Apps not updating

[davedrizen]

Hi
I have notice that a couple of my apps - Facebook & BBC news are not updating on my iPad 2 when left in the background. I have to manually update.
If the app is closed down and then reopened will update o.k. I have tried deleting and reinstalling but the same happens.
I also have iPod touch and the apps update o.k
Has any one else experienced this problem, if so is it likely to be a problem with the apps or IOS5 software.
All my other apps (including twitter) appear to update o.k in the background

 

[twerppoet]

Very few app actually run in the background, and those that do are limited to specific services, and only if the developer supports the feature.

Multitasking

iOS 4 delivers seven new multitasking services that allow your apps to perform tasks in the background while preserving battery life and performance. These multitasking services include:

• Background audio - Allows your app to play audio continuously. So customers can listen to your app while they surf the web, play games, and more.
• Voice over IP - Your VoIP apps can now be even better. Users can now receive VoIP calls and have conversations while using another app. Your users can even receive calls when their phones are locked in their pocket.
• Background location - Navigation apps can now continue to guide users who are listening to their iPods, or using other apps. iOS 4 also provides a new and battery-efficient way to monitor location when users move between cell towers. This is a great way for your social networking apps to keep track of users and their friends' locations.
• Push notifications - Receive alerts from your remote servers even when your app isn't running.
• Local notifications - Your app can now alert users of scheduled events and alarms in the background, no servers required.
• Task finishing - If your app is in mid-task when your customer leaves it, the app can now keep running to finish the task.
• Fast app switching - All developers should take advantage of fast app switching, which allows users to leave your app and come right back to where they were when they left - no more having to reload the app.

Other than that what the iPad does is more akin to the old task switching that computer did before true multitasking. The most recent apps are held in RAM, ready to continue where they left off. Other apps may have their run states saved so they also start where they left off, but only after reloading (if the developer supports it).