Facebook announced a new feature for the iPhone and iPod Touch on Saturday. Facebook Connect, the company's technology for sharing data between Facebook.com and external applications, can now be integrated into iPhone apps.

Moreover, at the SXSW Interactive conference in Austin, Texas, Dave Morin, senior platform manager at Facebook, took the stage to explain the new iPhone integration, the recently released Facebook features for brands and celebrities, and the new homepage design that began rolling out last week.

"For the first time, your iPhone apps can now have friends," said Morin. "I can pull out my iPhone and play it not only my other friends with iPhones, but I can also play with my mom—she can join in and play with us on her computer."

Morin also demonstrated some practical applications. Tap Tap Revenge, the popular iPhone game, is integrating the technology, so now TTR gamers can publish their high scores in their Facebook news feeds. The popular restaurant review app Urbanspoon is building it in as well, so users can share their restaurant reviews (and the accompanying photos) in their Facebook feeds.

In other words Facebook Connect for iPhone will work with games. For instance, you can share you scores in your Facebook feed, see which of your friends are online, and invite both iPhone- and non-iPhone-using Facebook friends to play with you.

Facebook Connect for the iPhone debuted with nine applications available at Apple's online iTunes store and a promise that more will launch in coming days. Other apps that are utilizing Facebook Connect include the popular Urbanspoon and Flixster Movies apps.

Facebook Connect's integration into iPhone apps is a boon for Facebook and its devoted users: Facebook gets more free data about user activity and users get to bring their Facebook presence with them when they play with mobile apps.