The hype for October 4th continues to grow as Facebook is added to the equation. Facebook is reportedly launching its iPad app, its revamped iPhone app and possibly an HTML5-based mobile app marketplace at the Apple event that consumers are expecting the iPhone 5 to be released.
Facebook’s iPad app has been finished since May, according to former Facebook engineer Jeff Verkoeyen. Verkoeyen revealed in a blog post on Monday that he left the company for Google partially because nothing has happened with the completed app for the past few months.
The combination of Apple and Facebook allows for each to gain what it was missing before; Facebook does not have a mobile platform and Apple is missing a social platform. Joined with the shared goal of beating Google, the dynamic duo may present its new alliance at the supposed October 4 iPhone 5 event.
Facebook’s iPhone app is its first major update in more than a year. The releases were held back from F8, a Facebook developer conference, because it didn’t want them to overshadow the release of the Facebook Timeline and expanded Open Graph.
The Facebook Timeline is a new kind of profile that allows users to share their life stories from beginning to now. The Open Graph Protocol enables users to integrate Web pages into the social graph. Including Open Graph tags on a Webpage makes the page equivalent to a Facebook page.
Also in the rumors is the HTML5-based mobile platform for Facebook, which Apple has supposedly been working with to perfect the platform. The platform is designed to run mobile games and other programs through web browsers rather than directly through mobile operating systems.
Nothing is confirmed for October 4th, so the only thing to continue to do is listen (or not) to rumors and speculation.
In related news, TiVo Inc, a provider of advanced television services, has announced in conjunction with f8, Facebook's developer conference, that it will update its iPhone and iPad apps to include additional integration with Facebook to increase social TV functionality.
Rachel Ramsey is a TechZone360 editorial assistant, contributing news items and feature articles on a variety of communications and technology topics. Rachel has previously worked in PR and communications at The Wriglesworth Consultancy, an award-winning London PR firm. She has also contributed to the creative services department at CBS 3 and The CW Philly in Philadelphia. To read more of Rachel's articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Jennifer Russell
