// Internet Duct Tape

Death Clocks use statistical information to let you know when you are going to die based on your habits (with smoking and obesity being the worst factors). The iPod Death Clock (via) is an interesting little web app that figures out how much longer your iPod has to live based on the serial number (how old it is) and how you use it (while running, on the bus). Needless to say my 3rd generation iPod is getting on in years.

I happened upon a blog called Contester the other day that tracks Internet freebies being given away by other bloggers. Blog contests are a great grassroots way to advertise your blog (if you aren’t too spammy about it — some of them are). They’re usually worth entering because you have a 1:20 to 1:50 to 1:200 chance in winning depending on how popular the blog running it is. A few people are giving away iPods, and hope I win one as my iPod is on it’s last legs.

• Future Shop Canada is giving away an iPod Touch
• Success for your blog is a blog about making money through blogging and they’re giving away the new iPod video nano
• It’s Write Now is a blog about writing tips and they’re giving away an 8GB red iPod video nano
• Darin’s Search Marketing is giving away a Free iPhone
• FiddyP is giving away Vmoda Vibe headphones (he’s the guy who does the Hello Stumblers! plugin)

One of the downsides to owning an iPod is the iTunes music store. The music has DRM copying protection measures that are a huge pain in the ass. Enter the new Amazon MP3 store that sells music for cheaper than iTunes without any copying protection — you’re free to do whatever you want with the music you own. Luckily there are also quite few blogs giving away Amazon gift certificates or straight up PayPal.

• Mac’s Money Blog is offering $50 gift certificate (he also does FinanceFavorites.com, a digg-like site for financial tips)
• Anton is offering $50 over at his Halloween Blog
• Ryan444123.com is offering $75
• John Cow make money online and micfo web hosting are offering $500 (that’s a lot of songs)
• Blog Contest and Black Stork action sports are offering a chance to win $75
• Nanashi-Inc is offering $50
• Live Learn Invest and climb kilimanjaro are offering a $50 Best buy gift card
• NutsAndMilk tech news & online tips & tricks are offering $250

Becoming a Better Blogger

There’s also a couple of sites offering books for bloggers that I want to read.

• Male Wail (a blog about men’s gripes) is giving away a copy of the 4 Hour Work Week
• John Cow make money online is offering Purple Cow, SEOBook, and BlogMastermind

There’s also a contests for professional logo design

• The Prize Blog is offering logo design by SOS Factory

It’s crazy how this idea of promoting your blog via holding a contest has taken off like hot cakes. It makes me a little sad though that it seems like some people are losing their focus and writing/participating in contests all the time instead of writing blog posts that share information, help people, or at the very least entertain.

And on a slightly different note, someone is finally doing one of these contests for a real cause instead of personal gain:

Ultra-runner Tim Borland is running 63 marathons in 63 days in order to raise funds and awareness for the A-T Children’s Project in their quest for a cure or life-improving therapies for ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T). A-T is a rare, neurodegenerative disease that affects children, giving them the combined symptoms of cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, and cancer. Children with A-T — born seemingly healthy — are usually dependent upon wheelchairs by the age of 10 and often do not survive their teens.

To run with Tim, join a tailgate party, or make a donation, please visit the A-T CureTour website. There, you can also view the daily video blog produced by filmmakers who are making an independent documentary on the A-T CureTour and enter a contest to Win a Nintendo Wii.

Hard not to participate for something like that.