giveaway

Congrats to Patrick S. of Fargo, N.D., for winning last week's giveaway, a Korg digital MicroPiano. The winner of this week's prize should appreciate the virtues of pink--or know someone who does. Yep, we're talking pink, and lots of it.

Our latest freebie comes courtesy of ChicBuds, a maker of fashion music accessories for, in its words, the "couture lifestyle." The SoCal-based company makes some really fun glammy, blingy gear, and we like the fact that during October, it's donating 20 percent of proceeds from its pink products to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

For your double dose of pinkness, you'll be getting a $34.99 portable Fauvette bird-shaped speaker and a pair of DJ Sport Headphones, also $34.99. The speaker chirps away through a 2-watt amplified speaker that gives out four hours of sound on one charge of its built-in rechargeable battery. It's compatible with iPhones, iPods and other MP3 players, and any other device with a standard 3.5mm stereo jack.

Completing the ensemble, the hot-pink and black headphones will work well for the portable set, as they fold up for ease of storage and convenient use.

So how do you score this week's prize? Let us enumerate the basic rules. Please put on your rose-colored glasses and read them carefully. … Read more

First off, congrats to Dean N. of Parsippany, N.J., who won a LifeProof iPhone 4 case in last week's Crave giveaway. And now...

While grand pianos have a, well, grandly elegant quality, not everyone has the grand budget--or the grand space--to accommodate one. That's why we're humming a happy tune about this week's freebie, the Korg MicroPiano, a compact, portable digital piano with grand-piano panache (complete with opening lid).

This little piano that could measures 30.79 inches long by 11.46 inches wide by 5.47 inches deep and weighs just 11.5 pounds, but you can produce all manner of musical genius via its 61-key minikeyboard, 60 built-in sounds, and 25 one-touch musical phrases. For roving pianists, it has built-in speakers and optional battery power, but given that it produces "robust and authentic stereo-sampled grand piano sound," according to Korg, you might want to keep it out of the library.

Korg has been around since the '60s and is considered a well-respected musical brand. Normally, its MiniPiano would cost you $499.99, but you have the chance to score it for a cool zero. So, how do you try to win this week's prize to become the hippest pianist in the 'hood? Let us enumerate the basic rules. Please read carefully; there will be a test--in the key of A Minor. … Read more

We took a break from the giveaway circuit last week, but we're game-on again with the sleek and durable LifeProof iPhone 4 case in black.

As we said in our Top 20 tough iPhone 4 cases round up, the LifeProof Case's claim to fame is that it's very tough (waterproof, shockproof, dirt-proof, and snow-proof, the company says) yet it's slimmer than most of the other tough cases out there, with an integrated clear plastic shield that protects your screen (and, obviously, seals your iPhone into the case).

After trying it, we have to say it does strike an excellent balance between sleek looks and toughness. This one's drop-tested for 6.6 feet and can go underwater. The only downside is that it's expensive at $69.99.

So, how do you try to win this week's prize? Let us enumerate the basic rules. Please read carefully; there will be a test--as well as a strut down the catwalk. … Read more

Olympus is rolling out its new PEN E-PM1 camera by asking random consumers to demonstrate how easy the latest PEN Ready camera is to use.

The PEN Ready Project looks to give more than 1,000 free PEN Ready E-PM1 cams to random people around North America. Those fortunate folks in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, Miami, and Lehigh Valley, Penn., (Olympus' hometown) can go anywhere they like and take any pictures or HD videos they like (Olympus is asking them to shoot at least 20 still images or vids; those who do will be entered in a sweepstakes).

Olympus is collecting those works of would-be art for showcasing on a new custom-designed Tumblr blog. The company's hope is that people around the world will visit the PEN Ready site to see what the E-PM1 can do, thus wanting one for themselves. … Read more

Congrats to Bryce M. of Tonawanda, N.Y., for winning a Davek Note Bag and umbrella in last week's giveaway. Now, on to this week's prize.

A few months back, we gave away $300 in custom men's shirts from ShirtsMyWay. This week, we're adding custom pants to our gratis-goods ensemble with a $400 voucher for jeans from custom clothing site IndiDenim.

If you win, all you have to do is head over to the site and unleash your inner jean designer. You'll choose the fit (relaxed, trouser); wash (dark, vintage tinted, distressed, and so on); and style (pockets, pocket embellishments, fly, hem style); and then add your measurements. Your dream jeans will arrive in about four weeks. If they don't fit perfectly, you can exchange them for jeans that do.

With jeans sold on the IndiDenim site generally running about $200 max, you'll be adding two new pairs of fancy-schmancy pants to your wardrobe. The site sells both men's and women's denims.

So how do you try to win this week's prize and live out your "Project Runway" fantasies. Let us enumerate the basic rules. Please read carefully; there will be a test--as well as a strut down the catwalk. … Read more

Congrats to Russell D. of Turners Falls, Mass., for winning an 8GB Archos 101 tablet in last week's giveaway!

If Russell were to seriously blow away the odds and win this week's prize too, he'd have a nice carrying case for his new tab. We're giving away a Davek Note Bag from Davek Accessories. Specifically designed for tablets, e-readers, and Netbooks, the bag measures 10 inches by 11 inches by 3 inches, making it a smaller, slimmer version of Davek's messenger bag.

Valued at $149, the Davek Note Bag is made from high-impact 1689D ballistic nylon and comes in black, navy blue, and hunter green (your choice). It sports a cool aerial hang glider buckle, which is our favorite touch.

And just because we love you, Crave readers--and because plenty of you are probably still feeling waterlogged from last week's torrents--we're tossing in a Davek Solo umbrella, a sturdy, stylish brolly with an automatic open and close button system. It's valued at $99 and comes in black; black and yellow; black and green; and bruise style, black and blue.

So how do you try to win this week's prize? Let us enumerate the basic rules. Please read carefully; there will be a test. … Read more

Happy Friday! Just in time for a long three-day weekend over here in San Francisco, we've partnered with GameHouse to bring you an exclusive FREE offer on one of the most popular word games of all times - TextTwist 2.

Rated 4.5 stars by CNET, you can get a copy of TextTwist 2 completely free for one week only. Grab one, grab two, share it with your friends and family, but be careful - you may end up spending hours with this word game because it is that addicting. MMORPGs I used to play always used to warn … Read more

First off, congrats to Jason B. of Morrisville, Pa., who snagged an XtremeMac Luna SST alarm clock with detachable speakers in last week's Crave giveaway. We're sure Jason will never be late to work again.

Now, on to this week's giveaway. If you've been wanting to join the tablet-toting masses, here's your chance to do it for free, nada, bupkis. We're offering up an 8GB Archos 101 touch-screen tab, one of a few Android 2.2 tablets with a large 10.1-inch screen.

The Archos 101 sports an ARM Cortex-A8 1GHz processor. Considering the tablet's low price of $299, extras such as Mini-HDMI output; USB host and sync ports; MicroSD memory expansion; and a front-facing camera that can shoot both video and stills at a VGA resolution of 640x480 pixels are impressive, says CNET tablet reviewer Donald Bell. Note that while the tablet can't record HD video, it can play it at 720p.

The tablet has a built-in kickstand on the back that folds out far enough to prop the device at a slight angle, which helps with typing; the stand can also be used to keep the tablet upright for videos or photo slideshows. Instead of the aluminum-and-glass construction of the iPad, the Archos 101 is mostly plastic, meaning it's lightweight (around 16 ounces), if not rugged. As long as you don't plan to use it as a hard hat, you should be just fine.

So how do you try to win this week's prize? Let me enumerate the basic rules. Please read carefully; there will be a test. … Read more

It's getting to be back-to-school time, and you know what that means, parents (besides lost coats, lice, and moldy backpacks). You best not oversleep! This week's prize is here to help rouse you from your slumber so you can get the kiddies off to class in time.

The XtremeMac Luna SST is a dual alarm clock that wakes you via iPhone/iPod music, FM radio, or chime. It has full stereo sound and optional detachable speakers that can be strategically placed for optimal dual-sleeper waking power. It also integrates with XtremeMac's alarm clock app for a more customized waking experience (including a customizable snooze button--yee-haw!).

Normally, the XtremeMac Luna SST would cost you around $130, but you have the chance to get it gratis.

So how do you try to win this week's prize? Let me enumerate the basic rules. Please stay awake; there will be a test. … Read more