In some ways, 2013 was a sleepy year for the tech industry. The novelty of new smartphones and tablets has worn off, and we're still waiting for the next big thing. (Sorry, Samsung: Smartwatches just aren't there yet.) That didn't stop the juicy headlines from rolling in, however, as tech titans endured major changes in preparation for whatever comes next. Here are the 10 most newsworthy events of 2013.
As we grow more dependent on Internet services to keep our lives in order, the leaks by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden are a stark reminder of what we've given up in exchange. The Prism program, in which the NSA collected swaths of user data from major tech companies, was just the tip of the iceberg. Since those first revelations, we've also learned about the government's tapping into Internet gateways, keeping tabs on world leaders, using tracking cookies to monitor persons of interest, collecting location data worldwide, and even spying on online games. Whether you think Snowden is a patriot or a traitor, there's no denying his impact.
Big shake-ups at Microsoft
Thanks to events set into motion this year, Microsoft will be a much different company in 2014. Longtime CEO Steve Ballmer will retire, and whoever replaces him will inherit a new management structure that encourages more collaboration between divisions—and a newfound focus on devices and services, rather than software alone. If the acquisition of Nokia goes through, Microsoft will have its own hardware company, as well. Whether any of these big moves will help Microsoft regain its relevance is still anyone's guess.
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