Update 01/03: The promotion has had a limit of 2000 users which apparently was reached (see the comments to this post)
I have not spent the $100 I got from the previous promotion when it is time to get on a new one. :-) This is the best deal from Microsoft AdCenter I have seen so far.
Use promo code DM-2-1106 to open a new account before January 15, 2007 and get $200 in free ad clicks. The offer valid for new customers only (this usually means the email you use to sign-up should not already be in their database) and $5 initiation fee will apply.
A new trading site, HedgeStreet, is offering a 1GB iPod Shuffle to everyone who opens an account, funds it with $100 and makes at least one trade.
• Open an account online in minutes
• Fund with only $100
• Execute a Trade and Profit from correct insights
• Receive a Free iPod® shuffle™
• Receive No Trading Fees for 30 days!
HedgeStreet is not a usual stock broker. I suggest taking their online demo and signing up to the Mock Trader if you want to learn more about commodity futures trading.
If you just want to quickly make $100 then the sure bet would be to buy a very cheap features contract that has no real value (i.e. hedging against crud oil to go above $100) and be done with it.
The most interesting part however is that if you sign up and then refer a friend you will end up with two iPods — one for signing up and another one for the referral. Refer two more friends and you will get two $50 Amazon gift cards in addition. Now this is really a hot deal! Does anyone want me as a referral? ;-) Let me know and I will send you a referral code.
The offer expires December 29th, 2006. Official rules can be found here and here.
Since we are on the free telephony subject I want to mention another awesome free service that saves me $5-$10 every month — free directory assistance: 1-800-FREE-411 (or 1-888-FREE-411). The service seems to be the only one left. The competitors (411-SAVE and 411-METRO) are either struggling financially or have closed down.
How does it work and how can it stay free? It sounds like there are a few things involved.
First, the company attempts to trim costs on operators. Before you get to talk to a live operator you will have to say the city, state and name of the business to the computer. If you are not lucky (the name is not recognised after 2 attempts) you will have to wait around 10-20 seconds to be transferred to a live person.
Second, after they know your number they don’t tell it to you right away but first make you listen to a short advertising of some supposedly related business. The recording keeps naming the advertiser and asking you to “press 2 to get connected” during the call which I think is confusing since I am used to 411 service connecting me to the number I requested and not some different one.
Third, they will never forward your call to your number automatically. You have to write it down and dial manually. This helps the company save on long distance calls.
That is basically it. If you have the time and are willing to deal with the relative inconvenience of a free call to save you for a pack of bubble gum each time you dial 411 then add 1-800-FREE-411 to your phone book for quick dialing.
Just make sure you add FREE-411 and not 411-FREE. A call to the other number instead of saving may actually end up costing you a fortune. ;-)
It seems like a new IP telephony company announces launch every day and it is getting harder and harder to figure out how you can use each since every one has some features that competitors don't.
I have spent some time sorting out what I know and summarized my knowledge in this blog post. I didn't mean to cover all the possible features each service offers but rather to highlight the differences. I specifically made accent to cover the free functionality. Usually you can loosen the restrictions or get additional features if you subscribe to a premium plan or pay per feature.
Free PC to PC calls. Free PC to phone calls in the US until the end of 2006. Free teleconferencing for up to 5 people. Larger conference calls (Skypecasts) are also free but require prior registration via the website.
Once unlimited free PC to phone promotion is over, the only other feature that attracts me in Skype is teleconferencing (I use it for online gaming). In addition international plans from Skype (not free) is a good alternative when my regular provider is giving me hard time with voice quality. Skypecasts is something I would like to explore more but never have time.
You initiate a call from the web and then get a call back to continue the conversation via the phone. Free calls in the US and between some countries for registered members. Moble telephony is available for phones running Symbian OS or Java.
Free international calls is the most attractive functionality. Unfortunately the countries I call most often are not included. Read my detailed Jajah review here.
You get a local number and can register up to 3 of your phones to be dialed in a sequence when you receive a call. Unlimited inbound calling, 30 days of voice mail storage, on the fly conversation recording. In addition you get custom greetings and distinct rings but I never used them.
Typical usage: If I have a project that requires giving out a support number, I will get it from GrandCentral and register my and my partners' phones with it. This way if we get a call there will always be someone to answer.
You get a local number and a storage for up to 10,000 voice messages (500 per day limit). You can check your messages online or play them out via an embedded widget on your blog or website.
It is hard to find a good usage for this one since all the number does is it forwards the caller to your voice mail. Might use it for my eBay or CraigsList auctions to add credibility to my listings and provide a way to communicate with me for those who hate doing it online.
Currently in private beta and not publicly available. Reportedly will allow to embed a widget into your blog or website to allow everyone call you without knowing your real number.
I plan to use it at my blog as soon as the service becomes available. The idea of having people call me while reading my blog sounds appealing. If it doesn't work out that well -- I can always take down the widget. ;-)
In addition I use GoogleTalk for occasional PC to PC calls however Skype has really taken the place lately thanks to the conference calling feature which GoogleTalk doesn't have.
If you use these or other services and know more free telephony tips -- I would love to hear from you. Also make sure to take this poll.
If you are one of those die-hard gamers who camped out for hours and still failed to get a gaming console this holiday season — I have good news for you. The rumors that TechCrunch is spreading about Amazon to sell Wii and PS3 at retail price have partially come true. The old holiday promotion from Amazon is back with a new twist.
Go to this Amazon page, select the item you want: PS3 (20GB), PS3 (60GB), or Wii and click “Sign up” button for your chance to buy it on Tuesday, December 19 (you will need to come to the same page to find if you are the winner). Some new rules apply:
Your Amazon.com account must have been created no later than 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time) on December 11, 2006.
You need an authorized credit card on your account.
If selected, you are eligible to buy only the deal that you signed up for.
The vote ends the end of the day tomorrow so hurry up for your chance (how ridiculously it may sound) to buy a gaming console at retail price.
It may be a good idea to come and check back early. When I took part in the last week’s vote I came to check the page around 1am to find that I lost (as usually) and Amazon offered me a Swiss Army Knife for $2.99 shipped to compensate for the inconvenience (not that I particularly had any complains, but the knife came very handy). By the next day morning all knives were gone. :-(
