For about a month, according to information available on the Facebook profile of George HotzThe 21-year-old hacker who created the iPhone and PlayStation unlocking system works in Palo Alto for Zuckerberg's social network. After embarrassing giants like Apple and Sony by simultaneously allowing users to install any type of software on their devices without prior approval from either company, Hotz could be the key player in Facebook's challenge to Apple.
Zuckerberg has already put his development team to work on creating an alternative web store to the Apple AppStore. The code name is “Project Spartan" and it's a platform based entirely on HTML5, initially designed for Apple's browser (Safari). Essentially, Zuckerberg hopes to leverage devices like iPhone and iPad to introduce users accustomed to the Apple store to the existence of a marketplace managed entirely within a Facebook application.
Secondo TechCrunch, one of the most clicked tech blogs in the US, “Facebook will never admit it, but those close to the project believe the intention is very clear: to use Apple terminals against the company to break its dominance in the distribution of mobile applications. With around 700 million users, Facebook feels in a position to tackle the distribution mechanism of theApp Store".
Project Spartan would therefore develop web applications that can be accessed directly from the social network, effectively bypassing the App Store. In this latest endeavor, it's worth remembering that young Hotz has already proven himself a master. Has this closed the circle?
