Top 10 technologies for the holiday season

With Thanksgiving upon us, we decided to count down some essential technologies for getting through not only Turkey Day, but all of the other family gatherings and festivities set to take place in the coming weeks.

Holidays are uniquely stressful times. Anthropologists say that sources of conflict multiply whenever people gather together, and the larger the group the greater the likelihood is that things will kick-off.

So here is a list of the best technologies to help you through this stressful time.

Honourable Mention: Universal remote
Shaun Nichols: More people in the house means more hands on the remote control, which means lost remotes are far more common over the holiday season. This only gets worse when you add more devices to the equation.

Enter the universal remote, a handy little bit of gear that can control all your various boxes and devices at once. While they were first considered an exotic piece of gadgetry, these days universal controllers are fairly common, and most cable providers ship them as standard with your set-top box.

If your family is the type to constantly flip through various programming, the universal remote can also be a powerful weapon. By taking control of the remote and keeping it in your pocket, you can keep others from changing the channel every time you get up and leave the room. (Particularly effective when you're trying to watch football in the presence of younger family members pining to watch more of the Sponge Bob Squarepants marathon.)

Iain Thomson: There was a guilty pleasure for both of us in this one. The ability to reset the TV is a powerful tool. But, that said, the universal remote is a godsend – not just for subverting the TV, but for dealing with the endless problems remotes have caused, i.e. where is the damn thing?

That said, I wanted this as an Honourable Mention only because setting the damn things up is a huge pain. Maybe someone like Apple could come up with a universal remote that automatically configures itself.

Honourable Mention: Printable boarding passes
Iain Thomson: Thanksgiving is the busiest time of the year at US airports, and anyone flying is bound to have a rough time of it. I've yet to meet anyone who enjoys flying over the festive period. So it makes sense to reduce the potential for hassle, and minimise your impact on hard-pressed airline staff. Printing your own boarding pass and checking in online are an excellent way to do this.

Of course, the systems aren't perfect and some airlines don't use them at all. Nevertheless, if you can get the load lightened online, do it, because it'll make life a little more pleasant for everyone and allow you to enjoy the piped muzak that airport management seems to love so much.

Shaun Nichols: If you're lucky enough to fly on an airline that allows online check-in and printable boarding passes, I highly recommend you take advantage.

Going through the long security lines and navigating the huge crowds is bad enough, and any step you can take to get round this is welcome. Being able to skip the check-in counter can save valuable minutes. If you're the type who enjoys a quick drink at the airport bar, it is a great way to buy yourself a few extra minutes to wind down before having to cram yourself onto an plane for a long flight.