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When you think 'sat-nav,' you think 'neat windscreen or mobile device'. When I think 'sat-nav', I see a huge chunk of metal bolted to the dashboard of a boxy eighties Range Rover, which I demonstrated on Tomorrow's World.Ìý Powered by a computer with a bubble memory bouncing in the boot, it took forever to programme. It was all so very 'difficult'. I remember thinking, "Just pass me the map."

But when my car was broken into recently and my voice activated, live mapping device stolen, I realised this has long since become seamlessly integrated into my life.

It's odd to think back to my first computer; grey, slow and unsightly it was the only one in the house, dominating my desk and much of my bedroom floor. I only used it for work and covered it up while I got on with life. Now my laptop rarely leaves my side.

Matt Rawlinson, media producer and technology reviewer for The Open University, agrees we use laptops in a much more casual way. "Before it was a case of making a decision to switch on the computer and sitting down to use it, now I simply flip open my laptop in front of the TV. I look things up on a whim or send a quick email without having to make that tedious round-trip to the office or bedroom."

In our house we rarely simply watch TV; Twitter and Facebook are followed at the same time, giving us 24 hr water-cooler moments. While my daughter's boyfriend was abroad, they both kept Skype open but minimized on their laptops for hours.

We use technology instinctively; it fits more naturally into how we live. Listening to ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ 5Live on the night North Yorkshire experienced a minor earthquake, I was struck by a caller saying she'd turned to Facebook to find out why crockery was rattling on her shelves.

Social technologist Suw Charman-Anderson feels the device that's changed her tech habits most is the tablet computer. "It's really convenient when you're in bed or on the sofa. We used to have a pretty strong 'no tech in the bedroom' rule, but that's being slowly relaxed for the iPad which I often use as an e-book reader."

Tablets are more "put-down-able", not as intrusive as laptops. As Suw says, they're less demanding and much more social. "If you see something you want to share with people in the room, it's easier to pass round. The fact you can flip it over and the screen re-orientates makes it much more natural to show what you're looking at."

Matt Rawlinson also has a tablet in his sights, the Android based Motorola Xoom.

Far less "put-down-able" is my mobile phone. I have it on me all day, every day because, as Matt warns, "even if you choose to opt out of carrying your digital life around in your pocket, the rest of the world doesn't, and you soon find yourself more out of touch than you ever thought you would be."

Too right. Last week, forgetting my mobile was in my other bag, I set out for a meeting, only to discover it had been postponed (by text) when I arrived. With the use of mobiles for payments predicted to take off in 2011, those moments of absent-mindedness will have bigger consequences.

Thanks to Wi-Fi and decent broadband , I completely take for granted my freedom to watch any programme, at any time, on any sized device. It's the app-based, gestural interfaces that have helped many find their way round portable devices. Suw Charman-Anderson says "Simplicity doesn't mean stupidity, and there are many apps that are much easier to use than their older Mac or PC counterparts."

But my home isn't overflowing with gadgets. I'm with Matt Rawlinson in thinking convergence - using one device for everything - is the Holy Grail.

While Suw uses a "Livescribe Echo" pen to record everything she says and writes, my 85 yr old Dad confidently sets up a nest box with a webcam. Technology is slowly becoming more comfortable, and more relevant to how we really live.

Maggie Philbin has worked in radio and television for 30 years on a wide range of science, medical and technology programmes. She is currently a regular technology reporter on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ 1's Inside Out.