The Everyday Tech That Earns Its Keep

"These turned our old TVs into smart TVs and got us off cable."

Why I like it:

We had TVs that worked perfectly fine, they just weren't smart TVs, and replacing them made no sense to me. These plug into the back and do the whole job for a fraction of that. This is how we finally cut the cord, and we're saving about $150 a month on cable now. The remote runs the TV power and volume too, so we went from three remotes down to one. We have them on more than one TV in this house for a reason.

"In a house this loud, these are how I find quiet without leaving."

What it does:

Quiet mode shuts the whole room out. Aware mode lets it back in, so I can still hear a kid calling me. They last about a whole day on one charge, and you can turn up the bass in the app. The zip case is the reason they survive being tossed in my bag.

"Our pool speaker. Water can't hurt it."

We got this one last December, and it's great to have outside by the pool. Water, sand and drops don't hurt it, so I don't have to worry about it. It's small enough to carry by the strap. Press the ULT button and the bass gets a lot bigger. The battery lasts up to 12 hours.

Why I like it: I can leave it by the pool and not think twice.