Our favorite gear (not sold here edition)

Metal Pen; $30; www.grand-illusions.com

Ilene Hoffman, director of photography, Business 2.0:

This inkless pen from Germany was given to me by a friend, and I carry it in my bag all the time now. It's so simple. The nib is a metal alloy that writes like a pencil, but it doesn't smudge and doesn't wear down. And you never have to worry about leaks. It's small -- about two-thirds the length of a regular pen -- but it's chunky, like a crayon, and feels solid in your hand. Another great feature is that the cap screws on, so it never gets lost in your bag. Because there's no cushion, it starts to get a little uncomfortable when writing long paragraphs, but it's the perfect tool for jotting down quick notes like phone numbers. All in all, it's a wonderful marriage of form and function.