What is a gadget and widget in a modern computer. Widget and its functions Types of modern gadgets

? What are gadgets? V modern world we often hear these concepts sometimes use them and not always in the correct form. Now everything will fall into place and we will figure out what devices and gadgets are.

How is the right device or device

Using English words in Russian colloquial speech, we often make mistakes in pronunciation, not to mention the spelling of words. The word "device" is no exception, it is pronounced and written differently by device and device, how is it correct?

In order to understand how to pronounce and write correctly, you need to check the transcription of the word device | dɪˈvaɪs | reads like a device. I think we figured it out, we can move on.

Devices what is it

On the Internet, you can find different definitions and meanings of the word device, but they all agree on one thing.

Device,-a; m (noun) [eng. device - device, device] is a device, a device that is used in many areas, designed to perform a private, special task. Self-contained device that does not require additional connections to other devices.

In English, this word is used much wider than in Russian, but we have historically developed that only devices such as computers, laptops, smartphones belong to devices, Appliances and other smart cars.

A gadget and a device, most are used to considering these words synonymous, but alas, this is not entirely true. Indeed, both can be called a device helping a person, but not every device is a gadget and not every gadget is a device. Let's take a look at the definition of a gadget.

Gadget(eng. gadget - contraption, adaptation, device, bauble) - small device, created for auxiliary purposes, in order to facilitate a person's life. Gadgets include smart bracelets, fitness trackers, electronic patches, glasses virtual reality, players.

If the word gadget is used in the slang of programmers and Internet users, then gadgets can mean small applications (weather, informers, news announcements).

Devices and gadgets what is the difference

When to use the word gadget for a device or device, and when a device. Let's take another look at what a device is, but in simple words.

Device- independent, multifunction device battery or mains powered. The device does not need any auxiliary devices to operate.

Gadget- an auxiliary device that performs one or more primitive functions, for the operation of which additional devices may be required.

The reason for raising this issue is largely due to the crossfire of some devices. How to call them devices or gadgets. Such devices include:

Computers;
laptops;
tablets;
smartphones;
smart watch;

These and similar devices can lead a person to contradictory conclusions and make them use words incorrectly.

How to determine what is a device and what is a gadget

What I will now offer you will help you not to get into awkward situations. As there is a rule in the Russian language "what to do or what to do" so similar can be used in our case only a little differently.

If an electronic device performs one or two functions, it is a gadget, it is a multifunctional device.

Ask a question:

"What can a computer, tablet, laptop do?" The list of answers can be very long. This is the first and main feature of the device.
"What can a digital clock do?" If your watch shows the date and time, perhaps a compass or a stopwatch and they are modern, then this is a gadget. If they still have access to the Internet, have a GPS or tell you about your heart rate and heartbeat, then this already applies to devices.

The devices do not require other devices to work, we have already found out. But flash drives, USB gadgets, headphones cannot work on their own, they need devices.

Conclusion. In conclusion, I would like to say that the concept of a gadget and a device is so intertwined and so intertwined in the minds of "indigo children" that I would not advise you to argue with anyone about what is a device or what is a gadget. Not everyone and not always can and should prove something. The main thing is that you know the difference! Moreover, the one who will argue, most likely, did not look for information on this matter, or his sources are not competent enough.

A question for thought, how would you call this device a device or a gadget?)

And I (like other residents) can write my posts here and respond to your comments.

Before we start sharing information about useful things from electronic world, discuss their strengths and weak sides, I would like to make a small lyrical digression about the word itself and the concept Gadget.

The word gadget has long been included in our lexicon and is often used when it comes to products in the field information technologies... But, unfortunately, many people do not know the exact meaning of this word.

Let's try to figure it out in more detail.

Inside Steve Wozniak's backpack (clickable).

Actually in English the word "gadget" has a very broad and abstract meaning and is translated into Russian as "little thing", "adaptation". If you analyze the exact meaning of the word gadget in Russian, it turns out that there is no definite answer to this question.

Wikipedia authors define a gadget as specialized peripheral device with limited capabilities. This device is usually connected via standard connectors to a more complex device and is designed to expand their functionality. But in everyday life, gadgets have a broader meaning. Now they include small digital equipment, for example, mobile phones, tablets, handheld computers etc. Moreover, this word is also used in software which is nothing more than a widget.

Summing up the above, let us dwell on the general interpretation of this word, as a kind of device that is an addition to the main devices. For example, a Flash card is a gadget for telephone set, automobile GPS navigator- a gadget for a car, etc.

By the way, the origin of the word “ gadget”Also remains vague. The word first appeared in popular English literature in 1886, when Robert Brown's book Spunyarn and Spindrift was published, in which the word "gadget" ( gadget) is used by sailors to designate an object whose name they did not remember.

Americans tell everyone that the word comes from the name of the company Gaget, Gauthier & Cie, which participated in the creation of the Statue of Liberty, and, having made a small model of the statue, called it by this name.

The French are sure that the basis of this word was the French "Gagée", which can be translated as “small accessory”. And the version of the Oxford English Dictionary seems to be even more plausible, referring the appearance of the word to the decade of 1850, and attributing the appearance of the word from the mechanism of the lock, in French. "gâchette"(clamp, bracket) or fr. gagée (bracket, fastener, clamp)

Finally, the Scots know for sure that the word comes from their engineering jargon, where gadge is the shape of the measuring tool.

Gadgets tend to be more quirky and smarter than conventional technology... In some circles, it is believed that the difference between a gadget and a gizmo is that a gizmo has moving parts, whereas a gadget does not. For example, a stylish digital clock is a gadget, while an analog clock is a gizmo. Creation of gadgets, gizmos, blobjects is art, abstractionism, surrealism, impressionism, minimalism. You see it when innovations in the field of electronics are intertwined with the ideas of designers and incredible things are born (usually in small editions) that, over time, may well end up in the museum as representatives of the dawn of the era of affordable Hi-Tech technologies. Unlike a gadget, a device that has no practical purpose is called a novelty gadge - the shape of a measuring tool. The spring clip used to hold the vessel during the glass making process is also known as a gadget.

The first atomic bomb, named by the scientists of the Manhattan Project, tested on the Trinity College website, was named the gadget.

For example, what were gadgets in 1935:

In the literature, gadgets are best known for spy movies, especially in the James Bond series. Super heroes, especially Batman and Ironman, have a huge variety of gadgets. The famous cartoon character Inspector Gadget, whose fabulous power comes from a set of gadgets. Also in the Disney cartoons Chip "n Dale Rescue Rangers, Gadget Hackwrench one of the main characters has the inherent ability to create tools and other techniques from junk and junk.

Together with gadgets, they are quite common devices(from the English device device). This word means "small device or gadget". The word device came to the Russian language through the jargon of computer scientists. Strictly speaking, a device is some kind of gadget for a computer, for example, a flash card. V modern speech a device can act as a synonym for a gadget

Computer lovers use gadgets for more effective modding.< modifying модификация), т.е. индивидуального художественного оформления корпуса ПК.

And, in conclusion, we mention widgets(from the English widget - gizmo). The word widget is the American version of gadget "a, meaning any object or device whose name is firmly forgotten. Perhaps this word comes from which is? What is it? + Gadget. In modern Russian speech, the widget is used in connection with Internet technologies, where it means an additional tool on the site or on the desktop. The first widgets appeared in the Windows Vista operating system. There they were located in one special panel. Now, in Windows 7 and 8, they can be placed anywhere on the desktop. So that the word "gadget" is also used in software, where it is understood as a small application that provides Additional information such as weather forecasts, news headlines, or currency rates.

Let's start with the iPod, who still remembers it?

It was one of the first Apple devices to be based on a new concept pioneered by Steve Jobs. The concept involved positioning Macs as connection stations additional devices created by Apple Corporation.

To come up with a catchy name for the new device, Steve Jobs put together a team of copywriters, including iPod author Vinnie Chieco.

They say that Jobs already had a slogan for the MP3 player: “1000 songs in your pocket”, so that the copywriters' imagination was not limited or tied to the musical theme.

“As soon as I saw the white iPod, I immediately remembered the 2001 movie,” Chico told Wired in 2006. The fact is that the interaction between the computer and the music player reminded him of the interaction of a spacecraft and an escape pod, which in this film was called the EVA pod. "It only remained to add the prefix 'i' and it was in the bag."

So, a part of this name "pod", literally meaning "detachable cargo compartment", served as the basis for the iPod brand, which has become a household name in the circles of music lovers.

BlackBerry

These communicators, extremely popular in the USA and slightly less popular in Europe (in the CIS countries, many have not even heard of them), were created by the Canadian company Research in Motion (RIM). This company has set itself the goal of creating a device that would help a busy person communicate with his business partners, friends and relatives without any problems. One of the main points of the plan when designing such a device was to simplify access to e-mail.

The developers, having come up with a general concept of the device, could not find a suitable name in any way. They did not want to use the word form "e-mail" itself, nor its derivatives. I wanted to come up with a name that would be interesting and at the same time, would give a feeling of relaxation and comfort. Someone accidentally said that the buttons on the device are a bit like a blackberry, which in English is called "BlackBarry". To be honest, for me personally, the word "blackberry" immediately evokes an association with mighty thorny bushes, which are an impenetrable obstacle to all living things. But, obviously, Canadians have different associations, and therefore the word "BlackBerry", and served as the name for a high-tech device.

Flash drive

The history of the USB flash drive began in Japan in 1984, when Toshiba invented semiconductor flash memory. Specifically, the first flash drive was invented by the Japanese Fuji Masuoka. There were only 5 people in his company. But the name "flash" was invented by a colleague Fuji. Erasing information from the media reminded him of a flash, and this association formed the basis for the name of the new gadget.

Statistics

Well, in conclusion see what interesting data there is at the moment. According to the data Public Opinion Foundation (FOM):

80% of our fellow citizens, leaving the house, usually carry at least something from portable consumer electronics. 8% take two or three different gadgets with them. One in ten, however, does not consider it necessary to grab a single such item.

As the FOM sociologists have found out, the most popular electronic device in Russia is mobile phone... It is used by the overwhelming majority of citizens - 91%. In certain groups of the population, the percentage of "mobile telephony" is even higher - 95-96% among people from 18 to 60 years old. Only the eldest are lagging behind, but 77% of pensioners also use a mobile phone.

In any case, three quarters of Russians (72%), according to them, no longer imagine their life without a mobile phone.

Every third or fourth average Russian (28%) and half of young people under 30 have already purchased and successfully mastered a laptop or netbook. 15% of young people do not part with them at all. Every tenth citizen of Russia (11%) has a smartphone (among young people - every fourth), the same number of owners of music players in Russia. Tablet PC or 7% have an iPad. Every twentieth person uses e-books (among young people - about one in ten). One in a hundred Russians has everything from this list. Only 6% have no such gadgets. True, a lot here depends on the age of the respondents: among older people, one in four does not like "electronic toys" and does not have them at hand.

Our fellow citizens would not be themselves if they refused to philosophize. They cannot live without electronic devices. But at the same time, they thoughtfully argue whether all this progress is for the good, or vice versa, and what it ultimately brings to people.

According to 67% of Russians, electronic devices are generally "more useful". 17% believe that new products are more harmful than useful. Another 16% found it difficult to answer.

The following was definitely a plus for gadgets:

44% appreciated the possibility of fast and accessible communication, communication. Citizens are especially pleased that they can chat on the phone directly from the summer cottage and "without running to the post office", you can get through easily and quickly.

23% noted the convenience and comfort that useful gadgets- "for those who understand this", of course.

13% like the fact that electronic devices give permanent access on the Internet, help to get information.

11% consider the compactness and small size of these devices to be a special advantage. People who were worn out with "the world's largest Russian microcalculators" could not answer otherwise.

For 4%, gadgets became the best sedative: people stopped worrying about "old and young", husbands and wives, relatives in the hospital, etc.

With the advent of gadgets, 3% began to save time and do more, to quickly solve their problems.

1-2% each noted other advantages of electronic novelties: the fact that they make life "richer", help pass the time in traffic jams, combine several devices and devices at once. And in general - "in our time it is impossible to live without them", they "expand space", develop intellect and even change a person's worldview.

Doesn't see any positive sides in gadgets, only one Russian out of a hundred.

The respondents also noted the negative aspects of gadgets. They rested in this case on ecology, physiology and psychology.

35% of Russians believe that electronic devices can harm the health of users - impair their eyesight, provoke headaches, etc. due to electromagnetic radiation and "waves". This is the main complaint, all the others were expressed much less often.

5% fear that gadgets "subjugate a person", cause addiction, "drag out" those who are too keen on such "toys".

4% said that children should be very careful to approach electronic devices in order to preserve their psyche, as well as vision and hearing. In addition, Russians believe that children in general should move more, "play football, and not sit at the computer so that you can't tear it off!"

3% complained that gadgets are stealing their free time.

2% noted that buying such devices makes tangible holes in family budget- "money is rowing - you will not have time to put on the account."

1% are disappointed that in some places the connection quality is very low, the batteries run out quickly, etc. And of the "philosophical" complaints, sociologists wrote down on the list that gadgets, in the opinion of Russians, lead to a loss of "live communication" skills, interfere in public places ("minibuses are like telephone booths", "telephones are jangling in theaters and at concerts" ) carry too much uncontrolled negative information. Russians are also very worried about the fact that electronics is becoming a weapon of all sorts of fraudsters or a carrier of unscrupulous obtrusive advertising.

14% do not see any negative aspects in the widespread use of electronic devices.

The biggest fans of electronic gadgets are young and middle-aged people with higher education, high income, residents of megalopolises, Internet users. Opponents and especially mistrustful are elderly and low-income Russians (there is little surprising here).

Sociologists saved the most philosophical question for last. They asked the opinion of Russians that electronic devices ultimately give people - freedom or even greater dependence?

65% of citizens were unanimous: with new gadgets, people only became freer. Only 16% are convinced that electronic innovations "restrict the freedom" of their owners.

Well, at the end of our conversation, I would like to dream about the future. I'll show you a video that took me several decades (more?) Forward, although someone says that this is a trite advertisement for glass :-(

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

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

What is a device?

The term "device" comes from the English word device and means some rather complex device, device or machine. Since we have recently been surrounded by similar 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 do not even remember.

However, not every device fits this definition. Is your wristwatch a device? And the alarm clock on the table? Probably not. They fall short of this lofty concept, because they lack technology and sophistication (many functions). Here is a clock with phone function, with radio and built-in hard disk Is device.

It also needs to be more or less compact (well, at least like a computer or printer). The communication satellite is much more functional than anything that we come across, but calling it this word somehow doesn’t dare. But a modern mobile phone, music player, video recorder, camera, navigator, game console, pedometer, food processor and other technical devices 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 network connection to work. Gadgets, by definition, are just an addition to something, but more on that below.

What is a gadget and is it different 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 novelties. Here is something so hot in 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 technological addition to it (like for a tablet or laptop, or external flash for the camera). Although many of us often consider a laptop as a gadget, and a modem made in the form of a USB flash drive as a device.

Other examples of gadget are computer components that cannot work by themselves, but serve important parts main unit. Those. gadgets cannot work independently and are intended to expand the functionality of the main device.

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

So, 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. To the latter, it is connected by some kind of connector or inserted entirely into the niche intended for it.

But in our everyday life we are so used to equalizing these two concepts that my publication is unlikely to change anything in the current balance of power, when device and gadget merged into a single whole and are synonymous for 90 percent of the residents of the Russian Internet. It seems to me that nothing can change this in any way, 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

Gadgets for Windows 7:

Christmas trees

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

Nice cute online translator for your desktop. It has a large number of languages. For the gadget to work, you need to install the Microsoft Silverlight package - the first time you start it, a corresponding message will be displayed with a link to download this package from the official Microsoft website.

Good day, dear readers of the Start Luck blog! I think that we all periodically come across words and expressions that are not entirely clear to us, but often used. And it seems that intuitively and from the context we guess about their meaning, but we cannot confidently give a definition. In modern life, some new terms come into use almost every day.

In order to keep up with the times, I propose to deal with one of these. I am one hundred percent sure that everyone reading this article has heard, and maybe used the word "gadget" himself. But will you tell me exactly what it means? What is its origin? Are you at a loss? Nothing! Now let's dot all the i's, so that in the future these questions will not be dead-end, even for "dummies".

What does it mean?

So, gadget - what is it? There is no specific definition, as gadgets are very different. These are such portable, pocket-sized devices that somehow simplify human life. They come as additions to some existing devices. It is quite possible to do without them (and some do), but if you look around, you will see that you are surrounded by gadgets. Headphones were one of the first to come to my mind. So, a phone, a computer, a player can work without them, but not vice versa!

Many people mistakenly call smartphones, laptops and similar stand-alone items of technology gadgets. For them, there is also a special generalizing word - "device". And you probably heard him. People often confuse these two concepts, because they are very similar. But you and I, as advanced users, have remembered their main difference: a device is an independent device, and a gadget is an extension to it.

It is worth saying a few words about another related concept - a widget. It is a gadget found in the software of smartphones and PCs. The widget is a small program: it can be a weather forecast in your phone or an alarm clock for Windows 7.

In general, gadgets have long entered our lives and are not going to stop. They surround each person more and more. And no wonder. Let's be honest, humans are pretty lazy creatures. Even if they do not give up some tasks, then they want to facilitate, accelerate, reduce unnecessary actions and come up with various gizmos for this.

Where did it come from?

The origin of the term is a very controversial issue. From the very first mention (it was at the end of the nineteenth century) "gadgets" were called everything. The first atomic bomb including! In general, it is generally accepted that they began to call those objects whose real names are too long, difficult to remember, or simply unknown.

Most likely, the English word "gadget" came from the French language. There are four versions. First, one French company that helped design and miniature the Statue of Liberty named it after itself - Gaget, Gauthier & Cie. To be honest, I see little connection here, but many will disagree with me. Well, their right!

The second version: there are sources claiming that the roots grow from the vocabulary of French sailors, or rather from the word gâchette, which means the trigger. Once again, it is not clear to me, what does this familiar gadget have to do with it?

The fourth opinion is most widespread: “gadget” comes from the French gagée, which means “a small accessory” in Russian. Everything here is completely clear, understandable and reasonable.

There are other options as well. For example, the Scots look for the origin of the gadget in engineering jargon. They have a measuring tool called gadge. Who knows, they might be right!

Specific examples

I suggest you read articles on gadgets: a headset that reflects the mood or a prototype of an earphone-translator. And I, driven by the usual interest, decided to see what gadgets can be found on Aliexpress. As you know, everything is there!

Kitchen

The first interesting thing is pusher (I'll call it that) cherry and olive pits. If you're making a cherry pie, you don't need bones in it, right? And cutting them yourself is long and inconvenient. As for the olives and olives, they are already pitted. But really, fatal mistakes have not happened to you - they confused the bank or simply did not look at what they took, and there is no time or opportunity to buy another. In general, the item is not the most useless.

Another kitchen gadget - corn gizmo ... I really don’t know what to call it, but I’ll explain the essence of it. You put the ear in there and twist - the blades cut off the corn kernels. A good alternative to canned food!

Household

I noticed a lot of these here brushes ... You pour the cleaning agent into a special compartment and, when necessary, press the button so that it falls on the brush itself.

I was also interested in " washcloth ", As the description says, for glasses. I don't know how she will actually clean, but in theory she should help out bespectacled people. Small, always with me, eyepieces got dirty - rubbed.

Computers

The tape often contains small lamps and fans that are connected via a USB cable. First I wanted to show you them, and then I came across a set! Judging by the comments, the product is really good: the light is bright, the fan blows hard for its size.

On this I will stop perhaps. And yes, since they started talking about useful acquisitions, I recommend that you buy the course “ Secrets of being productive at the computer ". What is it for? You will learn about the hidden abilities of your PC and will be able to squeeze much more out of it than you thought.

Now that's all for sure! I hope you enjoyed and found this article helpful. If so, recommend the blog to your friends and subscribe to the public Start Luck Vkontakte ... And I wish you success in all your endeavors and all the best!