Ruslan Kogan said if he was worried about big brand backlash he would never have launched his self-branded business. Picture: Kogan Source: Supplied
- Entrepreneur plans to shake up tech industry
- Kogan names top five gadgets he will "disrupt"
- Kogan not concerned about big brand backlash
BARELY a month after the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), entrepreneur Ruslan Kogan already has his plan to shake up the retail technology industry in 2012 laid out.
The CEO of online store Kogan has picked out the top five devices at CES he plans to ?disrupt? in 2012. And by ?disrupt?, he means ?create gadgets that do the same thing for much lower prices?.
Interpret that how you will, but you can expect ?disrupted? IPTVs, Android 4.0 tablets, Ultrabooks, iPad docks and high-end headphones to join Kogan?s line of low-priced gadgets in 2012.
So here it is - the top five CES technologies Ruslan Kogan plans to "disrupt" in 2012:
Kogan is developing one of the world's first open platform internet-enabled televisions. Picture: Samsung
Source: Supplied
Internet-enabled TV
Kogan has already created a little box that turns any television into an internet-enabled SmartTV but Mr Kogan says the industry is still lacking in the built-in internet TV department.
?Whether you call it internet, IPTV, or Smart TV, all the current options are clunky, and worst of all they're mostly closed solutions,? Mr Kogan said.
?The big brands have a vested interest in tying you down to one, closed environment. The industry needs a jolt.?
Kogan will be releasing a ?truly open internet TV? that allows users to view all sorts of content, apps, channels, games and rental services all on the one set for 30 to 40 per cent of the price of leading brand televisions.
A high-end iPad dock will cost you $1500. Kogan will be releasing their own half-priced product. Picture: BeoSound
Source: Supplied
iPad Docks
IPads are quickly becoming entertainment hubs but there are not many solutions that let you dock an iPad or tablet in your home, Mr Kogan said.
?We'll see more and more in 2012.?
?One of the few good ones out there is the B&O BeoSound 8, and it's very pricey at nearly $1500.
?We'd be looking at releasing a Kogan branded iPad dock at a fraction of that price.?
Kogan is planning to reveal an Android 4.0 tablet for half the price of competition models. Picture: Pinoytutorial.com
Source: Supplied
Android 4.0 Tablets
Mr Kogan said Android is continuing to improve as a viable alternative to the iPad.
?We've had a play with Android 4.0 operating system (aka Ice Cream Sandwich) here at Kogan and it's great,? he said.
The Asus Transformer Prime is currently the only tablet on the market that has Android?s latest operating system, and it sells for $799.
?We?re aiming to reveal an Android 4.0 tablet in the coming weeks with all the bells and whistles that will be at least 50 per cent cheaper than all the competition,? Mr Kogan said.
Mr Kogan says a lot has changed about Ultrabooks, except the price. He plans to change that. Picture: HP
Source: Supplied
Ultrabooks
Portable computing has come a long way, Mr Kogan said. The numbers of Ultrabooks on offer at CES showed that leading brands are finally offering alternatives to the MacBook Air that are lightweight, thin devices with decent processing power and good battery life.
However, he said the one thing that hadn?t changed in this market was the price.
?These brands are getting comfortable selling them for more than $1000, and when people are used to now spending much less than this for tablets, it's hard for many to justify spending this much on a laptop,? Mr Kogan said.
?We want to make great looking and powerful laptops more affordable. We're a few months off this product, but expect it at around the $500 mark.?
Mr Kogan says his name-brand high-end headphones won't charge users for cheesy celebrity endorsements. Picture: Vibe.com
Source: Supplied
High end headphones
High end headphones are becoming increasingly popular with Australian music lovers. But they come at a price.
?You're often paying for the expensive celebrity endorsement such as Dr Dre and 50 Cent,? said Mr Kogan.
Kogan currently sells discounted high-end headphones but the retailer is looking to enter the market with their own brand this year.
?They'll be much cheaper than all the competition while still offering the same technology and specifications that produce awesome quality audio,? Mr Kogan said.
?You won't be paying for the cheesy celebrities spruiking the product, or the bloated business model from the bigger brands.?
Worried? Not Kogan
It?s not the first time the rogue entrepreneur has stuck it to retailers.
Last year Kogan enraged Nescafe after ?disrupting? their $369 Espresso machine with his own model that fit the Nescafe pods for just $189. He was�also threatened with legal action by Apple for selling discounted Samsung Galaxy Tabs on its website.
But is he worried? Oh no.
?If we were concerned about that, this business would never have been launched,? Mr Kogan said.
?The big brands are often upset by what we do, but that doesn't faze us. We always speak the truth - we say it how it is - no matter who it might upset.
?We're all about upsetting the status quo, and creating these products at unheard of price points.?�
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