Mike Elgan

Why San Francisco today is like every city tomorrow

San Francisco residents are used as lab rats in Silicon Valley's many new high-tech services. And you won't believe the cheese they get.

Where's my solar-powered iPhone?

Is there a solar-powered smartphone in your future? Mike Elgan thinks so, and he explains what's being done right now to bring that technology to reality.

Why Apple's 'indoor GPS' plan is brilliant

Apple's iBeacons system will enable purchases, contextual marketing, automated check-ins and much more. And it's closer than you think.

Samsung and Qualcomm fail to launch the smartwatch revolution

The Samsung Galaxy Gear and the Qualcomm Toq are not starting smartwatch revolution you've been waiting for, writes Mike Elgan. Not to worry though, a flood of devices are coming next year.

Why are virtual assistant apps so shy?

The tech industry has been promising apps that interrupt us with important contextual information for two years. So where are they?

Why you plug gadgets into the wall like a Neanderthal

In the future, phones, tablets and wearable computing gadgets won't come with chargers -- they'll use inductive chargers built into desks, kitchen counters, bedside tables, cars and other surfaces.

What wearable computing is really all about

Wearable computing gadgets aren't toys for lazy geeks or harbingers of a dystopian future. Here's why you're going to love wearable computing.

So what's wrong with being tracked by advertisers?

Companies are getting more aggressive about using your phone to track you and then send you location-based mobile ads. So what?

The Moto X represents the future of everything

The Moto X is a revolutionary smartphone that will push everyday voice interaction with an artificial intelligence virtual assistant into the mainstream, says columnist Mike Elgan.

The joy of glogging

Columnist Mike Elgan tries out the new Google Glass eyewear and uses 'glogging,' a new social medium for sharing experiences that takes blogging to a new level.

Why the mob rules

Many of today's hottest products do something similar -- they get their value from the collective actions of users. Mike Elgan explains why crowdsourcing and all that user data is so successful and valuable.

Why the new 'superphones' really are super

These phones have features that radically exceed not only those of other phones but also those of other consumer devices. That's why Mike Elgan calls them 'superphones.'

What kind of crazy scheme is Motorola hatching?

Motorola and Google say in a new ad their upcoming Moto X phone will be designed by users. Columnist Mike Elgan says what he thinks they're planning.

Finally! A full-featured 'phablet'

Phablets (phones + tablets) need wearable devices to make them powerful and mainstream, as well as acceptable in business. Here's one company that understands this.

How to run your own NSA spy program

The ideas behind the NSA's spy program are built into a wide variety of tools available to everybody. Mike Elgan walks you through the steps for building your very own PRISM-like program.

How super high-def displays change everything

The new super high-resolution screens bring beauty, clarity and precision to our work and play, writes columnist Mike Elgan. Are they worth the extra money? Definitely.

How Microsoft could rule consumer electronics

Microsoft has everything it needs to beat Apple and Google and rule consumer electronics. What it lacks is the will to ship that technology to consumers and provide people with a compelling, breathtaking and wonderful vision of the future.

The social network wars are over. The winner: email!

With every new social network and social service, with every new instant and not-so-instant way to communicate, email rises in importance. Columnist Mile Elgan explains how innovation has transformed email into the best social network.

What I learned using only Google products

Columnist Mike Elgan spent three weeks using only Google products -- the Chromebook Pixel laptop, the Nexus 10 tablet and the Nexus 4 smartphone. Here's what he discovered.

Google Now, Hangouts feel here, there and everywhere

Google this week unleashed a blizzard of updates and improvements that fundamentally change -- and radically improve -- how we get information and communicate.