My son, my guru

GIZMOGEEK

Monica Malhotra Kandhari, senior executive director of the publishing house MBD Group, might be busy with plans to launch India’s first Web knowledge portal, but gizmos still find a special place in her days — witness her beloved MacBook Air and her gizmo-guru son.

Which gizmo do you think is worth all the money you spent?
My MacBook Air laptop. It is thin as my index finger with 13.3 widescreen LED display, full size keyboard and large multi-touch trackpad. It has everything from slimmer hard drive to hidden I/O ports to a lower and linear profile battery.

What gadget do you find far superior than its competitors?
The iPhone. It’s a combination of three products in one — a revolutionary phone, a widescreen iPod, and a breakthrough Internet device.

Who’s your one-stop gizmo guru?
My son, because he is updated with the latest innovations. Children these days are much more conscious about the best gizmos and gadgets available in the market through the media and Internet. My new MacBook Air was suggested by him because he knows that I have to travel a lot and need to carry the most portable things with me.

Do any gizmos distract you from work?
My phone. Unwanted calls tend to distract me.

Name a gizmo that you think is highly overrated.
The Nokia N-95, as it lacks camera protection. It doesn’t have a camera lens protector. Secondly, its battery life is very unpredictable, and then the GPS feature performs at lower level compared to other GPS capable phones. The phone surface is very vulnerable to smudges and fingerprints, removing these recurring smudges is quite difficult. N-series also has a problem where the software tends to hang.

How helpful do you find gadget magazines? Which ones do you read?
I do not read gadget magazines regularly. However, at times I do browse through T3.

Name a gadget that was gifted to you and that is special to you.
My iPhone.

Is there a gizmo you haven’t been able to figure out?
The Canon 450D digital camera. However, people say that it’s a fantastic camera in terms of features, interface, ergonomics and quality.

How often do you buy gadgets? Which is the latest?
I generally buy gadgets as per my requirements. The latest one is my laptop.

Do you keep any outdated gadgets for sentimental or practical value?
A very old gramophone.

Is there any particular gadget brand you swear by?
There is nothing in particular. It all depends on the product I want to buy.