Ten Tech Gadgets We Can (not)Live Without
I actually like some of these - Who wrote this article?
This article lists ten of the least useful electrical gadgets we can all live without whilst helping to reduce our carbon footprint into the bargain. Although this is a serious subject it is presented in a light-hearted, entertaining style.
At some time or another we all succumb to the lure of ‘The Indispensable Electrical Gadget’. We see something new being demonstrated in-store, or at a Home and Lifestyle exhibition, and we just know we can’t live without it. So we bear it home in triumph, plug it in, marvel at the technology, then shove it in the cupboard after using it a few time. The reason for the novelty wearing off so quickly is usually because the darned thing takes so long to heat up, makes too much noise, or more commonly, it’s just too much hassle to clean afterwards.
The uselessness of the gadget-we-can’t-live-without can be measured by how many times they turn up at car boot or garage sales.
Top of the car boot sale has to be the two-cup coffee maker. Now who really wants one of those? For a start you have to make sure you’ve a plentiful supply of coffee pads. If you run out you’re stuffed, as ordinary, free-flowing, ground coffee just won’t work. You’re also up against it if you invite more than one friend at a time round for coffee. They’re ideal for someone with no friends, but who wants to admit to that?
Foot spas are another frequent item on the car boot circuit. What’s wrong with a plastic bowl, some hot water and a few squirts of washing-up liquid? It’s a lot quieter too. Who can relax with their feet in a receptacle that emits a noise like a vacuum cleaner operating underwater? One manufacturer advertises its product as having ’sea-grass inserts to give a tactile feel to the feet’. What’s all that about? Does it mean the spa comes with small rush mats? If so, think of all the fiddling about we’re going to have to do to dry the blessed things after each usage. Leave them in the bottom of the foot spa and there’s going to be a a mouldy piece of matting congealing onto the plastic.
And how about electric popcorn makers? Admittedly they are great for keeping the kids quiet on a wet afternoon in the school holidays, but what’s wrong with a saucepan with a tight fitting lid?
There’s a whole cupboardful of newer ‘wonder’ gadgets which haven’t yet made it to the car boot sale, but they will, believe me.
I await the arrival of the ’smoothie’ maker. What a wonderful piece of coercive marketing that is. It’s a blender for heaven’s sake! They’ve just stuck a tap on it. And have the manufacturers actually tried to clean a tap with a piece of fruit blocking up the spout? Yes, it’ll be at the car boot before long.
Then there’s the coffee grinder. I rate that with the electric pepper mill. In fact on the uselessness scale I think I rate the pepper mill half a point higher. The noise it makes is a conversation stopper, and far from being the envy of your dinner guests you could be in danger of becoming the pretentious joke. What is so hard about actually turning something with your hands?
A newish gadget on the scene is the electric omelette maker. Now that has to be the con of all time. By the time you’ve heated it up you can have made two omelettes in the traditional way…you know, with an omelette pan, a smear of butter and a gas or electric ring. Not only that, your ‘hand-made’ omelette will be creamy-soft and inviting. Not pale, flat and better suited to soling your shoes.
Another new kid on the block is the ice maker. How did I live without one? It can actually make 10 (yes 10) ice cubes in 20 minutes, according to the advertising blurb . I’m sure there are other models that are more productive, but how much ice does anyone need? If you’re throwing a big party there’s plenty of ice suppliers in the Yellow Pages.
There’s no excuse for the smaller gadgets either.
The electric toothbrush. Well, for a start the noise they make can sound embarrassingly like a certain sex aid. And I’ve yet to be convinced that they really do clean your teeth better than a really careful scrub with a manual brush. And you’re more in control. A moment of carelessness, after a particularly good night out, and it’s disappeared up your left nostril.
Plug-in room fresheners. Not only do they fill the room with sickly chemicals that have never seen any of the natural perfume they’re supposed to smell of, they look unsightly and send out signals to your visitor that left alone … your house pongs! And though they may look innocent they still use up quite a bit of electricity per annum if you’ve got them all over the house. Just open a few windows or stand a small dish of water with some drops of essential oil on a radiator and let the natural perfume waft around the room. Lavender oil is great for relaxing, citronella will keep the midges away, and sandalwood will spice up the room if you’re expecting a hot date for dinner.
And lastly in the small, but unnecessary category has to be the USB mug warmer. I don’t care if it does come with extra USB ports, or that I collect cold cups of coffee and tea on my work station… it’s just not necessary. It’s yet another item to find a place for on an already cluttered surface.
So the next time you’ve been drawn to see what all those people are looking at in your favourite department store, keep your purse firmly closed. You’ll be doing your credit card a favour and the planet as well. Every little reduction in our personal carbon foot print helps, and while we may agonise about how we’re going to cut down our domestic travel even something as simple as not using an electrical gadget can do more than we may imagine.
