Chip designer Broadcom plans to pay US$160.5 million to settle a class action lawsuit over stock option accounting practices commonly called backdating after hundreds of companies were forced to restate earnings a few years ago due to the practice.

Two consumer groups urged U.S. regulators on Monday to block Google from acquiring mobile advertising provider AdMob, citing potential harm the deal could cause to users, advertisers and application developers.

While the computer industry in the 1990s thrived as corporations re-engineered business processes to incorporate IT, this decade has seen technology truly become part of mainstream culture and commerce via the Internet and ever-cheaper and smaller computing devices. Yes, the Internet revolution began in the '90s, but it was not until this decade that 14-year-olds raced ahead of professionals in figuring out how to tap social networks with hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of contacts. Here, in not-quite chronological order, are the top technology stories of the decade, selected by the IDG News Service for their singular impact on the industry as well as their emblematic status as examples of the trends that shaped the course of IT.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has filed an antitrust-related lawsuit against Intel, charging the world's largest computer chip maker with illegally using its dominant market position to stifle competition and strengthen its monopoly for a decade.

Apple and Nokia are getting into the holiday spirit this year by suing one another over a patent dispute.

SAP's attempt to convince users that its Enterprise Support service provides enough value to justify a higher price tag may drag on well into 2010.

Gartner announced Monday that it is buying AMR Research for US$64 million, in the latest acquisition by the giant IT research firm. The deal is expected to be completed this month.

A French court has fined eBay ?1.7 million (US$2.5 million) for failing to comply with an earlier ruling that required the online retailer to prevent the sale of certain brands of perfume to French consumers on its sites.

IBM has acquired database security vendor Guardium, it said Monday, confirming earlier reports. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Apple last week asked a Florida federal judge to kill a lawsuit filed in August by Psystar, saying that the case is a retread of the one in California that has the Mac clone maker on the ropes.

A 32-year-old California man has pleaded guilty to charges that he sold thousands of counterfeit chips to the U.S. Navy.

Fifty-nine U.S. senators have asked European antitrust regulators to speed up their investigation into Oracle's planned acquisition of Sun Microsystems, due to Sun's "deteriorating financial condition."

3Com Corp.'s board of directors is facing a lawsuit over the proposed acquisition by Hewlett Packard Development Company LP, but a financial analyst who studies Ethernet switching argued if approved, both vendors would benefit from the deal.

The cash portion of Intel's legal settlement with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) could shave as much as US$800 million off Intel's net profit in the fourth quarter, according to investment banking firm Credit Suisse.

Google is bulking up its phone offerings with the acquisition of Gizmo5, a company that offers voice-over-IP software for mobile phones and computers.

Infosys BPO, the business process outsourcing (BPO) subsidiary of Infosys Technologies, said on Thursday that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire all of the outstanding interests of McCamish Systems, a small BPO company in Atlanta, Georgia, focused on the insurance and financial services market.

Logitech plans to acquire LifeSize Communications, a company that makes HD video communications equipment, for US$405 million in cash, the companies said Tuesday.

The European Commission on Monday issued its formal "statement of objections" over Oracle's planned acquisition of Sun Microsystems, saying the deal would harm competition in the database market.

Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMIC), China's biggest chip maker, replaced its CEO on Tuesday, just one day after it settled an intellectual property lawsuit that was seen as a major blow to the company.

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