Nimbuzz Launches on Android

Nimbuzz has launched an Android version of their “mobile social messaging” application.  Like it’s iPhone sibling, the Nimbuzz Android app lets you connect to multiple IM and social networks, including Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, Skype, Facebook and others.

The interface is compact and efficient, complete with avatar display, online awareness (to determine if your contact is available) and an icon to show what network they are on.

The Android version has some unique features:

• Time Sensitive User Interface – Touch a contact’s icon lightly to see their profile. A stronger touch starts a new chat.
• Auto-reconnect – Keeps you connected using whatever signal is available. If you leave the range of your WiFi, Nimbuzz will automatically reconnect using your data connection.
• Support for some location-specific networks. Not a big selling point for me personally, but Nimbuzz even supports social networks such as Hyves from the Netherlands, StudiVZ from Germany, Gadu-Gadu from Poland, and Giovani from Italy.

I like the UI for the contact list. If you’re running Android, you’ll want to give Nimbuzz a try.

Digsby Adds Real Time Web

dotSyntax released a new version of Digsby, the popular multi-network instant messaging and social networking program. This update provides three new features, and sports a new look for Windows 7.

• Digsby now integrates with MySpaceID, providing real-time notification from your MySpace activity stream, status updates, and photos.
• OneRiot integration provides real-time search, giving users quick access to what’s buzzing in news, videos and blogs.
• And a new Global Status feature lets you update your status across all IM and social network accounts at once, much like Ping.fm or HelloTxt.

“People want instant access to the content their friends are sharing,” said Steve Shapiro, president of dotSyntax, “Our partnerships make Digsby the premier desktop client to discover and participate in social conversations that are taking place right now.”

The new Global Status feature also allows you to share links (via their own URL shortener digs.by) and pictures (via pic.im). I’m not real fond of URL shorteners, especially after this week’s drama surrounding tr.im, but Twitter makes them practically unavoidable. This integration at least makes it easy to shorten URLs when posting updates to Twitter.

It is great to see the competition heating up between Digsby and Trillian Astra. If only Digsby had an iPhone version…

You can download Digsby at www.digsby.com

AIM 6.9 Gets Social

AOL today officially released AIM 6.9 for Windows, introducing new features that integrate AIM with other social networks, including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. This new version of the venerable instant messaging program acknowledges and embraces the fact that people aren’t just on a single social network — they have a presence across many networks — and keeping up-to-date with your friends, family and associates shouldn’t require you to visit a dozen different web sites. The real social network transcends any single brand.

AIM remains free to use, supported by advertising that appears in the buddy list and chat windows. AIM 6.9 requires Windows 2000 or newer, 512 MB RAM for enhanced IM functionality, Flash and IE 6 or newer. You can download it here.

Alternate versions for Mac, Linux and web-based IM are still available, but haven’t been upgraded to match the functionality of their Windows counterpart. 

Do you use AIM? Will you upgrade?

Social Network Wars

With Myspace, Facebook and other social networks all vying for attention, what can the average Joe do to maintain his sanity? This week’s Sunday Funny is a video that wouldn’t be funny if it weren’t so true: Social Network Wars. 

Read more

drop.io adds real-time chat

drop.io promises simple, secure, real-time file sharing and collaboration. It’s easy to setup a drop.io “box” — you don’t even need to register. Once you’ve setup a drop.io space, you can send files, share and retrieve files from that space using almost any method imaginable. Web uploads/downloads, mobile devices, fax, email, Twitter and now, IM. Read more

Hello World! Feedback? Feedback!

The BigBlue Crew suggested a blog would be a great way to share what’s going on behind-the-scenes at BigBlueBall.com, so we’ve launched BigBlueBlog. We’ll be posting information about our staff (the BigBlue Crew!); site news and updates; info about new goodies we’re working on at BigBlueBall; and — most of all — listening to your feedback.

Did you know…?

• BigBlueBall.com was originally a site where two web developers showcased their portfolio?
• The BigBlueBall.com domain was originally registered way back in 1998?
• BigBlueBall has been covering instant messaging since March 1991?
• The name “BigBlueBall” refers to the planet earth, as seen from space?
• And… we have our own entry on Wikipedia?

What’s coming up next?

At BigBlueBall, we believe that instant messaging was the original social networking app, and that social networking is here to stay. What is social networking? Simply the connections we make between each other; our friends, family, co-workers and colleagues. Social networking is about strengthening those connections and helping us build richer, more satisfying relationships.

Technology can be a great enabler — helping us build our own social networks. Or technology can get in the way. At BigBlueBall, we want to help you sort through the myriad of tools and options that are out there and find what really works best for you.

So what’s next at BigBlueBall? We’re listening to your feedback, and evolving beyond just IM to cover the broad spectrum of social networking tools, techniques and technologies.

For now, please share your feedback, and stay tuned. Subscribe to our feed and you’ll get all the updates on the changes at BigBlueBall.