How to Have the Worst Blog Contest Ever

This is the first submission we’ve received for our “How to” contest.  It is titled: “How To Have The Worst Blog Contest Ever.” You’d think the guy is making fun of us – but not really.  Read the article, and you’ll understand. 

Article from Brian Aldrich at The Prize Blog:

Blogging competitions are becoming more commonplace these days. Having a contest can often lead to increased popularity and not to mention it will help you build a better blog reputation. But it is not easy to have a successful blog contest that has easy marketability. Focusing on the negative may help you understand the do’s and don’ts of having a blogging competition. So listen up bloggers, if you want your contest to fail miserably – keep the following ideas in mind.

First, do not give away any cool prizes like electronics, unique logo designs or even cash. You should just look around your house and I am more than sure you will find something every blogger would want. If that fails, there is a little place we bloggers call the dollar store. It does not matter what the prize is, people really do not care too much about the prizes anyway – people enter contests for the experience. You could also just promise a prize and then simply not give one away, nobody will know.

Second, make your contest as hard to enter as possible. Any people who decide to enter should be required to write about how great you are. Maybe make them post a photo of you or a quiz about your blog. Also, please do not be shy to sell extra contest entries to people directly through PayPal… now that is classy.

Third, at the end of the day it is your blog contest and you can change it whenever you feel like it. If you want to change the competition end date, prize offer or any other specific contest information for that matter, you should just go ahead and do it. Nobody will ever care, especially considering how most bloggers are naturally simple-minded and really would not notice any changes like that.



Amazon launches DRM-free music store

Amazon MP3It’s about time a major name in the world of online merchants started selling DRM-free music! Amazon MP3, a division of Amazon.com, just launched, and so far, the service looks very promising.

The store already offers 2 million titles, and as its name implies, the songs are in MP3 format. Amazon MP3 media files are not protected by DRM, so users can play them on any media player they wish, and copy and share them at will.

Music tracks currently sell for $0.89 and $0.99, and albums go for either $5.99 or $9.99

My guess is that with this new service, Amazon is trying to directly compete with iTunes, the number one online music store on the net. iTunes currently has around 70 percent of the online song market in the United States, but I’m sure Amazon MP3 will bring that percentage down a bit.

Listen through walls with the high-tech spy stethoscope

We’ve all seen this in movies: Spies and private detectives using special devices to listen through walls. A few weeks ago, I posted about a Laser Espionage Microphone, and today, I’ll show you how you can make a high-tech spy stethoscope for under $25. All you need is:

  • A cheap stethoscope
  • A pair of multimedia microphones




Apple looks to end iPhone hacking

Apple has declared war against “unlocked” iPhones. Why? Because according to the company, the unlocking software used to open the phones damages them permanently, rendering them useless when future software updates will be pushed to the devices.

This is the first time Apple warned those considering opening their iPhone since the unlocking software started coming out several weeks ago.

The iPhone Dev Team, a group that freely distributes an unlocking tool, have responded Monday on CNN.com, saying that their application “does not cause ‘damage’ as they (Apple) wants us to believe.”

According to the group, hundreds of thousands of iPhone owners have already downloaded the software, and “that number continues growing every day.”

Is there anyone among you that has an unlocked iPhone? If so, what is your reaction to this news?

Drooling over Assassin’s Creed

Assassin's Creed

I’ve been impatiently waiting for this game to come out for the past year, and fortunately, I won’t have to wait too long before the release date, which is set to be on November 13th. Assassin’s Creed will be released on all major gaming platforms and promises to be one of the best games ever created. I’ve added a bunch of videos after the jump, just to whet your appetite.

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Where does money really come from?

This is an informative and easy to understand documentary explaining how the financial system works.  The video lasts an hour and is well worth watching.  Take at least a few minutes of your time to watch the first part – if the subject doesn’t catch your interest, at least you’ll know how the basics work. Videos after the break.
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How to set up your computer ergonomically

How to set up your workstation ergonomicallyFirst, the science of ergonomics can be defined as, “the practice of optimizing the posture and positioning of the human body in relation with its environment.” Having a good, ergonomic workstation is especially important for office workers. Sitting down in front of a computer all day is not very good for the body, so in order to minimize the effects of our work environment, we definitely want to set up correctly.

When I stumbled on this great, online tool this morning, I immediately thought of all of you guys that are stuck in front of computer monitors for most of the day. If linking to this means a few of you escape a future visit to the Doc, I’ll have done my share of good deeds for the year.

“Follow the three steps below when planning your workstation. The values displayed will help you place your equipment for optimum ergonomic comfort.”


Make Your Workstation Fit You