The top tech surprises of 2014

Apple dropped $3 billion on Dr. Dre’s Beats Audio

Yes, Apple built two large-screened phones after dragging their heels for years. Yes, they announced a smartwatch. Neither of those came as surprises, though… certainly not in the same league as the jaw-dropping $3 billion acquisition of Beats Audio.
Apple’s Eddie Cue said there were two key reasons that they bought Beats. First, that they make great headphones — much, much better than the crappy EarPods Apple throws in with their gizmos. Second, Beats Music was the “first music subscription service done right.” Initial reports were that Apple wanted to shut the service down, but it became clear that their real plan was to re-brand Beats Music and roll it in to iTunes.
They’re also banking on Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine using their clout to bag more exclusive album releases, hopefully none of which will be forcibly crammed into your iTunes library.

Tesla Motors does it again… and again!

Leave it to Elon Musk to shake things up right at the end of the year. As if the unveiling of the Model X and addition of a secondary motor and driving assistance to the D wasn’t enough, Musk decided to announce a major upgrade to the Roadster, too. The 3.0 revision has been completely overhauled: drag has been substantially reduced, rolling resistance trimmed, and driving range boosted. Roadster 3.0 owners can expect at least 400 miles out of a single charge.