ipad posts

Advertisers often lump smartphones and tablets into the "mobile" category, but I think we need to focus less on their portability, and more on how these devices are used. A smartphone is constantly connected and is mostly used on the go, whereas a personal computer tends to be more stationary. Plus, people have grown accustomed to the type of ads they see on both of these devices.

A tablet, however, falls somewhere between the smartphone and the traditional web experience one has on a computer. We are still at the very early stages of understanding how consumers are using this device – only 10% of consumers own one, compared to the 44% who own smartphones and nearly 80% who own personal computers. But, Forrester Research projects that U.S. tablet sales will grow from 26 million in 2011 to more than 50 million in 2012.
So what is the right format for this advertising? Is this experience a lean-back and watch interface, or do people expect to engage with ads like never before? Are in app-ads the best way to go? Is it video?

If we look at how consumers use their tablet devices, we know that its main uses are gaming, web browsing and email, with ecommerce quickly gaining an edge. In fact, a recent study conducted by comScore and Jumptap found that 63 percent of tablet owners have made a purchase with their device.

This tells us that their experience is not unlike the traditional web browsing we've seen for years. Our research shows that tablet usage occurs mostly in the morning and evening (50% above day usage), which clearly suggests that PCs are being replaced by tablets. Additionally, tablet users sessions are significantly longer - almost 5X longer - than mobile devices, also suggesting that tablet usage is PC-like.

But what makes a tablet different is the functionality of the device. The touch screen on a tablet is very different from that which ones uses on a smartphone, and is completely different than most PCs. This needs to be the driver of advertising innovation on the tablet.

People aren't looking for a traditional 250x300, click-induced direct response ad – they want to be able to swipe and drag through ads as if they were apps themselves. We need to push ourselves to build not only the technology for a dynamic content experience on tablets, but an incredible ad experience as well.

If you're at CES today, stop by Digital Hollywood at CES at 12 pm PT to discuss this very topic.

Track I - STC7 - SmartPhone & Tablet Conference
Location: North Hall N261
iPad-Tablet-SmartPhone Advertising - the Premium Advertising Platform

Mobile Advertising: Will this be the Premium Advertising Platform? aol.it/yAAMip #CES #mobile

- AOLPR (@AOLPR) January 10, 2012

From now until December 9^th, you can download Editions by AOL, our beautiful daily iPad magazine, for a chance to win brand new BMW 335d.

Editions by AOL is a free daily magazine for the iPad that delivers a unique and beautiful reading experience customized for each individual user. Every morning, at a time of your choosing, you'll receive a unique 30-to-40-page magazine tailored to your interests from Fashion and Fitness to Technology and Science.

To enter the contest:
1.Download the editions app to your iPad.
2.Open Editions and swipe to page 3 for fullcontest details.
3.Enter the contest and share your tips and how to live a green life.
4.Cross your fingers and hope to win a BMW.

Editions by AOL is available for free from the App Store on iPad.

Follow Editions on Twitter @editions.

AOL's popular iPad magazine,Editions, was recently updated to include advertising. Starting today, the magazine will include full-page ads that mirror what readers are used to seeing in a traditional print magazine.

Each Edition will have one-to-three digital ads that appear between sections of the magazine – mirroring what a reader might see in a traditional print publication. Some of these ads will be powered by Cooliris, a digital media company that turns digital content into immersive visual experiences that increase user engagement.

In addition to ads, Editions was also updated to include integration with LinkedIn and the ability read the app in landscape mode. Users can now sign-in to their LinkedIn account through Editions, and can also share articles from their daily Edition to their LinkedIn network.

"Editions is ever-evolving – we take to heart every single piece of feedback we get from our users," said David Temkin, Head of Mobile at AOL. "Landscape mode and LinkedIn integration are two of the most requested features for the app, so we are excited to bring them to Editions and give our users exactly what they want."

Download Editions today at http://editions.com/ and follow the team on Twitter for more updates on the app twitter.com/editions.

The AOL Mobile and Engadget teams are excited to announce the launch of Engadget Distro, a weekly iPad magazine that brings readers the top tech news from the site each week in a beautiful, easy to read format.

The new app will provide more visibility for Engadget's longer-form articles including their product reviews. In addition, the weekly magazine will include a letter from the editor that will highlight the news of the week, a clickable table of contents that will lead readers directly to the stories they are most interested in and exclusive event coverage for major industry events.

Our team of designers and editors worked to assemble our best long-form feature content and reviews, re-wrapping it in a fashion that takes full advantage of a little thing called multitouch.

The end result is a really beautiful product that we hope will help Engadget reach a broader set of readers.

The app is available on iTunes now and will be available on other platforms soon.