Posts filed under 'Entertainment'
Trendhunter Magazine recently published a great list of their favorite 40 Text Message Innovations. The article is a comprehensive round up of some truly amazing text message news, alerts, and services; from referencing last week’s popular story of a British surgeon who saved a 16-year-old Congolese boy’s life with text-messaged amputation instructions to giving nods to Domino’s for enabling pizza delivery via SMS (which Codespotter caught onto a few months ago. Trendhunter’s article is a fun look at some of the more creative uses for SMS text messaging and directs readers to all the services via an onscreen slideshow. It can be found here.
-JPK
December 9th, 2008
If there was one week this year for a health-conscious Codespotter to take a break from counting calories and eating nutritiously, this would be it. This week marks the start of the yearly McDonald’s Monopoly contest; a wildly popular instant win game that boasts, among other things, daily $100,000 cash prizes. The game’s premise is simple: selected McDonald’s menu selections come with game pieces that contain a unique 10-digit code (a “dice roll”). Each code represents a Monopoly property and a winning combination of properties yields a prize. For example, collecting the green properties of Pacific, North Carolina and Pennsylvania Avenue wins $25,000.
Players can play the game either in store, online, or via text messaging. In store instant-win prizes include McDonalds food and other smaller instant win prizes. By entering these game piece codes online at PlayatMcD.com, you can also instantly win cash (anywhere from $50 to $100,000), Shell Gift Cards, or 25 MyCokeRewards points. To play with text messaging, register your phone online and then text game codes to 96363.
Buying and eating more of those selections gives you a higher chance to win prizes. 2 pieces, plus one bonus piece, are found on Medium and Large Premium Roast Coffee (excluding iced coffee and specialty coffee), McSkillet Burritos, Southern Style Chicken Sandwiches, Big Macs, Premium Chicken Sandwiches, Large French Fries, Medium & Large Fountain Drinks, and Hash Browns.
McDonalds Monopoly is wildly popular and certainly delivers a great deal of prizes. An online ticker keeps track of winning prizes that are redeemed and when I started writing this post, the number of winners was around 17,000. It is currently at 19, 271 (edit: The game is currently at 171,005. 2:07PM, 10/08/08). Literally there are people winning almost every second. These are pretty good odds and the contest is definitely worth a play or two. The contest will be running at a McDonalds near you from October 7, 2008 to November 3, 2008. Rules and conditions can also be found on PlayatMcD.com.
October 7th, 2008
For some quick news, the annual McDonalds/Monopoly Game is going to kick off on October 7th. One of the ways for players to enter codes is via text messaging. We will be addressing the game officially next week when it actually is opened to the public, but for now, visit the contest’s website for a preview of the and for an exclusive code that enters earlybird contestants into an exclusive $100,000 pre-promotion giveaway. Be sure to check back with Codespotter soon to hear our thoughts about the game!
-JPK
September 25th, 2008
“No other campaign has done this before. You can be part of this important moment.”
I received an interesting mass email this morning from David Plouffe, Barack Obama’s campaign manager. It seems that Obama wants to make a further gesture of gratitude towards his technologically savvy supporters by alerting them to his choice for Vice Presidential candidate. Members of Obama Mobile will be emailed or texted the candidate’s official running mate before any other outlet receives the news (although realistically, it probably will all happen at the same blink-of-an-eye speed. It’s the thought that counts…)
By signing up for Obama Mobile on Obama’s website, members can opt in to recieve either a text message or email. By texting VP to 62262 (OBAMA), members can also register for a text message bearing the news. It is certainly the first time in history that a candidate has actively used SMS (see our article on Obama Mobile here). As crunch time begins for the election and the final months approach, I have a feeling that this will be the lead off to many exciting SMS alerts and updates about the campaign. Sign up today and be part of history!
-JPK
August 11th, 2008
8coupons is an e-coupon web site for the greater Manhattan area that sends the coupons you select right to your mobile phone via text messaging. The 8coupons web site has an easy organized format with categories of “Top 8 NYC Deals”, “Restaurants”, “Entertainment”, “Beauty and Spa”, “Services”, and “Shopping”. To be honest, the “Entertainment” and “Service” sections don’t have too much to offer, and the “Shopping” section is pretty random- but the “Beauty and Spa” section has some great-sounding deals, and the “Restaurant” section is fantastic.
As a temporary resident of New York City, there are many obstacles when it comes to going out in the city. Mainly, choosing a restaurant or bar out of the plethora, and having the money to actually go. 8coupons.com is a big help when it comes to both finding new food-spots and saving money.
The restaurant section really is where most of the value lies- obviously not for fine dining, but if you want a free drink with purchase at a trendy Greenwich Village falafel spot, or an 8-cent hot dog in the Meat Packing District, you should definitely check this out. And unlike a lot of mobile coupon sites where you have to sign up in advance or download something onto your phone, 8coupons makes it really simple to get the coupons- just click on the “text coupon” link for the deal, and a text-coupon is immediately sent to your phone. All you have to do is flash the coupon at your place of choice, and you get the discount!
There are also other ways to search besides the top categories. You can click on keywords, search by neighborhood, or by a search bar at the top of the site. There’s even an option to sign up as an “Ocho Loco” member to be eligible for exclusive discounts and receive weekly updates as well as contribute your own coupon finds. Try it out at www.8coupons.com.
-RS
August 7th, 2008
Mozes.com is a web site that is geared to connect users with their favorite bands with the ability to send and receive exclusive content from bands and friends in your “mob” or mobile list. I logged on and quickly noticed a bunch of bands I liked in the Rock and Christian genre’s. I played along and text the keyword ‘Copeland’ for example to Mozes (66937). What I got in return after opting into the bands mob was a free Copeland wallpaper almost immediately! I’ve received several more wallpapers from bands such as All
That Remains and Kings of Leon as well as ringtones from P.O.D. and Lovedrug. Bands have the ability to update their mob on such things as a tour kick off, offer tickets, or send content via text. Since it’s free to
join as well as send and receive content, I predict small independent bands will also use this as another opportunity to expand beyond their town by offering incentives to gain a bigger mob.
To give it a try, create an account on their website by providing your phone number, nickname, birth date, and of course, password. For music fans, the second step is perusing through the list of bands in your chosen genre and texting a band’s listed keyword from your phone to Mozes (66937). You’ll receive an immediate response with directions to join a mob and more info on what the incentive is for doing so.
Here is something else to keep an eye on; it looks as though Mozes is expanding from music to sports and live events content and updates via text too. Keep texting!
–Cloud
August 6th, 2008
Solow claims to be “The Ultimate Prize Game for Your Mobile Phone.” If that doesn’t get your attention, Solow is sponsoring a $50,000 cash sweepstakes this summer, with drawings in July, August and September. To compete for the $50,000 Grand Prize, you have to sign up at www.solow.com and start playing. For every game you play between now and September 18, 2008, you will automatically receive one entry into the Sweepstakes. What’s the deal? Read on.
Once you register your mobile phone number at www.solow.com, you can play to win a variety of prizes by entering up to 20 numbers per game. If your entry turns out to be the lowest unique number for that game, you win! Recent prizes offered by Solow include $100 in cash, a $100 gift card for travel on Southwest Airlines, a $100 gas card, Virgin Music Festival concert tickets, and a $100 gift card for products at Sephora. These contests are all free to enter (except for the cost of text messaging if you are guessing from your mobile phone)—but beware of the games that say $.99 per guess; the prizes are bigger, but that extra charge will add up to a shockingly large phone bill if you max out your 20 guesses for each game.
Recent prizes offered by Solow include $100 in cash, a $100 gift card for travel on Southwest Airlines, a $100 gas card, Virgin Music Festival concert tickets, and a $100 gift card for products at Sephora.
The Solow text messaging option lets you check on how you are doing in a particular game or make a new guess based on in-game updates and hints. You can text your next guess to 23687 at any time during the game (games can last from a few days to a few weeks). Unless you opt for No Hints when you register, you will get text message updates from Solow on your standing in each game—for example, if your unique number is bumped by another player, you will find out via text message and have another chance to guess.
If you have ever tried to guess the lowest unique number for a www.Limbo.com contest, the Solow game play will seem very, very familiar. How does Solow make money from giving away cash prizes? One method is to offer hard core gaming fans a Solow Elite subscription. This will cost you $9.99 a month – in return, Elite status will let you enter all the premium games without paying the $.99 per guess fee.
Recently, Limbo has expanded its focus from just games to offer a mobile social community with new communication and location features for its millions of registered gamer members. It will be interesting to see if the members who joined Limbo for the simpler pleasures of guessing to win via text will migrate to Solow.
July 17th, 2008
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