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WHERE ON THE WEB

The sample life

For truly free freebies, check out these product giveaway sites.

I love staying in hotels. I never have to make the bed, and I can pocket the mini-shampoo and lotion bottles with impunity. So I was thrilled to discover I could fill my toiletry kit with sample-sized goodies without leaving home.

I start at TheFreeSite.com, because its creator, Marc McDonald, has culled through the many so-called free offers and compiled a list of things that are truly free -- those with no excessive shipping charges or other hidden costs. There are lots of free screensavers, software, clip art and other downloadables. But my favorites are the free samples of toothpaste, shampoo and lotions that come in the mail. There are even samples of aspirin and other medications. A few other sites that aggregate free offers are All-free-samples.com and Yes-Its-Free.com.

I also check the sites of brands I like. Often they'll let you try new products just for giving up some pertinent information, such as your sex and age, plus your skin type or how often you use lotion. At Procter & Gamble (PG.com), for example, click on "Samples, Offers and Sweepstakes" to see what the current offer is. Or click on "Free Sample" at St. Joseph's (stjosephaspirin.com), tell them about yourself and fill out a survey to get an aspirin sample. If you're lucky (and you really know your Jelly Belly candies), you can get free candy by taking a flavor quiz at JellyBelly.com.

But be careful. "I advise people to use common sense and caution when seeking freebies," says TheFreeSite.com's McDonald. "The word 'free' is highly abused on the Web." Be wary of anything that asks for a credit card number or any other inappropriate information. You might be required to fill out a survey, but don't offer too much personal information. And before you sign up for anything, get a free e-mail address from Hotmail.com or Yahoo.com so your regular address won't get pelted with spam.

-- Christina Wood

Download this

Still need proof of the digital music craze? A high-end European clothier recently unveiled a jacket with a built-in MP3 player. The headphones are concealed in the collar; buttons double as audio controls. But you needn't wear your love of music on your sleeve to participate in the online music marketplace.

Sync up your iPod with a new BMW in what is being called "the first seamless integration of iPod and automobile." Or download to your desktop, the old-fashioned way.

The numbers are staggering. Apple's iTunes.com, the runaway leader in (legally) downloadable music, recently sold its 100 millionth song. And Nielsen SoundScan says that in the past year, sales Internet-wide have leapt from 300,000 tracks a week to more than 2.5 million. That translates to about 54 million downloads in the first half of this year alone.

So who are the stars of the digital world? Here are the 10 most downloaded tracks since Nielsen SoundScan began keeping tabs in June 2003.

-- Devin Zatorski