This week’s hottest tech stories revolved around two things: internet and accessibility. Earlier this week, Starbucks announced it would be trialing charging stations at its tables to accommodate customers who already take advantage of free Wi-Fi. Then we came across an intriguing story of a startup company bringing the internet to less developed countries via bicycles. Finally, we rounded off the week with some updates on Rogers mobile wallet initiatives for all those getting a jump start on holiday shopping!

Bikes bring internet to Bangladesh

It’s easy to take things for granted in a country like Canada, where internet is not considered a luxury. In Bangladesh,only 5 million of the country’s 152 million residents have Internet access.

This week we stumbled across a cool Associated Press article highlighting a company literally bringing the internet via their bicycles to citizens of Bangladesh. D Net, one of the companies behind the program, recruits women known as “Info Ladies” and trains them for three months to use a computer, the internet, printers, and cameras so they can teach others. The program offers both free and paid services and helps create jobs for women.

Read more about The Info Ladies and learn how this simple project is introducing a whole world of technology to those less fortunate in the full article here.

Have your coffee, your Wi-Fi, and soon your charging station too

A report from Boston.com earlier this week said that Starbucks would launch a limited time in-store trial for wireless charging at 17 locations in the Boston area.

If people are already in the store setting down their devices while sipping their coffee and browsing the web, why not charge it at the same time?

Working with Duracell Powermat would supply the tech capability, but is there really a demand for this service? Let us know what you think in the comments below. Is this something you would like to see brought to Canada?

Rogers and CIBC bring mobile payments to Canadians today

It’s finally here! Today Pan American Games and Olympic medalist Simon Whitfield made Canada’s first ever SIM-based mobile transaction for a Tim Hortons coffee on his NFC-enabled Blackberry.

The SIM cards are available for order now, and the CIBC Mobile Payment app will be available November 16^th. Catch up on all the online buzz that’s been coming in today from Mobile Syrup, Financial Post, iPhone in Canada, and The Cellular Guru to name a few. Engadget also kept its readers updated on rollout and availability, while Digital Home quoted recent stats in favour of mobile payments.

To learn more about suretap and to order a secure NFC SIM card, visit www.rogers.com/suretap.  If you want a refresher on the basics of contactless payments, check out our post on Redboard Biz.

Kelly is a regular contributor for RedBoard