In fact, just two days after the network was up and running again reports came in of a password exploit that allowed hackers to lock users out of their own accounts with only a small amount of information.

The i-opener, however, could not play streaming video, locking users out of some of the hottest offerings on the World Wide Web.

Apple basically got people to replace flash with Native Apps for iOS which lock users into using Apple devices.

Some critics say the digital divide evolves so rapidly as technology advances that big initiatives, especially those driven by government policy, can lock users into obsolete technology.

Gottlieb identified a basic flaw that was common to all video chat technology: each platform used a similar basic architecture which locked users into a single conversation.

"We'd rather have loyal users who use Google products because they're innovative -not because they lock users in," said today's announcement.

RealNetworks claims that Apple is creating problems for itself by using FairPlay to lock users into using the iTunes Store.

And what I do wish, the one thing I wish that was pervasive was locking users out after some number of guesses.

Unlike the way an OS and third party software compatibility works, nothing is locking users into Google.

The iTunes Music Store and the iPod feed off of one another's success, and Apple's decision not to license FairPlay has locked users of iTMS into the iPod and vice versa.