Traditionally, gadgets were viewed as a gimmicky way to do a job that could be done a different way- a common example being to use an electrical implement to do a job usually done by hand (eg. Electric can opener).
However, in recent years, it seems that gadgets have become commonplace in our everyday life. The prime example being the smartphone.
Smartphones have seemingly replaced the need for so many things in our life, and we now have almost everything we need in one tiny machine. This goes for tangible "things", such as:
Alarm Clock, Map, Calculator and Camera, to name just a few of the most basic features of our phones.
Also, the "services" a smartphone can do are breathtaking: All of your banking, shopping and a thousand other internet based services which used to require a trip somewhere, but can now but done on the go wherever we have an internet connection... just think about all the trips we would have to make to actual real -life places without your phone and apps.
I think that really sums up how modern technology and gadgets have made out lives so much easier.