5 Convenient Products that Really Weren't Convenient

These 5 convenient products really weren't convenient at all. This is the inconvenient truth about 5 tech gadgets that made my life tougher.

TV Remotes: Not all TV remotes are inconvenient, but I have better things to do than tinker with 50 buttons. I know people with complex systems who have spent more time talking to tech support than to their own children. My remote is so sensitive it only works if I crouch in one corner of my living room. I might as well just get up and change the TV manually, but they no longer put the buttons on the set.

TiVo: In the dark ages before Netflix, I tried TiVo. I'd look at TV listings and record whatever program sounded least unappealing in case I got bored. Unfortunately, I was never bored enough to watch anything.

Electronic Keys: I actually like being able to just swipe a key. What gets me is the price for replacing these convenient products. I used to keep extra keys and never worry about losing them. Now, knowing that building management will charge me $100 if I lose a key makes me paranoid about losing a key. When I'm not worrying about losing a key, I sometimes torment myself with those stories about identity thieves who target you using your hotel keys which gets me so distracted I might lose my keys.

K-cups: I first encountered K-cups at an office where people were determined to get a single cup of coffee or tea fast. Seeing how much plastic garbage these tech gadgets created, I went online to find out if we were using it right and was bewildered to find a company called Green Mountain bragging about its environmental record. The operator said they were aware of the problem but still working on the technology. This was about 5 years ago so I guess their scientists still haven't discovered tea bags or a French press.

Leaf Blowers: If there's anything I hate more than K-cups, it's leaf blowers. There are other things I should be doing on Saturday mornings but sometimes I have to stop and watch the landscaping service across the street spend twenty minutes trying to blow an empty potato chip bag off their lawn and onto the sidewalk.

Still, I wouldn't have time to complain about these convenient products if it wasn't for GPS tech gadgets. I'd just be lost somewhere looking for my keys.