Coquette

DesignScene iPad App

If you long for design inspiration and have an iPad, pick up this new app called DesignScene. (Watch the trailer on the homepage!) It's a real-time inspiration app that is visual! That's right, now you can surf visually through curated sources that cover everything from art to architecture, illustration to fashion, and photography to typography. The $3.99 app was created by Roger Wong and David Wheeler of Lunar/Theory. Roger is a friend and former design colleague. We worked together for many years and his design taste is one that I admire. It's no wonder that the app is more addictive than reading my own text-heavy Google Reader. Who needs text when you can move from image to image with ease and constant inspiration? It's the best way to enjoy your morning coffee I tell you!

The interface is easy to use and instantly brings you beautiful photos and text stories to read. (Photos from 50+ sites and text feeds from 30+ sites.) You can set up how often the stories refresh with a sliding scale that goes from every 5 min to 4 hours. (I set mine to every 30 min.) Add in your Twitter handle and Facebook login and you can tweet and Facebook stories you love to your friends. You can also share links via email too! Get your DesignScene app, grab a cup of coffee, and enjoy a new way to get information and read the design stories of the moment.

Let's Chat DKNY Spring 2011 on Monday Jan 24!

One of my favorite people on Twitter, DKNY PR Girl will be hosting a special live chat room event featuring the DKNY Spring 2011 show on BigLive.com at 10pm EST/ 7pm PST. If you read my previous fashion reviews you know that the DKNY spring show (post here) was my absolute fav! (Scarves, ruffles, and bows! Love, love, and love! ) I'll be there so don't miss this. Plus DKNY PR Girl will unveil a special VIP discount for the new spring season!

Holiday Gift Guide: Fashionably Tech

There's nothing I love more than my tech stuff and I know most ladies do too. This Holiday Gift Guide focuses on some of the best tech goods and accessories for the fashionable gal. To start us off, what could be better than a new HP Mini 210 that comes in a variety of candy colors. Prices start at $329.99! (You can see my previous Coquette review here.) It's a great deal for a portable net book that fits in a large handbag.

Here are more great fashionable tech picks:

Sony Cyber-shot Digital Camera TX9 ($338.70) at Amazon)

Take great photos in low light without a flash, panoramic and even 3D photos with this tiny phone. You can also record HD quality video in the AVCHD format.

Flip Slide HD ($197 on Amazon)
16 GB / 4 hrs of video recording. Watch up to 12 hours of video.

Amazon Kindle ($139 on Amazon)

I read most of my books with a Kindle. I have the iPad but the light just hurts my eyes. The screen of a Kindle uses digital ink and it's much more soothing for the eyes when you are devouring virtual pages of a book.

Apple iPad(starts at $499)
I use my iPad to watch movies or TV shows in bed. Mostly used for non-work fun.

Louis Vuitton iPhone Case 3G ($250 at Louis Vuitton)
A little luxury for a cellphone never hurt.

Rebecca Minkoff Touch & Go Snake-Embossed iPad Sleeve ($125 at Saks, Exclusive)
Comes in Black or Grape

Tory Burch Mirrored Crinkle E-Tablet Case ($175 at Tory Burch)
For your iPad or Kindle. Also in Black Gunmetal.

Rebecca Minkoff Studded Laptop Sleeve ($98 at Bloomingdales)
Comes with a detachable strap so you can carry it crossbody or place it in a larger bag.

Tory Burch Laptop Case ($67 at Tory Burch)
There are 3 different prints to choose from.

Coach Poppy Tartan Laptop Sleeve ($88 at Coach)
Love the tartan print!

Neiman Marcus iPad + iPhone Apps

Neiman Marcus is getting techy this holiday season with an iPad and iPhone app that will surely help you make your holiday gift lists or have you lusting over the latest fashions. Get all of Neiman Marcus' beautiful catalogs including the book, in their handy iPad app. You can bookmark your selections and shop directly from the app. I also love their beautiful iPhone gift finder app where you can shake it and get a random holiday item on your screen. It's like a Magic 8 Ball for holiday lists!

Download or find out more about the Neiman Marcus Apps.

HP Mini 210: Pick a Color!

I've been using my HP Mini Vivienne Tam for almost five months now and it's made work on the go so much easier. Now the new HP Mini 210 series has launched in a bevy of six candy colors perfect for fall. Choose from charcoal, luminous rose, ocean drive, lavender frost, and my favorite color, crimson red! These little laptops are powerful to take blogging or web surfing on the road. Prices start at only $329.99! You can't beat that. And for you Mac users, with Windows 7 these PC's are easy to use. I like using the quick start button which lets me get immediate access to my email or web browser.

The HP Mini also fits perfect in my Rebecca Minkoff hobo so I never need to have a separate laptop bag and carry 2 bags when I'm going to an event. You can also choose to get a matching laptop sleeve and mini mouse to coordinate your HP Mini style. These make excellent gifts for the upcoming holidays!

See more colors after the jump!

Project Runway's HP Challenge - Fabric Pattern Design

I'm still not over last week's fabulous Project Runway episode where the contestants were challenged to design their own fabric pattern using HP TouchSmart PCs. The winner of the challenge was the talented Mondo (who is one of my favorites). He created a bold plus pattern to signify how he has been living HIV positive for the last ten years.

I was lucky enough to play with one at a press preview last month. As a crafter and a designer, I am loving how easy the HP TouchSmart PC is to use to create art. You can draw with your finger, pen tool, or even paintbrush and instantly choose the way the pattern will tile. Finally no more drawing on a Wacom tablet, you can just draw directly on the screen. Pretty cool!

Here's the final pattern Mondo created. The left part of the screen is the work area and shows the detail of the plus pattern Mondo made. On the right, you can see the detail of the pattern tile.

Watch this video clip showing how each of the designers made their own patterned fabric using the HP TouchSmart PC.

Milk Phone Tag: Fashion Week Live

Fashion coverage for the people by the people! Visit live.milkmade.com for Milk Phone Tag: Fashion Week Live featuring cell phone photos from all kinds of people experiencing New York Fashion Week. Browse the great photos and find out how you can contribute!

It was this photo where I discovered Milk Phone tag. I happened on it from a @shopbop tweet and the photo features Shopbop Style Director Morgan Wendelborn looking oh so boho chic. I need those jeans!

Alexander McQueen Laptop Case at Net-A-Porter.com

Exclusive to Net-A-Porter.com is this Alexander McQueen skull-print laptop case ($395) that fits a 15" laptop. It's a great way to tote around your tech goods in style.

Pretty Up Your Tech with Coach Poppy Laptop Sleeves

I'm so tired when the typical laptop sleeve brands give us ladies a "pink" version thinking that's what we need. Boring! Thanks to Coach, we can now get an injection of style with our technology with these fun Coach Poppy laptop sleeves ($78 each at Coach). Choose from Poppy Kaleidoscope (above) or Poppy Floral Graffiti (below).

HP + Sex and the City 2: Win Tickets to SF Pre-Screening!

HP has teamed up with the new Sex and the City 2 movie! You know how I love fashion + technology so there's no better match here. Just look at how stylish Samantha looks with her HP TouchSmart600 PC and her Vivienne Tam Mini! You can watch the exclusive HP Sex and the City 2 trailer here.

The new HP 2010 Spring Collection
Technology for the digital fashionista is now available in the HP 2010 Spring Collection. Check out the sleek HP TouchSmart 600 PC and HP TouchSmart tm2 notebook featuring touch-enabled apps like Hulu, Twitter and Skype. You’ll also love the stylish HP Vivienne Tam Mini and HP Envy 15. Microsoft Windows 7, which ships on all of the systems, will help you simplify your life with features like Jumplists, Shake, Snap, and Pin. Become a fan HP on Facebook for more deals and news.

HP Haute Spot
Stop by the upcoming HP Haute Spot event from May 7-9 at the Westfield Shopping Center San Francisco and check out the new line of HP computers in a fashionable setting that Carrie would approve up. I'll be there on May 7th and will be reporting back here with an update and photos!

Sex and the City 2 Pre-Screening in SF Ticket Giveaway
For you local Bay Area Coquette readers, since it's all about "2", I'll be giving away 2 sets of 2 tickets (4 total) to 2 lucky Coquette readers who will be able to attend the special pre-screening of Sex and the City 2 in San Francisco! Just follow the rules below to enter and make sure to stop by the HP Haute Spot at the Westfield Shopping Center during May 7-9.

How to Enter:
Leave a comment below telling me why you want want to win a set of 2 tickets to see a special pre-screening of Sex and the City 2 in San Francisco. All entries must be in by May 9, 2010 at 5:00pm 7:00pm PST.

Extra Optional Entries:
1. Follow @coquette on Twitter. (Please leave your twitter handle in the comment to this post.)

2. Tweet about this contest. Click here to tweet automatically or copy and paste the following:

I just entered to win tickets for a SF pre-screening of Sex and the City 2 from @coquette and @HP_PC! Enter here: http://bit.ly/cko0mK

3. Go to the HP Haute Spot in San Francisco anytime during May 7-9, and twitpic a photo of yourself there to @coquette. (This counts for a double entry!)

Good luck everyone!

Contest Rules & Details:
This contest is open to USA only and runs from April 22, 2010 through May 9, 2010. Last chance to enter is May 9, 2010 at 5:00pm PST. Two (2) winners will be contacted by May 10, 2010. There will be two email attempts within 24 hours to contact the winners. If no response is received by Tuesday, May 11th a new winner will be selected. This prize has been provided by HP.

This contest is now closed.
Thanks to everyone who entered. Here are the winners of the pre-screening:
Stacy from Mountain View, CA and Alison from San Francisco, CA