Eric Mack

Apple gave the app, Drivers License, the boot this week after concerned politicians claimed it encouraged identity theft. Drivers License joins a short list of apps that Apple gave boot in 2011 because Apple either didn't get the joke, offered too much functionality, or that Apple felt was downright dangerous.

Here is a brief 2011 rewind of apps that got the boot in 2011 starting with Drivers License.

Most Kindle Fire users have had a few weeks to get to know Amazon's e-reader/tablet hybrid, and the reviews are decidedly mixed, with many users pointing to the same flaws.

The device's lack of external volume controls, awkwardly placed off switch, slow web browser, heavy weight, minimal storage space, and inconsistent touchscreen responsiveness are among the most frequently seen complaints in reviews and user forums.

If you can't wait for Ainol's $99 Ice Cream Sandwich tablet to show up in the United States, you might be able to find one online, but you should be aware of a few things first.

Earlier this week, MIPS and Ingenic, the companies behind the chipset in the Ainol Novo 7 Basic sent out a press release trumpeting the arrival of the inexpensive but powerful tablet running Ice Cream Sandwich. Google's Android chief Andy Rubin also lent his endorsement.

FreedomPop, a start-up company that aims to provide broadband and voice services to all Americans at no charge, has signed a wholesale network agreement with LightSquared to offer free 4G service starting next year.

Skype cofounder Niklas Zennstrom and his venture capital firm Atomico are the driving force behind FreedomPop, which is set to launch next year. Today the start-up announced the deal with LightSquared, which is currently building a nationwide 4G LTE network integrated with satellite coverage that will be wholesale only.

The Novo7, a 7-inch tablet available in China that runs Ice Cream Sandwich, is set to arrive in the United States in the coming months with an expected price of $99.

The game-changing tablet could shake up the market just like the Kindle Fire did with its debut in November. The Novo7 doesn’t skimp on specs and cut corners at every turn. It has a MIPS XBurst 1GHz CPU and includes front and rear cameras, 3D capability, 1080p video decoding and an HDMI port, not to mention up to 8 hours of battery life while watching video. It also features a multitouch-capable touchscreen and the latest version of Android, where other inexpensive tablets have been known to run older versions.

Sprint will be unveiling its 4G LTE lineup of devices even later than the company initially hoped.

Sprint’s chief financial officer, Joe Euteneuer, said on a webcast that the wireless carrier will introduce its first devices on the high-speed network in the latter part of 2012. That's a little bit later than the target of mid-2012 set by Sprint a few months ago.

Amazon's Kindle Fire could actually bring more new iPad customers to Apple, according to one analyst who says the company isn't worried about the season's hottest new tablet.

In a note to investors, J.P. Morgan analysts say that while plenty of consumers have been gobbling up the new $199 Amazon tablet/e-reader hybrid, most are tablet newbies who "could gravitate to more feature-rich experiences."

A new report from security firm McAfee finds mobile threats are on the rise, and iOS users seem to be much safer than Android fans.

I try to take all these security reports with a grain of salt, considering McAfee's vested interested in scaring the bejesus out of us to sell more security software, but there's several notable specifics in this one worth examining.

Google’s Chrome Web browser has leapfrogged Firefox to claim the number two slot in the browser battle, according to Web analytics firm StatCounter.

Chrome held 25.69 percent of the worldwide market in November 2011 compared with Firefox's 25.23 percent. Internet Explorer remains the top browser globally with a 40.63 percent share of the market.

Sick of your iPhone or Android handset? Want to try out Windows Phone Mango? Microsoft is letting Android and iPhone users try Windows Phone 7.5 Mango with an HTML5 demo that runs in your smartphone's browser.

The interactive tour isn't fully functional, but it provides a good sense of Mango's look and feel without having to run down to your local electronics store. I tried it out on my Droid 2 and liked how Microsoft's Metro UI makes efficient use of touchscreen real estate in a visually appealing way.

Spotify is holding a press conference in New York today where it says it will reveal a "new direction" for the streaming music service. What could Spotify announce for its 10-million-member service? The tech press, myself included, has been befuddled by the question for the past week.

Here some educated guesses that I and others have come up with for Spotify's big news.