FreephotoiPods is now FreepremiumiPods

So Gratis went ahead and switched over the photo iPod site (previously giving away 60 gig color iPods) to the new iPod with video support. 8 Referrals gets you a 60 gig iPod. Looks like I have a new goal to work towards.

Sign up if you wanna try it too.

http://premiumipods.freepay.com

Lost

So the first TV episode I've ever purchased and downloaded is the first installment of this season's LOST. $1.99 for the download, 204 megs. The file plays great through iTunes and looks pretty darn acceptable even at full screen resolution. I could get used to this.

Video is here.

So the day has come. iPod now supports video. I love it.

I love it for so many reasons, but here's the three main uses I will get from this.

1. Music Videos. I'm a music video junkie (Well, music junkie in general) and not only will this allow people to have many of their favorite videos in their hands at all times, but it will also allow the smaller bands a chance to make a bit extra money and get seen by a larger audience then they may have before.

2. Movies. I love motion picture movies. My subscription to Blockbuster Online has been the greatest subscription service I've ever had. I use it to its max; sometimes watching more then 1 movie in a night just so I can throw them both back in the mail and await my next selections' arrival. I'm not quite sure if they're being sold on iTunes yet, but you have to assume they will be. But better yet, think of this : You have your iPod and you walk into a video rental place in the mall. You dock the iPod at a kiosk, rent the latest movie and it downloads into your iPod. The playback only works for say a week, and then the file expires and deletes itself. You can watch the movie on your iPod, or you can hook it to your tv and watch it on the larger screen.

3. Television Shows. AHHHHHHHH! Think of the implications of this. ANYTHING on TV now available to have in your back pocket. The football game you missed because you had to spend quality time with the family. The episode of the sitcom that you just couldn't stop laughing at and want to show all your friends. The cooking show that goes too quickly to cook along. All with you, ready and available when you need it. I'm going to go broke!

Today's the day...

that Apple announces more new products. Engadget along with many other gadget & tech sites have been reporting on the unfolding drama that is Apple's latest coming out party which they've titled "one more thing..." The press conference will be held today (October 12th) at approx. 1PM EST.

mmmm... more Apple Buzz.

The majority of the buzz has been centered around the idea that Apple may be releasing their first iPod that supports video. While I personally hope this is the case, I know I wont be able to get my hands on one unless a company like Freepay offers up another freebie site.

5 more hours...

Do the shuffle!

Nifty!

My free iPod shuffle showed up at the door on Monday. I can't say that I've ever really even held a shuffle in my hand prior to DHL dropping mine off, and I am so blown away by its size. Its tiny. Its simple. It sounds great.

All of that technology in a device no bigger then a pack of gum? I'm going to have to go ahead and mark it "Super cool".

Something for nothing club now accepting new members.

There's a whole world of "free" items out there waiting for you. Do you know how to get your hands on these items? I know, I know. Lets all say it together now : "If it sounds too good to be true..." And in today's world of identity theft, computer viruses and the dreaded spam its understandable why we've been trained to hear offers like this and instantly blow them off. When I first learned of these "free" offers an AOL commercial instantly came to mind: the one with the two guys walking into the office building being chased by the spammer guy shouting "Click here and you're a winner!" just before he runs into the glass...

Then something happened. Someone I knew actually got one. It was like finding out Willy Wonka's golden tickets really were out there! I was suddenly burning with treasure hunter fever, and had to get one for myself. What ensued was a long and frustrating road. I, like many others I'm finding, didn't quite have a grasp on how this whole system worked. What the rules were, how to get referrals completed, and most importantly how to keep from going crazy!

Well that all came together this week when my IPOD finally arrived. I realized that I had come a long way, and had learned quite a bit about the program and now I'd like to share with you what I know. I will be putting up posts in the coming weeks about what I've come to learn about these "free" items websites. I'll discuss what the rules are, what sites work, and how you can go about getting your own items. Hopefully my information is of some value to you, and I hope you soon join the "I got something for nothing" club.

I'm one of the newest members, and couldn't be more excited.

And of course, if you have comments please do me the honor of leaving them here in this post.

Yo, whats the deal?

How does one get a free iPod?

The concept is simple.

Step 1. Sign up on the website. (Most choose freeipods.com)
Step 2. Complete a promotional offer.
Step 3. Refer 5 of your friends to the same website, and persuade them to also complete a promotional offer.

How can they do that? By selling my email address?

The companies who run the freebie websites make money from the promotional offers you complete. They're promoting products, and creatively bringing new clients to those products. So when you sign up for the Blockbuster online deal through this website, the administrator of that website is paid a headhunter's fee by Blockbuster.

The do NOT sell the email addresses used in this process.

Can I sign up more then once?

Not for the same website. These offers are good for 1 person per household and while the administrators for these sites may not be lightning quick in sending our your product once you've earned it, they are right on top of things when it comes to enforcing this rule. If violated, they will not get paid and thus you will not get your free item.

You may do more then one free website. (Its perfectly ok to get an iPod from freeipods.com as well as an iPod Shuffle from freeipodshuffle.com) However, you may NOT complete an promotional offer more then once. Remember the site owner is getting paid for you trying something new, and this is another great way to get your account put on hold.

Do not attempt to ‘cheat’ the system. Playing by the rules not only insures that you will getting your free item, but also keeps the game going for the rest of us. Bad apples can hurt the society here, so be courteous.

If I'm put on hold, does this mean I will not receive my free item?

Temporarily, yes. If your account is put on hold, it is because the host site has reason to believe something fradulent is occuring with your situation. Make sure you have not signed up for the same site or promotional offer twice, or that another family member has attempted to complete an offer with your same mailing address. Contact the host site through their customer service function and try to clear things up. Most often its a simple mix-up that just needs explaining.

Patience is a virtue.

"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish."
-John Quicny Adams

Dramatic, I know. However, if there is one thing to keep about you while working for your free iPod (or whatever free item you may be dreaming about) it is your patience. Rome was not built in a day, and you will not get your iPod in a week. It might take several. For some folks (like myself) the journey takes months. If you're one who is easily frustrated, I suggest finding another method of aquiring your iPod.

People aren't going to jump onto the bandwagon as quickly as you'd hoped. They're going to be suspicious of you, and they're going to be suspicious of the program. Gathering referrals is especially difficult when asking family members to subject their beloved email address to the great unknown. They hate spam just as much as you do, and will wonder about you for exposing them to the 'spam disease'. My suggestion is to offer them assurance that you have not experienced an increase in spam due to your freebie campaign, and they will not either. Leave it at that. The last thing you want to do is upset the folks around you in pursuit of your ticket into the 'iPod club'.

Getting credited for offers happens much slower then you'd like it to. Get used to it. Sometimes offers that supposedly report 'Instantly' take five minutes. Sometimes they take five days. The best thing you can do is move on for a while, and check back later. Remember this : no matter how many times you refresh your web browser, this will NOT speed up the process.

Your free item will not ship the day your last refferal is approved. Personally, I've 'earned' one item at this point - a 20 Gig iPod from www.freeipods.com. 19 days passed between the day my last referral was approved to the day I opened up my iPod. I've heard of the process happening in 4. The bottom line is - if you're going to hold your breath and wait for people to sign up, credits to clear, or products to ship... well you're going to end up passed out on the floor... iPod-less.

Do your homework!

Just because Gratis Networks is a legit company who is actually giving away "free" iPods does NOT mean the road to your "free" iPod is safe. The internet is indeed a dangerous place at times, and scams are all about. Before making any moves or completing any offers you need to be sure that what you're doing has been done before, and would be recommended to others.

Here's a link. Bookmark it. RateTheOffers.com

Rate The Offers (.com) is a site I came across in my travels while doing referral trading. (Something I'll explain in a bit more detail in a future post) I was in the middle of a week long stretch of completing offers for other folks and realized I was running out of the obvious 'safe' offers. (Blockbuster, Stamps.com, Real Rhapsody, Napster...) I was about to steer into uncharted territory, but I wasn't willing to go alone. I asked some friends for advice, and was shown this site.

Rate the Offers (.com) is user driven. Call it the epinions of the freebie website world. It compiles feedback from the general public as to their experiences while attempting to get their shiny new free thing. Which offer they completed, how much it cost them, if there's a trial period, how easy it was to cancel... as well as user comments. It does the same for the websites in general, and even has a ranking system to show which sites are the safest.

CAUTION : because this website is open to the public, ANYONE can post on it. Including people who work for the sites that you really shouldn't join. Make sure you read at least half a dozen comments on an offer before you try it, and pay close attention to the details of the transaction : namely how much its going to cost you. I've found several offers which seem simple enough when you sign up for them : get a free trial of this diet pill, just pay S&H. What they don't tell you is that they're going to charge you $99 a week later, and claim that you didn't return the pills. Not only that, but now you're on some sort of diet pill subscription that's impossible to shake because they don't have any customer service you can speak with (for a reason) and when you finally get it all sorted out... you're out a bit of money, and left wondering why you even started doing this in the first place.

Be careful. Look both ways before crossing the street.

Do your homework.

And remember : When in doubt, don't.