The RP’s Weekly Web Gems: The Politics of Tech

David Kirkpatrick breaks down the Consumer Electronics Show and lets you know the most exciting things to look for in the world of technology in 2011. [The Daily Beast]

The relationship between Amazon and Apple has been pretty rocky of late. Now, with Amazon’s release of “cloud” music storing and streaming service horning in on Apple’s music game, it doesn’t seem like it will improve anytime soon. Here’s a good explanation of where the relationship is now and how it could evolve moving forward. [CNET]

Google is certainly at the forefront of web companies. However, that doesn’t mean they haven’t failed at times. Remember the hype surrounding Buzz and Wave? Now, Google is releasing its new +1 feature. It will work similar to Facebook “likes” in that it allows you to give a +1 to search results you enjoy. [Gizmodo]

Speaking of Google, they are set to present a wonderful opportunity to Kansas City, KS: a 1 Gbps fiber-optic network. Over 1,000 cities applied to be chosen for this fantastic experiment. The U.S. does not have the greatest infrastructure for speedy internet in the world (especially if you’re comparing us with South Korea). However, if this is successful it could signify a change is possible and faster internet for all is on the horizon. [ars technica]