Apple Holds iTunes Contest Marking 10 Billionth Download
February 13, 2010
Apple is holding a contest on iTunes called "Countdown to 10 Billion Song Downloads."
The user who downloads the 10 billionth song from iTunes will receive a $10,000 gift card from Apple.
"iTunes changed the way you buy music, making songs and albums available for download, day or night," Apple said.
"Seven years later, we're about to celebrate our biggest milestone for music, yet - 10 billion songs downloaded. Buy a song, and if it's the 10 billionth download, you could win a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card. It's our way of saying thanks."
Users will be automatically entered in the contest by downloading a song from iTunes Store or they have an option to enter the contest for free by filling out an online form. Apple says the promotion is limited to 25 entries per day, per user.
Amazon Launches Textbook Trade-In Program
December 5, 2009
Amazon.com has introduced a "Textbooks Trade-In" program, which allows people to exchange used textbooks in return for an Amazon gift card.
Users can search for the book on Amazon they want to trade and view how much credit they will receive in the form of a gift card. If the offer seems reasonable, users can print a pre-paid shipping label and put the book in the mail.
Amazon says once the book is received and verified by a third-party merchant an Amazon gift card will be deposited into the users Amazon account. The gift card can be used to purchase anything Amazon sells online.
Amazon already offers a similar program for used DVDs and video games. One drawback is that some college students may want actual cash instead of being limited to making a purchase on Amazon.
The company says its textbook store offers savings of up to 30 percent off the list price of more than 100,000 new textbooks and up to 90 percent off used textbooks.
"Our student customers know they can rely on Amazon.com for a great selection of titles and low textbook prices, and we're happy to be able to offer them another service to help them save money and time," said Julie Todaro, director of Books at Amazon.com
Have You Read This?
>Amazon Rolls Out Kindle For PC
>Amazon Shows Interest In Twitter Referrals
Smartphone Sales Up 12% In Q3
November 14, 2009
Global mobile phone sales reached 308.9 million units in the third quarter of 2009, a slight increase of 0.1 percent from the third quarter of 2008, according to a new report from Gartner.
Smartphone sales showed solid growth with more than 41 million units sold for a 12.8 percent increase from the same period last year.
"The third quarter of 2009 saw the announcement of many new mobile devices, including several Android smartphones ready for the holiday season in the fourth quarter, but hardware commoditisation and the growth in open platforms will make it harder for them to stand out," said Carolina Milanesi, research director at Gartner.
"Many devices will reach the market in time for Christmas, and mobile carriers will run incentives for consumers during the holidays. We expect sales of mobile devices in the fourth quarter of 2009 to show year-over-year growth," said Ms Milanesi.
"As many vendors and industry watchers call for a decrease in sales into the channel, our sell through data is showing that 2009 performance will be flat rather than down over 2008."
Nokia led the mobile market in Q3 with 36.7 percent of the share, followed by Samsung at 19.6 percent and LG with 10.3 percent market share.
Nokia also ranked at the top in smartphone sales with 39.3 percent of the market, followed by Blackberry maker Research in Motion with 20.8 percent and Apple with 17.1 percent.
"Smartphones continued to represent the fastest-growing segment of the mobile-devices market and we remain confident about the potential for smartphones in the fourth quarter of 2009 and in 2010," said Ms Milanesi.
Have You Read This?
>Google Launches Custom Search For Smartphones
>Buy A Blackberry From Walmart Get A $100 Gift Card
>Apple And LG Rank High In Consumer Satisfaction
Buy A Blackberry From Walmart Get A $100 Gift Card
November 11, 2009
Walmart has introduced yet another holiday promotion, this time the retailer is offering a $100 gift card with the purchase of any Blackberry device, both in stores and online.
Staring Saturday, November 14 at 8 am through November 20, shoppers will receive a $100 Walmart Gift Card with the purchase of Blackberry devices with a two-year contract.
Walmart’s one-week promotion includes the following Blackberry devices:
- AT&T Curve 8310
- AT&T Bold 9000
- Sprint Curve 8330 (Red & Titanium colors)
- T-Mobile 8520 (Black, White, and Frost)
- T-Mobile Pearl 8120 (Emerald)
- Verizon Storm
- Verizon Storm II
“We know customers are very focused on value, and we have promised each week to deliver new savings to help them stretch their dollars this holiday season,” said Greg Hall, vice president Media Services, Walmart U.S.
Shoppers who order a Blackberry online will have their $100 gift card emailed to them in four to six weeks.
Have You Read This?
>Walmart.com Offering Top 10 Pre-Order DVDs For $10
>Amazon And Walmart Engage In Price War Over Holiday Book Shoppers
>Google Launches Commerce Search To Boost Your Conversion Rates
