Technology

Henk Rogers on telling the real story of Tetris: ‘I have to set the record straight’

Published

11 months ago

April 20, 2025

Henk Rogers on telling the real story of Tetris: ‘I have to set the record straight’

When Henk Rogers first read the script for the Tetris movie, he was shocked. “There was so much Hollywood in the movie,” he tells The Verge. “It just drove me nuts.” The film largely follows a pivotal period in Rogers’ life, when he traveled to the Soviet Union to navigate the complex rights issues for Tetris to bring it to platforms like the Game Boy. There, he connected with game’s creator Alexey Pajitnov, with whom he eventually formed a lifelong friendship, and turned Tetris into a global phenomenon.

The movie turned this experience into something resembling a high-stakes spy thriller — and while Rogers ended up loving the final product, that initial experience inspired him to tell the story of what really happened. “While reading the script I said, ‘I have to set the record straight,’” he says.

That story now exists in the form of the book The Perfect Game. While Rogers originally sat down to write about the events that transpired in the movie, he soon realized the story was much bigger than that. “I started writing it, and somebody looked at it and said, ‘That could be a book, it’s just not big enough,’” he explains. “I didn’t want to rewrite that part and add water, so to speak, so I added the before and after. So it ended up being about my game career.”

The Perfect Game starts out by exploring Rogers’ early life, bouncing around from the Netherlands to New York City to Hawaii, before eventually landing in Japan, where he founded Bullet-Proof Software and went on to release the influential RPG The Black Onyx. Even before the book gets to the Tetris part of the tale, it’s filled with fascinating insight into the early days of game development. Rogers talks through the many complications and nuances of dealing with publishers and funding, as well as releasing and marketing a game in Japan despite not speaking Japanese.

But things really kicked into gear at CES in 1988, when he flew to Las Vegas in search of a new game to publish and stumbled on a puzzle game about falling blocks. As he tells it, he knew immediately that he found something special. “I left the Consumer Electronics Show with a sense of purpose,” Rogers writes in his book. “I was determined to publish Tetris in Japan.” That proved tricky, of course, due in large part to the web of copyright laws in the Soviet Union at the time. Rogers found himself traveling back and forth between the Soviet Union and Japan, dealing with everyone from the higher-ups at Nintendo — including legendary designer Shigeru Miyamoto — to the intimidating employees at Soviet trade organizations.

“There’s times when my memory is a little shady, but it was such an exciting time that I pretty much remember.”

Rogers’ account is a detailed one, and he says that he wrote the book entirely from memory. That said, he did check with his friend Pajitnov on a few details, which resulted in one of the book’s more charming features. At various points, Pajitnov’s thoughts are inserted into the book, where he often disagrees with Rogers on small details, like how impressed he was by the Famicom version of Tetris or the quality of the elevator in his apartment building.

“Alexei read my manuscript and was writing in the margins where his memory is different, so I decided to keep those and put them in the book,” Rogers explains. “There’s times when my memory is a little shady, but it was such an exciting time that I pretty much remember.”

Even if it’s missing the Hollywood thrills of the script that inspired Rogers to write in the first place, The Perfect Game is a fascinating read, particularly if you’re interested in game development anecdotes. And because the story covers the entirety of Rogers’ career to date, which includes setting up The Tetris Company and bringing the game to just about every platform imaginable, there are a lot of stories about pivotal points in the medium, from the launch of the Game Boy to the burgeoning days of mobile gaming.

The story is especially notable as Tetris continues to thrive. In addition to the movie and book, Rogers was also featured prominently in Digital Eclipse’s playable documentary Tetris Forever, and the game still pops up frequently in places like Nintendo’s new music app. Rogers has largely stepped away from the business, which is now run by his daughter Maya. So now when he sees the game appear somewhere surprising, it elicits a different kind of feeling. “It feels like success,” he says. “Every time Tetris pops up somewhere, or a new deal comes down the pike, it’s like, ‘Wow, she’s killing it.‘”

As for that movie, Rogers changed his mind when he actually saw it, describing the film as “emotionally correct,” even if it didn’t get all of the facts right. “The first time I saw it I cried about things that never actually happened,” he says.

Related Topics:Entertainment gaming Interview Report

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Technology

Samsung’s Digital Home Key lets you use your phone as your key

Published

11 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Samsung’s Digital Home Key lets you use your phone as your key

Just days after showing off the Galaxy S26, Samsung is finally rolling out the ability for users to unlock their home with a tap of their phone or by simply approaching their door. The new feature, called Digital Home Key, will live inside Samsung Wallet and is powered by the Aliro smart home standard.

Samsung first teased its Digital Home Key feature in 2024 and said the feature would be available in 2025. That didn’t pan out, as the CSA’s Aliro standard — which will let users unlock smart locks with any phone — only arrived in February of this year. The new standard uses near-field communication (NFC) for its tap-to-unlock technology. It also supports ultra-wideband (UWB), giving users the ability to unlock their door as they approach and without pulling out their phone.

To add a Digital Home Key to your wallet, you’ll need to set up a compatible smart lock through SmartThings using Matter. Only some Galaxy smartphones support both NFC and UWB, including the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and up, as well as the Galaxy S22 Ultra and up. You can view the full list of compatible devices on Samsung’s website.

Technology

China’s ultrasound brain tech race heats up

Published

12 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

China’s ultrasound brain tech race heats up

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

When you hear “brain-computer interface,” you probably picture surgery, wires and a chip in your head. Now picture something quieter. No implant. No incision. Just sound waves directed at the brain.

That is the approach behind a new wave of ultrasound brain-computer interface companies in China. One of the newest is Gestala, founded in Chengdu with offices in Shanghai and Hong Kong. The company says it is developing technology that can stimulate and eventually study brain activity using focused ultrasound.

Yes, the same basic technology is used in medical imaging. But this time, it targets neural circuits.

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Brain imaging highlights the regions researchers study as companies explore noninvasive ultrasound brain-computer interface technology. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

What is an ultrasound brain computer interface?

Most brain-computer interface systems rely on electrodes that detect electrical signals from neurons. Neuralink is the most visible example. It places tiny threads inside the brain to record activity. Ultrasound works differently.

Instead of measuring electrical signals directly, it uses high-frequency sound waves. Depending on intensity and focus, those waves can:

Create images of internal tissue
Destroy abnormal tissue such as tumors
Modulate neural activity without open surgery.

Focused ultrasound treatments are already approved for Parkinson’s disease, uterine fibroids and certain tumors. That clinical history gives companies like Gestala a foundation to build on. However, studying or interpreting brain signals with ultrasound is far more complex than delivering targeted stimulation.

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Unlike implant-based systems such as Neuralink, ultrasound brain computer interface research focuses on stimulating the brain without surgery. (Neuralink)

How Gestala plans to treat chronic pain with focused ultrasound

Gestala’s first product is focused on chronic pain. The company plans to target the anterior cingulate cortex, a brain region linked to the emotional experience of pain. Early pilot studies suggest that stimulating this area can reduce pain intensity for up to a week in some patients. The first-generation device will be a stationary system used in clinics. Patients would visit a hospital for treatment sessions. Later, the company plans to develop a wearable helmet designed for supervised use at home. Over time, Gestala says it wants to expand into depression, other mental health conditions, stroke rehabilitation, Alzheimer’s disease and sleep disorders. That is an ambitious roadmap. Each condition involves different brain networks and clinical hurdles.

Can ultrasound read brain activity without implants?

Like other brain tech startups, Gestala is also exploring whether ultrasound could help interpret brain activity. The long-term concept is straightforward in theory. A device could detect patterns linked to chronic pain or depression, then deliver stimulation to specific regions in response.

Unlike traditional brain implants, which capture electrical signals from limited areas, an ultrasound-based system may have the potential to access broader regions of the brain. That possibility is one reason researchers are paying attention. Still, translating that concept into reliable data is a major engineering challenge.

The global race to build noninvasive brain interfaces

China is not alone in exploring ultrasound brain-computer interface systems. Earlier this month, OpenAI announced a significant investment in Merge Labs, a startup cofounded by Sam Altman along with researchers linked to Forest Neurotech.

Public materials from Merge Labs mention restoring lost abilities, supporting healthier brain states and deepening human connection with advanced AI. That language signals long-term ambitions. Yet experts caution that real-world applications are still years away.

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Researchers use MRI guidance to precisely target the anterior cingulate cortex with focused ultrasound during chronic pain studies. (Gestala)

The technical limits of ultrasound brain interfaces

Ultrasound faces technical limits. First, the skull weakens and distorts sound waves. That makes it harder to obtain precise signals. In research settings, detailed readouts of neural activity have required special implants that allow ultrasound to pass more clearly than bone.

Second, ultrasound measures changes in blood flow. Blood flow shifts more slowly than electrical firing in neurons. That delay may limit applications that require fast, detailed signal decoding, such as real-time speech translation. In short, stimulation is one challenge. Accurate readout is another level entirely.

What this means to you

Right now, this technology is experimental. You are not about to buy a brain helmet at your local electronics store. Still, the direction matters. If noninvasive ultrasound devices can reduce chronic pain or support mental health treatment, more patients may consider therapy without facing brain surgery.

At the same time, devices that analyze brain states introduce new privacy questions. Brain-related data is deeply personal. Regulators, hospitals and companies will need clear rules about how that data is stored, shared and protected. Finally, the link between AI companies and brain interface startups shows how closely digital intelligence and neuroscience are becoming intertwined. That connection could reshape medicine, wellness, and even how we interact with technology.

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Kurt’s key takeaways

Brain-computer interfaces used to feel far off and experimental. Now they are a serious focus of global research and investment. China’s push to develop an ultrasound-based brain-computer interface adds momentum to a field already shaped by companies like Neuralink and new ventures backed by OpenAI. Progress is steady but measured. The potential is significant. The technical hurdles are real. What happens next will depend on whether researchers can turn promising lab results into safe, reliable treatments people can actually use.

If sound waves could one day interpret your mental state, who should decide how that information is used? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

This Windows gaming handheld has a screen that folds in half

Published

24 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

This Windows gaming handheld has a screen that folds in half

Lenovo put a foldable display on a gaming handheld. The Legion Go Fold Concept is a Windows-based handheld with a flexible POLED display, detachable Joy-Con-like controllers, and a folio case to turn the whole thing into a mini laptop.

You can use it as a standard Steam Deck-esque handheld with the display folded down to 7.7 inches and controllers attached at its sides, or you can unfold it for a bigger experience. When unfolded, the controllers can be repositioned to all four sides, allowing you to play with the screen in vertical or horizontal orientations.

In vertical splitscreen mode, you can put your game on one half of the screen and a second window (like your chat or game guide) on the other half. Horizontal fullscreen mode gives your game the full 11.6 inches of real estate in a 16:10 aspect ratio. To go into laptop mode, you remove the controllers and mount the handheld into a folio case with a stand, built-in keyboard, and trackpad. The controllers can be put into a separate grip mount to unify them as one gamepad.

There are a lot of ways you can use this folding handheld, including turning one of its controllers into a vertical mouse like on other Legion Go handhelds, but there’s one thing it doesn’t do: fold down to close and protect its screen. The Go Fold only folds outwards, so don’t expect a Nintendo DS or GameBoy Advance-like clamshell that closes for portability. Instead, it’s all about getting bigger than your average gaming handheld and offering more. (Though we’ve tried bigger before.)

The Legion Go Fold has some formidable specs: an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V Lunar Lake processor, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and a 48Whr battery. The plastic-covered OLED has a resolution of 2435 x 1712 and 165Hz refresh rate. And there’s even a second, circular toushscreen on the right controller, under the face buttons. It doubles as a touchpad and can be a support display, allowing you to swipe between extracted UI elements from a game (which I wouldn’t expect to be widely supported), a clock, system monitoring, or an animated GIF (just for fun).

During my brief in-person demo I didn’t get to play any graphically-intense games — just Balatro, which can practically play on a potato. The screen looked plenty sharp, but like any foldable there’s a crease down the middle; it’s very visible, but you learn to look past it and ignore it after just a bit. The build and feel of the whole thing felt a little fragile, and detaching and reattaching the controllers was definitely janky. Build quality will hopefully be improved if this device ever actually makes it to market.

The laptop mode was a pleasant surprise for me though. I did not expect a gaming handheld to double as a conventional computer you could get work done on. The Legion Go Fold’s case took quite a bit of fumbling before I set it up correctly, but it shouldn’t take too long to get used to if you actually lived with it.

Then again, I don’t know if anyone is going to be able to live with this thing — ever. I’d love for the Legion Go Fold to go from concept to real product like other out-there Lenovo ideas, but I shudder to think what it might cost. The Legion Go 2 is already priced well over $1,000. And with the ongoing RAMageddon crisis we’re living through, there’s no telling how much more expensive an actual Legion Go Fold would be if it came out in a year or more.

But even if it’s not the kind of foldable I expected, and even though it may never come out, it’s certainly cool. Now somebody please make a folding PC handheld that goes from kinda-big to really small. I think that’d be the one for me.

Photography by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge