The biggest tech story of 2013 changed the way the world operates. It
had serious implications around the globe and its true impact is only
beginning to be felt.
FULL STORY
|
SNOWDEN'S MESSAGE
NSA snooping programs revealed:
Leaks about top secret NSA programs that track cell phone and Internet
data have shaken up the tech world, Washington and international
relations, and raised awareness of privacy issues. The story will
continue to have an impact in America and abroad in 2014.
(CNN) -- The biggest technology story of the 2013 is
one of the biggest stories of the year, period. It has had serious
implications in the United States and around the world, and half a year
later its true impact is only beginning to be felt.
The top tech stories of 2013
 |
NSA snooping programs revealed:
Leaks about top secret NSA programs that track cell phone and Internet
data have shaken up the tech world, Washington and international
relations, and raised awareness of privacy issues. The story will
continue to have an impact in America and abroad in 2014.
HIDE CAPTION
Top tech stories 2013
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Revelations about the scope of the NSA's snooping lead to the year's biggest tech stores
- Hacking of major companies and sites for politics, fun and profit a reoccurring story in 2013
- Snapchat, Vine, Bitcoin and iOS 7 all became familiar terms
In June, The Guardian first published leaked documents
from National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden. The classified
documents contained information about highly confidential government
programs that collect massive amounts of data about Americans' cell
phone calls and Internet activities
The scope of the program has led to lawsuits and protests, a public debate about the right to privacy versus the government's need to secretly collect information for security.
Another big story this year was cybersecurity, illustrated by a string of attacks by hackers against news organizations, major tech companies and retailers.
The motivations behind the attacks varied -- some like the recent
Target breach -- were financially motivated, while others were political
statements or acts of espionage. They all highlighted the limits of
online security and privacy.
It was a year when
established tech companies struggled to reinvent themselves. Microsoft
continued to push its new Windows 8 operating system and Windows 8
smartphones, even going as far as to buy the No. 1 maker of Windows
phones, Nokia's mobile division. In the end, it wasn't enough and the company decided on one more big change: a new CEO.
A bright spot for Microsoft could be its new Xbox game console, the Xbox One, which is competing against Sony's new Play Station 4.
Apple didn't have to switch much up to stay popular. It announced an expected update to its iPhone and iPad
lines with the usual fanfare, slimming down and speeding up the
devices, throwing in some flashy features like a finger print scanner
and new colors to keep the masses interested. A more dramatic overhaul
was of the iOS 7 mobile operating system, which was flattened, simplified and updated.
Twitter went public and released a new social micro-video app called Vine, Snapchat broke out of the naughty messaging market and made "ephemeral" communications a hot feature, and virtual currency Bitcoin skyrocketed in price while people waited to see if it would drop back down to Earth.
Some of 2013's big
stories were just previews of what's to come in 2014. Wearable
technology moved from the hype stage to the prototype stage, but Google
Glass and the myriad of bad smart watches just showed that the industry still has a lot more work to do (on design and social norms) before these gadgets are hot holiday items.
Tune in next year and see whether face-mounted computers become a socially acceptable accessory, 3-D printed guns become something to worry about and original content from sites like Amazon and Netflix can take on TV.
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