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."

  • 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, stupid and sick.

  • 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 Editor Ken Mingis and NPD Group analyst Ross Rubin. The panel was tied -- two said yes, and two said no, so Tracy turned to me to break the tie.

  • 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.

  • 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 online. It does this not when you connect to your PC, but constantly over your phone's data connection.

  • 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 consumer awareness about the issue of locked mobile phones.

  • 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 call on PC makers and consumer electronics companies to steal those secrets so they can start making better products.

  • Why cell phones are still grounded

    How many times have you heard this?: "At this time, all electronic devices, including cell phones and two-way pagers, must be turned off and put away. After takeoff, I'll let you know when you may use approved electronic portable devices."