When RIM's now CEO, Thorsten Heins took control of the company back in January, it was noted several times that RIM may look into licensing deals with various other organizations out there. For a while now, there has been a longstanding rumor that BlackBerry Messenger would be making its way to other platforms and many took this, as a sign BlackBerry smartphones would soon be losing their BlackBerry Messenger exclusivity.

As it appears now, things happened just the opposite. Backing this up, comes a new report from the WSJ that claims RIM was testing BlackBerry Messenger on other devices under the codename "SMS 2.0" despite RIM having gone on record to say, they have no plans for BlackBerry Messenger on different platforms.

Seemingly, the only reason why the BBM licensing agreement talks came to an end was due to the fact that CEO Thorsten Heins took that option off the table with WSJ's source claiming that "It was not up for discussion," any longer. In other words, "there is a time when this might make sense" but now -- is not it and BlackBerry Messenger will remain on BlackBerry exclusively.

Source: WSJ

The team over at BBM Animated let us know that they have just updated their site, adding brand new content! Not only have they added more animated gifs for your BlackBerry Messenger avatar, they've introduced a section for trending themes. You can click on the tab marked Hot to see what's new in that category, as it will change up depending on what is currently hot (movies, music, etc). Right now you can find animated avatars featuring The Avengers!

Of course, the gifs offered on BBM Animated are free to download and easy to get onto your BlackBerry. Simply navigate to the site from the link below, pick out which avatar you'd like to use, and save it to your BlackBerry. From here you can open up your media folder and find the saved gif, open it and hit your menu button. Choose "Set As BBM Display Picture" and you're all set. You can also change the avatar from BBM directly. Go to your profile and click your current avatar, which will open up your pictures folder. Choose the gif you downloaded and you're done. Note, animated avatars only work with BBM v6.1 and above. 

Download avatars from BBM Animated

After a few short stints in the Beta Zone, BlackBerry Messenger is now available for public consumption. The latest version is 6.2.0.44 and features some new updates and fixes and is available now in BlackBerry App World. The additions keep getting better and this version is no different.

• Enjoy a new selections of animated avatars
• Send voice notes more easily back and forth
• Simpler way to change your Name and Personal Message
• Tagging is now even quicker
• Improved Contact Search 

You should see the update for the new version on your device, but you can always refresh in BlackBerry App World if it's not yet showing for you.

More information/Download BBM

When you open up BlackBerry App World and look around for instant messaging applications there are plenty to be found, some strictly for BlackBerry, some that work with Facebook, some that work with Google Talk and there are even some that work across multiple devices and platforms.

One of the ones that works across multiple platforms is Hookt. It appeared quite some time ago in BlackBerry App World and since then it has gained almost 3,000 reviews, which is quite a feat. BlackBerry users know and love BlackBerry Messenger but Hookt, some would say, takes it to the next level by offering some additional features not found within BlackBerry Messenger such as stickers and the ability to send messages from your computer or even your BlackBerry PlayBook using the Hookt website. The full set of features includes:

• Group chat – Create group conversations with up to 10 people.
• Stickers – NEW! Send dozens of cool graphic stickers.
• Send messages from your computer or even your BlackBerry PlayBook using the Hookt website.
• Read indicators – Know when your friends have received and read your messages.
• Photos – Share photos from your album or take them on the fly.
• BlackBerry® Push Service – Receive messages quickly and reliably.
• Inbox integration – See your Hookt Messenger chats right from your Messages list.
• BBM (BlackBerry® Messenger) integration – Share Hookt Messenger with all your BBM friends.
• Works with WIFI and all mobile networks. 

It's no secret that I bounce back and forth between devices. Sometimes I use my BlackBerry, sometimes I use an Android device and yes, sometimes I even use my iPhone 4S. Sadly, BlackBerry Messenger isn't available across all those platforms and finding an application that works well on all was rather tiresome until I tried out Hookt.

If you either find yourself switching devices often or just simply want to chat with folks on other platforms, give Hookt a look. The app is beautifully designed and well laid out, plus where it has been out for a while now there are very little hiccups with the actual service itself. Jump on past the break for some more screenshots of the app in action; it really is one of the best BlackBerry apps out there these days both in terms of design and functionality.

Download Hookt Messenger for Free

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If you are looking for something new to install and mess around with today, the fine folks at RIM have released an update in Beta Zone for BlackBerry Messenger.  Today's update bumps BBM up to version 6.2.0.40, and doesn't carry a monster change log along in tow with it.

Known Issues:

• Clicking the trackpad in the inline display name or personal message field opens the "My Profile" screen for right-to-left languages.
• Please note that issues with broadcast messages appearing in black, or links in broadcast messages appearing in purple, will be fixed in a future OS upgrade.

Don't delay any further, hop into Beta Zone and grab your update now!

Check out more in the BlackBerry Beta Zone

On Saturday, India Today reported that the India government is getting its way when it comes to tapping into BlackBerry devices.

I sure hope RIM handles this clearly with the remaining global media sources who haven't yet written about this. For years, there have been significant misunderstandings about RIM security. It has lead to a lot of crappy reporting. And unless RIM takes a different strategy this time, it's bound to lead to more of the same.

The India Today article is well written. The issues are clearly laid out. The government needed RIM's help to decrypt BBM messages coming from BIS accounts. So to be very clear, RIM is not helping the government decrypt BES messages. RIM has always said they don't hold the keys to BES decryption. Those keys are specific to each BES installation.

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If you're a BlackBerry Beta Zone member, a new version of BBM is now available. This update brings us to version 6.2.0.33 and includes a number of fixes. No fancy updates this time around, but an update is an update, right?

Fixes include:

• Missing BBM icon on OS 5.0
• Issues scrolling up through older messages on OS 6.0
• Issue selecting all the text by scrolling up/down in the inline display name and personal message fields
• Scrolling quickly in the inline edit view allowed the focus to move out onto your avatar
• Pressing the Enter key while the focus is on your avatar initiated the inline edit view
• In the inline display name or personal message field, smileys were highlighted when added via the "Add Smiley" menu option
• Unable to scroll in certain directions within the inline display name and personal message field
• No "Save" menu option or prompt dialog when the inline display name or personal message field only contains smileys
• No red splat on the BBM icon after deleting a group icon from the Home Screen and receiving a group notification
• Notification view/today view does not show BBM Messages

If you're not yet a Beta Zone member, you should be. Hit the link below for more information and to download.

Check out more in the BlackBerry Beta Zone

After a few weeks of nothing happening in the BlackBerry Beta Zone, RIM has now decided to go ahead and get things rolling full steam again. It wasn't all that long ago we saw BlackBerry Messenger v6.2.0.15 appear there and now we have BlackBerry Messenger v6.2.0.24 already available for download. Changes? Quite a bit actually:

Fixed Isses

• User is returned to the contact list after sending a voice note via the convenience key if the chat is opened from the Messages application.
• Virtual keyboard does not appear automatically when editing personal message
• When trying to switch chat from switch chat menu within conversation, user information is partially cutoff
• Send picture dialog is displayed as a vertical bar for device font size 14.

Known Issues

• Highlighting a BBM contact displays a different contact's display picture.
• Pressing the convenience key while the menu is open in a chat returns the user to the contact list if the chat is opened from the Messages application.
• Scrolling quickly in the inline edit view allows the focus to move out on to the user's avatar.
• Pressing the Enter key while the focus is on the user's avatar initiates the inline edit view.
• Some smileys remained as text in a message sent to a multiperson chat for all participants.
• Send voice note dialog buttons are cut off in landscape mode when the virtual keyboard is displayed. 

The update is available now for registered users, so get to downloading. Just remember, it's a beta. If something isn't working right and it's not already a known issue, send feedback so that it can be addressed in a later release update.

Visit the BlackBerry Beta Zone

Discuss in the CrackBerry Forums

Earlier this week Kevin ran an informal Twitter poll asking a question that has been on CrackBerry Nation's mind for a while. Should RIM stick with its walled garden approach and force people to buy a BlackBerry handheld if they want to use the awesomeness that is BBM? Or should they open up and port the app to Android and iOS?

Reading through the replies is pretty interesting. People definitely want to see RIM launch BBM on other devices, mostly so they can chat with their friends in other mobile camps. BBM group support is seen as critical. But at the same time, people think that RIM will be driving a nail into its own coffin if they open up BBM.

I think it's time we had a worthwhile discussion about this. It's easy to see how customers absolutely want RIM to open up BBM. These are people who love using the best mobile instant messaging tool on the planet, and feel bad for their friends who don't have it. They want to stay connected.

So if RIM believes that doing what's best for customers is what matters, it should port the app to Android and iOS.

But at the same time, a move like this would surely get elevated to a board of directors discussion. I expect that Thorsten would have to buy into the idea and sell it to the board. The board has a fiduciary duty to shareholders, so the argument would only pass if RIM and its board believed that opening BBM was in the best interest of the company's financial future.

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We love nothing more here at CrackBerry than seeing our community grow, and we've seen a lot of friendships start right here in our forums. Heck, Bla1ze and I met through CrackBerry, and we're still together three years later. However, there is another couple that met in the forums, and they not only are still together, but they got married this weekend!

John and Tara met back in 2010 through a BBM group that John started. Tara joined the group, and over time the two realized that they had a lot in common, and they grew closer. Eventually they met, and the rest, as they say, is history. Being BlackBerry addicts, they threw a twist in their wedding: they broadcast the whole thing over a BBM group, so their friends from CrackBerry could be there with them.

Twenty-six of their friends joined the BBM group, sharing the nuptials and pictures via chat. The wedding was lovely, with the happy couple on the beach surrounded by family and friends, both near and far. Is this the first wedding held via BBM? We're not sure, but it's the first we've heard of, and everyone at CrackBerry wishes John and Tara all the best. Congratulations!

Drop into the forums and leave your congratulations for the newlyweds

We asked this question nearly two years ago, but I figured it was worth a little refresher. New devices, new friends and new ways to add contacts to BBM. I'm sure most of us still use the old stand-by of just entering a PIN to add someone to BBM, but there are a few other ways to get the job done now as well. You can go old school and add someone by their email address or PIN which always works, or if you're a bit more "in the now" you can just scan a barcode. If you're running OS 7.1, you can now do the easiest of them all and just use NFC (BlackBerry Tag) which is super fun. So what we want to know is what method you primarily use for adding contacts to BBM? I'm a barcode guy myself (but I'm open to other options). Cast your vote in the poll above with the option that best fits you, then leave a comment below letting us know why.

A patent here, a lawsuit there. RIM's latest patent issues fall to their use of Emoticons on devices. Varia Holdings LLC is suing Research In Motion for infringing on a patent for Emoticon Input Method and Apparatus -- or simply put, using emoticons -- which is obviously a big part of BlackBerry devices. The original patent states in part that:

A mobile communication device having an input key that, when pressed by the user while in text mode, results in the display of a list of emoticons for selection by the user. By displaying a list of emoticons, a more user friendly environment is created through which users may employ emoticons in their communications.

Varia Holdings has held this patent since January of 2007 and is seeking to remedy both the infringement and "the harm caused" by RIM. They are asking that sales of devices containing emoticons by RIM be stopped and that they are compensated for the infringment. The documents were filed on March 15 but no judge has been assigned at this time.

Source: N4BB

With RIM having been rolling out a few other beta's recently, it's no suprise a new version of BlackBerry Messenger has now popped up as well. RIM seemingly hasn't sent out emails for it yet, but it's there. v6.2.0.15 is what it is listed at and RIM shared some release notes for it:

• Animated display pictures - More animated display pictures are now built into BBM. Change your picture to suit your mood.
• Change your name or message inline - You can quickly change your name or status message without leaving your contact list by clicking the text at the top of the screen. To exit inline editing, just scroll down. You can still access your profile screen by clicking your display picture.
• Streamlined voice notes - When your convenience key set to open BlackBerry Messenger, if you highlight a contact in BBM and press the convenience key, you can start recording a voice note. Once you're done, pressing the convenience key again will send the voice note. Group chats. You can return to the default color at any time.
• BlackBerry Tag enhancements - Adding contacts has never been easier. If your BlackBerry smartphone supports NFC technology, you can turn on the Allow Automatic Invitations by Tapping option. Then, as long as you or someone else has BBM open, you can add each other as contacts by aligning the backs of your smartphones. This feature requires that you both have the latest version of BBM installed on smartphones that support NFC technology.
• Improved search - When typing the name of a contact or group, the search ignores special characters and emoticons to make it easier to find what you're looking for.
• Resend a message  - If a message didn't send (for example, if your smartphone was outside of a wireless coverage area), you can highlight the message and select Resend from the menu.

If you're a member of the BlackBerry Beta Zone, you should be able to login and find it listed under your eligible programs as it shows up as a new beta. Thanks, Alberto!

Visit the BlackBerry Beta Zone

A year ago we discussed the Shift + Delete command - a new (at the time) feature of the BlackBerry OS that some people loved, some hated and some didn't even know existed. When typing away in BlackBerry Messenger, if you press Shift+Delete you will find your message is deleted.

Personally, I found the new feature to be annoying; as more often than not I pressed that key combination accidentally and deleted whatever I was trying to say. Prior to this key combination being added to the OS, if you pressed the Back key your message would be deleted - an option which many people used frequently. Now, when you press the Back button, you are returned to the main BBM screen and your message is saved as a draft. This is Handy in some cases, annoying in others. But hey, as long as you know what each function does, you can manage, right?

Well, let's make it a little more interesting. As I mentioned, in BBM, Shift+Delete will erase whatever you're typing, meaning, you have to retype the message from the beginning. This key combination will also erase the text field in the BlackBerry Browser. For example, if you're in the CrackBerry forums and you've chosen to reply to a thread, and quote a previous post, Shift+Delete will erase the entire text entry field -- the quoted post and your reply. That can be a real pain, especially if you've written a lengthy, well thought out response. However, in the Browser you can simply choose the menu key and paste the text back in; so instead of the combination being a delete command, it is instead a cut command. That's way handier than how BBM handles it, and I have to wonder why Research In Motion went in different directions with the same key combination. To make it slightly more confusing, Shift+Delete does nothing in SMS or email besides what the delete key normally does, which is erase one character at a time.

I don't mind the feature, and realize it could be useful for many people. I do believe, however, that it should be universal across the native apps. If I'm going to be accidentally deleting things, I'd like a way to put them back quickly and without re-typing the whole thought. Also, it would be nice if the function existed in other native apps such as SMS and email. 

Got your own BlackBerry pet peeve? Sound off in our forums and let your voice be heard.

BlackBerry Messenger 6.1 brought along some cool new features, one of which is the ability to use animated icons for your avatar. While you can download them at various places on the web, not many people know that your BlackBerry already has some animated emoticons waiting for you. You can easily choose one of the nine included icons to use as your own animated emoticon avatar.

• In BBM press the Menu key then choose View My Profile
• Press Menu again, then choose Change Display Picture
• Scroll down and select Avatars
• Choose one of the 9 emoticons to use as your avatar

The icons won't look animated at first, but if you select one you'll see a quick preview of it's animation. Choose one, save, and it will be set as your new BBM avatar. When your friends highligt your name in their contact list they'll see the animation.