Crenk » Contests

Star Commentator: Present Sports Center on ESPN

Dean Sherwin — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:30:48 +0000

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.

Check it out at www.starcommentator.com

NaNoWriMo.org: Get that novel done in thirty days

Dean Sherwin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:20:44 +0000

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

Windows 7 Steve Ballmer’s Edition

Augusto Alvarez — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 19:44:37 +0000

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.

Original story in sutffiwrote

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.

Organize a Launch Party and Get a Windows 7 for Free

Augusto Alvarez — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:18:06 +0000

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.

Top Mobile Ad Networks

Steven Finch — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 14:12:59 +0000

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.

Get Clean and Win Prizes?

Mike Panic — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 08:45:43 +0000

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.

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Apple iPhone Outsells Android, King of Mobile Phones?

Luis Sandoval — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 21:16:28 +0000

: Image via CrunchBase

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 Wants You to Show Your Stuff!

Luis Sandoval — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 23:18:58 +0000

: Image via CrunchBase, source unknown

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?

Have fun!

The 2008 Weblog Awards Are Now Open!

Steven Finch — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 11:02:02 +0000

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!

Random Posts

Webware 100: Who Im Voting For: Come Challenge Me

Steven Finch — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:46:56 +0000

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.

Audio

Browsing

Commerce and Events

Communication

Productivity

Publishing and Photography

Search and Reference

Social

Utility and Security

Video

Webware 100 Voting Is Now Live

Steven Finch — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 22:43:30 +0000

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:

Audio: Music, podcasts, audiobooks.
Browsing: Browsers, start pages, RSS readers, widgets, runtime engines.
Commerce and events: Retail, auctions, travel, real estate, concerts, conferences.
Communications: E-mail, chat, voice.
Productivity: App suites, to-do lists, groupware.
Publishing and photography: Blogging, content management, photo sites.
Search and Reference: Search engines, encyclopedias, mapping.
Social: Social networking, family sites, recommendations, online worlds, contests.
Utility and Security: Infrastructure providers, storage, online protection.
Video: Video storage, playback, streaming, editing, and animation.

I will be discussing my votes in the coming week or so.

Entrecard Competition Has Finished. Here Are The Winners

Steven Finch — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:48:16 +0000

Winners (250 Entrecard Credits Each)

I would just like to thank everyone who entered. This competition was quite successful and I look forward to doing a lot more in the near future.

Entrants included:

Final Days For Our Entrecard Competition

Steven Finch — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:23:23 +0000

Our Entrecard competition is finishing tomorrow, so make sure you head over and check it out now. Everyone wins in this competition, because all entries receive a link back to their site.

Entrecard Competition for 500 Credits!!

Steven Finch — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 11:29:20 +0000

The nice people over at Entrecard have provide me with 500 Entrecard Credits to give away. Entrecard is currently seen on some of the internets best sites, such as John Chow, Problogger, Adii, Tyler Cruz and more. These credits can get you advertising on all of these sites at the same time.

Whats on offer:

500 Credits for Entrecard that will be split into 2 winners. 250 each.

How to Enter:

Subscribe to our RSS Feed.
Leave a comment saying your subscribed.

Competition Ends:

31st January at Midnight GMT

Winners Announced:

There will be a winners post here on Crenk a few days after the 1st February, and both winners will receive a link back to their site. Additionally, if you enter i will also offer a link back to your site.

Thats it! How easy is that. Enjoy

Crunchies 2007 Have No Been and Gone

Steven Finch — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 21:22:19 +0000

The Crunchies happened last night and here are the winners. All this information has been pulled straight from Techcrunch, so make sure you head over there to see some of the after party, etc.

The ceremony went (mostly) smoothly with a couple of surprises amongst the results. For a full list of nominees, visit the Crunchies 2007 portal here.

Without further ado, the winners of this yearâ€™s Crunchies awards are:

Best technology innovation/achievement: Earthmine
Best bootstrapped startup: Techmeme
Best new gadget/device: iPhone
Best business model: Zazzle
Best design: SmugMug
Best enterprise startup: Zoho
Best consumer startup: Meebo
Best mobile startup: Twitter
Best international startup: Netvibes
Best user-generated content: Digg
Best video site: Hulu
Best use of viral marketing: StumbleUpon
Best clean tech startup: Tesla Motors
Best time sink site: Kongregate
Most likely to make the world a better place: DonorsChoose
Most likely to succeed: WordPress
Best startup founder: Mark Zuckerberg
Best startup CEO: Toni Schneider
Best new startup of 2007: iMedix
Best overall: Facebook

Aductions Launches $1000 “My Experience” Review Competition

Steven Finch — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:08:30 +0000

Aductions is launching a “My Experience” competition that offers up to $1000 cash to 7 winners every month.

Top Prize – $500 – eligible after at least 50 reviews
2nd Place – $300 – eligible after at least 30 reviews
3rd Place – $100 – eligible after at least 15 reviews
4 Runner Ups – $25 each

All you have to do is review or blog about your experience on the Aductions Platform.

Requirements:

Write an objective review on your blog or website about the Aductions Advertising Platform.
Reviews should be in English, and must contain a minimum of 300 words, and at least one link to the Aductions website.
To submit your review in the appropriate discussion in the Competitions category of the Aductions Forum. For example, for the January 2008 competition, post your link in the discussion entitled “January 2008 Review Competition – Submit Links Here“.
You should maintain an Aductions ad space on your blog or website throughout the competition.
You should have a PayPal account to which your winnings can be sent.

The competition ends on the last day of every month. If the top prize isn’t won, it will increase by 10% in the subsequent month.

In all cases, the winners will be announced on the Aductions Forum within 7 days.

Random Posts

2008 Weblog Awards: Nominations

Steven Finch — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 09:37:40 +0000

With so many blog awards out there these days, are there any actually worth winning? Well if there is one that stands out, it has to be the Weblog Awards (Bloggies).Â If you think Crenk is actually worth of one of these great awards, please head over to the site and put in your nominations, it would be greatly appreciated.

4th International Blog Cup

Steven Finch — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 00:32:26 +0000

Crenk has been nominated for the 4th International Blog Cup.

If you would like to help Crenk win the event. Please head over to http://iblogcup.com.

Thanks

Open Web Awards: Final Winners Announced!

Steven Finch — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 07:26:59 +0000

The voting in the first ever Open Web Awards is over and Vizu has validated the results. We look forward to meeting all the winners and nominees at the Open Web Awards live event on January 10th at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. A final thanks to our blog partners, sponsors and most importantly everyone who nominated and voted – in excess of 250,000 votes and nominations were cast!

PEOPLEâ€™S CHOICE

Without further ado, here are the 13 winners in each respective category of the Peopleâ€™s Choice component of the awards. These were nominated and voted on by readers of Mashable and partner blogs.

Mainstream and Large Social Networks

Applications and Widgets

Social News and Social Bookmarking

Social Search

Sports and Fitness

Photo Sharing

Video Sharing

Start Pages

Places and Events

Music

Social Shopping

Mobile

Niche and Miscellaneous Social Networks

Open Web Awards: Judgeâ€™s Choice Winners Announced

Steven Finch — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 05:09:03 +0000

The first ever Open Web Awards voting is almost over. The polls officially close tonight at 8:59 PM PST. In order for us and Vizu to verify the votes, we will be announcing our winners on Friday afternoon.

However, I am proud to announce that behind the scenes the judges (our 30 blog partners) have also been casting their own votes, and without further ado, we are announcing the winners who will be receiving the first ever Open Web Awards at our event on January 10th at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.

Here are the 13 winners in each respective category of the Judgeâ€™s Choice component of the awards:

Mainstream and Large Social Networks

Applications and Widgets

Social News and Social Bookmarking

Social Search

Sports and Fitness

Photo Sharing

Video Sharing

Start Pages

Places and Events

Music

Social Shopping

Mobile

Niche and Miscellaneous Social Networks

Congratulations to all of the winners!

Once again, a thank you to our sponsors:

Reddit.com – Reddit.com is a social news aggregation website where readers, not editors, determine the top stories.

WIRED – WIRED is the first word on technology, exploring how ideas fueled by innovation change the world.

Cohn and Wolfe – Our PR partner and co-producer.

Quintura – Quintura makes you control your web search. You will find what you want as quickly as possible.

RetailMeNot – The RetailMeNot.com community saves you money by sharing 50,000+ coupon codes for 10,000+ stores.

Streakr – Discover more of the web you love together with Streakr.com

A Big Thanks to Our Blog Partners

Techdirt
/Message
Blognation
Andy Beard
Collective Thoughts
Gadgetell
Watch Mojo
How to Split an Atom
Luca Filigheddu.com
Marketing Pilgrim
Pulse 2.0
ParisLemon
UnBlogged (Spanish)
Stuff We Like
Kineda
Crenk
WebAppers
RotorBlog
Small Business Trends
Skype Journal
BuzzMag (Czech)
Disruptive Conversations
Akimoto@CybozuLabs (Japanese)
BlogOnExpo
Under the Radar
Alarm:Clock
901am
LiewCF
Social Networking Watch
Download Squad

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Please Help Me Get A Blog Award Nomination

Steven Finch — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 02:06:28 +0000

We are in award season once again and since my blog has only been running for the past 3 months it will be hard for me to get the best blog of the year awards. haha. However, I was hoping for some nominations around the place. Here are the Performancing Blog Awards. I was hoping for some nominations so can someone please help me out. I will keep an eye on these awards and if someone does help me get a nomination i will write a very nice thank you post. Please help!

Random Posts

Open Web Awards: Final Round: Last Part

Steven Finch — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:01:25 +0000

Category:
Places and Events

Sponsors:
Cohn & Wolfe PR & Mashable
Web Poll by Vizu

Category:
Music

Sponsors:
Cohn & Wolfe PR & Mashable
Web Poll by Vizu

Category:
Social Shopping

Sponsors:
Cohn & Wolfe PR & Mashable
Web Poll by Vizu

Category:
Mobile

Sponsors:
Cohn & Wolfe PR & Mashable
Web Poll by Vizu

Category:
Niche or Miscellaneous Social Network

Sponsors:
Cohn & Wolfe PR & Mashable
Web Poll by Vizu

Random Posts

Open Web Awards: Final Round: 2nd Part

Steven Finch — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 20:00:51 +0000

Category:
Sports and Fitness

Sponsors:
Cohn & Wolfe PR & Mashable
Web Poll by Vizu

Category:
Photo Sharing

Sponsors:
Cohn & Wolfe PR & Mashable
Web Poll by Vizu

Category:
Video Sharing

Sponsors:
Cohn & Wolfe PR & Mashable
Web Poll by Vizu

Category:
Start Page

Sponsors:
Cohn & Wolfe PR & Mashable
Web Poll by Vizu

Random Posts

Open Web Awards: Final Round: 1st Part

Steven Finch — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 17:00:08 +0000

We have now reached the final round of the Open Web Awards. This post contains the first 4 sections to vote on, so make sure you vote wisely. Stayed tuned for the remaining categories over the next six hours or so.

Category:
Mainstream or Large Scale Network

Sponsors:
Cohn & Wolfe PR & Mashable Web Poll by Vizu

Category:
Application or Widget

Sponsors:
Cohn & Wolfe PR & Mashable Web Poll by Vizu

Category:
Social News or Social Bookmarking

Sponsors:
Cohn & Wolfe PR & Mashable Web Poll by Vizu

Category:
Social Search

Sponsors:
Cohn & Wolfe PR & Mashable Web Poll by Vizu

Random Posts

Open Web Awards: Niche and Misc Social Networks

Steven Finch — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:32:47 +0000

Category: Niche and Miscellaneous Social Networks

Sponsors:
Cohn & Wolfe PR & Mashable
Web Poll by Vizu