(Update: if you want to know how to set this up on your Apple device, simply read our Find my iPhone how-to guide)

So apparently iOS 4.2.1 is rolling out today, and it is finally giving iPad users all that multitasking goodness that us iPhone users have had for a while. Folders are also welcome on the iPad, as well as a few small changes (you can read the full iOS 4.2 rundown here). But one part thats really nice is that Apple is finally offering “Find My iPhone” as a free feature now.

In the past you had to pay $99 a year to get Mobile Me, which was the only way to get hold of Find My iPhone. Find my iPhone is really handy, and was a major reason why I got MobileMe in the past. Users can track any device that is registered to their username, so you add quite a few devices to the same user account. You can actually see the device on a map with remarkable accuracy, provided its outdoors and within cellular data range.

If you cannot seem to find your phone inside your house, you can also ask the phone to make a noise, even if it is in silent mode. Good for those times you lose your phone in between the couch cushions! Finally you can also lock the phone, let the phone display a message (e.g. Please phone xxx xxx xxxx, reward if found!), and then finally once you give up hope, remotely wipe the device.

Find my iPhone will be available for iPhone 4, iPad and the latest iPod Touch (and to older iPhones with some effort), and will be rolling out tonight as part of iOS 4.2.1, which will go live at around 7 o’clock. I would recommend you download iTunes 10.1 beforehand (you need it). Expect the servers to be hammered tonight, it will be a very popular update!

For more info on 4.2, read our review, or go look at Apple’s info page.

Soon iPads will become much more useful – iOS 4.2, which is being released this month will include multitasking, folders and a number of new features. Today Apple released the gold master release, which means that iOS4.2 is just about done. In the past a GM version of iOS was typically released a week before the official version became available…

The iPad’s biggest criticism up to now has been the lack of multitasking, and that the iPad seems to have to play catchup with the iPhone up to now, which has been running on iOS4 for a few months already. I went through my biggest iPad issues a few weeks ago.

Initial reports says that the great new Airplay feature is working in this latest release, which enables you to stream your video to close-by AppleTV. Its as easy as starting the video on the iPad – then click the Airplay icon, then select the device you want to push the video to. This will work with videos stored on the iPad, as well as the Youtube app.

Airprint is also ready – which will enable you to print to any shared printer on your network. Apps will need to be aware of Airprint – but it will be a very much demanded feature, so expect support from your favourite applications soon enough. The printer would have to shared at present, but HP is currently developing printers that will support iOS.

Small changes are everywhere – the pop up multitasking tray would also get the brightness and volume controls. The orientation switch on the iPad is changing to a mute switch as well, with the orientation lock switch shifting to the taskbar.

Off course all of these features will also be made available to iPhone4 and iPhone 3GS. If you want a more detailed rundown of all the new iOS 4.2 features, I recommend you go look at iLounge‘s brilliant post.

Every year in September Apple has its music focussed event which normally focusses on new iPods, but occasionally Apple also releases interesting new devices as well…

Now if we look at the invite for the event its a guitar with a Apple shaped hole behind the strings, so clearly Apple is sticking to the music theme this year. But this might also hint towards Apple’s iLife suite which has the Garageband app. Its been 18 months since iLife ’09 was released. The typical release date for past releases of iLife was in January at the Macworld conference, but since Apple does not go to Macworld anymore, an announcement for a new version of iLife might be very possible.

Captain Obvious will also tell you that new iPods are on the way. Updates to the current iPod might look something like this I reckon:

iPod Classic: All evidence suggests that the hard drive based iPod is on the way out. With all of Apple’s focus on touch based interfaces, it would be very strange of Apple to keep selling the Classic. But there is a sizable number of people out there with massive music libraries that want it all in their pockets. So if Apple drops the iPod Classic, expect some outcry.

iPod Nano: There are currently pictures out there from case suppliers that suggest that Apple might be changing the Nano a lot. Expect a small clip like device, almost like the second generation iPod Shuffle. Bizarrely this device will use a 3 inch touch screen.

I am somewhat skeptical of this, and I guess I would have to see how one would pull off a touch based interface on such a small screen that actually works well. I am instead hoping for a smaller sized iPod Touch shaped device.

iPod Touch: My opinion is that the iPod touch and Classic would be fused into one product. I reckon the iPod touch might change its name to simply “iPod”. Looking at the iPhone 4 its easy enough to predict what we might see. Expect higher resolution Retina displays, front facing cameras for using Facetime calls and a more iPhone like design scheme that uses matte steel and black steel.

iPod Shuffle: In the past year, the Shuffle was the dud of the iPod lineup. Without a decent control scheme, I expect Apple to shift to another design. Or alternatively, if the rumors of a much smaller iPod Nano is to believed, it might be entirely possible that the Shuffle can be scrapped altogether.

One more thing: New AppleTV (or iTV). I expect a more simplified version of Apple TV to arrive soon. Current rumors suggest an iOS based interface, smaller on board storage and an much lower price. I have no idea how they would implement iOS on a screen without a decent control scheme though. Maybe a Wiimote like pointer?

The big what if for me: When is iPad users getting iOS4? Apple told us that we can expect it Fall 2010. Well – its that time Apple. Problem is that there has been no public beta of 4.1 for iPad. Therefore I expect at least the announcement of the iPad iOS Beta program to start. Call it iOS 4.1, iOS 4.2, heck, call iPadFixed, just give us some feedback Apple. But I don’t want to get off on a rant here – you can read my current issues with the iPad here.

But its only a day until we will know how wrong I am…

After using the iPad as a secondary computer for the last month I have to agree that the oversimplified interface of iOS quickly grew on me – and after watching many people use the iPad I have to say there is great potential for people of all computer skill levels. I have seen people who never used a computer before manage to be able to access email, look at photos, check website etc. What makes iOS so revolutionary is that it makes the learning curve of using a computing device much easier than ever before.

Its little wonder then that many people have started asking when iOS will arrive on the desktop. Not to replace existing full featured operating systems, but as a secondary, simplified, high speed interface. I am pretty sure it wont be that difficult to just stick a touch panel inside a iMac, but the angle of the screen might make it uncomfortable to use for extended periods of time. Well, it seems Apple has already thought of it. Patent application drawings have emerged that show how Apple will address this issue with large screened mahines.

I have to agree that this looks like a pretty great implementation. I can only imagine the iMac becoming a dual use machine within a household. If User A is power user, he still has the full power of Mac OSX to run his full featured applications, but User B can also use the machine in touch panel mode using iOS.

Now this is obviously just guesses right now – Apple might make Mac OSX touch aware, but I really hope that is not the case. One can also wonder how Apple is going to deal with the differing resolutions of iOS presently (the iPhone, iPhone 4 and the iPad), and how it will handle them going forward, without causing developer headaches. These patent drawings are still quite fresh, but dont expect to see them too soon. The iMac has been refreshed only a few months ago, and Apple tends to focus on evolutionary changes with its Mac hardware, with revolutionary changes only after a few upgrade cycles. Unless this is a new product category…

Actually I think Apple should rather be focussing on fixing those small problems in the iPad software. Chop Chop, Apple!

Source: PatentlyApple