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TUAW Back-to-School Giveaway Day Eight: Baseball Cap
Another weekday, another prize. Today's giveaway is a baseball cap with the Apple logo on it (and an Ambrosia pack). A black cap, the flex-fit variety, suitable for wearing on one's head. Seeing as how quite a few college students like to wear these things, we hope today's prize will find a good home.To enter, leave a comment on this post between 5AM and 11:59PM EST on August 22. Validate the comment for it to qualify, and only one per person please. Full rules on our TUAW Back-to-School Giveaway page. Good luck and thanks for reading!
TUAW Back-to-School Giveaway Day One
Perhaps calling it a back-to-school giveaway is bad. Whether or not you're going back to school right now you're eligible to win one of our prizes. To be honest, there's nothing particularly scholarly about the prizes either. It's just an excuse to give away 14 rounds of prizes. For the next 14 days (excluding weekends) TUAW will give away 14 different prize packages. Some "packages" will be a TUAW shirt with some Ambrosia gear. One day will indeed be an Apple lunchbox, as seen at the Apple Store in Cupertino, aka the Company Store. And one lucky day will feature an iPhone as a prize. The catch is that each day is a surprise, and each day is a completely new entry period. Again, limited to the 50 US states, you must be 18 and we insist on one entry per person per day, but with 14 chances your chances are that much nicer. Each day we'll open a new post for comments from 5AM-11:59PM. To enter, leave a comment on that post (make sure it appears, check your email). To see full rules, go to our TUAW Back-to-school giveaway page. Today's prize? A TUAW shirt (we've got sizes XL, L, M and S) and an Ambrosia "swag pack" containing a shirt, hat and deck of playing cards. Tomorrow's prize? Oh, you almost had me. Stay tuned.
Wendy and their 400 free Wiis, plus points and games
Since it began on May 21 the Wendy's Wii giveaway has distributed over 400 of the 800 available systems. Wiis aren't the only thing they're giving away, they also have gone through half of their 800 Wii Point cards and games. The Wii Point cards are the 2000 point version and the games available are Mario Party 8, Super Paper Mario and Big Brain Academy. The whole thing hinges on the purchase of a Frosty Float from Wendys, which has a code on the cup you put in at FrostyFloat.com. Of course, per usual, no purchase is actually necessary, but it does expedite the process. The giveaway ends July 31. There's some interactive features at FrostyFloat.com too where you can design your own shakes, sadly they haven't figured out yet how to pay for it and just grab it out of your screen.We got some statistics from Wendy's about the contest. So far there have been 1,283,191 "gameplays" by 302,547 people. Now, let's see, at 400 calories a shake, that means if every one of the 1.2 million plays were from people who bought shakes, the desire to Wii has injected 480,000,000 extra calories into American society. Those 302,547 people could really use that Wii right about now with some Wii DDR and a few hardcore rounds of Wii Sports to work that off -- they could always follow the WiiHealthy.com guide as well. Curse you tasty fast food with giveaways!
$10,000 Mac hack bounty not yet claimed
Update: One of the two targets has been compromised.How do you spice up a security conference in lovely Vancouver, BC with a sense of risk, reward and fun? If you're the organizers of CanSecWest, you offer a prize to anyone who can work an exploit on two MacBook Pro machines; said prize, originally just the laptops themselves, is now a cool $10,000 thanks to sponsor & security appliance vendor TippingPoint. Both machines are freshly patched with Thursday's security updates.As of earlier today, ZDnet blogger Ryan Naraine reports that nobody has claimed the bounty, and conference organizers have moved to the scheduled phase II plan; challengers, who originally had to attack the machine remotely over the network, now may send URLs to the judges and have them opened in Safari. Happy hunting!graphic: Sebastiaan de With[via MacDailyNews]
Mini-Z T-ray imaging device takes home the gold
We're all about giving golf claps where they're due, and a healthy round is certainly in order for Mr. Brian Schulkin. The doctoral student in physics developed a breakthrough terahertz imaging device, dubbed a T-ray, that has already demonstrated its ability to "detect cracks in space shuttle foam, image tumors in breast tissue, and spot counterfeit watermarks on paper currency." The Mini-Z marks the first time such a powerful device has become portable in nature, weighing just five pounds and taking up about as much space as your average laptop. Taking home the first Lemelson-Rensselaer Student Prize ($30,000), Schulkin explained that this device didn't pose the same health risks as typical X-rays, and unlike ultrasound, terahertz waves can provide images and spectroscopic information without contacting an object. As expected, the patent-pending technology is already up for licensing, and has already received quite a bit of fanfare and commercial interest from larger companies. So while you may never personally encounter Brian's earth-shattering invention, we're fairly sure this young lad's working days are already drawing nigh if he so chooses.[Via Physorg]
Brain tumor victim makes-a-wish for PS3
The St. Albans Messenger has a heartwarming story about a recovering brain tumor patient that got a pretty sweet deal courtesy of the Make-A-Wish foundation. Eighteen-year-old Ryan Kubas came home from a limousine trip to Wendy's (his favorite restaurant) to find a widescreen LCD TV, a new sound system, and a PlayStation 3 that had been donated by an anonymous IBM employee. To be completely accurate, Ryan didn't get the PS3 until just after he got home, and was reportedly "a little disappointed" to find just the sound system and TV upon arriving. When Make-A-Wish volunteers brought the system from their car, though, they produced "a chorus of cheers from everyone inside the house." Kubas' initial review of the PS3 reveals that it is "very realistic, much better than the PlayStation 2," and also "awesome." Related: Valve lets fan tour studio, play Portal
Joyswag Photochop: Lost Planet, found entries - Day Four
Only one day left in the Lost Planet contest, so burn the midnight oil tonight and send us your last ditch efforts. Pull out all the stops, burn through a graphics card or two, and give us your best shot. We triple-dog dare you. Today's first winning entry comes from, er ... Untitled. Did your parents really dislike you or were you a clone who escaped? Very simplistic design, but well-done and very zen. Meditate a bit while you stare at it and chant your favorite mantra. It brings Marble Madness to mind, and also looks like a sweet game to be played with a Wiimote.Check out winner number two after the jump, and remind yourself one more time about all the contest details. That is, if they aren't already burned into your brain by this point. If you haven't entered yet, give it a go. If you've been trying and haven't won, keep it going. We've only got ten copies of the game to give out, and a lot of entries, but you never know what'll happen.
Joyswag Photochop: Lost Planet, found entries - Day One
Joystiqers, our hats are off to you. You have been heeding the call in spades. It's only the first day of the Lost Planet Photochop contest, and already we've had a ton of terrific entries. For those of you who haven't entered yet, these should get your creative juices flowing. Check out today's two winners: the first one is from Manu and features the oh so lovely Kate from Lost gracing the cover. We've received a ton of Lost TV show entries, but this one takes the cake so far. Keep 'em coming though, and have a look at the second winner and a recap of the contest details after the jump.
$170,000 Japanese-style Roomba takes home the gold
It seems that automated floor-suckers are getting all the attention of late, as we've had users parading their Roombas around with all sorts of unorthodox methods, teaching them to bust a move, and now how to pose for the cameras. While already recognized in one Tokyo ceremony, the Fuji Heavy Industries and Sumitomo-created vacuum has officially taken the gold in the Robot of the Year competition hosted by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry. Due to its purported ability to replace "two live human beings" and clean out an area of "3,000 square meters in four hours on a single charge," the jumbo-sized Roomba wannabe can help those towering skyscrapers stay clean in a bustling world. Additionally, it can maneuver up and down floors, in and out of elevators, and around crowded workspaces with ease, but we're not exactly sure how many decibels of noise this thing cranks out while taking care of business. Nevertheless, the co-founders are selling the device for a whopping ¥20 million ($168, 011), but still claim that it will more than pay for itself after a decade or so -- you know, since it doesn't beg for health insurance or anything.[Via Plastic Bamboo]
DARPA reinstates Grand Challenge prize money, millions at stake
We totally heart DARPA (the folks who brought you the internet!), given all the sweet research that it funds. As such, our hearts sunk when Congress dropped the prize for DARPA'S 2007 Grand Challenge to nil back in October. But the Grand Challenge has just gotten a little sweeter, since Congress has since reinstated the prize money to $3.5 million, split three ways, (including amongst the Team B competitors): the winning team will get $2 million, the second place $1 million, and third place a cool half million clams, or bones, or whatever you call them. As you probably know, the 2007 Grand Challenge will be a 60-mile urban course, which means that the cars will have to navigate themselves through an unnamed city (or section of a city) somewhere in the Western US. Of course, this prize money isn't going to do much for offsetting the cost of such a large project, but it'll surely buy a lot of champagne at the victory party. [Warning: PDF link][Via Slashdot and CNET]
Yet another Loco Roco contest
I probably shouldn't tell you guys about these contests. Why? Because that means the odds that I'll win become smaller! Drats! But still, it's our responsibility at Loco Roco PSP Fanboy to tell you about things like this. Head over to the US PlayStation.com site and enter for your chance to win one of five prize packages, containing two Loco Roco inflatables, a Loco Roco branded T-shirt and a copy of Loco Roco. See also: Loco Roco umbrella sells for $67 Love Loco Roco? Buy the shirt
MySpace video contest: How Wii Play [Update 2]
Nintendo appears to be reaching out to the emo youth demographic, as a new video contest has emerged on the mega-popular MySpace website. A large social networking tool for creepy internet stalkers students and adults alike, MySpace is visited by hundreds of thousands of people every day...a good place to advertise, yeah? The contest, entitled "How Wii Play", is simple enough: create a video showing how you might use the Wiimote in your various everyday endeavors. The prize? Eight DS Lites for those hilarious enough to win the judges' hearts. You must have a MySpace account to enter, and you'll be graded on humor, originality, and creativity. Feel free to send your submissions to us as well; if we like them, we'll post them on the main page for our readers to enjoy.[Update 1: Since strikethrough humor has gone the way of knock-knock jokes, we have reduced the count by exactly one.][Update 2: We should note that it appears Nintendo themselves are not the official sponsors of this contest. MySpace just loves Nintendo, we guess.]
Buy fake products from a TV show...enter to win a HDTV and Blu-ray player
Unfortunately this post isn't about where you can go to buy a DVD hologram projector, plasma vision walls or TemporalVision truly-time shifting television as those products only exist within the world of SciFi Channel show Eureka. However if you go to the Made in Eureka website and try to order one you will be entered to win a Sony KDS-R60XBR1 HDTV and Sony BDP-S1 Blu-ray player. Whether you're a dyed-in-the wool Blu-ray fan or a longtime HD DVD supporter we'd think that free is just about the right price for some next gen high-def viewing. We'll just keep waiting for that TemporalVision monitor, it will probably actually be available long before we find out what's really going on in Lost.[Via TV Squad]
PAX Omegathon prize revealed: A NEW CAR!
The Omegathon has proven to be one of the biggest events at Penny Arcade Expos past. Last year's event saw twenty contenders (dubbed Omeganuats) compete in six stages of gaming combat culminating in a final showdown of ... Combat. The prize: An enormous NES collection (this one, actually)! This year they've decided to up the ante by giving away (cue The Price is Right theme) ... A NEW CAR!And not just any old jalopy, but "a brand new 2006 Scion xB in Black Sand Pearl, featuring a game geek's dream package of a flipdown 15" widescreen monitor, Xbox 360 Premium System, 6-speaker sound system with CD/MP3 player, custom taillights and wheels with low-profile tires." Yeah, they had us at flipdown Xbox 360 also.The PA boys have also revealed this year's randomly culled Omeganauts on their site (damn, didn't make it) and unveiled the first five scheduled games: Dice Land (which opened the first two Omegathons as well) Geometry Wars (oh, hell yes) Quake II (they've had Quake and Doom) Guitar Hero (they've had DDR and Karaoke Revolution) Mario Kart DS (Mario Kart: Double Dash is gone) **TOP SECRET** (first Pong, then Combat, now ...) Alright, start your guessing engines. First person to correctly name the final challenge's secret identity gets a free Joystiq t-shirt when we get back from PAX. Hint: we wouldn't recommend guessing Pong or Combat. Just saying.
Memorial City Store Grand Opening Announced
Mac geeks in and around the Houston, TX area have begun receiving the "Come meet your new neighbor" emails which Apple sends out in preparation for a new Apple Store opening. The store located in the Memorial City Mall will hold its grand opening on June 17th at 10AM. As is standard practice with store openings, the first 1000 people through the doors will get a special edition t-shirt emblazoned with the name of the store. Customers will also be registered for a prize package which includes a 17" iMac, iPod nano, Canon PowerShot digital camera, and HP Deskjet printer. The new location will feature "The Studio" to provide support for creative amateurs and professionals alike.As always, please send us your pictures and reports from the opening. Have fun!(Thanks to everyone who sent this in.)
Apple Store FlatIron Crossing Grand Opening report
I have emerged victorious from my first ever Apple Store grand opening, and I have to say: it was pretty cool. There was one heck of a line that ran far outside the closest mall entrance, and it was really cool to see people from all walks of life, including Dan Lurie from The Apple Blog and Jeff Gamet from The Mac Observer. My friend and I arrived around 8:15 am, and we were about 20th in line, though it picked up momentum shortly thereafter.I've posted a photo set from the event to our TUAW Flickr account, so check those out if you want more proof of how crazy Apple fans can get for a Saturday morning grand opening. One minor complaint: I wish Apple would stop using "geek black" on their event shirts like the ones they handed out today. Aside from that, it was fun to get my Mac-geek on for the day, even if I couldn't afford to actually buy anything.
Broomfield, CO Apple Store opening this weekend, too
I think it's safe to declare today as "Apple Store News Day." First Toronto's on the map, then Zürich and now a store I've been waiting for: Flatiron Crossing Mall in Broomfield, CO. I just received the email from Apple about the grand opening, the prizes, the glitz and glamor... The store's grand opening is happening this weekend, May 6th at 10:00 am. T-shirts will be given to the first 1000 (geeks) through the door, and that "Digital Lifestyle Collection" sweepstakes is going on as well. The prizes are the same as the ones in the Toronto store that Dave mentioned: an iMac, an iPod nano, a Canon digital camera, a Sony Handycam CCD-TRV138, and an HP inkjet printer.I'm going to try and make the opening myself, but I'll need to recruit a fellow Mac geek with a car. If you make it to the opening, send us a link with some pics or a report. Enjoy!
Continents clash in transatlantic tournament
A $100,000 gaming tournament is taking place from today until Sunday in New York, hosted by the Global Gaming League. The "AmeriCup vs EuroCup TransAtlantic Showdown" pits the winners from the European EuroCup tournament against the AmeriCup champions across three games: Counter-Strike 1.6, Quake 4 and Warcraft 3.There is live streaming media from the GGL website, and it's entertaining to watch, especially if you're interested in competitive gaming. If you're not, the seriousness of the event and its commentators may surprise you, but there's big money at stake for the champions--no laughing matter.
