We love new apps. It is one of the joys of our life to sift through the flood of apps that are published or updated every month and deliver the best or most interesting to our readers. November had some great apps for Android, the iPhone and the iPad. In our ongoing series of Apps Of The Month, we take a look at what November produced below. We are continuing for the third month with our list of app updates so you can keep track of what you need to update for functionality and security purposes. The list, as always, is a bit subjective so please let us know in the comments if we missed an app or you have found one that you cannot live without. A Charlie Brown Christmas - ($6.99 iOS, Android) Who better to tug on the heart strings of Christmas than Charlie Brown? The new app Read More

If you're a security-conscious web surfer -- or an international traveler who likes to maintain access to US-based video streaming or voice services -- you may already be one of the millions of users of AnchorFree's Hotspot Shield, one of the leading consumer virtual private network (VPN) services. VPNs have been a mainstay of distributed corporate workforces for years, but recently they've gained traction with everyday folk as well. This week, the company launched an iOS app that streamlines the connection process and adds bandwidth-saving compression on top of that, with a modest $9.99 yearly fee. The principles of a VPN are pretty straightforward. Normally, when you connect your computer to an unfamiliar network (wired or wireless), all your traffic back and forth is readily visible to anyone sitting on the same network segment; in the case of a public hotspot in a coffee shop, library or hotel, you might be Read More

Chris Velazco is a mobile enthusiast and writer who studied English and Marketing at Rutgers University. Once upon a time, he was the news intern for MobileCrunch, and in between posts, he worked in wireless sales at Best Buy. After graduating, he returned to the new TechCrunch to as a full-time mobile writer. He counts advertising, running, musical theater,... → Learn More Hotspot Shield has long offered VPN services to Windows and Mac users alike, but the company has set their sights on a more secure mobile space with the release of their eponymous iOS app. As Ron Popeil would say, Hotspot Shield for iOS is a “set-it-and-forget-it” solution. Once the app is launched, the secure connection it creates persists unless you specifically turn it off. Until then, Hotspot Shield encrypts all the data moving between your iDevice of choice and the internet, including data coming from apps running in the Read More