Pete Blasina is better known as the Hawaiian shirt wearing GadgetGuy™. He received the industry’s highest honour – the inaugural IT Media Pioneer award at the 2018 Australian Computer Society IT Journalism Awards – the Lizzies.
Where does one start on someone who has for so long been a household name in consumer lifestyle/technology?
Perhaps nearly thirty years ago when Pete hung up his secondary school science teaching hat. He donned the Hawaiian shirt, morphing into GadgetGuy™. That led to a career as a technology reviewer, writer, publisher, media commentator, corporate speaker and founder of GadgetGuy.com.au.
For 25 of those years, Pete was the technology correspondent on Tony Delroy’s ABC Australia radio NightLife show.
Not long after he became the trusted GadgetGuy for Channel 7 Sunrise as well as The Morning Show, Better Homes and Gardens, The Great Outdoors, Today Tonight, 6 pm News and Kochie’s Business Builders.
He was also seen on the Channel 9 Small Business Show and Business Sunday and appeared in print in the Sydney Morning Herald, Age and The Australian newspapers, MacWorld magazine Travel and Leisure magazine. He was a regular on 2UE and had gave up to 15 radio interviews a week!
Pete loved an audience and didn’t run from the spotlight
In fact, he possibly had too much spotlight when he featured in Cleo as a centrefold!
A high-energy, big-ideas tech evangelist, Pete brought sunshine (or is that Sunrise?) to so many people. He was generous with his time and advice, to viewers, listeners, business associates and media colleagues.
His network of contacts is extensive. From the inventor of karaoke, plasma, the SD card and DVD, to CEOs, celebrities and government ministers.
He started at a time when PC meant politically correct – not a personal computer
Joe and Jane Average needed a voice to explain the complex and emerging technology. Pete was careful not to devolve into marketing speak, but use terms, they could understand.
Many other mainstream media did not understand the impact of technology, nor the great stories. Pete made sure they did.
Where to now?
Health issues have seen Pete Pete step back from full-time work. He still follows all things tech and is a regular at GadgetGuy’s offices. He has four adult children from his first marriage and a teenage son Quinn with his wife, Anika.
Anika is content and editorial manager at GadgetGroup which is one of Australia’s leading specialist creative agencies and content studios, helping lifestyle technology companies engage with customers and reach their target audiences.
Val Quinn is his business partner and CEO in the GadgetGroup for over a decade. He has taken on many of Pete’s Sunrise and media responsibilities but steadfastly refuses to wear a Hawaiian shirt.
GadgetGuy is now Australia’s oldest and one of its largest lifestyle/technology websites. Nearly half a million readers each month have come to rely on its 100% independent, objective, news and reviews.
For a bit of nostalgia look at some of Pete’s career.
was a very interesting epsiode of the St V’s Hospital series that featured Pete (took a while for the penny to drop it was him).
Well done Peter, but no mention of your initial effort of sharing electronic gadgets with the world through that specialized retailer and whats more recognizing that retailing was about to go through ( and still is) a tremendous upheaval and rationalization. Nor is there a mention of your grass roots journalistic contribution through “Dynamic Small Business” I know that I am a better person for having known and worked with you. Well done again
I’m so glad that you have done this article on Peter. He has been a real icon in the home electronics world for so long. His enthusiasm was always catching. Nice to hear that he is still comes in to your office.
He was a great friend of my group, the Australian Seniors Computer Association and a regular at our Conference in Sydney. I will always remember a presentation that he did one year about the need for perseverance when learning the new technology. It was based around his son learning to be a better soccer player, but it had great relevance for the seniors attending.
I’ll also remember when a presenter from the NBN was talking it up and Pete was sitting near me waiting his turn. ‘Bullshit!’, he whispered.
May I also congratulate you guys that have taken over this site: Ray, Val, Thomas and whoever else is working there. It is one of the best around, with genuine, informed reviews. I especially love that ‘Gadget Guy’s Take’ bit. Pete’s work is in good hands.
Keep it up
I consider it an honour to carry on Pete’s work. We remain true to the “no ‘BS” policy much to the chagrin of some vendors.
I won a magnificent Philips Tv from this web site in the very early days. The surrounds of the tv change colour with the background of what you are watching. I love it and my son now has it for his family. I always look at the website to find out what new things are around and if you have anymore great comps. You deserve a great life Pete Blasina and my son wore those Hawaiian shorts too, he used to call them big fat party animal shirts.
Congrats to Pete Blasina, I won an amazing philips TV many years ago on this website. It has a surround that changes colour with th background of the picture on the TV. My son and his family have this tv and love it.
Pete Blasina was a highlight on the shows he was on and those shirts….my son used to wear the same shirts and he called them big fat party animal shirts. All the best Pete.