Research In Motion enables in-app chatting
Research In Motion has released an updated version of its BlackBerry Messenger mobile social network that lets users do more from within apps, such as chat and share apps. 

BBM 6 provides support for connected apps which allows users to easily interact from within the BBM connected app. For example, with a BBM connected game app, users can invite friends to join them in a game and chat without leaving the game app.

BBM 6?s functionality includes the ability to share apps by selecting a contact from within the connected app they are using; the ability to chat within apps and, the ability to discover new apps by viewing a list of apps posted to a friend?s profile.

Sprint adds more than 1M wireless subscribers in Q2
Sprint Nextel Corp. said it added nearly 1.1 million total net wireless subscribers in the second quarter of 2011 . This includes the addition of 674,000 prepaid subscribers, 519,000 wholesale and affiliate subscribers and 275,000 postpaid subscribers.

The company also reported improvements to its churn rate, achieving its best-ever postpaid churn of 1.75 percent and a prepaid churn of 4.14, the lowest in almost six years.

Sprint reported a net loss of $847 million for the second quarter. The company?s net operating revenues during this period totaled $8.3 billion and operating income totaled $79 million.

Sprint has also announced a spectrum hosting agreement with LightSquared. This will provide carriers and wireless providers a way to more cost-effectively serve their customers by operating on Sprint?s network infrastructure instead of building their own network facilities.

Alibaba introduces Web-based mobile OS
China e-commerce giant Alibaba Group has introduced its own mobile operating system and the first mobile phone powered by the new OS.

The cloud-based Aliyun OS supports Web-based apps, which means users are not required to download or install application software. Users will be able to synchronize, store and back-up data to Alibaba?s data center as well as access the data across all their PC and mobile devices. The OS features e-mail, Internet search, weather updates as well as mapping and navigation tools. Third-party mobile software developers will be able to use HTML5 and JavaScript to develop Web-based apps for Aliyun.

K-Touch Cloud-Smart Phone W700 is the new smartphone on the OS that will be introduced to the Chinese market at the end of July. The company plans to integrate the OS with other devices including mobile phones with larger screens and tablets in the coming months.

The OS was developed internally by Alibaba Cloud Computing.

Millennials, Gen-Xers, Boomers gravitate toward different mobile devices
Millennials are the most likely buyer of smartphones with more than half of the population ? or over 25 million ? currently owning a smartphone, according to a new study from media research firm Affinity.

The American Magazine Study shows that millennial are 28 percent more likely to own a smartphone than the average. Additionally, 18 percent plan to purchase one within the next six months.

However, when it comes to tablets, Gen-Xers are 16 percent more likely to own one than the average adult consumer. More than 9 percent of Gen-Xers currently own a tablet while 24 percent ? or almost 21 million ? plan to purchase one.

For ereaders, the most likely prospect group is Baby Boomers, who are 19 percent more likely to own an ereader than the average consumer.

The findings include that while 12 percent of United States adults currently own an ereader, Baby Boomers lead the way, with 8.2 million currently owning an ereader and over 10 million planning to purchase a device in the next six months.