That's the word I was looking for! I've often wondered how they would work as a tire thermometer, to find hot spots so you will know to do an alignment BEFORE trashing a tire.I take my infrared thermometer and check the hubs.
I haven't carried a plug kit in years... since I started running 10 ply tires. There was a time when I was running cheap tires they had so many plugs they looked like porcupines. It wasn't uncommon to hear the leak, get out and pop a plug in, then head off down the road with only a couple of pounds missing from the tire.