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The latest litigation has Intel Inside.

The State of New York is going after Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) over antitrust allegations. State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is accusing the largest chip manufacturer in the world that it is trying to secure a global monopoly for microprocessors.

For several years, Cuomo said that Intel has pushed the likes of Dell (NYSE: DELL) and Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) to agree to the exclusive use of Intel's gear in exchange for billions of dollars in payments. The hefty cash outlays have given what Cuomo called a "stranglehold" on the market.

Once upon a time, retailers measured success by the number of people walking by in the mall, how many entered the store, the percentage they spent, and basket size. Now, a world of zeroes and ones has changed their perspective entirely. Social media is expected to be the star during the coming holiday season, with retailers pushing Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter content to get in front of consumers and affect either online or in-store purchases. Smaller Christmas budgets are expected, so the fight is on to garner as large a share as possible of a shrinking pie.

Of course, nobody would come out and say, "Social media is nonsense, and I'm not getting anything for my investment." So, when the likes of Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX), JCPenney (NYSE: JCP), and Target (NYSE: TGT) say that social media is connecting them with their customers and leading to more effective campaigns and product launches, do take it with a grain of salt. What can't be ignored, however, is that they're committing more resources to social media marketing, even though it's still far too soon to tell if it will be effective.

Windows 7, the latest operating system from Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is expected to help jumpstart some IT spending. Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) also sees this happening. A new operating system often means a chance to upgrade from dated equipment that isn't worth upgrading, especially with favorable pricing for technology right now. Everything's coming together for a strong 2010 for the high-tech sector, so it's also worth watching Hewlett Packard (NYSE: HPQ), Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) and EMC (NYSE: EMC).

If there was one stock you wish you had bought when it was being crushed by the financial crisis along with every entity out there, it's Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL). Shares of the company, which counts Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) and Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) as rivals, have more than doubled since they hit a 52-week low of around $78 per share. Really, did we think this one wasn't coming back? Hey, I fully admit, I've been a bear on Apple at different points during the downturn. Difficult not to be, with consumer sentiment and all that.

Well, it's hard to be a bear now. Last night, the market welcomed Apple's Q4 earnings with open arms. How could it not? The first paragraph of the press release tells a story of profound growth. Sales increased 25%, and earnings per share soared over 40% to $1.82 per share.

While the tech sector has held up fairly well during the economic downturn, the dealmaking has lagged. But lately, there has been an uptick activity, such as from companies like Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) and Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO).

Well, according to Reuters, it also looks like Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) is setting its sights on mergers and acquisitions (M&A).

Economic recovery starts on the ground. So, while it's nice to hear the likes of Stephen Schwarzman celebrate the return of IPOs and hefty exit strategies, the real indications that the economy is turning the corner will come when companies start to open their wallets and spend.

After dealing with only the have-to-haves for a while now, companies can start to make the improvements they've been putting off. Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) CEO Michael Dell sees this happening in the IT space, with companies expected to ramp up their hardware spending aggressively.

Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) new operating system, Windows 7, is set to be released on October 22, 2009, but it's unlikely to have an impact on PC prices. So, if you're feeling the urge to rush out and buy a new box, try to hold out until the end of the month. You'll get a bit more life out of it.

Fortunately, PC prices aren't expected to get much lower, so the entire supply chain -- from chips to software -- has nowhere to go but up. The effect, though, has been to put some serious pressure on manufacturers and retailers to keep from screwing up the release.

Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM) has a new champion: Dell (NASDAQ: DELL). The PC manufacturer is promoting the online sales force-enablement platform as a way to gain access to the hefty sums available in the technology services business. The deal would give Salesforce.com access to Dell's clients in the small and medium-sized business categories. Dell would sell Salesforce.com products and provide consulting services to help clients integrate the solution with their other enterprise applications. The dollars and cents of this union weren't disclosed.

Dell sees the margins of the services business and wants a piece of the action, particularly since the PC sector is low margin. Also, sales have been hit pretty hard as a result of the financial crisis. With PCs accounting for 60% of Dell's top-line, a bit of diversity isn't a bad idea. Currently, services account for only around 10% of Dell's sales.

It usually isn't the biggest news in the tech realm when someone introduces a new phone, but the situation is a bit different when the phone uses Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) software and is made for smartphones on the AT&T (NYSE: T) network. The phone will be made by Dell (NASDAQ: DELL), features the Google Android system for its technology, and will be launched in the United States early next year, as reported in the Wall Street Journal (subscription required). This is a notable phone, as it is Dell's first foray into the U.S. cell phone arena.

Dell's offering will feature a touch screen rather than a keypad and will feature a camera -- much like Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone. The Dell offering will be similar to another Dell device that it showed in China back in August, but with a few different features. Google figures in, as its Android technology will run programs like a Web browser, music player, and games for the Dell phone. While many are going to focus on why the phone is good for Google, I'd rather focus on why this phone will be a spectacular failure.

A look at the lives of the Forbes 400 implies that the most important attribute is the ability to sift through ambiguity. Contradictions abound, meaning that shades of gray hold the answer to your burning desire for riches. Should you go to a great school? Well, yes ... but only if you're going for an MBA and plan to work for a major financial firm. But, you can still go to an Ivy League school if you're not studying finance but join Skull and Bones. Of course, dropping out of Harvard can be a great way to launch a career in the technology field.

It's tricky. There are no easy answers. But, the road to billions is littered with the corpses of aspiring magnates who thought it wouldn't be difficult. So, don't just read the seven attributes after the jump. Understand them. Read them twice. Then, your future financial situation will be assured.

Or, you can just do one of those chain e-mails and wish for wealth.

[Thanks, Forbes and MSNBC]

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) will be making corporate governance changes soon as a result of a lawsuit settlement.

Dell did not admit any wrongdoing (naturally) after a recent lawsuit accused certain Dell directors and employees of engaging in insider trading practices, as well as making false statements about the state of the company's business.