Top 10 Non-Tech Gadgets IT Pros Can’t Live Without

Andrew Magill, who took this photo (and whose discussion on Flickr inspired this slide show), says he never goes anywhere without his Leatherman. “I’ve fixed so many things with my Leatherman, it’s crazy,” he wrote on Flickr. “I rewired my parents’ new house for phone and Ethernet with nothing but my Leatherman and a crimping tool.”

When it comes to personal grooming, programmers take special care with their fingernails, as long nails get in the way of coding. (Of course, some developers use their Leatherman or Swiss Army Knife to trim their nails.)

Tech workers will always have on hand a couple of screwdrivers: small ones, large ones, flat heads and Phillips heads for, among other things, disassembling and reassembling PCs. They’ll also have T8 Torx screwdrivers for repairing Macs, along with extra screws.

No, we’re not talking baby food. We’re talking about yet another multipurpose tool, like the Leatherman or the Swiss Army Knife. Gerber Legendary Blades makes a variety of knives and gadgets that IT professionals (and our men and women in uniform) swear by. One techie claims he’s used it for everything from wiring outdoor speakers to minor surgery.

We know: The Wi-Fi sniffer is a tech tool. But no self-respecting IT professional would be without one these nifty little devices, which detect wireless hot spots.

Check out the discussion on Flickr that inspired this slide show.