You might like this: http://blog.boxedice.com/2009/07/10/how-to-build-an-apple-push-notification-provider-server-tutorial/
In few words:
Push notifications mean the client becomes the server and vice versa; in fact all you need is a client that listens, and a server that queries those clients listed somewhere.
Some servers exist, there's this one for real time notification that's used with statusnet I just can't remember its name right now. Maybe it can help, whenever I come across the name back I'll get back to ya.
Meanwhile, read the tutorial above it might give you some gold ideas.
edit
The real time server is called Meteor.
There are a lot of these: http://status.net/wiki/Realtime