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Mobify’s mobile web platform showcased in Google’s GoMo initiative

Vancouver's Mobify announced last week that they’ve been selected by Google for their new GoMo program.

Google’s GoMo initiative is designed to help businesses embrace mobile by providing them with the tools and resources they need to make their websites more mobile-friendly.

Mobify is among 11 solutions recommended by Google in their Get Started section and the only Canadian one.

“We’re honored to be recognized by Google as a leading solution for creating mobile websites,” said Mobify CEO, Igor Faletski. “Our vision for One Web with full search, social, and email marketing integrity for websites whether they’re accessed from desktops or mobile devices aligns perfectly with the GoMo program.”

The Mobify platform powers some of the largest sites on the mobile web and now with Google's GoMo endorsement they'll be adding to that customer base significantly.

Optimized: Canada's 10 Best SEO Companies Revealed

Top SEOs logoSearch engine optimization (SEO) is an integral part of digital marketing. Canada.topseos.com, the independent authority on search vendors in Canada, just released the list of the ten best enterprise search engine optimization companies in their rankings for the month of November 2011.

Mediative, part of the Yellow Pages Group, was ranked first overall. “Mediative is unique in the SEO industry, because we are able to integrate our understanding of search engine user behaviour, as well as website user behaviour into our SEO projects. Our research capabilities have helped medium sized clients all the way to Fortune 500 clients, understand their customer search behaviour,” says Mohamed Kahlain, VP Products and Marketing, Mediative.

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The World's 5 Most Powerful People in Tech

With the 2011 edition of the World's Most Powerful People now released, it's interesting to observe how potent the technology industry is. While the majority of the listees are leaders of big countries like Russia and major cities like New York, tech leaders remain affluent even on global scale. Aside from perhaps financial industry, no space stands out in the list quite like tech. So the question must be asked then—who, among the techies, are the most powerful of all?

1. Bill Gates (#5 overall)

Mr. Gates is much more about philanthropy than technology these days. In fact, Forbes lists his organization as the Bill & Melina Gates Foundation, not Microsoft, the highly impacting software giant he founded decades ago. Still, it's hard to ignore his historical significance in the tech space—and his tremendous wealth is not lost on Forbes.

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Toronto's Acuity Ads makes a giant splash in the display advertising world

Toronto-based Acuity Ads says they have become the fastest growing company in their respective advertising industry since launching in April. They are further revolutionizing the industry through their demand side platform that maximizes display advertising technology through consumer profiling, real-time bidding and machine learning technology in order to create connection with the consumer.

While they couldn't release any numbers, some of Acuity’s impressive clients include Dell, Sears, The Bank of Montreal, Ally, and RBC Financial Group.

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U.S. Government Requested User Data From Google 6,000 Times in 6 Months; Canada just 50

America's government is the world's most active requester of data of search engine giant Google, the company's latest Transparency Report says, while Canada's government is one of the least active.

The U.S. Federal Government requested user data from Google 5,950 times from January to June 2011, and Google complied fully or partially with 93% of these requests. The Government of Canada, meanwhile, issued just 50 requests over the same time frame, with a 43% compliance rate. 75 users or accounts were involved in the Canadian requests while the U.S. requests breached more than 11,000 users or accounts.

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Google wants Canadians to update Google Maps

Google has created its Google Maps feature largely from its own hands up to this point—an impressive feat. But the softwarwe giant has now admitted that it cannot complete its vision alone and is inviting Canadians to update its maps Wikipedia-style.

Quoth The Globe and Mail:

“Google’s objective here is to create an accurate atlas of the world and the reality is that Google’s not big enough to do this (alone),” said Google Canada spokesman Aaron Brindle. “When it comes to our assumptions around who actually is in possession of the most relevant information to any user, I think it’s hubris to assume Google alone can do it without the help of the community of our users. It’s a model that’s worked with Wikipedia and a model that’s worked astoundingly well when it comes to the maps (elsewhere in the world) that are already online.”

This more open type of Maps feature should serve to update old and correct inaccurate information, as well as add new data Google failed to capture, particularly in more rural areas. All changes will be vetted by Google before being published on Maps.

Unlike Wikipedia, though, this call to arms doesn't render any of Google Maps' data open or otherwise available to the secret.

OpenStreetMap.org is a lesser-known Canadian maps service that has been supporting a community-powered concept for years. 

Would you like some Tweets to go with that wine? Best social media wine pairings

Natalie MacLean, a popular Canadian wine writer and blogger recently released a video which describes the best wines to pair with social media.

Below are some of her wine pairing suggestions for Twitter, Facebook, and Google +.

Twitter: Perhaps something low in alcohol, like the 2009 Lingenfelder Bird Label Riesling from Australia is the best bet. Natalie says this “will allow you to Tweet all evening while you drink it.” However, please drink and Tweet at your own risk. Here’s a link to the funniest drunk Tweets by comedians from the Huffington Post.

Facebook: Natalie suggests that you can toast Zuckerberg’s success with Mark West’s Pinot Noir from California.

Google +: Try Union from Ontario, because Natalie believes Google + will bring us all together in a meaningful way.

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Steve Jobs: 'Android is a stolen product and I will spend my last dying breath destroying it'

Steve Jobs was the kind of man who did things his way. He had a lot of pride in his company's products and his character was typically a serious one… the type of guy who can hold a grudge.

Even so, his true hatred for Android—now surfacing post-humously—will shock many.

It would of course be expected that Apple isn't exactly on hugging terms with Google after the latter launched Android post-iOS. But now, as details from Walter Issacon's forthcoming authorized biography of Steve emerge, it becomes clear that Steve had a burning passion for the competitor—or, in his eyes, thief. 

The emotional quote that the Associated Press obtained really makes one think:

I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple’s $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong. I’m going to destroy Android, because it’s a stolen product. I’m willing to go thermonuclear war on this.

Apple shows no signs of letting up on Android lawsuits and actually has double the cash in its bank now. Whether or not Android can actually be "destroyed" remains to be seen but I certainly would surrender if it got to the point of thermonuclear warfare.

The book is called Steve Jobs: A Biography and launches this Monday. It was originally called iSteve: The Book of Jobs but that working title was not deemed very Apple-like.

Steve officially authorized this biography—a first for the legend—but never got a chance to read it.

Google+ to roll our 'major improvements' soon

Google plans to roll out several major improvements to its social network, Google+, during the next three months.

One early improvement will be Google Doc integration. This enhancement is expected to be available within a week.

Future improvements include deeper integration with Google search, YouTube, Google Maps, and the company's mobile operating system, Android.

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Netflix for Android comes to Canada

Netflix today expanded its support for the Android mobile operating system with the release of a new Netflix app for Android. This new app lets Netflix members in Canada stream from Netflix on their Android smartphones and tablets for the first time.

"We are excited to now offer the Netflix service on tablets running Android 3.x and are thrilled to offer our members in Canada and Latin America another way to enjoy TV episodes and movies streaming from Netflix," said Greg Peters, vice president of product development at Netflix. "With the added support for Android-powered devices, Netflix members have greater flexibility than ever in watching TV episodes and movies wherever and whenever they want."

The app is compatible with mobile devices running Android 3.0 or newer.

Analyst firm Gartner expects Android will account for 49% of the smartphone market by 2012.