Many of us don’t appreciate physical conveniences until our bodies make it difficult for us to accomplish even the routine of daily life.

Cait has been rather immobile as of late and the inability to run errands and stay on top of her life was giving her Cabin Fever far too early in the season.

Riding in the car was fine. But the getting in and out was hell, especially when it came to slippery parking lots and unsanded sidewalks.

So she looked at what she needed to do, organized her route and in one drive took herself to breakfast, the bank, the pharmacy and the mailbox at the post office - all of which had drive-ups.

The drive-ups got her out and about, she listened to a good music CD she had just burned on her computer and her dogs got to ride through the Big Wide World, which ranks high on their entertainment list.

When Cait first moved from Canada to the United States, she dismissed this country’s many drive-ups as conveniences for lazy people - not that there is anything wrong with being lazy!

These days, however, it’s not much of a stretch to say that Cait finds drive-ups a life-sustaining necessity.

Marty needed a Mobigrip on a recent flight when her iPod slipped off her lap and under the seat in front of her.

The iPod then slid so far forward she couldn’t retrieve it until the plane landed and she could get down on her hands and knees in the aisle and hunt for it. Not a fun time. Not a pretty picture.

The Mobigrip is a peel-and-stick gizmo that attaches to the underside of a cell phone, iPod, glucose meter, television remote and so on. The Mobigrip’s band slips over your finger, making it more difficult for the object to fall. Useful for people who have limited hand strength or are just plain klutzy, like Marty.

The Mobigrip people have this cute video on their Web site, where you can see the various Mobigrip colors.

We agree this would be a great stocking stuffer for a nearsighted loved one in your life.

The MagRX Medicine Bottle Magnifier clips onto a prescription or medication bottle, providing 3X magnification for easier reading.

An adjustable arm lets you move the magnifier closer for a larger view of the print.

This story from The New York Times illustrates how computer learning centers across the country are helping older people gain computer skills needed to return to work.

Designed by an occupational therapist, the Buckingham Bra Angel aids women with upper arm restrictions who find it difficult putting on a bra.

The Bra Angel holds one end of the bra securely while the other end is brought around the body for fastening.

Its makers says the Bra Angel works with most types of brassieres and is easily adjusted for size.

It’s latex free and can be shortened for storage and travel. The packaging contains directions for use.

If we can live long enough and not go bankrupt, the world is going to have some very interesting things for us to play with as we age.

Honda, for example, has developed a motor-driven assisted-walking device designed to reduce stress on people’s knees and help them up stairs. The device, which supports your body weight, is being tested in Japan, where it’s proving helpful to factory workers on assembly lines.

The video above demonstrates the 14-pound device, but is annoying because the video has no sound. What it should tell you is that to use the device, a person places the seat between her legs, slips on the gadget’s shoes, and then pushes a button to turn it on.

Between the seat and shoes are motor-driven metal legs to assist the person in walking. The battery-powered device also has a computer and sensors that respond to the person’s movements.

Honda is among a number of companies developing robotics for factory workers, the elderly, the Gimpy - and let us not forget the Lazy - who need assistance in walking.

Click here to learn more from the Canadian Broadcasting story - or above to watch the annoyingly silent video.

The Wordlock lets you set a combination using a word rather than a set of code numbers for locks for your luggage, locker, shed, yard gate, etc.

Its maker calls Wordlock the next generation of friendly, easy to use security devices for everyday life with thousands of possible combinations.

We’re not saying the Wordlock is going to improve our memory, but it’s got to be less confusing to remember a familiar word rather than a set of code numbers - at least for us!

We wouldn’t recommend Wordlock for a bank vault, but they’re sturdy for myriad other uses such as your travel luggage or the locker at your water aerobics class.

Eds. Note: Marty has two locks with numbers she hasn’t been able to open for more than a year. Periodically she retrieves them from her May-Be-Useful-Someday-But-Junk-Right-Now Drawer and plays with them hoping the code numbers will magically pop back into her brain. Fat chance.

This 2008 “Fit House” in Portland, Ore., has a practical renovation for an existing bath.

By removing one wall and adjusting the height of the sink, they were able to enlarge the bathroom and make it more suitable for wheelchair users and children in this family.

(Via My Home Ideas)

If you know someone who takes medications and frequently has their cell phone with them, e-mail them this info about The Pill Phone - a wireless software application for medication management.

The Pill Phone is available through Verizon and AT&T for about $4 a month and is based on the best selling guide The Pill Book, which features information on more than 1,800 prescription drugs.

The Pill Phone reminds you when to take a medication and can even notify someone else - say a family member - that you have taken your medication or missed a dose.

The Pill Phone is the only FDA-approved wireless application for meds management, though given the FDA’s track record in recent years that may not be the best endorsement.

Click here to see a video of The Pill Phone in action.

Mazeltov to the Pressalit design team that created the bathroom seen above. This is Universal Design at its best.

Everything but the toilet is on rails that move horizontally and vertically, so you can fit a loo, a sink and a shower seat in one small space with drainage in the floor.

It’s brilliant for wheelchair users but would benefit anyone needing flexibility in bathroom fixtures — and who doesn’t?

We include the tongue-in-cheek video below as a bonus, pretty much just for your entertainment. It’s obvious the Pressalit company has a sense of humor — they rank their soft-close toilet on the same scale of importance as the fall of the Berlin Wall.