May 26

Sony looks to boost PSP Go sales with ten free games — in the UK, at least

Posted in: deal, free, psp, sony, Today's Chili

We’re not sure if this is the “relaunch” that we’ve been hearing about, but it looks like PSP Go buyers in the UK will soon have one big new reason to consider the UMD-less handheld — Sony says that it’ll be throwing in a whopping ten free game downloads with each system. That deal will apparently also apply to at least some existing PSP Go customers (those that registered their system after April 1st), and it looks like you’ll get a surprisingly solid lineup of games, including titles like Little Big Planet, Gran Turismo, Wipout Pure, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, and Need for Speed Shift, to name a few. Unfortunately, there’s no indication on when or if the promotion will launch over here, with SCE’s UK sales director Mark Howsen only confirming that it will be rolling out in the UK “next month.”

Sony looks to boost PSP Go sales with ten free games — in the UK, at least originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 May 2010 19:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 21

Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio: for now on, it’s a free download

Posted in: diy, free, Microsoft, robot, robotics, Robots, Today's Chili
We’ve seen plenty of interesting projects roll out of Microsoft’s Robotics Studio, but the Robotics Developer Studio package of programming and design tools has not been the smash success that the company had hoped. In a move to expand its user base and drum up grass roots support, the company has done something that might have once been unthinkable: As of today, they’re giving away the store, making the RDS available as a free download from the company’s website. “We decided to take out all of the barriers that today our users might have in order to help them build these new technologies,” Stathis Papaefstathiou, the head of the robotics studio, told IEEE Spectrum. Finally, a little help for the DIY robotics enthusiasts out there! Hit the source link to get started.

Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio: for now on, it’s a free download originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 May 2010 09:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 19

Facebook launches free mobile access site for emerging markets… and Denmark

Posted in: free, mobile, Today's Chili

Following in the footsteps of Coca-Cola, Facebook is seeking to feed your addiction with a new zero version of its online service. 0.facebook.com leads users to a stripped down, text-only version of the social site, which will incur no data charges from your carrier. Of course, you won’t be able to access any other sites or rich media without paying for it, but at least the core functionality of reading your friends’ witty status updates and writing satirical responses will be there free of charge. This service is being rolled out primarily in the so-called emerging markets, though more mature environments like Belgium, Denmark and Finland are also present on the list (available after the break). SFR in France, 3 in the UK, and Australia’s Telstra are also going to be joining in soon. Guess it’s just a matter of finding a pliable carrier to accede to offering the minimal bandwidth necessary in exchange for being Liked by Facebookers.

Continue reading Facebook launches free mobile access site for emerging markets… and Denmark

Facebook launches free mobile access site for emerging markets… and Denmark originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 May 2010 03:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 13

Samsung CL80 will come with three months free Boingo WiFi, oh joy

Posted in: free, samsung, Today's Chili, wi-fi, wifi

While we’re still waiting for Sammy’s 14 megapixel, WiFi-enabled point-and-shoot to make its stateside appearance, it seems it won’t be lacking for software when it crosses the pond — this week, ubiquitous hotspot host Boingo announced that its service will be preinstalled on every new Samsung CL80 and ST5500, and the cameras will come with three free months of use. After that point, you’ll still be able to upload your pictures from Starbucks, never fear — you’ll just have to pay $8 monthly for the privilege. PR after the break.

Continue reading Samsung CL80 will come with three months free Boingo WiFi, oh joy

Samsung CL80 will come with three months free Boingo WiFi, oh joy originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 May 2010 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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May 12

Free! Use a Leica M9 (for 4 Hours) at Brooklyns NY Photo Festival

Posted in: free, Today's Chili

leica.jpg

Do you have an SDHC card, a photo ID, and a credit card? Would you love to get your hands on one of today’s most well regarded cameras? If you answered “yes” to everything, then you need to come to Brooklyn, NY. This Thursday, May 13 through Sunday, May 16th at the New York Photo Festival, Leica is sponsoring the Leica Photo Scavenger Hunt: “Photo enthusiasts may borrow the coveted Leica M9 digital rangefinder camera absolutely free for a period of up to four hours.”

The company will announce a theme each day; whoever captures the best picture within the 4 hours to fit the theme will win “a special Leica prize.” No word on how many cameras will be available, but this seems like an outstanding opportunity.

For those unfamiliar with the Leica M9, in short–it’s sweet.  It features an extremely large image sensor in a compact body, though it offers no auto-focus.  It’s very expensive (listing for $7,750) and has stood the test of time: The first model of the M line, the (non-digital) M3, was introduced in 1954.
You can claim  your loaner Leica at the following address:
New York Photo Festival Headquarters
Powerhouse Books
37 Main Street
Brooklyn, New York 11201

Festival hours are 12 to 7 P.M Thursday to Saturday, and 12 to 5 Sunday.  For more info, visit www.leica-camera.com and www.nyphotofestival.com.
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Apr 06

Nokia E71 and E66 owners get free Ovi Maps navigation

Posted in: free, gps, maps, navigation, nokia, Today's Chili

Nokia’s new Ovi Maps software just made its way to the venerable E71 and E66 business handsets. While Nokia was constrained from offering its premium nav services like Guide Michelin and Lonely Planet on these legacy S60 3.1 handsets, owners are nevertheless being treated to free walk and drive navigation with turn-by-turn guidance. So really, you can’t complain… unless of course you picked up a US-flavored E71x which isn’t eligible for the free update. Check the full press release after the break for download instructions and a list of compatible devices.

Continue reading Nokia E71 and E66 owners get free Ovi Maps navigation

Nokia E71 and E66 owners get free Ovi Maps navigation originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mar 30

Omnimo: desktop Windows given fashion makeover with Phone 7 Series flair

Posted in: free, Gmail, interface, itunes, Today's Chili, twitter, ui, Windows, windows phone, windows phone 7, windows phone 7 series, Windows XP, WindowsPhone, WindowsPhone7, WindowsPhone7Series, Wp7

Can’t wait for Windows Phone 7 Series, but can’t hack the emulator, either? Don’t lose hope, Windows junkies — you can still bring some semblance of WP7S order into your life with this Metro UI-inspired desktop HUD. Based on the open-source desktop customization platform Rainmeter, the “Omnimo UI” will overlay your desktop with a minimalist, tiled interface not unlike the one you’ve been drooling over for weeks, with live hooks into many useful services (including Gmail, iTunes, Steam, Twitter and SpeedFan) as well as the usual widgets and a host of program shortcuts. The best news of all? It’s available now for all versions of Windows since XP, completely free of charge; simply follow the source links or flit over to Lifehacker, where good folks will teach you how it’s done.

Omnimo: desktop Windows given fashion makeover with Phone 7 Series flair originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 18:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceRainmeter, Omnimo UI  | Email this | Comments

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Mar 30

MapQuest iPhone gets free voice navigation; TomTom lifetime map and traffic PNDs now available (update: Navigon MobileNavigator 1.5 too)

Posted in: free, gps, iPhone, maps, nav, navigation, Today's Chili, tomtom


Chalk up another two wins for cheap consumer GPS. Like Google Maps Navigation before it, the MapQuest 4 Mobile iPhone app has just now added gratis turn-by-turn voice directions… and ahead of schedule, TomTom has begun bundling its new 2010 Personal Navigation Devices, including the XL 340S and the XXL 540S — with lifetime traffic and maps subscriptions. The latter are now available on Amazon for a $30-per-lifetime-subscription premium in a variety of increasingly feature-filled flavors, with helpful T (traffic), M (maps) and TM (traffic and maps) suffixes so you know which TomTom is which. If you prefer buying from brick and mortar, TomTom expects retail availability beginning in April. Full list of supported TomTom models and expected MSRP after the break.

Update: The 1.5.0 iPhone update to MobileNavigator from Navigon that includes MyRoutes, Facebook and Twitter integration, and Panorama View 3D is finally up on iTunes as well.

Continue reading MapQuest iPhone gets free voice navigation; TomTom lifetime map and traffic PNDs now available (update: Navigon MobileNavigator 1.5 too)

MapQuest iPhone gets free voice navigation; TomTom lifetime map and traffic PNDs now available (update: Navigon MobileNavigator 1.5 too) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 02:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceTomTom (Business Wire), MapQuest  | Email this | Comments

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Mar 25

Aircell tempts HTC HD2 owners with six months free in-flight WiFi

Posted in: free, HTC, t-mobile, TMobile, Today's Chili, wifi
Now that Aircell has finished roping every major US airline into its plan for world domination providing inexpensive WiFi on most every flight, the company’s dealmakers have had to fall back on, shall we say, less integral partnerships to advance their strategy. First up? If you’re the owner of a shiny new HTC HD2 on T-Mobile, you get six months of Gogo in-flight WiFi, free of charge. Simply register with the company anytime before June 2011 and it’s clear skies for your connection. You can consider the expiration date a bonus alarm clock — by that time, you’ll be ready for a phone with enough buttons for Windows Phone 7 Series.

Aircell tempts HTC HD2 owners with six months free in-flight WiFi originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 06:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 03

Symbian Operating System, Now Open Source and Free

Posted in: free, mobile, nokia, operating system, os, Phones, symbian, Today's Chili

symbian

The source code for the ten-year old Symbian platform will be completely open source and available for free starting Thursday. The transition from proprietary code to open source is the largest in software history, claims the Symbian Foundation.

“The dominant operating system provider out there is Symbian,” says Lee Williams, executive director of the Symbian Foundation, “and now we are offering developers the ability to do so much more.”

Symbian, which powers most of Nokia’s phones, has been shipped in more than 330 million devices worldwide. But in the last few years, Symbian has seen more than its fair share of changes. In 2008, Nokia, one of Symbian’s largest customers, acquired a major share in the company. Nokia then created the Symbian Foundation to distribute the platform as an open source project, and began the process of opening up the source code that year.

Meanwhile, the operating system has seen new rivals crop up. Google’s Android, which is based on a Linux kernel, has become a favorite among handset makers such as Motorola and HTC. And it’s based on an open source foundation too.

Symbian’s move to open source has been completed four months ahead of schedule and it offers mobile developers new ways to innovate, says Williams. Any individual or organization can now take, use and modify the Symbian code for any device, from mobile phone to a tablet.

Similar as it may sound to Android’s promise, there are major differences, says Williams.

“About a third of the Android code base is open and nothing more,” says Williams. “And what is open is a collection of middleware. Everything else is closed or proprietary.”

Symbian is also ahead of Android in that it will publish its platform roadmap and planned features up to 2011, he says. And anyone can influence that roadmap or contribute to new features.

“Open source is also about open governance,” says Williams. “It’s about letting someone other than one control point guide the feature set and the asset base.”

But will that be enough for Symbian to steal away customers lured by a snazzier and younger rival?

See Also:

Photo: (James Nash/Flickr)


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