What gadget could you not live without?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around personal gadgets that participants feel they cannot live without, covering a range of items from multi-tools to electronic devices. The scope includes both practical tools used at home and work, as well as technology that facilitates communication and daily tasks.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants mention specific tools like Swiss Army knives, multi-tools, and ViseGrips as essential gadgets.
  • Others express a strong reliance on computers, with some questioning whether a computer qualifies as a gadget.
  • A few participants highlight the importance of everyday items like coffee makers and LED flashlights.
  • There is a humorous exchange about whether certain items, like toilets or Google, can be classified as gadgets.
  • Some participants note the overlapping functionalities of gadgets, suggesting that many could be interchangeable in their uses.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share personal preferences for various gadgets, but there is no consensus on a single item that everyone agrees is indispensable. Multiple competing views on what constitutes a gadget and its necessity remain evident.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about definitions of gadgets and their essentiality, leading to a variety of interpretations and classifications.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in personal technology, practical tools, and everyday gadgets may find this discussion relevant.

wolram
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Which one could you not do without ? at home mine is a swiss army knife,
at work it is my terminal screw driver that lights up when a circuit is live, can
test a fuse, and even lights up by micro waves.
 
Computer science news on Phys.org
But tester, Fluke wire tester, Mcafee sniffer, and my laptop...
 
I don't know if this qualifies as a gadget, but the only technology I'm really dependent upon is the computer. I barely even use my phone anymore.
 
SpaceTiger said:
I don't know if this qualifies as a gadget, but the only technology I'm really dependent upon is the computer. I barely even use my phone anymore.

I guess a computer is a gaddget, but you should phone friends :smile:
 
My Gerber multi-tool, I seem to use it several times a week.
 
hypatia said:
My Gerber multi-tool, I seem to use it several times a week.

I can not resist, what is a Gerber multi tool ? :smile:
 
is Google a gaddget?
 
wolram said:
I guess a computer is a gaddget, but you should phone friends :smile:

Why? Most of them have computers as well, so I can easily contact them that way. Besides, many of them are right down the hall. :smile:
 
http://www.gerber-tools.com/Gerber-Multi-Plier-600-Pro-Scout-needlenose-07563.htm" mine is here
 
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  • #10
There are none that I couldn't do without, because so many of them overlap in uses. If I had to pick only one to keep, it would probably be 10" ViseGrips w/ wire-cutter insert. (Unless you count the toilet as a 'gadget'.)
 
  • #11
Danger said:
There are none that I couldn't do without, because so many of them overlap in uses. If I had to pick only one to keep, it would probably be 10" ViseGrips w/ wire-cutter insert. (Unless you count the toilet as a 'gadget'.)

There are gadgets for toilets:

http://www.sandman.com/intimst.html
 
  • #12
hypatia said:
http://www.gerber-tools.com/Gerber-Multi-Plier-600-Pro-Scout-needlenose-07563.htm" mine is here
That's some very cool stuff. Bit pricey, though. That's the sort of tool that should be automatically included in any life raft, tethered to the raft so you can't drop it in the drink. I've read several accounts of people having to take to the rafts and they always find they don't have the tools to do important things. Fishing gear should be another staple: lines, lures, spears and nets.
 
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  • #13
a lighter - if this is a crude gadget, then it is a must for me. (at least its better than a match or two sets of stones..hahaha!)

...and GOD said let there be light :)
 
  • #14
Mechanical pencils (specifically with .5mm sized graphite) have got to be one of the best inventions ever.
 
  • #15
I got mine as a gift a few years ago, its really lasted well for the punnishment I give it.
 
  • #16
yomamma said:
is Google a gaddget?

No, it is more like an extension of your body :smile:
 
  • #17
hypatia said:
I got mine as a gift a few years ago, its really lasted well for the punnishment I give it.
I've had mine going on 10+ years and despite what I've put it through, it's still going. A few holes in the belt pouch, but it hasn't dropped it yet.
Perhaps https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=70351&highlight=gerber"should be linked here.
 
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  • #18
LED Flashlight

I just bought one. I'm impressed. After all, it's just eight little LED's.
 
  • #19
My coffee maker.
In addition, mastering its subtle technology is a daily challenge I am occasionally up to.
 
  • #20
  • #21
After casette tapes, floppy disks, 2.5" diskettes, Zip drives, and even CD-R's, I love more than anything my 1Gig Sandisk flash memory stick.

Notice how I did not say "punch cards." I'm not THAT old.
 
  • #22
Chi Meson said:
Notice how I did not say "punch cards." I'm not THAT old.
..
 

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