Jason Dunn
12-13-2004, 04:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/archive/2004/12/09/gadgetgap.DTL&type=tech' target='_blank'>http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/archive/2004/12/09/gadgetgap.DTL&type=tech</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Cell phones that do everything but make toast (although appropriate attachments are probably available from third-party accessory vendors). Gigapixel digital cameras. Laptops so tiny that "My dog ate my homework" is once again a valid excuse. And, of course, the most incredible toilets in the history of humankind. Some of these devices eventually plod over to U.S. shores months or even years after they've become obsolete in Japan. But many never arrive here at all. Why is it that Japanese manufacturers (and, increasingly, those in Korea and China as well) have such a death grip on consumer-electronics cool? And why are Americans deprived of the choicest fruits of this technological bounty? The answers to these questions offer an intriguing look at how culture shapes technology -- and vice versa."</i><br /><br />This is a fascinating article - if you're ever wondered why Asian markets routinely get the cool technology first, this article answers that question. It's a mix of cultural, economic, and infrastructure issues - and after reading this article, I'm left with the distinct impression that this is an issue that won't be changing in the next 50 years.