What relatively minor tech things have immensely improved your life?

[BlackAmericanoNoSugar]

I have awkward ears so the only earphones that I find comfortable for more than 30 mins are these. There isn't a bluetooth version of them, so when I got a new iPhone I couldn't listen to audiobooks while I walked the dog anymore. But I have just found out that bluetooth receivers exist, and now I have this (which is much tinier than it looks in the photos).

Of course I wouldn't have needed it if Apple hadn't take away the headphone ports in the first place, but still I'm very happy now.

Alexa

My Anker bluetooth speaker. It gives great sound from my phone (for radio, music and audiobooks) and my tablet (which I use as a TV) and is easy and versatile to use.

Mine is also a blue tooth adaptor. I bought an old car with an old stereo, but was able to connect my phone (and podcasts) up to it using a bluetooth adaptor that plugged into the cigarette lighter (12V power socket for younger viewers who might not realise that people used to routinely light cigarettes while driving).

Also bluetooth earbuds, which I'm fine with, so I can listen to podcasts while walking, with or without the dog, or doing housework, cooking etc.

I have these.

What on earth did we do without bluetooth, except get tangled in headphone cables a lot?

I really should hide this thread. I nearly always end up following the links and buy things I didn't know I needed until I saw it!

Long iphone cable. There isn't a socket near the bed, so I couldn't look at my phone in bed while it was charging.

New iphone battery replacement kit. My phone is an ancient iphone 6 which I don't want to replace, but the battery was hardly holding its charge, inevitably I'd wake up in the morning and it would be dead. Then it would take at least 5 hours between plugging in and having enough charge to switch on.

Anker fold out solar panel... great for charging my phone/powerbank in the garden and while camping.

Charging cables have always been an issue in this house, the DC would check my room/desk first and take my cable because they couldn't be arsed looking for theirs. So I bit the bullet and bought a pack of 10 Amazon Basics extra long cables in bright red. That was about three years ago and I haven't had to buy any since, so it's worked out cheaper than going to a phone shop and buying a new one every three or four months.

blackamericano I know it's probably a bit late for you, but Apple do an adapter cable that goes from the lightning port to a headphone jack. I've a suspicion they were included with the first phones to be released with no headphone jack but need to be purchased separately now.

My Wee Shoogle. My bloody laptop times out after 2mins, meaning you have to hard restart it and you lose everything on your screen which is SUCH a faff if all you've done is nip to the loo or are making a cuppa. Settings on the laptop are set to national policy, so can't be changed. This little beauty has saved me SO much time every day.

www.weeshoogle.com/

Libby app. I can borrow audiobooks for free to tame the DC on car journeys. Has really transformed our ability to go on long journeys.

Yes to lots of charging cables.

Spotify and Sonos. Actually listen to music now.

Humax youview+ box - I can record live TV and then we can skip the ads. In theory there’s no need to record anything any more as it’s all on demand/catch up but they make you watch the bloody ads and I can’t bear it!

@Champagneforeveryone

blackamericano I know it's probably a bit late for you, but Apple do an adapter cable that goes from the lightning port to a headphone jack. I've a suspicion they were included with the first phones to be released with no headphone jack but need to be purchased separately now.

I didn't know that, I might buy it too. I quite like the bluetooth receiver though as it's tiny and light so it's easier to have on the end of my earphone cable than the phone.

A head torch! Fantastic in winter.

Not sure if that counts as tech!

@BlackAmericanoNoSugar

Charging cables have always been an issue in this house, the DC would check my room/desk first and take my cable because they couldn't be arsed looking for theirs. So I bit the bullet and bought a pack of 10 Amazon Basics extra long cables in bright red. That was about three years ago and I haven't had to buy any since, so it's worked out cheaper than going to a phone shop and buying a new one every three or four months.

You couldn't share the link for these could you please? I have exactly the same issue in my house with the kids nicking my charger!

The ones that I bought were the braided type. I can only find a 12-pack in silver or grey of the smooth type, but keep an eye on it because Amazon Basics stuff goes in and out of stock all the time so they might come up later. long cables

Sorry, these are the long ones (and better price than the 1.8 m ones). ]]

here

Podcasts and audio books :)

Is a robotic hoover minor tech? The Roborock S5 has improved my life no end 😬

iPod nano
I know, they don't make them any more, but using that with the C25K podcast and the fitness app on the nano has changed my life - I now run 5k three times a week, and am about 100 times fitter than I've ever been.

I love my Bose sunglasses which have Bluetooth speakers in the arms so I can listen to music whilst walking/gardening. Fab sound.
You can still hear what’s going on around you for safety and I can take phone calls through it.

Long charger cables
Many usb plugs. Both marked unobtrusively so they don’t go to my dps house.
Headphones of different colours. similar reasons.
Bluetooth headphones so can charge phone whilst wandering around.
Audible account
BBC sounds
Lead to connect laptop great tv (but not smart tv).

30 years ago it would have been home fax machine. My psion organiser (pre laptops) and my recordable DVD player so could record tv even after video went. There was an odd time between when recording seemed impossible.

My Kindle and my banking app (although not sure either is really "low tech").

Long iphone cable

Same here. I can now charge my iPad/iPhone while I use it. My phone is so old that it still has a headphone port

apple.news/AbTPWh1NHT-mKNDc2hH_naA

Oo er just read this after posting the above.

Can anyone recommend a charging thingy for an iPhone that I lay my phone on. Charging pad maybe?

OMG that is AMAZING, thank you for sharing @PinkFootstool

Mine arrived today - I [love] it!