Exploring for new gadgets all the time, Vivek Bhargava, CEO of Communicate2, is definitely an inquisitive geek. He has not only discovered a few hidden features on his BlackBerry but is also one of the few people who could actually programme a VCR to record TV programmes based on time and date.
Which of your gadgets are you proud to own?
The audio system in my car makes me really proud. I have installed Illusion Audio’s eight-speaker set system that reportedly even Hollywood stars like Will Smith have in their cars. The fidelity and base of the speakers are the best I have ever heard, though there’s no space left in my car boot.
What was your first true gadget?
My Atari home computer that connected to my television was my first gadget. Thankfully I don’t have it any more while my Sony Vaio has become the rightful replacement for the same.
Have your gadgets ever came to your rescue?
My latest gadget, a universal remote for my home, has become the latest blessing as handling different remotes for my TV, AC, DVD, set top box was becoming a chore.
Have you ever fixed a broken gadget yourself?
I do like playing with gadget software, so have fixed many things on the software side of things, recovered data, fixed software glitches. However, I am not good on the hardware side.
Which gadget do you like to show off?
I think the show-off period is during the initial period of the gadget. Earlier it was the iPhone, now it is my new Logitech universal remote.
What’s the geekiest thing you’ve ever done?
There are quite a few geeky things I have done — most of them are simple things, though. For example, I had always been told that one cannot shut push email on a BlackBerry, so emails would disturb you in evenings too. I discovered how to switch off only the data services of BlackBerry.
What’s the longest time that you have spent mastering a gadget?
Nearly a week — I was one of the few guys who had programmed our VCR to record TV programmes based on time and date. A study has shown that 99.99 per cent of the VCRs in the world blink the time as 00:00.
What’s the perfect geeky gift for you?
I want to buy so many gadgets! I would like a flip camera that records and uploads directly to YouTube. I would also love a WiFi-enabled SD card that can transfer images through WiFi to PCs and, lately, I have my eye on this new mouse from Logitech which is an optical mouse remote pointer doubling up as a Wii remote too.
