DISQUS

Carrie and Danielle: What’s your favorite gadget or piece of technology?

  • Krysta · 1 year ago
    My iPod Touch - I've turned into a real "geek" since I have had it! LOVING learning about the world via podcasts!
  • Kristin · 1 year ago
    Does "my suite of Apple products" count? If I had to choose one, it would be my MacBook Pro. Switching to Mac really does change your life.
  • Tara · 1 year ago
    Google! I know the answers to just about every question my kids ask me without having to spend hours at the library.My 5yo daughter was asking about quicksand last week (don't have a clue why), and I found loads of cool clips on youtube. Instant genius!
  • Joannie · 1 year ago
    My computer. I feel like I'm missing an beloved friend when it isn't working.
  • ruth · 1 year ago
    my iPod Touch also! I won't say I'm completely dependent on it, but there's a very small window of independence left. It is so convenient to have everything in one supercalafradgalisticexpealidocious gadget. Things might get hairy once I get my new MacBook.
  • Laurie · 1 year ago
    My Kindle - I always can have several books with me when I travel so that I am never "not in the mood" to read. It is great to be able to buy any book from the Kindle store and within a few minutes start reading!
  • Julia · 1 year ago
    The computer! It keeps me connected to the world...and I am an impatient person, so having access to everything at one click away is very satisfying. When my e-mail was having problems, I thought I was going to have a coronary!!!
  • Jennifer Sage · 1 year ago
    The machine that grinds my coffee beans fresh each day. I make the grounds up like tea. Then I heat up a cup of trim milk and froth it. Not quite as good as the real thing made by a proper machine but when I return to bed and slowly sip a nearly perfect latte the day can only get better and better with such a perfect start. Now that is technology worth something. And it never goes out of fashion. Sits in my pantry being non flashy and non demanding.
  • Debbie R · 1 year ago
    The World-Wide-Web. What did we ever do before so much information was at our fingertips?
  • Stacy J · 1 year ago
    Definitely my Laptop!! Use it allllll the time. But we just got a new Ipod touch and now Krysta has me very excited to start using it. :)
  • Girl-Woman · 1 year ago
    My iPod. With the myriad of repetitive stress injuries from which I suffer as a result of years of court reporting, I would be a couch potato without my beloved iPod. With 150 beat-per-minute songs, I can clean the house like Mr. Clean, run the beagle ragged, race-walk as fast as an Olympian, or take a bubble bath with Chopin.
  • JoeM · 1 year ago
    My Cannon 450D SLR Digital Camera - for capturing history.
  • Xai Vicente Charles · 1 year ago
    I am just old enough to remember a time when there was no such thing as Google or Yahoo, cell phones, MP3's or digital cameras so I fully appreciate how these have changed my life.
  • Pam · 1 year ago
    I'm with Danielle! My blackberry I can not live without! It saves me approx 3 hours of work at the end of each day because I have been out on the road all day and I can respond to emails throughout the day.
  • Brenda · 1 year ago
    It's got to be my Emril fryer. A bit pricey, but there's nothing else like it. Features I appreciate: Dishwasher-proof, drains and saves the oil, let's you know when it's time to change the oil, lightweight. Like it even better than my Keurig coffee maker (which I also love).
  • Vicky · 1 year ago
    Blackberry... Work follows me everywhere but I feel I am more on top of things when I am current with my emails.
  • Wazzy · 1 year ago
    my iPod. i am kind of addicted to it!
  • Cecile · 1 year ago
    Good morning to all and I hope you had a terrific week-end!!!

    Well, without a doubt, my laptop. I prefer it to the blackberry because I don't carry it with me all the time. My cell phone provides emergency connectivity, but my laptop is my sleuth machine!!!! and my conversation tool!!!

    Cécile
  • Suzie Sunshine · 1 year ago
    My brand new SCANNER!!! My labour of love this summer has been to scan all the photos that have been gathering dust in shoeboxes over the decades. I have been able to preserve precious photos - for example - my grandparents weddings long after negatives no longer exist.
    I plan to make them all into hard cover albums over the winter months. I have already made three. Oh happy me!
  • Tammy · 1 year ago
    My computer, without a doubt. Also, I'm a new iPod user, and I love it. We have so much music in our collection that was just collecting dust, and now all of it is on the iPod. Every day I hear songs that surprise me, remind me, confound me, and delight me. Finally, my digital camera. No more waiting to see how your pictures will turn out! And if you looked like crap in any particular shot, into the little garbage can it goes! How cool is that? Hey, does anyone remember what it was like before fax machines were invented? Seriously, man, that changed the whole world in my view.
  • laurie_matthews · 1 year ago
    iPhone. It combined three things I used to carry with me into one and does so much more. It simplifies my life and allows me greater access to the things I need.
  • JC · 1 year ago
    So far, it's my MacBook. But on my wishlist is one of those vacuum robots and I guess that might turn out my favorite gadget of all times. :-)
  • weezie · 1 year ago
    My iPhone 3G ROCKS! Two months ago I would have answered my iPod, but the iPhone combines all my favorite technology: cell phone, camera, iPod, GPS, email, Google, etc. How did I live without it?

    On the food front, I can't live without: my Kitchenaid mixer, my All-Clad sauciers, and my microplane grater. All of these things are low tech, but high tech in the kitchen doesn't work for me (except for looking up recipes on the internet).
  • Daniel Gibbons · 1 year ago
    My old BlackBerry Pearl is on its last legs, so I'm thinking about picking up a new iPhone this week. I got one of the first generation ones when they were launched last year, but I hear the new one is so much better.
  • Daniel Gibbons · 1 year ago
    It's a tie between my MacBook Pro (looks like we have a pretty strong mac theme here today...), and the Bluetooth system in my car. Now rather than juggle my cellphone while driving, I just hit a button on the steering wheel to answer or make calls, and I can even speak the number to dial.
  • Emily Cline · 1 year ago
    My home phone. That's where I make the sit-down, have-a-cup-of-tea calls that keep me connected with me with the ones I love. I would be lost without them -- and the old blower!
  • Ellen · 1 year ago
    Oh the web is miraculous. I feel so lucky to be around with such a resource.
  • Traci · 1 year ago
    My coffee maker. And my MP3 player. And a ballpoint pen (doesn't seem like technology, but the logistics of it are a simple wonder). I'm not hard to please.
  • sky · 1 year ago
    My computer, I stay in touch with everyone, sell on ebay, and have instant access to news, blogs and any info I need.
    It's the greatest!
  • Sheri · 1 year ago
    I have 2: my Plantronics headset and my automatic filtered hot water dispenser by the kitchen faucet. Sitting in my sunroom, talking to clients and drinking tea every day...what a great way to work!
  • Sheri · 1 year ago
    I'm with you, Emily!
  • Kristin (The Goat) · 1 year ago
    Usually I follow the rules, but I have to give my top three! I can't choose between them.
    1. My cell phone. I don't talk on the phone a lot, maybe twice a day, but not having to sit at home waiting for a phone call is life changing.
    2. My computer. Another thing that is life changing.
    3. My DVR. The DVR has changed the way I watch TV. I love Pause. I record movies. I love movies. I can watch them a million times if I want and not have to rewind or load or anything. I love my DVR.
  • Ngonzi Truth Crushshon · 1 year ago
    My pink razor cell phone! Although it is very addictive (just like my internet addiction) it helps me stay organized. I store my daily reminders in my phone, so I won't worry about what I'm forgetting to do today. It helps relieve stress for me in that way...but it also is very STRESSFUL....when it constantly rings and I FEEL NAKED WITHOUT MY CELLPHONE!!!
  • Carrie McCarthy · 1 year ago
    Do you miss the tactile experience of a real book?
  • Laurie · 1 year ago
    I did at first - there is nothing like having the pages under your fingers - however, you get used to having your own personal library at your fingertips. You can also change the font size so that when you are tired, you can make the letters larger for tired eyes!
  • Susie Hutchinson · 1 year ago
    Without a doubt, our Alessi espresso maker.
  • Emily Cline · 1 year ago
    Yes! Especially #3! I wish my radio had DVR too!
  • MoJo · 1 year ago
    Another one for Blackberry! Or my Crackberry as my husband (unfairly) called it when I first got hooked. I tend to work in sporadic chunks, when I get inspired to focus - the BB let's me keep an eye on the flow of things, just on the periphery of my awareness, until I'm ready to tune in and dig dig deep (which is sometimes at 2:00 am, so the accesibility is key.) Contrary to popular experience, it's helped my gain work/life balance (or so I tell myself) by satisfying the need to know what the heck's coming down the pipe at all times, then choosing if/when I will engage. Love it.
  • Danielle · 1 year ago
    As a working mama the blackberry has changed my life. I can enjoy time with my kids on a work day and not stress about what I might be "missing"(?) back at the office.
  • Luciaf · 1 year ago
    My laptop. I can't believe I wrote my first play on an electric typewriter. Each new draft a complete 85 page rewrite...how did people ever get things done in the "olden days"? Either they were brilliant or I am lazy!
  • Luciaf · 1 year ago
    oh yes...!
  • Luciaf · 1 year ago
    I might have to get me one of these...I'm such a luddite.
  • Keiko · 1 year ago
    In my recent history, I was the proud mama of a line of reusable shopping bags called AuMarché. I know you're not supposed to do everything yourself if you want your business to grow and flourish, but I did (go figure). My favourite bit of technology was actually a collection of software: Adobe CS3. I did a pretty dang good job of designing and building my website, if you ask me, and I couldn't have done it without my software (and training of course). The best part was I didn't have to wait for someone to help me update my products, or news section, so things were always up-to-the minute and fresh. Forgive me, I'm a total DIY gal!
  • Keiko · 1 year ago
    That's what they tell me here at the C&D studio! I'm learning to love it too but am still getting mixed up with my keyboard commands!
  • Danielle LaPorte · 1 year ago
    SUPERIOR. That's all I have to say. I was on PC's for ever. MAC is like, light years ahead in intuitiveness and usability.
  • Keiko · 1 year ago
    Libraries, remember those? I'm kinda glad that I got to experience the "thrill of the hunt" while researching college papers at the library! Oh the college days...
  • Danielle LaPorte · 1 year ago
    this is exactly how I feel about my Berry - keeping an eye on the flow so I can, well...flow.
  • Ruth S. · 1 year ago
    Oh another Ruth. Welcome.
    I only rarely meet other Ruths.
    I guess I will be Ruth S. from now on. :-)
  • Kristin (the Goat) · 1 year ago
    Oh I know! I want to rewind everything. "Wait, what did you say? Let me rewind real quick!"
  • Ruth S. · 1 year ago
    Suzie, which scanner did you get?
    I want to work on a similar project and am looking into buying a good photo scanner.
  • MoJo · 1 year ago
    LOL. My Mum (who just turned 70) got one last month. Now she uses the BB messenger to text me during the day, and sends random snapshots (usually my Dad doing something wrong or humourous Shar Pei shots) which she's learned to take on the BB, and email moments after. One peek at the 'quick tips' card and you'll be off! It's just great if you like to have everything at your fingertips, all the time. And it has an auto shut-off so you can police yourself (I only caught on to this after the first few weeks of reading e-mails in the middle of the night...). Hope you indulge!
  • Keiko · 1 year ago
    Good one Emily! Recently I was feeling a little isolated and "friend-less" and my boyfriend suggested that I CALL a friend and CHAT! My goodness, what a novel idea. Email has become such a standard way of communicating; short, sweet, edited, impersonal, non-committal, free (my cellphone plan isn't the best)...
  • Keiko · 1 year ago
    shh, don't tell anyone, but I'm a wee bit of a luddite too.
  • Ruth S. · 1 year ago
    I would have to say my blackberry, too.
    It helps me stay in touch with people instantly, instead of answering emails all at once at the end of the day.
    And, of course, my DVR. Love it.
  • dborah · 1 year ago
    My cherry red Zune!!! My husband just bought it for me because I had a clunky MP3 player that I could not read while I was on my brisk morning walk. I'm addicted to loading music, podcasts and videos and using it whenever I can. Music inspires and now I can take my favorites with me everywhere. It's a dream!!
  • Katie Kay · 1 year ago
    Oh my boyfriend and personal assistant Agadore Spartacus (from the movie The Birdcage)my iphone and I are inseperable. I had a dream once that I left him in a an airport and I was begging the person that answered it to bubble wrap it and stick it in a envelope immediately and I would reimburse them for shipping, and I started crying in my dream, UGH!
  • stella tinglin · 1 year ago
    My IPod Nano for sure. My music is so important in my life and having the opportunity to watch movies, listen to podcasts from my favorite radio shows and play games.....what more does a girl need?
  • Linda Borland-Fitzgerald · 1 year ago
    I'm new to MacBook and it's a learning curve, but I'm beginning to love it. I hate reading manuals and don't live close to any of the stores that have the personal tutorials, so it's by trial and error mostly - I'd just like someone to tell/show me when I need the help, and let me loose.

    So, I would have to say that the Mac is probably my favourite piece of technology. Although, I'm pretty impressed with my PVR. It's definitely not my cell phone, which stays in the car and used for emergencies only. I do not want to be attached at the hip to anything, and am really ticked when someone in a store answers their cell and has a 'loud enough for me to hear,' personal conversation. Go home or outside - but stop inflicting your life on me,
    puh-leese!! Grrrr......
  • Lori · 1 year ago
    I am also a mac fan so my ipod touch because having all my music available for whatever mood I am in for a run or a drive is fabulous!! (Also my macbook, LOVE it!!!)
  • Linda Borland-Fitzgerald · 1 year ago
    What software do you use for playwriting? I'm a writer and have an idea for a play and will be doing some research on the software.. ?
  • textimage · 1 year ago
    im in the camp where i feel that every gadget i get, actually creates more of a burden on me and does not enrich my life. but all is not gloom and doom. i can appreciate i have a phone what has the ability to read email attachments, or load all my son's books on tape, etc etc. but the trade off is i can read my email attachments ANYWHERE and knowing his stories are on my phone makes it that more easy for me to plug him into what i know will delight him, rather than finding something in real time to do that... you know?

    if google is a gadget, then i would have to tip my hat to that. i still make an effort to kick it old school with an encyclopedia, but really LOVE just typing in any question and seeing that so many others too have had the same one... and its answered in so many venues!
  • Lisa M. · 1 year ago
    without a doubt, Porsche's 911 Carrera. Just an opinion.
  • hadley · 1 year ago
    At last, a 'gadget' I can relate to ~ would that I hsd one! I've been a Mac devotee since the very first one, so I don't consider them gadgets, they're just an extension of Me.
  • Dena · 1 year ago
    My little cell phone - can take pictures and text! Would be lost without it!
  • ruth · 1 year ago
    Ooh...I was a Ruth S. once. But now, I'm a RR or "r squared" as some people call me. I hardly ever meet Ruths too. Nice to meet you!
  • Lisa M. · 1 year ago
    Ditto for me. My fist Mac was an Apple II e back in 1983 - remember that relic?
  • marn · 1 year ago
    So hard to read through these & see how we have become a society very dependent on technology. I have not owned a cell phone for the past 3 years (had one for 3 years before that), and I DO NOT miss being interrupted over a cup of tea with a friend, paged or buzzed during a movie, or bothered while driving! It was the BEST move I ever made to ditch it. And I like the extra $95 in my pocket every month!
    I own an iMac, and I must say it is wonderful to Google anything at anytime, but I do find it interrupts the time I could be spending connecting with my husband or kids sitting around problem solving, bonding, etc...etc... but that is my choice at the time, that I can change.
    I am not a technology snob, I guess I think that relationships are becoming dependent on using a gadget to connect, as opposed to making the effort to get on the bike, walk or take the car, drive a few kms, and sit down uninterrupted with a friend & connect in person... technology has taken the E.F.F.O.R.T. out of a lot of relationships... but it helps us connect with more people... I am a fence sitter.... what was the question?! LOL!!!
    Ok, technology favorite? iMac - for the sheer value that I can get knowledge anytime, and knowledge is power.
    That's my rant - LOL!
    Have a great day!
  • Becciebeth · 1 year ago
    Handsdown my ITouch. But while it may sound strange, I love the new Tiller we just got. And being a stay at home mom, I always say that my new front load washer is orgasmic. Oh the sad lives we live.
  • Stephanie · 1 year ago
    I have only ever driven beater cars and trucks, and until my last one and my current one, they have ALL had totally sucky stereos. I have to say that there is nothing better than getting into your 15 year old beater and having a CD player that plays the CD where it left off. Not limited to staticky radio... no lame cassette player. No lame CD player that always says that it is 1:00 pm (for two years) and you have to eject the CD and put it back in to get it to play at all, and of course it is at the first song, so you have to skip ahead to whatever song you want. And NO SKIPPING when I go over bumps!

    Of course, in my current beater the LED display does NOT work, so at night, I have to poke around in the dark to find the buttons if I want to skip or go back or eject (or if I want heat or defrost, for that matter). Nothing is perfect, though. The beater itself cost less than many aftermarket stereo systems do.

    Other than a functional car stereo, my favorite gadgets are in the kitchen: a sharp knife and one good pot from Le Creuset. I do not like to scrub multiple sticky pots, so I try to cook in only one, and those ones are pretty good for food not sticking, and you can fry on the stove, then add other things and put the lid on and move them to the oven.

    (My work is heavy into computers and gadgets, and as a result, I resent ALL gadgets and long for a simpler time.)
  • MoJo · 1 year ago
    I find this so interesting...I have the absolute opposite experience of it. I can see videos of my daughter sent to me during the day by our sitter and get text updates on what she's up to (yes, I know, it's not as good as the real thing - but I love working too so I'm getting the best of both worlds). I can get 'just in time' updates from friends around the world without having to figure out the time difference and wonder if I'm waking them. I can Skype with relatives in the UK and actually see them, as opposed to waiting for their next visit in 5 years. In fact, I'm in touch with more people now than I was 5 years ago - all through technology (confession: I jumped on the FaceBook bandwagon and had a lot of fun reconnecting!)

    I'm a seriously high "I" (Myers Briggs ref. for Introvert, with an 'NFJ' chaser)and I have to admit I don't often answer the phone - I screen and if I don't feel like chatting, I call back later. Technology in it's many forms has given far more to me than what it's taken away - a multitude of forms and forums for expression and connection (without mandatory face time - a positive in my books). And yet I can see how some experience just the opposite - those who thrive on the energy and presence of interactions with other would definitely find it isolating.

    Thanks for your post Marn - it reminded me (once again) of how differently we all perceive things. Probably explains why there are a few people I haven't heard from in a while... :-o
  • Marie Leona · 1 year ago
    My MP3. I'm not much of a tecchie but love music so my MP3 let's me jog, walk and just sit and have music all the time!!!
  • Carrie McCarthy · 1 year ago
    Our next camera will be a Cannon, gorgeous photos!!
  • violagerl · 1 year ago
    definitely my ipod touch. While I work in high tech, I told myself I'd never use a cell or need an mp3 player. When I was gifted with an ipod touch at Christmas - the affair began - wicked, cool, sleek - I spent an entire day laying on the couch exploring all of its features. I love it. I can't really say I'm addicted, but I love this gadget. I finally get what all the buzz was about.
    me.
  • Carrie McCarthy · 1 year ago
    I'm with you guys. actually I prefer in person communication over email or phone.
  • Jane · 1 year ago
    My sewing machine. It's 25 years old--one of the first "computerized" ones made, with LCD panels. It weighs as much as my 6-year-old, and I have to strap it in with a seat-belt when I take it places. Every year the local dealer offers to "upgrade" me when I take it in for a tuneup, but nothing could ever replace it.
  • Jennifer Sage · 1 year ago
    Just to let you know. I am an extrovert and my 3 BF's are all introverts. So guesss who make all the phone calls!!!!
    I don't mind but it did help when I realised how the introvert is a different species from me. If they phone me I put my hand over my mouth because it has to be real important!
  • caroline · 1 year ago
    I'm with Danielle as well, I must say. So much better not to have e-mail bogging me down and to be able to leave the house and not fear that clients are trying to find me when I am gone. It paid for itself within the first few weeks and, even though having facebook, google reader, typepad, and google search on there might be overkill, it certainly packs quite a wallop of use in a tiny package. Would not give it up.
  • Ruth J-M · 1 year ago
    totally irrelevant to favourite gagdets, but my name is Ruth too and I want the world to know that this very day I have a great-niece born and named Ruth for me! May the world never be Ruthless.
  • Nicole · 1 year ago
    I loooove my iphone!!! Its the best invention ever!
  • Suzie Sunshine · 1 year ago
    Hi Ruth - I bought the Canon at Best Buy - they had a great deal on them about a month ago. Best of luck!
  • Hilma · 1 year ago
    Definitely my love/hate relationship with my cell phone. Convenience, great to be a working mom with 4 kids - they could always reach me, as could my clients - but, yea - they could always reach me - that is the down side as well. LOL
  • JoeM · 1 year ago
    It is an excellent camera. I've taken photos all over the world with mine and they are incredible. And you can blow them up to poster size as well.
  • Kim · 1 year ago
    My Tomtom GPS! Not only does it keep me from being lost, it also calculates total trip time. I love it!!
  • Ruth S. · 1 year ago
    Congratulations, Ruth J-M!
    With a name like that she has a great life ahead of her. :-)
  • hadley · 1 year ago
    I do remember it well. Do you remember the Classic? I carried it around as if it was a laptop. Bliss.
  • Kristin · 1 year ago
    Linda - great tip is to scour the Apple website for tutorials. They really break down the elements of each program and ease you into it, then gradually give you more skills to work with. Keep at it. I don't have an Apple store nearby either, but I often squeeze in a session or two when I travel to places that have Apple stores. The people who work there are usually more than happy to help deal with confusion.
  • Linda Borland-Fitzgerald · 1 year ago
    I'll check those out... thanks Kristin.
  • Beth C. · 1 year ago
    The Hydracoach. It's a water bottle with a little digital thingy on it that tells you how many ounces you should be drinking each day and then tracks your intake and your progress toward your goal each day. It really helps people who need to be able to measure their progress toward reaching their goals.
  • Krystl · 1 year ago
    my iphone! if i MUST pick only one piece of technology... i'm also starting to love my brand new drobo. neither of those would work with out my desktop computer that my husband and i built together - a PC of course. You can't build your own mac, which is the real drawback for that platform. Very limited customization. We do have two mac laptops that are lovely, though. oh, and my big hd tv, and my kitchenaid food processor, and my game systems... i could go on and on... love technology!
  • Steve Recht · 1 year ago
    It's easier for me to recall all of the technological devices that have fallen short of my wonderous expectations. Included in the list would be my iPhone, due to a battery that dies after 2 hours of life and music listening. Also included; any media convergence system (prior to Apple TV) that promised to allow me to put all of my entertainment into one place. But on the real question that was asked, I would say that my Kindle reader made a big impression on my, as it allowed me to have access to a myriad of books in the blink of an eye. Someone mentions something that you might be interested in, "bang", it's on your Kindle 30 seconds later, and at a cost of about $5 per book. I had about 7 books on the go at one time, which all lived on one little Kindle. No more 40 lb knapsack when I travel. Although, the sad end to my little Kindle fan-rant is that it died on me a few months back and I sent it back to Amazon and have hear nothing so far. Such an ugly hickup in what was looking to be such a promising relationship with technology.
  • Steve Recht · 1 year ago
    Oh yeah, I love any tech that offers spell-check tew.
  • Daniel Gibbons · 1 year ago
    I still haven't seen a Kindle in the wild, but apparently a new, updated model is coming in October. Might be enough to make me jump in and try one.