Darn those microwaves

GIZMOGEEK

Will the Apple iPhone take Robin Lloyd, vice president and general manager, Lionbridge India, to convergence-device nirvana? For the moment, he is resigned to using different gadgets for voice, data and music. His endless wish-list includes the return of wi-fi access on airplanes, but he bemoans the rapid obsolescence of gadgets.

How many gadgets do you carry on you?

On weekdays the Black-Berry 8700g and the Nokia 6230i sit in my briefcase and on my desk. On weekends they are joined by my 60GB video iPod.

Is there a gadget you just haven't got around to using?

My Bose noise-cancelling headphones. They really make a difference when flying or in the car. But they are bulky, and never fit into my briefcase.

What's the greatest life-saving application for today's executives?

Email filters. So much of today's business communication is non-value-added, so it is essential to sift through the noise.

What's on your gadget wish-list for the year?

A whiteboard with scanner and optical character recognition. The perfect device in this arena does not yet exist, but I need the ability to brainstorm on a whiteboard and have those ideas easily captured and shared in electronic form. Outside the office, I am ogling the Nikon D80 digital SLR camera.

Name a gadget you regret having bought this year.

I am never satisfied with my television purchases, since a new-and-improved model invariably releases within a few months. TV technology has become what computers were 10 years ago.

Are you a blogger?

Not regularly. I much prefer one-to-one communication for its specificity of message. I spend enough time on podiums offline.

Is there one technology you're afraid to use? After all these years, I still am uncomfortable with the science behind a microwave oven. I'll stand in another room when the microwave is working.

What is your most embarrassing technology moment?

Undoubtedly a wayward email. Reason #36,958,372 why the 'Reply All' feature should be disabled in all email programmes.