Free Apps

After many, many hiccups BBM is finally available on the Apple App Store, but with a catch. BlackBerry announced today that BBM will begin rolling out to Google Play, the Apple App Store and in select Samsung App Stores, but they need new users to get in line before they can use it.

The company says about six million people showed interest in BBM at BBM.com, and about one million Android users are already using a leaked version of the messenger. This is why BlackBerry has started a "line-up system to ensure a smooth roll out." To avoid a repeat of last month's server issues, new users must enter their email address to hold their spot in line after they download the app. BBM fans who already signed up at BBM.com can start using the app immediately without waiting.

Square Cash is a new, free service that allows users to send money through email. With a limit of up to $2,500, the program requires a sender to compose an email, cc cash@square.com and enter the amount you want to send. There are no extra fees or steps aside from linking a debit card to your account through the Square website and hitting send. It’s a simple, one-step process. The funds are deposited in the recipient’s linked account and available in one to two business days.

Square Cash is primarily an email based system, but Square has developed an iPhone and Android app which opens a keypad that allows the user to enter in the amount they wish to transfer, and the app automatically places the amount into an email and cc’s cash@square.com for them.

There are a lot of free iPhone / iPod apps that offer Halloween sound effects, but most of these are not great options when it comes to Halloween themed music for parties or haunted houses. You can of course download plenty of Halloween music albums from iTunes for around $10 and up, or pay $0.99 for the popular Halloween music app for the iPhone and iPad. The Halloween app by Eugene Yu offers a Halloween countdown, creepy sound clips, scary stories, Halloween themed recipes and spooky background music.

You can also use the free "Halloween Party" station on Pandora, or any of the several "Halloween" themed channels on Spotify if you're prefer music over spooky noises and sound effects.

UPDATE: BlackBerry has announced that both the iOS and Android version of BBM have been delayed. From the BlackBerry Blog:

Our teams continue to work around the clock to bring BBM to Android and iPhone, but only when it’s ready and we know it will live up to your expectations of BBM. We are pausing the global roll-out of BBM for Android and iPhone.

After a few false starts, leaks and getting stuck in the Apple review process for over two weeks, BlackBerry's messaging service has finally started rolling out to iOS devices. BBM has popped up in the New Zealand App Store with more countries to follow. The Android version was supposed to land in the Google Play Store first, but has yet to make an appearance.

BlackBerry highlighted some of the messenger's features on its blog earlier this week. Some of the iOS and Android highlights include BBM Chat, the ability to share files on your phone and multi-person chats. BBM users can also post personal messages, add a profile picture and keep all their contacts updated on what they're doing through the Updates feature.

Google Wallet landed in the App Store this morning sans NFC, since iOS devices do not support it. Besides the missing "tap-to-pay" option, the iOS version does include all the features found on the Android version.

Google Wallet users can send money to any friend in the US via email, and store credit / debit cards and loyalty programs on the app. Users can also keep their app locked with a PIN and disable the app through Google's site if their device becomes lost or stolen.