The next-generation iPad could include a means of automatically locking or unlocking the system based on the presence of a case lid, the iOS 4.3 beta reportedly indicates. Buried in code for the Settings app are noted to be two unusual strings, "PAD_CASE_LOCK" and "PAD_CASE_LOCK_FOOTER." The value description for the former simply says "iPad Cover Lock / Unlock," while the latter's reads "Automatically lock and unlock your iPad when you close and open the iPad cover."
