Hey there, I'm your friend David Pierce, and I am about to play you another episode of our new show, version history,

all about old technology and the most important moments and products in the history of tech.

If you like the show, please make sure to subscribe to version history wherever you get podcasts,

or you can find it in the Verge channel on YouTube.

Hit us up with all of your feedback. I hope you enjoy.

It's 2005. Your phone bill is out

of control because text messaging is taking off and you're paying 10 cents every single time

you send or receive a text message. 10 cents. It's outrageous. But what if I told you there was a

better way? What if there was an app on your phone that you could use to send messages to all your

friends in real time for free? And you could even see when they'd read your messages. And did I mention

it's on your phone? And that's never really happened before. It all sounds too good to be true,

but it's not. It's called BBM or a Blackberry messenger, but everybody calls it BBM. And it's

built right into the phone that you either have or you wish that you had.

From the Virgin Vox Media, this is version history,

a show about the best and worst and weirdest and most important gadgets and products in the history of technology.

I'm David Pierce, and today we have to talk about texting.

Stay tuned.

Morning, Zoe.

Jeff Bridges.

Why are you still living above our garage?

I want to be in a T-Mobile commercial like you.

Teach me, Saldana.

...