1. A fictional device from the film "This Island Earth" (1955, q.v.) which is an extremely powerful and flexible (if somewhat bulky)combined communications, computation and weapons system.
2. By derivation, any desireable new gadget with lots of cool features, for example a multifunction colour printer/scanner/copier, often the property of another, resulting in repeated violations of the Tenth Commandment ("thou shalt not covet ....").
3. Any piece of technical equipment beyond the understanding of Managers, e.g. pencil sharpener, doorknob, chair, cup.
4. The large-scale version of a "widget" or "thingie", which are usually quite small.
2. By derivation, any desireable new gadget with lots of cool features, for example a multifunction colour printer/scanner/copier, often the property of another, resulting in repeated violations of the Tenth Commandment ("thou shalt not covet ....").
3. Any piece of technical equipment beyond the understanding of Managers, e.g. pencil sharpener, doorknob, chair, cup.
4. The large-scale version of a "widget" or "thingie", which are usually quite small.
by eighthofseven October 23, 2007