Personally Tech With Author and Games Industry Veteran Ian Livingstone

In our weekly column we look at the different apps and gadgets that people from varied walks of life love and rely upon. This week we talk to Ian Livingstone, author and one of the prominent figures in the UK video game industry, who wishes someone would invent a teleporter so he didn't have to fly all the time, but also explains why the gaming platform of choice for an industry veteran is now the iPad.

Describe your technology setup - what computer/ phone/ tablet/ camera/ gaming console/ other gadgets do you use?
Ian Livingstone: My phone is an iPhone 5s and I have an iPad Air for gaming. I still use a PC for my work at home, I haven't moved to a Mac. I have the usual consoles, the Xbox and PlayStation and all that, but I've become more of a player on the move these days. That's why my platform of choice has become the iPad. You can play it anywhere, anytime. You can be anywhere in the world and still connected.

What are three apps (mobile/ tablet or PC/ Mac) you couldn't live without?
Ian Livingstone: Let me pull out my iPhone and check. The App Store because I'm always looking for games I think! Twitter is very useful for me. I'm involved with Plunder Pirates and I'm playing it all the time. I have a vested interest but I'm really enjoying the game. Those are the three apps I use the most of all.

What is one gadget (other than your phone) you never travel without?
Ian Livingstone: My laptop - all my work is through my laptop, I'm a bit old fashioned. I used to have a Sony Vaio for the last eight years but I've just bought myself a new HP. I only bought it last week. My Sony Vaio saw me through a lot, I gave a lot of presentations. It was a faithful friend but the time came to say goodbye.

What is your dream gadget/ technology setup?
Ian Livingstone: I would quite like a Star Trek type device on my wrist so I can get back to London in the next five minutes. I spend too much time on travel and in planes, a teleporter would be nice.

How has technology changed the way in which you work?
Ian Livingstone: I use technology to communicate - I use Twitter a lot, my handle is @ian_livingstone. I really welcome social media to affect change. I've used it during my campaigns to convince the government on national education and there was a lot of buy-in from people I wouldn't have been able to reach otherwise. I think that social media is really important, and democratic. From a games point of view, I think that crowdfunding is also really important. It's a way of fanning an audience, but it's also a way of the market telling you whether or not your idea is any good so you're able to fund an idea when traditional access to finance is not readily available.