Technology

The year's best gifts for geeks

Gramovox: very cool.

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.

Will Mario on iPhone take off?

<i>Super Mario Run</i> is launching on the App Store this week.

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.

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.

The year in smartphones

The Galaxy Note7 may have been a disaster, but Samsung is plotting a 2017 comeback.

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.

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, ...

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.