Pankaj Jindal, President of Aditi Technologies, cannot wait to get his hands on a wearable motion tracker that will read his motions in 3D and convert them into useful information — measuring the intensity and duration of physical activity, calories burned, steps taken and how long it takes him to fall asleep, among other things. While he cools his heels waiting for the motion tracker, Jindal logs on to sites like YouTube, where he can relive videos from the past.
Have you ever bought yourself a quirky gadget?
I remember buying, on my first flight to the US, back in 1999, a pen that could scan text. I used it a few times and I still have it, although I don’t know where is it at the moment in my house.
If money weren’t an object, what would you blow it on?
Martin Logan CLX electrostatic speakers, which cost about $25,000 a pair.
What gizmo gift would you like to give to your friends and family?
Over the last four years, I have gifted several flavours of the iPod — Classic, Nano, Shuffle and Touch — to my family and friends. But nothing is more thrilling than an iPod Shuffle that I bought for my grandmom, who was amazed at Punjabi folk songs streaming from out of nowhere into her ears. I was amazed to see the 75-year-old lady able to use every function on the little device in less than an hour. The iPod continues to be my favourite gadget for holiday gifts.
Do you buy eco-friendly gadgets?
I was eyeing a solar mobile phone charger, but given that I lived in Seattle with less than 50 sunny days a year, I had to ditch the idea. I do not have a green gadget yet in my arsenal, but I do consciously make an effort to conserve energy. At home, I use scheduled thermostats, doors and windows are Energy Star-rated, lights are shut off when not in use and my laptop is perpetually in a power-save mode.
What’s next on your tech shopping list?
The FitBit Tracker tops my list. Life in the software business can get sedentary. As a small, wearable device, it will be able to track my lifestyle and track my movements in 3D. It will track what I eat and how well I sleep. I see that to be a great asset for me.
Does YouTube mean anything to you?
YouTube has given me access to priceless moments from the years gone by, long buried in memory but which have remained an integral part of my life — be they videos of Sachin’s incredible last over in the Hero Cup semi-final in 1992 or Farooque Sheikh’s lip-sync to Jagjit Singh’s ghazals in his films, or even Nirma commercials from the 1980s. I love watching them on the online portal.
How much time do you spend browsing the Internet?
Between news websites, social networking (predominantly Facebook), Wikipedia, Yelp, RottenTomatoes, IMDB and iTunes, I easily spend more than three hours a day online. And that is just the time spent outside of work.
Is there any technology that holds you in its awe?
That gadget is currently still under development. It is Microsoft’s answer to Nintendo Wii. It is called Project Natal. Like Wii, it recognises human movement. However, unlike Wii, it does not need a remote. The fact that I have been able to test drive it, because I have a friend on the research team, adds to the romance. It is like watching a kid grow.
