A great article on why Japan still leads the US in terms of Gadgets.

There are a variety of reasons posited, but the main one is that gadgets are not dominated by males in Japan.

I couldn't help but be reminded of the fact that Myspace's growth came from its male/female balance, caused by teenage girls attraction to alpha males in bands.

Perhaps this gender symmetry helps achieve viral growth since hubs and key influencers are more likely to connect male -> female -> male etc.

Thanks to Keith for the article.
ASIAN POP The Gadget Gap / Why does all the cool stuff come out in Asia first?