3G? Hold the phone, UK kids say

Young people in the United Kingdom say they're less inclined to buy the very latest technology and mobility gadgets these days, The Register reports.

Why? Because they sense that emerging technologies come to market before they work well, and too few new products -- the Apple iPod a mentioned exception -- really meet a need or make life easier. Some products, such as video calls on 3G mobile phones, actually create problems for young people:

Lesson to manufacturers: You can't count on young people as early adopters if your new products don't help them -- no matter how many unusual piercings or hip-hop stars you feature in your marketing campaigns.