Protect It
With this summers’ rain coming down hard and often its difficult to fiddle with your iPhone through the splashing downpour and keep it dry? Not a good situation to be caught in. This waterproof iPhone case does exactly what the name says – it protects your brand spanking new iphone 3gs from water while maintaining the phone’s volume, and it also has a window on the back of the case so you can still take photos and video. It’s guaranteed submersible up to 5m and comes with an adjustable neck cord. Genius. Get one at www.expansys.com.hk for $183.

Recycle It
Fashion conscious but also green minded? Check out the bags and wallets from Eco-Couture and you could well find something that both appeals to your aesthetics and is kind to the planet. Eco-Couture uses the same vinyl you see all over Hong Kong as banners – it’s weatherproof, durable and, perhaps most important for your sense of style, colourful. So there is no need to sacrifice your joie de vivre for the bag equivalent of sensible shoes – take a look at Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s Design Gallery – http://hkdesigngallery.hktdc.com/home.asp – and step out in green pride and style.

Taste It
Did you know that the sweet stuff that makes jellybeans so more-ish is used to bind concrete? Yes, sugar is not only something you stir into your coffee, it also makes your car safer. You can find more about these and other mind boggling facts at the Hong Kong Science Museum’s Candy Unwrapped, a 17-exhibit exploration of questions like why we pucker up when tasting sour sweets, why moth larvae taste like French fries and whether chocolate is really a sex stimulant. It’s all about chemistry and the psychology of candies. For a more complete picture, go to http://hk.science.museum/spexh/candy/en/index.html

BBQ It
It’s hot and humid, but that needn’t stop all you barbecue lovers from having a sizzle under a shady tree or on some sea-beaten sand somewhere. Jamie Oliver’s got your number with a new portable charcoal barbecue he’s called the Big Boy - even though it looks something like a cute dinky UFO and is just 37x37x48cm. It’s lightweight, easy to carry, looks great (for all the shallow superficial people out there for whom that’s important) and it even cooks food. Get one at any Jervisbay Barbecue World store for $1,060. www.jervisbaybarbecues.com

Bag It
Here’s a bit of girly fun mixed into practicality. Picture yourself walking down the street with what looks like a plush strawberry dangling from your wrist. You walk into a shop, buy something and whip off that inconspicuous little piece of arm candy. The unknowing passer-by wonders what on earth is going on. You unzip it and – Voila! – it unfolds into a full-sized, pink nylon bag, perfect for your recent purchases. It’s all yours to wow your friends and other shoppers from www.bag-fty.com for $6 apiece.

Read It
A run-away success in its original language French. Eloik: The Dreamers Awakening will be launched in English at the upcoming HK Book Fair, stall A101-26. This is the first book in a planned series of twelve Eloik adventures and a cartoon is in the works as the authors look to replicate the success of Harry Potter series. www.fountainpublisher.com.