Facebook releases 'hands-on' iPad app

Social networking giant Facebook finally ended months of suspense Tuesday as it released a "hands-on" and photo-oriented app for Apple Inc.'s iPad tablet. Facebook software engineer Leon Dubinsky said the app promises "bigger better photos" and fast navigation, as well as chat and games. "Many of you have been asking about Facebook for iPad. Today, it's finally here. With the iPad app, you get the full Facebook experience, right at your fingertips. It's a fun way to keep up with friends, share photos, chat and more," he said in a blog post. He said a user can use his or her fingertips to scroll through your News Feed and give the screen a swipe to page through albums. One can pinch a picture to zoom in, even as photos are "bigger and easy to flip through, like a real photo album." "It's like having a slideshow with all your friends and memories, wherever you go," Dubinsky said. Games, apps, groups and lists are in the left-hand menu, saving one from having to dig around to find the stuff one uses most. Messages and notifications are at the top of every screen, so a user can respond to friends and keep up with important updates. "You can chat with friends right from your iPad, for example, or play games and use apps in full-screen mode. You can also watch high-res videos inline, record HD video and stream to Airplay devices," Dubinsky said. On the other hand, Dubinsky said several improvements have been made to the iPhone app and m.facebook.com. "With your next update, you'll see a simplified navigation, faster search and access to more games and apps," he said. A separate article on tech site CNET said the app was a "giant leap into its mobile future." It said Facebook's app joins other popular social-networking apps on the iPad including Twitter, Flipboard, and Gowalla, all of which had a heady lead on Facebook. CNET said Facebook for iPad was rumored to arrive at F8, the company's developer conference held late last month, and then it was rumored to arrive at Apple's launch event for the iPhone 4S last week. It noted 350 million out of Facebook's 800 million users presently log in via mobile devices. — TJD, GMA News