On-the-go use of the Internet and apps is approaching mainstream status, according to new research from Knowledge Networks (http://www.knowledgenetworks.com). And that's good news for Apple, as it's the big dog among mobile media device makers.

The Knowledge Network study shows that 38% of U.S. homes -- roughly 45 million -- now have at least one Internet- or app-capable mobile device, such as a smartphone (such as an iPhone), tablet (such as an iPad), or iPod touch. The proportion grew five percentage points in one year, which equals an increase of over five million homes.

This technology puts the world of media -- video, audio, gaming, and text-based --in consumers’ pockets, almost everywhere they go. Its adoption is therefore providing a host of new opportunities for brand interactions.

During the same 2010 to 2011 timeframe, smartphone ownership grew by about 50% at the household level, jumping from 25% to 38%; and tablets can now be found in 6% of U.S. homes, compared to essentially none (< 1%) a year ago. Most notable to marketers and media stakeholders, these mobile devices are now prevalent in the homes of key media audience groups, such as: household member age 18 to 49 (54%); children under 18 (53%), and household income of $50,000 or more (52%)

“As smartphones become the standard and tablets continue to grow, understanding distributed media becomes more and more important to media sellers and buyers alike,” says David Tice, vice president and group account director, Knowledge Networks. “Traditional media like TV, Internet, radio, and print will need to take many forms to deliver content in the format best suited for the consumer at the time he or she wants to consume it.”

-- Dennis Sellers