Following a stint of over two years, Optus Networks managing director, Guenther (Günther) Ottendorfer, has confirmed he will be leaving the telecommunications provider to return home to Austria.

Forget fumbling with cash and credit cards; smartphones have long been seen as a way to make in store purchases faster and easier. But several challenges need to be overcome before the technology takes off.

In 2011, the increasingly mobile and socially networked world of technology became more intertwined than ever with politics and the law. Patent wars shaped competition in tablets and smartphones, hacktivists attacked a widening array of political and corporate targets, repressive regimes unplugged citizens from the Internet, and the U.S. government moved to block the giant merger of AT&T and T-Mobile USA. With the passing of Steve Jobs, the world lost a technology icon who redefined the computer, entertainment and consumer electronics industries. These are the IDG News Service's picks for the top 10 technology stories of the year:

AT&T once again has the lowest customer satisfaction ratings of any wireless carrier in the United States, according to the latest survey from Consumer Reports.

The Dutch competition Authority NMa raided the offices of Vodafone, T-Mobile and KPN on Tuesday morning as part of an investigation into price fixing, the authority said.

Mango, Android and tablet could be the big buzzwords at the upcoming CTIA Enterprise & Applications event in San Diego.

Apple’s iPhone 4S is such a hit that US retailers are pushing back delivery dates on some models of the new smartphone.

T-Mobile USA asked a court on Wednesday leave to submit a brief of amicus curiae ("friend of the court") to prevent a preliminary injunction asked by Apple against the sale in the U.S. of Samsung's Galaxy S 4G smartphone and Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet, citing its impact on holiday sales this year.

Every time Apple enters—or seems to even think about entering—another market, we’re barraged with noise about how the company should, or must, or can’t reinvent this industry. Why all the attention? Because Apple has a remarkable track record of having reinvented industries before, and the reward for a job well done is - surprise - another job.

For a long time, you didn’t have much choice if you were in the market for a tablet--Apple’s iPad was the only good option. But that’s starting to change: Though the iPad 2 remains the top slate overall, the best choice for you may well be one that runs Google’s Android operating system.

Since the advent of the first modern smartphone--arguably the original Apple iPhone in 2007--the power of these mobile computing devices that also happen to make phone calls has advanced by leaps and bounds.

The new Nexus One Googlephone may be just the tip of the iceberg. While most of the coverage has focused on how the phone compares to the iPhone and other Android devices, the real importance of Google's entry into the handset game may not be apparent for years.