The iPhone app for Facebook has been out for a few moons, but now Facebook is after the ipad owners. An application ( app ) is now available from the world’s most popular social networking site for the world’s most popular tablet.
The ipad is the new recipient of a new piece of software from the owners of Facebook. It is late in coming, but “better late than never” must be the motto of the Facebook developers. The iphone Facebook app was popular for stealing the contact list from the smartphone. The ipad will not have such a problem.
With its release and discovery, some are saying that Facebook is “getting its mobile game on”. The ipad app up for grabs is a photo and video sharing app that is based on location. It uses HTML5, not a downloadable app written in Objective C, Java or any other programming language. It is written in the language of the web, but will look like a downloaded app.
The name of this type of digital work is a “web app”. Facebook is targeting it to the 100 million people who are using the Safari web browser, found on the iPod, iPhone and ipad. Thanks to the way HTML5 works, those who want to have access to this new web app will not need to download or install anything. The browser will do all the work.
This “web app” is going to be big, as in “immense”. It is already classified by some as a platform, just as iOS, the Apple operating system, is called a platform. Because it is not a downloadable app that needs approval in the iTunes store, it will be accessable online and the browser will allow quick uploads of videos or photos to be shared. This leaves the Apple store out of the loop.
The web app system has a name; “Project Sparta”. This is undoubtedly named after the ancient Greek war. This was between Athens and the Peloponnesian League led by Sparta. As history tells it, the established Greeks lost to the Spartans. Sparta then became the leading force in Greece. Time will tell if this Facebook “Project Sparta” will become the downfall of the Apple economy in the golden age of mobile.
Facebook has been busy. They also have a downloadable app in addition to the web app mentioned above. Third party apps have been developed for the ipad in relation to Facebook already. Some were even mistaken for “official” apps. Now Facebook is placing their brand on the ipad in a big way. Facebook is telling their public relations people to make sure people know that is not a “strike” against Apple, but a “complement” to iProducts. Look for this to be released in the coming weeks.
