2011: The Year In Tech

Techcrunch is giving us a inside into the 2011: The Year In Tech  http://techcrunch.com/2011/12/30/2011-the-year-in-tech/ Okay, last workday of the year. It’s nostalgia time. Let’s take a quick glance in the rearview mirror at the year in Tech, before we speed forward again in 2012. There were defining moments, epic battles, new product introductions, and major corporate screw-ups. Mobile and social drove many of the changes in tech, and we’ve certainly gone through our own major transition here at TechCrunch (but I’ll save that for another post). Below is our list of 11 events in tech that made 2011 memorable. 1. End Of An Era: Steve Jobs Passes Away The defining moment of 2011 which transcended tech was the passing of…

Iran Proposes New Nuclear Talks With World Powers

The Huffingtonpost is reporting: TEHRAN, Iran — Iran has proposed a new round of talks about its controversial nuclear program with the six world powers, the country’s top nuclear negotiator said Saturday. Saeed Jalili said he has formally called on the six powers – the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany – to return to the negotiating table with Iran. The invitation comes in the wake of new sanctions recently imposed by the West over Tehran’s uranium enrichment program, which is a potential pathway to making nuclear arms. The last round of negotiations between Iran and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany in January in Istanbul, Turkey, ended…

Newt Gingrich Cries In Iowa When Asked About His Mother

DES MOINES, Iowa — Maybe his drop in the polls is getting to him. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) is not known for emotional displays, but started to cry Friday morning when he was asked to talk about his mother during a town hall forum here with an audience mostly of moms. “Well, first of all you’ll get me all teary-eyed. Callista will tell you, I get teary-eyed every time we sing Christmas carols,” Gingrich said, beginning to lose his composure when asked by GOP pollster Frank Luntz about his mom, Kit Gingrich, who died in 2003 at age 77. He then choked out a few incoherent syllables as tears came to his eyes,…

Best Music of 2011 (Amoeba Music Playlist Introduction)

Amoeba Music staffers pick their favorite music from 2011. See our most recent Music We Like book: http://www.amoeba.com/music/music-we-like/2011—fall/short-list/page1.html

Top 10 iOS Apps of 2011

2011 was a great year for iOS apps. The App Store officially passed the 500,000 app mark, and with iOS 5, developers are continuing to push the boundaries of what it means to make a mobile app. We’ve already highlighted 15 of the best mobile apps, but with so many great apps available for the iPad and iPhone, we had to pick ten more.

Samoa skips a day to help trade

New Year’s Eve has come early to Samoa in the South Pacific, which has skipped December 30 in a bid to boost its economy. The tiny nation has moved across the international dateline. and ditched time zone ties with the US to catch up with Australia and New Zealand, its big trading partners. “There are many individual businessmen who have indicated to me that the move is very, very beneficial for their business,” said Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.

Fed Secretly Bailing Out Europe

A former Fed official says in the Wall Street Journal that the Federal Reserve is covertly bailing out Europe. Insight with Gerald O’Driscoll, Cato Institute senior fellow, who says the Fed operated a “temporary U.S. dollar liquidity swap arrangement.

2011: Review of the year

There can be few years in history to compare with 2011. From the Arab Spring, to the Japanese Tsunami, to global financial crises, to the dominance of online media, to notable deaths – 2011 was a year in which change happened in almost every corner of the world. This playlist takes a look back at just some of the more significant events.

iPhone 5 Rumors Start Heating Up [VIDEO]

The second round of iPhone 5 rumors has officially begun, speculating a redesigned front rim in rubber or plastic, possibly to connect the face to a new aluminum back plate or to cover a new antenna system. BGR says a source close to the company claims the iPhone will launch next fall, around the time the iPhone 4S launched this year. Pop Herald is predicting a 4-inch screen, which would require app developers to overhaul their products to avoid poor resolution. But as we all know, iPhone rumors will come in all shapes and flavors before the upcoming launch. What do you think about this set?

Raspberry Pi, a Tiny But Powerful $25 PC, Coming Soon [VIDEO]

  The holidays have been particularly jolly for the gang makingRaspberry Pi, the tiny Linux-based PC that’s going to cost just $25. If the reports coming from the site are to be believed, you could be able to buy one as early as next month. Right before the holiday, the creators got a batch of circuit boards in for testing. The site says all the initial testing showed the boards to be performing “as solid as a rock,” despite an issue with the power supply. However, that problem was easily fixed via a red wire and a quick soldering job, and the team promises it won’t appear in any future units. Once fixed, fired up and connected to a…