Top Ten Technological Advances I Can’t Live Without

My husband and I have been compiling our list of top ten technological wonders we couldn’t live without. We’ve even shared this list with others who have added their thoughts and opinions. We added the criteria that to make the list, the technology also has to serve some useful purpose so while iPods and video games may be technological wonders, they aren’t something useful enough that we couldn’t live without them.

• 1. GPS

This is the device that started the list. We use it to get from Point A to Point B, get home no matter how lost we are, find a specific point of interest even in unfamiliar areas, and just to calculate how long the trip will be and how fast we’re going.

• 2. Microwave Ovens

I once went two whole months without a stove and was able to survive using just my microwave oven. The time-savings, not only in cook time but also in ease of cleanup, is immense.

• 3. Laptop Computers

Computers, in general, but laptops in particular have revolutionized the way I work. Even now, at 3:30 a.m. on my couch typing this article, it totally changes where and how I work.

• 4. Internet

Anything and everything there is to know in the world is available to me in a few keystrokes. Whether it’s a zip code, a recipe, or a myriad of trivial facts, I no longer have to spend hours looking for what I need. Not to mention connecting with old friends, shopping from the comfort of my home, getting the most up-to-date news or the hundreds of other useful websites.

• 5. Cell Phones

Emergencies – need I say more.

• 6. Medical Advances

Just the advances in heart surgery alone are staggering. The ability to extend not only our life but the quality of our lives well beyond what was possible even 30 years ago makes this whole category key.

• 7. Digital Cameras

Last Christmas, I took hundreds of pictures, both candid and still. I would have never done that with film.

• 8. TVs

While this isn’t always a useful technology, there are a lot of good points about TV if used judiciously.

• 9. Older technologies that are still important:

Cars and other transportation, stoves, refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, etc. This technology, although older, made the list because of the immense amount of time savings allowing me to concentrate on more important activities.

• 10. DNA sequencing

I don’t know that I personally have ever benefited from DNA sequencing, but the victims of crimes whose perpetrators were caught or, vice versa, those accused of crimes they didn’t commit, would certainly tell you how important this advance was to them.

I’m sure there are many I’m missing and would love to hear your opinion on what I’ve missed or ways the above technologies have been useful in your life.