It looks like the iPod will once again reign as the hottest gift this year. Fortunately for you, this week's edition of TechnoLawyer NewsWire will feature five of the best iPod accessories, each of which serves a different function (iPod in your bedroom, iPod in your car, etc.). Don't miss this last issue of 2005.
In the meantime, below you'll find four non-iPod holiday gift suggestions, none which require dealing with the dark side of holiday consumerism on display at your local mall.
Gloves By Bruno: Leather gloves come in two varieties — cheap gloves that don't fit well and feature a cashmere blend rather than 100% cashmere, and expensive gloves that do fit well. Gloves By Bruno falls between these two extremes — well-constructed gloves in a variety of sizes sold directly from a Naples manufacturer by way of its New York-based sales office and Web site. Prices range from $80-$400 with most under $100.
Ecco: I recently learned that my waterproof shoes were no match for a 4 inch New York City slush puddle so I set out to find a waterproof boot for the winter. Surprisingly, few fashion companies have decent Web sites and even fewer sell directly. Sure, I know about Zappos, but it doesn't carry many of the styles that fashion companies reserve for their own stores. Fortunately, Ecco, a Danish shoemaker renowned for boots that are not only waterproof but stylish and lightweight, happens to have one of the best online stores I've ever used. The store carries limited editions that you won't find elsewhere (such as the boots I bought).
Forzieri: The Italians lost their empire, but ended up conquering the world again with their food and fashion. Notwithstanding the success of Armani and Prada, many Italian fashion companies do not export their goods to the United States. At Forzieri, you'll find products from these obscure (to us anyway) companies as well as offerings from the usual suspects.
Semsons: When I bought my Powershot SD500, I was disappointed with Canon's cases for the US market. Canon's offerings in Japan were much hipper. Fortunately, the gray market is now just a click away thanks to Semsons, an online store that imports electronics gear and accessories (like my Japanese camera case) from overseas OEMs. The store also specializes in defunct product lines no longer available elsewhere such as iPod cases for older models.
About TechnoEditorials
A TechnoEditorial is the vehicle through which we opine and provide tips of interest to managing partners, law firm administrators, and others in the legal profession. TechnoEditorials appear first in TechnoGuide, and later here in TechnoLawyer Blog. TechnoGuide, which is free, also contains exclusive content. You can subscribe here.
