(1) Slang for any hardware device, typically small. Synonymous with "gizmo."
(2) A mini application that resides on a computer desktop or personal home page, typically found in the Windows environment. Gadgets provide myriad functions, including customized news and stock quotes, calendar, dictionary lookups, cartoons and games.
Gadgets are available for the Windows Vista and Windows 7 desktops, Google Desktop and the personal home pages of Windows Live and iGoogle. On the Mac desktop and on Yahoo personal home pages, gadgets are called "widgets." See Sidebar, Google Desktop, iGoogle, widget, Windows Vista and Windows Live.
Gadgets provide useful functions that are always available on the desktop or that can be called up in an instant.
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