Tech Blog

[#1]

Google Maps now include Traffic AND Street view in most Canadian Cities
Earlier this week, Google Maps started reporting on traffic conditions in major Canadian cities, in a most ingenious way; by tracking participating data-phones as they travel the major commuter routes.

Also this week, Google Street View was turned on for some Canadian cities. Apparently Calgary ranks higher in Google's priority list than Edmonton, as we've not had it activated here yet. Must be some Stampeder fans on the Google Maps dev. team.

Data from closed Gmail accounts can be used against you
So you thought that account was closed and deleted 'eh? Well, maybe not...it seems that even Google keeps backup and archives, as this finance manager found out.

---

Rogers gets a pair -- of new competitors in the iPhone market
Wanting to get an iPhone, but not wanting to get it through Rogers? Simply wait 'till November and check out the packages from Telus and Bell. Rogers loses its iPhone exclusivity in Canada as Bell / Telus launch iPhone programs, as well as new 'next generation' wireless networks.

Apple Tablet gaining more momentum
The New York Times ran an interesting item on the mythical Apple Tablet, and why they think you can expect to see one in early 2010.

“Software engineers got ahead of the hardware capabilities,” said Paul Jackson, a consumer product analyst at Forrester Research. “But we may be finally getting to the point where the dreams and aspirations of those designers are actually meeting capable and reasonably priced technology.”

---

Microsoft's share of browser market even smaller
Internet Explorer suffered its largest loss of users in September as they migrated to other browser platforms.

...shows the main browser usage trend is unchanged: though its lead remains large, Internet Explorer is still losing ground to all other browsers. Firefox is steadily gaining, Safari remains in a nonthreatening third place, Chrome is happily carving out a small niche for itself, and poor Opera can't seem to budge from fifth place. In September, all browsers except for IE showed positive growth. In fact, IE experienced the biggest drop in recent memory.

Office Starter 2010 - preloaded on PCs
That new PC you purchase may come bundled with an exclusive version of Microsoft Office -- and also bundled with a bunch of ads that support that 'free' software.

Office Starter will include on-screen advertisements, acknowledged Numoto, making it the first edition of Microsoft's long-standing desktop suite to do so. "There will be a tile in the lower-right-hand side of the window," he said, where an ad will be displayed.
Sony sued over PS3 update that 'bricks' consoles

---

Your Turn
So, did I miss anything? What online story really got you going this week? Link to it in the comments!