Apple readies another rip-off scheme

THE SELLER OF EXPENSIVE TOYS, Apple is set to use its cutting edge Iphone multitasking technology to apply its magical rip-off formula to advertisers.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Steve Jobs has apparently figured out that ripping off eager fanbois might not provide the increase in sales that his firm needs to maintain its lofty share price. Instead, the flogger of shiny gadgets will turn its considerable expertise at extracting cash from vain artsy types to image conscious corporations.

The report claims that Jobs' Mob is asking $10 million from firms that want to be involved with the firm's Iad programme at launch. Putting that figure into perspective, the typical spend on deals like this is claimed to be in the region of $200,000. Even seasoned fanbois would baulk at Apple's markup.

A spokesperson for the cappuccino firm wasn't willing to comment on the prices but wanted to shift the focus of attention by saying that developers would get 60 per cent of any revenue generated through Iad. The question is whether there will be any revenue to share, given Steve Jobs' insistence on ridiculous pricing.

Iad was made possible thanks to Apple finally bringing third party application multitasking to the Iphone OS two years late. While Jobs made lame excuses for delaying this basic functionality in the firm's Iphone OS, the real reason it tipped up is to enable his new money spinner, Iad.

The ad serving software will allow users to jump from their current application to the advert and interact with it. Presumably Jobs thinks his followers won't care that these interactive adverts will consume vast amounts their data quotas, and why should he? After all Apple gets a nice cut from the final bill, so why not introduce 'features' that will be milking ignorant fanbois into bankruptcy.

However one commentator, obviously not indoctrinated into Jobs' cult, told the WSJ that moves by the fruit themed toymaker might force developers to "shift the focus of their developments away from the Iphone to other mobile systems, such as Google's Android."

Given that corporations know Apple fanbois are impressionable souls, their 'eyeballs' are ripe for warping. Also, given that the ads will line the pockets of their dear leader, it's unlikely fanbois will mind having their shiny plaything taken over by the adverts.

The question now is how many companies will fall for Steve Jobs' extravagantly expensive Iphone advertising scheme, given that most are still treading gingerly trying to recover from a recession. µ