79-14-B7
- Main Page \ Reagan Radio Commentaries \ 1979
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Gadgets[edit]
Transcript[edit]There has been a lot of talk recently to the effect that Americans have lost that spirit of inventiveness and ingenuity which we have been known for throughout our history. Well, judging by the proliferation of various household gadgets designed to save labor and sometimes money, this is not so. A recent article in U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT fills us in on the latest products you need to have a truly modern American home. For the apartment dweller who is conscious of using every inch of space, designers have come up with a queen-size bed that turns into a desk. The bed is lifted by counterweights against the wall to reveal a desk with plenty of drawers, a bookcase and a file. The price? $2,400. Those with fireplaces will be happy to know that they can buy a do-it-yourself chimney sweeper for under 24 dollars. The contraption is equipped with strong brushes on four sides, so that when it is lowered through the chimney, it cleans all four sides at once. Do you ever have trouble deciding which television program to watch. If your trouble is worth $1,000, you may now buy a specially designed TV set which has a full-sized color screen with a small black-and-white inset. You can watch one program on the color screen while monitoring another on the black-and-white inset. Products aimed at providing the convenience of your office at home are becoming increasingly popular. For about 15 dollars you can buy an adapter kit to turn your family's instant camera into a photo copier. If you are the clandestine type, for about 120 dollars you can get your very own portable paper shredder. As you can imagine, energy-saving devices are at the peak of their popularity right now. Most ambitious is a Minnesota company that offers a one-passenger commuter car for about $2,800. The car gets about 100 miles per gallon. You can buy special devices to lower the temperature of your hot water heating system to save about a third on hot-water costs. The device includes a special booster which raises the temperature of the water for the two appliances in your home which require hotter water - the dishwasher and the washing machine. You may also buy a gadget which enables you to turn off the pilot light in your gas-burning furnace when it is not in use. These are just some of the new labor-saving and energy-saving devices which are catching the fancy of gadget-minded Americans. Ingenuity is alive and well from coast-to-coast. |
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