each in their own way is trying to shake up the status quo.
The problem with any Top 10 list is that it's subjective and you're afterwards bound to think up more candidates who deserve consideration in the ranking. We plead guilty on both counts.
But as we head into 2014, the following compilation features folks who, each in their own way, are trying to shake up their particular corners of the tech universe. Some will succeed, others will not.
This much is clear: Watching how their stories unfold will make for fascinating reading as part of the larger tale of technology, circa 2014.
The New Yorker beat us to print, but Anthony Levandowski is no longer a secret. He was part of a graduate student team that created the world's first autonomous motorcycle, called the Ghost Rider. Now in the Smithsonian, the Ghost Rider is spearheading Google's driverless-car project. As CNET noted earlier this year, the century-old auto culture is on the verge of radical change, and you can thank Google for where it's headed. Yes, if things work out the way Google intends, these so-called robo-cars will usher in a new era that means the end of driving as we know it. Levandowski figures to be a big part of that revolution.