*Just remember: Tasers don't tase people, people tase people.

Not this time, guys. Tasers don't tase people. Cops tase people. Cops only.

In their wisdom, Taser has restricted sale of gadgets like the X-26 to law enforcement. As we all know, police officers have a long and distinguished history of self-restraint and level-headedness not found in the general public. They would never abuse a weapon any more than the trust of the citizens they protect.

Just ask Amadou Diallo who was shot 19 times by four police officers when he pulled his wallet out too quickly.

Rodney King has the distinction of having three of Mobile Computing's All Time 100 used on him at the same time. Police were shocking him with a Taser (All Time #79) while beating him over the head with metal Mag-Lite Flash Lights (All Time #63). A witness taped Mr. King's beating using a camcorder (All Time # 37).

As in Mr. Diallo's case, the police were acquitted of any wrong-doing.

#40 - Air in a Can. That outranks the Fuzzbuster? and the sextant? My goodness. I always thought it was "just" compressed air. Clearly I'm missing something - gotta pick some up and see what's the fuss.

Even so - I can agree with a lot more of that list than I thought I would.

I've never owned a radar detector and couldn't use a sextant if my life depended on it, but Air In A Can is a must here in the dusty environment of west Texas. There's no better way to clean the innards of a computer, or to flush out the lint from a keyboard.

APPLE POWERBOOK 100, 1991

Obviously this is not the most important gadget. Not even near the top in my opinion, but that's a judgement call. What is obviously lacking is........ the thermos bottle.

Of it's own accord it keeps hot things hot and cold things cold.....and how do it know?

I'll see your thermos bottle and raise you a cordless drill.

Eric, I had a feeling ... just a hunch, really ... that you might be especially proud of the #1 gadget. :-)

I was tickled to see the old TRS-80 in the list. They were right on all accounts. Though some spoke disdainfully of the 'Trash 80,' it was a simple, hard-working hoss.

I taught computer literacy lab at Goddard Junior High back in the 80's, and we had 16 of them in there, castoffs from the Midland High computer lab, which had upgraded over the summer. The kids got a great introduction to what computers could - and could not! - do, and also gained some appreciation for how literal, and thoroughly correct, computer language needed to be - while creating their own mini-programs in BASIC, with plenty of IF/THEN's and GOTO's.

But I have to agree with Wallace on the role of the thermos. Deer hunting just north of the Arctic Circle, in Pennsylvania, wouldn't have been possible without my dad's thermos' - one for me, and another for him (which he wouldn't share, hmmmmm).

For those sheltered individuals who missed the "thermos bottle" allusion here's the original joke...at least the way I heard it.

A panel was convened to decide the world's most important invention. On the panel were experts from Harvard, M.I.T. and Texas A&M. The Harvard professor opined that the most important invention was the telephone since it allowed instant communications to any point in the world. The M.I.T. engineer said, "well no the most important invention was the airplane since it actually allowed a person speedy travel to any point on earth."

The Texas A&M panelist, after much deep thought, said, "I must conclude that the most important invention has been the thermos bottle". Incredulous, the other two asked what brings you to that conclusion? "Well", said the Aggie, "it keeps hot things hot and cold things cold......and how do it know"?

Now you know......the rest of the story.

No... Donkey Kong?

I guess Pong and the Game Boy covered the gaming bases. Although I'm pretty sure software doesn't qualify under the rules anyway.

Hey, thanks for stopping by, Dave! I really enjoy reading your blog.

Always a pleasure reading your stuff, Eric. Glad to hear Abbye is doing well too.

Regards,