The Microsoft Kin may have been discontinued, but Microsoft today pushed out a new firmware build for the unit which fixes some minor issues.You should know that this doesn’t change the fact that Microsoft and Verizon have killed and buried KIN in a grave that is hopefully deep enough to cover up all its embarrassments……
We’re going to go out on a limb and guess that most folks haven’t been losing sleep over the prospect of a Kin software update (or lack thereof), but those that have been constantly watching their One or Two for a bit of good news can now rest a little easier — sort of.
Microsoft has released a minor update for its discontinued Kin phones. The software giant hasn’t detailed the changes in version 1.0, build 2814.0, but Bernard on WMPowerUser has researched them. The update seems to focus on Twitter functions, including new Twitter avatars in the Kin Loop and a delivery of Twitter statuses that mimics Facebook and MySpace status updates, which includes a comment form and feed.
Retweeting is still not supported, but retweets of contacts show up in the Loop. Selecting a Twitter contact allows users to see their profile bio, website, about info and other profile stats. Twitter contacts can be linked to Kin contacts, just like in Facebook, MySpace and Windows Live.
Microsoft has promised to keep updating Kin handsets, with more expected. Many believe the plans will bring better handling of Twitter replies, seeing more than three Facebook pictures at a time, and adding a calendar and social networking notifications.
While the Kin has received a software update, it’s not the previously talked about one that would add revolutionary features like Twitter replies and re-tweets. It does add a number of other more minor Twitter updates, however, including Twitter avatars and re-tweets from your contacts in the Kin Loop, and the ability to link your Twitter contacts to your Kin contacts. So, the update still leaves quite a bit to be desired. Kind of fitting, really.
Resources :electronista.com,engadget.com
Where is the link to the firmware update? And Verizon does not support the loop anymore anyways.
Where is the update? Zune, Verizon, and Microsoft simply redirects to each other.
Don’t know if this is the same issue, but my Kin2m showed ‘Updating Modem’ message with a progress screen when I turned it on after a flight to Phoenix. It required quite a bit of time (2-3 minutes?) to complete and did the process twice. There was no option to opt out or cancel the update. Following the update, all data on the phone was gone… photos…videos…contacts…web favorites…email… everything was reset like a new phone. Not happy!
My wife turned her phone off last night and when she turned it back o this morning all of her contacts, photos, etc. were completely gone!
Sounds like a pretty worthless update to me. Could we get alerts for calendar events?
I didn’t even get the update how come we don’t have a phone like everyone eles?It’s not fair!
“to cover up all its embarrassments..”
I own a kin twom and I found it to be one of the best feature phones out there.
It has an 8 megapixel camera and HD video.
It has a wireless connection and you don’t need the $30 a month data package (sorry, but it’s alot of money for me).
Verizon and Microsoft should continue to support it since I strongly believe there is a good for it.
“to cover up all its embarrassments..”
I own a kin twom and I found it to be one of the best feature phones out there.
It has an 8 megapixel camera and HD video.
It has a wireless connection and you don’t need the $30 a month data package (sorry, but it’s alot of money for me).
Verizon and Microsoft should continue to support it since I strongly believe there is a good for it.
You shouldn’t have deleted them.
To OP.. So do you take Steve deep up inside you? Because if you don’t,
you likely have that two inch Steve Jobs vibrator they sell on the
apple home page. There is nothing embarrasing about the Kin. It’s a
great phone. It’s not meant to be en effen, over priced, iphone. Those
are for itards who throw away their mommy’s money. And if they have
jobs, their own, on garbage apple sells. You can get a kin without an
extra data plan, and the camera and music player are awesome. One
thing, is it shoots HD video, something iphone was not to recently
incapible of. I could go, on, but you are and apple fanboys that try to
stop out everything but apple should be put into a grave. Hitler chose
the wrong group!
ALSO, they have a new Kin two M for sale at Verizon now. So it’s not going anywhere.
How do you update the software on a twom
I agree! This is a wonderful phone and I am defiantly refusing to pay those fees for extra data packages! I have had this phone for 7 months now and would recommend it again. The camera is great and I use Zune to download podcast videos to watch at my leisure. The mp3 player is awesome as well!
does anyone know how to download music the kin2 phone , because i caint figuar it out to save my life.
I downloaded my music to my Kin Two last night. You have to download the Zune software to your computer. You do not have to have the pass. Once you have downloaded the Zune software, connect your phone to your computer. If you have never connected it before, it will have to install the drivers. Also make sure to check the box for MANUAL sync in your Zune software so it isn’t trying to sync everytime you plug in your phone to add more music, videos, etc.
My Zune software opened automatically, but if it doesn’t for you – open your Zune. You will then get a screen that shows all of the music you have downloaded in your Music folders. Just click on the songs you want and drag them to the phone icon in the bottom left corner of your screen.
If I can do it – anyone can! (I’m 60 years young today! 🙂 Good luck.
I’m now on my quest to find out how I can download Ringtones I have created from my Music to the Kin Two via MMS. Hmmmm – hopefully I’ll find it. One thing about the Kin Two – it has lousy Ringtones! Otherwise I love it.
ok i turned mine off it wont turn back on
wow you are so biased the kin is cheap and terrible i upgraded to it then switched beck to my enV touch which is 10x better than the kin 2m. the only good thing is the nice 8mp cam