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As promised back in January, Research in Motion (RIM) has released Google Talk for BlackBerry, an application running on BlackBerry wireless handhelds that integrates nicely with the Google Talk instant messaging service. Users must sign up for a free GMail account to login to the software.

Unlike some other IM applications for the BlackBerry, Google Talk for BlackBerry conforms to many of the usability guidelines that BlackBerry users have become accustomed to. One of the best features of the application is its tight integration with the BlackBerry message list and profiles for alerting.

When you log in to Google Talk for BlackBerry, your buddy list appears just as it does in the desktop version of Google Talk. When you send and receive instant messages with your friends, each conversation appears as a single item in your BlackBerry message list with a tiny globe icon indicating the online status of the recipient.

Also, if you've specified in your GMail settings for IM history to be archived there, any conversations you have using Google Talk for BlackBerry will be saved to your Gmail account.

When you install Google Talk for BlackBerry, it adds two additional categories for alerting in the profiles section of the BlackBerry. One is called Google Talk Alert and the other is called Google Talk New Message.

The new message alert can be customized just like any other category of alert on the device. For example, you can specify different alerts for when the device is in the holster or out.

A Google Talk Alert type can also be used if you want to be alerted when one of your contacts comes online. From your buddy list, click the trackwheel and choose "Alert Me". This will create an alert when that particular buddy comes online.

Also, Google Talk for BlackBerry stays running in the background when accessing other applications on the device.

Google Talk for BlackBerry is available now for free at http://www.blackberry.com/googletalk/. The user guide is also available for viewing.

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About the Author
Dave Mabe, the author of the O'Reilly book BlackBerry Hacks, is a largely self-taught engineer and writer who strives to create a simple, elegant solution to a complex problem. He has worked in the communications industry for eight years and has worked with BlackBerry devices for almost five.