“21″ is inspired by the true story of the very brightest young minds in the US - and how they took Las Vegas for millions.

Ben Campbell (Jim Sturgess) is a shy, brilliant student who - needing to pay school tuition - is recruited to join a group of his college’s most gifted students. They head to Vegas every weekend armed with fake identities and the know-how to turn the odds at blackjack in their favour.

With unorthodox maths professor and stats genius Micky Rosa (Kevin Spacey) leading the way, they count cards and employ an intricate system of signals to beat the casinos big time.

Seduced by the money, the Vegas lifestyle, and by his smart and sexy teammate, Jill Taylor (Kate Bosworth), Ben begins to push the limits. Though counting cards isn’t illegal, the stakes are high, and the challenge becomes not only keeping the numbers straight, but staying one step ahead of the casino’s menacing enforcer: Cole Williams (Laurence Fishburne). You can watch the trailer for “21″ below. Only at the movies May 15.

We have 30 double passes to “21” to give away. To be in the running to win, email competitions@lasoo.com.au with the words “21 MOVIE” in the subject line and tell us in 25 words or less why you want to see this movie. Competition closes next Wednesday.

Competition terms and conditions

The winners of the Baking Bible are:

B. Paynter, SA; P. Booker, QLD; D. May, NSW; E. Cassin, NSW; A. Phillips, NSW; S. North, NSW; T. Hodgson, VIC; C. Verbis, QLD; D. Edwards, VIC; A. Grose, WA; B. Boyle, VIC; M. Laus, NSW.

Could it be possible - three carat round-cut diamond earrings for $150?

In short, the answer is no. It’s not possible. If you’re seriously looking to buy a pair of real diamond earrings for $150, you need to stub out whatever you’re smoking and get back in touch with the real world.

However there is an alternative if you’re not overly financial but love the look of round-cut diamond earrings (this is a classic, simple and elegant look that works for most occasions).

A local company called Secrets Shhh uses what is widely considered by experts to be the world’s most perfect diamond simulant to create some truly stunning jewellery.

In fact, the average person (and even some jewellers) can’t tell that it isn’t the real thing. I acquired a pair of the aforementioned three carat round-cut diamond earrings several months ago and have had many people complimenting me on diamond earrings. When I first wore them, a friend even said “they look like real diamonds, but I know they’re not because you’re wearing them”. Yeah thanks for that.

The range includes rings, earrings, pendants, bracelets, necklaces and even men’s jewellery. There are stores located in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and New Zealand - check the official site for locations.

By Caroline Warnes

If you’re looking to upgrade from a compact digital camera to an entry-level digital SLR (dSLR) camera, the jump in pricepoints can sometimes be overwhelming.

For the most part you need to pay over $1000 (RRP) for a decent dSLR camera - significantly more than what you’d pay for most advanced point-and-shoot compact digital cameras.

However the brand new Pentax K200D dSLR camera is an excellent performer as an entry-level model and carries a more reasonable RRP of $999.

The Pentax K200D includes some of the more advanced features we’ve seen recently in cameras in this category - including 10-megapixel resolution and wireless flash control - yet still includes a menu system that is similar to that of a compact digital camera. This is great news for first-time dSLR users - sometimes all the manual controls can be overwhelming.

Performance for the K200D is also very good. For starters, it’s fast - both at start up and between shots - and image quality is above average for an entry-level dSLR. Photos come out sharp and detailed, although the colours can sometimes be slightly off.

Click here to find offers on the Pentax K200D near you.

By Caroline Warnes

The annual Costume Institute Gala is New York’s equivalent of the Academy Awards: that is, a chance for the rich and famous to get dolled up in their best designer frocks.

This year’s event was held today at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and was hosted by Vogue magazine with the theme “Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy”.

Each year this event is really a chance for the designers to cut loose with their imaginations on their celebrity clients and this year was no exception.

You can view some pictures of the celebrities at FabSugar.

Briefly… (click each name for a photo)

Katie Holmes in Armani: Don’t like it. The colour looks promising from a distance but up close the gown’s material looks like a hot drag queen mess. Or like a Chinese restaurant threw up on her. Also the dress is a centimetre or so too short. So is Tom Cruise. The shoes (I think they are Louboutins) don’t work with the dress either.

Gisele Bundchen in Versace: Wow. Could Donatella Versace possibly have used any less material around the top? Of course, when you have a body like Gisele’s most people prefer it when you wear less. Also satin is a very unforgiving fabric. It says a lot about Gisele’s physique that her body has nothing to hide in skin-tight satin.

Mischa Barton in Missoni: Joan Collins called from the Dynasty set, she wants her look back.

Beyonce in Armani: Yawn. Plus, you’d think she could afford an iron.

Naomi Watts: Channeling Marilyn Monroe in “The Seven Year Itch”. The pleats are very flattering. Loses points for the hair which looks lank and over-styled.

Fergie in Calvin Klein: Is Calvin Klein angry at Fergie? That is the only explanation I can think of for him offering her this Morticia Addams number. Actually it could work on someone a little… ummm… less Fergie-like than Fergie, such as Eva Green - but not on Fergie and not with that overly severe hair and makeup.

Jessica Stam in Proenza Schouler: This dress is absolutely fabulous but looks a little informal for the Costume Institute Gala which is a formal event.

Molly Sims in Versace: Hasn’t this cut and colour been done to death?

Eva Longoria in Marchesa: Her dress looks like it’s been attacked by one of those icing bag thingies and she’s worn this colour a billion times before.

Diane Kruger in Chanel: Love this look! Love! The colour, the cut, the fabric… what a great look. And those hot pink shoes are fabulous too. Once again, may not be formal enough for this event.

Mary-Kate Olsen in Diane von Furstenberg: Run a comb through your hair before you leave the house and get a smaller dress in your size.

Victoria Beckham in Armani: This photo just made my day. It goes to show that you can be rich and thin and still manage to look look like a leather handbag covered in a tablecloth. But then again, nothing beats this “I forgot my pants” moment from Victoria Beckham: link

By Caroline Warnes

Celebrities have already come out with perfumes and clothing lines, so why not hospital scrubs? Because it’s damn stupid, that’s why not.

I first heard about actress Katherine Heigl coming out with a range of hospital scrubs some months ago but it was only recently while visiting a relative in hospital that I started thinking about the whole stupid concept.

According to the website for the Katherine Heigl Collection, “when Peaches Uniforms approached Katherine about a possible venture into designing medical uniforms, she was honoured and excited because this meant she would explore another creative field outside of acting”. Now call me naive but how does being an actress (and not even a particularly good one at that) somehow mean you can design hospital scrubs?

Jennifer Lopez is the queen of giving herself too much credit. She gets locked in a car boot with George Clooney in a mediocre film and dances around in her underwear in a couple of film clips and suddenly she is a fashion designer/perfume maven/restaurant owner/President of the United States.

I think Katherine Heigl is under the impression that she is somehow qualified to design medical uniforms because she plays a doctor on “Grey’s Anatomy”. Or a nurse. I don’t know which one as I don’t actually watch the show. However I have heard her character is pretty annoying. In fact this whole medical scrubs debacle just made Katherine Heigl about ten times more annoying to me. I mean come on Katherine. Give us boob tube junkies a bit of credit. Most of us worked out that people who play doctors on TV can’t actually perform medical procedures, deliver babies or prescribe us pills soon after the Doogie Howser M.D. era.

Onto the uniforms themselves. Now I am not a doctor or a nurse (no really) but should your scrubs really be costly designer apparel? Patients in hospital lose control of their bodily functions. They throw up on you. There’s lots of blood. And more. The point of scrubs is that they are supposed to be low-cost disposable items. Some of the scrubs in the Katherine Heigl collection almost look good enough to wear out on the town.

Hmm. Actually that gives me an idea.

By Caroline Warnes

I have to admit that in winter I seem to spend more time in my pyjamas than I do in anything else.

In fact if I could get away with leaving the house in my PJs, I probably would. I have a friend who regularly goes to the shops in her PJ top and I have to say, I envy her gumption.

The Peter Alexander range of sleepwear is my all-time favourite and I usually make at least one or two purchases from it a year.

His pyjama pants are especially comfortable and the best thing to wear on a cold day at home when you don’t plan on leaving the house.

My most recent purchase is the Tapestry Rose Wide PJ Pant and I am also eyeing off the Embroidered Faux Fur Trim Tall Boot.

You can buy Peter Alexander gear through the site or at one of the standalone stores throughout Australia.

By Caroline Warnes

If you’ve always wanted to visit the Big Apple, Canon is giving you the opportunity to win a $26,000 trip to New York.

To be in the running to win, all you need to do is purchase any new digital camera from the Canon Ixus range.

As well as entry into the competition you’ll also automatically receive a free six-month magazine subscription.

More details of the competition can be found at Canon’s website.

You can find offers on Canon Ixus compact digital cameras from retailers near you here.

The Samsung U700 is another entry in the line of fashion-conscious mobile phones we’ve seen in recent years.

It features smooth, reflective surfaces and rounded corners, a look that appeals to women in particular.

However unlike some fashion mobile phones, the Samsung U700 also lives up to its good looks, packing in some pretty high-end features.

For starters, this is a 3G phone so you can access services such as the Internet on your mobile phone handset. Then there is the flash-enabled 3.2-megapixel camera, which offers performance above and beyond your average run-of-the-mill camera phone.

Audiophiles will also be happy with the on-board media player, which is powered by Bang & Olufsen’s ICEpower technology, providing top-notch sound quality (for a phone).

Last but not least, the U700 boasts a compact form factor - it weighs just 85 grams - so it won’t weigh you down when it’s sitting in your pocket.

Click here to find offers on the Samsung U700 mobile phone near you.

By Caroline Warnes

If you’re still looking for a gift for mum this Mother’s Day, the “Baking Bible” is the ultimate gift for any mum who loves to bake.

It brings together over 500 recipes for cakes, puddings, biscuits, tarts, pies, slices and muffins. Mum will love sharing her home-baked treats, fresh from the oven, with friends and loved ones.

To find out about new books such as the “Baking Bible”, click here and sign up to Penguin’s e-newsletter for sneak peeks at new books, subscriber-only offers and much more.

We have 12 copies of the “Baking Bible” to give away to Lasoo members, valued at $39.95 each. To be in the running to win, all you need to do is email competitions@lasoo.com.au with the word PENGUIN in the subject line and tell me in 25 words or less why your mum (or you) would love to win a copy of this fantastic book.

Competition terms and conditions