BlackBerry 10.1 Update Hits Australia, BBM Channels the Alternative to Twitter?

Those who have been looking forward to BlackBerry's first major update, the BlackBerry 10.1, can now expect it in Australia for BlackBerry Z10 users.

Among the newest additions that you can enjoy include the BlackBerry Hub interface and new features for the camera, reports PC World. Direct communication between BlackBerry users are now made possible with PIN to PIN messages, and those who want to customize the notifications for separate accounts can also do so with the new update.

For the camera, the BlackBerry 10.1 update also improves red eye reduction and provides an HDR shooting mode to compete with the improvements in low-light conditions for other smartphones.

Updating is now easy and free of charges, reports BlackBerry.com. All you have to do is find the alert for the update in the notifications section of the BlackBerry Hub or look for software updates in the settings menu.

The update does not need restarts or backing up, as it downloads and updates in the background.

BBM Channels: BlackBerry's own Twitter-verse?

After the BBM Channels was announced last week at the BlackBerry Live, it seems that BlackBerry's next move is to create a social network of its own exclusively for its community.

CNet Australia reports that BBM Channels is pretty much a similar application to Twitter, where you can create your own channel or profile, which is accessible via both smartphone and the Internet.

You can also follow a channel that interests you as well as interact with these channels to get your dose of news or events. Users can even opt to comment and like the posts of the channels that you subscribe to, as well as go on a personal chat with the channel if you so wish.

What's notable about BBM Channels is that it has monitor engagement, which, according to BlackBerry.com, allows the use of a built-in measuring tool to assess and monitor any follower engagement and interaction.

This may ring a bell for creators and advertisers, as this can be a great new tool to create a brand in the BlackBerry sphere. Although the fact that the user base, compared to Apple's and Android's alike, may be the next issue that the company has to deal with, considering that BlackBerry still trails behind the two giants, with Nokia trailing a short distance behind.

BBM Channels is already out on beta mode, so you can try it and see if it really does create a new experience that sets itself apart as BlackBerry's own social hub.