In Asian countries, iPhone won’t be as popular due to the high number of “other” devices out on the market.

iPhone price cuts in Japan prove that iPhone is still priced too high for Asian consumers.

Let me explain why iPhone cannot be popular in Asia:

When I used to live in South Korea for years, we didn’t goto BestBuy or the local AT&T shop.  For the cheapest prices in South Korea, there’s this “town” called the Electronic Town.  You go here and there’s about 1000 different phones in each store.  (And there’s about 1000 different cellphone shops lined up everywhere)

Above is a screenshot of a typical “electronic” mall in Korea.  As you can see, this is just one of the many (usually around 7-10 floors) floors in just one of the many electronic malls.

Each of those circles represent a cellphone shop.  Some cell Samsung phone, LG phones, and some sell a mixed variety.  Each of these cellphone shops have different prices and the consumer must haggle for the best prices.

Now, can you see how iPhone can pop in one of these stores usually sponsored by big companies in Korea like LG and Samsung?  Even if iPhone does get sold in the stores, there’s usually 100s of other great phones at fraction of the price.

Aside from competing in these cell phone “malls”, iPhone itself isn’t really practical enough for people to cash out double, triple for another similar-grade Samsung phone.

On top of that, Asian countries have about 2-3 years advanced models of Samsung and LG phones.  The Samsung and LG phones you see in America are about 2-3 years old, they are the “leftovers” Samsung need to sell off.

So the mystery is, there’s so many new, innovative phones in Korea, why would you need iPhone?

Most phones in Korea come with air-frequency-enabled TV, iPhone is still selling outdated technology (YouTube) to us American consumers.

Don’t get me wrong, iPhone still have the best mobile browser, but it’s simply made for the “English” speaking countries, not localized for any Asian people.

If you don’t believe me, take a look at how popular Google search engine is in Korea, not very popular indeed, worse than Yahoo by many factors, and Yahoo ranks lower than Korean search engines.

Localization is not a part of the iPhone, therefore failure of sales in Japan and probably other Asian countries.

I think for iPhone to be popular, there’s gotta be reasons more than the great Safari browser, right now, that’s the only reason I’d buy one.

Check out this little nifty cigarette box hands-free headset, which will go nicely in your center compartment of your car without all the cancerous smoke.

This ridiculous device plugs into your cell phone and lets you make calls by speaking into the cigarette box. Don’t ask me. I don’t get it either. I suppose the good news is that you shouldn’t end up with lung cancer from using these cigs. And thanks to its “Anti-Electromagnetic Waves” capability, brain cancer won’t be a problem either.

via technabob, Product Page

Remember the Garmin Nuvifone?  Well, it seems like ASUS will be making them, not Garmin.

Is this a good news?

I guess, ASUS seems to be tackling every part of gadget business now including cellphones.  Heck, Garmin’s never made cellphones before, just GPS…

Let’s see how the final products ends up.  (Probably shitty since it’s their first try, might be better to wait for Gamin’s Nuvifone 2, don’t become the guinea pig like the iPhone)

ASUS announced that it will manufacture Garmin’s first handset ‘nuvifone’ which is a one-of-a-kind device supporting cell phone, personal navigator and web browser.

via aving

Click Here to View in Full Screen Mode

Wow, this is thing is AWESOME!!!

This guy could make a lot of money making this into a “world” travel virtual world.

Sun has been very successful in spreading Java to over 6 billion devices throughout the world. Well over a billion cell phone run Java. We in Sun Labs are interested in what comes next. In order to help make sure that the next generation of gadgets is based Sun technology, we developed Sun Small Programable Object Technology (SPOT). We’ve created an experimental platform to inspire developers to build the next great toy, sensor, communication device — who knows — using Sun technology. Our Sun SPOT devices make include a flexible hardware platform as well as the software and tools to make it easy to innovate, experiment, and prototype whatever a developer can imagine.

via hackedgadgets

Here’s an interesting concept or prototype wrist tracker that can log all kinds of jogging details including but not limited to GPS + GPS tracking.  You can even hook up to GoogleMaps to get your directions.

Look at this new product.It’s a Cell phone+GPS tracker+GPS datalogger+Sporty watch With GPS trakcing/find friend/sporty management functions Release time: April 2008

Wrist Tracker is a stylish device with built-in GPS and GSM modules and high performance antenna.
System setting is both by SMS and USB socket. LCD screen displays system setting/coordination data/satellite indicator etc.

It can transmit the longitude and latitude coordinate to your cell phone by the short message service, then you can find its location on the free Google maps© or any other map software. Also it can be tracked online at real time by GPRS.

Find maximum 6 friend’s position on the screen by the ditection arrow and distance indication. Calculate your exhaused calorie under running or cycling mode.

Data Logger function saves up to 27000 points, record all routes and maps into Google Earth.

[via gizmodo coolestgadgets]

Schlage announces their new web-enabled door locks which can be controlled/monitored through the web and your cellphone.

Schlage is adding an automated twist to its well-known door locks: a wireless, Internet-enabled product that can be locked, unlocked and monitored via PC, cell phone, or any other device with a Web browser.

The product is based on Schlage’s line of keypad locks, “which outsold all competitive locks within the first year of being officially launched,” according to Dwight Gibson, general manager, Intelligent Residential Security, for Ingersoll Rand, the parent company of Schlage.

[via engadget cepro]