News & Links: 09/21/2011

A semi-regular round-up of fashion and shopping-related news and links.

» Would you use a Netflix-esque book service? Amazon.com is reportedly considering a subscription e-book service: "customers would pay an annual fee to access a library of content."

» There's a new app for iPhone and iPad (sadly, no Android yet) called StyleBook that enables you to inventory your wardrobe and then experiment with different outfits without having to pull the clothes out of your closet.

» The Economist looks at the impact "digitisation" has had on the book publishing industry in their article "Great Digital Expectations."

» What's the best thing you've ever found at a garage sale? Over at mental_floss, Stacy lists 8 of the most amazing garage sale finds of all time.

» If you want a good deal on your cell phone plan, look into your service provider's "secret" no-contract deals. As Get Rich Slowly shows, "The plans without the contracts had a lower monthly cost than the plans with contracts."

» The new advertising debate: Is it ethical to use children as brand ambassadors?

» In Finland, all expecting mothers receive a "baby box" full of gender neutral baby clothing and essentials for the first year. Love it or hate it? Personally, I'd be a lot more amenable to the idea of having kids if we had a program like this.

» Great but inexpensive decorating idea: Maps!

» Recycling is necessary (and awesome), but it can be hard to know where to recycle things other than paper, plastic, and glass. For electronics, head to Best Buy, whose e-cycle program accepts everything from cables to movies to computer monitors; they also have kiosks for ink and toner cartridges, rechargeable batteries, and wires. In NYC, clothing can be recycled through the re-fashionNYC program, a partnership between the City and Housing Works; they accept any clean fabric and material (clothes, towels, linens, etc.) as well as shoes and accessories. And no matter where you live, there's always a thrift store to which you can donate your unwanted items!