Year in Review: 12 Memorable Tech Events of 2012

Twitter commands the world’s attention during the NFL’s biggest game. Google ruffles the feathers of users with a revamped privacy policy. Facebook prompts a trading frenzy when it goes public. These are just three of the following 12 high-profile events that made for big headlines in 2012, as compiled by SmartBear, which provides quality and performance assurance tools for desktop, mobile, Web and cloud-based applications. Clearly, social media dominated the tech conversation this year, but other game-changing events include acquisitions, bankruptcies, software snags and major cyber-sales developments. In reflecting on these developments as a whole, one conclusion is clear: Tech has emerged as one of the leading influencers of the conversations that the general public—not just IT professionals—is having.