Weekend Open Forum: Your favorite gadget

[Matthew DeCarlo]

With an undying passion for technology, some of us have more electronics than RadioShack. Although your desk surface may be a silicon junkyard, you undoubtedly spend more time with specific devices depending on your lifestyle. Folks bound to a chair all day might have a greater appreciation for a particular desktop component or application while road warriors are more likely to value mobile gear such as GPS, smartphones or tablets.

Photographers have a natural affinity for image capture technology and gamers would obviously value certain peripherals the rest of us can do without. Hell, we're sure some of you probably have coffee makers with more digital controls than cell phones did a decade ago. Our question is: what's your favorite "gadget" and why? Again, the door is wide open. Name any component, accessory, general electronic or software that's most important to you.

It's a tough call for me, but because I spend so much time typing, I've invested in a decent mechanical keyboard and I think I appreciate that the most (it's a Filco 104 with blue switches and black PBT keycaps if you're interested). Shawn is most grateful for the speed boost of the 240GB Vertex 3, though his Panasonic Lumix GF2 Micro Four Thirds is a close second.

Image via rangizzz/Shutterstock

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https://www.techspot.com/news/45705-weekend-open-forum-your-favorite-gadget.html

 

[treeski]

Assuming I can't count my entire desktop as a "gadget" (which would easily win hands down)... man that's tough. I guess I would toss in my vote for my Dell 2709W monitor.... and I would loooove to get another one.

 

[grvalderrama]

Well, most of my leisure time, I spend it playing my guitar, which in this case is a 1994 Squier Stratocaster by Fender, plus my newer amplifier, a MG30FX Marshall, both things kill all my spare time! They're my favourite "gadgets" (call it whatever you like), Why? Well, because I love playing guitar.
I'm spending much time with my cell phone currently, and maybe it's because from having an ancient cell phone (Sony Ericsson Z500a) to a smartphone, I'm trying to squeeze the whole potential out of it, a Nokia N97 Mini. Really liked it too.

 

[Guest]

my Suunto X10, saved my *** a few times. I proclaim it 'sand box approved.'

 

[Clrabbit]

That would be my Cintiq 21UX, It's hard to imagine life with out it... I'd have to go back to using an intuos. (Shutters)

 

[yRaz]

my laptop with Mini fridge attachment (there's no were else to set my laptop).

 

[tractorphil]

My Samsung 9 series laptop has been my favorite gadget. It has been the biggest blessing for me at college and work.

 

[Julio Franco]

On the PC side, my 27" monitors have been my long time companions. Also last year I switched the long standing combination of MS Natural Keyboard + Logitech G mouse for a mechanical keyboard and the Razer Deathadder and I can't say I could be happier.

Outside the PC, my (3rd) iPhone has been the ultimate gadget you could ever ask for. It keeps me up to date on most of the things I need to know about the site (traffic, news, email, uptime, etc.) and I always have it with me.

 

[gwailo247]

I had to leave almost all my electronics behind, but my external SATA HD enclosure has been a big help.

Overall though, my main computer gadget is most noticeable when it is absent, and that is a mouse with forward/backward thumb buttons. When I have to use a mouse without them, it's very awkward.

And with an eye to the future, I believe that this is the start of a beautiful friendship between me and my new Android.

 

[Benny26]

I'm a sucker for a good mouse. I like mine small, like mini-mice. I've just ordered a new Logitech one (can't remember the name of it though).

Apart from that i also love my desktop speakers, again Logitech's.

 

[rvnwlfdroid]

As gadgets go, my all time favorite is my (personal brainwave synchronizer) I've owned 3/4 different ones over the last 20+ years. There are several types out there. Some use just sound while others use lights and sound. I downloaded a sound only version for my Smartphone. Aside from that the other 3 have been light & sound. See what google has to say about it.

 

[Raswan]

Have to say my Corsair Flash Voyager 16GB. It gets used all day, every day; it's big enough to deal with 98% of my needs, and with some useful things with PortableApps installed, streamlines my tech life. I'm looking to a bright future with my new Das Keyboard, though, and wish UPS would HURRY THE F UP.

 

[Guest]

My blackberry definatly even though its a little broken now

 

[matrix86]

My phone (G2x). I sing barbershop and jazz style music. i've got an app for giving me pitch, a metronome app, and two other apps that give me access to hundreds of barbershop tags incase I and whoever i'm with feel like singing and need some music. I even use my phone while i'm using my laptop, lol.

 

[Guest]

Just call me weird... but my favorite gadget is my Swingline stapler. It may be manual. It may be retro. BUT when I have a pile of paper to combine FOREVER there is nothing more satisfying than a good WHACK. Did I mention that you could open it up and use it to tack things on the wall....yeah, I know, definitely TACKY.

 

[lawfer]

My current favorite gadget would be my music player. I have the Cowon S9 16Gb, and when I tell you it's the best sounding, out of stock music player out there, believe me because it is.

And if my computer is to be included, then my beloved pair of GTX 560 ti would come second.

 

[Greg S]

I'm going to have to go with my copy of photoshop cs5 extended as my favorite piece of software, but if I have to pick a physical device/item then I'd pick my intel core i7 (2600).

 

[compdata]

Based on the amount of time I use my different gadgets, it would have to be my iPod Touch (4g). I have managed to avoid a cell phone so far (even though i have my masters in wireless communications ;-) ). But this device has really made a big impact on how i consume media, communicate with others, and of course waste time! I have some gripes with Apple and some arbitrary restrictions on the device, but the amount of mobile apps available and what i can do with them totally makes up to for it. After that, probably my Pentax K20D (taken 10's of thousands of images on it).

 

[SammyJames]

I'm pretty sure that this one will seem somewhat original. I have a Novation Nocturn 49 that is currently saving my life. The key switches are almost as good as Novation's ReMOTE 49, but I saved a lot of money by going with the less-expensive Noturn model. I can thank my good friends at Fatar in Italy for providing the keybed.

Plus, I'm still in love with my Mono/Poly VST. I have come up with more cool sounds using that one piece of synth software than any other. Even Omnisphere, which I have decided to stop using. I love the sounds, but I don't like using 50 GB + of samples that were all pretty much created using a bunch of old analog synths anyway.

- S

 

[treetops]

I'd like to say my smart but I am on a much cheaper phone/plan now. Even then my desktop would win. My friends liked fooling around with my smart phone more then me. I was like I can do all this on my desktop in comfort. The case would be number 1 with all the goodies inside. But I guess to narrow it down my Habu mouse is pretty dang nice. On this work computer the mouse feels like a slug. But then again when I get off work my mouse feels like speedy gonzales. I don't really game much anymore but I do love to multi task and multi task as fast as possible when chillin at my desktop so I suppose Id have to give it up to my mouse\cpu.

Followed by my remote control. All and all id say desktop, cell phone even though its ancient and i pretty much only use it to talk text, then my tv remote. Blah im tired cant wait to get off work.

 

[Guest]

My Archos 70. Bought it just to try out a toy really, since it has a near disposable price without having truly awful specifications like some other budget Android tablets, but I've been surprised by how useful it is to have around. Much more useful than my similarly equipped but much smaller phone, purely due to screen size.

 

[Burty117]

Well my iPhone 3GS has been a god send at times, had it since the day it came out and it's starting to look battered and bruised but still working perfectly fine definately my number one.

My next favourite gadget has to be my headphones, Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro. They are awesome! Music has never sounded soo good!

And joint third is my Razer Deathadder Left Handed Edition Mouse and My Saitek Cyborg V7 Keyboard, both are absolutely awesome and make playing games and general day to day work easy, quick, accurate and soo comfortable!

I thank Logitech, Saitek, Apple and Razer for the above products making my life just that little bit easier. Just a shame Apple are unable to improve on the 3GS design, what I would give for a duel core 1GB of RAM version of this phone!

 

[Arris]

My next favourite gadget has to be my headphones, Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro. They are awesome! Music has never sounded soo good!

Oh yes! years of broken cables on cheap headphones is a thing of times gone by since I picked up a pair of these (can replace just the cable). Fantastic sound from the dual drivers in the. Like having hi fi floor standing speakers in your ears! Only thing I don't like about them is the price

 

[killeriii]

My original MX1000 laser mouse.
6 years old, still holds a charge for weeks of average use!!
Also, the only mouse i've used that doesn't seem it was designed for a six year old girls hands.

BEST...MOUSE...EVER...

 

[fpsgamerJR62]

Gaming keyboards and mice are my passion. My latest additions are a Razer Black Widow Ultimate Dragon Age 2 Collectors Edition and a Razer Imperator mouse. I also have gaming keyboards from Logitech (G11) and Roccat (Arvo) plus several gaming mice - Logitech G5 Gen 2, Logitech G9, Roccat Kone and Kone (+). Actually, too many for me to actually use but what the heck, I love this stuff !