Apple iOS 4.2 may launch Friday for iPad, iPhone - IntoMobile

This one’s a rumor folks, but it looks like iOS 4.2 could be hitting your Apple iPhone and iPad this Friday at 10 a.m. PST and it will bring all sorts of goodies like multitasking to the iPad and Airplay.

The time makes a lot of sense because the iOS 4.2 gold master was sent out to developers last week and this means the software should be ready for prime time. The rumor also says we can look forward to an iTunes 10.1 update tomorrow in advance of the iOS 4.2 update.

So, what’s the big fudging deal? Well, as an iPad owner, I can’t wait for iOS 4.2 to actually bring all of the capabilities of the iPhone 4 to the tablet. The multitasking that came with 4.0 (or, quick app switching if you want to call it that) should turn this iPad into something more than a toy. Yes, you can install iOS 4.2 by looking at our walk through but that could be too much of a hassle for many people.

Another cool feature of the 4.2 version for the iPhone and iPad is that it will enable users to print content off their devices through AirPrint. This will send your documents, photos or other contents wirelessly to a compatible printer.

I’m also really looking forward to the AirPlay feature with iOS 4.2 because this will enable you to share content between your iOS devices. So, let’s say you have a video on your iPad, you should just be able to click a button or two and have it appear on your Apple TV.

While this appears to just handle multimedia files right now, there are some apps which will be able to take advantage of AirPlay like YouTube and the MLB app. If you hack it – an official jailbreak will come shortly – I’m sure all those limitations will be removed.

[Via MacStories]

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Apple to triple iTunes music previews from 30 to 90 seconds - IntoMobile

A leaked memo from Apple to the music labels suggests Apple is increasing the length of music previews on iTunes from 30 seconds to 90 seconds. The change would only affect music files that are longer than 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Tracks shorter than this arbitrary limit will keep the 30 seconds preview. Previously rumored to be announced at Apple’s Fall event, this feature was reportedly delayed because of licensing problems. This latest leak implies that these licensing issues have been resolved and the feature is ready to roll out.

While this change may seem to trivial to users, it reflects the ongoing battle between Apple and the music industry. The struggle over DRM, pricing, previews, and more started when Apple launched iTunes  Music Store back in 2003. Steve Jobs has pushed the music industry to offer music tracks for 99-cents and then to offer tracks without DRM. This music preview is the next skirmish, but a bigger battle looms in the future.

The next battleground will be the cloud as Apple is rumored to be turning its LaLa acquisition into an iTunes-in-the-cloud service. In this scenario, iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad owners would be able to store their media in the cloud and use iTunes to stream their favorite music or videos while on the go. A subscription-based iTunes service is also reportedly close to launch. Steve Jobs has been able to successfully negotiate with the recording industry thus far, let’s hope they can pull off another coup d’etat and move our iDevices away from the desktop and into the cloud.

[Via MacRumors]

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