Get emergency text alerts and win a Toyota

First Alert System Text (FAST) issued a press release announcing a contest to promote their national alert service. According to the press release,

Persons who subscribe to the National Emergency Alert Network are automatically entered in the running for one of the 100 new Toyota cars or trucks. Entering simply requires texting the word FAST followed by a space and then your zip code to the National Emergency Alert Service Short code 47733

You can also sign up on the web at firstalerttext.com.

The downside here is that it will cost you $0.99 per month, but I suppose that isn't much if the service is genuinely useful.

Followup: Text the troops on Thanksgiving

Looks like the DoD's "Giving Thanks" program got over 130,000 responses in the week that it ran.

Text the troops on Thanksgiving

The Department of Defense is running an SMS program called "Giving Thanks". The program allows anyone to send thanks (or probably any positive message) to servicemembers abroad by texting to the short code 89279. The messages will then be viewable by the troops via a special web page (presumibly after the comments have been filtered by the pentagon...). The program will run until midnight PST Nov. 22nd.

$1 movie tickets by SMS

Fandango and MacDonalds are running a promotion offering $1 movie tickets by SMS. According to Fandango's website here's the way it works: every Wednesday at noon PST a new "Word of the Week" is posted to their website. The first 8,000 people who text that word to Fandango's short code FNDGO (36346) get a promotion code back by SMS valid for the purchase of one movie ticket for a buck. The only catch is you're opted in for free Fandango Mobile Movie Alerts. But, the good news is if you want to you can just unsubscribe from the alerts after you get your coupon just by texting END to FNDGO. Not a bad deal.

The promotion runs through December 26th.