Wow, that was some year. A scintillating presidential election, a exciting London Summer Olympics, literally shocking developments in the electric car business, the bloody problems in Iraq and Afghanistan, an astounding end to the Dark Knight trilogy and beginning of The Hobbit . It was a weird year in tech, too, especially compared to the yawn-worthy 2011, which will be remembered more for the death of Steve Jobs than any particular technology or gadget. With the improved economy, consumers were obviously willing to invest in new gear this year, and clearly unwilling to buy anything with even a hint of age. And that dissatisfaction with the old and unimaginative extended into several prominent high-tech boardrooms. So here’s a review of what happened in the coming year (and good luck untangling that twisted tense syntax).

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2012: Tech Year in Review

As it turns out, the universe is totally out of its mind. Not that we don’t love the universe with all its bizarre eccentricities and flagrant violations of its own physical laws — we do! There’s lots of cool stuff out there. However, we simply can’t ignore that the science describing the gritty true nature of the cosmos all inevitably leads to one conclusion: the universe is completely crazy pants. To help sort through the giant logic pur?e that is our universe, we have picked out five of the most counter-intuitive, hair-melting scientific ideas for closer inspection. Come join us as we try our best to machete through the dense jungle of formulas and brain-sizzling conclusions and clear the path to comprehension. Or something approaching it. Wish your brain “good luck and safe travels.” It’s going to need it.

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5 insane scientific theories about our big stupid crazy universe

The early months of 2011 saw masses take to the streets to topple longstanding autocratic rulers. These upheavals differed from others in history in that there was no one charismatic leader or ideologically-driven group leading the charge. It’s as if millions came together to act as one gigantic entity. And with the help of technology, they kind of were. While some observers have likened this flashmob ether to some insect-like “hive mind,” television has a far more apt example at the ready: the Borg. Yes, it appears as if we are steadily transforming into Star Trek: The Next Generation ’s collective of bionic albinos who have united with technology in an unyielding mission to enslave the universe in cyberpunk servitude. In the short term, we probably won’t be cruising in a giant space cube in search of civilizations to assimilate. However, the next decade will see a spate of advances that will foster a collective linked-in consciousness. Here’s a look at the tech that will literally, figuratively, and irrevocably break down the walls between our machines and our selves. Resistance is futile. Or some such.

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7 technologies that will turn us into the Borg by 2021

Apple came out swinging with plenty of big announcements: a relaunch of Apple TV , some nice new iPods , and even a social networking service . Still, there are plenty of things Apple didn’t — perhaps even failed — to make official. Here are six of those.

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6 things apple didn’t announce today, but should soon

It wasn’t long ago that Steve Jobs referred to Apple TV as a hobby . Now, “several people familiar with Apple’s television related efforts” are dropping tantalizing clues pointing to Apple getting serious with its neglected home theater box. It feels like something big is in the works.

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New Apple TV in the works, here are 8 things it should have

Times are tough in America. The stock market is down, unemployment is high and, oh yeah, there’s that disastrous oil spill in the Gulf. It’s a good time to remember that a lot of the best technology in the world is created right here in the U.S.

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The 6 best American-made consumer technologies today

It’s the largest oil spill in American history, and BP’s shame has been bleeding into the Gulf of Mexico for over 40 days now. What’s being done? Well, in a word, a lot. Swarms of underwater robots, a fleet of ships and a whole army made up of volunteers, the Coast Guard, engineers and workers are considering everything imaginable to stop up the well, which lies 5,000 feet underwater. Click through the gallery below to see the powerful technology and creative approaches at work — approaches that have so far, sadly, failed.

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8 technological failures behind the oil cleanup, in images

It’s tempting to think of the iPad as a giant iPhone or iPod Touch. Everything you whipped out your iPhone to do, you’ll now want to pull out your iPad for. But that’s not the way it works. iPad is not a giant iPhone or iPod Touch. For one thing, an iPad is a little bulky and fragile to casually whip out for a quick check of the time. You use your iPhone for quick, discrete actions — a phone call, a quick location-based search such as for a restaurant or movie time, a quick sports score. You’ll use iPad for more time-filling functions — book or newspaper reading, movie watching, Web research. That said, it follows that you’re going to want all sorts of different apps for your iPad. How many are there, and how much are they going to cost?

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iPad apps: the big questions answered

Now that the iPad is out and into the hot little hands — or surprisingly cool hands, as you’ll find out on this list — of the masses, Apple’s much-anticipated tablet is getting put through the paces: displays are getting tapped, apps downloaded, pictures pinched, movies watched from laps. What surprised folks? Continue reading to check out five awesome things about the iPad no one saw coming.

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5 awesome iPad features no one saw coming

Artificial body parts are here today, but they still have a long way to go before they can rival our original equipment. As the movie Repo Men reminds us, total body replacement is on the way, but in the meantime, scientists and technologists are taking small steps toward the development of a complete cyborg. Let’s take a look at artificial organs you can use today, and what’s in store for the future.

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5 artificial organs getting better by the day