A new iPhone application called Backgrounder has brought the functionality we've all been waiting for to the iPhone: running apps in the background. It's only available for jailbroken iPhones (via Cydia), but ironically Backgrounder only promises to work with official App Store applications.
The developer warns that other 3rd party apps may have fiddled with the backgrounding code, causing potential snafus: "If you wish to run a non-AppStore 3rd-party application in the background, it is suggested that you contact the author of the application and request that proper background support be added."
Users must also configure a custom preference file to enable the backgrounding for specific apps (instructions HERE).
And lastly, prepare for some serious battery drainage and possible sluggish iPhone performance.
Still, leaving your chat client open while you listen to Pandora Radio while your favorite LBS network updates while playing Spore Origins sounds pretty appealing (if not exhausting!).
