David Pogue

David Pogue's Speech Descriptions

David Pogue brings his vast experience of technology as the founder of Yahoo Tech to overviews of the newest products on the market, the latest science and what can be expected in the future.

David’s presentations are highly entertaining, often combining his talents in magic with extraordinary anecdotes concerning the wild things he has done as a host of four NOVA miniseries on PBS all delivered with his trademark humor.

Whether speaking on the power of disruptive technology, the failings of science in America or why products fail, David guarantees you thoughtful insights combined with a wonderfully engaging presentation for a keynote you will never forget.

Disruptive Tech: The Unrecognizable New World of Tech and Culture
Wearable tech, the cloud, drones, the quantified self, the Internet of Things, self-driving cars, augmented reality: the tech of our world is changing faster and faster. But the fascinating part is the effect it’s having on the society and culture we once new. What will life be like when printed newspapers and printed books are niche relics? What are the ramifications of the massive services-for-privacy trade that young people, especially, seem willing to make?

In this funny, fast-paced snapshot of the new world, Yahoo Tech columnist David Pogue will bring you up to date–and help you consider what we’ll gain, what we’ll lose, and what beliefs will shift into something we’ve never seen before.

Science, Schmience: Why America’s Failing Science—& How We Can Turn It Around
The STEM fields (science, tech, engineering, math) drive America’s economy; they fuel the country’s innovation, commerce, defense, and business.

But American test scores, graduation rates, and STEM dominance have been declining steadily for 20 years. And even though a quarter of incoming freshmen intend to major in a technical subject 75 percent of them switch majors by graduation. What’s going on? And how can we compete if we don’t fix the situation, fast?

In this fascinating, cutting-edge presentation, PBS "Nova" science host (and Yahoo Tech founder) David Pogue surveys all of the factors—financial, political, cultural, and educational—and looks at our chances for turning around America’s science future.

The Digital Generation Comes Of Age
For the last 20 years, computers and technology have been part of the everyday curriculum for a generation or two of digitally privileged kids — and, as they become the majority, it’s showtime.

As computer-literate children become America’s new leaders, visionaries, and designers, how will their digital upbringing affect society and culture? Tech columnist David Pogue takes a thoughtful, funny look at how the tidal wave will hit as the digital generation enters prime time: what we’ll gain, what we’ll lose, and what beliefs and approaches will shift into something we’ve never seen before.

Should Science Be Allowed to be Interesting? One Man's Insane Journey through a TV Career on PBS
David Pogue, non-scientist, was plucked out of obscurity to host four NOVA miniseries on PBS. The mission: to illustrate cutting-edge scientific developments as clearly and as entertainingly as possible. Fulfilling this task has involved hang gliding, landing on a nuclear carrier, handling 10-foot sharks underwater, firing an AK-47, slicing a brain in half, and pouring a $12 million gold bar–so far.

In this lavishly photographed, highly hilarious talk, Pogue will share the experience of a lifetime–and opine on the state of science, television, and humor in America.

Why Products Fail
In his 25 years reviewing tech products, David Pogue has seen his share of turkeys. Many were so obviously failures a kindergartener could have spotted them. Sometimes the problem is design. But more often, it’s procedural, having to do with misfires in communication, PR, marketing, or groupthink. In this entertaining talk, he’ll revisit some horrifying disasters from his journalism career—and, more importantly, pick apart how things went off the tracks.

David Pogue’s Tech Update 2014 (2015, 2016...)
The very simple premise here: If you want to know what of importance is going on in the world of technology, Yahoo Tech columnist David Pogue is the perfect tour guide.

This talk is constantly updated to represent what’s going on in tech right now, whether it’s the gadgets themselves, amazing free Internet services, or social-media shockwaves. But it’s not just the technology—wearable computers, self-driving cars, the Internet of Things; it’s also the effect it’s having on the society and culture we once new.

The talk was originally designed for groups who hire David to return to their conferences each year, so they’d be sure to see fresh, funny material every time—but it turns out to be just a great standalone, highly entertaining crash course in what’s worth knowing about at the time of your event.

Dave’s Mobile Show-and-Tell
David Pogue reviews over 200 products a year. If anyone can identify the breakthroughs, he can.

In this lively presentation—half talk, half magic show—David will present and actually demonstrate the latest and most amazing mobile gadgets, and offer his mini-critiques of each. The assortment changes monthly, of course, but past presentations have included the cellphone that offers unlimited free calls via Wi-Fi; the memory card that beams photos instantly onto Flickr; the secret of getting Directory Assistance for free on your cellphone (rather than $2 per call from your carrier); the latest breakthroughs in speech recognition; and, of course, the coolest, latest apps.

Prepare to have your mind blown—and your credit card stressed.

The Power of Simplicity
Why are consumers so fed up with their computers? "Software rage" has become an epidemic, help lines are flooded, and people are flinging their machines out the window in frustration.

More often than not, the problem is the software design itself–the interface. The design of programs and Web sites grows in importance every day. Getting it right–packing a lot of features, the right way, into a small screen area–is extremely difficult, and the masters of the art are few and far between. But David Pogue, who analyzes software design each week in his Yahoo Tech column, has found some fascinating real-world examples that illustrate both clever solutions and horrifying failures. He’ll also look forward to interface design of the future–speech, animation, and other innovations–as we move into an era of both much bigger and much smaller screens.