The application "Kik Messenger" is skyrocketing in numbers. It's grown 1,400% in under a month. What is it? It's an app you can download on the iPhone, Droid systems, or BlackBerry that works a lot like BlackBerry Messenger, except that it crosses systems. It also looks a lot like AOL Instant Messenger… I wonder how many "a/s/l" Kik messages"are being sent right now. The only proper way to see how it works was to take the plunge, download it, and review this messenger beast.

My original impression was fear when I realized upon installation that it had gone through my enter phone book and suggested "friends" I may know. Now let's go through this: Do you happen to have a number in your phone but you jacked it off of Facebook (think: smokeshow you're waiting to drunk text)? Well, she's going to get an update saying you just joined Kik. So now she knows your creeper status and you're ruined. Two hours after downloading it, I kept getting suggestions of people I may be familiar with (because they were signing up with Kik). I'm scared: there were literally 20 names I've never seen in my life, although I tend to forget names minutes after meeting peopl. So, before downloading, you better look through your phone book and make sure you're O.K. with who will and won't know you're now on Kik.
 

Ease of Use: It's like BBM, with a "D" for delivered and "R" icon for the message being read. As cool as that sounds at first, let me remind you it's awful. It's so easy to tell that random babe "your text never went through," and get back on her good side again. But with BBM and Kik, nothing is worse than when a girl sees you've read her message and you don't answer. The typical response: "?" The concept of being "busy" is just too far out for some broads. With this bad boy, she's clocked you in when you read it, and God forbid you don't respond in two minutes. Messages do send quickly, but so do texts.

Contacts: You have a display name, which can be whatever you like, and then you also have a username. It's pretty straightforward, and the contact list is consistently refreshed.

Can it replace texting? I hope not. I believe it was designed for those people who do not have unlimited texts (it's 2010...), and who want to capitalize on their data plan. Don't forget Kik is nothing too novel: "What'sapp" and "PingMessenger" did the same thing. Somehow Kik managed to stand out in the crowd, which is a clear sign that people want BBM, if not Curves and Bolds.

Battery-Killer: My Blackberry Tour is no Energizer bunny and tends to die one minute before the smokeshow of the night decides she's ready to hit the sack. Adding Kik didn't help. It runs in the background like a silent killer.

You can still find me on Kik at "matthewflow." Feel free to message me, perhaps I'll respond. But BBM is probably a better bet.