As the saying goes, pobody's nerfect. And that was certainly the case for the technology industry in 2012, when some otherwise dynamic companies and visionary executives suffered some inexplicable lapses in judgement, from the unwise to the just plain unlucky. While we resolve to get 2013 started off on the right foot, let's look back at a fee technology blunders from 2012 that all involved would like to get back.

1. Top technology blunders of 2012
As the saying goes, pobody's nerfect.
That was certainly the case for the
technology industry in 2012, when some
otherwise dynamic companies and
visionary executives suffered some
inexplicable lapses in judgement, from
the unwise to the just plain unlucky.
While we resolve to get 2013 started off
on the right foot, let's look back at a few
technology blunders from 2012 that all
involved would like to get back.
Image courtesy of ddpavumba/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
By Jeff Jedras

2. Apple's faulty maps
Many may have wanted to see tech darling
Apple get its comeuppance, particularly after
the vendor dropped Google Maps from its
app store and required iPhone users to use its
own new navigation service, Apple Maps.
But probably not the iPhone-reliant tourists
that had to be rescued by the police from a
rattlesnake-infested Australian national park
after getting faulty directions.
Apple Maps proved so error prone the
company did the unthinkable – apologized-
and let Google back into its app store.
Image courtesy The Amazing iOS6 Maps.

3. Instagram's license reversal
All your photos belong to Instagram. That was
the message many took from new terms of
service the photo-sharing app that company
attempted to force on its users late in 2012.
After someone read the fine print – Instagram
could conceivably sell your images to
marketers without compensation – a
predictable brouhaha ensued. The company
backed down from the changes, insisting it
would never do anything so nefarious.
The fact remains though, someone has to pay
for those servers. And there's no such thing as
a free lunch.

4. South by Southwest's homeless
hotspots
At some point, it must have seemed like a good
idea to someone: give temporary employment
to local homeless during the South by Southwest
music and technology conference in Austin,
Texas.
However, while the organizers may have
expected a little controversy, their initiative to
turn local homeless into walking WiFi hotspots
to let conference goers update Twitter and
Facebook caused instant outrage.
The branding agency tried to spin it as bringing
attention to the homeless problem. Sometimes,
though bad publicity is just bad publicity.

5. Facebook's hyped IPO fizzles
The most hyped IPO of 2012 was undoubtedly social
media giant Facebook, and it was a massive faceplant
for Zuckerberg and Co. Or, more accurately, for the
investors that bought into the IPO, as many company
insiders did just fine.
Still, buying in at an inflated IPO price was a
questionable decision to begin with, as illustrated by
the stock dropping by 50 per cent in the months
following.
Left in the rubble is millions in evaporated wealth, a
series of lawsuits, serious questions about mandatory
disclosure of insider information, and Facebook's
reputation. Word is, Twitter may be next. All we can
say is, good luck.

6. Yahoo CEO's resume inflation
While Yahoo may be known for padding its name
with an unnecessary exclamation mark, former
CEO Scott Thompson couldn't get away with
padding his resume.
After it was revealed his biography included a fake
computer science degree – padding probably no
longer necessary when one is in the running to lead
a company like Yahoo – Thompson was forced to
resign, although health issues were also cited.
It may have been for the best for Yahoo though,
with Thompson's departure opening the door for
former Google executive Marissa Mayer to take the
helm.

7. Oprah's iPad opps
Microsoft's Suface tablet got a big boost when talk
Queen and trendsetter Oprah Winfrey named the
tablet one of her “Favourite Things” of 2012 and told
viewers she has already bought 12 to give as Christmas
gifts. All good so far.
But when Oprah decided to take her Surface love to
Twitter, the not so fine print indicated she tweeted her
Surface love from its popular tablet rival, the Apple
iPad.
The tweet was quickly erased, but the Internet is
forever. To be fair, Surface does still lack an official
Twitter app. Microsoft may want to encourage them to Image courtesy Oprah.com
get on that, soonish.