BlackBerry has confirmed that sponsored content will soon be coming to BBM Channels after ads were spotted in its latest BBM beta release. The Canadian company also insists, however, that it will not be inserting advertisements into your instant messages, and that it will be “very strict” about the amount of content that is pushed to the BBM community.

BlackBerry has confirmed that it will address BBM’s measly 6MB transfer limit in its next update. The company says it has “heard users loud and clear,” and it has vowed to allow the transfer of larger files over the popular instant messaging service.

BlackBerry has today updated BBM to add support for devices running Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Until now, only those running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich or above could enjoy the cross-platform messaging service, but with over 20% of Android users still running the 3-year-old software, BlackBerry knew that had to change.

BlackBerry’s chance at clawing back smartphone share and mounting any kind of a threat against Android and iOS looks slimmer every time the company announces its sales figures. It seems increasingly likely the Canadian company will eventually have to sell off its smartphone business or turn to Android in an effort to survive.

But despite what you may think, the BlackBerry 10 operating system isn’t a complete write-off. In fact, there are lots things it does incredibly well. Having used it myself for quite a bit over the past 12 months, I’ve compiled a list of five features that I think Google should steal for Android.

BlackBerry has today announced that it is updating BBM for Android and iOS to add a new “Find Friends” feature that helps you seek out other BBM users and invite them to connect. It works alongside your smartphone’s address book to detect BBM users you already know, and it’s ideal for new users looking to build up their contact list.