There was a report earlier today that a few Windows Phone users were banned by Google from using the web version of its Google Maps app. And from what we are hearing, the issue seems to be affecting a wide number Windows Phone devices. The report originated from one of the forums of fellow tech site The Verge, and Google caught wind of it immediately. Google was quick to respond, and issued a statement to saying, “The mobile web version of Google Maps is optimized for WebKit browsers such as Chrome and Safari. However, since Internet Explorer is not a WebKit browser, Windows Phone devices are not able to access Google Maps for the mobile web.” (more…)
By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Teen Drugs Parents Because Internet Curfew Was Too Strict, Facebook Adds Voice Messages to Messenger App; VoIP Calls Being Tested In Canada,
Facebook has been implementing the ideas of popular applications to its suite of apps, even going as far as to create its own 
In an effort to modernize the city of Chicago’s digital infrastructure, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced today that he has signed a four-year deal with Microsoft to help improve the city’s office operations while saving over $400,000 per year. The newly adopted “cloud strategy” includes email and desktop applications, and over 30,000 employees across the city’s departments are expected to use them. 
According to Greencrest Capital, Twitter may begin preparing for a public debut this year, and might even start the offer in 2014. Greencrest Capital, a firm that studies soon-to-be IPO businesses, says that Twitter’s plans are quite obvious due to the company’s recent management hirings – ex-Zynga employee Mike Gupta as the new CFO, Newsvine founder Mike Davidson joining as vice president of design, and Ali Rowghani moving from chief financial officer to chief operating officer. That’s not all. 
It’s a brand new year, and it is time for us to begin writing and working out those new resolutions for 2013. But resolutions can be hard to keep. So, guess who’s lending us a hand to help us out. It is no other than Google. Whether it is a resolve to eat better, get fit, save more money, and travel more, Google has posted a few nifty tips for us to use. The tips can be read after the break. Additionally, Google has released an interactive resolution map for users to view other people’s resolutions for the year. 
According to the Associated Press, Google’s Executive Chairman, Eric Schmidt, will be visiting North Korea this month on a private and humanitarian mission led by former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson. Citing sources who asked not be named because the visit was kept private, AP reports that it is unlikely for Google to initiate a partnership with the country known to have the most restrictive Internet policies in the world. The country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, has called for a modern-day “industrial revolution.” 
Google has just made it a little harder for Gmail users on rival platforms to synchronize their important Google-related stuff by dropping support for Microsoft’s Exchange ActiveSync. As you know, Exchange ActiveSync or EAS is a protocol that is designed to sync email, contacts, calendar, tasks, and notes from a messaging server to a mobile device. Ending support for EAS means that new non-Android devices, particularly Windows Phone devices and Windows 8 devices, can no longer access Gmail and other Google services. 