Nimbuzz is a multi-network (AIM, Facebook Chat, Google Talk, MSN Messenger, MySpace, Twitter, Yahoo) IM app. It was updated to version 1.93 last week. According to a post on the Nimbuzz blog the new features in this release are:

• Message Delivery Notifications will display checkmarks when your message arrives on your friend’s phone.
• Access to free avatars and bots via N-World.
• Clickable links inside the chat screen
• New way to insert emoticons : Open a chat -> Menu -> Insert emoticon -> Enjoy

I've never had much luck with Nimbuzz on my  Boost Mobile phones and this one is no exception.

On  my i776, it installs and runs and the keys are mapped correctly. I can log in but shortly after I do I get the message "Sorry we had to disconect you from Twitter. Please try again latter while we are looking into it." Most of the time after I get that message the app locks up, although occasionally I can get past that message and Nimbuzz works.

On the Motorola Rambler, Nimbuzz installs but is unusable do to key mapping issues.  The left softkey action is mapped to the right softkey. I can adapt to that but the right softkey is mapped to nothing which is not good as it's used as the Cancel key and to return from menus and chats.

Because the previous version of  Nimbuzz was reported to work on the i856, i776 and i465 I'm posting this one for users to try. Please leave a comment letting me know if it works on your phone so I can update this post. If it doesn't work for you, try version 1.9 which seems to be more compatible with Boost phones.

Type: Freeware
Vendor: Nimbuzz - Product Page, Online Help, Forum
Data Connection Required: Yes
iDEN Compatible: (tested on i776): Works on the i776 but locks up frequently, others unknown
Boost CDMA Compatible: (tested on Motorola Rambler): No, severe key mapping issues
Screen size: All

The app "Nimbuzz" (437 KB) is ready to download or send to your phone as filename:"nimbuzz193i".

Multi-network (AIM, Facebook, Google Talk, MSN Messenger, MySpace, Twitter, Yahoo) IM app Nimbuzz was updated last week. The version number was bumped up  1.92 (from 1.9).  Dispite the insignifigant jump in version numbers that are some major new features in this release:

• Invisible mode – to appear invisible to your Nimbuzz contacts while you are actually online.
• New Notifiable icon - for contacts that have the app closed but are available via push notification or Ping.
• Mandatory phone number verification for chat-rooms
• Faster login
• Less data consumption We expect that on average you will consume 50% less data, and depending on how you use Nimbuzz, this could get save you an amazing 70% in data used.

The Nimbuzz blog has more details about 1.92.  Unfortunately for Boost Mobile users the new release has  issues  with many Boost phones.  On my i776, it fails to install with a Class Verification Error. On the Motorola Rambler, Nimbuzz installs but is unusable do to key mapping issues.  The left softkey action is mapped to the right softkey. I can adapt to that but the right softkey is mapped to nothing which is not good as it's used as the Cancel key and to return from menus and chats.

The good news is that based on testing by cornel.j 1.92 does work on the Motorola i856.  Which means it probably also works on the i9 and maybe other models.  If you try it and find it works on any other Boost phones besides the i856, please leave a comment so I can update the compatible phones list. If you try 1.92 and it doesn't work you can always go back to 1.9.

Type: Freeware
Vendor: Nimbuzz - Product Page, Online Help, Forum
Data Connection Required: Yes
iDEN Compatible: (tested on i776): Some, works on i856 and i465, doesn't work on i776, others unknown
Boost CDMA Compatible: (tested on Motorola Rambler): No, severe key mapping issues
Supported iDEN phones: i856, possible others

The app "Nimbuzz" (392 KB) is ready to download or send to your phone as filename:"Nimbuzz192a".
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Here's the latest 2.6.0 version of WeBuzz.  New features are that it can optionally send your location in a message  and it can display the Daily Hadith (a saying by or about Muhammad).

WeBuzz is supposed to support  AIM, Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, MSN Messenger, ICQ and Facebook , but I got connection errors with AIM and Google Talk. The app hung if I tried to connect to Facebook (I did use my Facebook username as you are supposed to).  I didn't try ICQ, but Yahoo and MSN seem to work.

Another bug is that on my i776 the Menu > Back function didn't work to go back to the menu and I had to kill the app with the red key and start over. Back worked on the Rambler. I don't remember as many bugs in the previous version so I'm not so sure this one is an improvement. It might work better on other phone models

The app "WeBuzz All in One" (177 KB) is ready to download or send to your phone as filename:"WeBuzz260"

Type: Freeware
Vendor: WeBuzz - Product Page, Help, Forum
Data Connection Required: Yes
Minimum Java ME profile: MIDP 2.0
Screen Size:  All
Boost CDMA Compatible: (tested on Motorola Rambler): No
iDEN Compatible: (tested on i776): Yes
Supported iDEN phones: All Falcon Series (i856, i776, i465, i9, i290, etc.)
Filesize: 177 KB

Thanks to Cornell J for  alerting  me that Nimbuzz has been updated.  It's now up to version 1.9 (there was a short-lived 1.83 that I missed).

The biggest change for iDEN users is that the key mapping issues that plagued earlier versions have been mostly fixed.  The OK button still doesn't work (press Call in place of OK) and in some of the menus the right soft key (labeled "Back") doesn't do anything and you have to press the Menu key instead. But everywhere else in the app the soft keys seem to be labeled correctly.

The new version also seems to start up faster and load the contact list more quickly.  Supported communities are Windows Live Messenger,  Yahoo, Facebook Chat,  Google Talk, AIM, MySpace, Twitter and Hyves.

Type: Freeware
Vendor: Nimbuzz - Product Page, Online Help, Forum
Data Connection Required: Yes
iDEN Compatible: (tested on i776): Yes
Boost CDMA Compatible: (tested on Motorola Rambler): Yes
Supported iDEN phones: All Falcon Series with Java (i856, i776, i465, i9, i290, etc.)
Filesize: 349 KB

Qeep is a free mobile social network featuring photo blogging, live games (Crazy Eights, TicTacToe, Flip Chip, Quadrix(connect 4), and Battleship, messaging and "Sound Attacks".

Keys:
Right softkey = left softkey action,
Menu key = right softkey action,
Call key = OK

Contributed by: Yuna
Type: Ad-Supported
Vendor: Qeep
Data Connection Required: Yes
Supported iDEN phones: All Falcon series with Java ( i9, i856, i776, i465, i290, etc.)
Filesize: 163 KB

Nimbuzz released version 1.72 of their multi-protocol IM client for Java phones a couple of days ago. Unlike 1.7,which didn't install on iDEN phones, I had no problems running this latest version on my i776.

There are no new features in 1.72, just the always worthwhile bug fixes and performance improvements.

Supported networks are the same as in version 1.6, Windows Live Messenger,  Skype, Yahoo, Facebook Chat,  Google Talk, AIM, MySpace, ICQ, Twitter, studiVZ, shuelerVZ, Gadu-Gadu and Hyves. Update: Skype support as been removed at Skype's request.

Startup time, always an issue with Nimbuzz on the low spec i776, does seem noticeably faster. Other than that I don't see much difference. Off line Facebook friends are still listed in the buddy list as numbers instead of by name (their names do appear if they go online) and  the OK button and the soft keys are still mapped incorrectly.

Because of the messed up key mappings you need to:

1. Use the green "Call" key as the "OK" key
2. Use the right soft key for the left soft key's action
3. Use the menu key for the  right soft key's action
4. Exception : When entering text in native pop up windows,  the soft keys (labeled OK and Cancel) work as labeled.

Type: Freeware
Vendor: Nimbuzz - Product Page, Online Help, Forum
Data Connection Required: Yes
Supported iDEN phones: All Falcon Series (i776, i465, i9, i290, etc.)
Filesize: 298 KB

This is another of Darren's finds.  It's a single app containing multiple mini-apps or widgets. Each widget is for a separate service. There are IM and email widgets, news feeds, games and calculators. iDea comes with Gmail, Google Talk, Sudoku, a Currency Converter, TechCrunch, Yahoo News, Google Search and ICQ Widgets. There are over 70 more available for download including Twitter, Facebook and MySpace widgets.

Darren says iDea works well on his i856 but I found it much too slow to use on my i776. So it's probably only for i856 and i9 users.

Free registration is required.  You can use the app for one day without registering. Registration can be done on the phone.You need to enter your phone number and then click a link in a text message that iDea sends to validate your registration.  When I tested it I got the text in less than a minute and was charged the normal 10 cents.

Type: Freeware
Vendor: Mobile Innovations - Product Page
Data Connection Required: Yes
Boost CDMA Compatible: (tested on Motorola Rambler):  Yes
Boost iDEN Compatible: (tested on i776):
Supported iDEN phones: i9 and  i856 only
File Size: 349 KB

I've never posted eBuddy 1.5 because it doesn't install on my i776.  Plus it's supposed to be a very minor update to fix a connection issue on some non-Boost phones. On the other hand eBuddy 1.4 works, although it keeps telling you there is an update available.

Boost apps reader Darren found a version of eBuddy 1.5 that does work on his i9. I tried it on my i776 and it  fails with a "Class Loading Error on "bz.class" just like the other one I tried.  I'm posting it anyway for the benefit of i9 users.  It may work on other models with likely candidate being the i856 because it is the latest models.

If you try this on a phone other than the i9, please post a comment saying if it works or not and I'll update this post.  If you try it and it doesn't work, you can always go back to eBuddy 1.4.

eBuddy supports Yahoo, MSN, GTalk, AIM, ICQ, MySpace and Facebook.

Keys:
1. Press the green "Call" key for "OK" key's action
2. Press the right soft key for the left soft key's action
3. Press the menu key for the  right soft key's action
4. Exception : When entering text in a pop up window the soft keys (labeled OK and Cancel) work as labeled.

Type: Freeware
Vendor: eBuddy- Product Page, Online Help
Data Connection Required: Yes
Supported iDEN phones: Confirmed working on the i9. Does not work on the i776 or i465, use eBuddy 1,4 instead..

Provided you use Google Talk, GoTalkMobile is one of the best IM apps I've seen for iDEN phones. Nothing fancy, just a  fast loading, no  frills GoogleTalk IM app with all keys mapped correctly.

You can set up GoTalkMobile to notify you with a beep or vibe whenever messages arrive, friends come online or new Gmail email is received. You can't actually see new email in GoTalkMobile, but it tells you how many unread emails you have.

The only downside to this app is that it will not notify you when the app is suspended or the phone's flip is closed, but none of the other IM apps do either on iDEN phones.

Thanks to Kim for finding this app.

Type: Freeware
Author: GoTalkMobile - Product Page
Data Connection Required: Yes
Supported iDEN phones: All Falcon Series (MIDP-2) with Java  (i290, i335, i465, i776 i856, i9, etc.)
File Size: 114 KB

Thanks to dontae for finding it on GetJar we have a new IM client to play with. It's WeBuzz and supports AIM, Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, MSN Messenger, ICQ and Facebook. It seems pretty good. All the keys work, it fits the screen and loads quickly.  The only thing missing is that it doesn't beep or vibrate when you get a new IM.

Setting up Facebook in WeBuzz is a little tricky because you have to use  your Facebook username, NOT the email address that you log into Facebook itself with. Usernames are optional in Facebook, instructions for creating them are in Facebook help.

Type: Freeware
Vendor: WeBuzz - Product Page, Help, Forum
Data Connection Required: Yes
Supported iDEN phones: All Falcon Series (i856, i776, i465, i9, i290, etc.)

dontae