Photos: Gadgets we're thankful for, part 2

DVR, any model really
They say "once you go DVR, you don't go back." "They," of course, being the cable/satellite company employees who have spent the last two years trying to convince me I couldn't live without a DVR. While a catchier slogan--or at least one that rhymes--might have inspired me to bite the bullet sooner, well, better late than never. I got a DVR recently and my life is forever changed.

The model I got from Comcast is the Motorola DVR DCT 3412 I, but that's not really what's important here. What matters is that I no longer have to be in front of the TV at 9 p.m. on Mondays to watch Heroes. I can wait until the laundry is done now, instead of coming to work the next day in damp clothes.

If I'm watching Anderson Cooper 360 and I find my self girlfriend lost in his dreamy eyes and realize I've missed a pundit's point, I can rewind right on the spot and soak up every last word from David Gergen.

Finally, the instant-record feature. I haven't owned a VCR since 2002, so being able to record something on the spot--without spending five minutes tearing my apartment apart, looking for a blank tape--is almost novel to me.

I realize I'm late to the party on this, but it's like a whole new world--and I won't be going back.

--Eric Franklin