Two themes dominated the world of technology in 2009: hope and fear. The potential that technology holds was unleashed faster than ever. But with that growth came more exposure and threats from hackers and criminals.

Social networking dominated discussion this year, as sites gained users and opened themselves up to threats. Celebrities led the way as superstars like Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears took to the Internet to talk to fans and get messages out. That held its own dangers though, and unscrupulous attackers used social platforms to go after unwitting users.

In the hardware world, Apple continued to dominate the headlines and be in our top searches, with the release of a new array of notebooks, phones and iPods.

Malware and viruses presented the biggest threats of the year. Malware was most often hidden on lookalike Web addresses, and duped users into exposing personal information. Viruses, on the other hand, found their way into a whole new range of devices, including Apple's .

The second half of the year saw a major celebration that surprised a lot of people, as the Internet turned 40. While the Web has been open to the public for less than 20 years, scientists raised a glass as the world of connectivity passed into middle age.

In November, the tech world saw its latest evolution with the release of Windows 7, the latest edition of the widely-used operating system. The software blew away its predecessors, selling twice as many copies in its first month as any previous version of Windows.

Speaking of sales record, gaming fans were blown away in November by the torrid pace of Call of Duty 2: Modern Warfare. The highest-selling franchise of all time, the new version sold over $500 million in its first five days.

As 2009 comes to a close, technology buyers and makers are optimistic about advances in everything from Netbooks to audio systems, while the world of smartphones promises to dominate product news in 2010 as Apple and RIM continue to battle for the market lead.