![Australia's gold medal winner Mack Horton celebrates on the podium during the 2016 Summer Olympics.](/web/20161215215517im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/8/3/5/k/image.related.wideLandscape.460x259.gtbpsu.png/1481793752660.jpg)
![Australia's gold medal winner Mack Horton celebrates on the podium during the 2016 Summer Olympics.](/web/20161215215517im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/8/3/5/k/image.related.wideLandscape.460x259.gtbpsu.png/1481793752660.jpg)
New Yahoo breach affects 1 billion accounts
![Yahoo's latest disclosure potentially twice the number of users as the breach disclosed in September.](/web/20161215215517im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/v/v/q/i/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtbgsy.png/1481754978429.jpg)
Yahoo has identified a new system breach that occurred in August 2013 and involved data associated with more than one billion user accounts.
Defence Dept's $1 billion waste of time
![ADF members at Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera. Defence's management of its bases has been savaged by the National Audit Office.](/web/20161215215517im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/p/v/t/h/f/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtaxkp.png/1481745100113.jpg)
Department blows $160 million on IT system that is 5 years late and still not working.
The Last Guardian is an imperfect masterpiece
![Part dog, part cat, part bird: Trico is at the heart of the game's warmth and its issues.](/web/20161215215517im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/9/q/0/n/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtatau.png/1481690327102.jpg)
The Last Guardian is both a peerless game and one that leaves a lot to be desired.
Hands on: AIO Robotics Zeus 3D printer/scanner
![AIO Robotics's Zeus 3D printer/scanner is a step up from budget consumer-grade models.](/web/20161215215517im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/a/p/y/0/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtapkc.png/1481773859792.jpg)
The Zeus has the potential to be your own personal 3D copier, but don't expect perfect results straight out of the box.
Embezzler spends $1m playing Game of War
![Several ads for Game of War have mixed generic battle scenes with sexy shots of Kate Upton.](/web/20161215215517im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/a/p/v/e/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtapu7.png/1481675473079.jpg)
Man caught stealing millions of dollars from his employer over a number of years was feeding a strange habit.
ATO loses a million gigabytes of data in tech meltdown
![The Tax Office says it will recover any data corrupted in its ongoing tech crash.](/web/20161215215517im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/v/x/w/0/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt9xfd.png/1481753691072.jpg)
Vast amounts of data stored by the ATO have been lost in an IT crash.
The year's best gifts for geeks
![Gramovox: very cool.](/web/20161215215517im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/4/q/6/3/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt4pcy.png/1481759877781.jpg)
When it comes to gift-giving, there is fine tradition afoot of presenting fussy tech-heads with either a voucher or simply a cash-stuffed envelope, along with instructions to go off and buy something nice and incomprehensible. For those thus planning on a self-rewarding splurge as soon as the turkey is properly digested and the egg-nog hangover cured, here are my prime picks from a big year in Gadgetland.
Why I eventually gave up on Microsoft Edge
![Microsoft Edge: not a great alternative to Chrome.](/web/20161215215517im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/a/l/w/q/image.related.landscape.120x80.gtako5.png/1481673195312.png)
In a fury at Chrome, I did the unthinkable: I switched to the devil himself, Microsoft Edge. And I persisted for a whole week.
Will Mario on iPhone take off?
![<i>Super Mario Run</i> is launching on the App Store this week.](/web/20161215215517im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/9/y/c/j/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt9u8u.png/1481664515427.jpg)
Never before has Nintendo made a Mario game for a piece of hardware it did not build, and never before has Apple put its marketing clout behind a game so thoroughly. But can it be the next big thing?
Australia's first 24-hour eSports channel launches
![Australian commentator Danelie Purdue.](/web/20161215215517im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/9/8/n/s/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt98mg.png/1481744983598.jpg)
Australia's first 24/7 eSports and gaming network begins live coverage of multi-million dollar tournaments, just in time for viewers to see Australia's Anathan Pham and his team at OG win the grand final at a major Dota 2 event.
Manage your kids' safety and spending on phones and game consoles
![It's possible to let kids enjoy phones and game consoles without giving them unfettered access to its capabilities and ...](/web/20161215215517im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/9/6/r/e/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt938w.png/1481596553751.jpg)
If your child is getting a new phone, tablet or game console for Christmas this year, here's what you need to know.
Almost 350k premises to be disconnected if they don't join NBN soon
![Once your home or business is declared 'NBN ready', you have 18 months before your old service is disconnected.](/web/20161215215517im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/s/i/p/d/2/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt8uy3.png/1481694809402.jpg)
Many Australians risk losing their phone and internet access in 2017, with their home services cut-off after refusing to switch to the National Broadband Network even though it is available in their area.
Target Nintendo Mini NES fail paves the way for Amazon-ageddon
![Target's Nintendo Classic Mini NES sale was the kind of disaster that will see Amazon eat Australian online retailers alive.](/web/20161215215517im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/8/w/9/k/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt8w0j.png/1481538902741.jpg)
It's hard to feel sorry for Australian retailers threatened by Amazon when you're stuck in a queue experiencing the contempt that local retailers have for their online customers.
The year in smartphones
![The Galaxy Note7 may have been a disaster, but Samsung is plotting a 2017 comeback.](/web/20161215215517im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/w/w/8/h/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt4sxx.png/1481766068603.jpg)
The year in smartphones was dominated by two huge controversies from the two biggest players. It was the year the Samsung Note 7 tanked, and Apple's headphone jack disappeared.
ANU's new telescope to search for life on far-away planets
![Associate professor Steve Madden and his colleagues at the ANU have assembled a chip-based interferometer that could ...](/web/20161215215517im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/5/o/t/r/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt447b.png/1481751125336.jpg)
One huge hurdle to scientists searching for life in other solar systems has been the difficulty of gaining a clear view of planets through the intense brightness of suns.
How virtual reality will change the classroom
![Google Inc. Daydream View virtual reality (VR) headsets sit on display during a product launch event in San Francisco, ...](/web/20161215215517im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/r/u/z/y/a/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt3feb.png/1481404755084.jpg)
Not content with knowing your innermost thoughts via your keystrokes and internet searches, or knowing your every move through your phone's map app, Google is looking to move into the classroom.
Don't get caught with bad television reception this summer
![Don't miss out on this summer's sporting action due to terrible digital television reception.](/web/20161215215517im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/4/8/n/v/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt5pds.png/1481238721040.jpg)
If your telly tends to go on the fritz when the Aussies come into bat then it might be time to do something about your digital television signal.
The top 10 things we talked about on Facebook in 2016
![US President-elect Donald Trump has lifted stock markets with a pro-growth agenda.](/web/20161215215517im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/6/g/b/u/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt6i1n.png/1481270402664.jpg)
The most talked about topics in Australia 2016, according to Facebook.
2016 leaves a lasting image
![The best and cutest cameras of the year.](/web/20161215215517im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/4/r/d/n/image.related.landscape.120x80.gt4r8r.png/1481172835209.jpg)
In 2016 the cameras got a bit better -- and lot more expensive. But what was the cutest camera of the year?