Mortels Sheepskin Factory is an Australian-owned family business operating from the Hunter Valley that sells authentic sheepskin products.

Shop online at the website (here) for ugg boots, seat covers, baby gear, bed underlays, longwool rugs, medical gear and other products.

We’re in the middle of a very cold winter and the best way to fend off the chills is with sheepskin products!

Mortels is offering all Lasoo members 10% off their online purchases until August 28.

To claim your discount you will first need to register as a Mortels member to shop online (it’s free), then type the word lasoo in the discount box at the checkout.

Samsung has released some pretty amazing looking MP3 players in recent times.

Just a few weeks ago came the Pebble S2, Samsung’s entry-level budget model that could actually pass as a piece of jewellery.

Now we have the S3, which price- and feature-wise is clearly setting itself as a competitor to the Apple iPod nano.

It really is a very stylish-looking player, with its sleek rounded edges and large control pad reminiscent of recent Samsung mobile phones including the U700 and the U900. It comes in four eye-catching colours: pink, white, blue and black.

The Samsung S3 doesn’t skimp on the features, either. It comes with a decent-sized LCD screen for video playback and we also like the supplied “drag and drop” software - it’s a much easier way to update your player than by loading up iTunes.

It comes in three different sizes: 2GB (RRP $129), 4GB (RRP $149) and 8GB (RRP $209).

Click here to find offers on Samsung MP3 players from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes

“Where in the world is Osama bin Laden?” follows documentarian Morgan Spurlock who originally rose to fame by bingeing on Big Macs and taking on the fast food industry in “Super Size Me”.

This time around Spurlock, inspired by the discovery of impending fatherhood, sets out on a quest to find Osama bin Laden with every intention of making the world safer for his new child.

Spurlock and his cameraman trudge across America, the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan, determined to do what no international intelligence agency have been able to do: find the world’s most wanted man. Across the world, in army bases, mosques, Muslim schools and malls, the question “Where is Osama?” never fails to extract an interesting response.

Documenting the feelings and attitudes toward America and the war on terror,Spurlock creates a fascinating human portrait that illustrates the global affects of terrorism.

We have 10 double passes to “Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?”. To be in the running to win, all you have to do is email competitions@lasoo.com.au with the word OSAMA in the subject line and tell us in 25 words or less why you would like to see this movie.

Entries close next Wednesday.

By Christie Kiely

Frankly anyone who still persists in sunbaking with all we know about the harmful effects of UV on the skin has to have rocks in their head.

And as if the fact that sunbaking can kill you isn’t bad enough, there’s also the premature ageing factor. Who really wants to look like a leather handbag before the age of 40?

If you do like a bit of colour on your skin, the best (and in my opinion only) way to go about it is with fake tan. Even though some tanning lotions do have a funny smell or streak, it’s still far preferable to ending up with cancers all over your skin. And luckily these days tanning formulas are improving every year.

Napoleon Perdis has just announced that next month another product will be added to its range of sunless tanners. The Summer Sun Self Tanning Spray is described as a blend of “colour-enhancing botanicals, moisturising agents and enriching vitamins”. The formula also includes chicory extract, Vitamin E and aloe vera to moisturise and revitalise the skin.

It comes in an aerosol spray to help wtih an even distribution, though I’ve found in the past that these aerosol products still need to be smoothed out by hand. It will retail for $35.

Napoleon Perdis also has some other nice self-tanning products, including Self Tan Mousse and Tan Enhancer (both RRP $40).

By Caroline Warnes

As Blu-ray and HD-DVD players are relatively new technology, it’s not surprising that most models still tend to be very expensive.

However the Sharp BDHP20X Blu-ray player is one of the exceptions to that rule, carrying a reasonable RRP of $749. Of course, there’s a catch: it does lack some features and functions that you’ll always find on higher-end models.

For starters, the BDHP20X isn’t compatible with Blu-ray Profile 1.1 specification (this basically allows picture-in-picture and other similar functions). It also lacks support for a number of common formats, including MP3, JPEG, DivX and even WMA.

However in terms of performance the BDHP20X does excel, outperforming its $749 RRP. The picture is generally sharp and detailed. The features that are included tend to work well, including 1080p HD upscaling and the Quick Start button.

Click here to find offers on Sharp Blu-ray players from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes

If you only fly interstate to see one baby animal this year, let it be Dreamworld’s tiger triplets.

In case you didn’t know, we are currently giving away what I think is possibly the most awesome prize ever (link) - a family holiday to Dreamworld to get up close and personal with the cubs.

In fact as soon as I found out about this prize I started whingeing “why can’t Lasoo employees win the competition” and generally moping about how cute the tiger cubs are.

I’ve always been an animal lover and can’t walk past a dog or cat on the street without attempting to pat and harass it. Earlier this year when staying in the country there was a horse in the distance outside our window. My sister saw the look on my face and said “you better not be going out to bother that horse”. Well, joke was on her because I bothered that horse real good. Yes, I was one of those oafish, slightly slow children who had to be closely supervised around animals for fear of hugging them too tightly.

So if you haven’t entered our competition, I recommend doing so (and I wouldn’t object to being taken along with the winner). And if you’re thinking of visiting Dreamworld or WhiteWater World we are offering 10% off all tickets until August 30 here.

See one of the tiger cubs in action below.

By Caroline Warnes

If you’re a regular exerciser you may have found that standard headphones don’t really cut it with your more vigorous workouts.

Standard headphones - especially the earbud style - tend to fall out of your ears quite easily when you’re running or making quick movements. Investing in a pair of sports headphones can be well worth it.

Sony has just released a new range of sports headphones that differ according to your needs and style of workout. For example, if you wear your MP3 player in an armband, some models are made with shorter cords for less tangles.

I tested the MDR-AS40EX Hanging Ear Ex Sports Headphones, which Sony claims are designed for “fast movement and high-impact workouts”. They can be used either as bud headphones or you can add on the detachable soft hangers if you require extra “hold” around your ears.

For moderate to fast paced activity, I actually found the buds alone to be fairly sufficient. Once you get them in there, they fit very snugly. Sony has also provided a moisture guard around the buds to remove moisture as you sweat. This significantly adds to the life expectancy of your headphones as moisture can denegrate the drivers.

In terms of sound, I was very pleased with the bass which can sometimes be lacking in cheap headphones. However I found that guitars in particular tend to sound slightly muted.

One complaint would be the length of the cord, which is slightly shorter than usual. This has been done deliberately to eliminate the chances of tangles however sometimes if I am walking I prefer to hold my MP3 player in my hand. The cord is not quite long enough to do this comfortably.

The MDR-AS40EX headphones retail for $89.

Click here to find offers on headphones from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes