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Top tech news of 2011: Steve Jobs, UBB, data breaches and more
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CBC News
The death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, the travails of BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion and the massive Sony PlayStation Network data breach were all big news makers in the technology world of 2011.
But in Canada, the biggest tech story of the year was the controversy over usage-based internet billing, as judged by viewers' interest on CBCNews.ca.
It was a drama that quickly ramped up from where it left off in 2010, when the CRTC ruled that Bell could impose usage-based caps on small internet providers.
Blustery performances by government officials, Canada's telecommunication regulators and some of the country's biggest telecommunications giants unfolded in a roller-coaster of developments throughout the year while internet users paid close attention. They were clearly riveted by the fear that the outcome might boost the cost of internet access and restrict usage at a time when they were falling in love with bandwidth-hungry video streaming services such as Netflix.
The issue wasn't resolved until November, when the CRTC finally announced a new internet pricing scheme — one that provides the big carriers with options to charge either a flat rate or a rate based on capacity, and that some internet providers say could still boost internet prices.
Aside from internet pricing, issues surrounding mobile devices and online security were also some of Canada's biggest tech preoccupations this past year. Reacquaint yourself with the top five tech stories of each month (starting with the most-read) below:
January
Internet download limits slashed for many
5 technologies to watch at CES
CRTC's internet billing decision appealed
Reverse internet billing decision, Liberals say
Internet usage costs to rise
February
CRTC's internet billing decision faces review
Bell admits internet metering problem
Telus to start unlocking its phones
Guitar Hero video game franchise axed
Confession app blessed by Catholic bishop
March
Steve Jobs announces iPad 2
3D printers create edible objects
IPad 2 launch date puts RIM at risk: analysts
'Artificial leaf' turns sunlight into electricity
Canadian coins bugged, U.S. security agency says
April
PlayBook could be a contender, but not yet
Porn busts show perils of unsecured Wi-Fi routers
BestBuy, bank customers hit by data breach
Apple pressured to respond to iPhone tracking
PlayStation data breach in 'top 5 ever': researcher
May
Facebook leaked 'keys' to user accounts
Man liveblogs bin Laden raid 'without knowing it'
GPS: What it can and can't do
Ultra-thin 'PaperPhone' bends to user's will
No internet in 1/5 of Canadian homes
June
Facebook, PayPal users urged to check logins after hacking
Mobile Wi-Fi may make users 'unknowing informants'
Staples resold laptops with customer data, audit finds
Violent video game ban rejected by top U.S. court
Sony slammed over new data breach
July
Bell pitches new usage-based internet billing idea
Bell revises internet usage-based billing proposal
'Magic' toilet research funded by Bill Gates foundation
Shaw offers Netflix-like movie service
BlackBerry PlayBook cleared for U.S. government use
August
Futuristic 'airships' planned for North
Refusing Facebook has social cost
New BlackBerry Curve models unveiled by RIM
BlackBerry music sharing service unveiled
U.S. military's Mach 20 glider lost in flight
September
Falling satellite flips, putting U.S. at risk
NASA satellite debris likely didn't reach land
Fully electric car makes debut in Canada
Online banking encryption broken
Satellite pieces will fall to Earth
October
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs dies at 56
Apple unveils iPhone 4S
BlackBerry service outages spread to Canada
Another falling satellite may be heading to Canada
iPhone 4S: new features but an 'underwhelming' upgrade
November
25 worst passwords of 2011 revealed
Phone service and billing complaints soar
Internet pricing ruling expected from CRTC
Apple iPhone 'self-combustion' on flight sparks probe
Facebook easily infiltrated, mined for personal info
December
Mark Zuckerberg photos leaked in Facebook flaw
Canada's 10 fastest-rising queries on Google
Facebook Timeline starts replacing user profiles
Hackers 'jailbreak' BlackBerry PlayBook
Advertisers must let consumers skip online tracking
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