Intellectual Ventures finally responded with the only serious tool in its arsenal on Monday, suing 12 companies including HP, Dell, Wal-Mart and Best Buy for patent infringement.

FORBES: Intellectual Ventures Launches Its Fourth Lawsuit Targeting Dell and HP

For many companies, the Eco Index will become a serious motivational tool, applicable to everyone from the CEO to the unpaid intern.

FORBES: Is the Eco Index a Good Way to Measure Sustainability?

PowerPoint is a fine tool, but it has serious limitations when it comes to influencing others.

FORBES: Obama, Romney, and Mastery of the Flip-Flop

Yunus says too many companies use CSR as a public relations tool, rather than getting serious about doing good in the world.

FORBES: Danone and Grameen Bank: Partners In CSR And Marketing

Opponents of the bill insisted capital punishment was a necessary tool to punish those who commit the most serious crimes.

BBC: US state of Maryland votes to abolish death penalty

It was originally introduced as a screening tool to help early detection of babies with serious problems, allowing future planning of the pregnancy on the back of this.

BBC: Foetus parties: Womb with a view?

The Australian Herald Sun has this (apparently serious) headline: Barbie doll could be used as tool of evil.

FORBES: Big Brother Barbie?

Barely a year later, after the Stephen Glass fiasco (see "Forbes smokes out fake New Republic story on hackers, " Forbes Digital Tool, May 11), the online distribution of the Starr Report, and the proliferation of serious news outlets on the web, only the most undesirable demographic--the hopelessly uninformed--would dispute the legitimacy and power of online media.

FORBES: Polymath scion