Stories by Mike Elgan

Why 3D will fail in 2010

James Cameron's hotly anticipated 3D movie, "Avatar," hits theaters across the U.S. today. Besides stunning computer generated imagery and a predictable-but-appealing storyline, the movie will become well known for high-quality 3D.

Hello, tablets. Good-bye, netbooks!

Look, I know you like the netbook idea -- and you love netbook prices. If you're like most people, you think tablets are expensive, slow, heavy and a pain to use. But if you've bought one, you know that netbooks aren't as great as they sound. And next year's tablets will be way better than you think.

How to fix the keyboard crisis

Everything gets better, right? Cheaper. Faster. Smaller. This is especially true for the smallest devices -- cell phones, netbooks and e-book readers.

7 reasons e-book readers make lousy gifts this year

Two years ago, the best holiday gift was an Amazon Kindle -- if you could get your hands on one. They were hot, new and sold out hours after going on sale. Last year, the Kindle made an awesome gift as well.

Online publishing for the cheap and lazy

I'm a lazy cheapskate. And I'm often on the move. But as a columnist, I'm also interested in exposing as many readers as possible to my brilliant insights - which means I should engage in social media and online publishing.

Why every child needs a GPS cell phone

The root of America's health crisis is bad habits formed in childhood. To protect children from harm, parents are keeping kids indoors, where they get sick, watch TV and form lifelong habits of screen addiction, inactivity and junk-food overeating.

How tech is changing banks

It wasn't long ago that bank customers judged the quality of their local financial institutions by the sturdiness of their columns and vault doors. That idea is a throwback to an era when money was physical, and so was security.

Is digital nomad living going mainstream?

Sell the house and the car. Put up all your possessions on eBay. Pack your bags and buy a one-way ticket to some exotic location. The plan? "Telecommute" from wherever you happen to be. Earn an American salary, but pay Third-World prices for food and shelter.

Haptics: The feel-good technology of the year

The touch screen is taking over cell phones, and soon mobile computing and even desktop computing. Both Apple and Microsoft are working on a transition to touch-enabled versions of OS X and Windows. Touch screens are coming in, and keyboards and mice are on their way out.

Elgan: How to become an iPhone Vulcan

Star Trek's Mr. Spock is one of the most compelling characters in all of science fiction. The attributes that made him indispensible to the captain and crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise (not to mention to the lucrative Star Trek franchise) -- his stoic attitude, mastery of logic, accelerated education and physical fitness -- also happen to be key ingredients of success right here on Earth.

Why Dell should buy Palm

Palm Inc. needs money to survive. Dell Inc. needs a handset business to compete. I think Dell should acquire Palm immediately. The union would benefit both companies, as well as investors, the industry and, most of all, users.

Bashing Bing, whacking Wave

Industry titans Microsoft Corp. and Google Inc. are getting rave reviews this week about innovative new approaches to Internet search and communications, respectively.

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