My Gadget: Ronnie Apteker’s Facebook revolution

Ronnie Apteker, the original pioneer of the commercial Internet in South Africa and founder of Internet Solution, now in his second life as a movie producer, is working on his next production. He took time out to tell us about his favourite gadgets ‚ which do not include cellphones!

Ask Ronnie Apteker what he does for a living, and he’ll tell you he hasn’t made money in a very long time:

‚I am trying to create a sustainable company to make feature filmsbut so far, 10 years in, it has been very hard on the soul. But, I have not given up, and we are getting closer to our end goal. I am a workaholic obsessed entrepreneur and a dreamer, and I am trying to climb the biggest mountain now with our new film, ‚Material’.

‚I am alsoinvolved in a few online ventures, and I still have tremendous excitement and passion for all things computerized and digital.‚

1. What is the earliest gadget you can remember buying (when, where, why did you buy it?)

It was called ‚The big bucket‚ ‚ I was 10 years old. I still have it. I got it in a toy shop in Cape Town in the Gardens Centre. I got it as a birthday present from my mom.

2. What phone do you use and why?

I got some kind of Nokia phone ‚ but I am due for an upgrade next month and I will probably get an iPhone ‚ they are just too cool for school.

3. What is your favourite gadget (aside from the above)?

My new portable laser projector, the Pico 2.1 ‚ now this is a whole new revolution that is about to happen.

4. What gadget comes in most useful in helping you fulfil your movie-making ambitions?

A pen and paper.

5. What is your favourite online tool or useful site and why?

I recently joined Facebook and I created a fan page for the new movie, and we already got a bunch of people who are now following the movie’s progress. I am not sure why I avoided the mother of all social networks for such a long time, but now that I am on FB, it has captured my imagination.

6. What is your favourite mobile tool or app and why?

I don’t have any mobile tools or apps. I hardly use a cellphone ‚ not really my cappuccino. I know they have their place in the world, and it is always great whenyou get lost and you need to find someone but, for the most part, cellphones are making the world more and more stupid. No one can focus any more cos of thesethings ‚ I would rather keep mine off most of the time, and stay focused.

7. What gadget do you wish would just go away?

Now that is a question. I am not a big fan of the BlackBerry!

8. What is the best piece of gadget-buying or -using advice you can give to gadget consumers out there?

Hang around a mall every few months. See what the kids have got ‚ they will keep you on your toes!