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Guild Wars 2 hosts a Wintersday twitter contest this week
The holiday season is over. It's over. We're done. But you could still win some stuff from Guild Wars 2 if you're willing to slap some stencils up on your window. The team behind the game is hosting a Twitter-based contest this week, starting today and running until January 9th, with one lucky winner each day receiving a Griffon Mail Carrier. How can you win? Put some Guild Wars 2-themed stencils up on your window of choice, take a picture, and tweet it to the main Twitter account for the game this week with the hashtags #GW2 and #Wintersday. For those not feeling terribly creative, there are pre-made stencils available to fulfill the requirements. Sure, maybe you're happy to have the holiday decorations taken down, but if you want that mail carrier, you'll get to it. There's still time to enter the other Wintersday contests as well, although those are a little more elaborate; you can read the full details on the contests page.
Barilla uses 3D printing to find its next pasta shapes
Pasta maker Barilla is no stranger to having 3D printing improve its methods for churning out products for the masses. Now, it's looking to leverage those tools for some new pasta designs. After a recent competition, the company revealed three winners who created new shapes with 3D-printed models. One winner, Rosa, blooms into a full rose when it's placed in boiling water. Two other designs include a conical vortex shape and a circular moon, complete with craters to "improve the interaction between pasta and sauces." What's more, Barilla says it may work the leading design into future products. Earlier this year, the company announced plans to research restaurant-grade printers for made-to-order custom shapes too, so alternatives to the traditional options could be on the way soon. Swapping out penne for blooming rose pasta should certainly spice up your next romantic evening in.
Reminder: Help us build a gadget room for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital!
#enGIVEget means you give and they get -- "they" being the brave and wonderful kids going through life-saving treatment at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. And knowing you're busy with the holidays, let us take a moment to remind you about our sweepstakes ending this Friday, December 19th.
Engadget giveaway: win an iPhone 6 courtesy of iOttie!
You don't want to be fishing in your cup holder for your phone all the time, but finding a convenient spot to mount it that doesn't kill your car's decor can be tough. iOttie's new iTap Magnetic Vent Mount could be just the thing, providing an unobtrusive way to display your smartphone using six rare earth magnets for a solid grip -- and its compact design won't cramp your car's style. The iTap provides 360-degree rotation so you can spin from portrait to landscape in a snap and its spring-loaded lock and release feature won't have you fumbling around. The company has given us one of these new mounts along with a brand new iPhone 6 to help get one lucky Engadget reader on the road in style. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning this Apple and iOttie combo. Winner: congratulations to Trevor C. of Beaverton, OR.
Engadget giveaway: win an Omni soundbar system and wireless speaker courtesy of Polk Audio!
Polk Audio's been in the speaker business for over 40 years, delivering quality sound at an approachable price and the company's getting into the holiday groove. This week's giveaway includes one of Polk's Omni SB1 soundbar systems and an SR2 rechargeable wireless speaker -- all for one lucky Engadget reader. The Omni soundbar is ideal for cozy home theater setups or those just looking to ditch the surround speaker cluster. It's VoiceAdjust feature lets you fine tune the channel with all the chitchat, while it's Full Complement Bass Technology helps beef up the low end along with the wireless subwoofer. When you're not camped out on the couch, you can take the SR2 wireless speaker anywhere on your network (up to 100 yards from your router) and control it from the Polk Omni App. It boasts up to 10 hours on a charge, so you can pipe tunes to friends and family in any room, or even make a break for it to spend some alone time during the holiday melee. All this could be yours if you head down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning this Polk Audio package. Winner: congratulations to Duane G. of Carson, CA.
Engadget giveaway: win a Harmony Home Control and Ultimate Home courtesy of Logitech!
The remote has surpassed its once single-minded capabilities in recent years and Logitech's Harmony series has been at the forefront, adding SmartThings and PEQ automation platforms to its 270,000-strong list of control devices. Adjust lighting with a click, tweak the temperature and manage your smart locks all with the same level of ease as your TV, gaming and A/V systems. The Harmony Home Control gives you dominion over eight devices, while the Ultimate Home can manage up to 15 on a full-color touchscreen -- plus all the automation devices you like. Pair these with the Harmony App on your smartphone and it's easy to create grouped presets and monitor device status while you're on the road. Sound good? Well, Logitech has given us one of each for two lucky Engadget readers this week, so they can rule the house from the comfort of the couch. Just head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning this Logitech Harmony control package. Winners: congratulations to John C. of Kirkland, WA and (second winner TBC).
Engadget giveaway: win a Connect to Cell phone system courtesy of VTech!
Many of us tend to drag our mobile phones around with us all day, keeping them close at hand and in pocket. But once you hit home, it'd be nice to gain a little freedom from device dependence -- while still having access to calls and notifications. Those are part of the benefits of the VTech Connect to Cell phone system. You can place the base unit in the ideal signal location in your home, charge up your cell and have calls and notifications passed along to up to 12 units throughout the house. If you're still running a classic phone line, it can handle those calls as well, along with an answering system, caller ID and tons of other features. VTech has provided us with five of these Connect to Cell devices for five lucky Engadget readers this week so they can expand their home system or gift it to deserving family members or friends over the holidays. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning.
Engadget presents #enGIVEget: benefiting St. Jude!
Now that our readers (and most Engadget editors) have stuffed their pie holes full of food and done some serious damage with their credit cards over the biggest shopping weekend of the year, it's time we gave a little bit, too. Here's where our #enGIVEget sweepstakes, benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® comes in.
Engadget giveaway: win a Sony soundbar courtesy of Amazon!
Unless you've suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous Black Friday events, you may still need to do some gift hunting for friends and family. Electronic gadgets are likely to appear on everyone's wishlist and Amazon has over 500 of them in its Electronics Holiday Gift Guide. Everything is neatly listed, but if you don't know where to start you can shop based on personality, narrowing down gifts for gamers, wearable enthusiasts, music fans and more with just a few clicks. Amazon has even gotten into the holiday spirit this week and provided two Sony HT-ST5 soundbars for a pair of lucky Engadget readers. This 7.1 surround system and wireless subwoofer can save space and clutter, while immersing you in 380 watts of digital sound. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning one of these new home theater setups. Winners: congratulations to Michael E. of Oklahoma City, OK and John B of Clinton, UT.
Secure a Skyforge beta key through a gems minigame
Wanna win a beta key for Skyforge, the upcoming sci-fantasy MMORPG from My.com/Allods Team? I hope you like minigames, then, because Skyforge is going to make you play a minigame to earn that video game beta key. From today to December 23rd, players can log into the game's website to play a daily round of the minigame, called Aelion's Treasure. There's more at stake than just keys, though: In the mini-game, players have seven attempts daily to find as many blue gems as possible on a board of 21 gems. To win a closed beta key one should collect 5 blue gems. Along the way they'll find several surprises, and a special leaderboard will keep track of players' progress. The top 20 players on the leaderboard each week will also receive an invitation to Skyforge closed beta. Additionally, the player who places in first in the leaderboard rankings each week will receive a Sound Blaster EVO ZXR Headset. Other prizes include an exclusive Skyforge Souvenir Gift Set, an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 graphics card. Hey, at least it's novel, right? The game's first technical beta ran earlier in November. We don't yet know exactly when the beta will begin, though given the duration of this promotion, we can hazard a guess.
Engadget giveaway: win a SnapRays Guidelight set courtesy of Snap Power!
Whether you're looking to deter monsters lurking in the shadows or just save your toes from another bump in the night, a little light goes a long way. If you don't want to blow your nightlight budget on outlet filling beacons, you may want to consider a plug-and-play solution like the SnapRays Guidelight from Snap Power. These plates replace the old ones and simply snap onto your existing outlets to provide illumination triggered by on-board light sensors without using up valuable plug real estate. Snap Power has offered to supply five lucky Engadget readers with a Home Pack of 10 Guidelights each for this week's giveaway, and you even get to choose your color and style. Just head on down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning this glowing home add-on, and say goodbye to Hulking out in the middle of the night when you do some serious toe smashing. Winners: congratulations to Matthew G (Rolling Meadows, IL), Jose Z (Mecca, CA), Nathan H. (Lynnwood, WA), Rick F. (Cottage Grove, MN) and Attila B. (Wyoming, MI).
Engadget giveaway: win an iPad Air 2 and iXpand drive courtesy of SanDisk!
Let's face it, devices offer more storage space than ever, but our expectations (and file sizes) are growing too. If you'd like to free up some room and quickly transfer files between iDevices running iOS 7.1 or greater, SanDisk's new iXpand could be a welcome addition to your arsenal. This flash drive has USB and Lightning connectors for high-speed data transfers, and with its companion app, you can even watch AVI and WMV clips on your iPhone or iPad without conversion. The company has provided us with a 32GB iXpand for one lucky Engadget reader this week, and they'll also get a new iPad Air 2 to round out the deal. All you need to do is head down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning this spacious tablet and flash drive combo. Winner: congratulations to Thomas N. (New Port Richey, FL).
Engadget giveaway: win a Camps Bay and Clarendon bag courtesy of Ona!
Whether you're an amateur photographer or plying your trade to pay the rent, it helps to keep your full kit at-the-ready to deal with any eventuality. For those that prefer smartphone snapshots, there's also a new breed of tools to extend the photo abilities of your daily driver. Now, if you're a style-conscious shutterbug, multi-purpose bags like those crafted by Ona can provide all those organizational necessities in a classicly designed package. This week, one lucky Engadget reader will be getting Ona's Camps Bay camera backpack, along with the Clarendon photo accessories organizer for more mobile outings. The first has room for cameras packing a 70-200mm lens and several backups, along with space for a laptop and more. While the Clarendon can zip up all your mobile lens attachments into a fold of Italian leather. Sound good? All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning this duo of carry cases. Winner: congratulations to Stephen G. of Washingtonboro, PA.
Engadget giveaway: win an over-the-air HDTV package courtesy of Tablo!
Just because you cut the cable cord, doesn't mean you can't enjoy live TV. Devices like the Tablo DVR can help you snag free over-the-air (OTA) HD content, record it and watch it on any of your connected devices. The company has even provided us with two cord-cutting packages for two lucky Engadget readers this week. The prize includes a Tablo 2-Tuner DVR (record up to two shows at once), a 500GB external hard drive and an HDTV antenna to help get things rolling right out of the box. To watch this content on your TV, you'll need to connect to an existing Roku, Apple TV or Chromecast on your network, but up to six users can stream shows simultaneously to PCs and iOS or Android devices. All Tablo owners get a 30-day trial of its Guide Data subscription with advanced features and the out-of-home streaming service. All you need to do is head down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning one of these OTA streaming solutions. Winners: congratulations to Justin A. of Katy, TX. Second winner TBC.
Engadget Expand is all about you. And us. But really, you.
Engadget Expand is our annual event that's all about you -- our fans. It's not your typical tech conference that's priced for people fortunate to have an expense account. We make the event completely FREE thanks to our generous sponsors, giving you the chance to experience the future -- right now. And while you're at it, you get to meet your favorite Engadget editors. When you join us at the Javits Center North in New York City next week on November 7-8, you'll be set loose on our show floor. You can check out some of our exhibitors and get your hands on gadgets that people can't buy yet (or in some cases, build your own in our workshops), head to our Expand stage and hear from some smart and inspiring people and so much more.
Guild Wars 2 takes another stab at e-sports
Guild Wars 2 is once again dipping its toes into the world of competitive e-sports, this time in association with the Electronic Sports League. ArenaNet is sponsoring the Go4GuildWars2 Cup as a result, challenging PvP players to fight over weekly cups for money. The weekly prize for the cup is $500 or €500 per region, with a lead-up to the grand monthly prize of $1,500 or €1,500. Top winners from each weekly cup will be invited to participate in the monthly finale. The cups will take place every Sunday with the first beginning on November 2nd. It's open to everyone who would like to sign up and can be watched by all. "Our hope is that these weekly cups will help drive our players forward in terms of skill, strategy, and teamwork," ArenaNet stated.
Engadget giveaway: win an Xbox One Sunset Overdrive Bundle courtesy of Microsoft!
If you've been waiting for a game that's equal parts X Games and Tromaville, then you probably know that Sunset Overdrive (exclusively for Xbox One) is rolling out today. If you haven't already dropped some cash on the pre-order, though, you may want to hold off for another day or two and try your luck on this week's giveaway. Microsoft has given us an Xbox One Special Edition Sunset Overdrive Bundle and it's going to find a home with one lucky Engadget reader this week. So, stock up on your energy drink of choice and get ready to experience Sunset City 2027 in all its mutated glory. With this bundle, you'll get a Cirrus White console and controller, along with the full game download and Day One Edition in-game content giving you a head start in this anything-goes apocalyptic wonderland. All you need to do is head down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning. Just make sure you don't slake your thirst with Overcharge Delirium XT or you may experience some side effects... Winner: congratulations to Brandon W. of Maple Grove, MN.
What's up with Engadget Expand?
We're just two weeks away from our free Engadget Expand event, taking place at New York City's Javits Center on November 7th and 8th and there's still so much to tell you about. If you can't join us in person, don't worry -- we'll keep you updated throughout the weekend with dispatches from the show floor and our livestream here on Engadget.
Engadget and JetBlue will beam you to Expand!
We're sending one lucky Engadget reader (and a guest of choice) to Engadget Expand in New York City on November 7-8, thanks to our friends at JetBlue Airways and our sponsors. What's more, if you're one of the 10 runners-up, Suitable Technologies will give you a block of time to mosey around the Expand floor remotely with its BeamPro device.
Engadget giveaway: win an Oppo Find 7 courtesy of OppoStyle!
If you've been eager to test drive one of the many global smartphone brands that are starting to surface in the US, then this week's giveaway will put a smile on your face. OppoStyle, the official online store for all things Oppo, has given us its flagship Find 7 smartphone, along with an Easy Cover and a set of iLike Bluetooth headphones for one lucky winner this week. This unlocked, 4G/LTE-capable handset boasts a 5.5-inch quad HD (2,560 x 1,440) display and a 13-megapixel camera, which gets a software boost via UltraHD mode to produce 50-megapixels images. It's wrapped in an Astro Black titanium-aluminum alloy frame, while the inside packs a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor and 32GB of storage. If you want to break away from the pack, this Oppo gear is just the thing. All you need to do is swing by the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning. Winner: congratulations to David H. of Keene, NH.
