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Ford's Jim Buczkowski cruises through the Engadget Questionnaire

Every week, a new and interesting human being tackles our decidedly geeky take on the Proustian Q&A. This is the Engadget Questionnaire.

In this edition of our weekly question and answer, Ford's director of electrical and electronics systems Jim Buczkowski chats about increasingly tiny tech and his 007-style dream car. To take a gander at the full rundown of responses, head on past the break.

Engadget Questionnaire

What gadget do you depend on most?


Anything I can carry with me anywhere. Currently an iPhone, but I'm always looking for the next great "take it with me" experience.

Which do you look back upon most fondly?
A science fair project that I tried to build back in high school. It was a DIY version of the Pulsar digital watch. Unfortunately it didn't end up looking -- or working -- like the Pulsar.

Which company does the most to push the industry?
I think Google's strategy continues to push the boundaries because their open approach enables anybody to innovate. Disney / Pixar / ILM are also doing some amazing stuff.

What is your operating system of choice?
OS doesn't matter; it's the experience that counts. I like the experiences I currently have across my Apple ecosystem.

What are your favorite gadget names?
Roku, Slingbox, TAG, Nest.

What are your least favorite?
i-Anything. Getting tired of "i."

Which app do you depend on most?
Starbucks and Key Ring. Lately I've been using TripIt and Concur to help me keep my travel plans organized.

What traits do you most deplore in a smartphone?
I have fat fingertips, so touchscreen keyboards.

"I'm not sure it's really possible to disconnect. It's like TiVo; when you reconnect, it's all waiting for you anyway."

Which do you most admire?
Screen size and PPI (pixels per inch) wrapped in a precise design.

What is your idea of the perfect device?
I really love it when technology takes a day-to-day experience that you loathe and simplifies it, turning it into something personal that you can love and want to show your friends.

What is your earliest gadget memory?
TI-55 calculator and then my HP-16C programmer's calculator that could work in hexadecimal, decimal, octal and binary and was RPN (Reverse Polish Notation).

What technological advancement do you most admire?
The integrated circuit and microelectronics. IC design and process technology has been at a blistering pace for 30-plus years and has enabled so many great advancements from entertainment to medicine. Twenty-two-nanometer transistors, billions of devices on a square of silicon the size of your fingernail and it doesn't seem like it will slow down.
This reinforces the belief that anything is possible in the future.

Which do you most despise?
Television user interface. Nobody has really figured it out yet. We just keep throwing content at consumers through big screens, apps and the internet, but I don't think anyone has created a truly integrated and immersive experience.

What fault are you most tolerant of in a gadget?
The need for a software update. I like it when I buy something and I can always have the opportunity to make it better / relevant.

Which are you most intolerant of?
Poor response time and also network-service dead zones.

When has your smartphone been of the most help?
In a foreign country when I've been lost. Google Maps!

What device do you covet most?
An Aston Martin V12 Vantage Coupe, because I'll probably never have one.

If you could change one thing about your phone what would it be?
A way to keep it secure without having to enter in a password.

What does being connected mean to you?
Having the world, people and all the knowledge around us just a few clicks away.

When are you least likely to reply to an email?
When I'm with the boss, our CEO Alan Mulally! It's about the only time I'll turn a device completely off to prevent any temptation.

When did you last disconnect?
I'm not sure it's really possible to disconnect. It's like TiVo; when you reconnect, it's all waiting for you anyway.