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"Widget" is a general-purpose term for any unspecified device, including those that have not yet been
invented. It is commonly used in textbook and other examples where the identity of the product or function is irrelevant and
could be distracting: students may be asked to design a business plan for the XYZ Widget Company.
Floating widget in canned beer
The floating widget found in cans of beer is a hollow sphere, 3 cm (1.2
in) in diameter. The can is pressurized by adding liquid nitrogen, which evaporates
after the can is sealed, forcing gas and beer into the widget's hollow interior through tiny holes. When the can is opened, the
pressure in the can drops, causing the pressurized gas inside the widget to jet out from the holes. The holes in the widget are
angled slightly so that the widget spins, creating a creamy head inside the can. This imitates the foamy head created when
pouring draught beer. The original widget was patented in the UK by
Guinness in the late 1980's.
Graphical component in Computing
In computing, widgets are components of graphical user interfaces that the user interacts with. See widget (computing).
Device in Marvel Comics
In Marvel Comics, Widget is a robotic head built by
Tweedledope of the Crazy Gang that is self-propelling and
capable of generating portals to other dimensions out of its own construction. Widget is currently a member of the British super hero team Excalibur.
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