Stories by Mike Elgan

Why a smart contact lens is the ultimate wearable

Systems will shrink so small that they can be embedded into an electronic contact lens. Talk about a vision for the future.

Why even Google can't connect Cuba

Reports say Google intends to help wire Cuba and bring the island into the 21st century. But that's not going to happen.

Lifelogging is dead (for now)

A funny thing happened on the road to capturing everything: Hardware failed to keep up, and social media made it redundant.

Google+ gets the pivot of the year

Google transforms its everything-for-everyone social network into a site that does one thing really well -- connecting supernerds.

Don't look now, but the future is here!

In the first half of the 20th Century, a wide range of futurists, science fiction writers and others predicted what life would be like in the Year 2000 and beyond. I'm here to tell you that future has arrived -- and it's better than envisioned.

Three big trends converge at CES

Lifelogging and lifestreaming got a boost from wearable computing and the quantified self at International CES this week. Welcome to the future.

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.

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

Over the next few years, almost every app we use and every website 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.

Why I blog on Google+ (And how)

The best blogging platform isn't a blogging platform, but a social network, writes columnist Mike Elgan. He explains how and why he uses Google+ for blogging.

Opinion: Why Acer is wrong about Microsoft Surface

Acer's CEO tells Microsoft to 'think twice' about building tablets because it's "not something you are good at." Columnist Mike Elgan says the CEO should think twice about his statement, because he is wrong.

Opinion: Why small tablets will dominate the tablet market

Big tablets like the iPad will always be popular, especially among high-end buyers. But the future belongs to smaller, cheaper tablets like the Google Nexus 7 and the upcoming mini iPad, says columnist Mike Elgan.

Finally: A truly magical iPad

Everybody's excited about the new Apple iPad 's high-resolution screen. But ultimately, the Retina display is just a pretty face. It can't do anything that the screens on previous models couldn't do.

This year's mobile screens will stun and amaze

It seems like all phones and all tablets do all things for all people these days. Every single smartphone and touch tablet has become just about everything anyone could ever want in a mobile device.

Even Google hates its own 'names' policy

Google's only big blunder in the creation of its otherwise excellent Google+ social network has been a flawed policy on what users are allowed to call themselves. Everybody hates the policy. Even Google hates it.