Though a last nail in the Microsoft Kin coffin has yet to be tapped into place, the program which made the span of ill-fated handsets not often constrained will shortly get a mattock. Come January 31st, Kin Studio will be no more, effectively neutering existent Kin phones by stealing them from the cloud cover. They’ll still be able to have calls, send SMS, email, browse the web as well as even stream song via Zune Pass, though their formerly live homescreens will turn routine, stripped of social networking functionality — as well as will actually sojourn stuck on their really final standing update, much similar to the broken clock. Their online repository of cinema, videos as well as contacts will stop to exist, though you can behind them up to a personal computer if you action now. Thankfully, Verizon seems to understands which not all Kin business will be happy with a zombiephone, and has taken a drastic magnitude to assistance them out — by March 31st, 2011, Kin owners can traffic it in for a giveaway 3G phone of their choice. How kind. Find full Verizon FAQs on the passing from one to another during our more coverage links.

[Thanks to everybody who sent this in]

Via Engadget