• Winner: Sudeep Nayak (http://sudeepnayak.wordpress.com/2009/03/07/seagate-freeagent-a-portable-multimedia-storage-solution/) gets a 1TB Seagate FreeAgent XTreme Drive
• Runners Up: Hrish Thota (http://www.dhempe.com/2009/03/20/seagate-freeagent-family-to-the-rescue/) gets a 1TB Seagate FreeAgent Desk Drive
• Second Runners Up: Mohamed Fasil (http://smashtech.blogspot.com/2009/03/things-to-do-with-seagate-freeagent.html) gets a 500GB Seagate FreeAgent Go Drive

All valid entries also get a FREE copy of Ajay Jain’s bestselling book, Peep Peep Don’t Sleep.

And there is gift for everyone who sends a valid entry!!

PRIZES TO BE WON

FIRST PRIZE: 1TB Seagate FreeAgent XTreme, with a retail value of USD 141
SECOND PRIZE: 1TB Seagate FreeAgent Desk, with a retail value of USD 105
THIRD PRIZE: 500GB Seagate FreeAgent Go, with a retail value of USD 119

Here is some great news for all participants: All those who send in a valid entry get a FREE copy of Ajay Jain’s bestselling book, Peep Peep Don’t Sleep, a collection of funny road signs in India. This book will be given to all those who have also already sent in their entries or or will do so before the deadline.

Contest Dates: The contest starts March 4, 2009 and closes March 21, 2009. Rush your entries in now!!

The Contest
You have to write a blog entry on the following topic: Seagate FreeAgent Family and I: What would be the most creative use I could put it to if I had one? And what would I expect from Seagate’s storage solutions that will enhance my content management experience?

It does not matter if you have used a Seagate FreeAgent portable drive or not. All the information is available if you click here. And then let your imagination fly – for a chance to win some real cool drives.

HOW TO ENTER THE CONTEST
To enter, participants may submit their blog in one of the following manners listed below. The cost of submitting and maintaining the blog is the responsibility of the participant.

(a) Participants may enter the contest by writing and posting their submission on their own blog or on any other blog where they have authorised access, and sending a trackback to http://ibnms.com/2009/03/03/seagate-contest/. Alternatively, you can add the URL of your blog post in the comments part of the contest page at http://ibnms.com/2009/03/03/seagate-contest/.
(b) Participants who do not have their own blog may enter the contest by writing and emailing their submission to ajay@ibnms.com. The submission will be posted on TechGazing.com under the participant’s name. A submission posted on TechGazing.com will be sent to the competition page as a trackback.

PLEASE READ THE RULES OF THE COMPETITION AND TIPS FOR WRITING AS GIVEN BELOW BEFORE YOU SEND IN YOUR ENTRIES:

OFFICIAL RULES

1. PROMOTER: The Promoter for this competition is Seagate Singapore International Headquarters Pte. Ltd., 7000 Ang Mo Kio Avenue, Singapore 569877.
   
2. PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY: This contest is open only to residents of India, who are age 18 years or older when this contest begins. This contest begins on March 3, 2009 at 9:00 am Indian Standard Time and closes on March 21, 2009 at 5:00 pm Indian Standard Time. Employees, directors, officers, and agents of the Promoter, and its affiliated companies, sales representatives, advertising, and promotion agencies involved in this contest (collectively, the “Promoter Parties”), together with the members of their immediate families and households are prohibited from entering this contest. This contest is void where prohibited.
   
3. THE SUBMISSION: Participants are invited to write and submit an original blog on the topic: “Seagate FreeAgent Family and I: What would be the most creative use I could put it to if I had one? And what would I expect from Seagate’s storage solutions that will enhance my content management experience?” All submissions must be in English, must have a title that includes the word “Seagate.” All submissions must be tagged with the words “IBNMS competition” and “Seagate.” There is no word limit. All submissions must be received between the date/time the contest begins and the date/time the contest closes. Only one submission per participant will be accepted. Participants and all submissions must comply with these Official Rules.
   
4. PRODUCT DETAILS: Participants may access more information about the Seagate FreeAgent Family from http://www.seagate.com/www/en-us/.
5. HOW TO ENTER: To enter, participants may submit their blog in one of the following manners listed below. The cost of submitting and maintaining the blog is the responsibility of the participant.
   (a) Participants may enter the contest by writing and posting their submission on their own blog or on any other blog where they have authorised access, and sending a trackback to http://ibnms.com/2009/03/03/seagate-contest/. Alternately, you can add the URL of your blog post in the comments part of the contest page at http://ibnms.com/2009/03/03/seagate-contest/.
   (b) Participants who do not have their own blog may enter the contest by writing and emailing their submission to ajay@ibnms.com. The submission will be posted on TechGazing.com under the participant’s name. A submission posted on TechGazing.com will be sent to the competition page as a trackback.
6. JUDGING: All eligible submissions will be evaluated by a panel of qualified judges selected by Promoter. The best three submissions will be awarded prizes. The submissions will be judged on a combination of factors including quality of content, language and style of writing, use of images, use of supporting information and links, leaving a “WOW” impression, and other blogger responses to the submission. The judges’ decisions on all matters pertaining to this contest are final. This is a contest of skill; chance plays no part in determining the winners.
7. PRIZE DETAILS: The first prize is a 1TB Seagate FreeAgent XTreme, with a retail value of USD 141. The second prize is a 1TB Seagate FreeAgent Desk, with a retail value of USD 105. The third prize is a 500GB Seagate FreeAgent Go, with a retail value of USD 119. In the event that the Promoter is unable to supply the prize, the promoter reserves the right to supply an alternative prize of similar monetary value. The Promoter accepts no responsibility for any tax implications arising from the award of any prize. Prizes are not exchangeable and cannot be taken as cash.
8. WINNER VERIFICATION: The winning participants will be notified by mail or e-mail, and their names will be posted on IBNMS.com and TechGazing.com on April 4, 2009 at 5:00 pm (Indian Standard Time). If the prize notification is returned as undeliverable, or any prize documentation is not completed as required by the Promoter, then the prize will be forfeited. The prizes will be dispatched to the winners as soon as practicable following the announcement of the winners. Competition winners will need to provide proof of identity to receive the prizes.
9. SUBMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS: By submitting a blog entry, each participant represents that the blog submitted is entirely original and has never been published, that the participant has the right to submit the blog without violating the rights of any third party, and that the use of the blog does not infringe any third party rights. The submissions must not defame or invade publicity rights or privacy rights of any person, living or deceased. The submissions must not infringe upon any person’s personal or proprietary rights. Entries not complying with all rules will be subject to disqualification at the Promoter’s discretion. The Promoter will not enter into correspondence with participants regarding individual submissions.
10. DISQUALIFIED SUBMISSIONS: The Promoter reserves the right to disqualify any blog which does not comply with these Official Rules, or which the Promoter believes is offensive or in breach of any defamation, copyright, privacy, or other laws in India. The participant will be informed of the decision and may submit an alternative submission in its place, so long as the alternative submission complies with these Official Rules and is received before the competition closes.
11. USE OF SUBMISSIONS. Participants grant to the Promoter and its agents a worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, right, and royalty-free licence to make use of the submission and any copyright material contained in the submission, including the right to copy, duplicate, alter, and modify the submission in whole or in part, in any media whatsoever. Additionally, as a condition of acceptance of a prize, except where prohibited by law, the winning participants will be required to grant the Promoter the right to use the participant’s name, image, likeness, biographical materials for advertising, publicity, and promotional purposes in any media whatsoever, and without additional compensation.
12. DISCLAIMERS: The Promoter Parties will not be liable for any loss or damage arising out of participation in this competition or receiving any prize, except for any liability that cannot be excluded by law. The Promoter Parties are not responsible for late submissions or submissions that are not received. The Promoter Parties are not responsible for interrupted or unavailable network, Internet, or email connections, failed communications, website inaccessibility or unavailability, or other errors of any kind, including the incomplete or incorrect capture of submission information. The Promoter reserves the right to cancel, suspend, or modify the Contest if it cannot be conducted as originally planned due to occurrences beyond the Promoter’s control.
13. GENERAL CONDITIONS: By participating in this contest, participants agree to abide by and be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the judges. Participants are responsible for all taxes, costs, or other liability, which might arise from receiving the awarding, receipt or use of any prize. By participating in this contest, participants agree to release the Promoter Parties from any and all liability arising from or in connection with participation in this Contest, or the awarding, receipt, or use of any prize. By participating in this contest, participants further agree that all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation, and enforceability of these Official Rules, participant’s rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the Promoter Parties in connection with this contest will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of India, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules. By entering, participants submit to the jurisdiction and venue of the courts located in India.

TIPS FOR PARTICIPANTS

All participants are advised to keep the following in mind when submitting their entries. This will ensure readers find the posts useful and easy to read and will also help in securing higher marks from judges.

Quality of Content
Have you come up with any great ideas? Are they out of the box? Do they sound original? Does it convey a sense that you have gone to great lengths to understand the product before writing?

Language
Is the entry well written? Has it been proof-read properly? Does the composition and style make it easy to read and comprehend on the web? Have key points been highlighted properly? Have you used as many as required or made it too long?

Use of Images, Links and Supporting Information
Did you make suitable use of images and illustrations to make the entry more impactful? Were relevant links and supporting information provided for the benefit of the reader?

WOW Factor + Reader Response
Was there at least one point you mentioned that would make the judges sit up and take notice? Will they get impressed? Will the contents draw quantitative and positive comments from other online users?