The Lakers came in with a nine-game regular season winning streak against New Orleans, but when Howard's rim-rattling dunk gave Los Angeles an 8-4 lead, that was the largest lead the Lakers would have until the final seconds.

NPR: Bryant, Lakers Roar Back Against Hornets, 108-102

Microsoft pulled off near-simultaneous launches of Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 and RIM ... well, RIM gave us something to look forward to in 2013.

ENGADGET: Editor's Letter: Looking back

No surprises about HP and RIM, but he gives Microsoft a 50-50 chance of succeeding with Windows 8 and warns that Apple may have peaked.

FORBES: Tech Incumbents At Risk For 2013 Says UK TechMarketView

Last quarter saw RIM shipping only 7.8 million smartphones, a precipitous drop of 40% y-o-y and 30% q-o-q.

FORBES: RIM's Earnings Could Be Ugly With No BB10 And Sliding Market Share