A few weeks ago I posted about a new service called Packetbox that (finally) allows you to use the built-in IM program on your unbranded Nokia S60 device for Instant Messaging. At the previous posting, you had to join HowardForums and then send a Private Message to a member named Travisnj containing your IM screenname and password.
That’s all changed. Travis has setup a web presence, along with user control panel, so that you can modify your own profile and IM apps. Currently it only supports AIM, ICQ, and MSN, but Yahoo! and Jabber (which means Gtalk) will be supported at the official launch, planned to be 3Q. There’s two active threads on HowardForums still, here and here, if you want to join in the discussion.
I’ve been testing this app heavily, as I have been wishing for a reason to pull the IM client out of my Crap folder for quite a while. It’s not ready for the primetime just yet. Some bugs include Contact Groups not coming over, and I personally haven’t seen my AIM logged in yet. However, the service is definitely still in Beta, so if you rely heavily on your IM to get you through the day, you might want to wait. But if you’re one that loves to try stuff out and find bugs and help fix them, then Packetbox is PERFECT for you. Click through for some screenshots…
This is the screen you first see when you sign in. 
There’s four options, Conversations, IM Contacts, IM Groups, and Record Conversations. Pretty self-explanatory, really. The groups are really chat rooms that you can create and join on the device itself. I haven’t yet tried to record a conversation so I’m not sure of al the details on that.
Under IM Contacts, it shows who’s online and who’s not. You also have the ability to block a user and group contacts as you wish. I’ve got mine connected to MSN at the moment.
Under Options you can change your own availability settings, complete with a custom away or return message. You log on and off here, though you can set the app to automatically sign you in when you power your device on.
Probably the best thing about Packetbox is that since it uses the built-in IM product, it’s fully integrated into the OS. You have IM alerts similar to SMS/MMS alerts, and you can set a custom tone for those. You also get a little conversation bubble indicator on the home screen that lets you know if you have a new conversation or message.
If you’re already signed up, add "Rcadden" to your contacts and hit me up sometime.
