The 12 Most Important Tech Stories of the Year

Atlantic writers survey the biggest stories on their beats See full coverage

2011 was a big year for technology stories. It began with an explosion of protests across the Middle East and, alongside them, a debate about technology's role in their spread and power. The year has ended with a similar story -- the role of technology in the Occupy protests here in the United States. That's why, for 2011, mobile protests were the defining tech story. In between, the year saw growing competition among the top tech companies, the growth of the tablet market (dominated by the iPad), and the loss of one of the greatest tech leaders of our time, Steve Jobs. Here's our roundup of 2011's most important tech developments.