To share or not to share; that is the question that Search 4 BBM answers

My mind may be changing when it comes to how I treat my BlackBerry PIN and who I add to my BlackBerry Messenger. Funny thing is, it wasn’t too long ago that I was going on about how I keep my friends close, and my PIN even closer. I honestly didn’t want my PIN to be out there for anyone to add me. I did that once when I was still new to the CrackBerry community and though I did find some really amazing people to talk to, there were always a few individuals who I felt like they would leave me in a bathtub full of ice and have my kidneys removed, if they had the chance. So when I was looking up information on PIN sharing options, I came across Search 4 BBM which, at first glance, was another PIN sharing site; or so I thought. 

I had the chance to meet with the Search 4 BBM team at the 2011 BlackBerry Developers Conference last month. The first time it was for inclusion in the DevCon booth tour and the second was a meet and greet with the entire group. After gaining more information on what was to the idea behind Search 4 BBM and the options that were available, I had a much better understanding for what they do. It wasn’t necessarily a messaging free for all; there could be a profound purpose for picking PINs from the plethora of people. Looking for those with similar interests? Need to find someone in a specific profession? Search 4 BBM offers a secure way to help make contact without everyone having access to your PIN, unless you like that sort of thing. They’re definitely worth taking a good look at, which we are about to do riiiiiiiiiiight….now!

 

Search 4 BBM was established roughly 7 months ago, with a soft launch occurring 4 months ago. Since that time, they’ve already accumulated over half a million members who actively take part in reaching out to others. Search for BBM is based in Israel and is lead by CEO Nimrod Cohen. Search 4 BBM does put a new twist on adding contacts to BlackBerry Messenger. We all know that most people chat with one another (in person, phone or email, social networking site, etc) and then add them to BlackBerry Messenger. In this case, you can search their database (which just so happens to be the largest one around) for people just waiting for you to use their PIN. Users can log in using their Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google or Search 4 BBM accounts.

Now there are quite a few ways to search for contacts using Search 4 BBM. You may prefer looking for contacts that may be in one of your social networks. Depending on how many contacts you have, you may not be able to ask each and every single one of them if they are using a BlackBerry smartphone (though they should be). Searching through your social networks will help point out those who are fellow BlackBerry smartphone users. Say you met someone at a party; you got their name, but forgot to get their number or email. You saw them carrying a BlackBerry, so you decide to attempt to search for them through Search 4 BBM by name. You can also set your search criteria by category; if you need to find someone close by of a certain profession, like a plumber to help you with a currently flooding kitchen sink. Perhaps you need a lift and want to find the closest taxi driver. With categories like biotechnology, public relation or even clergy, you can find them all here. Searches can also be set by location and there are two ways to do this from the website- you can focus the search on a specific Country, State/Province and City. If you’re visiting a City you haven’t been to before, you can ask the locals where the best place is to have dinner, catch a show or sightsee. The other method is to search on the map included, both on their website and their BlackBerry application. I preferred using the website, as I found the map on the application to be slow and the controls a bit awkward (no touch screen navigation- slow response time). Regardless, you can see fellow users and their reported location. Other filters allow you to search by gender and age, as well.

Again, Search 4 BBM isn’t a messaging free for all; you can set your security level so your BlackBerry smartphone PIN can be seen by everybody, only social friends or only individuals that your personally approve. While your Profile is completely public, you can choose how much or how little detail you want to share about yourself. Users can show share their location, pictures, status/situation and other contact details.

Understanding the BlackBerry application is still in beta, there are some much needed additions that I would like to see. Profile management on a BlackBerry smartphone is a definite must; including the option to upload images. I’m hoping this functionality comes soon. The mapping option is a great idea and could help making contact with fellow users within close proximity of each other, but the map needs to be incredibly smooth. Search 4 BBM goes well above and beyond what BlackBerry Messenger can when it comes to adding new contacts. It’s, by far, an amazing filtering tool that is much more secure than slapping your PIN up in a forum. Especially since you can report accounts for abuse, potentially resulting in that account being closed. As its user base grows, so will its ability to connect everyone with a BlackBerry smartphone. Consider Search 4 BBM a more secure way to see who is worthy of being added to your BlackBerry Messenger Contact list, as well as a door to a more detailed look at profiles. If you want to check out Search 4 BBM, you can sign up for a free account and download the free application from BlackBerry App World.

More information/download the Search 4 BBM app for BlackBerry smartphones

Check out Search 4 BBM

 

Real Contact maps out BlackBerry Messenger contacts

Remember a while back when I asked you how precious your BlackBerry PIN was? I came across another service that expands upon the functionality of BlackBerry Messenger and potentially puts your PIN out there for the public to discover. Real Contact puts your BlackBerry Messenger users on the map, BlackBerry Maps to be exact, making them discoverable and locatable. Real Contact doesn’t make use of Google Maps, so make sure you have BlackBerry Maps installed (and BlackBerry Messenger 6, as well). The idea is to forgo the “Where are you?” messages and see how close your friends are to you.

Now while some of the information is pretty handy to have, some details that you see can be a little spooky; especially when you realize that others can see the same about you. If you’re worried about your own personal security, you can make your location and information as public, or private as you want it to be. Real Contact can also be used as a helpful reminder or notifier, as well. Contacts are displayed on the map, with their BlackBerry Messenger avatar showing up in a red or green marker (green indicates the contact is using the application, red indicates they are not). When looking at a contact on a map, you could potentially see detail such as; GPS coordinates, BlackBerry Messenger personal message, availability, signal strength and battery level. I guess that you can’t use the excuse “I can’t talk, my phone is about to die” anymore, especially if the other person can see you still have 83% power left.

Besides that, you can also set notifications when you are nearing a specific contact, address or when a contact is nearing you. This may help take the guessing game out of wondering when they will arrive. A contacts location is captured and relayed every 100 meters. Notifications go even further when you can set the application to let you know if a contact is busy, unavailable, finished with their phone call or has completed a calendar appointment- If you’re comfortable with sharing that type of information. It’s crazy how intuitive your contacts now seem to be, they’ll know the right moment to contact you and also know where you are. Not too shabby for a free service. You can download the application for free from BlackBerry App World.

More information/download Real Contact for BlackBerry smartphones

Smoothie by Tafasa - Blending two berries has never been more fun!

BlackBerry Messenger is a great way to keep up with your friends, and with the new BBM Social Platform and integration with different apps you can easily meet new people that share similar interests. Tafasa has created an app for exactly this purpose. Smoothie has two different aspects, so whether you're looking for a group of people already talking, or some one-on-one time with someone new, you're sure to find it here.

The first section is Blender, in which you can start a conversation with a random person based on criteria you pre-select. You specify age, gender, location, and interests. If the person you're connected to isn't what you were looking for, Smoothie will connect you to someone else. The second part is called Coffee Shop. Here you will find group conversations on any number of topics and you can join in at the click of a button. Not finding a topic you're in to? No problem, start a conversation of your own for others to join!

Other features include:

Smoothie is free and compatible with BlackBerry smartphones on OS 5 and greater, and you must be running BBM6 to use it. Most countries are supported as well. Check out Smoothie today, and let us know what you think in the comments below!

More information/screenshots and to download Smoothie

Gist v1.5.46 Adds BBM SDK Integration

Gist is really on a roll with updates recently. Their acquisition by RIM slowed them down for a bit but now they are pumping out updates. The latest is a small update to v1.5.46 which brings BBM integration to the social address book app.

You can pick up the updated Gist app in App World for free

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BlackBerry Messenger v6.0.0.129 Brings Back “What I Am Listening To” and Bug Fixes

RIM just made a huge update to BBM a bit back bringing it to v6.0.0.125 and now we have a subsequent bug fix edition released this weekend bumping us up to v6.0.0.129. This is a small update but it still requires the full 4.3MB download. From what we have heard from readers it brings back the “Show What I am Listening To” feature in the options along with bug fixes.

You can pick up BBM 6.0.0.129 in App World

Thanks Tom, Gokulesh, Tashanna, and everyone else who sent this in!

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Fixmo Web Messenger (BBM via PC)

Fixmo ofrece la oportunidad de entrar en Blackberry Messenger (BBM) desde el PC mediante una sencilla interfaz web:

Mas informacion

Descarga: OTA directo

Descarga via app world: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/47563

BlackBerry Messenger 6.0 ya disponible para su descarga oficialmente

Ya tenemos disponible la actualización del cliente BlackBerry Messenger en su versión 6.0 para nuestros dispositivos Smartphone BlackBerry. Es una versión superior a la que hasta ahora estaba en beta concretamente es la 6.0.0.125. Y con ella nos va a permitir interactuar con las aplicaciones que integran BBM Social Platform.

El link para su descarga vía App World: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/3729

Si no os aparece todavía en App World probar borrando la cache pulsando ALT y tecleando las teclas  r s t

RIM Releases BlackBerry Messenger 6 Officially!

RIM let us know that the official rollout of BlackBerry Messenger 6.0 starts at 12:01AM EST. Sorry we jumped the gun a few hours ago but now you understand why. You can start checking App World now for the update but due to their 24 hour cache period that may take a bit. As you have already seen RIM has started approving apps in App World that make use of the Social Platform available in BBM 6 so they are available when BBM6 launches now.

In an interview with Mike Kirkup, Director of Developer Relations @ RIM, he told us that BBM now has 45 million users and is seeing tremendous growth. They process over a billion BBM messages a day and the number is only growing. This ability to use BBM inside 3rd party apps is going to be explosive but more on that soon. RIM’s goal is to let developer harness BBM’s instant feature. Mike told me his colleague described it as both Instant AND Intimate. In other words sub 3 second messages along with a intimate private chat setting. Now developers are going to be able to tap into that powerful BBM social graph.

You should be able to find BBM 6 in App World sometime today or directly at:
www.blackberry.com/blackberrymessenger

Check out the press release below:

RIM Delivers Revolutionary Social App Experience with BBM 6
Apps become social experiences once users can interact with their BBM friends

Waterloo, ON – BBMTM (BlackBerry® Messenger), one of the largest mobile social networks in the world is now enabling a new and revolutionary social experience. Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced the availability of BBM version 6 (BBM 6), which provides support for "BBM connected" apps, allowing users to easily interact with each other from within the BBM connected app.

BBM connected apps integrate the popular functionality of the BBM service and offer users the ability to interact with their friends from within the app itself. For example, with a BBM connected game app, users can invite their BBM friends to join them in a game and then chat with one another in real time while the game is being played – without ever leaving the game app.

BBM 6 launches today and a selection of BBM connected apps are already available on BlackBerry App WorldTM.

“BBM 6 marks the beginning of an even greater social experience for BlackBerry smartphone users,” said Alistair Mitchell, VP, BBM Platform & Integrated Services at Research In Motion. “It also represents an incredible opportunity for developers to leverage the viral nature of the BBM service and we have already begun working with various developer partners who will be bringing their BBM connected apps to BlackBerry App World this week, offering users highly engaging app experiences.”

Some of the additional functionality users can expect to see with BBM connected applications include the ability to:

The BBM 6 software will be available later today at www.blackberry.com/blackberrymessenger. A selection of BBM connected apps will also be posted on BlackBerry App World this week, with many more expected over the coming months.

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10 BlackBerry Messenger 6.0 Powered Apps – Developers Sound Off!

 

The team at RIM has rounded up some of the many new and long time titles in App World that are now making use of the new BlackBerry Messenger 6.0 and its new Social Platform SDK APIs. This list is in no way extensive and some of the apps are still rolling out but its a good place to start. It includes some of the apps we have already mentioned on BerryReview and including the upcoming augmented reality Wikitude BlackBerry OS 7 app. Personally I am checking out Backgammon King when I have time today. I have always wanted to play Backgammon with friends instead of random strangers.

Each app below has an accompanying message from the developer explaining what they thought of BBM 6 and the social platform it is packing. Its great to see such a positive response from BlackBerry developers from games to business app developers.

Backgammon King (App World) – One of Magmic’s top games is now social. If you want to play against a friend , challenge a BBM contact to a friendly  game or send an invite to download and start the fun.

“Players have always been able to play Backgammon King against real opponents but playing against your friends took a lot of time and effort,” said Troy Johnson, Director Strategic Initiatives, Magmic. “Your BBM contacts are your friends and BBM 6 is making it incredibly easy to share Backgammon King with them and invite them to play in real-time. The ease of access to our product, the ease of sharing and the ease of player engagement are each major breakthroughs. Combine those attributes of BBM 6 with Magmics’ industry leading in-game chat design and you have an incredibly entertaining experience. Trash talking your best friend over a game of backgammon has never been easier and more fun. It’s no exaggeration to say, for Backgammon King, BBM 6 is a real game changer.”

“Players have always been able to play Backgammon King against real opponents but playing against your friends took a lot of time and effort,” said Troy Johnson, Director Strategic Initiatives, Magmic. “Your BBM contacts are your friends and BBM 6 is making it incredibly easy to share Backgammon King with them and invite them to play in real-time. The ease of access to our product, the ease of sharing and the ease of player engagement are each major breakthroughs. Combine those attributes of BBM 6 with Magmics’ industry leading in-game chat design and you have an incredibly entertaining experience. Trash talking your best friend over a game of backgammon has never been easier and more fun. It’s no exaggeration to say, for Backgammon King, BBM 6 is a real game changer.”

Foursquare (App World) – Foursquare is all about helping you find new ways to explore the city. Earn points and unlock badges, profiles and status updates over BBM.

"RIM is a fantastic partner. We’re thrilled to be working with them to provide a better experience to millions of foursquare users around the world by integrating foursquare with BBM," said Holger Luedorf, VP of Mobile and Partnerships for foursquare.

Huffington Post (App World) – The Huffington Post, a leader in implementing social features to reach and interact with its network of readers and bloggers, depends on the BBM Social Platform to continue to reach its audiences, even when they are on the go.

“The Huffington Post, a leader in implementing social features to reach and interact with its network of readers and bloggers, integrates the BlackBerry Social Platform to create a place where our users can continue to engage in up-to-the-minute news stories, blogs, and analysis,” said Paul Berry, CTO of the Huffington Post Media Group.    “As a BBM connected app, we make it simple for our readers to easily share and discuss the news. BBM 6 allows The Huffington Post to continue to reach its audience in a new way when they are on the go, and without having to compromise on the quality of their experience."

Jingu (App World) – Jingu is an application for BBM only and it is focused on enriching the BBM communication experience and the BBM community with the addition of social chat, photo sharing, avatars, and more.

“Jingu users are engaging with BlackBerry Messenger in an exciting new way,” said Pankaj Gogia, Founder, Jingu Apps. “With BBM 6, ease of use is greatly enhanced with capabilities like updating your BBM profile picture directly from within the application. Jingu is dedicated to creating social networking applications built on the BlackBerry Messenger Social Platform that
leverage the new capabilities of BBM 6 and bring enriched and vastly immersive experiences to end users.”

Pocket Ants (App World) – You are the king of the ANTS- feeding, burning, fighting, and racing your ants. Now with BBM you can invite all your friends to rule an ant colony too.

"One of the keys to viral game sales is to allow users to easily invite their friends to join them in playing the games they love,” said Keith Pichelman, CEO, Concrete Software. “Integrating BBM into Pocket Ants has allowed the game to do just that."

Poynt (App World) – Find businesses, people, restaurants, movies, events and weather info. Going out for dinner with friends? Find a great spot and share it.

“I don’t know anyone who doesn’t immediately react to the ‘chime’ of BBM,” said Margaret Glover-Campbell, VP Marketing & PR of Poynt Corporation. “Being able to leverage BBM 6 to share search results provides a tremendous advantage to our BlackBerry smartphone user base who can now easily and quickly coordinate their social activities. The ability to share the app download directly within BBM is also exciting for us, given the immediacy and viral nature of the platform. From a development perspective, we see tremendous possibilities for future integration around connecting people while they’re on the go.”

PowWow Study (App World) – PowWow uses BBM integration to provide real time social event coordination. Connected BBM 6 users are directly invited and notified of events that are created using Powwow. With PowWow the latest information is made available.

“PowWow uses BBM 6 integration to enable real time social event coordination,” said Kathryn Lahrs, Founder, Lahrs Apps. “Users are directly invited and notified of events that are created with our application. With PowWow, the latest information is available and BBM chats can quickly be started if any further communication is desired. Through BBM 6 PowWow users can share their location information, which is displayed in BlackBerry Maps. There is also an option to check your contact’s availability directly from their calendars and to create an event with this information; this is a very useful tool in event planning and saves time in the process.”

ScoreMobile (App World) – Up-to-the-minute sports scores, players, stats, betting odds and more. You can invite BBM friends into the app to chat about the latest sports banter, share scores and more.

“Following sports is inherently social – fans are extremely passionate, and like to trash talk, comment, and generally share their opinions on whatever they’re watching,” says Dale Fallon, VP Digital Products, Score Media. “By integrating BBM 6 functionality right into the ScoreMobile experience, we enable our users to enjoy the game with their friends even when they’re not together. In a nutshell, BBM 6 integration allows sports fans to be social without having to leave the ScoreMobile app.”

Telmap Navigator (App World) – Telmap is a mobile location companion which now integrates with BBM to bring significantly enriched communication and interactions with users’ real-time locations.

“Telmap, a global location-based services leader, is very focused on serving all users’ needs by constantly enriching and optimizing their on-the-go experiences,” said Motti Kushnir, Telmap Chief Marketing Officer. “The integration between BBM 6 and the Telmap Mobile Location Companion significantly enriches conversations and interactions through BBM with users’ real-time locations. Telmap views this integration as an important pillar of our vision to provide a richer, more comprehensive experience to our users. We work hard to integrate our application with popular and useful platforms like BBM, to ensure added value to users who can now add location information to their interactions with friends."

Unvired (App World) – Unvired Workflow by SAP allows users to take action on the workflow documents directly from their BB. The BBM integration allows sharing of screen shots/pictures with colleagues during collaboration.

“Unvired Workflow for SAP enables approval of SAP workflow requests directly from the BlackBerry smartphone. Unvired leverages the BlackBerry message list and BBM to provide a familiar BlackBerry user experience,” said Srinivasan Subramanian, CEO, Indience InfoSystems Pvt Ltd. “The BBM platform has been smartly integrated to enable employees to collaborate seamlessly. If the user has some queries while approving the workflow, they can BBM their colleague or Manager, transfer a screenshot of the workflow item and clarify. They can then approve or reject the workflow request. The BBM chat can also be emailed to maintain an audit trail. The BBM integration with Unvired ensures quick turnaround and collaboration between employees, not just for workflow but other usages like checking discounts for a customer, escalating a customer grievance and much more.”

Wikitude (Not Available Yet – BlackBerry OS 7) – Wikitude allows you to experience your BBM in a new way. By using the camera, simply pan around your mobile to contacts in Augmented Reality. You may even find new friends in your vicinity – a truly engaging and immersive experience.

"BBM 6 is the underlying mobile social network making Wikitude on the BlackBerry platform a very unique experience. An augmented reality (AR) browser with millions of interesting places is already a very compelling and new proposition, but bringing it to life with millions of people who can chat, meet and share in an AR environment has the potential to revolutionize how we interact with one another. With BBM 6 and Wikitude preloaded on upcoming BlackBerry smartphones our AR browser will be truly going social for the very first time," says Andy Gstoll, CMO of Wikitude.

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BlackBerry Messenger 6.0 Coming on July 27th as Part of OS 7?

We know that BlackBerry Messenger 6.0 is coming soon but right now it is simply sitting in the Beta Zone. N4BB heard word from one of their sources that received an email from RIM about BBM 6. The email said:

Please be advised that BlackBerry® Messenger 6.0 for BlackBerry smartphones is scheduled to release as part of BlackBerry® 7 OS and will be available in BlackBerry App World™ storefront on July 27, 2011.”

The new features and enhancements for BBM 6.0 include the following items:

BBM connected apps: Users can connect supported apps to BBM and benefit from additional social features, including additional chat options, the ability to share app activity, and more.
Adding contacts: The Invite screen has been improved so that users can quickly type contact information in the field at the top of the screen.
BBM™ Groups: Users can share links to GPS locations, podcasts, and webpages with a group.
Chats: Users can send and receive appointments

Please be advised that BlackBerry® Messenger 6.0 for BlackBerry smartphones is scheduled to release as part of BlackBerry® 7 OS and will be available in BlackBerry App World™ storefront on July 27, 2011.”

The new features and enhancements for BBM 6.0 include the following items:

BBM connected apps: Users can connect supported apps to BBM and benefit from additional social features, including additional chat options, the ability to share app activity, and more.
Adding contacts: The Invite screen has been improved so that users can quickly type contact information in the field at the top of the screen.
BBM™ Groups: Users can share links to GPS locations, podcasts, and webpages with a group.
Chats: Users can send and receive appointments

Who knows if this means BBM 6 will launch by itself to prepare for OS 7 or it will be actually launching on July 27th alongside a BBM 7 device. Should be interesting to see how this plays out.

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S4BB Photo Booth Adds BlackBerry Messenger 6 Social Platform Support

S4BB released Photo Booth a bit ago and I was impressed with the app. It lets you easily take 4 pictures in a row sort of like photo booths at amusement parks. They just updated their app to include a awesome new features that integrates with BlackBerry Messenger 6 and its new Social Platform SDK and API. The app now lets you send the pictures after you are done to a friend on BBM. You just need to make sure they also have the app installed from what I can tell and have BBM 6 installed.

You can pick up Photo Booth in the store at this link for $2.99 on sale from $4.99

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FileScout Updated With BlackBerry Messenger Social Platform Integration

Now that BBM Social Platform is coming out of Beta we are seeing more and more apps implement it. I am waiting for games to use it but for now apps like the venerable FileScout are adding support. You could always send multiple files using FileScout but now you can also send the files over BBM. Right now you can only send files one at a time this way but hopefully that will change with future BBM SDK builds.

Here is the change log:

You can pick up the new version of FileScout in App World for $4.99 with a 30 day free trial

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BlackBerry Messenger versión 6.0.0.111 Beta disponible para descargar

Desde la cuenta de Twitter oficial de BlackBerry Beta Zone nos llegó la noticia ayer que ya estaba disponible para su descarga en la zona Beta de BlackBerry nuestra herramienta de Messenger favorita BlackBerry Messenger.

La razón de su disponibilidad para toda la gente de la zona Beta es que ahora que está disponible de forma oficial BlackBerry Messenger (BBMT) Social Platform SDK empezarán a florecer aplicaciones que aprovechen dicha posibilidad social y de colaboración.

Así que si todavía no estáis inscritos en BlackBerry Beta Zone y queréis probar la nueva versión de BlackBerry Messenger y estar preparados para las aplicaciones que vayan llegando ya sabéis, a apuntarse toca.

RIM Makes BBM Social SDK Updates Official for Java and WebWorks

We told you yesterday about this update but it seems like RIM has finally gotten around to announcing it. RIM has made the new BBM Social SDK 1.0 for Java official so you can now submit apps to App World with these features. They have also made the BBM Social SDK for WebWorks available in public beta so it does not look like you will be able to submit those apps but you can get started developing them.

The catch is that RIM will not make apps using the BBM Social API available for sale until BBM 6 is publicly available outside of App World. This is because BBM 6 is required for the SDK and APIs to work. RIM is saying that apps submitted and approved by July 8th will be available when BBM 6 launches. That means BBM 6 is right around the corner!

Check out more details about the announcement on RIM’s devblog including download links:

More details from RIM’s announcement:

Today Research In Motion (RIM) announced the global availability of the BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™) Social Platform SDK 1.0 for BlackBerry Java final version and the BlackBerry® Messenger (BBM™) Social Platform SDK 1.0 for BlackBerry WebWorks™ first public beta version. The BBM Social Platform SDK is the toolset which enables developers to build a new class of super apps that leverage the power of the BBM social interactions. BBM has over 45 million active users world-wide and is growing at over 2 million active users per month.

The SDKs give Java and web developers access to new APIs that enable them to deeply integrate BBM social interactions in their apps, providing better differentiation. They can also leverage a powerful paradigm for app monetization through the viral distribution channel represented by the conversations of 45 million BBM users. They can build highly socially engaging apps including multimedia, gaming, location-based services (LBS), VoIP, video and commerce that now bring users’ friends, families, and colleagues into those experiences. Within those apps, not only can users connect and chat with BBM contacts but they can also share application achievements and content in real time.

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) Social Platform SDK 1.0 for BlackBerry Java

The final version of the BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) Social Platform SDK 1.0 for Blackberry Java adds a few changes and refinements to the platform since the last beta refresh in the spring of this year. These additions further equip BlackBerry to be the mobile platform of choice for delivering social applications and experiences. Below are a few of the APIs new in this release that enable developers to deliver engaging and interactive social experiences:

· The ability for an application to receive invitations from other users who are not on their contact list.

· Contact picker UI changed to improve the selection of multiple contacts and for initiating a multi-user chat.

· The ability to send a join invitation to a user who does not have the app installed. 

· A new API to determine whether the app is running on the test platform or production platform.

Developers can already get started and download the final version of the BBM Social Platform  SDK 1.0 for BlackBerry Java now available from BlackBerry Developer Zone  at http://us.blackberry.com/developers/blackberrymessenger/ to create the new build for their apps. BBM 6 will support apps using the BBM Social Platform.

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) Social Platform SDK 1.0 for BlackBerry WebWorks

At its first public beta the BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) Social Platform SDK 1.0 for BlackBerry WebWorks adds full support to the BlackBerry WebWorks platform and brings the amazing features of the BBM Social Platform to web developers. Now they can add social features to their web application through the following APIs:

· access and update fields in the user’s BBM profile such as status, avatar and personal message

· create their own custom areas within the user’s BBM profile for promoting recent application activity or storing trophies and achievements

· initiate BBM chats with friends

· initiate BBM file transfers

· share applications virally with friends in their contact list

· initiate application-to-application background communication through BBM for sending and receiving application data, such as game moves, or alternatively, leverage this communication channel for enabling in-app chat

The beta version for BlackBerry WebWorks can be downloaded from the BlackBerry Developer Zone at http://us.blackberry.com/developers/blackberrymessenger/

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BlackBerry Messenger v6.0.0.111 Available in Beta Zone

The BBM news keeps on coming. The BlackBerry Beta Zone just have a new version of BBM drop for us to play with! This coincides perfectly with the launch of the BBM Social Platform SDK which is coming soon. It will be launching officially soon after July 8th. Here is the official update note from the Beta Zone:

What’s New -You won’t see any new features in this version since we’ve focused on fixing a lot of the bugs found in BBM 6 and the BBM Social Platform. We really need developers to update to this version, but we would still like beta testers to test this version from an end user’s perspective to make sure everything’s working fine!

So enjoy this new version! Use BBM as you normally would and leave feedback in the discussion forum if you see anything "funny". We may follow up with a survey in future to get your feedback on any  issues found in this version .

Thanks to everyone who reported any bugs or feature requests for BBM v6.0.0.73. They’ve all been shared with the project team and we’re actively investigating them for future versions of BBM.

What’s New -You won’t see any new features in this version since we’ve focused on fixing a lot of the bugs found in BBM 6 and the BBM Social Platform. We really need developers to update to this version, but we would still like beta testers to test this version from an end user’s perspective to make sure everything’s working fine!

So enjoy this new version! Use BBM as you normally would and leave feedback in the discussion forum if you see anything "funny". We may follow up with a survey in future to get your feedback on any  issues found in this version .

Thanks to everyone who reported any bugs or feature requests for BBM v6.0.0.73. They’ve all been shared with the project team and we’re actively investigating them for future versions of BBM.

You can pick up this new version in the Beta Zone at this link. Kudos to @Calvin_Joe for spotting this!

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Fixmo Web Messenger Comes Out Of Beta

 

In case you missed it back in May when it was released in beta form Fixmo Web Messenger is now available to all. Fixmo Web Messenger lets you BBM through your phone from any PC or Mac with Flash installed. Its a pretty slick service and they have added some nice feature since the beta launch.

What’s new in Fixmo Web Messenger since the May 1st Beta?

• Significantly reduced lag with new “Local Wifi” option
• Pop-out Fixmo Web Messenger into it’s own frame
• Further enhanced end-to-end message security
• Support for international characters from the web application
• Minor bug fixes

Now that Fixmo Web Messenger is out of beta they are charging an introductory price of $2.99 (down from $4.99) for the app though you can get a free trial at www.fixmo.com/fwm/

Features include:

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Free & Official Avatar Builder Apps For BlackBerry Updated To Version 1.0.1 & Available For Download Again!

Last week I let you know that RIM released free Avatar Builder apps for guys and girls as separate editions. The apps were pulled soon after they launched for unknown reasons (at the time) but a few readers let me know they were updated and available again in App World. It looks like the reason they were pulled was the lack of a user agreement which is now included in version 1.0.1 for both apps. If you weren’t able to download the Avatar Builder apps before you can get them in BlackBerry App World from these links:

Updated: BlackBerry Messenger 6.0.0.88 Leaked

UPDATE: We have learned that this beta update has some serious bugs including the removal of bubble chat view and other issues. @rr_yy and a few others have confirmed that this version is a bit of a downgrade from the previous versions.

BlackBerry Messenger v6 has been around in leaked and beta zone availability for awhile now. We now have a fresh leak of BlackBerry Messenger v6.0.0.88 for all of us running later OS 6 builds. This new version requires OS 6.0.0.570+ along with a BlackBerry ID to setup.

You can pick up this update OTA from BBH-Plus spotted by BBEmpire. Thanks Tashanna for sending this one in!

NOTE: This is a leaked version of this app so proceed at your own risk!!!

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