i-mate has announced the latest addition to its stable of smartphones, the 810F.

Expected to arrive on shelves in the next few weeks, the i-mate 810F has been designed to be durable enough to meet military specifications, thanks to the waterproof rubber casing and exposed metal screws to lick in the factory seal. i-mate claims this technology makes the phone “impervious to almost anything” and that it can cope with pressure, temperatures from -10 degrees Celsius to 60 degrees Celsius, water, humidity and shock.

The 810F also boasts a raft of high-end features inside the case. It runs on the Windows Mobile 6.1 OS so you can send and receive emails, browse the web, listen to music and more. It comes with tri-band GSDPA and quad-band GSM/EDGE connectivity, a 320×240 touchscreen, 2.2GB of built-in store, a 2-megapixel camera, full QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, a digital compass and accelerometer.

Another noteworthy feature is the inclusion of a lifetime warranty.

Click here to find offers on mobile phones from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes

It’s not often you can say your shopping helps anyone except yourself, but tomorrow you can make a difference.

Jeanswest has announced it will donate all profit from this Saturday to the Red Cross Appeal to help victims of the horrific Victorian bushfire.

That’s going to be a significant donation when you consider there are 226 stores around the country.

Now that the weather seems to be turning cooler in Sydney it’s the perfect time to shop for new jeans and Jeanswest has some terrific styles, as well as dresses, t-shirts and other clothing.

Find your nearest Jeanswest store here.

By Caroline Warnes

February 13, 2009

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The winners are:

S. Buschman, 6105; T. Cemo, 4001; B. Ramos-Oliver, 6000; L. Grozdanovska, 6003; K. Allen, 5098; S. Boothey, 3000; S. Misel, 3161; E. Jones, 3149; K. Masters, 2000; L. Svikers, 3124; B. Christian, 5037; S. Temby; M. Tranter, 5108; M. Fitch, 5062; A. Keane, 2000; M. Laus, 2019; S. Woess, 3101; M. Donn, 6059; S. Mobrici, 3980; R. Lichacz, 2075; K. Lovell, 2902; D. Carter, 5159; J. Rozema, 2068; Y. Sumatkas, 2200; M. Juckert, 3658; L. McInnes, 3003; M. Sullivan, 5092; K. Challis, 3437; M. Gifford, 3083; M. Gerendas, 2030.

As we hurtle towards March, it occurred to me this morning that it is almost time again for me to buy a dress for my birthday.

This has become something of an annual tradition for me - buying a cocktail dress for my birthday that I literally wear once then never again. This was particularly sad one year when my birthday outing consisted of a trip to the local pub. I looked pretty stupid.

Why, if I had a dollar for every time I’ve spent a couple of hundred dollars on a dress and never worn it again… well, I’d still be behind on the whole deal, but I’d have a few dollars to spend on the office Coke machine.

Anyhow, this year I am doing high tea at the Victoria Room to celebrate my gradual descent into middle age, so I’ve decided my party frock this year should be on the demure side, or at least below the knee, if I’m going to be doing ladylike things like sitting up straight and sipping tea. And by “tea” I mean “wine”, of course.

Lately I’ve had a hankering for a black velvet dress, which is something new for me, because generally velvet makes me slightly queasy. It reminds me of teenage gothics who binge drink in graveyards and are all like “how cool is Marilyn Manson?” (he isn’t, by the way). But then I remembered Julia Roberts in vintage Valetino at the 2001 Academy Awards, and realised it can actually look pretty good.

So this black velvet corset dress from Wheels & Dollbaby is my pick for this year. I love the fitted velvet and the charm on the bodice. At $385, I am hoping the dress can perform magic tricks or cure cancer or something. Oh well. You only turn 25 four or five times, right?

By Caroline Warnes

Sony will release two new-high definition Handycams in its camcorder ranage in March, the HDR-XR520V and the HDR-XR500V.

The new Handycams may look similar to previous Sony camcorders, but they’ve had a serious update under the hood. Each has a new CMOS sensor called Exmor R, which Sony claims improves low light performance.

Another outstanding feature is the inclusion of the G lens - Sony usually reserves this for professional camcorder models. This gives you 12x optical zoom. Other features include Optical Active SteadyShot, which Sony says improves image stabilisation and a GPS receiver (this means you can tag your recordings by location as the camera comes with maps pre-installed).

The main difference between the two models is hard drive capacity (240GB in the XR520V versus 120GB in the 500V). Final pricing will be available closer to March.

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

By Caroline Warnes

Nicole Richie is one of those public figures about whom I have mixed feelings.

Not that I really care about her in any great capacity, but when I do think about her, my feelings are generally mixed.

On one hand, she does have great style. On the other hand, what exactly does she do but wander the streets with a giant cup of coffee in her hand and pose at parties with her hand on her hip?

Well, now it appears she does actually do something to deserve her notoriety, beyond walking the streets in giant sunglasses, drinking coffee and posing. Richie is releasing her first jewellery line, called House of Harlow, and it’s now available for pre-order.

The pieces are generally striking and oversized, which is Nicole’s signature style. Personally I think they’re a tad overpriced for a first jewellery collection from a novice designer, even if it is a so-called celebrity designer. For example, the necklace pictured here is going for $139. However, prices start at $49.

The House of Harlow collection will be availabe mid-March at Miijo. Check out the range and place orders here.

By Caroline Warnes

Purchase any two Swisse products from My Chemist or Chemist Warehouse before March 31 and you’ll go into the draw to win a Holden Barina.

The Barina is a zippy little car that combines funky and functional with safety and reliability.

To enter the draw, fill out the entry form available in-store and provide the last six digits from the barcodes of the Swisse products you’ve purchased.

More details of the competition can be viewed here.

Click here to find offers on Swisse products from My Chemist.

When I first saw the ad for the PedEgg foot file on television, I was so repulsed by what I was seeing that the device’s purpose didn’t even register.

If you haven’t seen this cinematic masterpiece, you can view it below. Basically, the PedEgg is a so-called foot file that grates all the dry skin off your feet. Yes, literally grates it off, like a block of cheddar cheese.

Unfortunately, the people in the ad keep showing us the contents of their PedEgg container with much relish, which looks like a greying pile of finely grated parmesan cheese. Not the most inspriring sight to make you running for your credit card to make a purchase.

Anyhow, I am obsessed with ridding myself of every single piece of dry skin on my feet. There is nothing worse than a pair of crackly heels poking out of a nice pair of heels. So I decided to give the PedEgg a try.

And guess what? It actually works. My feet have never been so smooth. I find it best to follow up each use of the PedEgg with a coat of pawpaw ointment.

Just a tip: some local sites are selling the device for something like $60. Definitely not worth it at that price. I bought mine from an international seller on eBay and it came to under $20 all up, including postage and handling.

By Caroline Warnes

Nikon has unveiled the models in its new line of Coolpix digital cameras, due to arrive in-store on February 20.

Eight new models have been announced in the popular line of compact digital cameras.

Nikon Coolpix S630: The Coolpix S630 combines a 7x zoom lens with a 12-megapixel images sensor and an ultra-compact form. Feature highlights include Smart Portrait System, which detects as many as 12 faces in the shot; ISO 6400 capability to extend shooting range and Quick Retouch.

Nikon Coolpix S620: The Coolpix S620 is an ultra-compact digital camera with a 4x-Zoom Nikkor lens with 28mm wide-angle coverage and macro shooting ability from 2cm. The S620 allows you to shoot at any image size up to 4000×3000 pixels with light sensitivity settings up to ISO 6400. This model comes in black, blue, pink or silver.

Nikon Coolpix S230: As pictured above, the Nikon Coolpix S230 offers a 3-inch touchscreen, advanced shooting features and a choice of three colours (silver, red and purple).

Nikon Coolpix S220: The Coolpix S220 is a 10-megapixel digital camera that offers an ultra-compact body, measuring just 1.8cm at its thickest. It’s available in silver, aqua, magenta, blue and purple.

Nikon Coolpix L19 and L20: The L19 and L20 are two similar models that offer 8- and 10-megapixel resolutions respectively as well as advanced functions, including Scene Auto Selector, Smart Portrait System, Motion Detection and Best Shot Selector.

Nikon Coolpix P90: The Nikon Coolpix P90 combines extended reach, wide-angle coverage and advanced shooting functions. Features include a 24x Zoom-Nikkor lens and 12.1-megapixel resolution.

Nikon Coolpix L100: The most advanced digital camera in the new range is the Coolpix L100, which features 15x optical zoom, 10-megapixel resolution and advanced features including Smart Portrait System and advanced image stabilisation.

Click here to find offers on Nikon digital cameras from retailers near you.

By Caroline Warnes

The winners are:

K. Robbins, 4720; K. Bouquet, 2478; G. Hower, 3844; M. Button, 2204.