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App.net goes gratis, announces invitation-only free accounts
Since its inception, App.net has been working hard to improve its growing platform, giving all of its paid users a 10GB bucket of cloud storage and opening up its File API so devs could use the data stored there. Today, folks wanting in on the fledgling social platform can do so without paying the $36 annual fee -- provided you can score an invite from a paying member. And, there's something in it for paid accounts who refer folks. Both the inviter and invitee get an extra 100 MB of storage (up to 2GB) if the invitee subsequently follows 5 people and authorizes a third-party app. Should you be lucky enough to score an invite, you won't have the same level of access as your paid brethren, however. Free accounts can only follow up to 40 users -- paid accounts have no such restriction -- and get a 500MB cloud locker. Also, while paid accounts can upload 100MB files, gratis accounts are limited to 10MB uploads. We got to speak with Dalton Caldwell, CEO of App.net about the shift to a freemium model and he told us that the move has been in the works for some time. The reason it took awhile to do so is that App.net wanted to ensure that it had a market for its paid services and that it had enough of an app ecosystem to make App.net appealing to free users as well. Caldwell also informed us that in order to keep the number of free accounts manageable, paid members will get a limited number of invites to start -- with more invites appearing as the company finds it prudent to do so.
Engadget Giveaway: win a Nokia Lumia 800, courtesy of Quixby!
Not everyone needs a Nokia Lumia 900 -- in fact, we imagine that there are plenty of you out there that could care less about LTE and the larger screen. That's where the Lumia 800 comes in real handy... especially an unlocked version that would come to you completely gratis. The beauty has been made possible by Quixby, a startup based in Ohio that just launched a new service that could make it easier to buy, build and share a computer. Intrigued? Enter to win, then take a look-see.
Nokia's Foursquare-enabled vending machine offers free smartphones, Butterfingers (video)
Sure, it's one thing to hit up the vending machine at work to get your Doritos fix, but free gifts? That's exactly what Nokia's doing at the Skypark in Glasgow for the city's Social Media Week with the help of 1000heads. Dubbed the "Nokia Gift Machine," it allows event attendees to obtain one free gift per day including candy from the US of A, Nokia accessories and even smartphones for a lucky few. All it takes is a quick Foursquare check-in with #NokiaConnects followed by a share over Twitter, and a goodie-filled tube will be yours for the taking. It'll only be in place until the 23rd, so if you're there and haven't given it whirl, consider this a quick heads-up from your friends at Engadget. Plus, who doesn't love getting awesome stuff for free? Exactly. Full details in the PR past the break.
Radio Shack celebrates T-Mobile's departure by giving its phones away
You remember the joy you felt the last time you found a really good deal, right? You may want to take a lovely evening stroll into a Radio Shack near you to experience that same emotion. With T-Mobile getting the boot September 14th to make room for new roommate Verizon, The Shack has decided to offer a blowout sale to celebrate. Beginning today, every phone (!) is gratis with a two-year commitment. The offer is in-store only, and while we're assuming it's good until every last one of Little Magenta's phones are gone, the sale could end at any time. The toughest part now? Deciding which one to grab.
T-Mobile confirms gratis WiFi calling for the magenta-clad masses
Last week, the online grapevine foretold that T-Mobile users would have complimentary calling over WiFi. Now, the pink provider's powers that be have made good on the gossip and officially made free WiFi calling official. The service is available to those with Android handsets with the carrier's Smart Wi-Fi app preinstalled and are on T-Mo's Even More or Even More Plus plans. All others wanting a dose of free will have to pony up for a new plan -- you didn't think it was actually free, did you?
MapQuest iPhone gets free voice navigation; TomTom lifetime map and traffic PNDs now available (update: Navigon MobileNavigator 1.5 too)
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.
Confirmed wonderfulness: Opera browser free for all until June 2007
With the slightly higher than expected price of the Wii, consumers further lamented Nintendo's insistence on squeezing us for every penny we could find under the cushions. The Opera browser would cost twenty dollars or more, and after they promised it to be free? Blasphemy! But soon, news from Japan came that over there, they could download Opera for free, until June 2007. Yet, confusion reigned. What about us, we cried! And moaned. And whined. And apparently, Nintendo took note. We've been on top of the situation, but now it's confirmed in this official press release from Opera: the browser will be absolutely gratis for all regions until June of next year. That means us early adopters actually get a little bonus, whereas normally the late-comers and lazy gamers always get the best deals. Hah! Serves you right, luddites!And look! Ecstatic Wii-loving swimmers! Wooooo! [Thanks, Nushio!]
