Wednesday, February 02, 2011, 09:50 am

Apple seeks digital photography expert for iPad development team

By Neil Hughes

Adding to the mounting evidence that Apple plans to add cameras to its next-generation iPad, the company's digital photography team is hiring a software engineer to create applications for the iPad platform.

In a new job listing posted this week discovered by AppleInsider, Apple revealed that it is looking for someone to fill the position of "iOS Photography Software Engineer." The role, based at the company's Cupertino, Calif., campus, will ideally be filled by a "dynamic software engineer with the drive and desire to deliver great photography applications for the Mac and iPad platforms."

The job listing notes that Apple's digital photography team has delivered applications for the Mac platform in the past, including iPhoto and Aperture. The new position will be related to text rendering and editing, as well as HTML generation, for publishing and viewing photo-based content, presumably on the Web.

Apple seeks an employee with "strong skills with established and emerging web technologies," including HTML5 and CSS. Another "key requirement" for the role is a worker who has a passion for photography.

The position could be related to the new Photo Stream feature referenced in early beta builds of iOS 4.3, Apple's next operating system upgrade for iOS devices including the iPad. A description of the MobileMe service said it would upload and store the last thirty days of photos and download them to "all of your devices."


The second beta of iOS 4.2 also included a wallpaper image with icons showing FaceTime, Camera, and PhotoBooth applications for the iPad. FaceTime is Apple's new standard for video chat, already available on the iPhone 4, fourth-generation iPod touch, and Mac platform, while PhotoBooth allows users to edit and apply effects to photos and videos.

Apple is expected to add cameras to its next-generation iPad, with a forward-facing lens for FaceTime chat, and a rear-facing camera for taking photos. Further evidence of cameras on the second-generation iPad has come in the form of purported cases made overseas.