Giveaway Archives - Page 4 of 7

Giveaway Winner Catch-Up

January 8, 2011 TechyDad Giveaway

I’ve got a confession to make. I’ve been running giveaways and selecting winners. The winners have received their items. I even announced the winners on Twitter. But I neglected to announce them here. Bad, TechyDad! Bad! Well, here is where I play catch-up.

Nestle Butterfinger Snackerz Giveaway

This giveaway was won by Lethea Benson (Luvdaylillies on Twitter).

Mastermind Animal Towers Giveaway

This giveaway was won by one entrant but when they didn’t respond within 48 hours, I was forced to select a second winner. That lucky individual was Kelly Ann T. (cstironkat on Twitter).

WikiReader Giveaway

The winner here was Cheryl Wilson (HeartnSoulmom on Twitter).

Congrats to all of the winners! Also, remember to enter my current giveaway to win a $50 gift certificate to Eden Fantasys.

Giveaway: $50 Eden Fantasys Gift Certificate

January 6, 2011 TechyDad Eden Fantasys, Giveaway

Quick warning: Some of the links on this page might be considered not safe for work.

Stop me if you’ve heard this story before. A man and a woman are madly in love. They have a wonderful time in the bedroom (perhaps in other rooms as well). Then they get married and have children. Gradually, their bedroom antics become fewer and fewer. They turn from passion filled romps into scheduled sessions timed for the least interference of the kiddie kind.

The bad news is that this happens to far too many of us married folks. The good news is that it doesn’t need to be like this. Sometimes, all you need is to add a little spice to your relationship. And boy does Eden Fantasys have spice! You can go for the tamer items like massage oil or lingerie, or for some more adventurous gear. There is also a whole community of people at Eden Fantasys, so be sure to stop by their forums.

Thanks to Eden Fantasys, one lucky winner will receive a $50 gift certificate. To enter, simply leave a comment below answering this question: What type of product would you buy from Eden Fantasys with $50?

Update: It has come to my attention that some people might feel uncomfortable answering this question. That’s fair enough. So you can either answer the question above or this alternative question: What do you do to keep your relationship from falling into a rut?

You can also earn bonus entries by doing any (or all) of the following items. Just be sure to leave a separate comment for each item that you complete. (Don’t just leave one comment listing everything you did.)

Follow @TechyDad on Twitter. (1 bonus entry)
Follow @EdenFantasys on Twitter. (1 bonus entry)
Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter. Be sure to include @TechyDad, @EdenFantasys and a link to this post in the Tweet. (1 bonus entry per day) For example: Add some spice in your relationship. Win $50 for @EdenFantasys from @TechyDad http://bit.ly/fxCCpR #Giveaway
Subscribe to my RSS feed or let me know if you already are. (1 bonus entry)
Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway posts from December/January. Leave a comment here letting me know which post you commented on. (1 bonus entry per comment, maximum 3 entries)
Write a post on your blog linking to this giveaway. Leave 3 comments about this to get credit for all of your extra entries. (3 bonus entries)

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. Contest starts today, January 6th and ends at Noon EST on January 20th, 2011. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. This giveaway is open to any place in the world that Eden Fantasys ships, which is the entire world!

Disclosure: I was provided with a gift certificate to Eden Fantasys for running this giveaway. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed above are my own.

WikiReader Review and Giveaway

December 21, 2010 TechyDad Giveaway, Review, Technology

When I first heard about the WikiReader, I was intrigued. Being able to browse Wikipedia locally, without any Internet access needed? That could be very useful. Of course, I was very excited when I got the chance to review it.

My first impression was that the WikiReader was small. Very small.

It doesn’t really need to be that big, though. The whole purpose is to be a portable reference source. Turning it on, I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it is to use. There are only four buttons: Search, History, Random and Power (located on the top of the device). The rest of the functionality is handled by the touch-screen. You type out search terms on the virtual keyboard, select interesting items, follow links and more by touching the screen in the appropriate spots. Scrolling is accomplished by pressing your finger down and moving up or down.

Of course, as a reference work, Wikipedia is always being updated. So if WikiReader just shipped Wikipedia as it existed at ship-time and didn’t give any means of updating, it would quickly become useless. Luckily, there are two methods of updating. Both involve the tiny memory card stored within WikiReader.

Yes, that tiny thing stores all of Wikipedia and more (which I’ll discuss soon). The first update method is to pay $29 and receive two cards per year delivered to your home. Pop out the old card, pop in the new card and you’re all set. You can keep the old cards for use in other devices that use microSD cards.

The second update method is to install their free update application. When you’re ready to update, pop the microSD card out of the WikiReader, connect it to your PC (via a card reader and/or adapter of some sort, both readily available from various stores) and run the update program. These updates happen once per quarter so you’ll get four updates per year.

Now, for the “and more” from before. If the WikiReader just stored Wikipedia, it would be useful, but they’re not content to rest on their laurels. They also include Wiktionary (an online dictionary), Wikiquotes (a quotes database) and, most recently, 33,000 books from Project Gutenberg. A warning about that last one, though, it requires a 16GB microSD card. These can be purchased for $25 or so from places such as NewEgg. I haven’t actually had a chance to test the Project Gutenberg books (I meant to temporarily remove Wikipedia and load on Gutenberg, but I’ve been busy dealing with my photo disaster.) I must say, though, that before the announcement I had wondered about getting the Project Gutenberg books on there.

For all of its strengths, there are tradeoffs, though. You won’t be getting any of the images that appear on Wikipedia. Neither will you get any text that was formatted in tables. On one hand, it cuts down on the amount of data you need to store and makes it easier to display. On the other hand, this can leave gaps in the Wikipedia reference material. It also only searches Wikipedia titles, not the full text. This last part might be fixable, though, considering that the code that the device runs on is open source.

Of course, I’m sure that some people are wondering “Why don’t I just use my laptop/iPhone/iPad/Smart Phone/etc to access Wikipedia.com and get the latest versions with photos and everything?” Yes, you *can* do that, but that assumes that you have Internet access. Many smart phone plans either cap you or force you to pay per byte. Accessing Wikipedia constantly can run up your charges. Booting a laptop can also take awhile versus the sub-second boot time of WikiReader. There are times when I’d use my laptop (or smart phone if I had one) and times when I’d use WikiReader.

The other advantage is with children. NHL took to the WikiReader instantly and was looking up article after article. I didn’t need to worry about him wandering onto a different website that I didn’t approve of: He was “stuck” on Wikipedia. There are also parental controls available, but I didn’t test these out.

WikiReader can be purchased for $99 from TheWikiReader.com or it can be had for free from here if you win my…

Giveaway:

Thanks to Openmoko, makers of the WikiReader, one lucky winner will receive a WikiReader. To enter, simply leave a comment below answering this question: What topics do you look up on Wikipedia?

Follow @TechyDad on Twitter. (1 bonus entry)
Follow @wikireader on Twitter. (1 bonus entry)
Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter. Be sure to include @TechyDad, @WikiReader and a link to this post in the Tweet. (1 bonus entry per day) For example: Want to read Wikipedia, Project Gutenberg & more on the go? Win a @WikiReader from @TechyDad http://bit.ly/eQPg6P #Giveaway
Subscribe to my RSS feed or let me know if you already are. (1 bonus entry)
Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway posts from November/December. Leave a comment here letting me know which post you commented on. (1 bonus entry per comment, maximum 3 entries)
Write a post on your blog linking to this giveaway. Leave 3 comments about this to get credit for all of your extra entries. (3 bonus entries)

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. Contest starts today, December 21st and ends at Noon EST on January 6th, 2010. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to U.S. only.

Disclosure: I was given a WikiReader for free to review by Openmoko. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed above are my own. Openmoko is also providing the giveaway item to my readers.

Mastermind Animal Towers Review and Giveaway

November 4, 2010 TechyDad Fun, Giveaway, Review

I love playing board games with my kids. Unfortunately, too many games rely solely on luck to win. Did the spinner land on 3? Did the die roll go your way? Did the card you just drew match what you needed? Thankfully, there are games out there that depend on brainpower instead of luck. Mastermind Animal Towers is one of these games.

In the “grown-up” version of Mastermind, one person is the code maker and one person is the code breaker. The code maker chooses 4 pegs out of 6 possible colors and arranges them in a spot hidden from the code breaker. The code breaker then tries to guess the code in 10 attempts or less given the minimal information of how many pegs were the correct color and how many were in the correct spot. (Specific information like “Green is in the right spot” isn’t given.) Obviously, this takes a keen mind to figure out. Simply tossing pegs onto the board and hoping luck will be with you isn’t a winning strategy here.

The same is true for Mastermind Animal Towers. Of course, the game play is simplified for kids. In this version, both players are code makers and code breakers. You each get a series of tiles with animals on them and a “tower” to put the animals in. When the animals are in the tower, the opposing player can’t see them. Both players also get a second set of tiles representing their opponent’s animals.

Play involves trying to figure out just how your opponent has stacked his or her animals. You ask “above or below” questions such as “Is the Lion above the Giraffe?” As your opponent answers your questions, your estimation of their tower becomes more and more accurate until you guess it correctly. Of course, your opponent is also asking questions and trying to guess how your tower is arranged and will try to win by guessing correctly before you.

During a family get together, NHL played this game against me and some other family members. He immediately got the concept and went right to work trying to guess the arrangements. While he wasn’t always successful (my training in computer science led me to use an effective sorting technique for my guesses), he did have a lot of fun. Even JSL and his cousin S, both of whom were too young to really understand how to play the game, had fun pretending to play or helping out (e.g. helping to choose my initial tower arrangement). This is definitely a game that I would recommend to help build your child’s problem solving skills.

Giveaway:

Thanks to Pressman Toys, one lucky winner will receive Mastermind Animal Towers. To enter, simply leave a comment below answering this question: What board games do you like playing with your children or did you play growing up?

Follow @TechyDad on Twitter. (1 bonus entry)
Follow @MASTERMINDgame on Twitter. (1 bonus entry)
Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter. Be sure to include @TechyDad, @MASTERMINDgame and a link to this post in the Tweet. (1 bonus entry per day) For example: Play more board games with your kids! Win Mastermind Animal Towers from @TechyDad and @MASTERMINDgame. http://bit.ly/bPSskL #Giveaway
Subscribe to my RSS feed or let me know if you already are. (1 bonus entry)
Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway posts from October/November. Leave a comment here letting me know which post you commented on. (1 bonus entry per comment, maximum 3 entries)
Write a post on your blog linking to this giveaway. Leave 3 comments about this to get credit for all of your extra entries. (3 bonus entries)

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. Contest starts today, November 4th and ends at Noon EST on November 18th, 2010. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to U.S. only.

Disclosure: I was given this game by Pressman Toy for free to review and I get to keep the game at the end of my review period. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed above are my own. Pressman Toy is also providing the giveaway item to my readers.

Nestle Butterfinger Snackerz Review and Giveaway

October 14, 2010 TechyDad Food, Giveaway, Review

It’s no secret that I love candy. Specifically, I love nearly anything with chocolate in it. So, when I spotted the Butterfinger booth at BlogHer, I was intrigued. They were handing out samples of their newest product: Butterfinger Snackerz. Of course, I had to try them. To quote those Bart Simpson commercials, they were crispedy, crunchedy and peanut buttery. (All great things in a candy.) We brought a couple of packages back from BlogHer for the boys. Of course, they both loved them. (The only thing they didn’t like about them was that we didn’t have more!)

A nice thing about the Snackerz, versus a full-sized candy bar, was that we could pick up the smaller, bite-sized pieces instead of holding onto a full-sized bar. It also meant that one package could be divided up more evenly between two boys. No fighting over “his half is bigger!”

These will definitely be among our top candy choices when we go shopping for a sweet treat for the boys (or ourselves).

Giveaway:

Thanks to Nestle, one lucky winner will receive either four fun size bags of Butterfinger Snackerz (16 pouches inside) or 2 boxes of full size pouches (24 pouches inside) – depending on product availability. To enter, simply leave a comment below answering this question: What types of candy were your favorites to get during Halloween when you were a child?

Follow @TechyDad on Twitter. (1 bonus entry)
Follow @ButterfingerMmm on Twitter. (1 bonus entry)
Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter. Be sure to include @TechyDad, @ButterfingerMmm and a link to this post in the Tweet. (1 bonus entry per day) For example: Win Nestle Butterfinger Snackerz in time for Halloween from @TechyDad and @ButterfingerMmm. http://bit.ly/cSSZaG #Giveaway
Subscribe to my RSS feed or let me know if you already are. (1 bonus entry)
Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway posts from September/October. Leave a comment here letting me know which post you commented on. (1 bonus entry per comment, maximum 3 entries)
Write a post on your blog linking to this giveaway. Leave 3 comments about this to get credit for all of your extra entries. (3 bonus entries)

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. Contest starts today, October 14th and ends at Noon EST on October 21st, 2010. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to U.S. only.

Disclosure: I received a free fun sized bag of Butterfinger Snackerz complimentary of Nestle in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed above are my own. Nestle is also providing the giveaway item to my readers.

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