2012

It may have been a rough year to be a videogame, but what would the end of the year be without some lists? You've already had the displeasure of seeing this year's most disappointing, so why not reward yourself this holiday season with a list of the best games 2012 had to offer? … Read more

Apple has once again named its top picks for software released on its various application stores.

Formerly dubbed iTunes Rewind, Apple's gone back to a simple "Best of" header, with editorial choices from the App Store for iOS and OS X.

Taking top honors for the iPhone was Bad Robot's Action Movie FX, the software that adds computer generated action sequences to video you've shot on your iPhone or iPad. The software actually came out last December, though its developers put out version 2.0 this October. Meanwhile, Ubisoft's $2.99 Rayman Jungle Run … Read more

Each year we're treated to 12 months worth of games all competing for your hard earned cash. Some are must-buys, some are just average, but only a select few can be labeled the year's most truly disappointing.

This year I'll take a look at the games and trends that induced the most head-scratching and face-palming reactions from an entire calendar year. Brace yourselves. It gets ugly here on out.

Feeling nostalgic? Here's what stunk in 2011.

The United States flew its last official space shuttle mission in 2011, but this year Americans got to say goodbye to the spacecraft in the venerable program's fleet. Throughout the year, NASA delivered the remaining shuttles to final resting places around the country. People turned out in droves to catch a glimpse of the shuttles as they did flyovers en route to their final destinations.

But as the federal manned space program came to an end, the private sector stepped in to take over. In May, Space Exploration Technologies -- or SpaceX -- made a successful demonstration flight to … Read more

Offering convenient, and cheaper, ways to access tailored services like ordering a private car, renting out a vacation home, or running personal errands, the "concierge economy" rose to a new level in 2012. Services -- like Airbnb, Uber, and TaskRabbit, just to name a few -- were sprinkled among news headlines, becoming more than just fringe services. Airbnb helped 4,000 Hurricane Sandy victims find shelter from generous home and bed owners, Uber came up against major friction in Washington D.C. over its taxi services, and TaskRabbit popped up in the iPhone 5 lines.

In addition to … Read more

Groupon, the company that made daily deals popular for consumers, has had a tough tumble. After finally going public late last year, the company faced massive competition, slowed growth in revenue and a decimated stock in 2012. In its early days, Groupon was a tech superstar, charging along on a mission to become the fastest-growing company in history. But as the months passed, the company was plagued by slumping stock, a shareholder lawsuit and the rumored unrest from employees trying to leave the company.

Much of the blame has fallen on the shoulders of CEO Andrew Mason, who once had … Read more

Devil or martyr? For Julian Assange, it appears there's no easy answer. The WikiLeaks founder has spent six months holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, fearing the moment he steps outside he'll be arrested and deported to Sweden, where he faces charges of rape and sexual assault. Assange says he'd return to Sweden if the government would guarantee that he won't be extradited to the United States, where he fears he could face espionage charges related to a massive leak of classified military and diplomatic documents.

The man accused of providing those documents, of … Read more

Call this the year when small cracks shot through the glass ceiling for women in tech. While pioneers including Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina have made their marks in years past, 2012 saw critical mass with women advancing in technology management and in technology media.

Of course, Marissa Mayer famously became the first pregnant CEO this year, but she wasn't alone. Two of Microsoft's new leaders for Windows are women, Sheryl Sandberg joined the Facebook board (finally), and Internet-wide celebrations of Ada Lovelace Day continued to highlight the success women are enjoying in science and technology fields while … Read more

This year forced the gaming industry to take a long look at itself in the mirror. The ever-changing landscape of casual, mobile, and hard-core games has fragmented a marketplace once ruled by home and portable consoles from "the big three" (Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo). In 2012, app-based gaming on phones and tablets has severely cut into the demand for separate portable gaming systems, platforms that Nintendo and Sony once thrived on. While Sony's new Vita portable impressed, its lack of consistent must-have game exclusives has proven to be its Achilles' heel.

In addition to other console manufacturers, Nintendo … Read more