Technology

The magic of mystery video game tournaments

Combo Breaker

When you enter a gaming tournament, you usually know what you're in for. Unless you're entering a mystery game tournament. Do that, as dozens of people did at the Combo Breaker event in the US state of Illinois last weekend, and you're playing the notorious Dong Dong Never Die.

Zeiss, nice or nasty?

The Zeiss ZM 50mm F1.5 C Sonnar lens: everything old is new again.

Zeiss's Sonnar lens has a distinct retro character, but how does it hold up to modern photographic demands?

Is Android creator's new phone essential?

Essential's phone is all screen on the front, and the back sports magnetic connectors for accessories, charging and data ...

What do you really need out of a smartphone? Developer Andy Rubin — the creator of Android — has tried to answer that question with a new phone aimed at delivering the basics of a high-end smartphone in a simple package.

Is China outsmarting the West in artificial intelligence?

Soren Schwertfeger, center, and his team of assistants work on an automated arm in Shanghai.

Soren Schwertfeger finished his postdoctorate research on autonomous robots in Germany and seemed set to continue his work in Europe or the United States, where artificial intelligence was pioneered and established. Instead, he went to China.

I threw away $4.8 million in Bitcoin

Bitcoin has become extremely popular since 2011.

Five years ago, I threw away a hard drive. It had a data file containing 1400 Bitcoin on it. No big deal, at the time. Today, those few kilobytes are worth more than four million dollars.