Springleap, which was founded in February 200 to help designers get more exposure, has become a hot little business. Why? Because it's so innovative. This is how is works:
Every 2nd week competitions are held, where graphic designers from all around the globe are given an opportunity to attempt to create the best t-shirt design for the assigned theme.
Over 20 000 registered users vote for the best design, and the winning design is printed as a Springleap t-shirt, then sold online and by vendors in South Africa and beyond our borders, too.
To ensure maximum exposure for the designer, his/her name, along with the name of the design appears on every shirt… hey, but wait, there’s more! In addition to the exposure they also receive R4000 and Springleap throws in a few tees too.
So not only is this super-inventive company the only online t-shirt seller in South Africa, supplying the hottest and most exclusive tees…. but they're a pretty giving bunch, too.
Springleap is an open platform for any company who wishes to use crowd sourcing as a tool to generate products and product ideas. A good example of this would be the Markham competition, which required designers to create an image specifically for the Markham range. The winning design from that competition was stocked and sold in Markham stores, countrywide. 
Springleap is constantly coming up with new and exciting competition themes to keep artists, followers and buyers excited and wanting more... and more... and more...
The Springleap tee is a proudly and uniquely South African product. It is a tried and tested, fitted t-shirt of the highest quality material, locally produced and internationally enjoyed.
For more information about Springleap and how it all works join the community at  www.springleap.com

Go to competitions and enter to win a super-styling Springleap T-shirt.

If you have a shoe fetish then Haus of Society is a name you should be taking note of. It's the new hottie in designer footwear. The launch collection consists of three different styles of shoes; winter pumps, women’s boots and men’s boots.  
Designer Jean Lima is the mastermind behind the collection. An avid shoe lover himself, he set out to design shoes that feel as light as air and can be worn with absolutely anything.
The pumps, called Jump, were inspired by ballet shoes and look great with a pair of skinny jeans. Jump comes in six fab colours.
The women’s boot, called Skin for Woman, is handmade from the softest leather and are definitely made for walking.Skin for Woman also comes in 6 striking colours.
The men’s boot, called Skin for Men, was designed exclusively for gay men. Jean Lima says he wanted to create a shoe for men who know how to wear it and have the attitude to match. You will need to be able to strut your stuff if you want to wear a pair of Haus of Society boots.
The boots’ light construction means you can fold them in half and store them easily in any bag. A great space saver for jetsetters. Skin for Men comes in three different colours.
Check out the range at www.hausofsociety.com

If you're a fan of the chilli and you haven't tried the fabulous fresh Tex-Mex food at the new eat in/take out eatery, Mexican Fresh, then head there ASAP.
The menu is all about original Mexican flavours and the cool thing is you get to choose how you want your food to be prepared. Try burritos, nachos, fajitas, tacos or quesadillas, which are all available in either veg, beef, chicken or prawn and can be accompanied with sides of your choice, such as guacamole, pico de gallo, Mexican rice and fresh salsa. Also, Mexican Fresh food doesn't come spicy so you get to add your own chilli, either turning up the heat or wimping out on the spice altogether.
Visit the joint at Riverview Centre, cnr Conrad Drive and Hillcrest, Blairgowrie, Jozi.

Following SA radio success for their single So Spun, the Pixie Bennett Band has just released the Edge of the Line video, which is the second track off their EP album, produced in 2009.
Fans can keep an eye out for it on TV or go to the band's webite www.pixiebennettband.co.za.and and check it out there. 

For those not in the know, better read up the Pixie Bennett Band quickly as they're definitely hitting those waves to super-stardom. Here's a brief rundown: Best known as the playful and spunky top 10 finalist in season VI of Idols South Africa, the Canadian born Pixie Bennett has captured the hearts of the nation with her tiny stature, amazing voice and sheer charisma.
It's part Idols exposure, part radio-play success and part mega-talent that is turning Pixie and her band into a household name.
Due to the band being in such demand, Pixie started Pixie Bennett Productions. Now,their next goal is to be nominated for a SAMA in 2011.

Waffle lovers unite at Ola Milky Lane’s new look stores in King Shaka Airport and Galleria Mall in Durban and Eastgate, Fourways, Monte Casino and Festival Mall in Johannesburg.
Now you get to chill in a super funky setting, from contemporary rounded bench seats and tables through to cool new vibrant colours and cute icons - a cow, a strawberry, cherries, snowflakes and more - all there to create a welcoming vibe.
To accompany the new look, Ola Milky Lane has a trendy new menu with fresh new dishes sitting alongside old favourites. In the words of Ernestine Ulmer: “Life is uncertain. Eat dessert first.”
To locate a store near you, visit www.olamilkylane.co.za

The newly revamped Sodastream is not only a totally cool, must-have kitchen item but it is value-for-money and healthier than your shop-bought fizzy drinks. 
Take soda for example at more than R10 per two litres, it’s become quite costly. Now if you owned a Sodastream Home Soda Factory not only will it provide you with a wide selection of syrups to choose from - 18 to be exact - but also excellent value for money through its innovative home soda system: it costs just R1.55 to make a litre of Sodastream soda water, compared to as much as the R11.99 it costs to purchase a two-litre soda water product from the store. That’s a 74% cash saving.
When it comes to flavoured fizzy drinks, it only costs R4.04 to make a litre of Sodastream cold drink at home using its Family Favourite and Sugar Free ranges. To buy the same drinks from the shop would cost around R6-50 per litre. Once again you're saving cash.
To add to the range, Sodastream's new Xstream offers a cost-effective alternative to iced tea, isotonic sport drinks and energy drinks: it costs R4.29 per litre to make Sodastream Xstream, compared to the hefty R59.96 per litre it costs to buy a popular energy drink brand from the store; a whopping saving of 93 % per litre.
If you consider all the cash you'll save sipping on Sodastream drinks, it should be a breeze affording the funky Sodastream Value Pack, which costs R299; and the syrups go along way with just one 500ml bottle of syrup making 12 litres of cold drink.
The syrups are healthier than shop-bought drinks, too, since all syrup flavours other than the sugar-free varieties, contain one third the sugar of regular carbonated soft drinks.

Coming soon: Look out for the super-cool Sodastream competition by clicking on "South Point Competitions" and stand the chance of winning a funky limited edition Sodastream cola fountain. 

Just in time for the soccer World Cup shoX iFootball hits the market and is cool, cute and convenient. This booming 23 watt, five-speaker football not only includes a sub woofer for plenty of meaty bass, two mids to hold the volume and two tweeters to take care of the high notes, but the docking speaker also has an input cable and AC/DC adaptor, plus a free infrared remote and iFootball cradle remover. You can even control your iPod from the sideline - scroll down, select and play from  your most comfy chair. Best of all, it's compatible with your iPod, MP3 and MP4 player, cellphone or computer.
Simply insert your iPod into one of the optional docking cradles and play to score with this new shox iFootball, which is "green", too, since it's manufactured from environmentally-friendly materials and uses minimal energy.
It retails at R1 199.95,comes in either red, black or blue and is available at Apple, Look & Listen, Makro, Incredible Connection, Game and other leading retailers or directly from Tevo www.tevo.co.za.

International brand FitFlop create styling footwear. Check out this totally cool new wool slip-on clog, Gogh II (R699), which will hit stores this month just in time for winter and be available in black, brown and charcoal.  

Check out more about the technology behind the footwear or where the clogs are stocked by visiting www.thefitflop.com or contact 021 510 4428.

Usher's sporting Carrera Endurance sunglasses in his latest music video and now Rihanna can be spotted in her latest music offering "Rude Boy" wearing a pair of these fabulous shades, too. The sunglasses adorn her gorgeous face throughout her performance adding even more sex appeal to the music video's already flirty and audacious tone.

Keep an eye on "South Point Competitions" and you could be the winner of a pair of funky Carrera Endurance sunglasses.    

Dig these excellent pocket-sized bloggie™ cameras, which Sony SA recently introduced to the market in a range of styles and cool colours.
These nifty little mobile HD snap cameras allow for the easy capture and uploading of MP4 videos and photos to popular social networking sites. Yup, now you can connect and share with your friends online on a whole new level.

The 5.0-megapixel MHS-CM5, MHS-PM5 and MHS-PM5K cameras can record high definition videos of a resolution up to 1920 X 1080, as well as take photos. With a built-in USB arm and embedded Picture Motion Browser (PMB) Portable software, the bloggie™ enables seamless uploading of videos and photos to popular sites such as YouTube™ simply by connecting it to a web-connected PC or Macintosh. 

From shooting to sharing, the bloggie™ promises an easy-to-use and fun user experience.   

You'll have to save the big bucks, though, because prices start at around R1999.

Listen out for award-winning Kwaai-Jazz maestro and Pioneer Don Laka's super-cool new CD, Poison, which will coincide with his 10-city national tour in April (read more about the tour on "What's Shaking" on www.staysouthpoint.co.za.).

The album is an eclectic mix of Laka’s signature Kwaai-Jazz sounds mixed with a poignant message about the dire plight of our planet.

Laka has achieved world-wide acclaim by touring extensively on a national and international level. He is the only South African jazz musician to achieve three platinum and two gold records. He is also the owner of many prestigious awards.

Laka's reinvented himself with Poison, which just may be his most significant humanitarian project since the early 2000 release of his album, Supanova, where he first touched on global warming issues.

Listen to tracks like Acid Rain, Broken Glacier and My World and get with the "save the world" program.

A percentage of Laka's total record sales will be donated to making South Africa a greener place for all.

If you're into hanging out with your friends where the motoring action is, then you just gotta try Speedway Cafe 105, situated in the Mother City.
Anybody and everybody with a passion for cars, motorbikes and a need for speed can meet up with other like minded people and enjoy great vibes at this hot spot. There's live music that'll keep you rocking, including Wednesday Jazz nights; watch sport on large plasma screens every weekend; and try out the delicious cafe-style menu, which includes all-day GTI Hot Breakfasts on Sundays. What Fashion TV Cafe does for the fashion crowd, Speedway Cafe 105 does for speedsters and motor-heads. 
The venue is located in Roodehek Terrace, off Hope Street, Gardens, Cape Town. Tel 084 577 2418.

 "I do yoga, swimming and gym at least 2-3 times a week. I also practice healthy eating and, considering that I work in clubs, I am disciplined about not overdoing the smoking and drinking."

"I love a shot of wheatgrass, protein smoothies, fruit smoothies, fish and lots of fruit and veg. I also love to snack on nuts."

Check the Lady out: At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, in January this year, two-time winner Lady Gaga made a number of outfit changes throughout the evening, all of them creating quite a sensation. She has Giorgio Armani to thank since he created her amazing ensembles under his Giorgio Armani Prive label.

"The series of pieces Mr. Armani created for me are truly iconic; they respresent not only beautiful fashion, but my spirit and essence as an artist," says Lady Gaga.  

Are you a South African male, over the age of 18 and an aspiring actor? Then check this out: Class Act is an exciting new reality TV show that will put wannabe actors through a rigorous routine, testing their passion for acting and commitment to success by getting them to perform their hearts out in mini-movies, which will be assessed by a panel of industry professionals, after which South Africa will get to vote via SMS for their fave actor. In the end there's only enough spotlight for one acting sensation.

So how do you enter? Durbs and Cape auditions have ended but if you hurry you can still queue to be auditioned in Pretoria on Sat 13 Feb at the National Cultural History Museum and in Jozi on Sat 20 Feb at Atlas Studios. For more info go to www.classactsa.co.za

Listen up though, if you have a criminal record or have previously acted in a major TV show or film you won't be allowed to audition.

Class Act will view on SABC 1, starting 13 March, every Saturday at 6.30pm.

Carrera sunglasses have just gotten way cooler now that they'll be adorning Usher's face in his new music video "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)", the lead single off of the singer's upcoming album "Raymond vs Raymond", due for release 1 March. 

Usher will be seen wearing Carrera Endurance from the fabulous "vintage collection", which are customised with iconic retro detailing and worn by young trendies wanting to make a bold fashion statement.

New to Cape Town or you just haven’t had the time to check it out yet? Do a spot of sightseeing by bus. City Sightseeing offers a hop on and hop off scenic bus experience of the Mother City. There are two exciting tours: the Red City tour, which covers the City, and is comprised of 17 stops, including Table Mountain; and the Blue Mini Peninsula tour, which stretches beyond the confines of the City, and comprises of 13 stops, including Kirstenbosch Gardens.

Buses depart every 20 minutes starting at 09h10 every morning and feature a 14 language commentary system - for more info go to www.citysightseeing.co.za

If you’ve been sitting on the “green fence” then check out the latest glass recycling stats: Miss Earth South Africa Ambassadors 2009 unite with The Glass Recycling Company’s general manager, Shabeer Jhetam, to reveal the good news that local glass recycling figures have climbed from 148 000 tons to 244 845 tons of glass per year. This amounts to a massive increase of over 65% in the short three year period since The Glass Recycling Company’s inception. C’mon, ride the “green wave” and become a part of  the global “green consciousness”.

The adorable new shoX speakers from Tevo are nothing to snort about, you hear! Don’t let these cute little piggy-shaped numbers fool you: they provide potent high quality sound and at the same time give you more bacon for your buck.

You can pump up the volume with all three Pigs: The shoX iPig, iPig Mobile and shoX iPiggi come with five fine tuned speakers that produce near perfect sound and put out a heart-pounding 23 watts of refined power. The secret to this impeccable performance is in the spread of speakers: a sub woofer in the tummy for plenty of meaty bass, two mids in each eye to hold the volume and two tweeters under the ears to take care of the high notes… and to adjust the volume, just stroke the cute little ears.

Take your iPig Mobile for walkies as it has a built-in lithium-ion rechargeable battery and you can carry it in one hand, making it a fabulously portable music companion… and a great fashion accessory, too. Just attach your iPod, MP3/MP4 player, cellphone or computer and blow your buddies away with the super-sonic sound.

And check it out; the shoX iPig and iPig Mobile not only include the docking speakers, input cables and AC/DC adaptors, but also come with free infra-red remotes and iPig cradle removers. 

Mobile comes in black and white; iPig in pink, white and black; and iPiggi in pink and white. Prices start at around R799.95.  

For one night only, at Taboo in Sandton, Jozi, the world-renowned godfather of lounge music, Stephane Pompougnac, will be performing his fabulous mix of electronic tunes, accoustic sounds and warm vocals from the 12th volume in the Hotel Costes series.

Groove to the sounds and enjoy a night of collaboration, where music, fashion and cutting-edge technology connect on the dance floor.

30 January 2010 at 10pm - tickets are R200 and available at the door.

Check out the new Olympus Tough 8000 digital camera: its rugged metal body  and revolutionary shock-absorbing construction makes it shockproof up to 6.6 ft; it's waterproof up to 33 ft underwater; it's freezeproof (just in case you're about to explore the snowy plains of the Antarctic) up to -10 degrees cellcius; and crushproof as it can withstand the crushing force of 220 pounds... and that's not all folks because this little action camera contains a 2-in-1 anti-blur solution, so it's impossible to take an out-of-focus pic.   

To add to the 2010 hype, Sony Ericsson, the official mobile handset of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, has recently introduced a new and novel way for fans to get behind their fave teams online through a unique social networking initiative: the Sony Ericsson Twitter Cup is seeing 32 teams battle it out in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa in an online tournament with a twist - it's the fans who are ultimately deciding who will lift the final trophy. Wanna get in on the action? You can participate online or via your mobile handset. To get South Africa through each round show your support by Tweeting #TWCsouthafrica - the team with the most Tweets in each round will move onward and upward regardless of how well they may fare in the real time World Cup. Fans simply need to go to Sony Ericsson's Extra Man website, click on the link to Twitter and get Tweeting to help get your fave team to the final, plus more. The final draw will take place on 11th July 2010. 

Just in time for the Soccer World Cup shoX iFootball hits the market and is cool, cute and convenient. This booming 23 watt, five-speaker football not only includes a sub woofer for plenty of meaty bass, two mids to hold the volume and two tweeters to take care of the high notes, but the docking speaker also has an input cable and AC/DC adaptor, plus a free infrared remote and iFootball cradle remover. You can even control your iPod from the sideline - scroll down, select and play from the comfort of your most comfy chair. Best of all, it's compatible with your iPod, MP3 and MP4 player, cellphone or computer.
Simply insert your iPod into one of the optional docking cradles and play to score with this new shox iFootball, which is "green", too, since it's manufactured from environmentally-friendly materials and uses minimal energy. 
It retails at R1 199.95,comes in either red, black or blue and is available at Apple, Look & Listen, Makro, Incredible Connection, Game and other leading retailers or directly from Tevo www.tevo.co.za.

Just in time for the Soccer World Cup shoX iFootball hits the market and is cool, cute and convenient. This booming 23 watt, five-speaker football not only includes a sub woofer for plenty of meaty bass, two mids to hold the volume and two tweeters to take care of the high notes, but the docking speaker also has an input cable and AC/DC adaptor, plus a free infrared remote and iFootball cradle remover. You can even control your iPod from the sideline - scroll down, select and play from the comfort of your most comfy chair. Best of all, it's compatible with your iPod, MP3 and MP4 player, cellphone or computer.
Simply insert your iPod into one of the optional docking cradles and play to score with this new shox iFootball, which is "green", too, since it's manufactured from environmentally-friendly materials and uses minimal energy. 
It retails at R1 199.95,comes in either red, black or blue and is available at Apple, Look & Listen, Makro, Incredible Connection, Game and other leading retailers or directly from Tevo www.tevo.co.za.