Three relatively new phenomena have changed everything: globalization, digital cameras and blogs.

Globalization

It takes a village to launch a consumer electronics product. A smart phone designed in the U.S., for example, must be vetted and tested globally by cellular carriers and other service providers and approved by foreign governments. The phone may be manufactured in Asia while packaging and user manuals might be designed in Europe. Tech support could be offshored. Online stores around the world need significant advanced notice involving feature details, high-resolution photographs, pricing, availability and more.

A company may be able to suppress loose lips at its headquarters, but how do you keep a lid on leaks by partner companies in far-flung offices, each partner company with its own corporate cultures, laws and security systems?

The Internet has globalized information as well. Google makes available -- and even translates -- news, blogs and reports from all over the world. If juicy gadget information is posted anywhere, in any language, it will quickly spread globally in dozens of languages.