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BlackBerry Messenger shuts down for good today
Today, Emtek pulls the plug on BlackBerry Messenger. The company announced last month that it would shut down the consumer service, which has been steadily losing users and failing to attract new ones. As a consolation for diehard fans, BlackBerry opened BBM Enterprise, its enterprise-grade encrypted Messenger (BBMe), for personal use. That's available on Android, iOS, Windows and Mac.
BlackBerry Messenger now available for iPad and iPod touch
BlackBerry announced on its blog that it has released an update to the BlackBerry Messenger app for iOS. Originally only available for the iPhone, the new version adds support for the iPad and iPod touch. Besides expanded device support, BlackBerry also added a few new features that make it easier to connect with your friends. A new PIN-sharing item allows you to send your PIN as a barcode that can be scanned by others. There's also a "Tell Your Friends" option that'll allow you to find friends on other social networks who are using BBM. Once you get a long list of friends, you can use the new categories to organize these contacts. You can download version 1.0.4.133 of the BlackBerry Messenger app from the iOS App Store for free.
The ridiculous BlackBerry Messenger rollout reminds us why the company is circling the drain
Every time I see someone on Twitter or Facebook talking about BlackBerry Messenger on iPhone, I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. It's out, but it's not. It's working fine, but it isn't. And you can download it right now, but you have to wait in line. Please, please tell me this is just some sort of elaborate, not-at-all-funny joke. As though we needed another reason to think that RIM's Blackberry's management is incompetent, we now have a poorly-handled software launch to pin on them as well. Way back in 2007 I actually owned a BlackBerry and, truth be told, BBM was probably the only decent thing about it. It had read receipts (which were fancy for a mobile device at the time) and it was fast. It was great for its time, but these days just about every messaging client on the App Store -- not to mention iMessage -- can do everything the BBM app can do. I'm tempted to chalk this seemingly absurd BBM hunger by iPhone owners as nostalgia run wild, because unless you have BlackBerry-toting friends and you're feeling left out, there's literally zero reason to bother downloading it. If, for some reason, you feel that switching your digital social interactions to BBM is a good idea, keep these bullet points in mind: You'll need to exchange PINs with everyone you wish to chat with. This is great for avoiding spam, but tedious to get groups of friends to commit to. You can only be logged into your PIN on one device at a time, so if you have an iPhone and an iPad, you'll need to choose which one you want to receive BBM messages on. If you log into one device with your PIN, it will log you out of the other. Remember, this is BlackBerry. The company could change hands at any moment, and with it, any and all support of BBM for iPhone. And then there's the wait list. The fact that we're even talking about a wait list for an instant messaging client is beyond absurd. The company is flat out begging users to "count on" them, but it can't successfully launch the messaging service they've built their entire brand around on a pair of new platforms? I'm pretty sure SnapChat has scaled better than BlackBerry is even capable of, and that app is almost exclusively used for sending dirty photos. Not that any of this should come as a surprise -- you can't layoff 40% of your company and then pretend that it's business as usual. Oh, I'm sorry, we're talking about BlackBerry, so of course they can pretend that. Just the same way they spent the past half decade pretending that they were somehow in an untouchable land where business customers need physical keyboards and consumers want their devices to be as obtuse as possible. I signed up for BBM and I'm currently waiting for my turn to use it. Like some sort of digital soup kitchen, BlackBerry will open its doors to me at some point and allow me to sample its expired goods. When that day comes, I'll remember how big of a pain in the ass it is to exchange PINs with my friends and delete the app, which is exactly what anyone with a smartphone in 2013 should do. Thanks to @LondonComp for the reminder that RIM is no longer the corporate name of Blackberry.
BlackBerry Messenger for iOS to launch September 22
It's confirmed -- the long-rumored BlackBerry Messenger is ready to roll out this weekend to iPhone owners. The release arrives one day after the Android version lands in the Google Play Store on September 21. With these releases, BBM moves away from its BlackBerry-only roots and becomes a cross-platform messaging service. On its website, BlackBerry listed the features that will be available to iOS BBM users at launch. These include the following: BBM Chat – Enjoy real, immediate conversations with friends on Android, iPhone and BlackBerry smartphones. Not only does BBM let you know that your message has been delivered and read, it also shows you that your friend is responding to the message. More than chat – With BBM you can share files on your phone such as photos and voice notes, all in an instant. BBM Groups lets you invite up to 30 friends to chat together, and go a step further than multi-chat by sharing photos and schedules. And, with Broadcast Message, you can send a message out to all your BBM contacts at once. Post Updates and stay in the know – BBM lets you post a personal message, profile picture and your current status, and lets your contacts know instantly in Updates. Your unique PIN – Every BBM user has a unique PIN that maintains your privacy, so you don't have to give out your phone number or email address to a new or casual contact. BlackBerry announced that BlackBerry Messenger for iOS will be available at 12:01 AM on September 22 in the iOS App Store. It will be compatible with iPhones running iOS 6 or iOS 7.
BlackBerry Messenger app arriving on Android and iOS this weekend
BlackBerry's effort to extend its messaging service beyond its own failed hardware has finally come to fruition. After some awkward false starts, plus a detailed leak, BlackBerry Messenger apps for iOS and Android will soon be available for download at the respective app stores, allowing members of those more popular ecosystems to do... well, chat-related things that they could largely do already, except now through BlackBerry's BBM servers. The company has confirmed that the Android BBM app will launch at 7AM ET on Saturday, while its iOS equivalent will be available beginning at 12:01AM local time (in each market) on Sunday. More details at the source link below.
WSJ: BlackBerry mulling spinning off BBM subsidiary, considering desktop version
We'll say this, BlackBerry looks to be considering everything when it comes to pulling in revenue from its messaging service. False alarms aside, the company already let slip that BlackBerry Messenger is on its way to iOS and Android some time this season, and now according to The Wall Street Journal's usual gang of anonymous sources "familiar with the matter," the Canadian company is thinking of spinning off the service as a more independent subsidiary carrying the straight-forward name, BBM Inc. ahead of a potential sale. A desktop version of the app may be on the docket as well, according to the article -- BlackBerry, naturally, only reconfirmed its Android and iOS plans, refusing to comment on anything else.
BlackBerry Messenger for iOS user guide released
The user guide for BlackBerry Messenger for iPhone has appeared online, reports iMore. Back in May, the company announced that its popular BBM service would be coming to the iPhone this summer. However, as summer nears its end, the software has yet to materialize. But this user guide suggests that could change soon. Speaking of that user guide (which you can view as a PDF here), these are the features you can expect from BBM on your iPhone: BBM profile: Choose a display picture, name and status that your BBM contacts see. You can also view your unique BBM PIN from your profile by tapping Show Barcode. Invite: Invite people to chat with you in BBM by scanning a BBM barcode or by entering a phone number, email or BBM PIN. Contacts who don't have BBM yet can download it from your invitation. Chat: Share your thoughts and experiences using instant messages, pictures and voice notes. Emoticons: Express yourself with classic BBM emoticons. BBM Groups: Plan events, track to-do lists, share pictures and chat with up to 30 of your friends, family or coworkers in one group at the same time. Though BlackBerry's hardware sales have seen better days, the BBM software is an extremely popular messaging solution in many parts of the world. When it is released for the iPhone, it will be competing against other popular messaging apps like iMessage, What's App and Viber.
BlackBerry pushes BBM beta invites
Back in May, TUAW reported that BlackBerry Messenger would be arriving for iOS by the end of the summer. In June, T-Mobile UK accidentally tweeted that BBM would arrive on June 27, but that turned out to be a false alarm. Finally, it appears that with the launch window for the app rapidly shrinking, BlackBerry is finally beginning to send out beta invitations for BBM. Well, at least they're sending them out for a few Android users who are running 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and later. There's still no word on whether any iOS beta users have been contacted about the beta -- if you happen to be one of those beta candidates, please let TUAW know via the "Tip Us" button in the upper-right corner of this page. As blogger Chris Velazco at our sister site TechCrunch notes, It's still a little confusing to me that BlackBerry is taking this approach in the first place. I mean, for a long while there, BlackBerrys were the smartphones to own and at least part of its appeal hinged on its curiously hardy (well, mostly hardy) messaging system. Of course, making the leap to alternative platforms presents its own set of issues, not least of which is the fact that iOS and Android are already saturated with free or freemium messaging apps. Whether bringing BBM to iOS and Android can revive the fortunes of the company from Waterloo, Ontario is something that only time will tell.
BBM for iOS slated to arrive on June 27 (Updated)
Update: Note that T-Mobile UK has since deleted the tweet. BlackBerry has since confirmed that BBM for iOS will not be launching on June 27. Back in mid-May, we reported that BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) would soon be making its way to both iOS and Android as a free download. And now, thanks to a tweet from T-Mobile UK, it appears that BBM fans have something to look forward to on June 27. Now you might be wondering who exactly uses BBM anymore. Well, BlackBerry a few weeks ago noted that BBM continues to service more than 60 million active users per month and that BBM users send and receive upwards of 10 billion messages each day. So there is a market for it, apparently. BBM for iOS will only run on iOS 6 and will include features such as multi-person chats, voice note sharing and BlackBerry Groups. Twitter via Engadget
BBM expected to arrive on iOS and Android June 27th (update: nope)
BlackBerry Messenger may seem like a distant memory for many who have made the jump to iOS or Android, but it'll soon be time to get reacquainted. According to a tweet from T-Mobile UK, we should expect to see the service arrive on both platforms on June 27th. BBM should be available as a free download specifically for anyone using iOS 6 and Android 4.0 or above, so make sure your device is properly updated before the end of the month -- hopefully the messaging service will make you want to create new memories in addition to the ones you've relished in years past. Update: T-Mobile UK has since deleted its tweet, and BlackBerry has confirmed that the June 27th date is inaccurate. Update 2: Here is BlackBerry's official statement on the matter: On May 14th, BlackBerry announced plans to make its ground-breaking mobile social network, BlackBerry Messenger (BBM), available to iOS and Android users this summer, subject to approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play. While there have been reports that BBM will be available to iOS and Android on June 27th, this is not accurate. We will communicate an update as soon as we have an availability date to share.
Sorry iPad owners, BBM for iOS will be iPhone only
RIM announced earlier this week that BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) is coming to both iOS and Android as a free download later this summer. While RIM's market share continues to plummet, the number of folks who still use BBM is rather impressive. In a post on BlackBerry's official blog earlier this week, RIM boasted that BBM services more than 60 million active users per month and that BBM users send and receive more than 10 billion messages each and every day. For iOS users excited to explore, or perhaps get reacquainted with BBM, I should point out that BBM for iOS will only work on iPhones running iOS 6. In other words, iPad owners need not apply. The news comes courtesy of Trusted Reviews which was able to get a direct statement on the matter from BlackBerry Software Portfolio head Vivek Bhardwaj. "Smartphone is our real focus and and again it comes back to what BBM is," Bhardwaj explained. "If you look BBM and the engagement and the activity, it's because it is mobile, because people are on the go." That's not to say that BBM for the iPad won't eventually see the light of day, but for the time being, BBM on smartphones appears to be the only thing on RIM's radar. Explaining the company's decision to avoid iPad and other tablets in order to focus the BBM app launch on smartphone devices, he stated: "When you start looking at tablets, computers and other screens, the usage model changes and behaviour changes. For us right now the absolute focus is getting BBM onto smartphones. As previously indicated, BBM for iOS will include the following features: The immediacy of BBM chats Multi-person chats Voice note sharing BlackBerry Groups, where BBM users are able to set up groups of up to 30 people and share calendar, photos, files and more
Daily Update for May 14, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
BlackBerry bringing BBM to iOS and Android this summer
Miracles do happen. BlackBerry today announced that BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) will be available on iOS and Android this summer as a free download. On the BlackBerry blog, BlackBerry employee Donny Halliwell stated that availability is dependent on approval by the Apple App Store and Google Play. BBM for iOS is huge, considering the number of people that use the system: over 51 million daily active users who use BBM an average of 1.5 hours per day, sending over 10 billion messages per day. Rumors about an iOS version of BBM first started floating around in earnest in March 2011, but this is the first word from BlackBerry that the app will actually appear. BBM for iOS should feature the ability to do multi-person chats, share of voice notes and create BlackBerry Groups for sharing calendars, photos, files and more with groups of up to 30 people.
Mobile Miscellany: week of October 8th, 2012
If you didn't get enough in mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This past week, Samsung confirmed its Canadian release date for the Galaxy Note II, Alcatel took the wraps off of its first Windows Phone and it was revealed that T-Mobile will no longer openly market the iPhone in conjunction with its BYOD value plans. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of October 8th, 2012.
BBM for BlackBerry 10 gets a retooled UI, predictive keyboard with language detection
Everyone's favorite messaging service, BBM has broke from cover in its new BlackBerry 10 digs at BlackBerry Jam Americas 2012. The software is sporting a redesigned UI, which places the focus on your contacts' photos instead of the regular ol' list of names. Speech bubbles that we've all become familiar with are still here and emoticons get cozy as well. Another new feature is the predictive keyboard that's capable of detecting the language that you're typing in and offers the appropriate suggestions that you may need -- even if you're switching back and forth.
Indian official claims BlackBerry eavesdropping standoff is 'heading towards a resolution'
Oh, bureaucracies, the fun in dealing with them is that you're told exactly what they want you to know -- or at least, believe. That's the name of the game in India, where -- as you're surely aware -- the government has been at odds with RIM for years over its insistence that the Waterloo firm provide the means to monitor encrypted emails and BBM messages. In a revelation that may relate to those BlackBerry servers in Mumbai, R. Chandrasekhar of India's Department of Information Technology has asserted, "The issue is heading towards a resolution." While it's difficult to know whether monitoring is already in place, Chandrasekhar added that, "Law enforcement agencies will get what they need." Another unknown is whether RIM played a role in these developments. For its part, the company claims, "RIM maintains a consistent global standard for lawful access requirements that does not include special deals for specific countries." So, if everything is now clear as mud for you, just remember: that's how those in charge like it.
Telkomsel's new unlimited messaging plan gives Indonesians an alternative to BBM
As far as monopolies go, word on the interwebs is BlackBerry holds a pretty major one with its own BBM in Indonesian territory. According to DailySocial, though, that all could be changing soon thanks to Telkomsel's newly introduced all-you-can-message plans. The deal's fairly simple, the Indonesian carrier's bundling applications like Opera Mini, Line, WhatsApp and KakaoTalk in an unlimited package, with pricing starting at a mere 30,000 Rp (around $3) per month. Obviously, with the inclusion of a couple of the aforementioned apps, Indonesians could -- in theory -- also make calls without using their precious minutes, which is quite a good deal for under four bucks. In the end, it looks like it'll come down to how attached folks are to all those BlackBerry Messenger pins and whistles.
RIM applies for patent on detecting emotion in messaging, wants you chilled while you BBM
Ever get the shakes sending out an angry text message? You'd better be careful if you buy a BlackBerry in the future, as RIM is trying for a patent that would telegraph all that wrath to the recipient on the other end. The technique uses a myriad of sensors, like an accelerometer, front camera or pressure sensor, to gauge just how emotional a smartphone owner might be and convey that through livelier messaging styles. Get flustered and that BlackBerry Messenger font gets big, bold and red; mellow out with a smile, and the conversation text becomes almost cuddly. Whether or not the patent is granted, let alone used, is very much an unknown. We have a hunch that RIM would rather not make BlackBerry users keep a poker face.
RIM CEO hints at future BBM video chat feature
During today's shareholder meeting RIM CEO Thorsten Heins hinted that BBM, the companies celebrated group messaging service, might be getting some significant upgrades with the debut of BB10. In particular, the words "video chat" were tossed out as an example of how it planned to keep pace with the evolving mobile landscape. In response to a shareholder question, Heins said: "BBM is a very, strong platform... With upgrading it into a new experience, think about adding features on BB10 such as video chat, for example, within BBM. There's many other features to come with BB10 that will really level this BBM experience... which will upgrade that experience to a whole new social networking experience based on BBM... we want to use this to build a BlackBerry-driven social networking platform." So, does that mean BlackBerry is getting ready to take on Skype and Google? Perhaps. It would certainly make sense, but we'd stop short calling it a sure shot. What is clear, is that Heins really wants to push BlackBerry as the "social" platform focused on "experience" and seems content to let those other mobile OSes win the apps race.
Boost Mobile takes BlackBerry Curve 9310 to the US, spices it up with $30 unlimited BBM, voice and text plan
RIM gave the impression when it unveiled the BlackBerry Curve 9320 and 9220 that its lowest-cost Curves were doubtful prospects for the US. Thankfully, that's been proven wrong by Boost Mobile, which just launched the 9320's CDMA cousin, the Curve 9310. The message-manic BlackBerry comes to Sprint's prepaid network with its BBM key intact as well as BlackBerry 7.1, a 3.2-megapixel camera and that all-important low price: at $100 contract-free, it's one of the cheapest ways to leap into smartphones in the US. To top it off, Boost is throwing in a very tantalizing BBM Unlimited plan. The deal offers unlimited calling, text messaging and (naturally) BBM; although it starts at $45 per month, it gradually dips down to a very reasonable $30 per month if owners pay their bills properly for six months. Both the Curve 9310 and its companion plan will be available July 10th, giving us time to find the needed spare change under our couch cushions.