Way through the gadget maze

GIZMOGEEK

Saket Agarwal, CEO of Cellebrum Technologies, is your I-want-the-remote-control kind of gadget junkie. And he thinks the celebrated BlackBerry is much too overrated for what it has to offer.

Name a gadget buy you regret having spent so much money on.
Years ago I had purchased a DVD player, but at that time DVDs were not easily available in the Indian market, so I was left with no option but to use CDs and VCDs instead. The picture and sound quality proved to be a really poor substitute for the real stuff. By the time DVDs did become easily accessible, the player was obsolete.

Is there a gadget you lost and still feel bad about losing?
A TV remote control that had a formidable range; it would work from any distance and direction. Five sets later, and many brands tried and rejected, I just gave up trying to find a substitute.

What gadget have you been waiting to buy?
A single device for all communication, commerce and authentication needs, with all necessary security checks and power backup, and an ability to adapt across geographies via physical media, GSM, Wi-fi or Wi-Max, seamlessly.

What gizmo distracts you from work?
The harmless-looking office desk phone.

What gizmo is highly overrated?
The BlackBerry! With all that has been spent (money, resources, knowledge, research, R&D, et cetera), the results it delivers are poor value for money. Devoid of a touch screen, it has become a burden to carry along with a phone for making calls.

Name a gizmo that you feel is far superior to its competition?
The Bose music system, coming from an Indian entrepreneur and with huge premium, it’s truly value-for-money with no comparables in the market.

Is there a gadget you still have not been able to figure out?
Sync ML of various kinds and Jungle Maze, created contrary to the promise of ease.

Name a gadget you can’t do without, apart from your cellphone?
Mother of networks: the Internet. Thus, a data access device, be it cellphone- or laptop-based, the prerequisite is that it must have Internet.

What gadget do you think should be banned?
Cellphone usage of all individuals in control of the steering of the car should be banned via jammer. Alternatively, drivers should be encouraged to use many easily available tools which are proficient yet simple to use, like gadget-holders, connecting them to car speakers, using headphones, and so on, that can decrease road accidents and deaths.