Electronic Gadgets

In science fiction, characters sometimes see a world that's completely different from the reality underneath. But how do you know that's not true in what you think of as real life? Is what you see really what you get?

By Jonathan Strickland

Calculators may show up anywhere in our lives that numbers do -- from calculus class to restaurants -- but the technology that powers these devices is fairly recent. What made it possible, and how does it work?

By Jacob Clifton

Do you have a smartphone? How about a digital camera? A portable music player? We bet you'll be surprised by how many of these 'essential' gadgets you actually own. Take a look and see whether yours made the list, or if we omitted any of your favorites.

By Chris Pollette

Every year it seems like there's a bumper crop of new electronics on the market, and lots more on the way. So how did we pick our favorites for 2009? It wasn't easy.

By Nathan Chandler

Some people feel you should live for today. Others believe you should think about your part in the seeming never-endingness of time. But how do you measure that?

By Josh Briggs

The Dyson Air Multiplier works like a fan, but it has no blades. Can it be as effective as a traditional fan? What's so different about it?

By Kristen Hall-Geisler & Nathan Chandler

These amazing timepiece pictures explore unusual and exotic time gadgets. Learn more and explore timepiece pictures.

Traveling can be a lot of fun, but there's no joy in picking up a stomach bug from untreated water. What if you need to sterilize water on the go and you're traveling light?

By Josh Briggs

If you travel and you like gadgets, chances are you've been on the road when the batteries gave out. What if you could generate power for your gizmos yourself?

By Ed Grabianowski

Grocery shopping may be fun for you, yet for many others it's a pain in the neck. But electronic technology just might make it faster and simpler to run to the store.

By Josh Briggs

Two-liter soda bottles have been popular since they were introduced by Pepsi back in 1970, but there's just one problem. How do you keep the soda from going flat?

By Maria Trimarchi

Maybe you have great cell phone coverage in the United States, but what happens if you need to leave the country for a business trip? Can you get a phone that will work everywhere you go?

By Dave Roos

It used to be that you could have boxes full of photos and no idea where you took them. That was the 20th century. Now we have GPS photo taggers.

By Dave Roos

A nice, hot cup of coffee or tea is nice, but what happens if you get interrupted before you can drink it? If only you had something to warm it up!

Your party is starting in 15 minutes, and everything's perfect. Except you forgot to chill the wine. What are you going to do now?

By John Fuller

Cell phone calls while you're driving can be dangerous. But what happens when you absolutely must make or accept a call when you're behind the wheel?

By Christopher Lampton

If you travel abroad with your electronic gear, then you know the challenges associated with finding the right kind of power. What's an easy solution?

By Jamie Page Deaton

A solar battery charger is very useful if you're trapped in the woods with no cell phone and no transportation -- as long as you're out on a sunny day in broad daylight.

By Josh Clark

What do you do when two dinner party guests want white wine and the rest want red? How can you store the extra vino without it going to waste? The skybar Wine System is one solution.

By Cristen Conger

Keyless entry systems have become standard equipment on most new cars and trucks. But if these systems are so common, is it possible for someone other than you to remotely open your car door?

By Patrick E. George

Need a charge for your phone when you're on the go? Several new gadgets aim to harness the power of the wind and transform that energy into juice for your phone, camera or MP3 player.

By Julia Layton

You're ready to hit the open road and you want to take some tunes along with you. But what happens if you have a stack of CDs, yet your car only has a cassette deck?

By Josh Briggs

: Exhaust air jacks make lifting a car off the ground much easier by letting the car's exhaust do the work for you. You can use these jacks for a variety of tasks, including changing tires, installing snow chains and more.

By Kristen Hall-Geisler

When you're directionally challenged and think of north as "up," a GPS may be a lifesaver. But it's not going to be much help if your maps are all out of date.

By Molly Edmonds

In-car entertainment has come a long way over the years. Thanks to built-in headrest monitors, road trips seem to breeze past when you're watching movies on DVD or playing the latest video gaming systems.

By Jamie Page Deaton