Unexcused Absences

I love gadgets. I crave small, clever, sometimes shiny things which I believe will make my life easier. My parents gave me my first computer when I was in fourth grade (a Vic20) and I’ve never looked back. I had the fancy HP 48-GX calculator in college (it could integrate!) and a laptop (an Apple 165 I think). I’ve had Palm Pilots, Walkmen, iPods/Pad, smart phones, dumb phones and everything in between. I loved them all.

The early days of Gadgetopia

I majored in physics in college — the department with by far the best toys such as lasers, liquid nitrogen and telescopes.  Physics homework usually involves writing down a differential equation that describes your problem; mathematics is solving that equation. You have to be able to do the math to solve your problem, but you’re not graded on style. Results matter.

An Integral Table – 912 Pages

Each of my classmates solved differential equations differently. A fan of the “old school”, Skylar would write down his equation and look up the solution in a book. [Scientists fill giant books with solutions to a whole host of differential equations, called integral tables. Once you know your starting point, these mathematical maps point you to your solution. Simply copy that out of the book to finish up your problem.] Kevin would turn to the computer and do a bit of programming and arrive at his solution. He ended up as a computer scientist. John insisted on deriving each of his solutions from scratch, re-inventing the wheel (redrawing the mathematical map in the integral table book) with each problem. He became a college professor. I’d use my fancy calculator, but check it against the Skylar’s book of mathematical maps. Gadget girl at work.

Meeting the Jewelry Girls

Historical Gold Prices

Now, not all folks love gadgets – especially girls. I have girl friends who love different small, clever, shiny and sparkly things; jewelry. I remember being shocked that some of their first purchases once they finished college and earned real money were earrings or a great necklace and not a new laptop or a mobile phone. At the time, it seemed fairly frivolous. As time has passed, I think they may have been onto something. Great gadgets age a lot faster than great rocks.

Historical Gadget Pricing

You see, my HP 48GX, my Palm Pilot, or my Apple 165 aren’t worth very much today. That gold necklace? It’s probably worth MORE today than 15 years ago. Diamond solitaire earrings? They’re certainly worth more than my Walkman today or my iPad 15 years from now. Hmmm ….

Gadget Girl 4-Ever

And my latest purchase? Am I getting a signature Vail Golden Bear? A sparkly hand-crafted necklace in the shape of a snow flake? Nope! I just purchased Hotronics, two small, clever and shiny devices designed to keep my feet toasty warm in my ski boots all day long. I’ve just added a gadget to my sporting equipment. Life will be better!