I think I can easily come up with ten. (Some of them duplicate Yano's, but I can't help it that some of the best answers were already taken, can I? (g)) I'm including inventions that have made life more comfortable. (Being comfortable does make life easier.)
- "Climate Control"-- Air conditioning in summer and heating in winter. Where I live, I consider A/C a must-have. I don't see how people lived without it. Maybe you get somewhat used to life without it, after a while, but I don't think you could ever be truly comfortable in sticky heat.
- Computers-- Not just the personal computers we use for work and play, but computers everywhere. They do so much of the hard stuff-- and the boring stuff-- for us. I just hope they don't try to take over the world, someday. ;o)
- The Internet-- Makes it so easy to find information on almost any topic, keep in touch with people all over the world, buy and sell goods without leaving home, etc.
- Digital Camera (and Photoshop)-- Makes photography so much easier and cheaper! I can take photos and process them myself in almost no time. If you have the right printer and paper, you can even print them off at home! And you can take as many photos as you like without worrying that you might be wasting film.
- Washing Machine & Dryer-- I don't think I want to imagine having to heat water and scrub clothes by hand. . . What a labor-saver!
- Dishwasher-- Not a necessity, but it sure is nice to have one!
- Cell Phones-- Again, not a necessity, but when leaving the house, I feel safer knowing that I have a means of calling for help (without having to walk to find a telephone).
- Refrigerator/Freezer-- An "oldie", but have you ever stopped to consider how much harder life would be without one? It keeps our food safe and preserves it for days-- weeks-- months (in the case of the freezer).
- Airplanes-- I hardly ever fly-- and I don't even really like to fly-- but they do make travel faster. . . and I guess that qualifies as easier. However, I still think someone needs to invent some type of teleportation device. ;o)
- CDs and DVDs-- It's hardly a "big deal", but I like not having to fast-forward or rewind things to find the song or scene I want to see.
