That is it for this year everyone! Everything Tech wishes it's readers a prosperous 2014. It has been a busy 2013 though, let's sneak a peek back at some of the top tech stories of 2013, including the NSA's snooping, cybersecurity, Bitcoin.
For the first half of 2013, the planet was hooked on the story of the former NSA contractor, Edward Snowden, and the documents he leaked to the Guardian and the Washington Post. The classified documents contained confidential information regarding government programs that collect massive amounts of data on Americans and foreigners.
The release of the documents also reignited the debate of privacy vs. security, with lots of the top technology companies now pushing to supply more details publicly on government requests for data.
A sequence of high-profile attacks by hackers in 2013 kept cybersecurity in the news headlines. In April, the Twitter account for the Associated Press was hacked with a fake tweet stating “Two Explosions in the White House” It sent the stock market into a tizzy for about 5 minutes.
More recently Target announced that 40 million bank card numbers and pins compromised during the Christmas shopping season.
The internet virtual currency called Bitcoin has just finished its best year to date. It had been started in 2009 but its value didn't break the $1,000 mark until this year. It's settled to around $800 today. Bitcoin is a secure currency with no central banking system, just like the United States Federal Reserve Bank. It's popular on black-market sites for drugs.
Another big tech failure of 2013 is the deployment of the U.S. Healthcare gov website. Since October the website welcomed users with error messages or the inability to open. Because of the launch, the White House and supporters have already been working in high gear to enhance the site's functionality and security; it has hit a milestone of 1 million signups.
Wearable technology has made tremendous strides in 2010 with Google Glass, Samsung Gear and a wide array of fitness accessories. However, not one of them has yet to get that magic key and bring wearable technology into widespread acceptance.
Apple, Amazon and Netflix have continued to challenge the traditional television market in 2013 with original series and faster streaming. The streaming television market is growing but this content providers will continue the fight in order to maintain their dominance.
Among the more controversial uses of technology is available in the field of 3-D printing advances. With the capability to build a 3D Printed Gun coming nearer to reality is likely to make this an appealing story to follow in 2014.
What technology are you most excited for in 2014? Tell us in the comments below!
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