Targeted towards the Net Generation, INQ Chat 3G is a new cell phone designed from the ground up for social media addicts who are no longer contented with simply talking and texting.

The phone embeds your favourite social media applications such as, Facebook and Twitter, into its software to give you one click access from the home screen. It also features a 3.2 megapixel camera and allows you to sync music, photos and video all for a cheaper data price than the iPhone or Blackberry.


Available from Telus and Koodo

There is no such thing as being too organized especially when it comes to travelling. Having all your pertinent documents in one easy to find place will keep your sanity and move you along quickly with airport staff and customs. So when you are looking for something more stylish than a Ziploc bag, turn to My Tagalongs Identi-fly Travel Document Organizer.

This handy plastic folder has compartments for your passport, boarding pass and any other papers you want close at hand. No more scrounging to find what you need. There’s even a sealable compartment for other essentials.

Now that you have your papers in order, how do organize your medication and vitamins? My Tagalongs also has this covered with their handy Vitamin Pod. This compact container has seven slots that snap tightly shut for all the above mentioned. No more need to carry several bottles of pills and supplements.

It has been about 14 months since I decided to have LASIK Eye Surgery. Being nearsighted for more than 30 years, I have always dreamt of being able to see clearly without the aid of glasses or contacts. Admittedly, the notion of having my cornea worked on left me more than a little queasy. I put surgery out of the realm of possibility and soldiered on for decades with the clunky aids even when they got beyond the point of annoying.

Then about two years ago, the time came again for me to replace my glasses and contacts and I just couldn’t. The thought of continuing to deal with fogged up, scratched up glasses and gritty contacts almost left me paralyzed. When I factored the cost of yearly replacements, LASIK was suddenly a bargain.

The first step was to start my research and pick an eye centre that I felt most comfortable with. In a six week period, I scheduled appointments with the top four LASIK clinics in the city. With each one, I went through two hours of preliminary testing. My eyes were checked for ocular diseases, shape and thickness of cornea, size of pupil, prescription strength and a battery of other tests to see if I would be a good candidate for LASIK. In the end, my choice was to go with the Herzig Eye Institute. The cheapest centre used old technology and then tried to up sell if I wanted to have the latest and better technology. The most expensive centre left me with a cold feeling and I didn’t have the option to meet the surgeon during the consult. At Herzig they offered a lifetime commitment; my eyes were custom-mapped making my treatment unique for my eyes and they were the only one to offer several solutions for Presbyopia. No solutions were offered at the other centres, even when requested. The treatment Herzig recommended for me was Monovision LASIK.

Are you getting your daily intake of probiotics … you know, those live “friendly” bacteria that kill off the “bad” bacteria in your digestive tract and help to boost your immunity? According to a new international women's survey conducted by Environics Research, 86% of women worldwide ranked protecting their health as the most important wellness concern, bringing immunity into the forefront. Out of the five countries surveyed, Canadian women scored the highest (56%) at incorporating a probiotic into their daily diets.

Here’s a few more facts you may want to digest very slowly … the word probiotic is derived from the Greek pro bios and literally means “pro-life.” Found in a number of food products including yogurt, aged cheese, Sauerkraut and wine - these healthy bacteria help to tune-up the immune system and protect the digestive system by fighting viral and bacterial infections (such as yeast) – but is this enough? Stress, antibiotics, alcohol and a poor diet can kill off these friendly bacteria. Dr. Jennifer Malcolm, a family physician in Toronto, adds, “the stomach is a very acidic environment; you need the bacteria to get through this hostile environment to get into the intestinal tract.”

Multibionta, Canada’s first probiotic multivitamin caplet for women, is a new triple-layer caplet providing the convenience of essential vitamins and minerals combined with natural probiotic strains. Doctor Malcolm explains, “the caplet’s protective film-coating ensures the probiotics survive the acidity of the stomach to reach the intestines where they do their work. Considering that 70% of your immune system resides in the intestines it is important to defend this area for optimum health.”

Various studies have repeatedly proven that being a pet owner has many medical benefits including lowering blood pressure, cholesterol and stress hormones. Children exposed to pets during their first year of life have a lower frequency of some allergies and asthma. Senior citizens who own pets actually need less medical attention than those that do not. And the list goes on…

According to Toronto psychotherapist and relationship counsellor Kimberly Moffit, owning a pet can positively impact your love life. “Pet lovers are generally more compassionate and more relationship orientated people because the pet to human bond prepares us for that human to human bond.”

Moffit explains that a person's pet preference also says a lot about what they look for in a mate. For instance, a Chihuahua fan may be attracted to someone who has a more demanding disposition, whereas a Lab devotee could gravitate towards a friendly, affectionate partner. “Studies have shown that cat lovers and dog lovers have different types of personalities. For example, dog owners tend to be more outgoing, love the outdoors and describe themselves as having more extroverted personalities than cat lovers.”

It comes as no surprise that single pet owners often look for someone who is responsible, dedicated and who shows signs of long term commitment. Well, who better than another animal lover? If you are a single pet owner wanting to meet others like yourself, there is an event you can attend at the Harbour Front called My Best Match. And get this - you can bring your pet! So if you are a little nervous about meeting people, having a pet can really break the ice and make the situation more comfortable.