iOS 4.2 for iPad and iPhone

Go get it!

http://osxdaily.com/2010/11/22/ios-4-2-direct-download/

Lots of interesting goodies, but my personal faves from the developer previews:

1) Airplay – can’t wait to take this for a spin. Thanks to Mr. Decourcy.

2) Airprint…especially if you perform the MacOS modifications that allow you to print to ANY shared MacOS printer. Works like a charm, and also super useful.

3) Mobile me “lite” – Apple has launched the Find my iPhone service as a free option. I dumped Mobile me after six years of dedicated use to move to Google services just for that option. I now pay 50.00 per year per user for the Google hosted/Apps services that allow me to securely wipe any lost iOS device. Apple has made a very important move here.

With more and more personal data being carried in the cloud, your mobile device is now the gateway to entry. Lose that and you lose YOU. Apple and many others are looking to launch portable banking, payment and billing options that utilize your phone and/or add-ons to send or receive payments. Remotely finding or wiping your lost device is a bare metal necessity with these kinds of mobile services being offered. Keep an eye on this one. I think some interesting foundations are being laid, bit by bit.

4) Multitasking! Takes things to a new level, swappign between tasks is very useful, and I love that I can resume previous activities without losing the application’s “state”. IE, iTeleport will retain the client connection over VNC if I swap out to Mail, then Safari, and back. Why is that useful? I hate having to log back into my remote system just because I had to check a note or two. That is something you must do a LOT when you don’t have the luxury of windows to minimize or move aside.

Now if only I could find an iPad to ethernet dongle adapter for those times when being in a datacenter reminds you why wifi-only options truly suck seaweed. Wired has its purposes ;)

But I would say I am 99% happy with this update, and so will many others.