As 2016 draws to a close, the NZ Science Media Centre picked some of the biggest national and international science stories that made headlines

Waikato towns are on the list but businesses are sick of waiting for ultra-fast broadband. And some have even taken matters into their own hands. Made with funding from NZ On Air.

Pioneering New Zealand rocket company Rocket Lab has moved a step closer to launching a rocket into space with the successful completion of booster tests south of Auckland. Joining Tristram Clayton is NZ Herald aviation reporter Grant Bradley to explain what Rocket Lab have managed to do in these tests.

COMMENT: It is up to privacy scholars to come up with solutions that allow technological progress to take place, but not at the expense of our humanity.

Police have reached the site where a light plane has crashed near Gisborne today.

The history of the mobile phone and a look at the future for these ubiquitous devices

Today's kids prefer to watch each other doing real life things rather than child actors playing television roles.

The smartphone revolution is killing the camera, with new figures showing how dedicated DSLRs are heading the way of the dodo.

Among the top picks are some weird and wonderful apps.

If everything you know about the world's most famous plane is from the movie, then fasten your seat belt. It's even better in real life.

Lights lit up Brooke Hughes' face as the 18-year-old held up her mobile as she drove along a major road.

Hollywood has long been fascinated with the idea of communicating with space aliens. But is it even possible? Or wise?

COMMENT: Like in politics, fake news can also be a problem in the world of science - proliferated by the net, repeated many times over.

The same question has been bothering Star Wars fans ever since the original film's release. There may finally be an answer.

A man who live streamed Joseph Parker's fights is planning to head overseas, and says Duco Events' attempts to limit the practice have been ineffective.

New 3D fly-through footage of the Kaikoura coastline is being used to assess key areas of damage.

A major expedition to the submarine Kaikoura Canyon is assessing whether the November 14 quake elevated tsunami risks to coastal settlements.

COMMENT: Google has refreshed its little Chromecast streaming video device.

COMMENT: We've recently been supported by a Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund grant for a project called: What is the Southland accent?

Donald Trump was named Time magazine's "Person of the Year". So the internet did this.

It seems like an innocent request but it's not. Paedophiles are coming up with crafty ways to trick kids into satisfying their bizarre urges.

Wondering what to buy the tech-obsessed people in your life for Christmas? Look no further.

The tasting-room-like Roasteries and pricey Reserve cafes are no longer just an experiment: They're a core part of the coffee empire's strategy.

Online retail, IT security and sports administration are tipped to boom over the next five years.

SpaceX is completing "the final steps necessary to safely and reliably return to flight".

A new app described as "Tinder for air travel" promises to connect passengers who want to hook up in the sky.

A suspect in a Seattle car theft had a rude awakening last week when the car he allegedly stole seemed to take on a life of its own.

The European Union has approved Microsoft's $36.5 billion acquisition of LinkedIn, after the software giant agreed to fair competition safeguards.

ASB bank has promoted its technology boss to head up the bank's retail arm bringing technology and retail under one person.

The GSCB wants to give internet service providers more information and power to block cyber threats.