BetaNews 2014 -- the top news stories, editorials and guides from the past year

It’s that time of the year again when news sites and search engines look back at the stories and events that shaped the year. The top stories on BetaNews are obviously going to be different -- mostly -- from the top stories on other sites because we focus on technology. So in other words don’t expect Kim Kardashian "breaking" the internet to appear anywhere in our list. Although that’s not to say she won’t make an appearance somewhere…

Because BetaNews offers a mix of content, we’ve put together three top 10 lists -- News, Opinion/Editorial, and Guides. With news, it's not necessarily the biggest stories of year that make the list, but rather the content that was viewed the most. All three lists are presented, as ever, in reverse order.

News

1. 100,000 mostly dull photos leak online -- behind the 'Snappening' hype
2. Roku adds DirecTV channels to its lineup
3. Microsoft announces Wireless Display Adapter -- better than Chromecast?
4. Sorry Android users, Apple does it again -- iPhone 6 and 6 Plus set new preorder record
5. Apple announces iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
6. Microsoft takes the wraps off Windows 10 -- No, seriously
7. Say goodbye to invites -- OnePlus One will go up for pre-order
8. Microsoft Office comes to Google's Chrome OS -- now who's Scroogled?
9. Oculus Rift launch date officially confirmed for 2015
10. The Fappening

The leak of celebrity nudes actually lead to several top stories, including news that Reddit had banned Fappening subreddits and 4chan had introduced a DMCA policy. The similar Snappening leak also proved popular, sneaking in as our tenth top story. Oh, and yes Kim Kardashian was included in the Fappening leaked photos.

Guides

1. How to install Windows 10 Technical Preview on Oracle VirtualBox
2. Windows 8.1 on 2013 Apple MacBook Air -- doable, but not a great experience
3. How to create a bootable OS X 10.9 Mavericks USB drive
4. Run Windows 8 or 8.1 directly from a USB drive on any computer -- for free
5. The BEST Start button and menu choices for Windows 8.1
6. How To: Use Outlook.com as a free custom domain email host
7. How to download and install the Windows 8.1 ISO -- using a Windows 8 or 8.1 key
8. How to continue getting free security updates for Windows XP -- until 2019
9. The best tools for removing malware
10. How to create a bootable Windows 8.1 Update USB drive

Guides for Windows 8.1 proved very popular, as you’d expect, and Windows XP users still clinging on to the aging OS jumped at the chance of prolonging its life with a sneaky workaround. A Windows 10 guide comes in at number 10, fittingly enough. It’s fair to say, there will be plenty of guides for the next version of Microsoft’s OS in 2015’s round up.

Opinion/Editorial

1. Do NOT buy a Blackberry Passport until you read this
2. Windows 8.1 Update is the final nail in the coffin
3. You can have Apple iPhone 5s, I'll take HTC One M8
4. 10 things you should know before buying iPhone 6 or 6 Plus
5. 10 things a Windows Phone 8 user misses about Android
6. Windows XP home users should upgrade to Linux -- not Windows 8.1
7. Windows Storage Spaces and ReFS: Is it time to ditch RAID for good?
8. Why Office 365 beats hosted Exchange for small business email
9. Is 2014 the year you cut the cord to cable and satellite?
10. From Google Apps to Office 365: Why my company ditched Google

'Switching' stories proved very popular -- whether it was jumping from Google Apps to Office 365, moving from XP to Linux, or simply cutting the cord to cable and satellite, which suggests readers are always keen to find better alternatives to the products and services they currently use.

So that was our top stories for the year. What tech news/launches were 2014 highlights for you?

Photo credit: marekuliasz/Shutterstock