Apple Takes On the World

Apple's introduction of iPhone OS 4.0 was not your typical new-product event. Yes, the new smartphone operating system was the reason Apple invited the crowd to the company's Cupertino campus, and the new OS (which runs the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad) looks promising. But there was more to it than that. The new OS supports iAd, a technology that will allow developers to embed ads in their apps. It's a direct threat to Google and other mobile ad networks. As the iPhone 4.0 event showed, Apple's management is moving aggressively to gain competitive advantage. Whether those moves are the right ones remains to be seen.