Happy holidays from the tech industry

If your stocking seemed a little light this morning, fire up the computer.

It's the season of giving online, where companies big and small are showering freebies on new customers.

With visions of Google ad sales dancing in their heads, they're giving away amazing products to lure customers and bulk up their Web presence.

These gifts do have strings attached. They come wrapped in ads, for one thing.

In return for free stuff, you also give up some personal information when you register.

The companies may also nudge you toward premium, pay services. But you can avoid the fees if you're careful.

Think about these giveaways like food samples at Costco — you can get a free lunch if you put in the effort, but if you lose control you may spend $100 on something you didn't know you needed.

Web companies were similarly generous in the late 1990s, until their money ran out. It's unclear how long the current heyday will last, especially if the economy slows and ad sales taper off.

But why spoil the fun today?

Let's start with free music for your new MP3 player.

You can download 25 free songs from eMusic.com if you register with its online music store.

An even better deal is the free music given away perpetually by Seattle startup iLike.com, which doesn't ask for your credit card like eMusic.

You have to register for iLike's service, which so far only works with iTunes. It's a social network where you can see and discuss members' music choices.

But you also get a software application that runs alongside iTunes, sees what you're listening to and suggests similar music. About half the suggestions are for music you have to buy. The other half is for music from independent bands, and you can download their songs for free.

Ticketmaster invested in iLike last week, so expect to see pitches for concert tickets as well as some ads.

If that's not your scene, perhaps you'd like a completely free Web site with 25 e-mail accounts?

That's what Microsoft is offering to small businesses who register with OfficeLive, one of the new services broadening its online reach.

OfficeLive is one of the best deals going online, and I'm amazed that millions haven't signed up.

It's available to anyone with a credit card, a fast Internet connection and a current PC. You choose the domain name, and Microsoft pays the annual registration fee and gives you tools to build and monitor the site.

The catch? You'll be targeted with ads in the site administrative control panel. You also have to register with a credit card, which you may end up using to buy additional services like more storage or an upgrade to a premium service.

The great customer hunt is also extending to mobile phones, where Microsoft and Google are trying to outdo each other with free mapping and directory applications that run on phones.They don't work with all phones and carriers, and you'll be giving the companies more information, including your whereabouts.

But in return you get the equivalent of a GPS atlas and yellow pages on your phone, and you may never pay directory assistance fees again.

Microsoft's version even shows traffic status if it has the info.

Early reviews favor Windows Live Search (wls.live.com) over mobile Google Maps (Google.com/gmm), but they're both nice gifts, and no thank-yous are required.

Reach Brier Dudley at 206-515-5687 or bdudley@seattletimes.com.