Hundreds of popular websites -- including Google, Facebook, Yahoo and Bing -- are participating in a 24-hour trial of a new Internet standard called IPv6 on June 8, prompting worries that hackers will exploit weaknesses in this emerging technology to launch attacks.

This year saw the slow, painful dismantling of Nortel. Its gradual exit from the tech scene played out the entire year, as each month brought news of more layoffs, markdowns or sell-offs.