Google today announced the availability of Google Earth 5.2, which boasts new features outdoorsmen will rejoice about.

In the latest version, you can connect your GPS device directly with the application to import your track, but now, new features will show you more information and statistics about your journey than ever before.

The latest version includes the ability to view elevation, speed, and graphs about your route in Google Earth. A new feature also records your route, so you could play it back later, with historical information including speed and slope.

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The book-retailer giant Barns & Noble today announced the availability of a free ebook reader and bookstore application for the Apple iPad.

The application directly competes with Apple’s own iBooks store, that will allow consumers to purchase books, and magazines, among other media.

The Barns & Noble application offers various features, including a built in dictionary, syncing with highlights and notes, all across multiple platforms that support the application (including support for the iPhone that is scheduled for later this summer).

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Canada’s largest cable and wireless company, Rogers, today unveiled prices for Apple’s iPad 3G tablet that is set to launch in Canada and other international markets on May 28.

The company said the iPad would be available for CDN $15 per month for 250mb of data, or $35 per month for 5gb of data (plus the cost of the device). If you already have a wireless monthly plan with Rogers, the company said users could add the iPad plan for an additional $20 per month (with 5gb of data) as an additional cost to their existing phone bill.

Additionally, Rogers confirmed today it would restrict tethering on the device, thereby not allowing consumers to tether their iPad to other devices such as netbooks. The company already allows tethering with other smartphones it offers, including the Apple iPhone 3GS, but said the feature would not be available on the iPad.

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The California-based computer giant, Apple, today announced new sales figures for it’s latest device, the Apple iPad.

The company says it has now sold more than 1-million units of the device, 28-days after the initial April 3rd product launch that saw 300,000 sold units on launch date.

The sales numbers do not include sales figures from the iPad 3G model, which debuted today in the United States.

The iPad will launch in international markets, including Canada, by the end of this month.

Apple’s iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS both took a mere 3-days each from their debut to reach the 1-million sales milestone, compared to 74-days for the very first iPhone model.

Apple says there are currently more than 5,000 apps designed specifically for the iPad, with more than 12-million apps aggregately being downloaded from all iPad users. The company says more than 1.5-million iBook ebooks have been also been downloaded, but that number isn’t more specific to indicate how many books have been purchased from Apple’s new iBook store.

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs says demand remains strong and that the company is working hard to meet demand as it exceeds current supply levels.

The  market has reacted positively to the news as the Apple stock (NASDAQ:AAPL) is trading up 2.25-percent in mid-day trading at $266.97 per share.

The Cupertino-based computer maker, Apple Inc., today released sales and usage figures for its highly anticipated iPad tablet computer that launched on April 3rd.

The company said it sold 300,000 devices on opening day. The figure includes shipments, including shipments to retailers such as Best Buy, meaning that probably not each of the 300,000 units are in consumers hands as of right now. However, demand seems strong despite consumers arguing the device is fairly aggressively priced and adds little value over an iPhone. The company did not break down the sales figures for each of the iPad versions.

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As the launch date of the Apple iPad inches closer, top tech journalists have published the first reviews (all with praise) of the device.

The New York Times David Pogue and the Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg were the first to publish their reviews, along with other journalists including from USA Today.

In summary of the reviews, Mr. Mossberg enjoyed using the on-screen keyboard, while NYT’s David Pogue didn’t favor it very much. None of the reviewers complained about the lack of camera or even no flash support. The reviewers also noted the iPad worked as advertised when it came to its 10-hour battery life.

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Canada’s third-largest mobile telecom today confirmed the company will further diversify its product line by offering tablet computers.

The confirmation came from David Fuller, the VP of product marketing today.

The comments raise speculation as to whether Telus will offer the Apple iPad. The iPad is slated for an April 3rd U.S. launch, with the device being available in Canada by the end of the same month, according to Apple.

Mr. Fuller confirmed the iPad is in fact compatible on the new Telus network, but did not further elaborate.

We can confirm Microsoft Corporation is working on its own iPad competitor, dubbed Microsoft Courier, but the company has yet to officially acknowledge it is working on such a device. Judging from recent leaks, the device seems more advanced and intuitive than the iPad, but the iPad still has a major competitive advantage, the app store. Microsoft Courier is reportedly to launch by the end of this year.

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Update: Sources have told the popular technology blog Gizmodo that Microsoft has cancelled the Courier project.

Meet Courier, Microsoft’s answer to the Apple iPad.

Microsoft has yet to confirm it is working on such a device, dubbed a digital journal, but recent leaks, including the latest leaked images published by AOL’s popular tech blog Engadget, confirms the device.

Unconfirmed reports suggest Courier will be powered by the new Windows Phone 7 Series operating system, and not the traditional Windows 7 OS found on PCs.

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U.S. Patent No. 20090325603 - Apple GPS location sharing transmission

According to a new U.S. patent application by Apple Computers Inc., the company is preparing new location-aware technologies that would make using an iPhone (and probably the iPad) more efficient and social. According to this specific patent, location sharing will become a seamless process where users could effortlessly share their location directly from the call screen.

Users can already share their current location simply by finding their location in the Maps application, then sharing it via a few more additional taps. However, the current process requires somewhat too many taps and simply wouldn’t be as efficient as choosing to share your location from a single press while concurrently talking with your friend.

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After speaking with a lot of people, I find there is still much ambiguity over the features of Apple’s latest creation, the iPad, and what the device is and is not capable of doing.

The iPad is also missing a camera, multi-tasking support, Flash support in Safari, and unfortunately, it’s limitations don’t stop there.

People that have used the iPad to demo a movies (with the 4:3 viewing ratio) argue the iPad would have been better in widescreen, making watching movies more enjoyable. But Apple wants you to use the device in any orientation as you choose, so making it widescreen might have been prohibitive in that regard.

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