Product Review: Sumo Omni by Sumo – Urban Lounge Gear

Product Details

The Sumo Omni is a modern version of the bean bag and so is essentially a large sack filled with polystyrene balls. What makes the Sumo Omni different is that they have moved away from the traditional bean bag shape and instead have designed the Omni using a rectangular shape measuring approx 135cmx165cm (4.5’x5.5’). It weighs approx 8kg (18lbs).

The rationale for this new design seems to lie in the idea that this new shape allows for greater versatility of use. They claim they have come up with 10 ways to use it and demonstrate 8 of these on their website.

The Sumo Omni is constructed from Ballistic Nylon. This fabric was originally designed for military use during WWII. Modern applications for the use of this material range from luggage to motorcycle jackets, tool belts and kayak skins, hence the material is said to be extremely hard wearing and rip-proof. As the construction material is stain and spill resistant it is easily cleaned using a cloth and mild soapy water.

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Stamp duty bills on home purchases soar 59% in five years

Runaway stamp duty bills on residential property are hindering Australian home owners’ ability to enter the housing market, the Bankwest Residential Stamp Duty report has revealed.

The research found that stamp duty on the typical Australian home has soared 59% over the past five years, almost double the rise in household income over the same period. Critically, almost $53 billion of stamp duty receipts – both residential and commercial – have been paid to State and Territory Governments over the past five years, while annual stamp duty revenues have increased 77% over the period. Read more

Pay Safe Online this Christmas

NetChoice, the e-commerce advocacy group, has issued a set of guidelines in Australia to ensure a safe buying experience for all online shoppers.

The NetChoice Pay Safe Guidelines provide the online shopping do’s and don’ts, plus some best practice tips: Read more

Celebrate International Women’s Day 2009 in Egypt

Ancient Egypt is a destination many women would love to explore, but not necessarily alone or even with a male companion.

Sue Hile, Director of Australian specialist women’s travel company, Adventurous Women, takes travelling in her stride and therefore wants to encourage other women to step outside their comfort zone and feel the freedom she has, through travel, adventure and life experiences. “Women travelling together can be an incredibly empowering experience”, she said.

“In fact, it is quite fitting that we will be exploring one of the world’s most amazing destinations and home to Cleopatra, one of history’s most powerful women, as we mark International Women’s Day next year.” Read more

EOWA names companies that have failed women in the workplace

The 2007-08 Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA) Annual Report tabled in parliament on Wednesday November 26 informs of progress made by the Agency on behalf of working women.

In 2007-08 EOWA released its Top Earners report that identified gender pay gaps in the ASX200; its Generation F report that revealed what men and women want from employers; and its survey results of the workplace flexibility offered by Australian businesses.

EOWA also raised the bar for its Employer of Choice for Women Citation, with six new standards required. 99 organisations successfully achieved this high profile citation.

Also in the Annual Report is the list of organisations not compliant with EOWA legislation. Of the Australian organisations that are required to report to EOWA annually, 2501 were compliant with the Act and 12 were not. Read more

Yahoo!7 announces Australia’s top web searches for 2008

Britney Spears has continued to enthral Australians with her diva antics and much publicised ‘comeback’ to record the highest number of web searches in 2008, however world events also rated highly for Australians according to annual rankings released today by Yahoo!7.

Heath Ledger came in at number two behind Britney, following the Australian actor’s tragic death in January and highly acclaimed role as the Joker in The Dark Knight. Angelina Jolie and Jessica Alba, both ‘yummy mummies’ in 2008 came in jointly at number four, with our golden girl Stephanie Rice in at number five. Read more

Nominations open for CLEO Bachelor of the Year

CLEO has officially launched the search to find Australia’s 50 most eligible men.

For 22 years, CLEO has discovered the nation’s sexiest single men in the world-renowned CLEO
Bachelor of the Year. Now, CLEO is calling on the public to do their duty for Australia’s single women
by ‘dobbing in a bachelor’ and nominating those single men who deserve to make this year’s cut.

“CLEO magazine is searching for Bachelors from across Australia who are smart and sexy, spunky and
single,” says Sarah Oakes, editor of CLEO. Read more

Perth Man arrested over bogus Baby Bonus claims

A 33-year-old Perth man faced Perth Magistrates Court yesterday, charged with using the identities of deceased persons to claim more than $300,000 in false Baby Bonus payments.

In a joint Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Centrelink investigation, the AFP arrested the man earlier this week after conducting search warrants on his Nollamara home and Morley business premises, where items were seized relevant to the charges. Read more

Questacon Searches for Students with Bright Ideas

Questacon—The National Science and Technology Centre is looking for young Australians with bright ideas to attend the Questacon Smart Moves Invention Convention 2009.

The Questacon Smart Moves Invention Convention is an intensive week-long program that brings together 30 innovative and entrepreneurial young Australian secondary students for an all-expenses paid trip to Canberra. Read more

Aged care workers set to leave the industry en masse due to stress

Almost a third of registered aged care nurses are considering quitting in the next year because of job stress, says a new University of Melbourne study.

The study, conducted by the Centre for Human Resource Management at the University of Melbourne and the Australian Nursing Federation finds Victoria’s registered nurses in Victoria’s aged care sector are “emotionally exhausted” and not committed to their workplace. It cites excessive workloads, cost cutting, a hostile work environment and competing role demands as causing the stress. The study was based on a survey of over 1000 registered nurses and personal care workers in Victoria last year. Read more

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