Small Things Like These!

After being nearly frozen to death in my childhood home I'd have to say central heating! Closely followed by an automatic washing machine - what a revelation that was in the 1970s after using a single tub washer with a wringer.
Subtitles on the TV - even though I've recently got hearing aids, (my day to day hearing is fine, but I do have trouble with hearing the dialogue on some TV programmes) and they've made not a jot of difference, so I still use subtitles 😩
I suppose though, the most important thing we couldn't now live without has to be computers/smart phones/the internet - they touch every part of our lives.
My steam generated iron - would never revert to a conventional steam iron again

Waze for directions when driving, I prefer it to Google or Apple Maps. I used to drive an all-day delivery round and the night before, I’d print out the route between each of my 20 drops using the RAC (?) Routeplanner, keep them on the passenger seat of the Transit van, and have to keep switching between sunglasses and reading glasses to work out where to go! Eventually my employer bought TomTom satnavs. Thank goodness I’ve retired now.

I love frozen chopped onions, and butternut squash, and jars of chopped garlic and chillies. And I really like M&S instant coffee.

I would miss my solar panels. Having got in right at the beginning, the money I get back pays my entire electricity bill and ours is an all electric house. I would also be lost without my Audible app which allows me to “read”even though I’m partially sighted.

Gracey

For me, the absolute luxury of having heated seats, steering wheel and screen in my car on winter mornings. Utter bliss after decades of getting up at the crack of dawn to scrape ice off the window and shivering in the car with cold fingers. It was worth the expense of a new car a couple of years go. I still marvel at the ease now of driving in winter. In summer air con in the car is such a boon.Remember travelling in cars like hot tins cans years ago, sweltering, with the windows open?
I am not really a coffee drinker so wonder why so many friends have all these coffee machines with incredibly expensive pods. If I have coffee-loving guests coming I make a cafetiere of fresh coffee.I still see that being a bit of a wonder...fresh coffee. I remember that awful liquid Camp coffee from the 1950s. The jar of instant coffee was progress back in the day, wasn't it?
I was always a woman who was never going to have a dishwasher. A bowl would suffice. "It only takes a few minutes" etc.. Now, I think I'd be overwhelmed if I had to do dishes by hand throughout the day.
I think most of all I love having speakers throughout the house and music of choice or podcasts to listen to instantly. One of my hobbies has become compiling playlists of various genres of music.
And having a small portable tablet to type this up. It goes everywhere with me. What a luxury to have a computer travel everywhere with me, plus a smartphone in my handbag.
Amazing technological progress in our lifetime.

Well, 35 years ago I had an old Saab V4 which had a heater which took up as much room under the bonnet as the engine did - it used to get warm very quickly.
Then I later (around 2010) had a 1984 Volvo with heated seats, which was bliss.
Now all these years later, no heated seats or mirrors and the aircon hasn't worked for years - it would cost more for a new compressoe than we paid for the (23 year old) car!

jocork

My smart phone, especially Google Maps!
I was talking to a young person last week at a family party. She is about to learn to drive and was concerned about getting lost. I told her that with google maps that is mostly a thing of the past.
I used to study a map and thn write a flow chart of the directions for any unfamiliar journey as I often drove long distances alone. She seemed really impressed! I realised that if you seek directions from some sites online what you get is essentially a flow chart butI would struggle to follow one now.

Oh yes! I used to do that.
I also used to be able to have the atlas on the passenger seat and glance down at it every now and then...now it's a case of pulling over somewhere, putting on reading glasses and shining a torch!
Google maps on my phone is a lots quicker and safer!

Not one for gadgets but I love my basic airfryer!
Lightweight rechargeable vacuum cleaner,the only thing that picks up the cat hairs.

I'd hate to be without: Kindle, a tablet computer, the internet, the Ninja multicooker, the induction hob and Nest.

My life is happier without either instant coffee or an electric toothbrush.

I would miss my kindle . I’m an avid reader, always have been . My kindle is a godsend when travelling, no heavy books in my luggage . And having thousands of books to choose from is bliss . I do prefer the feel of a book though .

Super king size bed so I can spread out like a star fish and keep my hot flushes to myself.

Electric whisk and small grinder. I did have a fancy food mixer but realised I never used it.

I would dislike having to do without Internet banking, or being unable to send e-mails. I would also severely miss battery run tools such as drills, jig-saw and lawn-mower, and my battery powered cargo bike. And the freezer.

Apart from these? Hm, sweeping carpets instead of hoovering?

Doing the week¨s washing in a zinc bath in the back yard?

Having to open the door every time the cats wanted in or out?
The cat-flap that registrers their chip and doesn't allow any other tom or queenie in is a MARVELLOUS piece of technology.

My smart phone, especially Google Maps!
I was talking to a young person last week at a family party. She is about to learn to drive and was concerned about getting lost. I told her that with google maps that is mostly a thing of the past.
I used to study a map and thn write a flow chart of the directions for any unfamiliar journey as I often drove long distances alone. She seemed really impressed! I realised that if you seek directions from some sites online what you get is essentially a flow chart butI would struggle to follow one now.

My door camera which is useful in so many ways !

NHS hearing aids through which I can listen to BBCsounds on my daily walk.

For me, the absolute luxury of having heated seats, steering wheel and screen in my car on winter mornings. Utter bliss after decades of getting up at the crack of dawn to scrape ice off the window and shivering in the car with cold fingers. It was worth the expense of a new car a couple of years go. I still marvel at the ease now of driving in winter. In summer air con in the car is such a boon.Remember travelling in cars like hot tins cans years ago, sweltering, with the windows open?
I am not really a coffee drinker so wonder why so many friends have all these coffee machines with incredibly expensive pods. If I have coffee-loving guests coming I make a cafetiere of fresh coffee.I still see that being a bit of a wonder...fresh coffee. I remember that awful liquid Camp coffee from the 1950s. The jar of instant coffee was progress back in the day, wasn't it?
I was always a woman who was never going to have a dishwasher. A bowl would suffice. "It only takes a few minutes" etc.. Now, I think I'd be overwhelmed if I had to do dishes by hand throughout the day.
I think most of all I love having speakers throughout the house and music of choice or podcasts to listen to instantly. One of my hobbies has become compiling playlists of various genres of music.
And having a small portable tablet to type this up. It goes everywhere with me. What a luxury to have a computer travel everywhere with me, plus a smartphone in my handbag.
Amazing technological progress in our lifetime.

Rather reluctant to mention my lifesavers, in case I jinx them!
Frost free fridge, couldn’t go back to defrosting now.
Dishwasher,
Washing machine
Piano and orchestral accompaniments on YouTube for my songs
Central heating
Botox😁
Clip in hair extensions
Electric garage door
Acrylic nails (now I can’t pick my fingers to death)

Access to foreign language channels on line where you can watch films, news, etc, AI to look up foreign language words.

I'm with Bluebelle. I rarely use my electric toothbrush. And while my DH makes his Lavazza pod coffee I have my Kenco.
I really must get to grips with the airfryer. My husband make oven chips. I have never been brave enough to try it.

BlueBelle

Terribull I m so opposite to you, couldn’t stand all the faffing of pod coffee and don’t even find any of the tastes great give me a old kenco instant or a drink of Indian chai any day

But now an air fryer I use mine every day and have never touched my oven since the day I bought it 2 years ago

BlueBelle
Have you cooked cheese on toast in your air fryer? Whole new taste.

Oh yes automatic washing machine, just reminded me of the horror of washing terry nappies in a twin tub.

Air fryer, I have 2 used most days and pop in cupboard after use.

Ability to record TV and watch at my leisure without having to watch tedious adverts.

Battery lawnmower and strimmer

Blue tooth speakers so I can listen to music all over house and in garden

Oh and husband to help when technology gets too complicated
🤣🤣🤣

I don't have lots of the above but am still managing, thank you. I don't get how instant coffee is a "new" thing that you couldn't do without. When I was younger we didn't know any other kind existed.

However, I wouldn't want to go back to an ordinary kitchen tap now I've got one that pulls out and can be switched to "shower" mode.

Just thought, Alexa or something similar. I can’t imagine what my Grandparents would have thought about a gadget that you spoke to and it answered! Witchcraft!
I find it very useful.

Dishwasher and magnifying mirror with inbuilt light. I'm lazy and vain!

BlueBelle

Out of curiosity Cossie what are your lots of remotes for ? I only have the one for the tv and can’t imagine what else you’d have them for ( good job I only have one I m always losing that)🤣

They’re useful if you have a Velux window. Ours is so high up it has a remote to operate it.

Out of curiosity Cossie what are your lots of remotes for ? I only have the one for the tv and can’t imagine what else you’d have them for ( good job I only have one I m always losing that)🤣