The games people play these days...

GIZMOGeek

A self-confessed BlackBerry addict, Pankaj Kedia, regional manager (systems "" China, India and South East Asia), Autodesk, would like nothing better than a time machine that could accelerate him into the future. With his eye on Sony's PlayStation 3, the gaming aficionado spends six hours per week pursuing gaming seriously.

Name one wacky application that you've had fun with.
I used to love the Bulletin Board System, which allowed users to dial over a phone line and download software, upload data, read news and exchange messages with other users. I spent a lot of time on it and was a big contributor. Those were the early days of the Internet and the friends you made then were the people who went on to build some of India's largest and most successful technology companies.

What's the next gadget on your must-buy list?
The Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3). I am big on gaming and already own the PS2 and Xbox. I'm eyeing the next generation of gaming consoles and that's why I look forward to the PS3's superior image quality and more immersive game play. On average I spend anywhere between five and six hours every week playing games, and this is very important to me.

Do you have a favourite gadget, without which you cannot survive?
My BlackBerry. I am a total BlackBerry addict and can often be found glued to it, either checking mails or working with the various web tools.

If you were a gadget, what would you choose to be?
I am not sure I'd want to be a gadget. I kind of like the idea of being human and exploiting the gadgets rather than being a gadget and being exploited.

What was the most embarrassing moment you've had while showing off your tech skills?
Trying to connect my laptop to a projector at a seminar, I clumsily got it hooked up and synced, but I could not to get the videos I needed to play. All this while around 500 people waited.

Which of your gadgets was a total waste of money?
One of the earlier PDA devices, the Palm, which ended up being relatively ineffective, and too bulky to lug around.

If you could, whose computer would you hack?
I would never want to hack anyone's computer. I am a big supporter of privacy protection.