Having graduated from the days when his Windows machine gave up mid-presentation, Ajay Adiseshann, managing director and founder, PayMate, has found true love in Apple iPod and iPhone.
Which of your gadgets was a complete waste of money?
Definitely the iMate PDA, which was slow, complex and delivered an unfriendly user experience. Next was Samsung's so-called credit card-sized phone. These phones were so annoying that I do not remember the model numbers.
What is the costliest contraption you have bought, to date?
It would have to be my BMW 3-series, which is more than just a car. It has a full-blown computer on board, something that I am still trying to figure out.
What are your favourite gadgets?
Presently, my iPhone and my portable active speakers by a company called Klipsch. They make wonderful loudspeakers and the quality is unmatchable. I connect my iPhone or even iPod to it and can listen to hi-fidelity music, unlike most of the other portables which have terrible sound output, including Bose.
What is the next gadget on your must-buy list?
Has to be another iPhone, but with more memory, whenever it is launched. The current iPhone, despite boasting 8GB of space is insufficient for all my music needs. I thus have another iPod (a 30GB one) to lug my music around. Another must-buy is a floor-standing pair of Active speakers that would have a larger soundstage than my current portable ones.
Describe a wacky application you have fun experimenting with.
The entire suite of i-applications on my Apple Macbook Pro, including iTunes, iPhoto, iDVD and Garage Band, to name a few, can keep me engaged for hours. Moreover, the level of integration between these is so seamless that you sometime wonder why others just don't get it.
If you could, what kind of dream gadget would you build?
I would build myself a time machine.
Tell us about the most embarrassing moment you've had while exhibiting your tech skills.
It used to happen all the time with my Windows machine. It would hang at the most inappropriate moment and otherwise. Fortunately, those days are over.
