Everyone has had that detached-from-the-world feeling while traveling.  Whether it’s no cell phone service, no internet access, no smartphone apps, or using a paper roadmap instead of GPS.  It’s almost surreal to think about what life was like before these gadgets existed.  How on earth did people plan something as simple as a dinner date without a cell phone?  I guess people checked their home voicemail machines a lot?  The only thing I remember about those things is the miniature tapes that would always run out of time during important messages.

What can you not live without nowadays?  What has been so ingrained in your daily routine that it would be difficult to go an hour, a day, or a week without?  Here’s my quick list (trying to be specific, not just ‘internet’, ‘iphone’, etc.)

1. Google Maps/iPhone Maps App
I use this religiously.  It’s replaced roadmaps, yellow pages, radio traffic reports.  It’s particularly useful while traveling and looking for the nearest coffee shop.

2. Google Reader
This is now my newspaper.  RSS feeds are fantastic.

3. Twitter/iPhone Twitter Apps
This has turned into a must-have news source for me.  I get the majority of my sports and entertainment updates through this medium now.

4. Gmail/Remote Email Access
Blackberry faithful have been dialed into this for years now, so I guess I’m late to the game.  I constantly check my email now and find it very necessary for day-to-day operations.

5. Mobile Banking/Financial News
It’s surprising how often I need to access my bank account or check stock prices.  iPhones/Blackberries come in handy once again!

6. DVR/Hulu/Slingbox
I love being able to watch TV whenever I want.  I honestly can’t even remember what it was like to adhere to a media schedule.

7. Any mp3 player
Remember cds?  I had a 12-song mp3 player in college that I thought was the coolest thing ever.  Ha.  How times have changed…

What product, technology, gadget, or service can you NOT live without?

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