One of RIM’s staple services, BlackBerry Messenger, has a rather substantial update in the making. The image above shows what is claimed to be BBM 6.1′s new interface which includes more customization options and all new icons. To some it may not seem like much. But to BlackBerry fanatics who’ve been looking at the same aging pixels since BBM 5.0 was released last year, it’s more than welcome.
Taking a conversation online in the mobile age was at one time a chore. The services and hardware that we had were crude at best. But over the last 5-6 years, the cellphone, and now smartphones, have come quite a ways. What was once a wasteland is now a land saturated with multi-account chat apps. There are literally dozens of different chap apps on iOS alone, with Android, BlackBerry, Symbian, and very soon, Windows Phone 7 all having their own options as well.
So how do you weed through the junk? Continue on and I’ll show you how…
For well over a year now I’ve been pestering Beejive’s email box monthly, inquiring as to when we’d see the fantastic multi-account IM app on Android. Each and every time I’d get a response that ultimately said no, but went about it in in varying ways. It looks like my emails can finally cease as BGR has a hands on preview of Beejive for Android.
The coolest feature that caught my attention from BGR’s preview was “chat drawer” that allows users to quickly access and manage conversations via it’s own drop down menu ala the stock Android notification bar. Pretty nifty, eh? As far as looks go, it’s easy to see that they closely follow the iPhone-esque UI. I’m not complaining though. Beejive is slick. In my eyes, it’s the best looking multi-chat IM app for Android. But not only does it have a pretty face, Beejive super stable. Back in the day when I toted around a BlackBerry, I never had any issues with Beejive. Ditto for my iPhone version.
Looks like the Android multi-chat app scene is about to get served. You’ll be able to find Beejive for Android in the Market later this afternoon for $9.99. Excited?
Sorry folks. That’s all she wrote. With tonights release of Trillian beta for Android, every single multi-IM client has become irrelevant. The feature set on Trillian beta rivals many long time established names such as eBuddy and Meebo while also looking leaps and bounds more polished and “professional”. Obviously being a multi-IM account app means multiple accounts are aplomb and handled seamlessly. Speaking of accounts, Trillian beta supports: AIM/MobileMe, Facebook, Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber/XMPP, WLM, MySpaceIM, and Yahoo Messenger. That pretty much covers them all — all the popular ones anyway.
Besides account support, you can sort contacts by name or status (they’re already sorted by account as well), hide/unhide offline contacts, show/hide avatars, enable/disable sounds, vibrations, and trackball lights, push email alerts for when Trillian is suspended, user customizable status, and one hell of a nice UI to boot. 
The Trillian team delivered a very nice product. And remember, this is just a simple beta. Over the come weeks, things can only go up.
Trillian for Android is currently non-market only meaning non-rooted users of AT&T (and other similar carriers) will have to hurry up and wait longer. But for those who have the ability for non-market installs, point your scanner app at the nifty little image to the right and get ready. In all seriousness, no other Android multi-chat app compares. Try it out and let us know what you think!
For many social junkies, having but a single, solitary account to communicate with is absurd, and possibly even insulting. How dare someone think that one account is good enough and everyone else should follow them in their choice of IM client/social networking service. With that said, there are tons of choices in communication services. So much so, it can be hard to keep track of them all. Thanks to multi-chat clients however, grouping all of those conversations, buddies, and accounts into one smorgishboard is a life saver as well as a time saver.
Mobile IM apps and web portals for IM clients are nothing new. Though the latter hasn’t been around quite as long as the stand alone mobile/desktop app nor has it been as fully featured or polished. Can IM+ shake things up a bit when it comes to online browser-based multi-chat? Continue on…
Say that five times fast…
Do you spend countless hours signed in to Facebook just to make use of Facebook Chat, or do you punish yourself for the sole reason of tending to your neverending, completely fake crops? If you fall into the latter category, I can’t help you. However, if you fancy Facebook more for the actual communication part, a nifty little app dubbed “Chit Chat” is right up your alley. The genius of Chic Chat is that it takes Facebook Chat out of the browser and allows you to use it via a lightweight desktop app, without the need of actually being signed in within the browser. To some, the concept doesn’t make sense — if you spend so much time on Facebook Chat, why close the browser? If you find yourself asking this question too, I can only offer a recommendation to try Chit Chat.
Chit Chat isn’t for everyone. But social butterflies and those who just like to yak it up on Facebook Chat may just find relief in this nifty little app afterall…
For me, consolidation is key. I’ve tried Nimbuzz and eBuddy in efforts to do away with using Google Talk and a multi-chat client for my other accounts. I simply prefer the stock Google Talk app for Google’s service, and a multi-chat client for everything else. But with Trillian, it looks like I can finally drop down to a single app. Besides looking great functionality-wise, from the screenshots above we can see that Trillian is quite the looker too! A robust Android app that performs well and looks good. Wo0t!
With that said, Trillian for Android will bring about several features:
All I can say is I can’t wait! I’ve been bugging Beejive developers for well over a year now on when we’d see a Beejive for Android as I used it extensively back in my iPhone days and even further back in time on my BlackBerries when Beejive was still called JiveTalk. I’ve waited long enough. Their delay is their problem. Hopefully the “within weeks” for Trillian is true, because I sure would love some Trillian action on my DROID. You?
Popular multi-messaging and VoIP app “Nimbuzz” has just received a fresh update to 2.0 status. Besides a new set of numbers, Nimbuzz for iPhone 2.0 is said to include faster loading times/network reconnects, a freshened UI, and the new “NimbuzzOut” which allows users to dial out to international mobile phone and landline numbers on the cheap).
I’m all for a good deal when calling abroad. (Now if only I had someone abroad to call….)
Nimbuzz 2.0 for iPhone is now avaiable in the App Store for FREE! So get it while it’s hot! I’ll be sure to give Nimbuzz 2.0 a rundown on my iPhone later today and into the night and report how I feel. I’d suggest you do the same and guide your comments back this way as well.
There are some of us who like to talk, network, and spread our social butterfly wings. And then there are some of us who really like to talk, network, and spread said wings. For the latter, multi-chat IM clients are a life or death tool when out and about the town. For mobile users, multichat IM apps are a must.
For BlackBerry users specifically, there are plenty of options in apps to communicate with others already. Why add another? Hey, folks. Options options options. So if Beejive is old news, AIM’s app is making you weep, and Google Talk just isn’t fly anymore, Trillian would love to show you something. See exhibit A above — Trillian for BlackBerry…
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