Geriatric techno-hack
Not my Mum, but a good friend's.
She didn't know how to set the clock on her vcr, and it was one of the ones that flashed 0.00 when it wasn't set. This drove her as insane as the world's biggest, itchiest haemorrhoid.
So she coloured in a post-it note with a black permanent marker, and stuck it over the offending flashing digits.

Simples!

My Mum doesn't do technology either. She falls asleep reading audio books on her CD walkman, has done ever since my old man died, and after hearing me rave about my iPod she bought one for herself (getting me to create the playlist, natch). Only problem was, she bought a shuffle. So now she gets chapter 11 of whatever book, then 6, then 2, etc. Thank God she knows how Murder on the Orient Express finishes from seeing the film coz she wouldn't have a fucking chance listening to it.
Mums. Know your limits.
( Sallyrsm, Thu 20 Aug 2009, 19:52, 3 replies)

You can set Shuffles to play tracks in order.
I listen to podcasts like that at the gym.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Thu 20 Aug 2009, 21:53, closed)

Just flick it
There's a switch on all models of Apple Shuffle that you use to select shuffle mode versus sequential playback mode. I think they even remember where and when it was when you paused the playback from the last time.

And there's a couple of men at work who are a bit like your Mum. We call them "midnight flashers" because we're certain their VCR, microwave, radio alarm, hi-fi, et cetera are all display blinking 12:00.
(Bad Manners, Thu 20 Aug 2009, 22:03, closed)

Blinky lights...
A former (engineer) workmate used a similar trick - insulating tape to cover the "check engine" light in his car because it was annoying & distracting.
(Kyzia was here on, Fri 21 Aug 2009, 22:08, closed)