Mike Elgan

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.

Lifelogging gets real

As privacy-invading technologies and location-aware applications become commonplace and accepted (and they will), and more products like Saga, Memoto and Glass become pervasive, the idea of lifelogging will become more appealing.

What I learned living abroad as a digital nomad

Digital nomad Mike Elgan returns to the U.S. after 10 months of travel and shares these tips for working and living abroad.

Google Fiber divides users into 'the fast' and 'the furious'

Google's Fiber project in in Kanas City, Austin and Provo shows that very high Internet speeds are possible in the U.S., but nobody except Google is working to make it happen.

Google Glass mysteries revealed!

Google made a long list of announcements and revelations about its cyborg eyewear Glass. Google is taking a very conservative, controlling approach to the platform, not unlike Apple's style.

Why your clothes need a mobile upgrade

The clothing most of us wear hasn't changed to keep up with mobile technology. But there are apparel makers that are rising to the challenge.

Why Google+ is best for 'real-life streaming'

Mike Elgan says Google+ is the most capable system for so-called "real-life streaming." He lists four reasons for his selection of that social network.

How Microsoft lost the future of gesture control

Microsoft squandered its five-year head start in gesture control technology and is now falling behind. By the time the company gets Kinect for Windows into the consumer market, Leap Motion may already own that market.

8 myths about the smartwatch revolution

By the time Apple ships its rumored 'iWatch' smartwatch, it will be entering an already crowded market. That's a good thing, says columnist Mike Elgan.

More innovation means less control. Is that bad?

Innovation in mobile computing, search and social media increasingly means taking control away from users, says Mike Elgan, but at what cost?

Smart apps think (so you don't have to)

Over the next few years, almost every app we use and every web site we visit may function less like a machine and more like a person helping us to do our work and live our lives.

Apple, Samsung and Google under fire at Mobile World Congress

Mobile World Congress showed that Apple, Samsung and Google are still the smartphone industry leaders, but upstart and would-be has-been companies are fighting back.

Will Apple envy wreck Samsung?

Samsung is tired of watching Apple run away with most of the money in mobile and is making a big play to become like Apple -- a company that makes not only the hardware, but also the software and the store where you buy stuff.

Give killer presentations: Think like a writer

PowerPoint presentations are boring, but don't blame Microsoft. Instead, learn to communicate more effectively by thinking like a writer when you plan your speech.

Are transparent displays dumb or brilliant?

See-through screens won't happen for phones and tablets, but get ready for your windows to run Window, says Mike Elgan

Will Apple, Google and Samsung lose the smartphone market?

Mobile phone competition intensifies. Linux-based platforms are gunning for iOS and Android, and Chinese companies want to price the iPhone and the Galaxy S line out of the market.

Wait, so why do we need phones again?

Phone service is obsolete, says Mike Elgan and wireless carriers are holding him back. Here's why he wants Google to be his phone company.

Gesture computing is here! (And it's out of control!)

As the dust settles over Las Vegas, it's becoming clear that this year's International CES ushered in a new era of in-the-air gesture control, says Mike Elgan.

When low tech is better than high tech

Bleeding edge technology isn't always the best, notes Mike Elgan. The best technology is the one you actually use.

Why social networks should be more like Facebook Poke

When it comes to Facebook users and their messages, almost nobody knows who can see or share their posts on social networks. And that's a problem that must be fixed, says Mike Elgan.