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Copyright © 2018
YurTopic
All rights reserved.
There has been a total of
About | Terms and Conditions |
Contact & Advertising Enquiries |
We
live in a world that allows so many luxuries and conveniences. Modern technology
has taken on a new role to provide us with the easiest ways possible to manage
our lifestyles. Everywhere you go there is somebody glued to their smartphone,
and in a "my gadget can do anything" kind of world, why wouldn't they be? Even
the old desktop computers have taken a backseat to electronic tablets and
notebooks, and they continue to improve and become more and more affordable for
the average person to obtain. Even as the country tries to pull out of a
recession, our desire for convenience-technology and entertainment never seems
to wane. It's crazy to think about how digital our lives have truly become, and
how much more advancements there still are to come. But as a society, we are
addicted. We are married to our beloved gadgets and digital devices. Here are
the top ten pleasures and conveniences that I will always need to have in my
life. I would like to give a special shout-out to the internet for making most
of the items on my list possible!
Now
that there is no need to ever have to physically go out to rent a movie, I have
no idea how brick and mortar video rental stores can even continue to exist. In
the old days, we would have to browse through isles of videos, trying to find
one that would be a worthwhile selection none the less. In my experience of the
past, the new release movie I would want to see would nine times out of ten be
all rented out. Then there was always the chance that the movie that I would end
up renting would be a terrible bust. It was the chance you had to take back
then. And heaven help you if you were ever late to get the video back to the
rental store in time; you could easily end up paying more for renting the movie
than you would spend to actually buy the video from a store. Thank God for
Netflix. Now I never have to trudge out to get a video, and I have so many
options to choose from right at the touch of a button. It's affordable at only
eight bucks a month; who wouldn't go for that? Now if the movie we had selected
to watch is failing to entertain and enthrall us, we can simply switch over to
one that does.
Sure
cable is expensive enough already, but so many of the really good shows are on
HBO or Showtime. Some of shows are so addicting and well written that they will
put other network shows to shame. Homeland, Dexter, Shameless, and Nurse Jackie
are all some of the excellent shows on Showtime that I am obsessed with. HBO
also has some great programming as well such as Boardwalk Empire, Game of
Thrones, Curb Your Enthusiasm and the raunchy but hilarious Eastbound and Down.
If I cancelled my premium channels, I would save an extra twenty-some dollars a
month, but It is worth the money to me because I feel like I'm getting more than
twenty dollars worth of entertainment.
Isn't
it crazy that just over a decade ago we were not able to rewind or fast forward
the TV show we were watching. And can you believe that we used to have to pop a
VHS cassette into a VCR to record anything we wanted to watch? If you wanted to
record two shows at once, you were living in a dream world. That would require
an entire additional TV set and VCR recorder. The DVR system is a Godsend. Now
by simply pushing a button, we can record our favorite shows, watch them at our
own convenience, and fast forward right through the commercials. It is an
amazing device that has changed the way we watch TV. When our cable had gone out
recently we plugged in our digital antenna. I can't tell you how many times I
would forget and try to rewind the TV. I don't ever want to take this technology
for granted!
Now
that I have the almighty Keurig machine in my possession, I will never want to
make another whole pot of coffee again. Some may say that it is not an
economical way to drink coffee due to the fact that the K-Cups used to make the
one-cup-at-a-time coffee can be quite pricey. However, I try to find the K-Cups
on sale or use coupons to purchase them. I like the fact that there are so many
different brands and varieties of coffee and other beverages to choose from. My
particular machine has a built-in water filter which I love, and I definitely
think it makes such a better cup of coffee than my old Mr. Coffee machine. It's
worth the extra money per cup in my opinion not only because of the taste
quality, but for the awesome convenience the Keurig machine provides. It's quick
to heat up the water, you just stick whichever type of coffee K-Cup you want
into the chamber, and press a button. Viola'! Fresh gourmet coffee just like
that. There is no coffee pot to clean out, just the small used K-Cup to throw
out. There is even a separate reusable filter you can use to brew your own
ground coffee, although this way requires a little more work and clean-up.
I
remember the days when I would drive from store to store, trying hopelessly to
locate a certain item that I had in mind. That was back when gas prices were
still way under three dollars a gallon. Now with the price of gas, driving
around from town to town can end up costing more than the item that you seek to
buy. Store hours are an issue I have as well. I don't get out of work until
after nine o'clock most nights during the week and most shops are already closed
by then. What's a girl to do? When I discovered Amazon.com a few years back, I
thought I had walked in through the open gates of heaven. Pretty much anything I
wanted to buy was at the tip of my fingers, and often times the items were at
such a great price and many things that I bought I did not have to pay sales
tax. The only downside is not being able to try on clothes and shoes, but
returning items has proved to be very easy and convenient. Many times online
retailers will offer incentives or discounts to make purchases online as opposed
to buying in-store. It is such a good feeling to see packages arriving at my
doorstep and knowing the time and hassle I have just saved myself in the
process. Online shopping can get to be a bit addicting though, and I can
honestly say that I have spent over my budget before trying to get that online
shopping "high" that it can create. Paying all my bills online has also been a
great convenience to me as well. I don't have to buy stamps and send checks
through the mail anymore. I can track everything right on my laptop. I don't
understand why anyone would want to keep paying things through the regular mail
when paying online is such an easier and less expensive alternative.
I
love to read. It has always been my favorite go-to pastime. When the e-readers
first started to come out a few years ago, I was a little dumbfounded. "Why
would people rather read a digital screen than a paper book that can be held in
your hand?" I wondered. Then I got an e-reader tablet a few Christmases ago, and
my thinking changed immediately. With the power of Wi-Fi, an arsenal of books
were now available to me. Virtual bookstores and libraries were at my fingertips
and I could easily travel and read whatever I wanted. Even reading on the
e-reader is more desirable. The words are easier to see, especially with the
back-light in dim lighting. There is never a need to carry around a big bulky
heavy book; or multiple books for that matter. I often wonder about the fate of
hard copy books in the future. I am an eBook fan for life now!
I
owe a lot to my Xbox. I give it a gold star for its ability to keep my husband
and daughter occupied and entertained. Don't get me wrong. Even though I am a
thirty-something mom, I enjoy playing Rockband or the occasional round of a team
death match in Black Ops II. But I love my Xbox for many other reasons too.
There are so many applications that we run from our Xbox. We can stream movies
or TV shows from Amazon Instant Video, operate our Netflix, download and listen
to music, and more. I also love the Kinect for Xbox. There are so many fun games
for it and I have a few that are great workouts to do and much better than going
to the gym.
My
laptop is my world. Writing is my life. I write many free lance articles and
novels in my spare time. I used to only have a desktop pc in a spare bedroom. I
hated having to sit alone in that room at the desk in the corner to do anything
computer related. Then one day it broke. I was very upset and had to get a new
computer. I decided to get a laptop instead of the traditional desktop variety.
I fell in love. Having my old computer break down was a blessing in disguise.
Now I can be online while laying on the couch next to my family and while
watching TV. It is awesome! I can now take my work with me if I want, and so
many establishments have free Wi-Fi nowadays. The best part was the price I got
mine for. I remember when a decent laptop used to cost several thousand dollars.
The prices have really come down a lot. I bought mine for under $400 and it is a
really decent model. I don't know how I went so long without one!
I
love social networking sites. They play a key role in planning my weekend
endeavors, they keep me in touch with people I would otherwise never see or hear
from. There is always a funny or quirky post by one of my many "friends" that
will surely make me laugh or put me in a positive mood. I love Facebook. How
else would I be able to consistently stay in contact with a friend who recently
moved two states away or my fun-loving aunt who lives in Florida? Even though
some people may find it pointless and cheesy, I love looking at the pictures my
mom posts of her beloved cats. What can I say? I love it when anyone posts a
picture of any cat. It's those little moments in my day that I just smile and
appreciate our information-obsessed modern world. And Pinterest! The ideas are
now endless thanks to the power of cyberspace and idea sharing. It's never been
easier to come up with great ideas for anything you want to make or do. Pictures
of friends and family are so easy to share and store that I often wonder if
anyone bothers to use old fashioned film style cameras and have pictures
developed. Social networking is the new wave of how we chronicle our lives, and
I am thankful for its awesomeness!
Wow.
That word pretty much sums this one up. This is just the icing on the cake
here. Except for the fact that it will never be able to brew a great cup of
coffee, this ultra handy device can perform just about any thing listed above.
It is the vessel that allows us to live the life we want to live, and to make
simple day to day needs and operations super convenient. Just to name some of
the things that can be done from most smartphones: taking and editing video and
pictures; web browsing; networking; GPS and maps; buying, storing, streaming,
and playing music; banking needs; staying connected to work and email; games and
so much more that I just don't know where to begin. Having these type of phones
can become very costly but they are just a fantastic device that is definitely
worth the splurge. It's crazy that we still call them phones when one of the
least reasons we even need to have them is to call people on. It's even crazier
that we still use the term "dial the number".
