Top 10 most read of 2015: Windows 10 launch, 5G speed records and the end of IPv4

It's been another non-stop year in the technology market. From new hardware products and software platforms, to hacks, outages and cutting-edge developments, barely a week went by without some major story hitting the headlines.

V3 has been there throughout to cover all the key developments, and we've rounded-up the 10 most popular stories from the past 12 months to see what proved the biggest draw for V3 readers.

Windows 10 update icon causes 'virus' concerns

It's no surprise that a Windows 10 story topped the charts for V3's most popular news story this year. However, perhaps it is a surprise that it was a report on the fact that the download icon for Windows 10 led to concerns that computers were infected with a virus.

The concerns were unfounded but it underlines just how careful firms need to be when making changes to users' machines without clear and concise communication.

#V3mobility: University of Surrey achieves 5G speeds of 1Tbps

V3 broke the news this year that speeds of over 1Tbps had been achieved at the University of Surrey's 5G research lab, far faster than anything before. The tests were performed in lab conditions, but they give an indication of just how much of a game-changer 5G technology could be when it hits the market, likely to be around 2020.

Firms urged to begin IPv6 switchover as IPv4 address stock dwindles

The American Registry of Internet Numbers (ARIN) reported in July that it had been forced to reject a request for IPv4 addresses as it did not have enough. This is the first time this has happened.

Instead ARIN had to activate its 'unmet requests' policy when it rejected the request for more IPv4 addresses from an unknown organisation.

The move did not mean that there were no IPv4 addresses left, but that requests will have to be smaller to be accommodated or applicants will have to wait for blocks of address space to be returned.

Firms were urged to begin making plans to migrate to IPv6 as soon as possible.

HP unveils small business PCs based on Intel Skylake 6th generation Core chips

HP showed off a portfolio of products for small to medium business (SMB) customers in September, comprising laptop, desktop and all-in-one PCs based on Intel's Skylake processor family.

HP said that it had designed the new products with the needs of SMB customers in mind, as these companies often have few or no in-house IT staff, yet are just as much at risk of security breaches as large firms and need to keep up with workplace trends such as mobile technology.

Windows 10 update spells the end for DVDs, games and gadgets on older devices

Another Windows 10 story that caught V3 readers' eyes this year was a warning from Microsoft to owners of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 machines that updating to Windows 10 would result in certain features being removed.

A section entitled 'feature depreciation' listed services that will be removed when upgrading, including DVD playback, games and the entire Windows Media Centre tool.

As a result of this, computers that still contain a drive for DVDs will require separate playback software, such as from VLC.

Microsoft also said that Windows 7 desktop gadgets will no longer be available when upgrading to Windows 10, while the classic games Solitaire, Minesweeper and Hearts will also be removed.

Microsoft fixes Office 365 access after EU-wide outage

Office 365 suffered a major outage this month leaving millions of Microsoft cloud customers without access to email.

The outage did not last too long but underlined just how many problems even a short lack of service can cause.

Government tempts US tech firms to British soil with HQ-UK programme

The government launched a new HQ-UK programme in February with the aim of encouraging US companies to set up international headquarters in the UK.

HQ-UK was a joint initiative between UK Trade and Investment, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and Tech City.

The initiative is designed to help US companies expand into the UK by offering concierge services, faster visa applications and priority border control at UK airports, among other services.

China and Russia collecting Ashley Madison data for intelligence purposes

The Ashley Madison hack dominated the headlines for much of the summer, as news broke that the website specialising in helping people cheat on one another had been breached. The hackers then threatened to post information.

The fallout was huge: the CEO lost his job, the Canadian police stepped in and, sadly, there were reports of two people committing suicide as a result of the data leaks.

There were even reports that the Chinese and Russians were scouring the data to glean more information on US citizens that could have political capital.

Aer Lingus switches to iPads and ditches paper manuals

Back in May we reported on how Citrix helped Irish airline Aer Lingus to ditch bulky flight manuals used by pilots for digital copies on Apple iPads to create a 'paperless cabin'.

The firm explained that the paperless approach removes the need for the heavy flight manuals that pilots are often seen lugging through airports on their way to a plane, meaning that all they need is an iPad and their aviation licence.

This helps pilots get to their planes more quickly, leading to faster passenger boarding and a reduction in waiting times in the departure lounge. Cabin crew will also be given iPads to carry out tasks such as seat upgrades.

Intel predicts Moore's Law to last another 10 years

Intel celebrated the 50th anniversary of Moore's Law in April and to mark the event Intel senior fellow Mark Bohr said that he didn't see Moore's Law slowing down in the near future, even as the firm develops a 10nm production process and is researching 7nm and 5nm technologies.

"We can see about 10 years ahead, so our research group has identified some promising options [for 7nm and 5nm] not yet fully developed, but we think we can continue Moore's Law for at least another 10 years," Bohr said.