Ever wanted to be a presenter on Sports Center. Probably not. I mean really; how often does that dream cross your mind. However you may just be in with a shot of fulfilling the dream (whether or not you have it) with StarCommentator.com. Basically it’s a collaboration between ESPN and the popular video calling service Skype. Users use a video record function embedded on the site and their webcam to record a quick audition specific to the sport they want to present on the show.
Users must first go to www.starcommentator.com and click ‘Audition’. Then you choose from tonnes of different sports such as Football, Formula One and cricket. When auditioning, you read a small script about the sport from an online tele-prompter above the video recording screen. The contest organizers will then review the submissions. And even if you suck you might as well still enter because they’re giving away a tuck load of booty as seen below.
National Novel Writing Month is due to begin on November the first. Basically, it’s a 30 day event which poses a challenge for writers to write a 50,000 page novel in just thirty days – no easy task. That roughly translates into over 1,600 words per day for thirty days on the trot – all of a high quality.
The online community that is hosting the event is NaNoWriMo.org. Basically, it’s a kind of social networking site for all of the participants of the challenge. There is a counter on the homepage which counts how many words have been written so far. You also have your own personal counter on your own page which you’re supposed to update every time you make an addition to your work. The thinking behind all of this is to keep you motivated by graphical illustrations of your progress and comparison of your progress against other writers.
Other features on the site include a community forum, widgets and free downloads such as inspirational wallpapers along with plenty of help and advice from seasoned writers.
Yours truly will be partaking in the challenge also. But I’ll have the added handicap of having to blog about my experiences before, during and after the 30 day which I’m starting today on a new blog I created especially for the occasion right here.
If you’ve always wanted to write that novel of yours, November 1st to the 30th is the time to do it with the help of wwwNaNoWriMo.org
Marketing in Microsoft has always been a strong area (I think it is the main reason that Microsoft is Microsoft today) and they do not hesitate to go a little further every time. This time: Presenting Windows 7 Steve Ballmer’s Edition.
Well it is not exactly what you may think; it does not have special “Ballmer features”, or using only desktop backgrounds with Microsoft’s CEO. But what it does have is a special box edition with Ballmer’s signature.
The lucky ones that will receive this package are those that are throwing a Windows 7 party (we’ve discussed this earlier). But here’s an interesting story published by ArsTechnica: A very enthusiast Windows user sent an e-mail to Microsoft complaining that even though he completed the registration to Windows 7 party, no Caribbean countries were eligible to use it. So the company in response, sent the Windows 7 with Ballmer’s signature and the Windows 7 Party Kit.
I’m pretty sure that once this story hit public, a million complains were received from Microsoft. But still, sounds good to me that the company is trying to reward those enthusiast that are trying to help Windows 7 marketing, even though they participate in a contest or not.
With the arrival of Windows 7, Microsoft is trying to come down hard with all the marketing. So far, the new operating system has not failed to them in their expectations, end users are very pleased with the look-n-feel and the performance (even from the first public beta). That’s why they want to get all the people that they can to try the OS; and in the UK they had a great idea: Put together a launch party of Windows 7 and you’ll get a Windows 7 Ultimate for free (original cost u$s319,99 and the upgrade version u$s219,99).
So what’s the idea with this launch party? Basically you’ll need everything that you ordinary need organizing a party, invite friends, handling RSVPs, and in this case you’ll get the chance to interact with other organizers, blog your experience, share photos and videos, etc; all of that focused in one product: Windows 7. And your friends at the party can look like this (yes, the amazed faces included):
To participate, you only need to sign up (free registration), choose a party theme from PhotoPalooza, Media Mania, Setting up with Ease, and Family Friendly Fun and HouseParty host will guide you through the entire process.
Admob – AdMob is the world’s largest mobile advertising marketplace, offering solutions for discovery, branding and monetization on the mobile web. Mobile devices are a critical media platform and we are building the tools to let every business on earth leverage mobile.
Jumptap – Jumptap leverages its mobile search technology and operator relationships to deliver advanced targeting intelligence for advertisers seeking the highest return on their ad spend. Our network of premium mobile sites combines high quality content with targeted advertising to create an experience that appeals to the mobile consumer.
Google Adsense – Google Adsense has to be the world most well known and popular advertising networks for publishers. Google offers their Adsense solution now for mobile devices. The ads are majority CPC but have also some limited CPM campaigns.
Third Screen Media – Third Screen Media is Platform-A’s mobile ad-serving platform and network that enables advertising on mobile devices. Its mobile solutions link advertisers, publishers and carriers on a common platform to buy and sell mobile advertising. Offering one of the world’s most-respected mobile advertising networks, Third Screen Media offers best-in-class content, including AOL’s popular consumer brands and mobile applications; the largest availability of carrier on-deck mobile inventory; and a mobile network of more than 70 premium publishers representing 100+ sites.
Finally, a reward for having a messy, out of control computer desk or Home Theater setup in your home. IOGEAR is running a fantastic give away that will help you get your rat’s nest of a cable pile-up under control with their award winning prizes.
We’ve all been there, doing an un-boxing of shiny new tech gadgets, so excited to get them plugged in and hooked up that the cables just get thrown everywhere, only to add more stuff to the pile as the weeks go on, never making time to organize and put into order the slew of cables connecting everything.
The unsightly ball of cables under your computer desk or draping between your TV and components not only looks bad; it makes tracking down problems or doing upgrades very difficult. IOGEAR has a great line of products to help reduce and eliminate these cluttered cables and are giving them away to your un-organized, messy self!
The contest is easy. Take a photo of your current setup and describe how these IOGEAR products would help improve your quality of life.
First place is the Wireless USB to VGA Kit (valued at $209.95) that allows you to connect your laptop to your monitor (or TV) with no cables. Hello streaming Internet media made easy!
Second place is a USB Laptop KVM Switch (valued at $99.95) that will allow you to connect your laptop or netbook with your desktop computer and transfer files seamlessly. Great for netbook users who want to use a larger screen or need to move files off their smaller hard drives.
Third place is IOGEAR’s Wireless Desktop Keyboard and Mouse (valued at $59.95) – a no brainer for eliminating cables from any desktop. The sleek keyboard features hotkeys for launching specific applications and the mouse comes with a charging cradle.
Get the full details and submit your photos on the IOGEAR blog here. Hurry, the deadline is April 30, 2009.
In a recent article on the AppleInsider, Apple’s iPhone has outsold the competition in Quarter 4 of 2008. What a way to end the year right? The nearest competitor would be the Android phone which made a splash late 2008 with its amazing interface and design. Many pundits thought that Android would surely topple the mobile phone giant, offering customers a suitable choice in what had been an Apple dominated market.
In the report it was stated that the iPhone outsold Android 6-to-1, which many would consider a slaughter. No doubt Apple had a stellar 4th Quarter, but is Android really the iPhone killer or is this premature celebration?
Reports from Morgan Stanley explain reasons for the massive gap in sales between the two competitors. Noted in the report was Apple’s full use of the quarter with an existing brand that has proven itself in the cell phone market. Morgan Stanley also reports that established 3G network encouraged sales as opposed to T-Mobile’s faster network which only truly hits 25 major coverage areas versus 3G’s over 300 major coverage areas.
Apple also enjoys global mass appeal in over 70 countries while Android was only available in the UK at launch. So with all this said, it’s obvious why the iPhone outsold Android, and to say that it has dominated Android would be misleading.
You can read the full article on Morgan Stanley’s findings here for a further breakdown on the difference between the two companies.
So share your thoughts in the comments below. Do you have an Android mobile? I’d like to hear from both sides about your take on the mobile market.
Crenk is looking towards building a solid community of fans who not only provide us a sense of community around Crenk, but also have an opportunity to share their thoughts on some of our stories, and interact with other fans of Crenk.
The reason Crenk continues to go on is because of all of our loyal readers. Those new to Crenk are just as important and we welcome you and hope you leave your feedback. No site can stand alone, but together we can share ideas, innovation, and progressive thinking.
That being said, here’s what Crenk is looking for. All of you out there are amazing, smart, and techy people no doubt, otherwise you wouldn’t be here. Share your story with us and show us your stuff. We’re looking for two things!
1. Send in a video or photo of all of your tech. Lay in a bed with it, sit in a chair with it, lay it out on a table and put yourself in it. Hell stand in a tech store and take a photo of all the stuff you want around you. We want to know what our fans are using, loving, and wanting to share with others.
2. We also want readers of our site to share their thoughts on stories. Send a quick video of your thoughts on articles posted on Crenk. No censorship as long as all videos are in good taste and profanity is used when appropriate. Otherwise, share your thoughts good or bad, and if you’d like, predict the future and let us know what you see in the future for a specific topic, product or brand.
Crenk’s Facebook Page just went live, so make sure to upload your files there, and we the staff of Crenk will be reviewing them. Could there be future benefits involved? Hmmmm…good question…what do you think?
The Weblog Awards are the world’s largest blog competition with over half a million votes cast in 2007 edition. Now the 2008 Weblog Awards are open for public nominations in 48 categories and you can start suggesting worthy blogs.
You can nominate your favorite blog in various categories. Since nomination categories are arranged like posts, you need to leave a comment on the award category with name of blog, the blog URL and RSS/Atom feed url (if possible). All anonymous comments will eventually be posted, but authenticated comments will be published immediately.
It would be appreciated if you could head over to The 2008 Weblog Awards and nominate Crenk!
I thought I would run a little experiment here on Crenk, and actually try to predict which sites will be included in this years Webware 100.
If you have any thoughts on my predictions or even better if you want to challenge me on actually getting the highest amount of correct predictions, then please either leave a comment or contact me direct. Anyone who is interested in the challenge please comment and im willing to give out some free promotion to anyone who beats me, so name your terms!
Anyways, without further adieu here are my predictions.
Voting is now open for the Webware 100. This is one of web awards that actually means something. You can head here and cast your votes. There are 10 categories looking for votes:
Ever wanted to be a presenter on Sports Center. Probably not. I mean really; how often does that dream cross your mind. However you may just be in with a shot of fulfilling the dream (whether or not you have it) with StarCommentator.com. Basically it’s a collaboration between ESPN and the popular video calling service Skype. Users use a video record function embedded on the site and their webcam to record a quick audition specific to the sport they want to present on the show.
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I thought I would run a little experiment here on Crenk, and actually try to predict which sites will be included in this years 
