Should the government be regulating companies to avoid privacy issues? Google doesn't think so – and it just told the Canadian government that federal policymakers wouldn't be able to keep up, anyway.

Microsoft pulled the wraps of its latest smartphone operating system on Monday: Windows Phone 8.

Having the chance to play around with three launch handsets for a brief period of time, it seems clear that the folks in Redmond were keen on making a phone system that consumers - the masses - should want to buy. But it's not clear if this will be the smartphone ecosystem they'll want to buy into.

At first glance, WP8 isn't significantly different than it's predecessor, Windows Phone 7. It features a graceful interface with handy live tiles that pump realtime updates to the user's fingerprints - without the need to dive into each specific app like with iOS.

But underneath it all, WP8 is designed from the ground-up to play nice with Windows 8. The thinking is that app developers can make an app that'll work great on everything from desktop computers, laptops, tablets...and new smartphones.

As the super storm Sandy continues to grind its way up the
U.S. eastern seaboard and into southern Ontario, people have gone on to
Facebook to keep friends and family in the loop with how they’re doing.

What are they posting exactly? It’s a combination of several
things. We’ve seen everything from photos of flooding and damage to people
complaining that the storm didn’t deliver as much wind and rain as experts
thought (at least in Canada).

But the folks at Facebook have narrowed down the words
people shared most on the world’s largest social network, as of 10 a.m. ET
Tuesday.

Google and Microsoft both made important announcements in the mobile space as Hurricane Sandy raged yesterday. Google focused on hardware, while Microsoft's was mostly about its new mobile phone software. Here's a quick roundup.

People are calling it the perfect storm. Hurricane Sandy is just starting its major assault on the East Coast today. The worst effects, especially for Canadians, will be overnight tonight, according to officials. How are we using technology to survey the event?

Could this be a turning point for Canadian Internet users? The CRTC has just instructed large ISPs to tell us how much the Internet really costs.

While Microsoft is launching a major new operating system, it’s also rolling out a major new piece of hardware: Surface.

Like the Xbox, Surface combines hardware and software developed by Microsoft. The company has taken full control over not just the operating system, but the physical device.

At first glance, it looks like just any other tablet, except this one has a 10.6-inch screen that displays 16x9 video beautifully.

Microsoft says a great amount of design work has gone into developing the Surface. The batteries, which it claims can last a workday of use, are specifically designed for the Surface and are spread evenly through the device.

Could Microsoft finally be getting it right? The company has been against the ropes for some time in consumer-focused areas such as music and mobile, but the stars seem to be aligning this fall. Blogs and news services are alight this week with the discussion of Windows 8, which is already shipping in some parts of the world. I'm more interested in what's happening in the living room – and of course, the two are related.

So, Apple has launched a slew of new products, including the underwhelming iPad Mini, and the superfast iPad 4. The unexpected launch of the new full-size iPad has Apple fans around the world fuming – at least, those who bought the iPad 3.