# Are you still using outdated technology and love it?



## fuzzybuddy (Nov 5, 2017)

When I moved here, Northeastern PA, in '95. I bought this cool thermometer gizmo. You put one part outside, and it radios the temp to a gizmo inside, which ALSO reads the inside temp. Well, it's OCT, and DLS time-a time to change the batteries in alarms and stuff. Yeah,  I can turn on TV or the net to get the temp,  but I still love my gizmo. Are you still using outdated technology and love it?


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## Manatee (Nov 5, 2017)

I had a thermometer like that in the camper, but it was always going blank.

Sometimes _I _am the outdated technology.


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## Camper6 (Nov 5, 2017)

I have fond memories of that temp gizmo.

My friend bought one and couldn't set it. He called me over.

We fooled around trying to set the inside one without success until I realized we were trying to set the preprinted plastic cover which was supposed to be peeled off first of course.

Larry and Curly were there. We were just missing Moe.

Im a fan of old technology. Still running Windows XP on a Desktop. And a hand me down digital camera.

A VHS tape unit. 

What else? Me.?


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## terry123 (Nov 5, 2017)

I don't have to have the latest stuff.  If it works and does what I want it to then I am satisfied.  Guess I am easy to please.  Saw the lines waiting for the newer phone that costs 1000.00 and thought " Give me a break".  Like the folks camping out at 4:30 in the morning here in Houston for the Astro parade which did not start until 2 pm. Almost a million people downtown and then they were mad because it took them forever to board metro to get to their car and get home. Then a lot of them were bitching because people had stood on their cars to get a better look and their cars were damaged on top.  I watched from home and had several channels to choose from to get the best views! Showing my age I guess but even when I was young I would not have done any of these things. Just too busy working 2 jobs to support my kids!


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## SifuPhil (Nov 6, 2017)

Some technology is, IMHO, better when it's "aged". 

When I was driving, I preferred cars that were more mechanical than electronic. If I could turn a screw or swing a hammer at it, I could usually fix it. Now the electronics rule the automotive kingdom and you need a Doctorate in Electrical Engineering to even do a simple tune-up.

*Computers* ... I cannot afford the latest whiz-bang computer model, but maybe that's a good thing; fixing this aging dinosaur every so often keeps me mentally stimulated. 

*Phones* ... I don't like phones, as a general rule. Right now I have an old flip phone (free thanks to a gov't. program) and a VOIP phone that is pretty much the only one I use.

*TVs* ... got a 42" flat screen just a few months ago. Up until then I had a circa-1970's 26" RCA beast. Oddly enough, the commercials are _still_ numerous and increasingly annoying. 

*Coffee Pot* ... I *love* me some coffee, but no, I don't have a Coffee Ninja or a Triple Cappuccino Maker. I have a $7 Dollar General coffee maker, and THAT will be replaced when I can find an old perc-style pot.  


Since I don't carry a cell phone around with me, I have a (GASP!) *wrist watch*. A nice Seiko, keeps time like an atomic clock. It doesn't have an alarm, nor glow-in-dark numbers, nor a light, nor does it make a microwave pizza. It just shows what time it is. 

I have a friend that just HAS to order the latest gizmos from place like QVC. She gets them and they're basically junk - cheaply made with terrible instructions. She usually returns them in a few days, but continues to order more stuff. The last was a high-tech pressure cooker / slow cooker. It had beautiful flashing lights and a sleek black plastic housing. Very pretty.

She couldn't get it to do more than cook for 3 minutes. Back it went after 2 weeks. 

I prefer simple, and proven, designs.


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## Lara (Nov 6, 2017)

Camper6 said:


> ...We fooled around trying to set the inside one without success until I realized we were trying to set the preprinted plastic cover which was supposed to be peeled off first of course. Larry and Curly were there. We were just missing Moe...


"Larry & Curly were there...we were just missing Moe".   :3stooges: ......:rofl:


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## MaggieM (Nov 6, 2017)

We still use one of those thermometers and we love it.  We use it several times a day.  It shows up temp inside as well as outside and humidity outside and the time.  We don't live very close to a big city and the weather people are never right about what is happening in our town.  I am pretty sure I would be lost without that little gadget !


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## hollydolly (Nov 6, 2017)

I have so much technology in this house... latest TV ..computers...ipads..iphones..remote control lights, remote control heating  ..you name it ..my husband is very technical so we get all that stuff... It always takes me ages to work out how to use it, and I still have't mastered half of it...so I have to leave it to him to update stuff for me on my computer or my phone 

I have had the latest phones since Adam was a lad... but unlike everyone I know, I never use it to tell me the time, I love watches...as does my husband so we still wear watches... 

However some of this stuff gets on my nerves, it's supposed to make things so much more simple ..but for an example..the other day I went to turn on the heating from my iphone remotely ( we've been using this app for a long time now) ... for some reason it wouldn't turn on.. but now we have no manual switches for the heating except a tiny ( technical box ) on the wall, which I've still not mastered... so after an hour of shivering and trying to get the app to work from my phone ( it 's usually fine)... I had to whatsapp my husband who was at work 40 miles away to ask him to turn the heating on remotely from HIS phone...and it did... but what a FAFF>... I just want to be able to flick a switch like I used to...


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## moviequeen1 (Nov 6, 2017)

I never had a cellphone until 9 yrs ago when my brother&co-workers strongly suggested I get one, for emergencies. They knew I walked to work early in the morning{6am} when it was still dark outside.I have a 'pay as you go' flip phone which works for me,take it with me everywhere since I'm retired. I've never had the desire to get a smartphone/IPhone and pay a obscene amount of money for it.
I never had a computer before,bought one, a month before I retired in 2011,not really knowing how it worked,learned as I went along
I don't see the need to get a 'fitbit watch',just another'tech toy' waste of money.I wear a regular watch. Sue


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## Camper6 (Nov 6, 2017)

Lara said:


> "Larry & Curly were there...we were just missing Moe".   :3stooges: ......:rofl:



We  just kept pressing the menu button and nothing was happening.

We had plenty of laughs over that later.


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## Camper6 (Nov 6, 2017)

moviequeen1 said:


> I never had a cellphone until 9 yrs ago when my brother&co-workers strongly suggested I get one, for emergencies. They knew I walked to work early in the morning{6am} when it was still dark outside.I have a 'pay as you go' flip phone which works for me,take it with me everywhere since I'm retired. I've never had the desire to get a smartphone/IPhone and pay a obscene amount of money for it.
> I never had a computer before,bought one, a month before I retired in 2011,not really knowing how it worked,learned as I went along
> I don't see the need to get a 'fitbit watch',just another'tech toy' waste of money.I wear a regular watch. Sue



I have a smart phone because the phone company charges as much for a landline than it does for a smartphone.  The charges are the same.  But I get bored really easily and I ride the bus.  The smartphone helps alleviate the boredom.


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## fuzzybuddy (Nov 6, 2017)

I have a flip phone from Consumer's. It's so old they don't have pics, or the manual  for it, on their web page. I used to work the 4-12 shift. So, I bought timers for the lights. They have to be 25-30 years old, still work. Dell will send updates for my computer, but they can't 'register' it, because their records don't go back that far.
 Yeah, those weather gizmos area bear to set up.
BTW. I'm Moe.


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## Smiling Jane (Nov 6, 2017)

SifuPhil, be leery of atomic clocks. I've got two of them and the time differs more than 20 minutes between the two of them, although they're the same brand and they're one room apart. Oh, and neither of them is even close to the correct time. The closest is 26 minutes fast.

If I really want to know the time, I check my battery-powered travel alarm.


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## Pete (Nov 6, 2017)

fuzzybuddy said:


> . Are you still using outdated technology and love it?



For sure!  When I moved into my cabin in Alaska my son bought me a 'used' iMac that was 2006 and I am still using it. I did however have to upgrade the operating system because it would not run new programs downloaded today.


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## Falcon (Nov 6, 2017)

Smiling Jane said:


> SifuPhil, be leery of atomic clocks. I've got two of them and the time differs more than 20 minutes between the two of them, although they're the same brand and they're one room apart. Oh, and neither of them is even close to the correct time. The closest is 26 minutes fast.
> 
> If I really want to know the time, I check my battery-powered travel alarm.



SJ,  If you want the exact time,  Turn on your TV.  Every time you change channels,  look down at the lower right  side of the screen
and there you'll see the exact time; EVERY  time you chamge channels.  Try it.


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## IKE (Nov 6, 2017)

SifuPhil said:


> *Coffee Pot* ... I *love* me some coffee, but no, I don't have a Coffee Ninja or a Triple Cappuccino Maker. I have a $7 Dollar General coffee maker, and THAT will be replaced when I can find an old perc-style pot.



Phil I've got three used plastic Poly Perk's (like below) sitting in top of the hall closet collecting dust that are in great working order.....I'll send a couple to you "on my dime" if you want
them, just shoot me a PM or email me if you're interested.


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## SifuPhil (Nov 6, 2017)

Smiling Jane said:


> SifuPhil, be leery of atomic clocks. I've got two of them and the time differs more than 20 minutes between the two of them, although they're the same brand and they're one room apart. Oh, and neither of them is even close to the correct time. The closest is 26 minutes fast.
> 
> If I really want to know the time, I check my battery-powered travel alarm.



Wow, that's amazing. So much for hi-tech, eh? 

Thanks for the heads-up.


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## neotheone (Nov 6, 2017)

IKE said:


> Phil I've got three used plastic Poly Perk's (like below) sitting in top of the hall closet collecting dust that are in great working order.....I'll send a couple to you "on my dime" if you want
> them, just shoot me a PM or email me if you're interested.
> 
> View attachment 44341





There's some handsome_ vintage tech_!


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## Cap'nSacto (Nov 6, 2017)

I still use my old pocket-sized cell-phone.

I love the feeling that I'm smarter than a phone.


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## RadishRose (Nov 6, 2017)

Remember those little toys called "Yak-Baks"?

I wish I had one!  I could record where I parked, what I need at the store, etc.


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## Smiling Jane (Nov 6, 2017)

SifuPhil said:


> Wow, that's amazing. So much for hi-tech, eh?
> 
> Thanks for the heads-up.



Not impressed at all. I don't throw things away, but i'll be glad when both of them die so I can toss them.

I've usually got my Kindle fired up and it has the correct time. So does my microwave clock, and as I said I love my little battery-powered clock.


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## Butterfly (Nov 6, 2017)

Well, I'm still using Windows 7, if that counts as outdated.  I do have a smart phone and I've mastered the stuff on it that I need.  It's a prepaid Samsung smartphone from T-Mobile and costs me almost nothing to use because I'm not much of a phone talker and I don't do internet stuff on it.  One of the things on it I use most is the alarm feature.  For some reason, the annoying little ditty it plays DOES wake me up, even though I am a past master at sleeping through beeping or ringing clocks.  My son thinks I am hopeless because I don't text, but the arthritis in my hands make  those little bitty keys hard to navigate.  I also use a Roku, etc.


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## neotheone (Nov 6, 2017)

RadishRose said:


> Remember those little toys called "Yak-Baks"?
> 
> I wish I had one!  I could record where I parked, what I need at the store, etc.



Had not heard of a Yak-Bak, but a regular smartphone(iPhone or Android) would be able to provide such services.

For example, recently used the cell phone to take a picture of my parking spot(with car) at the airport parking lot.  Also used the Google Keep,  which is an app that resembles a "sticky note".  Used it to type the "3H" parking lot designation, in case the picture I took(at 3a.m.) didn't turn out.


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## Topcat (Nov 6, 2017)

Technology changes so quickly now everything is outdated in a few years (or less) anyway.


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## RadishRose (Nov 6, 2017)

neotheone said:


> Had not heard of a Yak-Bak, but a regular smartphone(iPhone or Android) would be able to provide such services.
> 
> For example, recently used the cell phone to take a picture of my parking spot(with car) at the airport parking lot.  Also used the Google Keep,  which is an app that resembles a "sticky note".  Used it to type the "3H" parking lot designation, in case the picture I took(at 3a.m.) didn't turn out.



Great ideas Neotheone, thank you!


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## Cap'nSacto (Nov 6, 2017)

neotheone said:


> Had not heard of a Yak-Bak, but a regular smartphone(iPhone or Android) would be able to provide such services.



An "old-school" cell-phone will, too. Mine can record and has a camera. 

The newest technology I own is my 1 year old desk-top computer.


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## SifuPhil (Nov 7, 2017)

Smiling Jane said:


> Not impressed at all. I don't throw things away, but i'll be glad when both of them die so I can toss them.
> 
> I've usually got my Kindle fired up and it has the correct time. So does my microwave clock, and as I said I love my little battery-powered clock.



I remember my old Big Ben wind-up clock, circa 1964. It had an alarm that would wake me up no matter how deeply I was sleeping. No fancy ring tones or MP3 tunes - just "BWWWAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH". :livid:

It finally died one day in 1994 - *30 years* after it was made. They don't make 'em like that anymore.


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## SifuPhil (Nov 7, 2017)

IKE said:


> Phil I've got three used plastic Poly Perk's (like below) sitting in top of the hall closet collecting dust that are in great working order.....I'll send a couple to you "on my dime" if you want
> them, just shoot me a PM or email me if you're interested.
> 
> View attachment 44341



Thanks, Ike - I really appreciate the offer. 

But as anyone who knows me can tell you, I'm ... a strange duck. I have a mental vision of the coffee pot we used to have when I was a kid - Pyrex glass with the metal filter basket inside, the kind you put on a gas or electric stove, with the little glass bubble on top that I'd be mesmerized by as the coffee would blurp-blurp while it brewed. 

Something like this ...



... except I think the basket was all metal.


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## Smiling Jane (Nov 7, 2017)

There are some of those Pyrex coffeepots around, Phil. I found several on Amazon and other sites, but they all seem to be over $100. I remember my parents had one when I was a kid but I don't know what happened to it. Dad seemed to like his coffee from a big stainless steel percolator.

https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Pyre...d=1510063595&sr=8-4&keywords=pyrex+coffee+pot


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## Camper6 (Nov 7, 2017)

SifuPhil said:


> Thanks, Ike - I really appreciate the offer.
> 
> But as anyone who knows me can tell you, I'm ... a strange duck. I have a mental vision of the coffee pot we used to have when I was a kid - Pyrex glass with the metal filter basket inside, the kind you put on a gas or electric stove, with the little glass bubble on top that I'd be mesmerized by as the coffee would blurp-blurp while it brewed.
> 
> ...



Those made great coffee because the water was really hot.


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## SifuPhil (Nov 7, 2017)

Smiling Jane said:


> There are some of those Pyrex coffeepots around, Phil. I found several on Amazon and other sites, but they all seem to be over $100. I remember my parents had one when I was a kid but I don't know what happened to it. Dad seemed to like his coffee from a big stainless steel percolator.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Vintage-Pyre...d=1510063595&sr=8-4&keywords=pyrex+coffee+pot



Whoa. Figures - anything I like ends up being expensive. I might have to settle for one of the metal ones, they seem to be more kindly priced.


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## SifuPhil (Nov 7, 2017)

Camper6 said:


> Those made great coffee because the water was really hot.



Yes, I don't quite know the reason but that could very well be it. 

I always put it down to, "Everything tasted better when I was a kid".


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## RadishRose (Nov 7, 2017)

SifuPhil said:


> Whoa. Figures - anything I like ends up being expensive. I might have to settle for one of the metal ones, they seem to be more kindly priced.



I don't know if you'll like percolated coffee like you did when you were a kid, Phil. I found an almost new perk at a thrift shop, cleaned it like mad even though it looked pristine, used Folger's, which I like ok and it was awful! 

I too, was looking for that childhood experience of coffee perking through the house.

In fact, I read an article (forgot where) that stated the perked coffee of the 50's and 60's was the worst ever, not only the beans and roasting but percolation was the worst way to make it. After years of playing with coffee makers, IMHO the press is the best, or a slow drip.

http://www.eatingwell.com/article/41595/9-rules-for-how-to-make-a-perfect-cup-of-coffee/

Per #8. The water should be just less than boiling, preferably 200 degrees.



http://www.howtobrewcoffee.com/percolator.htm
This site says; 
[h=2]"What do I need?[/h] A percolator and a heat source, coffee, water, and a complete lack of respect for the coffee bean."


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## SifuPhil (Nov 7, 2017)

RadishRose said:


> I don't know if you'll like percolated coffee like you did when you were a kid, Phil. I found an almost new perk at a thrift shop, cleaned it like mad even though it looked pristine, used Folger's, which I like ok and it was awful!
> 
> I too, was looking for that childhood experience of coffee perking through the house.
> 
> ...



LOL.

I'm far from being a coffee snob - when pressed, I've been known to reheat a cup of joe in the microwave after it has sat in the unheated pot for 3 days. 

And I've also checked out quite a few websites that deal with "the art of making the perfect cup of coffee". Unfortunately, I don't have access to a coffee bean roaster and commercial-grade grinder to start off properly. 

Maybe your experience with the perc was due to not using the old-school coffee? Maybe coupling poor beans with percs = success? 

More likely, I'm just a bit hazy on my memories from 50 years ago. :stung:


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## RadishRose (Nov 7, 2017)

SifuPhil said:


> LOL.
> 
> I'm far from being a coffee snob - when pressed, I've been known to reheat a cup of joe in the microwave after it has sat in the unheated pot for 3 days.
> 
> ...



 LOL, heck, I'll even drink cold coffee. No, we're not going out buying roasters or anything but perking makes coffee bitter. You may be right though, the inferior beans they used back then might have been better when perked.


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## Camper6 (Nov 7, 2017)

There's one other point in making coffe.  The grind.  

French press. Coarse
Automatic drip. Fine
Espresso Manual Drip. Extra fine

Brew Measure 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons coffee for every 1 cup of fresh water.

Serve with 30 minutes of Brewing.

That's the instructions I have on 100% ARABICA Whole Bean coffee.  I have a grinder but I have yet to get a cup of coffee that I considered 'good'.

One day I was at my sisters house and she gave me a coffee I really liked.  I asked her what it was.   Instant would you believe?

And then there is the cream which makes a huge difference in the taste. I do not use sugar.


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## SifuPhil (Nov 7, 2017)

Because I drink so much coffee, I don't use the recommended amount. You know those plastic scoops that used to come with a can of coffee? I use 2 scoops (sometimes 1[SUP]1[/SUP]/[SUB]2)[/SUB] for a full pot of 12 cups. Not sure how the scoop measures up against a tablespoon, but I'm fairly certain that it is nowhere near being 24 tbsp.

Instant coffee can sometimes be surprisingly good. Just don't tell the coffee snobs I said so.


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## Cap'nSacto (Nov 7, 2017)

When I was a kid my (Korean) mother simply cooked coffee in an uncovered pot on the stove. 

First she boiled some water, probably about 3 cups or so, then took the pot off the stove and let it cool a bit before adding ground coffee - fine grind or course, depending on how long she planned to cook it. After adding the ground coffee, she put the pot back on the stove to brew over a low flame until a layer of thick foam formed on top. Then she took it off the heat, stirred in some spices, and let it sit til all the foam was gone. Then back to brew until there was another layer of foam. Off the flame again, and back on after the foam was gone. She repeated this a number of times depending on how strong she wanted the coffee to be. She stirred it gently and only occasionally so as not to stir the forming layer of foam back in. It would get pretty thick, and then she'd pour it into a coffee server (a ewer) with very hot water in it. I don't know how much hot water was in the server, or what temperature it was.

Anyway, that's how she made coffee for my Caucasian father, and he loved it.


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## Camper6 (Nov 7, 2017)

What happened to the grounds. Where they filtered out.?


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## RadishRose (Nov 7, 2017)

Cap'nSacto said:


> When I was a kid my (Korean) mother simply cooked coffee in an uncovered pot on the stove.
> 
> First she boiled some water, probably about 3 cups or so, then took the pot off the stove and let it cool a bit before adding ground coffee - fine grind or course, depending on how long she planned to cook it. After adding the ground coffee, she put the pot back on the stove to brew over a low flame until a layer of thick foam formed on top. Then she took it off the heat, stirred in some spices, and let it sit til all the foam was gone. Then back to brew until there was another layer of foam. Off the flame again, and back on after the foam was gone. She repeated this a number of times depending on how strong she wanted the coffee to be. She stirred it gently and only occasionally so as not to stir the forming layer of foam back in. It would get pretty thick, and then she'd pour it into a coffee server (a ewer) with very hot water in it. I don't know how much hot water was in the server, or what temperature it was.
> 
> Anyway, that's how she made coffee for my Caucasian father, and he loved it.



That sounds almost like the Turkish coffee I had been served at a friend's home. Sometimes they put cardamom in it; delicious.


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## jujube (Nov 7, 2017)

I have about the dumbest of "dumb" phones.  I know I'm going to have to break down and get a smart phone one of these days, but for now.....being "dumb" is OK with me.


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## Sunny (Nov 10, 2017)

> *TVs* ... got a 42" flat screen just a few months ago. Up until  then I had a circa-1970's 26" RCA beast. Oddly enough, the commercials  are _still_ numerous and increasingly annoying.



But Sifu, you gotta admit that the newer TV's offer one big improvement in dealing with annoying commercials - the remote control mute button!


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## Sunny (Nov 10, 2017)

I got a Keurig coffee maker, and I love it. It's so easy to use, no mess to clean up, etc.  But admittedly, the old-fashioned perked kind of coffee tasted better. (Not enough to make me willing to go back to it, though.)


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## Smiling Jane (Nov 10, 2017)

Sunny said:


> But Sifu, you gotta admit that the newer TV's offer one big improvement in dealing with annoying commercials - the remote control mute button!



Even better is when you use your TV for streaming and never see commercials. I was horrified when I was watching a movie on the new Roku movie channel and it paused for a commercial. I was outta there instantly, then I realized how spoiled I've become.


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## HipGnosis (Nov 10, 2017)

MaggieM said:


> We still use one of those thermometers and we love it.  We use it several times a day.  It shows up temp inside as well as outside and humidity outside and the time.  We don't live very close to a big city and the weather people are never right about what is happening in our town.  I am pretty sure I would be lost without that little gadget !


I have one of those.  The battery in the remote dealie died so it's sitting on my counter corner of stuff that I'll get to...  I mostly like it because it shows the humidity, and I know dry air feels colder in the winter and moist air feels warmer in summer.  It tells me when to run the humidifier or dehumidifier.

I recently lost some even older tech; I had a thermometer that hung on the outside of a window, visible from inside the window.  A storm knocked it down and broke it...


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## C'est Moi (Jan 3, 2018)

SifuPhil said:


> Thanks, Ike - I really appreciate the offer.
> 
> But as anyone who knows me can tell you, I'm ... a strange duck. I have a mental vision of the coffee pot we used to have when I was a kid - Pyrex glass with the metal filter basket inside, the kind you put on a gas or electric stove, with the little glass bubble on top that I'd be mesmerized by as the coffee would blurp-blurp while it brewed.
> 
> ...



I still have one of those Pyrex pots; I keep it for when the power goes out.   I also have an old "Chemex" pot from the '70s.   (But our daily coffee is Keurig now.    )


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## Bullie76 (Jan 3, 2018)

Falcon said:


> SJ,  If you want the exact time,  Turn on your TV.  Every time you change channels,  look down at the lower right  side of the screen
> and there you'll see the exact time; EVERY  time you chamge channels.  Try it.



Mine doesn't do that and it's only a year old. Perhaps it's your cable or satellite service that does that. I'm using an antenna. 

As far as updated technology goes, I'm somewhat there. But doesn't bother me if I'm behind the curve on some items.


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## Buckeye (Jan 3, 2018)

Old technology?  In my tool box, I have a set of gap gauges for spark plugs, and "feeler" gauges for setting valves and contact "points".  Haven't used either for a while, but I keep them just in case I gotta tune up my new Cadillac.

What?  Oh, never mind..

My lovely new lady friend claims that I'm old technology but I'm still "fully functional"


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## EllieR (Jan 4, 2018)

Still using cell phone and not the advance smart phones.  I have system for texting but have not used it and haven't texted ever.  My computer will not update latest mass Windows 10 update and will just keep saying no when it pops up.  I do not use computer for seeing TV or TV for seeing things on the computer.  I don't have a laptop or other devices except a desktop computer.   I guess except for old outdated other things, I am sure we still do.


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## Ken N Tx (Jan 4, 2018)




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## retiredtraveler (Jan 4, 2018)

> ......still using cell phone and not the advance smart phones.  I have system for texting but have not used it and haven't texted ever....  I do not use computer for seeing TV or TV for seeing things on the computer.  I don't have a laptop or other devices except a desktop computer.....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## HipGnosis (Jan 4, 2018)

Hoot N Annie said:


> In my toolbox, I have a set of gap gauges for spark plugs, and "feeler" gauges for setting valves and contact "points".


You reminded me of all the old tools I have.  Like a points file.  And a dwell gauge;  a small meter with wires that clip to the ignition and a small gauge with a needle that shows the degrees (of dwell).  That was such HIGH tech at the time.  I'm sure that if there is a battery in it, it's totally corroded.
How old tech is a manual valve spring compressor?  A crow bar?


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## AprilSun (Jan 4, 2018)

fuzzybuddy said:


> When I moved here, Northeastern PA, in '95. I bought this cool thermometer gizmo. You put one part outside, and it radios the temp to a gizmo inside, which ALSO reads the inside temp. Well, it's OCT, and DLS time-a time to change the batteries in alarms and stuff. Yeah,  I can turn on TV or the net to get the temp,  but I still love my gizmo. Are you still using outdated technology and love it?



Yours sounds like mine which is an indoor/outdoor thermometer. My old one quit working about 2 years ago so I ordered a new one and I'm still using it because I don't have my TV on all the time plus, I'm out in a rural area so it gets colder here than in the city.


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## Don M. (Jan 4, 2018)

fuzzybuddy said:


> When I moved here, Northeastern PA, in '95. I bought this cool thermometer gizmo. You put one part outside, and it radios the temp to a gizmo inside, which ALSO reads the inside temp. Well, it's OCT, and DLS time-a time to change the batteries in alarms and stuff. Yeah,  I can turn on TV or the net to get the temp,  but I still love my gizmo. Are you still using outdated technology and love it?



I've got similar units, and keep one of the remotes on the front porch, and another in the basement.  That way, I know what the temp is indoors, outdoors, and downstairs.  I've had these units for the better part of 20 years, and outside of an occasional battery change, they have worked great.  The TV, weather radio, etc. readings are "close" but their recording stations are many miles away...I like to know the exact temperature right here. 

Having the latest "hi tech" gizmo is probably worthwhile, for some...but if the old stuff still works, and serves the need, that's close enough for me.


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## C'est Moi (Jan 4, 2018)

Let me whip out my slide rule and make a few calculations!


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## OneEyedDiva (Jan 5, 2018)

I love new technology, though I admit I do not run out and get the latest smart phone. My Samsung phone and tablet are two and a half years old. They still do the smart things I need them to do so not looking to replace them anytime soon. Right now, we need to get a new thermostat controller in here. If my husband can't do it, the co-op manager will have to recommend someone who works in apartments such as ours.


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## HiDesertHal (Jan 5, 2018)

I'm considering going back to Dial-Up for Internet access.

This 1934 Plymouth was just like the one I bought for $35, my first car, at age 16.  It had a 6-piston engine and "free-wheeling".

It needed a muffler, so our neighborhood blacksmith/mechanic sold me a used muffler and welded it on, all for one dollar!

I then had $36 invested in the car.  (Note the suicide doors.)

Harold


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## KingsX (Jan 5, 2018)

Camper6 said:


> I have a smart phone because the phone company charges as much for a landline than it does for a smartphone.  The charges are the same.  But I get bored really easily and I ride the bus.  The smartphone helps alleviate the boredom.




I still prefer to use my landlines which are cheap when bundled with TV and internet with the cable company.
All three together total less than $140 per month.  I also have a cheap mobile phone for emergencies.

.


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## Don M. (Jan 5, 2018)

KingsX said:


> I still prefer to use my landlines which are cheap when bundled with TV and internet with the cable company. All three together total less than $140 per month.  I also have a cheap mobile phone for emergencies.



That sounds like us....TV, phone and Internet for $142/mo.  We also have a basic Tracfone, and pay $7/mo. to keep it active...seldom use it.  There are some who pay hundreds for a smart phone, and $100+/Mo, to use it...doesn't make much sense to me.


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## KingsX (Jan 5, 2018)

Don M. said:


> KingsX said:
> 
> 
> > I still prefer to use my landlines which are cheap when bundled with TV and internet with the cable company. All three together total less than $140 per month.  I also have a cheap mobile phone for emergencies.
> ...




Good for you!  

Newer and more expensive does not always equate to better or smarter !


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## retiredtraveler (Jan 5, 2018)

Don M. said:


> That sounds like us....TV, phone and Internet for $142/mo.  We also have a basic Tracfone, and pay $7/mo. to keep it active...seldom use it.  There are some who pay hundreds for a smart phone, and $100+/Mo, to use it...doesn't make much sense to me.



That's us too. Doesn't make sense to me either to have a smartphone.


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## Seeker (Jan 5, 2018)

I still use an old empty corned beef can to chop slaw. Just gotta be careful when washing that sucker.


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## Traveler (Jan 5, 2018)

We have become slaves to all this new hi-tech crap. I don't want a smart phone. What I really want is a stupid phone. Do you remember them ?  They sat on a side table and had a rotary dial. They never needed re-charging and they ALWAYS worked. The volume was excellent, unlike those pieces of garbage that you need the ears of a dog in order to hear someone. Besides, I don't want to, or need to, have phone with me when I go for a walk. I'd much rather look at the flowers and sit in the park and watch people.

My stereo from the 1960's still works just fine and the speakers are great. My flat screen TV is ok I guess, except for the fact that it has the worlds tiniest speaker, but it is not smart so it always does what I want, which is to turn on/off and change channels on command. It really makes me angry that when you buy a new TV, you also must buy a $150-250 sound bar.

A few years ago, I got suckered into buying a Blu-ray player. Big mistake ! A month ago it decided to stop playing any Blu-ray disc. Even Samsung could not tell me what was wrong with it. I dumped it and bought a plain simple DVD player.

Except for this lap top, I don't own a single thing that claims to be smart. I noticed that this lap top has a camera lens on it. I have no idea how it works, but I've put a piece of black electrical tape over it just in case somebody decides to hack me and then watch my every move. 

I like things that a reasonably competent person can fix if it  develops a problem. I'd pay big bucks to have my '57 Chevy 2-door hardtop back.


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## Seeker (Jan 5, 2018)

> Except for this lap top, I don't own a single thing that claims to be smart. I noticed that this lap top has a camera lens on it. I have no idea how it works, but I've put a piece of black electrical tape over it just in case somebody decides to hack me and then watch my every move.



LOL


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## hearlady (Jan 6, 2018)

hollydolly said:


> I have so much technology in this house... latest TV ..computers...ipads..iphones..remote control lights, remote control heating  ..you name it ..my husband is very technical so we get all that stuff... It always takes me ages to work out how to use it, and I still have't mastered half of it...so I have to leave it to him to update stuff for me on my computer or my phone
> 
> I have had the latest phones since Adam was a lad... but unlike everyone I know, I never use it to tell me the time, I love watches...as does my husband so we still wear watches...
> 
> However some of this stuff gets on my nerves, it's supposed to make things so much more simple ..but for an example..the other day I went to turn on the heating from my iphone remotely ( we've been using this app for a long time now) ... for some reason it wouldn't turn on.. but now we have no manual switches for the heating except a tiny ( technical box ) on the wall, which I've still not mastered... so after an hour of shivering and trying to get the app to work from my phone ( it 's usually fine)... I had to whatsapp my husband who was at work 40 miles away to ask him to turn the heating on remotely from HIS phone...and it did... but what a FAFF>... I just want to be able to flick a switch like I used to...


Haha this sounds like me! My husband is the tech guru. 
He bought me one of those phone holders for the car so the GPS would be on the dash. I found a pad of paper that fit perfect, wrote down my directions, and thanked him for the GPS holder. He doesn't think I'm as funny as I do.


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## hearlady (Jan 6, 2018)

Sunny said:


> I got a Keurig coffee maker, and I love it. It's so easy to use, no mess to clean up, etc.  But admittedly, the old-fashioned perked kind of coffee tasted better. (Not enough to make me willing to go back to it, though.)


I got a Hamilton Beach Flexbrew for Christmas. It has a carafe on one side and a kherig type maker on the other. I thought why do I need another coffeemaker? Mines not old however I LOVE IT.
We still make a carafe but I like the spicy flavored coffee like pumpkin, hubby not so much, so I can make myself one. When we traveled we each made a cup for our travel mugs. It has been very nice.


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## hearlady (Jan 6, 2018)

Cap'nSacto said:


> When I was a kid my (Korean) mother simply cooked coffee in an uncovered pot on the stove.
> 
> First she boiled some water, probably about 3 cups or so, then took the pot off the stove and let it cool a bit before adding ground coffee - fine grind or course, depending on how long she planned to cook it. After adding the ground coffee, she put the pot back on the stove to brew over a low flame until a layer of thick foam formed on top. Then she took it off the heat, stirred in some spices, and let it sit til all the foam was gone. Then back to brew until there was another layer of foam. Off the flame again, and back on after the foam was gone. She repeated this a number of times depending on how strong she wanted the coffee to be. She stirred it gently and only occasionally so as not to stir the forming layer of foam back in. It would get pretty thick, and then she'd pour it into a coffee server (a ewer) with very hot water in it. I don't know how much hot water was in the server, or what temperature it was.
> 
> Anyway, that's how she made coffee for my Caucasian father, and he loved it.


That sounds fabulous. Did the grounds stay at the bottom or did she run it through a filter?


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## HiDesertHal (Jan 6, 2018)

Traveler said:


> We have become slaves to all this new hi-tech crap. I don't want a smart phone. What I really want is a stupid phone. Do you remember them ?  They sat on a side table and had a rotary dial. They never needed re-charging and they ALWAYS worked. The volume was excellent, unlike those pieces of garbage that you need the ears of a dog in order to hear someone. Besides, I don't want to, or need to, have phone with me when I go for a walk. I'd much rather look at the flowers and sit in the park and watch people.
> 
> My stereo from the 1960's still works just fine and the speakers are great. My flat screen TV is ok I guess, except for the fact that it has the worlds tiniest speaker, but it is not smart so it always does what I want, which is to turn on/off and change channels on command. It really makes me angry that when you buy a new TV, you also must buy a $150-250 sound bar.
> 
> ...



I'm with you, Traveler...I'm with you all the way!

I have a cellphone in my car that I keep just for highway emergencies.  I never use it for calling anyone, and I don't even know its number! 

It stays in my car and is always charged.

I buy a $20 airtime card for it every 90 days.  It costs me $6.67 per month to keep active.

Hal


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## OneEyedDiva (Jan 8, 2018)

HiDesertHal said:


> I'm considering going back to Dial-Up for Internet access.
> 
> This 1934 Plymouth was just like the one I bought for $35, my first car, at age 16.  It had a 6-piston engine and "free-wheeling".
> 
> ...



VERY cool car Hal ! I remember those.


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## Smiling Jane (Jan 8, 2018)

I use some outdated technology. An ex asked me if I use things until they wear out. He seemed surprised. Heck yeah, that's how I do it. 

I use a battery-powered alarm clock, but that's only because my wind-up died a while back. I bought two atomic clocks but neither of them keeps time worth a darn, so the battery-powered clock is default.

I have a dumb phone. It does everything I want so no reason to pay for an exorbitant Smartphone.

My coffee maker is a French press. Pretty dumb I guess. No electricity involved.

The one concession I've made is wi-fi because I love streaming (although my flat screen is dumb). I gave up my regular landline phone and have Net Talk through wi-fi.


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## Olivia (Jan 8, 2018)

I just have a flip phone because quite frankly I don't want to pay the monthly charges associated with a smart phone. I don't work anymore where I might like to use s smart phone waiting for or on the bus. I like to listen to talk shows when I'm out gardening, and for that I use my transistor radio. Yes, I'm a dinosaur, only because I like to use my money on other things.


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