THE Great Singapore Sale (GSS) isn’t all about fashion.

To some, it’s a great time to hit the shops to look for lifestyle and technology products.

Take TV host Marion Caunter, for example.

The lithe 29-year-old, who is the co-host of E! News Asia with Dominic Lau (look at Caunter as Asia’s version of Guiliana Rancic, sidekick to Ryan Seacrest on E! News in the United States), feels that technology actually brings people closer.

The self-confessed “tech chick” travels at least once a week for work purposes, but technology keeps her in touch with family, friends and her fans.

Her BlackBerry smartphone is something she is “completely addicted to”, she tells my paper.

Sitting pretty in a chair at the Kimrobinson salon in Ngee Ann City as she gets her hair done, she says: “I can’t leave home without it and it has to be by my side at all times, even when I’m in the studio shooting. It’s right at the corner where the cameras can’t pick it up in the frame.”

She admits that “the first thing I do in the morning is check all my messages, e-mail and tweets”.

“I know it’s terrible, but true. That’s how hooked I am. I tweet on the go and I love it. That’s how I feel connected to the rest of the world amid my busy schedule,” Caunter explains.

As the Malaysia-based artist – of Portuguese, English and Chinese descent – travels to Singapore often, she knows she has a good chance of snagging a bargain or two at the ongoing GSS.

“Everyone is a fan of the GSS. The deals are amazing on everything, from clothes to shoes to accessories and, of course, tech gadgets,” says Caunter, whose latest tech purchases have been the coveted iPad and the Canon S90 camera.

“You name it, they have it!”

Indeed, retailers like Best Denki, Funan DigitaLife Mall and Harvey Norman are big on giving away freebies with purchases this GSS period (see page C6 for tech deals you don’t want to miss), which lasts until July 28.

Of her latest tech toys, Caunter says: “I’m in love with them both. My camera takes the most amazing pictures of my frequent travels and my iPad does not ever leave my handbag. It keeps me entertained while I’m getting my make-up and hair done in the studio, which can take a rather long time.”

Besides helping her kill time, Caunter’s tech tools also help her build a relationship with her fans through social-networking sites.

“People who say social sites like Twitter and Facebook are bad have a valid point – only if they are not utilised properly. However, if used correctly and for the right reasons, I personally feel that keeping up with these social sites is extremely crucial as they have become a social phenomenon.

“I am on Twitter daily to keep my fans involved in my life and to let them into my life, but of course, without divulging every single detail. Twitter also helps me as I use it to keep abreast of what’s going on in the world these days.”

So, while not overdoing it, Caunter has this to say to those who resist the lure of technology: “The world has become so small because of technology and it is the way the world is moving forward.

“With the click of a button, you can learn so much about the world and you will only be losing out if you don’t keep up too.”