By Tara Dunion

Veronica Belmont is a popular Internet newscaster who is co-host of Revision3’s tech-central show Tekzilla and Qore on the Playstation Network.  Previously, she hosted Mahalo Daily, Buzz Out Loud and Crave.

Tara Dunion, CEA’s sr. director of communications, interviewed Veronica about her current and future Internet gigs, products on her “must have” list, the perks of dating gdgt host Ryan Block and her plans for covering the 2009 International CES.

Tara Dunion: Veronica, you make Tekzilla a fun and informative show. What do you like best about this not-so-new gig? Besides the new Qore project, are there any other online appearances being planned for your already busy schedule?

Veronica Belmont: My favorite part about doing Tekzilla is that it doesn’t even feel like work! I’ve known Patrick Norton (my co-host) and Roger Chang (producer) for years, so whenever we’re together in the same room we just have a lot of fun. Plus, I have the freedom to just be myself on camera and help people out with their tech problems.

In the near future, I’m working on a couple of columns for different sites, and also doing an upcoming charity auction! More info on those things soon.

Okay, so you get to test a lot of cool stuff. What’s on your early “must have gadget” list for the holiday season?

With the new T-Mobile G1 (running Google’s Android) coming out on October 22nd, that might be a good gift for your gadget-loving recipient. I’m not sure how much mass-market appeal it’s going to have, though.
I also think GPS units make great gifts, and my favorite right now is the Dash Express. It has a ton of features that set it apart from other GPS units in the same price range (about $300), like a web interface for planning trips and other social features, and live updating traffic that uses data from other Dash users to determine the best (and fastest) route.

We interviewed Ryan a few months ago and he shared the story of how the two of you met.  What would you say are the best perks when dating another well-known Internet personality? Do people recognize the two of you when you are out together?

See, my favorite perk is that we get to share gadgets (which he said was the worst part)!! We’ve been recognized a couple of times on the street — Ryan tends to get recognized by his voice (from the Engadget and gdgt podcasts), while people know me from my shows. Honestly though, the best part about dating Ryan is that he just gets me… we have somewhat unique careers, and it’s nice to be able to talk about things with him. Oh, and the gadgets.

Last year you covered the International CES for Engadget and also gave us some great feedback before and after CES. What are your plans for the 2009 CES? Will you be covering it for both Tekzilla and Engadget?

Yup, I’ll be there shooting some episodes of Tekzilla, as well as helping out Ryan and Peter Rojas with coverage for gdgt. Another busy year, but that’s part of the fun!

Thanks so much Veronica. We appreciate you doing this interview with us!

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