For years, men dominated the technology industry. But that’s changing, thanks in part to the nature of today’s techno-gadgets. In addition, women today engage in activities that require “gadgets” more than ever before.

The Nature of Today’s Gadgets – What’s Out There

Generally speaking, women, like men, like gadgets that get the job done. While young women might prefer the cute and sparkly items, usually women just want the item they purchase to meet the need and perform well.

So what are women buying?

According to the latest surveys, women are purchasing tablets, laptops, and smartphones at a higher rate than men. This could be for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is what these gadgets are designed to do.

For example, in the “old days,” technology and its attenuating gadgets tended to focus on the technology itself; people purchased them because they liked to “fiddle” with the programming, tweak the settings, and generally play around with it. Technological gadgets were more about finding a way to make use of leisure time. And women are notoriously short on leisure time.

Different Gadgets, Different Jobs

Now, though, many women now run their own businesses, or write their own blogs. They stay connected with their friends on social networking sites, and they plan their family’s schedule based on group events posted on sites like Facebook. Sites like Pinterest provide interesting ideas for family meals, crafts, decorating…in other words, the internet and being connected to it are more important to women than ever before.

Being online requires (you guessed it) a gadget. So women are keenly aware of the latest technology, and have practical, economic reasons for investing in it.

It’s interesting to note that sources say women buy more smartphones, laptops, and tablets than men, but men still lead the way in purchasing flat-screen TVs. It seems that leisure-type gadgets are still the favorite of men, while gadgets that enhance productivity and facilitate relationships appeal to women.

But plenty of men are buying laptops, smartphones, and tablets, too. The point is that women are highly engaged in the technological field – more so than ever before. And there are some gadgets and apps that are designed specifically for women.

Apps and Gadgets for Women

For busy women with young children in school, there’s an alarm clock with a dock for your iPod, and you can set the alarm to play anything from a gentle rainstorm to your favorite hair band from the 80s.

Now Google has an app (Google Wallet) that allows you to store your credit card information on your smartphone. When you go to pay for your items, you just tap the phone on a near field communication (the number of these devices is growing), and your items are purchased.

Another great boost to women’s productivity and online relationships is the mobile Wi-Fi gadget. This allows you to create your own hotspot when you need it most (such as when the coffee shop’s Wi-Fi is down, or it’s the one time you can’t find anywhere with Wi-Fi).

Yes, there’s no doubt that the times have changed when it comes to the latest techno-gadget!