The big news this week in the world of iOS devices is that we are drawing ever closer to iOS 4.2, the update that will add new features and bring the iPad up to speed with the feature set on the iPhone 4.

As noted by our own Josh Lowensohn a couple of days ago, iOS 4.2 for iPad has been seeded to developers so they can get started bringing their apps up to date. With iOS 4.2 on your iPad, you'll be able to multitask like the iPhone, make folders for your apps, get connected with Apple's Game Center, and get an updated interface for iPad e-mail. Josh also pointed out in another story this week that the 4.2 update will turn the iPad's rotation-lock switch into a volume-mute switch just like on the iPhone.

Even more exciting, both the iPhone and iPad will receive AirPrint, a service that automatically locates connected printers on a network and over Wi-Fi without additional driver software. iOS 4.2 will also bring AirPlay to all iOS devices, letting you stream all of your multimedia to multiple TVs, computers, and set-top boxes.

iOS 4.2 is set to be released in November, but you can bet that Apple will have more tweaks before then.

This week's apps include an image collage maker with a ton of features and a driving game where the undead try to make you crash.

PhotoShake ($1.99) is an easy-to-use program for creating various types of collages with your images complete with effects and plenty of ways to customize. Start by picking the theme of the project you want to make: Single photo for single shots; MultiPhoto for collages of about six images; Grid photo for larger collages of images; Widephoto for a stylish strip of images; or WallPaper to make a background for your iOS device. Then, choose photos from your library, take fresh photos with your camera, or paste an image into the app that you previously copied. At this point you're directed to shake your iPhone to quick preview the result of your theme and photo selections. I have to admit the physical shaking of the iPhone seems a bit unnecessary to me, but multiple shakes will bring up different looks to give you more options. It just seems like a button would be better here, but I guess they would have to change the name of the app...PhotoButton doesn't really have the same ring.

Once you have the basic project in front of you, PhotoShake goes into Edit mode giving you a number of options to edit your images and adjust how they are displayed. You can adjust the framing of each image in the collage, color correct each image, change the border type color and how they line up, add effects and color tints to images, and much more. I wasn't too excited by the choices for borders (they seemed simplistic in most cases), but otherwise the multitude of options for adjusting your images are great. Once the colors are how you like them, you can add speech and thought balloons in various shapes and even select fonts.

The final step in PhotoShake is to choose what you want to do with your project. You can preview the final product, save it to your device, or share on Flickr, Twitter, FaceBook, tumblr, or me2DAY. Overall, PhotoShake provides an easy way to create quick collages of your photos and either save them or share them quickly on popular social Web sites. If you want to make something more out of your images, check out this app.

Zombie Highway (99 cents) is a very silly idea made into a great game and if you love zombie-related games (I do!), this app makes a nice addition to your app collection. The object of the game is simple: drive as far as you can on a post-apocalyptic road strewn with broken down cars while zombies try to jump on your car and run you off the road. Drive your black SUV by tilting your iPhone to steer--there are no buttons in this game for gas or brake. As you drive, zombies will jump from the side of the road and latch on to the sides of your car. If you fail to remove the zombies from the sides of your car, the undead will rock your car back and forth to try to make you crash.

Zombie Highway is very addictive, mostly because the steering controls are so fluid and it's fun to begin to master the various ways of removing zombies from your car. You can steer close to crashed cars to side-swipe the zombies off, or you can use one of several unlockable weapons to slowly shoot them from their perch. Everything from 44 revolvers to machine guns can be used to dislodge the zombies. I think they missed an opportunity by not including a flame thrower, but maybe that will come in future updates.

You're not up against just one type of zombie either. As you drive, stronger zombies will jump on your car that take much more to shake free--often making you side-swipe cars multiple times to dislodge one. Your game ends when either the zombies have managed to flip your car over or you lose control and slam into a crashed car.

Overall, Zombie Highway is not terribly complicated and doesn't offer much beyond the basic mechanic--fortunately, the basic mechanic is very fun and addictive. Anyone who likes zombie games and wants something different from the usual first-person shooter fare should check out this fun (and cheap) game.

What's your favorite iPhone app? What do you think of PhotoShake? Does Zombie Highway have enough variation with weapons and zombie types to keep you coming back for more? Let me know in the comments!

We love nothing better than using universal search to scour the content of a smartphone to find our sought-after keyword. Unless, of course, it's using the latest update to Google Mobile App for BlackBerry to pick through your Gmail items and contacts and Google Docs at the same time.

The new feature integrates seamlessly with the app so you won't need to make any changes to how you search.

After logging into your account the first time, a voice or text prompt in Google Mobile App will turn up results stored on your smartphone or on Google's servers. You'll see the findings and their origins clearly listed in the app. For instance, it will specify whether the source is an e-mail, the subject of a Google Doc, a contact, or an item stored on your BlackBerry.

On a security note, Google uses a secure https connection to transfer data. It also encrypts account details and never permanently stores your password, Google said in a blog post. You can download the free app by visiting m.google.com from your BlackBerry browser.

One of my favorite apps of 2010 just got a major update. Tales2Go, which provides on-demand access to nearly 1,300 children's audiobooks, updated the app to add multitasking support, story caching for offline listening, new subscription options, and more.

Intended for children between the ages of 3 and 11, Tales2Go offers a huge range of listening material--everything from two-minute fables to full-length novels. These aren't just public-domain works, either: you'll find well-known series like "American Girl," "The Boxcar Children," "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," and "Encyclopedia Brown."

For any given story or chapter you've queued up, the app now downloads and caches it locally. That's a major improvement, as it overcomes the problem of spotty or nonexistent Internet access. Unfortunately, it can do this for only the currently selected title; you can't cache multiple books for, say, a long road-trip. The developer is working on "a more comprehensive caching function."

Speaking of road trips, the long-overdue addition of multitasking means you can now run your GPS app (or anything else you might need) while Tales2Go keeps spinning tales. It also solves a minor gripe I had with the app not auto-resuming from where you left off.

A new sharing option lets you e-mail a story recommendation, and a new replay button lets you jump back 30 seconds in case you missed something in the story.

Finally, Tales2Go 2.0 now offers more than just the $24.99-per-year unlimited-streaming subscription option (which I still think is a steal). You can add one month for $2.99 or three months for $6.99. And that's after the initial 30-day free trial.

Even better, any subscription option now lets you register up to five iOS devices instead of just one. That's a huge and welcome change; it used to frustrate me greatly that my paid subscription couldn't extend to my daughter's iPod Touch. Now it can.

Tales2Go is still a little buggy. It's often slow to load, and at times the controls locked up on me. Also, the test "sharing" e-mail I sent to myself never arrived. Other than that, the app remains high on my list of must-haves for parents.

Related content:

• Save 50 percent on Dr. Seuss e-book apps, games
• Five must-have iPhone apps for parents
  
• Mobicip: A kid-safe Web browser for iPhones and iPods

Originally posted at iPhone Atlas

Security vendor Avast takes a cue from its own name and a slightly aged Internet meme to bring you a pirate-themed approach to home computer protection. In honor of the upcoming annual "Talk like a pirate day" on September 19, Avast rebrands its main interface in pirate-speak for people who opt in to the feature through September 22. There's not a lot to the changes, but check out the our slideshow of the four newly rechristened pirate-themed windows in Avast.