1. Internet & Email: I was never much of a letter writer, but with the internet I am constantly in contact with people all over the world and can reach out to friends that I haven't seen in years. I use the internet for everything possible, shopping, banking, "networking". Being disabled, it really helps me to get around with out leaving the house.
2. iPhone: Similar to the first item, I've had a lot of phones and this one lets me take that internet and all it's products with me where ever I go. I wouldn't be caught dead without it. When the concept of cellular phones was presented to me at a secret meeting with Motorola in the late 1970's, they said that one day people wouldn't have land line phones and just have these little cell phones that they took everywhere with them. My response was "that'll never happen".
3. Disposable Lighters: Sorry, I do still smoke a little. I knew that matches were always a problem with getting wet, breaking and getting used up, so I began to use a lighter. The mechanical ones with lighter fluid were ok, but there were always problems and you had to tinker with them constantly replacing the flint or filling them with fluid. The next phase was the electronic or quartz lighter. These were expensive and very nice precision instruments. I used these for years and it was easy to refill them with butane when needed, but sometimes they got a leaky valve. Naturally, you didn't want to let anyone else borrow your lighter in case they didn't give it back as it was more like a piece of jewelry. The disposable lighters are the perfect answer. They cost a dollar or two and when they don't work, just throw them away. End of story.
4. Label Printers: I have a Brother label printer that works on a USB port of my computer. All it does is print out labels on a tape that come out on a strip about 2.5 inches long and 1 inch wide. Perfect for addressing letters and making return labels (if you don't have those that come in the mail from those charity places). The labels are on a roll like Scotch tape and it's completely silent in operation and fast. For me, it's a lot more convenient than loading up a sheet of labels in the printer and trying to figure out where to just print the one that I need for today.
5. DVRs: Digital Video Recorders are the most wonderful device that was ever invented. They record programming off your TV and you can watch them later at your convenience. Programming them is really easy and you can even manage this remotely (using the iPhone). No longer to people have to be slaves to the television networks and their programming and no longer to we have to suffer through the commercials. Usually, when I am watching something that is on live, I just record it and watch it in an hour, so I can fast forward through the commercials.
6. Satellite Radio: I have been a subscriber to this medium for over 10 years. I like it because when you are travelling you always have your channels availabe and don't have to search and fiddle with your radio to find something that you like. There are 100s' of channels to select from and you can even get a portable device to use when you don't have your car. Some rental car agencies have this installed in the rental cars, so it's with me when I fly out of town. You can also pick up the Satellite Radio service on your PC or any PC for that matter if you have their internet subscription service. Gee, I guess I should have gotten the lifetime subscription package.
7. TheFlip: The Flip is a video camera that is so easy to use that even I can use it. When they first came out, I saw them in a bin near the front of Costco and they were in bubble package and you just pressed a button to see the demonstration. I was impressed. It's about the size of a cigarette pack and you can record maybe up to 15 minutes of high quaility video. It has a light (flash, I guess you call it) and is pretty much automatic. You can play back instantly, delete, etc. The newer ones probably have more recording time and other features, but I'm really happy with mine. There is a built in USB thing that flips out and you plug it into your PC and you easily download the vids to your PC and can save them, email them, publish them or upload them to YouTube. It's the way to go for me.
8. Automatic Open & Close Umbrella: Living in Tacoma, Washington we really get a lot of rain. However, it's mostly drissle, so for many years, I just kept an umbrella in the trunk of my car....in case of an emergency. I did find and purchase a small umbrella, maybe less than a foot long that had a button that you pushed and it popped open. Pretty easy when you are getting out of the car to just hold it out and push the button as you are exiting. This umbrella also had a feature where you just push the button again and it would wilt and close up practically all the way by itself. This made those quick entries back into the car a lot easier. The best advice around here is "use covered parking".
9. Handheld Electronic Calculator: These things have come a long way from when they first came out. I remember my first one, I got from Zales and had to make payments on it. My most recent one cost less than $10 and I probably paid too much for it, but I was in a hurry. They are dual powered, solar and regular batteries. I get a larger one so it's not too small to read the numbers and don't have to worry about bending it (pocket sized ones bend). Where I volunteer they do not have modern versions of these devices for use to use, just ones donated, I suppose, that barely work, so I had to provide one I could use that would be reliable.
10. Wireless Headphones for PC: I don't listen to a lot of music on my PC, but I do listen to a lot of YouTube videos and I use the PC as a telephone (Skype), so for privacy, I like to plug in the headphones so I do not disturb other household members. I had a nice set that worked well for me, but it's long cord was always tripping me up. I'm a bit clumbsy these days and finally figured out that I could get wireless ones. I got some last week and I'm very happy with them.
I hope this is a decent list for Swap-Bot. This assignment is done for you by BillNTacoma.
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