Anne, Karen, and their teams from HP were an awesome addition to the Gnomedex sponsor roster last year. They were on-site with several of their products – and even gave away many things! I was fortunate to receive a TouchSmart from them during this time period, to review and use for myself. Even though I’m a Mac guy at heart, I have to admit I really love using the TouchSmart whenever I need to be on Windows. It runs beautifully, and has never given me any issues at all. It’s a powerhouse of a machine, honestly. I can convert videos while searching on the Internet, having multiple other programs open and even running a Skype conference all at once. There is no “lag”, like you would find on many systems while trying to do all of these things. And, of course, you can’t beat the sheer fun (and yes – functionality!) of using the actual Touch features! It’s not just me who loves this machine. My assistant, Kat, won a TouchSmart after the conference was over. She has used hers ever since as her primary machine, and is quite happy! HP continued with a presence this year at Gnomedex, too!

So why am I waxing poetic about HP and their products? I’m glad you asked! Not only were they awesome to work with during Gnomedex last year, they continue to support our community to this day. They’ve come up with an excellent new contest – just for all of you reading out there! You have a chance to win for yourself a brand-new HP Pavilion dv6t series laptop! Entering is so simple, you won’t even believe it. All you have to do is leave a follow-up comment on this blog post, (including your email address!) talking about HP. You can tell us what HP products you own – or have owned. You can talk about the ones you’d like to own. It doesn’t matter, so long as your comment talks about an HP product or service. Any comments which simply state things like “I want to win the HP laptop” will be disqualified. Put some effort into it! You should pore over the contest rules prior to entering, though. The contest is open now, and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on September 30, 2009. The winner will be notified via email within three days of that date, provided they are proven to have a valid entry (as described above).

Not only is HP giving away a laptop, they also have cooked up an awesome deal for you to take advantage of! Take 30% off of the purchase of a customized HP Pavilion Notebook PC, configured at $1199.00 or greater at the HP Home and Home Office Store. Use coupon code: NBR49875. The offer excludes the HP HDX16t, HP Minis and all Compaq models. The offer is limited to the first 1800 coupons redeemed, and will become void after that. Only 1 redemption per person or address is allowed. The coupon is not valid with other promotions and restrictions apply. For complete conditions, see Coupon Information in the Customer Service section.

I gotta thank everyone at HP for their continued support, and all of the opportunities they keep bringing to our community. Good luck to everyone who chooses to enter!

• HP Mini 1000 Unboxing and Review
• HP Home Coupons
• How to Enter Community Contests, Giveaways, and Sweepstakes
• Wanna Win a Wii?
• Would You Like a Computer Contest has Ended
• It’s a Free Computer!
• Do you Really Want to Win this PC?
• HP Dragon Notebook Giveaway Information
• HP Dragon Notebook Giveaway
• HP Photosmart Premium Review

Each week, we do a contest on our new(ish) Contests page. We’ve sadly put them on the back burner recently, due to working so hard on other projects. The good news for you all is that we’re reviving the contests, and having a great time with them! If you have ideas for future Twitter contests, or are a company interested in donating prizes, drop me a line!

This week, you have a chance to win one of two Throwboy pillows. Two winners will be chosen at random, and each will be able to choose which of these awesome little pillows they will have sent to them! The contest itself is simple to enter:

• You must be following me on Twitter @chrispirillo
• You have to Tweet the following: @chrispirillo #throwboy [Your Entry for What You Would Do]

That’s it! Honest! Seriously! Now, to be clear… make sure you don’t actually put the words [Your Entry for What You Would Do]. You need to exchange that, and tell me what it is you would do with/for a Throwboy! Be creative – and make it fun! Please keep all entries PG, though. There are a lot of younger people out there!

Even bigger news is that the folks at Throwboy have agreed to run this very same contest every other month! So if you don’t win this time, hang in there until September’s contest!

Good luck to everyone. :)

• How to Enter Community Contests, Giveaways, and Sweepstakes
• What is Twitter Good For?
• Who is Tweeting in Your City?
• Do You Want to Have a Pillow Fight?
• How to Get Feedback for Your Web Site via Twitter
• What’s the Funniest Thing You’ve Ever Read on Twitter?
• Gnomedex Green Screen Challenge: Your Commercial Could be on TV!
• Can a Company Take Social Networking too Far?
• To Twitter or to Fritter – That is the Question
• How to Play Chess on Twitter

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

As you know, I’ve been hosting my Gnomedex conference for the past nine years. We have just found out that this year, we will be sponsored by Microsoft Bing. I have some big news to go along with this… we’ll be giving away two grand prizes – $10,000.00!!! You have to use the Bing API to either help people save money, or be more environmentally friendly.

Enter the Will Code for Green! developer contest. If your economy or ecology-themed web application is chosen as one of the two grand prize winners at Gnomedex in August, you’ll win $10,000!! No, that isn’t a typo. I said TEN! THOUSAND! DOLLARS!.

Even if you aren’t a developer, you may have a great idea about how to make the world a greener place – or help people save money. Grab a dev friend, and share the project… and the prize! There will also be three runner-up prizes of $3000.00 each so get to creating!

Change the world. Make some money. What’s wrong with that?

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• Bing Pong!
• The Go-To Guy
• Gnomedex 2009 for $99?!
• Gnomedex Web Site Overhauled
• Gnomedex Diamond Sponsorship
• What Drives Your Productivity?
• Are You Ready for the Holidays?
• Todd Friesen – Confessions of a Reformed Spammer
• Gnomedex 9 Photo Awards with Kris Krug
• Microsoft Office 2010 Comparison Screencast

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If you like contests, giveaways and free stuff… I have the site for you! Everyone loves these things – you know you do! You’re going to want to keep an eye on our new contest site every week!

I’ve been wanting to do more giveaways, and get people more involved. This was the perfect answer! We can do Twitter contests through here. We can even do video contests through here! We launched the first contest here at the beginning of the weekend, so it’s about over now. However, by the time you check the site out there may be a lot more things going on!

My plan is to try and do something at least once a week. I get hardware and software to review a lot – so why not give it away!? Just keep an eye out – keep it bookmarked! You can enter each contest you’re eligible for. Who knows what you might win?!

• ThinkQuest contest motivates youngsters to collaborate on Web-based projects. (Advanced Network and Services supports programs in education and science) … (Technological Horizons In Education)
• JUDGING: Judging contest scoring program (Computer software series)
• Perfect 10 Bikini Contest: The Interactive CD ROM That Lets You Be the Judge
• Backstage Pass
• Arthur’s Sand Castle Contest
• Riding Champion Legacy of Rosemond Hill (PC-CD)
• Cooking Mama 2: Dinner With Friends
• Karaoke Revolution: Presents American Idol Encore 2 with Microphone
• Karaoke Revolution: Presents American Idol Encore 2 with Microphone

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• Throwboy Pillows – Win One Today!
• Gimme Gimme Gimme
• The Giveaway That Almost Didn’t Happen – Rigged?
• Would You Like to Win an HP Laptop?
• Gnomedex Green Screen Challenge: Your Commercial Could be on TV!
• Wanna Win a Wii?
• $50.00 ThinkGeek Gift Certificate
• Remember: the PC Giveaway is Coming Soon
• Subscribe and Possibly get a Web Cam
• Eventually, Someone Wins the Web cam

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Do you want to be a Certified Ethical Hacker?

I know you think you’re a “hacker” because you run scripts that someone else wrote, but… no. It takes a lot more skill than that. It takes education. In some cases, that education may have been attained through experience. Need a jump start?

Izea approached me and asked if I’d be interested in taking an ethical hacking course valued at $2,995. I said: “Sure, let me get my wallet. ARE YOU CRAZY?!” I’m not a security advisor, nor do I want a career in code. That would certainly be a small price to pay for training that could lead to bigger and better contracts if I happened to be in that line of work.

If you’ve ever called yourself a hacker (but weren’t anything more than a glorified script kiddie), here’s your chance to redeem yourself… at least, as far as certification is concerned. I’m not sure you can consider yourself a real hacker until you have the respect of your peers. Still, that shouldn’t keep you from attaining as much knowledge as you possibly can.

Okay, so what if I gave one of YOU access to the full ethical hacking course from EC-Council?

You’d have a chance to learn (or reinforce your understanding of) security fundamentals, penetration testing, computer forensics, disaster recovery, secure programming, and more. All you have to do to qualify for this giveaway is leave a valid comment as to why you’re deserving of it.

Remember that punctuation, usage, grammar, and spelling count – if you’re not willing to throw back a decent paragraph, what makes you think you’d be competent enough to handle such a course? So, give us your story.

Why should you become the next certified ethical hacker? Tell me why! Again, I’d request that you put a little thought into this. If you’re wanting this because of your current or future career, I do believe your reasons should reflect that passion!

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

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• One Step for Privacy and Security
• Protecting Your Privacy and Security
• When is Your Birthday?
• Backup Security and Synchronizing (even for Macs!)
• Free Firewall (or a Bargain) from Sunbelt
• Identity Theft Protection
• Don’t Believe Everything You Read
• Windows Security Software
• Windows 7 Security
• Safeguard Your Security and Privacy

Despite being a little under the weather, we’re heading to Austin, TX tonight on a red-eye for SxSW (where I hear it’s just as cold as it is here in Seattle).

Gnomedex.com is co-hosting a party with BlogHer.org, Seesmic.com, and Ping.fm – and you’re most certainly invited, even if you can’t be there in person. Why bother registering for a virtual party? Because one of you is going to win a Panasonic HDC-SD100 – but only if you register for the Human Circuitry party as a “I can’t physically come to the party but I WILL watch the live stream, count me in!” registrant. Yeah, that’s probably the WORST ticket title in the history of parties, but it’s appropriately labeled!

• We will give the Panasonic HDC-SD100 to one of our virtual registrants, so you MUST be signed up to qualify. Join us from the comfort of your own home!
• The drawing will be done with a random number generator from the party floor at 10:00pm CST. The camera will be mailed to the lucky person soon thereafter.
• There are 10,000 virtual tickets to be picked up, and we’ll be streaming live from our regular channels (you know where they are). Sign up and then spread the word.

We were trying to find a way to include all those who would love to be at SXSW but just can’t afford to either take the time away from work (or the cost of the trip / conference / hotel / airfare). We are all so very fortunate to be there, and it would be awesome to give someone a tool that could give them the opportunity to create awesome content and get there next year by their own talents!

See you on Sunday night!

• Happy Birthday Video
• What Do You Use to Notify Friends Together?
• Christmas Party Ideas
• SXSW News and Reviews
• Roll Call: Not Going to SXSW or TED?
• Windows Vista Launch
• Seattle is on Fire!
• My Birthday
• Party, Party, Party
• Hugh Forest Executive Director of SXSW

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

Hopefully within a few weeks, InfiniteSMS will be available in iTunes. That will allow you to send free SMS messages from your iPhone or iPod Touch. The App isn’t free, but the texts you send from it will be. Once the App has been released, I will be doing a giveaway where you can win this App for yourself! I have 30 codes to give away!

It’s really easy to use. Once you’ve entered your Google credentials, press the “New SMS” button. Then, key in any number you want to send a message to. Type your message – and send it! You will receive SMS replies free, as well! Messages won’t show up on your phone bill!!

You can send messages for free to any number within the US – even if you are traveling outside of the US at the time you send it! Messages are sent and received through Google using the Google Talk service. Your friend must respond. To prevent spam, Google may block you from sending to someone if they don’t respond after a couple of messages.

Now, as I said, I have 30 of these to give away. In order to win, all you need to do is to go to Twitter and send the following:

@chrispirillo I love sending SMS! http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

That’s it. If you want to be one of the winners of this App as soon as it’s available, send that tweet!

ADBonner: i love sending sms http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

about 20 hours ago

Sat Feb 14 20:03:39 +0000 2009

DunuDeSilva: I love sending SMS! http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

about 23 hours ago

Sat Feb 14 17:17:58 +0000 2009

jordannott: I love sending SMS! Go.tagjag.com/SMS class=”TweetDate”>about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 15:44:52 +0000 2009

skoinm: How to Send Free SMS Text Messages on the iPhone or iPod http://bit.ly/JA4xw (via @chrispirillo)

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 14:22:04 +0000 2009

skoinm: I love sending SMS! http://www.tagjag.com/SMS

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 14:21:50 +0000 2009

nickmontes: I love sending SMS!

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 14:10:21 +0000 2009

AppleGeeek: I love sending SMS! http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 13:47:56 +0000 2009

ScottShockey78: I love sending SMS ! http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 13:18:18 +0000 2009

mattmill: I love sending SMS! http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 13:12:33 +0000 2009

virustricks: Oh yeah happy valetines

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 08:53:50 +0000 2009

RandDuren: I love sending SMS!

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 07:05:44 +0000 2009

kennyiscool: I love sending SMS. http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:32:18 +0000 2009

johnnylucas: i love sms http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:23:11 +0000 2009

Kringalingen: I love sending SMS! http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:19:44 +0000 2009

AndrewF99: I love sending SMS! http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:19:43 +0000 2009

Kringalingen: I love sending SMS! http://go.taggag.com/SMS

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:18:20 +0000 2009

claudius753: that's all well and good, but where the hell is MMS! Biggest iPhone flaw IYAM

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:17:15 +0000 2009

Christyxcore: I love sending SMS! http://go.tagjag.com/SMS

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:16:39 +0000 2009

CannonGod: While you're discussing SMS I wanted to mention a free Twitter SMS service for Europeans called: http://twe2.com

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:14:24 +0000 2009

Christyxcore: RT @chrispirillo: How to Send Free SMS Text Messages on the iPhone or iPod http://bit.ly/JA4xw

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:13:43 +0000 2009

sacredgeometry: are you constanly tweeting?

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:12:07 +0000 2009

davidjlock: twickie FTW

about a day ago

Sat Feb 14 06:10:06 +0000 2009

• SMS Stocks
• * SPECIAL SALE * Yukiko Sato * C3L & HS Santa Monica Stripes of CHIBI TESAGE Style 3, iPod, iPhone Holders Cases, Passport Pocket
• USM University of Southern Mississippi Eagles Cell Phone Glasses Case *SEARCH BROAD BAY CELL PHONE FOR MORE DESIGNS* Fits APPLE IPHONE Cover Holder Christmas Gift Ideas for Him Her, Man Men, Woman Women Ladies STOCKING STUFFER

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• How to Make an iPhone App
• BeBot!
• Air Hockey!
• Son of a Beach
• Quick iPhone OS 3.0 Review
• iPhone 3GS Review
• Have You Tried SlingPlayer for the iPhone?
• Can You Teach an Old Dog New Tricks on the iPhone?
• How to Free Memory on the iPhone
• How to Make Your Room Smell Like an iPhone

I’ve taken to initiating (and participating in) giveaways through Twitter. Some people, however, don’t want any of it. They’re either taking Twitter too seriously, or they’re annoyed with the way people are performing giveaways.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with having fun – so long as it’s not overdone with friends and followers. I usually only tweet a giveaway action once, and that seems to be sufficient. Winners don’t seem to mind, either.

It’s so much easier to facilitate this over Twitter compared to my blog in most cases. I’ll actually do my best to tie the two together (especially if I’ve done a review of the giveaway in question).

For example, I totally forgot to mention the giveaway in my video review of Days of Thunder, but I was able to use the corresponding blog post to let people know they had a chance to score a license. We had tons of responses on Twitter, since my readers follow me there. Unfortunately, many of ‘em forgot to put the link in their tweet (per my directions) – and others didn’t understand that they needed to replace the [Car] variable with an actual vehicle:

clydereese: my favorite car is a 69 Rally Sport Camero.

about 12 hours ago

Sun Feb 08 15:36:26 +0000 2009

tomeppy: My favorite car is a Prius

about 23 hours ago

Sun Feb 08 05:00:12 +0000 2009

mr: my favorite car is ramone ( pixar's cars ref)

about 23 hours ago

Sun Feb 08 04:15:06 +0000 2009

loumacuser: I agree. Days of Thunder on iPhone is fun.

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 04:01:15 +0000 2009

vegasdodger: My favorite car is a 1974 Ford Capri, bright orange. Bought one once for $400, best damn money ever spent.

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 03:12:42 +0000 2009

Kon21: My favourite car is a Lamborghini Gallardo

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 03:07:09 +0000 2009

JustinLizaso: my favorite car is the batmobile

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 03:05:50 +0000 2009

Ledzeppelin99: My favorite car is Oscar Meyer Weiner car.

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:50:06 +0000 2009

BbWindowsHelpbB: – My favorite car is a 1976 Chevy Camaro.

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:50:05 +0000 2009

kyleheine: My favorite car is one that runs and is paid for.

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:43:14 +0000 2009

GraphicsGeek: my favorite car isn't a car. It's a jeep wrangler. But I'd still like a license :-)

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:25:43 +0000 2009

taficke: my favorite car is the 2009 Audi S8

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:22:31 +0000 2009

MacManLtd: my favorite car is a BMW Z3,4,5,6,7,8…n (a little math notation, I like the Z series all future models etc)

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:20:19 +0000 2009

Garrett67: My favorite car is the Chevrolet Camaro!

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:19:30 +0000 2009

Hadramie: My favorite car is Mercedes Benz B200 http://is.gd/iMBA

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:15:19 +0000 2009

JMacalinao: My favorite car is the Koenigsegg CCX. I like its style (the supercar look, I guess)

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:13:30 +0000 2009

Cboardkid: – My favorite car is a Lamborghini Murcielago.

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:11:43 +0000 2009

morontown: My Favorite Car Is a Mustang

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:10:46 +0000 2009

MardeeT: my favorite car is a 1977 Pontiac Trans Am!

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:08:22 +0000 2009

mwviolet: My favorite car is my 2008 Smart ForTwo Cabrio.

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:06:33 +0000 2009

brnboy313: My favorite car is the ferrari F430 Spyder

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:04:53 +0000 2009

jasonmbader: – My favorite car is The Corvette.

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:03:58 +0000 2009

GeekofTodd: My favorite car is a Mustang

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:03:39 +0000 2009

maviolet: my favorite car is smart

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:03:17 +0000 2009

benjamingeiger: – My favorite car is the BMW Isetta.

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:02:51 +0000 2009

66sweep: RT @chrispirillo: – My favorite car is a 1976 Chevy Vega.

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:01:43 +0000 2009

robpickering: My favorite car is Bugatti Veyron, can't beat 254 MPH!

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:01:35 +0000 2009

GrooveMachine: My favorite car is the Bugatti Veyron.

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:01:27 +0000 2009

iGerard: – My favorite car is [Car].

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:01:20 +0000 2009

Guitarking: – My favorite car is Audi R8.

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:01:18 +0000 2009

bedaman10: – My favorite car is [Car].

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:01:11 +0000 2009

macboy17: what are you talk about

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:00:58 +0000 2009

MikeMo94: heres somethin 2 think about…if u werent a person who constantly had their iphone on camera…would u jaiblreak?no1 would no

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:00:50 +0000 2009

adrius42: My favorite car is my Prius

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 02:00:47 +0000 2009

Atomicow: – - My favorite car is Mini Cooper

about a day ago

Sun Feb 08 01:59:52 +0000 2009

Are Twitter giveaways worth doing?

• Would You Like to Win an HP Laptop?
• How to Enter Community Contests, Giveaways, and Sweepstakes
• How to Send Free SMS Text Messages on the iPhone or iPod
• How to Get Free Flowers Online
• Wanna Win a Wii?
• The Gift of LEGO, Star Wars and Games
• What Can a Bowler do With a Webcam?
• When is Shareware Free?
• Would You Like to Win Mac Software?
• iPod Touch Contest Submissions

Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

Do you want a Wii? How would you like to win a Wii? You may be the winner if I am the winner of the Wii! The contest is open until Feb 6th, and all you have to do is click the mouse a couple of times! Head over to Geeks and get registered for a free account. Once you’re hooked up, click on the main page where you see Our Current Contest – Win a Wii!, which takes you to the rules page.

All you have to do is click the giant boxing glove for a sneak preview of the new “Ready 2 Rumble Revolution” game. After you’ve clicked, leave a comment in that thread, telling me why you want to win a Wii. Or, you can also leave a comment in the corresponding blog post that I wrote up for this contest.

That’s honestly all you have to do. If I am the grand prize winner in this contest – I will win a Wii. And if I win a Wii – one of YOU will get the Wii! I can’t make it any easier to help one of you win!

I launched this contest the morning I made this video, and there were already over 200 comments that people have left, trying to win. Make sure to get your comment in there so that you have a shot as well.

Someone is going to win a Wii… it might as well be you! I already have a Wii, so it will be a wee bit of fun to give this one away if we win!

FirstRSS+ThunderIT AWS HMAC ERROR: "http://xml-us.amznxslt.com/onca/xml?AWSAccessKeyId=05G128QTRXN0J06J6PG2&ContentType=text%2Fxml&Keywords=wii&Operation=ItemSearch&ResponseGroup=Large&SearchIndex=Blended&Service=AWSECommerceService&Signature=CW4AvkqoREHra9PLV13n%2FQfF%2BpAUzH6Jtwt%2FQyCit4M%3D&Style=http%3A%2F%2Ftagjag.com%2Fcss%2Famazon.xslt&Timestamp=2009-11-25T10%3A26%3A35Z&Version=2005-07-26" NOT FOUND!

Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Js3EpybLVzc"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Js3EpybLVzc" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://chris.pirillo.com/">Chris</a> | <a href="http://live.pirillo.com/">Live Tech Support</a> | <a href="http://media.pirillo.com/">Video Help</a> | <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/ChrisPirilloShow">Add to iTunes</a>

• Would You Like to Win an HP Laptop?
• How to Enter Community Contests, Giveaways, and Sweepstakes
• What Can a Bowler do With a Webcam?
• We Need a Wii for Ponzi’s Mii
• When is Your Birthday?
• What Technology has Shaped Your Life
• Windows 7 – Thumbs Up or Down?
• What Do You Read?
• Do Your Research – on Every Topic
• Walk Loud and Carry a Soft Stick

There’s a chance you can win a Wii:

1. Click this Ready 2 Rumble Revolution badge on or before February 6, 2009. That’s the giant red boxing glove you see below – that’s what you have to click first.
2. Then, leave a comment below (in this post) explaining why you want a Wii.
3. If we generate the most legitimate clicks through this badge, I’ll be the grand prize winner – and if that happens, I’ll give the Wii to one of those who comment below.

Pretty easy to do, no?

Okay, now if you haven’t figured it out by now – Ready 2 Rumble Revolution is the next installation in the series. It’s pretty much like the other R2R games you’ve known and loved, except for one small detail: it’s now available on the Wii. Suffice it to say, R2R is probably the funniest boxing video game you’ll ever experience. Time to stand up and start swinging your Wiimote and Wii nunchuk until you get a TKO!

So, the first thing you need to do is click the giant boxing glove here:

And if you’ve never loved R2R, maybe the chance of winning a Wii for yourself will change your mind?

So, are you ready to rumble? [and yes, "The Voice of the Champions," Michael Buffer, famous for his "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" remark, will be the host of your R2R Revolution gaming experience.]

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Remember when I went flying in Zero G a few months ago? It was so much fun, I convinced Symantec to sponsor a ticket for ONE of you, too! This is finally your chance to experience the feeling of zero gravity for yourself. Fly Zero G and rule the Geekosphere!

To qualify for this giveaway, you must:

• be registered on geeks.pirillo.com
• have received at least twenty five (25) comments to their profile on Geeks
• have at least twenty five (25) Profile followers on Geeks
• have given at least forty (40) Profile comments to other Geeks on Geeks
• have created at least 10 Original Blog posts with 100 words or more on Geeks
• have commented in at least ten (10) Blog posts made by other Geeks on Geeks
• have uploaded or embedded at least ten (10) Videos on Geeks
• have submitted at least 10 Original Events on Geeks
• have responded to at least twenty (20) Forum posts on Geeks
• have created at least five (5) Forum threads on Geeks
• have actively participated in at least 5 Groups on Geeks
• have invited at least ten (10) friends to join the Geeks community (with legitimate email addresses) through Geeks
• be subscribed to the YouTube Channel at youtube.com/lockergnome
• at all times have been in compliance with the Geeks terms of service: geeks.pirillo.com/main/authorization/termsOfService?noBack=1

Act quick: the deadline is on January 10th. Official rules are posted here (if you had specific questions, they’re likely answered therein).

Zero Gravity Flight: Prize includes round-trip, coach class air transportation for one (1) from any airport in the U.S. to launch city departing February 20, 2009 and returning February 22, 2009; one (1) standard hotel room for two (2) nights/three (3) days; ground transportation to and from the airport; ground transportation to and from the Zero Gravity Flight launch facility; and meals. Approximate retail value (“ARV”) up to $7,500 USD, depending upon winner’s point of travel origin and airfare fluctuations at the time of taking the trip. Any differences between stated and actual value will not be awarded. Selection of airline and hotel are solely within Prize Provider’s discretion. All other expenses not specifically mentioned herein are solely the winner’s responsibility. Expenses related to acceptance and use of the prize and not specified herein are the sole responsibility of the winner. All travel must be taken on dates specified; no alternative travel dates are available or prize will be forfeited and may be awarded to an alternate. All travel subject to availability and restrictions. Winner must sign and return a travel release before any ticketing of travel occurs. Winner is solely responsible for obtaining all necessary identification and/or governmental travel documents (e.g., a valid U.S. driver’s license, passport, etc) required for travel to launch city. (Approximate Retail Value: $7,500 USD).

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A few weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to go on a shopping spree at Sears, using $500.00. I could do anything I wanted to, and decided to buy toys for kids who otherwise wouldn’t have any this Christmas. Now I have the chance to give one of you some toys, as well.

Many of the toys I found at Sears made me remember my own childhood. I know the kids who will receive the toys Ponzi and I bought would otherwise not have gotten them. I can think of no better way to spread joy than to give things away. Ponzi and I were like kids in a candy store, running through the aisles and checking everything out. We were literally giddy! When we dropped them off at the donation site, the people there were just as excited as we were.

Now IZEA is going to allow me to give you a gift bundle worth $500.00! There are three different bundles you can choose from if you win. You can choose:

• LEGO Wonderland – A variety of LEGO toys and books.
• Star Wars Smiles – Filled with Star Wars toys and games!
• Family Game Night – Several different family board games.

You can enter up to three times! Here’s how:

• Leave a comment stating which bundle you want, and why, in Receiving the Gift of Giving. Understand, it’s only on that post where your comments will count. Commenting here isn’t gonna do you much good, unless you really want to leave a comment here for another reason.
• Post to your twitter account if you have one, making sure you include – #Sears @chrispirillo http://bit.ly/giftwish – and whichever bundle you desire in your tweet.
• Make an entry in your own blog if you have one, making sure you link back to this particular post URL and mentioning which bundle you want (and why). I register most trackbacks after I’ve received at least one click from your permalink to mine.

So there you have it… another giveaway! Good luck to everyone!

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As a young teen, one Holiday season, my parents decided to spread the cheer to an underprivileged family in our area. We were to take a few kids out shopping with us, each of them was given a small stipend (with which to spend on gifts for their siblings). I remember that day vividly – never feeling more grateful for the things I had been given in seeing what others did not have.

So, when Sears offered to sponsor a $500 shopping spree under their ‘Don’t Just Give a Gift, Grant a Wish‘ effort, I didn’t think twice about what I wanted to do with the gift card. It’s all about the toys at Christmas – and even though we don’t have kids of our own, Ponzi and I both thoroughly enjoyed taking a trip across town and down memory lane as we tore through the “Toy Shop.” The goal: to find $500 worth of toys to give to a local donation center.

Now, before I continue, I must again point out that Sears gave me this opportunity. I received the $500 gift card from IZEA, but these experiences are 100% my own. What would *YOU* do with this $500 – spend it on yourself or on somebody else? I chose the latter.

We filled a shopping cart and a half with new toys and remakes of yesteryear. I remembered getting a set of magic tricks for Christmas one year, so I snagged a magic kit from the shelf. I also remembered getting lost with a Rubik’s Cube on Christmas morning, so that was another must-buy. Then there was a time I really wanted a microscope (I still remember my onion skin slide), so a little bit of science made its way into our “buggies” – that’s what Ponzi calls ‘em. Oh, and I can’t remember a single childhood Christmas that didn’t have a Star Wars something in it, so I snagged a few figurines, too.

We circled the Sears Toy Shop a few times, making sure we saw everything. Hulk Boxing Gloves: you don’t wanna see me when I’m angry! Chatterphone: rotary dial! Lincoln Logs: time to build something! Operation: don’t touch the sides! Let’s grab some Play-Doh, too – and we can’t leave without taking a few NERF balls with us. They make a portable Lite Brite now?! Man, I wish I was a kid again. For an hour, I felt like one.

Ponzi saw some toddler toys she used to chew on. Well, not HER toys – but the same kind. There were a few other baby items we thought would make wonderful presents for some kid this Christmas season. The game Don’t Break the Ice (which I had received as a birthday gift one year), a tea set, a couple of Barbie dolls, a Hannah Montana UNO card game (another childhood birthday present), a Mr. Potato Head, and… oh, so many memories. We weren’t just buying toys, you know? We were buying future memories for children – who will hopefully carry those memories into their adult lives.

It felt good. It felt really, really good.

Hours later, I walked into a local donation center and asked if they accepted toys. One guy asked: “Depends on what condition they’re in.” I told him they were brand new, and his eyes lit up like *HE* was a kid on Christmas morning. The whole place was buzzing with excitement. We unloaded the toys and I thought to myself: “I’ve gotta make this a new Christmas tradition.” So, thank you Sears, for giving *ME* the gift of happiness.

But Wait, There’s More…

It’s time to share some of that happiness with some of you. Another contest is upon us (Official Rules). I’ve created three separate Sears gift bundles worth ~$500 apiece: LEGO Wonderland, Star Wars Smiles, and Family Game Night. These, much like the aforementioned shopping spree, were inspired by my own childhood Christmases. If you’d like to receive one of them, it’s super simple to qualify:

1. Leave a comment on this post with the bundle you desire (and why).
2. Post to your twitter account if you have one, making sure you include – #Sears @chrispirillo http://bit.ly/giftwish – and whichever bundle you desire in your tweet.
3. Make an entry in your own blog if you have one, making sure you link back to this particular post URL and mentioning which bundle you want (and why). I register most trackbacks after I’ve received at least one click from your permalink to mine.

You can enter once by commenting, once by twittering, AND once by posting in your own blog (that’s three chances to win what you want). The winner will be selected at random, mind you. So, which one of these gift bundles do you want most?

LEGO Wonderland

• 10 Cool Lego Mindstorms by Astolfo, David
• 10 Cool Lego Mindstorms Robotics Invention System 2 Projects by Ferrari, Mario
• Adjustable links with Mini Kinght
• Building Robots With Lego Mindstorms NXT by Astolfo, Dave
• Creator Stegosaurus
• Extreme NXT by Gasperi, Michael
• Forbidden Lego by Pilegaard, Ulrik
• Getting Started With Lego Trains by McKee, Jacob H.
• Gold Hunt
• Jetrax T6
• Jin Sato’s Lego Mindstorms by Sato, Jin
• Lego Mindstorms NXT-G Programming Guide by Kelly, James Floyd
• LEGO Star Wars: Ultimate Collectors AT-ST
• Police Headquarters
• Programming Lego Mindstorms NXT by Bishop, Owen

Star Wars Smiles

• Clone Wars Blaster Game
• Clone Wars Galactic Heroes: Trooper
• Han Solo Bobble-Head
• Mad About Star Wars by Bresman, Jonathan
• Millennium Falcon
• Mr. Potato Head: Star Wars – Artoo-Potatoo with Princess Tater Figure
• Robot Chicken: Star Wars
• Star Wars – The Best Of
• Star Wars Clone Trooper Helmet
• Star Wars Clone Wars Plug N Play Game
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia by Sansweet, Stephen J.
• The Rise and Fall of Darth Vader by Windham, Ryder

Family Game Night

• 1 vs. 100 DVD Game
• Baffle Gab
• Dance Maker Truth or Dare Mat and a Tote Bag
• Disney Villains Combo: Checkers and Tic Tac Toe
• Griddly Headz Racing Game
• Harry Potter Scene It? Game
• High School Musical 2 Deluxe Plug N Play TV Game
• Karaoke Pop Culture Hip Hop/R&B Vol. 1
• Monopoly Here and Now World
• No Brainer Board Game
• Rumis
• Sea Monster Board Game
• Tenjo Game
• Trapture
• Whac-A-Mole Tower
• WordSpot – Bookshelf Edition
• Yahtzee Free For All

For whatever it’s worth, I received the Millennium Falcon for Christmas when I was a kid – it was my very first Star Wars vehicle. I came close to buying it separately for myself, but couldn’t justify the expense (or figure out where to put it). My first LEGO kit was also a gift from Santa Claus.

I’ll also be using funds generated from this post to make further food bank deposits and donations to other charities. We’re all trying to make this a very Merry Christmas (Happy Holiday) for as many as possible.

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Our HP Magic Giveaway contest has officially ended, and we have chosen our winner. After many headaches and stresses during the contest period, it was all more than worth it when I called the winner live on the stream to congratulate her!!

I never thought it would be so difficult. We had several hundred entries sent in to us, and ended up editing nearly 170 of them to post. We also had to keep up with moderating the hundreds upon hundreds of comments to the posts. We then discovered at the end of the contest that there were discrepancies with the top few comment-receivers. You have no idea how boring and difficult it is to scan through IP addresses to check for proxies. However, after all of this… we have our winner!

I called up RoguePuppet to let her know she had won. I think I nearly gave her a heart attack. What a lovely woman she is. My assistant, Kat had tears in her eyes while listening to this call unfold, and notes that this made the entire past week worth the nightmares. RoguePuppet was just so sweet, happy and grateful to have won. She had written a few amazing blog posts her own blog that are well worth taking the time to read.

Her winning entry was excellent. She taught us how to eat well for less money… something that more people need to learn how to do. In today’s economy, eating out often just isn’t an option for most people anymore. Even the cost of buying groceries to cook at home has gotten to be difficult to manage for many.

I have to take a moment to thank Kat, Ryan and Jamie for helping me this past week. There’s no way I’d have made it through without their help. Their patience and humor made the job at hand much easier to manage, and of course… all the many hours of work they did just to make it all come together. You guys absolutely rock!!

Congratulations, RoguePuppet, and thank you HP and Microsoft for this Magical Giveaway.

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This is Galen’s submission for the HP Magic Giveaway. Feel free to leave comments for this article as you see fit – your feedback is certainly welcomed! If you’d like to submit your own how-to, what-is, or top-five list, you can send it to me. Views and opinions of this writer are not necessarily my own:

Who can’t use free stuff – especially in these economic times? I’ve been winning for over two years, and I’d like to tell you how to do the same thing. To show that I’m qualified to offer this advice: I’ve won concert tickets, a considerable amount of gift cards and cash cards ranging from $5 to $50, video games, DVDs, and a Nintendo Wii package complete with 3 extra games and an extra controller. This week, I even won a pricey gift basket of cleaning products (now let’s see if I can get around to using them). Over the past two years, I’ve won over $1000 in merchandise, and I’d like to pass on some step-by-step wisdom on how you can too.

• Join Online-Sweepstakes.com. There are other online databases, but OLS is by far the easiest to use, and it’s free to register. At any given time, they list between 6,000 and 9,000 sweepstakes. You can peruse the sweeps without registering, but if you want to save the ones you’re interested in and read notes posted by others, you’ll need to do so. If you want to get really serious, they offer a Premium membership at a relatively low cost that offers some additional features – and the ability to view a couple thousand they set aside. For a $15 investment, it’s worth a shot. I won my Wii about a month after getting upgraded. There’s also a nice forum where you can learn from others and share your wins with a very diverse community of posters.
• Windows users should download Roboform from Roboform.com. Sweepstakes generally require you to fill in several fields to enter – unless you really enjoy typing your address repeatedly, you’re going to want a program like this. It also saves passwords on a case-by-case basis, and it’s free to download.
• Get your feet wet. Explore OLS and start seeing what you’re interested in, entering as you go. You need to get a feel for it before you move to the next level If you’re a do-it-yourself type of person, the best way for you to learn is experience. Just remember the Sweepers Creed: “You’ve Got to Be In It to Win It”. The more sweepstakes you enter, the more likely you are to win.
• Strategize. Maybe you’re not the type to just jump in, or you’re ready to go deeper into this hobby. There are three main factors to consider when entering sweepstakes: (a) the type of prize, (b) the method of entry, and (c) the frequency of entry.
• First ask yourself: “What do I want to win?” If you’re looking for something specific, whether it be electronics, clothing, cars, or video games, you can narrow it down using the categories on the OLS front page. If you’re not looking for anything specific, you can start with the ones about to expire, or the ones with the most prizes or the biggest prizes.
• Consider how much effort and time you are willing to put into your new hobby. This is where the method and frequency of entry come into play. The most common method is filling out an online form, but others involve an essay, a photo, a recipe, trivia, or website membership – and many blogs are now doing giveaways which require posting a comment. Fewer people enter these because they involve more time, which makes your odds better if you do enter. At the same time, blogs rarely offer valuable prizes. You must determine a balance for yourself that includes what you want to win and how you want to go about that. I personally rarely enter sweepstakes that require more than a form or membership, with the exception of trivia sweeps for which other OLS community members conveniently post the answers.
• There’s a wide range of possible frequencies of entry, but the vast majority will be one-time, daily, weekly, or monthly. OLS’s system will separate them for you if you add them to your personal list so that you can enter them each period of entry. As with method, the most people and the least chances come with the one-time entry sweepstakes. However, if you are willing to take the time to come back and enter each day, you can increase your relative chances of winning compared to the average person who only enters the daily sweepstakes once.
• Register a separate email account. Many “sweepers” designate a specific email account for use only when entering sweepstakes. The vast majority of sweepstakes you will find on the OLS site are very respectable, and you will be able to designate whether you want to receive email from the sponsor. However, some do require that you sign up for a periodic newsletter to register for the sweepstakes. You can skip over these to prevent spam, but if you have a separate account this is no longer a concern. Also, a good amount of sweepstakes will send you a confirmation email when you enter, so you may not want those cluttering up your inbox.
• Wait for the wins to start rolling in. Eventually, you will win if you enter enough times, but it may take a while for the prizes to arrive. Sponsors have to choose a winner and then get around to shipping it out, so it may take anywhere form a week to six months after the sweepstakes ends before you know you’ve won. In the meantime, don’t give up – odds are on your side, and you’ll soon have an exciting prize.

Sweeping is a fun hobby, but don’t expect it to replace your normal job unless you have an abnormal amount of luck. If you do have the time to spare, it can be a much more fruitful form of entertainment than just watching TV, although these don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Just start at the beginning and see what happens. I’ll look forward to congratulating you on your wins in the OLS forums. Happy Sweeping!

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