Images of the year's best tech adventures

Eudora Welty, a Depression-era photographer and Pulitzer Prize winning writer, once said: "A good snapshot stops a moment from running away."

As another year sprints by, CNET News takes a look back at some of the images that made 2010 vivid and memorable for the tech and science fields.

Cars
With our always-on devices and constant contact, 2010 may feel like the future sometimes. But we don't all have flying cars--just yet.

A flying car isn't exactly just a dream anymore.
(Credit: Terrafugia)

We do, however, finally have electric cars with a developing infrastructure. More are on the way too, as Tesla opened doors of an electric auto factory and as the LA Auto Show promised.

Energy
The year saw strides in alternative energy and upgrades to home energy tech, as well as businesses adopting energy efficiency. Green design and energy innovations were on display at shows such as West Coast Green.

Tech gatherings
The year kicked off, as always, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The annual Oracle OpenWorld shut down streets in San Francisco for a week. Meanwhile, Apple was sadly absent from MacWorld for the first time.

Tablets
With the launch of the iPad, Apple seems to have once again introduced a game-changer to the tech marketplace. By midyear, the tablet computer had competitors sprinting to catch up with copycat devices. RIM unveiled its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, and Dell showed off a device that flips from tablet to Netbook. We got a look at the future of connected devices at the Intel Developers Forum.

Intel's thinking always rests on the bleeding edge as seen at Intel Research Day and inside Intel's photonics lab.

Phones
Apple updated its smartphone with the launch the iPhone 4. Hordes of fans waited in lines at Apple stores for the product, which put an amazing little camera inside the phone.

Microsoft Kin's said hello and goodbye.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

Microsoft launched the Kin, rich with social network functionality, at a flashy press event--only to kill it off a few months later.

Even Apple had to battle with iPhone troubles, though, holding an urgent press conference to explain issues dubbed "antenna-gate."

Right around the start of this year, Google's rumored "G-Phone" came out of hiding, in the form of the Nexus One.

Originally dubbed an iPhone killer, it didn't quite live up to that potential, but Google did find success with its Android operating system for mobile devices.

Google
Google did sputter this year when it launched Wave, an online communication and collaboration tool that never really caught on.

Another Google flop for the year was Buzz, an attempt by Google to go social and reach into Facebook's territory.

The search giant also revamped its core business, launching Google instant search.

CNET got a look inside the Usability Testing Labs at Google's headquarters.

Privacy
Privacy, or lack thereof, was a hot topic in 2010, with Google, Facebook, and others trying to convince people that their information is safe.

At Facebook's f8 developer event, we were introduced to the Like button, part of Facebook's Open Graph that allowed connected sites and apps to share information about people to specifically tailor content.

Games
E3 was once again the center of gaming news. The Nintendo booth was the size of a small city, and Microsoft unveiled the motion-controlled Kinect at a lavish event.

Meanwhile, classic games are being preserved at the Pacific Pinball Museum.

Ideas
The most memorable stories of the year come from Google, Facebook, and Apple, but we can't forget that innovation comes in all shapes and sizes.

These sea lions give Navy Seals a whole meaning.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

From mushrooms to sea lions to artwork, CNET has found that with a little brainstorming, just about anything is possible.

Tech is, of course, being used to improve lives, helping paraplegics walk again with bionic devices like eLegs and assisting students through new classroom technology.

Space
NASA continued to make history, marking 10 years aboard the International Space Station. Meanwhile, a unit of rogue engineers is trying to recover four-decade-old lunar images inside a defunct McDonald's at NASA Ames Research Center.

NASA researchers also explored innovation in aviation and used satellite imagery to assess devastating flooding in Pakistan.

Sadness and joy
As the year wound down, CNET News said goodbye to colleague and friend Ina Fried, who spent the decade with us and created a wealth of tech memories.

Last but not least, let's not forget that San Francisco works hard but plays hard, too. Just blocks away from where start-ups thrive and revolutionary ideas are born, the city produced a World Series champion.

(news.cnet.com)