Apple releases iOS 4.2; Find My iPhone; (or iPad or iPod touch) now free

Mac Daily News ^ | November 22, 2010 | Apple Inc.

[Swordmaker]

Apple today announced that iOS 4.2, the latest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, is available today for download for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. iOS 4.2 brings over 100 new features from iOS 4.0, 4.1 and 4.2 to iPad including Multitasking, Folders, Unified Inbox, Game Center, AirPlay and AirPrint.

“iOS 4.2 makes the iPad a completely new product, just in time for the holiday season,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, in the press release. “Once again, the iPad with iOS 4.2 will define the target that other tablets will aspire to, but very few, if any, will ever be able to hit.”

iPad users can now run their favorite apps and switch between them instantly, while preserving iPad’s legendary battery life. Users can organize their apps with drag-and-drop simplicity using Folders, and Mail now features a Unified Inbox, fast inbox switching and a threaded message view.

Game Center allows iPad, iPhone and iPod touch users to challenge and play friends or be matched automatically with new opponents, showcase their scores and achievements, and discover new games their friends are playing.

AirPlay is a new feature for streaming music, video and photos wirelessly from iPad, iPhone and iPod touch to Apple TV, transforming Apple TV into a great accessory for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. iOS users also will be able to use AirPort Express and AirPlay to stream wirelessly to any stereo or powered speakers, or directly to AirPlay-enabled speakers coming to market in the months ahead.

AirPrint is a next-generation Wi-Fi print architecture that dramatically simplifies printing by completely eliminating printer drivers. A selection of AirPrint enabled printers including the HP Photosmart, HP LaserJet Pro and HP Officejet will be the first to support printing direct from iOS devices. iPad, iPhone and iPod touch users can simply tap to print their documents or photos wirelessly to any printer that supports AirPrint.

The Find My iPhone (or iPad or iPod touch) feature is now free to use without a MobileMe subscription and helps you locate your missing device (available for iPhone 4, iPad or new 4th-gen iPod touch). The Find My iPhone app is a free download on the App Store℠ and lets users easily locate a missing device on a map and have it display a message or play a sound. Users can even remotely lock or wipe data from a lost device to protect privacy.

Other new features that iOS 4.2 brings to the iPad include: the ability to rent TV episodes directly to iPad using the iTunes App with a 30 day viewing window and a 48 hour session window once playback is started; the ability to easily find and highlight specific words and phrases on web pages in Safari; enhanced enterprise support so businesses can take advantage of stronger security features, new device management capabilities and improved enterprise integration; industry-leading accessibility enhancements; and support for 25 additional languages, including Korean, Portuguese and Traditional Chinese.

The revolutionary iPad allows users to connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before. You can browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch HD videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more, using the innovative Multi-Touch™ user interface. iPad weighs just 1.5 pounds, making it easy to carry and use anywhere.

Today, customers have downloaded more than seven billion apps from the groundbreaking App Store and more than 300,000 apps are available to consumers in 90 countries, with more than 40,000 native iPad apps. Over 125 million iOS users around the world can choose from an incredible range of apps in 20 categories, including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel.

The iOS 4.2 update is available today to download to iPad, iPhone and iPod touch by syncing the device with iTunes 10.1. iOS 4.2 is compatible with iPad, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, second and third generation iPod touch (late 2009 models with 32GB or 64GB) and new iPod touch. Some features may not be available on all products. For example, Multitasking requires iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, third generation iPod touch (late 2009 models with 32GB or 64GB) or later.

Source: Apple Inc.

[Swordmaker]

iOS 4.2 for iPads, iPhone4 and 3Gs (if you haven't already). and iPod touch is finally available... synch with iTunes and download and install it... PING!

Please No Flame Wars!
Discuss technical issues, software, and hardware.
Don't attack people!

Don't respond to the Anti-Apple Thread Trolls!
PLEASE IGNORE THEM!!!

Apple Ping!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[GOP_Harley_Guy]

Thanks, Swordmaker.

I’m downloading it now.

[USNBandit]

I just sent my kids' iPad back for maintenance. After 83 days the port pooped out and I couldn't charge it or sync it. Anybody else had similar experiences?

The process was pretty simple. Called them and went through the normal moronic tech support, then was given a number to take to the local UPS store. I took the iPad there and the boxed it up and shipped it two day air to wherever broken iPads go. I got an email today (4 days later) saying it was being replaced.

Like the iPad, really looking forward to being able to print. It is my first Apple device.

[Swordmaker]

Now this is funny... a company has created and is selling a limited run of 300 Steve Jobs action figures for $79.95... guess someone forgot to tell them to price them a lot higher. I guess they have learned nothing from Steve. They are sold out already!

[USNBandit]

I should add that my iPad is my first Apple device, BUT.....I liked it so much I bought a new MacBook Air. It is awesome. 7 hour battery, 14 second cold start boot time, light at a feather. It used to be if you wanted a laptop this light you were sacrificing something, usually battery life. The only thing this might be short of is storage, but I never used more than 60 GB on the last laptop so I figure 128 will do fine.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

Like it that FindMyiPhone is now free as a seperate app. Downloaded the new OS this morning. Haven’t had any problems yet.

[Swordmaker]

iOS 4.2.1 Software Update contains over 100 new features for iPad; here’s the full list

Monday, November 22, 2010 - 03:02 PM EST

Apple's newly-released iOS 4.2.1 Software Update for iPad contains over 100 new features for iPad including support for multitasking, folders, unified mail inbox, Game Center, AirPrint, AirPlay, and many system improvements. It is highly recommended for all iPad users and includes the following:

• Multitasking support for third-party apps
- Multitasking user interface to quickly move between apps, adjust screen brightness, control playback, lock screen-rotation, and manage print jobs
- Support for audio apps to play in the background
- VoIP apps can receive and maintain calls in the background or when device is asleep
- Apps can monitor location and take action while running in the background
- Alerts and messages can be pushed to apps using push and local notifications
- Apps can complete tasks in the background
• Folders to better organize and access apps
• Mail improvements
- Unified inbox to view emails from all accounts in one place
- Fast inbox switching to quickly switch between different email accounts
- Threaded messages to view multiple emails from the same conversation
- Import .ics files into Calendar
- Open attachments with compatible third-party apps
- File or delete search results
- Option to select size of photo attachments
- Messages in the Outbox can be edited or deleted
• Game Center
- Send and receive friend requests
- Invite friends to multi-player games over the Internet
- Play multi-player games by auto-matching with other players
- View Leaderboards and Achievements
- Discover new games from friends
• AirPrint
- Print mail, photos, web pages, and more directly to AirPrint compatible printers on a local wireless network
• AirPlay
- Wirelessly stream videos, music, and photos to Apple TV
- Wirelessly stream music to AirPlay-enabled speakers or receivers, including AirPort Express
• Find text on web pages in Safari
• Use Spotlight to search the web and Wikipedia
• Suggestions and recent searches appear during a web search
• Support for TV show rentals using iTunes
• Create and edit iTunes playlists on device
• Support for iTunes gifting of apps
• Send and accept calendar invitations wirelessly with supported CalDAV servers
• Support for MobileMe calendar sharing
• Enhanced location privacy
- A Location Services icon appears in the status bar to indicate when Location Services are being used
- Location Services can be enabled and disabled per app
- Indication of apps that have requested your location within the last 24 hours
• Additional Parental Controls
- Prevent adding friends in Game Center and deletion of apps
- Restrict changes to Accounts and Location Services settings
• New languages, dictionaries and keyboards
• New fonts available in Notes
• Wirelessly sync notes using IMAP-based mail accounts
• Automatic spellcheck
• Silence background sounds using the Silent switch on the side of iPad
• Improved support for Bluetooth AVRCP
• Persistent WiFi connection to receive push notifications
• Support for Bluetooth braille displays and International braille tables, control VoiceOver using an external keyboard, and other accessibility enhancements
• Wireless delivery of carrier settings updates for iPad WiFi + 3G
• Improved enterprise support
- Support for third-party Mobile Device Management solutions
- Enables wireless distribution of enterprise applications
- Exchange Server 2010 compatibility
- Support for multiple Exchange ActiveSync accounts
- Support for Juniper Junos Pulse and Cisco AnyConnect SSL VPN apps (available from the App Store)
• More than 1,500 new developer APIs
• Bug fixes

Products compatible with this software update:
• iPad
• iPad WiFi + 3G

For feature descriptions and complete instructions, see the user guides for iPad here.

Information on the security content of this update is available here.

This update is available via iTunes.

[KoRn]

Thanks!

(updating iPad now)

[TheStickman]

Installed without issue on my 3 day old, iPad. When I can watch FNC live on it, it will be the perfect, non-work device for me.

[Uri’el-2012]

I was hoping to print from my iPad,
not buy a new HP printer

[Lawdoc]

Did they do away with the perspective lock feature using the switch on the side?

[Swordmaker]

Did they do away with the perspective lock feature using the switch on the side?

That switch is now a hard sound off which preserves your set volume level when you turn it back on... the perspective lock is now a software switch on the control panel. You'll find that it's activated by double clicking the home button to expose the list of multitasking apps and sliding the panel to the right to expose the control panel... it regularizes it with the same control on the iPhone.

[Lawdoc]

Thanks!

[AFreeBird]

You have a problem with your music disappearing after the update?

[AFreeBird]

Found the fix for the missing music.

It happened on both the iPad and iPhone.