Ian has been presenting the Gadgets TV show for over 10 years. He brings insane amounts of energy and completely immerses himself in any gadget he gets his hands on.
You have been presenting the Gadgets TV Show for over 10 years and for the first time ever, you will be presenting in front of a live audience at the Gadgets EXPO at the Malta Robotic Olympiad. How do you feel about presenting in front of a live audience?
Having an audience in front of you is great – you get an instant reaction. If I am explaining something which isn’t being understood, the audience can let me know immediately. This gives me the opportunity to explain what I want to say in a better way.
I am also very excited to see the audience feel and touch the gadgets on display. Normally on our Gadgets TV show, there is a lack of tangibility and a limit to what viewers can experience. If I am showing sound clarity from a speaker on TV, the audience can only experience the sound through their television. With a live audience, they can truly experience it on a sensory level.
You’ve experienced a host of different gadgets throughout the years. How has your experience with such a variety of gadgets shaped what will be on display at the GADGETS Expo?
I am exposed to so much technology, not only from the programme, but also in my day to day life. Not too sound too cliché, but gadgets are my life. If it weren’t for the show, I would still be doing something related to them. I’m hoping that all these experiences will enable me to answer any questions put forward to me during the Expo.
Is there an aspect of the Expo that you are particularly excited about?
I am really looking forward to meeting people. It will be great to speak to the them and get their live reactions. I believe that I can truly learn more about gadgets by understanding the different ways in which they are used by others.
I am also excited to transfer my love of gadgets to a live audience. I believe the Expo can serve as a platform to inspire people about the variety of gadgets available – both locally and internationally.
You were born a techie – building PC’s since your early teens. Will we be seeing any of your techie skills at the GADGETS Expo?
I am a techie and I am a nerd. My first experience was building PCs such as 3A6s and 4A6s – models so old that probably nobody remembers!
I like to build things and constantly open gadgets. I enjoy customising anything tech-related. At the Expo, I hope to involve myself in something techie. There will be an area dedicated to fixing broken mobile phones and I am hoping I get to put my fixing skills to the test. I love getting my hands dirty and I am passionate about opening and fixing any type of gadget. I am ready to be as technical and hands on as required.
Is there a gadget you wanted at the Expo but you were unable to exhibit?
There’s a really cool gadget which I saw at a fair recently – a full body 3D scanner which creates a colour 3D model. We were unable to bring this to Malta due logisitics. It is massive – the size of a bedroom and whenever it’s used, it requires rebuilding and dismantling.
Another great gadget is the Virtual Reality chair. This allows you to put on a VR headset and the chair will create movements which mimic the VR world for an immersed experience. These chairs are logistically and financially difficult to bring – but you never know maybe next year it can be part of our Expo.
Is there a gadget you can’t live without?
Difficult question. But I would have to say My Macbook Pro. I do everything with it. I also can’t live without my tools which allow me to open and manipulate gadgets. I like to break, open and fix things so I need the tools which allow me to do this.
Want to meet Ian? Come visit him and the rest of the Gadgets team at the Gadgets EXPO and the Malta Robotic Olympiad at MFCC, Ta Qali between the 10th of May until 12th of May.
