The same friend who shared the obsolete in the aughts list followed up with a link to Paste Magazine’s 20 Best Gadgets of the Decade. I’ve only used eight of them–not necessarily the exact versions Paste is touting—and some of those I only got around to in the last year or so. Though I realize I may be risking getting my geek card revoked by revealing what a late- and non-adopter I am, here’s their list and my experience with each item:

20) Bluetooth This I’ve used, but only since the end of April, and only because it came built into the Fusion. I don’t like talking on the phone and do it as little as possible, so I do not see myself ever needing to walk around with an earpiece so I can ignore the people in front of me while I talk with people who are not.

19) iTrip I got my Belkin in late 2006. I don’t remember the last time I used it, though, since the Fusion lets me jack my nano directly into the car.

18) Xlerator Hand Dryer I’ve used them and taken pictures of them, but I wish they would go away. They are entirely too loud, and I’m sort of creeped out by the way the air stream deforms the skin on the back of my hands while I’m drying them.

17) USB Flash Drive Yes, but only since February of this year, when I found a 2GB one marked down 80%.

16) Noise-Cancelling Headphones Yes, but only because Mr. Karen bought some.

15) Flip Video Camera Nope. My camera can take all the video I’ve felt a need to create. More often than not, I’ve taken video with it by accident because I didn’t notice the switch on the camera wasn’t in the right place.

14) Multi-Room Music System We have the old technology version of this, thanks to Mr. Karen running speaker wire into the master bedroom and basement.

13) Dyson Air Multiplier This just got released last month, so I don’t feel bad that I hadn’t heard of it, much less used one. I do use bladed fans, so maybe I’ll have to check this out.

12) Apple Airport Express Nope. It’s all wires all the time at my house.

11) Playstation 3 I’m not a gamer, so no. I have too many hobbies as it is.

10) XBox See item 11.

9) Blackberry No, and I don’t even use all the functions on my cellphone.

8 ) Slingbox Nope. I don’t love tv that much.

7) iPhone Again, no. See item 9, and also I’ve had enough people interrupt a conversation with me to check something with their iPhone that I’m not that keen on them.

6) Kindle No, though I feel myself weakening, because I do like to read and I don’t like all the piles and boxes of books cluttering up my house (some of them, yes, but not all of them).

5) Wii Remote See item 11.

4) Vodafone Datacard No. Much as I like the Internet, I do not need to be connected to it from everywhere all the time.

3) GPS Yes, again because it came built into the Fusion. I do use it a fair bit, too, because my sense of direction is not always the greatest.

2) DVR We use the DirecTV version and haven’t had too many issues. It’s certainly easier than managing VHS tapes and rewinding live tv is awesome.

1) iPod I’ve written about my nano before; given that I’m still using that same one I got in 2006, I’m not sure how much credit I should get for this one.

*****

On this date in 2008: Twilight, The Movie
2007: Fitter
2006: Chilly Afternoon Out
2005: Triplets
2004: Vacation Paddling
2003: Pikachu Loves Me, At Least for Now
2002: Lost Weekend