# Technology items you never thought you'd want/need, until you used them **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 2, 2021, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-items-you-never-thought-youd-want-need-until-you-used-them/932062 "2021-02-02T16:13:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2021, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-items-you-never-thought-youd-want-need-until-you-used-them/932062/101 "2021-02-13T09:23:20Z")
I’ll second the chromebook. It is 95% of the computer that most people will ever need. I bought one back in 2012 and it has performed flawlessly since. It was passed on to my daughter and only last week I’ve swapped it for a newer one with a better screen and play apps, not because it is broken. The process for changing her to the new one was just her logging in with her google account. That’s it. Up and running in five minutes. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-items-you-never-thought-youd-want-need-until-you-used-them/932062/102 "2021-02-14T00:21:52Z")
Comcast Xfinity told me I could use the voice command _walrus_ to select 4X ff while playing a DVR’d program. Many of them are set up for “smart resume” or whatever they call that, and _walrus_ saved me counting 4 keystrokes. After a few weeks of using that, the remote quit responding to it. I have a Garmin GPS watch that allegedly will track my bike ride, and later tell me how far I went and show it on a map. I have yet to get it to do that. It will count my steps and tell me to move, but that’s about all I can get it to do. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-items-you-never-thought-youd-want-need-until-you-used-them/932062/103 "2021-02-14T00:38:32Z")
Smart phone. I’ve had computers since my first Tandy in the 80s, but never saw the need for a smart phone. But it seems that it’s much more difficult without one since everyone texts, even if you tell them not to because you’re calling from a landline. Also, there are useful apps such as GPS and “around me” features. I still only use it rarely, and it’s off most of the time. What I still don’t need is the latest $1200 model, and likely never will. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-items-you-never-thought-youd-want-need-until-you-used-them/932062/104 "2021-02-14T02:02:28Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > > [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > > > The wood chipper. I had no idea there was such an easy way to get rid of a body. > > > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > > > ind of messy to clean up, though. I prefer hydrofluoric acid. > > I think I’d rather have to dispose of a body than hydroflouric acid. Hopefully we’re not featured in a future episode of dateline. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-items-you-never-thought-youd-want-need-until-you-used-them/932062/105 "2021-02-14T02:04:28Z")
I really like this white puck shaped thing that answers all kinds of trivia questions… “hey google” ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2021, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-items-you-never-thought-youd-want-need-until-you-used-them/932062/106 "2021-02-14T02:36:17Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > I have a Garmin GPS watch that allegedly will track my bike ride, and later tell me how far I went and show it on a map. I have yet to get it to do that. It will count my steps and tell me to move, but that’s about all I can get it to do. Mine vibrates slightly when I get alerts on my phone, and I can glance at it and see it’s a text from my brother, or … It also shows me a map while I am out walking, a map which includes the trails in the parks. And it tells me when the next sunset/sunrise is, and what the weather is. I am pretty happy with it. Even though I need to plug it in every few days. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-items-you-never-thought-youd-want-need-until-you-used-them/932062/107 "2021-02-15T18:54:47Z")
My phone is Bluetoothed to my hearing aids, and that makes it a lot easier to hear people on the phone. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-items-you-never-thought-youd-want-need-until-you-used-them/932062/108 "2021-02-15T22:24:25Z")
Yes, this. Mine too. To my iPhone. Love it. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-items-you-never-thought-youd-want-need-until-you-used-them/932062/109 "2021-02-15T23:01:30Z")
If hearing aids included microphones that would work great. But I don’t understand how a phone+hearing aid user _talks_ on the phone. I have a Bluetooth headset stuffed in one ear on top of the hearing aids in both. Seems to work OK, if a bit cumbersome. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2021, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-items-you-never-thought-youd-want-need-until-you-used-them/932062/110 "2021-02-15T23:50:07Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > But I don’t understand how a phone+hearing aid user _talks_ on the phone. In my case I hear the phone conversation through Bluetooth into my hearing aids. I speak my side of the call through my iPhone as I always had, either holding phone microphone near my mouth or being within a few feet of the phone. Like I would hands-free in my car. Can’t tell if it just made it clear as mud, but may I have credit for trying? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2021, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-items-you-never-thought-youd-want-need-until-you-used-them/932062/111 "2021-02-16T00:35:16Z")
Every hearing aid has a microphone and a speaker, with a wee amplifier in between. Those with Bluetooth capacity simply tie those into the phone. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2021, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-items-you-never-thought-youd-want-need-until-you-used-them/932062/112 "2021-02-16T03:34:53Z")
Of course hearing aids have microphones. But they’re not exactly designed to pick up your own voice. My untutored assumption was that I’d have to speak into the phone’s mic to be heard by the caller. I’m sure not going to hold the phone up to my head or use it on speakerphone mode. My aids are BT capable, and I’ve got the relevant app on my Android phone. I’ll give it a whirl tomorrow. Thanks for the encouragement to try. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-items-you-never-thought-youd-want-need-until-you-used-them/932062/113 "2021-02-17T14:43:42Z")
My phone makes a distinction between bluetooth headphones, and bluetooth headsets, the difference being that a headset ties into a speaker and a microphone, while the headphones just have a speaker. So the hearing aid manufacturers just have to set it up so the phone recognizes the hearing aid as a headphone, so it takes over than functionality, but the microphone on the phone still works. And now I realize we use “-phone” in far too many words for this conversation to make any sense 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-items-you-never-thought-youd-want-need-until-you-used-them/932062/114 "2021-02-17T14:56:47Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > So the hearing aid manufacturers just have to set it up so the phone recognizes the hearing aid as a headphone, so it takes over than functionality, but the microphone on the phone still works. Agree with your understanding of the tech. Except that’s the opposite of the functionality I would want. If I can’t talk into my hearing aids and have that go out to the phonecall I need to be wearing a bluetooth headset anyhow for the microphone. So at that rate I’d rather have all the audio output going to the BT headset as well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/technology-items-you-never-thought-youd-want-need-until-you-used-them/932062.md?page=5)