Year in Review: Photos

There's a photogenic quality to even the clumsiest piece of hardware, but the best come close to being works of art.

Images published on CNET News.com during 2006 present a broad spectrum of technology and tech-related happenings, including customizable hardware, unusual partnerships, anniversaries, fresh beginnings and long-awaited updates to PCs and game consoles.

The tech year got off to quick start with an avalanche of Consumer Electronics Show product displays and the unveiling of the first Intel-based Mac. Terrafugia, a start-up of MIT alums, launched plans for a flying car.

The automotive industry kept finding ways to blend classic style and up-to-date technology, showing off new designs throughout the year at auto shows from Los Angeles to Geneva to Paris and back again to LA. Hobbyists found ways to hack their Prius hybrids, and with the Tesla, Google's Gen X billionaires showed that environmentalist ideals can take form as a sexy sports car.

But the tech industry wasn't always so progressive. Booth babes still abound despite attempts to curb the silliness, and a "desperate" pinup picked up by Google Earth failed to offer a male counterpart.

Photos themselves also became the story this year. Professional-level image magic that would normally take hours became available as quick-click options on consumer-friendly photo software and cameras. As people noticed how easy it is to manipulate reality in retrospect, it became all the more important to consider a photo's source. Creative Commons, meanwhile, made it easier to share photos on places like Wikipedia while retaining artists' rights.

As usual, gadgets took center stage. Microsoft's answer to the ever-evolving iPod, the newly released Zune media player, got a lukewarm reception. Contrast that with the frenzied response by gamers and regular folks to Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PlayStation 3. The iPod on its fifth anniversary was still selling strong in many incarnations.

Humans continued to be fascinated by the "final frontier." NASA released new photos from the Hubble Space Telescope on its 16th anniversary. Astronomers argued over what makes a planet a planet, and Pluto got demoted, while Bigelow Aerospace began plans for the first hotel in space. Gene Roddenberry's interstellar saga, meanwhile, continues to prosper: props from the original Star Trek were auctioned at Christie's in honor of the television series' 40th anniversary.

Old technology was also in vogue in 2006, as evidenced by the summer solstice gathering at Stonehenge and the reconstruction of the Antikythera Mechanism. Not nearly so old, but downright ancient by high-tech standards, the hard-disk drive turned 50 this year.

--Candace Lombardi

2006 Highlights

Styling at the LA Auto Show

Concept cars range from a high-speed Bugatti to a VW three-wheeler and a snowboarder's dream from Suzuki.

NASA celebrates Hubble's sweet 16

NASA features images--both new and old--in honor of the Hubble Space Telescope's 16 years in space.

'Star Trek' props live long and prosper

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original series, Christie's is auctioning off Trekkie memorabilia.

Crowning the newest Lego master

On the second day of Legoland's contest to find a master model builder, a winner emerges.

Airships on the fly

A sky telescope, extrawide-screen floating monitors and wireless tower replacements are some of the new ideas for airships.

Tesla's sports car drives for a penny a mile

Tesla Motors showcased its upcoming Tesla Roadster to oohs and aahs this week in Santa Monica, Calif.

The artsy side of the wiki world

With Wikimania 2006 set to kick off Friday, a panel of judges turns their eyes to photos, maps and more.

It's official--Pluto's out

The International Astronomical Union has decided to remove Pluto from the solar system--as a planet.

Pictures that lie

Photograph alteration has a long, seedy history. Digital technology, however, is taking the art to new levels.

Segway rollouts, recalls and pratfalls

High-tech hype meets road hazard: The two-wheeler may be better known for its spills than its sales.

iPod through the years

A retrospective, from the first-generation iPod to the special Harry Potter and U2 editions.

The boxfish, coming to a highway near you

Forget the lab. Industrial designers find inspiration in nature, where the next scientific breakthroughs may be hiding under a rock or in a murky pond.

How a robot learns to walk--and limp

Cornell researchers conjure up a starfish-shaped robot that figures out all by itself what it is and how to move.

2006's worst political mishaps

In the era of YouTube, cell phone cameras and the blogosphere, politicians' slipups are very public fodder in no time flat.

A computer well ahead of its time

Researchers unveil the inner workings of the Antikythera Mechanism, a 2-millennium-old calculator whose sophistication may reshape the view of history.

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