The free-to-download app does the likes of Skype and offers real-time, PC-style 'presence'

Apr 16, 2008 12:39 GMT  ·  By

Yup, no lie. They've done it! Fring has released this great piece of application called "fring," the same as the company, for owners of a jailbroken iPhone. Aside using Skype, owners of a jailbroken device can also chat MSN Messenger, ICQ, GTalk, SIP, Twitter, AIM, and Yahoo! over Wi-Fi.

"The special pre-release version will enable iPhone users to get an early taste of fring and discover the freedom of being able to take their fring contacts and buddies from their other favorite online communities mobile on their iPhones. They will also have the ability to make free and low cost mobile calls over WiFi & enjoy rich, IM-style live chat with their online contacts, regardless of whether they are on their mobiles, PCs or other internet devices." posts fring.com.

The company says that, during login, fring automatically creates a single, integrated contact list, while combining contacts from all of the users' selected internet communities. Best of all, fring is an always-on, therefore offers real-time, PC-style "presence" indicators letting you know which one of your buddies is online, offline, away and even in a call. You can talk to your friends who are sitting in front of the PC or friends who have a Wi-Fi enabled device.

Fring also states that "all you need to start enjoying the pre-released fring for iPhone is an 'opened' iPhone with the Istaller and WiFi access." What they mean is "jailbroken." Needless to say, Softpedia doesn't encourage hacking activities surrounding the iPhone, so proceeding with the installation of fring on your iPhone is at your own risk. Fring is free, by the way.

"fring was launched in February 2007, and since January 2008 has been experiencing growth in excess of 100,000 new fringsters per month across more than 180 countries worldwide. fring's aim is to spread its philosophy of fringing freedom to as many mobile phone users as possible and its launch today of the iPhone application is yet another important step in this direction," says the team at fring.

Image credits: Zatz Not Funny!

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