Boom tube amplifies any phone

With all the high-tech phone accessories out there, I was delighted to stumble across Bambooster, a speaker for my cellphone that is delightfully low-tech. Fashioned from a sanded 11-inch stalk of bamboo, it has a fun tiki vibe, almost as though made by the Professor on “Gilligan’s Island.” It’s a simple, natural solution from a Kona company that uses Hawaii-island bamboo to amplify the music from any phone in its one-size-fits-all 4-by-1-inch slot. Find it at Target for $24.99 or at mmvidesigns.com. — Donica Kaneshiro

Tropical relaxation as close as your tub

Nohea Beauty bath bombs create a relaxing bath experience. The locally made, nonfizzing bath balls ($5) come in pikake, ocean, mango and Love on the Beach scents, to name a few. The bath bombs are made with Epsom salt, clay, almond oil and other natural ingredients and dissolve slowly when dropped in the tub.

Solomon and Christie Robello of Mililani have been producing the bombs, soaps, body butters and salves under the Nohea label ever since Christie was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease and sought more natural alternatives to over-the-counter beauty products. See the Nohea line at Niu boutique, 57 Kamehameha Highway in Wahiawa and noheabeautybar.com.— Nancy Arcayna

Motown gorgeously chronicled

The meteoric rise of Motown Records from obscure regional record label to international icon of African-American culture in less than a decade is one of the greatest success stories in entertainment history. The new book “Motown: The Sound of Young America” (Thames & Hudson, $60) shows that Motown’s success was driven by founder Berry Gordy Jr. and Barney Ales.

Gordy, an African-American, hired Ales, a Caucasian veteran of the mainstream U.S. record industry, to bridge the traditional barrier between “black” record labels and “white” radio. The story of their partnership is a fascinating look at the business side of the record business. The 400-page, beautifully illustrated volume shares the history of the Motown artists, their music and the era. The pictures — more than 1,000 in all — are gorgeous. — John Berger

Manapua totes carry island goodies

I discovered Mailelani’s Kauai manapua totes at a recent family reunion on Kauai. The bag’s name refers to the fact that three boxes of manapua fit perfectly into the tote, with a clasp at the top to make sure the goodies don’t escape. I loved the variety of designs so much that I ended up with three different bags ($35 each). They are great for transporting omiyage to neighbor island family members and then bringing items back. I brought home three frozen lilikoi chiffon pies from Hamura’s Saimin in Lihue in one of the sturdy bags.

The manapua totes will be available at the Season’s Best 2016 fair Oct. 21-23 in the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall. Can’t wait that long? Shop mailelanis.com. — Michelle Ramos

Rare coffee bean makes smooth brew

Among coffee growers, the peaberry bean is a rare and not always welcome commodity. While a typical coffee cherry produces two flat, oval beans, a peaberry is a mutation that produces only one tiny, round bean. Comprising less than 5 percent of a crop, the bean can be difficult to separate from the rest of the harvest and is easily burned during roasting.

But the folks at ‘I‘iwi Kona Coffee Co. don’t mind the extra work involved because of the smooth-flavored coffee the Kona peaberry produces, said company president Cameron Wahineokai, who gets his beans from a handful of Big Island farmers.

So far, it’s available only at Nieman Marcus and online at iiwikonacoffee.com. Great flavor doesn’t come cheap, though. A 7-ounce bag costs $48 and a 14-ounce bag is $70. — Mike Gordon