Gadget
1. A new, often expensive, and relatively unknown hardware device or accessory that makes your life or the use of another device easier or more enjoyable.
Note: As a gadget becomes widely used, it is no longer referred to as a gadget. For example, when cell phones were first introduced they were considered gadgets, but as they became more mainstream, they were not any longer.
2. When referring to software, a gadget is another name for a widget.
3. Additional feature that can be added into the Windows Vista Sidebar. See the Sidebardefinition for additional information with this feature.

The availability of electronic gadgets has exploded over the years, and the technology of these devices has only improved. It seems electronic gadgets exist for every facet of life, from entertainment to education, from work to play, and that may be because they do exist for all facets of life. Entertainment gadgets include mp3 players, book e-readers, portable movie players, cell phones, and digital cameras. Gadgets for work include cell phones, portable computers and tablets, digital watches, and many more. Gadgets seem to be available to suit any need in the modern age.
The general purpose of most electronic gadgets is to make life easier, more fun, or more efficient. Computers are perhaps the most sought-after electronic gadgets that fall into just about any category. Tablets are thin, small computers that are touch-screen activated and navigated. They are useful as an e-reader, as a portable communications device, as a creative tool, and so on. The technology changes rapidly, and these tablets tend to get thinner, smaller, and more functional with each new iteration. A close cousin to such tablets is the smart phone, which is a combination of a computer, telephone, and camera. Smart phones often have Internet access, texting abilities, memory for photos and other information, and much more.

Other communication devices include satellite phones and two-way radios. These electronic gadgets are useful for people who spend a significant amount of time in the wilderness. Two-way radios are sometimes used by families at ski areas to stay in touch on the trails, or by hikers or bikers on long rides through the wilderness. Satellite phones allow a person to communicate with others around the world where phone access is not available by any traditional means, including land lines and cell phone communication.
Digital cameras are increasingly popular electronic gadgets because they have become much easier to use and produce better pictures than ever before. Digital single lens reflex cameras, or DSLRs, are larger, more advanced cameras that allow a user to attach a wide variety of lenses to the camera body. This lends versatility to the camera unit, and the user can produce photos that can be uploaded quickly to computers for display on websites or printing onto traditional photo paper. Smaller cameras can fit in one's pocket, and now even high definition video cameras are so small as to fit in a pocket, yet still high quality enough to produce sharp, attractive videos.