I hate wires. In fact, I dislike having them within the vicinity of my computer, if I can get away with it. Why the violent reaction? Wires make your life pure torture, keeping you rooted to one spot, immobilizing you, all because the wires cannot permit you much room and roaming space. Have you ever sorted out entangled wires? I have seen people getting a kick out of deciphering how to get those knots off because they have all the time in the world to do it. Unfortunately, when you are pressed for time, and you can’t seem to find which wire goes where, then it definitely can be quite frustrating.

It’s a good thing someone had the ingenuity and sense to invent gadgets with Bluetooth ® capabilities. Blue what? Bluetooth®. This name is synonymous in this present world of technology for being wireless. Yes, no wires. Isn’t that great! A wide range of products are now equipped with this wireless capability, definitely make your life, and mine, of course, a lot easier.

A lot of people are not familiar with this capability. They even do not know that the mobile phone that they are using has it. They just see that flashing icon that looks like a B or an inverted eyemask. So what is Bluetooth®? Bluetooth ® is the ability of a gadget to transmit information or communicate to another gadget, without the use of wires within a certain area. This capability covers mobile phones, earpieces, computers, keyboards, mouse, headsets, PDAs, printers, fax machines and other gadgets that may require it. For it to work properly, the gadgets should be in proximity to each other, but not necessarily touching each other, such as the infrared capability.

With this Bluetooth® technology, we can all say goodbye to wires, well at least within your room or house. Furthermore, even with this kind of technology, our security is not compromised. Even if you are able to receive frequencies from a Bluetooth® enabled device, you can still choose whether or not to communicate with that device or not, especially when you are in a public place and you do not know who owns it. This is to ensure that you would not receive any virus or malicious files on your gadget via Bluetooth®.

What I really like about having Bluetooth® is that I can synchronize my laptop, mobile phone, digital camera, and PDA without the hassle of plugging it to each other. I just need to enable the capability, then I can do whatever I need to do with them. What’s more is that it doesn’t cost me a thing, well except of course, buying the Bluetooth® enabled gadget. I can send files, talk over the phone, and even print documents through Bluetooth® without worrying of the cost per minute. How about power? What about it? It only consumes a minute amount of power that you won’t even have to be concerned over it.

In my world of no wires, I have found life to be simpler with a lot less stress. I still hate wires, but at least there is something better to replace it.

I love getting a new gadget. Who doesn’t, right? But what makes it more exciting for me is trying to figure out how to make it work. I know that it comes with an instruction manual, often written in four languages, with everything you need to know about that gadget, but who really reads the instruction manual? You are excited about it. Do you think you will still take the time to read before handling the gadget? I don’t think so.
Nowadays, all you need to know is how to turn it on or where to plug it, then you use it. Period. No more hassles of knowing what it is, what it does, where it was manufactured, how it came to be, etc. The only time you would probably open up the manual is to check on the warranty card and as a last resort, when you are really stumped about how to do something and have done everything you thought possible to make it work. This can be quite unfortunate because gadgets nowadays are full packed with features to make your life easier. The instruction manual can help you know about it and teach you how to do it. I even remember a friend who was stubborn enough not to use the manual to check on a certain feature, tried to do it on his own, and ended up erasing all addresses and details in his cellular phone.
If you think about it further, learning to operate a new gadget is easy for us who were born in this age of technology. How about those from the older generation who still thinks that a computer is the same as a television with a remote to turn on? Was it easy for them to learn to use these gadgets? I remember seeing an old woman shouting on her cellular phone, not because she was mad at the person she was talking to but because she couldn’t hear her clearly. How about the old man who called using the television remote and tried to operate the television with his cellular phone? How easy is it for them to learn to operate a new gadget?
I am not saying that old people do not know gadgets, much less operate them. In fact, I know a lot of geriatrics who are more technology savvy with their gadgets as compared to me. I am just saying that a lot of people, as they grow older, have a hard time learning how to operate a gadget, as compared to the younger generation. Unless they are truly interested in learning how it works, they would rather just do it the way they know how, instead of trying to learn how to do it using a gadget.
Gadgets at present are actually easier to operate because manufacturers take into consideration their clientele, thus making it more user-friendly. However, the instruction manual is still considered to be a good thing to read so as to completely understand its features and use the gadget to its fullest capacity.

I’m suddenly just overwhelmed with all the technology the world has.

Come on, look absolutely ANYWHERE and you’ll see cellphones, music players, portable video players, gaming consoles, ultra-slim and ultra-light laptops, PALMtops – the list goes on endlessly. But because the world is wired like that, I have personally adjusted and learned to live with the fact that there are certain “gadgets” I could not imagine myself to be without.

Seriously.

I may sound absolutely shallow and materialistic – but at this day and age (not to mention especially in my profession), gadgets are NECESSARY for someone to make a living.

My laptop – an ASUS A8Jr – is solid proof of that. I have to be able to create your designs on-the-fly and this gadget gave me the means to do so. You can’t really go around carrying a desktop PC now can you? I’m a fan of music as well – who isn’t right? But of course as ridiculous to see someone lugging his bulky desktop PC around, it’s also as silly to see someone carrying a laptop in arm and just listening to his tunes! And in this iPod generation, music players just come in ALL shapes and sizes (and I’m not exaggerating this; I’ve seen players shaped like animals! Talk about being creative like that!). I have a trusty old school iPod Nano. It fits my personality because with a nice playlist, enough for a long commute, without sacrificing portability and disk space, it’s good enough for me.

But take a look at the multimedia players nowadays. Some of the most savvy ones (perfect example: the iPod Touch), can even aid you with your fitness regime! And again, these objects of technological necessity latch on to us according to our need, according to our lifestyle.

And of course to unwind, I have “de-stressers” also, and they come in the forms of a Playstation Portable (or PSP) and the Nintendo DS Lite (or NDS). Having both of these portable consoles is a huge help in immersing me into the fantastic world of gaming.

The PSP for example is one of the most versatile gaming platforms to date. It’s a multimedia player, gaming console and web browser in its most basic state. And let’s not even go to what it can do if you modify it. Want to watch movies on the go? Watch it on your PSP (and not too shabbily because of the portable multimedia players around, the PSP has one of the largest screen dimensions around!). And solid games like Final Fantasy VII and God of War make the PSP a worthy gaming investment.

The NDS – although it falls a bit short in terms of graphical power– is a solid FUN-factor with games. Combine classic games like the New Super Mario Bros and Trauma Center to the amazing interactivity of the NDS (you must try the touch screen and the built in microphone to name a few!), and you have hours upon hours of fun right in your hands.

People will definitely say that it’s a different world nowadays. I’d say I agree, its difference now is striking compared to what the world was ten years ago. But these are advancements in lifestyle, improvements in the mundane world. And if you ask me again if I’d rather live in the stone-age or a world without gadgets, I have one answer: Not a chance.

Talking about the latest technologically advanced generation of gadgets, the introduction of iPod has completely brought a revolution in the realm of music. iPod not only gives you a wonderful experience of listening to music, but it offers a completely new and unique set of multimedia features.

In literal terms, iPod is an electronic portable device, allowing the users to save and then listen to their favorite music, anywhere and anytime. The best part about this small device is that it has the ability to store a huge amount of audio and video files to be used whenever required. Designed and marketed by Apple, this electronic device was initiated in 2001. Since that time, a large number of units have been purchased by people of all ages and this sales figure is expected to increase in the times to come.

IPods have proved to be the excellent revolution for not just the music lovers, but even for those who like listening to music in their free time. The introduction of iPods is surely the most admired and demanded technological advancement. This revolution has also served as the best treat for music fans. The device contributes a lot in saving, exchanging and downloading music easily with the help of the Internet and a PC along with the devices that contain Bluetooth option.

The music or tracks stored in the iPod can easily be saved under different heads, file names and can also be deleted and transferred from other folders. The different features vary from iPod model to model but the main function remains same i.e. of providing the best quality music to the users. As the sound quality offered by this small yet powerful device is really high, it contributes in making the users forget about the world around them thereby indulging them completely in the tunes of music.

The iPods work on the chargeable batteries so that the users can charge them when the power gets exhausted. Thankfully, the charging of battery does not take much time so that the users can enjoy the scintillating effect of music in a short time. Also, just like various other contemporary digital music systems, these iPods have an ability to function as the external data storing device.

In order to make one’s iPod trendier, the different and attractive accessories can be easily matched. Speakers, carrying cases, headphones and flashy stick-ons are some of the major accessories that can be used with one’s iPods in order to make them all the more appealing and stylish.

If you like gadgets, you are going to love this – I have found a truly great gadget that you simply have to have.

How annoying is it when your iPod runs out of steam, you mobile beeps and shuts down as the charge runs out, or your PDA is down on power? Don’t tell me – it’s extremely annoying indeed.

Well believe it or not, I’ve found the ultimate gadget that does away with all of those possibilities, and not only does it do a great job, it looks brilliant, too.

It’s called the Freeloader, and it’s a portable charger that is powered by the sun.

Small and light

The Freeloader is a small unit measuring just 12×6x2cm, and is made from a lightweight aluminium casing that comes in pink – for the girls – and silver for the lads.

And it gets better, for all you do is clip the pod apart and attach the tow solar panel ‘wings’ and the Freeloader takes the suns rays and changes them into power, stored for future use. When in use, it looks rather good, a bit like a miniature satellite, and very high tech too.

40 hours of mobile power

The Freeloader, with a full charge on board, can power a mobile for over 40 hours, a PDA for just over 20, and an iPod for 18 hours of non stop music. You can also charge it via your PC – great for those cloudy winter days – using the USB cable.

Eight hours in the sun, or three connected to your PC, gives a full charge and the Freeloader is ready to go.

Once charged, the unit can hold it for up to three months, and when connected to a Freeloader battery charger can be used to power up those AA and AAA batteries for your other toys!
The Freeloader comes complete with arrange of adaptors – both 2mm and 3.5mm for Nokia phones, the Samsung range, a variety of Sony Ericsson phones, the Nintendo DS Lite and the iPod – and also with jacks for the PSP and Tom Tom, and a wide variety of digital cameras and MP3 players.
Never again will you be stranded without a phone or stuck without a computer, no more will you have to buy new batteries when you leave the charger at home – simply pull out the Freeloader, clip on the panels and set it down in the sun. Soon you’ll have all the power you need!

Do you worry about the safety of your family? Do you always think if they are somewhere safe or not? You should be. Around 797,500 children go missing every year in the United States alone. If you want to be sure that your loved ones are safe all the time then one choice is to have the GPS tracker with SMS message.

Thousands of families around the world are left brokenhearted when one of the people they love are taken away or wanders off and they don’t have a clue where they are. Not only are children in danger. According to the National Crime Information Center, there were 105,229 cases of missing people in the US still open at the end of 2007.

Most were just doing their daily routines. Everyone is at risk, whether they are getting to or from school or work, or getting a late night run or a snack from a store nearby.

A way to make sure you can still know where your loved ones are is fitting them with a GPS tracker with GSM functions. This doesn’t only let you know where they are but lets you talk with them when you are worried.
The GSM tracker works in any Sim card. Once you plug it in you are good to go and it is cheap to refill it up. Topping it up is as easy as getting a card from a shop or store.

So how does this work?You just need to send a SMS message to the GPS tracking device and it will send a SMS back to you with its location.

This gives you real time GPS tracking. You know exactly where your child is at all times and will make sure that they’re not being carried away by some horrible person, or haven’t strayed down a certain road, or to a certain house by ‘mistake’.

If they get into trouble they can tell you about it. There’s a microphone and a speaker on the GPS tracker with SMS message which lets you and the person with the device communicate.

So for an example, if your partner is walking outside at night and a strange car looks like it is following them they just need to press the button on the device and let you know that they might need some help.

Don’t panic that your kids or loved ones might be somewhere where they shouldn’t be when they’re out and about. The GPS tracker with SMS message is a gadget which should help keep them safe and sound at all times.

Among the world of gadgets are some that are functional and essential – the mobile cell phone, for instant – and some that are equally functional but not so necessary – the digital camcorder, say – and there also some that are simply fun, and have no purpose other than to amuse and give you something to enjoy.

One such gadget is the FlyTech Dragonfly, one of many items of its ilk that is simply a grown up toy, and in another time – the yuppie dominated 1980’s, for example – would likely have been given the more excusable title ‘executive toy’ in order that its very existence is seemingly justified.

The truth is that the Dragonfly is simply a toy, and it is simply a dragonfly, too. But it must be said, it’s also great fun for old and young, and no doubt if bought for Dad, he’ll have troubling wrestling it from the kids!

A radio controlled flying dragonfly, with a sixteen inch wingspan and wings that move in an authentic insect-like flapping motion, there can be few more fun gadgets than this, and with a few minutes flying time from a 20 minute charge via the supplied base centre, the dragonfly will be used again and again and never bore the user, while achieving absolutely nothing of worth at all. It can soar and hover, just like a real dragonfly, and is sure to create mayhem among the family pets!

On amore practical level, storing your information away from the computer is a vital action these days, and nothing can do it more stylishly than another seriously top gadget, the Omega eGo Portable Hard Drive.

Never has a gadget intended solely for functional use been made to look so good, and with a 160 GB capability the eGo is a must for those with serious storage needs. That’s room fro well over half a million digital photos, or almost 3,000 hours of music, and all on a beautiful and stylish piece of kit, adorned with effective shock absorbing qualities, that will undoubtedly send your friends and colleague sin to a frenzy when they first catch a glimpse.

Gadgets, as the two above demonstrate, can be either fun or function, and often both, and that is why the market for gadgets is an ever-developing area that attracts people the world over, all the time.

Think of gadgets and we think small, electronic, attractive and something that makes a statement. Everybody, after all, likes to be seen with the latest ‘must have’ item, so what are the top gadgets on the market at the moment? Here we look at three of the best items, ones that consumers are voting for with exceptional sales across the world.

Starting with the obvious, lets look at the mobile cell phone. Small, functional and considered essential for both business and pleasure, but the top gadget?

The best phone

Yes, it must be, and when it’s the Apple iPhone, it’s one of the best gadgets of all time.

Beautifully designed – and not just for looks, but with a full keyboard for ease of use – the iPhone is slick and simple, with a look that says ‘I’ve arrived’ more than any other cell phone on the market. With capabilities far beyond that of the average cell phone, the iPhone is set to become a design classic and an icon within a very short time of its recent introduction to the market.

The best camera

Next on the list of must have gadgets is the digital camera, an item that has revolutionized our lives in more ways than we may notice. Given the ability to take photos any where, and the portability of the devices on offer, we can record our lives more easily than before, and none does so in a better manner than the Nikon Coolpix S51c, a camera that is both beautiful to look at and use, and that has the added attraction of wi-fi capability, enabling you to send photo’s direct to your PC without cabling.

The digital video camera

A little further up the market from the still digital camera we arrive at the camcorder variety, the doyen of Japanese tourists in America, and American tourists in Japan, that makes every move in our busy schedules recordable and replayable for ever more.

With anti-shake devices turning us all into instant maestros, models such as those in the Sony Handycam range have brought high quality film making to the masses, and everybody can now shoot digital film with absolutely no training in the medium at all.

Of all these items – the cell phone, digital camera and digital video camera, only one can be considered essential in any way – the phone – but it remains a fact that recording images of our lives is becoming more and more commonplace.

The idea for the mobile – or cell – phone has been around since Alexander Graham Bell devised the first operable telephone system, and portable phones have been used in one form or another for many decades now – think of the field telephones used by the military in the second world war, and earlier than that.

Mobile phones first took on the aura of a must have gadget in the 1970’s, when having a telephone that could be carried around was seen as a sign that one had ’arrived’, no matter that the item was bigger than a briefcase and twice as heavy, with a battery life of a few minutes and a usefulness that bordered on the very poor.

Downsizing

Technology, though, has a way of moving these things ahead at speed, and it was not long before the brick sized and inefficient first phase of cell phones were being replaced with small, light hand held units that had been enabled by breakthroughs in battery design.

By the time we reached the 21s century, the mobile cell phone had become not just the possession of city boys with big bonuses to shout about, but of everybody, and nobody in particular.

Everybody’s talking

It is now – eight years into that century – the absolute norm to carry a mobile phone, and the talk now is not that you have one, but how small it is, what it looks like and, most of all, what other features it carries – for being a phone, an ability for making calls, is simply not enough.

These days cell phones are so small that they can be lost in a handbag, so thin that they may be invisible beside a credit card, and so versatile that they are replacing the landline telephone as the every day method of communication.

The average phone

Not only that, but from a short charge a life of a few days can be had, so advanced are the batteries that power the average phone these days.

And that average phone will come with at least one, if not all, of the following – a good quality camera with the ability to record video, an MP3 capable audio device, an internet surfing feature, and the ability to send and receive emails.

Anything less than those, and what you have is not a talking point, but an embarrassment.

A gadget is described as a small object, novelty or otherwise, that is designed to perform a particular function, whether essential or not. Gadgets are not always small, however, but are more often than not portable in one way or another.

Take the mobile cell phone – a gadget now considered an essential item, and one loved and loathed in equal measure.

Innovative and novel

The mobile cell phone was an innovative and novel item when it first appeared in our midst, and was intended for one purpose only – that of making and receiving telephone calls while on the move.

Now, as we approach the end of the first decade of the 21st century, the mobile is considered so much a part of everyday life that, while still technically in the realms of gadgetry, manufacturers are loading them with more and more features in order to make them more attractive than a rival offering.

Cameras, music players, even GPS systems are being crammed into many models of mobile in order to make them more useful, but when did it come about that mobile phones should also double as cameras, or as audio devices?

Marketing the key

It becomes clearer, when looking at the history of the mobile phone and its development, that as it became a necessary item rather than a novelty, manufacturers saw the need to add to the available feature – a phone than made calls was no longer a marketable item, but one that went further than that – one that could tell you where you are or play a tune, or take a picture or a film – would clearly have a lead on others that did not.

The mobile phone, therefore, began as a gadget, but rapidly developed into something that everybody carries without thinking, and has now been transformed back into the realms of gadgetry again as the market becomes saturated.

It still begs the question what is a gadget, and what is not? More and more the term gadget is applied to useful objects rather than those that are there for mere fun, and more and more the simple everyday item is becoming imbued with the substance of gadgets in order to make it more saleable than the next model.

Design as well as function – flip phones, slide phones, qwerty keyboards and more – takes the cell phone further down the road to gadgetry as development continues.