It has been an exciting and dramatic year in the world of technology. But what were the biggest stories of the year as read by you?
Here are 10 of the most popular stories on the BBC News website in the last 12 months. Catch up with the developments over the last year and vote for your favourite story.
NINTENDO RESPONDS TO WII BREAKAGES
Nintendo's Wii games console has proved to be a major hit among the critics and the consumers - those who have been lucky enough to be able to buy one.
The Wii launch was a success - but then the wrist straps problems started
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Nintendo expects to sell four million by the end of the year, putting it firmly into second position just behind Microsoft in the latest battle of the consoles.
The machine has been lauded for its ease of use and return to playability rather than a reliance on high definition.
But the console returned to the headlines when Nintendo announced it was offering to replace all wrist straps for the machine's controller, following weeks of reports that people were injuring themselves and objects in the home when the straps broke.
ONLINE AMATEURS CRACK NAZI CODE
Three German ciphers unsolved since World War II are finally being cracked, helped by thousands of home computers. The codes resisted the best efforts of the celebrated Allied cryptographers based at Bletchley Park during the war.
Now one has been solved by running code-breaking software on a "grid" of internet-linked home computers.
The complex ciphers were encoded in 1942 by a new version of the German Enigma machine, and led to regular hits on Allied vessels by German U-boats.
The latest attempt to crack the codes was kick-started by Stefan Krah, a German-born violinist with an interest in cryptography and open-source software.
MAN TRADING PAPER CLIP FOR HOUSE
The story of a Canadian man who set out to trade a paper clip to get a house was one of the most bizarre of the past year.
After a year of swapping items on the internet, Kyle MacDonald was offered a house in the tiny town of Kipling in Saskatchewan province.
Mr MacDonald, who lives in Montreal, initially exchanged his paper clip for a fish-shaped pen and 14 trades later he succeeded in his aim.
MICROSOFT LAUNCHES WINDOWS VISTA
Microsoft finally released Vista to business in 2006
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Microsoft's Vista, the latest version of its Windows operating system, was released to business in November.
The operating system was in development for years and aimed to fix many of the security problems that plagued Windows XP.
The critics have generally welcomed the changes. With Windows running on nine in 10 of the world's PCs, analysts agree the new version should be a big success and predict it will dominate computer desktops in about two years' time.
NEXT GENERATION DVD BATTLE BEGINS
Two rival and incompatible high definition DVD systems were launched this year - Blu-ray and HD-DVD.
The two systems are backed by different hardware manufacturers and different content providers, like film studios.
Some analysts fear the rivalry could see a return to the days of VHS versus betamax, which saw the rise of the former and the collapse of the latter.
So far the two formats appear to be succeeding side by side but pundits feel the whole next generation DVD battle could put many consumers off making the move to high definition.
SONY PLAYSTATION 3 DELAYED
Sony's PlayStation 3 games console was one of the most anticipated console launches in history. The machine had already been plagued by delays but when Sony confidently announced a global launch for November many people were sceptical.
Those fears proved correct when Sony announced in September that it was delaying the European launch until March 2007.
The Japanese giant has had problems mass-producing components for the Blu-ray player inside the machine.
Sony has strenuously denied that the March 2007 launch for Europe is under threat.
NET CRIME 'BIG FEAR' FOR BRITONS
Unprotected PCs are at risk when online
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The BBC News website technology team investigated PC security in 2007, testing how long an unprotected PC connected to the net could stay virus free.
Our research showed that, on average, the PC was attacked every 15 minutes and every 60 minutes it was hit by a debilitating virus.
APPLE LAUNCHES iTV PLAYER
Apple took the technology world by surprise when it unveiled its planned iTV player - a device which would connect your PC to your TV.
It allows you to share your video and music content stored on your computer's hard drive around the house.
Many other companies already make devices which do this but the digital living room remains a niche interest. But with Apple riding high on the iPod wave some analysts are tipping the California firm to make a big splash in this area.
PHYSICS PROMISES WIRELESS POWER
The tangle of cables and plugs needed to recharge today's electronic gadgets could soon be a thing of the past after US researchers outlined a relatively simple system that could deliver power to devices such as laptop computers or MP3 players without wires.
But don't get rid of your cables yet - a working system has not been built yet. But computer models and mathematics suggest it will work.
WEB INVENTOR WARNS OF 'DARK NET'
Tim Berners-Lee, the creator of the web, delivered a warning on the net's future this year.
He said that the web should remain neutral and resist attempts to fragment it into different services.
His comments generated some of the most fervent debates in the blogosphere. But he also reinforced the net's power for social good.
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