Stories by Mike Elgan

A new iPhone this year?

Apple Inc. reported record sales, record profits and record revenue Tuesday. The company sold 2.3 million computers, 22.1 million iPods, and 2.3 million iPhones in the fourth quarter of 2007.

Hyperconnectivity here we come

Apple CEO Steve Jobs told an interviewer at Macworld this week that Amazon.com's Kindle e-book reader will fail. His shocking reason?: "People don't read anymore."

Energy crisis: Where's an outlet when you need one?

The Consumer Electronics Show trade show is showcasing this year's batch of better, cheaper and cooler gadgets. Services that enable ever more powerful mobile capabilities abound. Wireless networks are popping up everywhere. It's now possible to trav...

Amazon Kindle does e-mail and more

In all the marketing blather about Amazon.com Inc.'s awesome new Kindle e-book reader, you won't hear "e-mail," "RSS feeds" or "online calendars" mentioned at all.

Do video games make kids violent, stupid and sick?

Video games have occasionally served as a convenient scapegoat for whatever ails youth. But just this week, the normal trickle of blame has become a torrent, with loud proclamations from many quarters that computer games are making kids violent, stup...

iPhone season? Or open season on the iPhone?

Well, it's the moment of truth for this year's holiday shopping season: iPhone, yes or no? Tracy Mayor put the Question of the Year to Computerworld Editor in Chief Scot Finnie, PC World Editor in Chief Harry McCracken, Computerworld Online News Edit...

What to do about teen 'junk sleep' syndrome

What if I told you about a dangerous virus spreading through high schools and middle schools, a virus that now infects between a quarter and a third of the teen population.

Wishing you and yours a haptic holiday

When playing Halo 3 on your Xbox 360, or other games on other consoles, your handheld game controller shakes and rumbles to coincide with on-screen explosions, crashes, gunshots and grenade detonations.

Making the Google Phone, OpenSocial connection

Everyone is talking about two big Google projects: The long-awaited Google Phone, and the new OpenSocial initiative. Each is cool, but combined, well, they're going to change everything.

The 'anywhere computing' era dawns

In the beginning, there were computers.

New software 'mirrors' your mobile phone online

A company called Dashwire this week unveiled free new software that essentially mirrors your mobile phone on the Web, backing up all your data -- contacts, text messages, calls, photos, videos and phone settings -- and letting you access everything o...

Forget the iPhone, all phones should be 'unlocked'

Apple's iPhone hasn't made an obvious dent in the market share of either handset competitors or carriers that compete with AT&T. But it has hit those other companies with something else unexpected -- and unwelcome: The iPhone has sharply raised consu...

Why Apple's 'new Newton' will rule

They can send a man to the moon (or at least they could 40 years ago). Why can't they make a tiny computer people want to buy?

The eight secrets that make Apple No. 1

Last week I wrote about how Apple's growing success will trigger accusations that it is a monopolistic, copycat bully and why the company should be defended against such complaints. This week, I'll discuss the secrets of Apple's growing success and c...

New robot walks, talks and learns

In the future, home entertainment robots will converse with us and behave as virtual pets, security sentries, food-and-drink servers and silicon-based companions.