Microsoft Kin notifications have up to fifteen minute delay
By Sean Hollister 
posted April 13th 2010 2:04AM
posted April 13th 2010 2:04AM
Microsoft's new Kin phones promise to let "Generation Upload" stay in touch with their friends via integrated, streamlined social networking. It's the main draw, the big selling point, the reason why teens, tweens and those who want to share pictures of huge fat men eating Chipotle burritos will get one. But unless you hit a manual refresh button, Microsoft says Kin will only let you stay in touch in fifteen-minute intervals. That's how often the company's servers will ping Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and Windows Live to grab info from the cloud. "We didn't want the device always pulling data from the network," said one engineer, citing battery life and immature social network APIs as primary reasons why. Our take? This might be how Microsoft intends to leverage cheaper data plans out of Verizon -- by subtly throttling data usage -- providing an always-on 3G experience at a tween-affordable price. We'll just have to see if "Heather M." appreciates that, when her clothing recommendation is subject to a quarter-hour delay.
@MattsZ
bullshit! people text more than ever now. Some even text TO update their status. When you need to let someone know something quick, you text, not post on their wall. Also, do you know how much gossip goes on in texting. Oh buddy, private text messages are not replacing public status updates.
Look at the bottom left of the 11th picture from the top (with all the individual photos.) The real reason I want a Kin is to share pictures of Steve Ballmer!
So where's my outrage supposed to be placed again? This is exactly how I have my updates on my Android phone set for EXACTLY THE REASONS CITED. Battery life is awful if you have the networks checking more often than 15 minutes, and if you check the individual apps they even recommend 15 minutes at the minimum for not affecting battery life. When I need it more frequently I hit the Refresh button. This sounds completely legitimate to me and completely reasonable. Microsoft's done a couple notably awful things with WP7, but it feels like now everyone's searching for reasons to take them down a peg whenever they show off something cool. Well, this isn't one of them, IMO.
Also, keep in mind people, this is social networks, not SMS or other things meant to go DIRECTLY to you. This is just generalized, non-specific updates from your friends that you, yourself, will only look at when you bother to pull your phone out of your pocket and check it. That's really not so bad.
@TurboFool
I'm still outraged that they changed the name from FAT TURTLE to KIN.
And there shall my rage remain!
Dang, I commented 15 minutes too late.
Lettuce and Tomatoes at the same time on one burger?
..Kinwich multitasking burger
http://i42.tinypic.com/30vn0ux.jpg
test comment
why even post these articles? At least the flood of ipad articles were polarizing. Nobody here even remotely cares about these phones... I say engadget should just update a single kin blog post with and new news.
title says "up to 15 minute delay," but the article sounds like it's a minimum 15 minute delay.
here's the deal, give the TARGET GROUP OF PEOPLE and their parents 4 options:
1.) nothing
2.) a dumb phone with a reasonably priced monthly plan with only the option of sms/mms and poor quality mp3 capabilities.
3.) a Kin with a reasonably priced monthly plan with the option of having all of their social networking apps, plus sms/mms, plus zune mp3 player capabilities.
4.) a smart phone with a required monthly plan of at least $70 with no guarantee of decent mp3 player capabilities and get everything instantly.
suddenly, waiting 15 minutes for a friends request doesn't seem so bad.
@iroq d mullet
sorry, + email for the Kin.
No teenager wants to wait.
How could they possibly have missed this??
At least give the option for 5 or 10 minutes.
I think they should space out these requests unevenly, not just every 15 minutes. There should be more frequent times and less frequent times: More frequent could include times like 7am-9am (you at the office yet?), 11am-1pm (whos going to lunch?), 4pm-6pm (dinner time) - and perhaps an extra "slow" time where it'll check once every half hour, like when you're supposed to be in work/school, or when you're supposedly sleeping (3am-7am).
I was mostly impressed by this Kin's for their functionalities. The presentation/staging event was very decent, but I didn't like it making fun of "pictures of huge fat men eating Chipotle burritos".
While I'm not a fat person and not a gym bunny, I find this comment/skid offensive. What's so funny about fat persons eating? If eating and gaining weight is not a crime, why are we so mean to them? Okay, if we believe being fat is not healthy, then help them, not laugh at them or making cruel jokes about them.
Microsoft, I challenge you to be better citizen. Stop bullying people.