Be a Da Vinci detective

Product placement does have its benefits!

Expect a tidal wave of tech vendors to jump onto the Da Vinci Code bandwagon this month, as the best selling book has been condensed into a film that's set to launch on May 19.

Sony Ericsson (SE) looks to be the first, having scored a product placement deal which sees the K600i, P910i and Z300i handsets appearing on-set.

Milking the deal for all it's worth, the company is running a competition on its website, which, according to SE, "challenges participants to solve six encrypted puzzles against the clock." Winners will be invited to Paris this August to compete with seventeen others "in a real-life adventure powered by GPS navigation service provider, Wayfinder."

The puzzles are all flash-based and are fairly simple to complete (except for maybe the last one) -- that is, if you can live with the irritating SE handset that pops up with hints and tips every few seconds. Aside from that though, the competition is far more enjoyable than the average giveaway, which usually involves entering your e-mail address and consenting to receive daily spam from the "generous" vendor.

In addition to the competition, SE (in co-operation with Optus) is giving away a free Da Vinci Code audio book with every W810i Walkman phone purchase, as well as free movie tickets with selected models.