Microsoft rolls out a Windows Phone update

SOFTWARE HOUSE Microsoft has announced a software update for Windows Phone (WP) but disgruntled users with changes to how it handles updates.

The update will bring customers up to version 7.10.8107.79 and provides a number of fixes for bugs in Microsoft's mobile operating system. A big change is that the update will only go to carriers that ask for it rather than just to all users.

Microsoft's Windows Phone blog said, "This week we started to make a new Windows Phone update - 8107 - available to many Windows Phone customers."

It added that the update is available to "all carriers that request it".

The news hasn't gone down well with WP users with hundreds of negative comments on the post. Joel Belfiore, who runs the WP7 product definition and design team defended the announcement on Twitter.

ps - on updates, pls don't overreact, our focus is on users first!As greg said "nothing has changed" in how we work w carriers on updates.

— joebelfiore (@joebelfiore) January 8, 2012

However, much to the disgust of users, it announced that the blog won't be used to give news on updated any longer.

The Windows Phone web site will now be the place to find news and information on updates. Furthermore, the Where's My Phone Update? Site will not detail country, model, and carrier for updates.

One user said "If this doesn't change I am really considering switching to iOS" and other raged "this whole idea of letting the carriers decide updates and scheduling is simply ridiculous."

If you're interested then the six fixes listed start off with one to stop the keyboard from disappearing during typing. Email fixes include an unspecified one with Google Mail and one for Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 to include the original message when you reply.

There is a location fix that only sends anonymous information to close WiFi points if the user agrees with the Check In function. The remaining fixes are one that sorts out voicemail notification and one that revokes digital certificates from Digicert, Sdn and Bhd to rectify an encryption issue. µ