading the development kit Apple has just released.

The iAd Network provides an intuitive environment for you to easily incorporate iAd rich media ads into your applications. You can also monitor performance and track revenue. iPhone Developer Program members can join the iAd Network today.

So developers should not delay, receiving 60 percent of the advertising revenue is not too shabby and should be well worth their time.

Sprint and the Palm Pre just decided to bring it to Apple's iPhone via a perfectly nifty, if factually inaccurate(1), little ad-esque banner posted on Facebook. PreCentral.net already pipped us to the relevant quote post, citing McNamee's infamous CEOh-snap moment from the past:

You know the beautiful thing: June 29, 2009, is the two- year anniversary of the first shipment of the iPhone, [...] Not one of those people will still be using an iPhone a month later.

The relative thriftiness of constraining their marketing budget to a Facebook fan-base aside, does it really behoove Palm to remind iPhone 2G owners that their contracts are up, right after 1,000,000 people jumped on the iPhone 3GS last weekend alone?

How does that compare to Palm Pre numbers to date?

(utter silence)

That's what we thought...

1. The iPhone multitasks iPod, Mail, Phone, Safari iTunes, and App Store, phenomenally well -- the iPhone 3GS more snappily than the arguably laggy Palm Pre. Apple simply chooses not to allow 3rd party multitasking at this point, something that admittedly chaffs, but is still a far cry from what's insinuated in the "ad".

No sooner did we mention Apple's new "reading" themed iPhone ad, then another one caught our attention. Fix highlights Rocket Taxi for finding a cab, Tipulator for figuring out a tip, and MultiLevel for fixing a bookcase (presumably where your reading apps are sitting?)

Again, the ads are careful to show the entire experience from pressing a Home screen icon to launch the app to using the app, to getting answers and results.

"There's an app for that" is clearly the message, and while some might say other platforms also have apps, Apple is showing no one (yet) has as good a user experience in getting, installing, and benefitting from mobile apps.

So the only question is, what theme -- and which apps -- will Apple highlight next?

(No one say "farts!")

Classics (and all around awesome icon and UI) designer Sebastiaan de With posted on his Cocoia blog that his co-creation is currently being featured in a new ad for the iPhone:

How very awesome it is to see this on Apple’s website (and possibly on TV!). You can read about the design process of Classics here.

This latest ad continues Apple's current trend of focusing on apps as the killer iPhone feature, this time specifically on a variety of different apps that let you "read" in one way or another: Yelp for restaurant reviews, OsireX for MRI scans, and Classics for "regular old book".

If anyone checked out ESPN.com late last night they would have been smacked right in the eye with quite possibly the biggest iPod Touch Banner Ad Ever. After releasing the new iPhone "game changer" commercial during the baseball playoffs, it looks like Apple is focusing on expanding the iPhone/iPod Touch product line by reaching sports fans. Good idea? I don't know maybe Apple is thinking they can turn sports fans into Apple fanboys..

Either way, that thing was BIG. Dare I say life-size. There was no way anyone going on to ESPN.com could miss it (unless you have ad blockers). Effective? Yes. Annoying to scroll down to read the news? You betcha. Newsworthy? Hey it's the weekend..

Have you been noticing more and more advertisements while using your favorite apps or while browsing the net on iPhone optimized sites?

According to AdMob, a company that provides advertising solutions that are created for the iPhone:

“Ads on the iPhone deliver strong engagement for advertisers with triple, on average, the already high click-through-rates seen on mobile devices. The company’s new rich media ad units designed for the iPhone have been live for just over a month and now has a reach of more than 100 million impressions worldwide each month."

That seems like big business if indeed true:

Pay-per-click ads start at 30 cents; AdMob expects the market to settle around 40-50 cents per click, and is offering developers a 50% cut. Brand ads cost a minimum $30 per 1,000 impressions (CPM), and AdMob takes a 40% cut.

What does this all mean? Be ready to start seeing more ads on our iPhones. Now if Apple implemented a way for users to try apps before they buy, instead of forcing the developers to make two versions, one free and one paid, maybe all these ads would not be necessary. Personally, I do not mind the ads as long as they do not interfere with the main function of the app or web site. On the other hand, if it's free, can you really complain about a few ads?

The developers are not getting much in the way of compensation, so it is only fair for the them to get some cash in their pockets for their efforts. They deserve it.

[Via TUAW]