Triple-storey jhuggi framer

GIZMOGEEK

The iPhone is creating ripples in the Indian market, but Yashish Dahiya, CEO of PolicyBazaar.com dismisses it as an overrated gizmo. It’s just eye-candy for the young, he says, while he praises the feature-rich Nikon D-40X, which helped him capture many memorable moments.

What gizmo do you regret spending so much money on?
I read through blogs and product specs before I buy a product, so it’s generally what I need. Having said that, I got myself a Bluetooth headset for my BlackBerry. This was two weeks before they forbade its usage while driving in Delhi. So, sadly, now it’s just a paperweight to me.

Who’s your one-stop gizmo guru?
The Internet has the answers to everything today. I like to read a number of articles and blogs about the gizmos I buy. Gizmodo.com is one site I like, but I do Google around to ensure that what I buy is right for me.

What gadget have you been waiting to buy?
I am looking forward to a good broadband data card. Always on the move, I miss having high-speed Internet access . The number of WiFi zones in India are still not very many so there is clearly a need for a high-speed data card solution in India.

What gizmo distracts you most from work?
Nothing at present, but my passion for photography always made me carry my Nikon D-40X around. I shoot pictures of people, their lifestyle and behaviour. My last spree was to shoot ingenious ideas I would see people come up with. The best was a triple-storey jhuggi I took a picture of in one of the slums in Delhi.

Name one gizmo you think is far superior to its competition.
The iPod. There are dozens of MP3 and MP4 players in the market, but the iPod is a class apart. The sound is so clear I couldn’t believe it when I heard it. That was an instant buy. The competition needs to really do lots of progressive work before it can come close.

Any gadget you just can’t figure out?
It was my son who figured out the PlayStation Pro I got him for his birthday. He can beat me on it with his hands tied behind his back.

What’s your response to the hype around the iPhone in India?
The iPhone is hyped beyond its actual value. It doesn’t support Flash and Java very well, yet claims to include everything to do with the Internet. The price is another shocker, being almost four times its price in the US. To me, it is a gizmo for the young.

Should any particular gadget be banned?
I think hidden cameras and audio devices should be banned. They are misused more than any other gadget. As Indians, our privacy is of utmost importance to us. These gadgets allow miscreants to invade anyone’s privacy any time.

Do you swear by any particular brand of gadgets?
Not really, but I do have some standards for each type of gadget: For instance, in laptops I am always drawn to Apple, in phones I prefer Nokia to the others, and in cameras I rate Nikon higher than most.