Gadgets & Other Electronics

A gadget is a device or an appliance that has a useful specific practical purpose and function but is often thought of as a novelty. Gadgets are invariably considered to be unusually or cleverly designed than normal technology at the time of their invention. more...

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Gadgets are sometimes also referred to as gizmos. In some circles the distinction between a gadget and a gizmo is that a gizmo has moving parts, whereas a gadget need not have them. For example, a digital watch would be a gadget, while an analog watch would be a gizmo. Thus a gizmo is essentially a mechanical gadget.

History

The history of invention of gadgets is almost as old as humanity itself. But, the introduction of the word is relatively new. The etymology of the word gadget is disputed. Some say that the word gadget was "invented" when Gaget, Gauthier & Cie, the company behind the casting of the Statue of Liberty, made a small-scale version of the monument and named it after their firm. Other sources cite a derivation from sailors' terminology; the French gâchette which has been applied to various pieces of a firing mechanism; the French gagée, a small tool or accessory; the French engager, to engage one thing with another; or even a diminutive of the Scottish engineering jargon gadge, a form of measuring device. The spring-clip used to hold the base of a vessel during glass-making is also known as a gadget.

Mechanical gadgets

Clocks, bicycles, and thermometers are amongst the very large number of gadgets that are mechanical and also very popular. The invention of mechanical gadgets though is based more on innovation of the inventor rather than education.

Electronic gadgets

Electronic gadgets are based on transistors and integrated circuits. Unlike the mechanical gadgets one needs a source of electric power to use it. The most common electronic gadgets include transistor radio, television, cell phones and the quartz watch.

Read more at Wikipedia.org