What had the tech world talking in 2014

Besides gadget launches - including smartphones, tablets and playstations, among others - the tech world was abuzz with tech biggies making big announcements. Some were personal too. Here's a recap of the year that was in the world of technology.

Microsoft buys Nokia
Microsoft closed its much-awaited US $7.2-billion acquisition of Nokia's handset business in April. The deal was announced in September 2013. Later in October, Microsoft announced that it would transition to the 'Microsoft Lumia' name and drop the 'Nokia' name from its Lumia smartphones.

Satya Nadella becomes Microsoft CEO
Hyderabad-born Satya Nadella was named the chief executive officer of Microsoft, to become the third CEO of the software major. Social media was abuzz with the appointment as Nadella is of Indian origin.
He was also in the news for wrong reasons when he passed a comment on wages of women, which didn't digest well with people.

Facebook buys Whatsapp
Facebook announced its acquisition of Whatsapp in February this year and closed the deal in early October for a whooping US $22 billion. The Whatsapp acquisition is expected to play a big role in Facebook's bid to connect the next billion people to its network, with a growing number of Internet users on mobiles, which is Whatsapp's forte.

Xiaomi enters India
The Chinese handset maker redefined the budget smartphone segment in India with the launch of Mi3. Sold exclusively on Flipkart, Xiaomi Mi3 sold out within mere seconds in all its flash sales. The Redmi Note also followed Mi3's steps and was sold out within seconds.

Apple enters phablet market
Apple, on September 9 this year, unveiled the much-awaited iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus with bigger displays and faster processors. The phone has made a lot of buzz in the tech world since its launch.

Nexus 6
Google unveiled its 6-inch Nexus 6 smartphone on October 16, 2014. The newest addition to Google's pure-Android lineup has been in the news since its launch for better specs and new OS - Android Lollipop.

Smartwatches:
Smartwatches were not a new entrant in the tech world but tech majors like Apple and Samsung unveiled their wearables in 2014. The Apple Watch, Samsung Gear S and the Asus Zenwatch were some of the smartwatches unveiled during the year. The Asus Zenwatch, expected to be priced under Rs 20,000, will give competition to its more popular but expensive peers.

Microsoft Xbox
The gaming console made news throughout the year. Aside from competing with Sony's PlayStation 4 in the sales department, XBox One stopped retailing with the Kinect sensor, was launched in India in September and entered China finally in 2014.

Apple Pay
The tech world was abuzz with Apple's new launches in 2014. One of the was Apple Pay, a mobile payment/wallet system. Available only in the US for now, Apple Pay allows iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air 2, and iPad mini 3 owners to pay for goods within compatible apps by simply swiping a finger with Touch ID.

Self-driving Google Car
With everything becoming smart nowadays, the newest to join the bandwagon is cars. Google unveiled the world's first 'fully-functional' self-driving car and in December. The futuristic vehicle lacks basic car parts like a steering wheel and brakes, because it doesn't need them.

India's Mars mission success with Mangalyaan
India successfully placed the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) aircraft (or Mangalyaan) in the red planet's orbit to become the first country in the world to succeed in such an inter-planetary mission in its maiden attempt. Mangalyaan was also named one of the best inventions of 2014 by TIME magazine.

Microsoft unveils Windows 10
Software major Microsoft unveiled Windows 10, its newest and awaited operating system update, after the hugely unpopular Windows 8 OS. The company skipped number 9 to mark a leap toward unifying the way people work on tablets, phones and traditional computers.

Tim Cook comes out
Being the CEO of one of the biggest technology companies in the world, Apple's Tim Cook makes news for the smallest of things. But, Cook made big news when he came out as gay through a column for Bloomberg Businessweek.

Blackberry ends restructuring process
BlackBerry closed its 3-year-long restructuring chapter, which it undertook to reinvent itself by divesting in businesses and cuting down workforce by as much as 60 per cent.
The company also made buzz with the launch of its square-shaped Passport device. Gadgets&Gizmos' Nidhi Singhal deemed the phone as awkward-shaped and not for the masses.

Drones tested for commercial use
Drone technology was not new to 2014, but companies using it in new ways brought it in news. E-commerce major Amazon tested drone-delivery of packages in the US. In India, Mumbai-based pizza outlet  Francesco's Pizzeria ran a successful trial delivery of a pizza. Well, watch out for drones in 2015.

Samsung unveils Galaxy Note 4
Samsung unveiled its 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 4 smartphone to compete with Apple's new iPhone 6 models. The smartphone was in the news since its launch as analysts expect the launch to be a key driver of Samsung's revival and reviewers continued to compared the Note 4 with devices like the Apple iPhone 6 and Google Nexus 6.