It just keeps getting easier and easier. Online shopping, that is.

Visa has come up with an “electronic wallet” for online purchases. Competing directly with Paypal and Google Checkout, Visa has given Rightcliq some spanking new additional features of its own, ensuring it will never have an identity crisis.

As well being able to store your payment card numbers (just like you can with Paypal and Google Checkout) which makes it super-fast AND safe to shop online, Rightcliq also allows you to drag images of fabulous things you spot on retailer websites to the My Wishspace part of the account so you can create a handy wishlist for your upcoming birthday, for example. You can then get the low-down on these items from friends, via Facebook or e-mail.

Visa will target Rightcliq to “Young trendsetters” who want the latest products and interact via social media as they shop, and “Shopping enthusiasts” who are trendy, fashionable, love to shop and to be in the know. Together, these two segments represent 26% of online consumer retail spending.

There’s a browser plug-in to fill in your personal and payment info at checkout, too.

American customers can also use Rightcliq to track the delivery status and current location of goodies they’ve bought, courtesy of the US Postal Service. There’s also stacks of discount offers exclusively for Rightcliq users, something Visa also hopes will reign in new customers for online retailers and therefore help cement its popularity.

Can it get any easier? All you need is a credit card, a mouse and a finger to click with.

Dog owners, here’s a treat… and if you’re friends or family with someone who’s mad about their mutt, never again will you be short of gift ideas on birthdays, anniversaries and other special events that require gifts. Here’s a whole doggie-bag full of ideas.

 The Fido Factor is a free service for dog owners who want to know the best dog-friendly establishments around town. It also supports homeless animals and provides information on pet services.

Based in San Francisco, most of the dog-friendly services listed are located there (currently almost 1,000) but Fido Factor has recently expanded into some other US cities, too. Nonetheless, no matter where you live, if you love dogs, there’s still loads of useful information on the site.

Fido Factor is involved in a lot of dog-oriented community activities and events, some of them with names like Hollywoof Movie Night, Bay Woof Party at the Stray Bar and (my personal fave) Halloween Yappy Hour at Bloomingdale’s. Who’d have thunk there was so much going on for dogs?

And on the ‘Bark Blog’ (no, I promise I’m not making it up) you can find out the most dog-friendly airline in the US.

You could splurge on a professional pet photography package as a treat for your favourite furry friend or give a human friend a fun birthday, Christmas or even Valentine’s Day gift of a dog-friendly weekend at a hotel/resort/spa that allows dogs.

People without pets tend to overlook other people’s furry companions when they’re trying to come up with gift ideas, but the Fido Factor certainly helps you to think outside of the box. Or should that be doghouse? With currently about 100 million dog owners in the world, there’s plenty of scope and a sure-fire market for some serious dog-oriented gift-giving.

I can really see this appealing to Sagittarians!

Swapping, selling and buying plastic gift cards is nothing new but here’s something I haven’t seen before…

Not only is CardsUWant.com is a fabulous online marketplace for buying gift cards at up to 40% off and for converting your unwanted cards into instant cash, but they’ve also got a great range of merchants who sell e-gift cards.

Instead of handing someone a plastic gift card for their birthday, Christmas or baby shower in person, e-gift cards are terrific for those who live on the other side of the world – and especially great for those who remember all-too-late on the day when it’s someone’s birthday.

The 16 merchants on there to date range from Bedandbreakfast.com to Zappos. The balances on the e-gift cards are low – $US25 and $US50 – but they should get you out of hot water celebration-wise when it absolutely, positively has to be there before you get an abusive phone call, text or email.

Movies and TV shows nearly always depict marital breakdown as the result of conflict. Steamy extra-marital affairs and the resulting tearful confrontations, hurled crockery and melodramatically smashed wedding portraits are typical scenes.

But a new US study suggests that marriage breakdown is more likely due to simple, long-term boredom. (Just one factor is giving @#$* flowers every Valentine’s Day, or socks and jocks for Father’s Day or “forgetting” their birthday - I mean, come on!)

The findings are the result of a nine-year study by researchers at the University of Michigan and Stony Brook University, who conducted interviews with 123 couples in the seventh year of their marriages, then nine years later in year 16.

The researchers found that relationship quality over the long-term depended on how bored the couple was at year seven.

However, not being bored at the seven-year mark didn’t necessarily guarantee that boredom wouldn’t occur some time over the following nine years. This suggests what any successfully married long-term couple could tell you: keeping boredom out of a marriage is something that requires constant vigilance.

The couples, all in their first marriages, were asked whether they considered their marriages to be in a rut and how often they did exciting things together as a couple. Those who expressed greater dissatisfaction in year 16 also reported corresponding higher levels of boredom.

The researchers concluded that couples who were experiencing less and less satisfaction with their marriages over time could possibly reverse the situation by participating in exciting activities together to increase the general level of excitement and spontaneity and eliminate boredom, which undermines closeness.

In a couple’s astrological compatibility chart, the level of excitement your relationship enjoys can be indicated by a few astrological factors.

Too many aspects involving Saturn indicate you can easily get stuck in a rut from complacency, fear (“what would the neighbours think?!”) and lack of imagination. Since Saturn is all about accountability (amongst other things) you could view doing exciting new things as KPIs to be met. An overabundance of Moon aspects suggests you want to curl up at home, which is cosy, but rarely exciting. Well, everyone goes a little crazy at the Full Moon – so once a month, make use of it!

Jupiter aspects add joy. The house your Jupiter is in your partner’s chart, and vice versa, shows where you can have fun and laugh with each other. Mars aspects create energy and sexual tension. It’s well-known that going on a rollercoaster (or any other activity which raises your adrenalin levels) ripens the mood for romance – “ahh, hold me!”

For pure excitement you need to look to the planet of rebellion,  Uranus (yeah, alright, stop the jokes already) which rules shocks, surprises and revolutions.

Having a number of Uranian aspects in your compatibility chart provides the electricity every couple needs. Uranus doesn’t care what the neighbours think and prefers to be an individual. Being innovative is key. A number of Uranian aspects suggest you will have temporary separations, probably due to work, family or social commitments. But hey, absence makes the heart grow fonder, right? With Uranus you never get bored. Freaked-out, maybe.

How can you surprise your partner?

Many American retailers now give you the option to order your goodies online (in your pyjamas) but to save on shipping costs by letting you pick it up at their (nearest) store.

This is great when you have to get something in time for an urgent gift occasion. Locally, I’m doing it on Wednesday when the stock has come in on a fun t-shirt for my brother’s birthday from Well Spotted in Ashfield, NSW. Another place I regularly use the purchase-online-pickup-in-store option to get an out-of-stock book as fast as possible is from my favourite local bookstore,  Shearers Bookshop in Leichhardt, NSW.

Here are some other Australian stores which now let you order online and pick-up in-store, too.

Coles is trialling buy online and collect in-store in their supermarkets in Darwin, NT and Aitkenvale, Aspley, Cairns, Cannonvale, Elanora, Fairfield, Loganholme, Maroochydore, and North Ipswich, QLD (please oh please let it go nationwide!). This is a boon for those harassed mums whose children become heat-seeking missiles for lollies and chips when traversing the aisles in the supermarket.

Discount online department store www.OO.com.au lets customers pick up their electronics, perfumes, handbags, appliances, homewares, pet items, toys and NRL merchandise from their Rosebery, NSW showroom Monday to Friday 9am-5pm.

Storm London has has recently launched its Australian website at www.stormwatches.com.au which allows customers to purchase a watch online and collect it from one of two Storm London concept stores in Chadstone and Highpoint, VIC 7 days a week. Customers not only save on delivery but receive a free- watchfitting, too.

Eco-friendly baby product website www.flowerchild.com.au lets customers collect their online purchases from their bricks-and-mortar store in Collaroy, NSW.

Australia’s biggest collection of Thomas the Tank Engine toys, plus Lego and other treats can bought online at www.toottoottoys.com.au and collected from the store in Bentleigh, VIC.

Beautiful sterling silver jewellery can bought online from is www.ravishdesigns.com.au and collected at the showroom in West Lindfield, NSW.

Brindabella Baby lets customers buy their baby’s compostable disposable nappies, natural mother and baby skincare, baby slings and carriers, and shoes and toys from fair trade workplaces online and come to collect them in Pialligo, ACT.

Are there any others we should all know about? Let us know! Post a comment below!

Have you ever received a birthday present from say, your grandparents, parents or partner, which as you look at them with an offended expresson, they say,”I thought you might appreciate x item because…” and away they go, trying desperately to backpedal out of a sticky gift-giving occasion.

Usually these gifts belong to one of the Seven Deadly Sins:

Sloth
These suggest you are a lazy sod. It could be a universal remote (“so you can sit there and not have to move”), one of those remote, magazine and drink holders you slip over the arm of your sofa, a hammock or a satin eye-mask to wear while sleeping (which, since you do so much of it, you’ll want to look good while you snooze).

Gluttony
These usually related to your shape or weight. They can include, but are not restricted to, Spanx shapewear, exercise equipment, gym wear, gym memberships, diet books, books like How Not to Look Fat, and “healthy” cooking equipment that you’ve never used before and will probably never use. A rice steamer comes to mind.

Greed
They will give you what they can afford and you will be furious it is so stingy – god, only a $100 gift certificate?! You are not embarrassed to give people a long list of what you want for your birthday – and oh, you expect to get all of it.

Anger
This could cover everything from a boppo toy “to take out your aggression” to a GPS unit to, as Navman says, “stop carguments” when driving.

Envy
They want what you’re having/eating/wearing/reading. So they might slip up and mention that they liked it so much they bought an identical one for themselves. When really, they’re annoyed they have to give it to you at all…  Giving you a bowling ball, a power tool or a Nintendo – when you know full well they’ll be comandeering it back for themselves in no time - falls under this Deadly gift-giving Sin.

Pride
Be afraid, very afraid if someone gives you a mirror. It will prove you DO think you’re the fairest one of them all.

Lust
This tends to be the cheesy red lacy lingerie, explicit DVDs, sex manuals and toys, flavoured body paint and so on that a husband gives his wife for Valentine’s Day or their anniversary, hoping to spice up their marriage.

Naturally, if you buy any of these items for yourself, well, that’s OK then.

Not that I’m a travel agent, but if I was, there are some holidays I know certain Sun signs would love to take – or better yet, receive as an anniversary, birthday, Christmas or wedding gift!

So when I saw that Fairmont Hotels and Resorts had recently launched their Apprentice Trips program, which combines their globally famous luxury brand with a range of accommodation-based activities that relate directly to the culture or landscape of the locale, and, with hotels in 16 different countries, well, that’s a lot of “experiential” packages to choose from.

Talkative Geminis keen to parlez avec vous might enjoy booking the seven-night French Immersion Package at the historic Chateau in Quebec City while environmentally-aware Aquarians could rush for the Eco-Learning Package at the Faimont Kea Lani in Maui. They can choose from one of five eco-learning activities at the resort, which include organic farming in a rainforest, and helping to preserve Hawaii’s archaeological sites by planting native species, among others.

Cancerians may either thrill to Shop With Chef at local markets in Toronto while enjoying a two-night stay at the Fairmont Royal York, or harvesting and hands-on cooking of ingredients from the Secret Garden package in the Fairmont Singapore.

No need for Taureans to book in overnight for the four-hour-plus Sweet Designs package at the Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver – they can have their chocolate (or cake) – and eat it too.

Virgo golfing nuts might enjoy a Tees to Greens stay at the Fairmont Scottsdale where they receive helpful golfing techniques and a behind-the-scenes look at how golf courses are kept so pristine!

In the United Arab Emirates, the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr offers a four-night package for guests to master the regal skill of falconry (the falcon is the UAE’s national bird). I can see this appealing to Leos who think they’re a bit sheik.

In Monte Carlo, guests interested in perfume and exotic oils can broaden their knowledge with the Magic of Aromachology Package, which also includes a 60-minute aromachology massage for two. Wonderful for Pisces.

Librans can choose from taking their favourite best friend with them to Fairmont Turnberry Isle in Miami for the Gal Pal Experience, learning how to do proper back rubs, facials and foot massages, or to learn The Art of Buying Art at the Fairmont Dallas. Since they have a keen eye for art, this one might appeal.

Novice hikers and mountaineers can head to the Fairmont Yangcheng Lake resort in Kunshan, China for the Adventure Awaits package. Gotta-be-first Aries and explorer-mad Sagittarians would love to try this out!

Even politics gets a look-in, with the How to Pass a Bill in Washington Package at the Fairmont, Washington D.C., where a Federally registered lobbyist will advise participants on the crafting and promoting of an agenda. Constitutionally, a bill only requires three steps to become law in the US. Who would have thought that first step could take place while you were on holidays? This is just perfect for power-broking Scorpios and Capricorns.

Love to shop? If you and your partner become the Face of LoveStars at www.itsinthestarsonline.com, you could win a $AUD500 gift card to the retailer of your choice (or hey, 5 x $100 gift cards to 5 retailers – your call!) simply by entering the Be the Face of LoveStars photo competition.

Have a friend or family member take a high resolution (300dpi) colour shot  or two of you and your partner happily reading your hardcover LoveStars astrology report together.

If you win, you’ll receive the $AUD500 gift card. If you’re one of 5 x runners-up, you’ll win back the cost of your hardcover LoveStars report (from $89), credited to your Visa or Mastercard credit card.

LoveStars reports make ideal personalised gifts for couples for anniversaries, birthdays, Christmas, engagements, Valentines Day and weddings. These 30-35 page reports help any couple – newly dating or married for ages – (re)discover the magic in their relationship.

The Be the Face of LoveStars photo competition finishes 31 August 2010.

If you’ve ever travelled through America, you’ll quickly become accustomed to their deeply entrenched tipping culture, which requires you to have a ready supply of dollar notes to tip waiters, doormen, cabbies, housekeepers, hairdressers, beauticians, the list goes on – in fact it seems anyone who provides you with a service, to boost their low wage earnings.

If you don’t have the right cash – or worse, you don’t realise you’re meant to tip generously! - you’re almost in danger of bodily injury. And if you’ve just landed and have only credit cards or large-denomination bills, what then?

A wonderful, inexpensive gift for people travelling to the US, honeymooners, or maybe your twentysomethings on a backpacking trip, is the Where’s My Tip gift card.

You simply hand out the gift cards each time you’re required to tip, and they visit the Where’s My Tip website to request their tip from you, even helpfully(!) providing a suggested tip amount. You then pay it via credit card or Paypal, which will then go to them.

It costs $100 to join, providing you with 100 x Where’s My Tip gift cards, with each extra gift card costing $0.50.

I think this could really catch on, and what a great idea for businesses such as travel agents to include in your suite of touring materials!

If you simply must have the latest iPhone 4, US retailer Radio Shack is offering a trade-in program that might prick up your ears…

Bring in an iPhone 3G 8GB or 16GB and Radio Shack will give you a $100 gift card, or if you have the fancier – but still of course, hopelessly out-of-date – 3GS 16GB or 32GB iPhone – and they’ll reward you with  a $200 gift card.

You can use this towards the new iPhone 4 model when it arrives on 24 June or, anything else in their store. If you are in the lucky, but unusual position of having two 3G or 3GS iPhones, you can keep one and trade in the other for gift cards that you can give to another for their birthday, or cash in for some type of techie gift.

The offer doesn’t extend to the original iPhone apparently and all trade-in models must be in good condition.

The Radio Shack offer runs until 25 July 2010.