Why the Ipad will dominate!!!
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Oh No, the “Free iPad” Offers Are Here!
By Harry McCracken * Posted at 12:00 am on Monday, February 1, 2010
See all: News
What’s the surest sign that the iPad is the world’s hottest tech product right now? It may not be Steve Jobs telling us it’s magical and revolutionary, or the avalanche of coverage on tech blogs. Maybe it’s the arrival of cheesy ads that dangle free iPads in front of people–almost two months before the gizmo even goes on sale.
Earlier today, I was on Facebook, and saw this ad:
Free iPods for 45-year-old males? I’m 45! I’m male! What a happy coincidence! What a rare opportunity!
I clicked on the link and saw this page:
Then I got suspicious–in part because the ad talks about the iPad being “just released!” when the one it talks about giving away is the 3G model that won’t be available for almost three months. I asked a couple of friends to check their Facebook account, and miracle of miracles–the offer was also available to 43-year-old females and 43-year-old males!
Then I also discovered that tweaking the URL on Online Reward Center’s site allowed me to extend the offer to other…demographic groups:
So what’s the deal? I clicked through and found a little fine print about having to complete eight “offers” to receive an iPad:
There was also a lot more fine print at this address. Plus another page which seems to say that you have to have documents notarized as part of the process.
I started to click through the offers, which kept claiming to be “surveys,” although most seemed to be things like credit card offers and sweepstakes and free trials for various services, all of which wanted personal information from me (including, sometimes, my credit card info).
You don’t need to be a marketing guru to figure out that the business model behind the “free iPad” is convincing you to sign up for offers that pay a bounty (aka a referral fee) to those that send business their way.
I eventually reached this page:
Scanning through this, my head hurt, and I gave up on stepping through the deal.
Who’s behind this “Free iPad” offer? It’s not all that easy to figure out. The Facebook ad leads to a site called ThanksMucho.com, which McAfee Site Advisor says has potential security risks. It handed me off to something called “Online Reward Center.” It’s got some impressive-looking seals that don’t link anywhere (I especially like the “We Care” award):
And claims to be sponsored by three name brands: BMG, Discover, and the ever-laudable Video Professor:
But I couldn’t find any prominent mention of who Online Reward Center’s parent company is. Eventually, I found mention on the site of something called “Net Radiance.” By Googling around, I learned that Net Radiance is part of a Florida company, World Avenue, which got into trouble in the past with Florida and Texas for “free” offers and ended up paying those states a total of $1.8 million to settle. According to the Florida Attorney General’s office, World Avenue has done business under dozens of names:
A few years ago, the company attracted its attention for its “free iPod” offers–here’s a San Francisco Chronicle story that, among other things, charges that it paid one of the people quoted as giving it a customer testimonial.
World Avenue’s news page, incidentally, is entirely devoted to the company’s philanthropic activities. That reminds me of Vertrue, the marketing company I accidentally agreed to pay $25 a month to a couple of months back.
I’m curious whether Facebook has any policy about these “free offer” ads–and even more so about whether it has any policy about how an ad can use information it receives from Facebook, such as my gender and age. (Such as: Can it seem to claim I’m getting a special offer because I’m a 45-year-old male whether or not the offer has anything to do with my age and gender?) I’m contacting Facebook about all this and will let you know what I hear.
The ad I followed to the Online Reward Center isn’t the only “free iPad” one on Facebook. I chuckled at this one–which seems to be from a different company and which shows the world’s fattest iPad:
A friend who happens to be 33 and male saw an ad looking for iPad testers who are 33 and male:
…and when I Googled for “Free iPad,” I got ads that led to offers from both World Avenue and other companies:
(That last ad’s offer of a thousand bucks towards the purchase of an iPad is particularly generous given that the top-of-the-line iPad lists for $829.)
I’m also, um, fond of this ad, which not only says the iPad sells for $1,000 but shows an imaginary Mac-like widescreen model with an optical drive:
That’s a lot of opportunities to get a free iPad. Anyone want to hazard any guessses about how many free iPads will indeed be doled out?
8 Votes
By Harry McCracken * Posted at 12:00 am on Monday, February 1, 2010
See all: News
What’s the surest sign that the iPad is the world’s hottest tech product right now? It may not be Steve Jobs telling us it’s magical and revolutionary, or the avalanche of coverage on tech blogs. Maybe it’s the arrival of cheesy ads that dangle free iPads in front of people–almost two months before the gizmo even goes on sale.
Earlier today, I was on Facebook, and saw this ad:
Free iPods for 45-year-old males? I’m 45! I’m male! What a happy coincidence! What a rare opportunity!
I clicked on the link and saw this page:
Then I got suspicious–in part because the ad talks about the iPad being “just released!” when the one it talks about giving away is the 3G model that won’t be available for almost three months. I asked a couple of friends to check their Facebook account, and miracle of miracles–the offer was also available to 43-year-old females and 43-year-old males!
Then I also discovered that tweaking the URL on Online Reward Center’s site allowed me to extend the offer to other…demographic groups:
So what’s the deal? I clicked through and found a little fine print about having to complete eight “offers” to receive an iPad:
There was also a lot more fine print at this address. Plus another page which seems to say that you have to have documents notarized as part of the process.
I started to click through the offers, which kept claiming to be “surveys,” although most seemed to be things like credit card offers and sweepstakes and free trials for various services, all of which wanted personal information from me (including, sometimes, my credit card info).
You don’t need to be a marketing guru to figure out that the business model behind the “free iPad” is convincing you to sign up for offers that pay a bounty (aka a referral fee) to those that send business their way.
I eventually reached this page:
Scanning through this, my head hurt, and I gave up on stepping through the deal.
Who’s behind this “Free iPad” offer? It’s not all that easy to figure out. The Facebook ad leads to a site called ThanksMucho.com, which McAfee Site Advisor says has potential security risks. It handed me off to something called “Online Reward Center.” It’s got some impressive-looking seals that don’t link anywhere (I especially like the “We Care” award):
And claims to be sponsored by three name brands: BMG, Discover, and the ever-laudable Video Professor:
But I couldn’t find any prominent mention of who Online Reward Center’s parent company is. Eventually, I found mention on the site of something called “Net Radiance.” By Googling around, I learned that Net Radiance is part of a Florida company, World Avenue, which got into trouble in the past with Florida and Texas for “free” offers and ended up paying those states a total of $1.8 million to settle. According to the Florida Attorney General’s office, World Avenue has done business under dozens of names:
A few years ago, the company attracted its attention for its “free iPod” offers–here’s a San Francisco Chronicle story that, among other things, charges that it paid one of the people quoted as giving it a customer testimonial.
World Avenue’s news page, incidentally, is entirely devoted to the company’s philanthropic activities. That reminds me of Vertrue, the marketing company I accidentally agreed to pay $25 a month to a couple of months back.
I’m curious whether Facebook has any policy about these “free offer” ads–and even more so about whether it has any policy about how an ad can use information it receives from Facebook, such as my gender and age. (Such as: Can it seem to claim I’m getting a special offer because I’m a 45-year-old male whether or not the offer has anything to do with my age and gender?) I’m contacting Facebook about all this and will let you know what I hear.
The ad I followed to the Online Reward Center isn’t the only “free iPad” one on Facebook. I chuckled at this one–which seems to be from a different company and which shows the world’s fattest iPad:
A friend who happens to be 33 and male saw an ad looking for iPad testers who are 33 and male:
…and when I Googled for “Free iPad,” I got ads that led to offers from both World Avenue and other companies:
(That last ad’s offer of a thousand bucks towards the purchase of an iPad is particularly generous given that the top-of-the-line iPad lists for $829.)
I’m also, um, fond of this ad, which not only says the iPad sells for $1,000 but shows an imaginary Mac-like widescreen model with an optical drive:
That’s a lot of opportunities to get a free iPad. Anyone want to hazard any guessses about how many free iPads will indeed be doled out?
8 Votes
Topspin
Verified User
that's what you and several other tards said about the iphone before it dominated. lol poor people
Again, revisionist history. I said nothing of the sort about the iPhone. I've always been a proponent of the iPhone. However making it bigger and incapable of phone communication doesn't make it better it just makes it a huge retarded iPhone.
Topspin
Verified User
I don't have the time or inclination to search the old post, I was roundly beaten down by Jesus phone skeptics and had zilch to no proponents braving the waters with me. I don't expect them this time, visionary is not a trait associated with lackluster net worth.
You are mistaken about my support for the iPhone. I just wish they offered it on other networks (more extensive ones that I can actually use where I live for instance) so I didn't have to buy the mo' betta Android).I don't have the time or inclination to search the old post, I was roundly beaten down by Jesus phone skeptics and had zilch to no proponents braving the waters with me. I don't expect them this time, visionary is not a trait associated with lackluster net worth.
Way more than that. The Android rawks. Save as you will.
The iPad isn't an upgrade from the iPhone, cannot run more than one app at a time, doesn't have more memory, and cannot be used as a phone. It's just a huge retarded iPhone.
Topspin
Verified User
February 2, 2010 3:47 PM PST
Is this how gamers will use Apple's iPad?
by Chris Matyszczyk Font size Print E-mail Share 26 comments Yahoo! BuzzShare3 I would rather eat someone else's rain gear than play video games for 10 hours a day. But I will defend the right of everyone to play, as long as they aren't getting on my nerves on an airplane.
So while I know that many have focused their enthusiasm for Apple's new iPad on drooling over its potential as a device for consuming books and movies, below is some footage that might make gamers feel somewhat tingly, too.
I was directed to this Warcraft III video by Cody Brown, an NYU Social Entrepreneurship undergraduate and founder of Kommons.com.
The device here is a Multi G3 iTable from PQ Labs.
And though this might all seem very normal to you, every time I saw the man in this film punching the screen as if he was playing Whac-a-Mole, I wondered whether the iPad's build could stand such an idiosyncratically charming display of violence.
Saturo Iwata, Nintendo's president, has dismissed the idea of the iPad as a gaming device.
However, watching this mesmerizing display of digital dexterity, I wonder whether airports, doctors' waiting rooms and, who knows, Golden State Warriors games might soon be full of fingers dancing across screens like ants on coke.
Is this how gamers will use Apple's iPad?
by Chris Matyszczyk Font size Print E-mail Share 26 comments Yahoo! BuzzShare3 I would rather eat someone else's rain gear than play video games for 10 hours a day. But I will defend the right of everyone to play, as long as they aren't getting on my nerves on an airplane.
So while I know that many have focused their enthusiasm for Apple's new iPad on drooling over its potential as a device for consuming books and movies, below is some footage that might make gamers feel somewhat tingly, too.
I was directed to this Warcraft III video by Cody Brown, an NYU Social Entrepreneurship undergraduate and founder of Kommons.com.
The device here is a Multi G3 iTable from PQ Labs.
And though this might all seem very normal to you, every time I saw the man in this film punching the screen as if he was playing Whac-a-Mole, I wondered whether the iPad's build could stand such an idiosyncratically charming display of violence.
Saturo Iwata, Nintendo's president, has dismissed the idea of the iPad as a gaming device.
However, watching this mesmerizing display of digital dexterity, I wonder whether airports, doctors' waiting rooms and, who knows, Golden State Warriors games might soon be full of fingers dancing across screens like ants on coke.
Actually doctor's offices would be a good place for an iPad. However, I watch movies on my laptop, which I'll still need because the iPad has no memory. I have no need to carry two devices to do what one will already do. I can also play games on my laptop.
I don't say they won't sell iPads I just say that it won't be as popular as you think. You seem to believe that people who aren't slobbering excited think it will fail. I don't think it will fail, but I don't think it is thrilling either. It's way less impressive than I expected and fails to offer much to people who already have an iPhone. Why would you want another iPhone that huge that you can't call anybody on?
I don't say they won't sell iPads I just say that it won't be as popular as you think. You seem to believe that people who aren't slobbering excited think it will fail. I don't think it will fail, but I don't think it is thrilling either. It's way less impressive than I expected and fails to offer much to people who already have an iPhone. Why would you want another iPhone that huge that you can't call anybody on?
Topspin
Verified User
cool enough, lots will fall in your category.
But, like you say dr offices, plenty of industrial apps. Movies and games for people not having to lug around heavy ass laptop. I'd say laptops have way more office type use vs the home browser gamer type will be drawn to the pad.
Apple is great at design, marketing, and ease of use. It will sell in the millions and will have new uses just as the Jesus phone did. I'm only riding Apple to 255 to 300 as I usually set exit points on my stocks.
But, like you say dr offices, plenty of industrial apps. Movies and games for people not having to lug around heavy ass laptop. I'd say laptops have way more office type use vs the home browser gamer type will be drawn to the pad.
Apple is great at design, marketing, and ease of use. It will sell in the millions and will have new uses just as the Jesus phone did. I'm only riding Apple to 255 to 300 as I usually set exit points on my stocks.
FUCK THE POLICE
911 EVERY DAY
The IPad is the greatest product in history. I know I'm going to take out a loan just to buy one!
Topspin
Verified User
You won't qualify with that shitty income, now if they accept your allowance from daddy you have a new gaming platform to replace your nintendo.
FUCK THE POLICE
911 EVERY DAY
I'll force him to cosign the loan. The IPad is just the great! Best product of the century, no, the millenium!
Topspin
Verified User
you'll buy the third version when you graduate in 2 yrs.
FUCK THE POLICE
911 EVERY DAY
I'm probably going to buy an HTC Hero when (or if) I get my internship. IPhone place is a hundred bucks a month. Can't afford that shit.
No way I'm buying an IPad either, when I could buy an ITouch for less money and it does all the same things and fits in my pocket.