Why do I like technology so much? One word: Curiosity. Most people like technology because of how it makes life easier for them. While I do appreciate that, for me it is more about, "Wow. Now, how does this work? How could it be better? Can I make it better?"

Technology has always kept me captivated. From the day I first touched the keys of a computer way back in 1992 all the way till today. I've logged many tens of thousands of hours in front of computers. This captivation (some call it dedication) made me install, use (and trash, in my experiments) just about every version of Windows since Windows 3.1. I've fine-tuned my programming skills and I've written software that have been installed close to a million times world-wide. My internet presences have accumulated hits running into 7 figures.

2004 - 2008

I've beta tested many Microsoft products and I was even couriered a laptop bag from Hong Kong for beta testing the first version of Windows Live Messenger. I have taken part in a number of inter-school technology related competitions back when I was in Choice. I've conducted a number of programming competitions at RSET^† including CodeWhiz 2006 with the kind support and encouragement from the faculty. 'neoSearch' was given the highest grading as a mini-project in 2007. My colleagues and I tried developing a social networking site as a final project in 2008 but unfortunately it didn't meet our high expectations due to time constraints. My conviction that my interest in technology was not just superficial got reinforced when I got placed in Infosys in February '07 (an offer I later turned down in favour of pursuing higher studies).

In January 2008, neoSearch's success was officially recognized by RSET^† and it was listed as the sole entry under student achievements on the intranet website. Along with DiskMax, it got mention in the Jan - Feb 2008 RSET Newsletter^†. I would like to thank Mr. Binu A for his role as a mentor and in getting my work recognized. In April 2008, my continuing work on neoSearch was recognized by IEEE RSET^† by including a write-up by me on neoSearch and desktop-search technologies in general (read it here).

2009 - 2010

Necessity forced me to fine-tune my hardware diagnostic skills and that, coupled with extensive research on the internet, has, on occasion, even allowed me to diagnose problems with my laptops far more accurately than trained Hewlett-Packard personnel. I have even taken HP to court with confidence due to this. If you are looking to buy a laptop or if you have problems with your system, exploit my experience and walk away with the best possible solution.

I took my love for programming and technology to the next level with a Master of Computer Science. My research project for the degree was 'The Social Cloud for Real Science' supervised by Kris Bubendorfer. My work in the area went on to win the research presentations for the COMP stream in September 2010. Considering my progress and the scope for further research, my research project was converted into a full blown thesis and my past courses cross-credited into a Master of Engineering (Network Engineering). I took on the role of Microsoft Student Partner at Victoria in 2010 to handle Imagine Cup activities, Windows Phone 7 events and other Microsoft related activities on campus.

While still doing my Masters, I worked with Optimal Workshop and Kiwibank over the summers (Nov. - Feb.) of 2009/10 and 2010/11 respectively. This was through the Wellington Summer of Code program initiated by John Clegg and coordinated by Ruth McDavitt. While at Kiwibank, I became the very first developer to tackle the Windows Phone 7 platform in the form of a geolocation app called Kiwibank Finder. This led to me being showcased at the Summer of Tech website in the form of an article I wrote, What Other Companies Don't Want You to Know.

2011

While at Kiwibank, I convinced the two other students there, Jonathan Hart and Chisato Fujii, to join my Microsoft Imagine Cup '11 NZ Finalist team (BookSpark.org) mentored by Antony Willis (Microsoft NZ) and Luke Ryan (Intergen). I later got on board the SoT intern at Xero, Janella Espinas. Kiwibank and Xero were very supportive of our team. While we didn't go on to win the Imagine Cup finals, it was an amazing experience nonetheless and we learnt a great deal. BookSpark managed to evoke the interest of Lifetime Literacy, Make a Difference and even UNICEF. Finishing work on BookSpark has been temporarily suspended while I complete my Masters thesis.

It's been a long journey, I've met and worked with some really amazing people and I have enjoyed every minute of it.


Computers Over the Years