Tim Cook

As 2012 comes to a close we take a look back at the biggest "oops" moments of the last year. Whether it was an advertising misstep (Facebook's "Chair" commercial), or a product released before it was ready (Apple Maps), or just an idea that was ill-received (homeless men as Wi-Fi hotspots), we tried to compose a list of the times when the major players lost control of the narrative.  It's also a reminder that everyone makes mistakes--even exacting tech companies.  1. Apple Maps fiasco How bad was it when Apple replaced Google Maps with its own mapping system on iOS 6?

Apple's retail stores have been a phenomenon over the last decade, a cornerstone of the company's revival. But with some changes in leadership over the last year, there have been questions about the direction of Apple's retail strategy. During his appearance at the Goldman Sachs technology conference Tuesday, Apple chief executive Tim Cook reemphasized how crucial the stores remain to Apple. And he discussed the company's expansion plans for its stores by noting that they were becoming so popular, their capacity was being strained by the number of visitors.  QUIZ: Test y our Apple knowledge "Some of our stores aren't big enough," Cook said.

Steve Jobs, the visionary co-founder of Apple Inc. and driving force behind a string of products that revolutionized the consumer-electronics industry, stepped down as chief executive but was named chairman of the board, the company said late Wednesday. His relinquishing of daily control had been widely anticipated since he took an extended medical leave earlier this year. Jobs, 56, had a liver transplant two years ago and underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer seven years ago. Photos: Steve Jobs and Apple's influence "I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know," he wrote in a letter to the board Wednesday.

Steve Jobs died of respiratory arrest and a pancreatic tumor, according to his death certificate released Monday. The Apple Inc. co-founder and chairman died around 3 p.m. Wednesday in his Palo Alto home, the certificate noted. Apple and Jobs' family announced his death Wednesday but did not provide details about the time, place or cause. Jobs resigned as Apple chief executive Aug. 24. He had been diagnosed in 2003 with a neuroendocrine tumor on his pancreas, and he underwent a liver transplant in 2009.

Apple's stock is on a tear following the electronics giant's announcement it would buy back $60 billion in stock and boost its dividend 15% to $3.05 a share. The huge buyback plan and dividend increase eclipsed a somewhat disappointing second-quarter earnings report in which profit dipped for the first time in a decade. The company also forecast that its earnings in the current quarter would be lower. Apple shares are up more than $20 to $426.79 in after-hours trading. The stock closed at $406.13, up $7.64, in regular trading.

In the first change to Apple's leadership since the death of Steve Jobs last month, the company announced that Walt Disney Co. President and Chief Executive Robert Iger would be the Cupertino, Calif., electronics maker's newest board member. At the same time, Genentech Inc. Chairman Arthur Levinson, an Apple board member since 2005, will become the company's non-executive chairman, filling the role Jobs occupied briefly after his resignation as Apple's chief executive in August.

Apple's stock barely budged after the technology giant unveiled the iPhone 5, which it bills as the world's thinnest smartphone. Investors seemed to shrug off the announcement -- but that's not entirely shocking. Apple shares have, on average, fallen 1.4% the day the company launched all of the previous incarnations of the iPhone, according to Morgan Stanley. PHOTOS: Apple iPhone 5 The investment bank said the week after Apple announcements haven't been all that hot either.

[This post has been  updated .] The panel at Macworld was called "The State of Apple 2013. " But it could just as well have been called "In Defense of Apple. "  The Friday afternoon panel was moderated by Macworld senior editor Dan Moren and gathered four panelists he described as Apple fans. The group included Ryan Block, co-founder of the blog gdgt ; Christina Bonnington, a Wired writer; Jacqui Cheng, a senior editor at Ars Technica ; and John Gruber, who writes the influential Daring Fireball blog.

Apple.com might be giving away some of Tim Cook's announcements planned for Wednesday, according to multiple reports. Nine to 5 Mac is saying that you can see some of what Apple has planned for its announcement Wednesday if you use the search function on the company's website. Among the secrets being divulged is the name of the next iPhone, which seems like it will be called the iPhone 5. Rumor roundup: The new iPhone If you go to this link , you can see various search results for the term "iPhone 5" that include a couple of URLs with the name in them.

SAN FRANCISCO - In the biggest management shake-up since Tim Cook took the helm, Apple has ousted two top executives blamed for a pair of embarrassing missteps. Apple Inc. said Scott Forstall, its longtime executive and a protege of co-founder Steve Jobs, was leaving the company. As head of the mobile software division, Forstall oversaw the iOS operating system that runs the best-selling iPhone and iPad that together account for the bulk of Apple's sales. But the 15-year Apple veteran also was responsible for one of the company's highest-profile gaffes: replacing Google Inc.'s maps with Apple's own faulty mapping software.