Apple releases iOS 4.2

Life

Apple has announced the official release of iOS 4.2 will be available for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch users.

The update to Apple’s mobile operating system brings more than 100 iOS 4 features to the iPad, including multitasking, app folders, unified inbox, Game Center, and new features such as AirPlay and AirPrint. Apple iPad users running iOS 4.2 can also rent TV episodes directly from the iTunes Store. The migration even offers a few treats for select iPhone and iPod Touch users, such as an iOS 4.2-compatible Find My iPhone app that helps you track down your missing device.

AirPrint
AirPrint allows you to print directly from an iOS device to a network printer. Originally, the plan was to allow printing directly to newer AirPrint-compatible printers or to print to older printers through a shared connection on a Mac or PC. But, as expected, Apple pulled shared printer support and AirPrint will work only with wireless printers that can interface directly with iOS 4.2 devices.
For the moment only Hewlett-Packard offers printers compatible with AirPrint including Photosmart, Officejet, Officejet Pro and LaserJet Pro series ePrint enabled printers.

AirPlay
Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod touch devices running iOS 4.2 can use AirPlay to stream photos, music and video directly to the new Apple TV. AirPlay also enables iOS 4.2 devices to stream wirelessly to AirPlay-enabled speakers that are expected to hit the market in the coming months.

Find My iPhone App
If you own an iPhone 4, iPad or a 4th generation iPod Touch you can use Apple’s Find My iPhone service for free without a Mobile Me subscription. Available on the iTunes App Store, Find My iPhone lets you locate your lost device on a map, have your device make a sound so you can find it or even have your device display a message such as “I’m lost help!”

Multitasking and Folders for iPad
Finally, iPad users will be able to listen to music on Pandora while surfing the Web, checking Twitter or reading e-mail thanks to iOS 4.2’s multitasking feature. IPhone and iPad Touch users have had the feature for some time, but this will likely be a welcome addition for iPad users – despite the debate over Apple’s approach to iOS multitasking. Similarly, iPad users can also group apps into folders to save on screen space and pack more applications onto their devices.

Apple is hoping the release of iOS 4.2 will help the company sell a lot of new iPads heading into the holidays. Apple CEO Steve Jobs recently said: “iOS 4.2 makes the iPad a completely new product, just in time for the holiday season.”

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