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Apple iOS 4.2 Hands-On
adeelarshad82 writes "Apple's highly-anticipated iOS 4.2 update for iPad, iPhone, and the iPod touch finally arrived this morning, along with an update for Apple TV. The update includes Airplay, which enables wireless streaming of video, photos, and music from your iOS device to Apple TV. AirPlay is an exciting new development for iOS device owners who also have Apple TVs. As long as the devices are on the same wireless network, they automatically detect each other. AirPlay also lets users multitask while streaming video to an Apple TV. Unfortunately though, AirPlay is a one-way street. Users cannot stream something they rented on Apple TV to their iOS device. The iOS 4.2 update also included the introduction of AirPrint, which is the wireless printing solution for the iPad. (The ability to print to a printer attached to a local PC or Mac was dropped from the release, however.) Other minor changes Apple squeezed into this update were: better Word document fidelity in iWork, multi-tasking, and Game Center."
The OP's priorities seem a little odd.
The big update of iOS 4.x is multitasking. Its far from being a "minor" update.
And since AirPlay requires the purchase of an additional device, I doubt its a high priority to the majority of ipad users.
It's been there since iOS 4, and Apple says that you should normally not have to fully quit the apps anymore due to how multitasking works. They shouldn't consume much resources when not being in use. So that's probably why quitting stuff has been moved out of the way a bit.
I can confirm that Apple isn't bullshitting on all this, since until my pretty rare iPhone 3Gs resets, I often end up having 15 apps running at a time with no noticeable impact to battery life or sluggishness.
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
It doesn't, because you can AirPlay to any Mac.
A Mac is an additional device. :-)
I'm surprised no one has mentioned that 4.2 gives the iPhone/iPad native MIDI support. As a musician, this is huge.
Easiest way to enable it on the Mac is to find a program called "Hacktivator".
http://netputing.com/2010/11/11/airprint-hacktivator/
I did it with the GM, and it works perfectly.
If you can't convince them, convict them.
Beware that the user agreement for iTunes gives Apple permissions you probably don't expect, like gathering data on how you use you machine. Expect that they see app log files. Many of the disc ripping and burning utilities, as well as video conversion utilities such as HandBrake log the files or disks processed. ClamX AV keeps a log of files scanned. Note the use of "verfiy compliance" below:
From the popup user agreement seen when updating iTunes:
"4. Consent to Use of Data. You agree that Apple and its subsidiaries may collect and use technical and related information, including but not limited to technical information about your computer, system and application software, and peripherals, that is gathered periodically to facilitate the provision of software updates, product support and other services to you (if any) related to the Apple Software and to verify compliance with the terms of this License.Apple may use this information, as long as it is in a form that does not personally identify you, to improve our products or to provide services or technologies to you."
In the past after crashes/force-quits etc., there was an option to opt-in to sending this additional information automatically and periodically. Later it acts without you seeing it, and you're not told how to reverse the opt-in.
There are settings in the prefs for the console app to turn off sending the "anonymous" info. I use the quotes, because besides you IP address, some of the log files contain things like your user name (that of home folder).
http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/#documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man8/SubmitDiagInfo.8.html
Even if you don't mind Apple collecting the info, you might not wanting it sent over some net connections.
transmission is periodic, not just after a crash.
Some are using the utility Little Snitch to block outgoing connections to radarsubmissions.apple.com
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2141147&tstart=105
There's a utility that Xcode installs that can configure some reporting. /Developer/Applications/Utilities/CrashReporterPrefs.app
http://discussions.info.apple.com/thread.jspa;jsessionid=57C8B4C60DD7F68968B6617155516075.node0?messageID=11555436�
Looking under "Diagnostic and Usage Info" in console shows a number of things that get sent.
With the current terms of the iTunes agreement, I have to wonder if this info-gathering behavior is now enabled without the crash opt-in user approval. Maybe there's not a problem, but this is worthy of examination. It seems a bit much for the iTunes license to affect things outside the use of iTunes.
Apple makes great hardware and is generally very responsive to issues. If there's a problem and users are vocal about it, they seem likely to do what they can to satisfy people.