Stories by Mike Elgan

Why 2014 is the 'year of smart glasses'

In the technology press, every year is the year of this and the year of that. Much of this kind of prediction is based on expectations or wishful thinking and is essentially meaningless.

Forget Amazon; I want a drone of my own

Governments and businesses are getting flying robots. But when will personal drones fly into our lives? Columnist Mike Elgan wants one.

Are your smartphone apps selling you out?

Apple's App Store, Google's Play store and other app stores are packed with apps that can compromise your security and privacy without you ever knowing anything bad happened. What's a mobile app user to do?

Why smartphone food photos look horrible

Martha Stewart wants to show you horrible pictures of nauseating-looking food for some reason. Mike Elgan finds this personally vexing.

Are we giving up on mobile payments already?

Mobile payments have still not caught on as U.S. users stick with their credit cards. Now the innovation is coming in the form of new debit cards.

Here comes the age of ambient everything

Trends in social, search, mobile, wearable and the Internet of things will alter our perception of reality. Change is in the air, says columnist Mike Elgan.

The new killer app is a real human

The future was supposed to be automated and computerised. But it turns out that automation is creating demand for the human element.

Is technology the cause of car crashes? Or the cure?

Passing laws to minimise accidents caused by distracted drivers is a good idea. But let's not dump advanced technology prematurely just because we assume it's a distraction, says Mike Elgan.

Opinion: Are online comments full of paid lies?

A thriving industry of paid-for user comments pollutes social networks with fake opinions. Let the reader beware.

Are you a nomophobe?

The joys of mobile computing are not without a downside. A wide range of diseases, disorders and syndromes have emerged around our growing gadget habit.

Digital nomad survival tips you can use anywhere

Mike Elgan traveled over three continents in the past 18 months and has these tips for staying connected, keeping powered up and protecting your valuable gadgets from theft.

Does your phone need a phone of its own?

Phablets -- those smartphones almost as big a tablet -- are great, but it can be hard to get them out of a pocket or purse. Help is on the way in the form of tiny, phone-like devices that use Bluetooth to let you talk on the phone without holding a phablet up to your ear.

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