If you have one of these geek-chic guys or gals on your shopping list, you may think it is impossible to buy American.
You are wrong. (Don’t worry, it happens to everyone at least once - or so I’ve heard.)
Though most products and accessories related to technology of any kind come from overseas, there are a few pioneering folks that make it possible for your to keep your patriotic spirit.
So whether you have a digital dude, gadget guru, star-gazer or video star on your hands, you will love the list below.
Element Case – Made in USA
Protect what you love.
And you know you love your iPhone.
But that does mean that you are always good to it. (And after all it does for you! You should be ashamed.)
Admit it. Sometimes sling it into your handbag or briefcase; shove it into a pocket or cup-holder; or, heaven forbid, drop it.
That kind of wear and tear will eventually catch up with this mighty-but-sensitive superhero and when tragedy does strike you will have two major problems: 1) you will have to buy another or fix yours (and who likes to spend money on something they already own?) and 2) you will be without this life-sustaining device for some period of time (and that is simply not worth the risk!).
So unless you and your iPhone are willing to live in a bubble, you are going to have to find a practical way to protect it from the world and yes, even from you.
Luckily, industrial designer Jeff Sasaki has already done all the heavy lifting. After loosing some beloved electronics to his Australian Cattle Dog and his own active lifestyle, in 2007 Jeff set out to build a phone case that can take (almost) anything life dishes out.
Currently, Element Case produces 3 product lines for Apple phones from the 3 to the lastest 4S. Prices vary by features and begin at $19.95.
The Vapor COMP (above, $99.99) is available for both the 4 and 4s models. The frame is made of precision CNC machined aluminum and has a TPU liner for shock absorption. The Vapor COMP features a slim profile with large accessory ports, integrated ergonomics and polycarbonate cap to maximize radio frequency performance. You can choose from 6 colors. An optional backplate in either Ultrasuede or carbon fiber is available for an addition charge.
Visit Element Case - www.elementcase.com
Thoughtout – Made in USA
Steel the show.
Have 4 pounds of American steel ever looked sexier?
Thoughtout’s Stabile Pro (left, $84.99) was designed to physically hold your iPad or iPad2, but it is safe to say that it also holds its own in the style department against the design-savvy tablet.
Available in 3 colors – aluminum, black and white – the Stabile Pro offers a positionable base for your newest love. Whether you want to use your iPad with a keyboard (as shown – keyboard not included) or you simply want a place to prop your tablet as you watch a movie, the Stabile Pro is for you.
With an extremely low and user-focused center of gravity; 80 degree left, right, forward and back motion; split back cable management; and anti-slip/non-skid feet, the Stabile Pro quickly distinguishes itself from other tablet holders. Because the entire holder pivots, the Stabile Pro can be used in either portrait or landscape format. It is also designed to be used with or without a cover or skin.
And while the Stabile Pro maybe the newest product in Thoughtout’s aptly named line, it is by no means the only one worth seeing. Thoughtout makes a suite of products for Apple models ranging from the MacBooks to the iPhone, as well as a variety of other brands and devices.
Visit Thoughtout - www.thoughtout.biz
Dodo Case – Made in San Francisco
The only Dodo here is you, if your Kindle is not in one of these cases!
Unless you have been under a rock for the past decade, you know that the way people read is changing.
(And no matter which side of the debate – book v e-reader – you come down on, we can all agree on one thing: at least people are still reading!)
Rather than despair that bookbinding was destined to become a lost art in this new digital age, a group of Bay-side creatives got together and found a way to make it relevant, fresh, modern. Today they craft DODOcases for the Kindle Keyboard, Kindle Fire, iPad, iPad2 and Blackberry Playbook by hand using centuries-old techniques.
The DODOcase for the Kindle Keyboard (above, $49.95) brings the look and feel of a real book back to your library of virtual books. The outside cover is made of black faux leather and features an elastic strap to help keep the book shut when not in use. The interior is made from the highest quality bamboo so it is strong, lightweight and eco-friendly. It has been carved to follow the curves of your Kindle so it both fits securely and remains easily accessible.
The choice of interior color is yours. (You are sure to love at least one of the 5!) But no matter which you choose, don’t forget to fill in the nameplate provided. You don’t want this little birdie to fly away. (Yes, I know the Dodo could not fly – that was the joke!)
Visit DODOcase - www.dodocase.com
Pat Kim – Made in Brooklyn, New York
Have you or that starry-eyed dreamer on your list always imagined what it would be like to leave Earth’s atmosphere?
Or is one of you just obsessed with really good design?
Either way, Pat Kim’s rocket (left, $180) is going to send you in outer orbit.
Standing almost 15″ inches tall, this rocket is made of solid walnut and is hand painted with acrylic and shellac. It comes in two colors – yellow (shown) and pink. Both are out-of-this-world.
Eat your heart out, NASA. If artist/designer Pat Kim had been on your shuttle team, your program would still be receiving federal funding. (I know I’d be willing to earmark my tax dollars for Pat’s handsome hardware!)
Pat also has created other stylish, quirky, playful and often surprisingly practical designs that you are sure to love.
Visit Pat Kim - www.patkimdesign.com
girls can tell - Made in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Some people think it is all or nothing – that you are either high-tech or low-tech.
Truth is most people operate somewhere in the middle. (Though it is not always easy to do so!)
Surely there can be no better way to achieve or express a zen-like balance of these two often conflicting world’s than by carrying the Best Robot Ever Diagram Lunchbag (left, $16).
Made of recycled cotton, this snack/lunch tote features a robot diagram drawn by Sara, the artist behind girls can tell. It is 7″ w x 10.5″ h x 4.5″ d, is printed by hand in her studio and is machine washable.
This endearing robot with its visual sensors, audible communication system, rotating element, claw extender, access panel, grabby claw, key and transportation appendages is the perfect meal time companion whether you eat at a cafeteria table in a huge aero-space corporation on your lunch hour or at your local elementary school between math and recess.
girls can tell makes its robot diagram available on notecards, bottle openers and floursack towels also and, of course, features lots of other equally funtastic (if less, geek-focused) designs.
Visit girls can tell - shop.girlscantell.com
Feisty Fashion – Made in Oakland, California
If you can read the back of this hoodie, you might be a geek.
For those of you who have not spent quite as many nights in the computer lab and cannot read it, it says “think” in ASCII 8-bit binary code.
For the less techie among you, ASCII stands for American Standard Code for Information Interchange. (Don’t feel bad. I looked it up!) Developed from telegraph codes, ASCII uses only 0′s or 1′s in 8-digit strings to express letters, numbers, symbols, etc. for computers, communications equipment and now, sweatshirts.
If you or one of the great thinkers on your list is a code junkie, Feisty Fashion’s hoodie (left, $40) is the perfect gift. However, it also the perfect gift for people who like to know things other people don’t! And it is bound to be a great conversation starter. So really, you can get one for lots of different sorts.
Brooke Bundgard, the face behind Feisty Fashion, is responsible for the contemplative design, but she uses American Apparel’s terrific hoodie as her canvas. That means the hoodie design is available in unisex sizes from XXS to 2XL and comes in brown (shown), navy, cranberry, black, sunshine, mermaid, purple and gray.
Brooke also makes other ASCII statements – geek, nerd and love – which are available on a variety of products like tea towels, t-shirts, scarves, totes, messenger bags and notecards.
Visit Feisty Fashion – feistyfashion.com
3 Fish Studios – Made in San Francisco, California
This is totally out of control!
If you have played any games in the last 25 years, odds are at least a few of them were on a video game system.
And depending on your age (no, I won’t ask!) or your nostalgia for all things vintage, you may be aware just how how far gaming has come in this relatively short period of time.
From rudimentary graphics to 3D; from cartridges to online; and from a partially-eaten pie chasing ghosts to a third-person battlefield showdowns, it has been a long journey.
Thanks to artist Eric Rewitzer the drama of this evolution has been captured.
His series of 12 controllers (left, $200) features (1) each of his Atari, Nintendo, Nintendo64, SuperNintendo, NES Max, GameCube, Xbox, Playstation, Playstation3, Sega Genisis and Wii. (Prints also available separately for $20/ea.)
Each is a hand-pulled linoleum cut print on 6″ x 8″ Rives BFK paper. Likewise, each is a little gem. And the whole set, well let’s just say, it is a gem worthy of Liz Taylor!
Eric works with his wife, artist Annie Galvin. Together they are 3 Fish Studios, a collaborative whose primary objective is to create original and affordable artwork.
Of course, Eric and Annie do feature subjects other than video game controllers. All are fabulous. (I am particularly partial the mid-century modern chairs!)
Visit 3 Fish Studios - www.3fishstudios.com
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Hope these last couple of posts have given you some ideas, if you still have shopping to do.
If you are finished, don’t rub it in! And please still check out these great companies and products.
Feel free to share other ideas for the same type or ask for help.
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Enjoy.
