In 2016, technology dominated headlines all across the media. As a result, it was difficult to compile a list of the seven top headlines which made an impact in the tech world.
From China purchasing US products for billions of dollars to Microsoft’s decision to acquireLinkedIn for a whopping $26.2 billion. Here are seven tech headlines that went viral in 2016.
Xerox Splits into Two Companies
Struggling to keep up with new changes, Xerox, a Fortune 500 company, reached its worst quarterly revenue in a long time.
However, In January 2016, Xerox announced its plan to split the company in two, causing shockwaves across the tech world.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the split occurred like this: one part of the company, keeping the name Xerox, will sell printers and document management hardware.
On the other hand, the second company will be renamed to Conduit and focus on business process outsourcing.
Chinese Printer Manufacturer Acquires Lexmark
Lexmark, a billion dollar printer manufacturer, was acquired in 2016 by a Chinese printer manufacturer known as Apex Technology for $3.6 billion.
The landmark deal came after Lexmark began declining in sales and profit. And in November 2016, Lexmark put forth a press release confirming the billion dollar deal between both companies, as reported by Reuters.
The purchase made headlines news in China and marks a new era of printing manufacturer for the tech industry.
Microsoft Purchases LinkedIn in Historic Deal
In 2016, the social networking industry brought many surprises to the tech world. One such surprise, the acquiring of LinkedIn by Microsoft, shook up the entire tech industry following a historic deal of $26.2 billion.
The announcement occurred June 13, 2016 — a move nobody could’ve predicted. Both tech giants are expected to integrate Microsoft’s Cloud Office 365 and Dynamic CRM applications.
Before the massive purchase, other tech giants placed bids to acquire LinkedIn, including Salesforce.
The Rise of Cyberpsychology Studies
Following the rise of social media, scientists have initiated countless research studies to get a better understanding of the emerging field of cyberpsychology.
Mental Daily, the first cyberpsychology news publication on the web, has been steadily reporting on how Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram triggers mood swings, published by the Journal of Cyberpsychology Behavior and Social Networking.
In October 2016, it was reported by Mental Daily that women are more misogynistic than men against women on Twitter. The story was picked up by Psychology Today, Glamour Health, Reddit, among others, and sparked online discussion.
The Apple & FBI Legal Battle
If there was one topic that received the most coverage in the tech world, it has to be the Apple and FBI legal battle.
After the December terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, the FBI managed to recover the iPhone of the perpetrator.
However, there was one problem: it was locked. Unable to access the phone, FBI agents took Apple’s security policies to the courtroom to gain access to whatever lied inside the phone.
Apple was told to comply with the FBI’s request; however, Apple refused. Eventually, the legal battle came to an end after FBI agents were able to find an exploit in the culprit’s iPhone.
Immediately after the FBI won, debates began to take place, calling the FBI’s moves as unethical. The Apple vs. FBI case was one of the biggest in tech history.
For all the latest tech news, click here.