• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, June 8, 2011

On-the-go use of the Internet and apps is approaching mainstream status, according to new research from Knowledge Networks.

The study finds 38% of U.S. homes - roughly 45 million - now have at least one Internet- or app-capable mobile device, such as a smartphone, tablet, or iPod Touch.

The proportion grew five percentage points in one year, which equals an increase of over 5 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," Knowledge Networks said in its report.

During the same 2010 to 2011 time frame, 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.