What applies to electronic gadgets? The concept of "gadgets" - what is it? Inflatable smartphone holder from Thanko

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In the 21st century, the smartphone has become an integral part of every person's daily life. Therefore, developers are trying to equip their new products with the most unusual and unique features. Our review presents the 10 best mobile devices that will be indispensable assistants for their owner in everyday life.

1. Inflatable smartphone holder from Thanko

Japanese company Thanko presented its new concept of an inflatable smartphone holder. The new product is perfect for those who like to take a bath with a smartphone, but are afraid of getting it wet or dropping it in the water. The length and density of the holder can be adjusted if necessary. The model is available in three colors: white, pink and gray, and its dimensions are 460x220x90 millimeters and weighs only 740 grams. You can buy such a device for about $20.

2. Fashionable and practical bracelet - Bead Bracelet Lightning Cable

New original USB cable in the form of a bracelet for Apple iPhone. The device allows you to connect your smartphone to a computer or laptop to transfer information. This accessory is available in several colors: white, red and pink. Price Bead Bracelet Lightning Cable is only 13 US dollars.

3. Pplkpr application, which understands the emotions of its owner

Developers Lauren McCarthy and Kyle McDonald have created a new application Pplkpr, which can understand how its owner feels when communicating with different people. It can be downloaded and installed on your smartphone absolutely free of charge. The mobile application works together with a tracker that allows you to track your pulse and heartbeat rhythm. The new product also supports Bluetooth wireless technology for synchronization with the owner’s mobile gadget.

4. Functional case for Apple iPhone - Moment Case

In the modern world, many people use their smartphones as a camera. That's why the company Moment developed a new concept for Apple iPhone - Moment Case. This model is one of the best cases for mobile photography. There is a shutter button on the body that allows you to autofocus and then take a photo. You can also install an interchangeable lens on it, and the bayonet mount ensures quick and reliable fixation. The cost of this accessory is $49.

5. Virtual reality helmet from Apple iPhone

Swedish engineers have expanded the capabilities iPhone and developed a unique device Moggles, thanks to which all owners of Apple smartphones can turn their mobile gadgets into a virtual reality helmet. The manufacturer stated that the new product is ideal for video games. The device comes with a game controller, with which the owner can control Moggles. The cost of such a device is $130.

6. New Equil Smartmarker - a technological innovation for data reading

New smart gadget Equil Smartmarker can read information from various surfaces. Thanks to this device, any board up to 4.9 x 1.5 meters in size can become an electronic panel. It operates autonomously from a fully charged built-in battery, which is enough for eight hours of continuous operation. Using a special mobile application, the device can be synchronized with your smartphone or tablet to transfer the read data. The cost of the new item is $700.

7. Unique TactPuck device from Tactonics

Company Tactonics has developed a device that can transmit emotions at a distance using tactile sensations. This device will allow you to send messages in the form of physical sensations. To use the new product, you need to synchronize it with your smartphone via Bluetooth wireless technology. The developers are confident that remote transmission of sensations will make communication at a distance more personal and, if desired, intimate.

8. Design phone from Google

Company developers Google presented a smartphone Ara. The new product is available in three sizes, but which ones have not yet been specified. The standard set of the design phone costs $50, it consists of a body, a display and a Wi-Fi module. It is also worth noting that Paul Eremenko announced a reward of 100 thousand US dollars for the development of a unique module for the new product.

9. Sun Kids functional bracelet for tracking your child on the beach

Company NIVEA developed an original paper bracelet Sun Kids, which allows you to monitor your child on the beach. In order to get such an accessory, you just need to buy any glossy magazine with advertising from NIVEA and cut out Sun Kids directly from it. And thanks to a special mobile application that supports the IOS and Android platforms, you can track the location of your son or daughter using your smartphone at any time.

10. A practical device - Apple Watch for remote control of a Tesla electric car

Ukrainian development team from the company Eleks developed a special application for smart watches Apple Watch, with which you can now remotely control a Tesla electric car. The main goal of this project is to prove the functionality of the new product presented by Apple. The developers also plan to expand the capabilities of this device, but any specific information is not yet available.

Fans of unusual devices will certainly be interested in these

The word “gadget” has firmly entered our modern lexicon. Sometimes we don’t even think about what it means, and we call any device with many functions this word. In this article we will take a closer look at the most popular gadgets and what they are.

Word meanings

First, let's find out all the meanings of this word:

translated from French "gagée" - a small tool, accessory;
translated from Scottish "gadge" is a form of measuring instrument;
in the vocabulary of sailors, translated from French “gâchette” - part of the shooting mechanism;
translated from English "gadget" - device, device.

Perhaps the last option is closest to us. So, gadgets, what are they? These are non-standard technical devices that allow you to perform several non-trivial functions simultaneously.

What characteristics do gadgets have?

Examples of the most popular gadgets

They are interesting, these gadgets (we looked at what they are earlier). They fit easily in your pocket and can sometimes replace a full-fledged computer. Among the most popular:

Computer term

In an operating system, gadgets are elements that perform specific functions. They can be seen in Windows Vista (located in a special sidebar, which by default is located on the right side of the screen), Seven (you can set the location of the gadgets yourself). Similar elements can be found not only in the OS installed on PCs and laptops, but also on phones, smartphones, and communicators.

One more meaning

As children, many of us saw or heard about the cartoon "Inspector Gadget". This is the name of the main character - a resourceful detective who had the necessary devices for any occasion.

Results

This term is often confused with another English word “device”. If you look in the dictionary, it means a device created for a specific purpose, that is, not multifunctional, but tailored for specific actions. However, in practice, the same item is called both a “gadget” and a “device”. So, in fact, there is no difference in these words, and they can be considered synonyms. In this article, we looked at what types of gadgets there are, what they are, and what characteristics they have.

Why do we need gadgets, what are they? What devices are considered gadgets?

Word gadget is of English origin (gadget in Russian - “accessory”) and means a technical device, a device that may have increased functionality, but, at the same time, has limited capabilities.

The main attribute of this device is portability.

Gadgets are traditionally considered handheld computers (PDAs) and cell phones equipped with functions such as text input recognition, a text and graphics editor, an organizer, or a retractable keyboard.

The most famous gadgets include fountain pens with a set of electronic services (for example, a ballpoint pen-telephone, a pen-camera, etc.), radios with additional functionality, laptops, e-books, and much more.

The main purpose of gadgets is to perform certain functions on the computer desktop.

There is no need to purchase them, they are completely free and do not require installation. Some of them may well replace, for example, huge applications that need to be installed in order to implement one particular function.

Gadgets are located on the computer desktop, which in turn makes it possible to quickly and easily access information that interests the user.

The very first gadgets appeared together with the Windows-Vista operating system (OS), where they were located in a special panel. Now in Windows 7 they can be placed anywhere on the desktop.

There are not so many gadgets in the standard Windows 7 installation package. In order to find more useful and interesting products, you need to right-click on the desktop and in the standard gadgets menu that opens (bottom right) click the “Search for gadgets on the Internet” button. There you can find the most suitable option for yourself.

It is worth noting the following point. Each gadget is equipped with its own settings. Just hover your mouse over the gadget and click on the key that appears.

There you can make changes to certain display parameters or functionality. In addition, all gadgets have one useful property: their transparency relative to the OS desktop can be modified.

Gadgets for Windows 7:

Christmas trees

Contains six animated Christmas trees to decorate your desktop for the New Year and Christmas.

Not a bad, nice online translator for your desktop. Has a large number of languages. For the gadget to work, you must install the Microsoft Silverlight package - upon first launch, a corresponding message will be displayed with a link to download this very package from the official Microsoft website.

Hello, dear readers of the blog site. In the circle where I communicate, the terms device and gadget are often used, but the speaker does not always realize that these concepts are somewhat different and not synonymous. Moreover, often what should be called a device is called a gadget and vice versa. In this small publication, I decided to dot all the i's so that no doubts would arise.

The confusion most likely stems from the fact that these terms were borrowed from English and were used by many along with “wow” to emphasize their involvement in the world of technological progress and to show their advancedness in this matter. That's why I want to define what is a gadget and what is a device in their original understanding, and also determine the fine line of difference in these concepts.

What is a device?

The term “device” comes from the English word device and means some fairly complex device, instrument or machine. Since we have recently been surrounded by such things (computers, laptops, smartphones, game consoles, etc.), it becomes clear why this term has become so widespread. It’s easier to say the device than the full name of the device, which many don’t even remember.

However, not every device falls under this definition. Is your wristwatch a device? Is there an alarm clock on the table? Probably not. They do not live up to this lofty concept, because they lack technology and sophistication (many functions). Here is a watch with a telephone function, with a radio and a built-in hard drive - this is a device.

It should also be more or less compact (well, at least as compact as a computer or printer). A communications satellite is much more functional than anything else we come across, but it’s hard to call it that word. But a modern mobile phone, music player, video recorder, camera, navigator, game console, pedometer, food processor and other technical gadgets containing at least one microcircuit are devices.

And most importantly, what, in my opinion, distinguishes device from the gadget - the first one should be a complete device, which only needs energy in the form of batteries or a connection to the network to operate. Gadgets, by definition, are only an addition to something, but more on that below.

What is a gadget and its difference from a device?

So, what is a gadget by definition? The history of this word comes from the English gadget, which means a device from the category of new products. Here is something so hot out of the heat and right into the hands of users.

But gadget- this, unlike a device, is not a complete (independent and self-sufficient) device, but some kind of technological addition to it (like for a tablet or laptop, or an external flash for a camera). Although many of us often consider a laptop in the given example to be a gadget, and a modem made in the form of a USB flash drive to be a device.

Another example of a gadget is computer components that cannot work on their own, but serve as important parts of the main device. Those. gadgets cannot work independently and are designed to expand the functionality of the main device.

By the way, if we move from the world of hard drive to the world of software, then here we will also encounter the term gadget (widget), which will have a very similar interpretation - a small software application that provides some small additional functionality or some rather highly specialized information (for example, a weather or clock widget on the Windows desktop). In general, from the category of “trifle, but nice.”

So, let's summarize. The gadget has increased functionality in relation to the main device, but at the same time it has rather limited capabilities, because it cannot be used by itself, but serves only as an addition to the device. It is connected to the latter by some kind of connector or inserted entirely into the niche intended for it.

But in our daily lives we are so accustomed to equating these two concepts that my publication is unlikely to change anything in the existing balance of power, when device and gadget have merged into a single whole and are synonymous for 90 percent of RuNet residents. This, it seems to me, can no longer be changed by anything, although for general development it still makes sense to know the true situation. IMHO.

Good luck to you! See you soon on the pages of the blog site

More specifically, what is a gadget?

I’ll say right away that there is no catalog or list of devices that are gadgets. There are also no standards for gadgets. In general, gadget manufacturers are trying “to the best of their ability,” as they say, “as best they can.”

Here are some examples of gadgets:

iPod,
Mp3 player,
digital camera,
smartphone,
communicator,
a lot of useful, as well as useless, humorous, “cool” devices connected to a computer via a USB port, and so on.

USB gadgets

These are small devices that connect via a USB port. I do not classify as USB gadgets such devices (which have already become familiar to many) such as a keyboard, mouse, printer, external hard drive, although they are all connected to the computer, as a rule, via USB.

I will give examples of USB gadgets that, alas, do not always perform their functionality conscientiously:

mug with USB heater,
USB ashtray,
USB mini-fridge (for example, for cooling one can of drink),
USB keyboard vacuum cleaner for crumbs and dust,
USB heated mouse pad,
USB heated foot mat,
USB heated slippers,
USB backlight for keyboard,
USB finger mouse
USB laptop stand,
USB fan, etc.

iPod as an example of a gadget

I’ll tell you a little more about such a gadget as the iPod - a small device for listening to music and audio files in good quality. The idea was to combine a hard drive with a processor in a compact form for listening to music.

To work with the iPod, the iTunes program is used, which is pre-installed on your computer for free from the official website. When you connect your iPod to your computer, this program allows you to synchronize music (more precisely, any audio files) on your computer and on your iPod. You can download new music files to your iPod, delete them, and other necessary actions.

It is possible to charge via USB from a computer, then charging the iPod depends on the presence of a computer. Or you can use a separate charger, with which the iPod is charged through a regular 220V outlet.

iPod provides the opportunity not only to listen to music, audio books and audio casts, but also to use an organizer, listen to FM radio, and watch videos. True, I find it difficult to say what can be seen in a video clip on the tiny iPod screen, but if manufacturers have included this feature, it means that someone needs it.

What is a widget?

The well-known formula is computer = hard + software (or in Russian: ). In accordance with this formula, or perhaps according to the Russian tradition, “they wanted the best, but it turned out as usual,” but for some reason on the Internet the word “gadget” is used not only in relation to hard (hardware), but also in relation to software (software).

That is, gadgets are also found in various software (where they are also called widgets) in the form of applications that make it easier for users. Widgets provide various types of information, such as:

weather forecast,
Exchange Rates,
time,
date and so on.

Widgets can also be:

alarm clock,
calendar,
notebook,
show the current state of the computer, etc.

In general, widgets are everything that allows you to quickly get the information you personally need without using a browser to search for this information on the Internet.

Widgets are sometimes called informers (Russian version), which more clearly reflects the essence of such small programs. Words borrowed from the English language (in this case, widgets) more accurately express this or that concept, but for “” they often serve as a barrier to the perception of information.

If you were to ask me again what a gadget and a widget are and what they are needed for, then I would answer that a gadget is a small electronic device for adding variety and convenience to everyday life, and a widget is a small program for quick access to frequently used information. Although there is no consensus yet on the use of the new terms “gadget” and “widget”. Over time, perhaps everything will fall into place.

Widgets can also include applications, small programs that perform highly specialized functions and expand the capabilities of the main program.

On this site (and on millions of other sites), widgets are all the windows in the side columns of the main text that you are currently reading, for example, the “Search” windows for the site, “Start with a course”, “Popular articles”, “Categories” and etc. Such widget windows on the site are convenient for users to quickly access useful information.

Windows Gadgets

Interestingly, Windows developers call mini-applications for quick access to necessary information gadgets. And the domestic search engine Yandex calls similar applications in relation to its search engine widgets. Would you like to see this for yourself? Then take a look at the official Windows and Yandex websites using the links below.

Yandex widget “Weather” on your desktop

Yandex Widgets

If you prefer the domestic search engine Yandex, then take a look at the Yandex widgets catalog:

Yandex offers two types of widgets:

1) widgets for Yandex (the subject of widgets is extensive: Auto, Business, Home, Games, Culture, News, Education, Announcements, Work, Entertainment, Sports, Help, Technologies, Tourism),

2) widgets for the Desktop (Search, Weather, Traffic, News, Clock).

Other meanings of the word "gadget"

The term "gadget" has other meanings. For example, the first atomic bomb was called a gadget at one time. In literature, this word is found most often in spy films (the James Bond series). Cartoon fans may remember Inspector Gadget, whose power lies in his collection of gadgets.

It is interesting to know that at the beginning of the 20th century, sailors in the English Navy called gadgets all technical devices whose names they did not remember, did not know, etc. From the point of view of computer literacy, it turns out to be very convenient if you “in conversation” use the word “gadget” whenever you forgot (or don’t know) the name of a new technical device or the name of a new application. Not entirely competent, but maybe sometimes it’s better than saying, “that thing whose name I don’t know (or don’t remember).”

Without gadgets, life would not be so interesting. Humanity is constantly striving for something new and more perfect, for something that could make its life easier, thereby moving forward new technologies.

To make it interesting for us, I ask you to take part in the voting. If there is no gadget in the voting list below, please write in the comments to the article, and I will add it to the existing list of gadgets.

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