Stockholm-based KnC, a name synonymous with bitcoin mining products, is teaming up with the Chicago Sun-Times to launch a new bitcoin wallet for the Android mobile operating system this week.
Aptly named the KnCWallet (Google Play link), the wallet integrates with a user’s phone contacts in order to make sending bitcoin a breeze. And as part of the launch of the wallet, the first 5,000 downloads will get $5 in bitcoin at Monday’s exchange rate, and the subsequent 95,000 downloads will receive the equivalent of $1 in bitcoin, according to information we’ve received.
KnC has wrapped four pages of Monday’s Chicago Sun-Times paper in order to promote the launch, and they’ve also placed an ad in this week’s Chicago Reader with sponsored content entitled “Bitcoin for Beginners”, which can can be found here.
“KnC wants to share information about this evolving technology with the public. Most people don’t understand what exactly Bitcoin is or how they could benefit from using KnC Wallet in their daily life,” said KnC co-founder Sam Cole. “We’re trying to change that.”
The partnership comes on the heels of a bitcoin paywall test (which was more of a donation system, in actuality) that ran on the Times‘ website for just one day in early February.
Chief Technology Officer at Wrapports LLC (the Chicago Sun-Times‘ publisher) Josh Metnick made it a point that their properties keep up to date with the latest technologies (hence the partnership):
“As a media company in today’s environment, it’s crucial for us to stay engaged with new forms of commerce like Bitcoin. Our initial Bitwall experiment proved successful, and we are going to keep pushing the boundaries across all types of technologies,” he said.
The launch of the wallet marks KnC’s migration to consumer products from industrial-grade bitcoin miners. Undoubtedly, such a promotion is surely designed to attract an audience — and it seems it certainly will.
dr.stupid 
Pauly 
Joe Smith 
if these guys were for bitcoin they would communicate to their customers but it’s not the case. I’d beware to the real motives of this wallet offer. my recommendations based on their business practices is stay away or you’ll regret it. the wallet looks like something my five year old son whipped up as a school project.
Now they have all the hash.. or soon.. solo mining. and now making their own wallet? this should scare a lot of bitcoiners.. if you don’t understand the implications and what they’re trying to do here..
You don’t own the Bitcoins unless you own the private keys to the wallet. Let MtGox be your lesson here, claims to ownership, are not the same as ownership! I will only ever use the official Bitcoin wallet.