Communications app Nimbuzz has pushed out an update to its Android app which offers Push notifications and message delivery notifications. You’ll need Android 2.2 Froyo or higher in order to receive push notifications.

Nimbuzz is a cross-platform chat app that lets you send messages to your AIM, Windows Live, Google Talk, Facebook, or other instant messenger contacts. The app also lets you make free voice calls to other Nimbuzz users over WiFi or 3G without using your phone plan’s voice minutes. You can also make inexpensive calls to telephone lines.

The new push notifications feature means that your contacts will see you as online even if the app is closed — and you’ll receive a notification when they send a message. This saves your battery life and data minutes while making sure you don’t miss important messages.

The latest version of Nimbuzz also allows you to synchronize your Nimbuzz and phone contact lists so that your Nimbuzz contacts will show up in your phone’s contact list, allowing you to initiate a chat or voice call from your primary contact list without firing up the Nimbuzz app first.

We knew it was coming, but now it’s official: Trillian 1.1 for Android is now available as a free download from the Android Market.

Cerulean Studios used to charge $4.99 for the mobile app, which allows you to chat with your instant messenger contacts on AIM, Facebook, Google Talk, Windows LiveYahoo, Jabber, ICQ, and MySpace. But version 1.1 is available as a free ad-supported download.

Users who have already paid for the app will automatically receive an ad-free version and free upgrades when they install the latest update. The new version also includes a new chat history viewer and some bug fixes.

The web-based Android Market is still showing the old paid version, but if you visit the Android Market on your phone or tablet you should see an install link for the free version.

A few years ago the key reason to get a BlackBerry smartphone was because of push email, strong security, enterprise support, and the excellent BlackBerry Messenger service. Fast forward to today and honestly most smartphone platforms offer the majority of those features: with the exception of BlackBerry Messenger.

Sure, you can use Google Talk, Windows Live Messenger, or any number of other IM clients on mobile devices. But BBM users have a special fondness for BlackBerry’s messenger service. Now it looks like Research in Motion may be opening the doors to users of other platforms. Boy Genius Report says that BlackBerry Messenger will be available for Android and iOS users soon.

That’s a smart move, because it means BlackBerry users will now have an easy way to chat with their friends using other phone platforms. Or maybe it’s a dumb move because it means if you were hanging onto your BlackBerry phone because of your loyalty to the BBM service, there will be  little left to stop you from buying an iPhone.

That said, Boy Genius Report suggests that the Android and iOS clients might be stripped down versions of what you’d get with a Blackberry. For instance, you might be able to chat with contacts, but not to share photos or locations over BBM.

Skype has already stated that it has no plans to develop an official app for Windows Phone 7 (unless Microsoft changes the tools available for third party developers). But that hasn’t stopped independent developers from trying to create their own VoIP apps for Windows Phone 7… including one that will add support for the Skype service.

Xda-developers forum member Jefis says that right now the app supports chat and can grab your Skype contact list. There’s currently no support for actually making voice or video calls. But it’s a start.

Unfortunately Skype hasn’t been too kind to this sort of project in the past. The company asked Fring and Nimbuzz to disable Skype integration last year. But since Skype doesn’t plan to launch its own app for the Windows Phone 7 platform, maybe the company will turn a blind eye to this unofficial client?

via WP Central

Once upon a time Trillian was the go-to app for anyone who wanted to chat with contacts on AIM, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger and other services using a single instant messaging client. Those days are pretty long gone, as dozens of other companies have released software that serves this niche, but Trillian is still chugging along, and in recent years the company has been adding features to its desktop software as well as releasing mobile apps. After spending the last few months in beta, the Android version of Trillian is now officially available from the Android Market for $4.99.

Scan to purchase

The app works with AIM, Facebook, Google, ICQ, Jabber, Windows Live Messenger, and other protocols. The applets you send pictures to other users, and supports push notifications.

While that might not sound like enough to justify the $4.99 price tag when similar apps are available for free, there’s one feature that might appeal to desktop Trillian users: You can synchronize your data with Trillian’s Mac, Windows, and web software.

Trillian also offers apps for the iPhone and Blackberry.

via Android Central

Facebook has pushed out a new version of its Android app, and it finally has all the same functionality as the Facebook app for iOS. In addition to viewing your Facebook Feed, friends, groups, messages, events, and Places, you can now use Facebook Chat on Android to IM with your contacts who are online in real-time, whether they’re using Android, an iPhone, or a PC web browser.

Scan to download

The chat feature lets you view a list of your contacts who are online. You can start a chat by tapping on any name and entering a text. When you go back to the contact list window, you’ll see a list of currently active chats at the top of the page, as well as a number showing if you’ve missed an incoming message or two.

Facebook 1.5 for Android also adds support for push notifications, letting you see when there’s a new alert that needs your attention from your Android status bar.

You can download the latest version of Facebook for Android from the Android Market.

First Fring, and now Nimbuzz. Skype has asked Nimbuzz to remove support for making Skype calls using the Nimbuzz instant messaging client for mobile phones.

Nimbuzz first added support for using Skype to make phone calls a few months ago. But it looks like Skype is on a mission to discourage third party apps from using its protocol tomake voice and video calls.

Incidentally, Skype launched its own Android app recently, but it takes up more storage space than Nimbuzz or Fring, and supports voice and text chat, but not video.

To comply with Skype’s request, Nimbuzz will end support for Skype on October 31st. But the company will continue to offer its own NimbuzzOut service which will let users make cheap calls to phone numbers using the Nimbuzz mobile client. The company is also offering users 15% bonus credit on all purchases through the end of November, in an attempt to get some Skype users to stick with Nimbuzz. Just use the copon code NIMBUZZ15 to get the bonus.

Nimbuzz is available for Symbian, iOS, and Android phones.

via TechCrunch

Meebo is a multi-protocol chat service that lets you keep up with your contacts on AIM, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, and a number of other services. The company’s initial claim to fame was its web-based software that lets you login and chat from any computer with a modern web browser. But Meebo also offers one of the best chat clients for iPhone and a less-stellar, but still useful app for Android.

Today Meebo launched a public beta of Meebo for BlackBerry. This app was actually in development before Meebo even began work on the iPhone app, but took a little longer to deliver.

Meebo for BlackBerry features some of the best elements of the web software including putting multiple conversations into tabs and saving your full chat history. The app works with BlackBerry devices that have touchscreens or those that have trackballs. One of the best features is synchronization with the web version of Meebo so you can pick up conversations where you left off on a different device.

Meebo beta for BlackBerry is available as a free download. You can get the download link by entering your email address at the Meebo for BlackBerry page.

via Mashable