Name: Jim Latimer
Location: West Berlin, New Jersey
Gadgets… look in the dictionary and my picture is next to the
definition. I sometimes say that as long as I keep my hat on, the
propeller from the top of my head won’t show too much. 😉
I’ve been a science and gadget geek for as long as I can
remember… Trekkie in high school back in the 70’s,
meteorology/oceanography major in college, and now a HS physics
teacher for 18 years. It’s just a life that screams gadgets. It’s
just in my genes (or gear bag as the case may be).
Current Gadget list:
Palm TX
HP Pavilion ZV5410
IBM a21m
Kodak Z650
Nikon Coolpix 5600
Canon ZR300 digital camcorder
2nd gen 10gb iPod
1gb iPod shuffle
Verizon/Samsung a950
1gb PNY flash drice and other USB flash drives too numerous to
count
2 desktop computers w/wireless network to the laptops and wireless
print servers
Maxpedition Thermite versipack (as a camera bag)
Targus messenger laptop case
Colorado Special Ops sling bag (for everything else)
And I know that the Gadgeteer gene exists, because my 14 year
old son has it too… he’s the inheritor of my hand-me-down gadgets
(Palm T3, T2, m505; 3com Audrey; Olympus Camedia Zoom 4000; IBM
560; Ninos and Velos and Mobilons; Startacs and other cell
phones�anything else I outgrow and
discard).
But seriously, my gadget fetish (can I say that?) has its
purpose in keeping my life organized. As a teacher, my grades,
tests, letters and everything else resides on the laptop. I really
don’t know how I would be able to teach as effectively as I do
without the computer and internet. Online and software simulations
have become a major part of my physics course to help bring the
concepts to life. My Palm keeps my school/Scoutmaster/personal life
from conflicting too much, and the cell phone keeps me in touch
when I’m at a meeting or back in the woods with my scout troop. And
the digital camera has become a great tool for school projects,
scouting events and family memories.
My wife… she just doesn’t understand. I’ve tried to get her
into a Palm several times… she prefers paper and pencil calendars
and notes. She does like the internet and the digital camera, and
she loves her 4th gen iPod, but that�s as far
as she goes. She�s tolerant as long as the
cost doesn’t get too high. But at least I’ve got my son to carry on
the tradition!!!
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