Back in the day, a smartphone was a major upgrade. They continue to improve which is just amazing. I came from an age of wall phones and dial-up internet.
A kitchen sink. Did an impromptu kitchen reno due to a gas leak and being without one is such a huge downgrade in quality of life. I was washing dishes in the bathtub nightly and it was absolutely miserable. I don’t think I’ve ever been more appreciative of the technology of modern plumbing than the day I was able to rerun lines to the sink area and get it all going.
Does corrective eye surgery count? Because it fundamentally changed my daily quality of life
My Ampler E-Bike I bought 2 years ago. More than 5000 km later I still love it to bits.
A 1000€ ebike. Best choice ever. Always on time, unaffected by traffic and never get tickets since I don’t have a registration table :)
The original GameBoy in like 1992, I was 6 and it was everything. Then Pokemon came out and hell yeah
My NAS, having access to all my files anywhere at any time is great
I bought a 2080ti for $1200 right before covid and everyone gave me shit about how I was wasting my money because the 3000 series had a lower MSRP which then ballooned to $2000+.
So while everyone else was struggling to get a graphics card due to supply chain issues and prohibitive costs, I was gaming in 4k resolution throughout the pandemic. To say that this was clutch during a time I couldn’t really do much outside of the house with other people would be a massive understatement.
I usually would not have spent that much on a card, but I won a hackathon cash prize right before so had some money burning a hole in my pocket. The card is still going strong and is still my daily driver, so I can’t say it’s been a bad purchase at all.
My e-book reader (Tolino).
As I got older and had problems with my eyes, this was a game changer. I had basically stopped reading books and now I do it daily. I can choose the font and letter size, background color, and backlighting based on what works best for my eyes that day and the light where I am.
Being able to hold a very light device with a big screen when I would have to balance a heavy weight as a paper book is also great, and I take the reader with me everywhere, whereas a big book would stay at home most of the time.
The reader has a bigger screen than my phone and the battery lasts longer.
The reader works flawlessly with my library, so I don’t have to buy books, which keeps costs down, and I don’t have to leave the house to get a new book.
Calibre helps us share books in our family, which is one reason we’ve stayed away from Amazon’s Kindle, so we’ve all gone to “.epub”.
Not sure if that counts as technology, but simple LED lights over my kitchen counter (mounted under the upper cabinets) were a pretty inexpensive purchase that made my life significantly better. I don’t understand now how I was ever able to cook with just the ceiling lights on, it’s absolutely terrible.
I don’t think I could ever go back to a single monitor setup. Screen real estate is ALWAYS at a premium. I feel so constrained when forced to use just one.
VR, it was janky and barely worked, I still can’t wait for the future of AR.
How do you define “technology”. Because if it means “any human invention” then I have to give it to my squatty-potty. I have Crohn’s Disease and “quality of pooping life” is a very important factor. And it’s just a lot comfier when your legs aren’t falling asleep due to an unnatural position.
If it has to be something from “the tech industry”, then my very first smartphone, circa 2012. After decades of oldschool cell phones, it was a real game-changer. Doubly so because I’m in Brazil, where texting was never really a thing, so for the first time I had access to the likes of WhatsApp and could be in touch with my mates, whereas previously the cell was really just for calls, which is to say, emergencies.
A robot vacuum with a mop and self emptying/mop washing base (I live with two dogs in the PNW where mud is constant for 6 months of the year).
Wireless noise cancelling headphones and earbuds.
I was reluctant to pay $400 for a gimmick but holy shit, once I did they became my most treasured possessions. Then I got buds for $400.
If we are talking cost per hour of use, they might be the most cost-effective tech I own
