PANKAJ PATEL, CEO of Carazoo.com, started with an IBM laptop back in 1980 and maintains that old is gold. Migrating to handheld navigators and mapping software loaded on his mobile phone, he now considers playing Wii games (on a Wii console) and his colleague’s iPhone as the new phase in his journey towards geekdom.
Which is the one gadget you love to flaunt?
I love flaunting my new Parrot PMK5800. It uses Bluetooth to connect to my phone, turning into a mouthpiece, and connects to the car’s speakers with FM, making them the headpiece. When I’m connected to my Parrot, I start talking to thin air without moving a muscle. I can access my contacts by just calling out their names, and I can even route my music from my phone directly to my car stereo.
What would be the perfect geeky gift for you?
A Ziotek Media Carousel Power Drive or the Bang & Olufsen Beosound 5, touted as the ultimate sound machine. They are scheduled to be launched in March 2009.
What high-end gadget has caught your fancy?
I would love to buy the Giuliano Mazzuoli Contagiri Watch. I believe it does not use a crown to wind the watch or to set the time. It has a mechanism similar to a car gear shift and through the lunette of the watch you can carry out the functions usually done through the crown.
What gadget have you been waiting to buy?
It has to be the iPhone…it is really cool. My colleague has one and the games on it are great. My envious eyes are always on it.
Which of your gadgets makes you a proud owner?
My most recent possession — the Nokia E71. It has a QWERTY keyboard, but still maintains the lean-and-mean look. Email and browsing are truly a pleasure on it. It also has two home screens, which lets me choose between work and leisure mode.
Do you remember your first gadget? Do you still have it?
An IBM laptop from circa 1980 that had stopped working recently. I had to struggle to find someone who could repair it, but I was determined as it holds sentimental value. I succeeded, and it works to see another day.
What is the longest time that you have spent mastering a gadget?
I spent hours trying to understand the recording function on my new Tata Sky service. But, eventually, I managed to record.
Which of your gadgets makes you a proud owner?
As of now it is an office laptop in the conference room — Toshiba Qosmio G55. A built-in camera detects hand movements and interprets them as input commands. I sit three to 10 feet from the laptop and hold up my hand. By holding up a closed fist, I can move a cursor around like a mouse pointer, raising and lowering the thumb to left click on any icon or window. I wish I owned one.
