One of our newest products is the Kootek bluetooth selfie stick, which frees you from setting the timer on shots. It’s a solid device that stretches your reach to up to 3′, and we’re big fans. It’s available in both Hyannis and Mashpee for $34.95. And I want to take a quick moment to offer a defense of the selfie stick.

They’ve been have been in the news a lot lately. They’re getting banned from concerts, Wimbledon, museums. They’re (in concept only!) being redesigned to look like an arm to make your selfies look like doubles. And they’re mocked, dissected and hated.

But: people want them (we get requests all the time). And you know, we think that’s pretty cool. We agree about the concerts, museums, Wimbledon — places where using one can affect other peoples experience or actually do damage to, say, priceless works of art. But otherwise, I say hooray for ’em.

I believe there’s nothing wrong with selfies. I’ve heard the arguments — self obsessed, distracted from the moment, etc — and I’m not sure I buy them. I saw someone on Twitter, and I wish I could remember who, point out that in 50 or 60 years, those “self-obsessed” kids are going to value those pictures of themselves, young and happy. And self-confident. Thinking you look good is not a bad thing; capturing good moments with your friends isn’t either. Media changes; if taking photos was as easy in generations past, I’m not at all convinced they wouldn’t have been obsessed, either. Pictures help you keep your memories safe. There’s a bigger discussion here about digital memories, about living in the moment, etc., with points on both sides. But I can’t help but feel a lot of the hate is just the normal discomfort new technology brings.

Selfie sticks give you a better picture, more professional looking shot. That’s not a bad thing either. They make it easier to get multiple people in a picture, so you can get a great group shot without asking a stranger to use your phone. They can be used to take more stable videos, and there are probably other uses that I’m not even aware of.

So, I think they’re pretty great. And considering the number of requests we get, a lot of you do too.