128 MacDirectory
CLOSER LOOK
WHAT DO YOU GET THE PERSON WHO HAS EVERYTHING?
SOMETHING FROM RICHARDSOLO
WORDS BY JONE DEVLIN
Richard Thalheimer has loved gadgets all
of his life. So it was no surprise to anyone
when he founded "The Sharper Image"
and quickly built the company into the
first name in unique electronics and gifts.
Thalheimer left "The Sharper Image" after
35 years, but his love of gadgets lingered.
So he decided to get back into the
business, but in a different way. The result
was RichardSolo , a
company that bills itself as an "online store
that puts customer service and
satisfaction as a first priority."
Or, as Thalheimer explained it to
MacDirectory, "I decided…to do what I
had done originally with "The Sharper
Image" which was find interesting
products and market (them for) sales
online and in magazines."
The first "interesting products" Thalheimer
decided to pursue were Apple brands.
The reason for this was simple. Thalheimer
"liked my iPhone so much I wanted to
focus on iPhone and iPod related
products."
He approached Apple about licensing and
was awarded with a certification to sell
official Apple products. This certification is
very important, because it guarantees that
all RichardSolo products made for Apple
equipment are certified by Apple to be
compatible and to meet both companies'
high safety standards.
Some of the many
Apple accessories
sold by RichardSolo
include: backup
battery solutions
for iPhone and
iPod, duel dock
stations, Air Drives,
MHubs, and a
Surround XI Digital
Speaker system,
among others.
The back-up
battery solution, in
particular, has
become a top
seller, said
Thalheimer,
because it "not
only more than
doubles the power in your (iPhone or iPod)
but has a built in flashlight and laser as
well. Plus it's small and lightweight, (so it)
fits in your pocket."
In addition, the battery is lithium, comes
with or without cable, and is so popular
that RichardSolo is "close to being the
market leader for this solution." As to
how long it actually lasts, that depends on
exactly what you're doing, but "If you're
just checking e-mail (on your iPhone) it
might give you (as much as) 15 more
hours."
But lest you think RichardSolo provides
accessories only for iPhone and iPod,
guess again. RichardSolo has a product
line that could rival even the largest
catalog. Best of all, these items, unlike
those found in a catalog, can be sorted by
price, type, brand, or even alphabetically.
Take for instance, another top seller, high-
tech timer candles. These are large
candles that run on batteries, but look and
flicker like real candles. The product is
made with LED lights and wax. When they
are turned on, the LED lights heat the wax
so that the candles give off a scent.
Once turned on the candles burn for
exactly five hours before automatically
shutting off. They are also programmable,
and, because they don't need to be
physically "lit," the candles can be placed
high up.
Another RichardSolo top seller is noise-
cancelling headphones. This is an item
that Thalheimer is particularly proud of, as
he worked with his team so the company
could make a unit that is comparable to
the Bose but sells for about $240 less. Or,
as Thalheimer put it "These units do 95
percent of what the Bose does, for about
one-sixth of the price."
Then there is the newest addition to the
catalog, the Inada CUBE massage chair.
This clever little accessory can be used as
an ottoman, or can be folded out into a
full-fledged massage chair.
RichardSolo also has exclusives for those
who sign up on the RichardSolo home
page or through Twitter. Called the
"Weekly Great Deal," it is a "phenomenally
great" offer that is made available to
registered RichardSolo customers for one
week only.
So if you're looking to purchase unique
gifts for family and friends "who have
everything" RichardSolo is the first (and
only) place you should go.
