Facebook Messenger app Completly launched for Apple iPads

Facebook has finally launched a tablet optimized version of its Messenger app for the Apple iPad. Messenger for iPad introduces a new multi-window layout, in addition to carrying over features from the iPhone including voice calling, and stickers among others

The first thing that you will notice on firing up the app is the layout. There is a multi-window layout that keeps both the chat list and the IM window on-screen simultaneously, for easier navigation between conversations. It is quite similar to the Messaging page on the web version of Facebook.

As mentioned above, it also carries over other features like voice calling, easy group chat navigation, and stickers among others. Just like on the iPhone, if you have both the Facebook and the Messenger app on your iPad, you will be switched to the latter when you click on the message tab.

Facebook has been quite serious about the current social messaging trend and its $19 billion acquisition of WhatsApp earlier this year proved it. It has been pushing its users to adopt its Messenger app for chatting with one’s friends. Back in April it removed messaging capabilities from its Facebook app to make it mandatory to download the standalone Messenger app. It has since also introduced features like stickers, voice calling and the ability to send messages to contacts not your Facebook friends, and also debuted on Windows Phones this year. Last year, the company also tied up with local carriers to offer free access to its service to users.

You can head over to the App Store to download Facebook Messenger for iPad. There is currently no word on when the social giant plans on launching an Android tablet optimized version.

Apple Invitations for iPad 3 Media Event on March 7

Yes, it's finally, really happened. We just received our invite for Apple's next big event — almost certainly where the announcement of the iPad 3 (or iPad HD, or some other name no one has guessed yet) will take place. The event is being held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco at 10AM PST, on Wednesday, March 7th, and the Verge team will be there covering the news live as it happens. Until then, let your imagination run wild about the next iteration of the world's most popular tablet!

Apple is of course expected to introduce the iPad 3 at the event, with an upgraded Apple TV set-top box also reportedly in the plans. Rumors have also suggested that Apple could show off a new high-definition audio format with "adaptive streaming" that could allow Apple's iCloud and iTunes Match services to send varying qualities of audio files to different devices depending on bandwidth and hardware requirements.