Celeb Gizmo -Rahul Dev

Q: Are you a gadget freak?
A: Not exactly, but I can't resist possessing a few things that give me pleasure. For example, I can't stay without my traveling DVD player.

Q: What gadgets do you own?
A: As I said, I have a traveling DVD player, which I take along wherever I go. I am a big movie freak. And there's an i-Pod, which can store up to 20,000 songs, which I think is quite adequate. I am a big fan of U2's lead vocalist Bono and that was the reason I bought the i-Pod. It was a limited edition with Bono's signature on it. And both the i-Pod and the signature are priceless for me.

Q: What is your latest prized possession?
A: I am planning to buy a gadget that can store up to 64 films, and with a battery standby of 24 hrs. It's called Argon. So when I go out for weekends I can watch as many movies I want without actually having to bother about charging the batteries. Argon can play non-stop for 24 hours. I can watch three to four movies a week and I wouldn't have to download new movies for months.

Q: Are you tech-savvy? How important is it to be tech-savvy in today's world?
A: Everyone in today's world is tech-savvy, even my son knows how to send e-mails and pictures across the world using Internet. My dad who is 79 also knows all these. So it's very important for everyone to be tech-savvy. If someone is not, he/she would need help from others even for mundane daily work. So now you can gauge the importance of technology. Even I have some knowledge about changing technology.

Q: There are a lot of complicated gadgets that are expensive too. What do you have to say about them?
A: Price is not an issue for me. What's important is that it should serve my purpose. It should give me the pleasure that I am looking for. I know the DVD player I am using is very expensive but I am a film buff and I need it. I don't upgrade my mobile phones very often because I don't have an inclination towards it. I even take time to learn the functions of the latest mobile phone models.

Q: Do you think the whopping price tags gadgets have today in the market are justified?
A: I shopped for DVDs the entire day in a shop in London. The cost of one is 29 pounds and I don't think it's justified. But I am against piracy so I had to pay that amount. They do have discounts, you can purchase three DVDs for just 20 pounds, but then, you won't get the desired deal.

Q: Modern gadgets in the market have made us rely on them completely. Your comments.
A: I still use a pen and an old dairy, so I don't think I am dependent on technology. Of course I think a lot of people have succumbed to technology. But at the same time, it has made life more comfortable. One can send his message across to anywhere on earth in seconds.

Q: What gadgets are you passionate about?
A: About my DVDs, I have 2,600 of them and I am very possessive about them.

-Jayant Mishra (SAMPURN)