At an Apple event for application developers today, CEO Steve Jobs managed to get some pot shots in at the expense of Google while discussing the new iAds advertising program for mobile applications.
"We tried to buy a company called AdMob, but Google snatched it away," Jobs told the audience, confirming rumors that Apple had been in talks to acquire the mobile advertising company shortly before Google bought it for $750 million.
Instead, Apple purchased Quattro Wireless, an AdMob competitor, for $275 million.
It would certainly explain decisions by Apple to block Google applications such as Google Voice for the iPhone and Apple rumored to be considering a switch to Microsoft's search service Bing as the iPhone and iPad default as the two companies are increasingly at odds with competing mobile device strategies.
And Jobs may end up with the last laugh after all: Federal Trade Commission staffers are recommending that the AdMob acquisition presents a problem to competitive markets, and may sue to block the deal, according to an anonymous source cited by Reuters.
Though now that the battle between Google and Apple is heating up and iAds will be up and running long before any court dates, Google lawyers may have a stronger case that the market is still quite competitive.
Jackson West has a phone that runs neither Android nor iPhone OS.
