We need a mobile broadband space race
On October 4, 1957, Russia launched Sputnik, the world's first-ever man-made satellite, into Earth orbit.
Stories by Mike Elgan
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Mobile tech under Obama
We've just elected a new president. Barack Obama starts a four-year term starting January 20. There's no way to know how America and the world will change during this time. But we can see how mobile technology will change.
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In search of the smartphone laptop
In the past two years, mobile phone and laptop companies have unveiled breathtaking innovations -- from 24-hour battery laptops to dual-screen laptops to "augmented reality" mobile phone applications.
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Elgan: When LinkedIn knows where you are
Within two years, I believe mobile social networking will become the most valuable business application since e-mail.
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While Windows sleeps
Dell, Intel and their partners announced this week new technologies that represent major leaps forward for mobility. The companies seem to have discovered the secret to making such bold leaps: Cut Microsoft out of the deal.
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Will gadgets make knowledge obsolete?
In the 1984 cyberpunk novel, Neuromancer , author William Gibson describes a future in which people can acquire knowledge by buying special chips called "microsofts" that plug into a surgically installed jack behind the ear. Once you plug in the chip, your brain can access its database and - voila! Knowledge!
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In search of the super easy super phone
MIT Media Lab founder Nicholas Negroponte railed against complexity in mobile phones, recently, and said that "simplicity is the biggest challenge that handset makers face."
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Hyperconnectivity: Friend or foe?
An April 2007, Time magazine feature called, "The Hyperconnected," was illustrated with a picture of a person's wrist handcuffed to a mobile device. This image faithfully conveys a common and growing reaction to the explosion in connected devices and communication applications in our culture.
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Why not give users what they want?
Flashy new technology always gets attention. But after the chatter fades, users are often left with frustration over products' failure to do basic, common-sense functions.
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Top 10 tech toys to blow your tax refund on
For some of us, it's that magical time of year. Better than the summer holidays, better than Father's or Mother's Day -- even better than your own birthday.
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Your mobilel phone wants to be a Wi-Fi hot spot
For years, "Wi-Fi" has been synonymous with "wireless" for the majority of laptop users looking to connect on the go.
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Sweet new service backs up while it syncs
A company called Sharpcast last week rolled out a new service that syncs your data across PCs, Macs and phones. That sounds simple enough, but the service, called SugarSync, and it's believed to be the first of its kind.
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Why iPhone will change the (PC) world, part II
More than a year ago, I wrote a column called "Why the iPhone will change the (PC) world." In that piece I described how the user interface of future operating systems -- the next-generation Windows, OS X and Linux UIs -- will have iPhone-like elements such as multitouch, gestures, 3-D and minimal icons.
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The new two-laptop minimum
Ten years ago, every frequent-flying, executive-platinum mobile professional required a desktop PC back at the office and a laptop for the road. "Ultra-portables" or extreme mini computers were an expensive and optional luxury for serious enthusiasts or big shots with expense accounts. But in the last year, all that has changed.
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Making the phone-PC connection
It seems these days that every Tom, Dick and Harry -- or, more accurately, every Dell, Acer and Apple -- wants to get into the mobile phone/handset business.
